Yeonju, dressed in a black dress, entered the hotel.
As she passed through the spacious lobby and reached the second floor, she saw a luxurious Korean restaurant.
Today was the birthday of Hongseok, Jinwook’s grandfather and the chairman of LM Group, and the whole family gathered for the occasion.
As Yeonju approached the entrance of the restaurant, she spotted Aeran stepping out of the elevator. Yeonju bowed her head in greeting.
“You’re here, mother-in-law.”
Aeran was wearing large pearl earrings, a designer jacket, and a dress, with a flashy handbag sparkling on her wrist.
Aeran, reaching the entrance, scanned Yeonju from head to toe, then spoke with a dissatisfied look.
“What’s with this attire? There are many eyes watching; you could have dressed more carefully.”
It seemed the plain design of Yeonju’s dress wasn’t to her liking. Or perhaps, no matter what she wore, the result would have been the same.
“Sigh… I have to teach you everything from one to ten.”
Aeran openly sighed deeply, causing Yeonju’s shoulders to instinctively shrink.
“I’m sorry.”
Yeonju didn’t even understand what she was apologizing for. She always felt like a sinner in front of Aeran.
“Where’s Jinwook?”
“He’s on his way from a business trip, said he’ll be a bit late.”
“On such a day, he shouldn’t schedule business trips. Let’s go in for now.”
Yeonju followed Aeran into the restaurant. The restaurant staff greeted them first, bowing politely and leading them to their seats.
Entering the room they were guided to, they saw a long table set against a backdrop of large glass windows. Hongseok was seated in the center, surrounded by family and relatives.
Upon seeing Yeonju and Aeran, Hongseok welcomed them with a kind smile.
“Jinwook’s mother has arrived.”
“Hello, father.”
“And Yeonju, I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Hello, chairman. Happy birthday.”
Yeonju first handed him the bouquet she had prepared.
Despite his age, Hongseok was tall and well-built. His distinct features gave a strong impression, and his eyes crinkled warmly when he smiled.
Hongseok chuckled looking at the bouquet.
“Thank you. At this age, I should be leaving, not celebrating.”
“Don’t say such things.”
“No, really. At my age, I’m just causing trouble for everyone around me.”
Hongseok continued, looking at Yeonju.
“The only reason I’m holding on is for one thing. To see my great-grandson before I go.”
“…….”
“I thought I’d see him by this spring at the latest… When will we hear the news?”
A tinge of disappointment was evident in his voice. Yeonju, head bowed, couldn’t look up. She felt the cold gazes of the relatives around her.
“…I’m sorry.”
She felt suffocated, unable to even eat, as if she was choked.
Yeonju took heavy steps to sit at the table. Opposite her were Inhyuk and Chaerin.
“Hello, uncle.”
Yeonju first greeted Inhyuk. He glanced at her, nodded briefly, then looked away.
Inhyuk, Jinwook’s half-brother, wasn’t on good terms with him. After losing his biological mother at a young age and having Aeran as a stepmother, she reportedly never showed any affection for Inhyuk.
Moreover, as Aeran’s son Jinwook was extremely smart and robust, the family’s attention shifted to him. Naturally, Inhyuk became distant and wary of Aeran and Jinwook.
Yeonju then turned to Chaerin.
“Hello, sister-in-law.”
Chaerin, standing with her back straight, responded with a dignified expression.
“It’s been a while, sister-in-law.”
Inhyuk’s wife, Chaerin, was adorned in stylish clothes and bright accessories.
Her wavy hair fell below her waist, and though she was petite, she had a curvy figure. Her upturned eyes and pointed chin gave her a somewhat sharp look.
She glanced over Yeonju’s face and remarked,
“You seem to be in poor condition lately? Your skin looks dull.”
“…….”
“Women become unattractive when their skin is ruined. Shall I introduce you to the place I go to?”
“No, thank you.”
Yeonju briefly answered, then brought her glass to her lips, indicating she didn’t wish to engage further in conversation.
Among those gathered, some were sympathetic to Jinwook, but others were eagerly waiting for an opportunity to bring him down.
Exchanges of wary and suspicious glances were common, yet they would abruptly put on fake smiles as if nothing happened.
Amidst this tense atmosphere, the meal began.
During the meal, Hongseok turned to Chaerin.
“By the way, Chaerin, I saw the news about Shinseong Foods making good progress in overseas markets.”
He continued with a satisfied smile,
“Especially the dumplings have reached the top market share in the U.S., quite impressive. I should try them sometime.”
“Thanks to aggressive initial investments in production and distribution, the results have been good. If you want to try anything else, just let me know. I’ll bring it anytime.”
Chaerin responded crisply, smiling slightly, and Hongseok’s face lit up with satisfaction.
Chaerin was the eldest daughter of the chairman of Shinseong Foods, a food manufacturing and distribution company.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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