Instead of slippers, she wore white running shoes, and instead of sweatpants, she donned a short-sleeved T-shirt with jeans.
Her long hair, previously tied up casually, now flowed softly over her slender shoulders.
Was it just a feeling? Taehee looked a bit different today.
As Sajun silently observed, Taehee offered an unasked explanation.
“I spilled something on my clothes, so I just changed them.”
It seemed like more than just a change of clothes. Sajun’s gaze moved to Taehee’s face.
Her face, translucent like the gentle moonlight, had a faint blush, and her lips, usually plain, glistened as if greased.
Did she just eat a fried egg? Is that why one minute turned into twenty?
It was totally plausible for Taehee, who couldn’t stand being hungry.
Nonchalantly, Sajun reached out and brushed her shiny lips with his thumb.
“There’s something on your lip.”
It was actually an excuse.
He wanted to feel those lips again, but this time with his fingertips instead of a kiss.
But Taehee sharply brushed his hand away.
“It’s not something, it’s lip balm! Lip balm to keep my lips moist!”
Taehee glanced at Sajun with a stunned look, shook her head slightly, and got into the car, slamming the door shut.
Sajun watched the door close harshly and remembered how Taehee used to dress up when she went to Gio.
Tight dresses that accentuated her slender figure, deeper eye makeup with lush eyelashes, skin glistening with moisture, and brightly colored lipstick.
Even when she didn’t come down to the stage but stayed upstairs alone in the room Sajun had arranged, she always came dressed like that.
Compared to then, today’s Taehee couldn’t really be said to have put on makeup.
Yet, there was a red tint on the thumb he had just used to touch her lips.
She did wear makeup… or at least colored lip balm, which counts as makeup.
It wasn’t a bad sign, Sajun thought, recalling the advice he read in the group chat.
Casually taking care of her would make a woman’s heart flutter more.
So, as he got into the driver’s seat, Sajun kept repeating in his mind.
Casually, nonchalantly.
Today, he was determined to make Taehee’s heart flutter at least once.
After driving for about 40 minutes, Sajun’s car left the busy streets of Seoul and headed to a quieter outskirts. Taehee, with the window down, looked out at the scenery, and Sajun said,
“Tell me if you see a restaurant you like on the way.”
At that, Taehee turned towards Sajun.
“Are there restaurants around here?”
“Jinwon said there are hidden gems around here. Good value for money.”
Was it the good restaurants or the value for money that mattered? Taehee’s brown eyes softened as she looked at Sajun.
“Is there a truck stop restaurant?”
“Keep your eyes peeled.”
“What if we miss it?”
“We’ll make a U-turn.”
Despite his nonchalant responses, Sajun slowed down the car, showing consideration.
So Taehee couldn’t take her eyes off him for a while.
She looked at his long fingers on the steering wheel, then his firm forearms visible under the short sleeves, then his handsome profile, and then back out the window.
But the fresh scenery didn’t register; only the steady beating of her heart filled her ears.
It was all because of Sajun, who was doing things he never used to do. Why contact her for no reason, show up at her house unannounced, and then invite her out for a meal?
Despite grumbling inwardly, a thought suddenly struck her. If she had accepted Sajun’s proposal, would this have been a date?
But Taehee had rejected that offer, and now the seat she was in, this casual care, it would all belong to another woman.
She didn’t like it, really didn’t like it.
The excitement of searching for a good restaurant just moments ago had quickly faded away.
It was Sajun, not Taehee, who found the truck stop restaurant.
There was no sign, just the words ‘Driver’s Restaurant’ hastily written and placed like a signpost, which Sajun spotted.
And the unmarked restaurant turned out to be a real hidden gem.
An elderly couple ran the place, serving delicious dishes with fresh vegetables they grew themselves in the backyard garden. They proudly stated they didn’t use pesticides.
The pancakes and stir-fried meat were tasty, but Taehee was particularly enamored with the tender lettuce, which melted softly in her mouth.
Without being asked, Sajun refilled the empty plate with more lettuce and placed it in front of her, teasing, “What are you, a rabbit, always nibbling on greens?”
“This lettuce is really soft and delicious. I could eat it all week. Try some.”
Sajun scrunched his face at the lettuce Taehee offered.
“I don’t eat greens.”
“Keep being picky and just eating meat, and you’ll end up with health issues at a young age.”
Taehee grinned at Sajun’s incredulous look.
“I’m worried about you. My boss should be strong and healthy to be around for a long time.”
Trying to get him to eat vegetables, Sajun straightened his furrowed brow and stared at Taehee.
“If you insist, then you feed me.”
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.]
