“Yeonju lived that kind of life. A life where no one could be trusted, and there was nowhere to lean on.”
Jinwook’s face stiffened. His chest felt like it had been pierced.
“Yeonju… just leave her alone.”
“…”
“Even now… let her live happily.”
Hayoung reassured him, her tone both soothing and firm.
“You know, even now… just leave her alone. She’s not someone who fits in with us.”
“…”
“You know, we thought Yeonju was a strong person.”
“…”
“But that was just our desire. Our desire forced Yeonju to fit into our mold, pushing her to the edge of the cliff.”
With every word Hayoung spoke, anguish filled Jinwook’s eyes.
Everything she said was undeniably true.
Hayoung, with an earnest gaze, pleaded, not just for Yeonju but for Jinwook as well.
“Yeonju doesn’t fit into our family.”
“…”
“Let her go. Let her be happy.”
A cold wind passed between the two.
Jinwook, who had been listening with a stern face, finally spoke.
“I understand what you’re saying.”
He said with a pained expression.
“Even when Yeonju lived with me, she had nowhere to turn to.”
“…”
“Yeonju isn’t as strong as she pretended to be. I understand.”
I understand now.
In the empty house without Yeonju, spending countless hours, he had come to know the pain and loneliness she must have endured.
He understood that she wasn’t resilient but merely endured and tolerated.
With tightly pressed lips, Jinwook raised his head.
“But I can’t end it like this.”
His voice was filled with determination.
“Even if it comes to an end, I have to see it for myself.”
“…”
“I have to see if she’s happy. I’ll only let her go when I see it with my own eyes.”
Just once…
Right now, he just wanted to see her face, even if only for a moment.
No desire to blame her for leaving, no intention to criticize her choices.
When he arrived home, he wanted to see that familiar face, her lovely and affectionate face, even if only for a short while.
Hayoung’s eyes trembled as she met Jinwook’s gaze. It was the first time she had seen Jinwook wearing such an expression. His emotions were clearly conveyed, and Hayoung felt a twinge in her heart.
Jinwook spoke to Hayoung.
“If Yeonju contacts you, let me know.”
“…”
“I’m asking you a favor.”
Jinwook turned, opened the front door, and entered.
Left alone, Hayoung stared at the closed door, sighing heavily. She had come to persuade him to give up on Yeonju, but seeing Jinwook’s face made her feel a deep sense of pity.
She, with a perplexed expression, murmured softly.
“What should I do with this…?”
????????????
Clunk.
Opening the door and stepping in, Jinwook surveyed the dark interior of the house. The empty home felt chilly and silent. It had been over a month since Yeonju disappeared, yet the unsettling stillness refused to become familiar.
Jinwook, with a somewhat weary expression, took off his suit jacket and loosened his tie. Then he headed to the bathroom.
After the sound of water streaming for a while, he emerged, leaving only in a bathrobe. Brushing back wet hair, Jinwook went to the kitchen and took out whiskey from the cabinet where it was stored.
Jinwook, holding an ice-filled glass and whiskey, moved towards the living room. He drank the poured whiskey. The bitter sensation flowed down his throat.
Jinwook, busy emptying the glass, poured another round. He downed consecutive shots of strong whiskey, but his mind remained clear, only his stomach felt a bit bitter.
It had been quite some time since he slept deeply. Thinking it might be better to fall asleep drunk, he had been drinking every night. However, even that had become difficult lately. The more he drank, the more he stayed awake.
He disliked lying alone on the vast bed. It was preferable to get drunk on the sofa in the living room without knowing when he fell asleep.
Jinwook lifted the whiskey glass again. After several indistinguishable refills, his vision blurred slightly.
In the blurry vision, a tender silhouette flickered.
“Drink this. Honey water is good for a hangover.”
In the past, it was Yeonju’s face as she handed honey water to him when he was drunk.
“If you were drunk, you should have contacted me. I would have come right away…”
Back then, he didn’t know the meaning behind those words.
As much as she would have rushed to him whenever he called, Yeonju was waiting for him… But like a fool, he only uttered harsh words.
“Why did you drink? Are things difficult for you? Or… is it because of me?”
He missed the worried gaze she used to cast upon him.
“In a memory that surfaced, my chest ached.”
Jinwook spoke to the faintly appearing her.
“Yes, because of you.”
His gaze softened tenderly.
“Because of Kang Yeonju…”
The voice that didn’t reach the other dissipated into the air.
The shimmering Yeonju gradually faded away.
Jinwook’s gaze searched for the disappearing Yeonju.
The living room, where even the illusion had vanished, felt incredibly desolate. Only a terrifying silence welcomed him again.
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.”
