It was an absurd excuse. She had left her jacket and bag in the car; how could she have possibly gone back to Seoul in her campaign uniform? It was clear from the start that she was never a priority for them, and it just now occurred to someone. What was even more heartbreaking was the likelihood that this someone wasn’t Assemblyman Chae.
“Is the Assemblyman with you?”
Before Yul Li could even react, Je Ho suddenly embraced her tightly. She felt his slender hands grip her waist. Holding Yul Li close, Je Ho ran with her to a nearby commercial building to seek shelter from the rain.
“Why are you out in the rain like this? Are you out of your mind?” Je Ho cupped her face in his hands, gently wiping away the moisture.
“You could catch pneumonia.”
The moisture in her eyes was unmistakable. It wasn’t long before he realized those weren’t raindrops but tears. As he looked into her reddened eyes, a surge of anger welled up inside him.
Unaware of Je Ho’s inner turmoil, Yul Li blinked slowly, her tear-blurred vision gradually clearing to see his face.
“…Je Ho?”
Her lips, previously tightly sealed, slowly began to quiver.
“…What brings you here?”
“Now that’s what matters? Why I’m here?” Je Ho asked, his voice laden with frustration, as he wrapped her drenched body with his jacket.
“First, let’s get you out of these wet clothes.”
The door clicked open, and Yul Li emerged, having changed into clothes hastily picked from a nearby store. Though the attire was far from trendy, it looked almost fashionable on her.
As they got into the car, Yul Li spoke cautiously.
“Thank you. I’ll pay you back as soon as I get to Seoul.”
“Forget it,” Je Ho replied brusquely, checking his wristwatch. It was well past 8 PM.
“Have you eaten properly today?”
Yul Li quietly shook her head. She had barely touched her breakfast and had lunch in the car, a convenience store meal during her busy schedule.
“Heh, anyone would think Chae Yul Li is the by-election candidate,” Je Ho joked.
Though it was a joke, it had a bitter ring to it. Yul Li managed a weak smile and checked her phone. Still, no contact from Assemblyman Chae. Her phone had missed calls, but he hadn’t called back. She was tired of always being the one to reach out.
Just then, a text notification appeared. It was from Assemblyman Chae’s aide.
“Sorry for contacting you late. It’s been hectic.”
“One moment, please.”
Yul Li excused herself to call the aide back. This time, the call was answered immediately.
“It’s me, Chae Yul Li.”
[Yes, where are you now?]“Where am I? At the Geoje campaign site, of course.”
Yul Li’s response was met with a stunned silence on the other end.
“The aide?”
[Oh, sorry. I thought you had gone back to Seoul on your own.]It was a ludicrous excuse. She had left her jacket and bag in the car; how could she have possibly gone back to Seoul in her campaign uniform? From the beginning, she was not a priority for them, and only now did someone realize it. Even more saddening was that this someone probably wasn’t Assemblyman Chae.
“Is the Assemblyman with you?”
Yul Li continued with a bitter smile.
“After mom passed away, I often joined the election campaigns in her place.”
“When was that?”
“Third year of middle school…”
“You must have had a tough time as a kid.”
“I wasn’t a kid.”
Yul Li bristled at being called a kid and tried to pull her hand away. But Je Ho was quicker. He interlocked their fingers, clasping her hand in his.
“Fine. Then let’s say a young lady. Anyway, at that age, you should have been hanging out with friends, eating tteokbokki, not trailing around in election campaigns.”
It seemed like a trivial comment, but Yul Li bit her lip to hold back tears. No one had ever said that to her.
Everyone expected her to follow in her late mother’s footsteps, helping her father. They didn’t care about the heavy burden placed on the shoulders of a girl who just lost her mother.
Je Ho seemed to understand her pain. He looked directly into her eyes and smiled sweetly. His comforting smile amidst such a dismal day felt almost magical.
After dinner, Yul Li accessed the KTX reservation site on her phone to return to Seoul.
“What now? All tickets are sold out?”
She was surprised to find no available seats. The same was true for buses. Her only option to return to Seoul that day was to drive a rental car.
“Can you drive to Seoul?”
Yul Li hadn’t driven much on highways, especially late at night. Je Ho, being from the U.S., might be more comfortable with highway driving, but his shoulder was still healing. A drive of a couple of hours might be manageable, but anything longer seemed risky.
“Obviously…”
Je Ho looked into her eyes, then hesitated, before finally responding slowly.
“It doesn’t seem possible.”
“…I see.”
Yul Li glanced at his right shoulder with a look of regret. A long drive during the day would have been challenging enough, let alone at night.
She was about to suggest staying overnight when Je Ho spoke up.
“We can just stay together and leave in the morning.”
What? Stay together and leave in the morning?
Despite her thoughts running along similar lines, why did his words send a shiver down her spine? Was it because of the word ‘together’? It must just be her imagination.
Yul Li tried to maintain a nonchalant expression as she inhaled deeply. Je Ho’s gaze on her flickered thrillingly, followed by an even more dizzying statement.
“I don’t make promises about only holding hands in bed.”
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
