“You’ve come all the way here.”
Dajeong nudged Taesang’s shoulder forward.
Although she was a bit worried about sending two people who weren’t getting along well together, Subin’s complexion didn’t look good.
She didn’t know well, but there was definitely something going on.
“…I’ll be back soon.”
Taesang hesitated for a moment, then slowly spoke. Dajeong looked at the two retreating shadows with an anxious gaze.
Empty Star Annex lobby.
Subin glanced at the performance information poster attached to the wall. There was no scheduled concert for today.
He walked toward the entrance of the performance hall.
“Go in.”
Taesang squinted.
“Do it here.”
“Dajeong is still watching?”
Subin raised his chin once and entered the performance hall without looking back.
With a frown, Taesang turned his head to check behind. Dajeong was wandering around the stairs with an anxious expression.
He didn’t want to cause worry for Dajeong.
He lifted his foot with force, keeping tension in his jaw. The heavy steps exuded a strong sense of tension. As he approached the concert hall, it felt like his blood was gradually heating up.
Taesang exerted force and pulled the handle. The large door, reinforced with leather, smoothly moved.
“Ha.”
It opened so easily.
A self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips. The door that never opened no matter how much he pushed it, the door that seemed too high like a fortress, opened so easily.
Taesang walked down a few steps and headed towards Subin, who was standing below.
“Now, speak. You can’t be heard or seen from here.”
Subin remained silent for a moment, seeming frozen. His deeply sunken brown eyes looked darker today.
“Why didn’t you answer the phone?”
“I didn’t come all the way here to ask you that.”
Taesang looked at him with a calm face.
Since pushing his mother away with his own hands, it was better not to have any interaction with Subin. He couldn’t ask for forgiveness for pushing his mother away, and he didn’t feel the need to be forgiven.
“Grandfather rejected Mom. At work and at home.”
“I know.”
“Put Mom back where she belongs.”
It was an audacious and somewhat commanding tone, not bold enough to be a request or forceful enough to be an order.
“I’ll leave quietly. If I don’t come back to Korea again, Mom won’t be greedy anymore.”
“That’s not the problem.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Grandfather’s heart can’t be turned back now.”
If Myeongok had competed with Taesang openly, Chairman Cha would not have interfered at all.
However, she undermined the company’s honor and chose a way that brought harm to the family.
A person who jeopardized everyone in pursuit of her own interests. Chairman Cha couldn’t afford to leave such Myeongok as a key figure in the company or as a family member.
Of course, Taesang had no objection to that.
“That woman threw everything away herself.”
“…”
“There’s no more chance.”
Even if Myeongok had boldly competed with Taesang, Chairman Cha wouldn’t have accepted her back into the family.
Subin scratched his head in frustration, as if he couldn’t stand it anymore.
“She’s not the type to quietly accept being kicked out like this. She’s someone who won’t stay still when desperate, someone who loses ground when in despair.”
A few days ago, Myeongok came to Subin with a disheveled face.
She complained bitterly about Taesang and Chairman Cha, venting her resentment. Anger and blame were clearly present in her words.
Subin could understand.
That Myeongok wouldn’t sit still after being kicked out like this. And in the process, it didn’t matter who got hurt, or how much Hyosung suffered. Myeongok wouldn’t care about such things.
“Don’t take the easy way and go back. The longer Hyung wastes time, the more Dajeong will get hurt.”
“Where did you get that idea?”
There was a dangerous look in Taesang’s eyes.
“Think about it. Mom will attack the most vulnerable and precious thing to Hyung. That’s the only way to shake Hyung up.”
“Before it comes to that, should I give up what I want to some extent?”
“Yeah.”
Taesang frowned and looked at Subin. Faint anger flickered deep in his eyes.
“The most vulnerable and precious thing to me is always Dajeong…”
“…”
“Then, do I have to make a deal while giving up Dajeong for a lifetime?”
“That’s not what I mean…”
“I can’t accept that.”
Subin’s calm eyes suddenly twisted.
He didn’t like Taesang’s attitude like this. That dignified and confident attitude.
Was he taking the easier path to avoid damaging his pride? It seemed like he was pretending to be superior, pitiful, and frustrating.
Moreover, this wasn’t just Taesang’s problem. It could endanger Dajeong. As a mother, she was someone who could do that.
Subin unconsciously clenched his fist. Suppressed emotions flowed out.
“Don’t pretend to be superior. To the topic that was discarded and left behind.”
“…What?”
Dajeong, who was loitering in front of the annex, couldn’t shake off a strange sense of unease.
The gaze of Subin, who was calm but imposing, and Taesang’s intimidating attitude. The peculiar atmosphere between the two made her nervous.
Moreover,
‘Even if Hyung hadn’t completely ignored my calls, I wouldn’t have come all the way here.’
The fact that he didn’t answer any calls meant that their relationship had changed significantly.
Taesang hadn’t brought up any issues that I should worry about. I knew that it was because he was considering my feelings, but in moments like this, it was a bit frustrating.
‘Should I go check for a moment…?’
As time passed without his return, the thought crossed her mind that they might be arguing.
Dajeong cautiously moved into the annex.
Behind the semi-circular lobby, a large concert hall door came into view. Memories of that day flashed back, and her shoulders stiffened a bit.
When she grabbed the handle, a chilly sensation spread over her skin. Facing the old wound inside, it wasn’t easy.
If she opened the door, it felt like a faint flame would be flickering.
‘It’s okay.’
It was just a matter of confirming that with herself. Even now, and in the future, she had to be okay with this memory.
Taking a deep breath and slowly opening the door, she saw the ordinary view of the concert hall. Contrary to her worries, there was no terrifying feeling.
‘Ha…’
Her hunched shoulders eased comfortably.
At that moment, Subin’s sharp voice pierced her ears.
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.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
