You've Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post – Fei Ge Jiao You Xu Jin Shen, Vol. 1

You've Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post - Fei Ge Jiao You Xu Jin Shen #1

by Blackegg, Hei Dan Bai, 黑蛋白

It's not easy for a man pushing forty to meet other gay men while living on the outskirts of the Great Xia kingdom. That is, until the perpetually-single Wu Xingzi catches wind of The Peng Society for Gentleman—a top secret club for men to meet each other and perhaps even exchange lewd ink drawings of their personal anatomy via pigeon post.

What was once a faraway dream for Wu Xingzi has quickly become his new purpose in life: to collect as many shockingly detailed phallic illustrations as he can!

There is just one problem. His favorite specimen belongs, in the flesh, to the notorious Guan Shanjin, a man of ill repute who is intent on thrusting himself into Wu Xingzi's world. Will their encounters become too hot for Wu Xingzi to handle? Or will they find themselves both coming back for more?

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Historical, Queer, Fantasy, Gay, China

324 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Blackegg is an author best known for the Chinese-language danmei novel You've Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post. The novel is also known as You've Got Mail: A Cautionary Tale and Fei Ge Jiao You Xu Jin Shen.

Associated Names:
* Hei Dan Bai (English)
* Blackegg (English)
* 黑蛋白 (Chinese)
* เฮยต้านป๋าย (Thai)

Reviews

[Stacie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Posting this now for those considering buying the novel Seven Seas released. I read the epub of this last year and ended up skipping parts and skimming so I wasn't sure whether to count it as read or DNF.

Much like Kinnporsche, the author has a problematic history that I highly recommended researching before supporting and giving them your money. I'll post some links that give a little history but I encourage you to do your own research. I even read that Yiggybean will not be selling this (or Kinnporsche).

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP81uFxdH/

https://x.com/mildunspeakable/status/...

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8JYsGNh/

Aside from that issue, I didn't enjoy the book much at all. From what I remember- the MC was bullied, body shamed, and humiliated often. There is a lot of spice and the plot was actually okay. I just did not have a good feeling as I read it.

There are so many great non-licensed novels out there by wonderful authors that Seven Seas could publish so I'm hoping that they will listen to the readers in their surveys.

[Faith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Basically as much smut as you can get for a Danmei. But it’s really unfortunate that the author is controversial and homophobic. I found out recently about this and to say I’m disappointed is an understatement. This author has tweeted about being homophobic and transphobic, considering this author writes gay romance it’s really sad that they do so just to earn a buck. Don’t support authors like this

Reading it myself, there’s so much smut and it’s very..forceful and it feels as if the author is trying to fetishize the genre/gay people. I felt uncomfortable at times reading it. Reading while trying to put aside the author and their faults, this one is just not very interesting. Besides all of the smut nothing really happens

[Hen · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author is profiting off queer stories while actively spouting homophobic and transphobic views; it’s hypocrisy and greed at its finest.

https://twitter.com/mildunspeakable/s...

There is a distinct difference between writing about queer people and writing for them. The author’s public stance makes it clear that they are doing neither. Instead, they’re extracting aesthetic and narrative value from the queer identities that they have no interest in defending or understanding while simultaneously upholding ideologies that contribute to their marginalisation.

Art is not exempt from moral accountability. No amount of sales or praise can sanitise a work of literature that is, at its core, extractive and exploitative to the very identities it claims to 'represent'.

I’m not supporting someone who turns queerness into a cash grab while dehumanising the very people they’re profiting off.

[Susanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s been some upset among fandom of Chinese danmei novels for the publication of this book due to negative comments about gays by the author, and many will skip it. I considered the same, even though I haven’t personally read the comments so that I could judge myself, but the premise of the book is so bizarre that I had to read it anyway. And for what it’s worth, there’s no negative attitude to gays in the book itself.

If you’re considering reading, know that this isn’t a typical BL romance heavy on angst, pining, secondary plots and anything else but the romance. This is straight up erotica, or porn even. It goes immediately to business and stays on it the whole book. It’s good porn though, so if you’re looking for that, you won’t be disappointed.

For those of you who like to skip spicy scenes, there’s an actual story too. It’s a melancholy one that makes you want to wrap your arms around the main character and squeeze him until he’s happy. Wu Xingzi lives in a remote village far from the empire’s capital, making a meagre living as a magisterial advisor, which is mainly a secretarial job. He has no family, no property, and no one who he would care for or who would care for him back. And as he’s gay—which is allowed in the empire—there haven’t been any opportunities for him for romance in his small village either. At 39, he’s lost his will to live and has bought a burial plot and has decided to end his life the day he turns 40 in a way that is least inconvenient for the villagers.

Fate intervenes in the form of a young man to whom Wu Xingzi decides to confess his feelings before he dies. The young man tells him about a society for gay men who seek life partners through pigeon post system, and since Wu Xingzi has nothing to lose, he decides to try it. To his bewilderment, when he sends introductory letters for men that he deems suitable for him, he receives pictures of their dicks in return.

For someone who’s been deprived of human contact for all his life, it’s a stunning and energising event. He immediately abandons plans for finding a life partner, or killing himself for that matter. Who would want him anyway, as he’s plain, shy, old, and has no prospects. Instead, he writes to every single member of the society to collect all their dick pictures. But one day, when he goes to collect the latest haul, one of the men shows up in person.

Guan Shanjin is a young general and a hero of the empire after pacifying the southern border. He’s beautiful beyond belief and feared by all for his bad temper. He’s also the owner of Wu Xingzi’s favourite dick. Guan Shanjin spots Wu Xingzi by chance and is stunned by how much he resembles the only person he loves, his teacher Mr. Lu. His teacher is a clever man who keeps Guan Shanjin in a leash but who has no intention of ever starting a relationship with him, not that Guan Shanjin understands it.

All the relationships Guan Shanjin has ever had are with men who look like Mr. Lu. So he takes Wu Xingzi to bed, much to the older man’s bewilderment and delight. Come morning, Wu Xingzi leaves, so as not to bother the important man he’s not worthy of, something that has never happened to Guan Shanjin before. It triggers a need in him to possess the older man, and before they know, they’ve been in a relationship for a month.

But the whole time, Wu Xingzi expects Guan Shanjin to leave, and has no intention of getting attached to the younger man, which Guan Shanjin cannot fathom, as he’s never been rejected. But when Mr. Lu calls, Guan Shanjin rushes off. Wu Xingzi thinks his life will turn back to normal, and he can return to his dick pictures, but Guan Shanjin has other ideas.

This was a good start to the story. It’s straightforward, with no secondary plots or side characters, but sad at times. Wu Xingzi is a delightful MC with his insecurities, single-minded devotion to his dick pictures, and inability to notice the powerplays of the important people around him. Guan Shanjin is brash and selfish, but his devotion to Mr. Lu, and the nice way he treats Wu Xingzi redeem him. For his part, Mr. Lu is reprehensible and I absolutely must see him get his just deserts.

I don’t often mind the translations of these books, but I raised my brows every time a part of human anatomy was described by its Latin name. Maybe it was the author’s choice too, but I found it odd, considering the book takes place in ancient China.

The ending is a bit abrupt, but it’s not a cliffhanger, just more of the same, with Mr. Lu ruining things for Wu Xingzi, not that the latter understands he’s in a fight over a man, because he doesn’t really want the man. I’m rooting for Wu Xingzi to find happiness and lord over everyone who look down at him, and I hope it’ll be with Guan Shanjin. So I may have to continue with the series, regardless of the author’s behaviour. But you won’t miss a life-changing series if you decide to skip it.

[James 🦤 · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF with mostly just skimming because I was morbidly curious.

Even if I didn’t know the author was a homophobe and who only sees gay men as a fetish, I’d be able to figure that one out from how she writes. Bonus points for being transphobic & racist. I feel like people always rag on danmei authors and women who like BL content as “fetishists” and I’ve really never agreed. But seriously, even if the author’s views weren’t public knowledge, the way she’s written her male characters reminds me too much of how that specific subset of creepy straight men write lesbian characters to feel comfortable for me.

I don’t understand the reviews that are like well the author is a bad person, but the spice scenes 🥺 bc even if I didn’t skim I feel like I’d have to skip for the cringe of it all. I would say it’s like reading something from ao3 but I respect the fujoshis of ao3 too much for that. And at least most of them respect me as a queer man back.

I’m shocked this got picked up and actually finished for English publication. If I spent actual money on this instead of borrowing a (soon to be returned) copy I feel like I’d be too embarrassed to even bring it back for fear of being seen in public with it. That’s how bad we’re talking. Genuinely man putting an hour and a half into this hate read was supposed to be a silly goofy de-stress for me, but this has ruined my day so bad. I’m a man in a relationship with another man and I feel like I’ve become homophobic just for reading this.

I’ll come back with the exact quotes I saved later I got way too deep into hater mode for what was supposed to just be a bit.

[Sol · Rating 1 out of 5]

Content Warning: In my review, I discuss mature and sensitive themes, including unsafe sex and rape.

"Last night's enlightening experience had brought Wu Xingzi to an epiphany: his life had been too mundane. Now that he knew there were so many fascinating things out there in the world, not trying any of them out would be such a waste."

I’m really disappointed in this, because I feel like the beginning of the novel was incredibly strong. But along the way, it completely devolved, becoming awkward, uncomfortable, boring, and saddening.

The first chapter or so was really strong for me. We follow Wu Xingzi, an adult virgin whose life is so lonely and empty that he considers suicide. But only after discovering that there’s a secret network of fellow lonely gay men through pigeon-carried letters, sort of like an ancient form of Grindr, does he regain his vigor for life. This actually really touched my heart and made me emotional in many ways. Xingzi is a very trauma-informed character – his parents died suddenly from a flood when he was young, and he’s been alone ever since. He’s never had anything particularly exciting or happy happen in his life, and he’s never really treasured anything special, because he knows the pain and tragedy of losing things suddenly. He really only thinks about work, what he’ll have for his next meal, and the place he’s squared away to be his gravesite.

Him suddenly discovering a sexual passion and interest in pursuing other men when he’s heretofore been very stagnant and depressed, was actually a really beautiful thing to watch. As a queer person myself, I totally understand the zeal for life that discovering a community of like-minded individuals can give you, so this theming really touched my heart. Not to mention, I think that quite a lot of people can relate to the feeling of having a sexual awakening of some kind, the feeling of understanding yourself better that it brings. I felt proud of him that his interest in erotica and writing to pen-pals gave him a new excitement for his every day.

Blackegg’s writing in the very beginning was also shockingly vivid and strong. I swear, I was practically blushing from the descriptors that I was reading. I think that she imbued her writing with a great amount of care, life, and realism in that first chapter, showing how gaining an affinity for erotica can really imbue a previously-very-sheltered person with a strong sense of freedom and happiness. I found it really touching.

However, once Wu Xingzi crosses paths and becomes entangled with the love interest for this novel, Guan Shanjin, everything immediately started to fall apart for me.

I really adore the pushy, domineering, holier-than-thou male love interest archetype, but for me, Shanjin takes it way, way too far. He is a violent, uncaring stalker, and has no regard for Xingzi’s feelings, only pursuing him in order to lick his wounds over his own unrequited love. Again and again, Shanjin takes advantage of Xingzi’s (once again, trauma-informed) politeness in order to push him into a corner for his own satisfaction. Even when Xingzi makes it clear again and again that he has no interest in his relationship with Shanjin being anything more than a tryst (mostly out of humility, but genuinely, to me this book reads like Shanjin hardly cares for him as a person at all), Shanjin throws a fit and has sex with him again to console himself. And also, even after listening to Xingzi clarify again and again that he has no interest in following Shanjin back to where he’s living, wanting to stay in his own humble county, Shanjin kindnaps a drunk Xingzi and keeps him there with him anyways. All the while Shanjin is still pining over his unrequited love-- and all while taking advantage of the fact that Xingzi is too meek to disobey him.

I can’t stress enough what a pathetic loser Shanjin is and how much him being miserable made me happy. He can’t have his love, and he can’t get Xingzi either, and he’s an asshole who treats everyone around him like dirt. He’s such a spoiled brat from his well-off upbringing that Xingzi not giving him the proper time of day makes him throw tantrums, yet Xingzi reminds him so much of his old flame that he can’t bear to let him go. It’s even stated (multiple times) that Shanjin is so used to letting people go, never having been let go himself, that it makes him extremely stubborn and furious. He’s like a man child, and it’s so unattractive. It’s so frustrating to have such a piece of shit be the main love interest of this book. Even though Xingzi is really getting what he wants – a passionate fling that is adding some color to his days – Shanjin is such an embarrassing hanger-on that sometimes I wanted to shake the book and yell at him to leave Xingzi the hell alone. Can’t he take a hint? Why is he so hell-bent on embarrassing himself again and again?

Xingzi is so obviously not interested in Shanjin as a person, and these two have no conversational chemistry whatsoever, with Shanjin always pushing him around and being a bully, or else using underhanded tactics to try and make Xingzi give a shit about him (which never works), and Xingzi pretty much always having his mind on other things. This “romance” is less interesting than watching paint dry, they’re barely even friends.

And in terms of the sex – this book is really about 75% detailed smut. Which doesn’t bother me, but I wasn’t fond of these sex scenes. They were all a bit too violent and forceful for me, with a minimum on the aftercare and communication. Usually they all involved Shanjin pretty much forcing himself on and ravaging Xingzi until he blacks out (I think Xingzi either blacks out or faints two or three times in the book total from the sheer violence and intensity of their sex).
It made me feel uncomfortable, mostly because even though Xingzi is said to be enjoying it, a lot of times he’s crying, in pain, or verbally protesting (saying no, stop, wait, slower, gentler, etc., which Shanjin always ignores). I understand that rough sex is, of course, totally normal among consenting parties, and that Xingzi genuinely does enjoy their dalliances because he is a total pervert himself (which I like about him), but in my opinion, all of Xingzi and Shanjin’s encounters feel way too much like assault to me. Shanjin is normally forcing himself on him in some manner, with Xingzi begging him to “have mercy” – I believe only once out of several sex scenes does Xingzi ever actually initiate things himself.

And I do understand that Xingzi is a very complex character -- I don't necessarily feel like he's being outright abused, because of passages like this one on pg. 88:

"He was clearly unworthy of Guan Shanjin; he didn't dare try to get close to him. ... To be able to ascend such a peak with Guan Shanjin, Wu Xingzi must have offered countless blessings to the gods in his previous life."

It isn't that Xingzi hates him at all or necessarily objects to this treatment, but rather, he's filled with such self-loathing humility that he doesn't even consider him and Shanjin to be on the same planet. He's absolutely thrilled at the fact that he even was able to have sex at all when in weeks previous, he was truly on the verge of killing himself. Despite Shanjin's hot-and-cold pursuit, Xingzi doesn't even consider a future where the two of them can be together possible at this juncture, which leads him to not feeling hesitant to let Shanjin go, and also leads him to never pursue him. He sees himself as already being perfectly blessed and content, and will never ask for more than that. Like I mentioned, after losing his parents, Xingzi never holds on to anything precious, really, and lets all his blessings pretty much come and go. However, it's because of that self-loathing humility that I really want to see someone uplift Xingzi and treat him well, rather than roughly abuse him, compare him to others, and take advantage of his politeness by barging into his space and kidnapping him. It's just distasteful and disheartening to read.

Furthermore, to contribute to the feeling that Xingzi is being abused in some manner even if he does somewhat enjoy it-- Shanjin also does several things to Xingzi sexually without stated consent (like using toys on him that cause him some discomfort and fear, as well as penetrating him in multiple scenes without any lube, basically telling him to put up with the pain, which made my skin crawl a little). To me, it crosses the boundary of Xingzi just being shy and Shanjin being forward, and goes straight into the territory of feeling like I'm reading rape.

As such, I just didn’t enjoy this. I really liked Xingzi and honestly wanted to see him being treated tenderly as well as being as fulfilled sexually as he wanted to be. But instead, I watched him be bullied, ravaged, chewed up, and spat out by a cruel and childish person, who never, ever sees him for who he is. Even the very last line in this book is about Xingzi being ignored by Shanjin. I just thought the whole thing was way too cruel and unhappy, and I think Xingzi is a protagonist who is really fun and who deserves better than this. The whole affair kind of just made me really sad. Please let this old man go home, get a restraining order against this freak, and just spend all day eating his favorite foods and looking at his precious collection of illustrated dick pics. It’s what he deserves!!

I bought the second volume of this some time ago when I found it at a local used bookstore, so I may continue, but honestly, I don’t really want to. Blackegg’s writing was pretty good (though I’ll say nothing of her character – midway through reading I read the other Goodreads reviews here and discovered that she’s an extremely unsavory person, which explains a lot), but not worth trudging through this muck again for, waiting for things to improve.

I’m not really interested in seeing where things go from here because all roads are going to lead to Xingzi and Shanjin being together, and I am simply not interested in this relationship at all.

[Queens Love Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Guan-gongzi, I know there are many things going on in the world outside, but it’s none of my business. After all, how long can a frog that has lived in a well its whole life survive the world outside? He’s not familiar with anything or anyone around him. There’s not even a place he can be buried.”



You've Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post is a quirky and fun read set in ancient China, during the Xia dynasty, where the Peng Society for Gentlemen helps gay men find love through a discreet pigeon post system. Our main character, Wu Xingzi, is a 39-year-old government official who feels like life has passed him by. Desperate for companionship, he subscribes to this unusual matchmaking service and is quickly pulled into a world of unexpected twists.
The book is a mix of humor and emotional depth. Wu Xingzi, who’s spent most of his life feeling unworthy of love, is an endearing character who makes you root for him. His journey to find a connection is both touching and entertaining, and the story has plenty of light-hearted moments that will make you smile.
There’s a good dose of spice in this book, so if you’re a fan of steamy scenes, you’ll find plenty here! But beyond that, it’s a story about self-worth, unexpected relationships, and navigating the complexities of love in an ancient setting.
I’ve heard there are some issues surrounding the author, and they’re currently being boycotted. I want to clarify that my review is focused on the story/book itself and not the author. It’s okay not to support an author whose views you don’t agree with, and I completely understand if others choose to skip this one. Personally, I have limited information about the issue and don’t have time to dive deep into it at the moment, so I’m holding off on forming a full opinion until I’ve researched it more thoroughly.
If you’re in the mood for a light, funny, and spicy read with an endearing main character and a charmingly ridiculous setup, You've Got Mail is a great choice. It’s a fun and entertaining story that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

[LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wu Xingzi, advisor to the magistrate of the remote Qingcheng County, is 39 years old, poor, and all alone in the world. His parents died when he was young, and he's never really had any close friends. He's gay, and although the people around him don't take issue with this, he's never had a lover. With nothing to look forward to except the grave site he's picked out for himself, he decides to commit suicide after confessing his feelings to a handsome local tofu seller.

To Wu Xingzi's shock, the tofu seller tells him that he's also gay - however, he's in a relationship. He tells Wu Xingzi about the Peng Society for Gentleman, through which he met his own lover. It's a society for gay men to meet other gay men via messenger pigeons. Hope blossoms in Wu Xingzi's heart, and he decides to pay his first month's subscription fee for The Pengornisseur, a catalog of portraits and basic information about other Peng Society members.

Wu Xingzi sends out a few letters with the expectation that he might eventually make a few like-minded friends. To his shock, the response to every letter he sends out is an illustration of the recipient's penis. Suddenly, Wu Xingzi's goal shifts from making friends to collecting as many dick pics as he can...until a particular favorite of his prompts him to send a response of his own, and he captures the attention of the notorious and powerful Guan Shanjin.

The publisher description for this one sounded like it could be messy and amusing, but beyond that I wasn't really sure what to expect. Wu Xingzi was a surprise. Everyone who meets him assumes he'd be the type to fall in love easily - in reality, it's more like he falls in lust easily. Guan Shanjin is the "love 'em and leave 'em" type, always the first to break things off with whichever Peng Society member has caught his eye...until he meets Wu Xingzi, who enjoys the sex but 100% expects Guan Shanjin to view him as a one-night stand and is a little confused why the man won't let him get back to admiring his precious dick pics.

Except for a few twinges when he sees the tenderness between the tofu seller and his lover, Wu Xingzi doesn't seem to have a romantic bone in his body, which pisses Guan Shanjin off to no end (never mind that he'd planned to dump Wu Xingzi like everyone else). It's all a mess, though - Guan Shanjin is actually in love with his teacher (Wu Xingzi and Guan Shanjin's other Peng Society lovers were chosen for their resemblance to the man), who's preparing to marry the daughter of a respectable family.

The messy relationships might have been worth continuing this series for, if it weren't for the sex. The scenes are very explicit and fairly lengthy (although not as frequent as I expected - maybe 3 or 4 scenes total?), which wouldn't necessarily be a problem, except some of the details crossed the line for me and were just gross. The second sex scene, which included urethral play, was the one I most wish I could scrub from my brain, but pretty much all the sex scenes ended with Wu Xingzi peeing himself, which I also wasn't wild about.

So yeah. As amusing as Guan Shanjin's frustration was, I'll stop here.

Extras:

Two full-color illustrations (one of which is the cover art), black-and-white illustrations throughout, an interview with the author, and a character and name guide.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)

[Katie❄️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fairly funny. Xingzi does not value himself enough to be in a relationship but good enough for a tryst? Yes. Shanjin thinks he is god's gift to men and cannot understand why Xingzi isn't acting like all his other lovers. Clinging, head-over-heels. The general's feelings get hurt over and over again but he cannot give Xingzi up because no one but him gets to leave a "relationship". Plus I think the tables have turned and he cares more for Xingzi than he can admit to even himself. Xingzi just goes with the flow. Slights and insults from the generals acquaintances fall on deaf ears because he isn't not in agreement knowing he is so lowly. Being older he understands the difference in their social classes and will enjoy himself for as long as he is wanted. This does not fit Shanjin's expectations one bit. Why is he always wanting to leave?😅 Though he is using Xingzi as a substitute for his own hearts desire, Mr. Lu. Shanjin wants to keep his cake and to eat it too. He's playing a long wait game, thinking after Mr. Lu is married and has his children they can be together after that desire of his has been fulfilled.

#smut #look at my etching collection

[Kamons · Rating 4 out of 5]

พระเอก(กวนซานจิ้ง) เห็นหน้าตานายเอก (ที่ปรึกษาอู๋) คล้ายคนในใจเลยเอาไว้ข้างตัว เน้นไว้เย่แทนคนที่ตัวเองแอบชอบ (พระเอกมาแนวนี้เห็นแววคนหอนเลยค่ะ) พระเอกนี่เลี้ยงดูนายเอกดีมากเลยนะ อารมณ์เสี่ยเลี้ยง อาหารการกินไม่ขาด ตามใจมาก แต่พอเผลอก็มักเอานายเอกไปเทียบกับคนในใจบ่อยๆ บางทีเย่กันจนนายเอกสลบก็มากอดนายเอกแต่ปากรำพันถึงคนในใจ โอ้โห... ตอนอ่านนี่กำหมัดแล้ว กำลังจะด่าพระเอก แต่หน้าต่อไปพลิกอ่านความรู้สึกนายเอกชั้นสงสารพระเอกแทนแล้วอ่ะ เพราะที่ปรึกษาอู๋แกโนสนโนแคร์ อยากให้พระเอกทิ้งจะแย่จะได้ไปหาพญานกอันใหม่ อ่านไปอ่านมาชักสงสารพระเอกแทนแล้ว

เนื้อเรื่องสนุก แต่เอากันดุเดือดมาก บางทีก็เยอะเกิ๊น เรท 20++ เลยเหอะ

[Laur · Rating 4 out of 5]

very charming, easy to read, this book knows what it is and doesn't deny its premise is silly but is not just a played out joke
actually a bit trope twisting; I instinctually feel bad for our main character and how no one truly commits to him but! the thing is he isn't even thinking about it! I fully fell for the situation the same way the side characters are and pitying him! very looking forward to the other volumes

[Michael-Zane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Because of the controvery regarding the author, I won't be continuing this series. Rather a shame, the story started to pick up during the last couple of pages and there finally seemed to be a bit of a plot developing. However, I just can't, in good conscience, support someone who's openly transphobic.
Also: this book might be triggering for people who struggle with their body image/weight. *Every time* the main love interest sees the protagonist, he comments on how thin he looks, that he is very frail and bony and that his waist is so tiny, he could be snapped in half...

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I thought would be a funny story, became hilarious but with tons of spice.

I wish I was able to have an aloof attitude like Wu Xingzi. Be nice to have a handsome man being interested in you, despite the world saying you are plain looking...

My rating is based off from the book itself.

Unfortunately, I will not be continuing this series for the problematic statements the author has stated. I was almost finished with the book when I read some reviews and became aware of it. I do not want to support people who use topics for their own profit when they are not in favor for.

[Tippy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Look, I read a lot of “trashy” books. Like, just straight up porn in written, and often extremely graphic visual, form. But this was trash on a whole other level. The story is terrible. The characters are all awful. And it’s just really poorly written. The storyline is basically dick picks through the mail that leads to a really unhealthy long term hookup. The sex scenes are...not great. The wording is really repetitive and it's pretty obvious the author was going more for being as explicit as possible rather than actually trying to write decent sex. Neither main character is appealing. Advisor Wu’s entire personality is “I don’t care about anything, including myself, and also I am hungry” and General Guan is a bully who fully admits that he is only using the other man as a stand in for the person he truly loves. FYI, that person is also trash who knows full well General Guan is in love him but chooses to string him along for as of yet unnamed reasons. Literally the best character in the story so far is the old gossipy neighbor lady who beats up the other gossips for talking shit about Advisor Wu. Pretty much everyone else sucks. I read it all the way to the end but I can’t see myself bothering to read any more of the series. And I have learned the author is also a garbage person so I’m super glad I didn’t spend my own money on this but got it from the library instead.

[Zehavit · Rating 5 out of 5]

A controversial one - I don’t care.

A total cinnamon roll is nearing his forties and as he can’t find a man to spend his life with decides to end his life on his coming birthday.

His life is rescued by a gay men’s club in which the members exchange drawings of their….. errr… members ,via pigeon post no less.

Yes - ancient equivalent of swapping dick pics.

His favourite specimen, taking two pages and a lot of ink, belongs to a sexy hot ravenous general who turns out to be an absolute monster in bed and so start a rather pornographic journey of self discovery and lack of communication.

But who needs communication when you can have the biggest dick in China and a pair of super sensitive nipples .

Quite honestly the main character is an absolute darling. And this is one of those rare cases where there is an actual plot between all the dirty scenes.

It is funny, erotic and heart warming.

I adore this.

Very much smut with a heart.

[Belekoroz Pestilence · Rating 1 out of 5]

The description seemed to hold so much potential of what could have been - a story about pinning, longing and finding love in a later age through pigeon mail. However a few chapters in you find that is not the case, its mostly straight up smut without anything holding together to actually enjoy the main characters as themselves. I would of dropped this book, but I forced braved through just so I can mark it as complete.

Towards the end of the novel, it does seem to pick up and has potential to delve into the feelings Guan Shanjin has but is unaware of towards Wu Xingzi, but I can't forgive their toxic personalities, weird love triangle and the authors weird introjection of a piss kink?. Even if it does get better, has some sort of redemption of Guan Shanjin and actual graspable plot, with this book I have no intentions to finish this series.

[Siiri Mirjami · Rating 3 out of 5]

Right. This book had some good plot when they weren't just fucking.

Unfortunately, they seemed to almost always be fucking.

Will continue this series if only to see where this clusterfuck goes.

[Dania Paola Chavez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite the hilarious story, the MC is just too funny to read about.

[Berry · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm going to be very brief. At first I really disliked WXZ, I mean his very bland attitude towards everything except the ahem drawings he gets in the mail. But then he would talk a little bit about his family and my heart would break.

Now GSJ... get out of my face. I'm sick of you and I'm sick of Mr. Lu. Especially because you left WXZ in such a manner at the end of the book. Have you no manners? Have you no soul? Don't answer that.

I really recommend if you want something funny that'll have you laughing at WXZ and angry with his inability to gaf about the general!

(i wanna note that yes the mc isn't considered handsome and is treated poorly because of it. however he is very cute to me and because of this treatment he does act a certain way.)

edit.

bruh blackegg is homophobic and transphobic. i didn't get a receipt but i won't be supporting the author further.

[Lonely Panda · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started this new danmei, I thought it would be a spicy crack story. But behold the plot! I can feel the angst coming for future volumes...
A huge plus for this series is the main character Wu Xingzi, he is a mature almost forty years old man who actually behave as such. Meaning he knows where he stands with the ML and doesn't ask for more (which can be both hilarious and heartbreaking). It was very refreshing.
The only downpoint for me was the spice. At first I thought it was funny but by the second scene I was a bit feeling TMI... But that is just because I am not a huge fan of spice, I think!

[Heather Cat]

I LOVED the concept of this book. I loved the execution of that concept. The main character is adorable when it comes to reading his letters, and I was highly amused by some of those scenes.

There is a lot going for this story, and I am a bit curious about the hints of the inevitable plot that would have come into play if I'd kept reading, but I am not in the mood for this much smut. From the reviews I have read, it seems the majority of the book is smut, and I don't feel like wading through that to get to the high points I would enjoy.

If you're all for lots of smut in your danmei then I say give this book a shot! What I read of vol one was a lot of fun.

[Aom Ruka · Rating 5 out of 5]

คบสหายผ่านพิราบพึงระวัง.... ไม่ใช่แค่พึงระวัง แต่ต้องหนีให้ได้!

เรื่องราวนี้เกิดจากคุณชายอู๋ผู้สิ้นหวังกับชีวิต ว่าจะไปสารภาพรักกับหนุ่มขายเต้าหู้ สุดท้ายหนุ่มขายเต้าหู้ก็มีแฟนเสียแล้ว เลยแนะนำสมาคมลับๆ ให้คุณชายอู๋ได้รู้จัก...

นั้นแหละทำให้เจอพญานกที่ดุดันไม่เกรงใจใคร จนเกิดฉาก nc เยอะมาก จนต้องอ่านข้ามๆ พอข้ามๆก็กลายเป็นไม่รู้เรื่อง เลยต้องกลับไปวนใหม่ เลยรู้สึกเสียเวลาอ่านมาก

แต่ตรงจุดที่เล่าเชื่อมโยงเนื้อเรื่อง ถือว่าดีเลย อ่านไปเพลินๆมาก
แถมเวลาอธิบายเรื่องอาหารบนโต๊ะทีไร น่ากินมาก ทำให้คนอ่านรู้สึกหิวไปด้วยเลย

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have heard there is some issue around the author, but this is on the book itself. Warning, heavy smut. I don't care either way about that part as long as the story keeps me interested. I found the story itself delightful to be honest.

[Tsts · Rating 5 out of 5]

肉文居然也能這麼歡樂XDDDDD 這個行雲流水的文筆用在肉上真的好嗎XDDDDD
雖然說古語有云，妻不如妾、妾不如偷、偷不如偷不著，
地位上是妻<妾<偷<<<<<沒偷
但就執行(?)層面來說，絕對是���>妾>偷>>>>>>>沒偷
所以魯先生你真的......魯。

Btw有google電子書可買真是太棒了~

[Christy Stewart]

https://www.novelupdates.com/series/y...

[Emma C · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked this until I saw the reviews citing the problematic author - please research before reading!

[Swey · Rating 1 out of 5]

If zero stars was an option… what a colossal waste of time.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is another comedy in the Danmei genre. I haven't read many. It's wonderful. I fully enjoyed this book.

Our main character is Wu Xingzi. He is gay and looking for a partner in life. He happens to find a dating app back in historical China that is a dating newsletter and off we go.

He meets the famous general Guan Shanjin. Wu Xingzi is not trying to climb above his station. He knows he isn't good enough for General Guan and so he doesn't take anything seriously. General Guan is beautiful and successful and very arrogant. No one has ever turned him down but his teacher. How is there a person who would turn him down. It drives the general crazy, so he can't let Xingzi go.

There are so many funny things in this story. It was a spicy read and this one is for mature audiences. I had heard some things were allowed on their writing sites, but this was very detailed. I can't believe this passed Chinese censorship, really. I would put this book on par with Anne Rice's Beauty Series.

It's so interesting, both leads, so far, their hearts belong to someone from their past. The general can't stand that Xingzi keeps wanting to leave him and Xingzi can't get away from the general. If Xingxi had fallen in love, the general would have left him long ago. It's only Xingzi's indeference that keeps them together so far.

I am excited to see where this story is going to go. There will be 5 volumes, so there is a lot more story left. Blackegg has a devious mind. She really understands gay people I feel. Most Danmei have a couple mate like mandarin ducks. I really love that idea. This book is more like gay people in my life and how they are. There are some mandarin ducks and some who aren't. I'm interested to see where this goes.

I was very entertained. The author also answers some questions in the back of the book as well. It's interesting where she got the idea for a story.

[Cassie Renais · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I'm a little disappointed in this. I came for the hilarious premise, but the writing and the plot didn't live up to my expectations. The premise itself is great - shy, rural bureaucrat discovers ancient China's version of Grindr and discovers a whole new world. The only good part of the book are the ongoing, creative dick jokes that the author slips in at every available moment. Aside from that, there's lots of telling instead of showing, and lots of boring paragraphs of exposition and background instead of engaging scenes. There's plenty of smut, but it's extremely explicit and anatomical in a very unsexy way, which does not improve the overall tone of the book.

Characterisation is also a problem. Except for a desire to collect as many dick pics as he can, Wu Xingzi has no personality. So when he finally meets the love interest, he's wooden and completely disinterested in a highly unbelievable way. As for the love interest, Guan Shanjin, he's a confusing mix of characteristics that only really serve to make him unlikeable. He's overbearing, inconsiderate, rude, in love with someone else, and somehow still insecure. He straight-up kidnaps Wu Xingzi (who somehow has no emotions about this except to miss his collection of dick pics which were left behind), and then proceeds to ignore him for two months. The chemistry/romance just isn't there.

Overall, a great premise that doesn't have the characters, plot, or writing skill to deliver on the promise. Needless to say, I won't be going back for the other volumes.

[~Cyanide Latte~ · Rating 1 out of 5]

[EDIT: Eurgh... Just found out thanks to other reviews on this book that the author is homophobic, transphobic and racist. What a bigot trifecta. Disappointed to learn this and see that Seven Seas is publishing this work in English when that's the stance of the creator. Dropping my rating another star and this series as a result. Disappointing and gross.]

Suffice it to say I've got mixed feelings about this one. It's clearly meant to be humorous and a rom-com of sorts with two extremely different people, but by the end of this first book it's hard to say whether or not that holds up. For the record, this book contains dubcon and noncon, and they're somewhat graphic on top of that. The relationship shown clearly isn't a healthy one by any stretch (and arguably it's not meant to be, but it did no favors to the characters when I have struggled to feel strongly about either of our leads,) and by the end of this installment, we learn just how much of a power imbalance and emotional manipulation of characters involved is going on. It's hard to emotionally attach to any of the characters or feel much in the way of sympathy for most of them, even for Wu Xingxi.

Presently I'm unsure whether or not I'll keep going with this series. I'm intrigued by what little bit of the subplot I've seen, about how the tangled emotional connections could be impacting war and socio-political maneuvering. But the two leads and their relationship? Nah, not that impressed.