1novels 58. Jealous
58. Jealous
They were separated, yet it felt like they hadn't. The atmosphere remained tender and lingering.
Bae Joo-hyun leaned lazily against Lee Kyung-sung, her fingertips lightly tracing the smooth muscles of his arm with a playful caress.
She looked up and met the deep affection in the man's eyes. Her heart softened, and a gentle smile spread across her face. She reached out and gently ruffled his hair, her voice soft yet tinged with a hint of coquettishness, "Stop fooling around. I need to go cook, or dinner will turn into a midnight snack again."
"Okay, I'll go help too." Lee Kyung-sung immediately agreed. Before Bae Joo-hyun could refuse, he bent down, picked her up, and walked briskly towards the kitchen. The person in his arms struggled gently but didn't actually push him away.
When she was put on the ground, Bae Joo-hyun proudly raised her head, her fair and slender neck stretching out a beautiful line. A mischievous smile appeared on her lips. "Who was it yesterday who couldn't even turn on the gas stove and still wanted to help? Just don't make things worse."
As she spoke, she gently pushed Li Jingcheng's chest with her hand, her tone carrying a hint of disdain, "Get out, get out, don't cause trouble here."
Lee Kyung-sung smiled helplessly. He really couldn't cook. Now that he was a part of Bae Joo-hyun's life and body, there was no need to be deliberately polite anymore. He turned and left as a matter of course.
He thought that having Bae Joo-hyun cook would also give her a sense of need for him, which would be better for her, or rather, give her a sense of security.
Li Jingcheng entered the living room and casually lay down on the soft sofa. His gaze fell on the Samsung TV that hadn't been turned on yet. Suddenly, he remembered the days when he was a child and would snuggle on the sofa with his mother to watch TV. A faint sense of nostalgia and emotion welled up in his heart.
This was the first time he had turned on the TV. Not knowing what channel to watch, he absentmindedly pressed buttons on the remote, flipping through the channels without any interest in them.
Instead, her gaze kept drifting uncontrollably toward the kitchen doorway, landing on the slender figure wearing an apron and busily working.
Li Jingcheng glanced at the TV for a couple of seconds, but his thoughts drifted back to the kitchen. The tender feeling in his heart grew stronger. He casually tossed the remote control onto the sofa, got up, and went back to the kitchen.
Bae Joo-hyun was busy preparing ingredients when she heard footsteps. Like a charming little cook, she waved her spatula, turned around, and smiled at him with her eyes crinkling. "What is it now? Didn't I tell you to wait outside?"
Li Jingcheng smiled with relief, circled around her, and said in a slightly coquettish tone, "It's nothing, just asking when we can eat? I'm so hungry."
Bae Joo-hyun rolled her eyes helplessly, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, "You don't look hungry at all. You're always so carefree, but you're definitely not lacking in lust."
Li Jingcheng raised his eyebrows confidently, as if to say, "It's all your fault. I'm full just from eating your mouth."
Upon hearing this, Bae Joo-hyun's cheeks instantly flushed crimson, and in a fit of embarrassment and anger, she picked up the shovel in her hand and struck him.
"I was wrong!"
Li Jingcheng was prepared and immediately dodged backward, begging for mercy as he ran, and quickly escaped back to the living room.
Actually, Bae Joo-hyun was just trying to scare him. Watching his fleeing figure, she couldn't hide the smile in her eyes. She shook her head helplessly and turned back to continue focusing on cooking.
She skillfully prepared the ingredients, first washing and draining the fresh greens, peeling and cutting the potatoes and carrots into even small pieces, and dicing the chicken breast. She then added a little cooking wine and light soy sauce, gently stirring with chopsticks. Next, she finely chopped the scallions, ginger, and garlic, and sliced the green peppers and onions into strips.
Fortunately, Chinese cooking tutorial videos are quite comprehensive.
Every movement was methodical. The stove was turned on, oil poured in, and once hot, the beaten eggs were poured in and stir-fried until golden and fluffy. Then, diced tomatoes were added, and the mixture was stir-fried over high heat to create a rich sauce. The aroma of tomato and egg stir-fry instantly filled the entire kitchen.
After watching for a short while, the image on the TV suddenly captivated Li Jingcheng's gaze.
On the screen, an MBC entertainment news anchor, with a professional and radiant smile, announced, "First, some big news—national heartthrob Lee Kyung-sung has officially signed with CJ Entertainment!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the screen cut to a press release photo of the signing ceremony, and the anchor added in a dramatic tone, "It is understood that the news of this signing has caused a sensation across the internet. According to industry insiders, in addition to CJ, several top film and television giants had already extended olive branches to Li Jingcheng, attempting to bring this suddenly emerging genius under their wing. However, CJ Entertainment, with its astonishing decision-making speed and generous treatment, took the lead in this talent war and successfully secured the exclusive signing rights for Li Jingcheng."
The scene then shifts to even more exciting news about his debut drama: "At the same time, CJ Entertainment officially announced that Lee Kyung-sung will star in the MBC Wednesday-Thursday drama 'The Moon Embracing the Sun,' playing the adult male lead—King Lee Hwon! Today, we officially released the official character photos of Lee Kyung-sung and female lead Han Ga-in, as well as behind-the-scenes footage of their first scene together."
The promotional photos on the screen are visually striking.
Lee Kyung-sung, dressed in a black royal robe, possessed sharp features yet a gentle heart hidden deep within his eyes. Beside him, Han Ga-in wore a simple white shrine maiden's outfit, her beauty ethereal and refined. As the two gazed at each other across the screen, a sense of destiny transcending social classes was palpable.
Immediately afterwards, a short clip of the scene rehearsing, lasting only a dozen seconds, began to play.
In the scene, Lee Kyung-sung, who plays Lee Hwon, first meets Yeon-woo in the forbidden library. With just a glance, he perfectly conveys the tension of that forbidden entanglement, leaving even Han Ga-in, who is standing next to him, looking amazed.
The scene then cut to a compilation of comments from netizens on various South Korean forums. The host read aloud, "Netizens' expectations have instantly skyrocketed. One netizen commented: 'Amazing! The quality of this promotional photo is absolutely stunning! Who dares say Lee Kyung-sung isn't worthy of this royal robe? This is Lee Hwon himself!'"
Some netizens commented: "I originally watched it for the younger version, but now I'm completely captivated by Li Jingcheng's adult version character photos. That gaze is killer!"
Some netizens even joked: "Han Ga-in's gaze towards him is strange, I'm totally shipping this couple, can't wait for the full episode to air!"
"He's very handsome."
Bae Joo-hyun then walked over with the stir-fried dishes, glanced casually at the TV, and praised it with a slight smile, her tone sounding indifferent.
After Bae Joo-hyun put the dishes down, Lee Kyung-sung smiled and reached out to pull her into his arms. He rested his chin on the top of her head, gently stroking her large head, and chuckled softly, "Really? Then why do I smell a sour odor?"
"I don't."
Bae Joo-hyun pressed against his chest, retorting in a muffled voice, but her ears were secretly blushing.
Perhaps this is why she hasn't offered him any congratulations since she walked in the door.
Perhaps it was the possessiveness unique to first love at work. Although I was happy for him, seeing my boyfriend on TV, about to play a couple with another woman, still brought a bittersweet feeling that I didn't want to admit.