Married First, a Couple (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
Bang- Bang-
As the photographer pressed the camera shutter, the outdoor lights installed around repeatedly flashed and sparkled.
In the garden, beautifully decorated like a single painting, Tae Yeon stood wearing a white wedding dress with a slightly tense face. Thanks to the snow that fell last night, soft piles of snow covered various spots in the garden, adding even more charm.
Next to Tae Yeon stood Do Jun, his face completely expressionless, looking as if he could devour the camera.
They were taking wedding photos that would remain as lifelong memories, yet from these two people, there was no trace of excitement or thrill to be found anywhere.
They simply gave off a sense of incongruity, like people wearing clothes that didn’t suit them at all.
There wasn’t even the slightest movement from the groom to comfort the nervous bride.
“Now, groom and bride, please look this way again.”
The photographer, more famous than most celebrities, kept exclaiming in admiration while peering through the camera lens.
It was no wonder—compared to all the actors he had met so far, these two were far more stunning in person.
Their harmonious features, clearly sculpted by the gods over many years, were captured elegantly no matter how casually the shutter was pressed.
“You two are more perfect than any model I’ve ever photographed.”
Wanting to capture even one more shot, the photographer pressed the shutter as if possessed.
Do Jun was exceptionally tall, yet Tae Yeon maintained a slender, graceful posture that never lost to him by his side.
Their appearance was so flawless that there was no need to open one’s mouth to praise it, but one thing bothered the photographer.
Because she was so tense, Tae Yeon’s exquisite face wasn’t being fully captured on camera, which was truly frustrating.
And unlike a newlywed couple about to marry, the way they acted like complete strangers was blatantly obvious in the photos.
“Usually, many grooms and brides get nervous when taking photos.”
The photographer took his eyes off the lens and looked at the perfect couple in front of him.
“You can just act the way you normally do when you’re together. Pretend I’m not here.”
“Yes. Alright.”
At the photographer’s request, Do Jun nodded once while keeping his expressionless face.
The photographer smiled brightly, looking excited as he anticipated the couple’s poses.
Even just standing there awkwardly, the mere fact that he could capture this dizzyingly beautiful couple with his camera was ecstatic.
A loving pose, especially if he could capture this couple exchanging deep, affectionate gazes up close…
It would undoubtedly be more gorgeous than any photoshoot he had ever done in his life.
Confirming that the photographer was waiting patiently, Do Jun turned his gaze toward Tae Yeon standing beside him.
Then, in a low voice only she could hear, he spoke.
Do Jun’s deep, resonant bass rang in Tae Yeon’s ears.
“We need this shoot to end quickly so we can move on to the next schedule.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sure Jin Tae Yeon is well aware that we don’t have much time to waste on something like this.”
Of course she knew, but it was still incredibly hard to adjust.
After all, it hadn’t even been five minutes since she first faced this man who would become her husband, standing beside her taking wedding photos.
There hadn’t even been the usual pre-marriage blind date.
The elders of the families exchanged a few phone calls and photos, then suddenly informed them that the marriage was settled.
“Sigh.”
Tae Yeon let out a deep sigh and straightened her back again.
It was a cold winter day, but the villa garden was so beautiful that the photographer insisted outdoor shooting would leave no regrets.
Though Tae Yeon’s fingertips were trembling slightly, Do Jun didn’t seem to care at all and didn’t even ask the common “Are you okay?”
That was exactly the kind of relationship they had.
A relationship defined to stand in necessary positions and simply do what needed to be done.
And they had to cover it perfectly with flawless acting so no cracks would appear in that relationship.
Especially for Do Jun and Tae Yeon, whose entire existence was about how they appeared to others.
At that moment.
The snow that seemed to have stopped began falling again.
At first it fluttered lightly, then quickly grew into large, heavy flakes.
Do Jun glanced at Tae Yeon, whose arms were completely exposed in the cold, then stretched out one hand to stop the photo shoot.
“Let’s wrap it up outside for now.”
After a brief hesitation, he added one more sentence.
“My wife looks very cold.”
“Then let’s go inside the villa and continue the remaining shoot.”
At those words, the photographer clapped happily for some reason and began packing up the equipment.
It probably wasn’t something Do Jun said sincerely for Tae Yeon.
He seemed like a man who showed no consideration whatsoever, and there simply hadn’t been enough time for any connection to form between them.
While the photographer packed up, Do Jun started walking ahead first.
Though she was draped in a thick shawl, the wedding dress was so thin that Tae Yeon’s lips were trembling slightly.
Just as Tae Yeon, with the helper’s assistance, tried to move in her wedding dress.
Do Jun, who had been walking far ahead, stopped as if something bothered him and walked back toward Tae Yeon.
He unbuttoned his suit jacket, took it off, and held it out to her.
When Tae Yeon just stared blankly at the jacket, Do Jun said indifferently,
“Put it on.”
“Ah, I’m fine.”
“That doesn’t sound like something a bride whose lips have turned blue should say.”
She was holding the bouquet in one hand and the hem of her wedding dress in the other, so Tae Yeon had no free hand.
Glancing at her, Do Jun strode over with his long legs.
Then he placed his jacket over the shawl covering Tae Yeon’s shoulders.
The photographer didn’t miss the moment and quickly raised the camera again. He gave one of the usual requests for wedding shoots.
“The scenery right now is so beautiful. Would you two like to share a kiss up close?”
“What?”
Tae Yeon let out a short, surprised question. Do Jun’s face clearly showed annoyance.
After a very brief moment of thought, he seemed to make a decision.
As Tae Yeon bit her lower lip in embarrassment, Do Jun, apparently out of patience, grabbed her slender arm with his large hand and turned her toward him.
To outsiders it might have looked like a very commanding groom, but to Tae Yeon, who knew his true feelings, it was torture.
Wanting the flawless life he had lived so far to remain perfect forever.
That was Do Jun’s mindset in agreeing to this marriage.
He even thought the time for a proper wedding ceremony was a waste, so they only did a simple photo shoot and planned to replace it with a meal with the family elders. The photos were necessary for media distribution, so they couldn’t skip them.
Actually, Tae Yeon was relieved. If this short shoot could get her this absurd thing called marriage.
In the villa garden with heavy snowfall, the man and woman looked at each other with trembling eyes.
If they were a couple marrying for love, this moment might have felt like a fairy tale. But not for Tae Yeon.
She was already flustered enough taking wedding photos with a man she was meeting for the first time in her life today. And now a kiss?
Feeling Do Jun’s intense gaze on her, Tae Yeon slowly lifted her head.
For a man taking wedding photos, his eyes were viciously cold. But she knew very well what that gaze meant.
He wanted this shoot to proceed without any issues. So she should just focus on what needed to be done quickly.
Looking at Do Jun’s perfectly sculpted face, Tae Yeon’s long eyelashes fluttered.
Staring into his deep eyes felt like her entire body was being sucked in.
‘Is he really going to kiss me?’
As if answering that very thought.
Do Jun approached with an expressionless face and tilted his head slightly.
The distance between their faces was only about 10 centimeters.
Startled, Tae Yeon hunched her shoulders and tensed up. Seeing her reaction, Do Jun smirked.
‘Does he find this situation amusing…?’
As if reading her thoughts, Do Jun spoke in a low voice, quiet enough that no one else could hear.
“It’s just one of the necessary steps we have to do while standing here.”
He meant it was simply an extension of the act, with no meaning behind it.
So don’t misunderstand.
Soon after, Do Jun’s lips landed on Tae Yeon’s. Unlike his icy gaze, his breath was hot and his lips were soft.
The camera shutter clicked continuously like cheers.
The lips that had touched for just a brief moment parted again as if nothing had happened.
“Wow! If you hang this photo huge in your newlywed home, you’ll be completely satisfied. It’s the most perfect result I’ve ever shot!”
Apparently satisfied with the photographer’s reaction, Do Jun straightened his back with a proud face. Then he looked at Tae Yeon and gave a faint smile.
It wasn’t a full smile—just a slight one—but he looked like a completely different person from when his face was blank.
“Then let’s end the shoot here.”
To head inside the villa, Do Jun glanced down at his arm as if telling her to link arms. Tae Yeon forced a smile and took his arm.
They were on their way to see the family elders waiting inside. Each step was filled with strength.
It was two years. The time she had to act out this absurd fake marriage.
Still, the fortunate part was that right after today’s event, Do Jun was scheduled to head straight to the U.S. branch.
Before he returned, Tae Yeon planned to disappear without anyone knowing.
And that plan seemed perfect.
[This is the timeline separator]Rrrrrr.
The alarm on the phone beside her pillow rang.
It was that dream again.
Tae Yeon slowly opened her eyes and stretched. On the bedroom wall hung the result of that day from her dream, framed in acrylic.
Her mood was far from good.
“Ha. Why did I have to dream that on a day like today.”
Even while showering, the unpleasant feeling wouldn’t go away.
For someone else, that wedding shoot might be a truly precious life memory, but at least for Tae Yeon, it wasn’t.
It was the most nerve-wracking day and a moment she wanted to erase from her life.
She periodically dreamed of the wedding shoot. It was a nightmare worse than any other for her.
And whenever she had that dream, the day always went badly.
“Please, not today…”
Tae Yeon glanced around the newlywed home that was far too large and silent for one person, then left through the front door.
It had already been 1 year and 6 months since the wedding ceremony.
That meant this ridiculous play would end in 6 more months.
Full of hope that she just had to endure 6 more months, Tae Yeon started the car.
[This is the timeline separator]Having a dream that ruined her mood was already upsetting, and on top of that, it was a drizzly day.
The rain wasn’t heavy, but the humidity was so high that a damp discomfort spread through her entire body.
Perhaps because of the rain, traffic was bad, and she barely arrived at the company exactly at 9 o’clock.
She had blow-dried her hair carefully, but because of the damp air, it clung flatly to her face, making her look terrible.
She entered the office without even time to check her face in the restroom.
“Tae Yeon, you always come early—what happened today that you arrived right on time?”
“It’s still okay, right?”
“Yeah. I heard the general manager has arrived at the department head office.”
Everyone looked visibly nervous and kept glancing toward the entrance.
That’s when it happened. Deputy Choi Yoon Ji burst in, raising both arms high and expressing pure excitement with her whole body.
“Deputy Choi, what’s wrong!”
“It’s insane, really.”
“What is?”
“I just saw the new general manager.”
At those words, everyone’s eyes turned to Yoon Ji. Covering her mouth with both hands, Yoon Ji made a blissful face.
“I seriously thought some actor had visited our company.”
“No way. You really saw the new general manager?”
Yoon Ji nodded vigorously and shouted.
“I’m not kidding. I’ve never seen a man that handsome in my entire life. For real!”
Whatever. Tae Yeon quickly put down her bag and checked her outfit.
The moment she tried to look in the mirror.
Thump, thump. The sound of dress shoes echoed from the hallway.
All the employees of KK Food’s New Business Team exchanged glances and straightened their backs even more.
Soon after, the door to the New Business Team office opened. In Tae Yeon’s downward gaze, polished shoe tips appeared first.
“Nice to meet you.”
‘Huh?’
It was a voice she had heard somewhere before.
‘Where have I heard it?’
While Tae Yeon tilted her head.
Yoon Ji, standing beside her, nudged her. Tae Yeon slowly turned her head and mouthed,
‘What?’
‘Did you see his face?’
Just how handsome was the new general manager to cause this much chaos?
Tae Yeon slowly raised her head. Her eyes met a man staring at her intently and persistently.
“…….”
It was a familiar man. She had seen his face this morning too. Not in person, but in her dream.
The other person seemed to recognize Tae Yeon as well; he raised one corner of his mouth with an intrigued expression.
“I will be leading KK Food’s New Business Division from now on.”
He paused briefly before saying his name.
Still fixing his gaze on Tae Yeon, Do Jun continued.
“I’m Cha Do Jun.”
“Welcome, General Manager.”
Team Leader Park clapped so hard his palms must have hurt, and everyone except Tae Yeon smiled brightly and welcomed Do Jun.
‘No way.’
Tae Yeon looked stunned, closing and opening her eyes tightly.
This had to be an extension of the dream. It had to be.
There was no way her husband, who was supposed to be in America, would suddenly appear here.
She wished she would wake up soon from this terrible nightmare.
However, the moment Do Jun’s voice followed, Tae Yeon’s wish shattered into pieces.
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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