Then, another picture caught Kang Hyun’s eye. It was Seo Yoon looking like a female warrior from a game. The outfit was tight and somewhat revealing.
The Seo Yoon in the photo looked very unfamiliar. He couldn’t get used to her provocative and sexy appearance. Kang Hyun kept alternating his gaze between the Seo Yoon in the photo and the one beside him.
“Is this really you?”
“Yes.”
“But who buys such clothes?”
“I don’t know.”
Seo Yoon felt extremely embarrassed as her past, which she had never shared with anyone, was exposed.
She started fitting modeling during a university vacation and had unexpectedly landed a role in an advertisement. At that time, she needed money for a laptop. Even though it was a minor role, it paid several times more than what she made from fitting modeling.
“Why didn’t you continue?”
“It took up more time than I expected.”
“You could have continued. We might have met sooner, in an advertisement or a film.”
“I’m not cut out for it.”
“Considering you dislike attention, becoming a celebrity would be a stretch, right?”
Kang Hyun kept replaying the beverage ad Seo Yoon had shot.
He couldn’t take his eyes off the scene where Seo Yoon, with an innocent child-like smile, ran around a beach. She stood out much more than the main model in the ad.
“When did you shoot this?”
“In my freshman year of college.”
She looked a bit younger than now. Dressed in a sky-blue innocent dress, she looked refreshingly lovely.
“You must’ve received calls from agencies?”
Kang Hyun couldn’t take his eyes off the video as he asked.
“I did receive some calls, but I declined.”
“You did well.”
He wasn’t pleased at the thought of Seo Yoon becoming an actress.
He was already frustrated with a shopping mall photo where she was close to a man. If she had become an actress, she would have had to shoot romantic scenes with other guys, which riled him up.
“Many guys chased after you, didn’t they?”
“……”
Seo Yoon was taken aback by Kang Hyun’s unexpected question.
In truth, since her younger days, Seo Yoon had received many confessions from male students. But Seo Yoon was distant, whether with males or females.
‘Jung Yoon doesn’t have a dad.’
‘Jung Yoon’s mom remarried and lives there.’
‘My mom told me not to play with Jung Yoon.’
From her childhood as Jung Yoon, she was hurt, knowingly or unknowingly, by the whispers of friends.
‘Seo Yoon gets support for her phone bill from the country.’
‘I’m jealous. I wish I could get support too.’
When Seo Yoon took on that identity and left the legislator’s house, she was deeply hurt. Consequently, she gradually built walls around herself when interacting with others.
She mingled with friends, but since she never talked about her story, it seemed her friends felt a distance from her.
Even though male students confessed their feelings passionately, Seo Yoon rarely showed any interest, leading some to become frustrated.
And at that time, her only thought was to succeed, even if it meant forgoing romance or friendship.
“I hardly had any.”
“Do you know something?”
“Yes?”
“When you lie, it’s obvious. Your eyelashes flutter like this.”
“……”
“Sit here.”
Kang Hyun made her sit on his lap.
“What other part-time jobs did you have?”
While gently stroking her hair, Kang Hyun asked with concern.
“I worked at a convenience store and a burger shop.”
“Did you give private lessons?”
“I did it twice.”
The first time was with a high school male student, who chased after her wanting to date. For a while, Seo Yoon struggled because of him.
So, the next time she taught a female student, her older brother turned out to be a bother. After that, she never gave private lessons again.
“Private lessons were too challenging.”
“You were busy with part-time jobs and studying. Even now, you’re always busy. Why is our Seo Yoon always so occupied?”
Kang Hyun gently brushed her slender back.
“You must’ve had a tough time. Was it hard?”
“No. Everyone does part-time jobs while attending school.”
Why wouldn’t it be hard? Kang Hyun pressed his lips to her small hand. But from now on, Seo Yoon wouldn’t have to face hardships. Not with Kang Hyun by her side.
“Do you still get nosebleeds?”
“No. I’ve been fine since I started taking herbal medicine.”
“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself for exams.”
If Seo Yoon wants to be a teacher, she could just get a placement at a Woo Sung foundation school.
On reflection, Chairman Cha knew that Seo Yoon was a temporary teacher but never mentioned anything about the school.
‘I guess so.’
Considering Chairman Cha doesn’t even treat Seo Yoon as his daughter-in-law, perhaps it was expected.
Kang Hyun texted Chul Young,
There had to be something. There were rumors that his aunt, Soon Rye, acted as if she was the head of the foundation.
It was as if the foundation belonged to her.
‘People don’t know their limits.’
One of Kang Hyun’s eyebrows arched.
“Let’s go to sleep now.”
Seo Yoon rested her head on his shoulder.
“Tired?”
“A little. You should rest too.”
The idea of quitting her teaching job was distressing to Seo Yoon. She was worried about finding a replacement teacher during the term.
“Phew.”
As Seo Yoon sighed, Kang Hyun pressed his lips to hers.
“Don’t worry too much. Everything will be fine.”
“Yes. Everything will be alright.”
This time, Seo Yoon pecked his lips. With a contented smile, Kang Hyun embraced her and stood up.
“I’ll tuck you in.”
Seo Yoon wrapped her arms around his neck. When he held her like this, she felt like a little child.
When she was a child, nobody held her like this. But after marriage, her husband did.
That made her want to act childish more often.
“Kang Hyun.”
Seo Yoon called out softly.
“Yes?”
Her husband replied affectionately.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
As Kang Hyun carefully laid her on the bed, he asked.
“…for holding me.”
“Oh? Want me to hold you again?”
When Kang Hyun tried to hold her again, Seo Yoon shook her head and pulled his arm.
“No, lie down next to me.”
Seo Yoon tightly held onto Kang Hyun’s large, warm hand.
“Kang Hyun, you are my savior.”
“Savior?”
“Yes.”
Seo Yoon nestled into his embrace.
“What kind of savior?”
“You always rescued me. In my dreams.”
“Dreams?”
“Frightening dreams. But you always come to save me in them.”
“Frightening dreams?”
Kang Hyun, unaware that Seo Yoon was tormented by nightmares, asked in surprise.
“I used to have them frequently, but now it’s only occasional. However, even in my dreams, I now know that you’ll appear. So, they’re not that scary anymore.”
Seo Yoon spoke softly.
“Why do you have nightmares?”
Feeling pity for Seo Yoon being tormented by nightmares, Kang Hyun held her closer.
“I wish all your nightmares would come to me instead. So our Seo Yoon would only have sweet dreams.”
Upon hearing Kang Hyun’s words, Seo Yoon gazed at him deeply. Her eyes were moist.
“Are you crying?”
“No. It’s just… being in your embrace.”
Kang Hyun pressed his lips to the tear that had formed in her eye.
“Even your tears are sweet.”
At Kang Hyun’s words, Seo Yoon laughed heartily.
‘Has she faced many hardships all this while?’
Whenever Kang Hyun discovered a shadow in Seo Yoon like today, he inexplicably felt a heaviness in his heart. He wrapped his arm around her delicate shoulders more tightly.
‘I can’t even enter your dreams.’
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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