In Malaga, Spain, one of the hottest regions, the temperature was stifling even in the morning.
“Crazy, this is insane!”
Seo Jun, on the boat’s deck, grumbled under his breath, grinding his teeth in frustration.
So Yeon, descending to the marina, was dressed in a rash guard over her swimsuit. Though at a distance, her slender legs and the subtle curves of her body were distinctly visible, drawing Seo Jun’s dark eyes entirely.
Usually unflappable even in the most revealing commercial or movie shoots, Seo Jun seemed a different person today. Despite So Yeon’s swimsuit being far from a bikini, his reaction was as if he was seeing something more revealing.
He was relieved that no one else was around, wondering what he was thinking…
Seo Jun, in shorts and bare-chested under the scorching sun, flexed his well-defined chest muscles, exuding an unusual masculinity. His composure was visibly shaken not only by the sight before him but also by the concentrated heat gathering around him.
As So Yeon approached closer, Seo Jun’s throat involuntarily twitched, his awareness acutely on her swimwear. But So Yeon didn’t board the yacht; instead, she stood on the wooden dock, seemingly gazing into the blue waters below.
“Should’ve boarded already, why dawdle? Maybe I should just push her in?”
He muttered this just as a splash sounded.
“Danger…”
So Yeon had disappeared into the water before Seo Jun’s urgent cry could finish. Though confident in her swimming abilities, her quick disappearance worried him. He rushed to the spot where she fell in.
But something was off.
What was she doing underwater? Bubbles surfaced, but there was no sign of her emerging. From the dock, Seo Jun bent his knees to look closer and glimpsed something flailing.
“……!”
A grim intuition clouded his mind.
Splash!
Without hesitation, Seo Jun dove gracefully into the sea, disappearing into the depths.
Poof…!
Soon, both their heads emerged on the opposite side of the yacht, away from the marina.
“Pant, pant… let go, pant…”
Seo Jun, holding onto a gasping and flailing So Yeon, glared at her irritably, annoyed by her continual attempts to break free.
Stung by his gaze, So Yeon retorted.
“Hey, why!”
“You first, why did you do that?”
Seo Jun, shaking his soaked hair, pulled her closer, demanding an explanation. Overwhelmed by his forceful grip, So Yeon stammered.
“I, I saw a diving rope… slipped… anyway, I thought since I fell in, I might as well practice holding my breath underwater…”
“Eom So Yeon!”
His loud voice startled her, causing her to flinch. Her movement rippled through the water, striking directly against Seo Jun’s chest.
“You worried me! Instead of staying put, why did you run away! Do I look like a monster to you?”
Seo Jun was panicked when So Yeon, instead of emerging, kept sinking deeper into the water. He feared she might have had a heart attack, lost consciousness, or something worse.
That’s why Seo Jun jumped into the water, wrapping his arm around her neck to pull her up. But at that moment, So Yeon let go of the rope she was holding and darted away.
Her swimming skills were more than just good, especially underwater, almost rivaling professional divers. And Seo Jun, a teenage swimming champion, chased her in the water in a heated pursuit.
“Why wouldn’t I be startled if a strange object suddenly approaches and pulls me back? I’m sorry if I scared you, Seo Jun, but was all this necessary?”
So Yeon had never seen him so angry before.
“Why are you only angry! There’s no need to be this upset!”
So Yeon retorted back, but her voice ended in a feeble whimper.
“I was afraid you might become a water ghost…”
At that moment, Seo Jun saw it. The moisture filling her clear and pure eyes, shimmering like jewels.
His heart also ached as if deeply pierced by a sharp awl.
Seo Jun looked at So Yeon without blinking, their pounding hearts transmitting through their close bodies.
It was an argument, but not quite; their voices were raised but not hurtful; their gazes were harsh but not hateful.
In that strange atmosphere, silence lingered between them until it was broken.
“Mr. Seo Jun.”
Someone’s voice suddenly came from the marina.
“The yacht is here, but where are the people? What should we do?”
The man making the call was Park Sung Ho, who couldn’t see So Yeon and Seo Jun hidden behind the yacht.
“Should I not enter the cabin?”
Sung Ho, carrying a picnic basket filled with lunch, was receiving instructions from Manager Bong.
“Ah, yes, yes. I get it. Don’t disturb their intimate time and just leave the picnic bag on the deck. Haha.”
Are they thinking we’re doing something inside? So Yeon’s face flushed at the conversation.
“Look, they’ll misunderstand!”
So Yeon lightly pushed Seo Jun’s sturdy chest.
Seo Jun, just pushed back by her slight force, wore a heavy expression, different from earlier. So Yeon understood the meaning of that look only when she lightly floated in the water, paddling towards the marina.
“Wait…”
Seo Jun quickly reached out to her as she moved away.
“Pfft, cough, cough!”
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.”
