‘…What time is it?’
Chaeha, who suddenly opened his eyes, instinctively reached out for his wristwatch.
In the dim light, the clock hands pointed to 2:40 in the early morning.
Usually, there should have been plenty of time left to sleep deeply.
The reason he woke up was clear.
Beyond the study door, a moaning-like sound could be heard.
Setting aside the discomfort of being awakened in the middle of the night, Chaeha extended his senses to grasp that faint sound.
Listening carefully, he could discern heavy breathing mixed in with the moans.
Thanks to that, it was not difficult for Chaeha to realize that Min Seolwon, the woman, was groaning.
Thunk.
After placing the wristwatch on the table, Chaeha tried to go back to sleep.
There was nothing he could do anyway.
“……. ”
About 30 minutes passed. Chaeha stared fixedly at the ceiling as if glaring, unable to sleep.
No matter how much he tried to fall asleep, he couldn’t manage it at all.
It was suspiciously to the extent that he doubted if his hearing was always this sensitive.
The groaning sound seeping out through the door irritated his ears.
Occasionally erupting rough breaths indicated that she was seriously unwell.
Perhaps if he inserted a thermometer right away, her temperature might easily exceed 39 degrees, he thought.
Thinking that it seemed unlikely for her to fall asleep, Chaeha threw off the blanket and stepped on the floor.
Although it was only five steps to the door, strangely, he hesitated.
But since he stood up, he had to check at least.
Creak.
He cautiously opened the door with a light touch.
Thanks to the large window above the bed and the streetlight outside, he could easily check Seolwon’s condition.
With closed eyes, she clung to the end of the blanket with both hands, shaking like a weeping willow.
As expected, cold sweat dripped from her forehead, and even under the dim light, her face showed a flushed red.
It was the first time he saw her painful appearance since entering this house.
For a moment, Chaeha, who was about to swing the door wide open, stopped his hand.
‘No.’
That’s right. It couldn’t be done.
What could I do if I entered there?
Even if I wipe away the sweat and put a towel on her like a real husband would, Seolwon would be frightened.
The emergency medications were already sufficient in that room.
Trying to act like nursing under the guise of concern, she might look at him with a strange gaze. Thinking so, he couldn’t muster the courage to cross this threshold.
They were clearly in a contractual relationship. Not a couple based on affection.
Logic. Rules. Contractual conditions.
Only things within the rational category could exist between them.
With a conclusion in mind, Chaeha slowly closed the door without making a sound.
But on that day, Chaeha spent the night awake until the morning.
Until around the time when Seolwon’s groans finally ceased, and a steady breathing sound could be heard.
He had been sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the darkening window all night long.
Around that time, the thought crossed my mind that it would have been better if I were the one feeling unwell.
Unreasonably, it truly felt that way.
On the street, the scent of winter filled the air.
As if it started snowing around late at night, snowflakes began to fall and accumulate decently.
Chaeha, with unsteady steps, hastened his steps toward his home.
It had been a long time since he had a night like this.
Work, work, and more work. Crushed under the heavy crown named Chaeun, he was exhausted to the core.
Many things given unwillingly under the pretext of expectations choked his breath.
Originally, this burden was not meant to be borne alone.
“Ha… why does Hyung always leave so early.”
Resentment, never felt before, seeped out with a white breath.
Today was Hyung, Taeha’s memorial day.
The endlessly considerate Hyung was someone who always paid attention even to a few words I uttered.
Perhaps because of that, all the emotions he had suppressed so far seemed to be reaching their limit.
Not knowing that there was no one to share his feelings with felt so empty.
So, uncharacteristically, he drank until he was drunk alone.
“…It’s cold.”
Thinking that he might wake up a bit if he faced the cold wind, he was walking while calling for a substitute.
Gradually, a familiar sight came into his eyes.
The imposing mansion of Chaeun that always made him feel overwhelmed rather than comfortable.
Instead of looking at the high walls and gates, Chaeha raised his head a bit higher.
Today, he wanted to see a slightly warmer scene.
His room window on the third floor was clearly visible from below.
Even though it was quite deep into the dawn, there was a faint light on in the room.
Perhaps she still hadn’t fallen asleep.
Why? That warm light seemed to beckon him to come.
As if entranced, he opened the door and walked step by step up the stairs to my room.
Leaving the door to the study, originally used as a bedroom, behind, he opened the door to the room with the light on.
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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