The Grand Temptation (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 26
“Why are you asking me that? I should be the one asking you.”
For a while, Min Woo couldn’t say a word. His face twisted into an expression so pitiful that he rubbed his palms over it. Finally, with a strained, hoarse voice, he managed to speak.
“Yuli, this is a trap! ……A real trap. Someone must be playing a prank right now. Yesterday really…… wasn’t like that. I swear!”
His reaction was far too anguished to be feigned. Honestly, Min Woo truly felt wronged—because this photo absolutely wasn’t taken yesterday. He didn’t know when it had been taken, but he was certain it wasn’t yesterday.
He had good reason to be so sure: last night, while he was asleep, Da Hee quickly changed into another slip and took the photo. To make the deception even more convincing, she even glued on fake nails decorated extravagantly over her naturally short ones.
In the photo, the woman’s face was cleverly cropped out, showing only long nails and a dark-colored slip. After taking the selfie, Da Hee removed the fake nails and took off the slip, so to Min Woo, the woman in the photo was definitely someone other than Assistant Shin.
“So you’re saying this isn’t you in the photo? Then who’s messing around with Photoshop?”
“It’s not like that…….”
Min Woo stared at the photo with a confused expression. Having dated so many women, he couldn’t possibly recall who this one might be. Moreover, he’d slept with and discarded more than just a few women after a single night.
“Yeah, Yuli. Honestly, I’ve been with a lot of women.”
Min Woo admitted his flamboyant past in a subdued tone. It was common knowledge to everyone around him, so denying it was impossible—and Yuli knew that too. When Yuli gave a light nod, Min Woo tensed his throat and continued.
“But ever since I decided to marry you, I’ve cut ties with all of them. It’s the truth—please believe me.”
That wasn’t entirely a lie, either. Except for Assistant Shin, he really had severed ties with every other woman. Shin Da Hee was the only exception. She was smarter than the others and had a clear understanding of her position. She’d never cross the line, so he planned to maintain a comfortable relationship with her even after marriage.
“It must be one of the women I used to see. Now that she knows I’m marrying you, she’s probably jealous and causing trouble.”
“Then who exactly is the woman in this photo?”
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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😀