“I knew Charlotte was leaving us, but seeing it in person feels strange.”
Aster whispered quietly, glancing beyond the imperial palace.
“She initially came to return with us, didn’t she?”
“Did she?”
“Wasn’t father the one most worried about Charlotte?”
Leandro stared blankly out the carriage window for a while. The trees passed quickly, and the imperial palace gradually receded into the distance.
“Keeping that child with us may have been our selfish desire.”
“Why would it be selfish?”
“The child would often have sleepless nights. In the morning, she would look tired and strained. As daylight broke, she would quietly conceal her expression, as if nothing happened.”
Charlotte often suffered nightmares when sleeping alone. Though it seemed the child did not remember them.
“At least, she did not hide herself when by your side.”
Leandro closed his eyes. A heavy silence, though somewhat refreshing, settled in. Outside, the rain tapped down.
“I’ve thought of a few words to tell Cozette after my death.”
(This is a time divider.)
The Chamberlain returned.
“The family?”
“They have all left.”
Charlotte smiled faintly. The family had all left, and Charlotte remained in the imperial palace.
“They must have just left the city gate.”
The rain was pouring outside.
“Should we move inside since it’s raining?”
“No, let’s stay like this.”
The sound of the rain was pleasant. Tap tap. Drip drip. The sound of water dripping from the eaves could be heard.
The imperial palace was divided into the east and west palaces, with a corridor connecting them and a garden laid out in between.
Charlotte sheltered from the rain beneath it.
As rainwater hit the garden, flower petals quivered as if chilled, seeming to whimper.
Charlotte looked out, waiting for the rain to stop.
Rainwater pooled in the gutter, flowing along the corridor.
When Charlotte reached her arm outside the canopy, the rainwater collected in her palm.
Tap tap tap.
The once steady rain now poured fiercely.
A dry leaf fell from beneath the dome ceiling. It was a fallen leaf from a tree planted outside the corridor.
“It is chilly today.”
The Chamberlain called out to Charlotte again.
“Would you like to layer up with more clothing?”
“I’ll stay like this for a while. Just a moment.”
The Chamberlain shifted uncomfortably on his feet. His Imperial Majesty had instructed him to take good care of Her Grace…
“Do you like getting wet in the rain?”
“Perhaps. I think I used to like it.”
“Then shall I bring an umbrella? We have raincoats that won’t get wet. How about dressing warmly and taking a walk?”
Charlotte slowly shook her head.
“I’m fine, but…”
“I will go fetch it.”
The Chamberlain had already heard from His Imperial Majesty. Those words of being fine meant she was not fine, and he should not take them at face value.
The Chamberlain hurriedly went to fetch the coat and umbrella. Charlotte watched his retreating figure and lowered her head.
“Did His Majesty give you specific instructions?”
“I, we were just… just instructed to take good care.”
The maids shuffled their feet together.
“Today, it would be nice to take a walk with an umbrella.”
Charlotte simply responded and gazed down at the garden.
The delicate petals trembled in the rainwater below.
The rainwater seeped into the soil, and the garden soil became muddy.
After a while.
Rainwater splashed onto the dress, slowly soaking it.
“It’s hard to take my eyes off you when you’re like this.”
Charlotte was drawn to the familiar voice and found him. Benjamin, walking from the other side of the corridor, scowled at Charlotte.
“Were you planning to catch a cold here, looking like this? You intend to be ill on the day of your wedding, eh?”
“Enough with the overprotection. If His Majesty says so, even the underlings will be flustered.”
Benjamin’s gaze landed on the maids.
“I’m, I’m sorry, Your Majesty!”
“It’s fine. It’s clear that she was being stubborn.”
The Chamberlain soon rushed back with the coat and umbrella.
“Your, Your Majesty, are you cold?”
“Give me the coat first.”
“Here it is.”
Benjamin took the coat and put it on Charlotte. She threaded her arms through the sleeves and took the umbrella from him.
“Do not follow behind me.”
Benjamin thus ordered and stepped outside. Charlotte followed him.
The umbrella was suitable for one person to use, but it was on the small side for two.
“Were you standing alone in the rain that day too?”
“Have I ever done that?”
“The day the mad black bear turned the hunting grounds into a wasteland, you nearly became its prey. I almost saw you being caught and digested by that black bear.”
“That was when you, Your Highness…”
“If you had missed the timing to shoot your crossbow or if I had been late, the real black bear might have devoured you appetizingly.”
Charlotte swallowed her breath.
“Don’t do that again.”
Charlotte bowed her head.
“I’ll be careful.”
“You are careless.”
“That’s why I was always in your sight, Your Highness.”
The two people’s steps naturally stopped. The rain became heavier.
“The rain is getting thicker.”
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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