Reboot the heyday

"What, are you not satisfied with what I just said?" Wang Taika asked.

Han Chae-young shook her head: "No, it's fine, it's fine. It's just that I don't think I've ever heard you say something like that before."

Wang Taika said, "It's my fault. I should have said it earlier."

Han Chae-young shook her head again and said, "I chose this path myself, and I adjusted my mood myself. I'm doing very well now, really. It's just that people are always greedy. Once they have stability, they want a little excitement; once they have respect, they want a little special attention."

Wang Taika understands this feeling because he feels the same way, becoming increasingly greedy. At first, they might have just wanted to know each other's names.

Han Chae-young pursed her lips: "Yeah, that's fine too. Let's find a quiet place, without worrying about any rules or procedures, just us making the decisions. We can wear the wedding dresses we want, say our own 'I do,' exchange rings, have a meal, and that will be a kind of witness."

Wang Taika sighed, "Forget it, you'd better not say anything more. It sounds so shabby to me. How about we forget it and I'll think of a way to make it more impressive later?"

"No, it's not shabby!" Han Chae-young immediately denied, her voice a little urgent, her eyes visibly reddening.

It wasn't that Han Chae-young felt it was shabby; in fact, she was incredibly surprised and touched by how thoughtful Wang Tai-ka had perfectly addressed all her hidden hopes, thus resolving her practical concerns.

After all, she was a woman, and she longed for that solemn ceremony of recognition, even though she knew he couldn't give her a glamorous public display.

"Cannot" and "don't want to" are not the same concept.

Perhaps this private wedding, just for the two of them, perfectly resolved this contradiction. It didn't involve anyone else in his complex network of relationships; it was simply a confirmation between him and her.

“Wang Taika, you always manage to pull this on just when I think I’ve figured you out.” Han Chae-young stared at Wang Taika.

Wang Taika wanted to hug her, but Han Chae-young refused: "No, I want to see you properly. If I hug you, I won't be able to see your expression."

“Okay, you’re starting to follow my train of thought.” Wang Taika laughed. “Anyway, I’ll take care of this. You just need to decide what to wear and who to invite. Keep the number of people strictly controlled and don’t make it complicated. I’ll think of a location.”

Han Chae-young leaned on Wang Tai-ka's shoulder, tears silently streaming down her face, soaking the fabric of his shirt. Not wanting Wang Tai-ka to notice, she quietly wiped her tears away on his shoulder before looking up, her eyes and nose still red.

Then, Han Chae-young flashed an unprecedented, bright, and slightly shy smile, which was absolutely stunning.

“I’m not inviting anyone, but I’m going to wear the most expensive and best wedding dress.” Han Chae-young paused, then added, “Or call him President Jang Haiyang. After all, that bastard is the one who started this ridiculous relationship of ours. He should see what kind of mess he’s made and how it turned out.”

Wang Taika was both amused and exasperated: "Why does this seem like revenge?"

"It's revenge, isn't it? After the ceremony, even if I slap him, he won't dare to fight back, right?" Han Chae-young asked innocently.

Wang Taika chuckled softly: "Okay, you can actually hit me now."

Han Chaeyoung stood up and straightened Wang Taika's collar, which wasn't actually messy, her movements much more natural and intimate: "From now on, can you call me 'Noona'? Just, Chaeyoung Noona, referring only to me. Is that okay?"

What a humble request.

“Okay,” Wang Taika said. “Chaeyoung Noona, is that right?”

Han Chae-young was very happy: "You have to keep calling out, even at night, you have to keep calling out."

"I, uh, this is fine too." Wang Taika said, both amused and exasperated.

Perhaps a sense of security doesn't necessarily require constant physical contact or sweet words. Sometimes, a solemn promise and ritual made solely for one person, even if kept secret, can touch the heart more deeply.

"Then I'll be going, I won't bother you anymore. You kept checking the time, you must have something on your mind," Han Chae-young said with a slight smile. "But you haven't checked it for a while, you probably forgot about it, that's why I believed you were serious just now." Wang Taika had indeed forgotten about Quan Meng'er.

But now that things have come to this, does Quan Meng'er's side still matter? I've broken my promise; I'll let her eat wherever she wants, I can't control her.

"Wait a moment." Wang Taika took out his phone and called Quan Meng'er's supervisor: "Something came up, please have her go back."

"Ah? Mr. Wang, we've already arrived. Um, okay, I'll handle it. You're busy." The person in charge said helplessly.

Wang Taika put down his phone, then suddenly paused, saying, "Hey, where were we? I was about to get sentimental when the phone call interrupted me."

Han Chae-young liked Wang Tai-ka's attitude just now and said with a smile, "It seems like you just said that you promised to give me a proper farewell, or rather, a marriage proposal, since that's something that needs to be done before the wedding."

Wang Taika laughed in exasperation: "It seems you've always been suppressing your true personality in front of me. I didn't know you had such a mischievous side. Although I've forgotten where we were just talking, we definitely didn't discuss this topic."

Han Chae-young shook her shoulders: "Hey, keep going, I want to hear it."

“Alright, I’ll let you have your way with your sweet talk.” Wang Taika approached Han Chaeyoung and said solemnly, “Han Chaeyoung, listen carefully. No matter how we started, you’re here now, by my side. From now on, you’ll have one identity: you’re mine. I know you’re feeling insecure, so I’m making you a promise.”

"I promise, as long as you don't say you want to leave, I won't let you go. This isn't out of guilt, but because you've become a part of my life. I've gotten used to having you around, used to you sitting there quietly. I may not be able to give you that kind of passionate, dramatic love."

Wang Taika's eyes dimmed for a moment as he subconsciously thought of that person from the function, but he quickly regained his clarity.

"But what I can give you is a real promise of 'I will not leave.' Your place is right here, no one can move it, and you don't need to bother competing with anyone. The kind of relationship you want doesn't need to be created by having children, but rather we can try to get closer to each other. Not just at night, not just in bed, but also during the day, eating many meals together, chatting about many trivial things, or just staying together without saying anything."

Han Chae-young looked up, afraid to look, lest tears fall.

Wang Taika was indeed reluctant to part with Han Chae-young, which is why he said those things. These sentimental words wouldn't be sentimental if they were said to someone who loves you.

“I admit, I can be a jerk sometimes. I might not be able to shake that subconscious tendency with you anytime soon, and I might not know how to get along with you after a while. But you can remind me. Like today, just say it directly, no need to test me.”

Han Chae-young bit her lip, her eyes stinging; she hadn't cried like this in a long time. Looking at the face so close to hers, a face that could be cold and ruthless at times, yet now filled with seriousness, Han Chae-young suddenly realized that perhaps she had never truly understood this man. But now, he was willing to reveal a corner of himself to her, clumsily trying to mend the insecurity he had caused.

That's enough. For her, who has experienced the harsh realities of life and no longer yearns for fairy tales, this honesty and promise not to leave are more reassuring than any sweet words.

Han Chae-young grasped his hand in return and nodded vigorously. Tears were still flowing, but a tearful smile finally appeared on her lips.

"I'm leaving. No matter what, I need to sort out my emotions on my own." Han Chae-young stood up. "No matter how moved I am, I can't keep crying, or I'll get wrinkles."

Wang Taika laughed: "Okay, that's a very sound reason."

Han Chae-young kissed Wang Tai-ka, then let out a long sigh, took out her sunglasses, put them on, and left.

The office fell silent again. Wang Taika sat back in his chair, staring thoughtfully at the last bit of ginseng chicken soup.

He really should reflect on his actions. Because of his initial guilt, he had always taken a near-domesticated approach to Han Chae-young, providing her with material protection but closing off any emotional connection. He thought he was giving her freedom and dignity, but in reality, it was a more cruel form of alienation.

So it's good that she brought this up today.

Wait a minute, is everything alright now? Wang Taika realized what was happening and picked up his phone to make another call: "Um, I'm fine now. Bring Quan Meng'er over."

Before the person in charge could even speak, Quan Meng'er's hysterical screams could already be heard on the phone! (End of Chapter)