I couldn’t stand listening anymore.
I thought about grabbing my slippers, but couldn’t be bothered, so I went out barefoot towards the garden.
Feeling the soft yet rough touch of the soil wasn’t so bad. I nudged Sajun’s back with my knee.
“Sajun, why are you here?”
Sajun slowly stood up, facing me with a nonchalant expression that was almost irritating.
“I was out jogging, and your mom invited me for breakfast. Right, mom?”
That’s when Hyesuk quickly backed him up.
“I was weeding the garden this morning and saw Sajun, so I invited him for a meal.”
I narrowed my eyes at Sajun.
“You don’t eat breakfast because you prefer to exercise on an empty stomach.”
“It’s impolite to decline an invitation from an elder.”
“That courtesy you don’t even show to your grandfather?”
Sajun was always quick to hang up the phone on his grandfather, pretending to be busy.
“I told you yesterday. The only adult I show respect to is your mother.”
“So, why did you go jogging today, when you have a high-end home gym on the first floor of your house? Ah! Mom!”
Hyesuk glared at me and hit my back.
“Why are you always so negative and aggressive, Taehui? Sajun is speaking so sweetly to you.”
Sajun wore a smug expression.
Frustrated, I scowled. When it was convenient, my mom sided with him, but now she defends him?
“I’m your only daughter, remember? Not your son.”
“Who said you’re not my daughter?”
I was dumbfounded, my eyes wide open.
Hyesuk, who always looked at me with a sorry face, now appeared too confident. Was this the Sajun effect? Just like me, when siding with him, she seemed bolder.
Feeling unfairly treated yet with nothing to argue about, I decided to change the subject.
“But why are you two in the garden?”
“Your mom was about to have breakfast alone because you wanted to sleep more, and Sajun suggested picking some tender lettuce from the garden for the table. I feel left out. You could have told me you like vegetables now.”
I gave Sajun a look that said, ‘Why are you making unnecessary comments?’, and he nonchalantly replied.
“I saw the lettuce in the garden through the window.”
“Your mom insisted on doing it alone, but Sajun wanted to help. It’s like we’re being ganged up on.”
“I’m hungry, mom.”
At that single phrase, Hyesuk’s expression changed immediately.
“Let’s go inside. The lettuce and peppers just need to be rinsed, and the stew warmed up.”
At the mention of hunger, the three of us peacefully headed to the back door.
Hyesuk entered first, and as I was about to follow, Sajun blocked me with his arm.
“Where do you think you’re going with dirty feet, Taehui?”
“What am I supposed to do? It’s my house, isn’t it?”
“You’ll make mom clean again.”
Since when did he start caring about my mom like that?
Hyesuk looked at Sajun with admiration, despite it being barely 30 minutes since they met. She seemed utterly charmed by him.
“Just walk to the bathroom, wash your feet, grab a mop, and clean the floor.”
When I retorted, not wanting to lose, Sajun softly spoke to Hyesuk.
“You continue with your work, ma’am. I’ll take care of Taehui.”
“What do you mean take care of? Am I an object… Ahh!”
I started to protest but suddenly screamed. Sajun’s strong arms scooped under my shoulders and legs, lifting me off the ground.
Startled by the unexpected princess carry, Taehui instinctively wrapped her arms around Sajun’s neck.
But even as she struggled, Sajun growled.
“Stay still, you’re shaking dirt off your feet.”
With my face burning red from this first-ever princess carry, I felt embarrassingly shy, awkward, and mortified.
Trying to escape his embrace, I grabbed Sajun’s hair.
“If you don’t want your hair pulled out, put me down.” “If I go bald, you’re responsible.”
“I’m not taking responsibility, so put me down.”
Despite the threat to his dignity, Sajun seemed remarkably relaxed as he carried me inside, whispering softly.
“Your mom is smiling, you know.”
Hearing that, the strength drained from my hand in his hair.
Hyesuk, washing lettuce at the sink, was indeed smiling at us, looking genuinely happy.
Reluctantly ceasing my struggles, I spoke softly to Sajun.
“Why are you doing this?”
“If I suddenly say we’re dating, it would shock your mom. She’s got a weak heart, right? I’m just laying the groundwork before we start dating.”
I was astounded by Sajun’s meticulousness.
I had spent the night in restless thoughts, unable to reach any conclusion, while Sajun had already planned this far in just 12 hours.
“Can’t you give me a heads-up if you’re going to strategize like this?”
“How was I supposed to know I’d run into your mom while jogging?”
He never lets me have the last word.
Carrying me, Sajun reached the bathroom.
But instead of putting me down, he lingered.
I looked at him, puzzled, and he said.
“Should I wash your feet since I carried you here?”
Shocked, I gaped at him, and he chuckled deeply.
Then he wiped his smile away and whispered softly.
“Wash your face thoroughly before you come out.”
Blushing, I slammed the bathroom door and stood in front of the mirror.
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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