How is this not rated more highly?! It's soooooo perfect. The characters are superb. I love the reveal of the mc's character. I love all the themes the author squeezes in. I love the side stories hinted at (forbidden incest pining / jealousy / drama, little rabbit getting himself caught by hidden wolf).
First, can I just rave a bit about the mc. He's so persistent at pursuing what he wants, yet so clear eyed and realistic about it's imperfections. He's so conniving and manipulative, yet also respectful and realistic. He never stoops to using unsavory means to get what he wants - he doesn't force anyone or push his feelings onto others. Instead, he creates a plan to wear away the boulder blocking his path. And when he realizes there's not just a boulder, but a cliff blocking his goal, he calmly make a u-turn, regroups and comes up with a new route. If a typical mc is apple maps v1 when trying to decide what they want and how to get it, this mc is the current google maps. He knows the lanes to get into for the right exit, can predict traffic jams, and realistically predict how long a journey might take regardless of how easy the trip looks on the surface (why yes, I'm fully committed to this navigation analogy, thank you very much)
The ml is also adorable. He's so whole hearted. And a good person. How else would he know to suppress himself in every way - towards his dad, half brother, crush? He calls himself a coward, unwilling to fully commit to unsavory emotion, but isn't that civilization? We all have feelings we wish we could vent, and have to surpress because logically we know it's better to do so and that the losses outweigh the gains if we don't. It requires great maturity and self control to hold back the inner id. But in the course of this story, he realizes that some things don't need to be repressed and should instead be grabbed with both hands. He learns that he doesn't need to be afraid of sharing himself with everyone. Also, he's not a clueless lamb led to the slaughter; even if he doesn't know at the time that he's being manipulated, the story suggests that at the end he understands the tricks the mc played and is happy to be tricked.
I love the cadence of this story. It's not your typical romance, with love at first sight. Instead, it's about a steady love that comes from understanding and learning to see each other. It's about a love that is mutually respectful and comfortable. It's about finding someone that you can depend on and trust to think of you when everything is on the line. It's so much more meaningful than love in most romances.
Also, can I mention how amazing the translator and translation is? The translation is done carefully, to follow the intention of the original text. The translator adds useful insights and funny quips at the beginning or end of chapters. I just wish they would take on the companion story.
I really liked this because it’s a mature romance between two adults who know what they want from each other. Gu Yan (MC) and Qin Zhiyuan (ML) have a transactional relationship that has lasted years, with GY being the only partner who has been by QZY’s side the longest. Although on the surface it seems like both have managed to keep things professional, in fact GY had already given his heart to QZY the moment he met him all those years ago.
GY is an interesting character because while he’s an actor, his actual acting skills are below average and he’s often called a flower vase, only there because he’s good looking, and only getting the main lead roles due to his good luck with meeting QZY. Initially the story gives readers the idea that GY is just another shallow person using his body to secure opportunities despite his lack of talent, but as the story develops, we get to learn that there’s so much more than meets the eye. GY might not be the best actor on screen but in real life, he expended all his acting skills to conceal his love for QZY because he knew that his feelings were unrequited. But GY is also really smart and he knows when to push and pull. He is lowkey manipulative but in a way that means he does things deliberately but he doesn’t hurt anyone in the process in order to get what he wants. In other words, he plays the long game.
And when the characters develop, so does the relationship between them.
The angst in this novel is absolutely to my tastes. The unrequited love, the yearning, the characters pulling away and coming back together after everything. It was so good and the author did a really good job with developing their relationship while ensuring both characters didn’t lose themselves in the pursuit of love. Regarding the relationship itself, I really liked that they had mutual respect and understanding for each other. Understandably, they both hid their true feelings from each other and when GY found out that not only was he not the male lead, he wasn’t even a supporting role in QZY’s life, simply a passing bystander, he had enough pride and wisdom to end things with QZY. GY’s attitude and firmness made QZY realise that he had to be brave enough to take that first step to move on from his unrequited love for his straight male best friend, and then to open up his heart and fully accept GY because that was what GY truly deserved.
Their relationship was stable and sweet but stagnant while they were in the transactional relationship but after they broke up and QZY earnestly started pursuing GY, there were ups and downs (mostly opposition from outside forces) as he suddenly realised just how much GY felt for him, and how deeply he himself felt for GY. Their breakup was necessary for them to move on to something better and I really liked how neither of them blamed the other. They handled things maturely and when presented with the opportunity to build something new with GY, QZY didn’t hesitate to take it while still respecting his boundaries and bettering himself, because that’s the kind of guy he is - he’s a good person. I joke but usually in danmei novels it’s the gong that knows how to cook while the shou has terrible cooking skills, and in this novel it’s the opposite. But QZY was willing to learn, and that showed that he was willing to change. He was willing to oppose his father and brother, and learned to take his relationship with GY into his own hands instead of letting things play out. And that’s why they were able to get their happy ending.
The side characters were there to show how much the main characters had grown over the course of the story and in particular, Lin Jiarui was a pretty interesting guy. Unfortunately for me, the author wrote a little something about him in a side story and it turns out that there’s something going on between him and his uncle Lin Yi who’s a few years older than him. There were talks about revenge and different surnames and then the side story ended with no further continuation even though LJR was supposed to marry another woman in the end 🥲
This story isn’t particularly special, but just like another novel called ‘Rebirth of a Movie Star’, it was a very comforting read for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
It was fine. I did like that the MC was scheming throughout even though he was a flower vase with his acting.
Summary: The MC and ML are in a sugar baby/daddy relationship with the ML providing the MC with lead movie roles despite his wooden acting. The MC constantly feels like other young stars are threatening his sugar baby position and he schemes to stay with the ML. The MC is also very carefully trying to step into the ML's heart because he's loved the ML since the ML rescued him when he was young.