“Those two look so good together. It’s nice to see.”
The woman with a large white brooch pinned to her chest was a long-time VIP of Phantom and an ardent fan of Liu’s mother, Suki Kim.
“CEO Liu looks like he’s doing better now, doesn’t he?”
“I know. He used to be so healthy, but for a while, he was a complete mess.”
“No. His face is still haggard, what are you talking about. He’s thinner than before.”
Some agreed with her, while others disagreed. The woman with the white brooch shook her head, her eyes fixed on Liu.
“Compare him to when he came back from New York. He was like a ghost back then. Isn’t that right, Director Han?”
At the sound of his name, Director Han finally turned to look at Liu inside the exhibition hall.
Liu, who had been holed up in the New York apartment he had redecorated to live in with Yeehyeon, had returned to Seoul at the beginning of the year.
At the time, he had literally looked like a wreck. Everyone around him was so shocked that they couldn’t bring themselves to ask him anything.
Liu decided he was in no state to appear before his clients. Director Han had agreed. After all, Liu Weikun was the symbol of Phantom. Not only his background, but the appeal of his confident and beautiful appearance to the clients was an effect that couldn’t be ignored.
Liu had secluded himself for about a month before he could finally show his face to the clients again.
To the concerned long-time VIPs, he had made the excuse that the cancellation of the New York branch opening had created a lot of headaches, and he had been busy resolving them.
After his return, he seemed to devote himself to work as usual. He often stared blankly out the window, and the number of times he socialized with people had noticeably decreased, but at least he no longer looked like a wreck. It seemed he was slowly recovering his past life. At least, that’s how it looked on the outside.
The way he was handling a client now was no different.
Judging by his somewhat stiff expression and rigid posture, Liu seemed to be aware of the other person’s interest in him and was showing a clear sign of rejection. To Director Han, who had known Liu for a long time, it didn’t look like things were going well between them at all. The VIP clients’ hopes would likely remain just that—hopes.
Other than that, there were no longer any signs of him being unstable or so lost in his own world that he couldn’t function in society.
Director Han turned back toward the group and conceded.
“That’s right. When he first came back from New York… I was truly shocked back then, too.”
“See? I wonder how much weight he lost. I almost didn’t recognize him at first.”
Having received Director Han’s agreement, the woman with the white brooch wore a triumphant expression. Another VIP client, a man in horn-rimmed glasses, grumbled jokingly.
“But even looking so gaunt, CEO Liu is still just as handsome. The world is so unfair.”
Laughter of agreement erupted from here and there.
Pretending to sip his champagne, Director Han observed Liu a little more.
As the clients said, he looked like he was doing better. He seemed to have shaken off all the shadows that had clung so heavily to him when he returned from New York.
Has he really decided to forget Seo Yeehyeon now?
It seemed unlikely.
Liu’s yearning for Seo Yeehyeon was more than just rational excitement, attraction, or a sexual impulse driven by pheromones.
He loved the world of Seo Yeehyeon’s art, was the most ardent fan of that world, and almost revered the man Seo Yeehyeon himself.
Yeehyeon’s gentleness and the firm will quietly rooted within it, his perseverance in trying to rise above his wounds—Liu had clearly been moved by all of it. He had fallen for the inner beauty of the man, Seo Yeehyeon.
That kind of love cannot be washed away. It cannot be replaced by anyone else.
It wasn’t a love that happened to blossom with someone who was just there; it was a love that happened because it was that person.
“Director Han, is CEO v really not seeing anyone?”
The woman with the white brooch asked, her voice lowered conspiratorially. Director Han could only reply with a vague smile.
“Haha… As far as I know, he isn’t, but who can know what’s on his mind?”
“People must not leave him alone, but I’ve never heard anything about him dating someone. Look over there, Mr. Jeongmin is hitting on CEO Liu right now, isn’t he? Am I right?”
When the woman with the white brooch nudged her, the person next to her also glanced toward Liu and nodded.
“Of course, anyone can see he’s making a move. Why else would Mr. Jeongmin be buying up so many paintings?”
“Please don’t say such things. I’m sure he purchased them because he liked the artwork.”
Feeling the conversation was heading in a very strange direction, Director Han responded rather firmly. Bizarre rumors were bound to start at gatherings like this.
Mr. Jeongmin is making a move on Phantom’s CEO Liu. CEO Liu doesn’t seem to mind. The two of them are dating. Mr. Jeongmin went to meet CEO Liu’s family… Rumors could swell up in an instant.
“Or maybe CEO Liu has someone hidden away overseas?”
This time, the man with the horn-rimmed glasses spoke up. The private life of a golden alpha with good looks and an excellent background was bound to be a topic of interest for high society.
“It doesn’t make sense for a man that respectable to not have a partner. There are no rumors about him seeing anyone, either. So it must be someone overseas. And you know… I saw CEO Liu at the airport a little while ago.”
“At the airport?”
This time, it was Director Han who showed interest first. He shared all of Liu’s important schedules, even for work, but he hadn’t heard anything about a recent trip abroad.
“Was it two weeks ago? I went to Hawaii two weeks ago, right?”
“That’s right. It was the day my kid came back to Korea, so I remember.”
“Right, that day. The weekend two weeks ago. I saw CEO Liu at the airport.”
After confirming his departure date with the acquaintance beside him, the man in horn-rimmed glasses, excited by the focused attention, chattered on.
“I was going to say hello since it was nice to see him, but he hurried into the gate. I saw his destination was Paris.”
“……”
Draining the last of the champagne in his glass, Director Han glanced back at Liu.
Two weeks ago was when he and Choi Inwoo had tried to drag Liu out of his house to play tennis, just the three of them. Liu had definitely refused with an annoyed look on his face.
‘What’s the point of tennis with three people instead of four? I’m so tired lately. I’m going to sleep all weekend.’
And after saying that, a flight to Paris…
He wouldn’t have gone to spend time with Yeehyeon. If the two had decided to get back together, there would be no reason to keep it a secret.
But if he had boarded a flight to Paris for another reason, there was no need to keep that a secret either. Liu always gave him a heads-up about long-distance travel, just in case an emergency arose at Phantom.
What is it? Why is that man being so secretive lately?
“CEO RLiuyu, Mr. Jeongmin! Come on over! Mingle with us!”
The woman with the white brooch called to the two men, waving her hand grandly. Liu, who had turned to look their way, approached with a gentle smile.
“Do you have enough champagne? Shall I have them bring out some more?”
The people hurriedly stopped Liu as he was about to call over the on-site catering staff.
“We’ve already had plenty. Are you trying to get us drunk?”
“There’s still some left in the ice bucket, CEO Liu.”
“Here, you two have a glass as well.”
The woman with the white brooch personally stepped forward to fill the glasses of Liu and the man named Jeongmin.
“What were you two talking about so seriously? You both looked so intense.”
“I’ve been expanding my collection lately. I was asking the CEO for some advice.”
Judging by Liu’s attitude, he had clearly rejected the man’s advances, yet Jeongmin didn’t seem the least bit discouraged.
Director Han discreetly studied Liu’s expression. He had taken a seat not next to Jeongmin, but across from him. It was a clear attempt to create distance. Moreover, he was paying no attention to Jeongmin’s conversation and was instead tending to the other clients. Not with any particular coldness, but naturally, like flowing water.
Receiving advances was as common as breathing for Liu. So it was only natural that he would become an expert at rejecting them.
“Oh, speaking of which, I heard the artist Seo Yeehyeon released a new work.”
It all happened in an instant.
“Oh my! Are you all right, CEO Liu?”
“Ah… I’m fine. Did I startle you?”
At an unexpected moment, someone had brought up the name Seo Yeehyeon, and it had paralyzed Liu Weikun. He had just been lifting his glass from the table, but his hand missed, knocking it over. It was a mistake he rarely made.
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