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墨書 Inktalez
Receiving a call from KAI, although it had been a long time, Anna was not surprised. After all, the only person who could see through the relationship between her and Park Chan-yeol was KAI.
"You left Running Man?" KAI asked.
"Yeah, there was a bit of trouble, so I resigned," Anna replied with a bitter smile.
From the moment KAI first saw Anna, he noticed that she looked much more haggard, completely losing the fearless demeanor she once had.
He sighed and said, "Anna, Chan-yeol has left S.M, left EXO, left us."
"I know, and we have already broken up."
"I thought he left because of you, but seeing you like this now makes it seem not as simple as I thought."
"What did he tell you?"
"He only said that his father's health was poor and that he needed to go home to manage the business."
"KAI, sometimes knowing too much can be exhausting, just like me. I really wish I didn't know anything; then it would feel like nothing happened, which would be nice."
"Living in your own mental utopia?"
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"But there will be many regrets. Park Chan-yeol is my companion, my friend. Since I have doubts in my heart, of course I need to resolve them."
Anna smiled helplessly, shook her head, and said, "Some knots can't be untied... I've been trying to unravel these for a long time, but now they are just getting more complicated. We are both powerless."
"Anna, why have you become like this? The old you would never say such negative things. Also, what do you mean by wanting to untangle something that has been complicated for so long?"
"Kai, I don't know. I don't understand why I've become someone so unlike myself. I also don't understand what could be so complicated, nor do I know how to untangle it. I think this story should have a resolution, right? Just wait a little longer; maybe if we wait a bit more, it will be revealed."
Kai sighed and took something out of his pocket, handing it to Anna. She opened her palm to find a red gemstone moon.
"This is from Park Chan-yeol. He told me to give it to you. He said he will marry other women in the future, but this can only be given to you."
Her palm felt cold as the red gemstone glimmered under the car's light. However, Anna suddenly smiled and placed the gemstone back into Kai's hand.
"You don't want it? Don't you understand Chan-yeol's feelings?"
"I understand, and that's why I can't accept it."
"Why?"
"Because it's unfair to Park Chan-yeol and to his future wife. If the person standing by his side is destined not to be me, then he must reserve this heaviest sentiment for the one who will accompany him until old age."
"Anna..."
"Just pass my words on to Chan-yeol. Thank you, Kai."
"Anna... Chan-yeol is in so much pain. I've never seen him like this before. That day, he called me out for drinks, and after getting drunk, I heard his suppressed cries... As a man myself, I know he must be facing immense pain that is hard to resolve. I asked him about it, but he wouldn't tell me; he just said he made a mistake that he would have to pay for with his lifelong happiness. What kind of mistake could lead him to leave EXO, leave you, and make such a huge sacrifice?"
"Kai, you'll know soon enough. But this answer cannot come from my mouth because it's their life, and I no longer have the right to interfere."
"Is there really no turning back?"
Anna bitterly lifted the corners of her mouth and said, "I'm trying hard to find a way back too, but I just can't seem to."
"Anna, do you know why ever since we first met, everyone has liked you so much? Sehun always talks about how amazing you are. You're around the same age as us, but you're beautiful and smart. In fact, there are many beautiful and smart girls, but you have a fearless confidence and authenticity that many girls lack. However, today, I can't see any of that in you."
Anna smiled lightly, lowering her head and then glancing out the car window at the bleak winter landscape.
"Let's just say that Anna is hibernating. When spring comes, the weather warms up, and the flowers bloom, everything will be fine. But for now, it's so cold outside, and the winter nights are so long. Let Anna take a little break and rest. The snow hasn't come yet; when the last snow melts, everything will be alright."
"Will it?"
"It should."
KAI left, and Anna didn't wait for his car to disappear from sight. She wrapped her coat tighter around herself and headed home. When KAI took out that ruby, how could Anna not be moved? It's just that she couldn't afford to hold onto such heavy thoughts anymore. This was also a kind of shackling for Park Chan-yeol's future.
"Anna, you're back! Where have you been?"
She looked up to see Han Yoon-soo standing at the door with a food container. Anna felt neither surprise nor joy; she simply bowed numbly and said, "Hello."
"You must be freezing," Han Yoon-soo said. "I made you some beef bone soup. Come in and drink it."
Anna nodded, took out her keys, opened the door, and sat down on the sofa. Han Yoon-soo went straight to the kitchen, poured the beef bone soup into a bowl, prepared some side dishes on a plate, heated up rice, and then placed it in front of Anna.
"I made this myself; it took a long time. You should try it," Han Yoon-soo said as she slowly sat down on the sofa next to Anna.
"Thank you." Anna picked up a spoon and took a sip; the bone soup was rich and fragrant, but it tasted bland in her mouth.
Han Yoon-soo also took a spoonful for herself and then added some beef to Anna's bowl.
"You've been looking tired lately; you need to eat better. I'll make some ginseng chicken soup for you in a few days," Han Yoon-soo said as she noticed Anna stop using her spoon and asked, "Don't you like it? Is it not good?"
Anna stared blankly at this dignified and gentle lady wearing an exquisite fur coat adorned with jewelry that Anna had never seen before. Her delicate makeup and beautifully styled dark hair left Anna puzzled about why she was being treated so well...
Moreover, Brother Jae-seok's words made Anna feel even more confused.
Why does it seem like everyone knows something, while Anna feels like a fool left in the dark?
"What's wrong, Anna? Did something happen that made you look at me like that?" Han Yoon-soo's gaze began to flicker.
"Madam... how did you know my home address?" Anna asked slowly.
Han Yoon-soo hesitated for a moment, smiled, and said, "I asked Mr. Yoo Jae-suk to find out."
"But I forgot to tell you last time, Brother Jae-seok doesn't know my home address," Anna lied deliberately to test Han Yoon-soo.
The spoon in Han Yoon-soo's hand nearly fell onto the table. She awkwardly set it down and smiled, saying, "Oh, I must have remembered wrong. I got it from..."
"Can you stop lying?" Anna put down her spoon. She was almost driven mad by her own confusion and passive situation. The woman before her, whom she had finally begun to lower her guard against, was also deceiving her.
"Anna..." Han Yoon-soo began to feel uneasy.
"Anna," Han Yoon-soo said, "I'm... sorry... I found someone to check your address. I was afraid you'd be angry, so I lied. Please don't be mad, okay? Also, I really am Mr. Jae-seok's classmate. I didn't lie about that."
Anna forced a weak smile and said, "Madam, why are you being so nice to me, even going so far as to find my address? Someone once told me that in this world, there is no absolute good or absolute evil. Good and bad always coexist. What about you? Which one do you belong to when it comes to me?"
"Anna, I..."
"If you're going to deceive me again, then don't say anything more. I really like you; I even think it would be great if I had a mother like you. But we are from completely different worlds. I don't understand why you're being nice to me; maybe it's just simple pity. Madam, I don't want to be treated like a fool anymore. Do you understand?"
"I... I'm..." Tears suddenly streamed down Han Yoon-soo's face as she looked at Anna, her eyes filled with compassion.
This was a reaction Anna hadn't expected; she instantly realized she might have gone too far.
"I'm sorry... Madam," Anna lowered her head, sighed, and said, "I'm just in a bad mood. I don't want to be deceived again. It's because you are so kind to me that I fear this is just another lie, so..."
"It's okay..." Han Yoon-soo took out a handkerchief, wiped away her tears, and said, "Anna, I truly want to treat you well. Please believe me, I will not do anything that would harm you. Please trust me."
Anna looked into Han Yoon-soo's eyes and, for some reason, her defenses melted once again.
"Madam, can I really trust you?"
Han Yoon-soo nodded affirmatively.
Anna smiled slightly and said, "Alright, thank you, Madam."
Han Yoon-soo showed a relieved smile. "Hurry up and eat; the food is getting cold and will need to be reheated."
"Okay."
Although the food still lacked flavor, Anna tried her best to finish the soup and rice cleanly so as not to disappoint Han Yoon-soo's kindness.
"Mr. Park Anqing, how is your health now? Are you doing alright?" Anna asked.
A hint of sadness clouded Han Yoon-soo's brow as she replied, "Now I can only rely on medication and equipment to maintain it."
"How did it worsen so quickly? It was fine not long ago."
"At that time, although there was illness, it was indeed under control. It's just that some issues have arisen in the company recently, which caused the deterioration."
"Isn't Park Chan-yeol back?"
"Chan-yeol has just started; there are many things he still needs to learn. The company is... not doing well right now," Han Yoon-soo said.
"How could this happen..."
"It's the person we've been at odds with regarding Anqing. I don't know what methods they used, but they have been acquiring our company's stocks."
This concept, Anna had heard Dong Wan mention before. It was during the turmoil at S.M when Andy acquired S.M. Company's stocks under Kim Mi-kyung's name. When Andy's shareholding became the largest, S.M would undergo a change in leadership.
"Who is it? Why are they doing this?"
"I only know a little. Anqing never lets me get involved in work matters."
"Can Park Chan-yeol handle this?"
"We have to trust him, and Chan-yeol has many people to help him. I'm sure he will get through this tough time," Han Yoon-soo said with a slight smile, but the worry on her brow remained as she discussed the matter.
For someone like Park Anqing, who had seen it all after so many years of struggle, to have their condition worsen to this extent must mean that this person is certainly not simple.
Knock knock knock~~
A series of knocks came from the door.
"Who is it?" Anna got up to open the door.
"It's me. Anna." It was Lee Kwang-soo's voice.
Anna whispered to Han Yoon-soo, "It's my friend."
Han Yoon-soo nodded.
Anna opened the door, and standing outside was not only Lee Kwang-soo but also Yoo Jae-suk, who left Han Yoon-soo momentarily stunned.
"This is..." Lee Kwang-soo placed the fruit in his hand on the table.
"You are... Han Yoon-soo? It's been so many years," Brother Jae-seok recognized her and happily shook hands.
"Yes, hello, it's been a long time, Jae-seok," Han Yoon-soo replied with a smile.
"Hello, Ms. Han, I'm Lee Kwang-soo," Kwang-soo greeted her.
"Hello." Han Yoon-soo glanced at Kwang-soo, her smile stiffening for a moment, but no one noticed.
"Please take a seat, everyone," Anna invited everyone to sit down, while Han Yoon-soo felt slightly uneasy.
"I really didn't expect you to be so close with Anna. A couple of days ago, Anna mentioned it, and I was curious about how you two met. Speaking of which, we haven't seen each other in many years either," Yoo Jae-suk said with a smile.
"Yes, it's been many years," Han Yoon-soo replied with a smile. "Anna often mentions you and admires you very much, Jae-seok."
Yoo Jae-suk smiled shyly and said, "There's nothing to admire; I've just lived a few more years. To be honest, it's Anna who helped me a lot, and now I don't know how to help her through this difficult time. I feel quite ashamed."
"By the way, why does Aunt Han Yoon-soo look so familiar? Have we met somewhere?" Lee Kwang-soo asked with a smile.
"Really? Have you really met? The world can't be that small," Anna said.
"Is that so? I might have seen Kwang-soo on TV, but I don't have any impression of him in private," Han Yoon-soo awkwardly raised the corners of her mouth, her palms sweating.
"Ah, then it seems I remembered wrong," Lee Kwang-soo said with a smile.
"Han Yoon-soo, after you got married back then, we haven't heard anything about you. Your child must be much older than Zhihao (Yoo Jae-suk's son) now, right? Mainly because we all got married later," Yoo Jae-suk asked with a smile.
Anna was surprised; she had never heard Han Yoon-soo mention her own child and thought she didn't have any. It turned out she had gone through another marriage before.
"Yes, but I was divorced at that time, so..." Han Yoon-soo showed a troubled expression.
Yoo Jae-suk didn't expect to touch on a topic that others were reluctant to discuss and said apologetically, "I'm really sorry, Yoon-soo, I didn't think of that."
"It's okay," Han Yoon-soo replied politely with a smile. Looking at the time, she stood up and said, "My husband is still in the hospital and needs me to take care of him, Anna. I'll be leaving now. I'll take the food box next time."
The three of them stood up to see her off.
"Alright, take care," Anna said.
"Did I say something wrong?" Seeing Han Yoon-soo leave in a hurry, Yoo Jae-suk felt some doubt in his heart.
"How could that be? It's been so many years since we last met. You definitely didn't expect it either. However, this is the first time I've heard about her being divorced," Anna said. No wonder she and Park Anqing didn't have any children; it must have something to do with her previous marriage.
"But I really feel like I've seen her somewhere before; I just can't remember," Kwang-soo said with a smile. Looking at the thermos on the table, which still had some beef bone soup that was slightly steaming, he added, "Anna, I haven't eaten yet; can you get me a bowl? I want to have some too."
"You little brat, all you think about is eating," Yoo Jae-suk lightly tapped Kwang-soo on the head.
Kwang-soo shrugged it off with a smile while Anna gave him a helpless glance and obediently went to get a bowl.
"Brother Jae-seok, did you come to see me today for something specific?" Anna asked.
Jae-seok pondered for a moment and said, "I thought about it; if Running Man can't go back by then, I'll discuss with Kim Tae-ho PD from Infinite Challenge to see if we can get you to join the Infinite Challenge crew. But before saying anything, I need to ask for your willingness first. After all, working on Infinite Challenge will be tougher than Running Man, and Kim Tae-ho PD has very high demands for work."
A fleeting surprise crossed Anna's mind but was quickly overshadowed by practical concerns.
"Brother Jae-seok, you know why I left Running Man. Although I never committed plagiarism, I did admit it myself. Moreover, if Mr. Kim Tae-ho finds out about this matter, he definitely wouldn't want someone like me in his team."
Kwang-soo took a few sips of beef bone soup, feeling warmer, then put down the bowl and listened to their conversation.
"You don't need to worry about that. I've known Tae-ho for over ten years, and we understand each other very well," Jae-seok said.
However, Anna still had her doubts. If she entered the Infinite Challenge Task Force with this 'label' hanging over her, what if Han Yufei used the same trick again and spread the news of Anna 'plagiarizing'? Then, Infinite Challenge would also face big trouble.
Anna smiled lightly, sighed, and said, "Brother Jae-seok, if this matter isn't resolved soon, I probably won't be able to continue in this industry. Brother Jae-seok, is it because Jung Kook's suggestion last time didn't work at all that you want to help me find another way out?" Anna could roughly guess Jae-seok's intentions for coming.
"No, no, that's not it," Kwang-soo and Jae-seok quickly denied it, which only made them seem more suspicious. It was indeed a challenge for the two who were not accustomed to lying.
"Anna, I've met Kim Tae-ho. He's a really nice person with unique insights. If you can join Infinite Challenge, it would be a great opportunity," Kwang-soo said.
Anna knew this was their warm-hearted intention, but she had to think things through carefully to avoid any future problems.
"Brother Jae-seok, Brother Kwang-soo, thank you both. I understand. However, I think I need to wait a bit longer. Right now, I still have some things to sort out. Once I've figured things out and if I still want to survive in this industry, Brother Jae-seok, you must help me then, okay?"
"Of course. Also, Anna, I want to say that since you have the talent and dream to survive in this industry, don't waste it. Otherwise, you'll definitely regret it later. Keep pushing towards your dreams; even if you face hardships along the way, just don't regret being idle in the future," Jae-seok said.
"I will, Brother Jae-seok," Anna nodded earnestly and smiled.
After Seok and Kwang-soo left, the room fell silent. Anna tidied up the dishes Kwang-soo had used and looked at the remaining beef bone soup while thinking about Han Yoon-soo's reaction upon seeing Jae-seok and the others; it was indeed a bit strange.
Perhaps it was awkward because she had just exposed Han Yoon-soo's deception regarding how he got the address from Jae-seok. Anna thought.
Though winter nights are cold, lying in her warm bed, she soon fell into a deep sleep.
With the curtains drawn, Anna was unaware that outside her window, snowflakes that had been brewing for a long time finally began to fall that night. They quickly covered the entire Seoul.
The snowfall was heavy; even the windows were almost completely covered with ice and snow.
So many people, so many windows, so many dreams—each dream held different stories unfolding within them. Perhaps overlapping figures would appear in dreams; yet one could not know if the same person played different roles in different dreams.
Life goes on, and fate continues to turn, showing no signs of stopping.
"Anna, I'm getting engaged to Jang Bo-Yeon." In the morning, Anna was awakened by this text message.
Anna did not stare at the message; it was more a feeling of numbness and emptiness than pain. This relationship began over two years ago by chance, and since then, it seemed like there had never been a smooth moment. When Park Anqing said that what they had was not love at all, but merely a stubborn desire to be together due to the hardships they faced, Anna found herself speechless for a brief moment.
If there hadn't been so many unbelievable coincidences between them, would they still have wanted to be together so desperately?
Anna did not know the answer, but she was certain of one thing: in her more than 20 years of life, this was the first time she thought of someone with such painful numbness.
"Make sure to be happy," Anna replied.
She placed her phone on the pillow and felt as if she might cry, but when she touched the corners of her eyes, there were no traces of moisture.
Getting out of bed, the air was particularly cold. Anna did not put on a coat; her gaze was drawn to the exceptionally bright light outside. Pulling back the curtains revealed a blinding white expanse.
The snow had come unexpectedly.
No matter how heavy the snow is, it will melt; winter, no matter how cold, will eventually pass. No matter how sad you are right now, time will gradually help you forget. Even if it's not what you want, try a little harder to make yourself happy. That way, I can feel more at ease too.
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