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病案本 [Bing An Ben] / Case File Compendium (Novel) #8
Case File Compendium: Bing An Ben (Novel) Vol. 8
TWISTED PASSION
Now assisting the Dreambreaker task force, Xie Qingcheng has steeled himself to oppose the man who was once his lover. He has watched the long-missing He Yu triumphantly return as the head of He Pharmaceuticals, but he knows that He Yu is secretly working for the Mandela Syndicate—the shadowy organization whose machinations have underpinned every crisis he and He Yu have faced.
Xie Qingcheng knows his betrayal has broken He Yu, and he’s all too ready to believe He Yu’s love for him is a thing of the past. But when Xie Qingcheng finds himself trapped on the Mandela Syndicate’s hidden island, he has no choice but to put his fate in He Yu’s hands.
Now assisting the Dreambreaker task force, Xie Qingcheng has steeled himself to oppose the man who was once his lover. He has watched the long-missing He Yu triumphantly return as the head of He Pharmaceuticals, but he knows that He Yu is secretly working for the Mandela Syndicate—the shadowy organization whose machinations have underpinned every crisis he and He Yu have faced.
Xie Qingcheng knows his betrayal has broken He Yu, and he’s all too ready to believe He Yu’s love for him is a thing of the past. But when Xie Qingcheng finds himself trapped on the Mandela Syndicate’s hidden island, he has no choice but to put his fate in He Yu’s hands.
364 pages, Paperback
Published May 12, 2026
About the author
Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
62 books1,796 followersAssociated Names:
* Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
* 肉包不吃肉 (Chinese Profile)
* โร่วเปาปู้ชือโร่ว (Thai Profile)
* Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat (Unofficial English Profile)
* Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
* 肉包不吃肉 (Chinese Profile)
* โร่วเปาปู้ชือโร่ว (Thai Profile)
* Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat (Unofficial English Profile)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
May 25, 2026
this is a rant, not a proper review, at least not the kind i usually write. whatever this is, i’m writing it for myself, for my own peace of mind. i don’t have good things to say, so if you’re a die-hard bab fan, maybe don’t read this. and don’t come here telling me i “missed the entire point” of the story. if that’s the case, i’m fine with it. my opinions are my own, and i'm entitled to post it here.
i do believe stories are dynamic and grow with people. when i first started reading this, the premise completely hooked me, but unfortunately that effect gradually fizzled out, especially after the last volume. whatever the author is trying to say, i either don’t understand it or i do understand but simply don’t want to read something like it. and no, nobody is forcing me to read this book. i’m doing this to myself because i don’t value my time and can’t leave anything unfinished.
for so long, i tried in vain to see beyond what is written on these pages. i tried hard to read between the lines, and all i found was one plot hole after another. the entire story feels like a superficial hot mess where shock factors are added purely for the sake of it. it’s as if the author challenged herself and said, “i’ll write the most unhinged book possible.” i’m sorry to say it just didn’t work for me.
rant with heavy spoilers
this volume picks up right where the last one ended. xqc in he yu’s house, getting treatment and atticwifed. and that’s where the never-ending series of absurdities begin. during his stay, xqc steals data from he yu’s devices. now you’re telling me world-class hacker he yu left everything unprotected for his ex-doctor? normal behavior for them, i guess.
then anthony shows up and insults xqc. after seeing the cctv footage, he yu asks him about the encounter because there’s no audio. but later we find out mandela org. has technology that records audio too. couldn’t they lend some of that to he yu for his house surveillance? then chen man enters, and he yu basically goes, “arrest me when homosexuality becomes a crime.” kind of iconic, honestly, but at this point i’m exhausted by whatever is happening.
project dream breaker sends an entire battalion to the island, but that thousands-strong force gets immobilized within seconds. so very naturally, they decide to send xqc, a professor with no military training whatsoever because he has the “power of adaptability.” then superhuman xqc enters with his super hearing alongside zheng jingfeng, an old cop who’s about to retire. couldn't they send someone better? before they leave, the team leader gives xqc a police uniform and an id number made from his dead parents’ badge numbers. highly unethical, but i guess “special circumstances require special solutions.”
on the way to mandela, instead of strategizing, our veteran jingfeng starts telling xqc stories about his parents and their first mission together. is this really the time for that? they’ve known each other their whole lives, but suddenly, right before the most dangerous mission imaginable, grandpa pulls out his bag of tales. dude, conserve your energy.
now for the highlight of the story, combative robots carrying the consciousness of xqc’s dead parents, and they know how to salute properly like policemen. marvelous. our team of two fights for their lives and gathers data that a team of thousands couldn’t. brilliant. those battle scenes gave me chills from disbelief.
then he yu enters the scene riding our star, dear pegasus, which turns out to be a modified helicopter. yeah, i feel cheated. where’s my winged unicorn? at this point the “helicopter helicopter” meme started playing in my head and i could physically feel another headache coming.
i feel like i’m just writing down a summary of this book, so now i’ll skip a few things.
our little devil captures xqc and atticwifes him again, but now we learn that he yu is actually part of project dream breaker, working as an informant. bingo. what a brave 23-year-old silly little dummy. duan wen’s chips and serums apparently don’t work on he yu’s super special blood toxin, yes we have another super man, so he can send intel whenever he wants. extremely convenient for the plot.
to maintain their “enemy” facade, hexie are having sex everyday, while duan wen’s subordinate checks the bedding for 'semen', what a pervert!! also, there are cameras in the bathroom because apparently duan wen loves watching people shit. wonderful. marvelous. life-changing.
and we’re still not done. let’s talk about xqc’s pregnancy. our 36-year-old man injects himself with a special serum for superpowers and somehow ends up with pregnancy symptoms. now he’s throwing up and lactating. truly the pinnacle of fiction. the funniest part is that he yu genuinely believes that his uncle oops lover can actually get pregnant. sir. please. spare me.
oh, and i almost forgot the cameras in he yu’s mandela room can record both audio and video, but apparently the audio only works when people talk loudly. that’s a massive security flaw for a futuristic organization experimenting with all kinds of advanced technology. naturally, our super duper clever 'loid-level' spy hexie exploit this by whispering their plans nonstop.
mandela island itself is actually pretty interesting. we got zoya a maniac scientist raising pigs. what’s next? a mango garden? an apiary producing organic honey for the residents? to top it all, the island even has an ice cream parlor. again, how convenient!
and all this chaos started because the island’s leader, one hag who just refuses to die, keeps transplanting her brain into different bodies (bitch die!). we basically have a fake god chasing immortality. at this point i’ve entirely lost it. even my own thoughts sound absurd to me.
spoilers end here
another very important thing, now we finally know why that organization is so desperate to find the first emperor, and honestly i’m scared for xqc. if they find out, they’ll definitely do unspeakable things to him.
despite all my complaints, i can still acknowledge some good qualities. for example, the entire concept of mandela and this insane organization is trying to reshape the world order, which is pretty interesting. the premise is good, but the execution is not.
you can’t paint with a broad brush because inevitably you’ll miss the finer details. that’s exactly what happened here. the author tried to cram in so many shock factors that the story turned ridiculous. what even is this book? dystopian? sci-fi? thriller? romance? or just something made for unhinged people? it feels like a heterogeneous mixture. the repetition turned beyond redemption. i refuse to believe this was written by the same author who gave us masterpieces like yuwu and erha. i’m no one to tell an author what they should or shouldn’t write, but this story doesn’t even come close to those two epics.
this time i won’t even discuss the so called “romance,” but i will say it’s nice that they’ve finally started communicating with each other. it’s been long enough. please wrap things up already, i see no reason for this unnecessary angst just for the sake of it. eh, i think i’m still forgetting one or two points. when i remember them, i’ll come back again and whine. i'll edit this so-called review.
bottom line, i think meatbun’s grocery list would have more substance than this, and i’d happily read that. anyway, secretly looking forward to the next volume. final verdict, interesting, somewhat overindulging, but still bad.
p.s. he yu and chen man should fuck. i'm rooting for a threesome.
i do believe stories are dynamic and grow with people. when i first started reading this, the premise completely hooked me, but unfortunately that effect gradually fizzled out, especially after the last volume. whatever the author is trying to say, i either don’t understand it or i do understand but simply don’t want to read something like it. and no, nobody is forcing me to read this book. i’m doing this to myself because i don’t value my time and can’t leave anything unfinished.
for so long, i tried in vain to see beyond what is written on these pages. i tried hard to read between the lines, and all i found was one plot hole after another. the entire story feels like a superficial hot mess where shock factors are added purely for the sake of it. it’s as if the author challenged herself and said, “i’ll write the most unhinged book possible.” i’m sorry to say it just didn’t work for me.
rant with heavy spoilers
this volume picks up right where the last one ended. xqc in he yu’s house, getting treatment and atticwifed. and that’s where the never-ending series of absurdities begin. during his stay, xqc steals data from he yu’s devices. now you’re telling me world-class hacker he yu left everything unprotected for his ex-doctor? normal behavior for them, i guess.
then anthony shows up and insults xqc. after seeing the cctv footage, he yu asks him about the encounter because there’s no audio. but later we find out mandela org. has technology that records audio too. couldn’t they lend some of that to he yu for his house surveillance? then chen man enters, and he yu basically goes, “arrest me when homosexuality becomes a crime.” kind of iconic, honestly, but at this point i’m exhausted by whatever is happening.
project dream breaker sends an entire battalion to the island, but that thousands-strong force gets immobilized within seconds. so very naturally, they decide to send xqc, a professor with no military training whatsoever because he has the “power of adaptability.” then superhuman xqc enters with his super hearing alongside zheng jingfeng, an old cop who’s about to retire. couldn't they send someone better? before they leave, the team leader gives xqc a police uniform and an id number made from his dead parents’ badge numbers. highly unethical, but i guess “special circumstances require special solutions.”
on the way to mandela, instead of strategizing, our veteran jingfeng starts telling xqc stories about his parents and their first mission together. is this really the time for that? they’ve known each other their whole lives, but suddenly, right before the most dangerous mission imaginable, grandpa pulls out his bag of tales. dude, conserve your energy.
now for the highlight of the story, combative robots carrying the consciousness of xqc’s dead parents, and they know how to salute properly like policemen. marvelous. our team of two fights for their lives and gathers data that a team of thousands couldn’t. brilliant. those battle scenes gave me chills from disbelief.
then he yu enters the scene riding our star, dear pegasus, which turns out to be a modified helicopter. yeah, i feel cheated. where’s my winged unicorn? at this point the “helicopter helicopter” meme started playing in my head and i could physically feel another headache coming.
i feel like i’m just writing down a summary of this book, so now i’ll skip a few things.
our little devil captures xqc and atticwifes him again, but now we learn that he yu is actually part of project dream breaker, working as an informant. bingo. what a brave 23-year-old silly little dummy. duan wen’s chips and serums apparently don’t work on he yu’s super special blood toxin, yes we have another super man, so he can send intel whenever he wants. extremely convenient for the plot.
to maintain their “enemy” facade, hexie are having sex everyday, while duan wen’s subordinate checks the bedding for 'semen', what a pervert!! also, there are cameras in the bathroom because apparently duan wen loves watching people shit. wonderful. marvelous. life-changing.
and we’re still not done. let’s talk about xqc’s pregnancy. our 36-year-old man injects himself with a special serum for superpowers and somehow ends up with pregnancy symptoms. now he’s throwing up and lactating. truly the pinnacle of fiction. the funniest part is that he yu genuinely believes that his uncle oops lover can actually get pregnant. sir. please. spare me.
oh, and i almost forgot the cameras in he yu’s mandela room can record both audio and video, but apparently the audio only works when people talk loudly. that’s a massive security flaw for a futuristic organization experimenting with all kinds of advanced technology. naturally, our super duper clever 'loid-level' spy hexie exploit this by whispering their plans nonstop.
mandela island itself is actually pretty interesting. we got zoya a maniac scientist raising pigs. what’s next? a mango garden? an apiary producing organic honey for the residents? to top it all, the island even has an ice cream parlor. again, how convenient!
and all this chaos started because the island’s leader, one hag who just refuses to die, keeps transplanting her brain into different bodies (bitch die!). we basically have a fake god chasing immortality. at this point i’ve entirely lost it. even my own thoughts sound absurd to me.
spoilers end here
another very important thing, now we finally know why that organization is so desperate to find the first emperor, and honestly i’m scared for xqc. if they find out, they’ll definitely do unspeakable things to him.
despite all my complaints, i can still acknowledge some good qualities. for example, the entire concept of mandela and this insane organization is trying to reshape the world order, which is pretty interesting. the premise is good, but the execution is not.
you can’t paint with a broad brush because inevitably you’ll miss the finer details. that’s exactly what happened here. the author tried to cram in so many shock factors that the story turned ridiculous. what even is this book? dystopian? sci-fi? thriller? romance? or just something made for unhinged people? it feels like a heterogeneous mixture. the repetition turned beyond redemption. i refuse to believe this was written by the same author who gave us masterpieces like yuwu and erha. i’m no one to tell an author what they should or shouldn’t write, but this story doesn’t even come close to those two epics.
this time i won’t even discuss the so called “romance,” but i will say it’s nice that they’ve finally started communicating with each other. it’s been long enough. please wrap things up already, i see no reason for this unnecessary angst just for the sake of it. eh, i think i’m still forgetting one or two points. when i remember them, i’ll come back again and whine. i'll edit this so-called review.
bottom line, i think meatbun’s grocery list would have more substance than this, and i’d happily read that. anyway, secretly looking forward to the next volume. final verdict, interesting, somewhat overindulging, but still bad.
p.s. he yu and chen man should fuck. i'm rooting for a threesome.
Want to Read
May 12, 2026so I had to quickly jump in as a Goodreads librarian to upload the just released cover because WHAT IS THAT.
May 27, 2026
✦ he yu's and xie qingcheng's relationship is like a trainwreck i simply can't look away from. they both test my patience in their own ways. he yu especially - this man is a straight up lunatic.
"The love and hate between them was so complicated, tainting even simple joy or anger. He wanted to delete each and every memory of Xie Qingcheng, but he also wanted to engrave his everything onto his own bones and blood. It felt like he’d forgotten how to love him, but he couldn’t learn how to hate him. Hadn’t he also been torturing himself while he had tortured Xie Qingcheng?"
✦ this series is messy, painful and toxic as hell, but i can't help but love it.
✦ i truly can't wait to read the next volume, it really looks like shit is about to go down. what do you mean i have to wait until the end of august..?💔
"The love and hate between them was so complicated, tainting even simple joy or anger. He wanted to delete each and every memory of Xie Qingcheng, but he also wanted to engrave his everything onto his own bones and blood. It felt like he’d forgotten how to love him, but he couldn’t learn how to hate him. Hadn’t he also been torturing himself while he had tortured Xie Qingcheng?"
✦ this series is messy, painful and toxic as hell, but i can't help but love it.
✦ i truly can't wait to read the next volume, it really looks like shit is about to go down. what do you mean i have to wait until the end of august..?💔
March 3, 2026
ohhhhhhh this goes crazy... i feel crazy..
edit after cover reveal: this cover out of context is soooo funny im sorry (like wtf is bab even about)... it makes sense having read the novel completely but compared to the previous volumes this is fr out of nowhere
edit after cover reveal: this cover out of context is soooo funny im sorry (like wtf is bab even about)... it makes sense having read the novel completely but compared to the previous volumes this is fr out of nowhere
May 15, 2026
AAAAAAAAAAAA FINALLYYYYYY 😭😭😭😭😭😭 MY BELOVED HEXIE 🥹🥹
May 14, 2026
Fucking hell, it took me a few hours to finish that and what do you MEAN I have to wait till book 9??? I might as well just implode. And Jesus Christ FINALLY the goddamned miscommunication trope is finally getting solved.
May 16, 2026
beautiful. wonderful. but wayyyy too short :/
this has to be the shortest volume. i did like most of the story but the mandela plot is just. a little boring to me idk. i appreciate meatbun's views on future ai technology and human cloning and stuff though, it's just that something about the sci-fi bit just isn't interesting enough anymore.
one more issue i had with this book was, ahem ahem, the LACK of communication. oh my fucking god. these two are oh so smart normally but they are just so, sooo clueless about each other's feelings. but anyway, their chemistry had me HOOKED. i especially loved the way they slowly started to revert back to their old passionate ways and i just absolutely adore he yu's devotion to xie qingcheng.
also it's so funny to me that the only other character who ever appears on a bab volume cover is literally just zoya. but also this book didn't even have any great plot twist moments to put on the cover so i get how the cover is just random mandela-island core. BUT THE INSIDE ILLUSTRATIONS,,,, i'm in love :P
all in all, this was the non-freakiest (except for the illustrations. and whatever fake-mpreg stuff was going on. even then it's not as freaky as the other books can you imagine meatbun's brain) and least angsty bab volume ever but i still loved how it was just really sweet. it almost felt like the calm before the storm (because it is). volume 9's cover is so messed up.... please let me hexie be okay i pray 3
anyway, i will rate everything meatbun writes five stars. and i will go to sleep happily thinking of xie qingcheng's smile in that final illustration :)
this has to be the shortest volume. i did like most of the story but the mandela plot is just. a little boring to me idk. i appreciate meatbun's views on future ai technology and human cloning and stuff though, it's just that something about the sci-fi bit just isn't interesting enough anymore.
one more issue i had with this book was, ahem ahem, the LACK of communication. oh my fucking god. these two are oh so smart normally but they are just so, sooo clueless about each other's feelings. but anyway, their chemistry had me HOOKED. i especially loved the way they slowly started to revert back to their old passionate ways and i just absolutely adore he yu's devotion to xie qingcheng.
also it's so funny to me that the only other character who ever appears on a bab volume cover is literally just zoya. but also this book didn't even have any great plot twist moments to put on the cover so i get how the cover is just random mandela-island core. BUT THE INSIDE ILLUSTRATIONS,,,, i'm in love :P
all in all, this was the non-freakiest (except for the illustrations. and whatever fake-mpreg stuff was going on. even then it's not as freaky as the other books can you imagine meatbun's brain) and least angsty bab volume ever but i still loved how it was just really sweet. it almost felt like the calm before the storm (because it is). volume 9's cover is so messed up.... please let me hexie be okay i pray 3
anyway, i will rate everything meatbun writes five stars. and i will go to sleep happily thinking of xie qingcheng's smile in that final illustration :)
May 27, 2026
4.9/5
Meatbun truly has a PhD in making me "ugly cry" while begging for more.
Where do I even begin?! These novels really know how to make me cry! These two make me cry, their situations make me cry... I just cry! I honestly just want this suffering to end for both of them. Also, the Volume 9 cover already has me worried and scared!
In this volume, you learn so much more about what’s going on with Mandela Island, RN-13, Duan Wen, and the others on the island. We also get deep into He Yu and Xie Qingcheng’s relationship. That cliffhanger was absolutely rude, by the way!
There are a lot of politics involving VR—it’s hard to explain, but let’s just say there is a lot of info-dumping and the plot is definitely plotting! You see both of their struggles and their small moments of comfort. I want to say more, but I’ll save that for the spoilers below.
Happy reading!
SPOILERS FOR FUTURE VOL IN COMMENTS = AUTOMATIC BLOCK
⚠️ SPOILER WARNING ⚠️
Xie Qingcheng stays with He Yu for a while. He technically has the freedom to leave whenever he wants, but he chooses to stay. However, He Yu has guards following him everywhere, so it doesn't exactly feel like he can leave freely. It isn't until Anthony (who I hate so much) causes issues that he is finally able to get away.
After letting Xie Qingcheng go, He Yu figures out some things Anthony said to him... and let’s just say He Yu was PISSED! He decides to head back to Mandela Island.
Meanwhile, Xie Qingcheng goes on a mission to the island to retrieve data from a weapon. While he’s trying to secure it, his partner Zheng Jingfeng has to fight off robot dogs with the help of robots that have the personalities of Xie Qingcheng’s parents! (My heart? Shattered.)
Afterward, He Yu and Zoya take them both away, only for He Yu to reveal his biggest secret to Xie Qingcheng. After the reveal, He Yu explains everything happening on the island: the intel, the Mandelaverse, Mandela’s plans for the future, and how they will kill anyone to get results.
We also finally see Xie Qingcheng have a flare for the first time, and let me tell you... TEARS!!! Full-on ugly crying! He Yu helped him calm down and did everything he could for him. But seriously... WHERE IS THE CONFESSION?! 😭😭🙏🙏
Meatbun truly has a PhD in making me "ugly cry" while begging for more.
Where do I even begin?! These novels really know how to make me cry! These two make me cry, their situations make me cry... I just cry! I honestly just want this suffering to end for both of them. Also, the Volume 9 cover already has me worried and scared!
In this volume, you learn so much more about what’s going on with Mandela Island, RN-13, Duan Wen, and the others on the island. We also get deep into He Yu and Xie Qingcheng’s relationship. That cliffhanger was absolutely rude, by the way!
There are a lot of politics involving VR—it’s hard to explain, but let’s just say there is a lot of info-dumping and the plot is definitely plotting! You see both of their struggles and their small moments of comfort. I want to say more, but I’ll save that for the spoilers below.
Happy reading!
SPOILERS FOR FUTURE VOL IN COMMENTS = AUTOMATIC BLOCK
⚠️ SPOILER WARNING ⚠️
Xie Qingcheng stays with He Yu for a while. He technically has the freedom to leave whenever he wants, but he chooses to stay. However, He Yu has guards following him everywhere, so it doesn't exactly feel like he can leave freely. It isn't until Anthony (who I hate so much) causes issues that he is finally able to get away.
After letting Xie Qingcheng go, He Yu figures out some things Anthony said to him... and let’s just say He Yu was PISSED! He decides to head back to Mandela Island.
Meanwhile, Xie Qingcheng goes on a mission to the island to retrieve data from a weapon. While he’s trying to secure it, his partner Zheng Jingfeng has to fight off robot dogs with the help of robots that have the personalities of Xie Qingcheng’s parents! (My heart? Shattered.)
Afterward, He Yu and Zoya take them both away, only for He Yu to reveal his biggest secret to Xie Qingcheng. After the reveal, He Yu explains everything happening on the island: the intel, the Mandelaverse, Mandela’s plans for the future, and how they will kill anyone to get results.
We also finally see Xie Qingcheng have a flare for the first time, and let me tell you... TEARS!!! Full-on ugly crying! He Yu helped him calm down and did everything he could for him. But seriously... WHERE IS THE CONFESSION?! 😭😭🙏🙏
May 27, 2026
‘𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩, 𝙇𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙡? 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜.’
WOW. this volume was so info dumpy that sometimes i wished that it would just end already. putting that aside though we made some real progress towards hexie revealing their feelings towards each other, with the last chapter being an unsaid confirmation between the two of them that they loved each other.
i’m very scared for the next volume, i can’t believe we have to wait so long. it’s not looking good for xie qingcheng and i cant help but think that duan wen has found out that he’s the first emperor and is gonna lock him away. not only would this postpone the confession that we were promised at the end of the last volume, but it also prevents the frost laser from being destroyed. which is a key for the final battle to go the way we want it to.
one of my gripes with this volume that it felt like the characters were a little bit ooc? i wanted he yu to be more obsessive and possessive over xqc, he seems less unstable now which is good for him but i kinda liked him more before. i feel like xqc has also become more lenient and less set in his ways. you can argue that these things are good or bad, but it’s just my personal preference.
thoroughly enjoyed the omegaverse coded smut though, and i can’t wait to see how meatbun’s smut reads in her other novels. if only xqc could actually get pregnant… now that would make my day.
IM SO HAPPY THAT HE YU NOW KNOWS XQC NEVER DATED CHEN MAN, BUT WHY DID IT HAVE TO END BEFORE WE KNEW HIS THOUGHTS ON THIS 😭😭
WOW. this volume was so info dumpy that sometimes i wished that it would just end already. putting that aside though we made some real progress towards hexie revealing their feelings towards each other, with the last chapter being an unsaid confirmation between the two of them that they loved each other.
i’m very scared for the next volume, i can’t believe we have to wait so long. it’s not looking good for xie qingcheng and i cant help but think that duan wen has found out that he’s the first emperor and is gonna lock him away. not only would this postpone the confession that we were promised at the end of the last volume, but it also prevents the frost laser from being destroyed. which is a key for the final battle to go the way we want it to.
one of my gripes with this volume that it felt like the characters were a little bit ooc? i wanted he yu to be more obsessive and possessive over xqc, he seems less unstable now which is good for him but i kinda liked him more before. i feel like xqc has also become more lenient and less set in his ways. you can argue that these things are good or bad, but it’s just my personal preference.
thoroughly enjoyed the omegaverse coded smut though, and i can’t wait to see how meatbun’s smut reads in her other novels. if only xqc could actually get pregnant… now that would make my day.
IM SO HAPPY THAT HE YU NOW KNOWS XQC NEVER DATED CHEN MAN, BUT WHY DID IT HAVE TO END BEFORE WE KNEW HIS THOUGHTS ON THIS 😭😭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2026
Who was it that refused this romantic drama its ending? Who had yet to wipe their face clean of makeup? Who was still standing by the edge of the stage with longing in their eyes even after the music stopped and the crowds dispersed? The false couple had acted so convincingly that even after the lights dimmed, the drums fell silent, and the cheering spectators left behind their mess of leftover food and drink, the Hegemon-King was still wearing his armor and Consort Yu was still twirling her sword.
Who was unwilling to have this play come to a close, incapable of putting an end to the game? The act carried on until the paper covering the window became as thin as a cicada’s wing, to be shredded by the merest breath—but who was it that refused to tear through that final barrier?
this series, man…sigh 🚬
it’s just all so fascinating to me. and the deep dive into the true intentions of the Mandela Syndicate threw my brain haywire in a way i love.
i truly admire the author for putting her all into this surreal kind of plot and never letting the story stray away from it since the beginning. hexie’s tumultuous relationship is a huge page-turner, but i personally think the story itself is incredible. it’s all very ambitious and works so well. characters from previous volumes are tied back into this volume and connections start to flow more smoothly, which got me hooked. plus, once i got the full context of this cover, i was aghast and very pleasantly surprised.
there was a lot of plot for a good chunk of this volume, which gave my heart a nice break from all the hexie trauma. then when they returned, i was left an emotional wreck as always. and then i get to the last chapter and am left even more devastated bc what’s all this talk about hope??
still….every time i think i can’t take any more pain, i keep reading on and am reminded why meatbun’s storytelling hooks me every time.
it’s an amazing reward :’)
Who was unwilling to have this play come to a close, incapable of putting an end to the game? The act carried on until the paper covering the window became as thin as a cicada’s wing, to be shredded by the merest breath—but who was it that refused to tear through that final barrier?
this series, man…sigh 🚬
it’s just all so fascinating to me. and the deep dive into the true intentions of the Mandela Syndicate threw my brain haywire in a way i love.
i truly admire the author for putting her all into this surreal kind of plot and never letting the story stray away from it since the beginning. hexie’s tumultuous relationship is a huge page-turner, but i personally think the story itself is incredible. it’s all very ambitious and works so well. characters from previous volumes are tied back into this volume and connections start to flow more smoothly, which got me hooked. plus, once i got the full context of this cover, i was aghast and very pleasantly surprised.
there was a lot of plot for a good chunk of this volume, which gave my heart a nice break from all the hexie trauma. then when they returned, i was left an emotional wreck as always. and then i get to the last chapter and am left even more devastated bc what’s all this talk about hope??
still….every time i think i can’t take any more pain, i keep reading on and am reminded why meatbun’s storytelling hooks me every time.
it’s an amazing reward :’)
May 17, 2026
The Mandela syndicate plot was kind of going everywhere in this volume and losing me a little but let’s be honest, we aren’t really reading this series for the plot! HeXie’s character and relationship development in this deserves 5 stars alone. I love that we are seeing them slowly come back together. Both are such complex characters. This slow burn really is 🤌.
(Spoilers below - my commentary and thoughts on what happened)
I love that we finally saw Xie Qingcheng have a mental breakdown/flareup and cry. XQC has been through so much and has been suppressing his emotions all this time. Reading how He Yu was there to comfort him was beautiful ❤️ Those couple scenes of them emotionally opening up under the covers in the bed, holding hands, touching each other’s faces, etc, were so sweet and I wish we got an illustration of that! 😫
I’m glad He Yu apologized again for the horrible things he did to XQC in volume 7, even without XQC clearing anything up. I was wondering if it would be due to more than just the abandonment trauma and hate, but that still makes sense given his illness. I hope his promise to not hurt him ever again sticks this time 😅
Proud of He Yu for fighting against his bloodlust to kill Chen Man ❤️ And even openly admitting that struggle to XQC.
I also love how it ended with them agreeing to have a personal talk with each other but not before XQC saying that he never dated Chen Man at the very end! I celebrated that being cleared up! 🎉
I love that Meatbun has been taking her time with the relationship build up and suspense and is slow dripping it. 😆 It still stays realistic to the characters imo. I’m so excited to see XQC confess I could explode 💥 but this volume left on a note that was still satisfying enough that we can wait a little easier for the next volume.
(Spoilers below - my commentary and thoughts on what happened)
I love that we finally saw Xie Qingcheng have a mental breakdown/flareup and cry. XQC has been through so much and has been suppressing his emotions all this time. Reading how He Yu was there to comfort him was beautiful ❤️ Those couple scenes of them emotionally opening up under the covers in the bed, holding hands, touching each other’s faces, etc, were so sweet and I wish we got an illustration of that! 😫
I’m glad He Yu apologized again for the horrible things he did to XQC in volume 7, even without XQC clearing anything up. I was wondering if it would be due to more than just the abandonment trauma and hate, but that still makes sense given his illness. I hope his promise to not hurt him ever again sticks this time 😅
Proud of He Yu for fighting against his bloodlust to kill Chen Man ❤️ And even openly admitting that struggle to XQC.
I also love how it ended with them agreeing to have a personal talk with each other but not before XQC saying that he never dated Chen Man at the very end! I celebrated that being cleared up! 🎉
I love that Meatbun has been taking her time with the relationship build up and suspense and is slow dripping it. 😆 It still stays realistic to the characters imo. I’m so excited to see XQC confess I could explode 💥 but this volume left on a note that was still satisfying enough that we can wait a little easier for the next volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2026
4.25 stars - took them 8 books but at least they’re finally somewhat happy?? (Please let me relish in this I’m fully aware this happiness is getting ripped away immediately because of that cover for volume 9 cheers Seven Seas😭) He Yu still finding the time to be jealous of Chen Man was so funny to me though very begrudging alliance at the end.
I do think my favourite things were when Meatbun depicted how they both felt after they made up and how they felt when they finally decided it was time to stop dancing around the feelings they knew they still had. It felt sweet and tender and while also frustrating, it was also realistic to me for them. They’ve spent so long going between different things, hurting each other, caring for each other, I feel like how their relationship finally bettered by the end of this made the most sense.
Also what do you mean Xie Qingcheng stoped watching jellyfish videos because he was so traumatised thinking about He Yu drowning TvT
I do think my favourite things were when Meatbun depicted how they both felt after they made up and how they felt when they finally decided it was time to stop dancing around the feelings they knew they still had. It felt sweet and tender and while also frustrating, it was also realistic to me for them. They’ve spent so long going between different things, hurting each other, caring for each other, I feel like how their relationship finally bettered by the end of this made the most sense.
May 18, 2026
This honestly could have been way sadder and that scares me for the next volume
May 16, 2026
Okay, so many things have happened here, the info drop was heavy, probably too heavy at times but that's okay ig.
He Yu and Xie Qingcheng relationship truly puts my patience to the test, but nonetheless, the last few chapters have made me realize how deeply they love each other, even though Xie Qingcheng has yet to say how he really feels. Anyway, I'll try to not pull my hair out while waiting for the last volume.
He Yu and Xie Qingcheng relationship truly puts my patience to the test, but nonetheless, the last few chapters have made me realize how deeply they love each other, even though Xie Qingcheng has yet to say how he really feels. Anyway, I'll try to not pull my hair out while waiting for the last volume.
May 17, 2026
This volume was everything. It was so bittersweet, brutal yet, so beautiful. I loved how the different emotions were portrayed. He Yu and Xie Qingcheng's relationship is getting more and more into a healthier manner (still, it has some issues, but a bit better than before). The development is definitely noticeable.
Read
May 27, 2026descobrir o contexto por trás dessa capa foi uma experiência. eu já sabia antes de começar bab que o tom mudava pelo menos umas três vezes in a meatbun fashion de deixar a verdadeira premissa pro final e revelar isso de uma forma absurda. se isso se traduz bem pro setting que ela montou em bab é completamente debativel. a pessoa por trás de todas as maquinações ser uma velha coroca que não quer morrer e se transmuta em corpos pra continuar vivendo me pegou demais. se eu for pensar sobre a ilha e o que ela significa no escopo geral da história eu acho que consigo tirar uma coisa ou outra sobre o perigo do avanço tecnológico com o papo sobre realidade virtual e como hexie são os que mais tão na reta como pessoas enquanto transtornos psicológicos nessa situação. apesar de todo o absurdo que parece nonsensical demais de primeira pra olhar além disso, bab ainda toca em umas questões que te faz sair um pouco do fever dream que é ler isso. e fica muito claro quando os policiais não acreditam no he yu apesar de tá trabalhando com eles por conta da condição dele. mas ainda é muito óbvio pela forma em que tudo foi estruturado e executado que essa história toda só existe por hexie e pela conveniência de dar um final feliz pra eles. e eu também só ligo pra isso por tudo que eu já falei aqui e continuo achando. to curiosa pra saber o que mais ela vai inventar até que isso aconteça porque esse foi o volume em que eles mais se entenderam e foram honestos um com o outro. e o he yu explicou toda a motivação dele pra ter feito o que fez! orgulho! mas sei que a complicação vai se prolongar e que algo vai impedir que eles tenham essa dr
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2026
for someone who claimed to hate this book i surely did finish this volume pretty quick 😭 but honestly this was a much smoother experience without the constant miscommunication. like we still have ways to go with the communication aspect but at least they aren't trying to actively make each other jealous by omitting truths or straight up lying just to get a reaction out of someone 😭 the plot is still so fuckass stupid its astonishing like the entire Mandela island metaverse shit is so??????????? like wdym they can see the island for what it is bc they're mentally ill like be so fucking fr. Also the entire pregnancy plot point is so stupid like its so painfully obvious that the entire thing was added bc meatbun wanted to satisfy her fantasies, like im sorry xqc had to inject the serum multiple times during the fight bc the effects were wearing off but once he is with he yu, even if he isn't taking the serum the side effects are getting him that horribly???? its just so fucking crazy i can't make this shit up. but other than that, i was throughly enjoying it despite the plot taking me to places i wouldn't even go with a gun
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2026
Out of context, seeing this cover, I was convinced it would be the most ridiculous and insane volume of bab. Meatbun on drugs, one might say, completely unhinged and unrestrained. However, as it turns out, it's not meatbun that's on drugs. It's the rest of us.
If you told me before a cover with flying mechanical horses in a modern danmei would be the absolute best choice, encompassing the soul of the book, I would have thought it bonkers. And it seems, that's the point.
In a true Meatbun fashion, volume 8 still has plenty of smut and kink (more than the previous ones, I dare say), but the story is coming together, the wisps of plot she has been building up blooming into what was her intention all along. Is Case File Compendium a self indulgent, toxic yaoi of the highest caliber of problematic? Yes. Is it a commentary on discrimination against the mentally ill, the sanitization of art, and a stance against AI, as well as too rapid advancement and spread of technology? Also, yes.
I did not expect to sit here in existential dread after reading my daily dose of toxic gay fiction, and yet here we are.
Meatbun, you did it again, and I can't wait what you have in store next.
If you told me before a cover with flying mechanical horses in a modern danmei would be the absolute best choice, encompassing the soul of the book, I would have thought it bonkers. And it seems, that's the point.
In a true Meatbun fashion, volume 8 still has plenty of smut and kink (more than the previous ones, I dare say), but the story is coming together, the wisps of plot she has been building up blooming into what was her intention all along. Is Case File Compendium a self indulgent, toxic yaoi of the highest caliber of problematic? Yes. Is it a commentary on discrimination against the mentally ill, the sanitization of art, and a stance against AI, as well as too rapid advancement and spread of technology? Also, yes.
I did not expect to sit here in existential dread after reading my daily dose of toxic gay fiction, and yet here we are.
Meatbun, you did it again, and I can't wait what you have in store next.
March 15, 2026
💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔
chapters 210-244
I like to think i knew what hell was and what lay in for me in that special place.
But this series is set on proving me wrong.
Because this series is far worse than the most cruel version of reality.
chapters 210-244
I love you in silence.
Love you in the guilt, love you in the ridicule of the common people, love you in the long wait.
I love you in regret, I love you in apprehension, I love you in dare not easily tell, I love you in tears.
I love you where you are and where I am, I love you in never going away, I love you in the embrace of war and fire.
I love you more than an apology, more than waiting for you for a long time, more than just being safe.
- Xie Qingcheng to He Yu.
I like to think i knew what hell was and what lay in for me in that special place.
But this series is set on proving me wrong.
Because this series is far worse than the most cruel version of reality.
May 29, 2026
Thoroughly enjoyed this, the angst, the yearning, the crazy plot, the omegaverse vibe. Literally so fire. Final scene of the book was genuinely so bitersweet and kind of lifechanging. Also lowkey a cliffhanger so I'm tweaking.
I liked the stylistic choices. The detached tone at the beginning was so different from the typical narration you get from He Yu's POV, but it was such a clever way of representing his psychological state and his passivity.
I think this vol balanced the external and internal conflicts really well. Lots of scifi and asked a lot of interesting questions about technology/science and what it means to be human. Character development for both XQC and He Yu was well thought out and honestly super sweet.
I liked the stylistic choices. The detached tone at the beginning was so different from the typical narration you get from He Yu's POV, but it was such a clever way of representing his psychological state and his passivity.
I think this vol balanced the external and internal conflicts really well. Lots of scifi and asked a lot of interesting questions about technology/science and what it means to be human. Character development for both XQC and He Yu was well thought out and honestly super sweet.
May 22, 2026
OH MY GODDDD
finally the mystery is revealed. We know the main villain now. All the sci fi metaverse thing is so nicely described and kinda realistic. It is scary as well I love it honestly.
I was scared that someone is gonna die but nobody did lol
The start of the book was so so sad :(. I hate Anthony so much ughh
These 2 are such disaster omg like just say that you love each other god. They got on my nerves😔.
I genuinely started hating He yu (which is really bad because I have never hated any mc or ml before no matter what they do)
The ENDING OMGGG FINALLY they talked (They have not confessed yet😔)
The pictures in this book are so juicyy😋
finally the mystery is revealed. We know the main villain now. All the sci fi metaverse thing is so nicely described and kinda realistic. It is scary as well I love it honestly.
I was scared that someone is gonna die but nobody did lol
The start of the book was so so sad :(. I hate Anthony so much ughh
These 2 are such disaster omg like just say that you love each other god. They got on my nerves😔.
I genuinely started hating He yu (which is really bad because I have never hated any mc or ml before no matter what they do)
The ENDING OMGGG FINALLY they talked (They have not confessed yet😔)
The pictures in this book are so juicyy😋
Review of advance copy
overall, creo que bab ha sido una historia muy entretenida, ha tenido sus momentos dónde me gustó mucho, y otros momentos dónde siento que decayó, no sé que pensar de este último tomo, pero creo que ha sido mi menos favorito, se fue por un rumbo muy loco que jamás pensé que tomaría. También hay ciertas cosas que me empezaron a causar molestia, como el hecho de que siempre le termina pasando algo a xqc, y termina lastimado/ alguien lo lastima. Hay más cositas, pero creo que esa es la que me causó más ruido. En fin, tqm he yu.
May 17, 2026
The second I got this book, I abandoned my responsibilities, ignored my normal life, and honestly? Worth it. Completely worth it. ❤️
Every single chapter was five stars… except the last one because THAT ONE DESERVED INFINITY STARS. ♾️⭐
It took EIGHT BOOKS to get to that last chapter and I would wait another eight if I had to because OH. MY. GOD. THAT PAYOFF. I have been waiting for THIS. Also… The letter ZQC wrote to HY…..I NEED IT. I know I will be shedding some tears!
And now the wait starts for book nine. 😩 Until then, I’ll just be over here rereading. 🥰
Every single chapter was five stars… except the last one because THAT ONE DESERVED INFINITY STARS. ♾️⭐
It took EIGHT BOOKS to get to that last chapter and I would wait another eight if I had to because OH. MY. GOD. THAT PAYOFF. I have been waiting for THIS. Also… The letter ZQC wrote to HY…..I NEED IT. I know I will be shedding some tears!
And now the wait starts for book nine. 😩 Until then, I’ll just be over here rereading. 🥰
May 13, 2026
Still fckd up as ever heyu, and I love that for you. MOMMY XIEE IS BACK IN TOWN BITCHES!!! HE WAS THE INFORMANTT??? He didn’t kill Chen man…. We’ve really grown heyu. HOW YOU GON CONFESS YALLS HEART AT THE END OF THE MUTHA FCKN BOOK??!!!! I’m mad but so happy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2026
I'm crying in the club. I'm too attached to Xie Qingcheng & He Yu and I'm SO happy that they finally seem to be getting somewhere together. I love the crazy plot that you can't see coming because everything is just so ridiculous & I love this series so so so much.
May 28, 2026
This volume was spicy, delicious, and very fast-paced. I genuinely devoured it. The plot was thick with interesting developments, and I’m very happy with this volume so far. I can’t wait to read more—I simply can’t get enough of this couple and this story.
May 14, 2026
😬😭😏😱🤯🙌
"They were like a pair of lost souls who each finally heard the other's faint call after untold ages spent wandering the fog alone." --- p. 311
5 Stars!
"They were like a pair of lost souls who each finally heard the other's faint call after untold ages spent wandering the fog alone." --- p. 311
5 Stars!
May 15, 2026
NOOOOOO MY CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT CRASHED AND BURNED WHAT
May 15, 2026
"No regrets."
(I'm scared af. Someone sedate me pls.)
(I'm scared af. Someone sedate me pls.)
May 17, 2026
Pure camp
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