Chapter 35: Romance Is

Remember this website for reading—fast updates, no pop-ups, and free access!

Hearing such words, Rachel Liu weighed things in her heart. She was certain that Jin Won wasn’t lying to her; it was clear he was speaking truthfully, otherwise he would have concealed some details.

“But that doesn’t mean I want to see her appear before me again and again.”

Her ex-girlfriend kept showing up in front of her, trying to make her presence felt—is that really acceptable?

Jin Won found this odd too. “When I was at the company, Hyun Joo called, and I had Director Yoon handle it.”

“Oh, Hyun Joo,” she repeated, sounding almost affectionate.

“…Ahem, when she called, I had Director Yoon take care of it.”

Jin Won, embarrassed, repeated himself with a different choice of words. Truth be told, he’d never had to humble himself like this before. He was a man in his thirties, after all—it felt awkward.

He had always been calm and straightforward, but now, suddenly cautious, he seemed almost adorable.

Rachel Liu was amused by his expression, though she was still angry inside. “Director Yoon? Is he favoring that woman?”—Wasn’t he supposed to be her soon-to-be stepfather? What was going on?

Jin Won decided he’d have to teach him a lesson when he got back. Even if that man was about to become his father-in-law, he couldn’t tolerate such things. What was even stranger was that Yoon Jae Ho hadn’t reported the resolution to him.

“Next question.” Rachel Liu cupped Jin Won’s face in her hands, gazing into his eyes. “Did she personally call you this afternoon?”

That was true. Hyun Joo had assumed Jin Won arranged everything, so she called him directly. When she asked about her mother, he simply said he wasn’t at the hospital and didn’t know, then hurriedly hung up, citing a meeting. Hyun Joo felt disappointed, but she knew it was only natural.

Jin Won answered, but his girlfriend still seemed dissatisfied.

“I’ll have her transferred, don’t worry.”

Hyun Joo had been his girlfriend for six years; he couldn’t abandon her completely in times of hardship, but he couldn’t care for or personally help her anymore either. He understood that much.

Rachel Liu didn’t respond to this. Instead, she suddenly said, “Brother, have you noticed there’s some sort of problem between us?”

Their relationship had begun so quickly, perhaps because they thought they were well-matched. Their feelings weren’t solid yet. Jin Won habitually avoided troubling her about his work, always treating and pampering her as if she were a younger sister.

She raised her face to look at him, her expression sad and stubborn. Jin Won fell silent. Honestly, he didn’t sense a problem. He liked their relationship as it was—passionate yet calm, frequent meetings, and Rachel Liu was obedient and sensible. Where was the issue?

Because of her questioning, Jin Won’s drowsiness vanished. After escorting Rachel home, he returned to the company, where Yoon Jae Ho awaited him. Jin Won’s face turned cold at once.

Yoon Jae Ho sensed trouble and forced a cough.

Jin Won glared at him. “Care to explain?”

Yoon Jae Ho chuckled awkwardly. “Well… Esther said you and Rachel Liu had some conflicts that needed outside intervention to resolve.”

“Oh, Esther.” Jin Won understood. “You’re already helping her before you’re even married.”

Married—what a statement.

Yoon Jae Ho blushed deeply.

Jin Won couldn’t help but admire Esther; her control was formidable. He hadn’t noticed any problems, yet she’d already taken action.

He felt troubled—his future mother-in-law was too domineering.

Esther had set up this scheme but wouldn’t explain it to Rachel Liu herself. Otherwise, the hard-won reconciliation with her daughter would fall apart again. Truthfully, Esther thought it best to solve the ex-girlfriend issue before Rachel fell too deeply for Jin Won. Yet, Rachel seemed unfazed. While that attitude was healthy, Esther was well aware of the breakup reasons between Jin Won and Hyun Joo. In such cases, rekindling old feelings was highly probable, so she felt it necessary to prepare. Conveniently, when Yoon Jae Ho received the call, Esther was beside him, so she devised this plan.

At first, Yoon Jae Ho considered arranging for Hyun Joo to join the group, but Esther sternly refused. If Hyun Joo were brought into Empire Group, it would be disastrous! She thought it better for her daughter to have a sense of crisis—otherwise, she felt Jin Won doted on her too much.

So when Hyun Joo learned she’d be teaching in Rachel Liu’s class, she was shocked. But she was clever, knowing this wasn’t a friendly move, and also knew Jin Won wouldn’t care about it. Someone else must have orchestrated it, but she didn’t mind. Love was too extravagant for her now; all she wanted was money to cure her mother.

Sometimes, mismatched backgrounds are truly tragic—she had learned that firsthand.

Her love with Jin Won had been worn down over six years, accumulating too many problems. Now, she saw no possibility between them, nor did she need any.

All the issues boiled down to two words: not suited.

It was heartbreaking, but it was the truth. For the first time, she found herself envying Rachel Liu.

—

Rachel Liu said she’d give Jin Won time to consider, and she really didn’t contact him. Jin Won reflected on his flaws, and after three days called her. She politely declined his invitation to meet, saying she was going shopping with friends and had to study for exams.

Not having time, but still going shopping… what an excuse.

On the fourth day, Jin Won called again, suggesting they see a movie. Rachel Liu said she was busy, visiting Uhey and Kang Shin Woo’s new home.

Her excuses became ever more perfunctory.

Yet Jin Won wasn’t angry; he could tell she was sulking. If she was upset, he would just coax her. Now that the group’s affairs had settled and he’d officially taken charge, although his workload increased, at least his schedule was regular.

Besides, Jin Won was quite curious about comforting someone—it was a new experience for him, and he found himself enjoying it. In thirty years, he’d never had to coax anyone; it was a fresh feeling.

But there were limits.

On the fifth day, December twentieth, Jin Won didn’t call. Instead, he drove his striking sapphire-blue Maserati to the school gates, blocking the main entrance.

He didn’t sit in the car as usual, but leaned against the door, standing idly.

When Kim Tan came out, he was momentarily stunned, feeling completely defeated by his brother.

From the bold public confession at the banquet to this domineering display, he knew his own “combat power” was nothing compared to his brother.

High school students loved a spectacle, and most knew that Kim Tan’s brother was courting the RS princess. So now, Jin Won was surrounded by a crowd, who thoughtfully cleared a path.

Rachel Liu hadn’t even left the school yet, but she already knew.

Lee Bona was on the verge of fainting. “Oh my god, how can he be so romantic? Jin Won’s blood must flow with pure romance.”

“… ”

Rachel Liu hurried toward the school gates, feeling somewhat… embarrassed.

This had to be revenge! she thought, gritting her teeth.

Author’s note: Making up for the third update on the day of joining V, mwah!