The Art of Seduction (Book 1)

Chapter 6 Ice-cold

Warning: slight violent content ahead, namely corporal punishment( it's only one small part though ) Regardless, skip the *** and proceed with the rest of the story! A summary will be provided so you won't miss out on anything. Enjoy:)

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TTS: 5 Months, 20 Days

"Hyun Bin ssi..." Ye Jin greeted when she finally recovered from her shock.

Quickly standing up, Ye Jin dusted off the dirt on her knees and hands as she studied Hyun Bin.

"I'm just planting some flower seeds. It was your halabeoji's idea." Ye Jin gestured to Hyun Bin's halabeoji sitting in the corner near her.

Hyun Bin barely acknowledged his halabeoji and said nothing but gave her a stiff nod. "I will be going to the office now. Don't wait up for me, I'll probably be late back. Use the bed."

With that, Hyun Bin left as abruptly as he came. Ye Jin stood there watching Hyun Bin stride away from her and she shook her head at his antics. She reckoned he was still being cold to her. Hyun Bin's halabeoji was looking at his grandson sadly as he thought about everything his little Bin went through growing up.

"Ji Wan ah, why don't you take a break? Come sit by me." Hyun Bin's halabeoji called out softly.

Ye Jin perked up at that and happily obliged, patting down the dirt yet again before sitting down on the steps right next to the chair he was in. Hyun Bin's halabeoji had a faraway look in his eyes as he looked at the garden and Ye Jin waited patiently for him to start speaking.

"Child, let me tell you a story." Hyun Bin's halabeoji started and Ye Jin listened as he started telling the story.

"There once were two brothers who live under an influential family. The family has been running a successful business and the father of the two boys was especially proud of his success. But fame got to his head and he never treasured his family, prioritising his business over them.

"From young, it was apparent that the younger had the talent in business while the older was more inclined towards the arts. Their father wished for one of his sons to take over the business one day and picked the younger to be his successor." Hyun Bin's halabeoji stopped there, his eyes filled with years of pain from watching what happened to his grandsons.

"From then, he started hiring tutors who would spend time with the boy daily to groom him to take over his abeoji. Their father was extremely harsh on the younger brother but to the older, his father's favouritism shined through his younger brother and jealously grew in his heart.

"The eldest never got any attention from his parents who were both more focused on grooming his younger brother. What he didn't know, of course, is the true horrors that his younger brother goes through daily and the two both wished to switch positions.

"The younger would do anything to have the freedom his older brother has while the older craved the attention his younger brother was getting from his parents. The family was torn apart by the greed of the father and the hurt manifested in everyone's hearts as the boys grew up." Hyun Bin's halabeoji narrated.

"What happened after that?" Ye Jin asked innocently.

"The boys grew up but the eldest cut ties with his family the minute he could. The younger grew up to be the businessman his abeoji wanted him to be but everything he went through made him a cold-hearted man. The only thing holding the family together is the business." Hyun Bin's halabeoji ended the story with a sad sigh.

Ye Jin frowned as she thought about the story and she wondered if Hyun Bin's halabeoji had subtly told her about Hyun Bin's childhood.

"Is this...is this how he grew up?" Ye Jin asked softly. Hyun Bin's halabeoji gave Ye Jin a sad smile and Ye Jin knew the answer immediately.