I know I shouldn’t do this. I should hide my feelings.
I shouldn’t fall in love.
Because they accepted me and my mother, the only family I had, and even generously supported us.
I shouldn’t feel this way, considering Chairman Han.
But I couldn’t push away the fall.
With his lips touching mine and the strange sensation intertwining, my whole body felt like melting.
The kisses we shared were so intensely sweet that I had to close my eyes.
When did this one-sided love, slowly melting over time, begin?
“A graduation exhibition?”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“That’s commendable. It feels like just yesterday you arrived at this mansion, and now you’re graduating. After graduation, try working at TS Gallery. Hahaha!”
“……Yes, Chairman.”
Gaeul smiled softly and nodded.
At the head of the long table sat Chairman Han, flanked by his eldest son Daegyun and his wife Mijeong. They continued their meal peacefully, familiar with such settings.
The dining with Chairman Han, occasionally joined by Gaeul, always left her the only tense one.
‘I need to start producing results.’
Gaeul, hiding her trembling hands, pretended to finish her meal and set down her spoon.
Then, Chairman Han explicitly stated his expectations.
“Just do as your father did. Sign an exclusive contract with TS Gallery, and prove your skills there. As Yoon Daeho’s daughter, you’ll surely get noticed if you show your talent. Your father always brought attention wherever he went.”
Chairman Han’s eyes narrowed sharply, emitting a more incisive light.
“The gallery is well-managed by Gitaey, but no one raised its prestige like Yoon Daeho.”
As soon as he mentioned Yoon Daeho, Chairman Han clicked his tongue in apparent dissatisfaction.
“There has been no artist like Gaeul’s father. Just dubious ones.”
Yoon Daeho, the painter.
Whenever the gallery was mentioned, Chairman Han always referred to him. Nine years since he became a star in the sky, but still, no one matched his combination of popularity and talent.
It could’ve been taken as a compliment, but Gaeul couldn’t feel entirely happy about it.
Now, she had to prove her worth, as much as, or even more than, her father.
“Gaeul.”
He called her name with emphasis.
“Yes, yes…?”
“I’ve given you enough time. You can do it, right?”
“……Yes. I can.”
After all, how much had they supported her?
That final remark felt particularly sharp.
Nine years of melting into this family under the guise of sponsorship.
Anticipating changes post-graduation, the direct directive from the Chairman made it all the more real.
Han Baekho had been a benevolent grandfather to Gaeul, but he wasn’t one to invest without reason.
She had been able to live under complete protection in the mansion, thankfully because he was very satisfied with her paintings.
Whatever the outcome, it needed to be presented.
Gaeul, who had habitually picked up the brush every day, could now produce paintings similar to her father’s. She was occasionally called a genius, but it wasn’t perfect.
No matter how long she held the brush, she was just a fresh graduate, far from being comparable to her father.
Gaeul always felt insufficient compared to her father.
Whenever Gaeul felt her limitations, she longed for the days of her innocent childhood, painting with her father.
‘I miss Dad…’
The memory of that day had not faded.
The once harmonious family I thought would last forever, and my kind and simple father. And then…
His suicide.
For fourteen-year-old Gaeul, the sudden news was unbearably painful.
It was Chairman Han Baekho who came to my father’s funeral.
Late at night, when everyone had left, young Gaeul unwittingly stepped back when faced with the charismatic grandfather.
Initially, she didn’t know who he was. She was puzzled seeing her mother treating him with utmost respect. Then, he approached and spoke to her.
So, you’re Gaeul.
……?
Oh, I see you don’t remember me.
…….
It makes sense. I haven’t seen you since you were very young. I was very close to your father. We were like best friends, without feeling the age difference.
He then posed a question to her.
So, Gaeul, do you also like painting?
It wasn’t just a simple inquiry about her interest in painting.
Realizing this, Gaeul cautiously responded. She had already lost her place to return to and needed a sanctuary to protect her and her mother.
The deep-set gaze that had settled on Gaeul was assessing her, wondering if she could exhibit the same talent as her father. He was gauging whether she could.
Knowing what he wanted, Gaeul had no choice but to nod.
Yes……, I like it.
There was never a choice to begin with.
He willingly extended his wrinkled hand.
Painting. Wouldn’t you like to paint to your heart’s content? This old man will help you. Let’s go together.
Thus, after her father’s funeral, she entered the mansion.
Gaeul’s mother, Heesun, couldn’t bear to send her daughter alone to Chairman Han’s mansion, so she offered herself as a housemaid.
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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