The Grand Temptation (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
Yuli stared blankly at the beer glass sitting in front of her. If she’d known the main purpose of this company dinner was to welcome Jae Ho, she would’ve just gone home instead…
Everyone except Yuli was laughing and chatting animatedly. The mood of this long-awaited company dinner couldn’t have been better. Normally stuck rotating between all-you-can-eat pork rib joints, tonight’s venue was actually a premium Hanwoo beef restaurant—of course everyone was thrilled.
“Tonight’s dinner is on me, so feel free to order whatever you like.”
At Jae Ho’s words, everyone’s smiles stretched ear to ear. Only Yuli remained expressionless, fiddling with the beer glass in front of her.
Was he trying to win points by treating everyone to food?
Yuli shot a disgruntled glance toward Jae Ho, who sat at a neighboring table. The only silver lining was that he wasn’t seated at her table. After the brief, formal introduction, she hadn’t even had a chance to exchange a few words with him. His side was completely surrounded by curious coworkers.
“How long do you plan to stay in Korea?”
“How long have you known our manager?”
“Are you really going to start working onsite?”
Even though they were at separate tables, their conversation carried over as clearly as if they were sitting right next to her.
“I’m not entirely certain, but I plan to stay for at least a year.”
Jae Ho answered calmly despite the rapid-fire questions.
“I’ve known the manager since high school, and I plan to start work tomorrow.”
Starting work tomorrow?
Yuli frowned skeptically. She couldn’t just take him at his word. Wasn’t he only back temporarily because of the KG Group headquarters project? Yet now he was saying he’d be working at “Bauhaus”? Did that mean he’d be using a private office there?
Her mind instantly grew cluttered.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
Jin Man, seated beside her, asked as he placed some beef onto Yuli’s plate. Another purpose of tonight’s dinner was to see Jin Man off—he’d be relocating to Busan tomorrow to work at a partner company for a year.
“Worried your wedding dress won’t fit?”
“Oh, come on—you’re not going to get any thinner just by skipping food here.”
“Exactly. Just eat comfortably.”
Knowing she’d be getting married soon, her coworkers chimed in supportively. Yuli gave an awkward smile and popped the piece of beef Jin Man offered into her mouth. Alongside the rich, savory taste of the beef, a bitter aftertaste lingered in her mouth.
Not once since last night until now had she allowed herself to think about the upcoming wedding—not the dress, not the wording on the invitations, not even their new marital home… nothing at all.
Her marriage, which was supposed to free her from her family, was drawing near—wasn’t she being far too careless?
Even if her first love had suddenly reappeared, this much inner turmoil was ridiculous.
Yet despite herself, her eyes kept drifting toward Jae Ho. Watching him smile occasionally as he chatted with coworkers, her heart fluttered strangely.
Ugh, Chae Yul Ri, you still haven’t gotten a grip on yourself.
Yuli gave a bitter smile and lifted her glass to her lips. She’d only intended to keep it filled, but before she realized it, she’d already emptied it repeatedly.
By the end of the dinner, she was tipsy enough to feel slightly dizzy. It wasn’t that she’d drunk a lot—it was probably because she’d barely slept last night.
Instead of calling a designated driver, she decided to leave her car behind and take public transportation. After saying goodbye to all her coworkers, she headed toward the subway station. When her mind was this tangled, it felt easier to sit blankly on the subway than to ride in a taxi.
But after only a few steps, she realized someone was walking beside her. A familiar citrus scent drifted into her nostrils. Turning her head, half-expecting it, she found Jae Ho looking down at her.
“What are you doing right now?”
“Can’t you see I’m heading home?”
Right—he wouldn’t have followed her. She didn’t know where he was staying, but he’d definitely mentioned they lived in the same direction. But was he really taking the subway?
“Aren’t you taking a taxi?”
“Why aren’t you calling a designated driver?”
“I prefer the subway.”
“I prefer the subway too.”
“Do you even know the route?”
The moment she realized they’d be going together, sharp words slipped out before she could stop them. But Jae Ho simply showed her his phone with an unfazed expression.
“It’s all on Naver Maps…”
She’d just claimed she preferred the subway—switching to a taxi now would make her look ridiculous. But did that really mean she had to ride the subway with him?
The route he showed matched hers exactly. It was already too late to regret not taking a taxi. Clamping her mouth shut, Yuli quickened her pace and walked ahead. Then, abruptly, she turned around to face him.
“You’re not really starting work tomorrow, are you?”
“Why do you think I wouldn’t?”
“Weren’t you only back for the KG Group headquarters project?”
“Who told you that? Min Woo?”
Hearing Min Woo’s name slip from Jae Ho’s lips, Yuli furrowed her brow. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t told Min Woo that Jae Ho had become a partner at “Bauhaus.” How would Min Woo take it? Would he just brush it off as a coincidence?
Should she tell him first? Or should she stay quiet until he found out on his own? Ridiculous—why was she even worrying about hiding something like this?
Though her mind was in turmoil, it did help her pay less attention to Jae Ho walking beside her. But when he kept following her even after she got off the subway, Yuli finally stopped walking altogether.
“I don’t think we’re headed the same way from here.”
“You’re right. We’re not.”
“Then why are you coming this way?”
“Because I need to walk you all the way to your doorstep.”
Caught off guard by his unexpected answer, Yuli was momentarily stunned.
“Why do you need to walk me all the way home?”
“It’s not because you’ll be my sister-in-law, so don’t worry about it.”
Hearing him call her “sister-in-law,” Yuli couldn’t help but grimace. Coming from anyone else, it might not have stung—but from Jae Ho’s lips, it cut through her like a sharp blade.
When she’d accepted this arranged marriage, she should’ve reconsidered the relationship between Min Woo and Jae Ho at least once. But back then, her only thought had been escaping Assemblyman Chae’s grip.
There was no good option left. Although being with Jae Ho made her uneasy, the closer they got to her home, the heavier the weight on her chest grew—as if a massive boulder was crushing her.
“I can go home by myself, so please leave now.”
“But I don’t want to…”
Instead of turning back, Jae Ho stepped even closer. When Yuli glared at him angrily, he gave a faint, amused smile.
“I can’t possibly let a woman who keeps drawing my gaze and weighing on my mind walk home alone at night.”
“What?”
Yuli couldn’t understand what had just come out of his mouth.
“That’s too much of a joke.”
“Why do you think it’s a joke?”
“You clearly said you had someone you liked before…”
And that someone definitely wasn’t her.
He must’ve assumed she was drunk and was crossing boundaries with playful teasing. She understood he and Min Woo had a strained relationship—but did that mean he had to be rude to her too? Or…
Of course it couldn’t be, but was he deliberately teasing her because he’d noticed she was shaken by him?
“Stop following me. I can get home perfectly fine on my own.”
Was it because of the sudden surge of emotion? As Yuli hastily turned away, she lost her balance and stumbled. Just as she felt herself leaning to one side, a large hand caught her shoulder—and the next moment, her back pressed against a wall.
By the time she gathered her wits, she was trapped between the wall behind her and his broad chest in front. Flustered, Yuli looked up at Jae Ho. His voice came out slightly rough and husky.
“This is exactly why I said I’d walk you home.”
Was it the citrus scent filling her nostrils or the warmth of his body gently enveloping her?
Her heart began to pound wildly, and her vision spun dizzily—just moments ago, everything had been perfectly clear.
“Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?”
At his quiet, genuinely concerned tone, Yuli nodded silently. Even after confirming she was fine, Jae Ho didn’t let her go.
Was it the alcohol? It felt as though electric currents shot through her chest where they touched.
His large hand wrapped around her back and waist, his face so close she could feel his breath. She knew this was wrong—yet she couldn’t bring herself to push him away.
His warm embrace felt far too good.
Just then, a car with blinding headlights passed right beside them—and screeched to a sudden halt.
A moment later, the sound of a car door opening reached them…
“Isn’t that you, Yuli, over there?”
At the familiar voice, Yuli jolted in alarm and pulled herself out of Jae Ho’s arms.
The dreamlike moment of fleeting happiness shattered instantly into nothing, and a dark shadow fell once more over Yuli’s face.
Beside the parked car stood her father, Assemblyman Chae Hyeong Sik, accompanied by his aide.
[This is the timeline separator]“Let’s talk.”
As soon as they got home, Assemblyman Chae called Yuli into his study. He nodded silently at Jae Ho’s explanation that he’d only been helping her up after she nearly fell, but it seemed he had something else to say to Yuli alone.
Of course—he wouldn’t be pleased. His daughter, on the verge of her wedding, had just been found in another man’s arms. It wouldn’t matter if that man was her former fiancé; it certainly wouldn’t reflect well on her.
Surprisingly, however, different words came from Assemblyman Chae’s mouth.
“I received a call from Chairman Kwon today. He mentioned Director Kwon has been extremely busy handling the shopping mall incident lately. He seemed worried you might be having a hard time preparing for the wedding on your own.”
Yuli listened quietly to her father’s words.
“Since you still haven’t settled on a marital home, time must be tight. Chairman Kwon said he’d personally ensure your new home is nothing short of the best.”
“Go ahead and arrange it.”
She didn’t care what kind of home it was. After all, this marriage was purely formal… As long as she could escape this place, she’d accept even a single-room basement apartment without complaint.
“But…”
As expected, the question she’d been dreading finally slipped from Assemblyman Chae’s lips.
“Why did Jae Ho walk you all the way home?”
“We had a company dinner tonight.”
“A company dinner?”
His tone implied confusion—as if that explained nothing. Yuli briefly explained that Jae Ho had become the company’s new partner. Assemblyman Chae looked surprised but didn’t press further.
“All right, I understand. You may go now.”
As Yuli stepped out of the study, she paused and turned back.
“Father…”
Assemblyman Chae looked up from the documents he’d been reviewing.
“Don’t you want to ask if I was okay that day? I was inside the mall when the accident happened too.”
Her question seemed to fluster him, and he narrowed his brow.
“I heard you were fine… Why? Were you hurt?”
“No, it’s not that—but I just wondered why you never asked.”
Assemblyman Chae appeared confused by her words. Honestly, even Yuli didn’t fully understand what she was saying—she just couldn’t keep it bottled up inside any longer.
“If it had been Yu Ri in the mall instead of me, would you have acted the same? I suddenly wondered.”
Do you even see me as your child? Are we even family?
“What kind of answer are you hoping for?”
She hadn’t expected much, but when only his blunt reply came back, a bitter smile tugged at Yuli’s lips.
How foolish—what had she even been hoping for?
“I don’t know myself, either.”
With that, Yuli quietly left the study.
[This is the timeline separator]Yuli ended up lying awake yet again that night. She longed to take a day off, but with so much wedding preparation ahead, she silently headed to the office instead. After all, even if she stayed home, she wouldn’t truly feel rested.
As soon as she entered the office, she noticed coworkers lingering near her desk—or rather, clustered around the seat beside hers.
That’s Jin Man’s seat… What’s going on?
As Yuli sat down, one of the coworkers turned to her.
“Yuli, have you heard the news?”
“What news?”
Just then, the door opened and Jae Ho appeared. Instantly, the crowd around Jin Man’s seat dispersed back to their own desks.
Yuli had expected him to head straight to the manager’s office—but instead, Jae Ho walked toward her and set his bag down in the seat beside hers. The very seat Jin Man had used until yesterday.
Catching Yuli’s puzzled gaze, Jae Ho raised the corner of his eyes and said,
“This is my seat now.”
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
😀