“I thought a lot. Now that Yeowoon has become famous, where should I take her for a meal? So, I came here with a bit of ambition.”
“Really? It’s not that much yet!”
“Still, your face is well known. I thought it might be awkward if we took a picture while having a meal. So, I ambitiously chose this place.”
Perhaps due to the sunlight. Yeowoon thought that Minjiwook’s eyes were sparkling.
Were those eyes always so warm?
Yeowoon recalled the first time she went to an audition for a movie, thinking about those seemingly indifferent brown eyes.
With a plump face and a dry voice, he seemed like a peculiar person.
Indeed, people couldn’t be fully understood by appearances alone.
“This is a place I discovered while going on shoots……”
Minjiwook stopped speaking.
‘If I say it’s my most cherished place, will it make her uncomfortable?’
After a brief pause, Minjiwook continued as if nothing happened.
“Staying here blankly helps clear my mind.”
“I see. I think I understand.”
Yeowoon silently gazed at the scenery while taking a sip of coffee. The sweet yet robust coffee warmed her body.
Being with Minjiwook wasn’t as awkward as she had thought.
He was clearly a man of few words, but strangely, the silence didn’t feel uncomfortable.
“Can I take a look at the film camera?”
Instead of answering, Minjiwook took out the camera from his bag. It had a beautiful design, suitable even as an interior accessory.
Although it lacked the rustic and heavy feel, Yeowoon found it fascinating and looked around with the camera.
When she peered through the viewfinder, she saw the world captured in a small rectangular frame. Minjiwook quietly watched and explained how to take a photo.
“After turning the winder all the way, just press the shutter.”
Following Minjiwook’s instructions, Yeowoon turned the winder and took a landscape photo. The clicking sound of the shutter was distinctly different and pleasant compared to a cellphone camera.
While playing with the camera for a while, Yeowoon suddenly remembered something she was curious about and asked Minjiwook.
“Oh, Director. How did you recognize me in Macao? When did you know?”
“…I knew from the beginning. From the moment we got on the elevator.”
“Really?!”
When they met in the elevator of a Macao hotel, Yeowoon was wearing large sunglasses and a hat.
How on earth did he recognize her?
Looking at Minjiwook with a surprised expression, he explained nonchalantly, as if it were nothing.
“I tend to analyze actors in detail before going into a project. I’ve seen scenes with Yeowoon several times, maybe that’s why. Isn’t it just understandable?”
“Wow. You analyze that much?”
It was an unheard-of thing for a director to analyze actors meticulously to shoot well, but there was a reason why Director Byun, despite his lack of sociability, always took amazing shots of the actors.
“For some reason. Every time I see the screen, it looks so good. It’s all thanks to Director.”
“No, it’s not.”
“What?”
“It’s not because I shoot well; it’s because Yeowoon is beautiful.”
Thump. Yeowoon’s eyes widened at Minjiwook’s casually spoken words.
Turning her gaze to Minjiwook, he looked at Yeowoon with his usual calm eyes.
“No, that…”
Yeowoon’s lips faltered, losing her words.
If he said such a thing so suddenly, so casually…
When Yeowoon blinked and looked at Minjiwook with a rabbit-like expression, his lips closed for a moment, then slowly opened sideways.
It was an unmistakable laughter.
Not just a slight smile of the lips, but a real, laughing face that even involved his eyes, which had narrowed thinly.
“Huh?”
For a moment, Yeowoon reached out to grab the camera, thinking she wanted to capture this.
Without properly looking through the viewfinder and turning the winder while taking a photo, the clicking sound echoed. When Yeowoon lowered the camera, Minjiwook, who seemed a bit surprised, appeared with widened eyes. Then, a sound of laughter followed immediately.
“What was that?”
There was no resentment in her tone. Yeowoon handed the camera to Minjiwook with a slightly puzzled expression.
“I’m not sure if it turned out well. I wanted to capture the director smiling.”
“Why?”
“Just because. It would be nice if you smiled more. Smiling is better than having no expression.”
Minjiwook stared at Yeowoon without saying a word.
With just a comment that smiling is better than having no expression, he thought he might try to smile more in the future. Looking back, whenever he laughed recently, Yeowoon was always there.
Yeowoon was the only one who made him laugh, and she seemed to wish for his laughter.
‘What should I do then?’
After choosing his words for a moment, Minjiwook looked at Yeowoon and opened his mouth.
“Would you like to have a meal with me next time?”
“What?”
“I know many good places.”
“Oh…”
Yeowoon blinked for a moment. After a momentary expression of contemplation, a cautious voice flowed out.
“Okay. But, next time, let’s bring other people too! It would be better if everyone came together.”
Looking at Yeowoon, who was innocently smiling, Minjiwook’s heart felt a bit heavy.
Today was the first time they had been fully together, and the thought that there might not be a next time made his heart ache a little.
I want to be together a little longer.
It must be my greed…
Minjiwook looked at Yeowoon with mixed feelings.
Someone who has entered my heart for a very long time.
In the midst of living my own life, busy without letting anyone in. However, with just a gentle heart, it kept knocking on the door and gradually filled my desolate interior.
So, I kept feeling greedy.
Because she’s a good person, maybe she’ll give me a chance too.
“Yeowoon-ssi.”
My ugly lips moved on their own.
“Do you happen to have someone you’re meeting?”
“What?”
As if it was an unexpected question, Yeowoon’s eyes widened. Minjiwook, hiding his fluttering heart behind calm eyes, asked.
“I’m interested in Yeowoon-ssi.”
“…Director?”
“As you know, I’m not someone who’s interested in just anyone. I keep wondering about Yeowoon-ssi. I’m worried, I care, and I hope you’re not in pain.”
Yeowoon stared at herself with her lips parted, wearing a dumbfounded expression.
She must have been quite surprised.
She probably couldn’t even imagine that I had such feelings.
Minjiwook swallowed dry saliva and looked at Yeowoon.
Someone who has entered my heart for the first time in a very long time.
It knocked on my door with just a gentle heart, and before I knew it, it filled my vast emptiness.
So, I kept feeling greedy.
A good person, maybe she’ll give me a chance too.
“…Yeowoon-ssi.”
My awkward lips moved on their own.
“When will I be able to see you again?”
Could her confession be troubling Yeowoon?
When Minjiwook stopped talking, Yeowoon cautiously opened her mouth.
“Director, I’m a bit confused… So, you’re confessing to me right now…”
Minjiwook met Yeowoon’s trembling eyes.
Even at a glance, he could feel her discomfort, and it made his heart sting.
If he pushed further here, Yeowoon might be so surprised that she would run away.
Minjiwook suppressed his emotions as much as possible and, as always, spoke with a somewhat indifferent expression.
“I’m not asking you to like me right away. I just want you to understand one thing.”
“…”
“I want to be a man for Yeowoon. I won’t ask for anything else, so can you understand that one thing?”
In his expressionless face, an underlying tender gaze briefly surfaced. Yeowoon was completely lost for words in the face of his heartfelt eyes.
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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