Case File Compendium: Bing An Ben (Novel) Vol. 3

Case File Compendium: Bing An Ben (Novel) #3

by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou, Artist (illustrator)

SECRETS AND LIESIn the wake of their intoxicated tryst, He Yu's relationship with his erstwhile physician Xie Qingcheng is more fraught than ever. One taste has left He Yu addicted, and not even his pride can stop him from coming back for more; yet the taciturn Xie Qingcheng is determined to ward off his advances at all costs.
More than lust drives He Yu's relentless he knows Xie Qingcheng is still keeping secrets from him. What was the real reason he stopped being He Yu's doctor? What's the truth behind the scandal that cost Xie Qingcheng his reputation? As He Yu searches for answers, malevolent forces move in the shadows, drawing him and Xie Qingcheng into a deadly, inescapable trap. 

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Mystery, Contemporary, Fiction, Queer, Fantasy

455 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2024

About the author

Associated Names:
* Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
* 肉包不吃肉 (Chinese Profile)
* โร่วเปาปู้ชือโร่ว (Thai Profile)
* Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat (English Profile)

Reviews

[shei · Rating 3 out of 5]

—— 3.5.✰ stars.

“Did you know? To you, those words were just a handful of trivial lies. But for the last ten years, they were all I could rely on.”

ex - fucking - cuse me??? what in the homophobia was that ending???? the cliffhanger should be punishable.

when I started this book I said ”yay more gay”, let me tell you not a single happy gay thing happened, all angst, pain and anger. The final 5-7 chapters were excellent, I was missing the mystery plot in the middle of so much confused homosexuals drama.

honestly I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone so far LOL. Only if you like dark and twisted “romance” and you enjoy danmei writing style, DO NOT PICK THIS AS YOUR FIRST DANMEI for the love of god.

i know these story is 10!!! volumes so we are in for a fucking wild ride, but I’m honestly enjoying it enough so far to continue and after the final chapter!!!?? HELLO I need ANSWERS.

“Someone once said that the truth is never meaningless. The truth can determine whether what’s laid to rest is regret or closure.”

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

No content spoilers but emotional spoilers 😬. Zero happiness. Absolute brutal novel for me to read. I know hurt people hurt people but damn, He Yu.

91% mark- the plot started back and I am all in again. But this is by far my least enjoyable volume solely because there was no relief from the harshness between He Yu and Xie Qingcheng.

I know I don't have to tell anyone who's read this far to check the TW because you probably already know Meatbun as an author 😬.

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I still am not okay with the SA that happened at the end of vol 2 and multiple times in this book as well. I know XQ technically "aquiesced/compromised" but it still feels ick. I will definitely continue reading to see what happens or is revealed that hopefully makes me feel better about them as a couple. Seven more volumes to go and I'm told chapter 102 will change my feelings so 🤞🏻.

The last chapter had me crying but I'm infuriated at how SS ended it on a cliffhanger. So little reward after such a negative feeling evoking volume.

**I'm in my feelings right now and might edit this review later**

[kaylina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 / 5: “All this time, there’s never been anyone who loved me for real. At least in the future, there’ll be someone who hates me passionately. That would be good too.”

never will i be able to recommend this story to anyone because this really feels like it’s meant for a very very very niche audience…….and i can make peace with that :’)

bc even then, this is a really special title to me. there’s the complexity of he yu’s character, and how rare it feels to see such a compelling dynamic that is very unhealthy—and both of them are very well aware of it—but it’s soooo….well-written?? there’s still so much chemistry?? it feels so painful to read but also may leave you overwhelmed because of how much he yu feels in regards to xie qingcheng, and yet so little for everything & everyone else.

it’s like a moving train wreck, but premeditated—as if both the author and her characters have much more control than the story seems. there’s so many times he yu is led to believe he finally gained some control over xie qingcheng, but then the story pulls it all in reverse. he’s driven so far in this volume that it was painful to read, but it made his character more interesting, than annoying…..

anyways, he yu & xie qingcheng are one of my top favorite pairings this year—truly can’t imagine them being with anyone else; they’re just too much. there’s a comedic factor to their dynamic that feels so surreal, it could leave you with whiplash, because then you’re falling into yet another intense & passionate scene between them.

This stupid production was really dumb as fuck—absolutely no foresight to speak of! Young Master He the capitalist wanted to fuck this man, yet they went ahead and reimbursed his room fees so he could live somewhere else!

and then…?

“You have no idea how much of my courage to live came from the fundamental principles you once taught me… But then you tore that courage right out of me.”

like???

and the way the overall plot still lingers behind them and all that tension has me hooked, so now i’m aching for the next volume :’)

content warnings:

major: very dubious consent, sexual content, descriptions of blood & violence, and depiction of mental illness & breakdowns
moderate: homophobia, death, self-harm, and suicidal ideation
minor: pregnancy, and parental neglect

[lyss · Rating 5 out of 5]

the scene on the cover omg maybe i do need to kms... how could you meatbun... MY HE YU i will always love and defend you

[vi ☽ .☆ﾟ. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Did you know? To you, those words were just a handful of trivial lies. But for the last ten years, they were all I could rely on.” ❤️‍🩹

4.5/5 ⭐️

!! as usual, major disclaimer to check trigger warnings if you are ever starting this book series as it deals with lots and lots of stuff that you probably wouldn’t wanna read. it has major dark themes and problematic tropes/plotlines/behavior as well !!

okay now, coming to this volume, i actually loved it more than the previous 2 volumes. although there was more angst, pain, and misunderstandings between he yu and xqc, it was not really boring. also, loved the last few chapters. they really made me feel like this is a 5-star read.

AND THE SCENE IN THE COVER PIC!!!! oh my goddd i loved it so muchh!! i will think about it always :”) i think its one of my favorite scenes ever now.

i didn’t expect them to end this volume with such a cliffhanger!!! but im so so excited to see some real emotions in xie qingcheng and im sooo looking forward to know more about him <3

keeping aside the problematic stuffs, it was a really fun read. I LOVE XIE QINGCHENG SO MUCH!!!

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ♥*♡∞
pre-read: i think i started bab solely because of this cover and cover alone. im so in love with it. this is the first time i've ever started reading a book because of a cover lol. this cover art looks so sweet and comforting, the expression on he yu's face looks too sweet and genuine, and can't ignore the 'hy♡xqc' on his shirt haha. anyways, im kinda excited to see what this cover is about.

[kiara ✾ ·˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"All this time, there’s never been anyone who loved me for real. At least in the future, there’ll be someone who hates me passionately. That would be good too.”

hexie match each other's freak to a degree that is dangerous to the public

[Rose ✧⁎⁺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5☆

A CLIFFHANGER??? ☹️

[hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It's your heart. You're sick in the heart."

can this series stop hurting me PLEASE 😭 i did not get the chance to have one single normal breath during this whole volume. scratch that, THIS WHOLE SERIES. the hold this couple has on my heart AND throat......😭💔😭

"Xie Qingcheng was right by his side. He only had to reach out a hand, and he would feel a hint of another person's warmth. It was a warmth that wouldn't leave...a warmth that could only be taken by death."

what the actual fuck!!!!!! 💔 i felt like i got stabbed in the heart. the devastation i was experiencing i can't even describe.

this series has utterly surprised me especially after my experience with volume one. this was basically five stars but the middle felt a little boring and dragged a bit but i loved everything else. i swear i'm going through the five stages of grief. my poor baby he yu, he's done some awful things but i cannot find it in myself to hate him. xie qingcheng is still being a major asshole and pissing me off, but i know he's falling for our boy he yu 🥺

the toxic love between them is just going to be so good, I NEED THEM TOGETHER ALREADY LIKE FMLLLLLL 🫠🤕😔😭

THAT FUCKING ENDING WHAT THE FUCKKKKK. i'm sorry it's like the only words in my vocabulary when it comes to this series is "what the fuck" SO YOU'RE TELLING ME I HAVE TO WAIT FOR VOLUME FOUR. thank god it comes out on february 11th

(my head hurts i read this in one sitting)

pre-read: i'm not ready i'm not ready i'm not ready i'm not ready i'm not ready i'm not ready i'm not ready i'm not ready i'm not ready i'm not ready i'm not ready i'm not ready i'm not ready

[Natasha]

There is high chance I will give this 5 stars, the scene portrayed by the cover is one of my favourites (I read the fan translation and it was heartbreaking).

Do not read if you haven’t checked all the trigger warnings first.

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea why I'm rooting for He Yu and Xie Qingcheng. None at all. Thank goodness volume 4 showed up on time.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

This volume picks up right where volume two left off, and continues to be almost relentlessly miserable throughout. That's not a criticism by any means, as the heaviness within is perfectly reflective of these two incredibly broken people who do not view themselves as human.

He Yu believes he is nothing but the animal he feared becoming, and doesn't hesitate to act on his primal instincts, no matter how abhorrent. He doesn't have anyone who cares about him, so why does anything matter?

Xie Qingcheng is a tool, and as such feels he is meant only to be used. He doesn't care what happens to himself, or to anyone except a very select few, whom he is growing to believe don't even need him anymore.

Both characters feel utterly alone, and I'd argue are passively suicidal throughout. This informs all of their toxic behaviors, and makes the ending of this volume all the more emotional.

The two of these characters are so similar, and I cannot help but want them together despite all the messiness, for it is obvious to me how much their needs mirror each other.

The author continues to write beautifully, managing to balance both her own disapproval of these two and her empathy for them.

The overall plot takes several steps forward here as well, and feels integrated much better than in previous volumes.

While I can't pretend this series will be for everyone, I was greatly moved by it, and am here for the long haul.

[Eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure why I’m reading this but kinda curious to see how she makes it work out in the end?? A lot of filler, most of it deeply unpleasant. Again cannot recommend this one lightly (if at all) check TWs

[K.C. ·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m so over this bullshit. Now I remember why I stopped reading it before. It’s so fucking repetitive and BORING. You’ve made up a fake illness as some excuse to write your weird gay rape fetish porn and I’m OVER IT. The plot is barely plotting because meatbun is too busy trying to get her fucking rocks off to whatever the fuck this is! Get a diary lady!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5, this story continues to cement itself as one for the freaks, and I love it. Is He Yu wrong for a lot of what he does? Certainly, but none of it makes me like him any less. That cliffhanger would've hit me like a fright train if I didn't have the next volume ready to go.

It is truly the best example of the opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference, and neither He Yu nor Xie Qingcheng are indifferent to the other. I'm curious to see what XQ tells HY about what happened 5 years before and for them to get to know more about the organization behind so much of the underhanded situations they have both found in the middle of.

I also really liked the little bonus story with He Yu as a dragonpuppy! Adorable! I would've adopted him as well.

[Susanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 3 of Case File Compendium is about the aftermath of the sexual assault in the previous volume. If the reader is hoping for soul-searching, deep conversations, healing and understanding, they will be sorely disappointed.

He Yu plunges deep into his psychopathy, living in a reality of his own, where his actions aren’t his fault, and pushing himself in Xie Qingcheng’s company—and into the older man’s bed. He’s still demanding answers for what took place when Xie Qingcheng resigned as his doctor. The latter isn’t willing to tell him anything, and only gives in to He Yu’s forceful demands to get rid of him faster.

Xie Qingcheng wants nothing to do with He Yu. He’s deeply traumatised by what took place, and he hates He Yu with passion. However, since he bottles everything in, he simply goes on as if nothing has happened, his rage surfacing only on occasion with He Yu. Reader feels both annoyance and sympathy for him, as it turns out he’s coped with hardships this way all his life.

Life keeps throwing the two together, and they end up on the set of a same movie production. Things get so bad that the reader starts believing this will end with either of them killing the other. But before their hatred peaks, a serial killer shows up and the two are caught in his web.

This was a difficult, heavy book. On one hand, I’m happy that the events of the previous book aren’t glossed over here, but there was nothing light to give the reader even a breather. Even the revelation of the source of He Yu’s madness didn’t ease things, as it’s a tragic story too.

We mostly follow He Yu as he descends into his madness. The brief lucid moments are always followed by worse delusions and violence. And Xie Qingcheng’s suffering isn’t any easier to witness. There aren’t even any side stories and plots that would take attention away from the two even briefly. And just as the plot changes a new gear, the book ends in a double cliffhanger, with Xie Qingcheng ready to reveal one of his secrets, and the pair in a mortal peril.

Nevertheless, this was a good book. He Yu’s mental illness is believable and Xie Qingcheng’s suffering relatable. It’ll be an agony to wait for the next book, but I’m invested in the story now. It’ll definitely need all the remaining several volumes before any sort of HEA can be achieved.

[elise✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite so far honestly. The SA content is really not for me and though towards the very end this seems to be resolving it just doesn’t quite get there enough. The apologies aren’t flushed out enough given the circumstances and I definitely need more of that going forward. Overall, I want less aggressive sex and WAY MORE of the crazy mafia narrative! Like what is up with this organization and what does He Yu and Xie Qingcheng have to do with it??? The cliffhanger were left with here is just so rude because this is literally exactly what I want more of and now I have to wait for a whole other book 😤

[sydney ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

playing celine dion at a moment like that….he yu i know what you are even if you don’t

[noelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

rose y jack DESEARÍAN ser como estos dos (los amo por siempre)

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn I am sad.

[somnus &#x1fab4; · Rating 4 out of 5]

the final chapters are SO good omg

[anmol · Rating 4 out of 5]

meatbun’s ability to make me absolutely detest a character but still make me get attached to them is crazy what does she put in her books 😩

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me reenamoré de He Yu 😩🤌

[Chloe ⋆·˚ ༘ * · Rating 4 out of 5]

"He was lying in the cold water, but he knew that right now, he wasn't alone. Xie Qingcheng was right by his side. He only had to reach out a hand, and he would feel a hint of another person's warmth. It was a warmth that wouldn't leave...a warmth that could only be taken away by death."

Mandatory warning to read the TWs before reading this series!

3.5 stars - again I'm so conflicted because I do genuinely enjoy reading this series so much but He Yu man...he's a sad, tragic character who does terrible things. If only He Yu would communicate with Xie Qingcheng better maybe we wouldn't get development only when they're on the brink of death. Following He Yu was actually quite fun until most of his actions across this volume started TvT. But he had a few redeemable moments which leave me with a bit of hope for his future character development. This tore at me though:

"I don't care what you think of me. After all, there's never been anyone who sincerely loved me, who regarded me as an equal [...] I'm used to all of it."

His voice was calm, but he sounded like a complete madman, lonely and paranoid beyond belief, his response born of despair. It was as if he had gone mad, but also as if he was begging."

Xie Qingcheng seemingly has less focus in this volume since we follow more of He Yu's struggle as he's coming to terms with his feelings (can't believe the amount of mental gymnastics he's doing to avoid admitting he's gay💀) but his little moments were still heartbreaking to read:

"In other words, there was no one in the world who couldn't live without him. And so Xie Qingcheng tore himself into countless pieces so that he could use his own flesh and bones to deal with any feral dogs or wicked dragons he encountered on the road."

Like He Yu is the one who can't live without him please TvT. One particularly section that was the most upsetting was probably when He Yu falls from the balcony and has his dream about Xie Qingcheng, yet wakes up and has no response from the man to his messages about relapsing into another episode.

So it turned out that, in the end, He Yu was the wretched one. He had lost sight of himself, while Xie Qingcheng had not."

Really I'm just holding out for their relationship to improve because I can't support it as much as I want to when it consists of He Yu blackmailing Xie Qingcheng TvT.

One of my favourite moments was the fact Seven Seas included the mini theatre! The art for that was so sweet I thought I was going to cry at the contrast between it and the rest of the novel. The little exchange between puppydragon He Yu and Xie Qingcheng was adorable:

"Are you really very cheap?"
"Mm-hm!"
"How much?"
The puppydragon wagged his tail and piped up in a childish voice, "1.68 million!"
"...I'm broke."
The puppydragon grew anxious, his tail wagging more furiously as he jumped up and clung to his waist. "Free of charge! Free of charge!"

Just praying that we get better development in the next volume since we should be reaching the halfway point soon TvT.

[Fudanshi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

These two need help. Professional. Help.

I came real close to DNF’n this series due to the toxicity between ZQ & HY. Esp after Vol. 2. However, I kind of want to see how this motley crew of the insane plays out. 🫣

[Mehak Garg · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried, okay? I really did. And I understand He Yu is not "normal" but I can't do this. You can't just overlook r*pe, you just can't, especially when you read Xie Qingcheng's POV & know his mental condition

[Michelle Easton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story gets more fucked up the more I read it!

He Yu becomes so unstable that he self-harms and almost ends his life by falling out a window all because Xie Qingcheng is ignoring him after a fight they had in the beginning of the book. As the story progresses we see He Yu go back to his baseline until he encounters the man who rocked his world on a film set.

He loses it again and is determined to get his man. He Yu uses all of the advantages of his mother's status to get the director to consistently make sure he and Xie Qingcheng are in the same place, and this becomes sick and twisted when he uses details from their relationship in a scene he needs to film for the movie.

After a nuisance to the younger man's plans leaves he and Xie Qingcheng end up escorting two production assistants to a set for the next day where they become trapped in a flooding room. The pair of them continue to bicker until it becomes clear that they are about to die. It is only then that Xie Qingcheng decides that he will tell the truth as to why he left He Yu alone all those years ago.

As messed up as this story is I am determined to finish it. If you are I urge you to look up the trigger warning and know that this is not for everyone. Happy Reading!

[liz ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded up

once again, as much as i liked the book, i think i can’t give it a 4 star rating due to the events that happen in the book. i really, really enjoyed the end. the whole entire book so far is heartbreaking and miserable, and i praise meatbun for knowing how to write that, how to write miscommunication between her main characters. it’s so well written, and that is why i continue to read the book. i know the book will get better in terms of hexie’s relationship from book 4, from what ive read. but who knows, im really hoping it starts to go up from here :3

[maggie♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

definitely better than the second volume

[A’ n h Kate ྀི · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tập này tiếp tục ngay tại nơi tập hai kết thúc, và tiếp tục gần như đau khổ không ngừng nghỉ trong suốt toàn tập truyện

Hạ Dư tin rằng anh ta không là gì ngoài con quái vật mà anh ta sợ phải trở thành, và không ngần ngại hành động theo bản năng nguyên thủy của mình, bất kể nó ghê tởm đến mức nào. Anh ta không có ai quan tâm đến mình.

Tạ Thanh Trình là một công cụ, và vì vậy anh ta cảm thấy mình chỉ được dùng để sử dụng. Anh ta không quan tâm đến những gì xảy ra với chính mình, hoặc với bất kỳ ai ngoại trừ một số ít người được chọn, những người mà anh ta ngày càng tin rằng thậm chí không cần anh ta nữa.

Hạ Dư vẫn đang đòi hỏi câu trả lời cho những gì đã xảy ra khi Tạ Thanh Trình từ chức bác sĩ. Người sau không muốn nói với anh ta bất cứ điều gì, và chỉ nhượng bộ trước những yêu cầu mạnh mẽ của Hạ Dư để thoát khỏi anh ta nhanh hơn.
Tạ Thanh Trình không muốn dính líu gì đến Hạ Dư. Anh bị chấn thương sâu sắc bởi những gì đã xảy ra, và anh ghét Hạ Dư một cách mãnh liệt. Tuy nhiên, vì anh kìm nén mọi thứ, anh chỉ đơn giản là tiếp tục như thể không có chuyện gì xảy ra, cơn thịnh nộ của anh chỉ thỉnh thoảng nổi lên khi Hạ Dư làm nhục anh.

Người đọc cảm thấy vừa khó chịu vừa thông cảm cho anh, vì hóa ra anh đã đối phó với những khó khăn theo cách này trong suốt cuộc đời mình.

Cuộc sống cứ đẩy hai người lại với nhau, và họ kết thúc ở trường quay của cùng một bộ phim. Mọi thứ trở nên tồi tệ đến mức người đọc bắt đầu tin rằng điều này sẽ kết thúc bằng việc một trong hai người giết người kia. Nhưng trước khi lòng căm thù của họ lên đến đỉnh điểm, một kẻ giết người hàng loạt xuất hiện và cả hai bị mắc vào lưới của hắn.

Chúng ta chủ yếu theo dõi Hạ Dư khi anh ta chìm vào cơn điên loạn của mình. Những khoảnh khắc tỉnh táo ngắn ngủi luôn được theo sau bởi những ảo tưởng và bạo lực tồi tệ hơn. Và nỗi đau khổ của Tạ Thanh Trình cũng không dễ chứng kiến ​​hơn. Thậm chí không có bất kỳ câu chuyện phụ và cốt truyện nào có thể khiến sự chú ý của cả hai rời xa dù chỉ trong chốc lát. Và ngay khi cốt truyện chuyển sang một hướng mới, cuốn sách kết thúc bằng một tình tiết hồi hộp kép, với việc Tạ Thanh Trình sẵn sàng tiết lộ một trong những bí mật của mình, và cả hai đang trong tình thế nguy hiểm đến tính mạng.

Cả hai nhân vật đều cảm thấy hoàn toàn cô đơn, và tôi cho rằng họ đều có ý định tự tử một cách thụ động trong suốt quá trình. Điều này hình thành nên tất cả các hành vi độc hại của họ và khiến cho cái kết của tập này càng trở nên xúc động hơn.

Hai nhân vật này rất giống nhau, và tôi không thể không muốn họ ở bên nhau mặc dù có rất nhiều sự lộn xộn, vì tôi thấy rõ nhu cầu của họ phản ánh lẫn nhau như thế nào.

Tác giả tiếp tục viết rất hay, cố gắng cân bằng giữa sự không tán thành của riêng cô ấy đối với hai anh nam chính và sự đồng cảm của cô ấy dành cho họ.

Cốt truyện tổng thể cũng tiến triển thêm nhiều bước ở đây, và có cảm giác được kết nối tốt hơn nhiều so với các tập trước.

Mặc dù tôi không thể giả vờ rằng bộ truyện này sẽ dành cho tất cả mọi người, nhưng tôi đã rất xúc động khi đọc nó và sẽ theo dõi lâu dài.

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•
•

This volume picks up right where volume two left off, and continues to be almost relentlessly miserable throughout the entire volume.

Xia Yu believes that he is nothing but the monster he fears becoming, and does not hesitate to act on his primal instincts, no matter how disgusting they are. He has no one who cares about him.

Xie Qingcheng is a tool, and so he feels like he is only used for his own benefit. He does not care what happens to himself, or to anyone except a select few, who he increasingly believes do not even need him anymore.

Xia Yu is still demanding answers for what happened when Xie Qingcheng resigned as a doctor. The latter does not want to tell him anything, and only gives in to Xia Yu's strong demands to get rid of him faster.
Xie Qingcheng wants nothing to do with Xia Yu. He is deeply traumatized by what happened, and he hates Xia Yu intensely. However, because he suppresses everything, he simply carries on as if nothing happened, his rage only occasionally surfacing when Xia Yu humiliates him.

The reader feels both annoyed and sympathetic towards him, as it turns out he has been dealing with hardships this way his entire life.

Life keeps pushing the two of them together, and they end up on the set of the same movie. Things get so bad that the reader begins to believe that this will end with one of them killing the other. But before their hatred reaches its peak, a serial killer appears and both of them are caught in his net.

We mostly follow Xia Yu as he sinks into his madness. Brief moments of lucidity are always followed by worse delusions and violence. And Xie Qingcheng’s suffering is no easier to witness. There aren’t even any side stories and plots that can take the attention away from both of them even for a moment. And just as the plot takes a new turn, the book ends on a double whammy, with Xie Qingcheng ready to reveal one of his secrets, and both of them in mortal danger.

Both characters feel completely alone, and I assume they both passively contemplate suicide throughout. This shapes all of their toxic behavior, and makes the ending of this volume all the more touching.

These two characters are so similar, and I can’t help but want them to be together despite all the chaos, because I can clearly see how their needs mirror each other.

The author continues to write beautifully, managing to balance her own disapproval of the two male leads with her sympathy for them.

The overall plot also takes a few more steps forward here, and feels much better connected than in previous volumes.

While I can't pretend that this series will be for everyone, I was very moved by it and will be following it for the long haul.

[Riki (˶˃⤙˂˶) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25💫

Drowning in Obsession

Some stories don’t just descend into darkness—they drag you down, suffocate you in it, and refuse to let go. Case File Compendium does precisely that. This volume tightens its grip, forcing the reader deeper into the unraveling psyches of its characters, where obsession festers, trauma twists, and mystery lingers like a ghost in the shadows. The slow-burn tension of previous volumes erupts into something raw, volatile, and unflinchingly brutal.

A Beautifully Deranged Mind
He Yu continues to be a breathtaking mess of contradictions—equal parts desperate, hormonal teenager and unhinged, obsessive force of nature. His entitlement to Xie Qingcheng’s affection burns so intensely it becomes unbearable. Every violent outburst, every moment of internalized homophobia, every rationalization of his own spiraling emotions is both exhausting and enthralling.

There’s something deeply unsettling about how convincing his thought process can be, how easy it is to be dragged into his warped worldview before remembering—oh, this is madness. This is delusion. And yet, the tragedy of He Yu is that he believes it. He’s drowning in an ocean of his own making, slipping further from reality with every desperate grasp for something real. The narrative does not ask for sympathy. It does not soften his edges. It simply lays him bare—deranged, fragile, and terrifyingly human.

. . .

Xie Qingcheng remains an enigma, a man shaped by both suffering and stoicism. As He Yu’s victim, his pain is undeniable. And yet, this volume forces us to ask: Has Xie Qingcheng truly been cruel, or is his coldness a warped form of protection? Did he push He Yu away for selfish reasons, or was he desperately trying to prevent something worse?

Then there’s the infamous video. What is Xie Qingcheng hiding? Are we even remotely close to understanding the truth? With every breadcrumb the story drops, the picture shifts, distorting what we thought we knew. One thing is certain: the truth, when fully revealed, will hurt.

Psychological Ebola & The Sci-Fi Intrigue
The concept of psychological Ebola remains… odd. The name itself feels jarring, its real-world association clashing with its fictional purpose. But the mind-control element? The eerie implications of mental illness making one susceptible to manipulation? That is chilling. And yet, the science behind it remains frustratingly murky. Is the series suggesting a purely biological basis for all mental disorders? Could neurotransmitter imbalances or hormonal shifts explain He Yu’s blood magic? The ambiguity is compelling—but it also risks feeling too vague.

Despite this, the biomedical horror laced throughout the story adds a sinister, dystopian edge. The world feels suffocating, dripping in paranoia and concealed atrocities. There’s an unsettling sense that we’re merely scratching the surface of something far greater—something waiting to unravel in ways we can’t yet predict.

Beauty in Chaos
One thing Bing An Ben has excelled at since the very beginning: stunning artwork. The way emotions bleed through each illustration, the masterful interplay of beauty and horror—it all creates an experience that is as visually mesmerizing as it is narratively devastating.

And just when the intensity threatens to become too much, we are gifted the Magical Pet Shop chapter—a moment of pure, heart-melting reprieve. A reminder that, despite everything, all the lies and deceit, it was Xie Qingcheng who took He Yu in when nobody else would.

. . .

This wasn’t my favorite volume—but not because it failed. On the contrary, it did exactly what it set out to do: It dragged me into He Yu’s personal hell, forced me to sit with his madness, and left me deeply, deeply unsettled.

More than ever, this volume raises questions rather than answering them. The tangled web of obsession, trauma, and hidden truths only tightens, pulling us further into its depths. And with that cliffhanger?

There’s no escape now.