In response to Hyesu’s words, Baekho momentarily closed his mouth. With an expression that seemed unaffected, he furrowed his brow, and Hyesu subtly smiled.
Naturally, she expected him to take her side, as he did last time.
However, what came out of Baekho’s mouth was completely different from Hyesu’s expectations.
“Hyesu.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
In response to his firm desk-tapping gesture, irritation was evident. Baekho, maintaining his stern expression, spoke.
“Lately, it seems Ga-eul has been making a significant impact at the gallery.”
“Yes? Oh, yes.”
“In this exhibition, all of her paintings were sold at high prices, and she even got articles as a genius emerging artist. Thanks to that, TS Gallery seems to be gaining more reputation than before.”
What is he trying to say with these words? As Hyesu couldn’t anticipate the next words from him at all, she urged Baekho with heightened tension.
“So, Chairman?”
“It seems like she’s actively introducing Ga-eul to people who might be helpful to her, trying to promote her even more.”
“…”
“Hyesu, you shouldn’t interfere with Gitaeh’s business.”
Hyesu’s expression twisted.
Not long ago, he immediately listened to her. There was no reason for him to be displeased with her during that time.
Then.
‘Yoon Ga-eul. How did you manage to manipulate the chairman all this time!’
She had openly mocked the woman who was supposed to be an artist while setting up a big exhibition in the gallery.
Chairman, who values appearances, was now taking Ga-eul’s side.
Moreover, openly showing his displeasure, he was even warning her not to cross the line.
Still…!
Hyesu had one more thing to say.
“Chairman. I’m not trying to interfere with Gitaeh’s business. It’s just that I find it really annoying that Ga-eul is always by his side. To be honest, it bothers me a lot.”
She wanted to address the primal issue of having a woman by the side of the man who would be her husband, not trying to interfere with his business.
“Chairman.”
Baekho silenced Hyesu with his gaze.
Hyesu’s tightly closed mouth made her sideburns tremble.
With a deep sigh, Baekho issued a final warning.
“I explicitly told you it was for business, Hyesu. I didn’t know you lacked such understanding.”
“Chairman, it’s not like that.”
“Will you continue to interfere with Gitaeh’s business even after marriage? You should know from looking at your father that it’s right to keep someone who can help the business close.”
“That’s true. But…!”
“Why are you so concerned about Ga-eul now, I don’t really understand.”
“…”
Baekho’s gaze became even sharper. One more word from her here, and she might incur his resentment.
Darn.
It was frustrating, but it was time to step back.
Baekho’s gaze became even sharper. Uttering another word here could have incurred his hatred.
Darn.
It was frustrating, but it was time to step back.
Though she vented curses inwardly because things weren’t going her way, Hyesu smoothed her expression and corrected the words she had uttered.
“No. I think I misunderstood. It’s necessary for the business, so that could happen.”
“Right. You catch on quickly. Since there’s a lot to do, go on out.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
Hyesu bowed her head towards Baekho. Then, in a friendly manner, she added, “Well then, I’ll be going, Chairman. We should have a quiet meal at our place again, just the three of us, like last time.”
“Sure, drop by when you have time.”
“Yes…”
Closing the study door with a thud, Hyesu promptly left the main building.
Hyesu got into her car, slammed the door irritably, and yelled loudly, regardless of whether the driver heard her or not.
“What’s the point of those paintings that they stick together like glue, making it impossible for anyone to say a word!”
As if yesterday’s incident hadn’t already left her in a foul mood, now that the Chairman didn’t take her side either, Hyesu’s anger flared up inside her.
She had never liked paintings in the first place.
She had feigned interest in art fairs and visited a few times just to appear interested because her man liked paintings. However, now, the mere mention of paintings made her teeth grit.
In front of the gallery.
Ga-eul and Gitaeh headed to the parking lot for their date.
A man who had been secretly observing Ga-eul all this time emerged from an alley in the darkness.
Wearing a deeply pressed hat that obscured his face, the man was none other than Daejun.
Having hidden in an alley near the gallery and kept an eye on Ga-eul, Daejun suddenly felt he might lose sight of her, so he quickened his steps.
He never intended to come here again.
However, with no one else coming to mind to ask for help, he reluctantly walked on. He had no place to borrow money hastily, and the interest on the usury he had used before had ballooned without repaying the principal.
It had been a long time since he had been on the run, avoiding loan sharks who pursued him like hounds. He was even under a life-threatening threat.
In the midst of this, he recently came across news about Ga-eul.
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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