Fortunately, Ricardo caught my waist and prevented me from falling. Or perhaps it would have been better if I had actually fallen.
His large hand wrapping around an area usually untouched by others startled me, making me gasp for breath. I tried to push him away, but he was unphased and instead pulled me closer to him with more force.
“What are you doing right now?”
“What I’m doing is nothing compared to you grabbing my wrist without permission.”
“But that was for a reason…”
“I was just helping you not to fall.”
“I appreciate that, but now please let go of my hand.”
“I don’t want to.”
I glared at him, almost trapped in his embrace.
“Don’t you dislike this too?”
“Yes, I dislike it. You said you’d do anything, right?”
“What?”
“That night, you said you’d do anything for me, even coming to my bed without a thread on…”
I reflexively covered his mouth with my hand, glaring daggers at him with my eyes.
Ricardo’s eyes widened momentarily before he started to chuckle. He laughed freely, as if the sight of me was being engraved in his memory.
Suddenly, it felt as if I had been hit on the back of my head, and my surroundings blurred. My world was suddenly filled with him.
I had a sudden thought. I’m doomed, completely doomed.
I might never be able to return to the face I saw before.
His straight and smooth forehead, the hair that lightly bounces when he laughs, the long eyelashes that enchant without any effort, the lips that curve up symmetrically, the perfectly aligned teeth.
His eyes, shining black and full of joy, surrounded by bright light.
You’re still the same, Ricardo. Beautiful to the point of sin.
Swallowing a sigh, I averted my gaze and muttered,
“You seem to have a lot to laugh about.”
He responded without losing his smile.
“Indeed.”
I grabbed his wrist, trying to pull his hand away from my waist.
“Lienne.”
But at the sound of my name spoken so tenderly, I froze, still holding his wrist.
“You…”
He trailed off, and for a moment, time seemed to slow down.
“Do you like the emperor ending?”
“Ah…”
“The ending must always be with the emperor, right?”
Where did he hear that?
“Will my answer have even a tiny impact on your life, Your Grace?”
“No.”
“That’s just my taste in novels. To me, emperors or dukes are like characters from legends…”
Suddenly remembering where I was, I stopped speaking. I might now be a part of that legendary story.
“What are you thinking?”
“About changing my taste in novels.”
“How?”
Being at the center of such a novel, what good is an emperor ending now? I just…
“Wish for an ending where everyone is comfortable and safe. That’s enough for me.”
“What kind of ending is that?”
“Um… that would be…”
I looked up at Ricardo, finally meeting the eyes I had been avoiding. As I gazed into his deep, black eyes, my heart fluttered again, seeing countless stars twinkling in them.
That look made me think. I just wish you were happy. If that’s your ending, then I want nothing more. So the ending I wish for you is…
“Perhaps, a happy ending?”
“Happy ending…”
He repeated the phrase awkwardly, as if tasting the words for the first time.
“It suits you.”
“What?”
“That ending suits you well.”
His words, sounding like a blessing, hid a sad finale within them.
“Our endings will be different, I won’t be in your ending.” That kind of ending, though inevitable, felt unbearably petty.
As I avoided his gaze again, he suddenly tightened his grip on my waist. Only then did I fully realize that he was still holding my waist, and I was holding his wrist.
“I get it, so now please let go.”
“Lienne Penell, don’t use formal language with the maids.”
“What?”
Even as I processed his sudden command, I struggled to free myself from his hold.
“Understood. But we can discuss this after you let go of my hand…”
“You are here as my guest.”
His words implied that my behavior mattered to his dignity.
“Yes, yes, it’s an honor to be called a guest. Your tone almost makes it seem like you’re my master.”
His previously smiling face turned stern as if his laughter was just a facade.
“Don’t be so sardonic.”
It seemed he wasn’t aware that he was the one being sardonic. I wisely chose to remain silent, bowing my head slightly.
He sighed softly above me.
“You will stay in the ducal residence for at least half a year.”
This awaited news made me lift my head quickly. Our eyes met, and he finally relaxed his grip.
“I’ll move closer, then.”
“For half a year?”
“Yes.”
“Is that when the saintess is coming to the ducal residence?”
“Probably… It’s supposed to be a secret, though.”
The timing of the saintess’s appearance was a closely guarded secret. I wanted to ask how he knew, but my situation was too precarious for curiosity.
“Half a year is quite long.”
His instruction about not using formal language with the maids implied I needed to behave as his guest during my extended stay.
“I understand. I was planning to drop the formalities with the maids starting tomorrow anyway.”
He laughed, seemingly amused.
“It might be longer than that.”
“What?”
“Why? Because in a month, you and I will…”
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the first floor, likely a wooden ladder hitting the ground. The sound was so loud in the silent library that it seemed like thunder.
Startled, Ricardo and I quickly stepped away from each other.
The noise probably came from the maids who must have been anxiously waiting downstairs.
After the brief commotion, silence returned, and we awkwardly exchanged glances. Ricardo was the first to break it.
“So, when do you plan on letting go of my wrist?”
“Oh!”
Surprised, I didn’t let go of his wrist. Ricardo looked at his captured wrist and then quirked his lips in a playful smile.
“Have you chosen all the books you want to read, or do you want me to continue being your ladder?”
“It’s not that.”
I usually wanted to escape from him, but strangely, at that moment, I hesitated to leave.
“Aren’t you curious?”
“About what?”
“How a kind savior becomes an emperor.”
I expected him to chuckle, but Ricardo just looked at me thoughtfully.
‘Oh, what did I just say?’
His cold, impassive gaze brought me back to my senses. I had probably crossed a line out of gratitude for the six-month timeline he had given me.
“No, it’s nothing. I shouldn’t disturb Your Grace’s rest anymore. I’ll leave now.”
“I’m curious.”
His simple statement made my heart sink. I stopped in my tracks at the sound of his voice.
“Read it to me.”
Hesitating for a moment, I tightened my grip on his wrist as if pleading. Holding his wrist, which didn’t completely fill my hand, I gently pulled, and he came along without any resistance.
As he followed me obediently, my heart sank. I spoke more cheerfully, trying to mask my feelings.
“You may not remember, but since you were young, Your Grace, you always slept well when I read to you.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, sometimes you’d fall asleep before I even turned the first page.”
“I see.”
He responded a bit languidly, as if drowsy from having his wrist held.
“Yes, so that’s why I want to read to you. Maybe the reason you feel sleepy around me is because of that. That’s all there ever was between us.”
“…”
“Of course, it’s a memory you don’t have, so it doesn’t mean much.”
“Right.”
“Even if you had remembered, that’s all it would have been. So, it’s not much different whether you remember or not.”
“Okay.”
He stretched out on the sofa where he had been lying before. I watched him lie down and then looked around. Seeing a chair at a distance, I dragged it over, making a scraping sound.
Sitting side by side on the balcony overlooking the first floor, it felt as if we were the only two people in the world.
“You’re not asleep already, are you?”
It was like that when we were young.
On dark, stormy nights, with only a faint light remaining in the room… he would lie down, and I would sit. As I read, he would quickly fall asleep.
“There’s no way.”
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.
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