"Hubby, what are you going to do to me?"
Song Hye-kyo's beautiful eyes blinked innocently, giving her an air of vulnerability that made it impossible not to feel a surge of affection.
"Are you trying to act innocent?"
Gilbert gently brushed the hair near Song Hye-kyo's ear. "You know very well what I'm going to do. Now, these are important matters. Come, let me take care of this…"
After a moment, the two faced each other honestly. Gilbert looked at this face adored by countless fans, feeling a hint of pride.
Mmm, there was a scent like jasmine—fresh and sweet, tempting one to savor it properly.
Song Hye-kyo's sensations were very different. She felt enveloped by strong masculine hormones.
Gilbert's heavy breathing made her nervous, especially when paired with the stark contrast of his name, which added an extra layer of fear.
It was then she understood why Scarlett Johansson had said, if you can't handle it, call for help early.
Song Hye-kyo swallowed and decided to endure this fear alone. She would get used to it, and Gilbert's movements were gentle.
She knew that the actresses in the entertainment industry who served wealthy heirs often endured harsh treatment.
Gilbert's status was far more prestigious than any of those heirs, yet he could still treat her gently. For Song Hye-kyo, this was a tremendous psychological comfort.
Before the final act, Song Hye-kyo stopped Gilbert, locking eyes with him with her watery gaze.
He wasn't on the level of Leonardo DiCaprio, a master of the field, but Gilbert had experience.
He whispered softly in her ear, "Wife…"
Hearing the answer she wanted, Song Hye-kyo relaxed. A battle that wasn't intense had begun.
Gilbert didn't need much strength to completely overwhelm Song Hye-kyo. But she persisted; for a first time, she couldn't call for help, and she didn't want anyone to ruin the atmosphere.
The next morning, Gilbert looked at the sleeping beauty in his arms and smiled knowingly.
Such a beauty—how could she have been within his reach in a previous life? Now, she was easily attainable, a testament to his success over the years.
Yet Gilbert was never satisfied. He aimed for even greater heights.
Not just to maintain what he had, he wanted more.
When they went downstairs for breakfast, Scarlett was already at the table, sipping oatmeal.
"She hasn't come down yet?"
"Too tired. Let her rest a bit longer."
Scarlett commented, "I didn't expect this Korean girl to have such endurance, not calling for anyone."
"You underestimate her, Scarlett. Eat your breakfast; it's time to get to work…"
It wasn't until mid-morning that Song Hye-kyo slowly woke up.
The person who had been at her side was gone, leaving her feeling a little empty. But then she saw the note Gilbert had left, and her mood lifted.
Naomi Watts was away, leaving Song Hye-kyo as the only lady of the estate for now.
She wandered aimlessly through the mansion. After last night, the world seemed entirely different to her.
She didn't know how to describe her feelings, but it was like the first time she entered the entertainment industry: a mix of anticipation, uncertainty, and fear about what the future would bring.
At noon, she had lunch alone, prepared luxuriously by the estate's butler.
Song Hye-kyo, as usual, took photos and posted them online with a caption:
"Busy with work, no time to accompany me, but still had a lavish lunch prepared."
Though she didn't mention who it was, after continuous social media posts over the past few days, everyone knew she meant Gilbert.
As expected, this caused a stir in the Korean entertainment industry and among Korean netizens.
Korean netizens erupted in celebration, with only a few dissenting voices. Most were rejoicing and feeling proud.
Many people knew that islanders admired strength, but Koreans admired it even more, sometimes to an extreme degree. Admiring strength meant longing to be like the strong.
Hence, some Korean maps were oversized, and cultural and celebrity elements were borrowed from everywhere—a reflection of this admiration for strength.
In Koreans' eyes, Gilbert was undoubtedly a strong figure. Therefore, what Song Hye-kyo did, which might have been criticized in China, was considered no big deal in Korea.
Not only that, some ambitious Korean actresses, confident in their looks and believing themselves no less attractive than Song Hye-kyo, felt a surge of jealousy toward her.
Why does she get this? Why can't I?
Unfortunately, even if they wanted to get close to Gilbert, it wasn't that easy. Ordinary actresses lacked the opportunity and connections.
In Hollywood, women wanting to get into Gilbert's bed could line up from Los Angeles to Paris, yet very few succeeded. One wave of Gilbert's hand, and he could be with two people a day and still not finish.
But if you asked whose feelings were most complicated, it was undoubtedly the confused and sent-back Bae Suzy.
Seeing Song Hye-kyo flaunt herself so openly, her small worldview seemed to collapse.
Bae Suzy had met Song Hye-kyo on a few variety shows before. In such a small place like Korea, it was almost impossible not to cross paths, given the tight-knit industry.
At the time, she had thought Song Hye-kyo was a gentle, kind older sister who treated her well and even offered her drinks.
She never expected her to become like this. Bae Suzy's little mind couldn't comprehend what had happened. But given her own circumstances, she could glimpse a bit of the truth.
Could this be the power of a big figure?
Some people even assumed Bae Suzy had been involved with Gilbert, but she was still young, had never flaunted herself, and her fame was far less than Song Hye-kyo's.
Thus, the resulting attention was almost nothing, far less than Song Hye-kyo, who leveraged this opportunity to skyrocket in popularity.
Bae Suzy only shared the matter with her friend and teammate, Lee Min-young.
After hearing it, Lee Min-young asked in surprise, "Suzy, why didn't you go for this chance?"
Bae Suzy was stunned. "But… he's much older than me, and he's not even my type."
Lee Min-young was speechless. "Oh my, Suzy, you still want romance? What kind of outdated thinking is this?
As members debuting in a girl group, the best fate is to find a protector and live a life free of worries.
Do you want to be toyed with by those chaebol heirs? Don't you know what happened to Sister Soo-yeon? Or what happened to Sister Min-young?"
Of course, Bae Suzy knew; it was all the same company.
After Sister Soo-yeon debuted, she became famous for her hot, sexy dances. Her girl group had the looks and bodies to match.
But being beautiful in the entertainment industry was a curse. One day, Sister Soo-yeon and her group were called to a party and never returned to the company.
Bae Suzy heard it was because a chaebol heir went too far, leaving Sister Soo-yeon permanently disabled.
She had thought it was a rumor—until Sister Min-young's stage incident. Bae Suzy realized the entertainment industry was far from simple.
At that time, she swore to uphold her boundaries and never submit.
But Song Hye-kyo's proud and carefree reaction left Bae Suzy confused.
Song Hye-kyo didn't know what Bae Suzy was thinking. She had spent a week in Los Angeles, fully enjoying her status as the lady of the Melon Estate.
When she boarded the plane back to Seoul, she thought to herself:
Next time I come back, it won't be like this anymore.