The daughter tried to confront Miju aggressively, but the mother held her arm to stop her. They might be wealthy landowners themselves, but they judged that if someone had access to the VVIP lounge, they might be a person who couldn’t be swayed by money alone.
“No, what did we say to upset the young person?”
“Mom, just stay quiet.”
“You should stay quiet too!”
Miju couldn’t determine the identities of the individuals occupying a position in the customer lounge. However, if their personalities were to openly criticize others in such a public place, Miju thought there was no need to impress or fawn over them.
“I actually know Professor Kim Siyun better than you two. He’s not someone lacking in morals or discernment enough to warrant public insults.”
After speaking, Miju felt a bit relieved. And she wasn’t trembling anymore. She had said the obvious, so there was no reason to be nervous.
“Who are you to eavesdrop on our conversation and make a fuss!”
As the daughter raised her voice, the gaze of the customers in the lounge turned to them. The stares of the people. It was burdensome, but they must have clearly heard derogatory remarks about Siyun as well. If so, Miju had to say one more thing to make sure they heard.
“I know Professor Kim Siyun better than both of you. The Taehan Foundation is more transparent and capable than any other place. If you say such things again, I’ll record it.”
Miju held up her phone.
“Who are you to step forward? Are you family?”
“If you’re family, would you apologize?”
“This place has such an atmosphere. Where’s the manager?”
Fearing that the person might be connected to Taehan, the daughter, who had mustered up some courage, decided to call the manager to gain support. The manager, who had been watching from afar, approached quickly when summoned.
“The student didn’t say a single wrong thing.”
At that moment, a middle-aged woman sitting by the window stood up and approached Miju.
“Are you a student learning from Professor Kim Siyun?”
Miju didn’t bother to deny it or say she knew the person very well. She just made an awkward expression.
“I know Professor Kim Siyun too. No, I know Taehan well, and such talk wouldn’t happen in that household.”
The woman glanced at the mother and daughter, seeming appalled.
“Did Lady Kim Miyeon not come out today?”
When the name of the department store representative’s wife was mentioned, the manager bowed and assumed a more courteous posture.
“I will check her schedule to see if she’s in her seat. Madam.”
“Never mind. I’ll check myself in a bit.”
Feeling that the atmosphere had turned against them, the mother and daughter, carrying shopping bags, tried to find an excuse to leave.
The woman addressed as Madam added a word to the manager.
“Customer management is lacking, and the lounge atmosphere is a mess.”
“I apologize for any inconvenience.”
Seeing the bowed manager, Miju also felt apologetic.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, do the student and the manager have anything to apologize for? There’s a separate culprit here.”
The daughter attempted to get agitated again at the remark, but the mother pulled her arm, urging her to leave.
“Hey, let’s go; our dinner appointment will be delayed. There’s no point in dealing with people who eavesdrop on others’ conversations. What kind of place is this VVIP lounge anyway?”
Responding to the mother and daughter’s complaints, the lady added a word,
“That’s right. The membership management is in a terrible state.”
Wondering what was being said, the mother and daughter exchanged glances.
“Feel free to use the inadequate VVIP as much as you want. Student, let’s meet at the Platinum Lounge.”
The Platinum Lounge. Just the name seemed better than VVIP, but Miju blinked, unable to understand the situation.
“Mom, can’t we go to the Platinum Lounge yet?”
“Never mind. We won’t come here either. Once we go to the River Department Store, we’ll quickly become Platinum members, so don’t worry.”
“But how much did we spend here!”
Dragging the complaining daughter, the mother and daughter’s appearance as they left the door looked pitiful, like a deflated chicken.
“Manager, do you know who I am?”
“Yes. Mrs. Yoon Siyoung from River Department Store.”
“Don’t worry that complaints might come in today because of this. Those who use money to campaign, whether here or at our department store, will be dealt with as black consumers anyway.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Student? I don’t know whose daughter you are, but you have a good impression.”
“Thank you for helping. My name is Choi Miju.”
“Choi Miju? It seems like I’ve heard that name somewhere.”
Though revealing her name wasn’t difficult, Miju hesitated in this situation, unsure of how much to disclose about herself.
“…You might have seen it in articles related to the Taehan Foundation.”
Miju calmly introduced herself. If Siyun were here, she thought he would have done the same, gaining strength from that thought.
“Oh, I should have apologized to those people earlier. I made a mistake.”
“No.”
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.”
