Chapter 130
Translator: penny
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Tender Moments and Hidden Crushes
"Hui-ah, try some of this."
Mok Jimyeong picked a piece of fish from the dish with his chopsticks and held it up to Moyong Hui's lips.
It felt a bit awkward seeing him act so out of character from his usual self... but.
"Whoa, Mok hyungnim is being so sweet."
Namgung Sua shot envious glances from the side, so Moyong Hui kept her composure and casually took the chopsticks into her mouth as if it were nothing new.
It was a dish they'd eaten together often before, but today it tasted far better than ever.
Just then, Mok Jimyeong poured her more wine into her empty cup.
As she watched him gaze at her with eyes full of affection, Moyong Hui's mood lifted for no particular reason.
It was the feeling of being truly cherished.
Apparently, Moyong Hui wasn't the only one feeling that way. Namgung Sua murmured with a dreamy look in her eyes.
"I'm so jealous... Wonder if there's a guy out there who'd debone fish for me like that?"
Paeng Deokjo, sitting nearby, overheard her mutter and hurriedly deboned some fish.
He tentatively offered it to Namgung Sua... but.
"Paeng hyungnim, please refrain from such burdensome gestures."
All he got in return was an ice-cold rejection.
Moyong Hui couldn't help but let out a light chuckle at Paeng Deokjo's dejected expression.
'This is just too good.'
It was a drinking gathering with old acquaintances she hadn't seen in ages.
And on top of that, it included Mok Jimyeong, the man she loved.
Truth be told, when Mok Jimyeong had suggested joining Namgung Chan earlier, Moyong Hui had felt quite upset at the time.
Her reaction to the name Namgung Sua had been obvious.
But once the drinking started, all her worries turned out to be unfounded.
-It was nothing, Hui-ah. I just wanted to chat a bit since she's a friend of yours.
She hadn't believed his words back then at all.
Yet in reality, once the gathering began, Mok Jimyeong showed no interest in Namgung Sua whatsoever.
Instead, he spent the entire time treating Moyong Hui with the utmost respect.
And perhaps to build her up in front of these old friends, he was even more affectionate than usual.
"Hui-ah, want more fish?"
As he spoke, Mok Jimyeong reached for the fish dish with his chopsticks again.
Moyong Hui beamed and shook her head.
"I'm good, Gaga. You should eat some too."
There had nearly been a clash between Mok Jimyeong and Namgung Chan midway through, but he'd backed off right away when she intervened.
Even when Namgung Chan spat out some insulting remark, he'd held back.
Mok Jimyeong's skills were leagues beyond Namgung Chan's.
For him to endure such insults from someone so much weaker showed just how much he cared for her.
'But seriously, what's up with Brother Chan?'
She had a hunch.
Or rather, she'd heard about it.
'Did Brother Chan really have feelings for me?'
At first, when Paeng Deokjo had teased Namgung Chan about feeling slighted, she'd thought it was just a joke.
But after seeing his reactions toward Mok Jimyeong and hearing what Namgung Sua and Paeng Deokjo said once he left, it started to seem real.
'He never showed it at all...'
In truth, Namgung Chan had been dropping hints in his own way.
Everyone around them had known.
But those "hints" were only obvious by Namgung Chan's standards. To Moyong Hui, who had been popular with guys since childhood, they felt no different from any other man's attention.
So it had all been awkward for her.
'Sigh, what do I do? In a few days, we'll be working together again.'
She already had Mok Jimyeong.
Even without that, Namgung Chan was just a close acquaintance, not someone she saw romantically.
But knowing he saw her that way made her worry about facing him constantly in the Vermilion Bird Unit once she returned to the Murim Alliance.
'Should I just ask if it's true? It might be a joke.'
His own sister, Namgung Sua, would know for sure.
But she didn't want to ask in front of Mok Jimyeong and risk a misunderstanding.
In the end, Moyong Hui decided to pull Namgung Sua aside privately.
"Gaga, mind if I step out to talk with Sua for a bit? There's something I want to ask her..."
"Huh? Just you two?"
Mok Jimyeong was curious but didn't stop her.
She wouldn't do anything to hurt him.
"Sure, go ahead. I'll chat with Paeng hyungnim here."
With Mok Jimyeong's permission, Moyong Hui led Namgung Sua outside.
Just in case, she first set up a barrier of qi.
Unaware of this, Namgung Sua looked at her curiously.
"What did you want to ask me that you had to pull me aside like this, Unnie?"
"Don't get the wrong idea... Now that I'm heading back to the Murim Alliance, I'll have to see Brother Chan all the time."
"Right?"
"So, did Brother Chan really like me?"
At Moyong Hui's cautious question, Namgung Sua's eyes widened in shock.
"Unnie, you seriously didn't know?"
"Huh? Uh, yeah."
Moyong Hui felt embarrassed by Namgung Sua's exaggerated reaction.
She really hadn't known.
But Namgung Sua stared at her in amazement.
"Wow, I thought you just weren't interested in guys. No offense as family, but honestly, my brother is a catch. And Waryong too..."
'Ah, Waryong.'
Come to think of it, she'd heard Jegal Wi liked her too.
Jegal Wi was in the Black Tortoise Unit, so they'd cross paths less than with Namgung Chan, but it was still a headache.
"With two great guys like that around and you staying single, I figured you just weren't into men. Or maybe you were following your family's wishes. But then you show up with such an amazing partner...! I've gained new respect for you."
By the end, Namgung Sua grinned mischievously, teasing her a little.
Feeling bashful for some reason, Moyong Hui grumbled back.
"What about you, Sua? You've got Dragon Boy hyungnim."
Namgung Chan and Jegal Wi's behaviors were ambiguous enough to misinterpret, but Paeng Deokjo's feelings for Namgung Sua were blatantly obvious.
From asking Namgung Chan to scoot over so he could sit next to her, to deboning the fish—anyone without a clue would still notice.
At Moyong Hui's question, Namgung Sua glanced around briefly.
Then she leaned in and whispered.
"I don't like Paeng hyungnim. He's too ugly."
"I... see?"
Moyong Hui nearly nodded in agreement with 'Yeah, fair.'
Paeng Deokjo's looks really were quite unfortunate.
Moyong Hui barely managed to brush it off, and Namgung Sua let out a deep sigh.
"Sigh, I want to have a sweet romance like you, Unnie, but there are no decent guys around."
Of course, as a direct descendant of the Namgung family, she couldn't just date anyone.
If the background was solid, the looks fell short; if the looks were good, the background was lacking.
There were two men who met her standards... but.
'What's the point? One's family, and the other's only got eyes for Hui-unnie.'
Neither Namgung Chan nor Jegal Wi had any chance of connecting with her.
To comfort Namgung Sua, Moyong Hui said something she didn't quite mean.
"Still, isn't Dragon Boy hyungnim decent enough?"
"Pfft, no thanks. If he were even half as handsome as Mok hyungnim, maybe..."
"Huh? Gaga?"
"Yeah. His family background is a bit iffy, but his looks and personality are totally my type... Unnie, I'm so jealous. I want to date someone like Mok hyungnim too."
Why did Mok Jimyeong come up all of a sudden?
Moyong Hui had been feeling good because he'd ignored Namgung Sua throughout the gathering, but now she was calling him her type.
A sudden wave of crisis hit her, and Moyong Hui hurriedly spoke up.
"R... right! His family! You said earlier you'd never heard of the Mok Family Clan. Your family probably wouldn't approve either, right?"
"Hmm, true. If Mok hyungnim's martial arts were on par with Paeng hyungnim's, good enough for the Five Dragons and Five Phoenixes, then maybe. Oh! Unnie, what's Mok hyungnim's skill level like?"
Martial arts?
No need to ask.
'Five Dragons and Five Phoenixes? Even I, who's reached the Transcendent Realm, can't hold a candle to him.'
This was bad.
Namgung Sua might start showing interest in Mok Jimyeong first.
And if that happened, he'd probably jump at it like 'Jackpot!'
'What do I do? Oh! Should I introduce her to Cheon Musa's guy?'
Someone like Cheon Woojin would fit Namgung Sua's criteria perfectly.
Handsome face, martial prowess beyond the Five Dragons and Five Phoenixes.
But Moyong Hui quickly shook her head.
'Cheon Musa's guy would probably turn her down...'
She hadn't talked to him much, but she'd observed him enough.
To her, Cheon Woojin seemed utterly uninterested in women.
Of course, that was all because of Mok Jimyeong's threats and his careful efforts to hide his brothel visits from her, but that's how it appeared to Moyong Hui.
And even if they did hit it off, there'd be issues.
What was Cheon Woojin's status?
Mok Jimyeong's subordinate.
Introducing him to Namgung Sua?
If they ended up marrying, her relationship with Namgung Sua would get super awkward.
Fine if they connected by chance, but her playing matchmaker would be rude.
"Unnie? You gotta tell me about Mok hyungnim's skills. Just a little hint?"
At Namgung Sua's urging, Moyong Hui stamped her feet in panic, at a total loss.