"... I've just come back from my business trip at dawn, and then they just show up with a ing overload public display of affection. Can you imagine how I feel?"

Lu Han knows that the female in front of him doesn't pay any attention to his long rant, given that she has her hands full of cleaning supplies and that there are some attention-deprived toddlers tugging on her skirt and sleeves, but he really need to vent out his emotion before he explode. With Minseok and Hana out of the picture--they are the subjects of his complaints, after all--Lu Han is left with no other options but to pour it all on her.

When she doesn't give a respond, Lu Han starts to nag.

"Hyejung, you are listening to me, right?"

"Yes, I am, Lu Han," she answers monotonously without any hint of the slightest interest about what he was saying. Her hands are too busy scrubbing the floor while ignoring a little boy who almost cries because she doesn't even glance at him albeit his persistence to gain her attention.

Lies, Lu Han wants to yell at the younger woman, but he supposed that he should be satisfied because at the very least, she gives him a response, which means that she heard what he had said. Lu Han doesn't want to sound too pathetic, but he feels it is enough that someone actually pays attention to him.

Lu Han silently watches from his chair as Hyejung wipes her sweaty forehead with the back of her arm, not really caring that exact same arm has been dipped into a bucket full of water that has turned a little brown because she has used it to clean half of the room. He knows that her forehead will most definitely have some pimples breaking out tomorrow because her skin is just sensitive like that. Looking at her flawless, well-maintained, pale skin; clear, dark orbs; thin, pink lips coated in expensive, shimmering lip-gloss; black, ebony-like long tresses; and satin-dress that seems to worth a fortune, he feels that she looks out of place as she crouches on her knees to clean the floor of the run-down building.

Hyejung, as far as Lu Han has learnt, isn't made to do hard labors like this. She is one of those girls who grew up with learning big brand names as an alternative of alphabets and getting through etiquette classes as a substitute of play time with same-age children.

Hyejung doesn't even like children, not even the slightest bit, as seen by how she shuts another kid with her glare, making the said little girl in the verge of tears. Then what is she doing here, volunteering in a child-care center? The answer is easy--Lu Han thinks as he takes the two crying toddlers into his laps to comfort them--she is doing it because her parents demand her to. Heck, she is even keeping up with Lu Han and tolerating all of his antics because her parents told her so.

Choi Minwoo, Hyejung's father, is running for a chair in the parliament, again, in the upcoming election so all of his family members ought to be seen as angels to the community. One of it ways, of course, is through volunteer works and charity. Since Hyejung is in her early twenty, Minwoo thinks that it is best for her to show off her nurturing and motherly nature by giving a hand in this child care center every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and volunteering in a child cancer foundation every Saturdays. Lu Han doubt that Minwoo has an idea about her daughter's lack in interest toward children, a fact about her that Lu Han had learnt since the early days of his acquaintance with her.

Hyejung never complaints, though. In Lu Han's honest opinion, the woman is rather too obedient for her own good. She always complies with whatever her parents put her through without saying anything to stand her ground. It is almost as if she doesn't have any dreams and wishes of her own. But then again, Lu Han muses as he eyes her almost expressionless features facing the floor, maybe she doesn't have any of those anymore.

When Hyejung is finally done, she quickly cleans herself and attends the toddlers that have been begging her attention. She read them a story or two in her usual flat tone, the kind of voice that lulls children into sleeping rather than making them excited, before she leaves. Although she despised children, Lu Han knows that she is genuinely thoughtful about the kids in her care with her own cold and harsh way. Her unique way to show affection is what makes Lu Han feels that Hyejung is still somewhat human under all of her almost robotic obedience, her always-on poker face, and her often faked smiles.

"Thank you," Hyejung says as Lu Han and her walks out of the building.

"What for?" Lu Han inquires, pretending to be oblivious.

"Calming Dasom and Junsu," comes Hyejung's answer, short and concise, without any flowery words. Lu Han nods in response, not feeling that he needs to add any word to that.

"Anyway, why are you here?" Hyejung asks straight to the point as she knows that Lu Han is leading her to his car. He has told her chauffer to go home earlier, so that she is left with no other option but to get in a ride with Lu Han. Although they have been officially engaged for a year, he wouldn't suddenly appear to pick her up like this because both of them know that his heart lies somewhere else. Lu Han doesn't think that she minds it, though. After all, she is around him only because she is obliged to.

"Ah, yes. I want to get drunk tonight, so drive me home, okay?" Lu Han asks--more like commanding--as he opens the passenger door of his car for her. Hyejung pauses before she enters the car.

"Why?"

She clearly didn't listen to him.

"If you have been listening to what I was complaining before, you would know that Hana is now dating Minseok," Lu Han explains as airily as possible, despite of the uncomfortable gnawing in his heart because damn, she wasn't listening to him. Hyejung, the only one who usually listens to him, wasn't paying him attention.

"Oh."

Hyejung eyes widens in surprise. She steals a glance at him, clearly checking if he was okay with his own previous statement. Hyejung knows about how Hana's relationship may affect Lu Han since he has pretty much dump everything in his mind and heart to Hyejung. He needs an outlet and Hyejung is always there--whether she wants it or not--so he simply pour his heart out to her from time to time.

"Alright," Hyejung answers as she gets into her seat, "but I have to be home by midnight."

"But I wouldn't have passed out by then!" Lu Han protests while starting up the car.

"My father has a banquet tomorrow night, so my mother expects me to help her setting up everything for a whole day. Besides, you can't be hungover in the banquet, Lu Han," Hyejung explains calmly as her hands are busy with the seat belt.

Lu Han sighs. The reason why the Chois are so eager to offer their only daughter to the Lu family and force Hyejung to always put up with Lu Han is because the Lu is the main sponsor of Choi Minwoo's candidacy. If his family hasn't been so consistent with their funding to Minwoo's campaign, Lu Han doubt that Minwoo wouldn't use the banquet to sell Hyejung out to other families coming to the event.

Fortunately for Hyejung, Lu Han's mother is deeply enamored with her future daughter-in-law that she prevents her husband from funding other candidates and sticking with Minwoo instead. Therefore, the event would only be used by Minwoo to gain other investors' interest in his ideas and his family. His parents will be there and he is as sure as hell they will drag him along because if he isn't, then what kind of fiancé he is?

"Fine, midnight it is," Lu Han agrees as he drives into the main road.