The Temperature Difference with Him (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
Walking past the shared flower beds of Happy Officetel and along the pavement, a five-story building finished in gray marble and floor-to-ceiling glass came into view.
The green sign on the first floor advertising a coffee shop and the convenience store sign lit up 24/7 were familiar to everyone.
“Nuna? Nuna!”
At the solo dining booths inside the convenience store, partitioned off for privacy, Ji An’s shoulders shook violently as she lay slumped in one of the cubicles.
The one desperately trying to wake her was Joo Min Chan, a convenience store part-timer.
“Nuna! Please snap out of it.”
“I’ll go. I’ll go. Just… let me know when the high schoolers come.”
It had been five long months—the day she finally escaped the swamp after completing two translation manuscripts.
Her brief pride in meeting the deadline quickly faded as exhaustion and emptiness washed over her.
There wasn’t a single person to share this sense of liberation with.
“It’s a weekday, so maybe that’s why,” she tried to console herself, but the gap between her mind’s logic and her heart’s temperature was painfully clear.
In the bustling convenience store, Ji An’s loneliness blurred like water—simply because being among people made her feel less alone.
Planting her face back onto the table, she muttered,
“Hey! Don’t you dare call anyone, okay?”
A few stray strands of hair escaped her rounded, coiled-up bun and clung damply to her neck.
Her puffy padded vest, gray sweatpants worn thin at the knees, and faded rubber slippers made Ji An’s legs—infamous in this neighborhood—slacken and spread limply to either side.
“Ugh, seriously! Nuna!”
Min Chan pulled his phone from his uniform jacket pocket and firmly pressed the call button.
As the ringtone played, he tossed a crushed beer can and an empty grape jelly wrapper into the recycling bin beside the ATM.
– Yes, this is Yoon Ha Jun.
“Hyung, it’s me—Min Chan. I’m at the GX Convenience Store, Happy Tower branch. Nuna Ji An.”
Ha Jun’s sharp voice cut through Min Chan’s sentence from the other end of the line. Their questions and answers, though slightly out of sync, flowed naturally together.
– What time did she get here?
“She came down just after seven, after submitting her manuscript. She said she’d leave soon, though.”
– Just leave her be. I’ll be there shortly.
After ending the call, Ha Jun closed his laptop and slipped his case file into his briefcase. He recalled Ji An’s call earlier that afternoon.
She finished her manuscript.
Well, she had been tied up for months, after all.
The dazzling lights beyond the floor-to-ceiling window signaled the lateness of the hour.
Rolling up his dress shirt sleeves slightly, he glanced at his silver wristwatch and murmured,
“You should’ve just told me. I would’ve made time, even if I was busy.”
With long strides, Ha Jun stepped in front of the clothing steamer, spun his black Brit-style jacket half a turn, and slipped his arms into the sleeves.
[Yoon Ha Jun, Attorney at Konkuk Law Firm]The crystal nameplate atop the mahogany desk exuded authority.
Ha Jun pushed open the entrance door of GX Convenience Store and stepped inside.
Min Chan, scanning a cup ramen barcode with the POS, greeted, “Welcome,” and turned to look at Ha Jun.
Even at a glance, he was clearly a tall, well-groomed man—the kind of perfectly respectable person who seemed utterly out of place with Ji An, who often drank alone in this very convenience store.
Ha Jun gave Min Chan a brief nod and walked past the ramen display toward the rest area.
Spotting Ji An among a group of students in uniforms, Ha Jun pulled out a window-side chair a short distance away.
As he took out his phone, Ji An’s voice cut through the surrounding chatter.
“Nuna, didn’t you say you really admire the author whose novel you just translated?”
Asked simultaneously by a bespectacled student in a puffy padded jacket over her uniform.
“Nuna! Are you going back to teach at the Daechi-dong academy now?”
“I have to. I’ve got to earn a living, so yes—I’ll be returning to the academy.”
“I begged my mom to let me take your class! Ki Hyun and Do Hoon did too.”
“Really? How did your practice exams go?”
“Thanks to you sparing your precious time, we all aced the test.”
Ji An, catching Ha Jun’s eye, shot a sidelong glance toward Min Chan at the counter and continued,
“Study hard. You only get that time once in your life. I’ll pay—go pick out whatever you want.”
As the group of uniformed students rushed toward the shelves, Ji An let out a long sigh.
They’ll probably scold me again for hanging out with high schoolers, won’t they?
Scratching his neck awkwardly, Ha Jun straightened up as he approached.
Briefcase in hand, he said,
“Can you walk?”
“Obviously. Min Chan overreacted.”
“It’s not your first time.”
“Fine, maybe I’ve been carried home by you a few times from here—but quit dredging up ancient history. Let’s just go.”
Ji An shoved her hands into her padded jacket pockets and headed toward the counter.
She shrugged off the students’ curious stares fixed on Ha Jun and handed over her card.
As they walked silently along the building’s corner after leaving the store, Ha Jun asked,
“Why didn’t you just tell me you’d sent in your manuscript?”
“What’s the point? I know you’re busy—twice as busy as anyone else. Not everyone can live like that.”
“You sure know a lot.”
Ji An narrowed her eyes as she looked up at Ha Jun.
What’s with that tone? Are you implying I live 1.5 times slower than others?
Where did this confidence even come from?
Staring down at her shoes, she muttered under her breath,
“Living next to someone so effortlessly superior makes me underestimate my own life.”
Exhaling a puff of white breath through her lips, Ji An said,
“Don’t let your tone betray your real thoughts. On average, people need eight hours of sleep—at the very least, six. Not everyone survives on just three or four hours like you.”
“I didn’t say anything. Don’t jump to conclusions.”
“You’d deny it, but I live just as intensely as you—juggling the academy and translations. I only paused the academy temporarily because this translation was for an author I deeply admire.”
“You could’ve done both.”
His tone was reproachful. Ha Jun couldn’t understand why she’d given up her academy job just to pursue something she enjoyed.
Giving up on listing every justification, Ji An punched in the security code at the communal entrance.
After pressing the elevator’s silver button for floor 9, Ha Jun slid his hands into his pants pockets.
Unable to hold back any longer, she added,
“Translation—especially novels—can’t be done without a sense of mission. It’s not just swapping words between languages. It demands strong writing skills and is truly grueling work. Seriously.”
“I get it. No need to get worked up.”
“I really hate that tone of yours—the one that says, ‘I understand, but I don’t agree.’ I love books. That’s why I do this. I may speak multiple languages, but every country has its own culture, and besides—”
“Exactly! Your language aptitude is top-tier—and it couldn’t have been easy.”
He probably wanted to ask, then, why she chose novel translation specifically.
They’d known each other too long for him not to wonder. Just as Ha Jun understood Ji An, she could see right through him too.
“To you, it might look like I eat when I want, sleep when I want, and work when I want—but that’s not how it is.”
Without ironclad discipline, how could anyone possibly translate hundreds of pages and meet a deadline?
Frowning, Ji An unlocked the door to Unit 902 and opened the entrance.
Just as she tried to shut it, Ha Jun pulled the metal door back.
“Why?! Just go!”
Ji An desperately blocked him. Her place was a complete mess from racing the deadline, and she didn’t have the energy to endure another lecture.
Gently pushing Ji An aside, Ha Jun stepped inside and asked,
“Seriously, where do you even work?”
“At my desk.”
It wasn’t the first time her apartment had resembled a pigsty.
When she focused on translation, she got buried in deadlines; when the academy was busy, mock exam season overlapped.
Yet every time, he was astonished by how thoroughly she let her home fall apart when immersed in work.
Ji An clenched her molars and shut her eyes tightly.
“You should’ve just come tomorrow. Honestly, you never listen.”
Scratching her head, she offered an eager excuse,
“I was up against a deadline. It was a reckless contract, but it was a new release from an author I admire—published after two long years. I couldn’t bear to miss it. So…”
She was clearly listing valid reasons—translating two novels back-to-back with no breathing room—yet it still felt like she was making excuses.
But what could she say when faced with someone like him? After all, his Unit 901 was practically a cleanroom.
Leaning against the dining table, Ha Jun rubbed his brow and nodded—seemingly in understanding.
As she opened her bedroom door, Ji An said,
“Just go. I’m going to sleep. I’ll clean up tomorrow.”
“I told you not to stay up all night.”
“I have final proofreading… It’s not just a page or two.”
Of course she hadn’t slept. Swallowing the rest of her sentence, Ji An stared blankly at Ha Jun. What did he even want from her?
“Seeing your face, I guess it’s best I leave now. Sleep well. Call me when you wake up.”
“Call you?”
“It’d be even better if you thought about what you’d like to eat.”
“Are you buying?”
Ha Jun gave a slight, crooked smile and nodded. Who else would?
“You said you finished your manuscript. The least I can do is treat you. You’ve worked hard.”
“You’ve worked hard.” With just those words from Ha Jun, the vague, resentful gloom weighing on Ji An melted away.
Her voice softened as she smiled faintly,
“…Just go already.”
The moment Ha Jun disappeared beyond the front door, Ji An fused herself to the bed and closed her eyes. Just as sleep began to claim her, a familiar electronic chime jolted her groggy consciousness awake.
Ugh. I told you to just go!
Forcing herself awake, she called out,
“Ha Jun! Just leave it. I’ll handle it. You’re tired.”
Before she could hear his reply, Ji An’s awareness faded into haze.
Wheeeeng. She wanted to say something about the vacuum cleaner noise, but her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, beyond her control.
Worried about the mess, Ha Jun changed into comfortable clothes and re-entered Unit 902.
His eyes landed on the laptop atop the desk.
“Huh! You should’ve just told me. Seriously, you stubborn fool.”
He thought back to the contract he’d been poring over all evening—regarding soil contamination cleanup costs for Samjin Construction.
If only she’d said she finished her manuscript, he would’ve cleared his schedule.
Tossing the laundry piled up near the bathroom into the laundry room, Ha Jun rolled up his T-shirt sleeves and pulled a trash bag from the kitchen drawer, sweeping the island’s clutter into it.
“I’d have to leave this country to avoid living next to this mess. Seriously, it’s karma upon karma.”
Placing both hands over the vacuum’s dustbin, Ha Jun took a deep breath.
I can do this. It’s not the first time. I do this occasionally anyway.
Everywhere he passed, chaos transformed into order—magic left behind by Ha Jun, the cleaning fairy.
After sorting the washed laundry into the dryer, he carried the remaining pile to the balcony. His gaze naturally drifted to one spot.
“That darn dandelion.”
He chuckled softly at Kim Ji An’s baffling habit of growing dandelions indoors.
How could anyone stay mad at someone who did things like this?
The dandelion pot, blooming with vibrant yellow flowers, was brimming with life regardless of the season—thankfully, just like its owner.
Ha Jun plucked the flower stalk, opened the window, blew gently on the white seeds, and glanced back at the bedroom.
“Should I blow a few more?”
This whimsical act was completely at odds with Yoon Ha Jun’s usual demeanor—stern-faced, engrossed in legal files.
Yet, he genuinely loved blowing dandelion seeds out the window whenever he visited Ji An’s place.
“Just one more thing, and cleaning’s done.”
To finish the last task, Ha Jun entered the bedroom where Ji An lay fast asleep.
He rolled her snugly in her blanket and gently dropped her onto the sofa.
Would she even notice if I carried her away? How many days has she gone without sleep?
After replacing the bedsheet and moving Ji An back onto the bed, he completed his late-night deep clean.
Exhausted but proud, he surveyed the spotless apartment.
Leaving Unit 902, Ha Jun stopped in front of 901 and entered the door lock code.
He didn’t know whose consideration it was—but the entrance codes for Units 901 and 902 were identical.
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.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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