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Lovely Allergen
Song Yu has three requirements for Yue Zhishi:
– You cannot call me gege in public.
– We won’t do anything together in public.
– You cannot let other people know you live with me.
Yue Zhishi has always been obediently following these rules. They were practically strangers at school. At the opening ceremony, he suddenly collapsed due to an allergy-related asthma attack, sending everything into chaos. At this moment, the student representative Song Yu suddenly stopped speaking…….
That night, a hot post appeared on the school forum.
【Shock!! Our junior high school department male idol and our senior high school department male idol are actually ‘brothers’!】
—————-
Ever since his father brought back a mixed-race baby when he was six years old, Song Yu’s life has been completely entangled by this clingy little guy who couldn’t speak Chinese well.
Le Le who was in kindergarten: Xiao Yu gege, my classmate said today that he has a beautiful sister-in-law. What is a sister-in-law?
Song Yu: His older brother’s wife.
Le Le: No! I don’t want a sister-in-law!
Song Yu: ……..
Le Le: I’ll be your sister-in-law! (Something isn’t quite right…….)
Song Yu: Please study up on Chinese familial relationships.
Le Le: Wait, wait. I’ll be my sister-in-law!
Song Yu: ……
Mouth says one thing but body does the other, cat-like gong x mixed-race, obedient and straight forward puppy-like shou.
– You cannot call me gege in public.
– We won’t do anything together in public.
– You cannot let other people know you live with me.
Yue Zhishi has always been obediently following these rules. They were practically strangers at school. At the opening ceremony, he suddenly collapsed due to an allergy-related asthma attack, sending everything into chaos. At this moment, the student representative Song Yu suddenly stopped speaking…….
That night, a hot post appeared on the school forum.
【Shock!! Our junior high school department male idol and our senior high school department male idol are actually ‘brothers’!】
—————-
Ever since his father brought back a mixed-race baby when he was six years old, Song Yu’s life has been completely entangled by this clingy little guy who couldn’t speak Chinese well.
Le Le who was in kindergarten: Xiao Yu gege, my classmate said today that he has a beautiful sister-in-law. What is a sister-in-law?
Song Yu: His older brother’s wife.
Le Le: No! I don’t want a sister-in-law!
Song Yu: ……..
Le Le: I’ll be your sister-in-law! (Something isn’t quite right…….)
Song Yu: Please study up on Chinese familial relationships.
Le Le: Wait, wait. I’ll be my sister-in-law!
Song Yu: ……
Mouth says one thing but body does the other, cat-like gong x mixed-race, obedient and straight forward puppy-like shou.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
January 5, 2024
3.5⭐️ - So glad it’s over
My expectation of this book was sky high after reading Fanservice Paradox from the same author and seeing the high rating here in GR (4.3⭐️ when I started reading). Unfortunately, the way the author wrote the slice of life really bored me. The pace was super slow as she emulated day-to-day life by giving too much attention to trivial details. The first few times she described the meals they were eating and how to cook them, it was still interesting, but later on I had less and less patience for it.
Another thing that really bugged me was her author’s notes, where she kept spoiling the plot e.g: relax, X is not a bad guy OR don’t worry about Z, nothing’s going to happen out of it. 😑 Like, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? Let me find that out by myself!!!
Also, I know one of the side couples is from her other book, but their appearances in the story seemed so random and unnecessary at all. This is a cameo done badly.
However, the story itself (minus all the lackluster details) wasn’t bad. The main couple was also all right and endearing, their personalities were developed well (although I do find Yue Zhishi too weepy sometimes) and the author did a great job in reflecting all that into their actions and struggles. The angst was gripping when it finally arrived, and the book ended with a faster pace and sharper conflicts.
Rounded up to 4.
My expectation of this book was sky high after reading Fanservice Paradox from the same author and seeing the high rating here in GR (4.3⭐️ when I started reading). Unfortunately, the way the author wrote the slice of life really bored me. The pace was super slow as she emulated day-to-day life by giving too much attention to trivial details. The first few times she described the meals they were eating and how to cook them, it was still interesting, but later on I had less and less patience for it.
Another thing that really bugged me was her author’s notes, where she kept spoiling the plot e.g: relax, X is not a bad guy OR don’t worry about Z, nothing’s going to happen out of it. 😑 Like, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? Let me find that out by myself!!!
Also, I know one of the side couples is from her other book, but their appearances in the story seemed so random and unnecessary at all. This is a cameo done badly.
However, the story itself (minus all the lackluster details) wasn’t bad. The main couple was also all right and endearing, their personalities were developed well (although I do find Yue Zhishi too weepy sometimes) and the author did a great job in reflecting all that into their actions and struggles. The angst was gripping when it finally arrived, and the book ended with a faster pace and sharper conflicts.
Rounded up to 4.
February 23, 2024
2da relectura: está historia sigue siendo un lugar cálido y seguro en la que puedo refugiarme.
Reseña original:
Hacía mucho tiempo que no me metía tanto en los problemas familiares de los personajes como con esta novela. Song Yu y Yue Zhishi fueron criados como hermanos, aquellos que saben de su situación familiar también los tratan como dos hermanos. ¿Pero alguien les pregunto si era eso lo que querían? ¿Qué sucede cuando los sentimientos de uno de ellos comienzan a desviarse de lo que se supone debe sentir un hermano mayor por su hermano menor? ¿Ignoras al chico que te adora con todo su corazón? ¿Luchas para enterrar esos sentimientos y seguir fingiendo como siempre? Es en medio de todas estas dudas, que Song Yu vive todos los días, alimentando y matando con sus propias manos todas las expectativas que llegaría a formarse; pero, es muy difícil lograrlo cuando esa persona que se supone debe tratar como hermano, es Yue Zhishi, el niño que desde que piso en su casa, lo ha amado con todo su corazón y que lo adora más que nada.
"Lovely Allergen" es una novela verdaderamente linda, que tiene sus cuchillos muy bien colocados, pero que al mismo tiempo nos consuela y anima a seguir. Esta novela me causo muchas emociones encontradas, al adentrarme a la convivencia de esta familia, pude entender los sentimientos de cada miembro y ponerme en sus zapatos, lo que me llevo a estar muy asustada y angustiada de que las cosas salieran mal. Zhichu es alguien que sabe tomarse su tiempo y construir la tensión en la trama, causando que mis nervios fueran creciendo a cada capítulo; sin embargo, también sabe como crear una relación tan linda y equilibrada, donde la pareja se apoya en todo momento y aún admitiendo su miedo a las consecuencias, jamás sueltan sus manos. Acompañar a los protagonistas en este viaje por sacarse esa etiqueta de "hermanos", fue muy gratificante y me causo muchos momentos hermosos y dolorosos por igual.
Los personajes en general de esta historia son muy buenos, todos aportan su grano de arena para hacer crecer a los protas y dar sus empujones para que se de su romance.
*En temas más...calientes: me encanta la dinámica S/M que tienen los protagonistas en la cama. Soy una gran fanática de las historias con estas dinámicas (cuando están bien hechas) y Zhichu se lució con las escenas de cama.
Reseña original:
Hacía mucho tiempo que no me metía tanto en los problemas familiares de los personajes como con esta novela. Song Yu y Yue Zhishi fueron criados como hermanos, aquellos que saben de su situación familiar también los tratan como dos hermanos. ¿Pero alguien les pregunto si era eso lo que querían? ¿Qué sucede cuando los sentimientos de uno de ellos comienzan a desviarse de lo que se supone debe sentir un hermano mayor por su hermano menor? ¿Ignoras al chico que te adora con todo su corazón? ¿Luchas para enterrar esos sentimientos y seguir fingiendo como siempre? Es en medio de todas estas dudas, que Song Yu vive todos los días, alimentando y matando con sus propias manos todas las expectativas que llegaría a formarse; pero, es muy difícil lograrlo cuando esa persona que se supone debe tratar como hermano, es Yue Zhishi, el niño que desde que piso en su casa, lo ha amado con todo su corazón y que lo adora más que nada.
"Lovely Allergen" es una novela verdaderamente linda, que tiene sus cuchillos muy bien colocados, pero que al mismo tiempo nos consuela y anima a seguir. Esta novela me causo muchas emociones encontradas, al adentrarme a la convivencia de esta familia, pude entender los sentimientos de cada miembro y ponerme en sus zapatos, lo que me llevo a estar muy asustada y angustiada de que las cosas salieran mal. Zhichu es alguien que sabe tomarse su tiempo y construir la tensión en la trama, causando que mis nervios fueran creciendo a cada capítulo; sin embargo, también sabe como crear una relación tan linda y equilibrada, donde la pareja se apoya en todo momento y aún admitiendo su miedo a las consecuencias, jamás sueltan sus manos. Acompañar a los protagonistas en este viaje por sacarse esa etiqueta de "hermanos", fue muy gratificante y me causo muchos momentos hermosos y dolorosos por igual.
Los personajes en general de esta historia son muy buenos, todos aportan su grano de arena para hacer crecer a los protas y dar sus empujones para que se de su romance.
*En temas más...calientes: me encanta la dinámica S/M que tienen los protagonistas en la cama. Soy una gran fanática de las historias con estas dinámicas (cuando están bien hechas) y Zhichu se lució con las escenas de cama.
November 16, 2025
“The tender youth that would never return once gone — it was all condensed into a piece of metal engraved with a name, and was delivered to another person’s hand.”
Zhichu has her own charm of drawing out a reader's emotions and stringing them to the fullest. I am very much smitten on the most parts! I even got my heart broken at crucial moments. I love how I really got to see them grow up. It wasn't rushed. There's so much tenderness in this book. So much love encapsulated from such simple yet complex characters. And this is especially to Yue Zhishi and Song Yu. I adore them. I keep on annotating their moments and I keep on calling them Le Le and Gege on my notes because I really adore them. And I love how the ending of the main story became full circle. I was getting dizzy at the realization, I am so sold. Sometimes I think, this book is too good to be true. It's not bad, okay? I just want to say that despite the setting and the author's aim and inspiration for this book. Zhichu did a great job writing the things she intended to share to her readers. I was mostly invested.
I am a very big fan of slice of life so I was excited to start this one. And I honestly enjoyed it, but there are just some parts where I didn't really appreciate much. I love each and every character but I hated the fact that some of the side characters are literal tools for our main couple's relationships. Like a new character will get introduced just for the sole purpose of pushing Song Yu and Yue Zhishi to each other, and this didn't happen just once. I genuinely loved Shen Mi, Nan Jia, and Zhang Siyun (including Xia Zhixu and Xu Qichen); they all have royalty mindsets if you read whatever they say and I love how they're not villains and their principles in life are worthy to be upholded. I just didn't like how they felt like mere tools, I mean I get the point of the author using them, I just didn't like it even if I know they too found some kind of happy conclusion to them after being pushed aside. I just felt like them being good characters are appeasement to their roles in the main couple's life. Also, I've said this before that I am a big fan of slice of life and author's just exploring this theme but some parts lack that lackluster of life so even if I am chewing some good food, some parts weren't cooked well.
“Love endowed them with the strength to survive.”
In conclusion, Song Yu Gege and Le Le forever. I don't usually read danmei that has an older gong but this one really hits the spot. I fucking love how sadistic and controlling Song Yu is to Yue Zhishi especially when they are in bed. I keep finding myself blushing because Song Yu is too good. He's so real; bully that precious baby! He's also such a poet, he loves Yue Zhishi so deeply. And Yue Zhishi is also equally in love and so cute and precious, I'd do anything for him! I specifically love it when their childhood is being described. It's mostly Yue Zhishi looking and crying for Song Yu, and then Song Yu being cold at first but still submitting to his Le Le. They're just so cute. Zhichu's writing of her characters are very rich and I don't dislike anything about the couple. I believe they deserve all the happiness in their world.
Before I end my yapping, I want to also acknowledge Mom Lin Rong, Dad Song Jin, and my special boy Jiang Yufan! I love them especially Yufan, he's so precious just like Shen Mi. My like for them is how much I like Nan Jia's queen mind. And I love that we got an extra featuring Xia Zhixu and Xu Qichen, they made me so sad too. I wish nothing but the best to all of them! I also love how dreams are portrayed in this book. This was quite a nice read. Thank you.
Zhichu has her own charm of drawing out a reader's emotions and stringing them to the fullest. I am very much smitten on the most parts! I even got my heart broken at crucial moments. I love how I really got to see them grow up. It wasn't rushed. There's so much tenderness in this book. So much love encapsulated from such simple yet complex characters. And this is especially to Yue Zhishi and Song Yu. I adore them. I keep on annotating their moments and I keep on calling them Le Le and Gege on my notes because I really adore them. And I love how the ending of the main story became full circle. I was getting dizzy at the realization, I am so sold. Sometimes I think, this book is too good to be true. It's not bad, okay? I just want to say that despite the setting and the author's aim and inspiration for this book. Zhichu did a great job writing the things she intended to share to her readers. I was mostly invested.
I am a very big fan of slice of life so I was excited to start this one. And I honestly enjoyed it, but there are just some parts where I didn't really appreciate much. I love each and every character but I hated the fact that some of the side characters are literal tools for our main couple's relationships. Like a new character will get introduced just for the sole purpose of pushing Song Yu and Yue Zhishi to each other, and this didn't happen just once. I genuinely loved Shen Mi, Nan Jia, and Zhang Siyun (including Xia Zhixu and Xu Qichen); they all have royalty mindsets if you read whatever they say and I love how they're not villains and their principles in life are worthy to be upholded. I just didn't like how they felt like mere tools, I mean I get the point of the author using them, I just didn't like it even if I know they too found some kind of happy conclusion to them after being pushed aside. I just felt like them being good characters are appeasement to their roles in the main couple's life. Also, I've said this before that I am a big fan of slice of life and author's just exploring this theme but some parts lack that lackluster of life so even if I am chewing some good food, some parts weren't cooked well.
“Love endowed them with the strength to survive.”
In conclusion, Song Yu Gege and Le Le forever. I don't usually read danmei that has an older gong but this one really hits the spot. I fucking love how sadistic and controlling Song Yu is to Yue Zhishi especially when they are in bed. I keep finding myself blushing because Song Yu is too good. He's so real; bully that precious baby! He's also such a poet, he loves Yue Zhishi so deeply. And Yue Zhishi is also equally in love and so cute and precious, I'd do anything for him! I specifically love it when their childhood is being described. It's mostly Yue Zhishi looking and crying for Song Yu, and then Song Yu being cold at first but still submitting to his Le Le. They're just so cute. Zhichu's writing of her characters are very rich and I don't dislike anything about the couple. I believe they deserve all the happiness in their world.
Before I end my yapping, I want to also acknowledge Mom Lin Rong, Dad Song Jin, and my special boy Jiang Yufan! I love them especially Yufan, he's so precious just like Shen Mi. My like for them is how much I like Nan Jia's queen mind. And I love that we got an extra featuring Xia Zhixu and Xu Qichen, they made me so sad too. I wish nothing but the best to all of them! I also love how dreams are portrayed in this book. This was quite a nice read. Thank you.
January 9, 2022
in the beginning, i really did not expect myself to rate this book any higher than 4 stars, but alas, here we are. this took awhile for me to get into it, as it is kind of hard for all slice of life books. however, each chapter was pretty enjoyable casually, and i loved how the translator translated. i don't know if it's also cause of the original writing, but i especially loved the translation. it was just so pleasant to read.
i was reading this book casually until the latter half when it really picked up for me after they finally got together. picked up so much that i was reading till 4am but not regretting it one bit.
strong family. great relationship. the friends are awesome. unexpected smut. just overall so good. i kept thinking about the book days after i finished it.
this story is just so precious.
i was reading this book casually until the latter half when it really picked up for me after they finally got together. picked up so much that i was reading till 4am but not regretting it one bit.
strong family. great relationship. the friends are awesome. unexpected smut. just overall so good. i kept thinking about the book days after i finished it.
this story is just so precious.
August 30, 2022
“You said being with me gives you both happiness and suffering. If you’re left with only suffering after leaving me, then there’s no way I can leave you by yourself. You should keep that happiness, and give the suffering to me.”
“As long as I have you, even suffering turns into happiness.”
A love like theirs is one of a kind 😭🤍
“As long as I have you, even suffering turns into happiness.”
A love like theirs is one of a kind 😭🤍
August 27, 2025
I think I need a drink....
November 5, 2022
QUE LINDOS QUE SON NO PUEDO, Y AMO A TODOS LOS PROTAGONISTAS DE ESTA AUTORA
Read
April 21, 2025dnf 8%
im sorry i cant with the age gap nor with them being basically adoptive brothers
im sorry i cant with the age gap nor with them being basically adoptive brothers
March 15, 2022
Love love love such a lovely story 🥰 I read alot of story with older brother gong but this one, I truly understand and admire his restraint as an older brother and someone who love his cute little brother so deeply. The author note helped me to understand their characters more and I truly appreciate that.
Their story is like a gentle sweet but emotionally real kind of story. It good to read a healthy relationship like them. Also ALSO I NEVER EXPECT THAT SMUTTTT It also so well writtennnnn 😭 #blessed #dominantgonguhui
Must read another works from this author asap 😌
Their story is like a gentle sweet but emotionally real kind of story. It good to read a healthy relationship like them. Also ALSO I NEVER EXPECT THAT SMUTTTT It also so well writtennnnn 😭 #blessed #dominantgonguhui
Must read another works from this author asap 😌
October 31, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
June 29, 2024
DNF @ around 30%.
I fucking can’t. I’m done. My head is starting to hurt from how irritated I am. I’ll write my full rant later but for now I need to get AWAY from this heavy-handed shit.
I fucking can’t. I’m done. My head is starting to hurt from how irritated I am. I’ll write my full rant later but for now I need to get AWAY from this heavy-handed shit.
March 24, 2022
Best danmei novel I've read so far, kudos to Amy Translations for her amazing translation.
There's something incredibly heartwarming and comforting about slice of life danmei novels. I loved this one so much. It's drama free, angst free. Just pure sweetness and fluff, but also full of passion. I adored Song Yu and Lele, my lovely and precious sweethearts.
There's something incredibly heartwarming and comforting about slice of life danmei novels. I loved this one so much. It's drama free, angst free. Just pure sweetness and fluff, but also full of passion. I adored Song Yu and Lele, my lovely and precious sweethearts.
February 21, 2024
Such a lovely story. I’ve learned copious amounts about Chinese cuisine too:)))
September 21, 2025
DIOS MÍO…. La verdad nunca había leído un danmei y me acabo de meter de lleno en este nuevo mundo de historias. Llore, reí, grité, sentí mariposas en el estómago, DE TODO! Lo recomiendo totalmente, puede que se sienta largo pero todas las páginas y capítulos valen totalmente la pena. Yo solo espero que algún día encuentre un amor así como el de los protagonistas.
Recomiendo que lo lean en inglés, es súper sencillo y entendible. Si pudiera le doy 7 estrellas, mi libro favorito del momento.
Recomiendo que lo lean en inglés, es súper sencillo y entendible. Si pudiera le doy 7 estrellas, mi libro favorito del momento.
October 12, 2023
[4.25/4.5 ⭐️]
zhichu the legend you are. not only did you write a superb and immersive slice of life but you also wrote a romance that was simultaneously wholesome and steamy. i bow down to your brilliant talent and ability to make me swoon in one paragraph and tear up the next
zhichu the legend you are. not only did you write a superb and immersive slice of life but you also wrote a romance that was simultaneously wholesome and steamy. i bow down to your brilliant talent and ability to make me swoon in one paragraph and tear up the next
dnf
November 27, 2024DNF @ 20%
October 27, 2021
5⭐
LO AMÉ TANTO
Quiero llorar, sollozar mientras sonrío y al final terminar riendo histericamente. Siento que enloquecí por el exceso de azúcar de esta historia. SOLO NO PUEDO. Mi corazón sigue conmoviendose y no puedo dejar de sentir mariposas en el estómago.
ME ENCANTÓ
Con esta novela me di cuenta que 200% soy una lectora de historias slice of life. Me encanta cómo todo se siente tan hogareño, cálido y cotidiano. Y funciona todo tan bien cuando los personajes son tan increíblemente bien construídos que son tan reales y humanos. Amo todo de esta novela. TODO.
Me encantó el romance slow-burn, que luego se convirtió en un incendio de grandes magnitudes imposible de apagar.
Amé los personajes principales y secundarios. TAN BIEN CONSTRUIDOS.
Sinceramente, se convirtió en una de mis novelas favoritas de la vida.
LO AMÉ TANTO
Quiero llorar, sollozar mientras sonrío y al final terminar riendo histericamente. Siento que enloquecí por el exceso de azúcar de esta historia. SOLO NO PUEDO. Mi corazón sigue conmoviendose y no puedo dejar de sentir mariposas en el estómago.
ME ENCANTÓ
Con esta novela me di cuenta que 200% soy una lectora de historias slice of life. Me encanta cómo todo se siente tan hogareño, cálido y cotidiano. Y funciona todo tan bien cuando los personajes son tan increíblemente bien construídos que son tan reales y humanos. Amo todo de esta novela. TODO.
Me encantó el romance slow-burn, que luego se convirtió en un incendio de grandes magnitudes imposible de apagar.
Amé los personajes principales y secundarios. TAN BIEN CONSTRUIDOS.
Sinceramente, se convirtió en una de mis novelas favoritas de la vida.
December 4, 2022
Such a lovely and inspiring cute story ❤️. Both the protagonists are amazing in their own way and the plot was very interesting and satisfying. 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
August 24, 2024
It had been quite a long time since I last read something that really impacted me. This novel is now one of my favorites. I love the way the author manages to connect the characters' personalities and behaviors to the things that happened early in their lives. A tragedy forcefully united two boys at the ages of 3 and 6, and that unsought union completely changed their lives. It is a taboo romance between two guys who, despite not being blood-related, grew up as brothers (so it’s not everyone’s cup of tea). Also, don’t read it expecting a key moment that will suddenly shift their relationship from brothers to boyfriends. The author doesn’t draw clear turning points or boundaries. All kinds of feelings are mixed in a very messy way: love, care, admiration, emotional dependence, possessiveness, sexual desire... I love the MC Yue Zhishi: he's innocent and radiant. But the ML Song Yu is surely my favorite. I feel like his character is so complex. All his inner struggles from facing a love he knows is seen as immoral, his efforts to maintain rightful behavior despite the "wrong" feelings weighing on his heart... I also really like how all those years of mixed-up feelings impact their sexual interactions. Everything feels very human and believable. Finally, I feel like Lovely Allergen found the perfect balance by showing that we live in a homophobic society without exploiting it in a sadistic way: it doesn’t pretend that prejudice doesn’t exist or is just a minor detail (like many novels do), but at the same time, prejudice doesn’t define the characters’ fate. It’s also notable how the author supports the LGBTQIA+ cause, and that support is beautifully written. Actually, the whole novel is beautifully written. There were so many quotes I loved, but this one is probably my favorite, since it kind of summarizes the story (don't read it if you don't want to be spoiled):
"Behind the umbrella, in front of the cathedral, Song Yu lowered his head and gave Yue Zhishi a kiss.
It was a reverent and profound kiss, as though Song Yu was using his actions as a silent rebellion — defying faith, defying rules.
From the moment he’d widened his eyes in alarm to finally closing them, Yue Zhishi could feel his nose burning. There were no flowers, no crowd of people wishing them well, and even the sky was gloomy and stifling, pouring cold rain. It was as though millions and millions of silver needles were descending from the sky, stabbing directly onto their bodies.
He realised he’d changed: he enjoyed this rain, and found comfort in this joy stolen from suffering. The honey licked from the tip of a knife came so difficultly — who wouldn’t find it sweet?
At least this rain wouldn’t shun them.
Yue Zhishi opened his eyes only after Song Yu had retreated some distance. Fine droplets of rain stained his eyelashes, and his vision was slightly hazy. He looked up, face turned towards Song Yu, and thought he was like a statue of a god: tall and lofty, filled with taboos yet flawless and perfect.
And yet he stood in front of the cathedral and said to Yue Zhishi, voice filled with blasphemy, “I don’t need God to love me.”
“It’s enough just to have you.”
"Behind the umbrella, in front of the cathedral, Song Yu lowered his head and gave Yue Zhishi a kiss.
It was a reverent and profound kiss, as though Song Yu was using his actions as a silent rebellion — defying faith, defying rules.
From the moment he’d widened his eyes in alarm to finally closing them, Yue Zhishi could feel his nose burning. There were no flowers, no crowd of people wishing them well, and even the sky was gloomy and stifling, pouring cold rain. It was as though millions and millions of silver needles were descending from the sky, stabbing directly onto their bodies.
He realised he’d changed: he enjoyed this rain, and found comfort in this joy stolen from suffering. The honey licked from the tip of a knife came so difficultly — who wouldn’t find it sweet?
At least this rain wouldn’t shun them.
Yue Zhishi opened his eyes only after Song Yu had retreated some distance. Fine droplets of rain stained his eyelashes, and his vision was slightly hazy. He looked up, face turned towards Song Yu, and thought he was like a statue of a god: tall and lofty, filled with taboos yet flawless and perfect.
And yet he stood in front of the cathedral and said to Yue Zhishi, voice filled with blasphemy, “I don’t need God to love me.”
“It’s enough just to have you.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2023
Loved this novel. I thought I didn't like slice of life too much, but turns out what I really need is realistic and well fleshed out characters with just enough angst to keep it interesting. Both this and Guo Men by Priest were excellent reads in this genre.
**Warning: Spoilers Ahead**
The romance was handled very delicately, as is appropriate given the relationship between Song Yu and Yue Zhishi, but once they got together I was glad to see their family and friends accept their relationship. It could've gone very differently, had the author decided to make the parents the bad guys and force them to break up, especially given how important they were to Le Le.
There were so many moments that had me awwww-ing, from when they snuck into the basketball court after Le Le's high school graduation to play ball, to how Song Yu saved all the prettiest areas around Wuhan U's campus to explore properly with Le Le, to Song Yu's letter addressed to Le Le's future wife where he explains how to best take care of him, and so much more.
I loved Le le's character. He was so pure and innocent in the beginning, and even when he matured and became more independent later, he knew he could always relax and depend on Song Yu to take care of him. After they get together, we start getting more insight into Song Yu's character as well, and there we learn about how much he's had to struggle with his feelings over the years. It broke my heart a little.
The side characters / potential love rivals didn't create that much drama or angst, which was a refreshing breath of fresh air. Shen Mi gracefully yielded to Song Yu after realizing how he had no chance with Le Le, and I love love LOVE the fact that the female love interest for Song Yu (Nan Jia) was written as a smart girl who can tell when she doesn't stand a chance and knows when to give up. Can love rivals in other books be so reasonable? Cause I'm loving the fact that the biggest obstacle to their relationship isn't other people but comes from themselves, from their doubts and their inability to adjust to the change in their relationship.
The two part extra at the end that goes into the dream what if scenario if Le Le had grown up with his parents in the UK was really sweet too. It's nice to think that regardless of what happened with Le Le's parents, they would've still gotten together.
Writing was very easy to read and the translations by Amy were great as well. And of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention all of the lovely links included in the translation to explanations and images of food or locations or anything else. They were incredibly helpful, and I tortured myself by clicking on each food picture and drooling over the pictures.
I'm sure I'll be revisiting this book again in the future whenever I want to indulge in a guilty pleasure read. In the meantime, some quotes from the story I particularly enjoyed:
Cute toddler Le Le
Yue Zhishi had started learning Chinese later than other children, and Chinese familial relationship terms were complicated to begin with. He had been utterly confused every time he heard his classmate talk about uncles, aunts or nephews. One day, he heard a classmate say he had a very beautiful sister-in-law. He had returned home and curiously asked Song Yu, what is a sister-in-law?
“A sister-in-law is the wife of your older brother,” Song Yu had replied.
Lin Rong just happened to be eavesdropping nearby. “You’ll have to leave home once you have a wife.”
That sentence gave Yue Zhishi’s little heart a large shock.
His small brain mused over it for a long time. If Song Yu gege married a wife and gave him a sister-in-law, then wouldn’t they have to separate? He would have his own family and wouldn’t be able to live together with him anymore.
No way!
Yue Zhishi hugged Song Yu’s arm and cutely begged, “Xiao Yu gege, I don’t want a sister-in-law.”
Father Song teased him. “How would that work? Your gege won’t marry just because you don’t want a sister-in-law?”
Yue Zhishi replied innocently, “Then I’ll be your sister-in-law!”
Yue Zhishi saw questions marks all over Song Yu’s face and realised something wasn’t quite right. He hurriedly corrected himself, “No no, I’ll be my sister-in-law!”
---------------
Smart side characters who know when to give up
Nan Jia gazed at his eyes, her voice relaxed. “Does it sound shameful to give up? But actually, I had my own considerations when I made this decision.”
Her finger lightly tapped on the paper cup. “To me, there are two things I should judge when deciding to give up on someone. One: how likely is he to accept me? Two: the ‘like’ I have for him — is it worth me spending a large amount of time and effort to force him to like me back?”
Seeing Yue Zhishi a bit bewildered, Nan Jia smiled and explained, “Let me talk about my first point. I can clearly sense Song Yu doesn’t like me; he has absolutely no interest in me at all. It’s already very hard just with this. Then, I need to consider my second point. There’s nothing wrong with me liking him, but just for this ‘like’ — should I waste my energy, giving up my every day life, just to eagerly chase after him like in one of those idol dramas? Will he respond to me and like me back just by me doing so?”
The wind blew, a leaf drifting onto Nan Jia’s long skirt. She didn’t brush it away. “You know, so many people think once a girl likes someone, she’ll lose all her reason. They think she’ll like someone to the point she’ll give up herself. But I don’t think I can do that — there are too many things I want to do, too many goals I want to reach.”
“So you think if there isn’t much hope for something, we can choose to give it up, right?” Yue Zhishi asked.
“No. Rather than putting it that way, it’s more that if I have to choose between him or me, I chose myself.” Nan Jia gazed at him. “Compared to liking him, I love myself more. I don’t want to give myself up, so I’m giving up Song Yu.”
---------------
Understanding more about Song Yu
Song Yu flipped open Yue Zhishi’s medical record he held in his hand, saw the word ‘allergy’, and his mind started to wander.
He became aware that he himself seemed to often suffer from an allergy. It would flare up whenever he broke a taboo, and he would only wake up after it attacked. Except the more he wasn’t allowed to touch something, the more he wanted to touch it — the taboo was meant to restrain desire, but instead, it gave birth to an even greater desire that was about to consume him.
Yue Zhishi was Song Yu’s one and only allergen.
---------------
Why are they so cuteeeeeeee?
“Song Yu.” Yue Zhishi lowered his eyes, the gathered tears gently wobbling. “It was you who let me feel the love I had never been able to feel from other people. It was you who gave me the feelings I never received from anyone else. From our childhood to now — the last ten-plus years — my eyes have seen only you. I only wish to spend every minute, every second with you, and that has never changed. We’ve already reached this point, and yet you still expect me to like someone else?”
Lifting his eyes, he squeezed Song Yu’s hand. No matter how stubborn he was, his reddened eyes couldn’t hold onto that teardrop after all, and it tumbled down. “From the time you accepted me to your side, I had no other option. It was you who made me unable to love anyone else — so how could you leave me with ways to retreat?”
Yue Zhishi’s voice had never been so resolute. “I have no way out. I have only you.”
**Warning: Spoilers Ahead**
The romance was handled very delicately, as is appropriate given the relationship between Song Yu and Yue Zhishi, but once they got together I was glad to see their family and friends accept their relationship. It could've gone very differently, had the author decided to make the parents the bad guys and force them to break up, especially given how important they were to Le Le.
There were so many moments that had me awwww-ing, from when they snuck into the basketball court after Le Le's high school graduation to play ball, to how Song Yu saved all the prettiest areas around Wuhan U's campus to explore properly with Le Le, to Song Yu's letter addressed to Le Le's future wife where he explains how to best take care of him, and so much more.
I loved Le le's character. He was so pure and innocent in the beginning, and even when he matured and became more independent later, he knew he could always relax and depend on Song Yu to take care of him. After they get together, we start getting more insight into Song Yu's character as well, and there we learn about how much he's had to struggle with his feelings over the years. It broke my heart a little.
The side characters / potential love rivals didn't create that much drama or angst, which was a refreshing breath of fresh air. Shen Mi gracefully yielded to Song Yu after realizing how he had no chance with Le Le, and I love love LOVE the fact that the female love interest for Song Yu (Nan Jia) was written as a smart girl who can tell when she doesn't stand a chance and knows when to give up. Can love rivals in other books be so reasonable? Cause I'm loving the fact that the biggest obstacle to their relationship isn't other people but comes from themselves, from their doubts and their inability to adjust to the change in their relationship.
The two part extra at the end that goes into the dream what if scenario if Le Le had grown up with his parents in the UK was really sweet too. It's nice to think that regardless of what happened with Le Le's parents, they would've still gotten together.
Writing was very easy to read and the translations by Amy were great as well. And of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention all of the lovely links included in the translation to explanations and images of food or locations or anything else. They were incredibly helpful, and I tortured myself by clicking on each food picture and drooling over the pictures.
I'm sure I'll be revisiting this book again in the future whenever I want to indulge in a guilty pleasure read. In the meantime, some quotes from the story I particularly enjoyed:
Cute toddler Le Le
Yue Zhishi had started learning Chinese later than other children, and Chinese familial relationship terms were complicated to begin with. He had been utterly confused every time he heard his classmate talk about uncles, aunts or nephews. One day, he heard a classmate say he had a very beautiful sister-in-law. He had returned home and curiously asked Song Yu, what is a sister-in-law?
“A sister-in-law is the wife of your older brother,” Song Yu had replied.
Lin Rong just happened to be eavesdropping nearby. “You’ll have to leave home once you have a wife.”
That sentence gave Yue Zhishi’s little heart a large shock.
His small brain mused over it for a long time. If Song Yu gege married a wife and gave him a sister-in-law, then wouldn’t they have to separate? He would have his own family and wouldn’t be able to live together with him anymore.
No way!
Yue Zhishi hugged Song Yu’s arm and cutely begged, “Xiao Yu gege, I don’t want a sister-in-law.”
Father Song teased him. “How would that work? Your gege won’t marry just because you don’t want a sister-in-law?”
Yue Zhishi replied innocently, “Then I’ll be your sister-in-law!”
Yue Zhishi saw questions marks all over Song Yu’s face and realised something wasn’t quite right. He hurriedly corrected himself, “No no, I’ll be my sister-in-law!”
---------------
Smart side characters who know when to give up
Nan Jia gazed at his eyes, her voice relaxed. “Does it sound shameful to give up? But actually, I had my own considerations when I made this decision.”
Her finger lightly tapped on the paper cup. “To me, there are two things I should judge when deciding to give up on someone. One: how likely is he to accept me? Two: the ‘like’ I have for him — is it worth me spending a large amount of time and effort to force him to like me back?”
Seeing Yue Zhishi a bit bewildered, Nan Jia smiled and explained, “Let me talk about my first point. I can clearly sense Song Yu doesn’t like me; he has absolutely no interest in me at all. It’s already very hard just with this. Then, I need to consider my second point. There’s nothing wrong with me liking him, but just for this ‘like’ — should I waste my energy, giving up my every day life, just to eagerly chase after him like in one of those idol dramas? Will he respond to me and like me back just by me doing so?”
The wind blew, a leaf drifting onto Nan Jia’s long skirt. She didn’t brush it away. “You know, so many people think once a girl likes someone, she’ll lose all her reason. They think she’ll like someone to the point she’ll give up herself. But I don’t think I can do that — there are too many things I want to do, too many goals I want to reach.”
“So you think if there isn’t much hope for something, we can choose to give it up, right?” Yue Zhishi asked.
“No. Rather than putting it that way, it’s more that if I have to choose between him or me, I chose myself.” Nan Jia gazed at him. “Compared to liking him, I love myself more. I don’t want to give myself up, so I’m giving up Song Yu.”
---------------
Understanding more about Song Yu
Song Yu flipped open Yue Zhishi’s medical record he held in his hand, saw the word ‘allergy’, and his mind started to wander.
He became aware that he himself seemed to often suffer from an allergy. It would flare up whenever he broke a taboo, and he would only wake up after it attacked. Except the more he wasn’t allowed to touch something, the more he wanted to touch it — the taboo was meant to restrain desire, but instead, it gave birth to an even greater desire that was about to consume him.
Yue Zhishi was Song Yu’s one and only allergen.
---------------
Why are they so cuteeeeeeee?
“Song Yu.” Yue Zhishi lowered his eyes, the gathered tears gently wobbling. “It was you who let me feel the love I had never been able to feel from other people. It was you who gave me the feelings I never received from anyone else. From our childhood to now — the last ten-plus years — my eyes have seen only you. I only wish to spend every minute, every second with you, and that has never changed. We’ve already reached this point, and yet you still expect me to like someone else?”
Lifting his eyes, he squeezed Song Yu’s hand. No matter how stubborn he was, his reddened eyes couldn’t hold onto that teardrop after all, and it tumbled down. “From the time you accepted me to your side, I had no other option. It was you who made me unable to love anyone else — so how could you leave me with ways to retreat?”
Yue Zhishi’s voice had never been so resolute. “I have no way out. I have only you.”
June 30, 2022
I loved it. As slice of life as it gets, but it was done so perfectly. Never dragged, never felt super drama-filled. The day to day moments were the best. I love Mama Lin, what an amazing family dynamic. Their friend group too - Jiang Yufan, Nan Jia, Qu Yan (sp?) - so funny and supportive. I learned a lot about Chinese internet slang too. So educational. Some of my favorite quotes are below.
Ch. 2
But he still couldn’t hold back his protective heart, and he said, “And I think there’s nothing wrong with his personality.” Yue Zhishi’s voice was unusually earnest. “He just doesn’t like talking. That doesn’t mean he has a bad personality. And even though he looks somewhat scary, he’s actually a really good person…”
Ch. 28
He started to believe everything in the world was fair. Once you believed you treated everyone with general indifference, all of your missing empathy and compassion would gather on one certain person.
He detested feeling empathy. It was a persistent, uncontrollable feeling of suffering on behalf of someone else, and he would always feel it even more after seeing Yue Zhishi’s face.
Ch. 33
[It is ominous for a fish to see the abyss, hidden wisdom will bring disaster. The world is wide, throw away your worries and let nature run its course.]
It was unlucky for a fish to see clearly into the deep sea. Those who could see others’ private thoughts would bring disaster to themselves — the smarter one was, the easier it was to sink and disappear into the mud. Only those who allowed themselves to relax, to place down all those self-imposed worries, and let things happen naturally could continue to walk ahead.
Ch. 37
He looked at Yue Zhishi as he spoke. “If you’d rather be part of the multitude of people, then you will need to give up the part of you that’s unwilling to be mediocre.”
Ch. 38
“I’m not working so hard just for him to have already won at the starting line of life. It’s so my son can have the right to make his own choices.”
Song Yu’s hand also paused.
“What I can give him is the confidence to continue being himself.”
Ch. 97
There was a secret photo album in his phone. The album contained 1,314 photos, all of them of Yue Zhishi; most of them were secretly taken photos of his face or of his back, and a small portion of them were photos of the physical photos and polaroids Yue Zhishi had been in as he’d grown up. Song Yu even had his high school graduation photo.
The photos inside the album would increase, as time went by. And so, out of the photos he’d treasured and hidden away, Song Yu would pick out those he loved just a little bit less and move them to other public albums, making sure the overall total of the secret album remained unchanged. Most of the photos he’d transferred away had other people in them, or they were photos he himself thought had been taken very terribly.
His time was very precious, but he was utterly willing to spend it on Yue Zhishi.
Ch. 2
But he still couldn’t hold back his protective heart, and he said, “And I think there’s nothing wrong with his personality.” Yue Zhishi’s voice was unusually earnest. “He just doesn’t like talking. That doesn’t mean he has a bad personality. And even though he looks somewhat scary, he’s actually a really good person…”
Ch. 28
He started to believe everything in the world was fair. Once you believed you treated everyone with general indifference, all of your missing empathy and compassion would gather on one certain person.
He detested feeling empathy. It was a persistent, uncontrollable feeling of suffering on behalf of someone else, and he would always feel it even more after seeing Yue Zhishi’s face.
Ch. 33
[It is ominous for a fish to see the abyss, hidden wisdom will bring disaster. The world is wide, throw away your worries and let nature run its course.]
It was unlucky for a fish to see clearly into the deep sea. Those who could see others’ private thoughts would bring disaster to themselves — the smarter one was, the easier it was to sink and disappear into the mud. Only those who allowed themselves to relax, to place down all those self-imposed worries, and let things happen naturally could continue to walk ahead.
Ch. 37
He looked at Yue Zhishi as he spoke. “If you’d rather be part of the multitude of people, then you will need to give up the part of you that’s unwilling to be mediocre.”
Ch. 38
“I’m not working so hard just for him to have already won at the starting line of life. It’s so my son can have the right to make his own choices.”
Song Yu’s hand also paused.
“What I can give him is the confidence to continue being himself.”
Ch. 97
There was a secret photo album in his phone. The album contained 1,314 photos, all of them of Yue Zhishi; most of them were secretly taken photos of his face or of his back, and a small portion of them were photos of the physical photos and polaroids Yue Zhishi had been in as he’d grown up. Song Yu even had his high school graduation photo.
The photos inside the album would increase, as time went by. And so, out of the photos he’d treasured and hidden away, Song Yu would pick out those he loved just a little bit less and move them to other public albums, making sure the overall total of the secret album remained unchanged. Most of the photos he’d transferred away had other people in them, or they were photos he himself thought had been taken very terribly.
His time was very precious, but he was utterly willing to spend it on Yue Zhishi.
October 10, 2021
Let me emphasize, this is such a good story!!!
To be honest, I never expected much when I started reading this. I thought it would be just another school-life/slice-of-life story, the very genres I'm allergic to (pun intended) and which I would normally avoid unless I heard that it's very very good. I prefer fantasy in fictions I read (escapist much, I know).
So, after finding out that it's pretty good, I decided to give it a try. Though, I expected to drop it soon.
Surprise surprise, that it turned out to be truly engrossing. The author really has the personality and inner psychology of the characters all figured out. The cause-and-effect is clear. The entire plot is woven seamlessly. I cried so much at some parts and I grinned like a fool at others. I really like this author and I also especially love the author's notes. You can see how much care she put into creating this wonderful world of fiction with its unique inhabitants. Also, her 'driving' scenes were so masterfully crafted that I'm envious.
In short, if you like Mou Mou, you would also like this. Personally, I prefer this better because there's less angst.
On a side note, both Mou Mou and this were difficult readings for me despite the story being exceptionally good. I just find it so hard to read 'realistic' books. I empathise too much that it's so stressful to read till the end–I was on the edge all the time. Many times I considered quitting halfway so that I didn't need to watch the characters deal with 'realistic' problems. Still, I persisted because I want to see a happy ending. It's worth the pain but I'll never reread them–I'm afraid of pain. The only slice-of-life I like is slice-of-life anime; they are fluffy and soothing, no knives hidden anywhere.
To be honest, I never expected much when I started reading this. I thought it would be just another school-life/slice-of-life story, the very genres I'm allergic to (pun intended) and which I would normally avoid unless I heard that it's very very good. I prefer fantasy in fictions I read (escapist much, I know).
So, after finding out that it's pretty good, I decided to give it a try. Though, I expected to drop it soon.
Surprise surprise, that it turned out to be truly engrossing. The author really has the personality and inner psychology of the characters all figured out. The cause-and-effect is clear. The entire plot is woven seamlessly. I cried so much at some parts and I grinned like a fool at others. I really like this author and I also especially love the author's notes. You can see how much care she put into creating this wonderful world of fiction with its unique inhabitants. Also, her 'driving' scenes were so masterfully crafted that I'm envious.
In short, if you like Mou Mou, you would also like this. Personally, I prefer this better because there's less angst.
On a side note, both Mou Mou and this were difficult readings for me despite the story being exceptionally good. I just find it so hard to read 'realistic' books. I empathise too much that it's so stressful to read till the end–I was on the edge all the time. Many times I considered quitting halfway so that I didn't need to watch the characters deal with 'realistic' problems. Still, I persisted because I want to see a happy ending. It's worth the pain but I'll never reread them–I'm afraid of pain. The only slice-of-life I like is slice-of-life anime; they are fluffy and soothing, no knives hidden anywhere.
January 1, 2024
I enjoyed the first half of the story, where the author took time to develop the characters. The dynamic between the childish MC and the aloof ML, who cares deeply for him, is well-established.
It's clear that the ML doesn't see the MC as a brother, and we get a glimpse into his internal struggle as he develops romantic feelings. The buildup spans over 50 chapters.
However, the transition from familial love to romantic and sexual love falls short. Despite the extensive setup, the MC's realization of his feelings happens abruptly. There's a lack of emotional struggle—no guilt, shame, confusion, or dilemma that typically accompanies such realizations. The progression feels forced and doesn't consider the practical aspects, such as the MC dealing with his sexuality, the implications on relationships, and the potential fallout if the ML doesn't return his feelings.
The lack of depth in exploring these aspects makes the romantic development feel unearned and contrived. Despite powering through slow-paced chapters, the romance feels forced, and the abrupt shift into smut becomes uncomfortable. The author's avoidance of angst leads to a narrative that circles around realistic scenarios and dives into fluff, leaving the reader unconvinced about the authenticity of the romantic love portrayed.
Ultimately, the story feels more like enmeshment triggered by psychological abandonment anxiety rather than a genuine exploration of romantic love. Due to this, I've decided to abandon the story.
It's clear that the ML doesn't see the MC as a brother, and we get a glimpse into his internal struggle as he develops romantic feelings. The buildup spans over 50 chapters.
However, the transition from familial love to romantic and sexual love falls short. Despite the extensive setup, the MC's realization of his feelings happens abruptly. There's a lack of emotional struggle—no guilt, shame, confusion, or dilemma that typically accompanies such realizations. The progression feels forced and doesn't consider the practical aspects, such as the MC dealing with his sexuality, the implications on relationships, and the potential fallout if the ML doesn't return his feelings.
The lack of depth in exploring these aspects makes the romantic development feel unearned and contrived. Despite powering through slow-paced chapters, the romance feels forced, and the abrupt shift into smut becomes uncomfortable. The author's avoidance of angst leads to a narrative that circles around realistic scenarios and dives into fluff, leaving the reader unconvinced about the authenticity of the romantic love portrayed.
Ultimately, the story feels more like enmeshment triggered by psychological abandonment anxiety rather than a genuine exploration of romantic love. Due to this, I've decided to abandon the story.
October 21, 2021
To begin with, I entered this particular novel expecting something fluffy and angst-free because I recently read something that caused my heart to palpitate a bit too much unnecessarily, and I needed to get over it.
Fluff was the aim.
This book provided me with that and more. More than anything, this book provided me with an incredible amount of warmth and love that I cannot begin to describe how mesmerizing it was to read a family and a romance of such intricacy and such depth. I absolutely adore the two main leads, but this story deals with more than just them, and that's what makes it worth the pick.
Of course, Lovely Allergen has its drawbacks. There was dramatics in the book that it could have done better without. The cliches, though extremely well written, were also sometimes overly used. Also, the first quarter was relatively slow-paced with hardly any plot, and the author admits the lack of pacing and explains the reason behind it. But as the chapters progress, and with it time in the story, the unraveling of emotions is so well woven that it submerges the reader into feeling the pain and joy that the characters feel.
Overall, despite the negatives of the story that I didn't mention, the novel is worth a shot. It'll assault all your senses (literally, especially with all the mentions of food) and will engage you for a reasonable amount of time with enough life, angst, pain, warmth, hope, and romance.
Fluff was the aim.
This book provided me with that and more. More than anything, this book provided me with an incredible amount of warmth and love that I cannot begin to describe how mesmerizing it was to read a family and a romance of such intricacy and such depth. I absolutely adore the two main leads, but this story deals with more than just them, and that's what makes it worth the pick.
Of course, Lovely Allergen has its drawbacks. There was dramatics in the book that it could have done better without. The cliches, though extremely well written, were also sometimes overly used. Also, the first quarter was relatively slow-paced with hardly any plot, and the author admits the lack of pacing and explains the reason behind it. But as the chapters progress, and with it time in the story, the unraveling of emotions is so well woven that it submerges the reader into feeling the pain and joy that the characters feel.
Overall, despite the negatives of the story that I didn't mention, the novel is worth a shot. It'll assault all your senses (literally, especially with all the mentions of food) and will engage you for a reasonable amount of time with enough life, angst, pain, warmth, hope, and romance.
September 17, 2024
4.5 ⭐
I did not expect liking this novel so much as I have a very complicated relationship with slice of life stories. But here I am. Well done once again Zhichu hhh.
What I like about this author is her kindness. You can just feel it as you're reading through her works and especially this one.
The ending is beautiful and just, yknow, feels right. I feel like everything's coming down into a full circle (the death of Yue Zhishi's parents during a natural disaster > him and Song Yu working to help victims during a earthquake) and I love that. You can see the author documentated herself so much, and same with Le Le's allergy and PTSD.
The romance was very slow but was very well developped and sweet. I was scared seeing the siblings-like relationship between the leads but it turned out Zhichu did an amazing work for characters development and the angst was perfectly adjusted.
+ loved that they called the police for diffamation when they were exposed lmao, Yue Zhishi was so right to do this.
To finish with this mess of a review, I would like to say i did not expect crying so much reading Yue Zhishi and Song Yu's story. I loved them a lot as my heart ached for them and i'm so happy it's a happy ending.
I did not expect liking this novel so much as I have a very complicated relationship with slice of life stories. But here I am. Well done once again Zhichu hhh.
What I like about this author is her kindness. You can just feel it as you're reading through her works and especially this one.
The ending is beautiful and just, yknow, feels right. I feel like everything's coming down into a full circle (the death of Yue Zhishi's parents during a natural disaster > him and Song Yu working to help victims during a earthquake) and I love that. You can see the author documentated herself so much, and same with Le Le's allergy and PTSD.
The romance was very slow but was very well developped and sweet. I was scared seeing the siblings-like relationship between the leads but it turned out Zhichu did an amazing work for characters development and the angst was perfectly adjusted.
+ loved that they called the police for diffamation when they were exposed lmao, Yue Zhishi was so right to do this.
To finish with this mess of a review, I would like to say i did not expect crying so much reading Yue Zhishi and Song Yu's story. I loved them a lot as my heart ached for them and i'm so happy it's a happy ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2024
“Yue Zhishi frantically opened the textbook again as he thought about this, turning the pages until he finally found the one page that he never wanted to see again.
He had been so bored. As if he was practicing calligraphy, he’d written Song Yu’s name again and again — and looking back now at the name he’d repeated many, many times, Yue Zhishi felt his heart speed up again. He couldn’t tell if he was feeling embarrassment or something else. When he silently read out the name, only his own voice resounded in his brain. He called out gege’s name again and again, not hoping for an answer.
Unexpectedly, he froze. He stared at the last time he’d written that name, gaze fixed on the twentieth time he’d written those two characters.
[Song Yu]
A single word was added underneath, echoing back at him.
[Hm?]”
AAHHHHH it’s been a while since i last gave 5★ but this novel truly deserves more love 🫧<3
He had been so bored. As if he was practicing calligraphy, he’d written Song Yu’s name again and again — and looking back now at the name he’d repeated many, many times, Yue Zhishi felt his heart speed up again. He couldn’t tell if he was feeling embarrassment or something else. When he silently read out the name, only his own voice resounded in his brain. He called out gege’s name again and again, not hoping for an answer.
Unexpectedly, he froze. He stared at the last time he’d written that name, gaze fixed on the twentieth time he’d written those two characters.
[Song Yu]
A single word was added underneath, echoing back at him.
[Hm?]”
AAHHHHH it’s been a while since i last gave 5★ but this novel truly deserves more love 🫧<3
March 1, 2025
Reading this book is like coming back home after an exhausting day. I can't stop smiling while reading about Song Yu and Yue Zhishi.
The way Song Yu tries to suppress his feelings for Yue Zhishi was painful to read, but I'm so happy he got his happy ending. It's was also so sweet to read how Yue Zhishi realized that he had always been in love with Song Yu he only didn't realize if the love was romantic or just because he grew up with Song Yu.
I also love how the author decided to manage this story with the complicated background of the main character growing up together as an "adopted siblings" because Yue Zhishi never call Song Yu parents as mom or dad even when he call Song Yu his older brother , the author make a great job in making clear the yes, both main character grew up together in the same house but now they are adult in a relationship where both are equal. Also, the parents were so understanding💖
The way Song Yu tries to suppress his feelings for Yue Zhishi was painful to read, but I'm so happy he got his happy ending. It's was also so sweet to read how Yue Zhishi realized that he had always been in love with Song Yu he only didn't realize if the love was romantic or just because he grew up with Song Yu.
I also love how the author decided to manage this story with the complicated background of the main character growing up together as an "adopted siblings" because Yue Zhishi never call Song Yu parents as mom or dad even when he call Song Yu his older brother , the author make a great job in making clear the yes, both main character grew up together in the same house but now they are adult in a relationship where both are equal. Also, the parents were so understanding💖
January 30, 2023
Wonderful character development, every chapter has a message, superior literary value also due to the high-quality translation by amytranslations.com. I like translator's notes because she helps us to understand plurality of meanings of certain Chinese words or phrases.
It is angsty but not in an overwhelming way -- the text fully expresses multilayered feelings of people who are trying to make sense of their own life and desires and hopes. No loopholes, no dramatic twists and turns either. Just as well, I think that the lives of the main characters plus few strong supporting characters are dramatic enough.
It is so much more than a school-life novel. In fact, the school life tag may deter some readers who would otherwise appreciate the book very much.
One of the best 5 slice-of-life, modern danmei novels I have read.
It is angsty but not in an overwhelming way -- the text fully expresses multilayered feelings of people who are trying to make sense of their own life and desires and hopes. No loopholes, no dramatic twists and turns either. Just as well, I think that the lives of the main characters plus few strong supporting characters are dramatic enough.
It is so much more than a school-life novel. In fact, the school life tag may deter some readers who would otherwise appreciate the book very much.
One of the best 5 slice-of-life, modern danmei novels I have read.
August 27, 2023
Ho adorato lo stile di scrittura di Zhichu, sembra che possa scrivere di qualunque argomento (cibo, allergie, moda), si vede che si é informata prima di utilizzare certi argomenti e ci ha giocato per realizzare metafore e similitudini che aiutino i lettori ad entrare nella storia. Personaggi carini, nessuno che io abbia amato alla follia, ma soprattutto i protagonisti sono stati sviscerati bene nelle loro dinamiche e personalità/caratteristiche. Non mi sono sembrati piatti, anzi persone con i loro sogni ed aspirazioni. Anche se si potrebbe dire che c'è una "power dynamic" (sub/dom) per me non é sfociata in qualcosa di troppo cringy. Entrambi rispettosi dell'altro. Scene romantiche ✅️✅️✅️ Ho apprezzato il continuo riferimento al movimento LGBTQ e il finale della sfilata di moda é stato il mio momento preferito. Gli extra sul pov di Song Yu... chef's kiss~
October 8, 2021
I definitely wasn't expecting to cry so much when I chose to read this book. The author fleshed out the characters so well that you get swept up in their painful emotions with them.
There are so many good points about this book, but I don't know how to express it well. This list is just the highlights:
- A healthy, continuously growing relationship full of consent and communication once they get together
- Super awesome family dynamics full of banter, love, and support
- Strong female characters with their own goals and ideas (there's even a hint of a wlw couple!)
- One villainous character. Everyone is flawed and awkward in their own ways.
- The smut was super hot and beautiful
- Slowly overcoming your fears
There are so many good points about this book, but I don't know how to express it well. This list is just the highlights:
- A healthy, continuously growing relationship full of consent and communication once they get together
- Super awesome family dynamics full of banter, love, and support
- Strong female characters with their own goals and ideas (there's even a hint of a wlw couple!)
- One villainous character. Everyone is flawed and awkward in their own ways.
- The smut was super hot and beautiful
- Slowly overcoming your fears
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