“Should I order flowers, Director?”
Secretary Jung delicately hinted, having finished the business report.
The squaresquare sound of the fountain pen stopped abruptly, and the expected answer immediately came back.
“What flowers are you talking about? If your task is over, you should leave.”
A heavy and serene voice, imbued with indifference, descended and permeated the air.
Kwon Chae Ha, a young director of just twentynine years, and the official heir to the Chae Won Group.
Inheriting perfect managerial skills and a superior intellect from his father, Chairman Kwon, he was, in fact, the masterpiece of Chae Won.
His outstanding looks, inherited from his mother, a former actress, were fitting for his nickname, the crown prince.
A clean set of features without any blank space, a slender nose and jawline drawn boldly in one stroke.
The deep, firm gaze bursting from his dark eyes added weight to his existence.
And also his height, nearly 190cm, and his always upright posture.
To say he had everything others would be envious of was no exaggeration.
ads
However, there was no warmth in his heart.
Kwon Chae Ha was a man who trusted no one but himself, uninterested in anything other than work and success.
Secretary Jung glanced at this decent, splendid, and cold to the core superior.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, you just seem a bit flustered today, Director.”
A stab at the truth made the back of Chae Ha’s hand pale.
He was someone who seldom showed his true emotions, but today, he was clearly revealing his inner turmoil.
“Secretary Jung, or rather, Uncle Jung, wouldn’t it be better to take a break and look after your grandchildren? There’s no need for someone who could be an executive at an affiliated company to humbly work as my secretary. How many times have I told you?”
Chae Ha brought up the argument he had repeatedly made, sweeping his forehead.
However, Secretary Jung countered with a bright smile, as he always did.
“How could I do that? Without me by your side, our Crown Prince of Chae Won might be called a monster.”
Secretary Jung, who had long served his elder brother, was now serving as Chae Ha’s secretary at his earnest request.
He was a close friend of Chairman Kwon, Chae Ha’s father, and their relationship was also close in private.
“You’ve become quite brazen in your old age.”
“As you age, you tend to see things that were not visible before. Today is your third wedding anniversary, Director. Even if it’s not a big gift, if you bring just one flower, your young wife will be delighted.”
“Wedding anniversary….”
At that word, Chae Ha’s flat and thin brow deeply furrowed.
ads
He soon put down his fountain pen and turned his gaze to the calendar.
May 24th.
The meaning of this date was as clear as the bold typeface printed on the calendar.
The third wedding anniversary with his wife, Min Seol Won. In other words, it was the day their contract ended.
Suddenly, the face of her, who had seen him off that morning, flashed across Chae Ha’s mind.
In contrast to her usual nonchalant attitude, Seol Won was looking at him particularly sharply that day, her lips moistened.
It was those red, full lips that almost made Chae Ha lower his head.
Even though he was fully aware that their relationship was contractual.
For some reason that day, he found it harder to look away from her eyes.
Those eyes that he had unknowingly become familiar with over the course of three years.
ads
No, in fact, it wasn’t just her eyes that he had grown accustomed to.
The body heat of the woman named Min Seol Won, her voice, her walk……
Everything about her had naturally become a part of his daily life.
When did he realize the power of human warmth?
Ever since he was able to sleep deeply only by her side, despite his constant discomfort, Chae Ha occasionally questioned his own feelings.
And now, as their relationship neared its end, he felt he had a vague answer.
That he had truly fallen in love with his wife.
As he slowly lifted his head, Secretary Jung was standing in front of him with a broad smile.
A look that said she could understand everything without him saying a word.
“What kind of flowers should we use?”
ads
Without any hesitation, Chae Ha immediately gave his decision.
There was no reason to hesitate.
“Let’s use snowdrops.”
“Yes, yes! That’s a great idea. How should we arrange them? In a bouquet? Or……”
“Hold on for a moment.”
He turned his gaze from the visibly excited Secretary Jung.
A loud vibration was coming from the cellphone placed on the desk.
An unfamiliar local number. Somehow, he instinctively felt a sense of unease.
“Won’t you answer?”
Unable to counter Secretary Jung’s curious look, Chae Ha pressed the call button.
ads
“This is Kwon Chae Ha.”
[Ah. This is the Yangyang Marine Police Station. Are you the husband of Miss Min Seol Won?]Husband…… That word pierced his heart anew, along with an unsubsided sense of unease.
“Yes, that’s correct. What happened?”
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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