Amber handed him a paper bag. The pitch-black paper bag, the contents of which were unknown, maintained its stiffness with sharp edges.
“I’ve been so busy and tired lately that I bought this to ask our darling for an event. I’ll let Taeseo handle it.”
“What’s this?”
“Role-playing may feel awkward at first, but Taeseo is shameless, so he’ll do well. Forget about Mr. Kang, and what was that? The… natural, what was it?”
“…Instinct.”
“Yeah! Instinct! Be a beast faithful to your instincts! Spend a hot night with Jaein.”
“…Inside, there’s also herbal medicine. It’s supposed to be really good. Take it three hours before the event, and it’s perfect, ah. Taeseo, he likes Oriental medicine. Experience that amazing power with Taeseo and Jaein.”
Taeseo, who alternately examined the paper bag on the table and listened to Amber praising the unidentifiable medicine, stood up. He frowned.
If she’s going to present something like that, she might as well not. She wiped her wet eye area while presenting props and vitality enhancers for the event. It was quite typical of Amber to think about it that way.
“Anyway, it’s settled like this. It’s good. I feel so relieved.”
Amber’s notion of settling referred to the recent situation that had become an issue involving Taeseo.
This morning, Kangseon Group once again clarified Taeseo’s marriage announcement through the PR team.
Admitting that the marriage announcement was made prematurely without the agreement or confirmation of the two parties involved, expressing the intention to fulfill the promise between the former chairmen, and acknowledging that the announcement was hasty.
It was unprecedented for the company to quickly correct its announced position. Taeseo’s public disclosure of his relationship with an ordinary person in “DAJE” had given strength to his movements.
Taeseo didn’t think Chairman Kang Shinjae had done it. It was probably the instruction of his maternal grandmother, Director Im Hongjin. It also meant that Chairman Kang Shinjae was currently unable to pay attention to such matters.
When he left the main house in Yeonryudong, he heard a thud from behind. At the same time, there was a disturbance between his maternal grandmother and employees, so Chairman Kang Shinjae was probably resting in the hospital now.
Maybe it was because of alcohol. It could be persistent alcohol dependence-induced arrhythmia or high blood pressure.
Taeseo didn’t blame himself for Chairman Kang Shinjae’s collapse. It was natural. The only time Chairman Kang Shinjae had been surprised by him was when he was born.
Taeseo knew well that Chairman Kang Shinjae would not be the one to collapse from being shocked by a trivial existence like him.
“…I’ve explained the situation, so I’ll go.”
“You should take this!”
“Eat and dress yourself.”
“Is this for men? It’s from a famous herbal medicine shop! They say you have to stand in line for days to buy it.”
“Yeah. You got it hard; feed yourself. I don’t need it. You probably need it.”
“Hey! Darling, are you still strong?”
Whether it was Amber venting her frustration or not, Taeseo, who was leaving the office, paused for a moment. The lingering sound of Amber’s words was like a foothold for him.
Darling.
Come to think of it, there wasn’t any particular endearment between Jaein and me. Still, Jaein-ssi, Taeseo-ssi, Yoon Jaein, Kang Taeseo. Addressing each other only by name felt a bit dry.
Having grown up abroad and not originally having the habit of using such terms, I had never thought about it. But now, I felt a bit greedy. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had some endearing terms for each other?
Taeseo’s gaze naturally turned to my left hand. A satisfied smile crept onto his lips as he examined the ring on my ring finger.
Amber, who followed Taeseo with a paper bag, lowered her head following Taeseo’s gaze. She discovered the ring belatedly and widened her eyes.
“Oh, what’s that ring?”
“Amber.”
With eyes full of anticipation to hear about the ring, Amber looked at Taeseo. For some reason, she seemed so curious that even the dark circles that covered her face due to fatigue momentarily brightened.
“Let’s use your villa in Cancun.”
“Sure. I’ll look amazing in this there. Here, take it with you.”
“Dress yourself in it. I’ll contact you as soon as the schedule is set.”
Taeseo, who displayed an attitude devoid of any regrets, turned away. Ignoring the reluctantly offered item, he walked away empty-handed. As he moved away, Amber shouted after him.
“What’s that ring?”
Passing by a curious Amber and a secretary with a puzzled expression, Taeseo effortlessly boarded the elevator.
Unavoidable excitement appeared on his face as he caressed the ring on his ring finger.
“Why is the front of the building so chaotic?”
“Oh, there’s a dental clinic on the second floor.”
“Yeah. Did the sign change?”
“It’s a mess over there. The building owner, Granny Magui, must have learned protesting somewhere because she protests morning and night.”
“…It’s your building, isn’t it?”
When male lead is the homewrecker
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
I’ve read the novel below twice already. Girls, I’m highly recommending it to you!
The female lead? Not a good person.
The second male lead? Not a good person.
The male lead? Willingly plays the third party, breaking up the female and second male lead’s relationship despite all the warnings from his friends—so yeah, he’s definitely not a good person either.
Basically, nobody in this novel is simple-minded or without scheming.
The female lead starts off as the male lead’s secretary, but don’t worry—later on, she takes over the company while the male lead steps back to support her. He won’t steal her spotlight, overshadow her, or dull her shine.
I love novels where men are out here snatching wigs, tearing each other down, and going to war just to win the female lead’s affection. And this is exactly that kind of novel. Most of Hai Dai Ran’s works have this dynamic. You’ll see the male characters’ emotions being pushed to the absolute extreme.
There’s even a scene where the second male lead exposes the male lead online for being a homewrecker. The brotherhood immediately gangs up on him, dragging him through the mud. I find it compelling —it completely flips reality on its head, where usually, women are the ones fighting over a man and getting torn apart by the sisterhood.
For me, female leads in the novels I read should only struggle in their careers, not in love. But if the brainless romantics in the story are all men? I have zero complaints.
I’ve pretty much read all of Hai Dai Ran’s novels and even translated all of them—her works are just my thing. I’ll slowly upload everything here. One day, when my website is official, I hope I can invite her to join as one of the star authors.
Here’s the story synopsis:
One-line summary: She is his lifelong obsession, to the point where he was willing to be a third wheel, scorned by society, just to wedge his way into her relationship with her fiancé.
Cold-hearted and indifferent female lead + Scheming and subservient CEO male lead
Intro 1:
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
With blood trickling from his clenched fist, Rong Xiu gazed at the woman before him, his eyes clouded with anguish. Hidden in the wardrobe, he had witnessed Fan Xia – the woman he desperately loved – in an intimate embrace with her fiancé. Yet his heart still yearned for her, defying all reason.
Fan Xia, the elegant and composed assistant, carried something mysterious in her eyes whenever she looked at her fiancé, Wen Lan Sheng. Strange occurrences began to surface – secret meetings with the young Gu Jin Yi, an unexplained withdrawal of 5,000 yuan… Then suddenly, her fiancé’s sister, Wen Jing, violently attacked her.
In this matriarchal society, Rong Xiu had risen to become the chairman of a powerful healthcare conglomerate, breaking through gender prejudices. But for the first time, he willingly stepped into the shadows as the other man, disregarding his friends’ warnings to become her secret lover.
Because he had discovered the truth – Fan Xia wasn’t the pure angel everyone believed her to be. And perhaps, he was the only one capable of helping her execute her mysterious plan…
Intro 2:
Rong Xiu’s biggest regret in life was missing out on Fan Xia.
He secretly loved Fan Xia for 7 years.
Watched her go public with her boyfriend.
Watched her kiss her boyfriend at their wedding.
Until that man blissfully nestled in Fan Xia’s arms, obtaining everything he could only dream of.
The crazy jealousy stripped away his hidden secret love, layer by layer, burning like wildfire.
Fan Xia, how can I have you!
【Reading and Trigger Warning Guide】
1. Female dominant, male submissive, male pregnancy
2. Male lead schemes his way to the top, male competition
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
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