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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Let's Talk
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After telling Yi Yeon to head up to the office first, An Do Hyun just walked right out of the company.
It looked like he was stopping somewhere on the way back.
Yi Yeon's expression soured. He had her all anxious and on edge, but in the end, he never told her what was going on.
As soon as Yi Yeon got upstairs, she set down her things and headed into the office.
She quickly tidied the desk, turned on the air purifier, stacked the morning's delivered newspapers neatly on the desk, then came back out to organize her own workstation.
Just as she was finishing up, a plastic bag plopped down in front of her.
"What's this?"
"Hangover remedies."
It turned out he'd gone to a convenience store.
Yi Yeon opened the bag and let out a small laugh at the contents.
Inside were liquid hangover cures, gummy ones, and pill forms—all types, it seemed like he'd bought them out.
There probably wasn't a single hangover remedy left at that convenience store.
An Do Hyun handed her the bag and went into the office.
It looked like a random assortment at first glance, but he'd thoughtfully picked only things that would help with a hangover, and Yi Yeon found it endearing.
She popped a pill into her mouth and washed it down with some horehound tea.
After preparing An Do Hyun's morning coffee as well, Yi Yeon stretched, about to start her work, when the click-clack of high heels approached.
"Secretary Yu, I have some matters regarding today's meeting to report to the Vice President first. Is it okay to go in now?"
Last time, with Ji Hu there, she'd played the picture of innocence and sweetness, but now that she was alone, Kang Yeon Jeong appeared in full sharp-edged mode.
'What the heck, going on a date?'
In her tight red H-line skirt and a white blouse with a deep V-neck plunging down to her chest, Yeon Jeong's figure looked especially stunning today.
"Yes."
At Yi Yeon's response, Yeon Jeong whipped her head around and headed straight for An Do Hyun's office.
She seemed even pricklier than usual.
Why?
Yi Yeon tried to focus on her computer, but her eyes kept drifting toward the office.
Yeon Jeong was twisting her body this way and that, grinning like she was enjoying something.
What is she, a pretzel?
Every time she smiled and covered her mouth, leaning forward, it was so irritating.
Each time she did, Yi Yeon wondered if Yeon Jeong's chest would peek out from that plunging blouse.
Suddenly, she hated the way An Do Hyun was looking at Yeon Jeong.
If she could, she'd burst into the office and throw a padded jacket over that blouse.
She wondered what thoughts were going through An Do Hyun's mind as he eyed Yeon Jeong's killer figure.
'I want to cover his eyes.'
Don't look at any other woman!
Yi Yeon was glaring daggers at An Do Hyun with all her jealous fervor when his gaze shifted from Yeon Jeong to her, meeting hers head-on through the glass wall.
She panicked, realizing she'd been caught, but Yi Yeon didn't look away.
The eyes of jealousy-possessed Yi Yeon locked with An Do Hyun's across the glass partition.
An Do Hyun looked away first.
It was a victory that didn't feel good at all. Her lips pouted out in petty spite.
Only after Yeon Jeong finished her talk and left the office did Yi Yeon's pout recede.
She needed some fresh air. She wanted to clear her head with crisp autumn breeze.
The weather had turned quite chilly now that fall had arrived.
Yi Yeon grabbed her cardigan and stood up, planning to swing by a far-off café under the excuse of getting An Do Hyun's coffee.
As Yeon Jeong emerged from the office and headed downstairs, she spotted Yi Yeon leaving with her cardigan.
"Ha! Seducing Ji Hu with that face?"
Yeon Jeong quite liked the new hire, Ji Hu.
An Do Hyun was a tree too lofty to even gaze up at.
Ji Hu, on the other hand, might fall a bit short of An Do Hyun, but he lacked nothing in height, looks, or personality. From his bag and shirts to his watch, everything screamed old money.
Yet, not long after starting, he kept finding excuses to head up to the Vice President's office.
Even the rice cakes from the employee back from maternity leave—Yeon Jeong had been about to take them up, but Ji Hu insisted on doing it himself.
And then in the lobby, he'd dashed off to help with Yi Yeon's delivery package.
A woman's intuition told Yeon Jeong that Ji Hu's behavior toward Yi Yeon was anything but casual.
"Ji Hu, is Secretary Yu coming on to you? You two have been chatting a lot more lately."
So, when she and Ji Hu had gone to the meeting room to prep, Yeon Jeong casually probed.
It was a golden opportunity for her. A chance to sound out Ji Hu's feelings.
But his response caught her off guard.
"It might not look that way, but doesn't it seem like I'm the one coming on to her?"
His words stabbed right at the heart, as if asking why she was probing when everyone knew. Yeon Jeong flinched.
"Ah, well, it does look that way a bit."
"Love at first sight! I was hooked right away."
"Secretary Yu? She's not exactly the type to spark instant attraction."
Yeon Jeong shook her head, unable to relate.
"Well, eyes are different for everyone. I'm going to work hard to win her favor."
It seemed Secretary Yu had properly bewitched him.
If it were some prettier girl, Yeon Jeong could accept it, but no matter how many times she thought it over, this made no sense.
What did a guy like Ji Hu lack that he'd fall for Yi Yeon...?
She was dying to know just how Yi Yeon had reeled him in.
Yeon Jeong had never really liked Yi Yeon from the start.
She'd clocked her on day one. Yi Yeon looked one way but carried herself with sky-high arrogance and a lofty attitude.
Even when Yeon Jeong offered advice on basics like hairstyles, outfits, and makeup, Yi Yeon wouldn't take it. It felt like her words were being ignored, which rubbed her the wrong way.
Did she even know her nickname among the staff was "Ugly"?
Anyway, she was just an employee Yeon Jeong couldn't warm up to.
So blunt and standoffish—what did Ji Hu see in her?
She needed to watch closely. See how Yi Yeon snagged Ji Hu with that face.
* * *
The moment Yi Yeon got home, she flopped straight onto the bed without even washing up.
The restless dreams alone had been exhausting enough, and now even Yeon Jeong's outfit was getting under her skin.
Yi Yeon hadn't realized her own heart could be so narrow-minded.
"I'm hopeless, Yu Yi Yeon."
Even her heart was turning ugly to match her face.
As if interrupting her thoughts, her phone lit up.
A text from An Do Hyun.
[I have something to say.]
Only then did Yi Yeon snap to her senses.
'What could it be?'
Before she could guess, there was a knock at the door.
"Yes?"
"Let's talk."
Judging by the time, he'd texted right outside.
"Why text when you could just knock?"
An Do Hyun shrugged with a smile.
"So this is Yu Yi Yeon's room."
Fascinated by Yi Yeon's room for the first time, An Do Hyun looked around.
'Wait, my underwear, wig—none of that's out, right?'
Yi Yeon quickly scanned the room with hawk-like eyes.
Fortunately, it was tidy, and nothing embarrassing was visible.
"I figured I'd be too curious to sleep."
"Yes."
"So, why were you glaring like that earlier?"
"I've never glared at you, Vice President."
"You were boring holes into Assistant Manager Kang this morning."
Yi Yeon flinched.
"Me? I don't remember."
An Do Hyun let out a soft chuckle.
"Really? I must've mistaken it for jealousy."
Was this the thing keeping him up? Yi Yeon tilted her head.
"Yu Yi Yeon."
She jumped again at her name from his lips.
Why call me so sweetly? And why...
"Yes?"
"Just wanted to say it."
*Cough cough.*
Yi Yeon ended up coughing, totally giving away her fluster.
She had no idea what was up with him, but her heart was pounding like crazy.
An Do Hyun must've eaten something weird yesterday.
"I like calling you Yu Yi Yeon better than Secretary Yu."
An Do Hyun looked at her and grinned.
Why am I hearing nonsense? Yi Yeon swallowed hard.
"No clue what you're talking about, Vice President."
"I'm going crazy."
"Suddenly?"
"Yeah, suddenly. Even seeing you chat with that fox makes my eyes spin."
Seeing me chat with Eom Ji Hu?
"What's with that fox that you keep smiling at him like that?"
An Do Hyun asked with utmost seriousness.
"I wanted to ask yesterday, but you were drunk. Thought about asking in the car, but I didn't want to miss even a single expression on your face when you thought of that guy. So answer me."
It felt like an onslaught, but she couldn't grasp what he meant.
"I came all the way here for that answer."
"Just an old friend I was close with once. Nothing more, nothing less. Now, a coworker."
"That's it?"
"Yes."
Watching her every micro-expression like he wouldn't miss a thing, Yi Yeon trembled, words barely coming out.
Her heart fluttered wildly.
Why ask something like that? Like a man blinded by jealousy?
Then An Do Hyun suddenly thrust his face right up to hers.
Startled, Yi Yeon widened her eyes and reflexively jerked back.
"Yu Yi Yeon's eyes are honest. So it is true."
An Do Hyun's lips curved skyward, delighted.
"Then what about me?"
He seemed to steel himself, his gaze turning deadly serious again.
'The Vice President?'
The man I like.
But she couldn't say that.
Yi Yeon gave a wry smile.
"You're my contract husband?"
A furrow creased An Do Hyun's brow.
"Contract... couple?"
His eyebrows twitched fiercely this time.
"Work superior?"
An Do Hyun raked a hand through his hair roughly.
"Why are you doing this? Why to me?"
"I'm telling you, I'm going crazy."
An Do Hyun looked down at her with even deeper eyes.
The playfulness gone, his gaze was profound and clear, as if it could unravel every corner of her heart.
"Why are you going crazy?"
How am I supposed to know from that? Should I tell him to see a doctor?
"Because of you."
Yi Yeon's mouth fell slightly open.
Flustered, she just stared blankly at him, like, What?
"You're growing on me more and more."
An Do Hyun stepped toward her.
"The thing I regret most lately..."
Yi Yeon backed up a bit to evade his approach.
"Is signing that contract."
He advanced another step toward the retreating Yi Yeon.
"You never know with people's lives. Banning secret crushes from each other..."
There was nowhere left to retreat.
Yi Yeon leaned against the wall, blinking rapidly up at him.
"But now my secret crush is overflowing. What should I do?"
