I have mixed feelings about this book... the story is kinda cute but there was one scene that I absolutely hated and had me feeling really bad for the protagonist. All I have to say is, I'm really glad his body resets everyday back to its original condition.
**Warning: Spoilers Ahead**
I particularly enjoyed that the author juxtaposed the current world with Du Ze's presence with the original novel chapters, so you can see exactly how different things are now that Xiu is ever so slightly obsessed with Du Ze XD Plus Du Ze's initial attempts to help Xiu gather members of his harem were hilarious, since he didn't realize Xiu's thoughts had already been bent in his direction. He just keeps on attributing each unsuccessful attempt to misunderstandings and doesn't realize that's not the case.
I liked the first half of the story more, when Xiu and Du Ze are just traveling around and awakening various parts of Xiu's eight bloodlines. The last bit, with the God Tower, went in a bit of a weird direction for me. It was cool that he met the God of Creation and made him realize that he's nothing more than the antagonist in a story with Xiu as the main character. It felt very meta.
The ending was unexpected but good. I can't believe Xiu actually "broke through" the story to find him and made the novel's actual author hand over control of the story to him. So OP XD
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the story:
Du Ze was in a trance as he heard the sound of his three views being broken. His soul almost left his body but he redoubled his efforts: “That is just a misapprehension. I have been staying with you all this time so it seems as though we have become close but that is only an illusion.” Du Ze started diligently listing the sisters: “Violet, Alice, Heidi, and Ariel, they are very good and you will also meet more people in the future.”
So how can you, the cute Lord, give up the whole garden for a bit of dog’s tail grass? There is no future for gay lovers!
Du Ze felt Xiu’s hand on the back of his neck leave. Moe Lord, you are listening to my words, right?
“They are not you.” Xiu stared at his fingertips; he could still feel some of Du Ze’s warmth. “No matter how many people I meet in the future, they are not you.”
Not the man he met when he was abandoned.
Not the man who kissed the undead.
Not the man who said he was a miracle.
Not the man who protected him in his arms in the elemental storm.
Not the man who thinks all the good things in the world belong to him.
Not the man who saved him.
Not his Du Ze.
“If you reject me, too,” Xiu whispered, “the world is nothing to me.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“There was a black powder reader who liked a novel. In order to get the author’s attention, he posted a comment saying: I hope the protagonist dies.” Du Ze’s flat voice softly echoed inside the white space, as if he was narrating an ordinary story. “The villains inside the novel sensed the comment and, in order to kill the protagonist, the villain dragged the reader into the novel.”
The God of Creation’s eyes widened. He stared at the black-haired youth’s lips opening and closing. The sound seemed to come after a few centuries.
“I am a reader.”
Nothing stopped Du Ze from speaking since the only two people present more or less understood the truth of this world already.
“This world is a novel.”
—— The “world” is a novel. “It” is the author. “The rules” is the plot. The “protagonist” is Xiu. The “villain” is the God of Creation.
In his role as a reader, Du Ze stood opposite the Creator God and spoke the truth of the world in a matter-of-fact way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once there was a reader who got transported into the world of his favorite novel. He met the protagonist and finally they can be together forever because …
Du Ze leaned his head against Xiu’s chest and listened to the familiar heartbeat. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. “The Reader and Protagonist Definitely Have to Be in True Love.”