Gubo Bookstore, being the largest bookstore in Seoul, was bustling with people even on weekdays. There was no place to sit, so most people stood while reading books. Swimming through the crowd, Sooyoung picked a book and headed to the children’s book section.
The children’s corner was relatively empty and had a spacious step-like seating arrangement to encourage reading habits in kids. It’s as if such a large bookstore was too focused on children’s welfare. Adults, after all, are the ones who spend more money.
It was morning, so there were no kids, and only a couple of regulars who knew about this golden spot were sitting there. Sooyoung, too, found a corner spot without hesitation and sat down with the book she brought.
“Visible Love,” Seol Yong.
Both the title and the author were impressive. Seol Yong was a new writer, and “Visible Love” was his second work. His real name, age, and face were not disclosed. Sooyoung had read his first work, “Ocarina,” about a hundred times.
Other authors’ profiles usually featured their smiling photos or just names and profiles, but Seol Yong’s profile only had a cartoon character.
The character was so handsome that Sooyoung was immersed as if he were a real person. If the novel’s content had been boring, she would have just taken a photo for collection, but the novel was very much to her taste.
The story was about a man who didn’t trust people and a woman afraid to step out into the world, gradually opening up to each other.
The scene where the female protagonist gathers courage to gradually adapt to society inspired Sooyoung with a sense of challenge. And the fact that the handsome male protagonist, who didn’t believe in love, ends up loving only her.
The protagonist, who achieves both career and love, was enough to be Sooyoung’s role model.
But reality is different from novels. That was the problem. Still, coming to the bookstore to read books like this was a true stress reliever while preparing for job applications.
Sooyoung, who graduated from a teacher’s college two years ago and hopped between tutoring jobs, was now a job seeker studying for a new position.
Her study mostly involved taking TOEIC exams and preparing resumes and cover letters. Despite her efforts in applying, she received no callbacks from any company.
She wondered if her GPA was the issue, but there was nothing she could do about it now that she had graduated. Her wish to get a job had now changed to at least getting an interview.
After finishing the 600-page novel, Sooyoung pressed her eyes and stood up. Seol Yong had not disappointed her.
She wanted to send a fan letter to the publisher, but sadly, she wasn’t that diligent. She just wished the author knew there was a fan loving him from afar.
While returning the book to the shelf, Sooyoung bumped into someone.
“Ah!”
“Oh!”
“Visible Love” fell to the ground, and the other person’s foot stepped right on its cover. The cover, with a blue sky and white clouds, now bore a black footprint.
“Ack!”
Sooyoung screamed, waving her hands, unable to think of picking up the book. She hadn’t planned to buy it, but now it seemed she had to.
“Oh! I’m so sorry! A new book!”
The other person quickly picked up the book and dusted it off. Looking up, Sooyoung saw a tall man, around 190 cm, in a suit that suited him well.
His attire and the bag he was carrying gave off the impression of a company employee. A company employee in a bookstore at this hour. Sooyoung couldn’t help but wish she worked at a company that allowed such leisurely breaks.
“I’ll buy you a new book to replace this one.”
He politely offered the book, and her frown softened slightly. Although she thought it was expected, she politely refused.
“It’s okay. I haven’t paid for this one yet, and it’s partly my fault, so I’ll buy it.”
The man looked puzzled for a moment and then asked curiously.
“Oh, you haven’t paid for it yet? Then let me buy this book and get you a new one.”
“It’s really okay…”
Feeling guilty as if her act of reading without buying was discovered, her words trailed off. However, the man took the book and walked ahead to the bookshelf where it was originally placed. How did he know where this book was kept?
At the bookshelf, the man took out a new copy and gestured slightly for Sooyoung to follow him to the cashier.
After paying, they each put their books in paper bags, and he handed one to Sooyoung with a gentle and mannered gesture.
“Are you a fan of author Seol Yong?”
He looked down at her, still with a kind voice, as she took the bag.
“Yes? Yes.”
She was surprised he knew the author’s name.
“Then you must have read ‘Ocarina’ as well?”
“Yes. Are you a fan too?”
She realized why he knew the author’s name.
“Yes, I really like his work.”
He answered with a pleasant smile. Sooyoung felt an unexpected camaraderie, despite him being a stranger. However, she thought the content of the book was not typically what men would enjoy.
“Don’t men usually like martial arts novels?”
Feeling comfortable since they were fans of the same author, she asked casually.
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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