Treating as many trees as possible within the time limit was the task. Lee-yeon, after coming into the closed town for the second test, glared at Kwon Chae-woo with her lips all swollen.
The messiness of the town reflected how she felt. It was almost summer. Â Lee-yeon wore a jumpsuit and stomped away.
âWho forgot to tell me in 24 hours, Lee-yeon?â
âI said itâll only be overnight!â
âOutdoor camping in the middle of the mountain. Sleeping on a plank at the bottom part of the mountain slideââ The judge could be heard from afar.
Kwon Chae-woo composed himself while he listened to the judge. It seemed like he prefers beating the crap out of thugs than the prospect of Lee-yeon sleeping outdoors for a night.
She was annoyed at the man looking after her like a mother hen, but she also wanted to laugh. She didnât know how to react. She wasnât familiar with receiving such attention.
The opponent was Me Tree Hospital.
She didnât like that she had to leave Choo-ja behind, but she had no regrets. Since the drug farm incident, she didnât leave Kwon Chae-woo on the hospital bed. Lee-yeon had prepped him for this day. So, he wonât have much trouble assisting her.
Lee-yeon stopped in her tracks. A familiar face in the Me Tree Hospital team made her bite the insides of her lips.
Director Jo Kyung-cheonâŠ
He was her former boss.
What was more troubling was his name was on the thugâs phone, who was maintaining the drug farm. But the investigation became a farce and the only answer she received whenever she visited the D hospital was that the director wasnât there.
She had almost given upâŠ
He approached her with a smile. âLee-yeon.â
The first person to react to his voice was Kwon Chae-woo. He wrapped his arm around her waist, protectively, and glared at the man. Jo Kyung-cheon looked away from him after a while.
âI heard youâve been looking for me?â
âWhat are you doing in Hwaido?â Lee-yeon lowered her voice and glared at him coldly. âIt better not be what I think it is.â
âLee-yeon, I was the first to bring you here.â
She frowned at the random chatter. She knew what Jo Kyung-cheon was talking about. He probably meant the time she came to Hwaido for a business trip not long after she got hired at his tree hospital.
Jo Kyung-cheon stared impassively at Lee-yeon, who kept her mouth shut. He just remembered the conversation he had with Executive Kwon.
âHow is the plan coming along?â
âItâs going smoothly.â
âYou should make sure no one finds out about that rare plant.â
âIâll keep that in mind.â
If she didnât find that plant, everything would have been betterâŠÂ Jo Kyung-cheonâs face darkened. Seven years ago, something rare was discovered in a swamp at Hwaido. During the training, Lee-yeon had taken a wrong turn into the swamp and Jo Kyung-cheon had benefited from it.
It was a type of plant that wasnât even known to the world yet. It had no name. But a rumor of a rare plant started originating. There was an incident where it was uprooted from its roots, and it suddenly disappeared. It was the Kwon familyâs doing.
And a few years later, the researchers who studied the plant disappeared. He had used Hwang Jo-yoonâs behavior as an excuse to kick So Lee-yeon out of the hospital. He had no idea that she would settle in Hwaido.
Jo Kyung-cheon took a step forward towards her with mixed feelings. âLee-yeon.â
âStop there.â Kwon Chae-woo stopped him.
As the two men glared at each other, Lee-yeon bit her tongue in anticipation.
âThis is my husband,â said Lee-yeon as a way of introduction.
âWhat?!â Jo Kyung-cheon was surprised. Director Jo felt that there were many flaws in Lee-yeon from the time she worked in his hospital, so he was shocked to hear that she was now wed.
âLee-yeon, canât you stop here?â Jo Kyung-cheon boldly asked her.
âStop what?â
âHwaidome.â
âAre you asking me to forfeit? Why should I?â
Jo Kyung-cheon realized that she didnât know anything. As he walked past her, he whispered, âYou keep your mouth shut if you donât want to die.â
ââŠâ
Only Lee-yeon could hear him. But there was no way Kwon Chae-woo wouldnât have noticed with those sensitive ears of his.
He was about to lunge at the director when Lee-yeon hurriedly tugged at his sleeve. She shook her head and Kwon Chae-woo frowned, but he calmed down.
Lee-yeon stared blankly at the spot where Jo Kyung-cheon had been standing. She couldnât tell if that was a threat or a warning.