Chapter 45: Senior, I heard you’re engaged?!
After Du Henian left, only Tang Man and Xie Li remained sitting in the car.
After a moment of silence, Xie Li looked at Tang Man and spoke, “Where are you heading?”
“The apartment near Shanhu, it’s closer to work,” Tang Man replied after some consideration.
Xie Li grunted in agreement, started the car, turned in a different direction, and drove towards Shanhu Apartment.
Music played in the car as Tang Man lowered her head to play with her phone. She didn’t know what to say. Perhaps it was due to Du Henian’s appearance, but she sensitively felt that the atmosphere between the two of them had changed. Sometimes, just the identity of an ex-boyfriend was enough to make Xie Li care.
An ex-boyfriend she had been with for two years – oh, not an ex-boyfriend, but an ex-ex-boyfriend – was enough to make any man wary. Moreover, for Xie Li, who was still in an uncertain position, he lacked confidence and wasn’t self-assured that Tang Man had chosen to be with him because she liked him.
Although it was sometimes said that a relationship based on mutual interests was more stable, in reality, this kind of interest-based relationship made Xie Li feel less genuine and lacked a sense of security, like hanging in mid-air, always at risk of falling due to an unstable scaffolding.
Because emotions could sometimes irrationally bind a person, while interests could not. Since their relationship could start due to interests, it could also end because of them.
In the end, it was Tang Man who couldn’t give people a sense of security, like duckweed floating in the water, unable to take root.
“When I have time this week, I’ll accompany you to Du Henian’s place to gather your belongings,” Xie Li broke the silence.
Tang Man grunted in agreement but said after a few seconds of silence, “If you’re busy, I can go alone. They’re not very heavy items, and it’s convenient for me to drive there.”
It would be too strange for Xie Li to accompany her to Du Henian’s place. Moreover, “Or I can have Du Henian mail the items over. There’s no need for you to accompany me.”
Xie Li smiled, “I’m not very busy this week. I told my parents about our engagement. If you have time this week, you can come to my house to meet both sets of parents before we formally get engaged.”
Tang Man knew about this matter. On the night they returned, Xie Li didn’t mention it to her. She couldn’t help but speculate that Xie Li’s parents might not approve of their decision to get engaged, or rather, they didn’t approve of Xie Li marrying into the Tang family. That’s why they had been avoiding the topic for half a month.
Unexpectedly, under these circumstances, Xie Li suddenly brought up this matter to her.
Tang Man remained silent for a long time. Xie Li didn’t receive a response, and the uneasiness in his heart grew. He couldn’t help but glance at her.
“You… don’t want to go?” Xie Li asked this question with some hesitation. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt at the moment. He actually really wanted to ask Tang Man if she regretted it, if she regretted it on this day after seeing Du Henian.
He had been afraid countless times these past few days that one day, Tang Man would suddenly regret it and change her mind.
Tang Man glanced at Xie Li and shook her head, “I don’t regret it.”
She just didn’t like it. There might also be a hint of uncertainty mixed in. She actually didn’t like this kind of relationship where she was tied to strangers because of one person, even if those two people were Xie Li’s parents. They were still strangers, yet those two strangers were about to have such a close relationship with her. When she thought about it carefully, it was a bit scary.
Perhaps this was one aspect of marriage that she found frightening.
She paused for a moment, “You set a time.”
Only then did Xie Li grunt in agreement, and much of the uneasiness in his heart dissipated. He smiled and said with some reassurance, assuming Tang Man was a bit nervous.
“My parents have good temperaments and aren’t the type to make things difficult. They will definitely like you. You don’t need to worry too much.”
Tang Man smiled and grunted noncommittally.
It wasn’t nervousness, just adaptation, and this kind of adaptation made her feel endurance. Once the word endurance was used for certain things, the nature of the matter would silently change.
However, most people were unaware of this, while Tang Man was keenly aware of it. Perhaps this was a skill derived from the extraordinary precocity brought about by her different growing environment.
The car had arrived at Shanhu, and it was already late at night, but the summer night was still a bit sweltering.
Tang Man got out of the car in a hurry. She had an urgent impulse to enter the restroom and cleanse herself. The sweat on her body had already been dried by the cold air from the air conditioner, like a thin film wrapped around her, making it difficult to breathe as if she were confined.
However, Xie Li also got out of the car with her. Tang Man glanced at him in surprise, somewhat puzzled about what other business Xie Li had.
“Tang Man,” Xie Li called her name.
A very quiet voice.
Tang Man couldn’t help but stop in her tracks, then slowly grunted and looked at him. She was at a loss, but also a little touched. She began to have a vague guess as to why he was acting this way.
“I was actually very happy today,” Xie Li suddenly said.
Because that time when he saw Tang Man and Du Henian together at the hospital, he was really uneasy. It was not impossible for Du Henian to be a second Si Jiahe. Since Tang Man could turn back the first time, she might turn back a third time.
Tang Man quietly looked at him.
Xie Li met her gaze but smiled and said, “From now on, I’ll drive over to pick you up for work. It’s not too far anyway.”
After a while, Tang Man also smiled and agreed.
Xie Li grunted.
Only then did Tang Man turn around to leave. She walked a few steps but couldn’t resist glancing back at Xie Li, who was standing behind her. He had been standing in the same spot, watching her.
She thought, light was a strange thing, and shadows were also very strange. People always seemed to be mesmerized by light and shadows, which gave rise to endless emotions.
When Xie Li stood alone in the darkness, it was easy to create a strong atmosphere, giving him a slightly bleak feeling.
So when Tang Man returned to the apartment, the scene of Xie Li standing in the darkness was still in her mind.
She suddenly remembered a question Xie Li had asked her a long time ago.
[Why wasn’t he good enough?]Why had she never considered Xie Li?
She began to think carefully about this question and finally came to a conclusion: they had met too early.
The first time they met was in high school. She was precocious in temperament and liked fair-skinned and bright boys at that time. She disliked everything associated with maturity in men. It could be observed that the boyfriends she dated in high school were all very youthful, with fair skin, some of whom could almost be described as frail.
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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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