Juwon’s father, Kang Pilyeon, was a scholar and a professor at Mo University. He had been living a worryfree life since childhood, as the household was wealthy and he never had to worry about money. He was born lucky, with money at his feet that would last a lifetime.
At the age of thirty, he defied his family’s arranged marriage and married the daughter of the bookstore owner he often visited.
It seemed that the woman’s investment sense, which surpassed the ordinary, was truly a moneymaking talent. His wife, Seon Wooyeon, purchased paintings, pottery, stocks, and real estate, one after another, and his wealth grew exponentially as jackpots were hit.
Even in Samsungdong, where the rich gathered, everyone knew the name Kang Pilyeon.
Having a company that he casually ran, like the friends he occasionally met at gatherings, he had no worries. With a beautiful wife, there was no need to turn his head, and with two sons who were lively and smart, there was nothing to envy in the world.
His hobby was gossiping with his wife. His specialty was accommodating his wife’s preferences.
He thought that his name, Pilyeon, matched perfectly with his wife’s name, Wooyeon, which means “fate,” but when he found out that her last name was “Seon Woo,” he felt strangely deceived, but no one laughed when he jokingly talked about it. That’s how remarkable Kang Pilyeon was as a person.
“Hehe, how about brothers working together? Does it sound good?”
Pilyeon enjoyed the rare occasion of being together with his two sons. Especially seeing his eldest son return successful after going to the United States at the age of twenty brought him great joy.
“I was worried about how the guy who used to do puzzles in the corner would work at the company, but he is doing much better than I thought. You don’t need to worry.”
“Really? Well, our Seung Won has always been exceptionally smart since he was young. He may seem clueless, but when given tasks, he excels,” Pilyeon chuckled.
“Seems like Seung Won takes after me, and Ju Won takes after you. Seung Won was good at math from a young age, just like I was. He memorized the multiplication tables at the age of six, leaving the other kids in awe. Isn’t that right, dear?” Pilyeon said.
“If you talk about it in front of the person concerned, I won’t be able to use it. Seung Won loses his appetite,” Seon Wooyeon replied.
Seon Wooyeon blushed at the compliments from both of them, as if she were overwhelmed with joy. However, a faint smile appeared on her lips.
“Alright, I get it, I get it. Let’s stop chattering and have a relaxed meal. Today, the lady prepared something special just for you. There’s Seon Wooyeon’s favorite grilled lamb ribs and Seung Won’s favorite Pyongyangstyle cold noodles,” Pilyeon pushed the plates in front of his sons.
In the cheerful atmosphere, Ju Won silently moved his chopsticks. This affectionate home was always welcoming. There was no need to force conversation because Pilyeon talked a lot, and with an adorable younger brother, there was no need to make an effort to be endearing.
Especially, Pilyeon and Seung Won got along extremely well. When the two of them were together, they didn’t need to exchange a single word throughout the mealtime. With their shared major, there was an abundance of topics to discuss, and just listening to them was enough to make time fly.
However, today, Seung Won seemed a bit off.
“Why is Seung Won not eating properly? Is the food not to his taste?”
“No, it’s not that. I think he’s just tired lately from working overtime.”
“Oh my, handle it gently. Gently. Why doesn’t my brother, who is the company’s CEO, have any sense of propriety?”
Seung Won forced a dry smile in response to Pilyeon’s concern.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll try to control myself from now on,” he said.
Ju Won looked at Seung Won with concern, noticing how his cheeks had become thinner over the past few days.
After the meal, Ju Won called Seung Won aside.
The garden was illuminated by small lampposts along the stone staircase. The brothers sat facing each other at Seon Wooyeon’s favorite white table.
“Your expression seems hardened. Has that matter not been resolved yet?” Ju Won asked.
The matter he referred to was the issue with Da Hee. Seung Won fidgeted with a beer can, beads of condensation forming on it.
“Well, I… patched things up, more or less,” he replied.
In truth, Seung Won wanted to pour out everything to Ju Won. The deliberate actions of Da Hee, their relationship, the conflicting feelings he had towards Hye Ju.
He felt that if they sat up all night, talking over a pair of soju shots, it would relieve the burden in his chest.
However, Seung Won ultimately didn’t say anything. It was because he couldn’t shake off the promise he made with Da Hee.
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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