Suddenly, Eun-su’s eyes welled up with warmth.
Afraid that tears would spill if she didn’t hold back, Eun-su bit her lower lip hard.
“I made it as you instructed, but I’m not sure how it turned out.”
A hesitant expression crossed Hyuk-joo’s usually confident face.
Eun-su silently stared at the seaweed soup in front of her.
The source of the savory smell that made her hungry early in the morning was this seaweed soup. As Eun-su was about to sit at the table, her eyes suddenly turned to the sink.
In the sink, stacks of swollen seaweed were piled up like an untidy laundry heap.
Hyuk-joo, whose gaze followed hers to the sink, covered his neck awkwardly with his hand, accompanied by a sheepish expression.
“I thought a fistful would be enough, as you said, but I didn’t know it would swell like that.”
Hyuk-joo extended his large palm.
Eun-su, who had been rubbing her tingling nose, couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. The size of her hand and Hyuk-joo’s hand was noticeably different.
Remembering only ‘a fistful,’ Hyuk-joo nonchalantly scooped out the dry seaweed, not anticipating that it would expand so much. He might have been surprised by the uncontrollable amount of seaweed.
Perhaps that was why his usually unchanged complexion turned red.
The food on the plate looked presentable, but somehow, it seemed sloppy. However, such clumsiness was endearing.
She suddenly remembered the sight of Hyuk-joo struggling to prepare a birthday table for her early in the morning.
Suddenly, she thought it had been a long time since she had received such a carefully prepared birthday table.
After her mother collapsed, there hadn’t been anyone to take care of or celebrate her birthday. The only thing resembling a ritual was spending her birthday after marriage.
Perhaps that’s why.
Unexpectedly touched by Hyuk-joo’s congratulations, Eun-su felt a lump in her chest. To hold back the surging tears, she had to swallow her dry saliva for no reason.
“Sit down.”
Hyuk-joo pulled out a chair and gently took Eun-su’s shoulders. Seating her on the chair, he went to the opposite side.
Like someone facing an important judgment, Hyuk-joo looked visibly tense.
Unexpectedly holding hands, Hyuk-joo suddenly stood up, as if realizing he had forgotten something, and went to the refrigerator, taking out a cake box with a disappointed smile.
“I forgot the cake.”
“We can do it after we finish eating.”
“Still, for us to go through all this…”
As Hyuk-joo took out the cake from the box in front of the refrigerator, he couldn’t finish his sentence.
This was the first birthday they were celebrating together, just the two of them, solely for Eun-su. Reflecting on his past carelessness, Hyuk-joo silently blamed himself again.
Why are there so many things to regret and repent for?
It was evidence of how badly he had treated Eun-su.
Overwhelmed with guilt, Hyuk-joo couldn’t bring himself to say anything more. Offering this chance for Eun-su to stay by his side felt like a miracle to him.
“It’s really delicious.”
Hyuk-joo lifted his head at Eun-su’s gentle voice.
Watching Eun-su scoop up seaweed soup with a spoon, he stood there frozen.
“The seaweed soup I made tastes the same as yours. It’s strange…”
It can only be the same.
Hyuk-joo quietly murmured to himself.
Eun-su had played the video of her making seaweed soup so many times that it was vividly etched in his mind when he closed his eyes.
Wanting to see the fleeting smile on Eun-su’s face, he had replayed that part so many times, sometimes even watching it over and over again.
After the presence he thought would always be by his side disappeared, Hyuk-joo realized it only afterward.
The seemingly absent and quiet Eun-su had become a part of his body without him realizing it.
He had to hurt a part of his body to realize its existence and understand how precious it was.
Only after Eun-su tried to cut herself away did Hyuk-joo feel the desperate pain. It was a dreadful agony, as if his entire body would disappear in an instant.
He never wanted to experience such a thing again. Therefore, the moments with Eun-su now were precious and urgent to Hyuk-joo.
“I made it just like you taught me.”
The corners of Eun-su’s lips rose gently as she ate the seaweed soup.
Watching Eun-su smile, Hyuk-joo realized how close happiness was.
“Was this really your first time making it?”
“Huh?”
Hyuk-joo chuckled at Eun-su’s question.
Did she think it was so well-made that she assumed he had asked Madam for help?
It was indeed made by his own hands.
Hyuk-joo thought he might have to show Eun-su how to make seaweed soup from the beginning. However, an unexpected question came from Eun-su.
“Back then at the villa, you asked me to teach you. Was that your intention?”
He thought it was for Seo Yeon-ji. So, he got annoyed in the middle and ended up pouring the seaweed soup down the drain.
Hyuk-joo felt resentful and upset at the idea of going all out for another woman. However, as soon as he saw the seaweed soup on the birthday table, he quickly realized it was a misunderstanding.
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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