A languid spring breeze blew, contrasting the tense atmosphere on the tennis court with its gentle touch, rustling Olivia Blanchet’s lush hair.
It was Olivia Blanchet’s match point.
The woman steadied her rapid breathing and, with small yet forceful steps on the grass, leaned forward. Without hesitation, she threw the ball up and leaped towards the sky.
Strands of her brown hair clung to her flushed cheeks and slender neck, sparkling in the light.
As she reached high with her arm, her blouse pulled up, revealing her white skin beneath.
Edgar, who had been fixated on her slim calves and ankles, stopped in his tracks.
Bang!
As she shouted and hit the ball, Edgar regained his senses. The ball, having crossed the net, hit the ground near his feet and rolled away.
Olivia cheered. Clenching her fist, she let out a cry of joy.
“Goril…la.”
The rakes, who had been tensely watching the match, unwittingly voiced their admiration.
What are they looking at?
Edgar, standing still, chuckled at the sight of the brightly smiling woman. Sweat droplets on her forehead sparkled in the morning sunlight. He gazed at her for a long time.
Edgar walked towards the net, and Olivia approached him too.
“You won.”
Standing across the net, Edgar extended his hand with a smile.
“Yes, I won.”
Olivia’s voice, as she confidently grasped his hand, was heavy with breathlessness. It was unclear whether the sweetness in her breath was from her or the scent of flowers.
“Congratulations.”
Edgar’s Adam’s apple moved slowly. The sight of her blouse gaping open, revealing the delicate curve of her chest, was accentuated by her labored breathing. The wind carried a subtle scent of rose soap.
“So, what’s your wish?”
His eyes, finally lifting, captured her beautiful face.
“I’ll think about it. That’s okay, right?”
“As you wish.”
Behind the smiling woman, the fountain’s water shot up, creating white foam. It was a gratifying defeat.
After the vigorous exercise, Olivia savored the refreshing taste of a cold drink, basking in a moment of simple happiness.
“I’m serious. Let’s go to the Rose Ball together.”
Startled by the unexpected declaration, Olivia burst into laughter.
The café was quiet on a weekday afternoon. The harmony of piano melodies and rain sounds from the record player was as poignant as wilting petals in the rain.
“I’ve already declined the invitation.”
Olivia spoke while picking a large strawberry from atop her white cream-covered cake.
“Having the invitation is enough to get in.”
“But I don’t have a dress.”
“You left all your dresses behind?”
“Yes.”
“Sigh, why would you…”
Elaine murmured in a sigh, then firmly said, “Regardless, Miss Blanchet. You must come with me. Because of someone, I have no one else to go with.”
Elaine spoke deliberately, emphasizing the last sentence. It could well be her last chance.
Having lived a life of luxury thanks to her husband, her decision to leave him meant giving up that lifestyle.
Of course, if Olivia could secure a hefty alimony like Olivia Blanchet, the situation would be different. But there probably wasn’t a man in Londos who could afford a higher alimony than Duke Johan Leopold.
“……I’ll think about it.”
Olivia smiled faintly, turning her head towards the window. Raindrops fell from the cerulean sky, piercing down like thousands of needles, shattering against the pavement.
A ball……
Although she was reluctant, Olivia couldn’t ignore Elaine, who was ostracized because of her.
If only she had restrained her emotions a bit more that day. There was no need to bring up the necklace. Olivia silently swallowed a sigh.
The rain hitting the window intensified.
It had been raining that day too.
The sound of rain, deafening in her ears, revived a nightmare-like moment. It was a day she had longed for, yet everything turned into chaos.
It was her first assignment with her senior in the violent crime unit.
It was also a day of early monsoons, with a downpour. The tragedy struck suddenly, like a cloudburst.
“Be careful, senior!”
Amidst the darkness, occasionally lit by silver streaks of rain, Jian had lunged forward. The assailant’s sharp blade pierced through Jian’s abdominal muscles in an instant. She couldn’t even scream. It felt like she had lost consciousness for a moment.
“Han Jian! Han Jian!!!”
He shouted.
The raindrops on her cheek no longer felt cold. She wanted to feel the warmth of the man she loved a little longer, but she couldn’t feel anything.
Her hearing, lasting until the end, captured his voice amidst the distant siren sounds.
I like you.
Words she had never spoken out loud, she tried to move her lips in her final moments.
Had it been properly conveyed?
She was curious, but there was no way to confirm.
It turned out to be her last mission, and she died trying to protect her senior. Now, she was alone in a world separated from that man.
Are you doing well?
Olivia silently looked out the window.
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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