“Ah!”
She was genuinely surprised that it was Ji Ho’s reply and the content was even more shocking. Hye Yoon’s hand swiftly moved to the call button. But she hesitated.
Because it was undoubtedly her fault he was awake at this hour. Knowing Ji Ho, who has always been working harder and longer than her, she wished he had slept more.
Yet, there was another message.
[Did I ask you to come home often? No. Did I say I wanted to live with you? (5:11 AM)]“Wow! This is unbelievable!”
Ji Ho knew how to handle her. Finally, without hesitation, Hye Yoon pressed the call button.
[Dash] Heh, a call right away…Before even a single ring sounded, a voice weary from fatigue answered.
“Is that for real? … You picked up while sleeping, right?”
“…Yes.”
Hye Yoon felt soaked in the utterly drained tone of his voice. Even the languid tone, weighed down by sleep, sounded so endearing. But she decided to act a bit more mature. After all, she cared more about Ji Ho’s rest.
[Dash] …Don’t hang up.“Ah…”
But, as always, he was the more mature and quicker one.
[Dash] Let’s talk about what we couldn’t discuss yesterday… Was the outdoor shoot okay?“…”
[Dash] Hurry… I’m curious.“…Yes. But it’s going to rain in Busan starting today…”
And so, she decided to act childishly again. Holding tightly onto Ji Ho’s outstretched hand, Hye Yoon chattered about her days. The occasional laughter and short responses like ‘Really?’ ‘I see.’ from the other side made her incredibly happy.
That morning, Hye Yoon felt like the happiest woman in the world.
Eventually, that day’s shooting wrapped up around 4 PM. The sky had been gathering dark clouds since the morning, heralding tomorrow’s downpour. Past 2 PM, it was as dark as evening, and by 3 PM, the rain started pouring down.
With all the plans for the next day disrupted, the faces of the crew at 4 PM, as they packed up the equipment, looked as heavy as storm clouds. However, as 7 PM approached, everyone looked as light as fluffy white clouds.
The excited, joyous faces.
The sound of rain against the windows mixed with the sizzling of meat and the cacophony of laughter and chatter.
Hye Yoon too melted into the festive atmosphere. Even while she was on a call with Woo Jun, her eyes were curiously observing the party. In between, she rubbed her body with her palms. Perhaps due to the rain, she felt a chilly sensation.
“Contact me once you reach Seoul, alright?”
[Dash] Are you worried I’ll be washed away by the rain?“Heh, you never know…”
The playful undertone in Woo Jun’s voice was clear. After their playful conversation ended and she was about to put her phone down, a small hand lit up the screen again.
[Is it raining a lot in Busan? Is it still raining now? (3:40 PM)] [Yes. That’s why the shoot ended early. We’re probably going to have a team dinner later. (4:55 PM)]The message she sent two hours ago seemed to still be waiting for Ji Ho’s touch inside his phone.
“Yes, that’s the place. …Are you almost here? Please come in carefully.”
Upon hearing Min Woo’s loud voice nearby, Hye Yoon turned her head. She wasn’t the only one attracted to the voice as the assistant director, seated at a different table, subtly raised his chin. Both of their voices were slightly louder due to the alcohol.
“Is it Director Cha Do Hyuk’s film team? They arrived quite fast.”
“Yeah. Maybe they adjusted the time since they expected heavier rain. They replaced greeting during the screening with something else, wanting to head back to Seoul quickly.”
“They still stopped by here though? Are they trying to earn some brownie points with the director?”
“What’s with the formalities? Just dropping by to say hi.”
Taptap[Dash]
At that moment, a gentle tap on her left arm. When she turned her gaze, a female staff member was placing meat on her plate. Wanting to return the gesture, Hye Yoon smiled warmly.
“Miss Hye Yoon, wasn’t Min Joo supposed to come today?”
“She said she would arrive a bit later. She’ll come next Monday.”
While eyeing the meat she picked up with her chopsticks, her lips silently moved, forming a ‘wow’. A few female staff members smiled at her expression. Everyone seemed to have figured out Hye Yoon.
She doesn’t usually stand out, but she’s someone who blends in smoothly everywhere.
“But I think many will be worried leaving Miss Hye Yoon alone without Min Joo.”
“True. Even though they’re of the same age, Hye Yoon seems more like the younger one.”
“Actually, my birthday is two months earlier than Min Joo’s. So, technically, I’m the older one.”
Hye Yoon said in a triumphant tone after swallowing the piece of meat she had been chewing on. She seemed to emphasize those tiny two months quite a bit.
This immediately caused the ladies to burst into laughter.
“Heh. That’s why we’re worried. We’d be concerned even if you were two years older.”
“Right. Hye Yoon seems a bit… delicate to be left alone. Too adorable.”
“Not at all.”
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.”
