Your Sweet Breath (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
A single stand lamp was all that lit the dim living room, where the rich aroma of espresso had settled.
Pouring a double shot into a mug and stirring in cold water was a mechanical action, ingrained through years of repetition.
The coffee—neither hot nor cold—had reached the perfect temperature for downing in one go.
Kang gulped it down her throat in a single motion.
She looked as though she were swallowing medicine.
And in truth, that’s exactly what it was.
For her, coffee was no different from medicine taken solely to keep sleep at bay.
But even relying on caffeine to get through with catnaps had its limits.
After going without deep sleep for three or four days, not even an entire bucket of espresso could hold back the crushing weight of drowsiness.
So the drink she’d just finished was merely—
“…….”
—akin to a consolation drink, if compared to alcohol.
More for psychological comfort than any physical effect.
No sooner had she set the cup down than her phone, carelessly tossed onto the table, began to ring.
The caller was her manager, Sam Young, and the reason he called punctually at this hour was obvious.
“Yeah, Oppa.”
Kang-ah. Have you eaten?
It was mealtime.
He, who personally stocked her fridge two or three times a week, wouldn’t be fooled by lies.
So the best reply at a moment like this wasn’t “No, not yet,” but rather—
“I was just about to eat.”
—which suited better.
Thanks to that, Sam Young’s nagging was cut in half.
After hearing her repeat several times that she’d definitely eat properly and take care of herself, he finally hung up.
A faint smile spread across her face, which had remained expressionless until then.
Kang, who had initially intended to skip dinner, changed her mind and turned back.
Inside the fridge sat a neatly portioned bento, thoughtfully arranged by Sam Young for one meal.
Most of it consisted of ready-to-eat items like salads or pre-cut vegetables, yet it was a well-balanced meal that carefully included carbohydrates, protein, and fats.
She opened one container and picked up a square carrot stick, neatly aligned among the others.
As she popped it into her mouth, she shut the fridge door without hesitation.
She would have liked to eat more out of appreciation for Sam Young’s thoughtfulness, but today, this was the best she could manage.
On days when accumulated exhaustion peaked, her stomach always felt uneasy.
After finishing her modest dinner, she walked toward her bed and paused briefly in front of it, staring down blankly.
A few months ago, a brazen kidnapping had targeted a famous South Korean actress.
Kang herself had been the victim of that unprecedented incident.
It was precisely because of that she’d been forced to stay home, resting against her will.
Part of her wished she could just sprawl out and sleep soundly, wondering when she’d next get such a chance…
“But that’s absurd.”
For Kang, plagued by nightmares every night, true rest was simply impossible.
Resigned, she lay in bed reading for hours, drifting in and out of shallow sleep past two in the morning.
Her eyes, desperately struggling to stay open, were bloodshot from exhaustion.
The hand holding her book eventually slipped limply off the bed.
Thud.
The sound of the book hitting the carpet seemed to act like a starting signal, and her consciousness began sinking deeply.
Beyond her dimming vision, thick fog blanketed everything.
Squeak—squeeeeeak
An unpleasant screech came from a rusted ride.
The cheerful chatter and laughter of people had vanished without a trace; the once-gleaming amusement park now looked as if it had closed down long ago.
Darkness surrounded her.
Sitting alone on a chipped paint carousel, Kang shrank into herself and spoke in a small voice.
“…Mom.”
Mom. Where are you?
Though she looked like an adult, her voice and tone were that of a terrified child.
It was as if she’d been thrust back into that moment long ago—when she’d been left alone at the amusement park.
Just as fear began swelling inside her—
“Kang-ah. I’m here.”
Someone in the distant darkness beckoned to her.
“Mom?”
“Come here.”
“Are you really my mom?”
The figure, seemingly formed from clumps of black mist, kept silently waving for her to come closer.
Kang cautiously stepped down from the carousel and began walking.
“Hurry, my girl.”
Her mother, arms outstretched as if she’d been waiting, emerged from the darkness.
But the moment her mother’s face finally became clear, Kang froze mid-step.
Her mother’s twisted features and grotesquely bent limbs no longer resembled anything human.
“Aaah!”
Kang screamed and immediately turned to run.
But her legs refused to obey her will.
“Don’t you dare stop!”
Footsteps chased her from behind at a terrifying speed, yet her body felt as if weighted down by heavy anchors, dragging her into an abyss.
‘Please, someone…!’
Save me.
Get me out of here.
As she thrashed helplessly, straining to force out a voice that wouldn’t come—
“Shall I help you?”
A clear voice from the darkness jolted her foggy mind awake.
Her wide, tear-filled eyes instinctively turned toward the source of the sound.
A man stood between the old carousels, his back to a large full moon.
For just a moment—
Time seemed to stop, and an uncanny stillness enveloped the air.
As a faint smile touched the man’s lips, time resumed its flow, and a breeze softly brushed through his deep black hair.
Dressed in a black tie, suit, and overcoat, he extended his hand toward her.
Then, with a gentle smile—as though he truly intended to rescue her—he said,
“Come here.”
His lips moved slowly, speaking tenderly.
“I’ll save you.”
Almost instinctively, Kang began running toward him.
Her legs still felt heavy, but she pushed herself with every ounce of strength she had.
Behind her, her furious mother’s voice drew closer, as if ready to swallow her whole.
She squeezed her eyes shut and threw herself forward with all her might.
The instant she landed in his arms stretched out like slow motion—then came a sharp, explosive crash.
Crash
With the sound of massive glass shattering, the entity chasing her vanished.
“…!”
Absolute silence—every sound and presence gone.
He who had willingly reached out gently cupped Kang’s tiny face with his long fingers.
Then, leaning close as if to kiss her, he whispered softly,
“I want to eat your dream.”
His steel-gray eyes, the last thing she saw, smiled quietly.
And at that very moment—
“Huh!”
Kang gasped awake from her nightmare, the breath escaping like a scream.
Realizing she’d returned to reality, the suffocating pressure around her throat dissipated, replaced by an icy shiver.
She clutched her sweat-soaked hair with both hands and buried her forehead into the blanket.
The man’s face from her dream surfaced in her mind.
“Again…”
It was him again.
For the past few days, he’d begun appearing in her dreams, always saying the same words in the same manner.
Shall I help you?
Come here. I’ll save you.
In her dreams, Kang always found herself running toward him.
Even without knowing him, her body had instinctively learned that his help was essential to escape the nightmare.
I want to eat your dream.
That dizzying whisper echoed in her mind.
…What on earth did that mean?
Now, his face was so vivid she could sketch it onto paper at once.
She could pick him out instantly, even if he stood among hundreds or thousands of strangers.
Her memory traced every detail of his face:
Jet-black hair, skin as pale as untouched snow, and lips as vividly red as a camellia blossom.
He seemed born of darkness—cool and enigmatic.
His gray eyes, like moonlight diffused through blue mist, mirrored the night itself—mysterious and spellbinding.
Combined with his uncanny aura, his beauty felt like the pinnacle that had swallowed all beauty in the world.
Though he’d saved her from nightmares multiple times, his presence strangely blurred the line between good and evil.
To Kang, he was nothing more than a frightening hope of unknown origin.
The next day.
She finally got out of bed late and walked to the window, flinging open the blackout curtains.
The breeze carried the warm scent of sunlight.
It felt as though that gentle presence was comforting her, saying, “You made it through today too.”
The sky was clear and pristine—as if that dreadful night had never happened.
Just like the future she dreamed of.
Maybe I’ll go for a walk.
Or visit a bookstore—it’s been a while.
She remembered her company’s repeated warnings not to go out alone, but staying cooped up any longer felt like she’d suffocate under her own sighs.
Just then, her phone rang.
It was CEO Hwang summoning her to the office immediately.
It had been two months and four days since her activities were suspended, and the season had already changed.
Entering the company with Sam Young, Kang deliberately greeted everyone more brightly.
“Hello! Has everyone been doing well?”
Her cheerful demeanor drew staff rushing over to check on her.
Even CEO Hwang approached with a warm greeting.
“Kang-ah. Rested well? You look like you’ve been sleeping lately—your face’s practically glowing!”
“Haha. Thanks to you.”
Sam Young, trailing behind, shot the CEO a disapproving look at his cheeky remark.
CEO Hwang instantly caught Sam Young’s sulky expression and narrowed his eyes sharply.
“Lee Sam Young. Why are you squinting at me like that again?”
Sam Young’s eyes, narrowed to buttonhole size, widened in surprise.
“Huh? My eyes? What about them…?”
“My eyes whattt?”
The large-framed CEO bore down on him so fiercely that Sam Young quickly shrank back with a squeak.
“…Sorry.”
Seeing Sam Young’s hunched, timid shoulders, CEO Hwang continued,
“Stop sulking and go make some coffee!”
Sam Young flinched at the booming command but hurried into the kitchen to brew coffee with care.
He mixed in a bit of cold water—knowing Kang disliked anything too hot—and thus, “Sam Young-style coffee” was complete.
He glanced up and saw the CEO laughing and chatting loudly.
As he stirred the coffee with his middle finger, Sam Young daydreamed—as he did every day—about smacking CEO Hwang on the back of the head.
CEO Hwang downed the coffee like makgeolli and let out a hearty groan of satisfaction.
“Khh This coffee’s killing me.”
Then, narrowing his eyes, he added,
“Seriously, if it weren’t for your knack for mixing coffee like this with Kang, I’d have fired you ages ago. Got it?”
“Of course. I’m always grateful.”
“Your mouth’s the only thing that works.”
Despite the jab, Sam Young responded with a friendly smile.
“But why did you call us in today?”
Kang, unable to watch any longer, changed the subject, breaking CEO Hwang’s focus on Sam Young.
“Oh! Right! Exactly!”
He slapped his plump palms together and straightened his posture.
“I found you a new head of security, Kang-ah!”
“A head of security?”
“Yep! This one’s the real deal!”
CEO Hwang boasted confidently, though six guards had already been through the grinder.
After the daytime kidnapping, the company had hired private security, but strangely, none lasted more than a few days before surrendering and fleeing.
They claimed Kang’s presence gave them horrifying nightmares that drained their energy—a ridiculous reason.
Unable to sleep properly, most ended up in minor or major accidents, and the depleted staff eventually led to schedule suspensions.
CEO Hwang had raged, calling their excuses nonsense, but Kang—who suffered nightly nightmares—could hardly fault their explanations.
For similar reasons, stylists and crew members often left her side.
It had always been this way.
For some unknown reason, those who stayed close to Kang always met misfortune.
They either suffered accidents or grew worn down, and eventually, as if by silent agreement, they all left her.
That Sam Young had stayed loyally by her side—both before and after her debut—was nothing short of miraculous.
It was also why CEO Hwang, despite disliking him, couldn’t easily get rid of him.
In any case, Kang was about to meet her seventh head of security.
“He’s got a single-syllable name like you. His surname is Han, and his given name is San. What do you think? Kang and San—doesn’t that sound like the makings of a perfect couple?”
Whether perfect or disastrous, she didn’t care. He’d quit soon anyway.
Ignoring Kang’s indifferent response, an excited CEO Hwang called out toward the door.
“Come in, Manager Han!”
The door opened, and the first thing visible was the polished toe of a black shoe.
Looking up, she saw a tall man in a black suit standing there.
An ineffable aura and chilling presence made her eyes widen instinctively.
His jet-black hair contrasted starkly with his pale skin, and his mysterious gray eyes held an otherworldly glow.
Kang froze on the spot.
She recognized him instantly—he was the man from her dream.
“I’m Han San.”
San approached her in an instant, radiating both allure and chill.
His outstretched hand overlapped perfectly with the image from her dream, and his words replayed in her mind:
‘I want to eat your dream.’
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to greet him?”
CEO Hwang spoke to Kang, who stood entranced.
Only then did she slowly reach out her hand.
The moment their fingertips touched, a faint smile curled at the corners of San’s lips.
“Looking forward to working with you.”
His familiar voice gripped Kang’s heart.
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.]
Most Commented This Week
The Villain Has Gone Mad For Me (Completed Main Story)
I’m The Lowest-Ranking Daughter Of A Martial Arts Villain (2 Chapters Left to Complete)
I Became the Assassin Family’s Foster Daughter (Completed Main Story)
Men of the Harem (137 Chapters Left to Complete)
The Duke Only Needs My Child (Completed Main Story)
At the End of Ruin, There You Are (56 Chapters Left to Complete)
She’s a Villainess but her Husband is Handsome (Completed Main Story)
People Aren’t Meant to Be Fixed! (4 Chapters Left to Complete)
My Discarded Fiancé Returned (Completed Main Story)
Summer Must Die (16 Chapters Left to Complete)
I Received The First Time Of My Extraordinary Superior (9 Chapters Left to Complete)
Regret With All Your Might (Completed Main Story)