JD 86

Seeing the question marks filling Hakyung’s eyes, Muheon pointed lazily at the woman and said:

“Huang Ying. She’s Huang Lin’s older sister. She’s an imugi.”

It was a clean, to-the-point introduction. If she was Huang Lin’s sister, that meant she was also an imugi and the owner of the hotel in Incheon—Muheon’s friend.

Which meant… she was quite a bit older than she looked. It was surprising that this petite, delicate woman was Huang Lin’s older sister and not his younger one.

Still, ever the polite river dolphin of the East, Hakyung quickly tucked away his curiosity and gave a deep bow in greeting. Seeing such a proper and formal greeting from the boy who’d been glaring so warily just ten seconds ago made Huang Ying laugh again.

“He was all bristling with suspicion a second ago, and now he’s all sweet. Cute.”

“But are you only going to introduce me? Who’s this kid, huh?”

Huang Ying’s relentless curiosity made Muheon frown. He was going to introduce Hakyung anyway, but seeing that expression full of interest put him in a foul mood.

When Muheon kept his mouth shut, Hakyung stepped forward on his own.

“I’m Kang Hakyung! I’m a river dolphin beastman, and I’m married to the boss!”

Hakyung beamed as he emphasized the word married. Saying he was Muheon’s husband always sent a thrill through him. I’m the husband of this amazing imugi—we’re officially registered, we even exchanged rings!

If he could, he’d scream it from a megaphone in the middle of the street every single day.

Hakyung’s bold declaration left Huang Ying blinking in surprise. She knew Muheon had married a river dolphin, but she didn’t expect him to be this young and adorable…

This bastard.

Her eyes narrowed. Muheon noticed the reproach glimmering in her gaze, but pretended not to and simply wrapped an arm around Hakyung’s waist. Huang Ying let out a soft, amused snort at his shamelessness and extended her hand toward Hakyung again.

This time, Hakyung reached out quickly and shook it politely.

“Well then, I’m glad I spoke to you. Actually, I came here because Muheon asked me to. So, you really were the one singing earlier, right?”

Her obsession with the song was impressive. Hakyung laughed awkwardly in response. The comment about his “weird lyrics” had stuck like a thorn.

It was Muheon who broke the awkwardness. He casually swatted away Huang Ying’s still-clasped hand and explained to Hakyung,

“Chinese imugis are crazy about singing and dancing. So when they hear a voice they like, they go wild. It means she really liked your voice.”

“Oh, I—I see.”

Huang Ying nodded enthusiastically in agreement. Only then did Hakyung’s expression begin to relax.

Being praised for something you did well always felt good. His butt wiggled ever so slightly, and Muheon gave it a few pats. He was already thinking of handing him a mic once they got home so he could sing his heart out.

But first, they had to wrap up the reason for calling Huang Ying here.

“That’s all well and good, but Hakyung’s not going to China, so drop it. Don’t forget—I’m the one who asked you to come.”

Muheon waved his large hand in front of her face. Snapped out of her daze, Huang Ying shook her head as if waking from hypnosis.

She’d been briefly enchanted by that lovely voice, but Muheon was right—she had come for a purpose.

It had been hundreds of years, and Muheon had never contacted her first. The fact that he personally asked for something made her run here in excitement, only to almost forget the whole reason.

“You’re right. Let’s get going. You said we’re heading to the CEO’s office, right?”

“Yeah, follow me.”

Looks like it’s imugi business. Better not get in the way.

For once, putting aside his jealousy, Hakyung tried to think maturely and turned to finish cleaning the stairs. But Muheon gently tugged at his waist.

“You’re coming too, Hakyung.”

“Me too?”

Muheon gave a short nod and started walking. Caught off guard, Hakyung ended up following him into the CEO’s office still holding his broom, then sat on the sofa and looked around, his eyes darting.

If this was some complex topic only imugis could understand, he wouldn’t get it anyway—so why bring him?

That question was soon answered.

A small case Huang Ying brought with her opened to reveal a jaw-droppingly large gemstone.

“Muheon only introduced my name earlier, right? Let me properly introduce myself. I’m Huang Ying, and I run a gem crafting business in China. I love anything that sparkles—whether it’s physical or intangible, I want to collect it all.”

Her red eyes gleamed as she said the last part. Her lust for shiny things was so intense that even Hakyung, meeting her for the first time, could feel it clearly.

So that’s why she was interested in my voice… Hakyung had always been praised for his singing no matter where he went. He knew well that his most dazzling asset was his voice.

Still, it wasn’t like she was a witch from a fairy tale who’d steal his voice, and he wasn’t the Little Mermaid… She didn’t seem dangerous—so why did her eyes send a chill down his spine?

As Hakyung nervously swallowed, Muheon explained why.

“You can’t just stop there. Tell him the rest. She can infuse her power into gems and absorb anything that catches her fancy.”

“R-Really…?”

“Yeah. She was trying to steal your voice earlier.”

At Muheon’s blunt declaration, Huang Ying let out a low, amused chuckle. So it hadn’t been a joke.

Hakyung, who had seen Muheon control the weather firsthand, knew this wasn’t an exaggeration. A cold sweat ran down his spine at the thought of nearly losing his voice.

Hic!

Startled beyond belief, Hakyung let out a hiccup so loud it bounced his shoulders. The reaction was so adorably fresh that Huang Ying doubled over laughing.

The overly sensitive river dolphin, having just witnessed the temperamental nature of an imugi up close, looked like he was about to cry as he turned to his ally—Muheon.

“Want me to get you some water?”

“No, hhic!”

Hakyung clung tightly to Muheon’s sleeve, as if asking where he thought he was going without him. His frightened expression left Muheon a little flustered.

Of course, he wasn’t going to leave Hakyung’s side or let another imugi take anything from him—but you never knew. That crow-like imugi would try to snatch even a scrap of Hakyung’s voice if she got the chance.

She was greedy, shameless, and yet—undeniably skilled. That was why Muheon, wanting only the best for Hakyung, had called her over without much thought. But it had been a mistake. Letting her hear Hakyung’s singing hadn’t been part of the original plan.

He should’ve just let her rot in China.

But now it was too late for regrets.

It took a full ten minutes for Hakyung’s hiccups, brought on by fright, to stop. During that time, Muheon did everything he could to calm him down, bringing up one topic after another.

Though this was all because of her, Huang Ying didn’t say a single word to help. She just sat there smirking, clearly enjoying the scene. Her personality was seriously twisted.

“S-So… why did you ask Ms. Huang Ying to come, anyway?”

Finally composed, Hakyung voiced the question at the root of his curiosity. Knowing Muheon’s personality, he wouldn’t have summoned someone without a clear reason.

At his question, Muheon and Hwang Yeong exchanged a look, as if signaling the real business was about to begin.

“To ask her to make the rings we’ll exchange at our wedding.”

Muheon’s short reply was followed by him carefully examining the gems Huang Ying pulled from her case. Hakyung leaned in too, eyes drawn to the sparkling stones in Muheon’s hands.

None of the gems Huang Ying brought shimmered in a single flat color. Each one had a base hue layered with shifting tones that changed with the light, blending two or three shades in a way that was more than beautiful—it was otherworldly.

Hakyung stared at the stones without blinking. Seeing his reaction, Huang Ying shrugged with a grin.

“So? This is my specially curated collection. Looks like your husband’s really into it.”

“Yeah. What about their effects?”

At Muheon’s question, Huang Ying answered with sincerity. These were gems she cherished like her own children—each one infused with her power over many years.

They were stones with impressive abilities, worthy of being displayed anywhere. Still, she wasn’t some merchant selling to the highest bidder. She only traded with those who passed her exacting aesthetic standards.

Which meant that if Huang Ying was offering these, their value was indisputable.

“But, Boss… we already have our wedding rings.”

Hakyung pouted as he held out his left hand. He’d spent months saving up for those rings…

Seeing the tinge of disappointment in Hakyung’s expression, Muheon smiled softly.

“We’re not replacing them. We’ll just inlay the gems into the ones we already have. This is our wedding ring—I’d never change it.”

“Really?”

“Of course. So go ahead and pick the one you like best.”

Hearing the syrupy sweet exchange between the two, Huang Ying smirked.

Who would’ve thought that the cold, gruff imugi from the West Sea, Lee Muheon, could turn out this soft? It just went to show—live long enough, and you’ll see everything.