83: Chapter 84 Baolan's Jealousy Escalates

Qian Xu sat in the car, looking at the message on his phone.

Park So-yeon's words, "I like you," still echoed in his ears.

He took a deep breath, pushed open the car door, and went upstairs.

In the elevator, he watched the floor numbers change.

His mind was a mess.

So-yeon had confessed.

What about Boram?

Did she see it last night?

The curtain moved a little.

She must have seen it.

The elevator reached the seventeenth floor.

Qian Xu stepped out.

The hallway was very quiet.

He walked to his front door and glanced at the opposite side.

Jeon Bo-ram's door was tightly shut, but light spilled out from the crack.

She wasn't asleep yet.

Qian Xu stood at the doorway, hesitating for a moment, but decided not to knock.

It was too late.

He would talk to her tomorrow.

He opened his door and walked inside.

The next morning, at seven o'clock, Qian Xu woke up.

He checked his phone; there were no new messages.

He washed up, changed his clothes, and walked out the door.

In the hallway, Jeon Bo-ram's door remained tightly shut.

Qian Xu walked over and knocked.

"Boram-xi?"

No one answered.

He knocked twice more.

"Boram-xi?"

Still no one.

Qian Xu frowned.

She usually should be up by this time.

What was wrong today?

He took out his phone and sent a message to Jeon Bo-ram.

"Boram-xi, good morning."

"Want to have breakfast together?"

The message was sent.

He waited five minutes, but there was no reply.

Qian Xu looked at his phone, a bad feeling rising in his heart.

He knocked on the door again.

"Boram-xi?"

"Are you there?"

Footsteps came from inside, then stopped.

Qian Xu waited for a moment, and the door opened.

Jeon Bo-ram stood at the doorway, wearing pajamas.

Her hair was messy, and her eyes were a bit swollen, as if she had been crying.

"Mr. Qian," she said softly.

"Good morning."

"Boram-xi, you…" Qian Xu looked at her.

"Did you cry?"

"No," Jeon Bo-ram shook her head.

"I didn't sleep well last night. My eyes are swollen."

Qian Xu looked at her; she had clearly been crying.

"Let's have breakfast together? My treat."

"No thanks," Jeon Bo-ram shook her head.

"I'm not hungry. You go ahead."

After she said this, she prepared to close the door.

Qian Xu reached out and blocked the door.

"Boram-xi, let's talk."

"Talk about what?" Jeon Bo-ram looked at him, her eyes darting away.

"There's nothing to talk about. Go find So-yeon."

Qian Xu was stunned.

"So-yeon?"

"Yes." Jeon Bo-ram lowered her head.

"You were together last night. I saw it."

Qian Xu understood. She really had seen it.

"Boram-xi, you misunderstood," Qian Xu said.

"Ms. Soyeon did indeed confess to me last night, but I didn't accept."

Jeon Bo-ram looked up at him.

"Really?"

"Really." Qian Xu nodded.

"I need time to think it through."

Jeon Bo-ram bit her lip, her eyes turning red again.

"Then do you like her?"

Qian Xu was silent for a few seconds.

"I don't know. But I don't want to lie to you either. I need time."

Jeon Bo-ram looked at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Mr. Qian, do you know? I didn't sleep all night last night. I kept thinking about you and So-yeon together. You holding hands, hugging… I watched it, and my heart broke."

Qian Xu stood there, feeling very uncomfortable.

"Boram-xi, I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Jeon Bo-ram wiped her tears.

"You didn't do anything wrong. It's just me… thinking too much."

She took a deep breath.

"Go get busy. I don't want to go out today."

Having said that, she closed the door.

Qian Xu stood at the door, looking at the tightly closed entrance.

He sighed, turned around, and left.

In the morning, at the Yunmengze Building in Apgujeong, Qian Xu sat in his office, distracted.

His phone vibrated.

It was a message from Kim Min-jun.

"Mr. Qian, the foot traffic at the Hongdae store is good today. The first-day data is out."

Qian Xu glanced at it but wasn't in the mood to reply.

He was thinking about Jeon Bo-ram.

She had cried.

She said her heart was broken.

Qian Xu stood up and walked out of his office.

Kim Min-jun met him in the hallway.

"Mr. Qian, where are you going?"

"Going out for a bit. I'll be back in the afternoon."

Qian Xu drove to a cake shop in Cheongdam-dong.

He walked in, and the clerk greeted him.

"Sir, what would you like to buy?"

"A strawberry cake," Qian Xu said.

"Do you have any ready-made?"

"Yes, we do," the clerk nodded.

"What size would you like?"

"The smallest one is fine."

A few minutes later, Qian Xu walked out of the cake shop carrying a cake box.

He got in the car and drove back to the apartment.

In the elevator, he looked at the cake box.

Jeon Bo-ram loved strawberry cake the most.

She had said last time, "Strawberry cake is the most healing thing in the world."

He hoped this cake would make her feel a bit happier.

On the seventeenth floor, Qian Xu walked to Jeon Bo-ram's door and knocked.

No one answered.

He knocked a few more times.

"Boram-xi? It's me."

Footsteps came from inside.

A while later, the door opened.

Jeon Bo-ram stood at the doorway.

She had changed her clothes, but her eyes were still swollen.

"Mr. Qian?" She was taken aback.

"Why did you come back?"

Qian Xu held up the cake box.

"I bought this for you."

Jeon Bo-ram looked at the cake box, stunned.

"Strawberry cake?"

"Yes." Qian Xu smiled.

"Your favorite."

Jeon Bo-ram took the cake box and opened it to look.

It was a strawberry cake, topped with fresh strawberries.

Her eyes turned red again.

"Mr. Qian… why are you being so good to me?"

Qian Xu looked at her.

"Because you were crying. I don't want to see you cry."

Jeon Bo-ram lowered her head, tears dripping onto the cake box.

"But… you are with her. You and So-yeon… are together."

Her voice was trembling.

Qian Xu reached out and gently wiped the tears from her face.

"Boram-xi, I am not with her. She confessed last night, but I didn't accept."

"Why?" Jeon Bo-ram looked up at him.

"So-yeon is so good. She sings well, is pretty, and has a gentle personality. Why didn't you… accept her?"

Qian Xu looked at her, his eyes very serious.

"Because I was thinking about someone else."

Jeon Bo-ram was stunned.

"Who?"

"You," Qian Xu said.

Jeon Bo-ram froze.

"Me?"

"Yes," Qian Xu nodded.

"I thought all night long last night. Ms. Soyeon confessed, but my mind… was filled with you."

Jeon Bo-ram looked at him, tears flowing even more heavily.

"Really?"

"Really." Qian Xu smiled.

"From the day you borrowed salt, from the day you helped me fix my appliances, from the day you brought me a midnight snack… I knew. I like you."

Jeon Bo-ram stood there, holding the cake box in her hands, tears streaming down.

"Mr. Qian… why didn't you say so sooner?"

"I was afraid of scaring you," Qian Xu smiled.

"Is it too late to say it now?"

Jeon Bo-ram shook her head.

"No, it's not." She wiped her tears and smiled.

"Not late at all."

Qian Xu looked at her and smiled.

"Then now… can we eat the cake together?"

Jeon Bo-ram nodded.

"Mm." She stepped aside from the door.

"Come in."

Qian Xu walked in, and Jeon Bo-ram closed the door.

The two stood in the living room.

Jeon Bo-ram placed the cake on the table and opened the box.

The strawberry cake was beautiful.

"Did you go out of your way to buy it?"

"Mm," Qian Xu nodded.

"That place in Cheongdam-dong. You said it was delicious last time."

Jeon Bo-ram looked at him, her eyes reddening again.

"Mr. Qian… you are so good."

"It's only right," Qian Xu smiled.

"Eat up. It won't taste good if it gets warm."

Jeon Bo-ram cut a slice of cake and handed it to Qian Xu.

"You eat first."

"Okay." Qian Xu took it and ate a bite.

"It's delicious."

Jeon Bo-ram also cut a slice, ate a bite, and smiled.

"It really is delicious."

The two sat on the sofa, eating cake.

Neither spoke, but the atmosphere was very warm.

After finishing the cake, Jeon Bo-ram set down her plate and looked at Qian Xu.

"Mr. Qian."

"Hm?"

"What about So-yeon? What do you plan to do?"

Qian Xu was silent for a few seconds.

"I will explain things clearly to her. I don't want to hurt her, but I can't lie to her either."

Jeon Bo-ram nodded.

"Mm. That's better for everyone."

Qian Xu looked at her.

"Boram-xi, are you willing to wait for me? Wait for me to handle things with So-yeon, and then… we can be together."

Jeon Bo-ram looked at him, her gaze very gentle.

"I am willing." She smiled.

"I'm willing to wait as long as it takes."

Qian Xu smiled too, reaching out to hold her hand.

"Thank you, Boram."

Jeon Bo-ram was taken aback.

This was the first time Qian Xu had called her "Boram" instead of "Boram-xi."

It was "Boram."

She smiled, her eyes reddening again.

"Mr. Qian."

"Hm?"

"From now on… just call me Boram."

"Okay," Qian Xu smiled.

"Boram."

The two sat on the sofa, holding hands.

The sunlight from outside shone in, very warm.

Jeon Bo-ram leaned on Qian Xu's shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Mr. Qian."

"Hm?"

"Today is the happiest day I've had since coming to Korea."

Qian Xu smiled.

"Me too."

His phone vibrated.

It was a message from Park So-yeon.

"Mr. Qian, shall we have lunch together? Same place?"

Qian Xu looked at the message and sighed.

He let go of Jeon Bo-ram's hand and replied,

"Ms. Soyeon, I have something to do at noon. Is the evening okay? I'll treat you to dinner. I have something to tell you."

Park So-yeon replied quickly.

"Okay. Seven o'clock in the evening. That samgyetang place in Cheongdam-dong."

"Okay," Qian Xu replied, putting his phone away.

Jeon Bo-ram looked at him.

"So-yeon?"

"Mm," Qian Xu nodded.

"I'll explain things clearly to her tonight."

Jeon Bo-ram looked at him, her eyes somewhat worried.

"You'll talk to her nicely, right? Don't hurt her."

"Mm," Qian Xu nodded.

"I will talk to her nicely."

Jeon Bo-ram smiled.

"I trust you."