“Even if we’re best friends, there’s a line we should maintain. I appreciate your concern, but by continuously doing this even after I told you I’ve closed my heart, it’s actually disregarding my feelings. This time, you’ve crossed the line, Da Hee.”
Only then did Da Hee notice Hye Ju’s calming gaze.
“I’m sorry… I just want things to go well between you and President Kang. He’s such an impressive person. It’s not just you, even people from other companies only talk about President Kang in the office cafeteria. They’re all saying it for your sake, but I didn’t mean to be so blunt…”
Note: The names and genders of the characters have been preserved according to the given guidelines.
Hye Ju thought she should clearly tell Da Hee this time.
Whether she had feelings for Ju Won or not had nothing to do with Da Hee. No matter how close they were as friends, she had no right to waver about her own feelings.
What was truly unpleasant was knowing that Da Hee, who had never been like this before, had a reason to provoke her like this. And that reason was most likely because of Seung Won.
“I roughly understand what you’re worried about. It’s natural to feel uneasy when your boyfriend has a close female friend. I’m being as careful as possible because I know that. I haven’t even contacted Seung Won separately, and I left the group chat, didn’t I?”
“Hye Ju, I…”
That’s when it happened.
Creak. The glass door opened, and Seung Won appeared.
“Excuse me.”
Da Hee’s pupils widened at Seung Won’s unexpected appearance.
“Uh, Seung Won, what brings you here at this hour?”
“I saw in the attendance system that you guys were working overtime. I, your oppa, came to provide some latenight snacks as support.”
Seung Won smiled widely, holding plastic bags in both hands. Da Hee forgot about the argument she had with Hye Ju just moments ago and greeted him with a cheerful smile.
“Wow, thank you. Come over here and sit.”
However, when she looked at the bag that Seung Won had put down, her expression stiffened. On the white plastic bag were the words “Spicy Spicy Chicken Feet.”
“I said I couldn’t eat dinner because I had an upset stomach today, and you bought spicy chicken feet… Seung Won, did you buy this for me to eat?”
Coincidentally, Hye Ju’s favorite food happened to be spicy chicken feet.
Da Hee seemed disappointed to the point of tears.
“Is this how you open it?” she asked, feeling dejected.
Seung Won diligently unwrapped the packaging without knowing Da Hee’s inner thoughts. Hye Ju scolded him for struggling to remove the vinyl stuck to the courage.
“Do you think it’ll work if you tear it with your hands? There’s a cling film cutter right there.”
“Oh, this?”
“Give it to me.”
Hye Ju personally cut the wrapping paper.
“He even delivers latenight snacks because his girlfriend is working overtime. Kang Seung Won, you’re something.”
“I’ll take it as a compliment.”
“Yeah. That’s how clueless Seung Won is.”
“Is that also a compliment? Meaning a person is consistently unaware?”
“You’re positively perceptive when you look closely.”
“Oh, a threecombo compliment!”
While the two bantered back and forth while unwrapping the packaging, Da Hee kept her mouth shut. They really looked good together, even in my eyes.
“Seung Won seems so happy, laughing like that. It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve seen him like this.”
Her sad heart kept welling up with tears. At that moment, Hye Ju placed the wooden chopsticks she had just unwrapped in front of Da Hee and stood up.
“Here.”
Da Hee, who didn’t know English, looked at Hye Ju.
“I’ve unwrapped everything, so enjoy your meal.”
“What about you?”
“I ate a lot for dinner earlier, so I don’t feel like eating. I have some work, so I’ll be out for a while.”
Da Hee knew that Hye Ju had packed sandwiches for dinner earlier. She also knew that Hye Ju deliberately gave them space by leaving on purpose.
“Uh, thank you.”
Da Hee forced a smile and nodded her head.
After Hye Ju left like that.
Only Seung Won and Da Hee were left in the office. Seung Won nonchalantly ate the chicken feet but his conversation dwindled rapidly after Hye Ju left.
Da Hee silently gazed at Seung Won.
“Why?”
Seung Won felt the gaze, cleared his complicated thoughts, and lifted his head. Then he noticed Da Hee’s plate, which was almost untouched.
“Not tasty? You barely ate anything today.”
Da Hee suppressed the pentup frustration.
“I told you I wasn’t feeling well today.”
“Ah… Sorry. This is how I am. I didn’t eat dinner and came here to take care of you, but of course, I bought something spicy.”
“…”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think it through.”
Seung Won blamed himself and avoided eye contact. He always tried his best to do well, fearing to hurt Da Hee, but it always turned out like this.
“We’ve only been dating for a few months, but it feels like I’ve apologized a hundred times already.”
It wasn’t difficult to say sorry, but no matter how much he reflected, he felt helpless, as if he couldn’t change himself.
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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