Chapter 3.2

“I know just by looking at my father. You’re all the same. I told him over and over I changed my name, but he still tells everyone it’s not the name he gave me. The only reason I can deal with that kind of temper is because I know what kind of world this is. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come to this meeting either.”

Her face, covered in bright makeup, crumpled.

“Honestly, tell me. Who else would you marry if not me, Han Baek-geon? My dad washed his hands clean over thirty years ago. No matter where he goes, no one calls him a gangster anymore.”

Rui slowly smirked as she threw a dagger.

“But that’s not the case for you, is it? To build your presence in that field, it’s easiest to join hands with my dad, so you came here. Then you shouldn’t act like this. Do you think there are many reputable mid-sized companies willing to accept someone with a gangster background?”

The undeniable truth flowed from the woman’s mouth. Baek-geon bit the inside of his cheek.

The woman was overly confident and arrogant. That’s why he didn’t like her. He disliked her even more because he couldn’t deny the words she just uttered.

For a moment, a face flashed through his vision. The face that grimaced sadly whenever humiliating words were spoken into his ear. The face whose clumsy makeup couldn’t hide its sorrow.

It was utterly miserable and infuriating. Baek-geon cursed inwardly. It was anger directed at someone unknown.

Perhaps it was because he was that kind of person. The limits of a nature not loved or raised preciously, discarded in the muck with filth all over.

He looked at the woman with a sneer, directed at someone unknown. Since he didn’t respond, Rui started to chatter again.

“But isn’t it more satisfying to cater to a lovely wife than to roll around in the shadows all your life, Han Baek-geon? Isn’t that right?”

Rui smiled brightly, slightly squinting her eyes. Her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings with that eye smile.

“Honestly, am I not a bit cute?”

Baek-geon’s sneer deepened. He no longer hid the fact that he felt terrible.

“If you want to be loved, you should cater to me, shouldn’t you? Seong Yumi.”

Rui’s face twisted. It seemed she had realized once again that he was not an easy opponent.

But the woman wasn’t easy either. Instead, she smiled more brightly and slightly extended her hand.

“Hmm, is that so? But if you live with me, you won’t be able to help but love me.”

Rui’s hand lightly brushed over the back of Baek-geon’s hand. As her long nails scratched the skin, a strange sensation was felt.

“So call me by the correct name. You’ll benefit plenty from me in the future. Right now, you might think being the son-in-law of Sungjin Construction or CEO Han Baek-geon is good, but after we marry, the world will be more interested in the fact that you’re my husband.”

The dense fragrance that was clearly sprayed heavily pricked his nose. It was an intoxicating scent that made people giddy. Baek-geon disliked the scent that choked him.

He stared into the air with murky eyes. At the end of his vision was clearly a woman who had grown splendidly, yet somehow his mind kept searching for another face.

Both acted as if they were trying to possess him. In the midst of it, Seong Rui seemed more subtly attractive to anyone.

She was the daughter of a renowned construction company CEO, a famous influencer, and her appearance was as pretty as a doll. With porcelain-like smooth skin and a figure, along with her dazzling features, she was undoubtedly a woman anyone would covet.

Moreover, she wasn’t wrong. If sponsorships and advertisements poured in as they did, their names would be listed everywhere just by standing together.

Yet Baek-geon kept recalling that shabby, chicken-like woman. No, even if he didn’t think about it, she naturally surfaced and wreaked havoc in his mind.

The fact that she couldn’t be erased from his mind even in such moments showed how stubborn and persistent she was. That made him dislike her even more, even to the point of disgust.

It kept reminding Baek-geon of his past. The times he lived haphazardly, tired of hunger and poverty.

The time it took to shake off what he barely managed to obtain while wandering at the bottom after being taken in by Chairman Han.

Baek-geon deeply disliked the woman who reminded him of times he didn’t want to revisit. The very act of making him think of too many things instinctively repelled him.

Yet now, the one who surfaced before his eyes was that woman. It was strange that he kept getting drawn into the unwanted remnants while facing the doll-like woman sitting in front of him.

But he no longer had any interest in Rui. Seeing the woman acting all high and mighty, pretending to be noble in front of people who secretly took photos or whispered, only made him laugh.

That woman wouldn’t have done this.

In hindsight, she had openly devoured him. That made him angrier. But now, she felt less vulgar than Rui, who subtly approached with temptation.

It might have been better to start by facing each other physically. Baek-geon casually wiped the back of his hand, which still carried Rui’s touch.

“Han Baek-geon.”

He heard a voice chattering in front of him, but he completely ignored it. 

So Yoon-jae. 

He couldn’t help but recall that woman.

She must have gotten treatment.

Since Cheong-o said he’d visit, she must have gone to the hospital. At the very least, he must have taken her to a nearby pharmacy and bought her a bunch of medicine.

While he assumed Cheong-o would have handled it, his curiosity didn’t fade. He even considered calling. Lost in thought, Baek-geon missed Rui calling him.

“Han Baek-geon!”

Only after hearing the shrill voice did Baek-geon slowly turn his eyes to look at the woman. He saw Rui glaring at him with an angry face, sitting in front of a plate.

“Ha.”

Rui sighed softly, squashing the fish with a knife before pouting.

“Do you have a girlfriend right now?”

*

“Do you have a girlfriend right now?”

Oddly enough, when he heard that, Baek-geon felt a sudden urge to be honest.

The woman’s intuition was quite sharp. But Baek-geon was more seasoned. He calmly curved his lips and continued cutting the steak.

“If I did, would I have come here?”

Technically, it wasn’t meeting, and it certainly wasn’t dating. It was just a brief thought; he remained confident.

“Then did you ignore me like that? In a place like this?”

Rui’s voice grew sharper.

“You saw, didn’t you? People’s phones have been pointed here constantly since earlier? At least ten photos or videos must have been taken. What’s your intention in not reacting to my words and just thinking about something else? Do you want a video titled ‘Seong Rui getting rejected by a man while eating French cuisine’ to circulate?”

Her lips, shimmering as she held the wine glass, seemed tightly sealed in a pout.

Why bother applying so much when it would all come off after eating? Baek-geon gazed at the woman with indifferent eyes and casually remarked.

“We’ve seen each other, and if we’ve discussed everything, let’s get up.”

“We haven’t even finished our meal yet, you know?”

Rui changed her expression to a tender smile. But the words that slipped from her lips were neither kind nor gentle.

“Are you sure there’s no woman? Well, let’s say there isn’t. I’m not really curious. But you shouldn’t treat me like that, no matter what. Honestly, don’t you find me a bit attractive, Han Baek-geon?”

She put down the glass and propped her chin on her hand, leaning forward slightly. Below the deeply cut neckline, the swell of her chest was faintly visible.

“Maybe it’s because you’re my fiancé, but I’m a bit curious. Is it true you’re not interested in women because you don’t know much about them? Then can I teach you a bit?”

Her eyes narrowed seductively. Her lenses, if she wore any, made her eyes strikingly vivid and colorful as they stared directly at Baek-geon.

“It’s refreshing to meet a man who has a lot to learn from me. Is this what marriage tastes like?”

Her hand slid over Baek-geon’s hand again. They say appetite and desire come in turn. He chuckled at the childish ploy to have him pay attention while enjoying delicious food.

It was as if she were constantly trying to conquer him, which was annoying. Wouldn’t it be enough to just set a date and throw a card?

Baek-geon, with a bored expression, pulled his hand away and twisted Rui’s wrist. Rui let out a small scream.

“Kyaa!”

Her body swayed. As she tried to regain her balance, their knees brushed against each other.

“Do I need to learn from you, Seong Yumi?”

Baek-geon muttered with an impassive face. Despite his expression, his voice carried an unmistakable sneer.

“If you’re the teacher, then I’m the student. Are you confident you can handle a student like me?”

Rui’s eyes widened. Baek-geon easily pulled her towards the table by her wrist.

His sturdy, strong thigh pressed against hers. Rui’s face flushed instantly.