The clock hands pointed at 8:42 PM. Even though she had rushed over as soon as the news ended, it was clear she was going to be late.
윤우연 called 차태경 from her car.
As she waited on hold, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, she immediately began with an apology as soon as the call was picked up on the other end.
“Mr. 차, I’m sorry, but I’m going to be about 10 minutes late.”
[Dash] Did the news go well?“Yes, it finished well.”
[Dash] I was thinking of giving you more time, but this doesn’t seem too bad either, right?“What do you mean?”
[Dash] You’re hurrying to see me, even calling so kindly to say you’ll be late.“…….”
The call ended abruptly.
She thought, ‘What nonsense,’ but there was no time for further thoughts. As soon as the traffic light changed, 윤우연 pressed hard on the accelerator.
When she arrived at the appointed place and glanced at the clock, someone tapped on the driver’s side window. 윤우연 instinctively put on her mask and rolled down the window to see a familiar face.
It was 한 실장.
“How have you been?”
After 윤우연 greeted him, 한 실장 leaned in to talk to her, courteously responding to her greeting.
“From here, you’ll go in Mr. 차’s car. He’s waiting over there. I’ll take your car back to your place.”
“Oh, thank you.”
윤우연 got out of the car and handed the keys to 한 실장. She thought it would have been better to just use one car from the start, but then realized how grateful she should be for 차태경 making time for her at all, considering recent developments with 브라이튼 항공 and the intense competition for the position of 명산’s successor.
윤우연 got into the white SUV, slightly surprised it wasn’t the black luxury sedan she’d seen before but shrugged it off, knowing well that the wealthy often have multiple cars.
As she got into the passenger seat, she briefly greeted 차태경, deliberately not panting as he had hoped.
The car moved slowly, and 윤우연 asked, “How much longer will it take?”
Instead of a greeting, 태경 frowned at her direct approach.
“Take off the mask.”
윤우연 frowned too.
“Why are all your words commands?”
태경 smiled at her irritation and responded while slowly accelerating.
“That’s just how I talk. Get used to it, 윤우연.”
“The commanding tone?”
“Yes, but usually…”
“Usually?”
“People don’t bristle like 윤우연 does.”
“I guess I have a really bad temperament.”
Saying so, 윤우연 massaged her shoulders, feeling an unnecessary tension. This sensitivity and irritability were occupational hazards.
In fact, the exhaustion wasn’t unwarranted. From Monday to Friday, excluding weekends, she single-handedly managed the show, and on top of that, had to create a news piece weekly for her segment – it was no surprise she was on the brink of collapsing.
I opposed the director’s suggestion to adjust the news timing in the next reorganization. It would be better to increase my stamina instead. Along with the gym, resuming the morning swims I’ve been skipping due to my busy schedule would be beneficial.
“윤우연,” he called.
“Yes?”
“The mask.”
He implied it should have already been removed. Understanding his unspoken words, 윤우연 chuckled and took off her mask. The tension and excitement that had built up while racing here finally began to ease.
He asked, “Isn’t it uncomfortable?”
“What is?”
“Living as a public figure.”
“Well, it’s different from being an entertainer, so it’s not too inconvenient. Older people often recognize me from the news, but younger ones don’t. Sometimes I sit in a cafe for over five hours and nobody notices.”
“You can’t even throw away trash freely, can you?”
윤우연 laughed. Not littering on the street is a rule she would have followed regardless of her fame. Her approach to life was not to inconvenience others and in turn, expect not to be inconvenienced by them. If everyone just followed the basic rules, the world wouldn’t have so many problems. It’s those small acts of selfishness – thinking ‘it’s okay if it’s just me’ – that have led to such chaos.
“You’re a public figure now too, Mr. 차.”
“But nobody comes up to take pictures with me when we happen to meet.”
“Of course.”
“Is it because I’m a chaebol and intimidating?”
“That could be a reason.”
As he signaled to change lanes, 태경 glanced at the left rearview mirror and continued the conversation.
“So, do I make 윤우연 uncomfortable?”
“Let’s say you do.”
After smoothly changing lanes, he murmured softly.
“We’ll eat and then kiss.”
“…….”
“I plan to take a kiss as compensation.”
윤우연 was speechless, amused by his blunt announcement. It was a relief, in a way. She had been worried about what he might demand, but this was manageable.
Deciding not to respond, she remained silent. The car continued for a while before finally reaching its destination.
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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