“Chairman, snap out of it.”
Se-hee urgently shouted at Il-jun’s face. After Kang Yeosa left, Il-jun’s condition deteriorated uncontrollably.
“Chairman…”
Se-hee tightly held the chairman’s thin hand and shed tears.
“Yeobo.”
Il-jun called Se-hee, regaining consciousness for a moment.
“Yes, I’m here.”
Se-hee quickly nodded, answering.
“I… I have committed many sins…”
Il-jun, with an unfocused gaze, mumbled breathlessly, staring into the air.
“I have something to say to that Jinwoo…”
With tearful eyes, Se-hee grabbed her phone.
“I’ll call Jinwoo. Please wait a moment.”
Jina’s labor began. Watching Jina struggle in pain, Jinwoo cried out, tearing his own body apart.
“Mom-to-be, snap out of it. You need to breathe.”
Several times, Jina almost lost consciousness. Every time, Jinwoo held Jina’s hand tightly and prayed to the world.
“Nuna… I’m sorry. Nuna. Please…”
How many hours had passed like this?
“It’s fully dilated now. Let’s move to the delivery room.”
They moved to a dark room.
“Mom-to-be, now we’ll breathe together for the last time.”
In a tense atmosphere like a battlefield, soaked in sweat, Jina summoned the last bit of strength.
Already weakened by tremendous pain from labor contractions, she couldn’t stop now, not for the baby. Jina gritted her teeth, gasping for breath.
Beside Jina, holding her hand, Jinwoo looked at her with sorrowful eyes. If he had known that giving birth would be so painful, he would never have gone through pregnancy.
Finally, the baby’s cries erupted.
“Waaaah.”
“Congratulations.”
The baby, held in the doctor’s and nurse’s hands, was very small.
“Sir, come and take a look.”
It was the first meeting with the baby, who had a thick umbilical cord. Jinwoo stared at the baby with a dazed look.
“Ten fingers, ten toes, everything is normal here.”
Even with the nurse’s professional touch thoroughly checking the baby, Jinwoo couldn’t regain his composure.
Holding the baby, wrapped in a green cloth, Jinwoo dropped a tear.
A son.
It was their baby, Jinwoo and Jina’s baby. He showed the baby to Jina.
“You did well.”
Seeing the baby, Jina burst into tears but smiled.
“Hello, Jiu.”
It was a touching first meeting. The baby was soon taken away by the nurse for care.
“You did well. I love you.”
Jinwoo whispered, stroking Jina’s cheek. Jina, with a blurry gaze, tightly held Jinwoo’s hand.
“I love you.”
Jina whispered softly. A surge of warmth and emotion erupted. Jinwoo kissed Jina’s wet cheek.
“Sleep well.”
It was the time when dawn was just breaking. Due to the pain of labor throughout the night, Jina fell asleep quickly. Jinwoo, who had stayed by her side all night, also felt no significant fatigue.
Vroom
Jinwoo’s phone rang as he exited the delivery room.
“Yes.”
Chairman is looking for you.
Se-hee’s voice trembled.
It’s embarrassing, but can you come just once, considering it’s the last time?
Jinwoo stood still with a stern face, providing no response.
It seems he has something to say.
Perhaps fearing that Jinwoo might refuse to come, Se-hee added in an anxious voice.
“Yes, understood.”
Jinwoo replied a beat late. He went to the bathroom and turned on cold water. With an expressionless face, he dried his hands.
The dawn, brightly shining through the hospital window, had started to rise far away. Sunlight, driving away the darkness, began to fill the hospital corridor.
Il-jun’s room was dark because the blinds blocked the sunlight. Silently, Jinwoo approached Il-jun. Se-hee, who had been waiting for him, quickly got up and greeted Jinwoo.
“Jinwoo.”
Jinwoo, with a face devoid of expression, looked at Il-jun without any emotion, despite Se-hee’s faint smile.
The buzzing sound of machines was the only indication that Il-jun was still alive.
“Sorry for bothering you. Chairman wanted to see you for the last time…”
Se-hee added, explaining.
“Yes.”
Jinwoo replied briefly, silently gazing at Il-jun. He seemed to have no intention of waking Il-jun.
“How’s Jina?”
In the silent room, Se-hee asked cautiously.
“She gave birth early this morning.”
“Oh, that’s great. Congratulations, Jinwoo.”
Se-hee applauded, gathering her hands.
“…Is Jinwoo here?”
Il-jun, awakened by the slight commotion, opened his eyes. Even a brief sentence made him struggle to breathe. Jinwoo answered without delay.
“Yes.”
“Did she give birth?”
Inquiring about Jinwoo’s late response, Se-hee quickly answered, “She gave birth early this morning.”
“Oh.”
Il-jun’s mouth stretched into a long smile.
“Is it a boy or a girl?”
In response to Il-jun’s question, Jinwoo answered a bit late.
“…It’s a son.”
It seemed as if the warmth of the baby, held in his arms just moments ago, still lingered.
“Mother will be delighted.”
Recalling the always concerned appearance of Kang Yeosa, Il-jun, with an ironic cough, spat out a chuckle.
“Hurry, go.”
Se-hee, looking puzzled at Il-jun, who had just arrived, spoke with wide-open eyes.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
