“You seem to have started eating already. How is it? Tasty?”
“Yeah. It’s the best. You should come eat too.”
“That’s a relief.”
I sat down on the chair across from Beike, smiling.
The plate he had started eating from was half empty.
“Wait a moment, darling. Your meat seems undercooked, should I ask them to grill it a bit more?”
“No. I like it this way.”
“You always ate it welldone, didn’t you?”
“You remember all that?”
“How many years have I observed you, I should remember that much.”
“I’m touched.”
I nodded in time with Beike’s rhythm, cut the steak with my knife, and put it in my mouth.
The meat cooked rare was as soft as butter in my mouth, but it didn’t particularly taste good.
“Are you not hungry? Why are you eating so slowly?”
“Aren’t you curious?”
“Huh? About what?”
“Why I always ate my steak welldone.”
Despite having no appetite, I stubbornly forked my food.
If I didn’t, I might end up cutting something else.
“Even that has a reason?”
“Everything usually has a reason.”
“Then what’s your reason?”
“Because of Meriel.”
“……”
“Meriel disliked undercooked food.”
I turned my head and looked at the empty seat next to me.
I was still uncomfortable with the emptiness next to me.
Even at this moment, it seemed that if I closed my eyes and opened them, my young daughter who used to eye the food on my plate and shout ‘just one bite’ would be there.
“Darling, Meriel.”
“She’s dead.”
Screech
A strange sound came from the end of the fork scraping the plate.
I glared at Beike, my jaw set at an angle.
His face had been in my sight for ten years, but now it was just disgusting.
“What are you trying to do now?”
Beike frowned.
“That’s what I want to ask.”
I nonchalantly raised one corner of my mouth.
“Did you enjoy it?”
“What?”
“I asked if you enjoyed it. Rolling around in my house, in my bed, with another woman.”
“What, what are you.”
“If you’re thinking of spouting a lame lie, just stop. I already know everything.”
Our marriage was a match for both of our conditions.
There was nothing like a fiery emotion between us.
But I thought we had been maintaining it well.
There was a time when I believed that even if we didn’t have the spectacular love that others spoke of, trust and faith existed between us.
If it weren’t for that incident.
Instead of the rising anger, I chewed the meat in my mouth hard and swallowed it down my throat.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. I just.”
“No, it’s okay. There’s no need for excuses.”
“It’s okay?”
“I’m okay even if you love another woman. Everyone lives like that. We’re no different.”
“……”
“Honestly, many live like that. Having a mistress on the side, and in front, they pretend to be happy and laugh well. We were just one of them.”
I leisurely raised my fork.
Under the light, the sharp end of the fork reflected the light and sparkled.
“Being blinded by a woman, not even knowing that your own child is dying.”
Thump!
“Not wanting to take responsibility for the death, placing the guilt on a helpless wife.”
Thump!
“If only such a despicable man wasn’t my husband.”
Every time I roughly stabbed a piece of meat with my fork, deep red juice flowed out between the meat.
Staring straight at Beike, I defiantly put the mangled piece of meat in my mouth.
What I really wanted to chew wasn’t steak, but something else.
“……Who told you?”
“What does it matter who said it? That’s not the important thing.”
“That was just a simple accident.”
“You said it was my fault.”
“……”
“You said Meriel’s death was my fault, and now it’s just an accident?”
I put down the cutlery in my hand.
Beike was frantically trying to gauge my mood, forcing a smile on his lips.
“I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t know?”
“I didn’t hide it from the beginning. I really didn’t know Meriel was there.”
“Then why, why didn’t you say anything once you knew?”
“The timing wasn’t good. You were always depressed, and I was suffering……”
“Normally, a person who says they are suffering doesn’t go meet their mistress not even a week after their child died.”
I chuckled and lightly shook my wine glass.
The wine swaying in the glass was bloodred.
“……It might sound like an excuse, but I had no choice. Every time I entered the house, her face would come up, and you were always on the verge of death. I needed a place to breathe.”
“Thanks for telling me that.”
“……You’re thankful?”
“Yeah, I’m thankful.”
Thanks for making sure I don’t regret my decision.
Seeing Beike flustered without understanding why, I smirked.
We’ve had years of living together, but there was no hint of feeling left between us.
Even as I looked at Bake’s empty plate, my heart did not waver a bit.
“Was the meal tasty today?”
“Eh?”
“I specially asked the chef to be mindful, I hope it suited your taste.”
“Uh, yes, of course, our mansion’s chef’s skill is consistently the best.”
Bake nodded, trying to hide his uneasy expression.
Towards him, I responded with an even more profound 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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