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Silent Reading #5
Silent Reading (V)
Childhood, upbringing, family background, social relations, traumatic experiences…
We keep reviewing and seeking out the motives of criminals, exploring the subtlest emotions driving them. It’s not to put ourselves in their shoes and sympathize, or even forgive them; it’s not to find some reasons to exculpate their crimes; it’s not to kneel down before the so-called “complexity of human nature”; nor to introspect social conflicts, much less to alienate ourselves into monsters.
We just want to have a fair trial – for ourselves and for those who still have hope for the world.
We keep reviewing and seeking out the motives of criminals, exploring the subtlest emotions driving them. It’s not to put ourselves in their shoes and sympathize, or even forgive them; it’s not to find some reasons to exculpate their crimes; it’s not to kneel down before the so-called “complexity of human nature”; nor to introspect social conflicts, much less to alienate ourselves into monsters.
We just want to have a fair trial – for ourselves and for those who still have hope for the world.
519 pages, ebook
24 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 26, 2025
I was not expecting the cliffhanger that this volume leaves you on….
Very curious to see how Seven Seas decides to split up these volumes, because if they cut it where this volume stopped, there are going to be some very panicked unsuspecting readers.
This volume requires the most brain power out of the whole series—finally the threads are coming together, everyone is running around, chasing people, getting shot at, finding leads and losing leads. If I hadn’t been reading this novel consistently, daily, I would probably require a small character map just to piece everything together succinctly in my head. But, to Priest’s credit, there is plenty of signposting to help you remember which case a certain person was involved in and what their significance is to the overall plot.
The only thing that gets difficult to keep track of, and maybe actually is a weak point in the actual plot and not just me forgetting things, is the grievances and motivations of some of the “villains.” While some of our bad guys (won’t name names, for the sake of not spoiling anything) get their little moments to reflect on why they still carry decades of grudges and hurt along with them, another key player behind everything and their motivation is a little more vague. This could have been delved into a little more, especially because this is a character we really don’t see much of until every other bad guy is exposed. And especially as he has connections to Fei Du and his childhood trauma.
“After all, you are Fei Chengyu’s son. There was poison in your bones from the moment you were born.”
As this final villain is pulled from the shadows, Fei Du’s background and his involvement with these criminal parties is also exposed. This volume has plenty of exploration of this equilibrium in Fei Du’s character: the monster he was raised to be, that he believes himself to be; and the hero, the vigilante his actions prove him to be.
You couldn’t ask for a more action-packed volume, and most of it is Luo Wenzhou frantically running around trying to hold together his team as they’re falling apart without relying on the old leaders at the city bureau they long thought they could trust. Even Fei Du’s secret scheming takes him unaware, and while he assures Luo Wenzhou that he’s got everything under control, it very quickly becomes apparent that he’s in over his head. I felt panic for Fei Du’s safety as intensely as Luo Wenzhou, but this also allowed for some amazing character development for both of these characters. We’ve seen them tossed into some fairly dangerous situations thus far, but the events in this volume clearly leave both of them on unsteady ground, forced to confront and overcome their weaknesses.
Despite chaos inside the bureau and the challenges they face together and separately, there’s still plenty of romantic development for the main characters. And it’s surprisingly cozy and domestic. There are many beautifully realistic moments, small moments of shared intimacy during times of high stress (hospital visits, police chases) that really ground this couple and establish that they are each other’s rock. Things as small as Luo Wenzhou finding comfort in holding Fei Du’s hand, or just exchanging a knowing look with him, confirming that the other is safe.
But the scenes inside Luo Wenzhou’s apartment, when they can both finally kick off their shoes and take a breather from the non-stop investigating, are absolutely golden. Luo Wenzhou’s inner thoughts on the home he’s desperate to protect with Fei Du and their beloved master cat are sprinkled throughout these scenes.
It was the aroma of a home, which made a person feel a sense of perfect satisfaction when he smelled it, desiring nothing, as if his whole life could settle into place like this.
And while we’ve been spoiled with Luo Wenzhou’s inner dreams of domesticity with Fei Du (for several volumes now…the man wanted to lock him down ages ago), we’re also rewarded with Fei Du’s displays of affection and commitment as he finally shakes off the cold, distant persona that he uses to keep everyone else at arm’s length and gradually allows Luo Wenzhou into his heart. What started out as harmless flirting, his attempts to scare Luo Wenzhou off from his self-perceived monstrosity, gradually turns into a deep trust and appreciation for Luo Wenzhou’s steadiness, and eventually into a deeper desire to stay by his side.
“When are you planning on making things official with me?”
Fei Du paused. Then, without saying a word, he looked down and searched among the iron wire he’d cut off earlier, cut off a piece of the appropriate length, and very nimbly sued the needle-nosed pliers to twist it into a spiral ring with three circles. He blew off the filings, brought it to his lips and kissed it, then turned and knelt down….
“This size is definitely just right. Will you put it on?”
If you’re looking for a highly complex crime novel with equally balanced and well-paced out romance, look no further. A beautifully complex case with a beautifully complex couple at its core. But whoever decided to cut this volume off where it ended is a sadist.
Very curious to see how Seven Seas decides to split up these volumes, because if they cut it where this volume stopped, there are going to be some very panicked unsuspecting readers.
This volume requires the most brain power out of the whole series—finally the threads are coming together, everyone is running around, chasing people, getting shot at, finding leads and losing leads. If I hadn’t been reading this novel consistently, daily, I would probably require a small character map just to piece everything together succinctly in my head. But, to Priest’s credit, there is plenty of signposting to help you remember which case a certain person was involved in and what their significance is to the overall plot.
The only thing that gets difficult to keep track of, and maybe actually is a weak point in the actual plot and not just me forgetting things, is the grievances and motivations of some of the “villains.” While some of our bad guys (won’t name names, for the sake of not spoiling anything) get their little moments to reflect on why they still carry decades of grudges and hurt along with them, another key player behind everything and their motivation is a little more vague. This could have been delved into a little more, especially because this is a character we really don’t see much of until every other bad guy is exposed. And especially as he has connections to Fei Du and his childhood trauma.
“After all, you are Fei Chengyu’s son. There was poison in your bones from the moment you were born.”
As this final villain is pulled from the shadows, Fei Du’s background and his involvement with these criminal parties is also exposed. This volume has plenty of exploration of this equilibrium in Fei Du’s character: the monster he was raised to be, that he believes himself to be; and the hero, the vigilante his actions prove him to be.
You couldn’t ask for a more action-packed volume, and most of it is Luo Wenzhou frantically running around trying to hold together his team as they’re falling apart without relying on the old leaders at the city bureau they long thought they could trust. Even Fei Du’s secret scheming takes him unaware, and while he assures Luo Wenzhou that he’s got everything under control, it very quickly becomes apparent that he’s in over his head. I felt panic for Fei Du’s safety as intensely as Luo Wenzhou, but this also allowed for some amazing character development for both of these characters. We’ve seen them tossed into some fairly dangerous situations thus far, but the events in this volume clearly leave both of them on unsteady ground, forced to confront and overcome their weaknesses.
Despite chaos inside the bureau and the challenges they face together and separately, there’s still plenty of romantic development for the main characters. And it’s surprisingly cozy and domestic. There are many beautifully realistic moments, small moments of shared intimacy during times of high stress (hospital visits, police chases) that really ground this couple and establish that they are each other’s rock. Things as small as Luo Wenzhou finding comfort in holding Fei Du’s hand, or just exchanging a knowing look with him, confirming that the other is safe.
But the scenes inside Luo Wenzhou’s apartment, when they can both finally kick off their shoes and take a breather from the non-stop investigating, are absolutely golden. Luo Wenzhou’s inner thoughts on the home he’s desperate to protect with Fei Du and their beloved master cat are sprinkled throughout these scenes.
It was the aroma of a home, which made a person feel a sense of perfect satisfaction when he smelled it, desiring nothing, as if his whole life could settle into place like this.
And while we’ve been spoiled with Luo Wenzhou’s inner dreams of domesticity with Fei Du (for several volumes now…the man wanted to lock him down ages ago), we’re also rewarded with Fei Du’s displays of affection and commitment as he finally shakes off the cold, distant persona that he uses to keep everyone else at arm’s length and gradually allows Luo Wenzhou into his heart. What started out as harmless flirting, his attempts to scare Luo Wenzhou off from his self-perceived monstrosity, gradually turns into a deep trust and appreciation for Luo Wenzhou’s steadiness, and eventually into a deeper desire to stay by his side.
“When are you planning on making things official with me?”
Fei Du paused. Then, without saying a word, he looked down and searched among the iron wire he’d cut off earlier, cut off a piece of the appropriate length, and very nimbly sued the needle-nosed pliers to twist it into a spiral ring with three circles. He blew off the filings, brought it to his lips and kissed it, then turned and knelt down….
“This size is definitely just right. Will you put it on?”
If you’re looking for a highly complex crime novel with equally balanced and well-paced out romance, look no further. A beautifully complex case with a beautifully complex couple at its core. But whoever decided to cut this volume off where it ended is a sadist.
August 12, 2024
mo du is phenomenal & i will forever bow down to priest’s brilliant mind…but…yeahhhhhhhhhhhh this final book was so painful to get through even though plenty of stuff was happening and idk if i feel like this because i read it at the wrong time or what but i came close to dropping mo do multiple times just in this volume alone
i didn’t drop because i thought maybe this was another guardian/zhen hun case where the last bit of the novel is messy but ultimately the characters win me back in the end so i can overlook the flaws. that uh never really happened, and it’s a big bummer because ZHOUDU??? luo wenzhou??? FEI!!! DU????? they made me feel every emotion out there. i hold them & the side characters close to my heart so why were they not enough to make me interested in what happens during the last 50-ish chapters?
i stand by my claim that priest is brilliant and mo du deserves all the praise it receives but i also stand by my claim that this last volume in particular was a bit of a let down :(
i didn’t drop because i thought maybe this was another guardian/zhen hun case where the last bit of the novel is messy but ultimately the characters win me back in the end so i can overlook the flaws. that uh never really happened, and it’s a big bummer because ZHOUDU??? luo wenzhou??? FEI!!! DU????? they made me feel every emotion out there. i hold them & the side characters close to my heart so why were they not enough to make me interested in what happens during the last 50-ish chapters?
i stand by my claim that priest is brilliant and mo du deserves all the praise it receives but i also stand by my claim that this last volume in particular was a bit of a let down :(
August 29, 2025
why is the rest in the “epilogue” that was vile
September 15, 2023
fan siyuan was mad in love with gu zhao
May 15, 2023
Lang Qiao's phone is the real MVP.
February 26, 2025
I finished Priest's Silent Reading two days ago, and it took me some time to process all the emotions it left behind. It was an incredible book—not just because of the chemistry between the characters, but also because of the depth of the story and the author's thought process. This is my second book by Priest, the first one being Lord Seventh. One common theme between the two is the pursuit of justice.
Anyway, I don’t want to stray too far from the main topic. I have read more than ten danmei novels so far, and I never skip the extra chapters. Honestly, most of the time, I don’t find them particularly relevant to the main story—I just read them for the sake of completion. But Silent Reading was different. There are five extra chapters, and many of them feel essential. After everything that happened in the main story, we needed to see the aftermath for some of the characters.
Among the five, the one I found most relevant was Fei Du’s meeting with Zhang Donglai. They were close friends, but their friendship suffered because of Zhang Donglai’s family. I could feel Zhang Donglai’s emotions—his life was turned upside down, and he was forced to live a life he was completely unprepared for. He had never been a responsible person, but now he had to be, for the sake of his sister. She was all he had left. Even though both he and his sister, Zhang Ting, were innocent, society would never leave them alone. So his anger toward Fei Du was understandable, and even Fei Du himself understood it. Zhang Donglai was not like the others.
Another heartbreaking aspect of Zhang Donglai’s story is that he never truly knew his father, his uncle, or even his best friend. He had been nothing more than a pawn. Fei Du acted with full awareness of the consequences, but as he said, if he had to do it all over again, he would make the same choice (which reminded me of Beiyuan from Lord Seventh). But what’s hard to accept is how Zhang Donglai and Zhang Ting will ever manage to live a normal life after everything.
There are also some parallels between Fan Siyuan and Fei Du. Both sacrificed innocent lives in the name of justice, but the key difference is that Fei Du never took an innocent life, while Fan Siyuan was far more extreme. In that sense, Fan Siyuan’s character is closer to Beiyuan and Zhou Zishu from Lord Seventh than to Fei Du.
I highly recommend this book to everyone. No matter how beautiful the relationship between Fei Du and Luo Wenzhou is, the stories of the other characters will hurt you. It will take time to recover from the emotions this novel evokes.
Anyway, I don’t want to stray too far from the main topic. I have read more than ten danmei novels so far, and I never skip the extra chapters. Honestly, most of the time, I don’t find them particularly relevant to the main story—I just read them for the sake of completion. But Silent Reading was different. There are five extra chapters, and many of them feel essential. After everything that happened in the main story, we needed to see the aftermath for some of the characters.
Among the five, the one I found most relevant was Fei Du’s meeting with Zhang Donglai. They were close friends, but their friendship suffered because of Zhang Donglai’s family. I could feel Zhang Donglai’s emotions—his life was turned upside down, and he was forced to live a life he was completely unprepared for. He had never been a responsible person, but now he had to be, for the sake of his sister. She was all he had left. Even though both he and his sister, Zhang Ting, were innocent, society would never leave them alone. So his anger toward Fei Du was understandable, and even Fei Du himself understood it. Zhang Donglai was not like the others.
Another heartbreaking aspect of Zhang Donglai’s story is that he never truly knew his father, his uncle, or even his best friend. He had been nothing more than a pawn. Fei Du acted with full awareness of the consequences, but as he said, if he had to do it all over again, he would make the same choice (which reminded me of Beiyuan from Lord Seventh). But what’s hard to accept is how Zhang Donglai and Zhang Ting will ever manage to live a normal life after everything.
There are also some parallels between Fan Siyuan and Fei Du. Both sacrificed innocent lives in the name of justice, but the key difference is that Fei Du never took an innocent life, while Fan Siyuan was far more extreme. In that sense, Fan Siyuan’s character is closer to Beiyuan and Zhou Zishu from Lord Seventh than to Fei Du.
I highly recommend this book to everyone. No matter how beautiful the relationship between Fei Du and Luo Wenzhou is, the stories of the other characters will hurt you. It will take time to recover from the emotions this novel evokes.
September 11, 2024
There is something so satisfying about a hard earned slow burn and Priest delivers again and again. In addition to having a great plot and characters, the subtle humor had me laughing out loud throughout the book. And I don't even know where to begin with how much I loved Luo Wenzhou and Fei Du’s relationship ❤️ The cute, sweet, and flirty moments between them are what made the book for me.
LW: super caring (in an almost aggressive way 😂) , protective, fiercely loyal and devoted. The unwavering love and support he has for FD is EVERYTHING.
FD: charismatic with a brilliant mind, sassy but definitely hiding a lot due to a very traumatic past.
This is broken up into five books, each focusing on a different crime with them all being interconnected in some way by the end of the book. Crime/thriller/mystery is not my go-to genre so by the end of the book I was ready for it to end- I feel like that is definitely a me problem though.
While I really enjoyed this novel, Can Ci Pin is still #1 for me for Priest's novels (might change when I finish Sha Po Lang and Guardian). This is a much tighter story but was just a little longer than my attention span could handle.
LW: super caring (in an almost aggressive way 😂) , protective, fiercely loyal and devoted. The unwavering love and support he has for FD is EVERYTHING.
FD: charismatic with a brilliant mind, sassy but definitely hiding a lot due to a very traumatic past.
This is broken up into five books, each focusing on a different crime with them all being interconnected in some way by the end of the book. Crime/thriller/mystery is not my go-to genre so by the end of the book I was ready for it to end- I feel like that is definitely a me problem though.
While I really enjoyed this novel, Can Ci Pin is still #1 for me for Priest's novels (might change when I finish Sha Po Lang and Guardian). This is a much tighter story but was just a little longer than my attention span could handle.
June 2, 2025
It's funny how you randomly start a story, and it becomes the best thing you've ever read. I've been reading since I was a child, but this is the first time I've encountered a book I want to rate more than 5 stars. This means that this, as of now, is my favorite book of all time, surpassing long-time favorites.
I started this story out of frustration. The adaptation, although good, didn't have the best English subtitles. Watching it was a painful exercise that I did not want to subject myself to. Reading this was meant to be a distraction until I found a solution to the subtitle issue. Perhaps I could learn Chinese?
In the week that I read this, my actions can only be described as those of a madwoman. I consumed this story day and night, every chance I got, feverishly flying through the words. For lack of a better word, I'd say I was obsessed.
Only obsession could make me read this many pages and chapters while still hoping that there'd be many more. Unfortunately, every story comes to an end.
My brain is fried from staring at my tablet screen, and it seems my years of "reviewer" language have deserted me, so I'll say this.
In my eyes, this story was perfect. No notes.
The characters, plot, world-building, pacing, and ending were all amazing. I feel the only thing wrong with it was that it ended too fast, which is a wild thing to say after reading 180+ chapters.
I'm in awe of this writer and their work. I'm unsure of what to do with myself now that I've completed this.
Lies, I'm doing a reread 😂
I started this story out of frustration. The adaptation, although good, didn't have the best English subtitles. Watching it was a painful exercise that I did not want to subject myself to. Reading this was meant to be a distraction until I found a solution to the subtitle issue. Perhaps I could learn Chinese?
In the week that I read this, my actions can only be described as those of a madwoman. I consumed this story day and night, every chance I got, feverishly flying through the words. For lack of a better word, I'd say I was obsessed.
Only obsession could make me read this many pages and chapters while still hoping that there'd be many more. Unfortunately, every story comes to an end.
My brain is fried from staring at my tablet screen, and it seems my years of "reviewer" language have deserted me, so I'll say this.
In my eyes, this story was perfect. No notes.
The characters, plot, world-building, pacing, and ending were all amazing. I feel the only thing wrong with it was that it ended too fast, which is a wild thing to say after reading 180+ chapters.
I'm in awe of this writer and their work. I'm unsure of what to do with myself now that I've completed this.
Lies, I'm doing a reread 😂
January 7, 2025
4.75!
I am in awe of Priest’s work. The net Priest has cast, all the characters, their stories, their connections. Everything has been thought of carefully and slowly but surely, everything is being revealed. I’m anxious to find out how everything is going to wrap up.
I am in awe of Priest’s work. The net Priest has cast, all the characters, their stories, their connections. Everything has been thought of carefully and slowly but surely, everything is being revealed. I’m anxious to find out how everything is going to wrap up.
June 14, 2024
All I can say about this series is - wowsers!
June 26, 2025
If I could I would have rated it 6 stars but ok. I LOVE LOVEEEEEEEEED IT.
August 13, 2025
3.5 !!
this part is like where everything gets exposed and I would've rated it higher but unfortunately it kept dragging on and on and it got me into a reading slump 🤧
this part is like where everything gets exposed and I would've rated it higher but unfortunately it kept dragging on and on and it got me into a reading slump 🤧
November 22, 2023
“ Dám giẫm vào đuôi của ta hả cái tên hót cục kia “ Lạc Một Nồi tức giận nói đấy là trường hợp khi nó thành tinh 😂😂
Đầu truyện mà hai anh đã thả hint tứ tung rồi ai chịu cho nổi
Đầu truyện mà hai anh đã thả hint tứ tung rồi ai chịu cho nổi
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2025
GAHHHHHHH FEI DU I LOVE YOU SO BAD ITS UNREAL....
plot got a bit convoluted but it's alright. i still couldn't put vol 5 down at all. i loved it.
plot got a bit convoluted but it's alright. i still couldn't put vol 5 down at all. i loved it.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews