Effie_Joon

It really was very painful! I read it till the end because it was so intriguing that I couldn’t stop. I wanted to see what would happen next and where the story goes. But if you ask me, I still can’t say whether I liked it or not, and that’s why I’m enjoying the series much more now, cause it's a bit toned down. It certainly left a lasting impression on me, though!

Haha, yes you should watch the special, it's a nice closure to the story 🥰

You’re right, but I think he mostly did it to get away from Lu Feng. I don’t think he would’ve done it if his mother hadn’t died and his brother hadn’t been paralyzed. Maybe I’m talking nonsense though, it’s been a long time since I read the novel, but that’s the impression I got.

Haha, thanks for being so considerate of my incredibly fragile emotional state 😋

I totally get you, that’s why I got into it too, just to read some fanfics. I’ll probably end up going back since, like I said, the ones I read weren’t really that good. Right now I’m reading the novel for the third time.
(At this point it’s an actual obsession, seriously 😅)

A small correction: he isn’t getting married because his mother is forcing him to. Yi Chen’s mother had already passed away by the time he decided to leave Lu Feng and start a new chapter in his life. He gets married on his own accord.

It’s not silly at all, there’s probably something going on with the tags, but I’m honestly not the right person to help with that 😅 I’m pretty clueless about these things too and I get confused all the time.
Here are some links though, hopefully they’ll help you find more stories.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/82909281
https://archiveofourown.org/works/84274681
https://archiveofourown.org/works/84000181
https://archiveofourown.org/works/84254921
https://archiveofourown.org/works/84491071/chapters/222895676

I’m not changing mine either, not a chance!
It took me way too much time and unnecessary emotional suffering to replace my boys, I’m not putting myself through that again.

Also my romance with Yanzhao has literally just started blooming, I need to enjoy this delicate little emotional situation in peace 😌
You’re going to have to deal with us being avatar twins for a while 😂

I’ve seen pretty much every CBL out there, (meaning basically all the uncensored ones starting from Meet You at the Blossom onwards), and I’m also watching the ones that are currently airing , and honestly, I totally agree with you. I really enjoyed RL overall too, but I never fully got the insane hype around it either. I liked ABO more as well, but the pacing in the last few episodes really threw me off. The finale especially felt way too rushed and it honestly ruined a big part of the experience for me.

Sammy's CD is absolutely a masterpiece, not just as a BL, but genuinely one of the best shows I’ve watched in recent years. The only CBL I love just a little more than Sammy’s is To My Shore. That one is honestly in a league of its own for me. If you’re into dark romance and morally gray characters, I seriously can’t recommend it enough.

Maybe. I just checked again, and there are even more than last time, most of them in English.

I have, but same. I'm willing to wait as long as it takes 💛

I know, I’ve seen that video. Honestly, I think I’ve watched every video of them that’s out there 😅
There are so many hints, but realistically, we can’t be sure without official confirmation. Still, I really think it’s too early right now. Like I said in another comment above, I think they want to see how well the ship sells first, and that’s not something they can figure out in just two or three weeks. It’ll definitely take months...

I just found out about it yesterday too! I really hope that I can get the physical edition when it's released. Someone above in this post shared the link so we can keep track of the progress 💛

There are a few fanfics on A03, but the ones I've read are just meh...

It seems like I can't send you a DM, so I'm gonna write it here.

I’m really happy you actually started it, because from your comments I’m pretty sure you’re going to appreciate it a lot. And you even picked the best timing, now that the special episode is out, so you’ll be watching it in its complete form. Oh, and one tip, although I’m sure you’ve already thought of it yourself, DO NOT go on the series page here before you finish it! I hope you haven’t checked it at all, because people are literally writing nonsense there…

Your reaction so far is very valid, and honestly it is exactly the kind of response this story tends to provoke early on. It is written with a very deliberate contrast. On one side you have sharp dialogue, intelligent pacing, and characters who are clearly aware of what they are doing on a strategic level. The story intentionally places you inside a morally uncomfortable space with the ML’s character, especially in the early episodes.

The drugging and the non consensual situation are not framed as romantic or harmless in a clean way. The series uses those moments to establish power imbalance and psychological control, and it wants you to feel unsettled by it rather than brush past it. That said, it does not remove the impact of those scenes, and if you are someone who prefers healthy dynamics, it is completely normal to feel put off or cautious about continuing. But hear me out, it is not going to stay like that forever.

What I can say without spoiling anything is that the show does not stay in the same emotional place it starts in. The characters are not static, especially Fan Xiao, and a lot of what you are seeing is part of setting up a trajectory rather than presenting a finished dynamic. The cigarette symbolism and the gradual mirroring between the two leads are very intentional and become more meaningful as the story progresses.

Still, your discomfort is not something the show expects you to ignore. It is part of the viewing experience for many people, myself included, and some do decide it is not for them because of exactly what you mentioned. But I genuinely believe you will appreciate the emotional rollercoaster this series offers, and the emotional depth you get by the end of it. And not only that, the series has some similarities with Sammy’s CD. Not in terms of story or characters of course, but I imagine you’ve already noticed how well directed it is for a low budget BL. Here as well as in Sammy’s, the direction is sleek, the pacing is tight, and the visuals feel cinematic. The chemistry also works without feeling forced, and with every scene you get more and more drawn into their twisted connection. The OSTs are also superb here. As different as these two series are in concept, they feel quite similar to me in all of these aspects.

One more fun fact I’m sure you’ll find interesting is that this is the first role of Yun Qi, the actor who plays Fan Xiao. He is not even an actor actually, he is a model. And he is only 23 years old. I am not saying his performance in the series is perfect, but I was genuinely shocked that a rookie could portray such a character so well. And of course I am proud of my boy (one of many 😅), so I had to hype him up!

I’m really looking forward to your reaction to the next episodes! Like I’ve already told you, the series is very dark and intriguing. You’re going to go through a lot of pain, anger, frustration, and sadness, but there will be catharsis too. It’s more of an experience than just a series. I think you’ll see for yourself that it’s not really comparable to other shows.

I’m one of those people who didn’t like Zhen Zhen 😅
But yeah, in the end I kind of felt sorry for him, he was under the spell of that little devil. Who can blame him? I definitely can’t, I would gladly let Fan Xiao ruin me 🤭

OMG I’ll DM you in a bit, I just woke up and need to make coffee! And what just happened here? I finally changed my profile picture and put my current crush in his most beautiful scene, with that emotional, lustful look on his face, all covered in blood, and then I see you changed yours too and now we basically have the same avatar but yours is upgraded into a gif? That’s not fair, I’m jealous…

Right here with you sis, I was drooling from the first trailer 🤤

I didn't like it either. Actually, it really reminded me of Wei Wei's annoying crying in Revenged Love 😅

For me both of them were two of the most unlikable characters I ever read. But still, I loved the story and all the mess. That's why I like the series better, they slightly toned done the characters and I can feel more for them.

It didn't even cross my mind to wait. I just can't 😅