“If someone heard that, they’d think it’s real!”
“Then explain why you’re blushing.”
There was a reason why Tae Ha said this.
Si Hyun first met Leon when she was twentyfour. The moment she saw Leon, who was still in his midthirties at the time, she genuinely thought,
“Could there be another man as handsome in the world?”
“Do you think I wouldn’t know that you’ve been meeting my father behind my back?”
That wasn’t the case… Si Hyun couldn’t tell the truth because she had a promise with Leon, and once again, she picked up her beer can.
Before she knew it, the can was empty, and as she reached for a new one, Tae Ha took it away.
“Your hand, it’s still hurting.”
Thinking about Woo Jin who had scolded her earlier for her reddened hand, Si Hyun sighed.
Opening the can and handing it back, Tae Ha quietly asked,
“You couldn’t drink well originally. When did you start drinking like this?”
“Well, I became independent when I turned thirty. Living alone, it just happened.”
Actually, it wasn’t because she lived alone. Her mother kept nagging her to get married soon, and Woo Jin was lukewarm about it, saying it was too early for marriage. As she was stressed out between them, her drinking gradually increased.
Feeling the effects of the alcohol, her mood lifted. Si Hyun asked with a beaming smile,
“So when are you going to grant my wish?”
“What wish?”
“Remember when we were kids? You said that if I make a wish on my birthday, you would grant it when you grow up. Don’t tell me you don’t remember that now?”
Tae Ha answered refreshingly,
“Tell me. Anything.”
“What if I really ask for anything?”
Tae Ha raised his thick eyebrows, as if daring her to say it.
“Oh, I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot.”
Thinking about what would be nice, Si Hyun said the first thing that came to mind,
“Then buy me a car.”
“I’ll buy it.”
Without a second’s hesitation, Tae Ha nodded.
“No, not a car. Buy me a house. Like a penthouse. Like the ones in dramas, you know?”
“I’ll buy it.”
Clearly, this was meant to be a joke. Yet, every response that came back was utterly sincere.
Si Hyun belatedly realized that she had picked the wrong person to joke with. She had completely forgotten that Tae Ha was an enormous tycoon.
Of course, no matter how wealthy Tae Ha became, Si Hyun had no intention of benefitting from it. He was successful now, so naturally, there would be a lot of people pestering him. She couldn’t possibly become one of them.
Quickly, Si Hyun burst out laughing, trying to fix her slip of the tongue.
“Cancel, cancel. What does material stuff matter between us? The heart is what matters.”
“Do you need a heart?”
With a completely emotionless face, Tae Ha looked straight at Si Hyun.
“Then I’ll give you one.”
It felt like she was sobering up quickly.
Why on earth does he keep saying things like this…?
As if waiting for a reaction, he was staring intently at her, making it hard for Si Hyun to meet his gaze. So, she deliberately stretched and yawned.
“I must be really tired today. I’m already sleepy.”
Si Hyun got up.
“I’ll go and sleep now. See you at the office in the morning.”
Suddenly, Tae Ha grabbed her wrist. Surprised, she looked up to meet his deeply set eyes.
“People were wondering.”
Gazing into Si Hyun’s eyes, Tae Ha moved his lips as if drawing something.
“Why I came to this company.”
She could clearly see her own reflection in his deep brown eyes.
“… Aren’t you curious?”
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t curious. He should be busy with his own company. Even if he was just pinchhitting for a while, why would he bother coming to someone else’s company, and not even an IT company but a Future Bank.
But strangely, she couldn’t ask him why right now.
She had a feeling she shouldn’t ask.
Instead of replying, Si Hyun turned her head to look at the clock hanging on the wall.
“It’s late. I should go now.”
((()))
After leaving Tae Ha’s house, Si Hyun returned to her place.
Like most oneroom buildings, the soundproofing here was poor. At its worst, she could even hear the sound of her neighbour flipping the light switch.
“Sometimes I feel at ease, sometimes uncomfortable…”
As she was heading to bed, muttering to herself, Si Hyun suddenly froze. Something tiny and pitch black was slithering under the table.
Si Hyun screamed.
“Ah!”
Had 30 seconds even passed? Beep, beep, beep, beep, following the sound of hurriedly entering the door lock password, Tae Ha rushed in.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
Si Hyun ran and hid behind Tae Ha’s back. If there was anything in the world she hated the most, it was anything with multiple legs. She wasn’t scared of zombies or ghosts, but insects terrified her to death.
“Sp, sp, sp…!”
Si Hyun, pointing with her trembling finger, indicated under the table.
“Spider.”
Tae Ha immediately understood and took action. Watching him carefully wrap the spider in a tissue and release it outside the window, Si Hyun finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank you.”
Belatedly, Si Hyun was surprised. Tae Ha was dressed in a bathrobe. His hair was wet, and the front of his bathrobe was wide open, revealing his bare chest.
Swiftly averting her gaze, Si Hyun criticized him.
“What is that you’re wearing?”
“What are you talking about? I rushed over because I heard you screaming, leaving my shower halfway.”
“Still, you should’ve dressed properly before coming!”
And yet, Tae Ha didn’t blink an eye.
“You said I’m not a man, didn’t you?”
“Of course not!”
As Si Hyun still kept her head turned away while replying, Tae Ha took large strides towards her.
“So why can’t you look at me straight?”
As Tae Ha spread the lapels of his bathrobe, the dazzling body hidden inside was revealed.
“Look at me properly. … Whether I’m a man, or not.”
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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