Chapter 23: You Can’t Even Be Considered a Rival in Love
Tang Man’s fingernails slid across the hardboard on the table. She raised her head and looked at the gentle-faced man sitting across from her, frowning slightly.
“You’re stalking me?”
Du Henian’s voice softened. He sensed Tang Man’s resistance and the displeasure in her expression. He said, “Man Man, Si Jiahe is not as harmless as you think.”
Although his tone was gentle as usual, there was still a hint of contempt. He had tried his best to suppress it, but jealousy inevitably leaked out a little.
Si Jiahe was like a thorn in his heart. He knew that Tang Man’s past boyfriends were basically monthly disposables, but only Si Jiahe had been with her for more than three years, almost four years.
He knew that if the two of them hadn’t quarreled and given each other the cold shoulder, acting on impulse and breaking up, he wouldn’t have had a chance to be with Tang Man at all.
At that time, Tang Man only got together with him because of his good looks and his deliberate seduction. The origin of this relationship was not due to mutual love, but his unilateral deliberate seduction and long-term planning. For Tang Man, who happened to be in a relationship gap due to the failure of a long-term relationship at that time, Du Henian was just a replaceable existence that happened to appear, dispensable.
In his view, the existence of Si Jiahe in Tang Man’s heart was ultimately different, roughly equivalent to a “white moonlight” existence.
Tang Man knew that Si Jiahe had changed a lot and was not as simple as before. But everything in the world is changing, let alone people. However, even for a heartless person like Tang Man, Du Henian’s words still made her feel a little uncomfortable when she heard them.
At this time, coffee was served. Tang Man lowered her eyes and did not comment on Du Henian’s words. She gently stirred the fragrant ceramic cup with a spoon, touching the cup wall and making a crisp tinkling sound.
She glanced at the man across from her and suddenly felt that this scene was somewhat familiar.
Or maybe it was the same feeling in her heart that made her feel that this scene had been repeated many times.
But Tang Man could never figure out why Du Henian was so hostile to Si Jiahe. After all, Si Jiahe was also a junior who had called Du Henian a senior, and there should have been more affection between the two.
She thought this in her heart and also asked out loud.
After proposing to break up, many questions that were once taboo during the love period could now be asked without any obstacles, because there were no longer many considerations.
However, after hearing her question, Du Henian looked at her for a while and suddenly smiled, saying, “Man Man, sometimes I really think you are a person without a heart.”
Tang Man laughed indifferently, “Oh, then you still like a person without a heart. It’s not worth it and a waste of time.” It wasn’t the first or second time she had been evaluated like this when breaking up.
Because Xie Li was sitting not far away, Tang Man’s courage gradually grew. With a backer, she could be willful and impulsive, so she said this sentence with a smile while looking at Du Henian.
If she had come here alone, she would never dare to provoke a man like Du Henian.
Du Henian’s expression was still relatively calm when he heard her words, and he didn’t seem to be very angry. Of course, if Tang Man hadn’t noticed his fingertips constantly rubbing the cup surface and his slightly trembling eyelashes, she would have been fooled too.
However, after venting for a while, she suddenly felt a little bored.
This was also quite boring.
And it was really not good-looking for such a handsome face to be tainted with jealousy.
After saying this, Tang Man felt amused by her own impulsiveness. She put down the cup and only then looked at Du Henian seriously. She came today to resolve post-breakup matters, not to quarrel.
Realizing this, her voice softened rarely, “Henian, can’t we break up peacefully?”
“I don’t want to make things awkward between us when we meet in the future.”
She sincerely hoped that every relationship could end perfectly, and she didn’t want to hurt Du Henian too deeply. During the few years they were together, she had experienced happiness.
However, unfortunately, as soon as she finished saying this, the phone screen on the table lit up, showing a WeChat message coming in.
The contact name happened to be Si Jiahe.
Du Henian was sitting across from her, and the coffee table was not very big. It was almost at the level where a slight glance could see it. Obviously, Du Henian saw it, and his face instantly turned ugly. He coldly snorted.
Because of Tang Man’s words, his calm face gradually turned pale again, and even with his gentle and restrained temperament, he couldn’t help but jab at Tang Man.
“We break up peacefully, and then let you be with this person safely and soundly?”
If it weren’t for the need to maintain his dignity in front of Tang Man, perhaps the words “bitch” would have spilled out of his mouth. The words Si Jiahe said over the phone last time were like a fishbone stuck in his throat. After a few years, he had indeed made a lot of progress.
Tang Man’s face also became a little unnatural, feeling that this message came at the wrong time.
It was completely adding insult to injury.
The atmosphere gradually became silent, and the phone screen also went dark, like a troublemaking child who quietly ran away after achieving its purpose in order to avoid being caught by its parents.
Du Henian’s eyes gradually reddened under Tang Man’s silent expression. Without the shield of glasses, they revealed a sense of vulnerability.
Tang Man’s hand on the table was held and clasped in the other person’s palm. She didn’t know if it was her illusion, but the man’s wrist seemed to be a little thinner, as if he had lost weight.
Du Henian opened his mouth and pleaded, “Man Man, can we not break up?”
Tang Man said, “I thought our relationship couldn’t last long ago. When I called you to break up that day, I also said that I knew you checked my phone, but you should also know that I hate this kind of behavior the most, but you still did it.”
“If this kind of relationship continues, it will only make both parties more painful.”
Du Henian seemed to lack a sense of security by nature and lacked trust in Tang Man. Perhaps from the very beginning, he didn’t think Tang Man would always be with him, so he was on guard and attentive in this relationship.
Tang Man felt that although she was well taken care of, she still had a sense of confinement like being trapped in an iron barrel. This sense of confinement slowly crept into her heart like boiling a frog in warm water, causing her to only discover Du Henian’s abnormality two years later.
After all, this person’s appearance was too gentle, making people feel harmless. If placed in an idol drama, it would be the standard appearance of a deeply affectionate second male lead.
She looked at Du Henian, whose eyes were red at the corners.
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If you’re like me…
Too tired of reading stories where the female lead is often foolish, weak, feeble both physically and mentally, usually in a subservient and oppressed role in society such as a maid, secretary, concubine… or to put it bluntly, typically the one who has to serve and please the male lead, always needing protection and rescue from male leads, while the male lead is often described as talented, strikingly handsome, powerful,…
Then please continue reading.
Hi there, girls!
I’m Yuushi L.
Every day, movies and comics continuously reinforce the notion that women are weak, that they can only handle trivial matters in the background, that women are petty-minded and constantly jealous, mocking, and laughing at other women, while men are strong, wealthy, and solely focused on conquering the world, with countless mindless women ready to fall into their arms.
Believe me, once you read Female-dominant (FEDO) novels, your mindset will change significantly.
I am deeply inspired by strong, independent, and rational women who have the power to take control of their lives, and I am fascinated by the way society’s gender roles are reversed in this genre compared to real life.
So I have created this web with the noble purpose of promoting the “Female-dominant (FEDO)” genre of novels.
In my country, there was a rare renowned female poet in ancient times who wrote the following about the fate of women in that era:
“Damn this life of sharing a husband,
One wrapped in warmth, the other left cold.
I’d rather have stayed single from the start,
Than to endure a life so torn apart.”
Perhaps my penchant for reading female-dominant stories is partly a way of rebelling against the realities of life.
On my site, there will be stories that are not only female-dominant novels, as long as they align with my taste, featuring strong female protagonists and fresh, captivating storylines. Usually, they will be modern or fantasy novels.
I rarely read ancient novels that aren’t female-dominant because they often contain details that easily trigger me. These include the portrayal of men having multiple wives and concubines, which was considered utterly normal in ancient society, and the frequent disdain towards women.
I cannot change the world, as the societal structure that discriminates against women and elevates men has existed for thousands of years. Changing it to truly give women an equal role in society is not something that can happen overnight. If you want gender equality now, it’s laughable. It will never happen when over 90% of national and business leaders are men.
But I can start by changing the mindset of women, sisters, and young girls. Don’t just read dull slogans urging women to be strong and independent; it’s hard to imagine. Read Female-dominant (FEDO) novels to see clearly what true female empowerment looks like.
I believe there will be more and more independent and strong women who prioritize their careers and personal stability over seeking a man to rely on.
In the future, there will be more successful female entrepreneurs, politicians, and thought leaders.
As for me, I will start by making this website grow stronger day by day.
I especially like the concept of “the male lead falls in love first, the female lead is the cold-hearted and rational one, and the male lead suffers because the female lead doesn’t reciprocate his feelings.”
Therefore, you’ll see that most of the novels on my website will belong to this trope. Of course, there will be exceptions.
In the future, I also plan to write my own novels following this concept, where the female lead in my stories will never be the weaker party. I hope I can do it soon.
The novels I highly recommend will be listed under the category:
There will be exceptionally brilliant stories, but there will also be mediocre ones. As the Female-dominant (FEDO) genre has fewer authors and readers, the number of high-quality novels is limited.
Therefore, I want to promote this genre to reach a wider audience, which will encourage more talented authors to choose to write in this style, leading to the birth of more outstanding Female-dominant (FEDO) novels.
The Chinese versions of the novels I use for translation are all sourced from various websites on the internet. You know, I don’t have much budget to purchase so many novels.
Therefore, if your financial situation allows, please support the authors by purchasing the original works. You can find the original works using the Chinese titles of the novels.
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WARNING:
In some novels, there are certain unhealthy ideologies and illegal actions held by the main characters (for example, treating human lives as worthless, or casually deciding to kill someone, forcing others to do things they don’t want to do, arbitrarily imprisoning others, plotting to harm others, using violence to retaliate against violence,…).
This may be because the authors are still young and inexperienced, unaware that what they’re writing goes beyond moral standards and can negatively influence young readers.
It’s important that readers under 18 years old need to recognize these are illegal actions, not permitted to be carried out in real life, always keep a clear head while reading, treat these works only as entertainment, and don’t let yourself be influenced by those plot points.
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If you want to join me, support me, recommend novels, or simply want to connect with me privately, please contact me via email: yuushi.l.me@gmail.com
Or join my Discord to connect with others who share the same taste for novels:
With love and appreciation,
YUUSHI L
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*Spotlight on Finished Novel Translations*
The Male Lead’s Obsessive (Female-dominant)
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.
Synopsis:
Cold-hearted and indifferent female lead + Scheming and subservient CEO male lead
Summary:
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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