“Eating too much will only make me fat. I don’t go outside.”
Despite Woojin’s grumbling, Dr. Kang maintained his compassionate demeanor.
“Then go out more. The weather is so nice these days.”
Tired of the repetitive conversation, Woojin abruptly stood up and went to his room.
Unperturbed by Woojin’s rudeness, Dr. Kang gently asked Jihyun,
“Woojin has changed, hasn’t he? Surprisingly cooperative in the living room and didn’t push away my hand.”
“Yes. He’s getting along well with the new housekeeper. He eats better and even comes out to the living room.”
Surprised, Dr. Kang asked,
“Oh, the housekeeper changed?”
“Yes. The previous one hurt her back, so her niece is filling in. Woojin seems to get along well with her.”
“That’s great, really great!”
Excitedly, he asked,
“Is she going to continue coming?”
“Well, she’s just filling in… Probably only for two more weeks.”
“Then, Jihyun, you should find a way to keep her coming.”
“Me?”
Jihyun, slightly taken aback, asked.
“Yes. Woojin comes out to the living room and eats because of her, right? If she stops coming after two weeks, won’t things go back to how they were?”
“Oh, I guess so.”
“Then find a way to keep her coming.”
Dr. Kang, who was a head taller than Ji-hyun, gently tapped his shoulder, smiling broadly. This precious smile only appeared when he saw signs of a patient’s recovery.
So-young, having just got off at the bus stop, looked up at the shops in front of her, deep in thought. Choosing the lunch menu every day was quite a dilemma.
Ji-hyun had told her to buy whatever she wanted to eat, and if Woo-jin wanted to eat it, they could have it together. If he didn’t want it, she shouldn’t force him. But So-young wanted to bring something that Woo-jin would enjoy.
The grilled intestines she had brought over the weekend had been a complete failure. Despite clearly telling him it was grilled intestines, he didn’t react much, and after taking one bite, he spat it out in the sink and made a scene, expressing his disgust.
Grilled intestines are so delicious, and expensive too! She had splurged on them, but it seemed like he didn’t know what they were or perhaps had never tried them before.
Since then, she became more cautious about the menu selection. What should she buy today? She pondered over this every day before work, just like many mothers wonder what to cook.
Suddenly, the aroma of chicken wafted through the air. A chicken shop here? She quickly looked around and saw chickens being roasted on skewers in a truck. That’s it! And it was affordable – two chickens for ten thousand won! So-young hurried towards the truck without hesitation.
So-young triumphantly arranged the chicken on a plate, but Woo-jin’s expression was less than enthusiastic.
“There’s a chicken in front of you, Woo-jin. The fork is on the right, and on the left…”
“Peel it.”
“What?”
“Peel the meat off for me.”
This guy…!
“It’s not fish! Just pick it up and eat it!”
“I don’t want to touch it. You peel it for me.”
She thought she was dealing with a high school graduate, but now it seemed more like a child. Peeling chicken? That’s not about being visually impaired.
But Woo-jin was simply too bothered by the idea of holding the chicken, tearing it apart, and peeling off the bones. Even thinking about it made him feel disgustingly messy.
“Fine, leave it if it’s too much trouble.”
As he got up to leave, So-young quickly grabbed and then released his arm, exclaiming, “Okay, okay! I’ll peel it, sit down!”
“You’re going to tear it with your hands?”
“Yes!”
She shouted with feigned anger, but Woo-jin replied calmly, “Then wash your hands first.”
So-young, wanting to hit his head with a fork but restraining herself with divine patience, stood up. As she did, his gaze followed her.
“Where are you going?”
“To see if there are disposable gloves!”
“Why are you angry?”
“I’m not angry!”
“You sound angry. Lie all you want.”
Wondering what his mother must have eaten while pregnant with him, So-young muttered curses under her breath. However, as she peeled the meat and he ate it with chopsticks, she couldn’t help feeling pleased, and her voice softened.
“Is it good?”
“Salty.”
His dry response was returned. So-young muttered, barely moving her lips.
“There’s cola on your left.”
“Don’t talk with clenched teeth. It’s unpleasant to hear.”
“Woo-jin.”
“What.”
“What did your mother dream for a pregnancy dream? A raccoon? A hyena?”
Woo-jin paused in his motion to eat, lifting his head.
“And you? A badger? A fox?”
Despite starting the banter, So-young was irked by his unyielding comeback. Yet, the corners of Woo-jin’s mouth curled up slightly.
“A white horse, actually.”
Although she started the banter, So-young felt a subtle surge of irritation at Woo-jin’s unyielding responses. Meanwhile, the corners of Woo-jin’s mouth were turned up slightly.
“A white horse, okay?”
When she said this in a sassy tone, Woo-jin tilted his head in surprise.
“A white horse?”
“Yes. Mom dreamed of riding a white horse, flying high in the sky.”
“That was really your birth dream? She didn’t dream it for someone else?”
“No, it’s mine. She had that dream right before I was conceived.”
“Maybe she should have looked around for someone else who was pregnant at the time. Why would she steal someone else’s birth dream? You’re really odd. For you, Woo-jin, a raccoon suits you perfectly. I can’t even imagine another animal.”
“Aubergine.”
“What?”
“My mom picked an aubergine.”
At that moment, So-young’s face flushed red up to her neck. Worried that Woo-jin might notice, she quickly lowered her head.
Although he couldn’t see her blushing face, Woo-jin noticed her breath hitch and the corners of his mouth wickedly curled up.
“What were you thinking?”
“Nothing, I wasn’t thinking anything.”
“You were thinking something.”
“Stop pretending to read minds just because you’re blind! I really wasn’t thinking anything!”
“Then why did you hold your breath?”
“When did I?”
“You stopped breathing the moment I said ‘aubergine.'”
“It’s because I was eating chicken!”
“There was no sound of you chewing.”
Woo-jin must have some supernatural ability since he could not see. Unknowingly, So-young shoved the piece of chicken breast she was holding into his mouth.
“Ugh! What’s this!”
“Chicken breast. For replenishing your strength.”
“What do I need strength for?”
“What else?”
“To show you the aubergine?”
Incredulous and shocked, So-young witnessed a blind, mischievous spirit laughing heartily in front of her.
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.”
