Chapter Eight: Sweetness Is...

With just one day left before returning home, Rachel Liu felt that since she had come all the way to China, she ought to visit at least one famous site. No matter what, she should see something memorable. She shared her thoughts with Ji-eun Han and Ruiying Yin, and the three of them searched online before deciding to climb the Great Wall.

Ruiying Yin changed into sneakers and a simple athletic outfit. Looking at her well-prepared gear, she seemed nothing like someone who had come here with tragic intentions. After all, what kind of person would go abroad just to end it all?

As the three of them were about to set out, Myung-hyuk Ryu called Ruiying to inform her that he had a flight back to Seoul at three in the afternoon. He was in town for business and didn’t have much time to stay. Ruiying felt that since he had helped her, she couldn’t just say a simple goodbye and leave it at that.

She looked apologetically at her two new friends, but Ji-eun Han graciously insisted that their benefactor was more important. Ruiying still didn’t know that it was Rachel Liu and Won Kim who had saved her, and Rachel had no intention of mentioning it; after all, such awkward matters were best forgotten.

So, the party heading to the Great Wall was reduced to two, but fortunately, both Young-jae Lee and Won Kim joined them. The two men were there to see Myung-hyuk off. Young-jae Lee seemed as indifferent to Myung-hyuk as ever, something Rachel had noticed long ago, but since they weren’t close, she never asked about it.

Seeing Ruiying dressed in sporty attire, with Rachel and Ji-eun also in casual clothes, Myung-hyuk insisted they shouldn’t see him off and should go have fun instead. But Ruiying was determined, and he didn’t protest further. Won Kim stepped in, suggesting, “Young-jae and I can accompany them.”

And so, Young-jae Lee followed Rachel and Ji-eun to the Great Wall, though not without some reluctance.

Apart from the Great Wall, Beijing had another trait common to every Chinese city: crowds. The four of them squeezed among the throngs ascending the Wall. To be honest, it was a novel experience for Rachel. Her previous travels had always been along the routes her mother planned—dull and predictable. Though the sun was blazing, she was thoroughly enjoying herself and even bought a Great Wall ashtray as a souvenir.

Somehow, in the midst of their adventure, Young-jae Lee and Ji-eun Han disappeared, leaving Rachel with only Won Kim by her side. With her DSLR slung over her shoulder, Rachel turned to him and said, “Oppa, let’s make some memories together!”

Today, Won Kim had traded his usual suit for comfortable casual wear. The two of them genuinely looked like a young couple out sightseeing. Even if they weren’t, the atmosphere alone was enough to cast such an impression.

Won took photos of Rachel with the DSLR. Standing out in the crowd, she looked striking—beautiful even in her simple attire, impossible not to notice. She smiled with genuine delight, happy even when strangers recognized her as a foreigner and asked for photos together—quite unlike her former aloof self. It was as if she had shed her heavy armor to reveal her purest self.

Won took many candid shots of her, each one beautiful. Rachel also took photos of him, though she regretted that, since they had lost track of Young-jae and Ji-eun, they couldn’t get a group photo of all four.

By the time they headed back, it was already afternoon. Rachel’s legs were so sore she could hardly walk—she rarely exercised, and on the descent, her legs trembled. At one point, her knees buckled, and she nearly fell, but Won was there to steady her.

“Are your feet hurting?” Won asked, frowning. Though he now carried both her backpack and the DSLR, the delicate young lady was still exhausted.

With a sigh, he led her to a quieter spot, slung the camera around his neck, held her bag, and crouched down. “Hop on.”

Rachel didn’t hesitate—she climbed on at once. She was truly exhausted; the Great Wall had earned its reputation.

The sun had already set, yet the warm breeze still tinged her cheeks with red. Rachel felt a bit nervous. If the last time she’d lost her shoe had been a matter of necessity, this time, there was an undeniable hint of intimacy. Even though she knew there were no romantic feelings between them, the mere presence of the opposite sex and the stir of hormones made both their hearts beat faster.

Step by step, they descended from the Great Wall. Won’s own legs began to tremble, and he was surprised by his own endurance. Luckily, they were on a wide stretch; otherwise, he would have been mortified to carry her like this.

At the foot of the mountain, Ji-eun Han was munching on corn while Young-jae Lee, sunglasses on, was bickering with her. The two seemed incapable of stopping their quarrels.

But when they saw Won carrying Rachel, both fell silent.

After a moment, Young-jae remarked, “Something’s off here—this looks like a romantic development to me.”

Ji-eun looked puzzled. “Shouldn’t they be together?”

Wasn’t this the textbook story of mutual affection?

Young-jae shook his head. “You don’t understand.” This was the year’s biggest drama, spanning themes of family, tragic love, brotherly bonds, and more.

Ji-eun called out to them, and Won walked over with Rachel, who, feeling embarrassed, tapped his shoulder to let her down. Won obliged, crouching to catch his breath, thinking he’d better start working out if he wanted to carry girls like this in the future.

Sweat stung his eyes, and just as he blinked in discomfort, someone handed him a tissue.

Rachel, naturally embarrassed, didn’t dare wipe his sweat herself. She felt that her relationship with Won had grown a bit too intimate these days; it was better to rein it in.

By the time they returned to the hotel, it was around nine-thirty at night. After showering, Rachel uploaded all the photos to her private blog—she hadn’t brought a USB drive and didn’t want to risk losing them.

Unfortunately, this allowed her mother, Esther, president of RS International, to see them all.

At that moment, Esther was out shopping and having a late-night snack with Chi-sook Jung. They chatted about Won Kim and Tan Kim—Esther even made a symbolic mention of Rachel and Tan’s potential engagement. While Chi-sook stepped out to take a call, Esther went online on her phone and stumbled upon the photos Rachel had just uploaded.

There were 259 pictures in total—roughly half of them of Rachel, the other half of… Won Kim.

Esther immediately sensed that something was amiss.

Rachel had no idea her mother knew the address of her blog, so she’d used it as a temporary storage site. While she sorted through the pictures, Ji-eun finished changing and blow-drying her hair. Her outfit was crisp, and her slightly askew ponytail made her look especially charming. Truly, clothes make the person—Ji-eun’s transformation left Young-jae Lee momentarily stunned.

He had to admit, she was a bit stunning.

“Are you going out?” Rachel, unusually, took the initiative to ask.

Ji-eun blushed. “Um… Young-jae… wants to meet up.”

…She was already calling him by his first name.

Truth be told, Young-jae had an easy charm, and he and Ji-eun made a good match. They never seemed to run out of things to talk about, and Ji-eun clearly had a soft spot for his type.

No sooner had Ji-eun stepped out than Won called Rachel, inviting her out for a late-night snack.

After coming down from the Great Wall, Rachel had fallen asleep in the car. The hotpot they’d had for lunch was long digested, and she was really hungry.

They decided to keep it simple—hotel snacks were decent, and they were too exhausted to go out.

“How about sweet rice dumplings?” Won had changed into a plain white T-shirt and light-colored cotton pants, which suited his tall, well-built frame and gave him a surprisingly homely look.

Rachel smiled. “Sounds good~”

She had barely agreed when her phone rang.

Esther, her mother, called angrily, “Tan said you’re not in America. Where are you?”

Rachel’s heart skipped a beat.

When she’d first arrived in Beijing, she had texted her mother to say she’d be traveling for a while, but she hadn’t mentioned Beijing specifically—she knew if she did, she’d be summoned home immediately.

But now… it seemed there was no hiding it.

“I’m in China.”

There was a pause, then Esther’s tone grew sharper. “Give me your address. I’ll have a friend pick you up.”

“Mom!” Rachel protested, but couldn’t reveal that she was with Won—that would only lead to more questions. “Can’t I just travel alone?”

“You’re only seventeen. I’m your guardian,” Esther said firmly, then hung up.

The busy signal in her ear left Rachel momentarily crestfallen. Fixing her relationship with her mother was proving impossible.

“Oppa, I’m sorry.” Her face fell from joy to sadness. Won, sitting so close, had overheard Esther’s words.

He reached out, gently patting her head with a hint of affection. “It’s all right.”