It was a starless black night.
A crisp script was clenched in Yeoreum’s hands, emitting a faint smell of ink. The weight of each page felt like a heavy responsibility. The die had been cast, and, for better or worse, the drama was set to release into the world. It was a long-awaited moment, yet she felt oddly calm.
‘Finally, my drama…’
As the filming drew near, the writer’s turmoil only deepened. Yeoreum pondered over casting, ratings, PPL, production costs, plot pacing, and plausibility. She deliberately focused only on such thoughts.
“How about we change this part?”
But her train of thought inevitably wandered back to him.
“Yeoreum, the supporting storyline is too long. Let’s cut it a bit.”
He abruptly appeared, drawing lines on the script. His fingers, clutching the pen, were firm. His eyes, filled with trust and affection, shone brightly. Unable to look any longer, Yeoreum placed the script down and turned her gaze outside.
The long summer night unfolded. The pitch-black sky seemed endless.
No, there was no such thing as forever. In six hours, the sun would rise without fail, and in two months, autumn would surely arrive. The world’s ways were absurdly simple; everything eventually passes. The same was true for her fleeting thoughts of him.
Yeoreum was in the midst of moving on. The transition period was longer than expected, but she was nearly out. It had been a whole two years. It was just days like these when she remembered him a bit more.
It was her birthday in a few minutes, and her drama was soon going into production… A special yet unsettling day.
She lifted her gaze from the black night sky and picked up the script again, turning to the first page.
The lives of the characters she had created with him were beginning.
[Star Icon]The car carrying Taeseok arrived at the club entrance. It had been two years since he last visited such a bustling place. The thumping beats slightly furrowed his brow.
He wasn’t thrilled, but he had nowhere else to go.
He had to get out today. Staying home could lead to an unknown depth of despair. It was her unforgettable birthday. He didn’t want to fall back into the quagmire again. He wanted to find his life.
‘It’s time to snap out of it. I’ve been in the dark for two years.’
The darkness.
Taeseok let out a self-deprecating laugh. All this drama over a single breakup seemed overly dramatic. Just a fleeting flame that should be forgotten, yet occasionally her laughter would emerge, leaving scars near his heart.
As thoughts of her continued, tension crept into his eyes. He wanted to cut away those tiresome thoughts. If only he could excise her from his memory, even a noisy club was welcome. After all, what better place to lose oneself than a club, capable of draining one’s soul?
“I’m going in. Don’t wait.”
After a brief word to his manager, he gestured to a waiter. There was a separate VIP entrance for Taeseok. Like a star being sucked into a black hole, he disappeared into the dark, thumping abyss.
[Star Icon]“Will Taeseok come?”
Five men were in the room.
Known as the ‘Six Mafia’, this group was composed of six actors who met on a movie set five years ago.
“Today he will. I called him like a million times. I’m basically a stalker for Seo Taeseok.”
Yu Gangyeol, Taeseok’s only age-mate, joked. A few chuckled at his frivolous joke, but no one seriously expected him to show up.
And for good reason, as Seo Taeseok hadn’t appeared in their gatherings for two years. It wasn’t just this group; he had vanished as if desperately wishing for it, using all his might to erase his presence.
“The manager said that Taeseok hasn’t watched TV at all for two years.”
“Is that even possible?”
“He’s not on the internet either. Doesn’t take calls from directors. If a producer so much as mentions a script, he hangs up.”
“And I heard Taeseok hyung has been seeing a psychiatrist.”
Wonwoo sharply cut in.
“Let’s stop here. We’re among ourselves, but let’s be careful anyway.”
Nod.
Seo Taeseok was broken.
After about two years, it had to be acknowledged. The reason behind the top star and Hallyu leader Seo Taeseok’s disappearance wasn’t self-discipline, but simply because he crumbled.
The apparent reason was tax evasion. A report was filed against him, leading to a rigorous tax investigation. Afterwards, Taeseok announced his official retreat.
“But he broke up with the non-celebrity girlfriend he was dating then…”
However, the actors suspected that the real reason wasn’t tax evasion, but the breakup with a woman he cherished like life itself.
The tax investigation was just a pretext to hide, they speculated.
The public opinion at the time was on Taeseok’s side, so there was no reason for him to choose retreat. The investigation cleared him of any wrongdoing. The public condemned the anonymous tipster for malicious reporting.
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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