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逐玉
【原名《侯夫人与杀猪刀》】
爹娘过世，竹马退婚，亲戚想吃绝户，樊长玉为了五岁幼妹，决定招赘。
她把主意打到了自己救回来的男人身上，对方遍体鳞伤，身无长物，只有一张脸能看。
两人很快谈成条件：她收留男人养伤，对方假入赘帮她保住家产。
家业稳固后，樊长玉如约正要写和离书，怎料朝廷打仗征兵，男人被当做壮丁抓走，至此杳无音讯。
再次见到男人时，他浑身是血躺在伤兵帐里，沾着血的脸俊美如初，身上的小卒兵服却被砍得残破不堪。
看他在军中过得这般艰难，樊长玉红了眼眶：“你别从军了，回去，我杀猪养你。”
男人虚着眼，咳出一口血：“你要同我和离……”
樊长玉眼泪汪汪：“不离了不离了！”
【小剧场】
武安侯谢征少年成名，战功赫赫，弱冠之年便以军功封侯，在整个大胤朝再无其二，治军手段更是以铁血严酷闻名。
近日，军中将士们却觉着他们侯爷有些奇怪。
他不住自己的中军帐，反而挤在破破小小的伤兵帐里。
身上被戳了个血窟窿，往常三两天就能下地，这次也是躺了十天半月还不见好。
去探病回来的狗头军师啧啧两声，“躺着有人给擦身喂药，伤当然迟迟好不了！”
直到他们那位素未谋面的侯夫人，怕自己的病秧子赘婿死在战场上，偷穿上那身残破不堪的小卒兵服，代夫出征去了，他们“重伤”卧床多日的侯爷才惊得当场弹起来，赶紧披甲领兵去追。
残阳如血，长空雁泣。
提着把杀猪刀砍下敌将首级的樊长玉，看向远处踏起漫天黄沙赶来的友军，虚了虚眼。
她拉过一旁的小卒问：“你们那个穿着麒麟肩吞明光甲、驾着高头大马冲在最前方的将军，怎么跟我夫婿长得有点像？”
小卒：……有没有一种可能，他就是？
呆萌但虎的一比 小太阳 VS 那女人真粗鄙到那女人怎么就不喜欢我 谢侯爷
1V1，甜文
注：1.本文有配角是穿越人士，故归属古穿频道
2.慢热，慢燃
3.男主毒舌傲娇，因为童年原因，性格上有缺陷，偏执极度缺爱，有点点病娇，不太能接受这类男主的读者宝子慎入。
4.有身世梗，女主是蒙冤忠臣之后，后会杀上战场步入朝堂替家族平反。
5.原名《侯夫人与杀猪刀》
6.女主生肖属虎，义父给她取字“山君”，意为虎。开文于22年，正文完结于23年年初。
爹娘过世，竹马退婚，亲戚想吃绝户，樊长玉为了五岁幼妹，决定招赘。
她把主意打到了自己救回来的男人身上，对方遍体鳞伤，身无长物，只有一张脸能看。
两人很快谈成条件：她收留男人养伤，对方假入赘帮她保住家产。
家业稳固后，樊长玉如约正要写和离书，怎料朝廷打仗征兵，男人被当做壮丁抓走，至此杳无音讯。
再次见到男人时，他浑身是血躺在伤兵帐里，沾着血的脸俊美如初，身上的小卒兵服却被砍得残破不堪。
看他在军中过得这般艰难，樊长玉红了眼眶：“你别从军了，回去，我杀猪养你。”
男人虚着眼，咳出一口血：“你要同我和离……”
樊长玉眼泪汪汪：“不离了不离了！”
【小剧场】
武安侯谢征少年成名，战功赫赫，弱冠之年便以军功封侯，在整个大胤朝再无其二，治军手段更是以铁血严酷闻名。
近日，军中将士们却觉着他们侯爷有些奇怪。
他不住自己的中军帐，反而挤在破破小小的伤兵帐里。
身上被戳了个血窟窿，往常三两天就能下地，这次也是躺了十天半月还不见好。
去探病回来的狗头军师啧啧两声，“躺着有人给擦身喂药，伤当然迟迟好不了！”
直到他们那位素未谋面的侯夫人，怕自己的病秧子赘婿死在战场上，偷穿上那身残破不堪的小卒兵服，代夫出征去了，他们“重伤”卧床多日的侯爷才惊得当场弹起来，赶紧披甲领兵去追。
残阳如血，长空雁泣。
提着把杀猪刀砍下敌将首级的樊长玉，看向远处踏起漫天黄沙赶来的友军，虚了虚眼。
她拉过一旁的小卒问：“你们那个穿着麒麟肩吞明光甲、驾着高头大马冲在最前方的将军，怎么跟我夫婿长得有点像？”
小卒：……有没有一种可能，他就是？
呆萌但虎的一比 小太阳 VS 那女人真粗鄙到那女人怎么就不喜欢我 谢侯爷
1V1，甜文
注：1.本文有配角是穿越人士，故归属古穿频道
2.慢热，慢燃
3.男主毒舌傲娇，因为童年原因，性格上有缺陷，偏执极度缺爱，有点点病娇，不太能接受这类男主的读者宝子慎入。
4.有身世梗，女主是蒙冤忠臣之后，后会杀上战场步入朝堂替家族平反。
5.原名《侯夫人与杀猪刀》
6.女主生肖属虎，义父给她取字“山君”，意为虎。开文于22年，正文完结于23年年初。
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Published January 1, 2023
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April 20, 2026
Did I just read 3570 pages in 20 days right after binge watching the 40-episode c-drama in 3?
YES I FUCKING DID AND WOULD 100% DO IT AGAIN!!!
I fear obsession is not a strong enough word for what I feel towards this story.
While the show gave amazing romance, lovable main characters, relevant side characters that you love just as much as the main cast, and villains that make you question your morals, the novel gave me romance and POLITICAL INTRIGUE like no other.
It's such a pity that they had to cut off a lot of the scenes and plot points in the drama adaptation for the sake of the side cast getting more screen time and relevance. I guess it is understandable since they had to make it work for only 40 episodes. Cuz trust me if they followed the exact plot of this book, it would take at least 60 episodes (we were robbed, I swear).
I will never forgive them for not giving me Xie Zheng and Fan Changyu's second wedding...
I know I've been mostly talking about the drama rather than the book, but that's because I genuinely can not separate the two.
While reading this, I was legit picturing the actors that played the roles. Although some of them don't exist in the drama.
I can't really say anything about the writing since I read an unofficial translation (the day this book gets officially translated in English, best believe I will get my hand on it). Buuut, I will say whoever translated the version I read was COOKING.
Anyway, I have to point out that although I did finish the main story, I still have the side and extra chapters left. I just can not bear saying goodbye to this story, so I'll make them last as much as I can by reading them as slowly as possible.
Now let me go re-watch the drama byeee ( and i guess i need to finish a curse for true love..🙄)
YES I FUCKING DID AND WOULD 100% DO IT AGAIN!!!
I fear obsession is not a strong enough word for what I feel towards this story.
While the show gave amazing romance, lovable main characters, relevant side characters that you love just as much as the main cast, and villains that make you question your morals, the novel gave me romance and POLITICAL INTRIGUE like no other.
It's such a pity that they had to cut off a lot of the scenes and plot points in the drama adaptation for the sake of the side cast getting more screen time and relevance. I guess it is understandable since they had to make it work for only 40 episodes. Cuz trust me if they followed the exact plot of this book, it would take at least 60 episodes (we were robbed, I swear).
I will never forgive them for not giving me Xie Zheng and Fan Changyu's second wedding...
I know I've been mostly talking about the drama rather than the book, but that's because I genuinely can not separate the two.
While reading this, I was legit picturing the actors that played the roles. Although some of them don't exist in the drama.
I can't really say anything about the writing since I read an unofficial translation (the day this book gets officially translated in English, best believe I will get my hand on it). Buuut, I will say whoever translated the version I read was COOKING.
Anyway, I have to point out that although I did finish the main story, I still have the side and extra chapters left. I just can not bear saying goodbye to this story, so I'll make them last as much as I can by reading them as slowly as possible.
Now let me go re-watch the drama byeee ( and i guess i need to finish a curse for true love..🙄)
October 7, 2025
He hugged her tightly, his voice deep and hoarse. “No matter what identity you have when you’re with me, it’s always open and honorable.”
Fan Changyu said, “What I’m looking for is the confidence to walk alongside you forever. This confidence doesn’t come from how deep your feelings are for me, but from myself. Even a powerful eagle can’t carry another eagle while flying, right?”
《 5 stars 》a thrilling historical romance novel filled with political intrigue and complex characters. absolutely mesmerizing writing and translation, i am in love with the author's writing style. the characters are soo well fleshed out, every decision they take makes sense and even the villains you understand them. a generation of people suffering because of the power struggles of the generation past. who is the real villain? the mystery and politics will keep you on your toes till the end.
— them ˙⊹ Fan Changyu had only meant to tease him, but hearing him speak of himself this way caused her heart to ache once more.
How could she not know what kind of man he was? She leaned forward to place a kiss on his cheek and said, “Then let’s be bound together. They say good people don’t live long—if you’re a bad person, perhaps that will make me happier.”
“Don’t you believe I can stop them?”
Xie Zheng forcefully pulled her into his embrace, “If you can’t stop them, then don’t. Just come back to me alive.”
She looked up at him, “Those aren’t the words you should be saying to a general.”
“You are a general to thousands of people, but you are also my wife. I’m instructing my wife.”
and the main stars of the show: our main characters! fondly referred to as himbo pig butcher, fan changyu and murderous pretty princess, xie zheng. the novel has its pretty cliche tropes with a marriage of convenience and our female lead taking her husband's place in the war out of worry (very mulan of her indeed). and yet the way the author explores this within the world is soo well-done you could read about them over and over. these two are soo ride-or-die for each other, pls do not get between them. you will not end well :) their relationship was soo delicious to watch, because we go from fake-married to separated to definitely-exes to nvm-theyre-too-feral-for-each-other. pls read and find out how amazing this tale of a well-feared general falling for the commoner butcher girl who saved him.
— fan changyu ˙⊹ Even if it meant breaking her bones, she would crawl, step by step, towards that truth.
In matters of the heart, she seemed cautious, considering everything before giving her heart away. But once she truly gave her heart, she didn’t care at all about worldly etiquette. She had given him her most sincere and passionate self, and he couldn’t help but cherish her for it.
fan changyu is everything to me as an older sister myself. and watching her grow from a butcher in lin'an to a general in the battlefield,,, it was everything! she is steady, grounded, driven by justice and very much in tune with reality. but she is also kind and caring, and once she likes you, a part of her heart is reserved for you forever ^^ her dynamic with her sister was the cutest ever!! chang ning is her little shadow indeed :))
— xie zheng ˙⊹ “After meeting you, I stopped thinking about dying on the battlefield. How could I die?”
Even if he died, he hoped she would live well. He couldn’t bear to part with her. She was the only sun he had ever embraced in his life. But he hated becoming someone like his mother, so he hoped for her happiness. As long as she spread her light and warmth in the world, he wouldn’t feel cold in hell.
xie zheng is a pretty familiar male lead, an all powerful general marquis that falls for a trap and is on a quest for vengeance. he is fueled by rage for at least the first half of the book, and then something shifts. is he sane? yes. is he also veryyy much unhinged? yesss :)) but you gotta understand his history to realize that yeah ok, this is very much valid lol. he also has a lot of parallels to his uncle throughout the novel. two people soo very similar and yet on opposite sides. makes you wonder why?
— side characters ˙⊹
my fav side characters have got to be chang ning, yu qian-qian, gongsun yin, ms. zhao and the entire xie family soldiers. those soldiers are not paid enough for everything they have to go through lol, especially xie wu and xie qi.
⋆˙⟡ — overall ˙⊹
the book has fake/hidden identity, slow burn romance, lots of angst (valid reasons!!), and found family. every arc within the book had clear purpose, and every side character was memorable. brilliant wrting because it took me two reads to figure out this convoluted power struggles that spans generations TT also im no expert on military strategy so my words are basically nothing, but they made sense! everything gets explained so that you get to experience their character building in real time. and the extra chapters were everything! it explained soo much and gave lots of backstory to certain characters... anyways i have enough highlights in this novel to make another novel so wont be sharing too many on here lol.
i read the english translated version from mydramanovel. will be back after i finish watching the drama to give a small drama review hehe ^^
⋆˙⟡ — incoherent review:
the cdrama released on march 6th, 2026!! i've watched uptill ep 7 and this adaptation gives me hope 🥹✨ its soo well done and keeps the characters essence intact <33
DEAR CDRAMA GODS PLS DONT MESS UP THIS ADAPTATION! full rtc :)
⋆˙⟡ dates read ˙⊹
⤿ 27/09/25 - 07/10/25
⤿ 24/11/25 - 30/11/25
⤿ 07/03/26 - 24/03/26
March 18, 2026
4,3/5
August 9, 2026
Lock in for a long review. 🫡 These are mostly thoughts pulled straight from my Notes app.
It’s like this: the Netflix series was superb. It found exactly the right balance between character, politics, and romance. And after reading the novel, I understand a lot of the creative decisions the adaptation made/changed. In simple terms, both the show and the book had the same destination in mind, but slightly different ways in getting there.
Because I won’t lie, if the book had interrupted everything happening in the central plot to make me spend significant time with Gongsun and Qi Zhu, I would’ve been annoyed lol. The series was able to expand those characters and relationships in a way that never felt distracting from the larger story. The novel, however, is much more tightly focused. Its timeline moves through a specific chain of events, and there just isn’t the same room for side stories without disrupting the momentum. That being said, I’m still so glad we eventually get those side stories. This book basically had another book at the end after the main conflict was resolved, purely to give closure on many of the other characters and side stories. It was a lot of extra info that I loved getting at the end. Every loose end was tied.
BUT
I was mainly here for two people: Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng. This had the perfect slow build up that can only be managed in a 1000(+) page novel, and build it did! To the point that my heart was constantly racing in anticipation over the simplest of moments. Their humble beginning really laid the foundation for the romance to succeed in all the ways it did. The author managed to give meaning to so many quiet, seemingly insignificant moments with a look, or an afterthought, or my favorite, small acts of care, ie: the vambraces, the doll, book annotations, a hair ribbon! Ugh! So much significance! Their love really creeps up and becomes something deeply meaningful, where both get the opportunity to prove themselves… it gets to a lovely point that borders on obsession. At least from the marquis 😆 which I’m 💯 here for. That man truly wants to eat her alive. I keep coming back to how romantic this book manages to be without constantly stopping to prove that it’s romantic. And maybe it’s even got a little unhinged romance but there are no graphic scenes fighting for the spotlight. It’s more about what the words allude to that makes this book so 🥵 The tension comes from restraint, loyalty, jealousy, sacrifice, political alliance, the things they notice about each other, and everything they’re willing to risk without necessarily saying why. It’s perfect. The tv series could never give what the book gives in relation to the marquis and his absolute unhinged feelings for Changyu and what she means to him.
👏 Book vs show. Possible spoilers
Fan Changyu’s reasons for leaving and joining up with the Jingzhou army are much better relayed in the book. She wants to be someone deserving of him, and I loved the decisions she made in getting there. It never felt like something irreparable. a top 5 favorite fmc. The author was great about making Changyu a level headed leader, but also giving her faults, she made a hasty decision and I loved that she realized and took responsibility for her mistake. She became a high ranking general- but she was also just a naive girl at times.
.
Xie Zheng was better and worse lol in a good way! He’s 1000 x more possessive in the book. He’s also more locked in on his revenge, the reader knows his motives pretty early on, so when he finds out about Changyus family, his decisions that follow make sense, even if it hurts 😢 that being said, his punishment (the whippings) for what he believes is dishonoring his parents, is only right. But I still wish changyu had been with him!
I missed changyu having her little thug lackeys that followed her throughout the series BUT having high esteemed members from the Xie Faction, fits with what the reader knows about the Marquis, he would never leave her with anyone other than the best trained martial soldiers.
And I think that’s becoming my overall feeling about the differences: there are things I missed from the series, but very few changes in the book felt like something was actually missing. Most of them made more sense once I understood these characters from the inside. Everything was more intricate, and I think the show and the novel work together in unison to help me understand everything that was going on—this is already a 3D-chess kind of book. There are factions within factions, competing loyalties, political maneuvering, basically just schemes unfolding underneath other schemes. So really, I’m glad to have both formats in understanding this, and leaving me with so much to take away. This book was wise beyond words. If you loved the series, the book is a must read!
Quotes:
“I will pave every path for her. If she is willing to walk it with me, I will not let her stumble. If she still refuses… then let fate end here.”
“Rather than being treated like a fragile vase, carefully protected only to shatter the moment I fall, I’d rather forge myself into unbreakable steel.
‘Soldiers perish in the wilds; generals’ efforts come to naught. Thus we know war is a tool of slaughter, used only when the sage has no choice.'
It seemed his life was meant only for vengeance, unworthy of even the slightest joy or mercy in this world. Yet from her, he had received the purest, most fervent love.
“Don’t say such things again…” For a moment, there was unmistakable hatred in his gaze. “You’re right to call me a scoundrel. Even in death, I’d drag you into my coffin. And you talk to me about separating?”
In matters of the heart, she appeared cautious—weighing every concern before giving her heart away. Yet once she committed, she cared nothing for societal conventions. She gave him her most sincere and passionate self, and he couldn’t help but cherish it for her.
This feeling of being cherished and treasured made her believe that even if the road ahead was paved with fire and blades, she would fearlessly walk it by his side.
It’s like this: the Netflix series was superb. It found exactly the right balance between character, politics, and romance. And after reading the novel, I understand a lot of the creative decisions the adaptation made/changed. In simple terms, both the show and the book had the same destination in mind, but slightly different ways in getting there.
Because I won’t lie, if the book had interrupted everything happening in the central plot to make me spend significant time with Gongsun and Qi Zhu, I would’ve been annoyed lol. The series was able to expand those characters and relationships in a way that never felt distracting from the larger story. The novel, however, is much more tightly focused. Its timeline moves through a specific chain of events, and there just isn’t the same room for side stories without disrupting the momentum. That being said, I’m still so glad we eventually get those side stories. This book basically had another book at the end after the main conflict was resolved, purely to give closure on many of the other characters and side stories. It was a lot of extra info that I loved getting at the end. Every loose end was tied.
BUT
I was mainly here for two people: Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng. This had the perfect slow build up that can only be managed in a 1000(+) page novel, and build it did! To the point that my heart was constantly racing in anticipation over the simplest of moments. Their humble beginning really laid the foundation for the romance to succeed in all the ways it did. The author managed to give meaning to so many quiet, seemingly insignificant moments with a look, or an afterthought, or my favorite, small acts of care, ie: the vambraces, the doll, book annotations, a hair ribbon! Ugh! So much significance! Their love really creeps up and becomes something deeply meaningful, where both get the opportunity to prove themselves… it gets to a lovely point that borders on obsession. At least from the marquis 😆 which I’m 💯 here for. That man truly wants to eat her alive. I keep coming back to how romantic this book manages to be without constantly stopping to prove that it’s romantic. And maybe it’s even got a little unhinged romance but there are no graphic scenes fighting for the spotlight. It’s more about what the words allude to that makes this book so 🥵 The tension comes from restraint, loyalty, jealousy, sacrifice, political alliance, the things they notice about each other, and everything they’re willing to risk without necessarily saying why. It’s perfect. The tv series could never give what the book gives in relation to the marquis and his absolute unhinged feelings for Changyu and what she means to him.
👏 Book vs show. Possible spoilers
Fan Changyu’s reasons for leaving and joining up with the Jingzhou army are much better relayed in the book. She wants to be someone deserving of him, and I loved the decisions she made in getting there. It never felt like something irreparable. a top 5 favorite fmc. The author was great about making Changyu a level headed leader, but also giving her faults, she made a hasty decision and I loved that she realized and took responsibility for her mistake. She became a high ranking general- but she was also just a naive girl at times.
.
Xie Zheng was better and worse lol in a good way! He’s 1000 x more possessive in the book. He’s also more locked in on his revenge, the reader knows his motives pretty early on, so when he finds out about Changyus family, his decisions that follow make sense, even if it hurts 😢 that being said, his punishment (the whippings) for what he believes is dishonoring his parents, is only right. But I still wish changyu had been with him!
I missed changyu having her little thug lackeys that followed her throughout the series BUT having high esteemed members from the Xie Faction, fits with what the reader knows about the Marquis, he would never leave her with anyone other than the best trained martial soldiers.
And I think that’s becoming my overall feeling about the differences: there are things I missed from the series, but very few changes in the book felt like something was actually missing. Most of them made more sense once I understood these characters from the inside. Everything was more intricate, and I think the show and the novel work together in unison to help me understand everything that was going on—this is already a 3D-chess kind of book. There are factions within factions, competing loyalties, political maneuvering, basically just schemes unfolding underneath other schemes. So really, I’m glad to have both formats in understanding this, and leaving me with so much to take away. This book was wise beyond words. If you loved the series, the book is a must read!
Quotes:
“I will pave every path for her. If she is willing to walk it with me, I will not let her stumble. If she still refuses… then let fate end here.”
“Rather than being treated like a fragile vase, carefully protected only to shatter the moment I fall, I’d rather forge myself into unbreakable steel.
‘Soldiers perish in the wilds; generals’ efforts come to naught. Thus we know war is a tool of slaughter, used only when the sage has no choice.'
It seemed his life was meant only for vengeance, unworthy of even the slightest joy or mercy in this world. Yet from her, he had received the purest, most fervent love.
“Don’t say such things again…” For a moment, there was unmistakable hatred in his gaze. “You’re right to call me a scoundrel. Even in death, I’d drag you into my coffin. And you talk to me about separating?”
In matters of the heart, she appeared cautious—weighing every concern before giving her heart away. Yet once she committed, she cared nothing for societal conventions. She gave him her most sincere and passionate self, and he couldn’t help but cherish it for her.
This feeling of being cherished and treasured made her believe that even if the road ahead was paved with fire and blades, she would fearlessly walk it by his side.
January 2, 2026
This was my first Chinese novel. I liked the plot and the chemistry, but the intimate things were not it. It felt more like abuse and very nonconsensual. Now I wonder if it's normal for other historical novels. I really liked the buildup of the romantic story, though.
December 1, 2024
Had to edit down my comments a lot - liked book, would re-read, lots of good
A---?
Chasing Jade
1 FL is Fan Changyu 2 ML is Yan Zheng? Uhhh ok his name changed in c5 to Xie Zheng …
7 Song Yan her trash ass ungrateful ex is upset she’s getting [fake] married? Eat your heart out, asshole, and die with regrets!
8 kinda the saddest wedding ever. And WTF does that Song asshole mean leaving those clay dolls FL gifted to him when she was 7-8 & she saw he was sad after his dad died. Fucker.
11 Yeah ML is *definitely* Marquis Wu An/Wu An Hou
<.< it occurs to me ML *might* have misophonia?
28 Ohhh He JingYuan is the governor of JiZhou! (And lol to FL thinking ML can’t match her ex but she also knows nothing a/b him… & it’s not her fault.)
30 so don’t love HJY betrayed his friend - & barely maybe kept FL & Fan ChangNing alive. Don’t want to have to deal w/ all this Wei Yan evil shit
31 pleasantly surprised ML was willing to writes couplets for ~everyone for the NY
my ❤️ “In the past, Xie Zheng had thought she was simply carefree, but at this moment, he suddenly realized that perhaps… she wasn’t carefree at all. She simply knew that she couldn’t afford to remain grief-stricken and depressed. So she worked hard to earn money, ate well every day, slept well, and didn’t dare to let herself fall ill or become discouraged.”
34 This petty ass bastard lol he is kinda fixated on her ex. (And oof her learning her parents were prob deliberately murdered… & her family sucks + her not-gma is evil. At least she shouldn’t have to be so good to her not gparents now…)
38 ML openly verbally defeats the guys talking shit on FL, & she’s about to throw a sack over the ringleader + beat him up
39 aww her confusion, thinking he looks down on her either for her beating dude or the foot water (which yeah no), but for him it’s actually he’s unsettled by the intimacy
42 he’s leaving
43 I’m actually annoyed he gets mad at her every time she mentions him meeting a girl he'll like … cuz dude you’ve not only never given her ANY indication you feel ANYTHING for her you’ve actually mostly been kinda mean and disdainful. So … stop being a fuckhead?
lol face slapped! Mine!
“He thought, if that’s how it is, so be it. What’s so special about a butcher’s daughter anyway?
As he walked towards his room, passing under the eaves, snowflakes fell on his brow. The chill of the melting snow seeped into his bones, eroding the last bit of pride in his heart.” => it’s cuz he thinks he very well might not make it and doesn’t want her entangled with him!!! Ahhh lol I take back my mean comments
I also really fucking hate everyone is testing ML & pushing him to the edge
Ex-Gov He, WHAT IF HE DIES. Son of the former crown prince- Fucker doesn’t deserve to have power
45 FL is a bit too in love w/ kidnapping…
Ah “The Marquis of Wu’an of Da Yin had the surname Xie, given the name Zheng, and courtesy name Jiuheng.”
49(?) Yikes this Sui Yuanqing rebel guy … oh Yu QianQian is Sui’s older brother’s concubine
49! Awww ML saved FL. uh oh she’s caught that Shi guy’s attention. wanting to take her back as a concubine
52 he kissed her!!! lol she can’t read him at all & I don’t blame her - she’s not stupid she’s just inexperienced plus he’s like a 100,000 year old fox so
53 omg these 2 “Xie Zheng leaned against a wooden pillar, the knife at his throat, yet his expression remained unchanged. Only when he heard Fan Changyu’s words did he raise his eyes, his expression unusually serious. “Rather than having poor judgment and finding another ingrate in the future, you might as well be with me.”
These words, once spoken, stunned not only Fan Changyu but also Xie Zheng himself. Then, a numb sense of pleasure washed over him, as if his rationality had been forcibly destroyed.
Yes, wouldn’t it be better to keep her by his side rather than let her marry someone else in the future?”
well she reacted HORRIBLY. (Granted his actions were ) but… now she thinks he’s been conscripted & taken away…
(I’ve never heard of this 10 linked household registration thing!)
55 ML just broke his buddy Gong Sun Yun’s brain telling him he got rejected
59 oof STRESS. Thank god ML saved FL. seems she’s learning more about her parents death now?
Eee 60 “He used his fingertip to wipe away a drop of medicine remaining at the corner of Fan Changyu’s mouth. After silently watching her for a long while, he suddenly said, “Fan Changyu, I will marry you.”
“If you don’t speak, I’ll take it as agreement.”” Also oof how did the author make that ~innocent/innocuous scene where he’s about to do the gua sha to break her fever SO HOT?!
63 the Wangs are dead (oh FL not recognizing ML ) poor little FCN has been kidnapped by SYQ - shithead
65 Oh shiiiit considering HJY won’t tell ML who FL’s dad really was … I imagine he had something to do w/ ML’s dad’s death
66… ok so Sui YuanHuai is even more of a monster than his younger bro… he’s pretending to be the eldest son of Prince Xin … wait so is SYH not the actual SYH & he’s the son of the former crown prince? (🫥 Prince Xin’s son actually did die in that palace fire 17 years ago?) … ok I was right. And eek to face burned beyond recognition
70 ML has rescued FCN! Poor lil girl. And him - he better be ok!
I don’t know why but I find Grand Tutor Tao’s childishness even more endearing than annoying
72 yaaay reunited! lol this comedy of errors happening to keep ML’s identity hidden
74 Oof “He had never so desperately wanted something while simultaneously being so afraid of losing it.”
Ahhh he kissed her eyelid and she kissed his cheek!
77 LOL FL takes down a bear on her own
78 FL is such a damn badass!!
79 GSY (OR WHATEVER HIS NAME IS) is losing his soul w/ every new thing he learns about FL
Aw “He said: “I won’t die.”
How could he bear to die when he hadn’t married her yet?”
81 “The crowd first sighed, then began to discuss enthusiastically. Some even discreetly tidied their hair when Fan Changyu came in.
Those eager gazes seemed to be hoping that Fan Changyu’s husband, who was “just barely hanging on,” would stop struggling and pass away soon.”
84 *blinks* my guy! (lol after he charges across the battlefield to grab her AFTER she defeated that super strong general! And the forceful kisses!) “When it ended, he pressed his forehead against hers, his scabbed hand gently stroking her rain-soaked hair. His voice was soft, his eyes pitch black: “As long as I’m alive, you’ll never bear children for anyone else in this life.””
86 aw he addressed all her concerns a/b them getting married
87 Ahhh ML is only 21?! So not too bad as FL is 16 … IMO they can resolve her “status issues” by having Tao adopt her (as a god daughter even) so she stops rejecting him! … omg lol I literally wrote that then a few paragraphs later ML brings it up! lol author! Are you me?! lol omg lol ML just agreed to find a husband for FL to his teacher
90 Ahhhh @800hz! “You say I could meet a better girl, but how do you know that to me, you’re not the best girl?”
… “Fan Changyu thought about their parting at that time and still felt somewhat guilty. Then remembering that she had just kicked him into the river out of embarrassment, she felt even more ashamed and said, “I won’t hit you anymore in the future, and you shouldn’t keep kissing me on impulse.”
Xie Zheng paused in stirring the fire and said, “Just don’t hit so hard.””
93 awww kisses!!! And she wants to join the other army to gain experience & training so she can properly stand beside him and accompany him- proudly
94 lol this grand tutor Tao. “But then he thought, this half-daughter-in-law was also his goddaughter. It wasn’t a bad thing for his simple girl to have a cunning brat protecting her. Not only did he stop feeling sour, but he even felt quite pleased.”
and ML managed to make GSY jealous too
97 why?! Why did ML have to slash his back for FL’s blade?! WHAT IF YOU NEED RANGE OF MOTION LATER?! Aside from that I do like the superstition & his gesture tho
98 ahhh even ML’s childishness & jealousy = cute! (I ugh with the biting though WTAF cnovel authors.)
99 *wiggles* omg they’re so cuuuutttee
100 HJY is gonna get murdered by a Wei Yan subordinate - but I want him to teach FL more!
(And ah she’s the daughter of that one general who committed suicide’s daughter. Her dad was a former subordinate of shit ass Wei Yan, fucking ungrateful bastard getting everything from FL’s dad and HJY.)
Also I hate Li + that faction too. AND the stupid emperor.
(104?) ““Your father was once a family guard of the Wei household. Due to his outstanding abilities, he was granted the Wei surname and named Qi Lin. After the Prime Minister married his sister to General Xie Linshan, your father went to work under General Xie. Later, he married into the family of Old General Meng, who was under General Xie’s command.”
Def 104 oh. Oh no. ““Fan Changyu.” Xie Zheng suddenly called her name.
Fan Changyu stared blankly at him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
Xie Zheng’s dark eyes showed no emotion as he said, “Let’s leave it at that. From now on, I will only consider you a junior sister.””
Man I get it but I’m also mad at him. I hope he eats his heart out & FL finds some other delightful better than all these trash ass men.
Gaaaah “He said, “Fan Changyu, the one who died in Jinzhou, whose body was displayed after being opened up, was my father. I can choose not to hate, but I cannot allow myself to love the daughter of Wei Qilin again. This is the best path I can choose for you.”
He held her face in both hands, watching her cry so hard that he even gently wiped her tears, but his words were resolute: “If I kill Wei Yan and survive, I will never leave the North again in this lifetime. I will never see you again, and when you marry in the future, don’t let me know.”
He smiled self-deprecatingly, but his eyes were devoid of any light: “I know what kind of person I am. If one day I regret today’s decision, even if I die, I will drag you into my coffin and bury you with me.””
107 FL has been promoted to “Colonel of the Valiant Cavalry” - Xiaoqi Duwei - a 5th rank position (& 300 taels … gold?) shoulda gotten 1k said ML. Assholes cheating her. Fuckhead emperor.
108 “Though his whole body was convulsing with pain, he just couldn’t wake up.
Or perhaps, he was already awake.
He just wanted to see her.
The longing made every bone in his body ache.
After enduring this punishment of 108 lashes, he could go find her.”
110 daaamn son! ““The Xie family has been loyal ministers to the Great Yin for a 100 years. My father died tragically on the Jinzhou battlefield 17 years ago, earning the name of a lifelong hero. I don’t want to tarnish his reputation, so I’m still willing to be a good minister for now. Go back and deliver a message to the little Emperor.”
“If he’s tired of sitting on that throne, this Marquis doesn’t mind finding someone to replace him.”
“Seventeen years ago, Wei Yan could put him on the dragon throne. Today, this Marquis can also pull him down.””
111 interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever read a ML [so] concerned/scared of his yandere tendencies. I like it
112 HJY died defending Lu city (did he at least leave a martial arts manual for FL?!) also ugh Li Huai’An is stupidly naive.
113 I imagine some of my emotional state is stress, but I was full on sobbing. FL heading out basically alone - only with what 13 pple to go challenge the rebels in single combat to help Lu city hold out longer. God.
114 fuuuuck it’s 20k against FL’s 2k - no wonder she’s out to sacrifice herself
Nooooooo Xie Wu. I’m crying again. He ran out to save FL
Ahhhh Xie Wu is for now clinging to life?!
116 “Li Huai’an covered his face and suddenly burst into bitter laughter.
He realized they had been wrong—“ - hopefully he changes!
I still can’t get over FL holding her own 1 vs 16 incredibly elite death guards. I hope ppl recognize her contributions
“Xie Zheng tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, his fingertips barely touching her cheek, as if wanting to touch yet forcefully restraining himself. He said softly: “In this world, no one has the right to let you die.””
118 “Fan Changyu, I regret it.” Oh, he’s crying. Honestly as soon as he had himself whipped I forgave him. Then he also came to save her. (Tho again w/ the coldness then forceful kisses. Guy BE GENTLE.)
122 lol I’m kinda mad I read that comment - person OBVS underestimates/disdains FL’s skills
But yeah annoying how the death guards so easily kill ML’s people. And LHA is only finally realizing that son of the former CP is a monster. The Li family picking Qi Min was stupid AF
127 yikes we all unfairly maligned ML’s mom. She killed herself to protect ~all her husband’s subordinates & esp ML, & sent him to her evil brother so he wouldn’t consider him a threat. Damn.
129 Yu Bao’Er might be the most yandere of them all… srsly is he jealous of GSY?!
And yay ML witnessed her triumphant entrance to the capital! She better be safe!
130 somehow I’m not happy a/b this/feels like tricks… “I hereby appoint you as Cloud & Plume General, and confer upon you the title of Second-Rank Commandery Princess.”
131 love he immediately went to find her
(lol! I forgot to note earlier- did they have sex or was it everything but?!)
139 lol another handy? But ahh after “What he thought, however, was that in the future, there would be no need to prepare her undergarments. It would be better if she wore his.
From the inside out, she should be entirely his.”
RNNGGHH “In matters of the heart, she seemed cautious, considering everything before giving her heart away.
But once she truly gave her heart, she didn’t care at all about worldly etiquette.
She had given him her most sincere and passionate self, and he couldn’t help but cherish her for it.
His Ayu deserved the best of everything this world had to offer.”
142 “aunt Zhao” the biggest pig teammate
148 I feel like there’s probably going to be some important hidden info in these annotated bks FL has never looked at…
And FINALLY a mention of Tao tho sadly seems they’re still just looking for him
152 well now they’ve had sex. but 😒 aphrodisiac trope. So unnecessary here - esp dislike since OBS they’d have sex as soon as they were married
Also I loathe this cannon fodder evil asshole emperor
155 oh my ❤️ “You are a general to thousands, but you are also my wife. I speak now to my wife.”
Annoying how either MTL or the ~editor or both fucked up on the generations - YBE is the former crown prince’s grandson not great grand son
And oh good Tao is alive … seems was held hostage by Wei Yan?
157 ML’s hand!!
158 *noises* “His voice was deep and hoarse: “Tying hair to become husband and wife, two hearts bound in love and trust. In life, I shall return; in death, I shall long for you eternally. I had wanted to tie our hair together on our wedding day, but you gave me yours early. I won’t return it now.””
159 no surprise Wei Xuan wasn’t actually Wei Yan’s bio dad. His mom was a shit mom tho - like at least fucking protect your kid. (And WY was a shit dad … yeah no still excuse imo)
160 wait so… there were 2 sets of real tiger tallies?!
163 … wait what? WTF? Is Yu QianQian some random transmigrator?
164 yaaay married! End of main text! lol 16!!! People carried FL’s wedding sedan & it was attended by both the emperor & empress dowager!
166 E2 lol ML encountering Song Yan & being jealous only to find the book Liu Huai An annotated for FL - she never even read it! lol her poor ~waist (srsly what happened to LHA)
168 E4 the rumors about our leads
169 e5 aww the way she coaxed him by making the puppets
… c171GS2 I do not care a/b this Qi Shu/Gong Sun Yi shit - plus HOW in the hell was a princess & her mom just allowed to spend months out of the palace?!
172 GS3 ok QS returning those chess manual pages - yes! Clean break! Fuck that man! Only no fucking!
Also so annoying ~editor keeps writing QS’s mom as empress dowager - she fucking isn’t. Yu QianQian is the empress dowager. Duh.
“In the same year, the young emperor, just 12 years old, began to rule personally. Xie Zheng resigned from his position as Regent and returned to the northern border with his wife, Marquis of Qingping Fan Changyu, to guard the frontier.”
173 Qi Min … ok honestly a LOT of him being so fucked up is on Lan WTAF was wrong w/ her stupid evil bitch.
IMO YQQ transmigrated sometime b/t the original becoming pregnant & her saving QM from the water
Hm normally I hate these whitewashing chapters but here I ended up not minding it so much - truly a tragic character
174 aha Li Huai’An hm kinda wish he’d seen FL again but - yay she had phoenix dragon twins in the 6th yr of YongXing - girl surnamed Xie, boy surnamed Meng!
(lol but fuck her dad’s surname right? like this was … just always ignored)
Ugh what a downer, tho I agree LHA definitely made up for his sins. Kinda sad he never saw FL again but I like that the twins met him & eased his conscience right before death
175 Wei Yan’s story AYFKM This intro of ML’s mom “following her husband” author this is just stupid who are you trying to fool. What a fucking monster. ML was only 4-5. This stupid c - sign you should fucking communicate. … yeah this was such a fucking stupid c. And we still get no closure - like all of this was just so fucking stupid.
176 … what… little sister? O.o oh Qi RongYin. Forgot how all that shit was mostly on the trash ass former emperor
Ah ok now I see why FL largely ignored the Fan surname until the adopted kids - her dad joined her mom’s family. lol so at the beginning she was just carrying on tradition
177 cute but also this childhood “meeting” yet I get it makes sense. lol 4 yo ML “meeting” FL as she’s in utero
… wait so that school stuff was that an actual memory? (Cuz like wouldn’t ML have recognized them from ChangNing even if FL looked different?)
180 wait - so WY in this iteration [seems ... 178 on or something is a "redo" of their lives?] has been reborn? *sigh* had to read 179 & 180 raws - it was ... well it was something. & sigh, so that "gentle crown prince" ChengDe? ... survives, becomes emperor, & then becomes suspicious of his own damn kids + ministers. Ugh. ❤️ in this other life ML [obvs] figures his shit out & still wants to marry FL - goes out to find her ... when he asks her to marry him - she's like "what if I don't want to" his response "well your leg is injured now & you can't run so I'll just tie you up to marry you." Hah. OMG LOL she tells him about her dream - which seems to be the book life - his irritation at her ex - 😹 telling his shadow guards to tie her up & her grabbing unto the window "no I want to be a general!" HOW COULD THE MEAN AUTHOR END THE BOOK HERE WHAT IS W/ YOU 😭
A---?
Chasing Jade
1 FL is Fan Changyu 2 ML is Yan Zheng? Uhhh ok his name changed in c5 to Xie Zheng …
7 Song Yan her trash ass ungrateful ex is upset she’s getting [fake] married? Eat your heart out, asshole, and die with regrets!
8 kinda the saddest wedding ever. And WTF does that Song asshole mean leaving those clay dolls FL gifted to him when she was 7-8 & she saw he was sad after his dad died. Fucker.
11 Yeah ML is *definitely* Marquis Wu An/Wu An Hou
<.< it occurs to me ML *might* have misophonia?
28 Ohhh He JingYuan is the governor of JiZhou! (And lol to FL thinking ML can’t match her ex but she also knows nothing a/b him… & it’s not her fault.)
30 so don’t love HJY betrayed his friend - & barely maybe kept FL & Fan ChangNing alive. Don’t want to have to deal w/ all this Wei Yan evil shit
31 pleasantly surprised ML was willing to writes couplets for ~everyone for the NY
my ❤️ “In the past, Xie Zheng had thought she was simply carefree, but at this moment, he suddenly realized that perhaps… she wasn’t carefree at all. She simply knew that she couldn’t afford to remain grief-stricken and depressed. So she worked hard to earn money, ate well every day, slept well, and didn’t dare to let herself fall ill or become discouraged.”
34 This petty ass bastard lol he is kinda fixated on her ex. (And oof her learning her parents were prob deliberately murdered… & her family sucks + her not-gma is evil. At least she shouldn’t have to be so good to her not gparents now…)
38 ML openly verbally defeats the guys talking shit on FL, & she’s about to throw a sack over the ringleader + beat him up
39 aww her confusion, thinking he looks down on her either for her beating dude or the foot water (which yeah no), but for him it’s actually he’s unsettled by the intimacy
42 he’s leaving
43 I’m actually annoyed he gets mad at her every time she mentions him meeting a girl he'll like … cuz dude you’ve not only never given her ANY indication you feel ANYTHING for her you’ve actually mostly been kinda mean and disdainful. So … stop being a fuckhead?
lol face slapped! Mine!
“He thought, if that’s how it is, so be it. What’s so special about a butcher’s daughter anyway?
As he walked towards his room, passing under the eaves, snowflakes fell on his brow. The chill of the melting snow seeped into his bones, eroding the last bit of pride in his heart.” => it’s cuz he thinks he very well might not make it and doesn’t want her entangled with him!!! Ahhh lol I take back my mean comments
I also really fucking hate everyone is testing ML & pushing him to the edge
Ex-Gov He, WHAT IF HE DIES. Son of the former crown prince- Fucker doesn’t deserve to have power
45 FL is a bit too in love w/ kidnapping…
Ah “The Marquis of Wu’an of Da Yin had the surname Xie, given the name Zheng, and courtesy name Jiuheng.”
49(?) Yikes this Sui Yuanqing rebel guy … oh Yu QianQian is Sui’s older brother’s concubine
49! Awww ML saved FL. uh oh she’s caught that Shi guy’s attention. wanting to take her back as a concubine
52 he kissed her!!! lol she can’t read him at all & I don’t blame her - she’s not stupid she’s just inexperienced plus he’s like a 100,000 year old fox so
53 omg these 2 “Xie Zheng leaned against a wooden pillar, the knife at his throat, yet his expression remained unchanged. Only when he heard Fan Changyu’s words did he raise his eyes, his expression unusually serious. “Rather than having poor judgment and finding another ingrate in the future, you might as well be with me.”
These words, once spoken, stunned not only Fan Changyu but also Xie Zheng himself. Then, a numb sense of pleasure washed over him, as if his rationality had been forcibly destroyed.
Yes, wouldn’t it be better to keep her by his side rather than let her marry someone else in the future?”
well she reacted HORRIBLY. (Granted his actions were ) but… now she thinks he’s been conscripted & taken away…
(I’ve never heard of this 10 linked household registration thing!)
55 ML just broke his buddy Gong Sun Yun’s brain telling him he got rejected
59 oof STRESS. Thank god ML saved FL. seems she’s learning more about her parents death now?
Eee 60 “He used his fingertip to wipe away a drop of medicine remaining at the corner of Fan Changyu’s mouth. After silently watching her for a long while, he suddenly said, “Fan Changyu, I will marry you.”
“If you don’t speak, I’ll take it as agreement.”” Also oof how did the author make that ~innocent/innocuous scene where he’s about to do the gua sha to break her fever SO HOT?!
63 the Wangs are dead (oh FL not recognizing ML ) poor little FCN has been kidnapped by SYQ - shithead
65 Oh shiiiit considering HJY won’t tell ML who FL’s dad really was … I imagine he had something to do w/ ML’s dad’s death
66… ok so Sui YuanHuai is even more of a monster than his younger bro… he’s pretending to be the eldest son of Prince Xin … wait so is SYH not the actual SYH & he’s the son of the former crown prince? (🫥 Prince Xin’s son actually did die in that palace fire 17 years ago?) … ok I was right. And eek to face burned beyond recognition
70 ML has rescued FCN! Poor lil girl. And him - he better be ok!
I don’t know why but I find Grand Tutor Tao’s childishness even more endearing than annoying
72 yaaay reunited! lol this comedy of errors happening to keep ML’s identity hidden
74 Oof “He had never so desperately wanted something while simultaneously being so afraid of losing it.”
Ahhh he kissed her eyelid and she kissed his cheek!
77 LOL FL takes down a bear on her own
78 FL is such a damn badass!!
79 GSY (OR WHATEVER HIS NAME IS) is losing his soul w/ every new thing he learns about FL
Aw “He said: “I won’t die.”
How could he bear to die when he hadn’t married her yet?”
81 “The crowd first sighed, then began to discuss enthusiastically. Some even discreetly tidied their hair when Fan Changyu came in.
Those eager gazes seemed to be hoping that Fan Changyu’s husband, who was “just barely hanging on,” would stop struggling and pass away soon.”
84 *blinks* my guy! (lol after he charges across the battlefield to grab her AFTER she defeated that super strong general! And the forceful kisses!) “When it ended, he pressed his forehead against hers, his scabbed hand gently stroking her rain-soaked hair. His voice was soft, his eyes pitch black: “As long as I’m alive, you’ll never bear children for anyone else in this life.””
86 aw he addressed all her concerns a/b them getting married
87 Ahhh ML is only 21?! So not too bad as FL is 16 … IMO they can resolve her “status issues” by having Tao adopt her (as a god daughter even) so she stops rejecting him! … omg lol I literally wrote that then a few paragraphs later ML brings it up! lol author! Are you me?! lol omg lol ML just agreed to find a husband for FL to his teacher
90 Ahhhh @800hz! “You say I could meet a better girl, but how do you know that to me, you’re not the best girl?”
… “Fan Changyu thought about their parting at that time and still felt somewhat guilty. Then remembering that she had just kicked him into the river out of embarrassment, she felt even more ashamed and said, “I won’t hit you anymore in the future, and you shouldn’t keep kissing me on impulse.”
Xie Zheng paused in stirring the fire and said, “Just don’t hit so hard.””
93 awww kisses!!! And she wants to join the other army to gain experience & training so she can properly stand beside him and accompany him- proudly
94 lol this grand tutor Tao. “But then he thought, this half-daughter-in-law was also his goddaughter. It wasn’t a bad thing for his simple girl to have a cunning brat protecting her. Not only did he stop feeling sour, but he even felt quite pleased.”
and ML managed to make GSY jealous too
97 why?! Why did ML have to slash his back for FL’s blade?! WHAT IF YOU NEED RANGE OF MOTION LATER?! Aside from that I do like the superstition & his gesture tho
98 ahhh even ML’s childishness & jealousy = cute! (I ugh with the biting though WTAF cnovel authors.)
99 *wiggles* omg they’re so cuuuutttee
100 HJY is gonna get murdered by a Wei Yan subordinate - but I want him to teach FL more!
(And ah she’s the daughter of that one general who committed suicide’s daughter. Her dad was a former subordinate of shit ass Wei Yan, fucking ungrateful bastard getting everything from FL’s dad and HJY.)
Also I hate Li + that faction too. AND the stupid emperor.
(104?) ““Your father was once a family guard of the Wei household. Due to his outstanding abilities, he was granted the Wei surname and named Qi Lin. After the Prime Minister married his sister to General Xie Linshan, your father went to work under General Xie. Later, he married into the family of Old General Meng, who was under General Xie’s command.”
Def 104 oh. Oh no. ““Fan Changyu.” Xie Zheng suddenly called her name.
Fan Changyu stared blankly at him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
Xie Zheng’s dark eyes showed no emotion as he said, “Let’s leave it at that. From now on, I will only consider you a junior sister.””
Man I get it but I’m also mad at him. I hope he eats his heart out & FL finds some other delightful better than all these trash ass men.
Gaaaah “He said, “Fan Changyu, the one who died in Jinzhou, whose body was displayed after being opened up, was my father. I can choose not to hate, but I cannot allow myself to love the daughter of Wei Qilin again. This is the best path I can choose for you.”
He held her face in both hands, watching her cry so hard that he even gently wiped her tears, but his words were resolute: “If I kill Wei Yan and survive, I will never leave the North again in this lifetime. I will never see you again, and when you marry in the future, don’t let me know.”
He smiled self-deprecatingly, but his eyes were devoid of any light: “I know what kind of person I am. If one day I regret today’s decision, even if I die, I will drag you into my coffin and bury you with me.””
107 FL has been promoted to “Colonel of the Valiant Cavalry” - Xiaoqi Duwei - a 5th rank position (& 300 taels … gold?) shoulda gotten 1k said ML. Assholes cheating her. Fuckhead emperor.
108 “Though his whole body was convulsing with pain, he just couldn’t wake up.
Or perhaps, he was already awake.
He just wanted to see her.
The longing made every bone in his body ache.
After enduring this punishment of 108 lashes, he could go find her.”
110 daaamn son! ““The Xie family has been loyal ministers to the Great Yin for a 100 years. My father died tragically on the Jinzhou battlefield 17 years ago, earning the name of a lifelong hero. I don’t want to tarnish his reputation, so I’m still willing to be a good minister for now. Go back and deliver a message to the little Emperor.”
“If he’s tired of sitting on that throne, this Marquis doesn’t mind finding someone to replace him.”
“Seventeen years ago, Wei Yan could put him on the dragon throne. Today, this Marquis can also pull him down.””
111 interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever read a ML [so] concerned/scared of his yandere tendencies. I like it
112 HJY died defending Lu city (did he at least leave a martial arts manual for FL?!) also ugh Li Huai’An is stupidly naive.
113 I imagine some of my emotional state is stress, but I was full on sobbing. FL heading out basically alone - only with what 13 pple to go challenge the rebels in single combat to help Lu city hold out longer. God.
114 fuuuuck it’s 20k against FL’s 2k - no wonder she’s out to sacrifice herself
Nooooooo Xie Wu. I’m crying again. He ran out to save FL
Ahhhh Xie Wu is for now clinging to life?!
116 “Li Huai’an covered his face and suddenly burst into bitter laughter.
He realized they had been wrong—“ - hopefully he changes!
I still can’t get over FL holding her own 1 vs 16 incredibly elite death guards. I hope ppl recognize her contributions
“Xie Zheng tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, his fingertips barely touching her cheek, as if wanting to touch yet forcefully restraining himself. He said softly: “In this world, no one has the right to let you die.””
118 “Fan Changyu, I regret it.” Oh, he’s crying. Honestly as soon as he had himself whipped I forgave him. Then he also came to save her. (Tho again w/ the coldness then forceful kisses. Guy BE GENTLE.)
122 lol I’m kinda mad I read that comment - person OBVS underestimates/disdains FL’s skills
But yeah annoying how the death guards so easily kill ML’s people. And LHA is only finally realizing that son of the former CP is a monster. The Li family picking Qi Min was stupid AF
127 yikes we all unfairly maligned ML’s mom. She killed herself to protect ~all her husband’s subordinates & esp ML, & sent him to her evil brother so he wouldn’t consider him a threat. Damn.
129 Yu Bao’Er might be the most yandere of them all… srsly is he jealous of GSY?!
And yay ML witnessed her triumphant entrance to the capital! She better be safe!
130 somehow I’m not happy a/b this/feels like tricks… “I hereby appoint you as Cloud & Plume General, and confer upon you the title of Second-Rank Commandery Princess.”
131 love he immediately went to find her
(lol! I forgot to note earlier- did they have sex or was it everything but?!)
139 lol another handy? But ahh after “What he thought, however, was that in the future, there would be no need to prepare her undergarments. It would be better if she wore his.
From the inside out, she should be entirely his.”
RNNGGHH “In matters of the heart, she seemed cautious, considering everything before giving her heart away.
But once she truly gave her heart, she didn’t care at all about worldly etiquette.
She had given him her most sincere and passionate self, and he couldn’t help but cherish her for it.
His Ayu deserved the best of everything this world had to offer.”
142 “aunt Zhao” the biggest pig teammate
148 I feel like there’s probably going to be some important hidden info in these annotated bks FL has never looked at…
And FINALLY a mention of Tao tho sadly seems they’re still just looking for him
152 well now they’ve had sex. but 😒 aphrodisiac trope. So unnecessary here - esp dislike since OBS they’d have sex as soon as they were married
Also I loathe this cannon fodder evil asshole emperor
155 oh my ❤️ “You are a general to thousands, but you are also my wife. I speak now to my wife.”
Annoying how either MTL or the ~editor or both fucked up on the generations - YBE is the former crown prince’s grandson not great grand son
And oh good Tao is alive … seems was held hostage by Wei Yan?
157 ML’s hand!!
158 *noises* “His voice was deep and hoarse: “Tying hair to become husband and wife, two hearts bound in love and trust. In life, I shall return; in death, I shall long for you eternally. I had wanted to tie our hair together on our wedding day, but you gave me yours early. I won’t return it now.””
159 no surprise Wei Xuan wasn’t actually Wei Yan’s bio dad. His mom was a shit mom tho - like at least fucking protect your kid. (And WY was a shit dad … yeah no still excuse imo)
160 wait so… there were 2 sets of real tiger tallies?!
163 … wait what? WTF? Is Yu QianQian some random transmigrator?
164 yaaay married! End of main text! lol 16!!! People carried FL’s wedding sedan & it was attended by both the emperor & empress dowager!
166 E2 lol ML encountering Song Yan & being jealous only to find the book Liu Huai An annotated for FL - she never even read it! lol her poor ~waist (srsly what happened to LHA)
168 E4 the rumors about our leads
169 e5 aww the way she coaxed him by making the puppets
… c171GS2 I do not care a/b this Qi Shu/Gong Sun Yi shit - plus HOW in the hell was a princess & her mom just allowed to spend months out of the palace?!
172 GS3 ok QS returning those chess manual pages - yes! Clean break! Fuck that man! Only no fucking!
Also so annoying ~editor keeps writing QS’s mom as empress dowager - she fucking isn’t. Yu QianQian is the empress dowager. Duh.
“In the same year, the young emperor, just 12 years old, began to rule personally. Xie Zheng resigned from his position as Regent and returned to the northern border with his wife, Marquis of Qingping Fan Changyu, to guard the frontier.”
173 Qi Min … ok honestly a LOT of him being so fucked up is on Lan WTAF was wrong w/ her stupid evil bitch.
IMO YQQ transmigrated sometime b/t the original becoming pregnant & her saving QM from the water
Hm normally I hate these whitewashing chapters but here I ended up not minding it so much - truly a tragic character
174 aha Li Huai’An hm kinda wish he’d seen FL again but - yay she had phoenix dragon twins in the 6th yr of YongXing - girl surnamed Xie, boy surnamed Meng!
(lol but fuck her dad’s surname right? like this was … just always ignored)
Ugh what a downer, tho I agree LHA definitely made up for his sins. Kinda sad he never saw FL again but I like that the twins met him & eased his conscience right before death
175 Wei Yan’s story AYFKM This intro of ML’s mom “following her husband” author this is just stupid who are you trying to fool. What a fucking monster. ML was only 4-5. This stupid c - sign you should fucking communicate. … yeah this was such a fucking stupid c. And we still get no closure - like all of this was just so fucking stupid.
176 … what… little sister? O.o oh Qi RongYin. Forgot how all that shit was mostly on the trash ass former emperor
Ah ok now I see why FL largely ignored the Fan surname until the adopted kids - her dad joined her mom’s family. lol so at the beginning she was just carrying on tradition
177 cute but also this childhood “meeting” yet I get it makes sense. lol 4 yo ML “meeting” FL as she’s in utero
… wait so that school stuff was that an actual memory? (Cuz like wouldn’t ML have recognized them from ChangNing even if FL looked different?)
180 wait - so WY in this iteration [seems ... 178 on or something is a "redo" of their lives?] has been reborn? *sigh* had to read 179 & 180 raws - it was ... well it was something. & sigh, so that "gentle crown prince" ChengDe? ... survives, becomes emperor, & then becomes suspicious of his own damn kids + ministers. Ugh. ❤️ in this other life ML [obvs] figures his shit out & still wants to marry FL - goes out to find her ... when he asks her to marry him - she's like "what if I don't want to" his response "well your leg is injured now & you can't run so I'll just tie you up to marry you." Hah. OMG LOL she tells him about her dream - which seems to be the book life - his irritation at her ex - 😹 telling his shadow guards to tie her up & her grabbing unto the window "no I want to be a general!" HOW COULD THE MEAN AUTHOR END THE BOOK HERE WHAT IS W/ YOU 😭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2025
3.5
Reading about a 16 year old girl throwing around and beating the shit out of grown ass men is so funny. I don't care how realistic these feats are. The parts when Changyu was in Linan and before she became a general were so entertaining. Changyu is straightforward, practical, and strong and through her experiences in the army she matures. I enjoyed the story until Changyu went to the capital. The beginning and middle of the story were so fun but it felt like it dragged so much when everyone was in the capital. I know the pieces were being set up for the climax but it was so drawn out I started losing interest.
Also I know this isn't really important but I was pretty blindsided when Qi Shu started calling Changyu A'yu like since when were you two close? I was kinda sad that their friendship developed off page since I thought Qi Shu was interesting from the main story and after reading the extras and side stories.
The relationship between Xie Zheng and Changyu wasn't really doing it for me. I enjoyed it in the beginning but as Xie Zheng became increasingly unhinged I started liking it less. Perhaps if Changyu matched his level of unhinged I would've been more on board but Xie Zheng would be taking bites out of her and inflicting these wounds on himself for her and in return she'd occasionally bite in retaliation and treat his wounds for him. Also the part where Xie Zheng forcefully kissed Changyu and she beat the shit out of him... yeah can't say it wasn't deserved. I know much of his behavior stems from childhood traumas but at the same time him constantly gnawing at Changyu's neck I couldn't take seriously. I know this kind of dynamic is something others enjoy but I just don't enjoy cold love interests that much or hyper possessive love interests.
To my surprise the side stories were so good and elevated my liking of the story. Gongsun Yin and Qi Shu's story was very enjoyable. Qi Min's story I liked because it added more to his character than what was shown in the main story. Li Huai'an's story felt like a solid conclusion for his character. The side stories involving Wei Yan serve to show other aspects of his character that aren't show due to him being the main antagonist for the story.
Reading about a 16 year old girl throwing around and beating the shit out of grown ass men is so funny. I don't care how realistic these feats are. The parts when Changyu was in Linan and before she became a general were so entertaining. Changyu is straightforward, practical, and strong and through her experiences in the army she matures. I enjoyed the story until Changyu went to the capital. The beginning and middle of the story were so fun but it felt like it dragged so much when everyone was in the capital. I know the pieces were being set up for the climax but it was so drawn out I started losing interest.
Also I know this isn't really important but I was pretty blindsided when Qi Shu started calling Changyu A'yu like since when were you two close? I was kinda sad that their friendship developed off page since I thought Qi Shu was interesting from the main story and after reading the extras and side stories.
The relationship between Xie Zheng and Changyu wasn't really doing it for me. I enjoyed it in the beginning but as Xie Zheng became increasingly unhinged I started liking it less. Perhaps if Changyu matched his level of unhinged I would've been more on board but Xie Zheng would be taking bites out of her and inflicting these wounds on himself for her and in return she'd occasionally bite in retaliation and treat his wounds for him. Also the part where Xie Zheng forcefully kissed Changyu and she beat the shit out of him... yeah can't say it wasn't deserved. I know much of his behavior stems from childhood traumas but at the same time him constantly gnawing at Changyu's neck I couldn't take seriously. I know this kind of dynamic is something others enjoy but I just don't enjoy cold love interests that much or hyper possessive love interests.
To my surprise the side stories were so good and elevated my liking of the story. Gongsun Yin and Qi Shu's story was very enjoyable. Qi Min's story I liked because it added more to his character than what was shown in the main story. Li Huai'an's story felt like a solid conclusion for his character. The side stories involving Wei Yan serve to show other aspects of his character that aren't show due to him being the main antagonist for the story.
March 19, 2026
I really enjoyed this story about two people very unlike one another on the surface find each other and work together towards a common goal. It's a pretty dense story that spans about 3 - 4 years and at moves quite slowly at first, both in terms of the politics and the romance. But things start heating up midway. I know that some readers felt that the politics of the book was dense (and I admit to skimming some of the longer explanations) but I think that for the most part, the shifting politics and schemes served to highlight the characters of Changyu and Zheng, the development and their relationship.
Also random side note but Xie Zheng is so....bitey 😂😭
Also random side note but Xie Zheng is so....bitey 😂😭
May 14, 2026
กว่าจะอ่านจบ บางช่วงบางตอนก็ต้องเข็นพอสมควร ให้ประมาณ 4.5 เพราะความที่เนื้อเรื่องจบได้ครบทุกสิ่งอย่าง บทพิเศษก็เป็นบทเสริมเนื้อเรื่องเจาะไปที่ตัวละครแต่ละคน คือเสริฟคนอ่านอิ่มเลย ยิ่งบทสุดท้ายเหมือนเขียนเรื่องนั้แบบอีกเส้นโครงเรื่อง แต่เอามาบรรจบกับเนื้อเรื่องหลัก ถือว่าเขียนได้เต็มอิ่มมากๆ คือนักเขียนแทบจะไม่ลืมทุกตัวละครทึ่โลดเล่นในเนื้อเรื่อง ยกเว้นซื่อจือท่านอ๋องที่พอตายแล้วไม่พูดถึงอีกเลย
รีวิวความรู้สึก แต่ไม่เขียนเรื่องย่อ เพราะหลายคนรู้แล้ว😓
- สิ่งแรกที่เจอคือพระเอกนางเอกเป็นซาดิสม์รึเปล่าไม่รู้ แต่ที่รู้ๆ อยากตบปากพระเอกมาก😑 ไม่ใช่ว่าปากเสียนะ แต่จูบกันแบบรุ่นแรงมากแม่ กัดปากกันเลือดใหล ไม่กัดปากก็ต้องกัดหัวไหล่ และไม่ใช่เบาๆ เลย คือ ถ้ามีบทแบบนี้ 10 รอบ กัดกันเลือดสาดไปแล้ว 8 รอบ แถมพระเอกชอบทำรอย kiss mark ด้วย ไม่รู้จะดูดทำไม🫤
- เรื่องนี้พระเอกบาดเจ็บเกือบจะตลอดทั้งเรื่อง😓 ดีขึ้นนิดหน่อย บาดเจ็บเลือดสาดอีกแล้ว คือพระเอกไม่เคยร่างกายปกติสักกะที
- สิ่งที่ชอบที่สุดคือนักเขียนเขียนพาสความรักความสัมพันธ์ของพระนางได้ดีมาก อ่านแล้วให้ความรู้สึกว่านี่สิคือคู่รักปกติทำกัน พระนางเค้ารักกันมาก ในเมื่อพระเอกขอเลิก นางเอกก็ยื้อสุดชีวิต แต่เมื่อได้ฟังว่าทำไมถึงเลิก นางเอกก็เคารพการตัดสินใจของพระเอก แต่สุดท้ายพระเอกทนไม่ไหว ยอมไปรับโทษตระกูลชุดใหญ่ไฟกระพริบ แล้วกลับมาขอคืนดีนางเอก นางเอกก็ตกลงง่ายๆ ไม่จำเป็นต้องฝืนความรู้สึก แต่พอนางเอกจะขอเลิกบ้าง พระเอกไม่ยอม😂😂 หลังเยินขนาดนั้นเพื่อนางเอกจะยอมรึ 😆😆 เอาจริงๆ คือพระเอกคือพวกรักแรง หวงแรง ถ้าไม่ได้อยู่กับนางเอกใครคนอื่นก็ไม่มีสิทธิ์ได้ ก็จะลากนางเอกตายตามกันไป และไม่ใช่หนเดียวที่พูดด้วย พระเอกพูดหลายรอบมาก
- เรื่องนี้ นางเอกไม่ได้เก่งแบบแมรี่ซูนะ แต่นางเอกมีแบล็คที่ดีมากคือพระเอก ในตำแหน่งการงาน พระเอกก็เป็นคนที่ช่วยให้นางเอกรอดจากท่านอ๋อง ถึงนางเอกจะเป็นคนสู้ก็เถอะ ถ้าพระเอกไม่มา นางเอกก็ตายไปพร้อมกันแล้ว นางเอกได้ผลงานไต่เต้าขึ้นไปเรื่อยๆ
ส่วนเนื้อเรื่อง ปม และสเกลโครงเรื่องโคตรใหญ่ ปมเรื่องพันกันอิรุงตุงนังไปหมด คนที่เราคิดว่าเป็นตัวร้าย สุดท้ายแล้วเอาจริงๆ เค้าก็คือผู้ถูกกระทำ ในเมื่อต้องสู้กับ ทุกอย่างเลยพลิกกลับด้านกลายมาเป็นหลายตัวละครต้องตาย หลายตัวละครต้องชื่อเสียงย่อยยับ จากตัวร้ายแต่ในเมื่อฟังเหตุผลเค้าก็ไม่ผิดอีก 😕😑😑 อ่านแล้วเอ่อ..เค้าไม่ได้เลวนะ แต่ทุกสิ่งอย่างมันต้องไหลตามน้ำไป ไม่งั้นตัวเค้าก็ต้องตายเอง
เรื่องนี้มีตัวละครทะลุมิติมาด้วย แต่ไม่ได้มีผลกับเนื้อเรื่อง บทสุดท้ายนักเขียนเสริฟให้ท่านเสนาบดีเว่ยได้ย้อนอดีตแก้ไขอดีตตัวเอง นักเขียนเขียนได้ดีมาก เพราะมันเอามาบรรจบกับนิยายหลักได้ดี
รีวิวความรู้สึก แต่ไม่เขียนเรื่องย่อ เพราะหลายคนรู้แล้ว😓
- สิ่งแรกที่เจอคือพระเอกนางเอกเป็นซาดิสม์รึเปล่าไม่รู้ แต่ที่รู้ๆ อยากตบปากพระเอกมาก😑 ไม่ใช่ว่าปากเสียนะ แต่จูบกันแบบรุ่นแรงมากแม่ กัดปากกันเลือดใหล ไม่กัดปากก็ต้องกัดหัวไหล่ และไม่ใช่เบาๆ เลย คือ ถ้ามีบทแบบนี้ 10 รอบ กัดกันเลือดสาดไปแล้ว 8 รอบ แถมพระเอกชอบทำรอย kiss mark ด้วย ไม่รู้จะดูดทำไม🫤
- เรื่องนี้พระเอกบาดเจ็บเกือบจะตลอดทั้งเรื่อง😓 ดีขึ้นนิดหน่อย บาดเจ็บเลือดสาดอีกแล้ว คือพระเอกไม่เคยร่างกายปกติสักกะที
- สิ่งที่ชอบที่สุดคือนักเขียนเขียนพาสความรักความสัมพันธ์ของพระนางได้ดีมาก อ่านแล้วให้ความรู้สึกว่านี่สิคือคู่รักปกติทำกัน พระนางเค้ารักกันมาก ในเมื่อพระเอกขอเลิก นางเอกก็ยื้อสุดชีวิต แต่เมื่อได้ฟังว่าทำไมถึงเลิก นางเอกก็เคารพการตัดสินใจของพระเอก แต่สุดท้ายพระเอกทนไม่ไหว ยอมไปรับโทษตระกูลชุดใหญ่ไฟกระพริบ แล้วกลับมาขอคืนดีนางเอก นางเอกก็ตกลงง่ายๆ ไม่จำเป็นต้องฝืนความรู้สึก แต่พอนางเอกจะขอเลิกบ้าง พระเอกไม่ยอม😂😂 หลังเยินขนาดนั้นเพื่อนางเอกจะยอมรึ 😆😆 เอาจริงๆ คือพระเอกคือพวกรักแรง หวงแรง ถ้าไม่ได้อยู่กับนางเอกใครคนอื่นก็ไม่มีสิทธิ์ได้ ก็จะลากนางเอกตายตามกันไป และไม่ใช่หนเดียวที่พูดด้วย พระเอกพูดหลายรอบมาก
- เรื่องนี้ นางเอกไม่ได้เก่งแบบแมรี่ซูนะ แต่นางเอกมีแบล็คที่ดีมากคือพระเอก ในตำแหน่งการงาน พระเอกก็เป็นคนที่ช่วยให้นางเอกรอดจากท่านอ๋อง ถึงนางเอกจะเป็นคนสู้ก็เถอะ ถ้าพระเอกไม่มา นางเอกก็ตายไปพร้อมกันแล้ว นางเอกได้ผลงานไต่เต้าขึ้นไปเรื่อยๆ
ส่วนเนื้อเรื่อง ปม และสเกลโครงเรื่องโคตรใหญ่ ปมเรื่องพันกันอิรุงตุงนังไปหมด คนที่เราคิดว่าเป็นตัวร้าย สุดท้ายแล้วเอาจริงๆ เค้าก็คือผู้ถูกกระทำ ในเมื่อต้องสู้กับ ทุกอย่างเลยพลิกกลับด้านกลายมาเป็นหลายตัวละครต้องตาย หลายตัวละครต้องชื่อเสียงย่อยยับ จากตัวร้ายแต่ในเมื่อฟังเหตุผลเค้าก็ไม่ผิดอีก 😕😑😑 อ่านแล้วเอ่อ..เค้าไม่ได้เลวนะ แต่ทุกสิ่งอย่างมันต้องไหลตามน้ำไป ไม่งั้นตัวเค้าก็ต้องตายเอง
เรื่องนี้มีตัวละครทะลุมิติมาด้วย แต่ไม่ได้มีผลกับเนื้อเรื่อง บทสุดท้ายนักเขียนเสริฟให้ท่านเสนาบดีเว่ยได้ย้อนอดีตแก้ไขอดีตตัวเอง นักเขียนเขียนได้ดีมาก เพราะมันเอามาบรรจบกับนิยายหลักได้ดี
Did Not Finish
August 12, 2026soft dnfing 18% in
nothing against it just in the absolute worst slump & don't feel like forcing myself to continue something i'm not head over heels for rn
nothing against it just in the absolute worst slump & don't feel like forcing myself to continue something i'm not head over heels for rn
April 23, 2026
*1000+ Stars*
The live adaptation of this novel is making waves all over the world, and I got swept away with it, too. The NETFLIX series ‘Pursuit Of Jade’ has now become my favourite C-dramas of all time, and I just couldn’t get enough of the story or the characters. Plus, the conclusion of the series was very rushed, and I was left with many questions. So, as a typical novel lover, I searched the Internet to get hold of an English translation of the book, and lo and behold, I found it. I am eternally grateful to the Chinese fan community for translating this novel for readers like us.
Story Blurb…..
The story is about Fan ChangYu, a 16-year-old girl who has recently lost her parents to bandits and is struggling to earn a living, keep her home and provide for her sickly 4-year-old sister. During this difficult time, she rescues an injured man and cares for him in spite of her poor conditions. This man calls himself Yan Zheng and is a bit uppity-nosed and arrogant, but he helps and supports ChangYu through everything, even going as far as to marry into her family to help ChangYu keep her home. Their fate is entangled, and even though he has to leave her and resume his duty as a war hero, they still come together unexpectedly and fall in love. Their past comes in the way, but that does not stop Yan Zheng, AKA Xie Zheng/Marquis of Wuan, from loving her and being with her to the bitter end. All hope is not lost when the conspiracy from 16 years ago is finally resolved as the truth comes out, clearing ChangYu’s father and grandfather’s names. Finally, ChangYu and Xie Zheng have the closure that they were fighting for and get their HEA.
Now, let's get into the review…..
This is a bomb of a story with a strong FL who is determined to make her own way and not rely on others. The era described in the novel was not exactly fair to the womenfolk. They had to be demure and girly to marry men who would ultimately take care of them for all their lives. But ChangYu was raised differently. She is free-willed with a strong personality and does not suffer bullies. Her inherent strength is honed by her dad, who had taught her martial arts, and ChangYu uses it only when it comes to defending her home and loved ones. She is righteous and good to the core and a perfect match to our ML, the Marquis of Wuan.
The plot mostly revolves around a conspiracy 16 years ago that changed the lives of many prominent characters in the story, mostly our ML and FL. Xie Zheng is looking into the truth of his father’s death in the beginning, which leads the bad guys to attack him and almost kill him. His rescue by Fan ChangYu is a twist of fate coz they are linked together through their past, unbeknownst to them.
The whole encounter between ChangYu and Xie Zheng happens in stages. Xie Zheng falls for our heroine first, with ChangYu harbouring some feelings for her fake husband. But in the second stage, when ChangYu again meets Xie Zheng in the middle of a war, their feelings intensify. Finally, when Xie Zheng’s identity comes to light, we see how desperately he wants ChangYu to be his despite their diverse social standings. In the author’s words, Xie Zheng had discovered a wild grass flower and did not want to let go. But then they are hit again when the identity of ChangYu’s parents comes out. Xie Zheng is at an impasse coz he can’t fall in love with a traitor’s daughter who had ultimately caused his father’s death. He struggles mentally and physically (108 lashes to be exact), but then again comes back to ChangYu coz she has become his life’s end goal. They fight together, uncover the truth and get their well-deserved HEA.
This is a huge novel compared to the Western ones, so there are numerous characters with a hefty word count. But the main plot is dedicated to the main story, which is the conspiracy and the love story; there aren’t many detours in it. I loved the straightforwardness of the novel. There are many key characters in it, but they were all integrated into the story nicely without taking much time away from the leads.
The character growth of mainly Fan ChangYu was awesome to read as she grows into a general and later a marquis in her own right. She gets assistance from Xie Zheng from time to time, but she does not overly rely on him to come to her rescue or fight battles for her. The trust and bond between them was a pleasure to read from its infant stage to the full-blown ‘I will die for you’ stage.
Xie Zheng does not change much throughout the book. He is cold, calculating and ruthless to his enemies and has a very damaged-hero vibe. Tragically losing his parents young and then shaped as a blade by his uncle had stripped all his innocence. He lives for his country and does not blindly believe the system. He knows who is what despite their outward mask and acts in favour of his loyal soldiers and countrymen rather than the court politicians who are mainly after power. He does not vie for power but for peace and stability in his nation. The main changes in his character were his falling in love with ChangYu, which softens him. He struggles with this love for the briefest moment, but then comes back to her again coz it was not fair to hold her parents’ actions against her.
"A'Yu, I only have you left." ~ Xie Zheng
His jealousy over men having his ChangYu’s attention was fun to read. He is not afraid of ChangYu leading armies and remaining separated for a long time, but he can’t tolerate her reading books annotated by other men. It was like he had found a love that was absent from his life after his parents’ death, and he is not ready to compromise with it at all. This leads to some steamy encounters in the latter half of the book, which was soooo good. He also cheekily says this after one such encounter:
"I want you to stay too, but my ayu will become the marchioness of the Marquis mansion in the future and will command three armies. I must follow the proper betrothal customs and marry you properly to not dishonour you."
The reveal about the conspiracy does not happen gradually, but more like at the end of the story. The main villain throughout the novel is Wei Yan, Xie Zheng’s uncle, but ultimately the truth turns out to be far more malicious and elaborate than just a power grab. I felt really bad about Wei Yan. He was thrust into the conspiracy as a scapegoat and then turned the tables on the main bad guys, but couldn’t redeem himself completely. His nephew understands his actions at the end, but this whole affair makes him lose his love and live his life as a tyrant, misunderstood by all.
The best part of the whole novel was the extras at the end. There are various sections, each providing conclusions to some important aspects of the novel. The best was the one about Li Huian. He was another character who was sacrificed by his family for their ambitions. He tries to atone for his sins for the remainder of his life. His ending was very sad.
We also get a POV of Qi Min. He is another victim of his circumstances. His past was too torturous, especially the way he suffered physically and then emotionally. He started his life as the heir of the righteous faction but ended up as a ruthless villain without any regard for human life. You can’t fault him for being that way after reading everything that he had gone through after he was burned by his mother. This extra gave his character closure, generated sympathy for him and helped us readers understand his actions and motivations.
We also get a small and sweet romance between GongSun Yin and the princess. This part has been incorporated into the live action as well, albeit with some changes in the timeline. It was short and sweet. Another romance that bloomed at the end was between Chang Ning and Yu Baoer. This was very sweet. The author does not come out and say the conclusion of their story, but we readers got the hint.
Some extra chapters show the main leads after their marriage, which was very satisfying to read. I would not tire if it gave us more, and it was the perfect epilogue for ChangYu and Xie Zheng’s love story.
"Fortunately, the blade had found its sheathe."
Now, coming to the best part of the extras was the parallel reality of the novel where Wei Yan wakes up after he died in the past and acts to prevent all the bad things that lead to the tragedy in the actual novel. He is armed with the knowledge about the future, and he uses it to save his loved ones and change the course of his life entirely. He saves Xie Zheng’s dad, gets to marry his sweetheart and has a son too. This ultimately leads to ChangYu growing up along with Xie Zheng. It was such a treat reading this alternate reality. Their love happens here again, but in a different way. They are fated to be together, whatever the reality. I savoured these chapters the most. I have reread them several times.
"Morning and night, year after year, I wish to spend with you." ~ Fan ChangYu
Besides the love plot and uncovering the conspiracy, the novel had a lot of war strategy and cinematic fight scenes, which were necessary to establish the turbulent nature of the nation. It’s also used by the author to better portray the capabilities of the Marquis of Wuan. He is at his best on a battlefield as he kills his enemies. He is ruthless with a brilliant mind that surpasses all of his opponents. So, this novel has a good dose of action and scheming, so be ready for that.
A brief review of the Live action…..
Kudos to the director and the screenplay writer for bringing this awesome book to life. The production quality is top-notch, and I was glued to the screen like my life depended on it. The drama is quite faithful to the story. Due to the restriction of finishing the drama within 40 episodes, some things got left off, and it felt rushed at the end, which kind of spurred me to read the book, so it was a good thing ultimately. If you do not want to read the book, then the drama is sufficient to bring out the essence of the novel. Just another 10 more episodes and the series would have had a better conclusion all over. The actors specifically playing the leads were exceptional in the series. Tian Xi Wei is perfect as an innocent, naive yet strong ChangYu. Whereas Zhang Ling He, as Xie Zheng was outstanding. Due to the rushed ending, many fight scenes of Xie Zheng were removed in the series, which is a pity because ZLH would have nailed it IMO, and it would have also helped show the audience that the Marquis of Wuan lives up to his reputation. The OST was brilliant and complemented the love story perfectly.I wish I could scrub my brain and watch the series again and read the book all over again. I wouldn’t mind repeating this process more than once.
Overall, a phenomenal book and an equally phenomenal live action. Thanks to Netflix for bringing this masterpiece to international viewers. And many thanks to the fan community for translating the book into English. There aren’t many who haven’t watched the series, so I will just tell them to read the book as well. It will give you the ultimate experience that will make the rewatch of the series sweeter.
The live adaptation of this novel is making waves all over the world, and I got swept away with it, too. The NETFLIX series ‘Pursuit Of Jade’ has now become my favourite C-dramas of all time, and I just couldn’t get enough of the story or the characters. Plus, the conclusion of the series was very rushed, and I was left with many questions. So, as a typical novel lover, I searched the Internet to get hold of an English translation of the book, and lo and behold, I found it. I am eternally grateful to the Chinese fan community for translating this novel for readers like us.
Story Blurb…..
The story is about Fan ChangYu, a 16-year-old girl who has recently lost her parents to bandits and is struggling to earn a living, keep her home and provide for her sickly 4-year-old sister. During this difficult time, she rescues an injured man and cares for him in spite of her poor conditions. This man calls himself Yan Zheng and is a bit uppity-nosed and arrogant, but he helps and supports ChangYu through everything, even going as far as to marry into her family to help ChangYu keep her home. Their fate is entangled, and even though he has to leave her and resume his duty as a war hero, they still come together unexpectedly and fall in love. Their past comes in the way, but that does not stop Yan Zheng, AKA Xie Zheng/Marquis of Wuan, from loving her and being with her to the bitter end. All hope is not lost when the conspiracy from 16 years ago is finally resolved as the truth comes out, clearing ChangYu’s father and grandfather’s names. Finally, ChangYu and Xie Zheng have the closure that they were fighting for and get their HEA.
Now, let's get into the review…..
This is a bomb of a story with a strong FL who is determined to make her own way and not rely on others. The era described in the novel was not exactly fair to the womenfolk. They had to be demure and girly to marry men who would ultimately take care of them for all their lives. But ChangYu was raised differently. She is free-willed with a strong personality and does not suffer bullies. Her inherent strength is honed by her dad, who had taught her martial arts, and ChangYu uses it only when it comes to defending her home and loved ones. She is righteous and good to the core and a perfect match to our ML, the Marquis of Wuan.
The plot mostly revolves around a conspiracy 16 years ago that changed the lives of many prominent characters in the story, mostly our ML and FL. Xie Zheng is looking into the truth of his father’s death in the beginning, which leads the bad guys to attack him and almost kill him. His rescue by Fan ChangYu is a twist of fate coz they are linked together through their past, unbeknownst to them.
The whole encounter between ChangYu and Xie Zheng happens in stages. Xie Zheng falls for our heroine first, with ChangYu harbouring some feelings for her fake husband. But in the second stage, when ChangYu again meets Xie Zheng in the middle of a war, their feelings intensify. Finally, when Xie Zheng’s identity comes to light, we see how desperately he wants ChangYu to be his despite their diverse social standings. In the author’s words, Xie Zheng had discovered a wild grass flower and did not want to let go. But then they are hit again when the identity of ChangYu’s parents comes out. Xie Zheng is at an impasse coz he can’t fall in love with a traitor’s daughter who had ultimately caused his father’s death. He struggles mentally and physically (108 lashes to be exact), but then again comes back to ChangYu coz she has become his life’s end goal. They fight together, uncover the truth and get their well-deserved HEA.
This is a huge novel compared to the Western ones, so there are numerous characters with a hefty word count. But the main plot is dedicated to the main story, which is the conspiracy and the love story; there aren’t many detours in it. I loved the straightforwardness of the novel. There are many key characters in it, but they were all integrated into the story nicely without taking much time away from the leads.
The character growth of mainly Fan ChangYu was awesome to read as she grows into a general and later a marquis in her own right. She gets assistance from Xie Zheng from time to time, but she does not overly rely on him to come to her rescue or fight battles for her. The trust and bond between them was a pleasure to read from its infant stage to the full-blown ‘I will die for you’ stage.
Xie Zheng does not change much throughout the book. He is cold, calculating and ruthless to his enemies and has a very damaged-hero vibe. Tragically losing his parents young and then shaped as a blade by his uncle had stripped all his innocence. He lives for his country and does not blindly believe the system. He knows who is what despite their outward mask and acts in favour of his loyal soldiers and countrymen rather than the court politicians who are mainly after power. He does not vie for power but for peace and stability in his nation. The main changes in his character were his falling in love with ChangYu, which softens him. He struggles with this love for the briefest moment, but then comes back to her again coz it was not fair to hold her parents’ actions against her.
"A'Yu, I only have you left." ~ Xie Zheng
His jealousy over men having his ChangYu’s attention was fun to read. He is not afraid of ChangYu leading armies and remaining separated for a long time, but he can’t tolerate her reading books annotated by other men. It was like he had found a love that was absent from his life after his parents’ death, and he is not ready to compromise with it at all. This leads to some steamy encounters in the latter half of the book, which was soooo good. He also cheekily says this after one such encounter:
"I want you to stay too, but my ayu will become the marchioness of the Marquis mansion in the future and will command three armies. I must follow the proper betrothal customs and marry you properly to not dishonour you."
The reveal about the conspiracy does not happen gradually, but more like at the end of the story. The main villain throughout the novel is Wei Yan, Xie Zheng’s uncle, but ultimately the truth turns out to be far more malicious and elaborate than just a power grab. I felt really bad about Wei Yan. He was thrust into the conspiracy as a scapegoat and then turned the tables on the main bad guys, but couldn’t redeem himself completely. His nephew understands his actions at the end, but this whole affair makes him lose his love and live his life as a tyrant, misunderstood by all.
The best part of the whole novel was the extras at the end. There are various sections, each providing conclusions to some important aspects of the novel. The best was the one about Li Huian. He was another character who was sacrificed by his family for their ambitions. He tries to atone for his sins for the remainder of his life. His ending was very sad.
We also get a POV of Qi Min. He is another victim of his circumstances. His past was too torturous, especially the way he suffered physically and then emotionally. He started his life as the heir of the righteous faction but ended up as a ruthless villain without any regard for human life. You can’t fault him for being that way after reading everything that he had gone through after he was burned by his mother. This extra gave his character closure, generated sympathy for him and helped us readers understand his actions and motivations.
We also get a small and sweet romance between GongSun Yin and the princess. This part has been incorporated into the live action as well, albeit with some changes in the timeline. It was short and sweet. Another romance that bloomed at the end was between Chang Ning and Yu Baoer. This was very sweet. The author does not come out and say the conclusion of their story, but we readers got the hint.
Some extra chapters show the main leads after their marriage, which was very satisfying to read. I would not tire if it gave us more, and it was the perfect epilogue for ChangYu and Xie Zheng’s love story.
"Fortunately, the blade had found its sheathe."
Now, coming to the best part of the extras was the parallel reality of the novel where Wei Yan wakes up after he died in the past and acts to prevent all the bad things that lead to the tragedy in the actual novel. He is armed with the knowledge about the future, and he uses it to save his loved ones and change the course of his life entirely. He saves Xie Zheng’s dad, gets to marry his sweetheart and has a son too. This ultimately leads to ChangYu growing up along with Xie Zheng. It was such a treat reading this alternate reality. Their love happens here again, but in a different way. They are fated to be together, whatever the reality. I savoured these chapters the most. I have reread them several times.
"Morning and night, year after year, I wish to spend with you." ~ Fan ChangYu
Besides the love plot and uncovering the conspiracy, the novel had a lot of war strategy and cinematic fight scenes, which were necessary to establish the turbulent nature of the nation. It’s also used by the author to better portray the capabilities of the Marquis of Wuan. He is at his best on a battlefield as he kills his enemies. He is ruthless with a brilliant mind that surpasses all of his opponents. So, this novel has a good dose of action and scheming, so be ready for that.
A brief review of the Live action…..
Kudos to the director and the screenplay writer for bringing this awesome book to life. The production quality is top-notch, and I was glued to the screen like my life depended on it. The drama is quite faithful to the story. Due to the restriction of finishing the drama within 40 episodes, some things got left off, and it felt rushed at the end, which kind of spurred me to read the book, so it was a good thing ultimately. If you do not want to read the book, then the drama is sufficient to bring out the essence of the novel. Just another 10 more episodes and the series would have had a better conclusion all over. The actors specifically playing the leads were exceptional in the series. Tian Xi Wei is perfect as an innocent, naive yet strong ChangYu. Whereas Zhang Ling He, as Xie Zheng was outstanding. Due to the rushed ending, many fight scenes of Xie Zheng were removed in the series, which is a pity because ZLH would have nailed it IMO, and it would have also helped show the audience that the Marquis of Wuan lives up to his reputation. The OST was brilliant and complemented the love story perfectly.I wish I could scrub my brain and watch the series again and read the book all over again. I wouldn’t mind repeating this process more than once.
Overall, a phenomenal book and an equally phenomenal live action. Thanks to Netflix for bringing this masterpiece to international viewers. And many thanks to the fan community for translating the book into English. There aren’t many who haven’t watched the series, so I will just tell them to read the book as well. It will give you the ultimate experience that will make the rewatch of the series sweeter.
August 22, 2026
Eu am citit cartea după ce am văzut cdrama „Pursuit of Jade”, așa că am putut face o comparație între adaptarea cinematografică și carte. Pot zice că cdrama este foarte reușită, pentru că include multe scene din carte. Faptul că unele elemente au fost schimbate este de înțeles, pentru a crea mai multă dramă în serial.
Cartea este foarte reușită, iar atât personajele, cât și povestea sunt bine conturate.
Apreciez că, prin intermediul cărții, putem afla gândurile lui, nu doar ale ei (ceea ce în serial este prezentat destul de ambiguu).
Și ce nu prea am agreat a fost schimbarea lui Wei Yan în raport cu incidentul de acum șaisprezece ani.
Las câteva citate care m-au inspirat:
Cartea este foarte reușită, iar atât personajele, cât și povestea sunt bine conturate.
Apreciez că, prin intermediul cărții, putem afla gândurile lui, nu doar ale ei (ceea ce în serial este prezentat destul de ambiguu).
Și ce nu prea am agreat a fost schimbarea lui Wei Yan în raport cu incidentul de acum șaisprezece ani.
Las câteva citate care m-au inspirat:
Oamenii timpului lor acționează în funcție de circumstanțele timpului lor. Generațiile viitoare să judece corectitudinea și greșeala, meritele și defectele.
Învingătorul este rege, învinsul, un bandit. Din moment ce m-ai învins, mă îndoiesc că ai venit astăzi doar ca să vezi cum mă descurc.
Wei Yan stătea întins în paie, privind fulgii de zăpadă cum se împleteau prin lumina slabă, prea curată pentru un loc ca acesta.
A închis ochii.
Calea lui de retragere fusese pecetluită cu șaptesprezece ani în urmă.
Chiar dacă istoria l-ar detesta, chiar dacă ar merita lingchi (moarte cu o mie de tăieturi), numai el ar suporta-o.
Acea persoană, pură ca zăpada de primăvară, ar trebui să plece nepătată, fără a lăsa nicio urmă rușinoasă în analele istoriei.
Am auzit o zicală: «Legea nu pedepsește masele». Asta înseamnă că atunci când mulți oameni încalcă legea, autoritățile nu îi vor pedepsi pe toți. Acum, întregul oraș se teme de soarta mea de «Stea nefericită» și bârfește pe la spatele meu. Pot să dau o lecție unei singure persoane, dar pot să dau o lecție întregului oraș?
March 25, 2026
4.5
สนุกดีนะ อ่านได้เพลินๆ
มันก็มีความเหลือจะเชื่อจากนางเอกเป็นคนฆ่าหมูแล้วก้าวสู่กองทัพ 5555
แต่โอเคไม่เป็นไร เค้าเท้าความไว้แล้วว่านางเอกแรกเยอะและมีความสามารถด้านบู๊อยู่บ้าง ก็ไม่แปลกที่จะเข้าไปในกองทัพ
ตรงที่จะขัดๆ ก็ได้คือ ฆ่าคนเก่งมาก ประหนึ่งช่ำชอง แต่ไม่เป็นไรอรรถรส สนุกดี
ตัวพระเอกแรกๆ ไม่เท่าไหร่ อะไรก็เฉยๆ กะว่าเดี๋ยวกลับบ้านได้เมื่อไหร่ก็จบสิ้นกันที
แต่...ความรู้สึกมันพัฒนาไปเรื่อยๆ
อีตอนที่นางเอกไปออกรบแทนนี่ สงสารเลย 55555 โดนวางยาสลบ อยากจะกรี๊ดสินะท่านโหว
แต่บอกเลยว่านางเอกโคตรเท่ห์ ความบู๊นี้พี่เท่ห์เหลือเกิน
เรื่องราวซับซ้อนได้ใจ อยากรู้มากว่าลุงพระเอกมันมีปัญหาอะไรรรรร เฉลยเอาโน่นตอนท้าย
ก็เป็นคนน่าสงสารคนนึงนะ
เรื่องนี้คนน่าสงสารหลายคน คู่รองระหว่างฉีหมินกับเฉียวเฉียวก็น่าสนใจ แต่อันนั้นถ้าเป็นคู่หลักน่าจะขม
เฉียวเฉียวเหมือนไม่ได้รักเลยแหละ
ใดๆ ก็ตามชอบตอนพิเศษมาก ให้ลุงได้มีความสุขบ้าง
ชีวิตทุกคนดีมากนะในตอนพิเศษ รวมถึงฉีหมิน
สนุกดีนะ อ่านได้เพลินๆ
มันก็มีความเหลือจะเชื่อจากนางเอกเป็นคนฆ่าหมูแล้วก้าวสู่กองทัพ 5555
แต่โอเคไม่เป็นไร เค้าเท้าความไว้แล้วว่านางเอกแรกเยอะและมีความสามารถด้านบู๊อยู่บ้าง ก็ไม่แปลกที่จะเข้าไปในกองทัพ
ตรงที่จะขัดๆ ก็ได้คือ ฆ่าคนเก่งมาก ประหนึ่งช่ำชอง แต่ไม่เป็นไรอรรถรส สนุกดี
ตัวพระเอกแรกๆ ไม่เท่าไหร่ อะไรก็เฉยๆ กะว่าเดี๋ยวกลับบ้านได้เมื่อไหร่ก็จบสิ้นกันที
แต่...ความรู้สึกมันพัฒนาไปเรื่อยๆ
อีตอนที่นางเอกไปออกรบแทนนี่ สงสารเลย 55555 โดนวางยาสลบ อยากจะกรี๊ดสินะท่านโหว
แต่บอกเลยว่านางเอกโคตรเท่ห์ ความบู๊นี้พี่เท่ห์เหลือเกิน
เรื่องราวซับซ้อนได้ใจ อยากรู้มากว่าลุงพระเอกมันมีปัญหาอะไรรรรร เฉลยเอาโน่นตอนท้าย
ก็เป็นคนน่าสงสารคนนึงนะ
เรื่องนี้คนน่าสงสารหลายคน คู่รองระหว่างฉีหมินกับเฉียวเฉียวก็น่าสนใจ แต่อันนั้นถ้าเป็นคู่หลักน่าจะขม
เฉียวเฉียวเหมือนไม่ได้รักเลยแหละ
ใดๆ ก็ตามชอบตอนพิเศษมาก ให้ลุงได้มีความสุขบ้าง
ชีวิตทุกคนดีมากนะในตอนพิเศษ รวมถึงฉีหมิน
April 2, 2026
While watching the Netflix series, Pursuit of Jade, I started reading this web novel it was adapted from while awaiting more episodes. I enjoyed both the series and the novel. The series is extremely well done with the male lead portrayed by the very handsome Zhang Linghe and the strong female lead by Tian Xiwei. The series is close to the novel in dialogue but some characters have been added/deleted/changed. This story has much to offer: historical China, romance, comedy, action, martial arts, drama and political intrigue. I preferred the male lead in the series as he wasn't as cold, overbearing, and out of control as in the novel. The romance was also handled better in the series.
April 15, 2026
4,5 ⭐️
Did I start reading this the second I finished the drama on Netflix? Yes lol.
I fear Fan Changyu has me in a chokehold and she is such a sweet (but at the same time utterly badass character) that honestly charms you to death. If her strength doesn't manage to kill you first! Even more so in the book than in the drama (due to the minion-man-gang not being part of the original plot) which I honestly wasn't prepared for. This woman is everything. 💖
Her live-in-husband Yan Zheng/Xie Zheng (who in the drama is a sea of green flags) is more brooding, stoic and morally grey in the book but still manages to steal hearts. Talk about a power-couple!
The political intrigue, the struggles the two main characters face (mah babies), the world building and over-all plot in the book (a lot of which was cut in the drama) really makes this a great read. I miss living in this world and I already miss the characters.😭❤️ Lol I need to be sent to some sort of story-rehab.
Highly recommend the book and highly recommend the visually stunning drama adaptation! ❤️✨️
Did I start reading this the second I finished the drama on Netflix? Yes lol.
I fear Fan Changyu has me in a chokehold and she is such a sweet (but at the same time utterly badass character) that honestly charms you to death. If her strength doesn't manage to kill you first! Even more so in the book than in the drama (due to the minion-man-gang not being part of the original plot) which I honestly wasn't prepared for. This woman is everything. 💖
Her live-in-husband Yan Zheng/Xie Zheng (who in the drama is a sea of green flags) is more brooding, stoic and morally grey in the book but still manages to steal hearts. Talk about a power-couple!
The political intrigue, the struggles the two main characters face (mah babies), the world building and over-all plot in the book (a lot of which was cut in the drama) really makes this a great read. I miss living in this world and I already miss the characters.😭❤️ Lol I need to be sent to some sort of story-rehab.
Highly recommend the book and highly recommend the visually stunning drama adaptation! ❤️✨️
August 16, 2026
Ha sido una grata sorpresa ver que es mil veces mejor que la adaptación que se hizo de la novela a serie, y eso que la serie me pareció de 10.
Puede que no sea la mejor lectura de mi vida pero sí me ha hecho reír, llorar y sentir. Con eso me basta.
Puede que no sea la mejor lectura de mi vida pero sí me ha hecho reír, llorar y sentir. Con eso me basta.
March 15, 2026
Started reading because I’m following the drama and can’t wait to find out what happens next. I really liked the character design of the FMC - so good to have an FMC who’s funny and strong. The hidden identity was entertaining to me throughout, I know some people don’t like that it lasted so long and wanted the misunderstanding to clear up but tbh i liked it compared to other misunderstanding plot lines I’ve seen.
April 4, 2026
I read this immediately after binging the 40 episode show in 6 days. I am thoroughly hooked. Was he dark and a bit too dominating? Yes. Did losing both his parents at 4 and being raised by a truly unloving uncle the reason? Probably. Am I still wanting a brooding marquis to bite me? Absolutely.
Did Not Finish
March 8, 202618/03/69
ยอมแพ้ขะ จะอ่านให้ถึงตอน89(ถึงแม้จะแอบอ่านข้ามไปตอนนั้นแล้วก็ตามที)
ยิ่งนิยายตอกย้ำว่านางเอก16 แล้วพระเอก aka ท่านโหวสูงศักดิ์กับเด็ก มันพะอืดพะอม ไม่ได้อะไรกับความซู แต่ไม่ไหวจริงๆ
ถ้ารุ่นเดียวกันจะไม่ว่าเลยนี่มัน แต่จะมาบ่นแล้วกันว่า90ตอนแรกคิดยังไง
คุณนายตั้งตารอคอยเรื่องนี้มาก พอออนแอร์เขานั่งดูซับจีนเสร็จมาดูพากย์ไทยต่อ
บอกว่าพระเอกเล่นเรื่องนี้ทำไมหล่อกว่าเดิม ถถถถถถ
ส่วนตัวเราว่าก็จะนั่งดู แต่พอดูไปดูไป นางเอกเอาหินเขวี้ยงใส่เหยี่ยวคือจบเลยค่ะ
แล้วในฉากพระเอกกำลังเศร้าที่ครอบครัวไม่เหลือใครในนิยายไม่เล่นมุก แต่ในซรดันเล่นมุก ไหนจะอะไรๆ อีกเลยว่าจะอ่านแค่นิ
ยอมแพ้ขะ จะอ่านให้ถึงตอน89(ถึงแม้จะแอบอ่านข้ามไปตอนนั้นแล้วก็ตามที)
ยิ่งนิยายตอกย้ำว่านางเอก16 แล้วพระเอก aka ท่านโหวสูงศักดิ์กับเด็ก มันพะอืดพะอม ไม่ได้อะไรกับความซู แต่ไม่ไหวจริงๆ
ถ้ารุ่นเดียวกันจะไม่ว่าเลยนี่มัน แต่จะมาบ่นแล้วกันว่า90ตอนแรกคิดยังไง
คุณนายตั้งตารอคอยเรื่องนี้มาก พอออนแอร์เขานั่งดูซับจีนเสร็จมาดูพากย์ไทยต่อ
บอกว่าพระเอกเล่นเรื่องนี้ทำไมหล่อกว่าเดิม ถถถถถถ
ส่วนตัวเราว่าก็จะนั่งดู แต่พอดูไปดูไป นางเอกเอาหินเขวี้ยงใส่เหยี่ยวคือจบเลยค่ะ
แล้วในฉากพระเอกกำลังเศร้าที่ครอบครัวไม่เหลือใครในนิยายไม่เล่นมุก แต่ในซรดันเล่นมุก ไหนจะอะไรๆ อีกเลยว่าจะอ่านแค่นิ
June 2, 2026
So I read the English translation and honestly... LOVE. I hope it gets a proper/formal translation so I can own the hard copy. If you are looking for a new TV show, Pursuit of Jade is the stuff of romance readers dreams. Slow burn, tension, marriage of convenience, one bed, yeeeearning, he falls first, touch her and die, who hurt you? PLUS the side characters/couples are just as compelling.
March 21, 2026
The show pursuit of jade was made as an adaptation of this novel. The book supplies an intricate plot but the MC starts showing some real red flags that seem to be presented as romance. The show thankfully is doing a better job so far. The show is also taking liberties with the storyline but so far, it has only added value
April 1, 2026
5 Stars
The slow burn is EXQUISITE. They start as strangers in a transactional marriage, become reluctant partners, then friends who understand each other's pain, and finally fall so deeply in love that the thought of separation is unbearable. Xie Zheng goes from "I'm just using this marriage as cover for my revenge mission" to "I will fake being wounded and abandon my command duties just to have my wife fuss over me." And Changyu, who planned this whole thing as a business arrangement, ends up tearing up divorce papers while ugly-crying in a war tent because she can't imagine life without him. The mutual respect, the way they both become better versions of themselves, the fact that they're EQUALS in every sense.... it's romance done RIGHT.
Also can we TALK about how this man is constantly BITING her shoulder and leaving marks like some kind of feral possessive wolf?? 🤣 The legendary terrifying marquis who makes hardened soldiers shake in fear becomes an absolute MENACE who can't keep his teeth off his wife's shoulder🤣 the man is FREAKY and I respect it and honestly it's perfect characterization for someone who's been repressing emotions for 17 years and finally found someone he can be unhinged about.
Overall, this book has EVERYTHING: fake marriage, enemies to lovers (sort of), battlefield reunion, political revenge, found family, competent leads who are both independently badass, a heroine who goes from butcher to general, a hero who's ruthless in war but soft (and bitey) for his wife, and prose that will make you screenshot passages to emotionally terrorize your friends. I haven't been this feral about a book in MONTHS, and now the drama adaptation is airing and I'm losing my mind all over again. If you love historical romance with actual stakes, characters who GROW, and slow burns that are worth every agonizing page, READ THIS IMMEDIATELY.
The slow burn is EXQUISITE. They start as strangers in a transactional marriage, become reluctant partners, then friends who understand each other's pain, and finally fall so deeply in love that the thought of separation is unbearable. Xie Zheng goes from "I'm just using this marriage as cover for my revenge mission" to "I will fake being wounded and abandon my command duties just to have my wife fuss over me." And Changyu, who planned this whole thing as a business arrangement, ends up tearing up divorce papers while ugly-crying in a war tent because she can't imagine life without him. The mutual respect, the way they both become better versions of themselves, the fact that they're EQUALS in every sense.... it's romance done RIGHT.
Also can we TALK about how this man is constantly BITING her shoulder and leaving marks like some kind of feral possessive wolf?? 🤣 The legendary terrifying marquis who makes hardened soldiers shake in fear becomes an absolute MENACE who can't keep his teeth off his wife's shoulder🤣 the man is FREAKY and I respect it and honestly it's perfect characterization for someone who's been repressing emotions for 17 years and finally found someone he can be unhinged about.
Overall, this book has EVERYTHING: fake marriage, enemies to lovers (sort of), battlefield reunion, political revenge, found family, competent leads who are both independently badass, a heroine who goes from butcher to general, a hero who's ruthless in war but soft (and bitey) for his wife, and prose that will make you screenshot passages to emotionally terrorize your friends. I haven't been this feral about a book in MONTHS, and now the drama adaptation is airing and I'm losing my mind all over again. If you love historical romance with actual stakes, characters who GROW, and slow burns that are worth every agonizing page, READ THIS IMMEDIATELY.
August 18, 2025
This is the book that cured my two-month reading slump. While there were things that I didn't like, it did not affect my overall enjoyment/experience with this novel. The plot was really interesting, the battle/fight scenes were superbly written, and the comedic scenes were such a delight to read. As an avid reader of historical romance, I can say that the romance in this book is good but only when it comes to their interactions and dynamics. When it comes to intimate scenes, I'm afraid it disappoints. I think romantic/intimate scenes are not the author's strength. Good thing I really liked the characters and the story as a whole. If you want to read this, just be forwarned that Xie Zheng, the male lead, is a bit of a red flag. I did not like some of his actions towards the Fan Chang Yu (the female lead). The political drama and the mystery about the past were not that intriguing. But my, I just really enjoyed it despite all its flaws! The first parts of the novel was a delight to read. It's comedic and heartwarming. You will also see the female lead grow into a stronger and wiser person but still retaining her lovable traits. It's a page turner, I tell you! Overall, it's an enjoyable read. I'm excited for the drama to air!
May 5, 2026
It took 20 days of watching the adaptation in March to fall in love with “Zhu Yu.” And the moment I cried my way through episode 40 I knew I had to read the web novel. Here I am 180 chapters later, flabbergasted at how the screenwriters managed to weave even more magic into the story even with the threat of censorship in their faces. The Marquis is definitely a darker romance type leading man here but his love, devotion and petty jealousy when it comes to his Ah Yu is no less endearing.
I love that the show strengthened the bond between Ning and Xie Zheng and I loved the way they weaved a lot of the “extras” into the heart of the story. Reading this entire book was absolutely worth it and if I can get my hands on a physical copy (even if it’s in Mandarin) I want this on my shelf! “Chasing Jade” manages to weave a story of court politics, revenge, romance, finding family after grief and Mulan-esque female general into one novel and I loved every single moment! Now I don’t know what to do with my life … but I do have the web novel that the “Prisoner of Beauty” is based on waiting on my kindle. 🙃
I love that the show strengthened the bond between Ning and Xie Zheng and I loved the way they weaved a lot of the “extras” into the heart of the story. Reading this entire book was absolutely worth it and if I can get my hands on a physical copy (even if it’s in Mandarin) I want this on my shelf! “Chasing Jade” manages to weave a story of court politics, revenge, romance, finding family after grief and Mulan-esque female general into one novel and I loved every single moment! Now I don’t know what to do with my life … but I do have the web novel that the “Prisoner of Beauty” is based on waiting on my kindle. 🙃
September 29, 2026
I don’t even know how to start this review except by saying: I loved this book. Like, genuinely loved it. I read it in three days. I barely slept.
First of all, Fan Changyu is exactly my type of female lead. She’s strong, resilient, and capable. There were so many moments where I expected the male lead to swoop in and save her and she saved herself instead. I love that. I love female characters who don’t lose their strength once romance starts, and this book never takes that away from her.
Then there’s Xie Zheng. I know he’s toxic. I know. But I loved it. He reminded me of Xie Wei from Story of Kunning Palace, and I love that type of morally gray, calculating male lead. What I liked most, though, is that even with his personality, the romance felt realistic. Their feelings developed naturally. It didn’t feel rushed, and it didn’t feel forced.
One of the biggest things for me: no dragged-out miscommunication trope. Even when they disagreed, they talked. Even when there was distance, it didn’t last forever. There was no endless “I’m hiding this to protect you” nonsense. That alone made the story so refreshing.
The political maneuvering was engaging. The fight scenes were actually entertaining ,I didn’t skim them which I usually do. In this book, I barely skipped anything. The only part I skimmed was one of Wei Yan’s extra backstories. Everything else held my attention.
I also laughed a lot. There were so many moments where I was genuinely laughing, and then other moments where I was kicking my feet because of their chemistry. The balance between tension, romance, politics, and humor was done so well.
If I have criticisms, they’re mostly about specific plot points. The letter from her father still confuses me, I don’t fully understand its purpose. And Wei Yan making his sister kill herself felt questionable. I understand the emotional logic behind it, but politically, I feel like there were other ways that situation could have unfolded, especially since many of the original problems were caused by the emperor. That part didn’t fully convince me.
The extra stories, though? So good. Especially the alternate universe where they meet as children and grow up together. I loved those chapters so much.
One thing I noticed about myself while reading this: when I truly love a book, I don’t skip. I only skip when I’m disengaged. This book proved that. I was fully present for almost all of it.
This has been on my TBR for a long time, and I hesitated because the blurb didn’t make it sound that interesting. I regret waiting. It was absolutely worth it.
I’m genuinely sad it’s over. I can see myself rereading this in a year or two and enjoying it all over again.
I’m also really nervous and excited about the drama adaptation coming out soon. I genuinely hope they keep the soul of the book. Obviously some changes are necessary for adaptation, but I really hope they don’t change the core dynamics, especially the way Fan Changyu stays strong and the way her relationship with Xie Zheng develops.
There are certain scenes that, if they get them right, I’m going to completely lose it. But at the same time, I know adaptations can go either way. Ideally, it’ll be one of those rare cases where I love both the book and the drama for different reasons.
I’ve had that happen before, like with Prisoner of Beauty, where I didn’t enjoy the novel much but loved the adaptation. I’m hoping this time I get the best of both worlds.
Another thing I really loved is the parallel between Wei Yan and Xie Zheng. They’re uncle and nephew, and the way the story mirrors them is so well done.
Wei Yan becomes the villain, but when you look at him closely, you can see how he got there. He’s obsessive, intense, and once he loses everything, he basically chooses revenge as his entire identity. He kills the emperor, but after that, what is he supposed to live for? His whole personality is built on anger and loss.
And honestly, Xie Zheng isn’t that different at his core. The way he loves, the way he fixates, the way he would absolutely choose Fan Changyu over the world, it’s the same kind of intensity. The only difference is that Xie Zheng has direction and purpose, and things don’t collapse around him the way they did for Wei Yan. If the circumstances were slightly different, I genuinely think Xie Zheng could have become another Wei Yan.
That mirroring made the story so much stronger for me. It makes Wei Yan more understandable, even if he’s terrible, and it makes Xie Zheng’s darkness feel real instead of romanticized. They’re not opposites, they’re two versions of what the same kind of person can become.
First of all, Fan Changyu is exactly my type of female lead. She’s strong, resilient, and capable. There were so many moments where I expected the male lead to swoop in and save her and she saved herself instead. I love that. I love female characters who don’t lose their strength once romance starts, and this book never takes that away from her.
Then there’s Xie Zheng. I know he’s toxic. I know. But I loved it. He reminded me of Xie Wei from Story of Kunning Palace, and I love that type of morally gray, calculating male lead. What I liked most, though, is that even with his personality, the romance felt realistic. Their feelings developed naturally. It didn’t feel rushed, and it didn’t feel forced.
One of the biggest things for me: no dragged-out miscommunication trope. Even when they disagreed, they talked. Even when there was distance, it didn’t last forever. There was no endless “I’m hiding this to protect you” nonsense. That alone made the story so refreshing.
The political maneuvering was engaging. The fight scenes were actually entertaining ,I didn’t skim them which I usually do. In this book, I barely skipped anything. The only part I skimmed was one of Wei Yan’s extra backstories. Everything else held my attention.
I also laughed a lot. There were so many moments where I was genuinely laughing, and then other moments where I was kicking my feet because of their chemistry. The balance between tension, romance, politics, and humor was done so well.
If I have criticisms, they’re mostly about specific plot points. The letter from her father still confuses me, I don’t fully understand its purpose. And Wei Yan making his sister kill herself felt questionable. I understand the emotional logic behind it, but politically, I feel like there were other ways that situation could have unfolded, especially since many of the original problems were caused by the emperor. That part didn’t fully convince me.
The extra stories, though? So good. Especially the alternate universe where they meet as children and grow up together. I loved those chapters so much.
One thing I noticed about myself while reading this: when I truly love a book, I don’t skip. I only skip when I’m disengaged. This book proved that. I was fully present for almost all of it.
This has been on my TBR for a long time, and I hesitated because the blurb didn’t make it sound that interesting. I regret waiting. It was absolutely worth it.
I’m genuinely sad it’s over. I can see myself rereading this in a year or two and enjoying it all over again.
I’m also really nervous and excited about the drama adaptation coming out soon. I genuinely hope they keep the soul of the book. Obviously some changes are necessary for adaptation, but I really hope they don’t change the core dynamics, especially the way Fan Changyu stays strong and the way her relationship with Xie Zheng develops.
There are certain scenes that, if they get them right, I’m going to completely lose it. But at the same time, I know adaptations can go either way. Ideally, it’ll be one of those rare cases where I love both the book and the drama for different reasons.
I’ve had that happen before, like with Prisoner of Beauty, where I didn’t enjoy the novel much but loved the adaptation. I’m hoping this time I get the best of both worlds.
Another thing I really loved is the parallel between Wei Yan and Xie Zheng. They’re uncle and nephew, and the way the story mirrors them is so well done.
Wei Yan becomes the villain, but when you look at him closely, you can see how he got there. He’s obsessive, intense, and once he loses everything, he basically chooses revenge as his entire identity. He kills the emperor, but after that, what is he supposed to live for? His whole personality is built on anger and loss.
And honestly, Xie Zheng isn’t that different at his core. The way he loves, the way he fixates, the way he would absolutely choose Fan Changyu over the world, it’s the same kind of intensity. The only difference is that Xie Zheng has direction and purpose, and things don’t collapse around him the way they did for Wei Yan. If the circumstances were slightly different, I genuinely think Xie Zheng could have become another Wei Yan.
That mirroring made the story so much stronger for me. It makes Wei Yan more understandable, even if he’s terrible, and it makes Xie Zheng’s darkness feel real instead of romanticized. They’re not opposites, they’re two versions of what the same kind of person can become.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2026
No me gusta dejar libros a la mitad porque la curiosidad suele ser más grande que yo, pero esta vez decidí cuidar mi integridad mental y emocional dejando de una vez por todas el libro ya llegado a un 70% de la trama, lo cual es bastante, teniendo en cuenta lo extenso que es. Lo odié tanto que ni me interesa saber qué pasa después.
Mi principal problema recae sobre la romantización de dinámicas abusivas de pareja, y más específicamente sobre el comportamiento y la mentalidad del protagonista masculino, Xie Zheng. Manipulador, odioso, controlador, posesivo, celoso, violento, en resumidas cuentas: abusivo. Zarandea a la protagonista de un lado a otro, mental, emocional (le miente y obliga a todo su entorno a hacer lo mismo, se hace el pobrecito para ganar simpatía), sexual y físicamente (una mañas bien frecuentes que tiene el tipajo son, entre otras, morderla hasta sacarle SANGRE, cual perro rabioso, forcejearla, ¡¡¡ESTRELLARLA CONTRA UN ÁRBOL Y AHORCARLA CUANDO SE ENOJA!!!).
Por otro lado (y a mi parecer, lo peor de todo) se encuentra el diálogo interno de Xie Zheng, quien habla sobre ella como una posesión que está dispuesto a LLEVARSE A LA TUMBA con tal de mantenerla a su lado. No exagero, literalmente dijo que mataría a cualquiera que se acercase a ella y que se la llevaría junto con él a la tumba. O sea matarla con tal de tenerla. Femicida vibesss, ¿no es romántico? Ah, y por supuesto que la protagonista no sólo perdona y soporta todo en nombre del "amor", sino que ¡¡SE CULPA A SÍ MISMA!!
Esa historia "de amor" es tan triste, tan violenta, tan preocupante, ¿y se supone que me tiene que enternecer? ¿Me tiene que gustar esto? ¿Estoy leyendo lo mismo que todos los demás? ¿El mismo libro y misma versión? ¿En qué parte de la novela aparece el romance del que hablan y por qué no lo encuentro? Me parece vomitivo.
En cuanto a la escritura, me pareció frustrante por lo terriblemente repetitiva que es. Ya entendí que ellos son blancos como la nieve/el jade, y que el tipo es frío y atractivo, no hay necesidad de repetirlo cada cinco párrafos, YA LO SÉ, dejá de repetirlo, te lo pido por favor, parece un loro. En sí el libro no está muy bien escrito, pero desconozco si se debe o no a errores de traducción, así que en eso no me meto.
Capaz hay cosas buenas del libro, MUY seguramente hay otras críticas para hacer, pero en mi cabeza quedaron opacadas por lo anterior. Fin del descargo emocional.
Mi principal problema recae sobre la romantización de dinámicas abusivas de pareja, y más específicamente sobre el comportamiento y la mentalidad del protagonista masculino, Xie Zheng. Manipulador, odioso, controlador, posesivo, celoso, violento, en resumidas cuentas: abusivo. Zarandea a la protagonista de un lado a otro, mental, emocional (le miente y obliga a todo su entorno a hacer lo mismo, se hace el pobrecito para ganar simpatía), sexual y físicamente (una mañas bien frecuentes que tiene el tipajo son, entre otras, morderla hasta sacarle SANGRE, cual perro rabioso, forcejearla, ¡¡¡ESTRELLARLA CONTRA UN ÁRBOL Y AHORCARLA CUANDO SE ENOJA!!!).
Por otro lado (y a mi parecer, lo peor de todo) se encuentra el diálogo interno de Xie Zheng, quien habla sobre ella como una posesión que está dispuesto a LLEVARSE A LA TUMBA con tal de mantenerla a su lado. No exagero, literalmente dijo que mataría a cualquiera que se acercase a ella y que se la llevaría junto con él a la tumba. O sea matarla con tal de tenerla. Femicida vibesss, ¿no es romántico? Ah, y por supuesto que la protagonista no sólo perdona y soporta todo en nombre del "amor", sino que ¡¡SE CULPA A SÍ MISMA!!
Esa historia "de amor" es tan triste, tan violenta, tan preocupante, ¿y se supone que me tiene que enternecer? ¿Me tiene que gustar esto? ¿Estoy leyendo lo mismo que todos los demás? ¿El mismo libro y misma versión? ¿En qué parte de la novela aparece el romance del que hablan y por qué no lo encuentro? Me parece vomitivo.
En cuanto a la escritura, me pareció frustrante por lo terriblemente repetitiva que es. Ya entendí que ellos son blancos como la nieve/el jade, y que el tipo es frío y atractivo, no hay necesidad de repetirlo cada cinco párrafos, YA LO SÉ, dejá de repetirlo, te lo pido por favor, parece un loro. En sí el libro no está muy bien escrito, pero desconozco si se debe o no a errores de traducción, así que en eso no me meto.
Capaz hay cosas buenas del libro, MUY seguramente hay otras críticas para hacer, pero en mi cabeza quedaron opacadas por lo anterior. Fin del descargo emocional.
June 29, 2026
I am obsessed with how desperate Xie Zheng is to marry his WIFE. This man is constantly throwing out the equivalent of ‘do you like me check yes or no’ and will go FERAL if Changyu does anything but put a sparkly heart sticker next to ‘yes.’ This menace is an unhinged, terrifyingly competent, dangerous man who desperately yearns for nothing more than to be Changyu’s househusband. He would gladly take the Marquis out back and shoot him to make that dream happen if it wouldn’t, like, throw all of China into a political upheaval that the common people would inevitably suffer the most from.
Quoting homo-trashcanicus: “beautiful flower invalid attic-husband with exactly two settings: big brown sad wet cow eyes and the Kubrick Stare. The kill bill sirens are always playing in his head but they are proportionally linked to His Wife’s proximity to some bullshit.”
Watching all of the men Changyu slaps immediately discover their kinks is Top Tier. Fan Changyu, imma need you to dial back your Everything about 25%- you can’t keep making everyone from the emperor to those thugs you beat up twice to the girls reading this damn novel fall in love with you.
I started watching the show and then switched to the novel around ep 29 when it became clear that there was a lot more going on that the show couldn’t keep up with and characters were getting tweaked. Was able to go back and finish the show after devouring the novel with a better understanding of everything the show was only half-assedly portraying- they needed another 20 eps or so to really do this story justice. That said, the first half of the show is one of the most enjoyable dramas I’ve ever watched. I do recommend reading the novel before watching the show for max enjoyment!!
Also, that book cover on Goodreads for this is hilarious, considering Changyu calls herself out for not being able to shoot for shit. She should be portrayed with a butcher knife in one hand and a half-eaten chicken leg in the other.
Quoting homo-trashcanicus: “beautiful flower invalid attic-husband with exactly two settings: big brown sad wet cow eyes and the Kubrick Stare. The kill bill sirens are always playing in his head but they are proportionally linked to His Wife’s proximity to some bullshit.”
Watching all of the men Changyu slaps immediately discover their kinks is Top Tier. Fan Changyu, imma need you to dial back your Everything about 25%- you can’t keep making everyone from the emperor to those thugs you beat up twice to the girls reading this damn novel fall in love with you.
I started watching the show and then switched to the novel around ep 29 when it became clear that there was a lot more going on that the show couldn’t keep up with and characters were getting tweaked. Was able to go back and finish the show after devouring the novel with a better understanding of everything the show was only half-assedly portraying- they needed another 20 eps or so to really do this story justice. That said, the first half of the show is one of the most enjoyable dramas I’ve ever watched. I do recommend reading the novel before watching the show for max enjoyment!!
Also, that book cover on Goodreads for this is hilarious, considering Changyu calls herself out for not being able to shoot for shit. She should be portrayed with a butcher knife in one hand and a half-eaten chicken leg in the other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2026
4.5⭐️ I could not put this book down and as soon as I finished it I wanted to read it again.
I started reading this book because of the show adaptation, which I have been watching whilst reading the book. The show (which is ongoing) is good, but the book is definitely better IMO.
It’s far from being a perfect book, but I was captivated from the start. The plot is so interesting, with twists that had my jaw dropping, comedic scenes that made me laugh out loud and fight/battle scenes that had me on the edge of my seat.
The character development, particularly of the MCs, was so well done. I loved the FMC and her growth throughout the book. Fan Changyu is young and sometimes a little naive, but she is no wilting flower. She is street smart, strong, caring and can kick some serious arse. A true strong FMC and not one that becomes a complete damsel in distress as soon as the MMC comes on the scene.
It is a slow burn, which is my favourite trope. The yearning and desire… chefs kiss. The intimacy scenes, however, are a little lackluster even for a fade to black. It is quite clear that writing about intimacy is not this author’s strength. Despite that I still enjoyed the romance and its development between the MCs.
It is a stand alone, which I found to be quite refreshing. I’m a bit over all these series that take 12 to 18 months (sometimes longer) for the next book to be released. So it was nice to have a book where it was one and done.
I started reading this book because of the show adaptation, which I have been watching whilst reading the book. The show (which is ongoing) is good, but the book is definitely better IMO.
It’s far from being a perfect book, but I was captivated from the start. The plot is so interesting, with twists that had my jaw dropping, comedic scenes that made me laugh out loud and fight/battle scenes that had me on the edge of my seat.
The character development, particularly of the MCs, was so well done. I loved the FMC and her growth throughout the book. Fan Changyu is young and sometimes a little naive, but she is no wilting flower. She is street smart, strong, caring and can kick some serious arse. A true strong FMC and not one that becomes a complete damsel in distress as soon as the MMC comes on the scene.
It is a slow burn, which is my favourite trope. The yearning and desire… chefs kiss. The intimacy scenes, however, are a little lackluster even for a fade to black. It is quite clear that writing about intimacy is not this author’s strength. Despite that I still enjoyed the romance and its development between the MCs.
It is a stand alone, which I found to be quite refreshing. I’m a bit over all these series that take 12 to 18 months (sometimes longer) for the next book to be released. So it was nice to have a book where it was one and done.
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