Chapter 624. Henpecked (4)

“Argh... I'm so tired!”

As soon as she stepped into her hotel room, Choi Yeon-Ha slumped on the couch without even bothering to change out of her clothes. Her whole body felt like a wet sponge.

'Why does it have to be so humid around here?'

She reached out to grab the aircon remote, then repeatedly thumbed the 'On' button.

The room's central heating system couldn't sufficiently cool the air to meet Choi Yeon-Ha's satisfaction, so a new aircon unit had to be bought and installed here. Of course, the hotel management was up in arms, arguing that guests couldn't do whatever they wanted and install a private aircon system in their rooms. They eventually acquiesced, rather reluctantly too, after Choi Yeon-Ha promised to leave the installed unit behind.

Of course, Choi Yeon-Ha didn't do any of that, but Han Eun-Sol did... However, was there a reason to get technical about that now?

She really liked nothing about this place. Despite staying in the VIP suite, the bloody hoteliers treated her like a passing mutt. That irritated her to no end, and this persistent humidity wasn't helping things, either!

Worse still, none of the local cuisine was to her liking, so she had to rely mostly on ramen for the past several months. No wonder her weight was steadily falling.

'I'm sure that idiot Eun-Sol thinks I'm deliberately acting like this.'

Choi Yeon-Ha's character in the TV show was supposed to be frail. She was supposed to be energetic and full of life at the start of the show, only for her to steadily grow weaker as the storyline progressed. The idiotic Han Eun-Sol or the director must've thought Choi Yeon-Ha was carefully managing her weight to match her onscreen character's condition.

“At this rate, I might die first well before the show's completion...!”

They all yapped on about how dedicated she was to her role even at the cost of her health, and that her method acting was commendable, etc... However, if they knew the real reason behind Choi Yeon-Ha's rapid weight loss was a lack of nutrients, they would jump up in shock and dismay. Well, at least Han Eun-Sol might.

'I'm so tired...'

Honestly? Dealing with a serious type of person was tough for her. If Han Eun-Sol found out Choi Yeon-Ha was getting physically weaker, he'd raise an almighty fuss trying to fix everything. He was already occupied with so many things, but even then, Choi Yeon-Ha had no doubt that he'd still clamor to travel back to Korea and procure Korean foods for her immediate consumption.

“Urgh... Putting me in a tight spot and all...”

Choi Yeon-Ha staggered back to her feet, then shuffled to the bathroom to turn the tap on the bathtub.

'The tub's gonna take a while to fill up, so... Should I eat something in the meantime?'

When that thought entered her mind, Choi Yeon-Ha let out a lengthy groan.

She never knew how much of a picky eater she really was. Even though she had no qualms about stuffing her face with fast food and other unhealthy stuff in Korea... Such was her appetite for food that she sometimes worried about her career as an actress suddenly ending due to some food-related mishap!

Although, she did manage to watch her figure by desperately controlling her urges... most of the time!

In some crooked way, this place was a paradise for her. She didn't have to manage anything but still lost weight! Wasn't that what she always dreamed about? Of course, dreams and the actual reality proved to be too different for her liking, but still!

“I just need to tough it out until tomorrow, and then...”

After tomorrow's filming, she'd finally get to say adieu to on-location stuff in the ancient castle, at least for a while. Since the production would shift to outdoor locations, Choi Yeon-Ha would get to use a trailer to her heart's content. That alone was enough to give a sense of peace.

Unfortunately, the world had a way of screwing up people's plans.

Vrrrrr...!

Choi Yeon-Ha heard her phone ringing and glanced at the device tossed on top of the couch. She picked up and stared at the name appearing on the screen, her expression unwilling.

[Han Eun-Sol]

Choi Yeon-Ha's expression became unreadable after confirming who it was.

'Urgh... I really don't wanna...'

Her reluctance wasn't aimed at the poor Han Eun-Sol. No, she was unwilling to answer the call from Han Eun-Sol coming at this time of the day.

Han Eun-Sol was also human, so he obviously would've wanted to get some rest after another long day at work. Someone like that wouldn't call Choi Yeon-Ha without a good reason. Usually, when he did call, it'd be about...

Choi Yeon-Ha groaned loudly, then answered the call. “Yessss. What's the matter now?”

-It's me, noona... The director called me just now.

“Okay. What did he say?”

-Well, uh... He said he's not pleased with the footage filmed today and yesterday and wants to reshoot them. Something about costumes not really fitting the scenes and stuff...

Han Eun-Sol's voice transmitted through the phone's speaker sounded troubled. The director of this production was infamous for being a strict perfectionist, and when something about a scene wasn't to his liking... For some reason, he didn't stop at reshooting the offending scenes but also rejigged the preceding and following parts!

It was as if he wanted to live up to his moniker as the so-called perfectionist!

Choi Yeon-Ha was initially greatly pleased to hear the rumors about how this director liked to pursue absolute cinematic perfection throughout his career. However, to think such a thing would come back to bite her in the rear like this...!

“...So, he wants to fix two days' worth of material?”

-Yes, noona. Two days.

No wonder Han Eun-Sol sounded troubled on the other side of the line. He knew better than anyone how badly Choi Yeon-Ha wanted to escape from this location, after all! He must be worried about how bad Choi Yeon-Ha's tantrums would be at this unwelcome news, but...

“Okay, got it.”

-...Sorry? Noona, are you feeling okay?

“Yeah, I am. Get some rest, Eun-Sol.”

-Huh? Noona?

Choi Yeon-Ha didn't bother to wait for Han Eun-Sol's follow-up question and hung up.

“That's how life works, I guess...”

There was no way things would work out in her favor so easily. After all, life had this nasty habit of sucker-punching people when things finally started looking up for them.

Choi Yeon-Ha wanted to explode in irritation but shouldn't vent her anger at Han Eun-Sol. Her manager was a human being like her, after all! And he'd one day collapse from the stress of trying to deal with the constant outpouring of her annoyance. She noticed that the poor Han Eun-Sol seemed to have lost some hair lately, too!

“Uh-whew, seriously...!”

Choi Yeon-Ha unhappily looked up at the ceiling for a while, then headed back to the bathroom, her appetite long gone. All she wanted to do now was to dip her weary body in warm water and relax.

She took off her clothes and dumped them in the nearby laundry basket, then took a quick shower before slipping inside the water-filled tub.

Splash...

Her toes touched the warm water first, instantly sending this languid satisfaction throughout her body. She deeply submerged herself in the water, then rested her head on the edge of the tub.

'So tired...'

She wasn't only talking about physical exhaustion. Her mental exhaustion was even worse. As proof, even the tiniest, most trivial things got on her nerves lately. And she was having a tough time paying attention to what the people around her were saying. Whether it was her body or mind... She seemed to be reaching her breaking point fast.

“You idiot...”

How wonderful would it be if only he was here...

Choi Yeon-Ha knew she shouldn't expect anything from that man, yet this subtle hint of resentment still crept into her heart in quiet moments like this. Her exhaustion would've been washed away completely by having him here for a little while... And he wouldn't even have to do anything in the meantime, too!

Even now, Choi Yeon-Ha was scared of sleeping alone in an unfamiliar hotel room. Every so often, closing her eyes to sleep would evoke the memories of when she had been trapped in that tunnel. For now, she left the lights on as a way to combat her fear, but... What if she ended up with depression? What was she supposed to do when...

Vrrrrrr...!

Before her thoughts could reach the end, her phone started ringing again. Choi Yeon-Ha didn't bother to check the caller ID and snatched up the mobile device. “I said I got it, didn’t I?! I'll shoot those damn scenes, okay! I'm fine, so don't...”

-Aha. It seems you've returned to your hotel, no problem. And judging from the sounds of water, are you in the shower? You know, I'd love to chat over a video call, but that must be asking for too much, am I right? Fufufu...!

“...”

Choi Yeon-Ha wordlessly stared at the phone's screen. And it proudly said 'BUTTER'.

'I might as well shoot myself, dammit!'

Why did she stupidly answer the phone without checking who was calling her first!

-Mm? Since you're not saying anything, you must be in awe that I called to check up on you, Miss Yeon-Ha. Actually, I wanted to discuss the thing we talked about earlier in the day. So, what do you think? I'm sure it's lonely in a hotel room all by yourself, so why not stay in my villa? I assure you, I'll make all the preparations necessary to welcome you into my...

“Listen here, you dipsh****t!” Choi Yeon-Ha loudly yelled into the phone as thick veins popped up on her forehead. “A man should know his place, okay?! How dare a punk that looks like a squashed block of butter talk slick to me! There is no freaking way I'll ever associate myself with the likes of you, even if I reincarnate a hundred and eight times! Stop calling me! I'm going to block this number, you hear me! You deaf, stubborn piece of work!”

Beep!

Choi Yeon-Ha angrily ended the call, then threw her phone at the towel tray. However, her phone kept ringing again and again, prompting her to hold her face in agony. “Uwaaaaaah! Kang, Jin, Hooooo! If you don't come soon, Imma rush back to Korea and, and...! And, Imma rip your head off, you hear meeeee?!”

Only someone who could pull it off should act all moody and stuff. And it seemed Choi Yeon-Ha wasn't that someone.

***

“That stinking b*tch...!” Liu Wei cursed while distorting his expression like a hideous monster. He angrily threw his phone away, obviously disgusted by what happened.

Since Choi Yeon-Ha suddenly blurted out Korean like some kind of a country bumpkin, Liu Wei had no idea what she was yelling about... But he was no idiot. He could easily tell that the contents were not very lady-like. Just her tone was enough to convey her intentions.

“How dare some b*tch from a backwater country act all haughty and mighty before me!”

Liu Wei's expression distorted even more as he muttered those words.

Just who was he? Wasn't he Liu Wei, a man on the steep upward rise to the top of China's entertainment sphere? To think that woman would dare to look down on him this way!

And she wasn't even Chinese, but some random b*tch from a trifling little country who didn't even know her damn place! If it hadn't been for her good looks, Liu Wei would've already shown her who was the boss here!

“So, you wanna keep playing this game? Is that it?” Liu Wei quietly growled.

“Mm? Big brother, what's the matter? Smile some more, and let's have some fun~.”

“Here~! Let me pour you another glass~.”

Scantily-dressed young women sidled up to Liu Wei and offered him glasses of booze, but he angrily slapped their hands away.

“Get out of my sight, you unsightly b*tches!”

“Kkyaahk?!”

The booze glass was knocked out of the young woman's grasp and smashed into the table, causing the bottles to tumble and alcohol to spill everywhere.

The young women fearfully looked at Liu Wei. “B-Big brother...”

“I told you to scram!”

The young women cautiously studied Liu Wei's mood before silently escaping the room with dejected faces.

“F*cking hell...!” Liu Wei picked up one of the knocked-over booze bottles, then began sucking on it as if it was some kind of a trumpet. Even though he had asked for pretty girls to keep him company, none of them satisfied his eyes that had witnessed the beauty of Choi Yeon-Ha.

'Well, it's true that that woman is shockingly, devastatingly beautiful...'

Without such stunning looks, Liu Wei wouldn't have spared a second glance at a mere bangzi woman. Actually, he even entertained the idea of quitting this project altogether after learning about how his co-star would be some random b*tch from South Korea, of all places!

If it hadn't been for the director's considerable influence in the industry, Liu Wei wouldn't have signed on for the role. So, he planned to deeply humiliate this Korean woman during the actors' first meeting and make her quit the production on her own accord, but then... He never expected her to be someone that stunning.

It was no exaggeration to say he got bowled over as soon as clapping his eyes on Choi Yeon-Ha. It was as if he had found the perfect example of beauty in that moment. But then...!

“You dare...!”

To think that that woman would act all haughty and out of reach even to the one and only Liu Wei!

Even the legitimately-popular actresses in China were tripping over themselves to get Liu Wei's contact number. So how could some random nobody turn her nose up at him like this?

Liu Wei didn't mind playing this game of hard-to-get. Well, an easy woman was no fun, after all. The process of seducing and conquering such a chick always provided a level of entertainment that nothing on Earth could even rival.

However, that woman was not playing hard-to-get with Liu Wei. No, she... She genuinely despised him!

But why? What did she find so lacking with Liu Wei? Was his manner not to her liking? Or was he not wealthy enough to meet her standards?

What could a man on his way to becoming the next top star in the Greater China region lack, anyway?!

“...Goddamn it!” Liu Wei suddenly roared and smashed the bottle on the floor.

'If this keeps up... I'll have to do something about it soon!'

He was quickly running out of patience with humoring Choi Yeon-Ha. He could only maintain this innocent, good-natured goofy smile for so long, after all! As a matter of fact, his real self almost slipped past his facade a couple of times already.

The truth was... His anxiety and impatience were steadily increasing as the end of the production loomed closer and closer.

That was when a man suddenly entered the messy room and chuckled jovially. “Why are you losing your cool like that, brother?”

Liu Wei scowled while turning his head to glare at the owner of that voice. “Leave me alone. I don't want to deal with anyone right now.”

“Hahaha... The way you're handling this situation isn't like you, brother.”

“What are you trying to say here?”

“Why throw such a tantrum over some random Korean woman?”

“...What the f*ck, you bastard?”

“Eii~, don't make that kind of face,” the man genially chuckled. “It's our role to suss out what troubles you and sort them out as soon as possible. Isn't it?”

“...” Liu Wei narrowed his eyes and glared at the man standing confidently before his eyes.

This man... was from the Dark Association.

Unfortunately for any aspiring star wishing to make it big in the Chinese entertainment sector, they had no choice but to have ties with the Dark Association. And this punk had been dispatched by the Dark Association to 'look after' Liu Wei’s needs.

Liu Wei quietly growled. “What are you planning to do?”

“No need to worry too much, brother. We only need to make that woman more obedient, right?”

“...”

“And what do you know, that is our specialty,” said the Dark Association man with an insidious smirk.

Liu Wei's eyes dangerously gleamed at that declaration.

'...That's right. She's nothing but some bangzi woman!'

It wasn't as if Liu Wei was thinking of marrying Choi Yeon-Ha or anything like that, so who cared about the methods employed in making her more... open to his approach?

Liu Wei shot a sharp glare at the man. “Don't be too rough with her. Got that?”

“Hahaha. Brother, you will be surprised by how gentle I can be. Don't you worry about a thing,” The man laughed jovially while leisurely walking out of the room.

Liu Wei watched the Dark Association man leave, then picked up another booze bottle without saying anything.

As long as he got what he wanted, that would be the end of it. Who cared about the methods, anyway!

Unfortunately, Liu Wei had no idea. He didn't know that in this world, certain things were completely off-limits, no matter who you were.

Not knowing that was Liu Wei's worst mistake in life.