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病案本 [Bing An Ben] / Case File Compendium (Novel) #9
Case File Compendium: Bing An Ben (Novel) Vol. 9
BROKEN DREAMS
The final conflict with the Mandela Syndicate is looming on the horizon, with Xie Qingcheng and He Yu set to reunite with the Dreambreakers and escape the island at last. But Duan Wen suspects more than he’s been letting on, and He Yu’s blood toxin and Xie Qingcheng’s unique physiology are both far too valuable for the Mandela Syndicate’s sinister Great-Grandmother to let them slip out of her grasp so easily.
If the Mandela Syndicate gets their way, He Yu will be rendered an obedient weapon and Xie Qingcheng will become the next vessel for its founder’s horrific experiments. Neither of them is going down without a fight…but will either of them make it out alive?
The final conflict with the Mandela Syndicate is looming on the horizon, with Xie Qingcheng and He Yu set to reunite with the Dreambreakers and escape the island at last. But Duan Wen suspects more than he’s been letting on, and He Yu’s blood toxin and Xie Qingcheng’s unique physiology are both far too valuable for the Mandela Syndicate’s sinister Great-Grandmother to let them slip out of her grasp so easily.
If the Mandela Syndicate gets their way, He Yu will be rendered an obedient weapon and Xie Qingcheng will become the next vessel for its founder’s horrific experiments. Neither of them is going down without a fight…but will either of them make it out alive?
344 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 25, 2026
About the author
Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
76 books1,904 followersAssociated Names:
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* 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 50 reviews
August 18, 2026
i abused my eyes, brain, heart, and soul.
this book has gusted my flabbers, but not in a good way. for the last few days, i’ve been continuously thinking about what to write, but trust me, my mind is completely blank (not blissfully, either). this mind-numbingly bad book has caused some serious tissue damage inside my brain. at this point, i’m continuing for two reasons. first, it’s written by meatbun. i’m forever grateful to her for erha and yuwu, so i’ll read everything written by her. second, i can’t leave things unfinished. if i read volume one, i’ll read volume ten. it’s definitely a psychological problem. for that, i can’t blame anyone but myself. so, with a heavy heart, i’m sharing my thoughts.
before i start, i’d better clarify a few things. this review is entirely subjective. it’s a trash book for me, and i don’t see any reason to sugarcoat it. my purpose is not to misinfluence anyone. we’re all different people with different perspectives, so read it and form your own opinions. also, i don’t think i need to use a spoiler warning, the cover is enough for that.
if i had to express all my feelings in a single sentence, i’d say this book is very convenient, just for the sake of convenience. everything happened, but at the same time, nothing of substance actually happened.
lately, whenever i open instagram, those ai-generated dramas pop up, filled with one obvious misunderstanding after another, where the maniac villains are always laughing and screaming for no apparent reason. this snoozefest in the form of a book somewhat felt like that.
again, our star, the best character of this entire series, dear pegasus, enters the chat, and this time all three people, xie qingcheng, he yu, and chen man are riding it. please have mercy on the poor beast. (i’m still bitter that it’s not an original pegasus.) they’re on their way to destroy the laser. it’s interesting to see how three people momentarily fooled the most futuristic organisation.
now, for zoya, the girl with the tragic backstory. do i really need to feel bad for her? let’s just say that, in the end, she became the monster she had always hated. the frost laser destruction fight scene is totally unbelievable. it’s a serious situation, but zoya faked being under the influence of he yu’s blood toxin just to have her “ha ha ha” scene. during a life-and-death situation, who has time to do that? never beating the cartoon villain allegations, i see. and instead of firing bullets or tranquilizer darts, those modified humans were fighting with daggers?? and our superhuman team of three was countering those things? i’m not reading mortal instruments. pack it up.
bingo, it’s chapter 235, and we suddenly have a new character. li yun’s introduction was just to give some shallow depth to duan wen’s character. i see no other reason. duan wen, the inhuman villain who was groomed since childhood, turned into a calculating, unfeeling monster who solves everything with logic and if i remember correctly, once said he had no feelings for men, he suddenly turned gay? idk why, but i feel like even the author initially had no idea the story would take such turns. and the final moments between these two? the regret over what it could have been and how it turned out felt very superficial to me. personally, i felt nothing. (just to add, i somewhat like the scenes where their academy days were described.)
anthony...oh, bitch. a very disgusting character. he doesn’t know what he wants. either he wants to be xqc or wants to be with xqc. (kidding. yikes, that was gross.) well, in the end, he knew that he wanted to be in xqc’s place and steal everything from him, but his motivation for that and his backstory feel very flimsy. like, bro, the truth was right in front of you, but you were just blind. anyways, that’s just another cartoon villain.
now, the main villain: the little boy on red heels, who is basically a fake god chasing immortality. (little bro should just transmigrate and cultivate; it’ll save a lot of hassle.) she actually turns out to be duan wen’s great-grandmother, the mother of the entire mandela island, with a chip of utmost importance inside her head. with her death, the entire power supply will be cut off and the island will sink. dude, i was having a hard time reading it. old hag is a human, not a nuclear power reactor. the plot is seriously laughable. now to her backstory. she turned evil and did all of that just because she was obsessed with a man and later got used by him. girl, get off the floor and have some self-respect. obsessing over a man, killing his grandson, and becoming doctor moreau isn’t worth it.
oh, and the age gap between duan wen and evil great-grandma just doesn’t add up. again, if i remember correctly, duan wen is in his forties, and mandela started like 70 years ago? i may be wrong, idk. correct me.
another thing that really pissed me off is the incessant mention of the tattered teddy bear in front of a ferris wheel and the little charmander. i get that those things have some symbolism in the story, but for the sake of god, just stop milking it. i feel like i’ve been reading the same description for the last five volumes. (even my goat charizard will get pissed, or maybe it’ll fuel his never-ending ego. idk.)
another thing that doesn’t add up is xqc getting pregnant with the power of blood toxin. here, i’m pasting the paragraph. read it yourself.
again, utterly hilarious and convenient for the sake of the plot, with no real logic behind it. my bro literally became alien x from ben 10 with omnipotence. i’m seriously so, so, so done.
finally, xqc becoming the sacrificial lamb and the final battle scene. that is seriously the worst part of the book. the most bogus fight ever. the sudden appearance of the militia, the power of blood toxin's command being able to breach the protection of the purification ring, and dora the explorer consciousness being able to travel from one body to another is just ridiculous.
from the moment he yu attacked and everything that happened afterwards, both xqc and grandpa cop had ages to do or think of something else, but no, xqc had to die. maybe i’m an unfeeling monster, but it didn’t affect me that much, knowing he’ll get resurrected like frankenstein’s monster in the next volume. and the final brief encounter with vivian...at this point, i’m just grateful that the author didn’t magically resurrect her too.
and the final nail in the coffin is that fuckass letter that hy received after xqc’s death. even though it was emotional to a certain degree, stop romanticising that shit, seriously. why did xie qingcheng keep apologising and saying how good he yu was to him? are we collectively forgetting what happened throughout the entire story? i get it, they both went through trials and tribulations, and their dynamic changed significantly, but still, all this “i owe you” or “you owe me” type of thing sounds like cacophony to my ears. after everything that happened, the best possible ending could’ve been with both of them dead. not every book deserves a happy ending.
for some time, i actually enjoyed certain aspects of this story, but after volume five, things deteriorated way too fast. i can appreciate certain prose, but the angst is so forced and the plot is garbage. instead of becoming overwhelming, it turned underwhelming. ngl, this story went in an entirely different direction than i expected, which ultimately didn’t work for me.
(some kids get offended at everything and take everything personally, so i’m mentioning it again: everything written here is my personal opinion. i don’t want anyone’s validation or hatred. i know i’m apparently in the minority here, everyone seems to love this book, so i am the problem. and i take the full blame.)
as a living embodiment of psyduck with a chronic migraine, i really can’t think of anything else right now. this is not the articulated review i wanted to write, and i say this after every single review because that’s just how it is. i have the nagging feeling that i’m missing something, so if i feel like it, i’ll add more paragraphs later.
this book has gusted my flabbers, but not in a good way. for the last few days, i’ve been continuously thinking about what to write, but trust me, my mind is completely blank (not blissfully, either). this mind-numbingly bad book has caused some serious tissue damage inside my brain. at this point, i’m continuing for two reasons. first, it’s written by meatbun. i’m forever grateful to her for erha and yuwu, so i’ll read everything written by her. second, i can’t leave things unfinished. if i read volume one, i’ll read volume ten. it’s definitely a psychological problem. for that, i can’t blame anyone but myself. so, with a heavy heart, i’m sharing my thoughts.
before i start, i’d better clarify a few things. this review is entirely subjective. it’s a trash book for me, and i don’t see any reason to sugarcoat it. my purpose is not to misinfluence anyone. we’re all different people with different perspectives, so read it and form your own opinions. also, i don’t think i need to use a spoiler warning, the cover is enough for that.
if i had to express all my feelings in a single sentence, i’d say this book is very convenient, just for the sake of convenience. everything happened, but at the same time, nothing of substance actually happened.
lately, whenever i open instagram, those ai-generated dramas pop up, filled with one obvious misunderstanding after another, where the maniac villains are always laughing and screaming for no apparent reason. this snoozefest in the form of a book somewhat felt like that.
again, our star, the best character of this entire series, dear pegasus, enters the chat, and this time all three people, xie qingcheng, he yu, and chen man are riding it. please have mercy on the poor beast. (i’m still bitter that it’s not an original pegasus.) they’re on their way to destroy the laser. it’s interesting to see how three people momentarily fooled the most futuristic organisation.
now, for zoya, the girl with the tragic backstory. do i really need to feel bad for her? let’s just say that, in the end, she became the monster she had always hated. the frost laser destruction fight scene is totally unbelievable. it’s a serious situation, but zoya faked being under the influence of he yu’s blood toxin just to have her “ha ha ha” scene. during a life-and-death situation, who has time to do that? never beating the cartoon villain allegations, i see. and instead of firing bullets or tranquilizer darts, those modified humans were fighting with daggers?? and our superhuman team of three was countering those things? i’m not reading mortal instruments. pack it up.
bingo, it’s chapter 235, and we suddenly have a new character. li yun’s introduction was just to give some shallow depth to duan wen’s character. i see no other reason. duan wen, the inhuman villain who was groomed since childhood, turned into a calculating, unfeeling monster who solves everything with logic and if i remember correctly, once said he had no feelings for men, he suddenly turned gay? idk why, but i feel like even the author initially had no idea the story would take such turns. and the final moments between these two? the regret over what it could have been and how it turned out felt very superficial to me. personally, i felt nothing. (just to add, i somewhat like the scenes where their academy days were described.)
anthony...oh, bitch. a very disgusting character. he doesn’t know what he wants. either he wants to be xqc or wants to be with xqc. (kidding. yikes, that was gross.) well, in the end, he knew that he wanted to be in xqc’s place and steal everything from him, but his motivation for that and his backstory feel very flimsy. like, bro, the truth was right in front of you, but you were just blind. anyways, that’s just another cartoon villain.
now, the main villain: the little boy on red heels, who is basically a fake god chasing immortality. (little bro should just transmigrate and cultivate; it’ll save a lot of hassle.) she actually turns out to be duan wen’s great-grandmother, the mother of the entire mandela island, with a chip of utmost importance inside her head. with her death, the entire power supply will be cut off and the island will sink. dude, i was having a hard time reading it. old hag is a human, not a nuclear power reactor. the plot is seriously laughable. now to her backstory. she turned evil and did all of that just because she was obsessed with a man and later got used by him. girl, get off the floor and have some self-respect. obsessing over a man, killing his grandson, and becoming doctor moreau isn’t worth it.
oh, and the age gap between duan wen and evil great-grandma just doesn’t add up. again, if i remember correctly, duan wen is in his forties, and mandela started like 70 years ago? i may be wrong, idk. correct me.
another thing that really pissed me off is the incessant mention of the tattered teddy bear in front of a ferris wheel and the little charmander. i get that those things have some symbolism in the story, but for the sake of god, just stop milking it. i feel like i’ve been reading the same description for the last five volumes. (even my goat charizard will get pissed, or maybe it’ll fuel his never-ending ego. idk.)
another thing that doesn’t add up is xqc getting pregnant with the power of blood toxin. here, i’m pasting the paragraph. read it yourself.
blood toxin…
that was right… after their first sexual encounter on mandela island, when he was trapped in he yu’s room, he had experienced fever, vomiting, and a number of other obvious physical reactions. these symptoms didn’t resemble the side effects of case no. 2’s blood serum, nor were they typical of a normal inflammatory response.
he hadn’t understood what was wrong with him back then, but now that he was thinking about it, the blood serum formulated by meiyu private hospital contained enzymes to facilitate his absorption of other psychological ebola abilities.
in this state, he’d gone and had intense, unprotected sex with psychological ebola case no. 4, he yu…
and thus his body had been forced to accept case no. 4’s bodily fluids.
of course, the enzymes in the blood serum wouldn’t and couldn’t distinguish between cases no. 2 and no. 4. any special abilities would have been assimilated and adapted. furthermore, he yu’s blood toxin was the most aggressive and powerful of all the known comorbid abilities of psychological ebola. when it entered xie qingcheng’s body, it had triggered an intense discomfort from the first emperor as the enzymes worked to break it down. like a violent male beast attempting to subdue the most powerful female beast, forcing a twisted union through an aggressive and destructive process.
the fever and vomiting had likely been symptoms of he yu’s blood toxin interacting with the first emperor’s constitution. but in a surprising turn, this blood toxin’s overbearing effects did not fade as easily as the gentle ones of case no. 2.
he yu’s cells had penetrated the first emperor’s cells and buried themselves deeply within, knotting and proliferating; forcing the first emperor’s cells to hold them, to remember them, to accept them.
now engraved, they refused to fade.
sitting in his cell in total shock, xie qingcheng suddenly understood what he was now capable of.
again, utterly hilarious and convenient for the sake of the plot, with no real logic behind it. my bro literally became alien x from ben 10 with omnipotence. i’m seriously so, so, so done.
finally, xqc becoming the sacrificial lamb and the final battle scene. that is seriously the worst part of the book. the most bogus fight ever. the sudden appearance of the militia, the power of blood toxin's command being able to breach the protection of the purification ring, and dora the explorer consciousness being able to travel from one body to another is just ridiculous.
from the moment he yu attacked and everything that happened afterwards, both xqc and grandpa cop had ages to do or think of something else, but no, xqc had to die. maybe i’m an unfeeling monster, but it didn’t affect me that much, knowing he’ll get resurrected like frankenstein’s monster in the next volume. and the final brief encounter with vivian...at this point, i’m just grateful that the author didn’t magically resurrect her too.
and the final nail in the coffin is that fuckass letter that hy received after xqc’s death. even though it was emotional to a certain degree, stop romanticising that shit, seriously. why did xie qingcheng keep apologising and saying how good he yu was to him? are we collectively forgetting what happened throughout the entire story? i get it, they both went through trials and tribulations, and their dynamic changed significantly, but still, all this “i owe you” or “you owe me” type of thing sounds like cacophony to my ears. after everything that happened, the best possible ending could’ve been with both of them dead. not every book deserves a happy ending.
for some time, i actually enjoyed certain aspects of this story, but after volume five, things deteriorated way too fast. i can appreciate certain prose, but the angst is so forced and the plot is garbage. instead of becoming overwhelming, it turned underwhelming. ngl, this story went in an entirely different direction than i expected, which ultimately didn’t work for me.
(some kids get offended at everything and take everything personally, so i’m mentioning it again: everything written here is my personal opinion. i don’t want anyone’s validation or hatred. i know i’m apparently in the minority here, everyone seems to love this book, so i am the problem. and i take the full blame.)
as a living embodiment of psyduck with a chronic migraine, i really can’t think of anything else right now. this is not the articulated review i wanted to write, and i say this after every single review because that’s just how it is. i have the nagging feeling that i’m missing something, so if i feel like it, i’ll add more paragraphs later.
Want to Read
February 28, 2026Me writing my updates when reading the yet unreleased parts of Case File Compendium: "hmmm gotta be vague, I don't wanna spoil"
Seven Seas making volume 9 cover: "Anyways, here is Xie Qingcheng FUCKING DYING"
Seven Seas making volume 9 cover: "Anyways, here is Xie Qingcheng FUCKING DYING"
Review of advance copy
i was put through the horrors AND will be needing therapy after this. im Still waiting on my check from meatbun... but bab fr started out all fun and silly and then halfwayish through i was hit with the Meatbun Angst but a watered down version (which was okay. i can live through that) and then BOOM i was put through HELL... what happened to the fun and whimsy
Want to Read
May 27, 2026GIVE IT TO ME NOW
September 3, 2026
4.8/5
"anyone can be replaced and recreated, so long as their thoughts are" - Duan Wen
I'm at a loss for words.... I am in so much pain. My heart....broken, my soul...gone! Meatbun, I'm upset with you right now. Vol 10's cover is misleading. Online says it's a happy ending, but how? How is it a HE when the ending in vol 9 was this painful! He Yu and Xie Qingcheng, I'm so sorry you have to go through this when you deserve happiness. This novel is not a happy ending. I'm not happy. I'm in despair. But I will not be making my "not a happy ending" statement until I finish vol 10!
This volume kept me on my toes! The thrill of what can happen next. And the two plot twist? Shocking and painful. How are we supposed to recover?
Seeing how much Xie Qingcheng had to sacrifice to keep everyone safe pained me to no end. There is a quote that He Yu says later and He Yu was right to say that. Because Xie Qingcheng deserves what he gave to others.
From where we all started from vol 1. I don't think we thought this story was going to play out like this. This volume was shocking. I have no words. Writing this review is hard for me. I'm trying very hard not to accidentally say something without spoiling it. I will be in bab brainrot for the next year! Need vol 10
"anyone can be replaced and recreated, so long as their thoughts are" - Duan Wen
I'm at a loss for words.... I am in so much pain. My heart....broken, my soul...gone! Meatbun, I'm upset with you right now. Vol 10's cover is misleading. Online says it's a happy ending, but how? How is it a HE when the ending in vol 9 was this painful! He Yu and Xie Qingcheng, I'm so sorry you have to go through this when you deserve happiness. This novel is not a happy ending. I'm not happy. I'm in despair. But I will not be making my "not a happy ending" statement until I finish vol 10!
This volume kept me on my toes! The thrill of what can happen next. And the two plot twist? Shocking and painful. How are we supposed to recover?
Seeing how much Xie Qingcheng had to sacrifice to keep everyone safe pained me to no end. There is a quote that He Yu says later and He Yu was right to say that. Because Xie Qingcheng deserves what he gave to others.
From where we all started from vol 1. I don't think we thought this story was going to play out like this. This volume was shocking. I have no words. Writing this review is hard for me. I'm trying very hard not to accidentally say something without spoiling it. I will be in bab brainrot for the next year! Need vol 10
August 25, 2026
that was genuinely the saddest most devastating thing i’ve ever read in my life i don’t think i will ever recover. been ugly crying for a while now im gonna go kms.
plot was fire tho
plot was fire tho
October 1, 2026
“The truth is, people are limited by their own perspectives. You fight for what you believe to be justice, yet what seems right to you may be wrong in the eyes of another.”
As excited as I was to start this volume, I was also kind of reluctant because just looking at the cover, I already knew I was going to be heartbroken in one way or another. And yep, I was right. I was only a few chapters in and already bawling my eyes out. Then I got to chapter 236 and started thinking I was onto something with Duan Wen. I kept thinking, “Wait, I feel like this is someone we already know.” And omg! I was right. I hate that I was right. There was a point where I was just completely devastated, but I kept holding on to that tiny bit of hope because everyone keeps saying this series has a happy ending. But where is it!? It hurts! And then it said “the end” when it wasn’t actually the end. Ugh!! I immediately started looking for an FTL because there was no way I was going to sleep like that. I needed to know what happened next.
My biggest problem with this volume is honestly just how many twists and revelations were thrown at me in such a short amount of time. Two or three plot twists? Fine, I can handle that. But there were too many. Duan Wen’s other persona, Li Yun, the history behind his persona, Anthony, the whole situation with the other dead people, Vivian… there was a point where I was just like, okay, what else?! Some of them worked really well for me, and I actually liked how certain things connected back to mysteries that had been sitting there for so long. But some of the revelations felt way too convenient, especially when several of them were happening one right after another. It started making some of the emotional moments feel less effective because instead of sitting with one revelation, I was already being hit with another one. And there is too much suffering in this volume. Xie Qingcheng goes through one horrible thing after another, and while some of those scenes absolutely destroyed me, there were also moments where I was starting to feel a little numb from it. I cried, but I also facepalmed. Sometimes I was emotionally wrecked, and sometimes I was just staring at the page thinking, “Girl, are you okay?”
I have to be really honest, though. I love Meatbun. I love her so much. She really knows how to weave a story together, and when all those little pieces finally connect, it can be so satisfying. I just feel like I’m starting to notice a pattern with the series. First there was the non-con and misunderstanding, then the one step forward, two steps back situation, and now there’s the “someone dies and leaves a letter behind to explain everything” thing. Once is fine because it can have a huge emotional impact and actually add something to the story. But when it happens more than once, it starts to feel like a repeated device instead of something that hits naturally. I still think the way Meatbun has woven this whole story together is stunning, and there were plenty of moments in this volume where I was completely invested. I just wish some of the twists had been given more room to breathe instead of being stacked on top of each other. But honestly, after that ending, I keep on thinking about what twist is gonna happen again. I needed the FTL. I needed sleep. I needed the happy ending. I needed something because I was definitely not okay.
Date Read: 2026.10.01
As excited as I was to start this volume, I was also kind of reluctant because just looking at the cover, I already knew I was going to be heartbroken in one way or another. And yep, I was right. I was only a few chapters in and already bawling my eyes out. Then I got to chapter 236 and started thinking I was onto something with Duan Wen. I kept thinking, “Wait, I feel like this is someone we already know.” And omg! I was right. I hate that I was right. There was a point where I was just completely devastated, but I kept holding on to that tiny bit of hope because everyone keeps saying this series has a happy ending. But where is it!? It hurts! And then it said “the end” when it wasn’t actually the end. Ugh!! I immediately started looking for an FTL because there was no way I was going to sleep like that. I needed to know what happened next.
My biggest problem with this volume is honestly just how many twists and revelations were thrown at me in such a short amount of time. Two or three plot twists? Fine, I can handle that. But there were too many. Duan Wen’s other persona, Li Yun, the history behind his persona, Anthony, the whole situation with the other dead people, Vivian… there was a point where I was just like, okay, what else?! Some of them worked really well for me, and I actually liked how certain things connected back to mysteries that had been sitting there for so long. But some of the revelations felt way too convenient, especially when several of them were happening one right after another. It started making some of the emotional moments feel less effective because instead of sitting with one revelation, I was already being hit with another one. And there is too much suffering in this volume. Xie Qingcheng goes through one horrible thing after another, and while some of those scenes absolutely destroyed me, there were also moments where I was starting to feel a little numb from it. I cried, but I also facepalmed. Sometimes I was emotionally wrecked, and sometimes I was just staring at the page thinking, “Girl, are you okay?”
I have to be really honest, though. I love Meatbun. I love her so much. She really knows how to weave a story together, and when all those little pieces finally connect, it can be so satisfying. I just feel like I’m starting to notice a pattern with the series. First there was the non-con and misunderstanding, then the one step forward, two steps back situation, and now there’s the “someone dies and leaves a letter behind to explain everything” thing. Once is fine because it can have a huge emotional impact and actually add something to the story. But when it happens more than once, it starts to feel like a repeated device instead of something that hits naturally. I still think the way Meatbun has woven this whole story together is stunning, and there were plenty of moments in this volume where I was completely invested. I just wish some of the twists had been given more room to breathe instead of being stacked on top of each other. But honestly, after that ending, I keep on thinking about what twist is gonna happen again. I needed the FTL. I needed sleep. I needed the happy ending. I needed something because I was definitely not okay.
Date Read: 2026.10.01
September 1, 2026
Seeing "The End" at the bottom of the last page, freed my soul and ended the Schadenfreude i was feeling all the way up to the end. (￣□￣;)
September 11, 2026
did I finish bab, or did bab finish me?
Review of advance copy
Not me randomly thinking about them in broad daylight and completely and utterly sobbing like a little bitch 😭
-
I finished the whole series and all i can is that i need the official translations now.
And oh my god am i going to be in a whole new world of hurt because of them.
But thats ok. Those bonus chapters… oh my heart.
-
I finished the whole series and all i can is that i need the official translations now.
And oh my god am i going to be in a whole new world of hurt because of them.
But thats ok. Those bonus chapters… oh my heart.
August 27, 2026
WHYY MEATBUN WHYYY
August 26, 2026
Don't talk to me. I am NOT okay.
September 1, 2026
As ariana grande once said, no tears left to cry. The ending may have scarred me for life but now we wait for the final volume which is my only consolation ig.
4.5 because it's too traumatic for me to even speak of it.
4.5 because it's too traumatic for me to even speak of it.
September 9, 2026
sick and twisted ending it with that chapter
September 2, 2026
An absolute roller coaster of a ride, and yet I'm giving it 2 stars for the ending of this volume.
The whole journey throughout this book was a total snooze-fest, with a fuckton of exposition and flashbacks all over the place. I don't understand why new characters were introduced 200-something chapters into the story. And in the end, nothing paid off for me, personally. Whether these new additions lived or died, I didn't give a tiny rat's ass about them. Everyone who worked for Mandela sounded like a crusty cartoon villain with their "ha ha ha" maniacal laughter. I found myself skimming through a large portion of these flashbacks and exposition dumps.
I made it this far into the series because I could enjoy the ridiculousness for what it was. The two messy homophobic characters who end up fucking, the entire concept of RN-13, and the mystery surrounding it. All of it.
By the end of this volume the abilities seem to just do whatever the characters say they do. It feels like absolutely anything just goes at this point. In the beginning of this Mandelaverse arc, we were told the serum's effect is temporary and wears off. We even saw it happening in one of the previous books (remember the lactating? I do!). But then, the next thing we learn in this volume is that the First Emperor can absorb all the serums/blood traits and can command the Psychological Ebola powers from the previous cases at will like some kind of Psychological Ebola avatar.
The ending was bittersweet, but also had me raising eyebrows.
In his farewell letter, Xie Qingcheng says something along the lines of "I will always remember how good you were to me" and I can't help but question when that was actually supposed to be.
Are we working so hard now to romanticize their relationship that the moments of kindness He Yu showed him are supposed to outweigh everything else? Because personally, I had a hard time reading "I will always remember how good you were to me" without also remembering that He Yu pissed inside Xie Qingcheng without his consent once and repeatedly assaulted him throughout the story. Look, I came to BAB/CFC for the ridiculousness and mess and I stayed for both of those things. Sorry Meatbun, but I am not about to forget the tomfoolery of these characters.
All in all, I won't lie. This ending had me a bit emotional and I'm sad I didn't love this volume more.
The whole journey throughout this book was a total snooze-fest, with a fuckton of exposition and flashbacks all over the place. I don't understand why new characters were introduced 200-something chapters into the story. And in the end, nothing paid off for me, personally. Whether these new additions lived or died, I didn't give a tiny rat's ass about them. Everyone who worked for Mandela sounded like a crusty cartoon villain with their "ha ha ha" maniacal laughter. I found myself skimming through a large portion of these flashbacks and exposition dumps.
I made it this far into the series because I could enjoy the ridiculousness for what it was. The two messy homophobic characters who end up fucking, the entire concept of RN-13, and the mystery surrounding it. All of it.
By the end of this volume the abilities seem to just do whatever the characters say they do. It feels like absolutely anything just goes at this point. In the beginning of this Mandelaverse arc, we were told the serum's effect is temporary and wears off. We even saw it happening in one of the previous books (remember the lactating? I do!). But then, the next thing we learn in this volume is that the First Emperor can absorb all the serums/blood traits and can command the Psychological Ebola powers from the previous cases at will like some kind of Psychological Ebola avatar.
The ending was bittersweet, but also had me raising eyebrows.
In his farewell letter, Xie Qingcheng says something along the lines of "I will always remember how good you were to me" and I can't help but question when that was actually supposed to be.
Are we working so hard now to romanticize their relationship that the moments of kindness He Yu showed him are supposed to outweigh everything else? Because personally, I had a hard time reading "I will always remember how good you were to me" without also remembering that He Yu pissed inside Xie Qingcheng without his consent once and repeatedly assaulted him throughout the story. Look, I came to BAB/CFC for the ridiculousness and mess and I stayed for both of those things. Sorry Meatbun, but I am not about to forget the tomfoolery of these characters.
All in all, I won't lie. This ending had me a bit emotional and I'm sad I didn't love this volume more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Little Devil, you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. You’re the most persistent person I’ve ever met. You’re the only one I’ve ever loved. Once I finish this letter, I’ll be going to Mandela Island. I don’t know if I’ll see you there, nor do I know where I’ll be in the future.
But I’ll always love you. No matter where I am, no matter if I live or die.
🧡
But I’ll always love you. No matter where I am, no matter if I live or die.
🧡
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2026
“The End” my ass 😭
August 30, 2026
This was quite a disappointing read. After the action-packed previous volume, this one felt like a bit of a letdown, even though it included the final battle and the main villain's defeat. The final battle itself was rather anticlimactic. Not that it was boring, but it almost felt like reading a step-by-step depiction of it, which was not suspenseful in the least. The main villain acting like a parody of a villain didn't help either.
I liked the parts about Duan Wen and Li Yun. Their story is awfully tragic, especially knowing that if not for the grandmother's toxic upbringing and values, Duan Wen could've grown up to be a decent human being, and he could've had his happy ending with Li Yun. Despite being one of the bad guys, Duan Wen was still somewhat better than the rest; he was fair in some regards, and even he despised the likes of Anthony. But sadly, he only realized his love for Li Yun too late. I found his and Li Yun's end far more tragic and sad than what happened to Xie Qingcheng. For me, Xie Qingcheng's end and the chapters showing He Yu coping with it felt more melodramatic than sad, and far too depressing to enjoy reading. In fact, the last few chapters were so depressing that I just wanted to read it as quickly as I could so I could finally end it. He Yu's reaction to Xie Qingcheng's death was on point and totally believable, though. What I didn't like was all the melodrama that preceded it because it made Xie Qingcheng's death more melodramatic than tragic, which is a tragedy in itself.
I liked that in his letter, Xie Qingcheng finally admitted a lot of things both to He Yu and to himself as well that he previously outright denied, even to himself. I liked that he faced many things he previously didn't want to face or didn't even bother to think about, and he reconsidered his previous viewpoint regarding certain matters and realized and admitted that he was wrong for thinking those things or thinking that way. It's very much like Xie Qingcheng, but I still hate how much he says over and over again that he owes He Yu, and that He Yu is right to be angry at him and resent him, while completely ignoring all the things He Yu had actually done to him as if they didn't happen. Honestly, He Yu owes him just as much as he owes He Yu. But at least both of them matured a lot by the end of this volume. Xie Qingcheng grew to understand himself better and became better at expressing himself and his feelings, while He Yu became more selfless, wanting nothing more than for Xie Qingcheng to survive, to be alive even if he won't love him. Thus, both of them have gone a long way from the people they used to be.
I personally hate what happened to Xie Qingcheng's eyes. He was already so sick and frail; why did he have to lose his eyes, too? This was just too much. But I liked how Xie Qingcheng finally told Anthony his opinion of him and made him face his actions and realize his true feelings. Still, it came far too late. It could have prevented many bad things from happening if they had cleared up the misunderstandings earlier.
Overall, the story was interesting, but sadly not as good as the previous volume. Bonus points for being the only volume so far without a single detailed, multiple-page-long sex scene. There was a short implied one between side characters, but that's it. And I honestly don't mind it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2026
Just leave me behind. Don't look at me. Don't talk to me.
October 10, 2026
Well…this volume was something
September 30, 2026
No no no no no, I took my time reading this so it wouldn’t end.
All I got was tears and heartbreak 💔
What do you mean “The End”
All I got was tears and heartbreak 💔
What do you mean “The End”
September 9, 2026
Read the official translation after finishing this series by fan-translation to see if it would clear things up, and it ain't clearing shit.
Yes I kinda know that Meatbun gonna set-up for 'this' kinda ending but decided to add extra chapters to made it not a bad ending. I was just soo disappointing with how the plot comes together, it really did felt like a big mess.
Things were not sorted out properly 😕 although this series is 10 vol long? Things that bothered me:
- was 'the First Emperor' power really were explained on WHAT they are or WHAT they do?
- Do we really need a new character introduction by THE LAST VOL of the book?
- Is there really a much deeper meaning with the whole 'hallucinations island' 😭😭 why do I feel like it's just bs at the end 😕
- (I love Meatbun with ALL OF MY HEART 🫶) but, WAS THE PREGNANT SERUM REALLY NECESSARY 😭😭 like I get, we all want to see XQC get preggo but DAMN GURL
This really suck-ass, cause I was REALLY enjoying it until vol 5, it was bangers after bangers but slowly it just deteriorate 🤔💔. Just to clear things up, this ain't a hate letter to Meatbun, I think this time her story didn't really click with me after excellent execution from Yuwu and Erha. I still love these two psychopaths, but damn the story really dragged them down 😩.
Yes I kinda know that Meatbun gonna set-up for 'this' kinda ending but decided to add extra chapters to made it not a bad ending. I was just soo disappointing with how the plot comes together, it really did felt like a big mess.
Things were not sorted out properly 😕 although this series is 10 vol long? Things that bothered me:
- was 'the First Emperor' power really were explained on WHAT they are or WHAT they do?
- Do we really need a new character introduction by THE LAST VOL of the book?
- Is there really a much deeper meaning with the whole 'hallucinations island' 😭😭 why do I feel like it's just bs at the end 😕
- (I love Meatbun with ALL OF MY HEART 🫶) but, WAS THE PREGNANT SERUM REALLY NECESSARY 😭😭 like I get, we all want to see XQC get preggo but DAMN GURL
This really suck-ass, cause I was REALLY enjoying it until vol 5, it was bangers after bangers but slowly it just deteriorate 🤔💔. Just to clear things up, this ain't a hate letter to Meatbun, I think this time her story didn't really click with me after excellent execution from Yuwu and Erha. I still love these two psychopaths, but damn the story really dragged them down 😩.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2026
what the fuck. like genuinely WHAAAAAAAAT. the fact that this was meatbun's sad ending that she'd originally planned but she got bullied into writing a happy ending for volume 10 has never made me happier because that's the only reason i got my tears to stop rolling down my cheeks for now. and it took me 2 hours.
let's start with what i didn't like that much about this book: sevenseas is EVIL. cutting this volume off here is pure evil. and such a choice indeed. i hate it i hate this i hate everything and most of all i fucking HATE ANTHONY. like i genuinely do not hold this much hatred in my heart for anybody else. okay that's a stretch but like. in the fictional world. i badly wanted to just leap into the pages and destroy this fucking asshole's existence. imo he got off wayyy too leniently like he needs to be put through discontinued inhumane torture methods and then the fucking guillotine. not that i would want to even see his head. ew. oh and also duan cuizhen. like genuinely i cannot stand her.
now what i did like: i think it was lowkey funny how meatbun kept inventing new random stuff about her sci-fi setting. it was all just extremely nonsensical but hey, i'm just an innocent cs student. maybe this could all be real in a few years??? god forbid. anyway, then there was of course, my absolute favourite flavour - new doomed yaoi. and i KNEW there had to be some because i always sensed something off about duan wen. i do find his character extremely interesting and also lowkey feel bad for him.
next, of course, i need to mention zoya. i developed a soft spot for her and i understand why he yu liked her too. i felt for her, and i wanted so much better for her, poor zoya :( and vivian.... the loveliest mother ever, i really loved that final moment with her smiling at he yu.
last but not the least, my hexie. my heart weeps for you. he yu..... xie qingcheng.... what the fuck, really. the prose in this book was so emotional and full of these beautiful quotes to describe their relationship and then. everything that happened to them. i love xie qingcheng so much. the most selfless person ever. and i absolutely adore he yu. the loverboy of all time. :(
what absolutely did it for me at the end was the way he yu was othered by society. cast aside from everything after he'd given his soul to help the country... disregarded for being queer, for being brave enough to love another man out loud, for being "mentally unsound"... my whole body was racking with sobs because it was such a haunting personification of society's disgust towards anyone that is different. this volume really delved into the queer existence and gave it so much care and consideration, and i absolutely loved that about the story.
"the end" isn't real. it genuinely can't be. volume 10, please come out soon and heal my heart.
let's start with what i didn't like that much about this book: sevenseas is EVIL. cutting this volume off here is pure evil. and such a choice indeed. i hate it i hate this i hate everything and most of all i fucking HATE ANTHONY. like i genuinely do not hold this much hatred in my heart for anybody else. okay that's a stretch but like. in the fictional world. i badly wanted to just leap into the pages and destroy this fucking asshole's existence. imo he got off wayyy too leniently like he needs to be put through discontinued inhumane torture methods and then the fucking guillotine. not that i would want to even see his head. ew. oh and also duan cuizhen. like genuinely i cannot stand her.
now what i did like: i think it was lowkey funny how meatbun kept inventing new random stuff about her sci-fi setting. it was all just extremely nonsensical but hey, i'm just an innocent cs student. maybe this could all be real in a few years??? god forbid. anyway, then there was of course, my absolute favourite flavour - new doomed yaoi. and i KNEW there had to be some because i always sensed something off about duan wen. i do find his character extremely interesting and also lowkey feel bad for him.
next, of course, i need to mention zoya. i developed a soft spot for her and i understand why he yu liked her too. i felt for her, and i wanted so much better for her, poor zoya :( and vivian.... the loveliest mother ever, i really loved that final moment with her smiling at he yu.
last but not the least, my hexie. my heart weeps for you. he yu..... xie qingcheng.... what the fuck, really. the prose in this book was so emotional and full of these beautiful quotes to describe their relationship and then. everything that happened to them. i love xie qingcheng so much. the most selfless person ever. and i absolutely adore he yu. the loverboy of all time. :(
what absolutely did it for me at the end was the way he yu was othered by society. cast aside from everything after he'd given his soul to help the country... disregarded for being queer, for being brave enough to love another man out loud, for being "mentally unsound"... my whole body was racking with sobs because it was such a haunting personification of society's disgust towards anyone that is different. this volume really delved into the queer existence and gave it so much care and consideration, and i absolutely loved that about the story.
"the end" isn't real. it genuinely can't be. volume 10, please come out soon and heal my heart.
September 26, 2026
Before I get into why I didn’t like it as much as I wanted to, I want talk about the series‘ redeeming qualities.
I really like the overall message and some things here and there like the criticism of capitalism and social commentary on power and wealth and how the elite uses it destruct our world yada yada. As well as criticising that not every technological advancement is ethical and there are serious concerns. I also really like the enemies to lovers, homophobia, age gap these are all tropes that I love and that‘s why I wanted to read it in the first place. I like the execution in some places and yet I think there are so many things I think were terribly executed.
I especially dislike how you barely even can tell sci-fi elements in the beginning and the suddenly she goes bezerk with it in vol. 8. Just the big jump from 2% to 100% is ridiculous for the reader and just unrealistic. That‘s not even the biggest issue I could adjust to that but it‘s really the overall complicating things to create the illusion of a very complex suspenseful and mysterious thriller atmosphere and then it falls SOOOOO flat when it actually ends and she introduces the plot like just writing it down for the sake of it and coming up with new things on the spot she explains to you in detail as if it‘ll make more sense. Babygirl, it doesn’t and it‘s so bothersome to read the explanation as if I‘m not already mad disappointed LMAOO.
What I hate about Meatbun‘s writing plots is that she over complicates things and gets ahead of herself with the fantasy and plot that so many plot holes are created and then she hits you with a lazy solution of making something up on the spot like suddenly He Yu is extempt from Duan wen‘s chips and poison. How convenient. It‘s lazy and cheap writing at the end of the day and flattens every suspense she successfully built because how disappointing the outcome really is…
Anyway, we digress.
The other problem is that while I love angst hurt and comfort etc. It’s crazy for me to even say that but I genuinely don’t think the characters NEEDED to experience THAT MANY hardships and THAT MUCH excruciating emotional and physical pain for it to get the point across how deep their love is and grew. You just numb the reader because it already knows nothing good is happening that‘s not even angst anymore. You think you‘re torturing me on the interrogation chair with medieval methods but I‘m already dead.
However, unlike in erha I actually gave a fuck about the characters and all characters had their respective roles even though I hate how some were poorly introduced and really didn’t have a shock factor as I would anticipate in a thriller it was very anticlimactic how He Yu‘s mother was not his real mother but a fake hag who got plastic surgery. How convenient for the plot again. The characters and their background’s and motives were really interesting and showcased the ugly side of human nature to the system we live in and yet the relation between eachother. The network of people behind the crimes and the clues that could connect one and another also fell flat somehow.
Even though the strong side of this BL is undoubtedly the long explicit sex scenes, the tension and the butterflies never happened for me personally even though I can say they were not badly written but they just didn’t hit within the context and how it built up to it. I really wanted to feel something. A throb. Something but I can lie to others but not to myself. :(
Romance wise the jumps from attic wife and avoidant/anxious attachment, hate and despise for each other to truly having such cringe and cheesy ass romantic dialogues was definitely something. All the dragon talk in was cute for a hot minute but she never stopped after vol.4. Atp I cringed so badly and wanted it to stop like baby we get it that‘s dada to you. I just couldn’t hear it anymore. There were many cheesy lines and just overall a little too pathetic and I like a little pathetic crybaby top like Luo Binghe but no.
Unnecessary angst and miscommunication sometimes. Really dragging it in the name of slowburn or whatever and yet it never really hits besides in vol. 5 which is my favourite and it probably should have ended there. That volume was truly magnificent and really did it for me but then the rest happened…
Mandela was the worst fever dream ever and I had some ridiculous ones TRUST but that volume I couldn’t believe it. I don’t even wanna get into it. At this point in time I am just letting it happen whatever bullshit she chooses to throw at me because I want this to end as well. I know xqc is gonna die but my god ww4 has to happen first and everything is all over the place to the point where I don’t even know in which machine what soul of them is trapped in. Whatever. Ofc he dies. AINT NOBODY IN THIS BITCH SUPRISED! Talk about anticlimactic , this was definitely it! Omg how convenient again. SURPISE, Xqc is not dead. They couldn’t even resurrect people with a failed BBL surgery like they resurrected him from the dead. Gagged!
I am not sure if I’ll add something to it but I just wanna move on. I have a love hate relationship with this book. If you loved this book I totally get. It’s just my thoughts. Thanks for reading!
I really like the overall message and some things here and there like the criticism of capitalism and social commentary on power and wealth and how the elite uses it destruct our world yada yada. As well as criticising that not every technological advancement is ethical and there are serious concerns. I also really like the enemies to lovers, homophobia, age gap these are all tropes that I love and that‘s why I wanted to read it in the first place. I like the execution in some places and yet I think there are so many things I think were terribly executed.
I especially dislike how you barely even can tell sci-fi elements in the beginning and the suddenly she goes bezerk with it in vol. 8. Just the big jump from 2% to 100% is ridiculous for the reader and just unrealistic. That‘s not even the biggest issue I could adjust to that but it‘s really the overall complicating things to create the illusion of a very complex suspenseful and mysterious thriller atmosphere and then it falls SOOOOO flat when it actually ends and she introduces the plot like just writing it down for the sake of it and coming up with new things on the spot she explains to you in detail as if it‘ll make more sense. Babygirl, it doesn’t and it‘s so bothersome to read the explanation as if I‘m not already mad disappointed LMAOO.
What I hate about Meatbun‘s writing plots is that she over complicates things and gets ahead of herself with the fantasy and plot that so many plot holes are created and then she hits you with a lazy solution of making something up on the spot like suddenly He Yu is extempt from Duan wen‘s chips and poison. How convenient. It‘s lazy and cheap writing at the end of the day and flattens every suspense she successfully built because how disappointing the outcome really is…
Anyway, we digress.
The other problem is that while I love angst hurt and comfort etc. It’s crazy for me to even say that but I genuinely don’t think the characters NEEDED to experience THAT MANY hardships and THAT MUCH excruciating emotional and physical pain for it to get the point across how deep their love is and grew. You just numb the reader because it already knows nothing good is happening that‘s not even angst anymore. You think you‘re torturing me on the interrogation chair with medieval methods but I‘m already dead.
However, unlike in erha I actually gave a fuck about the characters and all characters had their respective roles even though I hate how some were poorly introduced and really didn’t have a shock factor as I would anticipate in a thriller it was very anticlimactic how He Yu‘s mother was not his real mother but a fake hag who got plastic surgery. How convenient for the plot again. The characters and their background’s and motives were really interesting and showcased the ugly side of human nature to the system we live in and yet the relation between eachother. The network of people behind the crimes and the clues that could connect one and another also fell flat somehow.
Even though the strong side of this BL is undoubtedly the long explicit sex scenes, the tension and the butterflies never happened for me personally even though I can say they were not badly written but they just didn’t hit within the context and how it built up to it. I really wanted to feel something. A throb. Something but I can lie to others but not to myself. :(
Romance wise the jumps from attic wife and avoidant/anxious attachment, hate and despise for each other to truly having such cringe and cheesy ass romantic dialogues was definitely something. All the dragon talk in was cute for a hot minute but she never stopped after vol.4. Atp I cringed so badly and wanted it to stop like baby we get it that‘s dada to you. I just couldn’t hear it anymore. There were many cheesy lines and just overall a little too pathetic and I like a little pathetic crybaby top like Luo Binghe but no.
Unnecessary angst and miscommunication sometimes. Really dragging it in the name of slowburn or whatever and yet it never really hits besides in vol. 5 which is my favourite and it probably should have ended there. That volume was truly magnificent and really did it for me but then the rest happened…
Mandela was the worst fever dream ever and I had some ridiculous ones TRUST but that volume I couldn’t believe it. I don’t even wanna get into it. At this point in time I am just letting it happen whatever bullshit she chooses to throw at me because I want this to end as well. I know xqc is gonna die but my god ww4 has to happen first and everything is all over the place to the point where I don’t even know in which machine what soul of them is trapped in. Whatever. Ofc he dies. AINT NOBODY IN THIS BITCH SUPRISED! Talk about anticlimactic , this was definitely it! Omg how convenient again. SURPISE, Xqc is not dead. They couldn’t even resurrect people with a failed BBL surgery like they resurrected him from the dead. Gagged!
I am not sure if I’ll add something to it but I just wanna move on. I have a love hate relationship with this book. If you loved this book I totally get. It’s just my thoughts. Thanks for reading!
September 25, 2026
~SPOILERS!~
Did I finish this volume or did this volume finish me? 🫠
If I were rating this just for He Yu and Xie Qingcheng’s relationship, this volume is an easy 5 stars for me. I honestly had to take mini-breaks near the end just because I was crying so much. 😢😢😢 He Yu’s agony, XQC’s letter, the gravestone, that ending… 😭😭😭 The letter DESTROYED me.
I originally wanted to knock off a star or a half star for the plot here though. The villains feel a bit cartoonish at times, and it feels like anything just goes at this point. Especially regarding the sci-fi stuff. Any technology just did whatever it was supposed to do and some things kind of happened for the sake of convenience.
I still don’t really get how XQC was suddenly able to absorb the blood toxin powers either. 🤷♀️ We were told the serum’s effects were temporary. Or how Vivian possessed Anthony for a moment..
Even with those critiques, I still really enjoyed it as I read this series for the main couple and their journey together, so I can forgive some of the plot writing. Their dynamic, characterization, and emotional growth are the true core of this story.
I also liked the side of “doomed yaoi” between Duan Wen and Li Yun. 😅
It left me so heartbroken and I can’t stop thinking about it even after putting the book down.. so I still give this 5 stars. I think it’s a sign of good storytelling if it made me feel this much. 💔 And the series is likely going to end up an overall favorite of mine.
I’m so curious how this will turn into a happy ending in the next volume though because it felt like a true bad ending here! 😭 Not sure if it was Meatbun’s intent (with all of “My Heart Will Go On” references earlier), but it almost felt like a parallel to Titanic with how the island sank, they were rescued, and XQC was dying in He Yu’s arms. And He Yu pleaded don’t go… like Rose. 🥺 And then he does end up living on and never forgets. 🥺
Did I finish this volume or did this volume finish me? 🫠
If I were rating this just for He Yu and Xie Qingcheng’s relationship, this volume is an easy 5 stars for me. I honestly had to take mini-breaks near the end just because I was crying so much. 😢😢😢 He Yu’s agony, XQC’s letter, the gravestone, that ending… 😭😭😭 The letter DESTROYED me.
I originally wanted to knock off a star or a half star for the plot here though. The villains feel a bit cartoonish at times, and it feels like anything just goes at this point. Especially regarding the sci-fi stuff. Any technology just did whatever it was supposed to do and some things kind of happened for the sake of convenience.
I still don’t really get how XQC was suddenly able to absorb the blood toxin powers either. 🤷♀️ We were told the serum’s effects were temporary. Or how Vivian possessed Anthony for a moment..
Even with those critiques, I still really enjoyed it as I read this series for the main couple and their journey together, so I can forgive some of the plot writing. Their dynamic, characterization, and emotional growth are the true core of this story.
I also liked the side of “doomed yaoi” between Duan Wen and Li Yun. 😅
It left me so heartbroken and I can’t stop thinking about it even after putting the book down.. so I still give this 5 stars. I think it’s a sign of good storytelling if it made me feel this much. 💔 And the series is likely going to end up an overall favorite of mine.
I’m so curious how this will turn into a happy ending in the next volume though because it felt like a true bad ending here! 😭 Not sure if it was Meatbun’s intent (with all of “My Heart Will Go On” references earlier), but it almost felt like a parallel to Titanic with how the island sank, they were rescued, and XQC was dying in He Yu’s arms. And He Yu pleaded don’t go… like Rose. 🥺 And then he does end up living on and never forgets. 🥺
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2026
"Little devil, you're the strongest person I've ever met. You're the most persistent person I've ever met. You're the only one I ever loved."
"But I'll always love you. No matter where I am, no matter if I live or die."
"You know what I wanted to tell you last night....You fucking know. Just like I know too."
"Did 'I Love You' have to be spoken out loud? Would they really fail to understand each other's intentions just because of one broken promise?"
"I love you in silence. I love you in my guilt, I love you amid the world's ridicule, I love you during my endless vigil. I love you in my regrets, I love you in my apprehension, I love you in what I'm afraid to say, I love you as tears stain my face. I love you in the way I'll always be where you are, I love you in the way I'll never leave, I love you in our embrace within the flames of war. I love you in 'I'm sorry' in 'I waited so long,' in 'as long as you're safe.' In a 'HeYu.' In a 'Xie Qingchen'
I ugly cried after reading these sentences.
I wanted to give this volume a higher rating but the Dreambreaker stuff was too much for me. I cannot/couldn't suspend my disbelief into making that stuff make sense... However, I was living for the many declarations of love from Xie Qingchen throughout this volume. I always knew the good doctor loved HeYu it was so obvious but I wanted to read him saying it to He Yu and he FINALLY did! I cannot wait for the final volume as I have enjoyed this series so far. My only gripe is the whole Mandela island thing.... I'm only here for HeYu and Xie Qingchen.
"But I'll always love you. No matter where I am, no matter if I live or die."
"You know what I wanted to tell you last night....You fucking know. Just like I know too."
"Did 'I Love You' have to be spoken out loud? Would they really fail to understand each other's intentions just because of one broken promise?"
"I love you in silence. I love you in my guilt, I love you amid the world's ridicule, I love you during my endless vigil. I love you in my regrets, I love you in my apprehension, I love you in what I'm afraid to say, I love you as tears stain my face. I love you in the way I'll always be where you are, I love you in the way I'll never leave, I love you in our embrace within the flames of war. I love you in 'I'm sorry' in 'I waited so long,' in 'as long as you're safe.' In a 'HeYu.' In a 'Xie Qingchen'
I ugly cried after reading these sentences.
I wanted to give this volume a higher rating but the Dreambreaker stuff was too much for me. I cannot/couldn't suspend my disbelief into making that stuff make sense... However, I was living for the many declarations of love from Xie Qingchen throughout this volume. I always knew the good doctor loved HeYu it was so obvious but I wanted to read him saying it to He Yu and he FINALLY did! I cannot wait for the final volume as I have enjoyed this series so far. My only gripe is the whole Mandela island thing.... I'm only here for HeYu and Xie Qingchen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2026
this is why i was screaming COMMUNICATION from the very beginning. im so mad bc xqc really was offed believing that he was a replacement, that he yu's feelings were misplaced LIKE JUST CONFESS???? even in the end xqc left out a bit of truth in that fuck ass letter like oh my god, yall make me mad. but apart from that, this volume finally delivered the angst that could rival erha. i was so ready to jump in and kill Anthony when he did #that to xqc like bitch just kys already you'll never be him. the mandela shit was still so wack and i genuinely felt nothing when the big bad evil fell, i only felt bad for Zoya, she was just a mom at the end of the day. also the doomed yaoi btwn duan wen and li yun was out of nowhere??????? like it would have been nice to see it developed a little more but well what can i say.
despite all this criticisms, i did enjoy the story of this volume wayyyyyy more than volume 7 and 8. it was engaging even with the mandela island wackness. the ending was good and i kind of wish this was the original ending? like its sad i understand and its painful that they didn't get to be happy in this version but it feels more authentic this way to me at least. but well, I'll be tuned into vol 10 for the actual ending and maybe a bdsm extra, who knows. anyways, fun read i just don't think I'll ever voluntarily pick up a book with this type of plot ever again.
despite all this criticisms, i did enjoy the story of this volume wayyyyyy more than volume 7 and 8. it was engaging even with the mandela island wackness. the ending was good and i kind of wish this was the original ending? like its sad i understand and its painful that they didn't get to be happy in this version but it feels more authentic this way to me at least. but well, I'll be tuned into vol 10 for the actual ending and maybe a bdsm extra, who knows. anyways, fun read i just don't think I'll ever voluntarily pick up a book with this type of plot ever again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2026
what's with seven seas literally spoiling everything with their covers???
this one was the worst one ever bawled my eyes out for the last 4 chapters. i love xie qingcheng so much and THE LETTER WAS OMG i want to forget everything about this and go on with my life. and to think that we they came such a long way from the first hotel scene it's actually crazy i didn't think anything would make me love them as much as i do know, i mean, we did have a rough start.
can't wait for the next volume even though i couldn't live with the cliffhanger so i spoiled myself on reddit🤗
this one was the worst one ever bawled my eyes out for the last 4 chapters. i love xie qingcheng so much and THE LETTER WAS OMG i want to forget everything about this and go on with my life. and to think that we they came such a long way from the first hotel scene it's actually crazy i didn't think anything would make me love them as much as i do know, i mean, we did have a rough start.
can't wait for the next volume even though i couldn't live with the cliffhanger so i spoiled myself on reddit🤗
August 31, 2026
honestamente não poderia ligar menos pra como toda a situação la da ilha foi resolvida e achei até um pouco anti climático. chorei bastante nos dois últimos capítulos, apesar de ja esperar o que acontece ainda sim doeu. a meatbun estava determinada em não dar um final feliz pra esses dois. não sei o que vai aconteceu no próximo volume e queria que fosse dezembro já pra poder ler a conclusão "real" (esse the end nesse volume foi cruel demais).
October 15, 2026
"I never told you how much I adore you. This is an emotion I never used to have, one that I will never feel for anyone ever again. I’d gladly protect you, take care of you, and keep you company. I’d gladly let you act willful and allow your tantrums. I would give you the full breadth of my emotions, as well as my life. But all of this comes too late."
I know this isn't the true ending but I'm still horrifically upset!!!
I know this isn't the true ending but I'm still horrifically upset!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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