In Ho sat down with a cup of tea in front of Hye Kyung.
Just 10 minutes earlier, Hye Kyung had abruptly arrived and taken the best seat on the sofa, her face set in a scowl as if she was chewing on something bitter.
In Ho found her demeanor so unsettling that he couldn’t bring himself to initiate any conversation.
The uncomfortable silence dragged on tediously.
Surprisingly, the unbreakable silence was easily fractured.
“Your complexion looks much better. It seems Seo Seo Bang is really taking good care of you.”
Her red-painted lips moved spitefully as if she was displeased that his complexion had improved.
In Ho couldn’t help but frown.
Having seen Hye Kyung for three years, this tone and expression were new to him.
Even if she had always had a knack for making people uncomfortable, this level of aversion was unprecedented.
“Well, whatever the reason, I’m doing well.”
In Ho responded in a somewhat blunt tone.
Though she was his mother-in-law and he should be respectful, he didn’t feel like it.
Thinking about how she must have treated Soo Yeon in his absence, he couldn’t view her as an elder.
“Haha, whatever the reason? Soo Yeon has really changed a lot in my absence?”
“Is that so? I haven’t noticed.”
“Really? It almost seems like you’re losing your mind, daring to contradict me.”
Hye Kyung’s face turned cold in an instant.
It was a sudden change that caught In Ho off guard, making him swallow hard.
He felt a chill run down his spine.
Her attitude was more like treating a slave than a daughter.
Even a paid servant wouldn’t be treated this way.
“What brings you here without notice?”
In Ho cut to the chase, wanting to get to the point quickly.
“Notice? That’s rather formal.”
“Next time, please call ahead. I might not be home…”
“Have you eaten something wrong?”
Hye Kyung cut him off sharply.
Her twisted lips clearly mocked him.
In Ho involuntarily exhaled sharply.
It was a reasonable request, but her response was beyond his understanding.
“No, I haven’t eaten anything wrong, and I was in better condition than ever.”
“…….”
“Actually, ‘was’ is more appropriate. I was fine until you showed up unannounced.”
In Ho spoke sharply, the words almost instinctively spilling out.
Perhaps coming to her senses, Hye Kyung clamped her lips shut, saying nothing.
It seemed like a rational conversation might be possible now.
In Ho mentally prepared to ensure such incidents didn’t happen again.
Then Hye Kyung spoke again.
“Seeing you talk back so disrespectfully, it must be that Seo Seo Bang is treating you too well, making you think you’re living in a fairy tale.”
Hye Kyung spoke in a deceptively gentle tone, uttering unbelievable words.
In Ho couldn’t close his half-open mouth.
Even without a single swear word, he felt as if he had been subjected to unspeakable humiliation.
His lips moved impulsively, driven by emotion.
“This isn’t talking back; it’s merely saying what needs to be said…!”
“Soo Yeon.”
But once again, he couldn’t finish his sentence.
“It would be wise to keep that mouth shut.”
“…….”
“If you don’t want to face unpleasant consequences.”
In Ho had no choice but to close his mouth following Hye Kyung’s warning.
A chilling sensation crept up his spine.
Hye Kyung’s bright red lips twisted into an increasingly sinister smile.
It was a spine-chilling, eerie sneer.
“Cut! Okay!”
Director Jang’s voice resonated powerfully throughout the set.
Soo Yeon, lost in her emotions, finally looked up.
“That was great, In Ho!”
She was immediately met with unexpected praise from Director Jang.
Taken aback, Soo Yeon awkwardly smiled and responded with a nod.
Director Jang, too, simply smiled and turned his attention elsewhere without saying anything more.
Soo Yeon discreetly left the set and moved to a quieter spot.
The only remaining scene to be shot involved the bag, which had been postponed.
“Ah…”
Only when she was sure she was alone did Soo Yeon let out a sigh of relief.
She felt as if her entire body ached from the tension she’d endured during the shoot.
“Good, was it…?”
She muttered to herself, recalling Director Jang’s compliment.
Despite her efforts to not be a burden to In Ho, she never dreamed she would receive praise.
“I wasn’t always praised from the start either. I was criticized for bad acting, and countless times I was reprimanded in front of the staff for not doing well enough.”
“…….”
“Every time, my pride was hurt, so I practiced desperately. It was only after a long time that I realized I hadn’t been acting, but merely pretending to be the character. I never truly understood and portrayed the character.”
“…….”
“Since then, the first thing I do after being cast is to sincerely understand the character. And until the shooting is over, I try to live as that character, not as Seo In Ho. Those two things.”
She recalled the words In Ho had told her whenever she was nervous.
She had tried to live as the character until the end of the shooting, as that was fundamental.
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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