Chapter Twenty-One: A Mistake Is Just That

Rachel Liu came here simply because it was familiar; perhaps when one is heartbroken, the subconscious yearns for warmth, and so she wandered here without realizing it. Yet, meeting Jin Yuan was almost too much of a coincidence—there seemed to be no explanation other than chance.

Without hesitation, Jin Yuan embraced her. It was an instinctive act, unmediated by thought; in that instant, he wished for nothing—did not want to think, or calculate, or even ask himself why he held her.

The warmth, which should have been comforting, was abruptly rejected as Rachel pushed him away. Her gaze—how to describe it? Fierce, almost savage.

It was Jin Yuan’s misfortune to run into her at such a critical moment. Rachel’s sense of grievance was inevitable; when sorrow overwhelms, the mind turns everything toward the worst, so she even suspected Jin Yuan of being in league with the others, imagining that he had always been amused by her predicament.

“I won’t laugh at you.”

His gaze was so direct that Jin Yuan could guess what she was thinking.

Rachel shot him a glare, utterly disregarding her own composure—surely the rudest thing she'd ever done since meeting him, all respect for her senior tossed aside.

Just as her mother had said, people like him must think of themselves as Kim Tan’s insurance policy!

“It won’t happen,” Jin Yuan said with a slight smile, locking eyes with her.

“Really?”

“Whatever you imagine, none of it is what I think.”

“…”

“All right.” Jin Yuan looked at Rachel’s reddened eyes, feeling his own discomfort at the sight. “If it hurts, just close your eyes.”

She—she would never do such a thing; it felt utterly foolish.

“If nothing unexpected happens, were you all planning to keep this from us until Kim Tan and I got married?”

Though she had cried, suffered, and let go, she still wanted clarity.

“That’s probably their plan. As for me, I didn’t care much either way.” Jin Yuan replied honestly, watching her expression turn fierce once more.

“Ahem…”

Rachel had considered—had it not been for Jin Yuan’s hint, they might never have thought to investigate Kim Tan. So, her anger had passed, but the sense of being used still rankled.

“Your family owes us an explanation. We’re not to be trifled with!”

“Agreed.” Jin Yuan smiled at her, saying, “That’s going to be tricky for my father. What conditions do you plan to propose?” His tone was so cheerful it seemed they were allies.

Rachel couldn’t help but doubt, her tone sharp, “Jin Yuan, why are you so happy? Are you enjoying my misfortune?”

Of course not. Half of Jin Yuan’s happiness stemmed from anticipation and planning, the other half from the possibility that this marriage could be cancelled as a matter of course.

Well, that second part was not important—not worth dwelling on. Jin Yuan smiled softly, the warmth in his eyes reflecting his mood.

Rachel, annoyed, reached out to pinch him. Jin Yuan quickly stepped back, surprised—she actually wanted to hit him! He’d never experienced such a thing in his life!

His exaggerated reaction left Rachel momentarily dumbfounded, then she burst into laughter. How had she never noticed Jin Yuan was so amusing?

Perhaps it was simply that, after enough time together, one’s true nature emerges; no one is inherently dull, not even the icy Rachel—now beaming before Jin Yuan.

Esther stood quietly not far away, watching the pair. When Rachel had returned home from school, she’d locked herself in her room; later, saying she needed a walk, Esther, worried, followed her secretly, fearing her daughter might be unable to cope with the blow. What she witnessed now brought relief.

She watched every moment between the two—playful quarrels and laughter—seeing her daughter’s joyful smile for the first time in so long. Suddenly, Esther thought of a way for Kim Nam Yoon and Jung Chi Sook to properly compensate them.

After this turmoil, Esther realized she couldn’t let her daughter repeat her own mistakes—Rachel was only seventeen, still so young.

Turning, Esther quietly left; neither Jin Yuan nor Rachel noticed her departure.

That afternoon, Jin Yuan didn’t return to the company. Instead, he took Rachel shopping. Truth be told, he’d never done such a thing before, but seeing her rare good mood, he sacrificed his time to accompany her. Jin Yuan was already aware of the shift in his own heart, though reluctant to admit it—especially since she was only seventeen. To think of it made him…well, it was a little embarrassing.

They wandered through Myeongdong, not holding hands, but their closeness was evident. With classes in session, there were no students from Empire High around, so Rachel felt unconcerned about being seen shopping with Jin Yuan.

Passing the main branch of her family’s boutique, a group of young women were startled. Jin Yuan, however, insisted, “Let’s look at some clothes.”

Rachel was somewhat reluctant. The staff at the main branch were all seasoned and knew he was Kim Tan’s brother—what was he up to? Yet, she followed him inside. Truthfully, she seldom paid attention to the family’s clothing lines or new releases, mostly due to discord with her mother.

They mainly sold women’s wear but also stocked men’s. After accompanying Jin Yuan in, Rachel immediately adopted her usual demeanor. The staff kept their distance, and she quietly breathed a sigh of relief—she wasn’t ready for public scrutiny.

Jin Yuan rarely bought clothes himself; usually, he’d have Yoon Jae Ho purchase whatever was needed for business trips. This time, with Rachel’s guidance, he picked a conventional suit and two casual outfits. He’d never worn RS’s brand before; this was his first. Rachel considered waiving the bill, but on second thought—seeing him so gleeful, she decided against it. Instead, she instructed the cashier, “Charge full price, no discounts, and give him a membership card.”

“…Young lady, are you always this stingy? Does the president know?”

Jin Yuan felt resigned; this form of retaliation was like being scratched by a kitten—strangely hard to describe.

His mood, nonetheless, was oddly complex.

The clerk, clearly mesmerized by Jin Yuan, dared not show it with the icy Miss Liu nearby, so she nervously handed him the bag, bowing, “We look forward to your next visit.”

Jin Yuan rewarded them with a smile, instantly captivating the entire store.

Rachel’s mood shifted as well.

How had she not noticed Jin Yuan’s smiles had grown more frequent lately?

Just as they finished packing their purchases, an acquaintance rushed in.

The newcomer hurried straight to the fitting rooms, seeming flustered and heavily disguised, but Rachel recognized her at once.

“Uhey?”

Uhey grabbed Rachel’s arm, “Quick, help me hide!”

Behind her came footsteps and shrill screams.

Uhey was fleeing from fans; Rachel reacted swiftly, pulling her into a fitting room. Jin Yuan, left alone with bags of clothes, felt distinctly awkward.

As the flagship store, RS had the largest, most well-appointed space. Jin Yuan settled on a sofa, picked up a magazine, and was served water by the sales assistant. Relaxing, he read an economics magazine—amusingly, the featured article analyzed several issues within Empire Group. Reading, Jin Yuan laughed; the article described him as a puppet prince, powerless, afraid to oppose his father, even having lost his girlfriend because of it.

Whoever wrote this piece was well-informed. Jin Yuan dismissed it with a sneer, set the magazine aside, and closed his eyes to rest.

Meanwhile, Rachel and Uhey chatted in the changing room. Uhey, exasperated, said, “It’s all that Go Mi Nam’s fault—ran into an acquaintance on the street, and they hugged. Honestly, what business do two men have hugging?”

She must have meant Kim Tan and Cha Eun Sang. Rachel was amused—what a colossal misunderstanding. Uhey continued, “I was out shopping with Shin Woo, bumped into him and Hwang Tae Kyung. Shin Woo suggested we all go together, and I sensed trouble. Sure enough, it turned into a fiasco—fans discovered us, pictures were taken, total disaster!”

Rachel skipped over the colorful details, zeroing in on one, “You were shopping with Kang Shin Woo?”

Her speech slowed, each word drawn out.

Girls are naturally curious about their friends’ romantic lives. Uhey blushed, glancing around, “No, nothing like that. We're preparing for a show, so we met up beforehand to avoid issues later.”

Is that even a thing? Rachel had no idea about this world, so she believed Uhey’s explanation, and Uhey breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t lied—she and Kang Shin Woo were filming a show, though shopping together wasn’t something to dwell on.

She opened the door and checked for fans, complaining, “I wonder if Shin Woo managed to escape. But let me tell you—when Go Mi Nam and that handsome guy hugged, Hwang Tae Kyung’s expression was priceless~”

As she talked, she left the fitting room. Jin Yuan saw Rachel emerge and tidied his clothes, ready to leave, when Kang Shin Woo pushed his way in, breathless, “So this is where you were hiding.”

Uhey quickly pulled him over, “You weren't spotted, right?”

Shin Woo smiled, “No.”

Just then, a piercing scream rang out, “There! Charge!”

Everyone’s faces paled; hiding inside was now futile. In the chaos, Uhey didn’t look back, grabbing the nearest “Kang Shin Woo” and running.

After finally evading the fans, Uhey was exhausted and grumbled to “Kang Shin Woo,” “Next time you invite me out, I’d rather not see…”