Chapter 48: Thank Goodness for You

The cold wind was bone-chilling.

Yoon Nam-hyuk, carrying his suit jacket, walked like a lost soul towards the security office. His back throbbed with pain, his light-colored shirt stained with blood. He left the Yoon family alone, licking his wounds, just as he had always done.

“Ah! Why did you come out dressed so lightly?”

The uncle from the security office rushed out. He took the jacket from Yoon Nam-hyuk’s hand, intending to drape it over him, but was stunned by the bloodstains. “Omo! H-how did this happen? Do you need me to call an ambulance?”

“It’s fine. Please just call me a taxi.”

The uncle: “Ah… okay.”

Five minutes later, Yoon Nam-hyuk, his face pale, smiled and said goodbye. With the help of the security uncle, he gritted his teeth against the pain, put on his jacket, and slowly got into the car.

The uncle urged, “You must go to the hospital.”

Yoon Nam-hyuk said softly, “Thank you.”

The taxi drove away. The security uncle stood in the shivering cold wind, rubbing his hands and stomping his feet, muttering with a sigh, “He should have called an ambulance for a back injury. I should have been more forceful just now. Maybe the kid would have listened. Aigoo… bleeding and not even in a hurry. How heartbroken his parents would be if they knew.”

Inside the taxi.

The driver, noticing Yoon Nam-hyuk’s pale lips, asked politely, “You’re going to the hospital, right? Which one?”

Yoon Nam-hyuk paused for a long moment, then slowly shook his head. “Not to the hospital…”

In the past, he would have gone back to the Cheongdam-dong apartment his mother had bought, had his private doctor come to treat his wounds, and then stayed there for a few days until his injuries had recovered a little before returning to the Yoon family’s main residence to continue his disgusting, transactional life with Yoon Tae-min.

But this time, he suddenly had a place he wanted to go to more.

The driver, who had entered the address into the navigation, was slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected someone like Yoon Nam-hyuk, who clearly looked like a top-tier rich person, to be going to a place like a rooftop apartment.

Perhaps even super-rich people have poor relatives.

The driver didn’t know the extent of Yoon Nam-hyuk’s back injury, so unlike the security uncle, he didn’t urge him to go to the hospital. He turned on the music player, humming a little tune, and chatted with Yoon Nam-hyuk about the strange things he had encountered that day.

Yoon Nam-hyuk listened silently with a smile. Because of his back injury, he had to sit up straight, and soon sweat started to bead on his forehead.

The driver’s voice was like a BGM that triggered memories. Yoon Nam-hyuk inexplicably recalled last night and thought, At this point, it seems I’ve brought all this on myself…

People are greedy, Yoon Nam-hyuk thought. Because of greed, they hold onto things. They want this, and that, and that too, wanting to have all the good things, mistakenly thinking they can control everything, so they pull chestnuts out of the fire and dance on the edge of a knife.

He had schemed and planned to get back his mother’s memento, knowing it would annoy his father, yet he couldn’t help but yearn for the beauty of love.

Like a moth to a flame, he was afraid of getting burned, yet he wanted to draw from the flame’s brightness and warmth.

Qi Huai was right. He was wavering, hesitant, and indecisive. He was full of uncontrollable emotions, completely mesmerized by that succubus-like guy, falling for him again and again.

The reason he hadn’t agreed to let Qi Huai stay at a hotel last night was because he had the despicable thought of wanting something to happen. That’s why he had brought him home, and that’s why today’s events had occurred.

His mother had passed away when he was ten. Her elegant and beautiful face was already a blur in his memory, but he inexplicably remembered some of her words.

His mother had said:

Nam-hyuk, the most frightening thing for a person is to have desires but not be ruthless enough, whether towards oneself or towards others.

Mama was a ruthless woman once. I wanted a bad person to get his retribution, and in doing so, I implicated an innocent person.

Later, I wanted to make it up to him, but I didn’t know where he had gone. I’ve lived with this guilt ever since.

Perhaps one day, I myself will suffer the same retribution. When that time comes, my Nam-hyuk must not be too sad. That is the sin Mama must atone for.

Yoon Nam-hyuk still didn’t understand what Hyun Si-young meant, but he had already tasted the bitter fruit of “having desires but not being ruthless enough.”

He wanted his mother’s memento, wanted to get back her property bit by bit. This was the reason he had endured this disgusting, meaningless family for so long.

But even with such a firm goal, he was unwilling to follow his father’s instructions to find a woman, get married, and have children, and he certainly didn’t want to harm another woman and make her waste her life like his mother.

Not ruthless enough to himself, not ruthless enough to others. And so, he still couldn’t get his mother’s memento, and he had lived his life as a complete failure.

What if I can’t achieve anything in the end? Should I just live on in a daze?

Qi Huai, what should I do?

---

[Host Oppa, what do you think that guy Eun Chul-woo means? He clearly knows you and the president have a good relationship, yet he’s still trying to steal you away, both openly and secretly. ‘Min-kyung and Nam-hyuk are childhood friends, so I can also be considered to have a drink with Nam-hyuk occasionally’… bleh, bleh, bleh, a greasy-mouthed flirt. He talks a big game, but I can see right through him, his character is no good!]

As the System spoke, it peeked at Qi Huai’s expression. [Why did you fight with the president… Tell me, Host, I’ll help you analyze it?]

Qi Huai glanced at the System. “Mind your own business.”

[Hmph…] The System flew around, then started complaining about Eun Chul-woo again. [He didn’t really fall in love with you at first sight, did he?]

A black-bellied wolf wants to eat the Host’s flesh.

The president hasn’t even gotten a bite yet.

Qi Huai’s head ached from its chattering. He smiled helplessly. “Do you think Eun Chul-woo is the type to fall in love at first sight?”

System: [?]

Forget Eun Chul-woo, Qi Huai thought. The other original love interests are the same.

The reason Choi Min-jun got involved with Baek Soo-kyung was to find a useful pawn to set a trap for Yoon Nam-hyuk.

He had a “mysterious person” behind him. That mysterious person was not just Yoon Nam-hyuk’s older brother, Yoon Nam-woo, but also seemed to involve others.

The other party was very well hidden. Although Choi Min-jun’s personal desires had exposed a small clue, it was only a small clue.

Between Park Seok-jin and Baek Soo-kyung, on the surface, it was a mutually beneficial relationship between a senior and a junior. Whether their entanglement had a deeper reason, such as Choi Min-jun’s intervention, or the intervention of the mysterious person behind the scenes, Qi Huai wasn’t sure.

After all, Park Seok-jin was a peacock. He had to show off his charm to anyone who caught his fancy. It was hard to tell if his entanglement with Baek Soo-kyung was a coincidence or deliberate.

It would be best if there was no mysterious person manipulating things. If there was, Qi Huai would have new questions. Who was the mysterious person’s target? Why were they interested in a celebrity like Park Seok-jin, who had risen from a common background? Purely for money? Or for Yoon Nam-hyuk? Or Woosan Entertainment? Or the entire Yoon family?

Then there was Kim Min-kyung. This guy was a weirdo who loved to watch the drama unfold, with a background, fame, and a very low moral bottom line.

Qi Huai had once guessed that the reason Kim Min-kyung was interested in Baek Soo-kyung in the original comic was perhaps because Baek Soo-kyung’s appearance caught his eye.

But after the nightclub incident and the cast dinner, Qi Huai no longer thought so. Kim Min-kyung barely even looked at Baek Soo-kyung…

This was the same as Eun Chul-woo. It seemed both of them had excluded Baek Soo-kyung from their list of potential lovers.

What was the reason?

As for Yoon Nam-hyuk…

Qi Huai sighed helplessly. Still no message. So heartless. Just as he was thinking this, he heard the System suddenly scream in terror, [President!]

Not far away, Yoon Nam-hyuk was sitting on the ground, his brows furrowed, his eyes closed. He was wearing a not-so-thick suit, his forehead pressed against the wall as he curled up by the door, his face pale with an unnatural flush.

Qi Huai’s mind went blank.

He rushed up the stairs in three bounds, half-kneeling in front of Yoon Nam-hyuk and carefully cupping his burning face. “Yoon Nam-hyuk? Nam-hyuk?”

Yoon Nam-hyuk slowly opened his eyes, his eyelids heavy. “Qi Huai?”

He was delirious with fever.

Qi Huai’s brow furrowed tightly. Wasn’t he fine this morning? he thought. What happened to make him this feverish? Where’s Assistant Yoo? The driver? Did he come here by himself, with no one to look after him? Did he come here dressed so lightly?

The bit of anger that had been simmering in his heart instantly melted into a pool of affection. There was no time for detailed questions. He needed to take fever-reducing medicine as soon as possible.

He reached out to hold Yoon Nam-hyuk, intending to get him off the cold floor. But as soon as his hand touched Yoon Nam-hyuk’s back, he heard him hiss.

The System flew behind him and looked. [Ah! There’s blood!]

Its brain wasn’t sharp, but its eyesight was good. Although the bloodstains on Yoon Nam-hyuk’s back were mostly covered by his suit jacket, some traces could still be seen at the collar and the hem.

Qi Huai followed the System’s mechanical arm and lifted the suit jacket. The light-colored shirt was spotted with red, like red plum blossoms blooming on snow.

The ambulance arrived quickly. Qi Huai wrapped his own down jacket around Yoon Nam-hyuk and got into the ambulance with him to the hospital.

Assistant Yoo rushed over half an hour later. He was extremely surprised to learn that Yoon Nam-hyuk was injured. “How is that possible?”

He said, confused, “This afternoon, Chairman Yoon said he had an urgent matter and was looking for the president. According to the time, the driver should have just dropped the president off at Hannam-dong not long ago. Could he have been attacked on the way? But that doesn’t make sense.”

Yoo Ji-hoon had joined Woosan three years ago. He wasn’t a senior employee, but he was definitely one of Yoon Nam-hyuk’s confidants. It wasn’t unheard of for disgruntled people to attack chaebols, but there had to be a time and place. The president had clearly been sent home by the driver…

Hearing this, Qi Huai lowered his eyes, understanding.

Combined with Assistant Yoo’s words, the old scars on Yoon Nam-hyuk’s back, and his bad habit of casually brandishing a small knife on his arm when his sex addiction flared up, the culprit behind it all seemed obvious.

Yoon Tae-min.

Nam-hyuk’s father.

The System gritted its teeth. [That old bastard, I wish him a sudden death! No, sudden death is too good for him. I wish him a painful, slow, and tormented death! Preferably several times!]

“Excuse me, who is the patient’s family?”

The doctor scanned the crowd. Qi Huai stood up. “I am.”

The System used its advantage to zip behind the curtain and fly a circle around the sleeping Yoon Nam-hyuk, carefully checking his bandages and breathing, confirming that he was much better before giving Qi Huai an “OK” sign.

Qi Huai’s brow relaxed, and he let out a sigh of relief.

The doctor looked troubled and asked Qi Huai in a low voice, “…The patient has many old injuries on his back. You know about this, right?”

Qi Huai sighed. “I know.”

Assistant Yoo looked at Qi Huai in horror, then at the doctor. He swallowed hard and wisely didn’t ask or say anything.

The doctor: “The patient’s back has suffered blunt force trauma, with a slight bone fracture. The skin was likely scraped by a sharp object with an irregular shape, like metal carvings or something similar. The wound looks scary, but fortunately, it’s not deep. The family doesn’t need to worry too much. The cut on the back of his hand and the slight burn on his ankle have also been bandaged. These are all injuries that need proper care and frequent dressing changes. The family needs to be careful. The notes are written on this paper. Please take it… If necessary, you should call the police.”

Qi Huai: “Thank you.”

All the necessary checks had been done, and the wounds had been bandaged. After the doctor had explained the precautions and the prescription process to Qi Huai, he turned and left.

This kind of injury didn’t require hospitalization. Resting at home was much more comfortable than a noisy hospital. Assistant Yoo said with difficulty, “…If I’m not mistaken, it’s probably not suitable to go back to Hannam-dong, right, Actor Qi?”

He couldn’t go back to Hannam-dong.

He couldn’t stay long at the hospital or a hotel either. If he were recognized, the media would soon flock there.

The most suitable place to go was actually the president’s apartment in Cheongdam-dong, but only the president himself knew the code. When the cleaning lady came, the president would unlock the door remotely.

Qi Huai put the medicine the doctor had prescribed for Yoon Nam-hyuk into a bag one by one. “He can stay at my place.”

The rooftop apartment?

Assistant Yoo was troubled. “Why don’t we go to my place? The doctor used a medicine with a sedative component. The president probably won’t wake up until tomorrow. With you, the president, and the family doctor, it might be too crowded. It’s better to go to my place. I can stay at a nearby hotel.”

His two-bedroom apartment was small, but it was still more comfortable than a cramped rooftop apartment.

“Don’t worry, we’re not staying at the rooftop apartment.” Qi Huai smiled faintly. “I’ve rented a new place recently. It’s big enough.”

After Choi Min-jun’s incident, Qi Huai had already been looking at apartments on the day he met Baek Soo-kyung at the company cafe. The reason he hadn’t moved right away was, one, the security deposit for renting in Korea was too high, and he didn’t have enough liquid cash, and two, he wanted to add new furniture.

In short, he had been busy for many days before he finally settled on a suitable long-term residence and had even decorated it to be livable.

The new apartment was also in Cheongdam-dong. Although not as luxurious as Hannam-dong, it was 200 square meters, with three bedrooms, a living room, a study, and a walk-in closet—very suitable for two people.

And so, the sleeping Yoon Nam-hyuk became the first occupant of Qi Huai’s new home.

Three bedrooms, four people. One for Assistant Yoo, one for the family doctor, and one for Qi Huai and Yoon Nam-hyuk. The arrangement was just right.

Not long after, the family doctor arrived.

Choi Sung was Yoon Nam-hyuk’s private doctor. The Yoon family didn’t know of his existence. He was very familiar with Yoon Nam-hyuk’s physical condition and was also very discreet.

He helped re-examine Yoon Nam-hyuk’s bandages and then walked out of the bedroom with Qi Huai, tiptoeing. “Sigh, the hospital did a good job with the bandages. I’ll be responsible for changing them from now on. You don’t need to worry.”

Dr. Choi couldn’t help but say, “So cruel…”

“Does this happen often?” Qi Huai asked, his face expressionless, his eyes dark. “Beaten all over by his own father, running around bleeding and with a high fever, and his family doesn’t care?”

What if he had gotten into a car accident?

What if he had suddenly lost consciousness and been in danger?

Dr. Choi hesitated. “Ms. Hyun… that is, the president’s mother, passed away too early. Although I only officially became President Yoon’s private doctor five or six years ago, these kinds of private matters in the upper echelons of society can’t be hidden from our profession.”

He lowered his voice. “It was a car accident, but it’s said that the driver was suspicious. He committed suicide in prison with a sharpened toothbrush. Some people guess it was Yoon Tae-min’s doing, but the president was only ten at the time. After President Hyun’s suicide, his influence waned. And Yoon Tae-min’s relationship with Prosecutor Kim was good… In short, the president tried to investigate, but didn’t find anything.”

His mother was dead, leaving only his father and brother at home. A ten-year-old child was still a minor, so naturally, he could only live with his father. He had no choice.

Dr. Choi: “President Yoon signed a contract with me to have someone help him deal with the cuts on his arms. Some of the knife wounds were too deep and would inevitably leave scars. I once asked him if he wanted to remove them, but he always refused, saying that new ones would appear even if the old ones were healed, so he might as well not treat them. At that time, his back was already covered in old scars. I had my guesses about the reason, but I didn’t ask.”

Only his father and brother were at home. With that kind of force, who else could it be besides Yoon Tae-min, an adult male? It was too easy to guess.

Qi Huai stared at Dr. Choi. “You know a lot. You seem to trust me.”

Dr. Choi suddenly smiled. “I’m 65. I was Ms. Hyun’s private doctor for two years, so President Yoon trusts me. He was just a little thing back then, and he even called me Doctor Uncle.”

Qi Huai was stunned for a moment, not expecting Dr. Choi and Yoon Nam-hyuk to have this connection.

Dr. Choi: “A while ago, President Yoon suddenly asked me if there was a way to get rid of scars quickly. I found it strange at the time and asked him why he had changed his mind. He said he had met an annoying guy. Although they hadn’t known each other for long, he would think of that person from time to time…”

Yoon Nam-hyuk had also said:

“Although he’s a stranger, it feels like we’ve known each other for a long time. Like a friend you hit it off with right away, but with something more than friendship.

I’ve exposed my weaknesses to him by mistake many times, and I’ve even been offended, felt embarrassed and ashamed, but I also felt tolerated, protected, and understood.

One second I’m angry, wanting him to disappear from my sight. The next, I start to miss him, hoping I can be more perfect the next time we meet. That’s why I wanted to try and get rid of the scars.

I am a person who worries easily, with many concerns about doing things. Being with someone like me, it would probably be hard to make them feel happy. It’s best not to meet again. Even the deepest memories have a time limit; they will slowly fade away.

But I suddenly want to be a little selfish, to see how far we can go. What if, for once, the always-unlucky me is lucky this time?”

Dr. Choi: “Seeing you today, and hearing Assistant Yoo call you Actor Qi, I knew who you were. He’s like a little clam that can’t be pried open. He might not tell you these things, but I think you should know some of his past.”

A ten-year-old child, at the age when he should be loved the most, endured the disgust and beatings of his own father, watching his illegitimate brother monopolize his father’s affection and deliberately show it off.

At an age when other children were still asking their parents for toys, he was fighting to survive to get his mother’s memento, doing his best to get into Seoul National University to make his father look at him in a new light, and to get the qualification to work at Woosan Entertainment.

In a few years, he had turned the declining Woosan Entertainment, which had been mismanaged by Yoon Tae-min, into a profitable company. This was also the beginning of Yoon Nam-hyuk gradually gaining a voice in the Yoon Group.

With such immense pressure, if his heart had been a little weaker, he probably would have completely collapsed before he even got to university.

“Thank goodness for you. He’s finally learned to cherish himself,” Dr. Choi said.