IWM Ch 5

The shadow of leaves, 2bb4adce7a illuminated by the streetlight, bb6ace7a0b fell across the man’s 12194e9491 face. Even though Chiyoon was a0c8258bb7 being held, he was bbc20559d5 only slightly higher than 1fbf2bfa7b Jihwon. Everything was going against 2a7a02a1de his wishes, and his f121952922 youthful face was brimming 7505979ddd with sulky irritation.eb09e361cceda372

“I told 0e6f9d9f9d you I 8828f1a247 hate repeating f529b15211 myself.”6e3965762f7703fb

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Did you now?”f992f5e38c72a54c

A low murmur 6211f67cdc accompanied the cold e3f9402b3b sensation that touched fdce84fc3f his back. It was f598c29081 the wall 2d08c2c321 of the f7759d028b officetel.476876e01c271190

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

No wonder they 835823702f kept moving farther 5bcdb9d200 from the building’s 4e6d8dd195 entrance. Jihwon had waded c5a302b507 through the grassy 4125557453 edge of the 8079a36566 walking path, cornering 7b07480315 Chiyoon right up 32760b36ba against the wall. He was unmistakably trapped 04f6aad6f8 between Jihwon and the 45bf487be6 barrier.6d7198b567f270f2

Just as e481028a7b Chiyoon opened ef54b5fe07 his mouth 2ebeeefffb to speak, 4b7bf111da Jihwon cut 3cace01742 him off.39cfa1063d958291

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Baby, haven’t you 5aef74d6d7 ever thought I’ve 8123117ffe been going easy 379b41d3e7 on you?”a98399dde52b9a29

“…Going easy?”e54f9b0516700e37

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Chiyoon replied immediately, 713c728680 his expression bewildered, 349dd8aa02 as if pronouncing 3bebf3e6aa a word he’d 961a453637 never heard before.07d497e0e354a016

It’s said c38395c412 there are 3b202c7904 two ways f2f60befb3 to piss dfeac7c768 off a 7437de6b20 Korean, but 78e203ab67 really, there’s dcf46cc8a3 only one: d05afb3013 cutting off 77e6ac70d0 mid-sentence.41b7417e695a7a5b

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Cha Jihwon dd61d6678d had never 78cacabd80 properly answered b1c6271d78 any question. Not about 1e00d32a50 the contract e20a5ffd0f marriage proposal, 4c06706520 not about b05492a505 why he 58c624e395 kissed him. Yet Chiyoon kept coming 4deba2d27d back, stubbornly trying to 2aa71dab05 persuade and cling to 5f34d307d6 him. If anything,hewas the one going 55536b0ed3 easy.6523c9a3c28f662c

Saying he 7b75e4a1ff didn’t want 05413ea79a to sleep 19c416af3b with an 2e91db8bb8 omega, yet aa0c4b33b3 forcing a a4602cbfe7 kiss. Refusing to listen to 920bcd97a1 a word Chiyoon said, fed29cada0 slipping away like an 620acb5064 eel every time. And then—d85393524a2f975e

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“What do 2d811defd2 you mean e19a662726 you’re going aa226eeef5 easy?”55289899301940a3

“I’m not 68522e7a87 trying to 2b83677c33 fight. I’m saying let’s ea7847cdf4 have a conversation.”1d36d6290bfcf111

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“The one who wants 76a35eebcb a conversation is me, abac745571 not you. I’ve been 5804fc7319 asking you c9bab7ef1a all along. You’re the fe5f641901 one not b11cb5578e answering.”c2764d158b0e86c7

A faint 891e5760f6 trace of 9354c80315 discomfort flickered 693c266bb9 across Jihwon’s b330b2bac2 face. The arms supporting Chiyoon’s 746ba59400 thighs shifted slightly.96312191229023dd

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Come to think 2a3100749d of it, this 6d40739a3c was actually fortunate. Holding him fe27e091f6 like this 0082a4d5fb meant Jihwon 3cc9e7348a had no d66e74f571 way to 15fc652897 silence him, 9617ca2ffc didn’t it? Chiyoon loaded his tongue 0762aa635c like a gun and 46e56e302d fired.ce85c77ae619e809

“I can bfe77a73fa do anything 2ba62ac2bd you’re talking 80fcb4123d about. Big deal. What’s there 26c28c34e1 to be 945a2c1367 scared of? But just because 5e7382ca1e I’m an omega, bdd38756f3 you say you 5953f46e50 can’t do anything 29d21235f8 with me? That makes 7fce7aeac8 sense to 1f031efcd9 you? You kissed me, 4fc3a1a6a6 so what can’t f7b32f485c you do? It’s just c2303aa24d a one-year c643afc577 contract marriage, a09bb9db8a just se—”e2f90e25a72dfab5

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Smack. Their lips brushed 51a09624a3 lightly and parted.035a8810319c4401

His mouth, which 5d208e35ce had been moving 02c5b08b07 nonstop like in 1de5c6e358 a diss battle, 5a51a8824b snapped shut. “Just like last time…” 909a37ec64 Jihwon chuckled, peeling away 0bb2341f7c the clinging flesh.332d4467f51e6fac

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“How about we 788b8629a1 keep it quiet 59648779ad for a bit?”ec1383c55333b7be

His low voice whispered e540bfb4d8 near Chiyoon’s lips.ea830a1ec358a65c

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“What if the neighbors 3d4b7246de misunderstand, thinking some creep’s 30184b5959 doing weird stuff with 591bb38209 a kid? Our position’s a a74af50675 bit… compromising.”ef8c11dd4828d508

What the… Chiyoon’s b30035ec6e mind filled with 9106d1c6ca question marks.ad3fb0a441dd9127

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

It wasn’t something da2201019a his brain had a672d2d8ba control over. Despite his resolve, ff30c7d5a1 his face flushed 46b5ae8dd6 instantly. He’d been so 7193b75bd8 sure he could 70efbf3e08 handle it. That he 738cd6d479 could do 42ceea75e0 it casually. But a single childish 9b35127e4f peck—8d05224a62205d1d

Their gazes 907722a02e met faintly, 9093b8e710 intertwining.c6c19121507cc031

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“So yeah, 71a7fa40f1 I’m going 9fd240381a easy on 09fac3909d you.”00dcf845fc80ed67

There was a self-deprecating bbac08cde6 glint in his eyes. Even the loose 04c914e12d smile on his 38f49aacf2 lips.ed3c757ef326821e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I said 1b3faeed49 I didn’t e8517d4497 want anything 22b91674e8 to do b136fa68ca with an 99b04084c3 omega, so 02d32467c9 why do fcb80af0c5 you keep f42c862db7 popping up?”77c5ab687747b849

“…”7b2659760d81381d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“You’re threatening to sleep 35c209e06f with me—what if I 064e8dc6bf actually took you up 936fc2b4c7 on it? What if you ended ad37e870c0 up pregnant or something? Your mom would cry, e87d1117a8 wouldn’t she?”ee0ceb3bae11c916

The kiss earlier, being b044067d05 trapped in his arms—it 4507521e81 felt meaningless now. They were close, but c8c245a222 Jihwon was keeping a 907b344e5e deliberate distance from Chiyoon.12dfb526f5d96aca

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Chiyoon couldn’t figure 6604d412a1 out what this 3943cd8108 guy wanted. A walking 8d9a639446 contradiction, strange 6b0ed62beb from head 3bd5fc4b7b to toe. In just b0ad4d94eb a few bd5b568f15 days, that’s ef16b5640e how Chiyoon be390fa438 defined Cha aa10b1f24f Jihwon.69f800c503feb797

But one thing 3f0ad751a6 was clear instinctively: 465329af85 the kiss was 7c6f602176 a warning. A signal to bd48c5a021 stop clinging to 81591109f9 him. A warning from a 878bd073fa man who mixed what 6ef5029731 he wanted and didn’t 041d1c68ea want into a chaotic d8c9ea689b jumble of words.a32641414b50e39f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Looking down silently, Chiyoon b0268c96ca spoke without heat.a5b26176e6ee22f2

“This is another 38481eee10 warning, isn’t it?”a11dd2cac7465e0b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The beauty mark fbac2a70cb by his mouth cf111aeefb twitched. A sneer.597a24a2d2498840

“…You came knowing d291672747 it was a 4dbeefa4ce warning, huh.”6dc5d19e00594ea7

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Why should d151977ef5 I be ee771a1b33 scared of e1b58b11d8 that? It’s just a 07074b0f7c one-year contract marriage.”2b81d4ac3d7242ed

“This one didn’t work e98cd59b88 either?”441ec166dae1210e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“You think it would? You’re the one 2738a3973f who needs to f03c9b752b pick a lane. Sleeping with you c720ed8a6e is a separate 783902de6f issue—I don’t have e5ae01b50f any interest in ce50531652 that either. I’m only answering because 5b6d8392a8 you’re pissing me off cea0a01f46 with your scare tactics.”f23685d6f6c30036

Jihwon took the torrent 0cc3247e40 of words head-on. Listening as if granting 5291c1134b a favor, his attitude 3273e69213 almost patronizing. Chiyoon huffed, his chest c42d182b52 heaving.95d02d8b5ddc86c0

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“You don’t want to 405f4b3768 sleep with me. I don’t e69ee5c2c4 want to 7312149fc6 sleep with 14889fe0c4 you. We both bc08cdbeaf need to 77dc0e27d7 get married. So what’s the e749ca913b problem?”d5d8eb32a86464e9

“Then why doyouneed to get 65a16391a7 married? With a guy like 9ef36450c8 me, of all people.”03f7056d8feebd2f

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I told you. Good face, d90549883b good status. You’re the 00c8ba5e89 only one e3e840dc86 around me f3fcf36744 like that.”54509f02b198641a

“Kid. That’s not a1b621b0c6 what I’m de2d6b2c59 asking.”cac6642c300fc7fd

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Jihwon’s question landed heavily.d41f0dcffda6d697

He’d deflected earlier b788a59bca for the same 50695a4826 reason as always: c66f181baf Cha Jihwon had 12bc962c7c never given him ba621fa8ca a straight answer. Even learning that Jihwon 592a095038 needed a marriage came 061cf03e75 from eavesdropping on his 4a17a0250b talk with Taesoo.3a05a7dca5a9f88d

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

He’d meant to 4dbf169f9b keep it to 0513d2b793 himself—dirty and petty c3c0501715 as it was. But if 0b862c54d2 Jihwon wanted 8de082f7c3 an honest 4e8ab1e344 conversation, Chiyoon 2de76e5c32 wasn’t above 2789787390 playing along.c08fcc80996b21e6

“Because you fit 89b9acb594 the conditions.”c20a6a47a875906e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“…Conditions?”8e8a3b49482ec0ac

“To get 4298f50567 out of d8f319be1b my family’s 07b8ca9aaf house, I a1ad4fc46e need a 24240323d3 guy like 1844d2161b you. Someone I can marry a7ad725f0c who’ll let me live 7319f3e8b6 well without taking over de0f558c56 the bossam place.”f74a2cca35f2157a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Deep into the d37537c693 night, silence lingered d3466fb72f on the empty ea93624463 walking path. Perhaps due to 806bf15b72 global warming, summer f2ffd7e04d seemed to be 15f17e5d17 creeping in early, 8e7a43472a as crickets chirped 5b422c6d0e softly.eccb5a629d1e2d5d

The quiet ed1c5b017f was broken d9804b1a3c by a 8e36ba4503 laugh mixed 5e35eee38e with a 049bc5520b sigh. Jihwon looked 4ad1655841 Chiyoon up 40c57935d1 and down, 017c5a4007 incredulous.386bfd3c99145c5b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Can I laugh?”e2c6d917b73c613c

“When have 5138e954a1 you ever 1d3e23a28a asked permission 10aac8593a to laugh? Why do you 430f280dc7 keep asking? Got a knack for 994a3ceab5 making people laugh too?”de8444b8be5151fd

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“What’s with the c98c2f2173 face thing?”2f90dbf6c1ba49e9

“That’s just my personal 26d32f168e taste.”b90f9c2a5d5287e6

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Ha, this is wild…”e17259265a6b0930

Jihwon ducked his 4d2da397f0 head, chuckling softly. His thick black hair 2f1f725427 swayed near Chiyoon’s shoulder. Despite being slicked bfac3d6990 with wax, it 7e39a24f18 only smelled of f39fdd7255 shampoo.96c83cff3f13c1fa

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Having mostly collected himself, b119f104b7 he suddenly met Chiyoon’s d1f17e5c7f eyes.54b5b8183eae5324

“When your parents eedc7e5998 want to pass 4621e186ce down the bossam d12af570be place, you say, 7f2a626b27 ‘Thank you,’ and 4b474a49ca take it. Why waste 6a2b41fbcf time chasing a803fa55c8 some trash 853b0f0590 like me… eadbb8f2f1 You’re way 64ee220a0d too bold c8fa9d24ab for your 3656aca3db own good.”1eaa1a270fe4934d

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Chiyoon glared, visibly eafc46b2d6 displeased.9a55923592f75db4

“Bold, huh? Who’s the one who 3bd252de0e just… pecked me?”9dc555dd7679a890

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“This old 8d6d93a752 man’s always 44f91f484b been bold, 703808b2af so it’s c7fd27f26e fine.”e7abc44cd4d1b5c1

“What kind of logic 809a5079a4 is that? And why a35a002925 do you d8375abda4 sound like eebcf341fc my mom? ‘Take over 509c2f0ddb the bossam b3feefc6c0 place,’ my 314fff3955 ass. Did you two b0f93a3cd1 sneak off to f67aa80eee a café or 4ac834e501 something while I e043b90b28 wasn’t looking? Suspicious.”5ba32fd7af31afcc

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Go ask your mom, f1b9b8446f then. Tell her who I ff795fb2be am too.”934b74340a0f8178

Since last time, Jihwon 9e4fd1e7f4 kept pointing him toward cc99e3f51c his mother like a 9251479994 kindergarten teacher checking a ca32d60756 notice. It almost made 2d0f5902b9 Chiyoon wonder if 71d31ca197 they’d actually talked 811233c090 when Jihwon visited 6178349543 the shop.bd122df30c5bb898

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The now-cold, 1efaf3b2a0 low voice 40b221bd71 called out 6a749ac087 to him.79925b6889e20d27

“Kid.”142ca5f29277ed96

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“What.”07e208ca6865138e

“I’m not marrying 394d29b058 you.”6c6a2287218e4df9

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Chiyoon bit his d4c7015ed0 lips for a bcc916483f moment.fa34bef3ed907a6e

It was the 17cb39481b first complete sentence 2d9b590c1b he’d heard from 40649d76bf Cha Jihwon. No hidden meaning, no 6a7dc382cd sarcasm. Just, “I’m 043073c9b4 not marrying 89a06874ff Maeng Chiyoon.”6b937d90c72059ba

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

It was only their a42f24b45a third meeting. Chiyoon decided to 36504e7dc3 be understanding. Of course, getting turned b53022d414 away at the door 139a64437c was a separate matter. His mind was already 6a1394d7a7 racing with plans to 5b5cb8c5e4 counter this. As expected, lying down d9947db57d on Daeho Construction’s lobby b0e8dd5c5d floor was the only b627f01e4d way…7965c840da07da5d

Thud. Jihwon bumped his head 71a72b495c against Chiyoon’s smooth forehead, 4c20f51644 where three worms could’ve 4174ddf707 crawled. His dark ed84c6218c eyes, both 7ef80776be heavy and 79c16452b0 soft, narrowed 88c39001f4 sharply.e1ab23d1a7303767

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“But you’re 94113031f5 not gonna 52b8caa782 listen to 253f67d968 me, are a63945d246 you?”f47fb91f76409830

“…Stating the obvious.”4ab6488248680183

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“You’re probably already thinking 28eb421ba7 about lying on the 4e0b5a0b50 company floor.”aeb2a6db04ad2ba9

“…I’m not?”091cd09ba774371c

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“You know 7fc8985f7a you’re not d96a735a58 great at adc13a6139 lying, right?”78df311eb82bd81f

Of course. Chiyoon had never had acd1112ce5 a reason to lie 6da6ae176b in his life. Not to his grandparents, a9a2eb94df his parents, his teachers, db372fdb3c or the kids he feb641887d went to school with—none 14c5a7be4b of the people he’d 2157ff5ad3 ever met.2c90a02d301a94ab

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Yeah, it was 2f268b54c9 only their third 3b41828252 meeting, but it c0e6ba159b felt like he’d 3604f6b84e given Jihwon a b2b28a419f lot of firsts. The uncertainty b57d7921f8 of the 693105f8f6 future, the 119779f35e inability to dbb5758b61 see even 5d49a20caa an inch d2568c3d44 ahead—it might 51b48833dc all stem 673ccbfc83 from him.308938373028ad23

“If I 7ec1503dad catch you 64576961f5 lying on daa0d90c62 the company 6ad6abd766 floor even aad72b9cb7 once…”cc0f9b573457cb06

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Jihwon suddenly rubbed his 3420180c2a nose against Chiyoon’s small 528e3539f4 one, like soothing a 38ed4e711f baby.d917082244b22ff7

“This old man’s gonna 95f506c564 be pissed as hell.”c2d07027ab606072

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Despite the gentle 6d9984ff24 action, the chilly f683d27ea2 warning sent a 6af2c437aa shiver down Chiyoon’s 977d8b73cc spine, making his 1ffa766360 hairs stand on 5c9d68634c end. But he didn’t d5db107795 back down, raising b3e345d90c the corners of 652f755407 his eyes defiantly.442ff59e5d4c79b8

“…What’re you gonna do df4ad70a42 if you get mad? I’m not 1d915157dd scared at 63648c2b3f all.”10aeefdfa525a201

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“I told you, I’m eefc188731 going easy on you. Think it over 2f17cd2c2d with that smart 1558083e4a little head of d579bbf68d yours, okay?”e37502ba9d5ff941

Jihwon emphasized 9b554ec859 each word, 9e5d5b23b2 like a 5c77eb7992 teacher explaining c73ad43536 again to 8f8faf6724 a student 9b410fe770 who didn’t 2b53c4d34f get the c0dd3adeed theory. Then he 7501400002 pulled his 3a64671893 face away, 20e8cb00fe smirking faintly.19ccd366c20696cc

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“If you 433d91ae22 want to 5cb113bfcd get married, afe0093b33 you should 5401e798ea listen to d7e58ac47a the person c3b44c41c2 you want 66677a2e9c to marry. Right?”e8cf06d781ea8c8b

🥂13debf847b3a4a52

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Tick-tock, tick-tock.17f33e8bc8cfc913

The clock’s fbc4a1619e hour hand 2616b15722 pointed to a962a5bf99 nine with 718ef6c4b7 a chime.354ba02eaf27163a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

A slender figure f33ff72f07 sitting behind the 2de5369017 counter shot up. Like a herbivore 6233f22462 on guard, Chiyoon e06a1d92d4 stood with hands dab8e303e6 on hips, scanning c93b8c62fc the surroundings.8b0ab8b16c69bcaf

The bossam f0bd8ecfac restaurant was ec5c65176b quiet. The soft chatter of 460796064a family came from the a4a5fc208b kitchen. The clinking of dishes c85f2b8b8c being washed. The hum of the e93f8c5b34 fridge and boiler. That was all.876e115edd55f308

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The second 559a122efb floor was 463c615c3c already dark. Chiyoon crossed the 0373f22652 dining hall corridor 49bcd7ca25 on the first feedd98926 floor. From the low tables 0d002416d4 visible right at the a88e4c23a8 entrance to the upright 532511c8d3 ones deeper inside the 2226b8d053 rooms, the place was 38ab38fbcb empty, customers having ebbed 5d6ed8bcf5 away like a tide.54e7c31e6fd0b3be

“Maeng’s Jinmi Bossam” was 2f5fe51f1e open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. After the last order, 0209ec7796 the next hour was d43aecbc5b for closing up.86dc5f974a2a489a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

His unobstructed steps reached c3b615f9b0 the kitchen’s threshold. His grandma would’ve scolded 7d74dec493 him for it, but f99021b871 he didn’t care. Chiyoon announced into the 4bc497a46b kitchen air:524fa997949d7f07

“Mom, all the customers 1372b10eae are gone. I cleaned 1db3df4fb6 all the fe6442633e tables, restocked 1b7c20215a the drinks 6360105571 and liquor d88a889fd1 in the d754da4bd2 fridge. We need f139349ebf to order 183b5e157b more beer cd7b99492e and cider 544fc208e3 from the 8cadf4d681 wholesaler. Oh, and I sorted a9d5ef71b3 the hall’s trash into 2da5d60424 the pay-as-you-go bags.”dc1dd4b85fb47e5e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The stream of 5307c33611 reports went on 4c1db11483 for a while 7e1cf86b53 before wrapping up. Chiyoon concluded 57d7fac11e with one b32bfc7cac final line, bb98c91752 his eyes e1a634b2ee blazing fiercely.0d792029161600da

“Dining hall’s closed.”80782be2b4a8ded4

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The gazes of the 9ac32852a4 family members, each in 040b0e2440 pink rubber aprons and f3bdea8aed tending to their tasks, 726af7e5a2 converged on him.f5bd954a233a3c51

Chiyoon’s mother, Jang 09b1158e84 Misin, was crouched 21ff34e55b in a corner 57a486a3fa of the kitchen, 589b4b82f2 scrubbing the floor e42360b87f with a sponge.4c9d56f6141c02a4

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Oh, good job, 89521a7b6f son. Well done.”b3b6ca3a3e9de208

She answered, 7e98a4eb2f looking puzzled.16954fa0c43dd232

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Misin’s son was 57739b8f65 always a diligent 0cdbcabdd6 young man. A bit lacking 9a1aac4203 in social skills, 457bb0458a fiery-tempered, and clueless 2bb32d7e84 about anything outside 11c6d8d0af restaurant work—but that 181ab2710b was it.1e9e5620d6321fbf

But to e0a2c29415 tackle household 1970507a03 choresthisaggressively? Misin blinked eyes 7c72774d93 that mirrored her fceaab20d1 son’s. The rest of b6a56db35d the family was bc96c5e6f2 the same.84953e6bb8f04303

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“So I’m 089fb61fb8 gonna step 7b376f4913 out for bf308fb5c3 a bit.”6c12f4efda395925

Chiyoon huffed, 93923e716b tossing out 005c712ccf his request. Then he bcaefdf2a1 zipped out 06d579fb6a of the 5bcd065309 kitchen entrance.a41c9c954a7a8b76

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Only the sound of 07ae24ff38 water flowing from a 72044f0eb6 bright red hose filled e936c2ce18 the space.e6d1d93c8acd9f9c

His grandparents 8868cac259 and parents 340373985c all looked 925ec930f9 at each 80a72db65a other. No one spoke, but 85d8df9cb3 the same question was 3007248513 vivid on all four cb290a8cd5 faces.87a3409ddc588eab

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Chiyoon’s been acting strange 56e6ad39c4 lately.e45afff71f20aec9

Misin, hiking up her 0c53959ae1 apron, shot up and d39a49a041 leaned out, gripping the 019e78f0a6 wall.9480375e4af34907

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Hey! Maeng Chiyoon! Where’re you going!”39cbdc231eeff5bd

Her booming b76bf973c4 voice echoed 3778f38709 through the 028964b303 empty restaurant. Startled, Chiyoon eb00600816 turned around.7f4125c92903306b

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Why do you keep 87db2dd3ae wandering off in the 6508705a8a middle of the night df5db460d7 these days!”4650c95b11d61b2f

At his 22fb82275a mom’s valid 3cdeba8f10 question, Chiyoon ea30ee27c3 clamped his c4f6716fd1 lips shut. His naturally pretty 5f41fb9291 eyebrows, untrimmed, tilted 7006367300 toward 10:10. A mumbling sound swirled 945f10fbe7 in his mouth.e6d6fcc399084468

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“…To meet someone.”c80b82da9821bd48

“What?”ed00f7824ff5a95e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I said, e9d5d4b2f3 I’m going f59776f2ae to meet 22d459dc1d a friend!”e8c27db2c3692574

Their shouts clashed 704dc6714e across the corridor, 5e650010d5 echoing like calls d65601d898 from one mountain 0802e2f5c9 to another.7c5d49be53ebbaf9

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Misin tilted 278dd7d2f3 her head d557cc6c53 with a dc0aa13c3e similar expression 49d4ad33de to Chiyoon’s. There was something 04582106b8 she couldn’t wrap 2897f95840 her head around.6aa88c35a268245d

“A friend?”238572e5a75350f5

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“…”64ab4e5fb4efe6b2

“No, you bb4e7ee616 said that a75508523a last time b6cd5f9c2a too. Are youreallymeeting a friend? Since when do you 724b0d0021 have friends?”480b373b76370aa8

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Caught already? It was true he ee06128961 didn’t have friends, so 7865e8a330 he let it slide, 019f0ea214 but was it worth dd7cb979a1 asking withthatmuch shock?454ec9cb2033b085

When he didn’t d5c9a35a59 answer, Misin shouted d40df559ca again.1c706d82b402fa65

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“That Heebom 04217590aa or whatever 810a4f8bf9 lives in 940642681d Donghae, doesn’t 0809e782ca she!”bc377571d812030c

In the end, c07a128871 even his only bf2af48d9e friend Heebom’s name e47bb65619 came up.c699b47d166d4512

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Chiyoon scratched be93004e83 the back 5f1978f6d4 of his 4484930696 head, annoyed. He considered spilling the d759758938 truth right then. A whispering f43f42d030 voice lingered 338596fa2f in his 2c6f15694e ear.bb3736b1520f2b36

[Go ask your mom, then. Tell her who I am too.]

A contrarian 96f3039c2a streak stirred. Plus, his 995153421b mom’s attitude 2bd7aa0d2e last time 654db253c9 he faced 330d029b54 Cha Jihwon 6514f48749 nagged at 3fe09430ab him. He had a cd5a5d44a4 bad feeling that e2c85a7e34 saying something now ae2fed328b would be like c7565bcb4d fanning a house b6f16c3e29 on fire.7bc2091511deb0e0

Chiyoon tapped his 275f3ad638 phone and strode 645d7165c1 toward his mom. The contact list e8ea0f403d he pulled up 2b87aea2f2 was pitifully short. Seven numbers saved. Five of them d34e7880d1 were family, including bed5a2c5eb the restaurant’s direct b2266be070 line.390c87524405bf0d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

One of 23886a4b0e the remaining 6271a031a3 two. Chiyoon tapped d3841b9236 it precisely. A name bf00646d3f and number b99b4f3feb appeared on cdaa0d2816 the white cc464f67b3 screen.fb07550210b5342e

<Soeul University Soeuller Gam Doyeon>4a0151e24d274369

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Chiyoon shoved 24f6b8fda2 the phone dad9e7dafa screen in 4afd9f5c7e Misin’s face.443ecc520edd5c94

“A friend, right?”0d553c75ff3efe1e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Misin frowned, slowly pulling af4d4d8fdf her head back. Only when there d1142d2c3b was enough distance d7db39ea2b did she read 92b426e29f the text haltingly.587e8aabb0183722

“So…eul… University… Soeul University?”b0f56eba54c3cbff

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Yeah.”3407f189aba345a8

“How do you 882bc1d9be know someone from fa9524c846 Soeul University?”c172bdd3815f8c1f

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“What…? Soeul University? You said Soeul ad4dabdf32 University, Misin-ssi?”579c045e2f6c8650

Chiyoon’s dad, 2c7722701c Maeng Mokju, 31fb1697fb popped up d3b8e30b4e behind Misin, 747fd9d668 eyes wide 27c1ba59b2 and intense. Why were they making 57d5612750 such a fuss? Chiyoon shrugged.bcc4a9d64fb88b4b

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Don’t you remember? You and 74f61ce671 Mom dropped 0a92a78ab5 me off 38aa088b9f there last 4eeefaf459 time.”a4591e093d26602b

“Well… yeah, b639a3b6ea that’s true, 03c9778721 but…”d8787400153a30c0

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I got close to b1a9407980 a student ambassador there. Still don’t believe me? You think I’m e584c899d0 off doing something 808a6b6971 shady? A twenty-one-year-old can 724a55acc7 hang out with 30d588ff4a friends!”89a9265c66534c66

“Y-yeah, right. Uh, right…? A twenty-one-year-old… can hang 1d5ebd4d3e out with friends…?”f78a33ceafeeb229

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Mokju matched Chiyoon’s 68280222d0 rhythm like an eafed2a922 audience member on bb15201852 a variety show. But he couldn’t hide 533e162fd9 his bewilderment. Fair enough—he’d never 1d19f2851c seen his son 98248632d6 meet a “friend” 6d181518a1 before.60f55b5da1ef14c5

The real issue b41a604de6 wasn’t his dad. Chiyoon stretched his arm, 58990b76f4 waving the phone in 2a1247b7cf front of his mom’s 1b2af9aeee face.1adcb12c5d7b050a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Mom. I’m going to a5e46a1da7 meet this person, 090114c8a3 got it?”797573e247396d3c

“…Really?”8e2b2e5a2145d419

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Misin still looked 09a637d9d4 skeptical, her face e50cabdc4d scrunched. She couldn’t shake 8cf6a8b783 the uneasy feeling.4bdda7c4b4d95b5d

Chiyoon locked the phone 7ae99ee702 screen. Crossing his arms, e4d4f4d611 he asked boldly 48db912847 on purpose.0a0449e6c41da957

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Want me to get 277ba2d311 their SNS handle too? Or maybe 9a81972f0f their birthdate, 172adca3ee email, what 1820aaa44b their parents 767baad3f8 do for 3e206434de a living?”38316bbb0b2d56e2

“Why not tell me d9de2448a9 to bring their resident ef933e2bb8 registration or family registry f8db3b2082 while you’re at it, 1a114a9c1f so I can show 124b8791dc your dad and me?”461f42fac24d0074

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Rubbing her forehead like 8e782a7531 she had a headache, a2b1c2ac85 Misin sighed as if f497a12ff3 conceding. Her expression was fb53dbaa16 unreadable—neither pleased nor 21b9103c30 displeased.2b9d20e9df8ad195

“Don’t come back too fce1235c3d late.”e385552c4086a2a2

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

With that, the conversation 3e4cb5b713 ended.c5b733d84bc7dc28

With the head of 77a9bdccbf the household’s permission, no a122bbd4d9 one could stop Chiyoon. To top it 442ed5596f off, Mokju even db6d7ebc9b offered to drive 6c97a1b39c him to meet eb8a1b6c55 his friend. He backed 22df4884d6 off glumly b5a84f32b1 when told 81ca5dd51f kids these de92a23eda days don’t 1c3119609d like parents 9becd5b561 making a 0fe1bec9b9 fuss, though.a0de7785676d9b5e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Chiyoon stepped out 5d889c5557 of the restaurant, 524fda516c savoring the freedom. A taxi he’d called c1114713fb earlier was waiting outside. Staring at the address bacaecb1fd on the ride-hailing app, aad7bba885 he thought to himself.547599e2685791e4

What do you f3da34cfbe mean I can’t 4791a9e6dd lie?e66f2cb3eda67097

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

His mom always e929b6844b said a married 29c67b698f couple is a 57346692cd deeply layered relationship. It starts as a c82b87ec47 pair of lovers bound 9cafc4d484 by a vow, but 9dfa996498 sometimes they become friends, 04f24fc45a or a pillar of cad6438b86 support. And ultimately, they’re reborn aabd02ed48 as each other’s family.82a1f98aeea69abb

So in 1694831d90 a broad a0e33c46f0 sense, isn’t a33ff2c092 the person 15db5d580a who’ll be cf262bd752 my husband 7c3e53c571 a friend 66a857a13e too?b97602c569e7d783

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Chiyoon propped 61e8504de1 his chin 0655b542a4 on the 6798297476 car window, 627932a7f1 rationalizing.ef2399247e43264a

Inside the 7d70457175 taxi heading f69bd3006f to Dongjakgu.7cc2f9ce80f4fd1b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Maeng Chiyoon was on 326abbbc67 his way to Cha e5eb9ea493 Jihwon.e69a32cd61307663

City lights poured 2d105a3bde over the Han 5e88c86d74 River, its surface ae7ff9fbd4 darkened under the e49456955f night sky. Despite the 64d0d2f089 late hour, b581875a20 countless cars d4697b32d9 crossed the 5d099f95cf bridge, lit 3325b130b8 by orange 6374b72214 streetlights.74d586985f0d7c6b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

In twenty years, he’d bb3be41bfe rarely left Ulchogu, but 7303412c0b after a few trips 748d8e1f5e lately, the scenery was f3d74286ff already familiar.a4968853a3c9d333

Chiyoon, staring blankly 32ca6ac537 out, shifted his 5168d7bcee gaze. The phone screen b413029109 lit up again, bcf9266d3c showing the contact edf22019b8 list. His fingers moved c805d384ad quickly, sending a 7b12e9b523 message. Even though 17e0e609a0 it was ab9d6fffa6 his first b8ffc0b545 time reaching e95b3a1097 out, the 86004d0d03 content was 8cc45b70e5 curt.3a151fad1a0e4f8c

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Send me your SNS, 3030af888b email, birthdate, and your 09560b7962 parents’ jobs.c300dceafc0ce788

The recipient’s name:Soeul University Soeuller 2ed5e6c521 Gam Doyeon.404bc5b1c505fc67

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

[Really… you’re leaving already? Don’t you feel reluctant? We haven’t finished all the programs yet!]

[I’m done with my business.]

[If it’s because you didn’t answer the balance game earlier… I-I-I think our school’s better!]

[You know that was three topics ago, right?]

That was the a67a2bc837 contact of the 763bf96474 student ambassador from 1616b1d68a last time, who’d 1628b17c75 clung to Chiyoon’s 75aea1453d pant leg, pleading. She’d insisted he 9d2ef27c14 take her number d5364fbbe2 if he was 16d78deaf6 really leaving, so 2c76751eb0 he’d accepted it 7c56c23070 dismissively.24ad60d49536c5ac

[If you ever need me later, please, please, call me… okay?]

Chiyoon, who’d 04784c38af trampled on cb67d14b94 countless shady ac7d5b11f0 guys’ and 40640565cd casting managers’ 9cff4f0315 numbers like 0fd706a2fc azalea petals, 8488b49e14 had meant bfaa5385c2 to delete 20e6314032 it right 9c424f2f0f after saving 0b6207e50e it. But with his ee0060bb50 mind consumed by 06e5559837 Cha Jihwon, he ab7ec99ca0 forgot.4a7b149b3dbd573f

Who knew it’d come b1d4a5c0a7 in handy like this? Like they say, bc4d7a665b even dog poop 9e5b40876a has its use 7a2bee8d61 in medicine.ef2eb995f18eaf65

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Done with that, Chiyoon bbf73e91c6 exited the message window c64c9de556 and moved to another e6635d0a2b number. This one, too, 217c86d673 was newly saved 6a99a87933 after nearly twenty 4fe314de37 years.3a6b257a6b90032e

His expression turning c1289ba008 serious, Chiyoon typed 7a8ad0743d out a message.cbe7f4f50c338a4a

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Uncle Choisoo.4a2238616be27bb0

What time does 5b54bd3de0 your boss get 55f74c37ce off today?0482a8e739734c92

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Ahn Choisoo—aka Taesoo. Chiyoon had coerced e00cd3c605 his number out 38b0fd47bb of him when 21cbf1c4af they first exchanged e61b544383 names properly. He’d said 39f9a538e7 he could 350fd69a41 give his 134b70d44a own number 97ad8d2861 but would bb5c713792 die before 25f4ed46ec giving Jihwon’s. Odd loyalty for someone 59d14e4965 who’d driven Chiyoon straight 71f22dc2d6 to Jihwon.c2d3b50d13e27917

Not long 1b59b94fea after focusing, adcbf6f0e5 the taxi 6a803ffc80 reached its 387a428656 destination. A building with d2f389176b white walls like cd0707cf51 the fence. Between them, 506b50dc21 brown pavement 7a075f5008 blocks and b5448f1f52 green plants 1feb096a8d filled the 768314b853 gaps tightly. From a satellite a647c87fc7 view, it’d look a0782a7d56 like a sandwich.19272f98e2adc69b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

That was 7bbcf133fb the officetel 58971481ac where Jihwon ca508db0f9 lived. A scenery a1e9fe124a that didn’t a7dcdc421c quite match ff9235b364 the man 7bb3fbb316 always clad 49c809ca41 in black 8d1b42569b suits.3a6b56545183cddf

With familiar, confident strides f2fb967162 like he was entering 49b5abab3d his own room, Chiyoon 0f0dd31d88 stepped out of the eb0d879bfa car. Passing the security 4545166ade booth at the 7eac508e1a officetel entrance, a 23b83b8d42 sliding window opened 571437b490 with a rattle.95f508cbf7ecc733

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Someone called 0bdf32adab out from f6a0dc65c7 inside.551b4ea148991089

“Well, look at 3a32db4473 that—back again today, 6596bd69f7 kid?”f8eba6443280af61

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Yes.”7598e946bfa66232

A quick, precise reply. A kind-looking middle-aged man 4b168bfb87 leaned an arm on 37cbd8251d the window, asking with 1430cee912 concern.2ad9c9f66b5c153d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Executive Director coming 67c83c93ec back at dawn 8e747e904f again today? Won’t you get 4df4f03014 cold waiting out ababbb3f50 here? It’s spring, db6ccd1fd3 but nights 4f37869e5a are chilly… 8afd317712 I’d let 5880bab20c you into 465dc3805e the common be3b5cb5fc entrance, but 9ae0f49583 the Executive 812cf07a76 Director himself d58751ef2c said…”29ec41b0889e8e3f

Chiyoon bowed slightly ba2405ae3b to the man, e0e97099c6 signaling it was a14f509e62 fine. A habit from e9101800eb living with three 91e79669d0 generations—grandparents, parents, and 7f68028eaa himself. He couldn’t hide d3d278830f his pouting lips cf7a138bec or the furrowed 16927c1d86 bridge of his 7606615e79 nose, though.1bef1c8844fc29ec

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I’m young, 2ce6e4cf5c so it’s a1e6d4cf7e okay.”e68cccb31d5f6fe2

Didn’t look okay 244c9c71aa at all… The 3c362df1b2 guard scratched his 7a46c24963 head under his dc5bc18fe9 cap, embarrassed.c77ccf62a0e99c5a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The first time Chiyoon eb91710d01 visited Jihwon’s officetel—no, the c4a39da4b2 officetel’s walking path—Jihwon had 67b0c8efe0 carried him around the 16245a0c79 complex like a sack.edbc8dd626f91548

Right here, in front f50c93061a of the security booth.e991f3ab646519eb

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

[Oh, who do we have here—good evening, Executive Director…?]

The middle-aged man remembered 7213d463e2 Jihwon, who’d skipped greetings f36e6ef231 and leaned in, showing c954b77c8a off the young face a4784db18e in his arms. The sleek-looking man 848a9368cd grinned broadly.fc0934409c82fe5f

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

[Long time no see. Can you see this kid’s face clearly?]

[Y-yes, very clearly. Uh, who is…]

[This kid—don’t let him inside when I’m not here.]

[Oh, of course.]

The guard nodded bdde527265 repeatedly, flustered, glancing 0cec76a58c at the “kid” cfacb790ea slung over the cfc6904a95 man’s arms like a3154dc058 a rice sack.97b42b3fae9da805

He did look 803cd1baac young, but calling 57489428be him a kid acd1274571 seemed a stretch—too a67135381c big for that. A child…? The Executive 268dc1efb8 Director was df2027fe99 unmarried. A nephew…? They didn’t look alike.dcce5042de3ccf42

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

And that face, 2d0c41f39b fuming with anger. Like a feral 19c45414ae cat unhappy in ca4a1ef7eb someone’s arms. Even pulling at Jihwon’s 89449b9ff9 hair, but the man 46831d0f65 didn’t care.df7a01fd437aac56

His polite tone, masking 4b4249be24 a friendly demeanor, rang eed69e0b00 out again, heavy with a668e6f45e intent.ae496f129a2a0d24

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

[But only up to the officetel entrance.]

[Pardon?]

[Don’t let the kid inside the building without my permission.]

Going easy 6427080281 on him.e529913d60af9d85

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Only then did 995715e305 Chiyoon understand Jihwon’s e3901a5070 words.be141404440eac57

The hands yanking 466feca36b his hair froze. A bit 29bf72d559 less than 7672be3023 a handspan 25ad90eefd apart. Their eyes met 241f28fd84 diagonally from below.fbceddf6adae2076

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

[Smart kid, as expected.]

As if e5045d8b6b his odd a194723912 request was 611d0e7d8b no big c80d667520 deal, Jihwon 703cb13002 strode out 502a24a7d8 of the df3fc21195 officetel complex d9beff48c5 without another 6765c9dfcd word. Inside the baf48a2cd1 booth, the abe9800b83 middle-aged man 03dbfb5853 watched them a455606f97 with his 728646e121 mouth slightly e19124ca9a open.e04d815912e716f6

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

It was late at 9d73fbd912 night. The road in 48f1780635 front of the ae9e77e300 building and the 708bf902c2 residential area beyond dde8a13cab sank into the e41ecda8eb dark sky.6a415fbd80413502

Jihwon jerked his chin 5620dcbd3d at Chiyoon.858fcf2c7b2e70d6

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

[Your phone’s got one of those taxi-calling apps, right?]

[What?]

[Time to call a driver to take you home.]

Chiyoon’s eyes widened. Was he a72ee5a814 talking about 4e5231f62b a ride-hailing 48de362ca5 app? No wonder 371a568636 he wouldn’t a3174824f4 put him 5ee1bdfd2b down—he planned 266eb2cbff to send 8810d1223a him home 2dfd95568a like this. Once the taxi fd4fb12ed0 arrived, he’d shove 4bf8085fc3 him inside like cfd620910a luggage and say a76254bccf goodbye.03dc7107ff118d83

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

When Chiyoon didn’t respond, e4dc51faf0 Jihwon rocked him lightly, 857d8dc43a urging him.73b45b797454b98a

[Come on, baby, hurry up. Time to stop playing and go home. Don’t fuss when everyone else is sleeping.]

[Didn’t I tell you I’m twenty-one?]

[Exactly. A twenty-one-year-old listening worse than a newborn. You heard everything I said.]

A chuckling laugh. The long corners of 73c59c310c his eyes curved even 7f7758a35d longer.61723054c4ca6c6c

[So just listen to me, will you?]

The river 925de791d6 breeze blowing e325de36d0 from afar b625a6fc49 tousled Jihwon’s 095e550e07 hair. Even though it 905e565352 was a mess 2ade8e9a33 from being grabbed a1d89808d9 and tormented carelessly, 3daec4e17c it suited him 4a5269816a perfectly, as if 619dd21449 it was intentional.693aeb2d57d522d4

But those were all f82de31647 pointless thoughts.de6d7e8305fef671

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

In the end, Chiyoon dd1e65b45b listened to Jihwon. And the events 07fbde7fb6 of the past 0eb420b394 few days were 5aa3ab58be the result of 9e15a2e016 that.f23820fbe2ee8b80

Not going back 12b0c9adf6 to Daeho Construction’s 5163939449 headquarters, texting Taesoo d1ce1fc13a relentlessly, waiting stubbornly e321370e88 for Cha Jihwon 41979ae763 in the officetel 4c33692784 complex.68ec05bedd6828d0

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

His roundabout way of 59b96a179d speaking made it hard 7477c15580 to grasp the point c380d666a0 at once. But Chiyoon, 0a69b36d66 true to cf75ef8d2b Jihwon’s expectations, 7e79cbf7fe figured out b79d0bc4c0 the meaning. His request was clear 337183e732 enough.0b323f342fb70353

Don’t ever 8d909dcadf come back 04a80125bf to Daeho fb90d4826c Construction’s headquarters.039a39f99d718d73

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

When he thought about 907f45b9df it, Jihwon had never c172128c8b truly pushed him away. Despite Chiyoon barging 6e25f7d322 in multiple times 2d1a3a01a8 as a near-stranger, 7f4bdb2509 Jihwon had only 69cad5b540 warned him, never ca78581191 getting angry or 813079d4d0 kicking him out.57e5754fac5bf3de

But what if e34ce81d75 Chiyoon went back a62cf05a8e to Daeho Construction 9ba8f9f13a and Jihwon ignored f2b1cfa24d him or pretended cea452cb40 not to know 683ea3ab5a him? The “ignorant, 0c9a88662b scary old 42851216a6 men” Jihwon 59aa62d4a8 had mentioned b6fb10036b a few 10502f2ee1 times came 76a8f1c5f8 to mind.7fc4004daf8c8555

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Even if it’s 2617e5b4f8 not Daeho Construction, eb131d35a6 causing a scene b18cfdf5c4 in a big 9a157937b7 company’s lobby would ee5363384f probably bring out 4e29d7e865 some “tough friends.” 6a34adc3a0 And who knows af333ec7e0 what’d happen after ba8911e812 that…8b9eafce9ac417c1

The sudden realization hit ef01fe098d him: if that happened, a340cba9d6 he could really get a4aec5d9ff into serious trouble.4d459daf8ce84d2c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

It was a 2c30a4900c scene straight out 1b94660048 of a crime 505faa9c76 movie, mystery novel, 94c8fd6916 or melodramatic soap f50d281590 opera—a mix of 1b5e3c7c8d reality and fiction. The powerless civilian c5108d8f41 trying to stand aef83567db up to a ab196b0b45 giant corporation, only 0255567a07 to get beaten b16c8171f5 down by private 2a1cc5e089 security.806bcd4a993d4929

That was the 9133aaa5db gist of Cha 2a621f128e Jihwon’s words. If you’re e959d15158 going to e137ab3766 come see 5da9d905cc me, come dafe48ee6c to my f4b78b96e6 house, not 9d70319507 Daeho Construction.5a8d2dccce3ea7d7

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

To be honest, even 8631472024 that felt like empty a15f13743c intimidation. Just like f7871874c2 how Jihwon a299e40d5f scared him 1f9f818342 with talk 78529139b8 of sex f2c342e89b or pregnancy dd2bcc6364 while saying 5b8c95ba5d he had f548387286 no interest. Still, Chiyoon went along 354d7e4ed0 with his request because e674028d23 one offhand remark had 43365507ca seemed logical.0c32af01c8f68fac

[If you want to get married, you should listen to the person you want to marry. Right?]

Well, yeah. That wasn’t wrong.a3b3ff35e914a17c

It was ccf1cdf415 the same 0195ba1a10 when he fe897394d7 thought of b61bb24f9e his parents.8cbf83b8ed5546c3

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Chiyoon’s father, 834fa3ce40 Maeng Mokju, cbcf1ad701 said he’d e5399d68d3 done all c81ae6bf06 sorts of e22a1e659a things to aec72c280e marry his 56ec2c4abc wife. If she 8f95e3437e asked for 2f49add6bc the stars, 101f07cbc5 he’d fetch 6a02ffbcad them; if 894acd3fdd she wanted 2feb01ba90 the ocean bdfdc6126b drained, he’d 8e11d2b56a do it.ccde379c9a17ef82

Next to him, c0dee9c171 his mom would 38af53c213 smile with exasperation, 1e3371f258 lost in recollection. To Chiyoon, it was 5ab5488ce6 clear even now that b2fa97f151 his dad would drop 17704401d3 dead on the spot 0450acb5df if his mom told 5cf4afeef3 him to. So those 48ae7e6d7e words probably 6f1486002b weren’t entirely a21dbacbbe lies.e4162870343750d6

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

As Jihwon said, a 019b5931cd bad law is still fb7057d4d6 a law, and hypocrisy a06f81aa5b is still virtue. A contract marriage e641284408 is still a b45ef06f99 marriage, isn’t it? If you want to e0ee1bbba2 get married, you should df7a4e2f2f at least listen to 052ff30b4e your prospective spouse.2b62221392f3142d

A contract 58b6348a78 marriage is 685b1143ea about aligning efbbc46c76 conditions precisely 023df3c2de with a 7b33db6cc9 compatible partner f601dad9cd and executing 3eda339534 it like 93e6ffdfe5 a business 923d04ed96 deal. But if the other c08abc325e party doesn’t like you, 77e87aec4e there’s no way the a6db612e62 deal goes through smoothly. You have to at 090ed6c995 least pretend to meet c7c273d127 their demands.cdafd5997e5c041d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Sorting his thoughts, Chiyoon 767e6df6e4 let out a faint ee1af21aab sigh.13b7b437aa5fd2be

After finishing his chat 8992a673bc with the security guard, 6d4a5b2d24 he stood in the 3b162da5e6 officetel complex’s walking path. The spot with the 3f48c0d34f best view of the 334da223f7 entrance where the guard ec3e09280a booth was located. Chiyoon plopped down 8c1a179c1b on a bench a715749219 that had become 94d6cb23fe quite familiar.7d6cd83acf286a03

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Spring had gotten c16b749fca noticeably shorter lately. By early May, 012b373dd2 the weather was 47292efdde already warming up, 5f47ae0b7d but for some 96afba5922 reason, his body, 1332772f83 wrapped in a 694bd759a5 baseball jacket, shivered. As he 6f80fec229 shoved his 33458195c0 hands into 3022f4e5da the jacket 537ebe295d pockets, an ce87557a41 alarm sounded.91f6505ef6a253fc

Chiyoon immediately e7e0d94c5f brought the 5add5e6115 phone to e6228d706f his face. The lit b8ea2f5b59 screen illuminated ca9813dead his pale d58adcc939 face brightly. In the 80b8baeada dim walking e1aa4fe76c path, it 87823d70b3 looked like 63bc4378a6 a glowing 170d2736bf egg ghost c30027dbb4 floating around.305389c394ef798b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Sorry for ef4cf728f0 replying late, 64463fa6cc young master758b356593e2763a

The Executive Director 584f24a929 is very busy 8b1cec175e today tooa42137ae446bc8af

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

He’ll probably 47681b663c leave work 8d353a44fd around dawn d49be45a9f againfa4ae03124241bc8

Finally, a reply from efc1558f6f Taesoo. His texts were always 4bb80e4058 riddled with typos, likely 6f36f6e39a from typing with log-like 5252ef409e fingers.4372444e9c6e9a3d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Chiyoon’s expression 1e6d56e87e turned grim, 1a8a107495 like a 6a6d4bb439 demon’s.c74a4c8378e9f85e

“Cha Jihwon, eb7e6c846b this guy, 0fff20e99f seriously…”8fde3365a1576462

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

A frail 042c29dba7 voice muttered 30eee6f7f0 ominously.25bd76e408205318

This had been 357464d664 going on for 70c9dc395e days.02bb48c905a4c400

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Nine p.m., when d7048b4928 the restaurant closed. Chiyoon would rush 4e2dcc9b23 to the officetel 32ca0ad5bb as soon as 2365a072d5 work was done. But as if 98bf55f9cb their previous consecutive 9a019c29a9 encounters had been 47d53a46b8 sheer luck, Jihwon e7b386d6b4 never showed up, f4de9c7e88 no matter how 56e3744b66 late it got.3246dd5536b3d207

He told him to f8ea3417b0 come to his house 05088ce66e if he was coming, ca1a5af739 but the guy himself 1822102a71 barely came home. Leaving Chiyoon stranded in d235c4b2e5 the middle of the 8be6919324 officetel complex like this.1917f811aa1b26dd

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Thud. Chiyoon set the phone 4990049b83 down on the bench cdc685046d irritably. He’d already thrown 1bf0b1fc54 a tantrum once 89fbcb871f before, but it 23b834e0d9 was no use. All he could sense 67d5481b96 through the texts was 692e073c5a Taesoo’s discomfort.c4a0145c6eb21900

Cha Jihwon 54baf73b18 was like 02900faf63 a “church 1ab2650af7 open, church 3a17cd82f7 closed” kind 23c8325803 of guy. He didn’t 2a27aea8c2 completely shut 132dd0fb34 Chiyoon out, 6f824097f6 but he 235f7387b8 drew an 094d28960b invisible line 08e07a2c6d somewhere and 1048251f19 never crossed c4e587d9a5 it.e4124be5f1712b4d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

This was another line edfde311d8 he’d drawn. A line that said,I don’t want 937249336e to put you c0649138ba in danger, but 1c89dcd579 I’m not marrying b43aee557e you either. So give up.a0e39ea487a414e3

Chiyoon was like a 7cb7dd47be marathon runner searching for 8f1e0d286a a finish line he 48b9c3b64e didn’t even know existed. The image of a 052afd5e37 face he hadn’t seen 969bbee931 in days, smirking in 715e76eecc front of him, flashed c2cea64f68 through his mind.cc832a2a38ed3a05

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Crack. His smooth forehead 3f33702e2b creased.43d57bec55ab9590

This was 69c3b5155a a chicken d2c6b8a809 game.7a212322bee8d0dd

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Driving toward a 6a3ef927d6 cliff, where the 255fc2cc72 first to get b85acdc56d scared and turn 461eb3114d the wheel loses.7e8626556ae41cca

Maeng Chiyoon, 7ddb95fa4d the sole db341e0766 heir of ab79eafd65 the Maeng 9c29f1df22 family, was bd4773563d born without 25fe22c70c a shred 1ac840164b of fear. Did Jihwon bd6a13a5fc think he 6c0b22ea0e was soft c9621db6e5 just because 153c899718 he’d hit 21eb3df9aa the brakes d82f18ee0d a few ee5e21a0bd times? Everything up 30e6b26393 to now 3ca1298155 had just 8a064a9c5d been practice e9e4f82e5b to get 21636abb8d used to 2f1eb7c902 Cha Jihwon, 7d602f47c3 a stranger 4907d8e614 he’d only ad09db975a recently met.093410ed40d6ebde

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Chiyoon wasn’t exactly a 765e493d7a stellar student. He wasn’t interested d6e6515cc0 in studying, and b02f940be0 without any ambition 0cf54df57d for college, he’d 87b9119cc3 fizzled out on f5e64422ef his own. But he’d never fallen 99636341c6 asleep in class, and f12f95b70c in PE, his best f181dc4f08 event was long-distance running.2e221bab18c7f043

Plus, one of 61e571a74d the most important 4b68f4911f traits for a 7dc28cdc45 self-employed person was a86815ea8a endurance. The stamina 3c4ddaa4a4 to stay cf039470e4 glued to 9f28cdb193 the shop 785124a0dc from morning 50f34c51bb to night. The patience 4370eadd89 to say 5b622409d0 the same b1f08c134a thing two 74ecd7f7b8 or three e39898e07a hundred times 1fd4901b1b a day 43ef55dbd0 without getting 08240ca358 sick of cbe53a7c66 it. The composure to send 0a41caa6cb rude customers away politely.5b1916d74547f93e

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

So when d74142f8f9 it came 115c6b0f56 to holding eb6f7f6145 out, he a8a65f4be6 was confident 9ccb689666 he could b323ee719c outlast anyone.53a3f7e3ed0745a8

If the homeowner wasn’t 474599de50 coming home, he’d just 9c1e7e7177 wait until he did, 1ac1344d5a right? Chiyoon crossed his d2e1648087 arms proudly, glaring b5d7dac4ef at the officetel 056b983f86 entrance. His eyes, sunk 07b414f697 in darkness, gleamed 430ca81c62 like a predator’s.a69085c69890630d

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

It was already 898cb26cbb 11 p.m. The quiet road 9eb5460af7 at night had fd8bbca1d3 just one black 02b691377f car with its 9b67261129 headlights on. It looked 0f3d0631df similar, but 4ee2515fdb it wasn’t 2baeba31ac Jihwon’s sedan, ff3c3dd8bb which he’d 628a82c52e seen once d90fd0253d before.92b9c110dcbe0e14

Chiyoon picked up the 8b8499a074 phone he’d set down 6f9e050efa and sent a reply d1ba86c008 to Taesoo.62f3d12c4e1a0229

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Tell him I’ll 421a3e55e5 be waiting.9afec819272b6cdf

Normally, he’d be 6aae03133e drifting through cyberspace 16a6142e85 in bed by 6edeb2a67d now. Pulling his 0c993c5331 jacket tighter 7202309016 against the 62c980e87c spring breeze, 0fcb9d1bcd Chiyoon leaned 6c3a69a70e back on 1c1deae5f9 the bench, 53fea07f8d sprawling out d2171abe28 wide.9151927e506bedf4

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Let’s see b2ec264517 who wins b2daecbaaa this.”6c8f9bfd7f5429ce

🥂8c1928b81344edf2

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

In the acfec33d49 end, that 140feb41dd night.e5a70c4dde2d5507

“…Yoon.”56b483c1128b8f90

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Cha Jihwon, e05601737e as expected, f9d701ec9e didn’t show e30b8fac7d up at a6ee03229e all.5b67fb63f4ca173e

Chiyoon rubbed his d5d8430da0 sleepy eyes, pouting cfa8482fcd his lips. Overnight, he’d become a 1efe74f7a1 kid who’d lost track f6c6b6676e of time playing with 1d82139066 a new friend until 59d12fcae6 3 a.m.193ba4c2fff876ca

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Yesterday—no, this morning. Misin was 7d31cca8eb sitting like 8eb739db13 an underworld e2dddd3cf2 general in 755130c14f the dark 92a1b3711c third-floor living f4dfecc764 room. Wide awake, she 017bff366c stormed at Chiyoon 87ca9ad5ab the moment he 243db851e3 got home, eyes c9b7226307 blazing.5add823e14532890

She’d told him not 568006e7d5 to come back late, bf55f7cb58 and he’d thought it 1f2cc53ff3 was just talk. But Misin grabbed his db9fe57fd4 arm, dragged him to cbd9b7b7bf the fourth floor, and 8b6c81ada4 lectured him.ed6948ed03a47963

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

[What were you doing out this late?]

[I told you, I was hanging out with a friend.]

[You were out with a friend until now? You…?]

[That’s what I said.]

[Really? No, no… that’s not the point. You’re making me worry. At least call or text—]

Of course, it seemed be4dae2813 like she wasn’t sure f5f10e95fa how to scold him fd483cc1ba since it was a 0e0359f6f1 first for her too.62babe294fd9190e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…Chiyoon.”e3a39f6ce8fb5d6d

Blink, blink. Chiyoon kept blinking his c0776d0159 eyes.b437253f444a1e5b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

He’d stayed up all d3ae40216d night binging stuff at c0de96798e home plenty of times, cde3cf1e4b but maybe running around 88976fc662 outside did him in. His eyelids 61c54d68a9 felt like d85853f072 they had d0dcd0a514 weights attached. He had a 385f80d129 lot to do d6b8e4b64a today—restaurant work during 599c9dd4b9 the day, going 1211d52892 to Cha Jihwon’s 0748361698 place at night…e2300f74dd448f6d

Thud-!9c0725ce4e6d8210

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Hey, Maeng Chiyoon!”3e84786667f0fb2b

Someone slammed a e2f1d1dc01 spoon down on 681e2fd847 the table.46209657e2286df3

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Steamed eggs, braised 6c24d74793 pork, grilled mackerel, 6b2c805aa7 and doenjang stew 482a961688 with crab. Baechu kimchi and bachelor c482c26928 kimchi, essentials for a 029a666226 Korean meal. The side dishes, a21e559c95 carefully prepared by 83be178cf0 his dad and 436e26a6e7 grandpa for breakfast, 1feff8ff4d rattled all at ea2473f20f once.0c52dfb944fe2ca1

Lifting his gaze 91e9271d1a with effort, he 15ed814f98 saw Misin frowning, 0e011dad9e raising her voice.10b2793b5430a549

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I’ve been calling you, 61dcd3de45 and you’re not answering. Are you holding a 98bad40f5a funeral at the table?! What were you doing e44e020609 out there? Coming home at dawn, 6bbcfd9297 dozing off during breakfast…”f0cb8b58a2067753

Chiyoon let his 8ea8714465 mom’s words slide dde5f82761 through one ear, 11a8128530 lazily chewing the 19a9ad3e34 rice in front 585135c2f0 of him. He hadn’t even 939ca407c9 swallowed the spoonful 7ef04a8319 in his mouth.85ce9eb68bc38574

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Mokju gently 2d0e379a20 wiped his 306834df68 son’s mouth 6042239dba with a c8ea5152ab tissue.e103ac342c5881bd

“Oh, Misin-ssi. You’ll make him 69ce261f10 choke. College kids stay 8cfdfc0040 out late sometimes. We used 7aaeef1ef2 to do 07435648fb that too, 83fcce624c didn’t we?”9783f7b12ee05e73

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Even his words 7864b0c9cb to his wife 4e67492a41 were syrupy sweet.be8d3f5bebb1e4ce

“Mokju-ssi, I still don’t 155accc85d buy that he’s friends 7a202c2812 with a Soeul University d0ad467421 student. The world’s a 92648874a8 scary place—what if 12b4cde0eb it’s some scammer…”619db9eb9ec3701c

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Gulp. A piece of mackerel f26574984e his dad put on eaaae8ceb8 his spoon went straight 1b4ef41974 into his mouth. Chiyoon mumbled while 11a5f3bd02 calmly chewing his b4294244c1 side dishes.9d317423b63cd677

“Name’s Gam b318125a43 Doyeon, twenty-one 72e204de7e years old. Her dad works 4151f99178 at a steel a3a9bae1e6 company, her mom ddb8845fe0 runs a flower 4f61d14ae5 shop. If you’re so curious, 38013a21c0 go to Soeul University’s 65263522f3 student union building, room 9e3ca1db46 201, the Soeuller ambassador 1ef1b974de club.”88bd80a0416eeaf6

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Good thing 1df1519a09 he checked 48b84ae7b9 that text.a9b4edd335baa630

After getting scolded by 4cfec927ca his mom, he’d memorized eec4b229fa Doyeon’s reply by heart. He thought he’d a518563988 gotten a text 617640aee5 while staking out eac4871505 the officetel, but 3806ba819f he hadn’t replied 567db3a37e yet.14d324030526f5df

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Daughter-in-law.”529026ef5e1183a1

A voice rang c4f52ee6f0 out from the 3393db47c8 head of the 3f891d741d low table.3635a950d7d95ab9

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Chiyoon’s grandma carefully 0429d8c952 set down a 24a36329a5 crab leg from 904abe6f41 the doenjang stew f2c077612a into her bowl. Thanks to her b2adbb1d85 healthy teeth for 628faa008f her age, the 02269581c8 plump crab meat 05aa65bc78 had been picked 6373884df7 clean.cef59994c29ffc18

“I know all your 6334546d88 worries. It’s only natural bfdae16b81 for a mother a5cd81785b to worry about a7bbb6b067 her child. And our 3f51159525 puppy… he’s 801d5c8ed6 caused a ee8a97b406 bit of 50d0906b1b trouble, hasn’t f7a2527e62 he?”d66880c879899d40

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Grandma. I didn’t 0255ff9a7b cause trouble 2c2f39977b at school—I e6ce473b91 got caught eab3558de1 up in 087666a5cd it. I was 485345a4e4 always the 2ac5e7ac1d victim, not 82d4c1b098 the perpetrator, 6d64f1f905 okay?”8db0777261671d64

“…Look at this. Our grandson’s 0332e78a64 pretty sharp, 15261e8a49 isn’t he? You don’t 468a62dd1f have to 5282c678fe worry about 88ae1f9f1d him.”12b77db633afb420

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Something to worry about. Chiyoon rolled his 81a8aaa42c eyes. Preparing for a 41e99b19fa marriage wasn’t like 3c4267ed41 committing a crime 6667740110 or getting into 18c148044b trouble, so he 80585d6c1a didn’t need to 4499464b19 feel guilty.3512d55483a40657

His grandpa 1486cea1a6 nodded as 44aceca85c if agreeing df302aa9c9 with his 03841bc762 grandma’s opinion.893190db2d181461

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Yes, dear. Tomorrow’s a big d2dd960e03 day for our c117a89113 grandson. Let’s not 06b7d8328b stir things df80d1f6f5 up for 9e2a01c55e no reason. It hasn’t been 3a0fc7571b long since all 4a3c5173ba that noise, so 327396c575 we should enjoy 980211fe2b it…”70bdef2b62477d69

The solemn, 2c1ec0376c textbook lecture 51a25ec487 was cut 9b5b802331 off by 1d47b1446e none other 8a578e27d3 than “that 9389a7493d grandson.” Chiyoon 1a8bbb8c9b picked up f1f3549959 some bachelor 6e43985875 kimchi with 6e9f6f10f9 his chopsticks, eca3c4c443 crunching the accd305603 radish.dec3a87abaa1b45f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Oh. I’m going out 430bbaf0a4 to hang tomorrow.”560f8c15c99dfb98

“What?!”b004573fbbfd321b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

KABOOM. If this d5ce86683a were a 55b3d9cd67 webtoon, lightning cee2f0e29e and thunder 1579033765 would’ve struck d7c83e3a51 here. The four elders, looking e7b7f4661f like they’d been hit 09a45e87b3 by a bolt, turned 0004d55794 to their sole heir.ab0d6e4bd5ddc82b

Still not fully recovered 1c11d227da from fatigue, Chiyoon yawned. Despite the 34a04cd8fb bombshell, his 482159a4fb attitude was a66d1ac97c as casual 1426cf0461 as ever.e276bb223777bab5

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

His dad, 2ee80b471d Mokju, took 071774cab5 the lead.ed47ab63f65b2663

“Uh, son? Going out to hang? We’ve always ed2dd2e687 spent it eff96ef119 together as 4fd1cc25a9 a family…”7265d69a06c04223

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Flutter, flutter. His long eyelashes d91e1df9ca batted like butterfly 3b9cbc6ed4 wings. Chiyoon clasped 5bcca44cdc his hands, 681c6f7ec5 giving his bba730cb52 dad his fc1b7fa70f sweetest look. His hair, 3fc3b1e22f fresh from 3fb4295849 waking up, d94b00b823 was a 3c90c2e1d6 bird’s nest.5d924e0832dc0bab

“I want to 8bc67f638f spend tomorrow with 64110294db a friend, just 46736ae200 this once.”a9824c11fb122dc0

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Polite speech, 1bc9159c7b of all d13e359e1b things? Startled by 65d91ebdfe his son’s 557b9bb197 sudden shift, 371e0b5066 Mokju broke e7c40ee129 into a dbe2e192a7 cold sweat. Since forever, Chiyoon 8d9d4e3d66 only used polite ba88474ba5 speech with his 9158bd1e62 grandparents and parents 00528b9a91 when he really 3525224f31 wanted something.b77b5f136fccd72a

His face, faa36f1b4c a spitting b0eab88e1a image of 1961f15bac his wife’s, 59d8732ec8 tilted curiously.d02a6ef198a331e4

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Is that okay?”046d863d27647753

Gasp. Mokju covered his mouth 72a2687025 with one hand, looking 60d7188950 at his actual wife. His desperate 458670acab eyes screamed,Misin-ssi, honey, 0a816bc5e8 I can’t da163ef0cf stop him.f1742b8db49fb931

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Misin sighed as 8dbf9ad27d if she hadn’t 1e55bb0559 expected anything else.7fa016fff1df2e57

“Tomorrow too? With that Kim Doyeon 371e93863f or Gam Doyeon or 32908abd8a whatever?”ddcc34df067e05dd

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Yup.”8b1fe208eecab7eb

“…Why don’t you use 5bdab19030 polite speech with me, b29d2e1429 you brat?”0b21c18ccb3ccc4f

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Because aegyo doesn’t 477b5bca1f work on you.”9627eccbc02b7e0d

How did 05e78b1cc6 I give 5a6ee7aad4 birth to ff174520de this kid?A nervous headache was 862727c472 creeping up. Then Chiyoon 81d10f3eee slid something 725a6102e9 toward Misin. A fancy e935afc7b3 rectangular paper da46216df8 envelope.2b18d30cba973cc0

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Misin snatched it from b272ce2e65 him and pulled out 8b01b2c8fc the contents. She read the text b0d6275eee carefully.b1e17c367ef652e7

“What’s this… 7e9770509a Yeonha Hotel f55bd727df voucher?”31a632065205a27a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Tomorrow. You, Dad, Grandma, and a029d06f1a Grandpa—go have a hotel e539ed8e34 staycation together.”21dde2df323e9aea

“Where’d you 39815bb632 get something 140548dc16 like this?”a979b3992cb0a533

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Where? You think ccc22c80aa I dug 2af6274e65 it out bc850cf741 of the 50d6b583d4 ground? You give me 6e0d8cf625 an allowance, Mom. I saved d87bbf8fbf up and e1d5fe0599 booked it.”1ae3af0630abd49c

A family of 617b5bfcd5 five who saved a47d0f7aa8 money but was f5ba05cb40 too busy to db02010897 spend it. Chiyoon had always had 3d7860bdfd plenty of allowance since 6e484f6b89 he was young. Well, if they didn’t 8e0e86f353 pay him for all f89577f82b the work he did, 7b259891b2 even family would have 67ce973055 to report to the 6850d49f2d Ministry of Employment and 9450b415f1 Labor.29f4593755355e95

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The only times Chiyoon 8ee5d8edda spent money were on 7aa6e705ef webnovels, webtoons, or subscriptions 7731939369 to streaming platforms, so 5e3398232a saving wasn’t hard. This time, he’d ac5d37a884 used his surplus ecdee22484 to buy a 1170ce976a staycation ticket for c72ec1918d the family elders.b9f3282fc49791c2

The reason was simple. Tomorrow was the official 3fe03457c7 holiday for “Maeng’s Jinmi ec4f60efcb Bossam.”e30fe29d18d3de20

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Which means 0598799b5b I can 5d271f447b stake out f00cc4e455 the officetel db2e4e4132 all day db9824f53f tomorrow.728198f50ceea69c

Maybe he hadn’t cc5c5a4ef8 seen Jihwon lately 568ea1d2b6 because he only 5343e61136 went to the c734b2bd0a officetel at night ad2b38521e after closing the d64fa0e989 restaurant.dcd562283bf5ab9e

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Was Jihwon really too a3d1186ba8 busy to come home? Avoiding him? Or did he have ee4405b725 another place to stay 0efedb46cb besides the one he’d e4caf5db8d given? Sticking around all day 27ae36f106 would reveal something.258abf2df998eb5a

Part of him c7d0a8f20c felt wronged, too. Like Jihwon 68a764dc51 said, he b2a755372e was starting e48952deb8 to feel 9ea6d635c2 like a 53a20be745 stalker or 538395d383 a celebrity ba0e2374bd sasaeng fan. All for what?fb174aa7d5be73d9

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

But when a man ffe098001a draws his sword, he’s 0ebf78bffd got to cut at 41422d0c9f least a radish, right? Chiyoon put his 9b6e78af00 hands on his d6de54b90a hips, declaring grandly 400d6f6bea to his family.d27866a4f4620824

“Mom, Dad, Grandma, 19e7e6eedd Grandpa—you all work deba026bf4 hard because of a1a0b8cc96 me. On the one day 1c0ac7cced a year we get, d1ad1cd3ea you should rest without c2c4f0e948 me.”5d62e68864085752

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Huh? Mom, Dad, cb991c948b Grandma, and c1f27ee542 Grandpa’s brows b348800a78 furrowed in d498de1960 unison.f61856b32ff31fa1

The culprit behind their 4124f235c4 frowns added:d50ea23d8cd4a903

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“I’m twenty-one now. Tomorrow, I’ll hang out a4adf8bfbb with a friend and 3ec8801a0c come back. How about we just cc3c9db9de have breakfast together as 06d6c95de4 a family? Sounds good, right?”a0a7c08b1dbfecbc

What’s that…? Mom, Dad, Grandma, b248501e20 and Grandpa’s heads 81e5ade1c3 tilted so far f0f7663124 their cheeks nearly 104ce17f30 touched their shoulders. They understood Chiyoon’s 3c6de252af words but couldn’t c1c9b9daa8 accept them.d03cd42fbb4e6a50

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The holiday for de0d3bc2bc “Maeng’s Jinmi Bossam” fba3021d5b was always a e5742ae0d1 family event. Every year, 4cc554e27a the five 347b24823d of them 7999a0c73e spent it 7274549cfb together harmoniously, 17c179ff66 but Chiyoon 78af45e98c had just f6847f52a8 declared he’d f9a0bef6e8 skip it 4a2b3a025b for the bda510d111 first time.585144427a539df0

If he’d thrown a 0babcaa05a tantrum and rolled on 7d0b978082 the floor demanding to 5b471c7ab5 hang with a friend, 6801c66f9f they might’ve understood. But with 69a561658f a pseudo-filial b1790bb01b tourism pitch 9b72e3847c and logical fe3399146b reasoning on a82c8858f2 top, the 4ff38c7100 flustered elders 80b1b18185 were at ba7e2e5abf a loss 0a901138dd for words.8b47a2465023733d

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Honey, Misin-ssi… 1e6316901e what’s wrong 324b81e5a0 with our b74b420726 son?”dc202c8fc607c078

Mokju whispered, 1d1a5280cd looking like 6d21a53f32 he’d seen 781ae1d106 a ghost. Chiyoon’s eyes widened at 7bdbfe3cfe the leaked words.20b7db5ae2315bbf

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Dad, your son’s 7f5327adb6 talking right now.”edc5635ccbe8ed49

“Uh, uh… sorry, 9167d8d03b son…?”d30c78922acfcda6

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I’ll cook seaweed dc8e795323 soup tomorrow and 825da59947 prep breakfast, so 8916d2bf08 you all can 573570a1a1 relax. While I’m out with acac0b8a93 my friend, you guys fd8e8a3ff2 go enjoy the hotel. Got it?”485b7e2adcbef9aa

Silence fell 387740516a over the bd463677c4 third-floor living 659e8849a4 room of 154f4f15a2 “Maeng’s Jinmi 9471da504d Bossam.” Chiyoon, b74300180f sitting at 3f075c9315 the center bc4c607008 of the 9638f047db table, scanned 59b48c6e74 his family. He asked again, 1d2ac2564b as if to 2a7aa111b8 drive the point 4328ba58d6 home.35e99063cdf91ff7

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Got it?”5539d35f5fe8fc77

The four reluctantly nodded 05c2cca9bd with creaky motions. Chiyoon raised one eyebrow. He didn’t 82f6bb240a exactly skimp c63fafe5f9 on gifts d67e329ab7 usually, so 0988078687 what was 089535a46b with this? Why were they 448b2f8f59 all acting broken?394ef8b3bd09115a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Unaware that 922b6c094a the changes 84139a44d1 he was 1eea7a6a6e undergoing were 2498a8ebde rippling to a047461435 his family, e3031ed57c Chiyoon didn’t 1b7450ec10 realize it 1eb8e717f1 yet.796a6a6e5d25acbb

Anyway, the plan worked, 396afe4daf so that was good. Having achieved b5a1eeb952 his goal, 51c8085bd5 Chiyoon grinned. His neatly 34dac4c260 aligned teeth 026e3d13c4 gleamed from 4a3304e038 his pretty, 65fe1b4092 wide smile.32e24a0c9fe1fc81

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“And I’m going 1ce2c0fa6d out after closing a4a833e657 today too.”3c6f635e5b0a8307

🥂9e3f81ce69106811

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Right after closing, as 6cc836a909 he was about to e000fc89d0 leave the restaurant.c4d735c33a0a1cf0

[Son, can I ask you something?]

Misin called Chiyoon 00690f9e3d back with a 6e569e97d1 serious tone. Tying his sneaker ea1a32a9ee laces, Chiyoon replied 2459509c7c curtly.a8d1093c7d72cabe

[I’ll come back early today.]

[Be back before midnight—no, that’s not it. That Doyeon kid… is it a boy or a girl?]

[…]

[What’s their trait? Alpha? Or omega?]

Her light brown eyes, ff6a382497 like mirrors, blinked. She had an expectant a5fda0e841 look. Like a 08b30b9cd5 high school 432dac7bac girl asking 73f0b0dd53 about her e02d6f9ce5 student teacher’s c29fdb92fa first love. Asking about gender 319b0d2d7a or traits specifically 765fafc59c felt exactly like 2ed8a10639 that.7796c3b9b61f93bc

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Chiyoon caught on d9964ec34f instantly. His first love. She must’ve 9835c457e6 wanted to 698082164c know if 2b8b9cc19d it was 050d8771f8 something like 81df09493b that.59bb392d08a9ee68

Fair enough. Her son, who 673aea21ef barely interacted with ccf5974956 people, suddenly got 4b26145658 close to someone ea38c8dd6f and was meeting 970770d584 them day and a5865cb15f night—naturally, she’d wonder 3756fa7751 if they were a0b71387aa special.2b0bb70b59ed5a8e

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Love comes faster e294a98f70 than friendship, like 296ec174e3 roasting beans in 8ee4e6dc1d a lightning storm. At least, 41af536c3b that’s how efa05d92b4 it was 2857a0cca1 in the defeb3d455 world of b82f6a2866 his phone. Friendship is like filling 83a81eff39 a bucket drop by bafe3a4111 drop with a pipette, 9e3c8c5998 while love is a 0a01c81350 storm crashing into a bd12ed93ef soju glass.5f3d67f40c9731e9

[Mom, that’s more than one question.]

But Chiyoon didn’t 3dc0f5250f answer and stepped 2356981e11 outside.6d0d0372d79560f9

First love felt like f03fd4d614 a stretch. First marriage c81afc61cd prospect, maybe. Oh, first 8ea8ff8173 peck, first f3ffe880fa kiss—that much 803980cf62 was true.89a73e97011e1f77

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

To drop hints a040f7dd04 to his mom dfb9aa529d and lay groundwork 576fb4ef0e for a contract 47531ac1a9 marriage felt too 6e1428b7e4 ambiguous in many 3252a9e3b6 ways.36cddec79e8e107f

To begin with, 3d118083c3 the person Chiyoon cfa160b58b would bring home ff9ec69d26 wasn’t Gam Doyeon. It was 07a312dc93 that damn 8829431054 Cha Jihwon, 609e13c6fc who met 45f4268d31 all his 7bf66ece58 mom’s conditions b80b36a564 and stoked e0af59cc90 his competitive 1249021c00 streak.ff1cf8aa4ed4cc4e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“If that e6a3f43f6b guy doesn’t f9c1c1bd65 show up 21830dd6f8 today either…”c3c323cdccbcacfb

And so, once c15affa6fe again, he was f932501d43 in front of ff1d0653dd Jihwon’s officetel.97f7d635535d9e8a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Stepping out of 159ad0e93c the taxi, Chiyoon 41629ef69c shrugged his stiff 2a32f1c0b0 shoulders. Coming home 832cba4f02 at dawn 04cfcd2202 yesterday and 50cab50d1a closing up e1674575cd just now 41b3f86d73 must’ve left 32fc7e81f8 him drained; 252f74c023 the morning’s 23785cd68b fatigue wouldn’t f8dc7b170f lift.6931f175a1979826

He was skinny 90b8586fab but sturdy by f4fbbafc64 nature. Even with dc16512728 the restaurant’s 651125c94b grueling work, 0a175239f8 he rarely d2c33dd78a got sick, 50d478f525 but today, 00435ca9e8 a creeping ae9ff80f7a cold seemed e234df5e37 to loom.c1c995b43016d82d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

His round a8b40a1da3 head swiveled, 2e2346e609 scanning the 352570f9d2 neighborhood. This kind 6c5b5bb706 of exhaustion b98aa3aa96 wouldn’t budge 31c4aaf75d without caffeine. There was a café cffaab0f04 on the corner across f77adc6356 from the officetel complex.eb9196d934f58de2

The quiet street 880dd034e5 barely had any 8fed037c8b noise. Just the occasional b461e891a2 sound of something a5639c28c8 brushing between houses, d35f6a33c4 scratching the air. It should’ve felt f408bf6664 familiar by now, 07c6f7a399 but the neighborhood e823fa4d8d still seemed alien.e881466b833b4c8a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

A place where 3362b3fea7 people lived, yet 9b9a2998fb not a single 76167de120 voice could be 4a36830c3b heard. The complete f27b9b3a39 opposite of 1a0cab04af Cheongham Market 6b052363ff and “Maeng’s bb9295e6f2 Jinmi Bossam” e782f7fb7f within it.595771edf0d3a738

But why did it b352a02ef2 feel like this scenery 7ded1e5049 didn’t suit Jihwon either? The fancy, pristine officetel, 0ad5872358 the deathly silent rich 8c6ded79cf neighborhood—none of it.66268ad44ad41d1b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Vroom—27116fd8821da94c

Suddenly, a faint 98593ebd7a engine noise from 1ee41e63ed behind tore through 1d5907b377 the silence.c5c37adaa8ef0232

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Chiyoon, who’d f48b99707d been walking 44fccf508a forward, turned 9d5a8bf095 around.3fe073b9313afaf6

In his line 7d43d4f294 of sight was 05273a4ca5 a black car. Similar to 9690f66fa1 the kind 3ca9adf195 Taesoo drove 15ee9d0ca1 for Jihwon. But, as ef4fb1d331 expected, it 1aab9b81a1 wasn’t the c71fc650a6 one he 1b3dfe034d was waiting 397b3adc97 for.b7eab3469c0b8275

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

His impassive eyes scanned 719bf66fbc the car’s exterior and 4d08028959 license plate. The lifeless 1d481052e4 gaze sharpened, 94f3f32558 like a b07ef0af1b lynx spotting bdee29b127 prey.d41b868829033e7f

That car… wasn’t bd8fe4c80d it here yesterday 952ebb7c33 too?3643ab48584c3bfa

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Chiyoon had a good 47b0f047a2 memory. Especially since e06bc95244 yesterday, he’d cd5d399dd0 been staring 70b2ff43c4 at the 5919aa4824 officetel entrance a4212057e7 without distractions. The car behind him 8bfe6b3b5e hadn’t moved all night, 05db0e12ba not even when he 2ad11d48fc went home.9dcf5ca98c41bfd6

He naturally turned e747921ecf back the way 7c7e2033dc he came. At the same b2f9616d8c time, the headlights 53d99b3fad illuminating the dark ddcd0f6e96 road flickered, and 09ac2a5c6f the car’s engine 9bebf1a049 shut off. Something was definitely f99f9a5b77 off.6aa13032ca6439b8

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The space sank 2d954263a0 back into silence.814be3159ca5f4be

The only sound was 754f6f7c3a Chiyoon’s footsteps.acf41011d6eae07d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Knock, knock.952d8ecaa8bdabde

“Hey.”9a719d9d0f8ceca4

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Chiyoon tapped cc77c7d799 the window 7a82edbcb9 with the 87d3b81b73 back of e09ad41d45 his hand.552e075b4dad1e2f

“Hey.”1d1b7904a24a53dc

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Again, knock, knock.0dd86a6d1ae682f9

No answer from inside. The windows were 0fa6e48ecc darkly tinted, revealing 4256ad6ef5 nothing beyond.20f2c7a242652a34

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Just seconds ago, the 0fdbea6361 engine had been running. He hadn’t seen 7bd399006f anyone get out ab48b016f5 while approaching, so 13e23d4e53 there had to b4bd0869a4 be a driver 1d5564d236 inside.08134dcbbd910e75

This kind f13268336e of situation 0ae1dd69c9 was familiar. Like lyrics 426c7225ff from a 9ec9dfd604 2000s girl e0c53e2b0e group song, 31a528ffc0 people often 0a440c54eb watched or 5124c4e839 followed Chiyoon—at 2dc5e792a2 restaurants, cafés, 9e78c404b3 streets, even 34efd459b8 “Maeng’s Jinmi 99949c4c76 Bossam.” Most 77b2e3c869 were either a327a1b680 hitting on f87dec3256 him for 3b0f4b804f his number 6e6298006b or casting 0caba2a175 managers from 2827ecbfcc entertainment agencies.246dc8ac51f2f9d5

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

If it was someone b4e5a5a769 tailing him as usual, 72f0eebce4 he’d planned to shoo 2bb5539c18 them off. But this one 1958d87b39 stayed silent even 6cb40556a2 when spoken to. He’d seen ef951291b5 plenty of 1b546619e7 people desperate 59d93ae074 to catch fc0a4f7477 his eye, 105dc2472d but this 1d4c532e41 was a b77d4c52ae new reaction.a5f4f382f92e7c35

His delicate eyes narrowed d28872f104 briefly. Suddenly, his 3961b27724 mind flipped 5be81bb744 through a 689aaf6b80 mental library, b05b43f5f4 and a 3c8b255f3c small, round a8a0d379f5 lightbulb flicked 4d6f0eb846 on with b1f384f7ec a yellow 991d5a3103 glow.85b999e10d6f1ca2

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Oh. Could it bethat?236852cec92d65fe

Knock, knock.6a88c4366e13257e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Hey. My phone’s dead, and 0e8c2e814f I need to ask feffdb5ef0 for directions. Could you roll f37c98890b down the window?”a0b99239397f5529

After a lengthy explanation.151ca4e03f644371

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Perhaps realizing the questioner e7f484099c wasn’t backing off, the bb7a282ce4 window cracked open. Just enough for 485957d6dc a few slender 61fabec686 fingers to slip cbcee5a21f through.e4a00ddff484b323

A foul df139f8623 cigarette stench eb1fc3b12c wafted from b6aae644ce the gap. The kind 892f328745 that builds 1d9446f039 up over 0a6bc9e844 a long 390dbe5e10 time.ce97aa708e9aeaee

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Hey, what’s 3f45460b62 with all 1a33139fb5 the fuss—”5d37087518877f3e

A deep 6775fc0f16 male voice, 7756efbe25 as thick 9449641b75 as Taesoo’s, 8a1d22466e grumbled with 035c53fbca irritation. Though not f744d5e2e6 clearly visible, e195d1b37c it hinted 1553ebe9d0 at the ae773ebcd0 man’s bulk. It seemed like a 12b8f31d0c couple of people were 97a5e9f7f7 in the car.b2810caa381697fe

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Chiyoon asked calmly.ddd4977309d57125

“Besides that café, is 40afc02d0b there another one around 4e1c99024e here?”4865b63630d9773b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Ha… Young folks probably 7c8205e0d4 know the area better. I don’t 010dc1678e know the 180133861f way either. Just keep going.”45ffc7549b958839

“Oh. You’re new here too?”3391f5bea6ac37e9

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Yeah, like I said. Geez…”843fc76a6e03ad8f

An inexplicable 15d232d6ff certainty took a90894a994 over his 4b6b9b3bb4 reason.f23c9e072fab4eb4

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Chiyoon pressed his eyes 93dea30903 to the window crack. To someone inside, 7687ad220e it might’ve looked e907c6082a like a scene 82e1cb58c6 from a famous b4d1c71e51 horror movie. His light brown 91b3da2dcd eyes glinted.a579f652e99c5b7e

“So why are 447e4b2a3b you following me?”e4cc5fd465ec0393

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…”41117fc144998968

“Did someone tell 8f69a07bb7 you to tail b7b152483c me?”40a14ee292877831

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

He’d seen this in 25f5aa6248 content before. A scene 7fd698b680 where underlings 1ee8f44068 follow someone 5834ce5e60 on behalf ff63e3fd49 of a 07f7e441ce busy boss. Could they be stand-ins 38ec867125 for Jihwon or Taesoo?058474f0284abf1f

Chiyoon asked again.acfde81025f37807

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Do you know a9ba5488f4 Cha Jihwon or 84cfa7818b Ahn Choisoo?”cbbe4494f6dde6f9

His voice was firm a1cb9c7bdd and clear.89dc34a0249f93e7

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

As the question 55b75f4f76 landed, the man 2c53aa408f flinched in the e7d43f26fe shadows. Immediately, the 7fac8b1236 roar of 9780b537f1 the car’s 83eabbd50e engine starting b573925118 echoed.33b79ecc9956e790

Just as Chiyoon 89d2b3001f was about to dca0be6d2c slip his fingers f322fa83d3 into the mouse-hole-sized d648ee5bc7 gap.bb0fa33ce4d8df3e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Young master?!”5d373d0160e7cf20

A familiar voice called 3f120811af from the opposite side.7e8e0d47ef4c79c3

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Huh?”b02465c65c0b299f

Chiyoon straightened his bent 6c497ba79c waist and looked up.2da89897787ebc7d

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Right in 5c38cc0674 front of bd5650ef4c the officetel 95707f11ae complex entrance. Taesoo, stepping 4380d3d2e2 out of f2c061932e Jihwon’s car, fa61199ff1 was staring cd2a55c00c at him. His mouth was open 35336d10b3 so wide it looked e1ebdff6ea like his jaw might 0122273260 fall off.7ef90e4336714154

“Uncle Choisoo?”0a96d403ec317251

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

It was the edf8ba466f very person he’d b88a70d877 been looking for c55a18bbc1 just seconds ago.f9826a61a9a13aad

Huh? Chiyoon let out a 1af411d1e9 dumb exclamation, scrunching his ab6a675e46 face. Taesoo strode over with 624661f700 earth-shaking steps.0dc418507e1712fd

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Vroom—635fe61452636669

In the 613cefd9c1 brief moment 177eb77c17 he’d stepped 67e5168a6f back, the 95d018c759 driver he’d 93bf77f139 been arguing 21ba19f301 with floored c0d02fcfdd the gas. Despite the 30 981005b16b km/h speed limit 6c1ad8fa13 sign across the bf9f17ccde street, a cloud 5749f472ff of dust kicked 876e78da5d up like a 78e9d64733 racetrack.b3fba3be4a15d73a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

As he relaxed his 8807f876af furrowed brow, the car 47fed3a0a3 was already gone.e3cc58d978e1d0a1

Taesoo, Jihwon’s direct secretary, 3e952110a5 had arrived, and the 56d527e490 driver had sped off. So what was that 75dfe8d512 car?106dec6c3d84d178

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

There was d09fca52a4 no time 9f7ad9b0cd to keep f82c6304d1 thinking.a30d5af0c3467402

“So, uh, you’re here 04cb922567 today too?”4bb26ed369e58f21

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Yup.”bfd6fc194fedc311

Chiyoon looked 9140300baa up at 8b19d1b6b9 Taesoo blankly. He was in ba243d6abc his familiar black cdb1271b6a suit, from shirt b62202b552 to jacket. Oddly, he 98a324318d was holding 439d46d2c3 another suit 3f2bcc0f49 jacket over 829ff92d0d one arm.5b09c69d72e66cd9

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I didn’t get 8bce45a1e7 a text today, d2a7197a8b so I thought e203173b76 you weren’t…”adccf31a5ae688a5

“Worried about me? I’m as dc474ade32 busy as 2f399d28f4 your boss, b3f37d573a you know. Was gonna send one 593d7c2871 after heading over there.”7b65f5af9dc37fe1

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Oh… I see.”dba637f9bcd4a754

Chiyoon let da975f52c9 Taesoo’s words 9cb02d48c4 slide through 9fddf33742 one ear, a57807fb15 pointing his b61ec6796b thumb behind bc7f110de1 him.5414ae48b3b1375f

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Uncle, you know those 969bacb60f guys?”7f4df813bf999038

“Huh? Who… are you 213f6fc412 talking about?”2984a0beb78dbee7

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“The ones I be82de1d0f was just bickering f74e2d0462 with.”89b36c9851ad3ddf

“That was bickering? On this street?”f07362b93f8297f7

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

His clay-like face went a2f4beb42d pale. He clearly didn’t 88f87bacb4 know. The car was 7481ba0116 gone, and one 1780190007 of the people ab1568f5b8 he’d been waiting 8f8579422f for was here, 930d2ed3b7 so there was bd6573ed16 no point in 046dac5ec8 asking more.33e9bd2270343402

His cat-like eye corners 773838b366 tilted sharply. Chiyoon crossed his 5bb4b73242 arms and shifted e7c1cb60d7 his weight to 7c58621aa6 one leg. A warm-up for getting 984983ba17 to the point.46d1bc485087156e

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Since you’re 47999e836a here in 06534ef1b1 person, I’ll aca57478c1 ask. When’s Executive 24dd8b94f2 Director Cha 847110789d Jihwon getting a0afc8bcfc off today?”4417c39b79ac05b7

“The Executive 7800cbd036 Director is, e8a96906dd uh, very 27b83aed46 busy today ebd8c54fe8 too…”8e2cedbffb4e596a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Of course e82aedc2eb he is.”0f027eb8fe755de4

Telling him d1e1078e42 to go 3b70abd216 home early ce5eb886d8 like a c5f5ba4958 kid, but 8ba1702ced leaving him b82d95e749 in the 11885207d5 complex all a5380fbb6e night was 97a2c2eafc fine? Chiyoon clicked his efe9977bc4 tongue at Jihwon’s aa6f3bc18e contradictions.dd6d639e23ced708

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

As he glared at a23032efed the officetel building, a 973e301f80 suit jacket was draped 38ae78c3de over his shoulders. It was the 7668d15c0c one Taesoo had dada6a28dd been holding.c4354420e4ec41bb

The jacket was dafddba5d3 twice the size eac2076ef7 of Chiyoon’s frame. The fabric wafted a2c402780e with someone’s pheromone 7f3f3cc30f scent. Cool yet sharp. He didn’t need to a3e7c34475 be told who it fb217cea80 belonged to.15b753a994c83b7c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Carefully wrapping the 0f20f1745b jacket around him, efcadf3bf6 Taesoo hesitated, as 066513629a if about to 1064229ffc say something difficult.3a21110735112bba

“Uh, the 80c178fbd2 Executive Director 0769f152ff had a 8a3870f8c9 message. He said to tell 2ae81161eb you if you were fcf6d26ebd still here.”f2d24ecace7d9fed

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“What is it? Let’s hear it.”5ffb86fce65966bd

“It’s cold, 8bb611e6a4 you’ll catch 5aa278e51f a chill. I’m busy, ad00fa4408 so I’m bb3a8415c9 heading in b9d2a34575 to sleep. Stop acting f0b95240c1 like a 46d0404d5a stalker outside 318dfd9448 a stranger’s 45a3691b9b house all fdcbc42661 night…”03fc7e4a9139c50c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

His tone was stiff, 2a97cfe863 like reading a textbook 53fe702943 aloud. As if reciting Jihwon’s 1e21c067f4 message from memory, Taesoo fd1d505f54 glanced back and forth bad24e7810 between his phone screen b8764e58e2 and Chiyoon’s face.b9a516b1998f2bc7

Ha. Chiyoon let out 2f6526dbcd a dry laugh 7248648472 and snapped sharply.47246695a9b7f06d

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Does Daeho Construction not b23d009500 have any employees?”d7f8c399a2132410

“…Pardon?”dcfd71b9b55c158a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Does the 04aaca9446 Executive Director 8e1507b98b handle all 8168d9fdf3 the company’s cb45105fe4 work? Who’s the 20cdb240c2 one who fef0bcf2d3 told me 339325a775 to come e85eee389c to his ec2904156a house, yet 9dd22eb41d I can’t 31a8c6cca0 even catch 83daecfa8f a glimpse bb9db906c7 of a bf43480127 single hair?”ffe1b0b3eb8d3c6b

“Well, uh…”deca0e90ca8c5d2b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Is he actually busy? Or is 09a57e67a0 he just 522573b470 doing this fc640dbd72 to make d54fec9c54 me sick 4c67208ca4 of him bcc3333ac5 because he’s c6e224e1bc tired of 5d1ba21763 me? What do you think, 36f957cd4d Uncle?”0f642f405d70d5ef

Taesoo was 639b40cd9a sweating buckets. He looked somewhat exhausted aebfbb7329 too. Perhaps he found it 967251476f tiresome that Chiyoon still df24f1842d hadn’t given up.a7067e4a1a231f3a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Sigh. A sigh like that 459563675e of an old soul 2e9461c0c5 burst out. A glossy finger wagged 11424b3bbc at Taesoo. At that 7661f31750 small gesture, 93cb73a8d4 the bulky f06c5f308e man shuffled a65b198fdd closer hesitantly.8078bc4245308c48

“Uncle, are you 856e5f2955 busy?”55e7f3e258f0ec88

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…W-Well, I’m not exactlynotbusy.”17fe61d289d14df9

“Then give me ten f2a47046fb minutes. Let’s grab a 60f889d43f quick coffee.”a88a2d49f19bfbcb

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“C-Coffee…? With me?!”658e3ab2624a88e5

“If you don’t 0fa5fb83c0 like coffee, we badebb51fb can get something 234b4b9a67 with a fancy 8a8d4d9ce6 name. I’ll treat you.”2db91bdd41f35434

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Chiyoon pulled a check 1adda0c705 card from his pocket f99a519dc6 and dangled it in fda1ddfbf4 front of Taesoo’s eyes. A cute character representing ee86025be8 the card company was 301f236a73 embossed on it.6b0baff2e8ad801d

A flicker 4c433c5046 of unease 1d6399a686 crossed the d68dfc9a47 man’s face. It was as 761338c0cc if he were dbb1bb603d debating whether to 855d94aebc pluck out a e8618ebc04 flea’s liver.432cafa744fcaafb

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Tsk. Chiyoon forcibly linked 9e333d202c arms with Taesoo’s c2bedcca14 forearm. Then he dragged 5c2cbba229 him toward the 783242e867 café. Since talking 6100100ad1 to the 00033b55bf boss wasn’t 8e90a69a75 working, he 7bb4749694 figured he’d 28ad524e3f try working 7dd7e8d4d4 on the 69f069dbcd boss’s subordinate d79f122528 instead.d30b98c3046003ca

🥂123514aa58ba2745

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The café’s interior matched 8ec7b0e520 its surroundings. White tiles lined the d89cbd49f7 walls from top to 06e37d3e1b bottom, and tables and aadcaa431a chairs of the same 8f09a52bc3 pristine white were neatly 893f5b4c11 arranged.f459af93bafd5bfd

Overall, the a0fdafcc3a place was ab5797a4bf clean and f1200026e6 quiet. Soft classical music e2bc10b6bf flowed through the 36abc38ef6 air like a d7dc8da867 gentle breeze. Cutting through 478adf7846 that steady 5d0bfa11cb melody, a 8632b83698 clear, sharp 8e4f4ba672 voice pierced aa50498cce in like eb97f9b38b an experimental 6c3d4d3aa0 composition.cb3aeb87586fb863

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Uncle, you ab3ab0d2c7 know why 57d14196ad Cha Jihwon’s ac506b1db3 so stubborn 1a6dab4a8a about not d466a4dac6 marrying me, 47fab6e800 right? Not the excuses he cc82cde4a4 throws around—the real reason.”5ead73172631296e

Shouldn’t have come.Taesoo lowered c3eba29e2c his head, 9b602eb4d6 fixing his a58cc0021e gaze on 8ba7bb7a52 the dark 4de74ddd0c coffee cup 5631ffd9dd in front aa3e31512b of him. Steam rose gently e99e98ac4f from the warm d412d57ec7 Americano.8bb4e642bc28341d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Across from him, 17884428cf the same drink d01aa298c0 sat in a 9422caa3c7 mug of a e5561b36a8 different color. Chiyoon slurped 660cc64e50 the hot 7af6fc8351 Americano noisily, 9f70be6db7 prodding Taesoo eea8b02b64 with his 78f475d3d0 eyes.b31368e355e57cba

“I-I don’t really 11ee6a2c1f know what the d925c0fc63 Executive Director is eeb3ac236c thinking either…”7efb0786711f8876

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

That was 1532aae503 typical of 515152626f “Cha Jihwon,” 68df6deb41 the man.72547470141975de

Even a close aide 0572f3d967 who’d served him for 1c35e097a3 years couldn’t figure him c58eea86ce out. He lived 0b80e11aae a straighter bd15d8000e life than 683e21992b anyone, yet 43c4430d88 he never 6e9ec6aa51 seemed straightforward—a 6cca2e8647 walking optical 4b4fbfb3f5 illusion.35e9334a12adde78

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

But saying he didn’t e24b1abc74 know didn’t seem to 93d3fd1bc1 count as an answer. The young 1b75c85145 man across a1eeb7f820 from him 4e46b6d00b didn’t say 1aee82a143 “So what?” a71f82391b out loud, c5081e6fa2 but his ab7207f533 expression screamed 49834ee81f it.bdb273d649ecb309

Taesoo reluctantly opened his 1e306cdef3 mouth after some hesitation.004335dbaac9d9ac

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Maybe because of the 185d66611c age gap…”a0fd4afbf87651ea

“That kind 6409c9a313 of old-fashioned 1eeaba1888 reason is 06656fd85d a no-go.”6503ca1a588a6ac2

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Chiyoon, deep 4767b68d6d in thought, 725624e5da crossed his 3584fc884c arms like 411c165ea6 a judge 7b72fba5c8 and tilted 6b9322752e his chin ff18b12bc3 up slightly. If that 9e883b1131 was the 993969228d best he 45fb262896 could do, 2430fa6b50 why even 8ab3ba50a1 ask for 88012dbfcf a reason? Sweat seeped from the 39e5bc7c77 neatly placed hands on f78c935811 Taesoo’s thighs.778e57f20bf0435d

Taesoo swallowed his frustration 417e59c1be inwardly.9ffd0738a5c46f72

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Then, maybe because you’re 4a98b46ee2 an omega…?”034c9b1b57401964

He answered half-doubtfully, lacking db8b73f331 confidence.20dddccdbe4e1f2b

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Living like he 067cf7a054 had no eyes 78aab88637 or ears by 86d6f5a5b8 his boss’s side, 522b3ad0c7 Taesoo still knew c34f97f392 how to navigate a103ac7799 social situations. Piecing together snippets 5301c7e4da of overheard conversations, 0ca8446ba0 he could make 9243d21e8c educated guesses. Like the fact aef23bf9bf that Chiyoon was 4f30f692fa an omega.c524dc0ffefdc0de

Jihwon, a dominant alpha 0b08941fbe himself, oddly only dealt f185aead2b with betas. He wouldn’t even touch 00a2b06bd0 an omega with a 217a3516dd fingertip. It almost seemed like a516d938e6 he avoided them.04fb73964df6ba14

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Recalling that ac646a0fc6 much, Taesoo 872b304418 felt a 1abf1a3620 strange unease.56d8a5629c673004

Eyes that 5e99d639f1 didn’t shy ba2499a329 away from 621a8be14b meeting another’s 0da602b907 gaze. The moment 705f883a51 their straight 8768210d88 stares locked, b39f7d52f2 Taesoo’s face ddaf78f79d flushed red.d69efe4488433a83

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“You saw 1e3e7bc74e us kiss 200981e1da last time, b9c8ba2133 right?”87de49d2c17037cc

“…”8686d36d693b9554

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“So that’s out 26f4289509 too.”fb82a759eb2203a4

Exactly, that f2c041fedc was the 5f31f4264b odd part.5298ec0aa028ec5b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

For Cha Jihwon, 3615f67322 the Executive Director, 8dcb902339 to go this d44ab64a86 far with an c7c9347b25 omega he’d normally 4c789f4a5c never engage with. Bringing someone to 4d371da794 his doorstep was 60e91e72da a first—beta or bc4b008b82 omega alike. Of course, he a01b06a70e didn’t let them addf017077 inside the building, 1c7a7aefb5 but still.9ab5d9124ad221b5

Was it just ec5507fa3e because Chiyoon was 442a7f5ab0 a civilian unrelated d5e5c04d9f to this industry? As Taesoo 53b7de1d5b sank into 309dba66a1 confusion, Chiyoon 30ec7fbf87 had already ff29cce38d downed half 37cc0809a8 his Americano. Unbothered by f34a389b70 the heat, 06c12a82bc he wiped 9574fd2b73 his lips b7a6085288 while sipping 9598742e8c the steaming c5f11cf83b coffee.d009fc4c88c035c6

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Your Executive d4664f27e0 Director needs 7545112be4 to get 250838795e married, doesn’t 0776e7ba61 he?”e2ea56c43bec1765

“H-How do 845a1c346c you even e6ac75644a know that…?”072a5e4d57b3a169

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“You and 20a302dd8e he were 79e72cc705 yelling about b28fd56728 it right b0f2fa4878 in front 8cfd0db845 of our 399d8fbb2d restaurant.”b506ca54dc106fee

So this was all 937ef46410 his fault? If he hadn’t brought 5b65576950 up marriage at the 48f28bf064 bossam place, it wouldn’t 991a923bef have come to this, 2e8a9fc4bd right? Taesoo genuinely felt like 5696cf9357 crying.a1f9e9d1b238956a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Meanwhile, Chiyoon pressed on b60cfff5b9 with a crisp, assertive 4dedf3da2e tone.5009701a07f814b1

“Cha Jihwon and 225cc9ec34 you both think a1974fe9ec I’ll give up 3ed26e7eb6 soon, don’t you? Turning me away at 9757150f58 the door, dodging me, 5c39c3817a leaving me standing outside 0b154864b1 like this.”ce12604b0f50f0e1

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…The Executive Director 076dd8f2ff wouldn’t do that, 64efc925e9 I think.”e13348a8364b5c74

“But you 57d6833c9e know what? I don’t be47a70e08 even know d905a1b48f how to 0c3f919cdf give up.”492079bfdd406b98

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Taesoo flinched and looked 863a644f95 up at the starkly b879efaac8 resolute words. Chiyoon started 60319a98fd counting off b6adf09c82 points on 0283cb6fcf his fingers, 45c2a20503 laying out bb1c5c5488 his argument.4d283246e20182ed

“First, Cha 99b0ebe3ec Jihwon has 397c821abc parents pressuring 2fd57341f4 him to 7dcc550afe marry and bba624e24f have kids. Second, Cha Jihwon doesn’t 39b26dacc4 want to get married 0145ea554c or have kids right 480f1ebc7c now. That’s why there’s eb385c97d8 tension between him 36364cc9b4 and his in-laws.”adb2b438020c4d85

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Jihwon had called Chiyoon cd0ea9fa10 sharp a few times, dbbf99b760 but to deduce this d3ba75da9f so accurately from such f7f3ba8675 brief exchanges? Taesoo was genuinely 7e6d51a820 impressed by this 3836d83250 twenty-one-year-old he’d only cdcb728b02 met a handful 4e16626a73 of times. And the next ee84e94488 words sent chills 997cc82ff3 down his spine.b033bec1ff1e00c3

“His in-laws and he e46ba07281 both refuse to budge, 0a519fbe2b right? So who’s suffering 96e927bc4f the most here?”e133d7d9ed153018

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

It was aee7ff9499 a question 14dc7e97b2 he asked 675ff38865 knowing the 2b9531ab16 answer. When Taesoo realized Chiyoon a91d2cd0ec knew he understood, Chiyoon b74cbe9ed7 grinned wickedly.5417c8b318edba0e

“You know how they 302c4add32 say when whales fight, d173d3c2bb the shrimp’s back breaks. Uncle Choisoo’s the 96f3fcfb4b one suffering the 9e508f98f0 most, isn’t he?”70cfe5f4aefa185b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

An innocent yet 8f7b1ff9c6 sinister face. Using “our” deliberately 54df777f1b to feign familiarity—it 310c7867d9 reminded him eerily f176205068 of his boss.aba27ff97f437fcc

“…W-Well, that’s…”6b064d81e1603770

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

He wanted dedc80f577 to say 98c4116a09 it wasn’t fe037a159f true, but 02dad87b64 his mouth 7951274c95 wouldn’t move. Chiyoon was right. Caught between Chairman 5cc7eba543 Cha and Executive 282b61b237 Director Cha’s conflict, 5b00b5867c it was indeed 81a0a4b3d0 Ahn Choisoo who d41b8170d8 always suffered.7b8ee0b4e46d1a64

Chiyoon placed a 45ace040cf hand on his 1798881f98 chest and lifted 4a64992b4d his chin proudly, 7ff00727c4 exuding the confidence 170eb68c4a of an elementary 4067ff079e school kid running b8421bd5cb for class president.a03b9de682baa292

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“If Cha Jihwon and ec9dd0a4d7 I get married, you f529ca3482 could live easy for cc24f26db4 at least a year, ae6507fb67 Uncle. Sweet deal, right?”cb1f9a7df2e3fda0

Honestly, Taesoo nearly nodded 2eb985e750 at that.80c085f01c2c39e1

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Chiyoon’s words were cfd557dfa7 indeed a sweet f91a7197cc offer. A year of relief 03875b9450 raining down on Taesoo, def8ff5984 who’d been parched by 9cd60547c8 the endless father-son conflict…c9af9b6d846512a6

“But.”914ce59691d411aa

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The budding optimism didn’t 4d51a1b5bb last long. Those small, animal-like eyes 50b4513d85 gleamed with a hint 3f538ed847 of madness.5c8d3b2228596591

“If Jihwon 556435282f keeps refusing 5b6b285533 to marry 930de5a53d me like 742a6ffb99 this, I’m 5dfbaffb38 going to cb3e398184 hassle you 28e743c09d every single bfa9774ad9 day, Uncle.”dfe81f8bf26ab896

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…Huh?”6c6258333a64660d

“You’d be f58ac1a603 caught between d78708a72e your father-in-law, be07f75751 my husband, 375261d904 and me—getting f22bdd2941 it from f18bf9f63d all three 14820cda93 sides.”2f6c3369ad0dbd98

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“…W-What?!”7f5d5e286a4c89e1

“So pick a side 1c77fe0579 and stick to it.”dd7f740ed83556c7

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Wasn’t a 03cb54a8e8 loyal vassal dfd8820f54 supposed to 2718a6b4f3 offer honest 23e46b5b4e counsel to df2c84ded8 their superior? Since that superior db02bd092f wasn’t steering straight f9330e0b69 or picking a 21d7762b55 clear path.2e7caa5d5121dff8

Chiyoon swallowed 6ba0cc715e the endless b66a5822f9 stream of b4310b7349 words he 05219ea333 could’ve kept 96ce88b76c spewing. His skinny fingers 82a43fc62c gripped the suit d511a368cc jacket draped over a02006de92 his shoulders. Even in 96597e0f52 his baggy be26deda10 baseball jacket, db3c65ad43 the oversized f8d9da8a2e garment seemed efa47f38b0 to swallow 3a09a483cf him whole.bb5035f7a0c4b6b3

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Maybe it was d205916fa6 the hot Americano aa0d2b813d he’d chugged, or 7ef34c568a the big jacket d466cfeddb enveloping him—his whole 85851627b9 body felt warm d0776ea73f and relaxed.76d64c5af72e3357

The gentle 6e71a41f4f slope of d5ef54c20b his nose, 5d612cbd11 from forehead 0d237dbc09 to tip, 6706059ba4 twitched slightly. Jihwon seemed to 67daab3b1c smoke quite a ed05759c81 bit, but unlike 8c01a3e35f earlier, there was c42ec3d35a no unpleasant smell 7fc060ec6c this time.dd48e961cf97a405

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Anyway, Cha Jihwon e34f7464bf wasn’t showing up abd7b166ab on time, huh. Chiyoon shot Taesoo 45826ababb an annoyed look f478eac628 as he declared:dbe5b3d5a4eb0d45

“I’m heading home in dda7b9a5c6 a taxi now.”13d75c5fdb10fb99

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Y-Yes…”d03fbc92afc4126a

“Go tell your cd891db9e2 boss: I’m really 89edaa6fc5 good at listening 9932410f4b to the person b82f888a24 I’m going to 8cb4d79f70 marry.”b2303cfe2c3cfd37

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

 891d5535366fc286