Rose and Renaissance - Volume 4

Rose and Renaissance #4

by Zhichu

Please do not order before the publication date to avoid getting the wrong version of the book. Kids make choices, Adults make love. --Rose and Renaissance
Cool and alpha to his core, playboy Xia Xiqing has everyone fooled with that angelic face of his, but he just had to give the game away in front of his idol and reveal his true colors⁠-and so Xia Xiqing's first encounter with his idol backfired on him and ruined his chances. Xia I like you a lot. Zhou stay-away-from-me.jpg However, Xia Xiqing beautiful face appearing for just three seconds in the audience of a press conference leads to his debut as Zhou Ziheng's foremost fan, and he, together with his idol, gets on the trending list, gets on a reality show, and gets on... That's right, it's exactly as you think. But it's not quite what Xia Xiqing thinks it to be. At first, he think he's hooked up with the unrivaled alpha of the entertainment industry, but it's only after he strips away the latter's public persona that he finds out that Zhou Ziheng is a naive and innocent tsundere. He thought he has gotten an "I bedded my idol" script, but in the end, it turns out to be a script of "my idol bedded me." How... stimulating. *lights up cigarette* Xia I thought you didn't like me at all. What's with all this hugging and clinging? Zhou Well, I take it back.
Xia Xiqing goes idol-chasing at a public event just once, and it results both in him going viral and also in everything immediately backfiring on him as his true colors get revealed to his idol, thus belying his angelic appearance. After his overnight explosion of fame, Xia Xiqing and his idol, Zhou Ziheng, end up on an escape room reality show together, going head-to-head in an intense game of wits and accepting each other's true selves as they go through this game within a game. Behind the push and pull of flirting and refusing to be seduced are the myriad warnings of changed minds and reluctant enjoyment. This story is set in the entertainment industry, and a big highlight of the narrative is the brain-melting script of the reality program, full of problem-solving and suspenseful challenges. Both protagonists hide behind many masks, wearing public personas that contradict their true selves, which results in satisfyingly tense interactions between the two of them. Family backgrounds and dependent personalities are explored in this novel, as well as the emotional relationship between the savior and the one who is saved. The narrative is immersed common knowledge from both academic STEM disciplines and fine arts disciplines, using ascetic physics principles to express emotions and displaying in full the unique romance that arises from the confluence of science and art.

Genres: LGBT, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Adult, China

Paperback

About the author

Associated Names:
* 稚楚 (Chinese)
* Zhichu (English)
* จื้อฉู่ (Thai)

Reviews

[Bibliothecat · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a whole, I really enjoyed Rose and Rennaisance as a series. This final volume was entirely filled with short stories and it was unfortunately a bit of a mixed bag. The previous volume wrapped up the main story and it also had two bonus stories - those two bonuses felt like a great addition to the main story and the last line was just a perfect way to wrap things up. Because of that, I was already a bit skeptical about this collection of bonus chapters and ultimately I have to say that non of them were exactly necessary.

Some stories really were cute and I did enjoy reading them. Some of the others, especially the showbiz ones, felt repetitive and made me want to skim. Then there were also a few chapters which I just found unappealing and out of character, especially the one with the dress and the omegaverse one. The latter in particular is a real shame as it shows a what-if scenario of how things may have been had the main characters met during their high school years as opposed to in their adult life.

With the exception of the few stories I didn't like, these are all cute enough and definitely worth picking up if you're a really big fan of these characters. I personally would have been happy enough with just reading the first three volumes and I don't see myself rereading this in the future or, if I do, just a few select stories.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like this novel was a lot better than Dawning! Their dynamic is just to good! It's deserves all the hype!

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know that the story ended in book three and this book was all extras 😬 I enjoyed most of this book but definitely didn’t need more reality game show scenes (there were two). There were some sweet and heartwarming scenes between Xia Xiqing and Zhou Ziheng that made the book worth reading for me but this book can be skipped if you are on the fence about getting it.

Xia Xiqing is now one of my favorite characters! (or this could be recency bias 🤷🏼‍♀️)

[࣪ ִֶָ☾.⋆˚࿔ ִֶָ. Althea ᥫ᭡. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating for this specific volume is more of a 3.75 ⭐️. I found some of the extras interesting and some boring. For the overall series I'd give it a 4 ⭐️ :)

From this volume the stories I loved were: their visit to Florence, when they looked after Ziheng's Sister-in-law's nephew (I'm such a sucker for familial scenes they're just so sweet 🥺😭) and the final story of the 2023 Year 🥰 Overall this volume is just wholesome fluff 🥰

Wasn't a fan of the wolf games, I thought it was quite boring. First introduced at the end of the 3rd volume and, whilst I didn't mind it, I didn't find it really interesting. Then there's another wolf game at the start of this volume which I liked and was fun to read. Then there was a 3rd wolf game which I was just over with 😭 There's also an omegaverse extra, I don't mind omegaverse but I just found it boring 😭 Was hoping for another escape room type extra 😔

Overall review of the series
I'll start with issues I had:
Story aside, issues were typos / spelling mistakes, grammar and tense. This is why I generally prefer reading in past tense, but overall I don’t mind tense if it’s written well. What I’ve noticed with novels that are written in present tense, they tend to sometimes change to past mid sentence. Translation on the whole wasn’t bad, these issues were pretty minor but noticeable, not enough to impact the reading experience for me.

Story improvements: For a story that focuses more on the emotions of the characters, I wish it made me cry like crazy (am I a masochist? 😅). It did feel like your standard “sad” character issues but at the same time it didn’t, I think I was expecting more depth in emotions but I'd say the author writes it well enough. Age gap. I don’t mind a 5 years age gap nor did I mind Ziheng being 20 years old, but idk it felt weird sometimes when they used the term "school" 😅 the mention of "school" just makes me think Ziheng is younger than 20 💀 Some people will mind this some people won’t.

Things I loved:
The main characters aren't anything mind breaking, but Xiqing's progression was nice to read. The change from shielding himself from love, to accepting it whole heartedly, to giving all his effort to showing love for both himself and Ziheng. What mama Zhou says at the very end of volume 3 is really moving 🥰 As for Ziheng's character, there wasn't a crazy development with him, he was mainly used to show the contrast in the environments they grew up in. A man who's able to give so much love and accept Xiqing's everything.

Don't have too much to say since I've given updates in previous reviews on the other volumes. I liked reading the afterword as it always tells us what the author thought and intended with the novel.

"Everyone is born to be loved."

[Bea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so, so sad that I finished reading this series. Even if I took my time reading it - instead of speedrunning my way through all four volumes because I was that invested in the Self-Study ship - I think I would still be feeling the withdrawal symptoms from saying goodbye to Xia Xiqing and Zhou Ziheng. Safe to say that Rose and Renaissance is my favorite read of 2024.

This entire volume is full of extras so, in a sense, they're not really "necessary" reading - but I think after hitting the end of the main story last volume you'll just desire more and more of Xia Xiqing and Zhou Ziheng's relationship. And actually, I adore Xia Xiqing so much that even the extras where the characters play Werewolf ended up being interesting to me; it was just so fascinating to read about how his intellectual mind works and the netizen comments in between also cut the monotony of the narration and speeches.

But the highlight of this volume is really just the love between Xia Xiqing and Zhou Ziheng. This volume made me feel so single! Between Zhou Ziheng's side account on Weibo - his "I have a little rose" biography will live in my mind rent-free forever - and the trip to Florence and all the little anecdotes of their life together, I felt both happiness with their romance and loneliness that I don't have that kind of relationship in my life. That's how good Self-Study are together...

Zhichu is now definitely one of the authors I'm keeping my eyes out for! I love how they write the romance between their characters, and I just love their characters in general too. Xia Xiqing is one of my favorites, and I felt so much for him, but I was also invested in Zhou Ziheng and even the other characters (who happen to have stories of their own, I know). I yearned to learn more, for example, about Xia Zhixu and Xu Qichen - and even Xia Xiuze.

I really hope to read more of Zhichu's works in the future!

[Rose ✧⁎⁺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5☆

[Shizunthirst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Xia Xiqing and Zhou Ziheng will forever have my entire heart

[เจ้าหมีขาว · Rating 5 out of 5]

พูดถึงเรื่องหลักก่อน ประทับใจมากกับตอนจบเรื่องหลัก เรื่องราวความรักที่เอ่อล้น เซ็กซี่และโรแมนติก โจวจื้อเหิงคือส่วนผสมของหนุ่มสายวิทย์ที่ยังคงความไร้เดียงสาและโรแมนติกอยู่ในตัว ผสมผสานจนเป็น 'โจวจื้อเหิง' เหิงเหิงของพี่สีชิงทุกวันนี้

ประโยคจบตอนหลักประทับใจที่สุด ปิดสวยมากๆ เหมือนจักรวาลนี้เต็มไปด้วยความอบอุ่นที่พร้อมที่จะโอบกอดพี่สีชิงไว้ในทุกค่ำคืน การได้เจอโจวจื้อเหิงคือโชคดีที่สุดในชีวิตของพี่สีชิงจริงๆ รักมาก รักทั้งเซี่ยสีชิงและโจวจื้อเหิงมาก เป็นไทป์ตัวละครที่สร้างมาให้เราแพ้ทางทุกทาง

ดีทุกอย่างยกเว้นตอนพิเศษสุดท้าย เนื้อหาไม่กี่หน้าที่รู้สึกว่าทำให้เนื้อเรื่องเสีย (หน้า 408-412) ไม่ใช่แฟนฟิคทั้งตอน ตอนที่ 27 เนื้อหาจะเป็น vlog ไลฟ์สดอวดความรักของจื้อสี แล้วแฟนคลับก็ขอให้อ่านฟิคจื่อสีให้ฟัง

พี่สีชิงกับจื้อเหิงก็สุ่มเลือกมา จื้อเหิงดันสุ่มได้เรื่องที่มีประเด็นน้องชายแอบชอบพี่ชายต่างพ่อ แล้วระหว่างเลื่อนอ่านฟิคผ่านๆก็มีแสดงไปตามบทพอหอมปากหอมคอ เสร็จแล้วก็สั่งคัทตัวเอง แต่นั่นแหละ ทำทำไม เขียนอย่างอื่นที่ดีกว่านี้ได้ กลับหยิบประเด็นสุ่มเสี่ยงมาเขียน

เหมือนเจอนิยายที่ชอบมากๆ คาร์ที่ชอบมากๆ แล้วนข.มาทำพังในตอนท้ายของเล่ม ไม่รู้ต้องรู้สึกยังไง อือ อ่านแล้วกระอักกระอ่วนใจ มันยังมีเนื้อหาที่ดีกว่านี้ให้เขียนได้แต่ไม่หยิบมาเขียน สะท้อนความคิดนักเขียนอยู่พอสมควรเลย แทรกเนื้อหาแบบนี้เข้ามาทำไม? มันปิดจบตอนพิเศษเล่ม 4 ได้ไม่สวย

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รีวิว 1-4

ชอบพี่สีชิงมาก เป็นตัวละครที่ดูเจนต่อโลก แต่ก็มีมุมให้หลบมากอดตัวเอง ตกหลุมรักในความร้ายกาจ ยิ้มร้าย ตกหลุมรักในความหยิ่งทะนงที่ไม่สมบูรณ์ ปกติจะแพ้ตัวละครไทป์นี้มาก มาเจอพี่สีชิงคือตุย ได้โปรดโปรยเสน่ห์ใส่หนูอีก ตรงสเปคสุดๆ

เสน่ห์ในงานเขียนมีครบแบบที่ชอบ คำบรรยาย คำเปรียบเปรย พรรณนามีครบ ภาษาสวย อ่านแล้วฟุ้ง คนแบบพี่สีชีงมันต้องเจอหมาเด็กแบบจื้อเหิงเนี้ยแหละ ร้ายนัก! เปงไงล่ะ! เจอจื้อเหิงเข้าไป! ใจอ่อนยวบเลยดิ! เหมือนมีคนเอาขนนกมาสะกิดหัวใจ หัวใจที่แข็งโป้กของพี่สีชิงก็อ่อนยวบลงทันใด

ตอนแรกจื้อเหิงดูจะไม่ชอบพี่สีชิงเลย แต่ตัวพี่สีชิงน่าสนใจ พอเผลอมองนานไปหน่อยก็ตกหลุมรักแบบไม่รู้ตัว ไม่เอา! ไม่อยากยุ่งกับเซี่ยสีชิง! ไปไกลๆเลย! เชอะๆๆ แต่ทะไมไปจับคู่จิ้นกับคนอื่นอ่ะ! งอนๆๆๆ 😕 เอ็นดูหมาเด็กมาก 555

เซี่ย��ีชิง กับ โจวจื้อเหิง เป็นเคมีที่ลงตัวมาก ในหลายๆครั้งแค่เขาอยู่ใกล้กันมันก็ดูโป๊ทั้งๆที่ไม่มีอะไรเกิดขึ้นเลย จื้อเหิงตอนได้รักพี่สีชิงคือคนละคน ขอจูบเก่งมาก! แปปๆ ขอจูบ! คนที่เกลียดพี่เขาตอนแรกไปไหนแล้ว! กลายเป็นว่าพี่สีชิงไปเปิดสวิตซ์อีกด้านของจื้อเหิงออกมาสะได้

โควทที่ชอบของเรื่องนี้

"วินาทีที่พบคุณก็คือการเริ่มต้นของบิ๊กแบง อนุภาคทุกชิ้นส่วนล้วนผละจากผมวิ่งไปหาคุณ หลังจากช่วงเวลาอันแสนสั้นนั้น จักรวาลถึงได้ถือกำเนิดอย่างแท้จริง"

"ได้โปรดอนุญาตให้ผมแนะนำแก่คุณ นี่คือเนบิวลาหมายเลข NGC2237 หรือพวกเราสามารถเรียกเธอว่า Rose Nebula"

ส่วน nc คิดว่ามันยังแรงได้มากกว่านี้ เร้าได้มากกว่า เซ็กซี่ได้มากกว่านี้ เส่วได้มากกว่านี้ ตอนนี้รู้สึกมันเบาไปถ้าเทียบกับความฮอตของเซี่ยสีชิงที่ปูมาตลอด ยกเว้นช่วงสระน้ำกับวันเกิด อันนี้ให้ 555 แต่ชอบช่วง After sex ของจื้อเหิงมาก ดูแลประหนึ่งเจ้าหญิงของจริง

ถ้าเทียบให้เห็นภาพ ใน Fanservice บรรยายสวยกว่า ละเอียดกว่า สรรคำมาใช้ได้ดีกว่า วาบหวามกว่า เส่วกว่า

ของพี่สีชิงมันยังดูขาดอะไรบ้างอย่างไป อาจเพราะเขาปูคาแรคเตอร์ให้พี่สีชิงเจนต่อสนามรักมากๆ คารมณ์คมคายดี เราอยากเห็นมากกว่านี้ แต่ไม่ค่อยได้เห็น ได้เห็นนิดเดียว มันเลยดูเบาไป

กลับกันแล้วชอบฉากจูบมากกว่า แค่จูบธรรมดาแต่เขียนเร้าได้ดีมากเหมือนถูกมอมเมาจริงๆ ไวบ์เซ็กซี่ในแบบที่ชอบ ตอนพี่สีชิงยั่วจื้อเหิงให้อยากจูบซี๊ดปากเลยอ่ะ คนแบบพี่สีชิงมันสมควรซี๊ดปากให้เลย ถูกจริต เอาอีก ทำอย่างนี้อีก เออ อย่างงี้ดี ยั่วฉันขึ้นสุดๆ จื้อเหิงไม่อยากจูบให้มันรู้ไป!

เนื้อหารายการ A Way Out สนุกมาก ทำถึง ไม่ใช่แค่เกมไขปริศนาออกจากห้อง แต่มีสตอรี่ของตัวละครให้ชวนติดตาม ครั้งแรกที่ได้อ่านจากเรื่องก่อนก็รู้สึกว่าดีแล้ว อันนี้ได้อ่านแบบเต็มๆ ชอบช่วงรายการมาก แล้วเพราะพี่สีชิงเป็นจิตกร เลยมีคำใบ้เกี่ยวกับภาพจากศิลปินดังมาให้ตีความด้วย

แต่สุดท้ายก็มาเสียที่ประเด็นหนึ่ง นอยด์มาก อย่างที่บอกไปแล้วตอนเล่ม 4 มันยังมีเนื้อหาที่ดีกว่านี้ให้เขียนได้แต่ไม่หยิบมาเขียน ทำทะไม

[V.ya]

Do we need 356 pages of extras, on top of the 2 other chapters in Book 3? Probably not.

I've read 5 out of the 11 chapters available, and I'm calling it a day. I'll probably pick up the rest in the future if I miss them.

Btw, it's funny to read the Firenze chapter where every Italian who showed up there is blonde, while the majority of Italians are dark-haired, especially since they were not in the north. Well, it's not impossible, but still.

Note for myself ~ read:
- Three Pieces of Advice
- Idealism
- Soul Mates
- Firenze
- Sweet Treats

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Self-Study Ship 4 lifeezzz

[NiaKantorka · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

It’s been hard to make my final verdict on this one. Admittedly, it was very entertaining but at times it also drove me nuts.

What I loved:
- Their confessions, over time they just became more and more sweet and they were quite meaningful and smart too.
- The riddles and games. That show with its different mysteries was so intriguing and I absolutely loved the three games of werewolves - a game we love to play in our extended family. 🐺
- The side characters on the show and in their families were mostly wonderful and engaging.
- The topic of child abuse was well explored and its reach into adulthood well done.
- The descriptions of art and artists were wonderful.
- Same goes for the cosmology and other physics theories that got explained here.

What I didn’t like in these books:
- The plot felt often scatterbrained to me.
—For example that guy who assaulted our MC came out of nowhere with his weird ass drug (there’s no drug that makes you horny like that in rl - if there were you can bet everyone would know about it).
— Or that movie script. From what I know about the Chinese health care system one wouldn’t develop AIDS from HIV infection in 2019 (where the book mostly takes place). In the mid 1980ies? For sure. But not today in a country with a functioning health care system where HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy) is affordable.
In case it isn’t clear, yes, I’ll get picky when medical topics are involved.
-The rescue from the above mentioned drug incident was absolutely wild and not charming at all. I didn’t find the ML’s excessive jealousy charming either.
- What rubbed me the wrong way the most though was how our MC came to being the bottom in this relationship. The ML - the author themselves declared as a Gary Stue sort of guy - just ignored his wishes though he wanted to give the MC the stars and whatnot. But that the MC picked this role because he thought that he could endure pain better just made me despair. What the hell? Also, taking something up your rear end shouldn’t hurt at all (if people know what they do and are willing participants). 🤯
I have said so before in reviews that the top/bottom discussion leaves me cold and imo a healthy relationship has got nothing to do with such a one dimensional view that’s very common in danmei, yaoi and every other iteration of male/male couples in fiction. But to each their own.
Yet, I got seriously annoyed about how it was handled here. I totally need to go and read some novels where the couples switch or where the sex is portrayed in a more healthy way.

What made me still give such a high ranking in the end was that I barely could put these volumes down and that I totally regretted that there’s also this thing called life that’s made uninterrupted reading a challenge.

[Queens Love Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Perception of time is relative and ever-changing. When it's slow, it's like a camera shot in slow-motion where each lingering frame dwells on the senses. But once it picks up speed, it's like quicksand that's impossible to grasp.”



It’s rare for a bonus collection to hit this hard. This volume pulls together a wild mix of moments that balance emotional depth with chaotic fun. The dynamic between Zhou Ziheng and Xia Xiqing keeps evolving in surprising, often hilarious ways. Whether it’s playing mind games with their friends on a variety show or just bantering in public, their chemistry is off the charts. The reality/game show segments were a highlight for me—clever, intense, and wildly entertaining. At times it feels a little over-the-top, but in a way that makes you want to lean in, not out.

What really lands is the intimacy beneath the antics. There’s a constant back-and-forth between playful and poignant, and it never feels forced. Their relationship continues to grow in ways that feel earned—through shared jokes, missteps, and moments of quiet understanding. Some scenes go big, others stay soft and small, but all of them reinforce how far they’ve come. And while part of me wonders if it’s maybe too much, the rest of me didn’t want it to stop. I kept turning pages hoping there would somehow be more.

One more thing: this cover is stunning. It might be my favorite in the entire Via Lactea lineup. Finishing this volume also means I’m finally caught up with every English-translated Danmei published before 2025, which feels a little surreal. It’s been a journey—and this was a wild, unforgettable way to wrap it up.

Date Read: 2025.08.06

[Bunnyb · Rating 5 out of 5]

เล่มจบเต็มไปด้วยความโรแมนติก พอโจวจื้อเหิงกับเซี่ยสีชิงรักกันแล้ว
ก็แสดงความรักกันแบบสุดๆ จริงๆ 😘

ช่วงต้นเล่ม ทีมภาพยนตร์ "ตามรอย" ที่โจวจื้อเหิงแสดงเป็นคนติด HIV
ไปร่วมงานเทศกาลภาพยนตร์ที่เบอร์ลิน โจวจื้อเหิงถือโอกาสเปิดตัว
ว่าเค้ารักเซี่ยสีชิงแบบเซอร์ไพรส์มาก ไม่มีใครคาดคิด แต่โรแมนติกมากๆ

คำโปรยท้ายเล่ม 4 บอกว่ามีอุปสรรคใหญ่รออยู่ แต่!!! 555 ทางโล่งโปร่งสะดวกมากค่ะ
เล่มนี้เซี่ยสีชิงได้ไปเจอพ่อกับแม่ของโจวจื้อเหิงแล้วด้วย นึกว่าพ่อซึ่งเป็นทหาร
(จนจบเล่มก็ไม่เฉลยว่าพ่อเค้าตำแหน่งใหญ่ระดับไหน แอบคาใจ) นึกว่าคุณพ่อจะแข็งๆ สายโหด
แต่จริงๆ ไม่ใช่เลย บ้านนี้ใช้เหตุผลกันมาก ยิ่งแม่ของโจวจื้อเหิงนี่น่ารักมาก เอ็นดูสะใภ้สุดๆ 😊
ชอบเหตุการณ์ตอนนี้มากเหมือนกัน ตอนแรกเซี่ยสีชิงไม่อยากไปเลย
เค้าคิดว่าคงไม่มีพ่อแม่คนไหนยอมรับคนไม่ดีแบบเค้าได้ เซี่ยสีชิงค่อนข้างมองตัวเองไม่ดีมาตลอด
เพราะปมที่เกิดตั้งแต่เด็ก แต่ก็ตัดใจยอมมาเพราะเค้ารักโจวจื้อเหิงจริงๆ

ตั้งแต่มีความรัก เซี่ยสีชิงเปลี่ยนไปจากเล่มแรกเยอะมาก อ่อนโยนขึ้น อดทนขึ้น
โจวจื้อเหิงก็เอาใจใส่ดูแลอีกฝ่ายดีมาก เป็นสุดยอดสามี ทั้งๆ ที่ต้องทำงานไปด้วย เรียนไปด้วย

สำหรับโจวจื้อเหิง เซี่ยสีชิงเป็นเหมือน "Rose" ของเค้า ส่วนสำหรับเซี่ยสีชิง โจวจื้อเหิงก็เป็น
"Renaissance" ของเค้า ทำให้ตัวเค้าได้รับแสงสว่าง หลุดออกมาจากอดีตที่ดำมืดได้
ที่ซึ้��อีกตอนนึงคือ มีครั้งนึงเซี่ยสีชิงฝันว่ากลับไปเป็นเด็ก แล้วโจวจื้อเหิงก็โผล่เข้ามา
กอดเค้า อุ้มเค้า และบอกว่าจะอยู่กับเค้าไปตลอด สำหรับคนที่โตมาแบบไม่เคยได้ความรัก
จากพ่อแม่เลย แถมโดนทำร้ายอีกต่างหาก ผู้ชายคนนี้คือแสงสว่างจริงๆ 😭

นอกจากนั้น ในเล่มจบก็มี live เกม werewolf อีก 2 รอบ แขกที่เชิญมาเป็นคนกันเองทั้งนั้น 🤣
อย่างเช่น มีหลานเซี่ยสีชิง น้องชายเซี่ยสีชิง เพื่อนเซี่ยสีชิง เพื่อนสนิทโจวจื้อเหิง 555

สรุปคือ เล่มนี้อุดมไปด้วยความหวาน แต่อ่านแล้วอินกับความรักของทั้งสองคน
เข้าใจว่าเค้ารักกันจริงๆ (NC เยอะและดุเดือด 😉) และเหมือนเป็นการให้กำลังใจคนอ่านที่
อยู่ในสภาวะคล้ายๆ เซี่ยสีชิงว่าให้อดทนรอนะ ซักวันอาจจะเจอคนที่เค้าจะฉุดคุณออกจากความมืดมิดนี้
(ส่วนตัวชอบเล่มนี้มากกว่า fanservice)

ป.ล. งงกับท้ายเล่ม อยู่ดีๆ ก็มีบทนึงกลายเป็นเรื่องแนวอัลฟ่า โอเมก้า ฟีโรโมน
แล้วตัวเอกสองคนก็อยุ่ ม.ปลาย ไม่รู้ว่านี่เป็นตอนพิเศษรึเปล่า แต่ก็ไม่ได้เขียนบอกว่าเป็นตอนพิเศษ
ต่อจากบทนี้ก็กลับมาเข้าเส้นเรื่องเดิม 🤔 แล้วจนจบเรื่องก็ไม่มีคำว่า "จบ" งงอีกรอบ
สงสัยว่าจบจริงมั้ย // กับอีกนิดคือ มีแปลแปลกๆ อยู่บ้างบางจุด แล้วก็มีสะกดผิดบ้าง
ลืมใส่เครื่องหมายอัญประกาศ (คือใส่ไม่ครบที่บ้าง) ถ้าสำนักพิมพ์ละเอียดอีกนิดจะดีมากค่ะ 😊

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit I didn't want it to end so I just stopped reading midway through the extras. But I feel like I abandoned them somehow and one of the good thing about books is you can start from the beginning and have fun all over again.

- This is a lot more self-indulgent than the previous volumes, but since it's mostly extras that's exactly what I'm here for.

- Zhichu mentions in the afterword that in order to create a contrast with Xiqing, she had to make Zhiheng into a Jack Sue where he's literally perfect. I honestly didn't even notice. It's funny because my friend was reading this particular scifi book and she told me that the main male character was just a little bit too efficient and good at everything he does. It wasn't enough to bother her, but she did pay attention to it. I haven't read that book (one of the good things about being old is I don't need to read male writers anymore lol) but I do have to say Zhiheng didn't strike me as too perfect. I think it's his lack of shame in going after Xiqing (a Jack Sue does not pursue!) and the fact that he acts his age and needs to be pampered in a different way. Liking posts about Self-Study as a ship is just too funny.

- Xiqing is a bit of a bitch and that's the point. Zhichu says that one of the themes she wanted to explore was the idea that you're worthy of love, no matter who you are. Vol4 might be a little more self-indulgent than usual, but I think Xiqing deserves it.

- I forgot to mention that Self-study shippers (and incidentally, the reader) is also another character in the story. One of my joys in reading these books come from the comments from Self-study fans.

I hope we get more Zhichu books translated in the future. Especially since I had no idea whom some of the boys in the New Year chapter are.

[Trolldemodia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roses and Renaissance is a modern entertainment industry looking into the lives of Artist Playboy MC Xia Xiqing and Movie star/idol ML Zhou Ziheng. The story looks into the relationship between the two that develops after Xia Xiqing attends a press conference for an upcoming film starring Zhou Ziheng. This one off interaction quickly evolves as Xia Xiqing is invited to be a part of the same variety show set in an escape room with Zhou Ziheng as his fellow survivor. With perceptions of each other already made from their first meeting, and in a highly negative way, it dives into how Xia Xiqing can rebuild his image in the eyes of Zhou Ziheng and maybe even defrost his own frozen heart.

This was my first time reading a whole book dedicated to extras and I really wasn’t a fan. While some of them were fun ad cute to read, most of the time it felt so disconnected from what the main story was about that I would begin to read, lose interest quickly and move on to the next one. Especially as many that involved the games or live streamed content with many characters again felt like it was the same thing over. In saying that I did enjoy a few of them and would probably skip to those in particular rather than reading the whole thing again. Which is disappointing as I have regularly found that extras can lift a less than perfect story back up to a positive rating for me. Maybe this time there was just a few too many of them and not enough connections to what I loved about the main story.

Overall I give this one a 3/5. It would maybe reread it in the future if I was going through the series or wanting a small taste of Xia Xiqing/Zhou Ziheng. If you enjoy Playboy Shou and overprotective but sweet gong, murder mystery puzzles, enemies to lover vibes, fake personalities and only their lover knowing the real them, then I highly recommend this one for you!

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final volumes in danmei are largely misses for me because of the extras. This was no exception. The main story ended in Vol 3, making this a compilation of fluffy 'side stories '(?). There were two werewolf games that I didn't read, and the rest was fluff and some smut - some scenes being on page, and others were just fade-to-black scenes.

I did, however, like that part in the afterword where they talk about the domestic abuse faced by children all over the world and how some readers viewed it (i.e., those who thought that it was Xiping's childhood story was too exaggerated. The author stated, '...a harsh reality that won't change simply because you don't know about it.'

And ain't that the truth. A very harsh truth, not just for child abuse, but for so many things/experiences that we are lucky and privileged enough not to have ever (or will ever) experienced

[Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting to plow through this series as I did, but honestly? I absolutely adored it. It's been a while since I've read a series that was just nothing but sweet and tender. If you're looking for a series that's nothing but wholesome, sweet, comforting, and as a friend described it, aftercare, then you should really give this series a read. Even though book four was nothing but extras, all the little book dlcs were equally as fulfilling as the main story.

I only wish we would've got another extra of them doing another Survive and Escape. <3

[Mariella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took my time reading the 4th book cause life kept getting in the way but at the same time it wasn't so bad taking my sweet time to finish this wonderful story. I am so immensely grateful that I stumbled upon this wonderous masterpiece. It really had its way with my heartstrings. It was an honor to read, thank you to the author for writing it and I hope for more stories to come. Self-Study girl for life. ❤️❤️❤️

[Shan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really is just about the fluffy moments between the MC and ML. It felt like the main story wrapped up in Book 3, and Book 4 was just a delightful showcase of their domestic bliss. Not that I'm complaining—I loved every bit of it. The male lead treats the main character like a precious treasure, and it's so wholesome I couldn’t stop smiling. This was such a good read.

[Amandine · Rating 4 out of 5]

un livre qu'avec des chapitres bonus 🤭

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

this entire volume was just extras, but who would've guessed the author snuck in an omegaverse au 😭 the werewolf games were fun to read though. i ended up enjoying those more than i thought.

[molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was fully extras but i still really enjoyed it.

self-study 4eva

[MAGGS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Xia Xiqing es el verdadero "shameless" jajaja

[Marina Bonomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite modern danmei bar none. Love these two.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4-4.5
There were so many extras 😵‍💫 , but they were good

[... · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly I loved the whole novel. This volume is extra chapters only, as the main story finished in volume 3, and it's still quite solid, considering that extras tend to be the weakest part of any danmei I've read.

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This last book of the story is all extras. In China, they have platforms they publish stories. You pay for each chapter as it comes out. It can be a normal length story or like 1400 pages or more. Usually after it ends, they will post these extra chapters to see what's going on in the life of the characters. So this book is after the main story has ended.

The relationship in this one is more tight. Most of the drama is done and this is simply the sweetness of the relationship. I love that part. They call it Sugar in China.

Why I gave this 3 stars is that there are two more games of Werewolves of Millers Crossings and it's too much. I don't know, if it would have been another mystery game, I'd be up for that, but this lost the edge after seeing this like, either three or four times. I enjoyed the game at first. It would be more suspenseful if you could see it, but it got old.

There were other parts that I really enjoyed. I know the story has used the internet chat rooms all through the story, but for some reason, it really got old here at the end of the story. It started to all be the same thing.

I give this a 4 star rating for the whole story. A great story and I had so much fun reading this.

[Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite danmei out there. See previous reviews for more

[eastwind.s · Rating 3 out of 5]

series rating: 3.25☆