Burning The House Of Cards: taking revenge on my billionaire family
Chapter 61 - 60. Do You Want To Eat Ramyeon?

Chapter 61: Chapter 60. Do You Want To Eat Ramyeon?

Sarah stared at the red soup glistening in oil with sprinkles of MSG infusion, lying on the table, with steam billowing. She had just eaten a spread of fancy dinner two hours before, but the savory spicy aroma already made her stomach rumble again.

Gulping loudly, Sarah shifted her gaze from the enticing bowl of ramyeon to the man who made it. "...why?"

Hajin had been very vocal about keeping her eating healthily--except when it came to sugar. While he didn’t do anything extreme like limiting her calory intake or giving her tasteless food--on the contrary, his cooking skill was so great that Sarah didn’t even realize she was eating ’healthy’ food--Hajin was very strict about stuff like sodium level and non-existent nutritional value.

Like ramyeon and other junk food.

And there were two bowls, which meant Hajin also made one for himself.

"Are we...celebrating something?"

Hajin laughed at his master’s dumbfounded expression. She even looked mildly suspicious, which was hilarious when it paired with how much she wanted to dig into the warm and spicy soup. He almost felt envious of the noodle, because Sarah never showed that much desire for him.

Almost.

"Well...if you go there, then I did catch you drunk around this time five years ago," Hajin smirked. "To be exact, eleven days later will be exactly five years since your first hangover."

"Ugh--don’t remind me of that," Sarah pursed her lips in annoyance. It was hateful to be reminded of her most embarrassing moment. "But you said it’s in eleven days, so what’s this?"

"It’s a special occasion."

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "What special occasion?"

Instead of an answer, Sarah was getting pulled by a strong hand around her waist. She put her hands against the sturdy chest and let out an involuntary little gasp. Hajin tilted his head slightly, lips hovering above hers. "What do you think?"

"You--" Sarah hit the chest in front of her eyes, although there was no strength behind the fist. She looked up with a frown and twisted lips. "...I didn’t give you permission."

"That’s why I’m stopping now," Hajin shrugged, eyes twinkling in joy that almost looked innocent--if it wasn’t for the hand around Sarah’s waist.

Sarah narrowed her eyes as his lips curled into a cheeky smile. Not because it was annoying, but because she realized how much nicer it was to have this cheeky Hajin instead of the tip-toeing, walking on an eggshell Hajin going around these past few days.

Ugh--feeling rather miffed by this revelation, Sarah grabbed the man’s shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. It was harder and deeper than the one they had earlier, sprinkled with more lust than affection.

Perhaps because she had been thinking about it during her bath, Sarah welcomed the action itself. She had no idea whether she would be willing to do it later, but she no longer minded indulging herself when her mind was soothed and able.

She even felt a slight disappointment when Hajin pulled away, ending the nice, mint-flavored kiss.

The man rubbed her glistening lips gently. "The soup will get cold, Master."

Sarah gasped. "We can’t have that!"

She immediately pushed Hajin back and sat down in front of the ramyeon, lifting the spoon and tasting the soup with sparkling eyes. Both Hajin and the kiss were already getting pushed to the background.

Hajin shook his head in exasperation, even though he was the one who ended the kiss and shifted her focus to the meal. Still, he smiled in satisfaction at the blooming rouge on her previously pale cheeks. They puffed as she blew the soup and slurped the noodles. With a chuckle, Hajin took a seat in front of his own, less spicy ramyeon.

Sarah almost sighed when she was flooded with dopamine from the warm, savory soup and the chewy noodles. It tasted even perfect than normal ramyeon because Hajin put in more ingredients to enhance the flavor.

Finding beef brisket and vegetables like a proper gourmet meal, Sarah raised her brows in curiosity. "But how do you get all of these stuff? We didn’t shop for groceries."

"I ordered some menu from the kitchen, but asked them to send the ingredients instead of the cooked meal," Hajin replied easily.

"They allowed that?"

"Master, they will allow anything coming from this floor," Hajin chuckled.

"Oh, you’re right!"

Well, except for drugs, since Yonghwa hated the stuff.

After decoding where the ingredients came from, Sarah returned her focus to her meal, enjoying it fully. It made Hajin ponder if there was some kind of drug inside that seasoning packet. But he also ate the same thing--minus the chili powder--and was not awed by the flavor.

Hmm...was this because he was brought up abroad?

"Oh, come to think of it..." Hajin paused after giving his assessment halfway through the meal. "I learn some sayings during my first year here."

"Yeah?" Sarah replied without lifting her face, busy stuffing her face with the food before it grew cold. "Laih whaf?"

Hajin said with a bright, innocent smile. "Do you want to come and eat ramyeon at my place?"

*cough*

For the first time in her life, Sarah finally knew how painful it was to choke on spicy stuff. She had to spend a minute coughing as her throat burned and tears streamed from her eyes.

"Be careful, Master."

Hajin gave her water and stroked her back soothingly, as if he didn’t just say something that almost killed her.

After saying he would protect her from anything! The cheek!

"Y-you--" Sarah glared at the man who finally returned to his seat, but she couldn’t find anything to say.

Who the hell taught him something like that, anyway?!

"It’s an interesting cultural awakening," the man said cheerfully as if he were an exchange student receiving enlightenment.

"Don’t learn useless things!" Sarah hissed.

Hajin tilted his head. "Is it?"

"Why? You’re going to go around asking people to eat your ramyeon?"

Sarah scowled at the man before realizing what it could bring upon herself, and pressed her lips indignantly. There were a few seconds of silence where Sarah spent regretting her own blunder, before Hajin broke it with a smile.

"Master, do you want to eat--"

"I’m going to throw this soup on your head," she glared, lifting the bowl threateningly.

"That would be a waste," Hajin pursed his lips, looking truly offended at the thought of his cooking ending up on the floor. "I made sure to put the whole packet of seasoning there."

"S-shut up!"

"Yes, Ma’am."

Sarah put her bowl to her lips instead, indulging on the soup made with a whole packet of seasoning. Hajin, in turn, enjoyed his noodles a little bit more than before.

After all, his master was no longer acting in front of him. She was back to being expressive and easily flustered with some teasing.

Ah...life is good again. He smiled in satisfaction. He determined to indulge Sarah for a few days, but...

Hajin sighed when Sarah was still behind her desk, even after the date had already changed. She had her face close to the laptop, and the printed data Hajin procured for her, going back and forth.

Indulgence was indulgence, but he couldn’t let his master damage her own health.

"Master, you shouldn’t stay up too late," Hajin held the girl’s shoulder, nudging gently.

"Mm..."

But all he got was a half-hearted mumbling. He wasn’t even sure Sarah heard him at all.

"It’s not good for your body, Master. You’ll get a headache tomorrow," he paused to look at the expensive watch Sarah bought her with the money from her family. "No, later today."

"Just a bit more, okay?" Sarah finally replied properly, although her eyes were still glued to the screen. "I won’t be able to sleep otherwise."

Hajin sighed. "Ten minutes."

Sarah looked up with a frown. "Thirty."

"Ten minutes."

"T-twenty five!"

The grey eyes were unyielding and merciless. "Ten. Minutes."

"Oh, come on!"

"Fifteen or I’ll take all of that away."

"Ugh--fine!"

Sarah returned to her screen while grumbling about how stingy her bodyguard was. Hajin thought he heard one or two curses in between, which only made him chuckle in amusement.

And exactly fifteen minutes later, Hajin pulled her away from the laptop and carried her to the bedroom. Naturally, Sarah threw a tantrum from her bodyguard’s embrace.

"Aah--no! What are you doing?"

"That’s enough, Master," Hajin said calmly. "Don’t damage your brain and body while you’re still young."

"Nggh..." Sarah puffed her cheeks in annoyance, but gave up on hitting the guy who clearly felt nothing from her punch. "Stingy! You stingy jerk!"

Or so she said, protesting vehemently. And yet, she fell asleep less than a minute after her head touched the pillow.

"Pfft--look at you," Hajin brushed the stray hair away from his master’s hair, making sure she could sleep comfortably. "You must have been so exhausted today, so why are you pushing yourself too much?"

It was only yesterday when they gave the data to Little Bird. She could just take a few days of rest while waiting for a result instead of looking for another crumb until so late at night.

"Is it because we only have until the end of winter?"

The grey eyes turned grim and stormy as Hajin recalled the deadline Sarah gave herself to Yonghwa. He whispered quietly to the night, wishing it wasn’t true.

"The day of your death?"