SYCF 2

Chapter 2

Two Months Earlier | Seoul, TS Group Chairman Kang Taesan’s Residence | 10 PM

Taemi sat at the dining table, fake-coughing into her palm to mask her breath. Thankfully, the alcohol scent was faint.

Of all nights to go clubbing…

She’d been abruptly summoned an hour ago. The club’s bass still throbbed in her ears.

This was about the “pepper leaf” incident.

She side-eyed Taesan through her faux lashes as he sifted through newspapers on the table. Her stomach knotted waiting for his verdict.

Deciding to strike first, she forced a smile, wiping her sweaty palms on her 3.5-million-won Dior chiffon dress.

“So, Dad… Not all ‘news outlets’ are legit these days.” Her voice dripped with saccharine charm. “Some are just tabloids masquerading as journalists.”

Her grin faltered as she scanned the headlines—all from Korea’s most venerable papers:

[TS Group, #1 in Food & Retail, Jumps into Gochujang—But Can’t Tell Chili Peppers from Olives]
[Plant Beans, Get Beans. Plant Olives, Get… Chili Peppers?]
[TS’s ‘Rabbit Gochujang’: Now with Authentic Greek Flavors! (Thanks, Olive Leaves)]
[“Did Han-Dae Group’s CEO Know Car Parts Before Making Cars?”—Taemi Kang’s Past Remarks Resurface]

Taemi bit her lip, recalling the photo that started this mess.

A week ago, TS Group announced its long-planned gochujang venture—with her as director. Despite her track record of failed projects, Taesan gave her the role. Because nepotism.

The disaster began the next day.

An Instagram follower (@redpepper_king) DM’d her a plant photo with: “Fighting for your gochujang biz!”

She adored her followers—they flooded her luxury/haul posts with “Slay, rich unnie!” comments. Maybe that’s why she’d posted the photo with a caption oozing faux-expertise:

#FirstTimeSeeingPepperLeaves #SoGreen #FreshPeppersMakeBestGochujang #TSRabbitGochujang #Organic #MadeWithHeart

Alarms blew up instantly.

My fans love me!

Then—

[Um… that’s an olive leaf.]

The internet erupted.

[LMAO ‘Greek Gochujang’]
[Plant olives, harvest peppers? Alchemy queen!]

By the time she deleted it, screenshots had spread like wildfire—paired with her past gaffes.

—

Back in the dining room, Taemi swallowed hard. “It’ll blow over. I’ll fix it.”

Taesan’s spoon froze mid-stir in his ttukbaegi.

“How.”

His voice was lethally quiet.

“I-I mean… y’know…” She mimicked his cadence, brain foggy.

“Our stocks dropped 7% because of your ‘pepper leaves.’ How will you fix it?” His volume spiked. “Didn’t I tell you to quit that Insta-crap?”

Taemi squirmed. “But Dad! Even eMart’s CEO uses social media to rebrand—”

“You still don’t get it!”

He slammed his spoon. She flinched as broth splattered her face.

“You torched our brand pre-launch, and now you—!”

“It wasn’t me! The sender sabotaged us!”

“Enough!” Taesan’s roar curled her into a pill bug. “You’re getting married.”

Taemi froze, broth dripping.

“M-Married?! To who?!”

“Ok Hae-chan.”

Her blood iced over.

Ok Hae-chan—heir to Ok Doenjang and a notorious playboy—was the antithesis of her type.

“NO!” She shot up. “I won’t marry for business!”

After 33 years single, she refused to skip love entirely. She’d seen her parents’ loveless marriage.

At least let me have one real romance before selling me off!

Taesan’s eyes glinted. “Fine. ‘Grind’ in the field like your brothers did.”

Her stomach dropped.

…Field?

A lightning-bolt realization: the remote gochujang factory in Suchang-ri.

“D-Dad… you’re not sending me to the factory, right?”

“Factory? Pah!”

She exhaled—until he smiled, serpent-smooth.

“You’re going to the chili fields.”