Cây Nấm Nhỏ – Tập 2

Little Mushroom (Novel) #2

by Yi Shi Si Zhou, 一十四洲, Nhất Thập Tứ Châu (Dịch)

Từ trường bảo vệ mọi vật trên Trái Đất. Một khi từ trường mất đi, bức xạ vũ trụ và gió Mặt Trời sẽ giáng thẳng xuống, chẳng bao lâu sẽ gây nên một đợt hạn hán lớn trên toàn thế giới. Con người sẽ nhiễm phóng xạ nếu tiếp xúc với chúng, sẽ mắc các bệnh ác tính khác nhau, sau đó chết đi hoặc biến dị.

Sau khoảnh khắc bùng nổ ngắn ngủi, cực quang dần tan biến khỏi bầu trời đêm giống như nước triều rút xuống. Chỉ trong vẻn vẹn mười giây, màu sắc đã hóa nhạt nhòa, sau đó hoàn toàn biến mất. Một dải sông ngân rực rỡ vắt ngang trời đêm tím biếc.

Căn Cứ Thành Phố Ngầm bị dị chủng phối hợp tấn công, tổn thất trầm trọng, từ trường biến mất. Vì lợi ích của nhân loại, Lục Phong cùng Căn Cứ Phía Bắc đã ra quyết định cứu viện. An Chiết chẳng nhớ rõ đây đã là lần thứ mấy mình nhìn bóng lưng Lục Phong đi xa. Cậu không biết tại sao người ấy cứ luôn tiến về phía trước, anh có thể nổ súng với đồng bào chẳng hề do dự, cũng có thể hi sinh tính mạng bản thân bất cứ lúc nào.

An Chiết, mọi người, toàn bộ căn cứ loài người và tất thảy sự vật trên thế giới này, đều là một phần nhỏ bé trong cơn sóng khổng lồ, dao động theo từng đợt sóng của nó, thay đổi, rồi đẩy dạt ra những gợn li ti. Điểm duy nhất không xác đáng là cơn sóng đó dường như thực sự tồn tại ở khắp mọi ngóc ngách trên thế giới, không phải ảo ảnh hoặc tưởng tượng vô căn cứ.

Ngoài trời, bão cát và cuồng phong nhất loạt ùa đến. Bóng đêm phủ trùm lên chúng, cuốn cát bụi và sỏi đá tung tẩy như sương đêm dàn trải vô tận. Nếu không phải bào tử của cậu luôn muốn cận kề Lục Phong, cậu đã đi từ lâu rồi.

Genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, LGBT, Dystopia, Queer, Fiction

432 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2022

About the author

Associated Names:
* 一十四洲 (Chinese)
* Nhất Thập Tứ Châu (Vietnamese)
* อีสือซื่อโจว (Thai)

Reviews

[kay! ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i thought this was going to be a cutesy series about a mushroom who lost its spore & ended up falling in love. it is that. it’s so sweet and lovely. but it’s also incredibly angsty and full of body horror, genocide, violence, and blood.

the extras cured my depression and watered by crops. an zhe and lu feng deserve nothing more than to live in domestic fluff, feeding each other fruit and cuddling and having heart to hearts.

honestly this book destroyed me on so many levels and it’s going to take me a very long time to get over everything 😭

[ana ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

'But I can't love him, and he can't love me. Unless—unless the day comes when humankind falls. But I hope that day will never come.'

AN ZHE AND LU FENG IM GONNA MISS YOU SO MUCH😭😭💔💔

science fiction with post-apocalyptic elements isn’t exactly my go-to genre. too often, the "new world" feels like a recycled wasteland, and excessive scientific jargon makes my brain stage a quiet rebellion. but Little Mushroom was just fanTASTIC. I found myself unraveling this world with An Zhe, a character who, despite inheriting the memories of a dying man, is still utterly baffled by human nature. why do people, knowing they’re barely hanging on, insist on fighting for survival? why do they search for answers when oblivion seems so much easier? do they truly believe their species is the center of the universe?

'You once asked me how exactly I viewed him. I thought about it a lot. He is the one who judges me.'

it’s An Zhe’s quiet detachment that makes this novel stand out from the usual post-apocalyptic fare. instead of the desperate perspective of a human backed into a corner, we see the world through the eyes of a little mushroom whose only concern at first is retrieving a lost spore and retreating to the Abyss to exist in peace. people, with all their chaos and contradictions, were a mystery to him. but as he found himself entangled in their fragile society, he unexpectedly discovered something else—kindness, resilience, and an almost absurd love for life.

'My belief has never wavered.'

'Yet you live in suffering.'

'I used to suffer for the trials,' Lu Feng said. 'Now, losing him is my only suffering.'

this time, I want to dive deeper into the secondary characters, starting with my absolute favorite—Dr. Ji. Lu Feng’s friend, his partner-in-crime, and, most importantly, a scientist🤤😩. at first glance, he seems as your typical calm, a little odd, slightly eccentric researcher—a scientist by trade, and a menace by choice. but oh, how the author PLAYED ME. that one scene, those words to Lu Feng… I was NOT ready.

he’s the kind of friend who lives to tease (read: torment) the people closest to him, but beneath the sarcasm and dry humor, there’s something fiercely protective about him. and it’s not the straightforward, noble kind of protection—it’s messy, unconventional, maybe even a little unsettling. but damn, was it powerful. the emotional whiplash was diabolical—one moment I’m side-eyeing him, the next I’m overwhelmed with raw appreciation, and before I know it, I’m crying over his fate. but at least he survived, and for that, I’m grateful.

Hubbard and Tang Lan were one of those couples you could see coming from a mile away, their connection was almost palpable but man, they made my day. although, I wish we got more of them, I felt both a little sad and unexpectedly excited. especially the end. 'You became a hero once,' Tang Lan said. 'I'll do the same.'

while reading, I kept wondering how this novel might wrap up. a perfectly sensible, though unusual for the genre, grand finale where all of humanity collapses? or perhaps some enchanting rescue and the dawn of a carefree, fear-free existence? by the end, the author delved a bit deeper into scientific theories and explanations than usual, and I’ll admit, I just mentally shrugged and accepted it. I’m no scientist, so who am I to question the likelihood of anything. the plot avoided all the usual “convenient” twists and eye-roll-worthy details, which was oddly refreshing. despite the genre, this story somehow became a warm, comforting blanket, while still being utterly unputdownable, with something unfolding on every page. in a way, it’s a found family story—where, in a delightful twist, the found family turns out to be humanity itself, and a little mushroom is at the heart of it all.

'I've known you all for only three months. But this is my whole lifetime.'

[Linh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Mushroom takes place in a hypothetical future where the earth’s electromagnetic fields stop working, therefore giving rise to fantastically dangerous creatures (think big-ass cockroaches and dinosaur-eating plants). How Shisi managed to draw a humorous, hopeful, and sweet story out of this dystopic world, I have NO IDEA. All I know is that for a few days, I was in a frenzy to read every word, every chapter, in every possible waking moment.

This series was a blast and I am looking forward to owning these 2 books in physical form so I can have them on my shelf to re-read. ❤️

[[A few random notes/minor spoilers]]

- The ending was absolutely lovely. I was honestly so afraid it’s gonna be something awful and sad, but no, I got my happy ending and it felt like a hug. 🥰
- I’m a teeny bit disappointed that there are no explicit sex scenes (they are implied, this series is solidly NOT for children).
- An Zhe is the most precious mushroom EVER! 🍄 🍄

Re-read 10/2023. Still awesome, but I never realized how much denser this second volume in compared to the first in terms of world-building. That ending warmed my heart! 🥰

[灰 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s start here:

1. If I were a mushroom, I think it would be very valuable for me to partake in cannibalism. YOLO
2. If I were a mushroom and had such a traitorous child I’d be upset too and maybe eat Lu Feng just for the hell of it.
3. I would be an unstoppable whiny sex machine (˃̣̣̥▽˂̣̣̥)

https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedim...

This was the most addictive, adorable, and heart wrenching experience EVER. I was giggling one minute and the screaming at my kindle the next. It may be dealing with psychological trauma…

A lot of people dislike the writing style but I feel as though having such a simple way of translation gives room to experience more emotion. In a magical way I felt as if I was there right along with An Zhe. That’s the best feeling :)

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/76/7e/...

Lu Feng lowered his head and gently spoke into his ear. "Let me see you give birth to another one."

I WAS HOPING THERE WOULD BE A SPICY SCENE BUT JUST HAVING LU FENG SAY THINGS LIKE THAT SATISFIED ME BECAUSE WHHHAAAATTTTTT???? Sir said let’s turn this into a kink along with that sexy hyphae 😏😏😏

WAIT WAIT WAIT HERE’S ANOTHER ONE

An Zhe brought up the past again. “Then every time I cry, you can’t see it either?”
“It’s not like I’m beating you. Crying is useless.”

UNDERCOVER RUTHLESSNESS OMG!

Anywhooooo I enjoyed this a lot and um … READ IT AND STOP LOOKING AT MY REVIEW!

[Kate♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5
Second Read Feb 2025:
I love them sm:(

First Read Sept 2024:
I LOVE MY LITTLE MUSHROOM AND HIS BOYFRIEND SO MUCH YOU DONT UNDERSTAND

this book was such a wild ride the plot was so great the characters and plot twists even better I laughed I cried I giggled and kicked my feet I loved this story SO SO MUCH

edit;
okay now that its not several hours past my bedtime because I stayed up way too late finishing this, I wanted to add a legitimate review.

Firstly, this world is absolutely fantastic. Every time I thought I knew what was going to come next, I was proven wrong with yet another twist. I also absolutely LOVED seeing this world through An Zhe's perspective because, obviously, he had far less emotional attachment to what was going on (which was something that was addressed a few times throughout this story and I thought it was such an interesting convo). As a person who is quite passionate about climate change/the Earth, it was both horrifying and fascinating reading this take on what our world could become. My only gripe was that this became VERY scientific sci-fi in the last 200 pages or so and a lot of it went right over my head lol

Secondly, the romance. GOSH i loved the romance - I'm a huge fan of slow burn, and I'm also a huge fan of enemies to lovers, but somehow this story just hit so differently. I feel like in a lot of enemies to lovers I feel a bit disappointed because in reality I'm like "ya'll aren't ENEMIES, you just don't like each other" but this trope of instinctual/inherent enemies (like vampire/vampire hunter would be another example) is just SO much more interesting. Because they dont hate EACH OTHER, they hate WHAT THEY ARE, which makes them natural born enemies. I think that's just such a more powerful story as they slowly get to know each other and fall in love. I also loved how the slow burn MADE SENSE, sometimes it gets annoying when the two mcs so obviously like each other but something (cough communication cough) keeps them apart, it just feels annoying and useless. But, in this, the slow burn was the literal end of humanity keeping the two of them apart LOL

Thirdly, these characters were all just SO FANTASTIC. At first, I was a little bit sad that we kept meeting people who ultimately got left behind/died, but then I became impressed with just how well Shishi managed to make such realistic, complex, and deep characters every single time. Obviously Lu Feng and An Zhe were fantastic - I really appreciate it in a romance when both the characters can stand alone as interesting people outside of their relationship with each other

Fourthly, I LOVED the ending. I'm a HUGE fan of open endings/ambiguous endings so I honestly would have been happy with where the "the end" was. But, the epilogues were just so good! I loved seeing the two of them together after the fact. And I absolutely was not expecting the on page breeding kink like damn lu feng okay.

Overall I just really really REALLY loved this one and highly recommend it <3

[hiba · Rating 3 out of 5]

i'm sorry if i want big, dramatic, soul-crushing emotional moments in my big, dramatic, world-ending novel - but little mushroom simply refused to give that to me. i can appreciate quiet subtlety and restrained emotions but not when the world is coming to an end. like, humankind is on the brink of extinction and you're NOT gonna be screaming, crying, throwing up for the guy you love??? this is about lu feng of course but even in general, the story felt so muted and stifled when it came to emotional moments and i don't understand why.

i can guess though - there's only one scene in the entirety of little mushroom in which a character breaks down sobbing and it's our little mushroom protagonist an zhe. maybe to show how the non-human character was actually the most human of them all? i don't know, it feels like a stretch. and it led to me being disappointed and detached from the story.

i also don't mind when the plot takes precedence over the romance - this is a plot-driven cnovel after all, that comes with the territory. i do mind, however, when the two romantic scenes we get are actually not that romantic. again, their emotions were so restrained and suppressed and for what?? an zhe had more genuinely heartwarming moments with this random old man introduced towards the end of the story than his actual love interest (though the epilogues were sweet i guess).

anyway, 3 stars for an zhe and mr. pauli for being the only characters who felt like people and who i could get attached to. and also for the plot concluding in a satisfying way.

but i'll be lying if i say it wasn't all worth it for this banger of a line: "he is the one who judges me."

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

I feel like I'm in the minority here because I didn't enjoy this book as much as I would have liked to. I believe I was expecting a heart-stopping, gut-wrenching read, which it didn't provide, and it was a turnoff that the most of the romance occurred in the extras. Simply said, the romance was lacking. Their relationship/dynamic was never fully developed, and by the conclusion of the book, it was still unclear. It's not like there wasn't enough material to create anything more elaborate.

With all the scientific justifications for utterly unbelievable, foreign concepts, the narrative becomes unduly convoluted. The character growth seems to have stopped, even though the characters have changed significantly and were heavily hinted at in the previous book. I feel like this was overly prolonged.

There are no adequate words to express how much information was included in this novel. Thus, if science fiction is what you're searching for, this is it. It's such a compelling tale that occasionally raised interesting points.

[Izabella &#x1fa90; · Rating 5 out of 5]

Between an Arbiter trusting a xenogenic or a xenogenic trusting an Arbiter, it was hard to say which was more absurd—no matter what reason they had. Perhaps the day they met was the beginning of the world's most absurd story.

Best book ever? Hell yeah.

I am bouncing off and around the walls of my room like a rabid beast because. This. Series. Was. AMAZING. I am mentally taking this book and pushing it in your face, desperately trying to convince you to read it. Read it! Now!

Long ago, how did he come to have his own consciousness? He didn't remember. It must have been a coincidental mutation, a trifling ripple in this vast wave.

So he came into being.

So his destiny came into being.

Then he met An Ze.

Literally everything I’ve mentioned in my previous review applies. The plot, the setting, the characters. All so wonderful.

An Zhe truly is a beautiful protagonist. Our little mushroom has learnt so much from humanity, both the good and the bad. And to see his influence on the people around him and their influence on him was fascinating.

Lu Feng, my favourite little gremlin. He is so badass, cold, and completely Whipped for his little mushroom boyfriend. He truly is a merciless little bastard who loves his mushroom.

And every single side character who had differing impacts on the story were so good. Pauli Jones, Hubbard, and Tang Lan especially.

And yeah, the plot had me on the edge of my seat. You can really feel the difficulties and sacrifices different characters had to make to protect humankind, themselves, or their loved ones.

And That. Slow. Burn. So so so worth it. An Zhe and Lu Feng may have actually made it onto my top danmei couples, and I am a danmei multishipper extraordinaire so that’s saying a lot. Their relationship was seriously so poetic. Their chemistry, their love for each other. Their scenes had me either gushing/smiling like a maniac or crying my eyes out.

This volume had me perpetually sobbing. I was a WEEPY emotional mess. An Zhe had a way of making every scene so emotionally satisfying. And I genuinely thought from the beginning of the book that there was going to be no happy ending. But, thank the heavens, my babies were safe and happy by the end.

And don’t get me started on the epilogue chapters. Because they were adorable. The goddam cuteness aggression was kicking in every second.

At least, the moment Lu Feng put his gun into An Zhe's backpack, within the eons, there was once such a second—in that second, the Arbiter left his pistol to a xenogenic, forsaking his lifelong beliefs to love him.

I’m actually patting myself on the back so hard right now because I’ve managed to write the entire review without spoilers (which was very difficult to do btw. I had to physically restrain myself from gushing/crying over specific scenes). Therefore, this review is safe to read and gives me the wonderful opportunity of convincing you to read it. Because seriously. Little Mushroom has climbed to the top of my all time favourite danmeis, and my all time favourite series period. I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK.

~~~

Reread:

"He is the one who judges me."

Would it be completely insane of me to instantly reread Little Mushroom again? Yes, yes it would. Therefore, I will restrain myself from rereading at the moment, but if in the next couple of months you find me rereading Little Mushroom… well no one would be that surprised to be honest…

[jhovana · Rating 4 out of 5]

he was just a little mushroom

[~MasterDaoistQuqu~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awww I'm kinda sad since now I have no more Little Mushroom to read...it's definitely one of my new favs <333333 I just love An Zhe and Lu Feng so muchhhhhhh 🥰🥰🥰 like An Zhe is definitely one of the sweetest MCs out there!!

[Brenda Waworga · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second volume was one of my highly anticipated release and it didn’t disappoint me 😍😍

Super happy to be back met An Zhe and Lu Feng again, their interaction is always sweet and full of angst I just want them to kiss immediately 🤭😂 the worldbuilding explained more here and we get to know more details too about “the plague” and how humankind tried to learn, live, adapted and solved at least some of the mystery

HOWEVER after being so invested to these characters, this book really slaped me hard in my face with emotional scenes aaaaaah… but the epilogues definetly paidoff all the heartache scenes and more 😍😍 i love those epilogue chapters so much!!

“Little Mushroom” is definetly not a cute book like it’s title 😅 but it gave me such an amazing and fun experience! I will miss these characters so much 🤧🤧

[grayi ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Zhe... The little mushroom that you are...

There's something magical and truly special about this story. This second book was so exciting, wholesome, heartful. Painful, too, I cried a few times.

The relationship between An Zhe and Lu Feng is just... They are so different from each other, and thanks to that they slowly but surely grow together. By the end of it all, I couldn't believe everything they went through (together and as individuals). It's amazing how seamlessly they fit together, the ease with which they communicate; it really feels as if they were made for each other.

Also, Lu Feng’s love language is annoying the hell out of An Zhe, the most precious little (mushroom) bean ever, and I find that lovely.

Not gonna lie, the science fiction stuff flew over my head at some parts, and I swear I was trying my best.

The extras gave me part of the fluff I was desperately craving, and now I'm really invested in Hubbard and Tang Lan's relationship.

[evangeline ❦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

(This is just venting at this point LMAO)
Guess who finished this boooook… 😭 I’m literally crying right now!!! This was sooo good. Im feeling emotional :( Well enough of that‼️ The second book dove right into angst 😦 Was not expecting that just because the first book was slow-burn. OH btw the angst is REAL! Was literally dying to know what was going to happen next ☝️ When it comes to the plot it was well written I liked it overall. An Zhe (MC) and Lu Feng’s (ML) relationship developed very nicely! But… was I expecting more from them? YES! I don’t think I can get enough of themmm. We have a side couple/friendship too? Hubbard and Tang Lan… they were sad 🥲 anywayyy all I can say this that this can have a third book too, IDC I want to read more of them! (this is a sign that I should go to AO3).

[el · Rating 4 out of 5]

i cried so much during this book that by the end of it, i had only a wad of soggy toilet paper falling apart at the touch to show for my own emotional journey..............very pleased with how the novel was wrapped up, though i would have liked to actually see lu feng and an zhe's journey to locate the cave and an ze's original bones (and some of the sexual subtext in the extras felt unnecessary...🙄 but i suppose it's a bit of a danmei trope).

also..."he is the one who judges me." AND IF I PERISH ON THE SPOT?!!!?!?!?!?!?!??!?! THEN WHAAATTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEN FUCKING WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aria ✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do not go gentle into that night

This book had no right making me cry like this.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Lu Feng’s Canonical Breeding Kink should be a consistent tag in ao3 fanfics. Internet please don’t let me down.

Lu Feng asked, "When will you have a baby spore?"
His tone of voice was as natural as if he was asking, "When will you give me a child?”

[Nessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wished there was a book 3 so this one would've been slower but also so there was more story, I wanted more haha

[rory (jess' version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

09/16/23: tbh i don't get the whole geomagnetic frequency thingy, but i'm here to read the story of my little mushroom and his hot colonel bf <3

at first, it's a bit slow-paced, narrating the stories of the survivors outside the base, which then suddenly turned into an angst that kept me on the edge of my seat, and just like the first book, i read this within a day. i just can't get enough of the superb worldbuilding, the political strife, humanity's struggle for survival, and humanity's kindness, which our little mushroom learned to adapt together with developing his feelings with lu feng :3

i love how emotionally deep the relationship between an zhe and lu feng is. to an zhe, he understands lu feng's loneliness because of his position in society. because of that, he desired for lu feng not to experience any more grief than he already had, so he always protected him in his own way. lu feng is also like that. he learned to depend on an zheng, making him the sole "judge" of his life. after being the arbriter, never once did the people he tried to protect reach out to him for help because their initial reaction upon seeing him was fear and avoidance. so when an zhe asked him for help, he was delighted (my baby). 

(the epilogues seem like a recompense for making me cry on the last few chapters because those epilogues got me blushing, giggling, kicking my feet, and twirling my hair)

01/30/25: it took me one reread to finally grasp the concept of the geomagnetic field and how an zhe played a huge part in stabilizing the distortions. WHEW. anw, i can't get over how both lu feng and an zhe gave the other the thing that represented their entirety the most: lu feng gave his gun and an zhe gave his spore PLS IF THIS ISN'T LOVE THEN WHAT IS

[Brigi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume two was nothing like I expected. Mostly, I guess I thought it would end badly. Just grateful the author let An Zhe and Lu Feng have their happy ending! They deserved it. :')

[Teru · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's probably more like 3,5 * but I won't do that to An Zhe and his cutie-pie of a spore❤️

The plot was plotting, the science was sciencing, and even the romance part was more present! I didn't find the sci-fi bits boring even though at times I had a hard time understanding anything (my high school physics is waaay behind me...fortunately 🫡)

I think that a more tragic ending would suit this kind of dystopian story a bit more, but I'm not complaining. There's an epilogue part almost a hundred pages long that's really just a bunch of extras you don't even have to read - though it's recommended just for the beautiful scene when Lu Feng gifts An Zhe a jar of fireflies 🥹🥹

I don't have much more to say, I liked the first book more, but the story as a whole is such a unique experience 🥰

[⋆ ࣪˖ ִֶָ sel ་༘࿐ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have an RDOT but I literally took an absence just so I could finish rereading, and I don't regret anything about it! Perfectly, 一十四洲's Little Mushroom reaches its devastating climax in this volume, a narrative that fuses philosophy, science, politics, and love into one of the most intricate portrayals of survival literature in contemporary danmei. Where the first pary raised questions of mercy, justice, and collective survival, this volume pushes these themes to their limit, interrogating not only humankind’s fate but also the fragile meaning of love and kindness in a collapsing world. And I am so on the floor screaming, crying, throwing up!

One of the distinguishing features of Revelations is its willingness to explore vast and difficult concepts—geomagnetism, relativity, extinction, contamination—while grounding them in human experience. Moreover, the novel destabilizes anthropocentric perspectives, positioning humankind not as masters of the earth but as one fragile species among many, bound by the same cycles of birth, suffering, and extinction. It's just so good.

And another controversial concept it wonderfully explored—that I will never get tired of yapping about—is the Garden of Eden and Madam Lu’s tragedy show how a supposed sanctuary can become a prison, its rules weaponized to maintain order at the cost of humanity itself. Such systemic oppression masquerades as necessity but erodes the very dignity it claims to protect. In contrast stands Pauli Jones, whose quiet persistence makes him one of the novel’s most heartbreaking figures. Unable to embrace indifference, he sees himself as unqualified, yet it is precisely his refusal to give up on humankind that gives him moral weight. His bond with An Zhe opens space for confession and longing, proving that kindness even when futile, is never meaningless. And it’s worth remembering, too, those who showed An Zhe gentleness from the very beginning, like Vance, Poet, and Doussay. I actually don't feel so good typing this part, lol. Because I feel so sad. May they rest in peace.

"At least, the moment Lu Feng put his gun into An Zhe's backpack, within the eons, there was once such a second—in that second, the Arbiter left his pistol to a xenogenic, forsaking his lifelong beliefs to love him."

Anyway, threaded through these philosophical and political critiques is the evolving intimacy between Lu Feng and An Zhe. The romance between them is just the best and most perfect part! Their relationship, marked by contradiction, oscillates between violence and solace, law and rebellion. Their love is both refuge and transgression, destabilizing the Arbiter’s rigid conviction. Even the moment where An Zhe cutely threatens to "eat" Lu Feng’s flesh and blood, underscores how perilous and consuming intimacy becomes in this contaminated world. Oh, I just love a good cannibalism imagery as a symbol for love! And love, like contamination, transforms and fuses identities; it threatens annihilation even as it offers salvation.

And the last chapter is also perfect! It captures the tension between loss and transcendence. The novel reveals its paradox: even in a dying world, love grants meaning to suffering. 小蘑菇: Revelations thus concludes not with triumph but with transformation. It dismantles humanity’s illusions of supremacy, critiques the violence of institutional survival, and affirms the paradoxical power of kindness and love in the face of extinction. What remains is neither victory nor despair, but the enduring tenderness of a simple truth that: "He was just a... little mushroom." I'm not crying, you are! Everything is just so perfect, and this is me who could only talk about them nonstop, huhu. I just love this book so much, especially An Zhe! Our precious little mushroom.

[caro (in uni hell) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I used to suffer for the trials. Now, losing him is my only suffering."

I’m too lazy to write two separate reviews for each volume, so I’ll just write down all of my thoughts here.

Going into this I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I’ve always found post-apocalyptic settings very interesting so I knew I was going to enjoy this!

In the first volume the storyline focused on the human base, An Zhe’s first encounters with humanity, him discovering their way of dealing with emotions and the environment around them. Introducing this world to not only An Zhe, but also the reader at the same time, was handled incredibly well, you could learn about the ins and outs of their cruelty and desire to live through his eyes.

Ah, the tender beginnings of Lu Feng and An Zhe’s relationship too! You could tell from the beginning on, as unlikely as their relationship might seem considering the respective roles they play in life, that they had a connection and there was an understanding there, although it could not be articulated clearly quite yet.

Especially through the development of this relationship between the two you could see how An Zhe was slowly starting to learn what it means to be human, what it means to feel this whirlwind of emotions and what it means to fall in love. (Also what it means to die and sacrifice himself for others but I’m still too sad to think back on that)

For Lu Feng too, An Zhe came into his life at the exact right time. Carrying such a big burden on his shoulders and being hated for what he did to help humanity persevere left him experiencing a loneliness not many could understand. But having one person trust him, ask him for help and not condemn him for his actions was all he needed. An Zhe was the thing that really brought his character to bloom!

In the second volume the focus shifted to the world outside of the base, the sudden impending changes that could only mean extinction of human kind because the world doesn’t *care* about what happens to them, it just keeps changing and reforming, as is the cycle of all things. Seeing them preserve through this situation and finally finding their foothold in the world again was such a satisfying conclusion, I enjoyed every second of the way to get to their happy ending!!

[ariana esnifa libros · Rating 4 out of 5]

la pasé como el culo, muy lindo

[Melina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I already knew from other people's reviews that this is one of those titles where you shouldn't judge the content by it's first impression. "Little Mushroom" is a very cutesy title but the content for sure isn't.

I knew this, but I was still taken by surprise at some points. There were so many characters being introduced only to die a few chapters later. The one second they were there and in the next they were gone, which really fits into the story because that's exactly the world that our character's are living in. No one knows what is going to happen next. I feel like this is the biggest strength of the story as this kind of setup leaves you constantly at the edge of your seat and allows you to keep going. At the other hand I feel like the plot might have been too fast changing at points. Especially towards the end of the main story I barely had time to adjust to the plot twists that were happening before being hit by the next. I feel like the story should've taken a bit more time to set the things up that were happening towards the end.

Bonus: I absolutely adored Lu Feng. I love the kind of characters that are "show, don't tell". The way he always took care of An Zhe using little gestures... Ahhhh I love those kind of relationships.

[noorii · Rating 4 out of 5]

The info dump led me to discuss the novel with ChatGPT.
Overall, the ending was satisfying, but I got a bit lost in the middle.

[mara - hyrulevalkyrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“He is the one who judges me.” 🥹😭❤️

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

The science really scienced in this one and I spent most of the novel confused, and wailing into the wind at the forced non-proximity.

But then the epilogues restored my soul.

[NiaKantorka · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars (reread March 2025)

I liked this second part much more during this second read. The first time I rushed too much through the story and therefore overlooked finer details. I loved how subtle their relationship changed for the better and how much I could see Lu Feng caring for his mushroom (all parts of him). My edited rating is definitely a 5 stars now too.

4,5 stars (first read April 2023)

I might have rushed a bit too much reading this. I loved it even though not as wholeheartedly as I loved part one. There was little time for the charming humour of the first part (except for the epilogue chapters) which was a shame. An Zhe was still the best mushroom and he and the circumstances nearly made me cry at times.

This book felt more desperate to me which is no wonder as the story reached its climax in this book and the losses all around were high. The questions were still popping up in my mind but I also needed to know what would happen to them. Let’s just say it exceeded my expectations and was also a believable ending.

I wished we would have learned more about Pauli, Hubbard and Tang, and - most important - were they still searching for An Ze and An Zhe’s cave or did they find him in the end. It felt all a bit rushed to me and I wouldn’t have minded to read some more extras. But it really might be my own fault for not taking many breaks reading this second book.

All in all it was still a joy and I’m glad to have read this story about a little mushroom and this indestructible guy that fell for him.

感谢您与我们分享这个故事, 十四 和 晓。

[Helen ⊹₊⟡⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

the journey of reading little mushroom :

omg he’s a little mushroom 🥺

im now questioning the concept of human, humanity as a whole, who gets to judge humanity. the concept of sacrifices for the sake of society. the action in the present would lead to the wanted results. the fine line between monster and human. are monsters really monsters? what the difference between human and monster?

omg he was just a….little mushroom 😭😭

“do not go gentle into that good night”

[Cyndi (hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. The numerous epilogues alone were worth the price of admission. Crying over a mushroom wasn't on my bingo card this year, but here we are. Some of the more scientific elements of this book definitely made my eyes cross and my brain hurt, but An Zhe was just as confused as I was, so that made me feel better. I truly loved these books. They made me think and they made me feel and isn't that why we all read?

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Little Mushroom story. This second book is heavier in regards of scientific talk and sometimes was a bit hard to follow, but in the end, it pays off. The situation for humankind becomes unsustainable and I was very anxious about the outcome.
I liked how things were solved, and that humans and xenogenics made their last stand together, although the chapter before last had me in tears. For a moment, I thought the world have been spared after all those sacrifices, but everything was lost for An Zhe and Lu Feng. I'm glad I was wrong and there was a way forward for them.
The extras were good and round up the story, I wish we had seen a bit of Hubbard and Tan Lang after the final battle, and we'd got confirmation they're alive and living their lives together like everyone suspected. I would have loved that. I wouldn't mind a short about these two.