“Let’s do a test first.”
The director of photography spoke out loud, his focus on the monitor.
“Just act naturally, both of you.”
In the midst of Vida’s showroom, adorned with harmoniously arranged vintage furniture, two chairs were placed side by side. A man and a woman seated there were framed within the square screen.
The man was dressed in a simple short-sleeved T-shirt and ripped jeans. His hair, falling naturally over his forehead without any particular grooming, somehow stood out. Despite his seemingly effortless style, his strikingly handsome features, both individually impressive and even more so combined, were eye-catching.
The woman beside him wore a silk blouse and slacks. Even the smallest of her earrings seemed carefully chosen, reflecting her meticulous taste. Her wavy brown hair and round eyes softened her appearance, but her gaze and upright posture exuded a unique aura.
Watching the unexpectedly harmonious two-shot of this visually contrasting pair, Producer Park Jinwon smiled in satisfaction.
‘This will definitely create a buzz with their visuals.’
The new reality show “Work and Love, Love and Work” they were about to start shooting focused on the daily lives of four real-life couples, both lovers and colleagues, capturing their lives filled with both work and love.
Kim Juhan and Sun Eunsu were one of those couples, working together in the cozy vintage furniture shop Vida.
Producer Park looked away from the monitor to Juhan and Eunsu.
“No need to be nervous. Just act and speak as you normally would.”
“Okay.”
“Now, let’s start shooting!”
The area quieted down, and the sharp sound of the slate marked the beginning.
“Please look at the camera and greet the audience,” Producer Park requested from across Juhan and Eunsu.
Juhan gestured to Eunsu to go first, and she gave a small nod before speaking.
“Hello. I’m Sun Eunsu, the manager at Vida.”
“I’m the owner, Kim Juhan.”
“What’s the meaning behind the name Vida?”
Juhan, legs crossed and hands clasped over his knees, calmly replied, “It means ‘life’ in Spanish. My father chose it, believing furniture is an art that’s part of everyday life. I took over after he suddenly passed away two years ago.”
A brief silence followed before Producer Park asked another question.
“How did you end up working together with Eunsu?”
“I was completely inexperienced, so I asked Eunsu for help. She knew a lot from working at an interior magazine.”
“And how did you feel about his proposal, Eunsu?”
‘I thought you were out of your mind. Why would I work with you?’
Eunsu recalled her harsh words from that time but quickly composed herself.
“At first, I refused. I like to keep work and personal life separate. But I’ve always been interested in vintage furniture, and at that time, I had just left the magazine for other reasons. Plus…”
She gestured towards the showroom.
“As you can see, it’s fantastic here. Working daily with what I love didn’t seem like a bad idea.”
Then Juhan leaned towards Eunsu.
“Am I included in those things you love?”
“What?”
“Because you see me every day too.”
Juhan looked at Eunsu and grinned.
Crazy… How can he just barge in without a warning like that?
Juhan’s comment, sharp as a knife’s edge, almost made Eunsu utter something harsh. She tensed her lips and lightly hit Juhan’s thigh.
“Ah, hahaha… Why would you say such a thing in front of the camera…”
“Ah, what are you talking about?”
Producer Park quickly intervened.
“Such comments should especially be made in front of the camera.”
Everyone laughed – the producer, the staff, Juhan. Eunsu, feeling she couldn’t be the only one not laughing, clenched her teeth and pretended to smile.
Producer Park asked again.
“So, you’ve been working together for about two years since the year before last, right?”
“Yes.”
“Do you get along well as colleagues? How would you assess each other in a professional aspect?”
Eunsu answered first.
“I think he’s a responsible and reliable CEO. As I mentioned earlier, he initially struggled a lot, but he has made it this far through his efforts, which anyone would acknowledge.”
“From many aspects, Eunsu is essential to Vida. She plays a role in maintaining the overall balance and setting the direction. Even if I am away on business trips for a month, the company operates well, but without Eunsu, it wouldn’t.”
Juhan ended with a smile, turning to look at Eunsu. Feeling his gaze, Eunsu also turned her head.
Their eyes met briefly before both looked away, back to the camera.
“Now that we’ve talked about work, how about a bit of romance? How long have you two been together?”
Juhan replied.
“We were in the same class in our sophomore year of high school. We’ve been friends since then and around the summer of our twenty-second year, we decided to start dating.”
“Wow, so considering you’re both twenty-nine now… that’s almost seven years?”
“Well… there was a time when we broke up in between.”
Juhan touched his chin and neck awkwardly. Eunsu added with an awkward laugh.
“We got back together about a year ago.”
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
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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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