Despite everyone nodding in agreement, she was the only one vigorously shaking her head. Her loose brown hair flowed softly.
And then, suddenly, the restaurant door burst open, and a group of people entered.
“Hello!”
“Oh! Everyone’s here. Was it hard to find? Have you all eaten?”
“No, we planned to grab something quick in the car.”
“Oh, don’t do that. Have something here. It won’t even take 30 minutes.”
Everyone in the restaurant reacted to the newcomers. It was evident that the individuals Min Woo greeted were actors. All of them exuded an elegant beauty. Four men and two women, all stunning. And amongst them, one drew more attention than the rest.
Hye Yoon’s gaze lingered momentarily on a face she seemed to recognize. In the two seconds their eyes met, a silent greeting was exchanged.
In the brief moment when both Hye Yoon and Do Hyuk nodded their heads, even Min Woo got involved.
“Hye Yoon, can you come here for a moment?”
Thanks to Min Woo beckoning Hye Yoon, all of the actors’ attention converged on her. She seemed to have a magnetic pull, captivating everyone. Particularly the female actors.
“Now that you’re here, let’s do introductions. This is our drama’s writer, Miss Jang Hye Yoon.”
“……Hello.”
That stare persisted even as she greeted them. Their eyes were so focused that their lips seemed motionless. When she didn’t receive an immediate reply to her greeting, the male actors were quick to fill in.
“Wow, finally meeting you. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“But is she really the writer? She’s so beautiful.”
“Right? Miss Jang can even act quite well.”
It seemed like a considerate gesture to replace the word ‘rumor’ with ‘heard’. The conversation was full of awkward praise. Hye Yoon pursed her lips, possibly out of embarrassment. She also shook her head as if to disagree.
After the brief introductions, she carefully tried to return to her original seat.
“But Ji Ho isn’t here today, right?”
Her steps faltered at the mention of the familiar name. Still, she managed to take a few more steps before looking back.
“Yeah. Ji Ho is busy with movie promotions. He has no shooting this week.”
“Director, please tell Ji Ho to go easy on promotions. I heard they might break even this week. They might surpass 4 million by tomorrow.”
“Really? That’s amazing… and it hasn’t even been a week.”
Upon hearing An Ji Ho’s name, a similar emotion welled up on the faces of the actors. From a distance, Jang Hye Yoon gazed at their refined faces. Curiosity floated in everyone, but the intensity of it was particularly fervent among the actresses.
“Ah… I really wanted to meet him at least once. I’ve never seen him in person.”
A melodious voice resonated as if proving that statement true.
“Why? You also want to hear him say ‘I’m sorry’?”
“Heh heh. I know too. Isn’t An Ji Ho’s nickname ‘I’m sorry’? If so many people have heard it, there’s no one who doesn’t know.”
Jang Hye Yoon perked up her ears to the conversation between the two. She struggled to restrain her feet, which were eager to move closer.
‘An Ji Ho isn’t the type to apologize for something…’
The nickname seemed utterly unfitting for An Ji Ho, which only fueled her curiosity further. Perhaps because it was a shared topic of interest, the voices of the two actresses grew a bit louder.
“In this industry, any rising actress has tried her luck with him. They all think they stand a chance. Whether asking for his number or time, he cuts them off in a second. ‘I’m sorry’. End.”
When saying ‘I’m sorry’, the voice intentionally deepened, emulating him. Courteous, yet somewhat cold.
Ending the conversation definitively.
“There were even rumors that he doesn’t have a phone since no one’s ever gotten his number.”
“But I don’t get it. Even if he said ‘I’m sorry’, I would still push further. What’s a few rejections? It’s An Ji Ho we’re talking about.”
“Yeah… You haven’t seen him in person. He has an ambiance that’s breathtaking. Truly polite but somewhat… intimidating?”
“…Intimidating?”
“Yeah. Which makes him even more sexy… Oh, what am I saying…”
Suddenly, her mouth stopped mid-sentence. From quite a distance, Jang Hye Yoon’s eyes, full of moisture, were observing them. Their glint was too luminous for them to believe she might not have heard.
The actresses’ lips stiffened in an awkward, embarrassed manner.
Actually, Jang Hye Yoon found the unknown stories about An Ji Ho intriguing. Perhaps because they were actors, their emotions were more fluid and clearly readable. Combined with their articulate pronunciation, every word penetrated her ears and eyes refreshingly.
However, having seen the actresses’ flustered expressions, she slowly shifted her gaze. A trace of regret was visible on her lips.
“Can we have a quick meal here?”
“…Huh?”
Suddenly by her side, Do Hyuk redirected Jang Hye Yoon’s focus. Upon his unfamiliar question, she looked up. And just by seeing his eyes, Jang Hye Yoon understood. He hadn’t just started looking at her.
“Ah… Yes. I think so.”
He had something to say.
“I’ll order some food at that table over there! Everyone, take your time.”
Do Hyuk threw a comment at the actors and then moved on. After hesitating for a moment, Jang Hye Yoon also headed in Do Hyuk’s direction. The unfinished conversation between Min Woo and the male actors continued behind Jang Hye Yoon.
“Director, I’m a bit upset. I heard you distributed this drama’s script a lot, but I didn’t get one.”
“Ah, it’s not like that. Actually, I wanted to showcase Jang Hye Yoon’s writing skills, so I really intended to distribute it widely. I wanted to show it to Gi Tae too.”
“Then why didn’t you give it to me?”
“Why?… Because An Ji Ho contacted very quickly.”
“Ah…”
As the voices faded away, a faint smile spread across Jang Hye Yoon’s face.
“He didn’t ask any questions. On the phone, he said just two things? ‘I really want to participate. Please let me meet writer Jang Hye Yoon.'”
And as darkness deepened, one shining man, by his absence, awakened his presence within her.
It was a moment when An Ji Ho completely filled Jang Hye Yoon’s heart.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
