Flower Fiancé Chapter 48

‘Let me know the next schedule and I’ll tell you. If the same thing happens again, I’ll have no choice but to consider other options.’

At Chairman Choi’s heavily threatening words, Choi Moohyuk’s patience had reached its limit. Putting down the spoon in his hand, Choi Moohyuk pushed back his chair and stood up.

“Unfortunately, I won’t fall for the same threat twice.”

Choi Moohyuk looked at Chairman Choi, who was sitting across the long dining table calmly eating his meal, and continued.

‘You’ve always said to me, Chairman—that a person’s nature doesn’t change. The same goes for me. That blood doesn’t lie, does it? But…’

‘…’

‘When you touch my person again, things probably won’t be the same as now. I’m telling you this because I think you’d better remember it. I’ll take my leave first.’

As Choi Moohyuk slowly recalled what had happened with Chairman Choi, his expression hardened fiercely. Watching him, Ji Yeonwoo placed his hand on Choi Moohyuk’s thigh.

“Managing Director?”

Only then did Choi Moohyuk relax his expression and turn to look at Ji Yeonwoo.

“If it’s difficult, you don’t have to tell me.”

Ji Yeonwoo spoke with concern and took Choi Moohyuk’s hand.

“Your expression wasn’t good, so…”

Ji Yeonwoo’s own expression wasn’t good, worried that he might have asked an uncomfortable question. Choi Moohyuk reached his hand further, which had been toying with Ji Yeonwoo’s hair, and stroked his cheek.

“Hmm, it’s just… I’m going to ask you for a favor in a few days, Ji Yeonwoo.”

“What kind of favor?”

“The marigold bouquet you made last time.”

Hearing that, Ji Yeonwoo immediately recalled the day he first met Choi Moohyuk, when he’d bought a marigold bouquet on his way to a blind date.

“Can you make me one just like it? If possible, I’d like it made ugly.”

Only then did he understand why he’d said it might be upsetting to hear. And also why Choi Moohyuk was in conflict with his father.

Ji Yeonwoo tilted his head all the way back to look up at Choi Moohyuk.

“Making it for you isn’t difficult… but stop using my flowers for strange purposes.”

“Okay.”

Uncharacteristically for Ji Yeonwoo, his expression was full of discontent. Choi Moohyuk let out a soft chuckle as he looked at Ji Yeonwoo, who was as transparent as ever in showing his emotions. Glancing at Choi Moohyuk with reproachful eyes, Ji Yeonwoo turned over and lay the other way. Pulling the blanket all the way up to his neck, he looked thoroughly sulky.

“Are you going to sleep?”

“Yes.”

Half-buried under the blanket with his back to Choi Moohyuk, Ji Yeonwoo answered in a small voice. Choi Moohyuk looked at the round back of his head and reached out his hand.

“You promised you wouldn’t get angry.”

A flinch was transmitted through his fingertips as they touched the damp hair. Even knowing it was trembling, Choi Moohyuk didn’t withdraw his fingers from stroking Ji Yeonwoo’s hair.

“I’m not angry. It’s just…”

Ji Yeonwoo paused, then slowly turned back toward Choi Moohyuk. He took the hand that had been stroking his hair and brought it to his own cheek.

“It’s just, I was jealous. Even if it’s an unavoidable situation, I hate that you, Managing Director, are going on blind dates with other people.”

Choi Moohyuk’s hand was large and thick enough to almost cover Ji Yeonwoo’s entire face. Leaning his face against Choi Moohyuk’s hand, Ji Yeonwoo pressed his lips to the rough palm.

Watching quietly as Ji Yeonwoo did as he pleased, Choi Moohyuk let out a short breath the moment he saw that and leaned down.

Chup, chuuup.

Repeatedly pressing brief kisses onto Ji Yeonwoo’s light red lips and pulling back, Choi Moohyuk then lifted the hand that had been resting on Ji Yeonwoo’s cheek and covered his eyes.

“Managing Director…”

With his eyes covered, Ji Yeonwoo, unable to see, opened his mouth in confusion.

“I can’t see. Please move your hand. Okay?”

“…”

“Managing Director.”

Ji Yeonwoo flailed his hands, searching for Choi Moohyuk. Watching him, Choi Moohyuk’s face contorted. He didn’t want to become the same kind of person as that bastard Lee Hyunjoon, but seeing Ji Yeonwoo like this stirred up an inexplicable feeling from deep in his chest.

“Managing Direct— Hup!”

Choi Moohyuk grabbed both of Ji Yeonwoo’s flailing hands with one hand, pinned them above his head, and tilted his face down. Between their tightly pressed lips, their red tongues began to intertwine.

Late at night, Choi Moohyuk, having removed his upper garment, leaned back against the headboard. As if out of habit, the moment he put a cigarette in his mouth, he naturally opened his Zippo lighter and brought it toward the cigarette between his lips. Just as the flame was about to catch, click—he closed the lid and extinguished it.

Choi Moohyuk’s gaze turned to Ji Yeonwoo, who was sleeping beside him. Above the blanket, Ji Yeonwoo’s bare chest and neck were covered in mottled marks. There was even a bite mark on his chest. Still, considering that he’d held back to just leaving marks rather than penetrating, while Ji Yeonwoo had come in his hand several times, he wondered whether he should praise himself for being patient or say he’d done something unnecessary.

Gazing at Ji Yeonwoo, fast asleep, lost in thought, Choi Moohyuk eventually broke the cigarette in his mouth in half. Just as he thought he should leave before it got any later—

— Buzz, buzz.

Hearing the vibrating noise, Choi Moohyuk turned his head. The vibrating phone wasn’t his—it was Ji Yeonwoo’s.

At this hour?

Feeling an inexplicable unease, Choi Moohyuk furrowed his brows. Climbing back onto the bed, he reached out and picked up Ji Yeonwoo’s phone.

It was an unsaved number, the phone number fully displayed.

Frowning at the phone persistently vibrating in his hand, Choi Moohyuk pressed the call button with his thumb.

[Hah, you finally answered. Yeonwoo, did you think I wouldn’t be able to reach you just because you blocked my number?]

As soon as he put the phone to his ear, the other party spewed vulgar curses and abusive language.

[I told you to answer the phone. Or did you miss my face that much?]

Choi Moohyuk leaned back against the headboard and just listened to whatever nonsense was being spouted.

[You’ve changed a lot. You used to not know how to do anything—did you become a real fox? Know how to make people anxious too?]

At this rate, it was practically stalking. If he reported it right now, it would only be a matter of time before he was caught by the police, but he didn’t want to let him off with such an easy legal punishment. Above all, just thinking about Ji Yeonwoo hearing this made his blood boil, his neck tensing up.

[Did you think I wouldn’t know if you hid? I already know what you’re doing and where you—]

No. Should I just kill this bastard? As he exhaled and ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek, Lee Hyunjoon, who had been ranting without reading the room, fell silent.

[What. You’re not Ji Yeonwoo.]

Took you long enough to figure that out. Choi Moohyuk let out a dry laugh and twisted one corner of his lips.

[Who the hell are you.]

Only now sensing something wrong, Lee Hyunjoon’s voice was full of wariness.

“That’s none of your business.”

[What the fuck, who the hell are you to be next to Ji Yeonwoo at this hour—]

His gaze sharpening, Choi Moohyuk reached out and stroked the hair of Ji Yeonwoo, who was sleeping right next to him. His hand was gentle as it touched his hair, but the voice that came from his mouth was low and threatening.

“Watch your mouth. Before I tear it apart.”

As the pain and loneliness he’d seen in Ji Yeonwoo’s diary, and Ji Yeonwoo’s words that he couldn’t even remember writing that diary in his right mind, flashed through his mind, his blood ran cold.

[What? Tear what apart?]

“Say that again?”

[Hah, you’re completely insane? Do you know who I am?]

If he’d been right in front of him, tearing his mouth apart wouldn’t have been enough, but Lee Hyunjoon still couldn’t read the room and kept running his mouth.

In front of him, he couldn’t even say a single word properly, but behind the scenes, he sure could talk. Letting out a dry laugh at the absurdity, Choi Moohyuk finally opened his mouth.

“Seems like you’re doing this without even knowing who I am?”

[…!]

“So watch your mouth. Mr. Lee.”

Lee Hyunjoon, who had been running his mouth nonstop, fell silent like a mute the moment he heard his own name. The ragged breathing heard through the phone suggested he was quite flustered.

“I’m telling you this in case you’re mistaken—I haven’t been sitting still because I don’t know what you’ve done.”