Chapter 1.
It was in the early hours of dawn when my fading consciousness returned. The moonlight pouring in through the paper windows was so bright that I thought today would be a particularly good day to die.
Once I had made up my mind, there was no point in dragging it out. I forced my staggering body to rise. My body, weakened by fasting, was practically useless, but soon I would part with it, so it didn’t matter.
“I wanted to have everything organized before I left…”
My room was scattered with all sorts of precious jewels, gold and silver treasures, and luxurious silks. These were gifts from His Majesty that I hadn’t finished sorting since I was ordered to stay confined.
Most of the items I hadn’t yet sorted were given after my dismissal, though some from the time of my favoritism still remained. Eventually, these would be items my daughter would have to sort through.
Among them, I picked up a letter that had arrived yesterday afternoon. In my hand, I felt silk so fine it would be a shame to make it into a garment, and as I untied the string, letters made of melted gold emerged. I laughed at such absurd luxury.
“Such things should be used to celebrate achievements…”
At first glance, the letter was as splendid and beautiful as those I received when returning victorious from war. But having received them so often after my dismissal, I knew they contained criticism, anger, and reprimand.
“Your Majesty, the favor of the heavens is too burdensome for a human to bear.”
His Majesty’s favor was always like this. Intense, twisted, and incomprehensible to me, receiving such affection was half my life.
Sometimes it was exhausting, sometimes reassuring, sometimes conspicuous. And sometimes…
…it was just pleasant.
But now, I was simply weary.
“What did I do to offend you so?”
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t understand what I had done so wrong.
Was it so reprehensible to suggest a quick decision on the crown prince to avoid conflict among heirs? To the extent that, even after being dismissed, it caused such a stir?
“Was that a crime worthy of death, Your Excellency?”
Continuously… I sorted through all the exquisite gifts His Majesty had given me, which would now be my relics.
Was my expression poor, or was the timing wrong? Or should I have just kept my eyes closed and mouth shut, living only for my own well-being?
Maybe that would have been better. Pretending not to see, not to hear, just looking after my own interests, I might still be boasting of unshakeable authority.
But what’s the use of thinking about it now? I was dismissed and confined at home, and political turmoil is raging outside.
Ten years have passed since the crown prince died. The issue of succession, which had been growing gradually, finally surfaced last year.
Those who had been fighting under the surface began to openly frame and slander each other, and they struggled desperately to involve me, who had remained neutral.
And His Majesty, who had tolerated this political strife for ten years, suddenly started a purge.
My nephew, who persuaded our family to support the third prince, claiming he was the eldest surviving prince and should be the crown prince, was executed.
My friend, who sent a letter saying that the fourth prince, from a prestigious family on my mother’s side, should ascend to the throne for the stability of the empire, was imprisoned.
While all my associates were being swept away, I firmly repeated that all this instability was due to the lack of a decided heir, and urged His Majesty to make a decision quickly.
─And this is the result. After being dismissed, I was ordered to stay confined. It’s like exile, really.
Chapter 1.
And so, this is the result. After being dismissed, I was ordered to remain confined. It’s nothing short of exile.
Yet, I was not worried about myself. Because His Majesty continued to send me letters. Those letters were made of silk more precious than what is used for clothing, and the writing was in gold.
I was confident that His Majesty’s anger would eventually subside. There might be some lingering resentment, and I might receive a slightly lower title than before, but I would be able to return. If being demoted is shameful, I could just stay in my domain, dismissed, living like a king within my own land.
…My worry was for my daughter. My only daughter, just past her youth, my successor, my only family.
It was a blessing to be confined like this in the current political climate, where a storm of bloodshed raged. Anyone even slightly suspected of involvement in the succession struggle was being swept away, and already half of my family members had been dismissed or punished.
In this situation, it was only a matter of time before my daughter, who had just started her official duties, would be implicated.
I couldn’t tell her to quit her job and come back. In these times, quitting her job could be seen as a sign of rebellion.
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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