“Chief Assistant Fan, the company has an employee cafeteria with good food. You can go there often at noon.” Zhuang Nian said beside Fan Xia while playing with his phone as lunch time approached.

“Xia Xia, how’s your first day at work? Let’s have lunch together. I’ll wait for you in the employee cafeteria.” A text message came, and Wen Lan Sheng even attached a cute emoticon.

Fan Xia stopped her work at hand and replied calmly, “Not bad, see you in the cafeteria.”

At the same time, she responded to Zhuang Nian’s kindness, “Secretary Zhuang, aren’t you going?”

“I’m on a diet and made my own low-fat meal at home.”

“What about the CEO?” Fan Xia asked.

Zhuang Nian waved his phone. “Aren’t I ordering for him now? He has a picky taste as an aristocratic son. He basically doesn’t go to the employee cafeteria to eat. Every day, I have to order dishes from the restaurants he likes.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the door of the CEO’s office opened, and Rong Xiu walked out while adjusting his suit cuffs.

“CEO.” As soon as he saw Rong Xiu, Zhuang Nian’s body stiffened. “What do you want to eat today? I’ll order for you.”

“No need, I’ll go to the employee cafeteria.” Rong Xiu’s brows and eyes were distant.

“This- Aren’t you…?” Zhuang Nian said in a somewhat dazed manner.

Rong Xiu finished adjusting his suit cuffs, his narrow eyes sweeping over him.

Zhuang Nian immediately shut up.

“What are you having for lunch?” Rong Xiu looked at Fan Xia, his tone that was a bit cold towards Zhuang Nian suddenly became gentle.

Fan Xia answered truthfully, “Going to the employee cafeteria.”

“Together?” He asked with a faint gaze.

Having lunch with the top boss was beneficial for future work.

Fan Xia nodded. “Sure.”

The two entered the elevator together, leaving a dumbfounded Zhuang Nian behind.

“Today is really weird. Why is the CEO acting so abnormal?” Zhuang Nian muttered in a low voice.

Taking advantage of the break, Fan Xia sent a message to Wen Lan Sheng: ‘I can’t have lunch with you at noon, sorry, I’ll make it up to you when I get home.’

Wen Lan Sheng replied instantly: ‘Okay, I know you have a lot of things to deal with on your first day at work. I’ll make something delicious for you when you get home.’ Along with a pitiful emoticon.

“Chatting with your boyfriend?” Rong Xiu’s tone was as cold as usual, without any discernible emotion.

Fan Xia put down her phone and looked at Rong Xiu. He leaned lightly against one side of the elevator, his legs long and powerful. The light from the top of the elevator shone on his lowered brows and eyes, casting a shallow shadow in his eyes, exuding a sense of aloofness.

Time seemed to go back to seven years ago, the way he looked when they first met.

“Still Wen Lan Sheng?” Rong Xiu asked again.

Fan Xia was slightly surprised. “Senior, you know him?” She didn’t remember mentioning Wen Lan Sheng to him.

Rong Xiu’s voice was low and indifferent. “Many people know him.”

Back in school, as many people secretly admired Fan Xia, just as many people knew Wen Lan Sheng and had been humiliated by him.

Ding dong! The elevator arrived at the fifteenth floor employee cafeteria.

The previous chairman of the group, Rong Jin, in order to close the distance between senior executives and ordinary employees, did not set up a special window or private room for the executives, claiming to be ‘people-friendly’. But there were almost no executives who actually went to the employee cafeteria to eat. Even if they did, it was just for show.

Fan Xia casually picked up a few dishes and found that Rong Xiu’s taste was surprisingly similar to hers. They both liked spicy dishes like shredded pork with green peppers and mapo tofu.

The two sat down amid the surprised eyes of the surrounding employees, with Rong Xiu sitting across from Fan Xia.

In the bustling employee cafeteria, Rong Xiu, who was wearing a high-end suit, sitting upright with his waist and back always straight, exuding an aloof aristocratic aura, seemed out of place here. It was as if there was a natural light shining on him, even his gestures of picking up food were extremely elegant, attracting attention.

Until–

***

“I know she doesn’t love him.” (Female-dominant)

I’ve read this novel twice already. Sis, 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.