Chapter 60: A Bowl of Chicken Soup

A few hours earlier, on the film set.

The news about Go Eun-bin and Park Seok-jin was explosive, not just online, but also on Director Baek’s film set.

The creative team discussed for a long time what to do. After all, there were quite a few artists from Woosan in this film. It couldn’t be that besides Park Seok-jin, someone else would also have a scandal, right?

The assistant director was extremely confused. “Then Park Seok-jin’s scenes?”

Director Baek wiped his sweat. “…Reshoot them with someone else tomorrow. Prepare a backup, and we’ll see how things go.”

Upstairs.

Eun Chul-woo stood at Qi Huai’s door and knocked gently. It was hard to say whether it was a surprise or expected, but the person who opened the door was Xiao Shi-yu.

Eun Chul-woo smiled. “Excuse me, is Actor Qi here? I have something important to talk to him about.”

Of course, Actor Qi was not there. A few hours ago, he had driven back to Seoul in a hurry because he was too worried about his lover’s safety. He hadn’t returned yet.

Xiao Shi-yu laughed and scratched his head. “I’m sorry, Chairman Eun. Qi Huai-hyung hasn’t been sleeping well lately. He just took some sleeping pills and has already gone to bed. If you have something to discuss, I’ll have him see you as soon as he wakes up, okay?”

“Oh, is that so?” Eun Chul-woo’s smile didn’t change. “It’s okay. Then we can talk tomorrow. It’s not very urgent.”

The two chatted awkwardly for a few sentences. Eun Chul-woo very considerately turned and left. Xiao Shi-yu, maintaining his smile, closed the door with a thumping heart and sent an urgent message to Qi Huai.

Qi Huai-hyung! Come back quickly! I’m scared!

Getting paid for doing nothing is really not easy!

Why do I have to lie to people too???

In some ways, Eun Chul-woo was very similar to Kim Min-kyung. For example, he would still be smiling even when he was angry. He looked gentle and handsome, indeed like an English gentleman. Even Kim Min-kyung couldn’t see through the storm hidden beneath his fake smile.

Kim Min-kyung stood at the door of his room, watching Eun Chul-woo walk towards him step by step, and said with a smile, “Where did our Chairman Eun go? To chat with Actor Qi? Did you have a good chat?”

Eun Chul-woo ignored him and went straight into the room and sat down.

“Chul-woo~”

Kim Min-kyung slammed the door and turned around with a smile. “Is our Chul-woo giving me the cold shoulder? Hmm? Want to choke me again? Are you unhappy just because I said Qi Huai’s name? Am I some kind of dirty thing?”

Eun Chul-woo suppressed his anger and smiled faintly. “You know I didn’t mean that. It’s just not convenient to talk in the hallway.”

“Oh~ is that so~”

Kim Min-kyung’s anger seemed to dissipate instantly. He walked over slowly and sat on the armrest of the sofa next to Eun Chul-woo, lifting his chin. “Chul-woo, our Actor Qi went out a few hours ago. You didn’t know, did you?”

“Is that so? How would I know? I’m not his assistant,” Eun Chul-woo said faintly. “Did you ask me here just to talk about this?”

“Of course not~”

Kim Min-kyung’s lips curled into a smile. He threw a set of key cards to Eun Chul-woo. “Father asked me to give this to you. He said your idea is very good, and he agreed. As long as you can handle it cleanly, he’s willing to help you this one time.”

The Go Eun-bin matter, which had been silent for many years, was suddenly brought up again. The various issues involved were enough to make a group of people in high positions tremble with fear. If there was a way to completely cut off this matter from the Yoon family, that would be great. Just as Kim Joo-hwan had originally said: no matter what the cost.

“Our Nam-hyuk is so pitiful~” Kim Min-kyung suddenly said.

“Heh, he’s pitiful?” Eun Chul-woo sneered. “Hasn’t he enjoyed enough? A mother who loved him with all her heart, a father who at least looked at him even if his character wasn’t great, a thriving company that’s number one in the industry, and now a lover who rushes back in a panic when he hears he’s injured. What more does he want? To be a god?”

“Chul-woo, you’re really jealous of him. Why is that?” Kim Min-kyung sat down on the sofa and tilted his head to look at him. “Ah! I know~ If you’re just jealous that Yoon Nam-hyuk has a lover, how about I be your lover?”

He smiled and pounced on Eun Chul-woo, hugging him. “If you get injured in the future, or if you need me for anything, I’ll rush over to see you in a panic too, okay?”

Eun Chul-woo smiled and pushed his hand away, shaking the key cards in his hand. “Min-kyung, I have something important to do. Can we talk about these flirtatious things after I get back?”

Kim Min-kyung squinted. “What… so cold. You’re not planning to abandon me after you’ve gotten in with my father, are you?”

Kim Joo-hwan, the Prosecutor General.

That was a man who could reach the presidency with a stretch of his hand.

If Kim Min-kyung’s father really wanted to be president, with his qualifications in the prosecution system and his relationship with the chaebol system, he would definitely need more useful confidants and pawns, right?

As for Kim Min-kyung, the famous Best Actor in the entertainment industry, the boss behind Heaven, he was just a pawn with a special bloodline and a little more power.

At least, that’s what Eun Chul-woo thought.

“Min-kyung, I’m just very nervous.” Eun Chul-woo sighed helplessly, trying to soothe his emotions. “This matter is very important. I made a big decision to do it. Isn’t this for you? I’m afraid Heaven will be implicated. Isn’t Park Seok-jin enough of a lesson for you?”

“Really?” Kim Min-kyung visibly brightened up. He hugged Eun Chul-woo’s neck affectionately and said, “Then I’ll wait for you to come back~ Be careful. Don’t leave any traces.”

“Mmm,” Eun Chul-woo smiled.

A person like Kim Min-kyung was very charming, whether he was acting spoiled or angry. He was a lover that ordinary people could only dream of. But for Eun Chul-woo, no matter how many times they slept together, no matter how comfortable and satisfying the process was, it was just a matter of each taking what they needed.

Feelings?

For someone who grew up in that kind of family, who had been in that position for so long, how many feelings could they have?

Just like some people, who don’t even know their own biological son has been swapped. Ah, of course, all children look similar. If it was a child they hadn’t even seen much of in the first place, then he would be even more of a stranger to the father, right?

Perhaps Qi Huai was right. It was difficult for people who interacted with each other wearing masks to develop feelings. Especially a lunatic like Kim Min-kyung, who acted on a whim, his mind full of semen. Eun Chul-woo simply didn’t believe he had such a thing as feelings. It was just possessiveness.

To be honest, when faced with a lunatic like Kim Min-kyung, Eun Chul-woo always thought of his adoptive father.

From the day he adopted him, he had dressed him in gorgeous, fluffy little dresses, making him live like a noble lady in an empty, lonely castle.

He was clearly a man, yet he had to wear puffy skirts and lace socks, apply bright red lipstick, and could only play with flower arrangements and dolls.

That man had dressed him up like a pet, taught him manners, and counted the days until he came of age, so he could pluck the “fruit of victory.”

And whenever he went to school, secretly changed into men’s clothes, or talked to boys, his adoptive father would be sarcastic and inexplicably angry, punishing him by making him recite poetry in a dress and not giving him food for three days in a row.

Was this liking? It probably was.

Was this possessiveness? It definitely was.

Was this love?

Absolutely not.

Kim Min-kyung is just like my adoptive father, Eun Chul-woo thought. A complete lunatic. But I’m very good at dealing with this kind of lunatic. After all, in all the years I was growing up, I spent almost all my energy thinking about how to make a pervert happy.

So Eun Chul-woo was very clear. Kim Min-kyung didn’t really like him. He liked the mask he had spent decades creating.

Min-kyung, Eun Chul-woo thought, I’m very grateful for your “liking,” but everyone wants freedom. If I have to live my life in fear at your beck and call, I’ll be very troubled too.

Of course, perhaps when I can stand shoulder to shoulder with you, you might hate me and dislike me instead.

Eun Chul-woo patted Kim Min-kyung’s arm and left with the key cards.

---

The Yoon family residence.

Lying in bed, Yoon Nam-hyuk tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Although he had just seen Qi Huai, hugged him, and kissed him, he started to miss him almost the moment he left.

Qi Huai is right, he thought. An injured person can’t do anything. If I hadn’t been injured, it wouldn’t have been Assistant Yoo who followed Yoon Nam-woo tonight.

He wanted to see who that blockhead Yoon Nam-woo, whose brain was smoother than a kimchi jar, was dealing with.

Knock, knock—

A knock on the door. Goo Ah-ra’s cautious voice came from outside. “Little brother-in-law? Are you awake?”

What is she here for?

Yoon Nam-hyuk was stunned. “Come in.”

Goo Ah-ra came in with a bowl of ginseng chicken soup, her smile awkward and fawning. “You’re awake? Does the wound still hurt?”

“It’s okay. What’s wrong?” Yoon Nam-hyuk’s attitude was lukewarm.

Goo Ah-ra smiled. “Something like this happened at the company, and you were injured. Father is very worried about your health. He said that if you’re awake, you should drink some ginseng chicken soup. It’s good for you.”

Yoon Nam-hyuk sneered. “Worried about my health? Are those his exact words? Is this the reason he suddenly took away my management rights and brought me home from the hospital when I was injured?”

Goo Ah-ra gave a dry laugh, very flustered. The usually quick-witted and sweet-tongued woman seemed to be at a loss for words today. Yoon Nam-hyuk had no intention of making things difficult for her. He sighed. “Just leave the soup. I’ll drink it later.”

“Okay. Drink it while it’s hot. I’ll come back to get the bowl later.”

Goo Ah-ra left. Yoon Nam-hyuk sat up in bed, staring at the bowl of chicken soup with a blank expression. He felt that something was wrong.

Although it was just a bowl of chicken soup, hadn’t Assistant Yoo said that both Yoon Tae-min and Yoon Nam-woo had gone out? When had his father become so concerned about him that he remembered to tell him to drink soup before he left?

He thought for a long time, and finally, enduring the dull pain of his wound, he got up, poured the entire bowl of soup into a bowl-shaped decoration on the bookshelf, covered it with a hardcover book, and put the soup bowl back on the bedside table.

It’s best if there’s nothing wrong with the soup, Yoon Nam-hyuk thought.

After an unknown amount of time, there was another knock on the door. Goo Ah-ra once again asked cautiously from the doorway, “Little brother-in-law, are you awake?”

The room was extremely quiet. No one answered her.

Goo Ah-ra let out a sigh of relief, but her heart was pounding. She sneakily pushed open the door, her hands covered with a tissue, quickly took the soup bowl, and then quickly closed the door and left.

After the door was closed, Yoon Nam-hyuk opened his eyes. He was extremely puzzled and couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “What is she trying to do?”

His original guess was that after Yoon Tae-min and Yoon Nam-woo had left, the woman had planned to drug him with the chicken soup, then come in and secretly search for some leverage on him.

After all, he knew all about her sordid relationship with Yoon Tae-min. If she wanted him to keep his mouth shut, she had to have something to threaten him with, so she could be more confident.

But she hadn’t done anything?

Was she really just here to deliver a bowl of soup?

Outside the door.

Goo Ah-ra, who was a bit out of breath from nervousness, sent a message: 「Yoon Nam-hyuk has already drunk the chicken soup and is sound asleep. I’ve also put the cup and soup bowl he used in the place you said. Who are you?!」

Damn it!

Where did this guy come from, to even know about my and Nam-woo’s plan against Woosan!

My husband is as useless as ever. I can’t even get through to him at such a tense moment. Aigoo, why did they make me drug Yoon Nam-hyuk???

「Got it.」 The other party replied.