In the end, I set foot on a river tour led by my grandfather, not even knowing where I was headed.
Since coming to Jegalse, this had happened at least twice a year, and since we didn’t go very far, I wasn’t particularly curious about where we were going.
But this time, somehow, it felt different.
“Grandfather? This seems like a city we’ve never been to before.”
I followed my grandfather, tilting my head. The city, with long lines of red lanterns, looked lavish and affluent at first glance.
‘I think we’ve come in the exact opposite direction of where we usually go.’
The continent was vast, so it was possible to change directions, but still.
It was while I was observing a slightly different style of clothing, streets, and buildings with curious eyes. Namgung Lyeo, who had been walking beside me, puffed up her cheeks and grumbled.
“That’s what I mean. I’m dissatisfied too.”
“What?”
Her words startled me. To say that the destination was unsatisfactory, despite arbitrarily tagging along on the journey of another family’s heir.
‘Wow, she’s not just audacious now, she’s charming. She doesn’t hold back her words at all.’
Moreover, the person she was talking to was the much older martial arts senior, Grandfather Jegal Yoon.
Even my grandfather seemed fascinated by Namgung Lyeo’s bubbly personality, looking at her with an expression like he was watching a very rare animal. There was no discomfort in his laughtermixed voice.
“So, what exactly is the young lady dissatisfied with?”
“If you’re going on a tour from the north, you should rightfully enjoy spicy food in Sacheonseong, or go to Unnamseong to buy silk, shouldn’t you?”
Namgung Lyeo’s grumbling seemed logical and illogical at the same time. It was no different from asking someone going east why they were going west.
‘That’s just Grandfather’s whim.’
Considering what I’d observed about my grandfather, he must have headed east for no great reason.
‘And we went to Unnamseong last time. Grandfather really hates spicy food.’
As I was thinking that and tilting my head, Namgung Lyeo clenched her fist and spoke loudly.
“This is the direction where our Sega is located!”
“Oh…….”
So that was the real intention! Anhweseong was exactly where Namgung Sega had its base.
Namgung Lyeo was furiously tugging at her hair, ranting.
“I don’t even bow my head toward Anhweseong when I wash my face. To come here on my own feet…….”
Why would she talk about her own house like that? I was dumbfounded, but my grandfather just chuckled.
“Hehe, the daughter of Namgung Sega is indeed an interesting person.”
“It’s not funny at all! I just don’t like my home.”
“If you don’t like home that much, why not just leave?”
At my grandfather’s words, Namgung Lyeo tightly shut her mouth and frowned. My grandfather continued in a soft tone.
“The young lady’s martial arts may not be highly ranked or of a high realm, but every movement of hers is completely grounded in fundamentals. With such skill, she won’t lose to any ordinary band of bandits.”
Every word of his assessment, seen through the eyes of a true master, made Namgung Lyeo politely bring her hands together and bow.
“You flatter me.”
Satisfied by her manners, my grandfather’s eyes crinkled. He stroked his beard and murmured.
“Tsk, if you had learned your family’s secret martial arts, you would have reached much higher levels. What a pity.”
“That’s why I don’t even bend my waist that way!”
Listening to their conversation, my eyes widened.
‘Come to think of it, she kept repeating basic moves during morning practice. She must have been repeating what she knew because she wasn’t allowed to learn the family’s secret martial arts.’
And to think how many times she repeated those moves, so that even though they were shallow, her whole body was ingrained with the basics.
‘Our grandfather, looking gruff as he does, he was watching everything.’
He really was a kind person to everyone, despite his harsh way of speaking. Feeling proud of my grandfather, I couldn’t help but smile.
Grandfather, who had exchanged a few words with Namgung Ryeo, suddenly looked at me and spoke.
“More than that, I’m disappointed. How long are you going to carry that damned cat around?”
“Ahahaha.”
This time, the arrow came my way.
“Baekho is no different from my soul. It’s only natural that I take it everywhere.”
“No matter if it’s your soul. What will people say if you carry a cat like a baby everywhere?”
“They would say it’s a pretty cat.”
What’s wrong with carrying a cat around? At the nuance of the response that Grandfather is being peculiar, it was when Grandfather made an unpleasant coughing sound, looking displeased.
Namgung Ryeo suddenly thrust her head forward, locking eyes with Baekho, and whined.
“This cat is very unique. Its eyes are just like a human’s.”
“It’s because it’s old.”
“Really? The face is like a kitten’s, but the eyes are like those of a hundredyearold elder.”
Feeling oddly pricked, I covered Baekho with my wide sleeve, forcing a smile.
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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