That evening.
An unexpected call came from someone she had never thought of.
Could you spare a moment…?
It was Jaehyuk.
She didn’t question how he got her contact information. There were no questions about the unexpected call.
“Just ignore it, that’s enough.”
Her thoughts about him were to not do anything, so she decided not to.
Arin clicked the three circles at the top right to delete the message he sent. The delete button appeared.
At the moment she was about to press ‘delete,’ his wounded face, the lingering traces of his tears on his face, began to haunt her like a scar.
Her slender finger paused in the air.
‘If I hadn’t seen the brother who fits Samo-nim…’
The phone was on the table. She couldn’t delete his message.
“Choi Arin, this fool.”
She didn’t want to hurt him again.
The next day.
“Thank you for coming out.”
“Yes.”
She hesitated countless times before coming here. Until she opened the store door, she wondered if it was right for her to come here.
As soon as she regained her composure, he was there in front of her.
After exchanging greetings, there were no more words between them.
‘Why is he hesitating so much to say what he wants to say?’
Not knowing the inner thoughts of the person who asked to meet first, Arin waited until Jaehyuk spoke first.
Arin unknowingly stared at his face. Not knowing what he was thinking, his long eyelashes trembled. His skin, which had become prickly, and the dark circles under his eyes made her heart flutter.
‘Why is your face so hurt again?’
Sigh, again.
She worried about him.
‘Choi Arin, are you out of your mind?’
My shaken heart, which had forgotten the past and was swaying, seemed pathetic and foolish.
‘What nonsense. He’s not worth worrying about. Did you forget everything you’ve been through just because you saw something right?’
I couldn’t understand my heart, which was more shaken than a year ago. Being with him made me feel like I was becoming strange.
‘Get a grip, I want to stop.’
I wanted to shake off the trembling heart. She, who bowed her head forcefully, broke the silence first.
“Now, what are you trying to say?”
She thought there wouldn’t be anything more. Arin vowed not to come out again.
However, his following words turned her determination into bubbles.
“My father has woken up.”
“The chairman?”
“Yeah.”
She knew about Chairman Banhojun’s health through the news. At the news that Chairman Banhojun, who had ruled the world, was now extending his life with a life extension device, Arin even thought that power was ruthless.
“Now, what I’m going to say may be selfish and ridiculous, but I hope you listen to the end.”
He, full of tension, said, looking into her eyes, unable to hide his trembling gaze. Arin nodded to indicate that she understood.
“I’ll be honest with you. Father said he won’t hand over his stake to me unless he brings you in.”
“T-That’s a strange thing to say?”
Arin raised her voice unintentionally.
“…A stake? Haven’t you already received it? You mentioned inheriting the stake a while ago…”
Recalling the time around their marriage, she asked.
“Not everything.”
“Not everything?”
“Yeah. Just a bit passed on.”
“Just a bit? After saying that?”
Since his active involvement in the management, rumors about the transfer of shares spread, causing a stir. The time when the two got married, VAN Group was in crisis. Rumors circulated about Chairman Banhojun’s retirement and deteriorating health. Moreover, various conspiracy theories revolved around the incident where Mr. Choi, who was his confidant and driver, was charged with a special theft crime.
Subsequently, all rumors centered around VAN Group, including rumors about Chairman Banhojun’s private life and conflicts with Madam Jung.
The group needed a new topic to change the atmosphere. Jaehyuk’s share transfer quickly changed the tide. Expectations for a new owner who would overturn the vestiges of the old era put an end to all rumors and conspiracy theories at once.
“Then why make such a fuss if you’re not giving everything away?”
Putting aside her feelings for him, Arin couldn’t understand Chairman Banhojun’s thoughts. At that time, Jaehyuk sacrificed himself for the company. He was the one who defended the company, even putting his life on the line.
“Did you use Ban Jaehyuk as a shield? Back then?”
He maintained a murderous schedule, rarely entering the house once a week. His face was so worn out that she could still vividly remember how difficult it was for him at that time.
But…
‘After seeing how hard my brother worked and struggled, why is Chairman doing this now? Why?’
“…Ha.”
His silence seemed to imply a positive view of the situation. Feeling somehow angry at the people who used his parents as shields, she also felt a bit sorry for him.
The person who struggled because of his parents’ selfishness was him. So, she could empathize more than anyone with his situation.
“So? What happens to the company if you can’t inherit the stake?”
“I won’t be able to pass on the company.”
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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