Meiana frowned, looking displeased. There was no other reason; it was all due to Jocelyn’s arrogant attitude, which instantly triggered an ominous and unpleasant feeling.
“Why wouldn’t he?”
Meiana said, “Even if His Grace knows that you’re this crazy, he won’t keep you by the Lady’s side. Do you think there’s any chance of that?”
A disdainful laughter slightly subsided from the corner of Jocelyn’s mouth. However, her expression mocking Meiana became much clearer.
“Don’t expect His Grace to kick me out.”
Jocelyn said, and before Meiana could retort, she added a word.
“Before that, it would be better for you to worry about being driven away by me first.”
At the end of her words, she finally regained her usual expressionless face. As always, she gathered her hands in front, stood up straight, and walked out. This time, she didn’t even limp.
That’s a fortress. Meiana thought. Jocelyn was like a fortress, armed with thorns, poison, and blades. A fortress that aimed to protect only the recognized Baelminster lineage, intending to kill and eliminate everything else.
But she didn’t feel scared or the urge to run away.
“Sure, let’s see who’s crazier, shall we? Okay, fine.”
Arianthe, carried to the bedroom by Venti, was strangely calm, as if she had lost consciousness. Venti was the one who became busy.
“Lady, Lady! Please look at me, won’t you?”
Arianthe turned her head to look at Venti. But she didn’t say anything, nor did she scream or, worse, get irritated or annoyed as usual. More than anything, Venti was scared of that change.
When the chef exhaled, Meiana covered her eyes, but there was no way she couldn’t have guessed from the noisy and ominous noise.
“Lady, please have some water.”
Venti brought a cup of water in haste, but Arianthe didn’t try to drink. Watching the child just nodding quietly, even Venti, who was usually impatient, was on the verge of bursting.
“Lady, please, why…!”
“Venti, what’s wrong?”
As soon as Meiana’s voice was heard, Venti slammed the cup on the table. A few drops of water splashed onto Arianthe’s backhand due to the wind. With her sleeves pulled up, Venti scolded Meiana energetically.
“Hey, you! Have you lost your mind?”
Meiana looked at her with a bewildered expression.
“What’s going on? Don’t yell. In front of the Lady.”
Startled, Venti turned around to look at Arianthe. The child still had a somewhat absent expression, but now it was much more uneasy than before, observing the two with a rather anxious expression.
Venti momentarily forced an exaggerated smile towards Arianthe. Startled by this unexpected behavior, Arianthe widened her eyes, and Venti said,
“It’s okay, my lady. We’re not fighting. Meiana, should we go talk outside?”
“What…”
“Come on, this girl.”
Venti’s finger pressed hard against Arianthe’s shoulder.
Closing the bedroom door with her back, Venti looked around as if someone might be eavesdropping. Then, before Meiana could speak, she said with a hush-hush tone,
“Are you crazy? Did you know what was in there? You knew that crazy girl, Grete, did something to the Lady’s food, didn’t you? Right?”
Meiana, who had been staring at her, replied calmly,
“I suspected. There was no clear evidence.”
“Anyway, you had suspicions! Then shouldn’t you have sent the Lady elsewhere a long time ago? Don’t you think the Lady won’t notice just because you’re hiding it? You fool!”
As Meiana straightened her shoulders, she unconsciously fumbled around the pocket. The stolen vial from Grete was touched. Meiana stared silently at the agitated Venti, and just before Venti went crazy, she suddenly laughed as if she had lost her strength.
“Are you laughing?”
“Since when have you been so concerned about the Lady?”
Venti snorted as if astonished.
“You’re saying that now? What if the Lady insists on not eating anything for the rest of her life? Well, if that’s what happens, it might be better. Go check now! The child has completely lost her mind!”
At that moment, the bedroom door creaked open. Seeing Arianthe coming out, Venti quickly retreated, pretending she hadn’t been holding her by the collar.
Looking at the two alternately, Arianthe said,
“You said you weren’t fighting.”
With her eyes wide open, Venti looked at Meiana and quickly replied,
“We’re not fighting, are we?”
“Venti, it sounded like your shouting could be heard all the way to the forbidden forest.”
Pointing to the window, Arianthe said, and Meiana kicked and laughed. Venti’s face turned red and green.
“No, my lady! Don’t lie! I didn’t shout that loudly!”
“No, really. Because of your shouting, the birds got scared and flew away, didn’t they?”
“What did you say!”
Approaching Arianthe with one step, Meiana laughed as if amused. The child still seemed a bit absent, but she wasn’t trembling in fear. As Venti claimed, she didn’t seem completely out of her mind.
But Venti was right in her words. Meiana calmly recalled her mistake. It would have been right to send Arianthe somewhere else. It wasn’t over just because they had hidden it from her eyes…
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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