Jung Ran remained silent. She didn’t say a word, didn’t raise her voice in a theatrical manner, nor did she shed tears.
“…….”.
“…….”.
There was no exchange of words between them. None of them could muster the courage to speak first, and the silence continued to linger.
By this point, Se Kyung was feeling somewhat perplexed.
The way her mother was reacting was quite different from what she had anticipated.
She had expected crying, anger, or distress.
At the very least, she thought one of those reactions would come forth, but Jung Ran simply gazed at Se Kyung with calm eyes, like a tranquil lake nestled deep in the forest.
“Could it be that you didn’t hear me? Or perhaps you’re too shocked to find words?”
In Jung Ran’s otherwise peaceful daily life, the news of her daughter’s pregnancy was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
It was undoubtedly a reason for astonishment. She could also understand the desire to avoid it. But turning her head wouldn’t make the current situation disappear.
“Mom, I…”
As Se Kyung held her belly and began to speak, Jung Ran finally unclenched her tightly sealed lips.
“So, what do you plan to do from now on?”
“…Huh?”
“You’re telling me you’re pregnant. Telling me means you’re considering giving birth, right?”
After a moment of being lost in thought, Se Kyung nodded. Then, she examined Jung Ran’s expression and asked, “Is that… everything?”
“What?”
“Aren’t you going to get angry, be upset, or show some kind of reaction?”
“Your mother is already plenty upset and worried.”
Where?
Se Kyung looked at her mother with bewildered eyes. Considering such thoughts, Jung Ran’s expression hadn’t changed in the slightest.
“Nothing at all?”
“This is all a matter of experience, dear. Your mother has been through all kinds of ups and downs.”
“…”
“Everything else may be different, but I hoped you wouldn’t be the same. You have to go through all this before me.”
For a brief moment, a faint bittersweet smile graced Jung Ran’s lips.
“So, is that all you have to say to me?”
“What else do you want me to say?”
Interestingly, it was Se Kyung who found herself at a loss for words in response to Jung Ran’s counter-question.
“No. To get angry, be upset, or something like that?”
“The baby must be growing well.”
Since she had seen the ultrasound picture earlier.
“Did you create the baby on your own? Mom, I haven’t heard that you’re dating anyone.”
“Well…”
Se Kyung hesitated, her lips expressing discomfort. Then, Jung Ran’s forehead, which had shown no signs of change until a moment ago, suddenly furrowed.
“Do you really not know? Who’s the baby’s father?”
“No, it’s not like that.”
As Jung Ran’s grip on the beer can tightened, Se Kyung hastily denied.
“There are some circumstances, but… It’s a bit awkward to introduce him to Mom right now.”
“Why? Doesn’t he want to take responsibility? You made the baby together, didn’t you?”
“Mom!”
Se Kyung blurted out, her face turning red. Despite their close mother-daughter relationship, this was the first time they had discussed such matters, and it made her feel quite embarrassed.
“This is… It’s going to be awkward. So, why haven’t you introduced him? What’s this awkward situation?”
“Well, the timing is a bit…”
“Timing?”
Avoiding her mother’s inquiring gaze, Se Kyung mumbled, “The baby was conceived before we started dating.”
“…”
Jung Ran’s face froze in place. It seemed that this revelation was more shocking to her than the news of the pregnancy itself, as she stumbled over her words.
“W- Wait, did you sleep with someone you just met? Like a one-night stand?”
“It’s not like that. We’ve known each other for quite a while. I’ve liked him for a long time.”
“But why didn’t you confess…”
“The timing wasn’t right. There were various circumstances.”
Se Kyung chuckled awkwardly and shrugged. On the other hand, Jung Ran wiped her face in distress.
“Who is this guy? Does he know about your pregnancy?”
“Yeah, he knows. He even asked me to marry him.”
“Marry too? And you didn’t introduce him to your mom?”
Shouldn’t you show him to your mother even more in that case?
Jung Ran furrowed her brows as if she couldn’t understand Se Kyung’s reasoning.
“I declined.”
“Why? You like him, right? He’s the father of the baby, and you turned him down?”
“I like him, but I’m not sure if he likes me in the same way.”
“…”
“Because of the baby, he felt obligated to be with me and marry me. I didn’t want to force him into it because of that.”
Jung Ran pressed her lips firmly together. She understood why Se Kyung said that.
“It’s just… I thought it was because of me.”
Loveless marriage, driven solely by responsibility.
She knew firsthand how futile and mentally taxing that could be.
As time passed, the burden of responsibility that had weighed heavily on her faded, and her husband had an affair within three months of Se Kyung’s birth.
She had spent countless nights with young Se Kyung in her arms, tears streaming down her face.
How shocked she had been when she later found out the truth.
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
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