I need to process what just happened. Su Jiuyue gets cornered by Li Guilan, who's basically holding her reputation hostage using filial piety as a weapon — if she refuses, she's an unfilial daughter and loses her job; if she complies, she gets exploited and possibly robbed of her mother's relics. The stakes are literally her career, her reputation, and her inheritance all at once. And what does she do? She smiles, plays along, and then systematically tortures Li Guilan using a TCM acupoint technique while making it LOOK like she's giving a gentle massage. The public sees a devoted stepdaughter caring for her sick relative. Li Guilan experiences what the text describes as "countless ants gnawing through every inch of the body" and "dull blades carving away her flesh." And the absolute genius part? Su Jiuyue then whispers to her: "If you offend me, when I decide you'll die at the third watch of the night, even the King of Hell wouldn't dare let you live until the fifth." The pain will stay with her until her last breath. Then she walks out of that hospital and Huo Zhixing is waiting for her like nothing happened. The tension in this scene was INSANE — every second Li Guilan was screaming while Su Jiuyue maintained her sweet little deer expression, I was holding my breath. And then the doctors arrive and Li Guilan, already traumatized, accidentally confesses to faking her illness and they just... don't believe her because she's in "delirium." The stakes escalated from reputation destruction to actual life-or-death manipulation and I was completely hooked.
Okay so this dream sequence had me absolutely shook. Qing Yanshen falls into that darkness again—the same falling motif from earlier chapters—and this time it's not just a nightmare, it's a MEMORY. The author is playing with this really clever structure where his lost memories are bleeding through in fragments. And what's the first one he recovers? A moment with Jiang Qingmi from their youth, where she's already showing that fierce, protective energy. She's basically telling him to come with her to Beicheng, and he grabs her clothes the exact same way he's grabbing at her now in the present. That parallel hit me like a truck. Then the plot twist within the twist: Jiang Qingmi ALSO lost her memory. She's not some gold-digger taking advantage of his condition—she's just as confused and adrift. This completely reframes their entire dynamic. And then cutting to the Qing family estate with Qing Minghong and Qing Chen... the father mentions he never released Yanshen's photos to protect him, but Qing Chen is already acting suspicious. Two months missing, surgery coming up, and this half-brother who suddenly started working seriously at the company? The plot threads are tightening like a noose. I love how the underground market scene with Li Lanyan feels almost mundane compared to the high-stakes family drama, but it's actually setting up something bigger—Qingmi making connections, trying to survive, while the real danger is closing in from the other direction.
Okay so I need to talk about Lu Zhanye because THIS MAN. The gloves scene absolutely destroyed me. Think about it—he can't sew for shit, his stitches are crooked and lumpy, but he made her a pair of thick grey cotton gloves anyway because he doesn't want her touching other people's skin while treating patients. That is the most jealous, tender, pathetic thing I have ever read and I loved every second of it. And Su Qing's reaction? She laughed until her shoulders shook, pressed them to her cheek, and thought "I'll take this jealous, stubborn fool." That's not just acceptance—that's devotion wrapped in cotton and bad stitching. But then the scene inside his quarters—oh my god. He just washed his face, water droplets on his jaw, hair still damp, and the FIRST thing he does when he sees her is button his jacket all the way up like he's ashamed of being close to her. Meanwhile Su Qing literally catches herself staring at his collarbone for 0.3 seconds. The tension is unreal. And then the walk home. "Your business is my business." Under moonlight. With that silver centipede scar on his face. I'm not okay. The way they walk—arm brushing close but never leaning in, distance just right—that's the most romantic thing I've ever read and they don't even say it out loud.
Okay so let me just... PEI JI SHOWING UP AT HER DOOR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT LIKE THAT. I literally gasped. He's been through this whole day—confronting his mother, dealing with his drunk disgusting brother, getting lectured by the father-in-law figure—and he just rides through a downpour straight to her room. No proper chaperone, no daylight, just him soaked to the bone standing in front of her like some kind of desperate romantic hero from a drama I can't stop rewatching. And Luo Fu's reaction? She's not some naive girl who swoons. She immediately thinks about reputation, about danger, about the fact that he's a skilled military officer and she's alone in her room. Smart. Scared. But still—she doesn't scream. She doesn't faint. She stands there in her teal gauze robe and tells him to behave himself when he reaches for her. The way he flings the letter aside and tries to pull her into his arms... that's not just passion, that's a man who has spent all day being told no by every adult in his life and he's trying to grab onto something real. And she steps back. God, the tension there is unreal. But here's what gets me—the letter. She says she didn't write it. He believes her instantly. That's trust. That's four months of correspondence and gifts and quiet understanding, and when she denies it, he doesn't even hesitate. Meanwhile she's been letting everyone assume she's some scheming vixen who wrote a love letter to manipulate him, and she won't even defend herself properly because she thinks it doesn't matter anymore. "There is no longer any connection between us." She says that like it's nothing. Like she's just handing back a package. But her voice was shaking. I could hear it. "Can you make your mother—" and then it cuts off. I need the next chapter NOW.
this is an amazing quality book, very detailed yet easy to read, the characters are amazing as well and I love the Chinese aspects of it!
Hey!Good day to you! If you wanted to see whether you can get paid by distributing the current work or getting financial support by writing new work, you might want to email mollyringdom*@*gmail.com (delete *）We are mainly looking for adventurous novels (Fantasy, Sci-fi, Paranormal Urban, Action, Thriller/Suspense, Game Fiction). Looking forward to your email.
alright here in another system using novel
It hasn't gone far but it seems like a solid start. Im just gonna steal the first review thank you ☺️
I am surprised to see such a concept don't just right. The world building is great and I felt the novel has a lot of potential in the future. I won't spoil the fun for you guys but yeah just read the novel you'll know
A genuinely Good novel, so far so good, This last chapter got me really invested, The Characters feel connected yet distant, and i want more care in writing given To the Character.
already looks fun am so looking forward to it
I don't know about how long will he searlize but the development of the story so far and all Characters who appeared so far are good. loved it, and hope author continue to release chapters regularly.