“Wow, do you have to pick out the guts with a toothpick one by one?”

Yul Li asked in genuine surprise. Je Ho frowned, as if wondering how she could not know this. He seemed to think, ‘Did she fry the shrimps last time without removing their guts?’

“I used pre-cleaned shrimps last time. They were already peeled, head and shell removed.”

Realizing how it sounded, Yul Li quickly added to her explanation.
“Still, I made the rest myself. I mixed the batter with cornflour, flour, pepper, and garlic powder…”

Her words faded away as he leaned in and kissed her.

Though his hands were busy with the shrimp, his lips precisely captured Yul Li’s in a gentle yet assertive manner. The refreshing citrus scent enveloped her, making the kiss feel more electrifying simply because it was just their lips touching.

When their lips finally parted, Yul Li drew in a breath, seemingly longing for more. However, she couldn’t just pull the man away from his cooking to ask for another kiss.

She just blinked silently, looking at him. Je Ho, unlike her, seemed annoyingly calm and collected.

“Let’s not cook fried dishes at home anymore. I worry about you getting hurt.”

Recalling the day she cooked, Je Ho chuckled briefly. She had looked so lovely laughing with flour in her hair, unaware of the mess.

It didn’t matter to him if the food she made had innards or even worse. He’d still enjoy it because she made it.

“TMI, but my mother isn’t great at cooking. Actually, she hates cooking. So, I’ve hardly ever seen her cook.”

Je Ho said this while putting the shrimp into the oven.

“When she lived at the main house after getting married, she got an earful from Chairman Kwon for not knowing how to cook properly.”

Yul Li’s eyes sparkled at this rare glimpse into his mother’s life.

“Then my mother told Chairman Kwon that she married Kwon Je Woong, not to work in a restaurant.”

Yul Li knew that Je Ho’s mother was a second-generation Korean-American. Chairman Kwon met her during his studies in the U.S. and married her despite his family’s objections. Yul Li had heard they often clashed.

“She’s probably the only person who can argue with Chairman Kwon in the Kwon family.”

Je Ho seemed happy just thinking about his mother, a soft smile gracing his lips.

It sounded like she was a wonderful person. But Yul Li reminded herself not to get too involved in the family matters of a man she couldn’t have a future with. She didn’t want to get hurt by pointless fantasies.

Je Ho set the oven temperature and turned the timer before facing Yul Li.

“We have about 30 minutes. What should we do in the meantime?”

“We should clean up.”

Knowing exactly what he meant, Yul Li pretended not to understand and started tidying up the sink and the area around it. The heat from their earlier kiss still lingered on her skin.

If they got physically close now, she might be the one to jump on him. But before she could finish cleaning the sink, Je Ho reached out and grabbed her hand.

“I’ll take care of the cleaning. Don’t dirty your hands.”
After finishing speaking, Je Ho held Yul Li’s hand as they washed their hands together in the sink. After thoroughly cleaning up to the fingernails and creating a lather, he still held her hand as they walked over to the sofa. He then sat down with Yul Li in his arms and rested his chin on her head.

At last, he felt somewhat alive. Truth be told, he had wanted to do this for a long time. All those shrimps jumping around in the box didn’t matter; he just wanted to embrace her so tightly that she couldn’t breathe and kiss her passionately.

How would he endure tonight? Looking at the clock, there was still plenty of time left.

“Sigh.”

Instead of kissing Yul Li, Je Ho took a deep breath. He felt that if he started kissing her now, he would not be able to stop halfway.

One of the reasons he planned this trip was a foreboding feeling that they would spend the whole vacation just rolling around in bed. He was scared of acting like an animal, more desperately than one, unable to control his desires even though he knew he should.

It was the same today. Even while preparing the seafood, his mind was completely focused on Yul Li. Every time she flinched at the jumping shrimp, a heat surged through him, fueling the urge to make her shudder in other ways, to smother her with kisses. He had to forcibly push away these thoughts.

“Yul Li.”

Just holding her close made his heart pound so hard it felt like it would burst. He had never been shaken by any temptation before. There were women who had jumped into his bed in the middle of the night, and those who blatantly handed him hotel keys.

But he had never paid attention to any of those aggressive women. Now, just looking at Yul Li was enough to send a chill down his spine with excitement.

“What should I do?”

“About what?”

“I don’t think I can wait until tonight.”

For a moment, Yul Li’s shoulders trembled slightly. After a brief pause, she turned to look at him. Their eyes met in the air. Without saying a word, Yul Li turned her face back, blushing.

“Do we have to wait until tonight?”

He whispered in a heated voice. The goosebumps raised by his gentle strokes made Yul Li bite her lower lip.

In fact, she had also been glancing at the clock, thinking, ‘How can I wait until tonight?’ and regretting saying ‘tonight’ instead of ‘right now.’

As if demanding a response, his gentle touch became more insistent, exploring her body. Finally, Yul Li turned towards him and their lips met. Their breaths deeply intertwined.

Ding―. Ding―. Ding―.

Je Ho’s phone on the table rang with an unfamiliar tone, seemingly set for a specific contact. His expression instantly hardened.

He detached his lips from Yul Li and quickly picked up the phone, pressing the call button.

“Hello? …Yes, go ahead.”

His voice was heavier and more somber than usual while answering the call.

“…What did you just say?”