After her gentle explanation, Siwoo briefly nodded.
“Siwoo, shall we try picking that big one over there?”
“Uh…”
Placing the child on a small ladder and encouraging him to pick tangerines, Da Jung smiled. Jung Hyuk, silently watching, exhaled in disbelief.
He couldn’t understand why they were paying to do such labor.
“Wow! This one is huge. Mom should pick this. Siwoo, how about trying to pick that one?”
“…….”
In less than ten minutes, Yu Siwoo began to show signs of tiredness. His initial curiosity faded as it became more tedious and strenuous.
Meanwhile, Yoo Da Jung was very enthusiastic, motivated by the fact they could take home all the tangerines they picked within 90 minutes.
“Siwoo! There’s a big one here too. Let’s pick this.”
“Uh… a big one?”
Siwoo glanced at his mother, his shoulders heaving with a big sigh. Jung Hyuk’s irritation exploded at the sight.
“Don’t overwork the kid.”
Da Jung’s eyes widened in surprise at his remark.
“Overwork? This is all part of the experience and learning. Right, Siwoo?”
She sought her son’s agreement, but Siwoo just rolled his big eyes. Jung Hyuk snorted in response.
“See. Yu Siwoo is really tired. Don’t you understand men? Men don’t find this kind of thing fun at all.”
Siwoo’s eyes rolled even bigger. He was indeed bored and annoyed, but he didn’t want to acknowledge the truth to hurt his mother’s feelings.
A large hand gently patted Siwoo’s head.
“Yu Siwoo. If you’re tired, it’s okay to say so. At five years old, you should be able to express your own opinions.”
“Um…….”
Siwoo bit his lip, as if agreeing with Jung Hyuk’s words, choosing to remain silent. Da Jung was slightly flustered by her son’s reaction.
Jung Hyuk continued his assertive speech.
“If we’re on a trip, we should be eating delicious food and having fun, not working.”
“When you’re on a trip, you should see and experience as much as possible!”
“If you want to do it, Yoo Da Jung should do it. Why make the child work? Yu Siwoo could file a labor exploitation complaint.”
“Oh my goodness?”
Da Jung’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. Jung Hyuk, determined not to yield, locked eyes with her. The atmosphere was already heated, and sparks seemed about to fly.
Da Jung’s eyes narrowed sharply. This time, neither she nor Jung Hyuk, who was staring straight into her eyes, had any intention of backing down. The atmosphere was already heated, and sparks were about to fly.
In the midst of this, Siwoo, rolling his eyes in exasperation, sighed deeply. Caught in the middle of the fiery exchange between two adults with differing views on vacationing, young Siwoo felt overwhelmed.
“Why did you even follow me? If you love sticking to the hotel so much, Cha Jung Hyuk, you should have stayed there instead of following me and nagging.”
“Shouldn’t I follow? We’ve been together for a day since yesterday.”
Da Jung’s eyes widened in surprise and quickly turned towards Siwoo, then back to Jung Hyuk.
“A day…! What are you talking about?”
“I told you six times yesterday. So, today is our second day together.”
Da Jung jumped in shock.
“I never agreed to that. Why are you deciding this on your own, Cha Jung Hyuk?”
“I thought you liked it since you didn’t say anything.”
Da Jung’s eyes aimlessly wandered in surprise.
The tension turned awkwardly, and her cheeks under the hastily worn sun cap blushed red.
“I don’t want to hear it! Stop bothering me and go do your thing, Cha Jung Hyuk.”
“My thing is following Yoo Da Jung. It’s our second day together.”
Not backing down, his stern gaze met hers. The intensity was palpable.
Sensing instinctively that it was time to back off, Jung Hyuk slightly relaxed the intensity in his eyes.
He knew earning her dislike wasn’t right, especially since it was their second day together.
“Just stop staring and go pick the tangerines you like so much. Leave Yu Siwoo with me.”
Hearing this, Da Jung couldn’t deny that Jung Hyuk had a point. Even to her, Siwoo seemed uninterested in the tangerine picking experience.
Feeling pity for his flushed cheeks in the hot sun, she bought him a green tangerine ice pop from the orchard store.
“Siwoo, eat this and play here. Mommy will pick lots of tangerines for you.”
“Okay!”
Briefly smiling, Da Jung’s gaze became fierce again. Clearly upset, she gave Jung Hyuk a cold look and then turned sharply, heading back to the orchard.
Da Jung dedicated herself to picking green tangerines with the tenacity of a bulldog. She had to fill up box after box to send to her mother and also to Sol’s family; there was no time to waste.
Watching her collect tangerines with even more vigor due to the reduced workforce, Jung Hyuk shook his head. It seemed pointless to pay for the experience and then buy the tangerines.
His gaze then shifted to Yu Siwoo, who sat on the narrow porch, busily enjoying his ice pop.
“Yu Siwoo.”
“Yes!”
Jung Hyuk wanted to confirm if his actions had increased his favorability with Siwoo, having saved him from his mother’s forced labor.
“Can I have a bite?”
“…….”
Siwoo hesitated, remembering how he was almost poisoned by generosity last time, but this time he seemed more wary.
After pondering, Siwoo extended the ice pop. Reluctantly offering it, Jung Hyuk contentedly took a bite.
At that moment, the solid ice broke like an iceberg, and Siwoo’s large eyes widened in shock.
Silence.
His clear, large eyes stared in shock at the broken ice pieces on the ground before looking at the now empty stick in his hand and then at Jung Hyuk’s flustered face. The dark eyes began to waver like a bad omen.
“It wasn’t on purpose…”
Despite his feeble excuse, Siwoo’s pursed lips burst into a wail.
Suddenly pale, Jung Hyuk’s gaze shot towards the orchard. Sure enough, Da Jung, who had been engrossed in picking tangerines, turned around in alarm. Her reaction to her son’s crying was almost animalistic.
Jung Hyuk exhaled slowly, feeling the sweat trickling down his temple in a chillingly distinct sensation.
“Siwoo? What’s wrong, my Siwoo?”
Running into her mother’s arms, Siwoo cried almost hysterically.
“Wahhh! Mommy, that man!”
Seeing her son so upset, Da Jung’s protective instincts flared. She held him close, soothing his tears, as she glared fiercely at Jung Hyuk.
Yoo Da Jung’s gaze flew at him fiercely.
“Cha Jung Hyuk! Why did you take the child’s treat?”
As if to prove she was the mother, Yoo Da Jung understood his nonsensical explanation perfectly.
Despite trying to act unfazed, disappointment was evident on Jung Hyuk’s face. Still, he wanted to clear the misunderstanding.
“I didn’t take it. Yu Siwoo gave it to me.”
“Please act your age.”
Although the sharp rebuke felt unfair, seeing Yu Siwoo crying as if he had lost the world left him unable to think of anything else.
“Yu Siwoo, don’t cry. I’ll buy you a hundred. If you want, I’ll buy the whole orchard for you.”
“Wahhhhh!”
His attempts to console Siwoo seemed futile, as the child’s sorrow showed no signs of abating.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
