This story really wants to be cute, and sometimes it is, but the main couple don't really communicate. They skate past all the underlying potential conflicts and float in the bewildered, uncertain kind of happiness above it all. Because of that, their relationship felt very fast, sweet yet empty. I had hoped that the story would lead to more depth eventually, but it didn't really happen. I didn't feel moved at all. It's not to the point of having no sparks of chemistry, but more like wet sparks in the rain? Tiny little sparks that want to ignite into flame but didn't really go beyond that. The other thing that bothered me is that Mo Ting was way more into the relationship even towards the very end of the book. An Ning hesitated a lot, and half the time she seemed uncertain about her own willingness. It just didn't feel too equal.
The friends are pretty fun at first then become insensitive and annoying later, at least in my eyes. Qiang Wei in particular doesn't really seem to be mindful about An Ning's feelings much, constantly dragging her out to show off to other people. The annoyance also carries on with how every single person around falls for the main couple in passing because they're oh-so-beooutifool and then acts jealously towards either of the main couple, and this gets very tiring later as it keeps happening over and over.
I got creep vibes from that one uncle guy, very uncomfortable, and even until the end the situation involving him wasn't quite cleared up. No full explanation, no resolution, no satisfaction. The only thing I'm really pleased about is how An Ning kept her stance towards the step-mother. No matter how nice someone is, it's not her responsibility to like them, especially considering the fact that she's the other woman who broke her parents' marriage. Just for doing that, her niceness is negated. I totally get An Ning's reaction here: won't be antagonistic, but don't expect to be friends.
It's really not a bad book. It just doesn't quite compare to, say, Gu Man's works, where they're fluffy, wish-fulfillment romance but still with heart and chemistry.
Also, it turns out that I've read another work by this author before, Full of my love to you, and now remembering it, it's very similar in tone: the frivolous, nosy friends; the kind of distant yet supposedly loving couple; the cutesy speaking style which I like (all the "la" seems really cute to me). I guess I'm just not into this author's style.