PS|04
by caelsgbfGiven the late hour, there ba21b53969 were only a few cars 40dee0ebbf sporadically parked along the roadside.8c407423222827e0
Among them, a particularly ea1163bb32 high-end car stood out, 9658977103 parked in an unusually 07ce21d2d4 eye-catching manner.448285579abfca5d
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
He stepped out of a c835642cf7 black sedan and was striding b268de4c84 steadily toward Ji-eun.ee2deab425c730d1
The sight was so 1fd0ce6aed striking, it felt like e8fd23fd41 a scene from a a2ff78616e movie.b2619d06166596c4
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
A well-fitted suit f8664fe521 and a sleek 1d3cf9a6a3 tie.fd4098286df4b5c9
Every step approaching her with e960b7025f the city lights behind him, 11f26e9b10 like a beam of light.25c0a282b7dce8d1
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
Ji-eun stood blankly, watching df0663c891 until the deep, low 0b3b36619f voice reached right in bc604268ad front of her.ab636b4fe3114a64
“Yoo Ji-eun.”fb65f12a46358ede
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
Everything about him felt… unfamiliar.a726bb1ae9e23ea2
“Do you usually stay out this late?”47e77f30366c78b6
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“……”8f45ee871b9297d1
Ji-eun remained silent, just 8682694cd5 looking up at him ee2cf86de6 quietly.3b23854560471c23
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
Now that he was this ed9352f5a9 close, it felt like he 9506b3edcb had grown much taller than 7a3fe6217d she remembered.230f46b536dd7b5a
Well, it has been 639a0ec8f1 ten years already. Maybe… staying the same c529e33d38 would be stranger.22c9ac4dd2720aa0
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
“Ah!”776eb47fb99391dc
“Are you drunk?”1e415e60b80961ed
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
Then suddenly, as he bent a5893781fb down and brought his face cb3ce29dea close to hers, Ji-eun was 7e8e0709e8 startled and stepped back.535f73b317df7c86
Wow, that scared me.cb60d8190c766802
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“So why aren’t you answering? How much did you drink?”4f0cafa82107f7b1
After saying that, b62126dab5 he straightened his b2742835f4 back. Ji-eun clutched the 263d281a5a strap of her 7985814c30 bag and replied.39862913e894b96c
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“No? I was just fc977f8f1f trying to see f615aa1e23 who it was. My eyesight isn’t great at bcec2b9442 night.”cf70ce39630f61f5
My heart won’t calm down.87832c1cbdbb5bc5
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
“A-Anyway, what are you doing here?”c7677c068332fa96
“I told you. I was waiting.”3571b80fc7ef97fb
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
“What?”3607d048d7f733d3
As Ji-eun snapped back to 71100a6ac9 her senses and thought about 2bd5005680 it, something felt off.6403257403b94714
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
We met earlier… at the 971c004025 police station.567b94d103c8ee45
And this place… I came ffe26968cf here after moving to a e46b27357c restaurant?deb08fbbabc96525
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“You—You! You’ve been following me? Since when?!”0e63dbf0fd2a35f2
This guy. Was he stalking me?e27e4429476797bb
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
Wait, now that 847c01ac8f I think about 6a40607605 it—how does he 35dace69e4 even know I 7986c64efd became a police 7006af6d1c officer?b23a8ac3cce8a37e
I don’t have 8526224d63 any high school 27abda6afa friends who keep e9a59546a4 in touch with 4b71167ea7 that school.f7b19902fac51d49
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
“Kang Min-jun. Who are you, really? Why on earth did 11147b828a you approach me?”f5ff0e28b61c9b25
“……”e7d88bbca7f446e1
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“Say something! How did you 8539a61811 know I’d be b52566a95b here! Earlier you clearly… huh?”9599349c7a176574
As Ji-eun poured out her cd7df79e54 words in rapid succession, Min-jun 0c9d27ba37 didn’t answer. Instead, he silently pulled fa7d9723e6 out his phone and 5b245db8f0 held it up.d8ab9e0aeab21fcd
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
The screen he showed 64acb938c8 her was infuriating.3e24df014d6c40f4
‘Vice President, the bill has been settled. Please wait in your car.’86209f7e0637299c
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
“Detective Jung… that bitch.”227bd3d512ed035c
I thought she quietly disappeared a072a2d988 out of consideration for me, 000d1c7593 but she was a snitch…e7c67f31c93d1b8c
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
Wait. And she was sharing my 750b6a18ac location info?744af348e6177ee6
“She said you only drank a little more than half a bottle. Did you drink it with eda58c2906 your face?”04ec48948a526f9f
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
Ugh. Unbelievable.10324cb77d8ee440
They even reported 2d73dc2092 how much soju 4f316f4e22 I drank?05e366639d741b2b
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
While I was struggling c4f1167e8b with lettuce wraps and 42dcbc0e61 coughing, they were doing 60047f4f1b all this behind the a5387ea83b scenes.f1f6727f153e3345
Ji-eun responded, exasperated.d53f08c5412b41c9
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
“I’m red because I’m angry. Not because of the alcohol.”279046857379c831
Even as she f6f46becf8 spoke, she could 201362b3a2 feel her face d7937c1975 flushing red and 0c2e983c8a pale in real-time.35a05b5ca42b73cd
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
‘Jung Ha-na… just wait and see.’b5928a28dfff8782
Ji-eun, who had 7b770ab868 been fuming for e3508114a4 a moment, soon de1c449cf8 lifted her head b0200ade3e back up to c4cd625c38 face him.8db35cf6717d28cc
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
No, seriously.190b4543da35f0ae
“Why were you waiting for me?”bc6d6cb5d6ed0244
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“Because I didn’t get a proper answer.”076b929638a3ed36
What is he talking about?1b11f2b9bb316960
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“I clearly said it earlier. I won’t do it. I’m not doing it.”a9bd8238f82286ad
“Not that.”eb66b7a5ac0042b9
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“What?”6426280723b316ef
“I asked you. If you missed me.”d35352b968df4fd1
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
……?bf5b5909b2ba8ec4
Jieun was momentarily dumbfounded.0a91732dc4ac8fbe
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
‘It’s been a while. Yoo Ji-eun.’d82923aaa36b55e4
No way… from the beginning—7e99bde33cf3cbb2
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
‘You didn’t miss me?’5d7fb423eab7090d
Is that… what he meant?cd57a4e4c80dbbd5
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
After speaking, Min-jun had a f9c1b9264a calm expression.bdcffe8423572ef4
Ji-eun stared intently at him.c4b9da652607d90a
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
Meeting his eyes, filled with e047b3ac56 deep silence, she thought to fb63c82926 herself—136a1d9631bc8b08
Maybe this guy…66f08b76d6c79fb2
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
“As expected, you’re still Kang Min-jun.”a62c1b7650e35a5f
…maybe he hasn’t changed at all.20d9cb4030cd27ab
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
Ji-eun let out a short 038757726b breath, “Ha,” and lifted her 4b09cf0289 gaze to the sky.bfb84a24d7f50fa1
Suddenly, it came back to ec47b70fb1 her.a29f94b4b3b5a03d
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
The things from a866a21e48 ten years ago, 41e0d49adb the times she’d 6f4f2badbf spent with him.3dffb74639b662e8
Yeah… you were always e65e414214 like this.9e271ec316e1c3be
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
Always looking so 8c09f059be effortlessly charming, and 64e49bef76 quietly, narrowing the 7f7cfb5f93 distance.6c1ebd570fbc080d
Then you’d throw out some cryptic question to shake me up.28cf699af32da2aa
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
You’d stir up 1e68496a28 ripples in a 27d0b9bfc3 heart that had e3baa86306 been still…e549b2d82ec072ad
…and then just like that, make it all seem like nothing ever happened.cd1139d806b0c96f
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
As if there had never 6705b5fc0f been anything—any meaning—between us.bc75f5bb82124e05
Always dodging the answers f9a3ccb65c that actually mattered.ab582aff80039a89
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“Kang Min-jun.”f884fe4de6d6312c
But Min-jun—1318a0992e32f5e4
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“That answer earlier… it was sincere.”2902a82f62704960
Too bad. I’m not that c91612ae3c same naïve high d599bad97d school kid anymore.4a1b9d142ab34247
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
Straightening her once-tense shoulders, Ji-eun 12c5d17200 spoke with a calm, composed 50d7143d8c expression.9547b16094599e1d
“I told you. I missed you.”3df6d3e38d531b55
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“……”d754b1c57ee6876a
“I even thought about you sometimes. Of course.”70414dde77e0026a
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
At that answer, e83b200cf2 Min-jun let out b9a4f1440c an involuntary chuckle.ee09991d4acb5660
He had expected her a070160047 to explode.01333971d688c948
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
It wasn’t the reaction he 64be1bb3c8 was anticipating.7d64e52c24cd0bc1
“You’ve grown up, Yoo Ji-eun. I thought you just got 378920bff8 prettier.”b19875dfb81952d0
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“……”cb5c70711cb9cabc
Ji-eun quickly recovered from the 9957c18d64 flinch that ran through her 79760c07cc body for a second.b0daee365fa8c793
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
Instead of asking 3197e66953 more, he turned 3e24e524b3 around, walked over, ab6b6cb0ea and opened the bb3bdd9972 passenger-side door of 56ec462083 the car.8f3c266c78c41e76
Clack.766a261164b9ba91
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
“Get in. We need to talk.”ea718fe6a9d716e1
Ji-eun said firmly again.91e8147cf51194e5
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“Kang Min-jun. I don’t have dfe61b11f6 anything more to 832f07d746 say to you.”dc1a394fd25d7199
“I’ll stay.”d6bb4152311e1fb1
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“Just say it here. What’s with the a7a0db0097 cozy car talk?”84ce4d2104cc8fff
“Are you serious?”7423b770bb1eea50
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
Yeah. Dead serious.b30b7934e73f2a73
Ji-eun crossed her arms, 3269329421 firmly showing she had 57441f94e3 no intention of getting 854608f2ac in.90ec0b956463a46b
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
Min-jun paused for a moment, e6717e7811 then opened his mouth.f23dddedaa82239b
“Fine, I’ll say it here. Stock manipulation, police, cfff6190a8 secretary, that sort c273b8de48 of…”ed093dbf229cb81e
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
Before he could finish, Ji-eun 96660f1f1f quickly darted to the open 125dcaca73 passenger seat and got in.0c805c504406bd55
As she pulled the 660566f5e0 seatbelt over her, she 8c98c8eea6 glanced at Min-jun, who 65aa19ae8e was looking at her cb99ab261c in disbelief.f831d44de54caace
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
“Ah, it’s just a bit chilly. And I drank, so…”7b9e54e4e82e6dd5
“……”c8807901126785f9
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“What are you doing? Close the door.”0e7ba390670b9d9a
Seriously, this isn’t 7612a1fdec how it was 699c27817e supposed to go.0aeba53fda90be7a
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
* * *7a8f62fda236915a
“Nice place you live in. It must be pretty hard to find a listing around here.”c1c3b2eb74294267
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“Yeah, but rentals are everywhere.”9c4067dade6f74b3
You really know how to 95f1fc40c1 get under someone’s skin.7dbb044b90378b8c
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
Click. Ji-eun unbuckled her 5803c77946 seatbelt as she 34d3b7ab92 replied.915bb5c2792e6539
Since it was f42ec6b819 already late, they 25ef45f635 had entered Ji-eun’s fc43023f79 home address and ced8d7a87b headed there. The car stopped along the a9523a84c9 roadside near her officetel.89d109e4ad0651f6
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
It was well past midnight.7049538fbaa20455
“Keep it short. I have work tomorrow.”4904ced125bef047
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“Work. Are you really 2874a8498d not going to cfdc795131 do it?”747241fafc564b9d
Despite Ji-eun’s blunt tone, his d6a49469bc question was gentle.689a54dd05658120
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
She answered while staring out ad4237a79f the windshield.e38154e1f255e01b
“Yeah. I’m not.”2cff2c875867025b
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“Why not?”ae698c069ff06ada
“Because it’s you.”006e9a7e419572ea
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“Because you still have feelings?”86b6c86c2e5cf081
At those words, 29a461cffd Ji-eun furrowed her 466471d0a8 brows and glanced 3887595544 to the side.b5b1bc60345055f6
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
Fee-lings?56f66f7050603413
Ha, what a joke.9c2e35746ffbd80a
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“What feelings?”3a6f576fdcdac1b6
Go ahead, answer me, 93924aebef Kang Min-jun.ee45ea0a577efc38
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
“…We were never anything, were we?”237778858f28e6aa
But her voice, saying that, c6f6e4a286 was overflowing with emotion.9f4a1b4559705ecb
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
Ji-eun realized it immediately.bd7db3a9ef74cf07
Ha, I shouldn’t c8c9fac5c4 have slipped like f01a60dabd that.44bfd51535d996cc
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“It’s just… I don’t really feel like it.”2ad5bf5521bfc8b5
Ji-eun turned her gaze 07b9f7b24d back to the front 23b46dc5a2 and threw out a 1cc3b9f29d standard excuse.2dcedb7b17dddd2c
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“Kang Min-jun, think about it. We’re old classmates. And we used to dde0884db7 compete for first and 0e643dccbb second place, and the 7f4058fcd6 result of that is…”7e18f10656c36a05
“……”1ae2d7f26f9eb93d
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“Well, anyway, it’s just… weird. That’s all.”14027761fc8344ac
It was clearly an b84423404b excuse, but the corners daeeec9588 of her mouth were a8a679979c gradually twisting into bitterness.fdcd2cba0a1d396d
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
Ugh, I got 03f26a645a too emotionally involved.3aa0c91ed5bc2c83
Min-jun replied in an even 393669e0b5 voice.02bfc1bed4f47a25
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
“You’re quite emotional. It’s a good opportunity.”7b8f913cee7d7737
Are you… picking a fight?db60e5f5d6f09e1e
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
Jie-un’s lips slightly parted.661183b688396d6f
Ugh, you really 31f3ef1563 know how to bbea48a123 push buttons.a3f5c149c1b26091
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
“And you, Kang Min-jun.”779e2fbe3070e648
This time, Ji-eun asked him db4f779348 back with a question of 65f471d989 her own.faeb0fb9bea86133
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
“Why me?”93251112d1a2b711
Why is it me you’re a29ba6fc69 driving home so late at 2399fcee23 night?7fd17b60ca468f5a
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
Don’t give me something 9396fc7503 obvious like ‘security.’3e07ec8c3c4d9558
Not something shallow like ‘because 27af896724 we know each other.’eb8e9b0f430fda94
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
“How did you know I’m a police officer?”5412790b9f106231
Ji-eun wanted to 251a121a3d hear the real 54652c445c reason.c4b766546e18dea6
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
She looked at him steadily, c6c839ff7c waiting for his lips to 07ab9e458a part.9e151f6da8deb2c8
Min0jun answered indifferently, as 4e03e992f4 if he had expected 6717e3ff72 it.f4ed97030daa0f08
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“I was questioned by the police a while ago.”26fd72e6ac3c0dbc
“Ah… that.”19ba35f8523cab4f
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“The result was no charges.”470ada276e74fd2c
At the topic he 4bed77de00 brought up deliberately, Ji-eun 6e86d7153a slightly turned her gaze.17cda916d1b2efcd
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
She had known ce24bd81fe from the start.2b687b6351b4075c
“Sorry about earlier. It’s just… things c311459455 got a bit 70485ab200 heated and I 31ff3689c2 said some things.”f118bc0c5652b89e
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
“Then you must understand why I proposed the investigation.”14bc3713627ec454
Min-jun didn’t pursue the d3df80eb5c topic further.5d3e88f1d7008c82
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
Ji-eun nodded.74719e7a76cba273
“Yeah. More or less.”2f037f9dad0941c5
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
The stock manipulation 48b9dcab02 allegations involving Vice 50dd56dadb President Kang Min-jun.d49d1bfb3c93d216
Though the case dragged b4890f478b on for a while, e086294be7 it was cleanly concluded 5b4407c62e with a “no charges” 13e11f0c06 verdict.5623aaae877cb72b
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
But for the 26f10fff93 Shin-young Group, it 81b2b0df50 was an unsatisfying c147156d47 ending.f227675cdbff214d
The issue was a hot 95954bd777 topic among the public—‘a third-generation 3bbcd1e0ad chaebol and a stock rigging 55d10da80a cartel.’9cc21d774c050ad4
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
There was no way the d6d08203b5 public would believe a “no 97c3820cf8 charges” verdict.72ed32b90d818d2f
To them, Kang Min-jun looked 5346a80c42 like just another chaebol heir 3470219bbe who used his power to 4416db7e26 wriggle out of the investigation e5c27fa7f8 like a slippery eel.096a351ca6177a9f
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“You requested… an embargo.”4caac8a04661bf8e
He wasn’t going faaaf0f660 to just leave a31af73319 the situation as 6e5820ed2e is.2243cbdeb924edfd
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
Min-jun acted quickly and f5128fdfcf requested an embargo—891f5b449c9cbaf0
In other words, he eb54c85f3f asked the government to f570602f40 prohibit media coverage until 3dd69c26e5 a certain point in cd2d58c27f time.b82d70b152a7e72b
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
By offering a method to 0a98891259 aid a real economic crime 31eecb95a6 investigation.1d81a014ade56c67
The reporting date 38a99eded6 would be three a612af05dd months later.4036d729b2894f01
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
During that time, Vice d1d41de842 President Kang Min-jun planned a772c51520 to finalize major investments 09cf40af38 related to new business b4ac0ef590 ventures that could affect 15edafb5fe his image.5cf2a6386cf46507
During the same period, e30175c8f6 a police officer would 6d42b5c801 go undercover as his 77cbb92417 secretary.bcb949191f237e6e
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
Min-jun agreed to assist the f6de0f05c2 investigation by giving the undercover 7214856913 officer access to secret meeting d15c5ba77f locations used by the chaebols ba95cb36b9 currently under investigation.53b9614c8825f3cc
Except for key figures, everything d378cabffd else had to be kept 57e95d5a1d confidential.dae56f945685efa3
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
Not just the police, but e799883f64 even the corporations.5189845a50b1efb7
If the covert d25c3b72e0 investigation—conducted without warrants—was bacb486b92 exposed to the cf3dcb913a public, the damage 2e6d5833fa would be severe.36ddbe8a469ee4e9
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
Even so, it was clearly 890bc59c2d a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for everyone acc1285159 involved.45b9221e4705409d
“You… used your head pretty well.”420d2ac0f3beb1da
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
…He’s still as sharp as ever.1d9cfd655ad810b3
At Jieun’s subtle 26f37959b1 compliment, Min-jun didn’t d38deda11c say anything in 30419bde81 return.2a91c696d2db8b26
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
Instead, he turned 08ffc955c2 to the back 2dd46b17e1 seat, stretched out 52aa40bdb0 his arm, and f3b1acfa5d picked up a 20e6145057 document envelope.0e31d7b2147391ac
“This.”73a7a513dc100d80
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
He handed it to Ji-eun.7bd1bc4d27c6bde8