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Silent Reading #3
Silent Reading (III)
Childhood, upbringing, family background, social relations, traumatic experiences…
We keep reviewing and seeking out the motives of criminals, exploring the subtlest emotions driving them. It’s not to put ourselves in their shoes and sympathize, or even forgive them; it’s not to find some reasons to exculpate their crimes; it’s not to kneel down before the so-called “complexity of human nature”; nor to introspect social conflicts, much less to alienate ourselves into monsters.
We just want to have a fair trial – for ourselves and for those who still have hope for the world.
We keep reviewing and seeking out the motives of criminals, exploring the subtlest emotions driving them. It’s not to put ourselves in their shoes and sympathize, or even forgive them; it’s not to find some reasons to exculpate their crimes; it’s not to kneel down before the so-called “complexity of human nature”; nor to introspect social conflicts, much less to alienate ourselves into monsters.
We just want to have a fair trial – for ourselves and for those who still have hope for the world.
- GenresChina
625 pages, ebook
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40 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 23, 2025
5⭐
I finished this so long ago, I have no idea anymore what exactly I wanted to say, but anyway let's try.
Gifs by decrescendo
I completely understand Luo Wenzhou because I can hear this gif. Zhang Xin Cheng's voice is just perfect!
Gifs by decrescendo
I know I already gushed about zhoudu in my previous reviews but their chemistry is off the charts. I love priest's couples so much. She writes sexual tension so well, and despite her books not being overly explicit, she gives reader's imagination more than enough material to work with.
I enjoyed zhoudu relationship from the start, but now that things are actually moving somewhere, I'm fangirling even more. Their every togehter scene is amazing. At this point, it's true that Fei Du is just playing. His main goal is trying to provoke Wenzhou, to confuse him, and get under his skin. And he is doing this very successfully. He's just not aware yet that he's also pulling down his defences. As for Lou Wenzhou, he's falling more and more, and maybe even faster than Fei Du expected. From time to time he's still questioning his sanity but I had a feeling that he's very close to throw all caution to the wind and finally make Fei Du his.
Gif by buckystilinski
One of the best parts of their relationship is watching Luo Wenzhou being completely in WTF mode about his feelings to Fei Du. I think he would gladly choose to be in denial but that húli jīng doesn't let him have a moment of peace. So, Wenzhou finds himself more and more willing to surrender to his desires.
What I would give to be able to see this in the drama 🤤🤤 I'm afraid not other substitue gif would give this scene justice, so use your dirty imagination 😉 I suppose I should have said something about the vol 3's murder case to at least give some context for everything that is happening, especially because the progress in their relatinship is usually kind of connected to cases. However, as I already said, I forgot a lot of important cases info. I do remember that Fei Du tried to use this - their first - kiss as a distracion from his condition. He was not feeling well (someone was killed in front of him and there was A LOT of blood) but instead of succesing in confusing Wenzhou, he fainted and gave Captain Luo the "opportunity" to carry him into his house.
Gif by tinesleftnipple
Gif by xiaabaosnoona
This was such an amazing scene! I hate seeing Fei Du distressed but sometimes he needs it. He needs to start beliving that Luo Wenzhou is serious about him, that he will not leave him, and most importantly that he's not afraid of Fei Du's bullshit of trying to keep everyone away. I thin that moment was also important for Luo Wenzhou to realize that Fei Du is not only being a drama queen (well, he still is in a way, lol) but that there is something dark about his past, which he's not willing to share. For instance, that neck grab was not only some opportunity about kinky foreplay but also huge ????? I mean, what normal person would be zero afraid of suffocating.
Yay, almost at the end of my review now :D
Gif by ninisolavellans
Gif by xiaabaosnoona
Gif by tinesleftnipple
I finished this so long ago, I have no idea anymore what exactly I wanted to say, but anyway let's try.
Fei Du paused; then some mood caused him to add, “Shixiong.”
Luo Wenzhou: “…”
How could he use such an ordinary tone of voice to speak such an ordinary form of address and yet make it sound so sexual? It was really incomprehensible.
Gifs by decrescendo
I completely understand Luo Wenzhou because I can hear this gif. Zhang Xin Cheng's voice is just perfect!
Luo Wenzhou stopped the falling jacket and looked over from behind his computer—Fei Du really was very pleasing to the eye. Anyone who had eyes had to admit it.
Gifs by decrescendo
Fei Du rested a hand on his desk, looking loftily down on Luo Wenzhou. He leaned down and lowered his voice. “If you want to look, Captain Luo, go ahead and look all you want. I don’t charge.”
I know I already gushed about zhoudu in my previous reviews but their chemistry is off the charts. I love priest's couples so much. She writes sexual tension so well, and despite her books not being overly explicit, she gives reader's imagination more than enough material to work with.
Fei Du’s momentary fragile expression softly vanished in thin air like steam. The ends of his peach blossom eyes turned up, and he quickly bent his head and kissed the back of Luo Wenzhou’s hand, fingers lightly brushing the most sensitive place on his palm. When Luo Wenzhou immediately pulled his hand away, Fei Du blinked innocently at him. “Goodness, I’m sorry. Captain Luo’s charms are truly too powerful. I accidentally advanced a little too far.”
Luo Wenzhou: “…”
This joker really had seduction down to a military strategy.
I enjoyed zhoudu relationship from the start, but now that things are actually moving somewhere, I'm fangirling even more. Their every togehter scene is amazing. At this point, it's true that Fei Du is just playing. His main goal is trying to provoke Wenzhou, to confuse him, and get under his skin. And he is doing this very successfully. He's just not aware yet that he's also pulling down his defences. As for Lou Wenzhou, he's falling more and more, and maybe even faster than Fei Du expected. From time to time he's still questioning his sanity but I had a feeling that he's very close to throw all caution to the wind and finally make Fei Du his.
Luo Wenzhou put out his cigarette, pressed his thumb to his forehead, and for no reason at all very much wanted to see Fei Du.
Gif by buckystilinski
One of the best parts of their relationship is watching Luo Wenzhou being completely in WTF mode about his feelings to Fei Du. I think he would gladly choose to be in denial but that húli jīng doesn't let him have a moment of peace. So, Wenzhou finds himself more and more willing to surrender to his desires.
Luo Wenzhou wasn’t any kind of man of honor to sit there calmly and be kissed. A whole day of emotional vicissitudes had critically depleted his willpower, and moreover it had been a long time since he’d encountered an expert kisser like Fei Du. With his intellect’s spirit struck dumb, his impetuous body was drawn on by the trace of warmth already existing in his heart; it answered involuntarily, acting first and asking permission later, ordering him to raise his hand and press it to the back of Fei Du’s neck, ready to draw him into his arms.
What I would give to be able to see this in the drama 🤤🤤 I'm afraid not other substitue gif would give this scene justice, so use your dirty imagination 😉 I suppose I should have said something about the vol 3's murder case to at least give some context for everything that is happening, especially because the progress in their relatinship is usually kind of connected to cases. However, as I already said, I forgot a lot of important cases info. I do remember that Fei Du tried to use this - their first - kiss as a distracion from his condition. He was not feeling well (someone was killed in front of him and there was A LOT of blood) but instead of succesing in confusing Wenzhou, he fainted and gave Captain Luo the "opportunity" to carry him into his house.
He put the sugar water in front of Fei Du, wanting him to drink it himself, but he found that Fei Du’s hands were shaking so hard he could hardly hold the glass. He could only bow to his fate, snatch the glass away, and hold it up for Fei Du to drink.
Fei Du sighed gently. “Shixiong, I’m going to love you until you can’t escape.”
Gif by tinesleftnipple
Because Luo Wenzhou had suddenly bent down and kissed him on the forehead.
Fei Du: “…”
Luo Wenzhou not very gently stroked his rumpled hair, clearly seeing panic flash across Fei Du’s face.—It really was strange that a playboy who could flirt a person into a fantasy, who was equal to anything, would panic like a child someone had confessed their feelings to for the first time because a person kissed his forehead.
Gif by xiaabaosnoona
It was as if he’d never known warmth in his life.
This was such an amazing scene! I hate seeing Fei Du distressed but sometimes he needs it. He needs to start beliving that Luo Wenzhou is serious about him, that he will not leave him, and most importantly that he's not afraid of Fei Du's bullshit of trying to keep everyone away. I thin that moment was also important for Luo Wenzhou to realize that Fei Du is not only being a drama queen (well, he still is in a way, lol) but that there is something dark about his past, which he's not willing to share. For instance, that neck grab was not only some opportunity about kinky foreplay but also huge ????? I mean, what normal person would be zero afraid of suffocating.
Yay, almost at the end of my review now :D
First, Fei Du stared. Then his pupils contracted, and he immediately threw himself forward, grabbing Luo Wenzhou by the waist and pushing him back.
Gif by ninisolavellans
“Fei Du…”
Luo Wenzhou’s suspended heart was instantly electrified. First it trembled. Then it began to beat wildly as if in revolt, nearly overloading, about to burst out at any moment.
“Fei Du!”
Gif by xiaabaosnoona
Gif by tinesleftnipple
Suddenly, something blocked his eyes.
Then warm lips lightly touched his forehead. A sense of familiarity about the sensation made Fei Du calm down.
“I’m here,” this person said into his ear. “Everything is all right. Rest now, we’ll talk when you wake up.”
“What’s the matter?”
In a somewhat strange voice, Fei Du said, “Nothing. I love you, shixiong.”
Luo Wenzhou knew perfectly well that the words “I love you” coming out of Fei Du’s mouth were about the same as “Have you eaten?” but he still accidentally bumped into a drinking fountain in the hall.
August 17, 2025
This volume made me cry, and laugh, and cry some more. I wasn’t expecting to have such *big* emotions, but that really highlights how craftily Priest writes this story, and the sneaky way Fei Du and Luo Wenzhou weave themselves onto your heartstrings.
The case in this volume is very complicated, as it involves many new characters and a lot of economic investigating and crimes from over twenty years ago. It keeps unfolding, too: what starts as an accidental car crash killing a well-known businessman soon becomes a murder investigation, then a kidnapping and a paternity legitimacy dispute, then a faked kidnapping scheme, followed by a stabbing, then a drive-by murder, an explosion, then a body in a refrigerator….when our lead investigation team thinks they’ve come close to figuring this one out, another “man behind the curtain” is revealed, another larger puppet master pulling the strings. It’s a lot. And it’s somehow all connected.
Zhou Junmao’s seemingly accidental death and the highly publicized family drama that follows unveils the deceased’s true nature—this philanthropist’s benevolent facade was only a mask for dark and dirty deeds he’d long tried to bury, and his sons’ mad scramble for “justice” exposes an even larger threat lurking in the shadow of Zhou Junmao’s past. Strung along by the family’s dramatics, Luo Wenzhou and his team tumble down a continuously spiraling web of underground conspiracies and unanswered questions in the Zhou clan’s enterprise. But perhaps the most frightening question posed by the end of this volume: just how exactly is Fei Du involved?
While the plot and the case may border on too complex, the romance LEAPS in this volume. Like going from a nice walk in the park to a brisk jog amping up your heart rate. I almost think it happens a little too quickly. Fei Du and Luo Wenzhou stumble right into intense flirting, evolving from their previous toeing-the-line sort of flirting into full-on propositioning. And good lord is it ever entertaining and on more than one occasion had me kicking my feet giggling.
Agitated, he glared at Fei Du’s back in the rearview mirror, the faint bit of warmth in his heart leaking away entirely; he didn’t know whether he wanted to peel off Fei Du’s clothes or simply peel off his skin.
But for all the times Luo Wenzhou’s misdirected pent-up anger devolves into lusting after Fei Du, he’s equally come to fully accept the deeper feelings he’s developed for the other man. After a particularly emotionally and physically exhausting police chase, Luo Wenzhou speaks to Fei Du on the phone to update him on the case, and unexpectedly finds this simple phone call to be a great comfort to him.
Fei Du’s wholly unwavering voice was like a bowl of warm water….and for reason at all [Luo Wenzhou] very much wanted to see Fei Du.
Our almost-lovers have somewhat of a heart-to-heart confession scene, but this is mostly on Luo Wenzhou’s part. He’s fully aware that Fei Du’s advances are more of a game to him, a front he’s putting up to keep Luo Wenzhou at arm’s length. But instead of backing away or giving up on the rich playboy, Luo Wenzhou chooses to step even closer, eliminating the pretenses that have kept both of their feelings at bay for too long.
“I also choose to trust you. Of course, if you let me down one day, I’ll be very hurt, so hurt I may not love you anymore.”
While much is left unsaid in Luo Wenzhou’s partial confession, this moment hits especially profoundly in the wake of the ongoing Zhou clan investigation, and the circulating question of how involved or univolved Fei Du is in the dark corporate scheming behind the scenes. He chooses to show Fei Du that he’s on his side, that he doesn’t view Fei Du in the same light as the monsters they’re discovering in these cases, despite Fei Du’s shared background with these corrupt businessmen.
Luo Wenzhou’s eyes are opened even further to Fei Du’s inner workings as he discovers the locked basement room in his family’s unoccupied mansion. Without any spoilers, this part of the story and what’s revealed about Fei Du gets very dark very quickly. But what could have scared Luo Wenzhou off, or caused him to suspect Fei Du even more, or even caused him to lock Fei Du away in a mental facility, instead sparks Luo Wenzhou’s desire to stay by his side even more.
Shout out to one of my favorite, yet most stressful, tear-jerking scenes: Fei Du’s heroic stunt. When reading this book the first time through, this was the moment I realized I loved Fei Du and would go feral to protect him (easily top 3 favorite danmei characters). And reading it this time through, I surprisingly teared up. Especially at Luo Wenzhou’s near nervous break-down waiting outside of the ER in the aftermath. I still can’t believe how heavy that scene hit, even for a second read.
BIG bonus points to Tao Ran in this volume, my man stepping up when Luo Wenzhou needed some time to pull himself together, and the department turned to him for further instructions in the chaotic aftermath of losing yet another lead in the case. Upon seeing Luo Wenzhou damn near broken, both physically and psychologically, Tao Ran shakes off his own emotional turbulence to give their team instructions in Luo Wenzhou’s place. Reliable bestie af.
As the plot continues to thicken, I really appreciate Priest’s ability to provide readers with “signposts,” or brief little reminders and connections to events and people from earlier in the story. This tremendously helps remind us of the interconnectedness of all these crazy cases, and provides a foreboding sense of something bigger yet to come.
This city was too big, with too many people. There would always be places that sheltered and condoned evil that the people living in the light wouldn’t notice, but the reason a chronic condition could become chronic, could exist for a long time, was that it had evolved methods of survival and concealment. Otherwise, it would be thrown off as society constantly progressed…but surely it wouldn’t happen so coincidentally, in such concentration?
Everything that had happened in the last half a year seemed to be a series of firecrackers strung together—one spark, and they were all vying to explode.
Negative points because Luo Yiguo is not as present in this volume.😹(But I know his big moments are yet to come. Just wait until there are two cats habitating Luo Wenzhou’s apartment. <3)
The case in this volume is very complicated, as it involves many new characters and a lot of economic investigating and crimes from over twenty years ago. It keeps unfolding, too: what starts as an accidental car crash killing a well-known businessman soon becomes a murder investigation, then a kidnapping and a paternity legitimacy dispute, then a faked kidnapping scheme, followed by a stabbing, then a drive-by murder, an explosion, then a body in a refrigerator….when our lead investigation team thinks they’ve come close to figuring this one out, another “man behind the curtain” is revealed, another larger puppet master pulling the strings. It’s a lot. And it’s somehow all connected.
Zhou Junmao’s seemingly accidental death and the highly publicized family drama that follows unveils the deceased’s true nature—this philanthropist’s benevolent facade was only a mask for dark and dirty deeds he’d long tried to bury, and his sons’ mad scramble for “justice” exposes an even larger threat lurking in the shadow of Zhou Junmao’s past. Strung along by the family’s dramatics, Luo Wenzhou and his team tumble down a continuously spiraling web of underground conspiracies and unanswered questions in the Zhou clan’s enterprise. But perhaps the most frightening question posed by the end of this volume: just how exactly is Fei Du involved?
While the plot and the case may border on too complex, the romance LEAPS in this volume. Like going from a nice walk in the park to a brisk jog amping up your heart rate. I almost think it happens a little too quickly. Fei Du and Luo Wenzhou stumble right into intense flirting, evolving from their previous toeing-the-line sort of flirting into full-on propositioning. And good lord is it ever entertaining and on more than one occasion had me kicking my feet giggling.
Agitated, he glared at Fei Du’s back in the rearview mirror, the faint bit of warmth in his heart leaking away entirely; he didn’t know whether he wanted to peel off Fei Du’s clothes or simply peel off his skin.
But for all the times Luo Wenzhou’s misdirected pent-up anger devolves into lusting after Fei Du, he’s equally come to fully accept the deeper feelings he’s developed for the other man. After a particularly emotionally and physically exhausting police chase, Luo Wenzhou speaks to Fei Du on the phone to update him on the case, and unexpectedly finds this simple phone call to be a great comfort to him.
Fei Du’s wholly unwavering voice was like a bowl of warm water….and for reason at all [Luo Wenzhou] very much wanted to see Fei Du.
Our almost-lovers have somewhat of a heart-to-heart confession scene, but this is mostly on Luo Wenzhou’s part. He’s fully aware that Fei Du’s advances are more of a game to him, a front he’s putting up to keep Luo Wenzhou at arm’s length. But instead of backing away or giving up on the rich playboy, Luo Wenzhou chooses to step even closer, eliminating the pretenses that have kept both of their feelings at bay for too long.
“I also choose to trust you. Of course, if you let me down one day, I’ll be very hurt, so hurt I may not love you anymore.”
While much is left unsaid in Luo Wenzhou’s partial confession, this moment hits especially profoundly in the wake of the ongoing Zhou clan investigation, and the circulating question of how involved or univolved Fei Du is in the dark corporate scheming behind the scenes. He chooses to show Fei Du that he’s on his side, that he doesn’t view Fei Du in the same light as the monsters they’re discovering in these cases, despite Fei Du’s shared background with these corrupt businessmen.
Luo Wenzhou’s eyes are opened even further to Fei Du’s inner workings as he discovers the locked basement room in his family’s unoccupied mansion. Without any spoilers, this part of the story and what’s revealed about Fei Du gets very dark very quickly. But what could have scared Luo Wenzhou off, or caused him to suspect Fei Du even more, or even caused him to lock Fei Du away in a mental facility, instead sparks Luo Wenzhou’s desire to stay by his side even more.
Shout out to one of my favorite, yet most stressful, tear-jerking scenes: Fei Du’s heroic stunt. When reading this book the first time through, this was the moment I realized I loved Fei Du and would go feral to protect him (easily top 3 favorite danmei characters). And reading it this time through, I surprisingly teared up. Especially at Luo Wenzhou’s near nervous break-down waiting outside of the ER in the aftermath. I still can’t believe how heavy that scene hit, even for a second read.
BIG bonus points to Tao Ran in this volume, my man stepping up when Luo Wenzhou needed some time to pull himself together, and the department turned to him for further instructions in the chaotic aftermath of losing yet another lead in the case. Upon seeing Luo Wenzhou damn near broken, both physically and psychologically, Tao Ran shakes off his own emotional turbulence to give their team instructions in Luo Wenzhou’s place. Reliable bestie af.
As the plot continues to thicken, I really appreciate Priest’s ability to provide readers with “signposts,” or brief little reminders and connections to events and people from earlier in the story. This tremendously helps remind us of the interconnectedness of all these crazy cases, and provides a foreboding sense of something bigger yet to come.
This city was too big, with too many people. There would always be places that sheltered and condoned evil that the people living in the light wouldn’t notice, but the reason a chronic condition could become chronic, could exist for a long time, was that it had evolved methods of survival and concealment. Otherwise, it would be thrown off as society constantly progressed…but surely it wouldn’t happen so coincidentally, in such concentration?
Everything that had happened in the last half a year seemed to be a series of firecrackers strung together—one spark, and they were all vying to explode.
Negative points because Luo Yiguo is not as present in this volume.😹(But I know his big moments are yet to come. Just wait until there are two cats habitating Luo Wenzhou’s apartment. <3)
August 16, 2025
4.5 stars
March 19, 2025
”Only through having been doted on and cared for unreservedly in his youth could he have maintained that bone-deep readiness to take the whole world into his embrace.”
This case didn’t get me as hooked as the previous ones, even though this way the first part that wasn’t included in the live adaption. We finally got to see the relationship between Luo and Fei develop further, which was the highlight. The buildup of the story is good, but the final conclusions keep lacking a clear end. I don’t want to go at it too hard in case it’s a part of revealing the bigger case that’s been a red line throughout all previous books. But seeing as the author pointed it out herself, it seems incredibly strange to leave so many loose ends. There are so many people involved, where no explanations are given. Overall, good enough of a case, and nice that we’re getting closer to revealing the secrets about Fei Du’s past.
This case didn’t get me as hooked as the previous ones, even though this way the first part that wasn’t included in the live adaption. We finally got to see the relationship between Luo and Fei develop further, which was the highlight. The buildup of the story is good, but the final conclusions keep lacking a clear end. I don’t want to go at it too hard in case it’s a part of revealing the bigger case that’s been a red line throughout all previous books. But seeing as the author pointed it out herself, it seems incredibly strange to leave so many loose ends. There are so many people involved, where no explanations are given. Overall, good enough of a case, and nice that we’re getting closer to revealing the secrets about Fei Du’s past.
April 30, 2025
This 3rd case is probably the one that left the weakest impression on me, I barely remembered what it was about, I probably just found it a bit underwhelming after the last one (my favorite at the time), since although it gets really interesting it does start quite a bit slow.
“A car is a such a big murder weapon, much deadlier than a knife or a gun. The streets are full of people legally carrying murder weapons, and if they kill someone, can they just cover it up with ‘I didn’t mean it, it was an accident?'"
At the beginning the case is only about a very powerful, rich and known businessman who died in what it seems to be a simple car accident, but then his son very publicly express his suspicions about the accident being intentional, therefore it becomes a high profile case Captain Luo's team needs to investigate. However as the investigation advances they discover some major conspiracies and a lot of corruption linked to the victim, leading them to dig into a much more complex matter.
"In this instant, Zhou Junmao was no longer a person. His whole life, his experiences and his sex scandals, had become an open book, every punctuation mark of it publicly circulated, laid bare before the gazes of the multitude, supplying material for people to sob and chew over, their judgments running rampant"
This case deals a lot with corruption, rich people drama in general, including power struggle (murderous battles actually) and illegitimate childs, decades old conspiracies, media manipulation and even how these issues with powerful people end up affecting innocent and unrelated families.
"My family doesn’t have any high-interest loans, no one has an incurable illness, and my dad wasn’t a gambling addict who couldn’t pay his debts. We may have been poor, but we got on all right. We didn’t need to kill someone for a bit of money! My dad was in an accident. It was his fault, his responsibility. If there’s money that needs to be paid to compensate, I’ll undertake to pay it. If I don’t have enough, I can borrow it. Even if I have to work back-breaking labor all my life, I’ll still return it. But you can’t slander him like this out of nowhere! He’s dead, he has no mouth to speak for himself. Must you dip your buns in human blood to eat them?”
That monologue needs to be one of my favorite parts in this book, it probably doesn't seem like much out of context, but it was because of it that I stopped procrastinating on rereading and just picked up the novel right away. I honestly didn't remember much of it, but while watching the L.A. I thought "How could I forget such a thing? How many other marvellous moments I cannot recall from the book?", so I immediately decided to catch on to my rereading plans. The live action's actress did an excellent job delivering those lines, I even got goosebumps, it was so impressive, very heart touching but also very understandable and emphatetic.
Fei Du was like an attractive poisoned apple. Taking a bite would clearly turn your guts, but smelling it still made your mouth instinctively water.
We also start to get to know a little bit more of Fei Du's background and just in general more of him as a character, we get a few hints and peeks into his mind and life, which, while it answers a few questions about him, it also raises a few more. Aside from that we get to see more of GREENEST FLAG Luo Wenzhou, literal GOALS (to be and to have), that man is everything good in this world, the way he takes care of everyone, and just CARES altogether, not only about the cases and his colleagues, but also about Fei Du, who really makes the reader find it hard to like him at some points (I don't think he's supposed to be exactly likeable, which it's okay I guess). Their relationship starts developing a bit more here, with lots of flirting, it even gets a bit ambiguous and poor Captain Luo is even a bit confused. 😅
"Time after time, the asshole had disregarded his warnings, trailed after him pretending to be in absolute earnest, until he’d been ready to take him seriously, ready to take him into his heart…
It turned out that he’d only been diverting himself before retreating to his windowless, doorless bastion, coldly keeping everyone a thousand li away. Insulting himself this way, he was also insulting others’ regard. "
However, I need to admit, it ends in a terrible cliffhanger I almost choked to death while reading, I swear, I was gonna wait for the L.A. to catch up with the novel (only the first half of this arc was released when I finished this one), but ended up starting the next volume right away because I couldn't simply wait and move on, anxiety would have eaten me alive if I had stop reading there.
“A car is a such a big murder weapon, much deadlier than a knife or a gun. The streets are full of people legally carrying murder weapons, and if they kill someone, can they just cover it up with ‘I didn’t mean it, it was an accident?'"
At the beginning the case is only about a very powerful, rich and known businessman who died in what it seems to be a simple car accident, but then his son very publicly express his suspicions about the accident being intentional, therefore it becomes a high profile case Captain Luo's team needs to investigate. However as the investigation advances they discover some major conspiracies and a lot of corruption linked to the victim, leading them to dig into a much more complex matter.
"In this instant, Zhou Junmao was no longer a person. His whole life, his experiences and his sex scandals, had become an open book, every punctuation mark of it publicly circulated, laid bare before the gazes of the multitude, supplying material for people to sob and chew over, their judgments running rampant"
This case deals a lot with corruption, rich people drama in general, including power struggle (murderous battles actually) and illegitimate childs, decades old conspiracies, media manipulation and even how these issues with powerful people end up affecting innocent and unrelated families.
"My family doesn’t have any high-interest loans, no one has an incurable illness, and my dad wasn’t a gambling addict who couldn’t pay his debts. We may have been poor, but we got on all right. We didn’t need to kill someone for a bit of money! My dad was in an accident. It was his fault, his responsibility. If there’s money that needs to be paid to compensate, I’ll undertake to pay it. If I don’t have enough, I can borrow it. Even if I have to work back-breaking labor all my life, I’ll still return it. But you can’t slander him like this out of nowhere! He’s dead, he has no mouth to speak for himself. Must you dip your buns in human blood to eat them?”
That monologue needs to be one of my favorite parts in this book, it probably doesn't seem like much out of context, but it was because of it that I stopped procrastinating on rereading and just picked up the novel right away. I honestly didn't remember much of it, but while watching the L.A. I thought "How could I forget such a thing? How many other marvellous moments I cannot recall from the book?", so I immediately decided to catch on to my rereading plans. The live action's actress did an excellent job delivering those lines, I even got goosebumps, it was so impressive, very heart touching but also very understandable and emphatetic.
Fei Du was like an attractive poisoned apple. Taking a bite would clearly turn your guts, but smelling it still made your mouth instinctively water.
We also start to get to know a little bit more of Fei Du's background and just in general more of him as a character, we get a few hints and peeks into his mind and life, which, while it answers a few questions about him, it also raises a few more. Aside from that we get to see more of GREENEST FLAG Luo Wenzhou, literal GOALS (to be and to have), that man is everything good in this world, the way he takes care of everyone, and just CARES altogether, not only about the cases and his colleagues, but also about Fei Du, who really makes the reader find it hard to like him at some points (I don't think he's supposed to be exactly likeable, which it's okay I guess). Their relationship starts developing a bit more here, with lots of flirting, it even gets a bit ambiguous and poor Captain Luo is even a bit confused. 😅
"Time after time, the asshole had disregarded his warnings, trailed after him pretending to be in absolute earnest, until he’d been ready to take him seriously, ready to take him into his heart…
It turned out that he’d only been diverting himself before retreating to his windowless, doorless bastion, coldly keeping everyone a thousand li away. Insulting himself this way, he was also insulting others’ regard. "
However, I need to admit, it ends in a terrible cliffhanger I almost choked to death while reading, I swear, I was gonna wait for the L.A. to catch up with the novel (only the first half of this arc was released when I finished this one), but ended up starting the next volume right away because I couldn't simply wait and move on, anxiety would have eaten me alive if I had stop reading there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2025
Then warm lips lightly touched his forehead. A sense of familiarity about the sensation made Fei Du calm down. "I'm here," this person said into his ear.
"Everything is all right. Rest now, we'll talk when you wake up."
The third volume is NOT about the case. It's one of the first things I thought while reading the book, because after two huge investigations, the Zhou family drama felt... Common, in a way.
But the thing is, this volume is about setting the stage for literally everything that comes later - the real deeper plot that's been moving the story, changes in Luo Wenzhou and Fei Du's relationship, and even the insights necessary to begin to understand what actually HAPPENED with Fei Du since he was a child.
All the threads to conned Part one (volumes I and II) and Part two (volumes VI and V) of this story are set here, and it's really, really good.
This is also the moment when there actually IS A ZHOUDU TO GUSH ABOUT!!!
Luo Wenzhou gently shook his head. "When other people get brought in there, they have someone waiting outside. If he doesn't have anyone, I'm afraid he'll be broken-hearted and won't be willing to come back"
My precious, precious, precious Wenzhou.
I think this part is built as the very pillar that made their relationship possible, because Fei Du's instinct of protecting him - beyond their usual joking and nagging and picking small fights with each other - it changed how Wenzhou saw Fei Du's feelings for him.
So, even though the case wasn't as interesting, this was a very important transitioning book, and it does exactly what we need it to: it warns us that the story is changing. That there's a hidden plot going on, that going forward the next volumes will deal with more than new cases, but also start to dig the hidden centipede running the show.
"Why has so much been going on lately? It's all because Mercury's in retrograde!"
I guess I just can't help but completely love anything MoDu related kkkk
Only in front of Luo Wenzhou, who'd thought so highly of himself when he was young and had always wanted to pry people's painted faces off, had he given up the act, simply letting the human skin he wore hang loosely, letting him see the vicious fangs.
November 5, 2025
4.75 -
I cannot wait for this to be published traditionally by Seven Seas. I cannot wait to re-read all of this and annotate and fall in love with this series again!
This book had me smiling like an idiot at work. Luo Wengzhou saying “He’s my lover…” Got my heart big time. Him crying, about Fei Du…Fei Du’s very brave, very sweet sacrifice…I loved everything in this.
I feel like the skeleton of my reviews are all identical because I’m reading all the books in quick succession, but all you need to know is that I loved this book, and so love the series. Though not every book thus far has given me ‘5 star vibes’, it is, without a doubt, a 5 star series as a whole.
Once I’ve read the whole series, I’ll swap out my Haikyuu sticker on the back of my Kindle for a Silent Reading one. :)
I cannot wait for this to be published traditionally by Seven Seas. I cannot wait to re-read all of this and annotate and fall in love with this series again!
This book had me smiling like an idiot at work. Luo Wengzhou saying “He’s my lover…” Got my heart big time. Him crying, about Fei Du…Fei Du’s very brave, very sweet sacrifice…I loved everything in this.
I feel like the skeleton of my reviews are all identical because I’m reading all the books in quick succession, but all you need to know is that I loved this book, and so love the series. Though not every book thus far has given me ‘5 star vibes’, it is, without a doubt, a 5 star series as a whole.
Once I’ve read the whole series, I’ll swap out my Haikyuu sticker on the back of my Kindle for a Silent Reading one. :)
April 17, 2025
book 3 starts with a new mystery. with it brings fei du, now working as as an auditor in Iuo wenzhou's team - for unknown reasons. after book 2, the crime and mystery in this one seems almost tame in comparison, but the plot is certainly more convoluted.
aside from that we get even more zhoudu development - in fact the ship has officially set sall! fei du is such a layered character. i love learning more about him. and this being my reread i get to pickup so many more details. i also love reading how luo wenzhou's feelings for fei du slowly change.
aside from that we get even more zhoudu development - in fact the ship has officially set sall! fei du is such a layered character. i love learning more about him. and this being my reread i get to pickup so many more details. i also love reading how luo wenzhou's feelings for fei du slowly change.
March 7, 2025
Amazingly well build police cases and well... in this book we can start seing the flirty bickering between LW and FD ^3^*!
June 18, 2025
3rd case was kinda boring but it's ok bc zhoudu took the spotlight in vol 3
December 10, 2025
Yes, just mention the craziest things about Fei Du past and present, and then just leave it there until (probably) the last paragraph. Sounds like a smart choice for my heart
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