“Chung Sik, let’s have a cup of coffee and talk before we leave. Is the time okay?”
“……Yeah. We should.”
Aware of the eyes around them, Ji Yeon decided to head to a coffee shop outside the company, rather than the one inside, with Chung Sik.
They needed to have a proper talk, especially after Chung Sik’s unexpected confession the night before, and today they were scheduled to have an all-afternoon meeting with author SOO, which Kang Hyun was also expected to attend. It seemed best to finish their conversation before the meeting.
“First… I’ll talk, Ji Yeon. I’m sorry for my sudden action yesterday. Even if I were to confess, it shouldn’t have been with such thoughtless and strange words… I was too hasty. I apologize.”
As soon as they sat down, Chung Sik bowed his head in apology.
Ji Yeon was taken aback since she hadn’t intended to meet to receive an apology.
“Chung Sik… don’t do this. Why are you apologizing?”
“No, I should apologize. But apart from that… my feelings for you, Eun Ji Yeon, are sincere. It’s neither a fleeting nor a casual feeling.”
She knew that.
Her friend, Kwon Chung Sik, was not someone to take people lightly nor to start feelings easily.
“…….”
“I won’t ask you to accept my feelings. And I’m not asking you to like me back. But it’s hard for me to simply give up on you. These feelings have been with me for a long time… and they are precious to me.”
Various emotions seemed to swell in his eyes as he conveyed his feelings to Ji Yeon.
Pain, sorrow, love, despair.
“Chung Sik. First… thank you for liking me. I’m more grateful because I know too well what a good person you are.”
Ji Yeon was truly grateful.
Such a good person. His precious feelings should have been received by another good person.
“Let your feelings go as they will. I can’t say anything about that. But just because you feel that way, doesn’t mean I can respond to those feelings. There is someone else I like… that’s my heart. You know that, right?”
A deeper sorrow lingered on Chung Sik’s face before he nodded.
“I’m well aware.”
“Can I… continue to think of you as my friend, a close friend? Is this too selfish of me?”
“No. We’re still close friends. Please think of it that way. I may have harbored unrequited love for a long time, but before that, I’ve always seen you as a true friend.”
Chung Sik answered with a smile.
His broad smile seemed sad for some reason…
Ji Yeon’s heart ached but she responded calmly without showing it.
“Alright, I got it. Then I’ll continue to see you as Kwon Chung Sik, my fifth man in the circle of true friendship. If my behavior ever makes it difficult for you, let me know.”
“Got it. Don’t worry. I won’t make a scene like last time again.”
“It wasn’t a scene… it was more like something a grumpy old man would say.”
Ji Yeon burst into laughter, and soon Chung Sik joined in with his own laughter.
They wrapped up their conversation and headed to the One Table restaurant, where they were scheduled to meet author SOO for the first time.
The place Chung Sik had booked for the meeting was a restaurant associated with an art gallery, known for accepting only one table reservation if booked and famous on social media for events like proposals or anniversaries.
“How did you manage to get a reservation at such a famous place so quickly?”
“I begged someone I know to help out. And fortunately, our meeting being during the day helped. We have to leave before six though; there’s another reservation after us.”
“It’s so beautiful here.”
The place was filled with a variety of flowers like an indoor garden, and there was even grass on the floor.
Here and there, paintings by up-and-coming artists added to the beautiful harmony.
It would be a great place to whisper sweet nothings, but it was also perfect for a first meeting with an author like today.
“You have a great sense of style, Chung Sik.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
Chung Sik was smiling but not really smiling.
Every time he looked at Ji Yeon, he was reminded of the previous night, as if salt were being rubbed into his wounds.
Yet, he couldn’t lose her.
She was not only a woman he dearly liked but also a friend he deeply loved.
He couldn’t promise he could ever erase her from his heart, but…
For now, he wanted to stay by her side.
Until her heart allowed.
“How long until our appointment?”
“About 10 minutes? What time did the division chief say he’d be here?”
Chung Sik checked his phone.
“He should be here by 2:30. Though he didn’t need to come… he must have really liked our recent product collaboration. He’s very excited about the advertising and wants SOO to appear in the ads personally.”
“That’s great. I’m so curious. The mysterious author is finally unveiling…”
While they were chatting, the door of the restaurant opened.
It seemed SOO had arrived.
“It looks like she’s here!”
They both stood up at the same time.
But as the person came through the door, Chung Sik’s face instantly stiffened.
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
_____
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.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
