It was a kind of compromise for Kihyuk, who was arrogant enough to think that Bando would be his, and for Seohyun, who dared to involve her father in Bando’s affairs.
“Get up, I won’t get up. Go outside and take a walk, it’s been frustrating.”
Observing the two with a white complexion, Madam Jang Homuk stood up, and Doum followed silently behind her.
It was a lengthy four-hour meeting.
The complex city ‘Lake Green City’ scheduled for Hanoi, the capital of northern Vietnam, began to accelerate as some commercial facilities and government offices were confirmed to move, targeting the upper class.
“As I aimed for Hanoi, the largest city, Ho Chi Minh, ‘the second Lake Green City,’ is my goal. So at the end of next month, you must prepare for the Global Infrastructure Conference held in Korea perfectly.”
After resolving the existing tasks, Jiwan left the meeting room, followed urgently by Wooseok.
“Madam went to Anseo-dong.”
The sound of wooden clogs crossing the marble corridor momentarily came to a stop.
“Why is that person going there?”
“The chairman called. It seems like he sent a driver directly to Anseo-dong.”
Sigh.
In front of the old man with a cunning appearance, it was easy to imagine how the small woman would tremble again, just like on the first day when she entered with him. If it was like that on the first day together, it would be even more so if she were alone and unexpectedly summoned like this.
“Wait in the car. Let’s go to Anseo-dong.”
As if representing the calm mind of a man who was not easily shaken, the sound of wooden clogs crossing the marble corridor became faster.
It was a path through a grove of zelkova trees.
The memory of working as a helper in a wealthy house, taking a leave of absence from school, and walking along a path filled with white pine needles, covered with blue leaves that covered the sky, came to mind. The house was extraordinary due to the personality of the elderly landlord who, despite the generous compensation, was not an ordinary person.
The elderly landlord, a defector from the North and the home country of the landlord, former chairman, who set up a cement company and handed it over to his three sons, stepped back from the front lines. Due to the eccentric and cunning nature of the former chairman, no one visited him, and the only companion of the former chairman was a helper, Doum.
The backyard of the former chairman, which exceeded 100 pyeong, was just like this.
Unlike the evergreen pine trees, the zelkova trees with white pine needles made it feel like entering another world when strolling through the grove with a wheelchair. Calling and walking silently for a few minutes.
“A mountain house has big pillars, columns, doors, and zelkova trees. At night, the foxes crying in the mountains are also zelkova trees.”
Shivering in the terrifyingly silent stillness, Doum recited a poem that the former chairman liked.
It was the poem “” by Baek Seok, a poet whose verses the old man had memorized after hearing them repeatedly. “The firewood that boils the delicious buckwheat noodles is also zelkova wood.”
Crackle, crackle.
Beyond the gentle footsteps of Madam Jang Homuk, the sound of her hanbok skirt brushing against the ground drew closer, and beyond her somewhat rough breathing, a calm voice followed.
“…And the well where sweet potatoes sprout like gallbladders is also zelkova wood. Beyond the mountain, you can see the land of Pyeongan, this mountain village is entirely zelkova trees.”
After following me, Chairman Jang recited the remaining poem aloud, and then the distance between the two of them shortened on the zelkova tree path.
“Do you know whose writing it is and have you memorized it?”
“I know it as the zelkova tree by poet Baek Seok.”
“That’s right.”
For a while, the old man remained silent.
“It’s quite good.”
Even at that age, his steps were neat, without bending a single waist throughout. “Baek Seok’s hometown is in Pyeongan Province. The hometown of the old man I used to take care of was also in the North. Until he returned, he liked this poem only for his parents in the North.”
Through the gap where the lush leaves did not cover the sky, dazzling light poured in.
“The hometown of that old man was also in Hamgyeong Province.”
In Korea, zelkova trees, which mainly grow in the northern region, where the latitude is generally high and cold, were mostly found around Hamgyeong Province. In a muttering tone, Chairman Jang’s voice continued.
“It’s similar to my hometown.”
He spoke again in a monologue.
“The hometown of the old man is also like that.”
Wooseok’s eyes perused Chairman Jang’s life story, but there was no mention of his hometown. Understandably, the beginning of the life story mostly revolved around Chairman Jang, who started a small store and, after losing her husband early, independently built the Bando Corporation.
In surprise at the unfamiliar fact, Doum nodded her head.
At that moment, a man walking briskly across the zelkova tree path came into view.
“… Later than I thought.”
While Chairman Jang watched, keeping a distance and not coming forward, for some strange reason, the elderly man, who had never spoken a warm word before, had a strangely warm gaze when looking at the man.
“…Have you been looking for me?”
Trying to organize his breath, Jiwan adjusted his suit jacket and stood in front of Chairman Jang.
“Does Director Han say that? Did I say I was looking for you?”
The question undoubtedly meant that what I found is a person inside you, not you.
But if he answered, Wooseok would get into trouble, and if he denied, it would be a confession that he rushed here because of a woman. Jiwan simply swallowed his response.
His eyes scanned Doum, a few steps away.
Checking if there was any injury, or if it wasn’t a face pretending to be okay.
“Or have you been spreading rumors during your walk here? Why, are you afraid I’ll catch and eat you?”
When Chairman Jang turned his gaze and asked Doum, Jiwan approached.
“No, that’s not it…”
From the sweat droplets on his forehead neatly swept to the side, it seemed unexpectedly anxious.
“Stop right there. Do you think I don’t know that Director Seo, who holds that position, is a capable person?”
Chairman Jang turned his gaze to Wooseok, who was standing at the entrance of the forest, and gestured with his eyes.
Wooseok bowed towards the old man, and a faint smile appeared on the wrinkled eyes.
“That’s it. Take him away; I’ve done my duty.”
With that statement, Chairman Jang turned away.
It was a puzzling remark.
The woman who did not seem to realize that her only duty was to appear in front of Kihyuk and Seohyun just tilted her head.
“Enough, get off.”
As Chairman Jang, who left the zelkova tree path, disappeared, Jiwan turned without hesitation.
“Wait a moment.”
Doum took out a light yellow handkerchief from the smallest bag on the cross.
Help approached Jiwan without hesitation, pulled his wet forehead as if he didn’t care.
Approaching Jiwan’s nose, the man who calmly stood there finally lowered his eyes and scrutinized the woman.
“…Are you crying?”
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
