The Price of Impulse (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
A lazy afternoon bathed in warm sunlight.
Se Kyung, drowsy and nodding off, suddenly jolted awake at the sharp knock on the door.
“Ms. Se Kyung, the CEO wants to see you.”
Turning toward the sound, she saw Director Song half-leaning through the narrow gap in the door.
“The CEO asked for me?”
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Se Kyung asked her.
“Yeah.”
“What for?”
“Well… I’m not exactly sure about that…”
Director Song trailed off, avoiding Se Kyung’s gaze.
She seemed somehow uneasy.
Had something bad happened while Se Kyung was briefly dozing off?
Se Kyung tilted her head, puzzled.
“Did something go wrong without my knowing?”
“Hmm, no, not really.”
Director Song shook her head, denying it—but her words and expression didn’t quite match, making her unconvincing.
Just then, someone called out for Director Song from the opposite end of the hallway.
Waving to show she’d be right there, she hurriedly urged Se Kyung to head straight to the CEO’s office before leaving.
‘What’s going on?’
Frowning, Se Kyung watched Director Song’s retreating back.
Something definitely felt off.
Could it be because of what she’d found out this morning? A dark premonition crept in—something big was about to happen if she stepped into the CEO’s office now.
“I should probably slip away for today…”
Se Kyung closed the script she’d been reading and stood up—just as she was about to leave the meeting room.
Ding!
Her phone chimed with a clear, crisp notification.
[Come to the office. I need to ask you something.]It was a message from CEO Jin Tae Jo. Eyes wide, Se Kyung glanced around like a wary meerkat.
Was he perhaps watching her from somewhere nearby? Luckily, though, there was no sign of Tae Jo.
“Anyway, ask me something…?”
About what, exactly? What could he possibly want to ask?
Se Kyung shifted her eyes nervously. It wasn’t as though there was absolutely nothing suspicious—but that had happened over a month ago.
“Surely not about that…”
A flicker of worry crossed her mind, but she quickly shook her head as if dismissing it.
She hadn’t blackmailed Tae Jo over it, nor made any dramatic demands for him to take responsibility. Besides, didn’t he not even remember what happened that day?
True, he’d tested her once or twice with vague suspicion—but even that had passed without incident.
He’d never mentioned it since then. Why would CEO Jin bring it up now, out of the blue?
“It must be about work. Yeah, definitely work-related.”
Trying to calm herself by insisting it was nothing serious, Se Kyung headed toward CEO Jin’s office.
Secretary Kim, apparently already informed of her arrival, gestured toward the office, urging her to go right in.
“Phew.”
Standing before the door, Se Kyung took a deep breath. After a brief pause, she knocked firmly.
“It’s Yoon Se Kyung.”
“Come in.”
As she opened the door, Tae Jo turned around from where he’d been standing by the window.
At 189 cm tall, with broad shoulders and a lean, solid frame hugged by a dark gray suit vest,
he was the head of both a talent management and content production company—and possessed the flawless skin and sharp features of a leading actor.
Hadn’t there been countless actresses who’d confessed to him, captivated by his looks?
Though, of course, he’d always rejected them flat-out.
“You said you wanted to ask me something.”
Se Kyung spoke calmly, closing the door behind her.
An unlit cigarette filter dangled from his lips.
Tae Jo glanced at Se Kyung standing at a distance, then pulled the cigarette from his mouth and snapped it sharply in half.
He tossed both broken pieces into the trash and walked toward his desk.
“This.”
“…?”
Perched on the edge of his desk, Tae Jo pushed something toward Se Kyung.
“Do you know what it is?”
What even was that?
Se Kyung frowned. How could she say whether she knew or didn’t know if she couldn’t even see it?
The object Tae Jo referred to sat on the desk, invisible from where Se Kyung stood.
“I can’t really see it from here…”
At her words, Tae Jo gave a slight nod—as if telling her to come closer.
After a brief hesitation, she stepped forward. As she neared him, she could finally see a long stick pinned beneath his fingers.
“…!”
She nearly reached into her own bag to check.
Why was that… there?
Standing frozen, Se Kyung looked up at Tae Jo, trying to mask her shock.
“Well… I’m not really sure…”
“They say it’s a pregnancy test. Two lines means you’re pregnant.”
Tae Jo held up the test indifferently. Two clear lines were marked across the middle of the stick.
“Is that so? I’ve never used one before.”
“…”
“But… why are you showing this to me…?”
She played dumb right away. Tae Jo let out a quiet chuckle, clearly amused by her lie—he showed no change in expression.
“Why else? Because it came out of your bag, Ms. Se Kyung.”
“That’s not mine. There’s no name on it. Why are you so sure it belongs to me?”
“At 11:38 a.m. today, you bumped into Director Song in front of the elevator, remember? Your bag dropped, spilling its contents.”
Se Kyung’s face instantly stiffened.
She had indeed collided with Director Song earlier while rushing and dropped her bag.
She’d hastily gathered everything back up—but had she accidentally left that behind?
“Director Song said this came out of your bag.”
“…”
“But if something from your own bag isn’t yours… then whose is it?”
Though phrased as a question, Tae Jo clearly already believed Se Kyung was the owner.
Biting her lip in distress,
she scrambled for an excuse—but her mind had gone utterly blank, offering no plausible lie.
“Shall we go to the hospital first to confirm? Whether or not you’re actually pregnant.”
“No!”
At the word “hospital,” Se Kyung blurted out in panic. Her heart pounded wildly, and cold sweat trickled down her back.
What should she do…?
She looked up at Tae Jo with anxious eyes.
In a few months, there’d be no hiding her pregnancy anyway.
Maybe it was better to admit it now—and keep the identity of the baby’s father a secret.
After all, that pregnancy test wouldn’t reveal who the father was.
“It’s mine. That thing.”
“The father? Manager Shin said you weren’t seeing anyone. Were you secretly dating someone?”
“No.”
“Then who’s the father?”
Se Kyung only chewed on her lip in silence.
She couldn’t possibly say it was the man standing right in front of her.
That night had been an impulsive mistake for her—and completely absent from his memory.
He already disliked getting personally involved with actresses from his own agency. If she told him about that night, he might never look at her again.
“I can’t tell you that.”
Her voice barely above a whisper, Se Kyung lowered her head.
Tae Jo set the pregnancy test down and straightened his leaning posture.
As he stepped toward her, Se Kyung instinctively shuffled backward.
“C-CEO…?”
Thud. Her back hit the sofa, leaving her nowhere to retreat.
Tae Jo leaned in slightly, casting a heavy shadow over her face—
like the grim future looming over her.
“Ms. Se Kyung, there’s someone I’ve been looking for these past few weeks.”
“…”
“I was a bit confused whether it was a dream or real. I’d drunk a lot that night, and my memory just cut off midway.”
Oh no…
As Tae Jo kept speaking, Se Kyung’s face grew paler.
He hadn’t said it outright—but he was talking about that night.
The impulsive night for her… the forgotten night for him…
No, the night he must never remember.
“I kept ignoring it, assuming it was just a dream, but recently, fragmented scenes started coming back to me. When I pieced them together, they formed a clear picture.”
For a moment, Se Kyung’s vision blurred; she staggered as if the floor had dropped beneath her feet. Tae Jo caught her waist, steadying her.
“That night, I’d been wondering where that sly little cat was—the one who devoured me and ran away.”
His grip around her waist tightened.
The instant his leg pushed between hers,
“There you are.”
He whispered hotly against her ear.
One month earlier, at S Hotel.
It was well past midnight.
Hungry, Se Kyung had stepped out briefly, intending to grab a snack from the convenience store. At the elevator, she blinked in surprise at the person she encountered.
“Oh? Se Kyung-ah.”
“Senior…”
Her voice trailed off as Se Kyung glanced past Seok Joo. Standing beside him was someone she hadn’t expected at all.
Leaning heavily against Seok Joo, thoroughly drunk, was none other than her agency’s CEO, Jin Tae Jo.
“Why are you here…? Ugh, never mind—help me out first. I need to get this guy to lie down. Can you press 17 for me?”
Seok Joo pushed Se Kyung back into the elevator and stepped in after her.
Still dazed, Se Kyung pressed the 17th-floor button and stood on the opposite side of Seok Joo, helping to support Tae Jo.
“Why’s the CEO so drunk?”
“Oh, the head of a U.S. OTT platform came to visit today. He had dinner with the local branch chief and ended up drinking a lot… Man, their drinking capacity was no joke. I don’t even know how many bottles of whiskey they finished. I’ve known this guy for a while, but I’ve never seen him this wasted.”
Seok Joo shook his head in exhaustion, as if he’d been part of that intense drinking session himself.
Ding! The elevator chimed brightly—they’d already reached the 17th floor.
Stepping out, Seok Joo hoisted Tae Jo onto his shoulder and searched for the reserved room.
As he reached into his pocket for the keycard, Tae Jo slid off his shoulder.
“Ah!” Seok Joo let out a short yelp, grabbed Tae Jo again, and called out to Se Kyung.
“Se Kyung-ah, the cardkey’s in my pocket here.”
Se Kyung pulled the keycard from Seok Joo’s pocket and unlocked the door.
While she inserted the key into the slot, Seok Joo dragged Tae Jo over and dumped him onto the bed.
“Phew, I’m dying.”
It wasn’t even summer, yet sweat poured down his face.
As Seok Joo fanned himself with his hand, Se Kyung took a bottle of water from the fridge and handed it to him.
“Thanks. Hey, but why are you staying here?”
“I’m staying at this hotel right now.”
“At a hotel? What about your home?”
“My lease ended, and the new place I bought is being remodeled. So I’ve got a whole month with nowhere to stay.”
“Oh, so you’ll be living in a hotel for a month?”
“Yes. It just worked out that way.”
“Aren’t you uncomfortable? Why not stay at your parents’ or a friend’s place?”
“My mom’s in Jeju, and my schedule’s too irregular to impose on friends. I didn’t want to cause them trouble.”
“But isn’t a proper home still better than a hotel? How are you managing meals and laundry?”
“I mostly eat out, and the hotel offers laundry service. I just buy whatever I need as I go.”
“Well, I guess that works.”
Seok Joo shrugged as he drank the water.
“Anyway, sorry for bothering you so late—I think you were leaving somewhere when I held you back. Go ahead back to your room. I’ll handle this guy.”
“Is the CEO going to be okay? Should I get him a hangover drink?”
“What’s the point? He’s in no shape to drink anything right now.”
Seok Joo waved her off, insisting she shouldn’t worry.
Se Kyung glanced once more at Tae Jo sprawled on the bed, then reluctantly turned to leave.
“Then I’ll go.”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
Seok Joo, hand on his aching back and wondering how he’d deal with this mess, suddenly heard his phone ring loudly.
He quickly answered the call.
“Hello? Yeah, I just finished drinks a little while ago… What? Really? Okay, wait a sec—I’ll be right there.”
He hung up in a hurry and turned his head.
“…?”
His eyes met Se Kyung’s just as she was about to leave.
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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