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Lip and Sword #2
Lip and Sword: Vol. 2
Someone leaned down to guide his hand in dropping down a chesspiece.
A feeling of electricity spread through his body the instant their hands touched, and he shivered, his ears warming.
A feeling of electricity spread through his body the instant their hands touched, and he shivered, his ears warming.
404 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 20, 2022
10 people are currently reading
194 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 4, 2025
can i just start with saying how the scene where yu zhongye almost drowns xing ming to death in efforts to gain back some control because he keeps on falling for him, and then actually falls from high ground to save him with everything he could (and succeeds), made these two one of my top three favorite ships of this year? yes? because it is the truth, and i just wanted to share that tidbit with you.
if there's one compliment i can point out among many about this author, it's how far they commit to the bit. they're exploring these characters' darkest traits in favor of revealing how far those instincts will take them, for better and worse, and they're doing such a phenomenal job with it. having xing ming as our main narrator makes it an even more surreal experience because when you mix his cold personality with his grueling ambition that puts him in the spotlight (for much worse), he becomes one of my favorite characters of all time. knowing how easy it is to dislike him makes me even more curious to hear from those readers after this second volume.
such a broken character, with deeply flawed logic and yet has such innovative ideas that make his frank & harsh nature in front of the camera stand more out than anything else. i said in my review for the first volume how much i looked forward to seeing xing ming's career develop, and lo & behold, one of the best debates i've ever read came as a result of xing ming's almost downright destructive idea to explore the story of a drug that has ties to fighting liver cancer, with an in-depth episode discussing the roots of the legality of it and how well the drug administration caters to the lives of the people when said drug is blocked off before it could really be born. this is a chapter that makes the industry xing ming work for shine, because it reveals a lot of the push and pulls that come with navigating these type of controversial ideas without getting tossed in the can.
because xing ming is the character he is, there's so many moments where he pushes boundaries so far, you're left spinning because the story is still unravelling afterwards. and even after, xing ming still has that one foot ahead in belief he's capable of doing more. seeing those odds stacked against him through the presence of other characters like luo you, and how self-aware he is in his own potential destruction through pure ambition, xing ming becomes such an enigma. i find that destructive nature mixing with a business like journalism feel like the perfect storm because it's all about having the right image to compel your audiences, and for journalists everywhere, it's absolutely crucial you keep your audiences' attention. having this story explore the pits & falls of viewer ratings and having to skip & dance around the slightest triggers that'll ruin the whole story from top to bottom--it was such an informative take that's also lined up with a calculative host who finds his own tricks along the way. those tricks land him into interesting trouble when you read about the other story he's chasing that ties to the connection he's made with his father, who experienced his own downfall in the media industry and even ends up dying.
there's some other downfalls with characters like lin siquan, and having that subplot be included in what was already such a huge narrative made it feel even more immersive. truly, there's a large ensemble cast that works behind the cameras and fights dirty to provide the best journalistic integrity that working in media can provide, and it's compelling as hell. i loved seeing how that integrity was worked out to help elevate positions and grant more power, and how xing ming wraps himself up in it as well, but also chokes on it after a certain point. seeing him continue to resist those who try to hold him back makes for a character journey that's like life & death--and speaking from the fact that this is set in modern-day, contemporary China, that might sound melodramatic, but this series is dark enough as it is; let's not try and dispel the toxic air as if it's not already there.
having that journey be accompanied by yu zhongye of all characters is everything i could've wanted and more when i got to see how much deeper their dynamic grew. i got to learn a bit more about how yu zhongye is fitting his own agenda to help push the media industry even more in a day & age where the Internet has already consumed most news sources whole. there's a test that lies between xing ming & yu zhongye, and i'm sure if not handled right, it could've easily fell into divisive territory, but their intimacy....it feels so unlike what i usually read, and yet something more. again, that drowning scene--out of context, i sound out of my mind for bringing it up as the reason why this ship has climbed its ranking in my heart. but within the story itself, the way it builds up feels so well-deserved and it was just a line that was crossed that made their chemistry burn even more, and yet soften as well.
i could talk about them for hours, but really.....all i wanted from this second volume was to see how their relationship develops, how xing ming's career builds and almost crashes, and also see more of certain characters, and i got all of it!! it was perfect to me. the introduction of yu zhongye's son, yu shao'ai, was an entrance i had been looking forward to so much and it delivered to hell and back. i can't wait to see how the author concludes this all, honestly, it's become one of my favorites for sure.
if there's one compliment i can point out among many about this author, it's how far they commit to the bit. they're exploring these characters' darkest traits in favor of revealing how far those instincts will take them, for better and worse, and they're doing such a phenomenal job with it. having xing ming as our main narrator makes it an even more surreal experience because when you mix his cold personality with his grueling ambition that puts him in the spotlight (for much worse), he becomes one of my favorite characters of all time. knowing how easy it is to dislike him makes me even more curious to hear from those readers after this second volume.
such a broken character, with deeply flawed logic and yet has such innovative ideas that make his frank & harsh nature in front of the camera stand more out than anything else. i said in my review for the first volume how much i looked forward to seeing xing ming's career develop, and lo & behold, one of the best debates i've ever read came as a result of xing ming's almost downright destructive idea to explore the story of a drug that has ties to fighting liver cancer, with an in-depth episode discussing the roots of the legality of it and how well the drug administration caters to the lives of the people when said drug is blocked off before it could really be born. this is a chapter that makes the industry xing ming work for shine, because it reveals a lot of the push and pulls that come with navigating these type of controversial ideas without getting tossed in the can.
because xing ming is the character he is, there's so many moments where he pushes boundaries so far, you're left spinning because the story is still unravelling afterwards. and even after, xing ming still has that one foot ahead in belief he's capable of doing more. seeing those odds stacked against him through the presence of other characters like luo you, and how self-aware he is in his own potential destruction through pure ambition, xing ming becomes such an enigma. i find that destructive nature mixing with a business like journalism feel like the perfect storm because it's all about having the right image to compel your audiences, and for journalists everywhere, it's absolutely crucial you keep your audiences' attention. having this story explore the pits & falls of viewer ratings and having to skip & dance around the slightest triggers that'll ruin the whole story from top to bottom--it was such an informative take that's also lined up with a calculative host who finds his own tricks along the way. those tricks land him into interesting trouble when you read about the other story he's chasing that ties to the connection he's made with his father, who experienced his own downfall in the media industry and even ends up dying.
there's some other downfalls with characters like lin siquan, and having that subplot be included in what was already such a huge narrative made it feel even more immersive. truly, there's a large ensemble cast that works behind the cameras and fights dirty to provide the best journalistic integrity that working in media can provide, and it's compelling as hell. i loved seeing how that integrity was worked out to help elevate positions and grant more power, and how xing ming wraps himself up in it as well, but also chokes on it after a certain point. seeing him continue to resist those who try to hold him back makes for a character journey that's like life & death--and speaking from the fact that this is set in modern-day, contemporary China, that might sound melodramatic, but this series is dark enough as it is; let's not try and dispel the toxic air as if it's not already there.
having that journey be accompanied by yu zhongye of all characters is everything i could've wanted and more when i got to see how much deeper their dynamic grew. i got to learn a bit more about how yu zhongye is fitting his own agenda to help push the media industry even more in a day & age where the Internet has already consumed most news sources whole. there's a test that lies between xing ming & yu zhongye, and i'm sure if not handled right, it could've easily fell into divisive territory, but their intimacy....it feels so unlike what i usually read, and yet something more. again, that drowning scene--out of context, i sound out of my mind for bringing it up as the reason why this ship has climbed its ranking in my heart. but within the story itself, the way it builds up feels so well-deserved and it was just a line that was crossed that made their chemistry burn even more, and yet soften as well.
i could talk about them for hours, but really.....all i wanted from this second volume was to see how their relationship develops, how xing ming's career builds and almost crashes, and also see more of certain characters, and i got all of it!! it was perfect to me. the introduction of yu zhongye's son, yu shao'ai, was an entrance i had been looking forward to so much and it delivered to hell and back. i can't wait to see how the author concludes this all, honestly, it's become one of my favorites for sure.
January 29, 2023
Reading volume 2 fed my brain so much information, it was about to overload. At the same time, it has so much angst, my heart could barely bear it. Lip and Sword is definitely mentally and emotionally heavy to read. Though the information and details added may seem too much, but I viewed it as the author’s own voice regarding the issues. Until now we still encounter these problems in the real world. But there is also a possibility that I’m just beautifying it in my mind. The author may not have this intention.
A lot have dropped this novel by volume 2 and I could understand why. It was not easy to understand the ML’s actions. But for some reason, I could, even though I felt for the MC as well. You need to get into ML and MC pov simultaneously while reading to fully understand. It may be hard to do but it is necessary to do so. There are subtle details that shouldn’t be missed and it won’t be explained afterwards, so it is up to the readers to understand why. I don’t suggest skimming the texts while reading regardless of how much information there are as clues are hidden here and there in the context.
Another reason why I lot dropped this is probably because of the racist remark of “Filipino maid”. There wasn’t a need to add it in the context and I found it quite unnecessary. There are repetitive adjectives as well, as if wanting to engrave it to the readers’ mind. Those two points did put me off but I was too engrossed in reading for it to affect my state of mind.
Similar to volume 1, there are trigger warnings for this volume. There are mentions of rape, pedophilia, violence, self-harm, sexual coercion, suicide, and homophobia. Read at your discretion. If you don’t feel comfortable with such topics, I suggest you give this a pass.
Everything is a lot clearer to me now after reading volume 2. Hope the rest of my questions would be answered by volume 3.
A lot have dropped this novel by volume 2 and I could understand why. It was not easy to understand the ML’s actions. But for some reason, I could, even though I felt for the MC as well. You need to get into ML and MC pov simultaneously while reading to fully understand. It may be hard to do but it is necessary to do so. There are subtle details that shouldn’t be missed and it won’t be explained afterwards, so it is up to the readers to understand why. I don’t suggest skimming the texts while reading regardless of how much information there are as clues are hidden here and there in the context.
Another reason why I lot dropped this is probably because of the racist remark of “Filipino maid”. There wasn’t a need to add it in the context and I found it quite unnecessary. There are repetitive adjectives as well, as if wanting to engrave it to the readers’ mind. Those two points did put me off but I was too engrossed in reading for it to affect my state of mind.
Similar to volume 1, there are trigger warnings for this volume. There are mentions of rape, pedophilia, violence, self-harm, sexual coercion, suicide, and homophobia. Read at your discretion. If you don’t feel comfortable with such topics, I suggest you give this a pass.
Everything is a lot clearer to me now after reading volume 2. Hope the rest of my questions would be answered by volume 3.
November 3, 2025
“Clearly, not all evidence leads to the truth, and not all kids are angels.”
Lip and Sword: Vol. 2 picks up where the first volume left off, continuing to follow Xing Ming on his quest for justice regarding his father's wrongful death. As he delves deeper into the news industry, Xing Ming’s dedication and commitment to journalism shine through, earning him the nickname "Ice Prince." His journey is fraught with challenges as he navigates the cutthroat world of news reporting.
In this volume, the tension between Xing Ming and Yu Zhongye intensifies. While Xing Ming grapples with his feelings about Yu's perceived selfishness and indifference, he must also rely on Yu’s guidance to grow as a journalist. Their complicated dynamic adds depth to the story, making it hard to fully root for either character at times. It’s fascinating to see how their relationship evolves, especially as Xing Ming begins to recognize the value of Yu’s mentorship, despite their rocky history.
The pacing in this volume feels more balanced compared to the first, allowing for a deeper exploration of Xing Ming’s character and his professional growth. The plot thickens as more details about his father's wrongful conviction come to light, adding layers of intrigue to the narrative. I appreciate how the story maintains a focus on integrity in journalism, highlighting the moral dilemmas that come with seeking the truth.
Lip and Sword: Vol. 2 picks up where the first volume left off, continuing to follow Xing Ming on his quest for justice regarding his father's wrongful death. As he delves deeper into the news industry, Xing Ming’s dedication and commitment to journalism shine through, earning him the nickname "Ice Prince." His journey is fraught with challenges as he navigates the cutthroat world of news reporting.
In this volume, the tension between Xing Ming and Yu Zhongye intensifies. While Xing Ming grapples with his feelings about Yu's perceived selfishness and indifference, he must also rely on Yu’s guidance to grow as a journalist. Their complicated dynamic adds depth to the story, making it hard to fully root for either character at times. It’s fascinating to see how their relationship evolves, especially as Xing Ming begins to recognize the value of Yu’s mentorship, despite their rocky history.
The pacing in this volume feels more balanced compared to the first, allowing for a deeper exploration of Xing Ming’s character and his professional growth. The plot thickens as more details about his father's wrongful conviction come to light, adding layers of intrigue to the narrative. I appreciate how the story maintains a focus on integrity in journalism, highlighting the moral dilemmas that come with seeking the truth.
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November 6, 2023I'm very invested in this story but seriously need one of the characters to start communicating more clearly! Again, check the trigger warnings for this series before diving in. There have been several WTF moments for me that I still wish didn't happen. This story has (spoiler.............................……………………….....) a happy ending which is the main reason I am continuing with it. I do love the MC but I've also seen several reviews stating they didn't like him and it was hard to read the story. There is A LOT of angst as well.
October 22, 2024
Both parties confused to each other. I don't believe it for a second. Unless, maybe this is what it looks for two porcupines to mate. This relationship is still all about power. I can understand Xing Ming falling for Yu Zhongye, but not the other way around.
I also feel like the news stories being investigated this volume are a little twisty and head scratching. There are also more work politics. Yu Zhongye's son comes home and we see a little bit about that relationship.
The story is at a cliff-hanger. My favorite scene was when Xing Ming is pushed in the lake and nearly drown after demanding Yu Zhongye tell him if he likes him or not. HAHA. Great scene.
Ol' Lin keeps talking like Xing Ming is his son or something. That part confuses me. Is this like uncle and aunt where any person can be called that out of respect??? I'm not sure what's going on.
Xing Ming is investigating something that no one wants him to know about. I suppose all this will be resolved in the last volume.
I felt this volume was less interesting and gripping than the first one. OF course, this is setting up the final volume, so I hope it's a great finish. I like these characters for who they are. Not my favorite story, but it's a great modern story.
I also feel like the news stories being investigated this volume are a little twisty and head scratching. There are also more work politics. Yu Zhongye's son comes home and we see a little bit about that relationship.
The story is at a cliff-hanger. My favorite scene was when Xing Ming is pushed in the lake and nearly drown after demanding Yu Zhongye tell him if he likes him or not. HAHA. Great scene.
Ol' Lin keeps talking like Xing Ming is his son or something. That part confuses me. Is this like uncle and aunt where any person can be called that out of respect??? I'm not sure what's going on.
Xing Ming is investigating something that no one wants him to know about. I suppose all this will be resolved in the last volume.
I felt this volume was less interesting and gripping than the first one. OF course, this is setting up the final volume, so I hope it's a great finish. I like these characters for who they are. Not my favorite story, but it's a great modern story.
October 24, 2023
2.5 stars
Okay, at least both of the main characters have realized that they love each other and admitted it out loud. ML's feelings are pretty subtle but you can see the undertones throughout their interactions so his admission of love isn't that far fetched in my opinion. It's easy to see that Xing Ming is different although ML is still a horrible guy considering he keeps giving Xing Ming the wrong impression all the damn time. Also, it was not cool of him to almost kill Xing Ming before he would admit that he was in love, the crazy bastard. Lou You is really annoying to be honest, he's basically a jealous pest who relies on his grandfather so what right does he have to talk? The actual journalism/news portions are a bit... lengthy in details but the topics are interesting and its cool that they weaved in a sexual assault story to parallel Xing Ming's dad's story.
Okay, at least both of the main characters have realized that they love each other and admitted it out loud. ML's feelings are pretty subtle but you can see the undertones throughout their interactions so his admission of love isn't that far fetched in my opinion. It's easy to see that Xing Ming is different although ML is still a horrible guy considering he keeps giving Xing Ming the wrong impression all the damn time. Also, it was not cool of him to almost kill Xing Ming before he would admit that he was in love, the crazy bastard. Lou You is really annoying to be honest, he's basically a jealous pest who relies on his grandfather so what right does he have to talk? The actual journalism/news portions are a bit... lengthy in details but the topics are interesting and its cool that they weaved in a sexual assault story to parallel Xing Ming's dad's story.
July 21, 2025
yu zhongye is giving yan wushi vibes without the yan wushi aura
dont know how vol 3 is going to change my opinion of him cause hes #1 a-hole right now
this vol continues to develop xing ming and yu zhongyes relationship. theres little to no progress in terms of the mystery of xing mings father. the news segment parts are a bit too lenghty. but im interested in how the story ends.
dont know how vol 3 is going to change my opinion of him cause hes #1 a-hole right now
this vol continues to develop xing ming and yu zhongyes relationship. theres little to no progress in terms of the mystery of xing mings father. the news segment parts are a bit too lenghty. but im interested in how the story ends.
December 29, 2025
I was surprised that I enjoyed vol 2 quite a bit because I didn’t really like vol 1 and was close to dropping it. Xing Ming character arc had more attention, and it was satisfying to see his reflection and growth. I loved the live broadcast about medicare reform and the social welfare system, and from that project on, the research and effort Xing Ming put into each broadcast was really exciting. I felt like the plot picked up a bit too, and I’m invested in the corruption being exposed on different levels. I disliked Yu Zhongye in vol 1, and in vol 2, he’s just tolerable to me.. I still don’t really like him as a character and Xing Ming’s romantic interest (T-T) This vol had much less spice than vol 1, but the spice was just as well written ^~^
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June 29, 2024Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews