The Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir

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“I can’t accept this! I can’t! Even as a ghost, I’m going to spend eternity cursing that your relationship will shatter like glass! Break apart like a pair of mandarin ducks that fly away from each other!” With such a persisting obsession, it would be difficult for the vengeful departed spirit to move on.
 
Ji Man had only read a light novel to pass the time, but she was unexpectedly pulled into a very strange dream. She had become the novel’s most vicious villainess.
 
The novel rewinds to the beginning. The villainess who had been ordered to commit su*cide reappears on stage and begins to follow the plot as she walks toward the novel’s ending once again, to a courtyard deep inside the marquis’ residence. A female lead that’s like the Holy Mother. Countless cannon fodders. The imperial family’s favor…

Associated Names
One entry per line
DSB
Romance of a Twin Flower (drama)
春闺梦里人
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Rebirth of an Abandoned Woman (7)
Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine (6)
To Be A Virtuous Wife (6)
His Transmigrated Cannon Fodder Fiancé (6)
Doomed to be Cannon Fodder (5)
Eight Treasures Trousseau (4)
Recommendation Lists
  1. My absolute faves
  2. books i enjoyed
  3. (GXB) Villain, cannon fodder or similar situations
  4. Historical/ Fantasy BG
  5. Ancient China Novels

Latest Release

Date Group Release
11/01/19 Fuyu Neko c510 (end)
11/01/19 Fuyu Neko c509
11/01/19 Fuyu Neko c508
11/01/19 Fuyu Neko c507
11/01/19 Fuyu Neko c506
11/01/19 Fuyu Neko c505
10/31/19 Fuyu Neko c504
10/31/19 Fuyu Neko c503
10/30/19 Fuyu Neko c502
10/30/19 Fuyu Neko c501
10/29/19 Fuyu Neko c500
10/29/19 Fuyu Neko c499
10/24/19 Fuyu Neko c498
10/24/19 Fuyu Neko c497
10/24/19 Fuyu Neko c496
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268 Reviews sorted by


marchmallow
marchmallow rated it
April 8, 2020
Status: Completed
I have to say, this is probably one of my favorites. I binge-read all of it in around 2 days with barely any sleep.
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Indelible Faith
Indelible Faith rated it
March 26, 2020
Status: Completed
Let me begin by saying, this is one LONG book. But definitely doesn't disappoint.

For having such a wide variety of characters, the author really does a good job of keeping track of them, and also manages to flesh out their backgrounds and personalities well!

Our MC, Ji Man, is smart, sneaky, independent and totally on a one track mind about going back to the modern world after her transmigration. And honestly, I felt the same. You begin with absolutely detesting the ML (male lead) - who's just as sneaky & clever... more>> as our MC.

Ning Yuxuan is the typical narrow-eyed courtier every Emperor should keep an eye on. His harem politics is in a disarray, he feels as if he knows everything, is manipulative and has a slightly skewed moral compass.

Ji Man, or Nie Sangyu (NSY) whom she transmigrated into, fortunately is the perfect opponent for him. She's sneaky right back, manipulates him according to her convenience and hates him for leaving his first wife (NSY) to marry another woman, so she has no scruples creating problems for him.

However, that's the selling point. I loved how they were both flawed characters, definitely had to undergo lots of personal trials that led to them slowly changing themselves enough to suit each other.

For a story that revolves around romance, Ji Man certainly doesnt feel one lick of it, not until she realises that it has a chance of being reciprocated. That was satisfying, truly. In the cutthroat environment of ancient China, she adapts to it with such alacrity that she ends up being the main influencer of the story.

Ji Man and Ning Yuxuan are equals. More importantly, they start recognising each other as equals, giving each other due respect, and then slowly trust and affection. It takes time, it takes effort (LOTS of it), and takes some major political upheavals and revenge plots before they start depending on each other instead of planning around the other and using the other in their plots.

But it works. Goddamn their story is a GOOD one. And so highly addicting. If you dont end up loving the mess Ji Man is, I'll be surprised.

Spoiler

The best part? Or at least, my most favourite part - is having the ML fall in love with Ji Man, and not the character she transmigrated into!
(I mean, not caring that he's being called a gay man because he wants to spend time with his cross-dressing wife was truly the tipping point xD)

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Arie Sun
Arie Sun rated it
January 22, 2020
Status: Completed
It's the same base as typical reincarnation story where they reincarnate as a villain. If you read enough, you can guess the base. I don't even care about the romance. I remember fairly well what she said about typical traits of FMC in novels. I don't blame her since she's the FMC in this.

I keep on reading since I wonder whether she's going to go against my expectations with what she said in early chapters. Disappointed but not surprised. It's fairly average and cliché. Nothing spectacular. I recommend reading if... more>> you have nothing to do and don't expect much. Just remember to take it with a grain of salt anything the characters did or said previously. <<less
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Varsha0907
Varsha0907
January 18, 2020
Status: --
First things first this novel truly can belong in the same category with THE MALICIOUS EMPRESS OF MILITARY LINEAGE and TRANSMIGRATOR MEETS REINCARNATOR.....i mean seriously this novel was one of a kind❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Ppl who love complicated plot......... deep politically intriguing stories with humanistic characters (who have flaws no Mary Sue perfect MC/ML) u r going to LOOOOOOVE❤❤❤❤❤❤ this...... the characters so dimension u can literally feel complicated human emotions and relationships

Those ppl who r here for fluffy romance plz go away... don't waste ur time......

Both MC & ML were flawed characters...... more>> many times u will feel that MC is not perfect and ML truly was a jerk in the beginning of the story however later gradually changed...

The plot is very very deep.... this was truly one of the very best story❤❤❤❤ <<less
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sayanee21
sayanee21
January 16, 2020
Status: --
I finished this despite dropping it a year ago. Overall, I’m glad that I did give it another try and read it with an open mind.

This novel is literally a complete opposite of stories like Chongfei Manual. There is very little fluffs.

The author does not hold back on showing the characters WORST traits along with their good traits. There were chapters where I HATED the FL or the ML. And there were chapters where I felt sorry for them or frustrated because of them.

Don’t read this if you’re looking for... more>> a cute romance story. The themes are dark; the FL is good in some chapters and she is the evil character in other chapters. The MF is a flawed man. In fact, I would be surprised if any readers like him.

The author clearly did not want FL or ML to be likable. She wanted them to be human—the species that would do whatever it takes to survive.
If you’re looking for a more cynical and dark take on historical China romance story, this is it. <<less
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Lynkaster
Lynkaster rated it
January 5, 2020
Status: Completed
it's a tragedy... beside one or 2 couples, this story is a complete tragedy...

sorry, let's start again this review...

story : 4.5/5

characters : 4/5

writing-style : 4/5

translation : 4.5/5

(fluff ? not far from 0/5)

The story is the usual MC woman who ends up in a novel she was reading in a soon to be dead girl since she's one of the cannon fodder.

... more>>
Spoiler

though, seriously... a dream... I didn't expect to see that annoying trope comes back... not badly written but still leaves a bad after-taste..

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The Female lead/MC is a pretty good character. She's probably what kept me reading till the end. Her and my sadistic syndrome (I'll talk about it a bit later). The Male lead is... horrible. No, seriously, from start till around last 10 chapters, he's a pretty face, chauvinist to the core, perv, do any woman who jumped into his bed and loves playing with all his women's hearts. At some point, even the MC was wondering why she wouldn't just start a new life elsewhere since she's gotten rich enough, with beauty and youth, she wouldn't have any problem finding a good husband and live a happy life.
Spoiler

yeah, it's not totally without reason, her clan was a pretty big weight

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For all other characters ? well... hum... pretty sure I can count the good ones still alive at the end.
Spoiler

the author probably had a hat with 99 cards "dead" and 1 card "stay alive" for his characters' fates x') the story is full of schemes, blackmail, mu*ders... and even good characters die like it's raining blood.

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One of the bad point of this story is the before/after of the villains. Each time there's a villain who appears to be a perfect schemer and/or actor and have been in control for a long time for their plot, the villain just need to fail one or two plans or maybe finally got his goal before having his/her IQ fell from 100 to 1... It almost seems like the author just thought "meh, time to take back his/her villain halo".

The pace of the story is pretty fast. The events just keep appearing one after another without pause. The MC is fate to have a turbulent ride and the readers too.

I've talked about many bad points but there's good points too obviously. The writing style for example is good, there's foreshadowing, good transitions, and the end chapter makes you wanna read one more... and one more... and one more.. (yeah, 've been binge reading this one for almost a week..). The chapters are really long and the translation is smooth with few typos (a letter too much sometimes x))

tldr : if you're looking for a fluffy novel, don't, it's the exact opposite. If novel with bad outcome for a lot of characters is okay for you, you should bookmark this one, there's feels (lots of angst) and a well planed plot, even if it's not necessarily aiming to make the readers feel great while reading. <<less
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megane.no.megami
megane.no.megami rated it
November 3, 2019
Status: Completed
This novel defines "slow burn" to a TEE, in everything—from romance to action to drama—until everything has finally settled down. It will take a while for first-time readers to appreciate the subtleties the author had deeply planted in her story since it's really the "blink and you'll miss it" moments and there are tons of those.

PLOT: 5/5

It started out as any typical transmigration story. Ji Man, the main character, gets haplessly transmigrated into the story's villainess's body, Nie Sangyu, who's hopelessly in love with Ning Yuxuan, the book's titular male... more>> lead. This book has Wen Wan as the female lead. As with any villainesses in a novel, Nie Sangyu doesn't have a good ending. Ji Man, who was reading the book, didn't sympathize with Nie Sangyu, who did a lot of evil things in the name of love. In short, Ji Man was quite cynical and, for some reason, Nie Sangyu felt that Ji Man was just the perfect person to pull into the book and become her (Nie Sangyu). Thus, the misadventures of Ji Man began.

This is one of those novels that needs your brain. Don't skim it. Don't directly jump to the final chapters. Don't look at the spoilers (unless you're really itching to know the story). As I've said, the author knows how to utilize foreshadowing well. Finally, you will need to reread the novel (multiple times if you have to) to appreciate it to its fullest once you've shed your prejudices against any of the characters and certain events from the get-go.

CHARACTERS: 5/5

One thing I love about this novel is that the characters are not perfect. You won't find a Mary Sue or Gary Stu here. Each one is encumbered by the limitations of their status or abilities, no matter how powerful they may seem.

You will honestly get frustrated with the choices the characters make, be it Ji Man or Ning Yuxuan. However, cast those prejudices aside. These choices, I'd even say, are the most human choices any person would make given the circumstances they were in. Again, I would like to emphasize that these characters are not perfect or all-powerful. Their limitations are highlighted clearly and it made me grit my teeth in helplessness at times, either because it was because of their s*upidity or the consequences that follow despite the "best" choices they made.

Though there are a definite protagonist and antagonist in the novel, ultimately I'd say, the choices each character makes are what would make them either a villain or a hero in the readers' perception only because their motives are closely associated with the circumstances they are in.

FLOW OF THE STORY: 4.5/5

There are some instances where I get whiplash because of sudden scene change or time skip. When I first read it, it confused me. (So following my own advice, I'm going to reread the story.) Otherwise, the author has a good way of planting deceptive scenarios that by the end of the novel and after everything had concluded, you end up saying, "What the...?!" The slow pace and seemingly numerous chapters might deter some readers, but it doesn't. This story cascades up and down and sometimes will have an ambiguous conclusion to an arc until the very last chapters.

ENDING OF THE STORY: 5/5

The ending was bittersweet, in a way that made me sigh in relief as well as feeling a pinching throb in my heart. The characters struggled and it made me appreciate their conclusions more, but not in those ways that those famous dog drama novels do. The side stories, however, gave me mixed feelings, both good and bad.

TRANSLATION: 5/5

Grammatical errors, misspellings, and confusion of characters' names aside, which are rare mind you, I have no complaints. @FuyuNeko delivers and conveys the novel in English very well.

OVERALL: 4.9/5

It's not dog drama from beginning to end, but it is slow-paced. So if you want a fast-paced story, this isn't for you. The characters aren't always likable and powerful. So if you're looking for perfect characters who solve issues right away, move along. If you're not a fan of subtle storytelling, then I suggest looking elsewhere. I'd say this novel is made for a more refined reading style than those fluff-driven ones. So, it might not be everybody's cup of tea, but to me: IT'S A MUST READ. <<less
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basile
basile rated it
November 2, 2019
Status: Completed
Great story, good job the translators !

The plot is very intricated, it contained very slow burn romance, political intrigue, etc. Most of the characters are not two dimensional and very humanly well depicted and with depth. The MC is down to heart and not OP, she is not a white lotus nor a mary sue. The ML is a typical a**hole from ancient China who maintained a big harem, first because he is an "handsome great stallion" (that's how he is described in the novel lol) but also because of... more>> political reason.

What I couldn't stand, but also what makes the real interest of the story in my opinion, is to see how the MC has the grit and power/courage/ability to save herself despite how many difficulties and obstacles she encounters. And god know how much suffered:

At the beginning because she took over the body "the villainess" when she was at the lowest point of her married life, she has to survived in the harem after losing her position has the main wife. Then she has to survived the fighting in the harem, the hostility of the ML but at the same time pretending to love him and trying to win his favor. She almost lost her life, her family was decapited... The ML has made the MC truly suffer a lot, he even kidnaped her first born son and replaced it... by a cat. Actually there was also some political reason for why the ML treated the MC so lowly, but still for me it doesn't justified why he had to let the MC suffer so much...

But at the same time this makes the ML more realistic in my opinion, because the ML being a Marquis holding a lot of power, cunning, being handsome, great martial artist, it would be too perfect just like that. The story shows that he is also a man with limits in his power (he has to balance the power in his harem like he balanced the power in the court in order to remain neutral, otherwise all his house will be endangered). He has feeling and can be biased/swayed, in particular by his concubines. He has a lot of concubine, and treated them like tool. In short, he has a lot a flaws, that make him more realistic. But he is still a c**.

Clearly, read it for the MC, not for the ML :) <<less
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OfficePony
OfficePony rated it
October 13, 2019
Status: --
The Male lead is a man child. Nuff said, entertaining read otherwise.

Hokay, not exactly a Man-Child... He does have a slightly childish outlook when it comes to relationships with the opposite gender. He's trying to keep as many of them safe as he can while taking liberties and assuming that they should all automatically be devoted to and love him. One cat in a bag might be playing and having fun in the bag, but as soon as you start throwing more cats into that bag there's going... more>> to be a problem. He brought so many different women into his life that they each want something from him that the other wants and they aren't shy for the most part about getting their hands dirty to take it from whoever has it at that moment, permanently preferably.

Without the someone like the MC moderating things as impartially as possible there was no way that chaos wouldn't break out sooner or later, everything was just happening under the surface before she came along. <<less
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senshichi
senshichi rated it
August 7, 2019
Status: c450
If it's of any help, know that this novel is the first one I've felt the need to review about. The novel is great. Sure, the characters aren't perfect, but it's not because they're badly written. It's simply because they, like real people, aren't perfect.

The MC makes all kinds of mistakes and she isn't omnipotent and doesn't know everything, which also means we sometimes get a bit of unreliable narrator going on, but she's realistic. The ML is also... well, not very likeable at the start. And maybe you won't... more>> ever like him, as that is how some readers feel, so I would warn you not to have too high an expectation for him. But in my opinion, he isn't a complete bottom-of-the-heap tr*sh. He has his flaws, but if you're patient enough, you'll find that he does try, and he has reasons for why he does certain things (which doesn't always excuse him because he really does some idiotic things sometimes) but again, realistic.

As such, the relationship the MC has with the ML isn't the best either (it's sort of a very slow burn), but taking into account the context and setting, it is also quite understandable. It's not overly dramatic, there are misunderstandings and the like, but it's written well enough that it doesn't feel like it's added just for drama or to drag things out.

If you're looking for a lot of face-slapping, or rapid rises in reputation, or getting the immediate (very possessive and monogamous) attention of the male lead, then this is not for you. But if you're looking for something more realistic but not too gritty or angsty, then perhaps you should give this one a try.

As for the translation quality, I'd say Fuyu Neko has been doing a great job, all things considered, and there's only the occasional minor mistake, so you don't have to worry about it being hard to read. <<less
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mariahki
mariahki rated it
August 1, 2019
Status: c418
What an amazing novel that I ever read!

Before, I am sceptical with this novel. I don't really like NYX character. I really hate polygamy..I tried to continue because the Ji Man character

But... wow... really... wow...
Every chapter makes me amaze with the character development, progress of the story, and satisfied ending every arc..

I am amaze with how well this novel written. Very grateful with Fuyu Neko to translate this.
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Miumiu
Miumiu rated it
August 1, 2019
Status: c21
This is so good. I love the FL. She doesn't transmigrated with Super powers and actually has to face situations negative to her but she always keeps her cool. Ah. I love strong heroines. And the translation quality is so good it feels like I'm reading an English novel

the ML is a bit difficult to like at first. He does not like the FL at first, and is often harming her to protect his interests. But this is a realistic take on ancient Chinese society. And he starts liking her... more>> gradually, even to the extent that he regrets his previous actions.

Spoiler

At one point, he himself says this isn't the sensational romance you expect from novels. He never even realises when he starts developing feelings for her, but when he really loses her, the color fades from his world. Unquote

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So be warned., this is a slow burn romance between an extremely practical but not so romantic man and an unrealiable narrator.

thank you translator for giving us such a gem jiayou !! <<less
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Yfirkonungur
Yfirkonungur rated it
July 17, 2019
Status: c404
I like really love this novel. It’s literally the only novel I’m reading on novelupdates amongst dozens on my filter. I really don’t understand the bad ratings and the reasoning of people to not continue reading this.

Just a fair warning though, this is a sad novel. It’s the cup of tea that of people that listen to Lana Del Rey read. It’s not a wish-fulfilling novel nor is there a happy moment in every like dozen chapters or so. For me, that’s the reason why I enjoy reading this the... more>> most though. It’s not the type of novel that I just skip parts knowing that these are just filler paragraphs and that there are climax worthy parts near the end. It’s the only ‘the journey is the reward’ kind of novel that I enjoy as the journey really is enjoyable.

The aspects of it that I enjoy the most is that there will always be a constant in the story that will never change no matter how hard or depressing the times get. Like how no matter what the ML may do, he’ll always fall in love with the MC like a drug despite how opposite his actions may seem. Or that no matter what problem the MC may face, she’ll always overcome it no matter how desperate it is because in the end she’s very smart which is what rarely shown though as there are things stopping her from doing so, this is shown later in the novel like in chapters 370 and up where she’s more or less independent and shows how capable she can be. Or that no matter how far away the MC and the ML are from each other, they’ll reunite even during the sourest moments in their relationship. But you know that they’ll never really be together despite everything I said. No matter how in love they are to each other, circumstances will always keep them apart and you’ll definitely know that deep inside of you once you read this novel. Despite knowing that there will never be a happy ending, you’ll stick around. The obstacles they’ll go through and the sacrifices they’ve made, you can definitely feel the love they have for each other at times. But when they’re together you can tell that it won’t last.

Anyway, I’m going on a tangent. The story is really good if you’re up for a heartbreaking one, the translation is really good which needs to get more credit, you won’t feel confused by the grammar or any foreign concepts as it’s explained by the translator or notice any mistakes (at least for me so far) that may bother you. I also like the story outside the MC and how the story has been affected since the transmigration and how other characters have really changed because of her. The characters are really developed well and you’ll can even predict what they’ll do because of how you know them so well but they’ll get thrown under the bus because of some twists along the story. You also won’t feel that the story is a bit too fast or slow, there’ll be time skips but you’t feel that you missed out on anything.

Yeah, my review’s really all over the place bur that’s just me, go read the novel and have a nice day! <<less
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rinrin123
rinrin123 rated it
July 17, 2019
Status: c402
I followed this series from the beginning because I believe in FuyuNeko's translations. They're easily one of the best translators in this genre, and I dove in, trusting their recommendation for this novel. 402 chapters later, it's one of the only ongoing novels that I still keep up with daily. I feel sorry that some of the reviews/response to the novel seemed to dishearten Fuyu, and I really think it's partially due to the kinds of novels that the female transmigration audience has come to expect, particularly if they (like... more>> me) were grandfathered in from Chongfei Manual. This is a really good novel! Just not if you're expecting Zhao Jie 2.0.

Do not read this expecting a Chongfei Manual, a To Be a Virtuous Wife, an Eight Treasures Trousseau, a Doomed to be Cannon Fodder, or even a Malicious Empress of Military Lineage. In fact, do not read this prioritizing "romance", a male lead that drops everything for the main character, or for escapism. You will not enjoy the story if your primary goal is romance, and I suggest you turn elsewhere -- there are plenty of other novels that can fulfill those expectations in a more satisfying way.

If you want to give this a shot, PLEASE adjust your expectations accordingly: I repeat, this is not a romance novel.

There's no insta-love involved, the male lead is (at this point in time, c402) not monogamous, and the troubles and flaws of the main characters' relationship are certainly dissatisfying if you're looking from a purely romantic angle. We're not getting Zhao Jie's immense love for Wei Luo, where he's willing to sacrifice anything and anything to pamper her and keep her safe, where he steadfastly rejects the advances of other women because he can't stand to betray the one he loves. The male lead is not that kind of guy. But I find Ji Man and Ning Yuxuan's less-than-ideal relationship to be refreshingly realistic, particularly from a historical and cultural perspective. It is polarizing, but I find it's also one of the most interesting things about the Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir.

After all, the novel begins with the kind of 1:1, pampering, fictional love relationship we've come to expect from this genre of novels. Prior to Ji Man's transmigration into Nie Sangyu's body, Ning Yuxuan falls in love with Wen Wan, the original main character, and marries her into his household. From a fictional perspective, it seems like they're well on their way to a happy ending. But as the story unravels, it becomes clear that no one in this cast of characters—be it Ji Man, Ning Yuxuan, Wen Wan, or the host of concubines and side characters—can let go of other motivations, desires, enmity, and allegiances. There is no possible way for "true", boundless, constantly selfless and sacrificial love to exist, at least in this setting. Not a single character so far is an exception to this rule.

Wen Wan is unable to stay a pure, unsullied white lotus that loves NYX freely and generously. Ning Yuxuan is unable to let go of his ambitions and desire for self-preservation (which seems scummy from a modern point of view, but really isn't that unreasonable), as well as the values of the culture at that time. Ji Man is also unable to stay removed from the story as she begins to see these "characters" as real people and develop her own complicated, messy motivations. And even as Ji Man's relationship with NYX develops, they're not 110% committed to each other, and I'd be surprised if they ever will be. I think one of the points of the novel is that, even if you do love someone, you inevitably have other commitments and priorities (good or bad) that take up parts of your attention and your life. No real human being is completely selfless when it comes to love, like lots of fictional stories seem to portray.

Is JM/NYX's relationship ideal? No. Can NYX do no wrong? Of course not! Are there novels that depict healthier/more romantic/more ideal relationships out there? Sure. But is it still fun to read? Absolutely! You still get lots of the same tropes that make this genre so addictive—the face slapping, the political and social intrigue, the comedy, the heartbreak, and a bit of pining and jealousy—just not the fairytale romance. I prefer to think of this novel as historical with romance involved, but not a romance novel.

Again, if feel-good romance is the main thing you're looking for (which is fine!), turn back now. Do not collect your cash, do not pass go. But if you're interested in reading something a little different, give this Not-a-Romance-Novel a chance. Hate on the male lead if you want, but have fun with it. Enjoy the ride. There's stuff in there that's definitely worth thinking about.

And to Fuyu: thanks for an excellent translation and for keeping up with this massive undertaking. I hope you are encouraged by this review and not too discouraged by some of the less than positive reactions to this novel -- I don't think it's a reflection of your taste, just a conflict of expectations. Keep up the awesome work! <<less
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Musokuban
Musokuban rated it
July 16, 2019
Status: c400
The Plot

We see Ji Man, a woman from the modern era, transmigrate into the body of a slightly obsessesed and overbearing woman named Nie Sangyu. Nie Sangyu's ghost has called upon Ji Man, the innocent reader, to make the Marquis fall in love with her identity (as she evidently couldn't have done so on her own). Ji Man takes on the task of fast tracking the inevitable break up between the innocent-turned-vengeful Wenwan and the politically involved marquis, Ning Yuxuan.

The pacing of the story is slightly draggy, but... more>> understandbly so as we have a lot of context to unpack, premises to lay down, and character building. This isn't, in any way at all, realistic, unlike what other readers have been claiming. It has classic Chinese novel tropes conveniently laid out to make the impossible possible and cliched character natures. That said, it is to be expected that the developments and "twists" fall short and are anti climatic, because this novel doesn't really bank on the shock value. It isn't a heart pounding, or heart warming read. It takes you along for a ride-- you can see where you are going, but you are already strapped in.

The characters

Generally speaking, character building is above average. Almost everyone is fleshed out, and it is unusual to see anyone act out of character. We see how almost everyone's cogs in their heads turn, we come to understand their motivations and vidictive natures. Are there cliched characters? There are. But you can also somehow understand that their placement is necessary to move the plot along.

Unpopular opinion and spoilers ahead:

Female lead

Ji Man is unlike the usual MC who is so cleverly painted by the author as a genius transmigrator who somehow overcomes every hurdle through her own cunning. Since Ji Man thinks that there is a way out (as explicitly stated by Nie Sangyu), she plays along the plot, not really emotionally invested in anything... at first. She is portrayed in the first book as a mere passerby who gets to pass on judgements (secretly and implicitly), giving off the impression to us readers that she thinks she knows better (which of course we know she doesn't).

Interestingly, as she continues on with her journey, we come to realize that she is no longer the empowered woman (if she ever was) from the 21st century, but just a slightly understanding partner for the male lead (as she has been obviously equipped with wider set of knowledge), with occasional moments of having a clever mouth. Does that make her a good female lead? At the moment, it is a resounding no. Also,

Spoiler

she sucks at being Haohao's mom. Does she ever deserve that title though? Remains to be seen.

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Male lead

Ning Yuxuan sucks. Done. Kidding.

He has the most interesting character development, imo. He started as your usual off-with-her-head-she-pissed-off-my-honeybunch-lol-kidding-cant-kill-you-yet-go-into-seclusion-instead.

As he rediscovers love, he realizes that it isn't as easy as just being himself (lol) as he takes on a lot of adjustments to try winning the MC's heart while protecting his own interests. This man, in other words, wants to have the cake and eat it too. Is he worth it? We'll have yet to see.

Translation

Fuyuneko is undoubtedly one of the most dedicated translators ever. This review wouldn't have been possible in the first place if it wasn't for her.

She perfectly captures the nuances that are so vital in the novel, which makes the reading seemless and in depth for me. Check out her other translations! <<less
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splitdevotion rated it
July 15, 2019
Status: c398
First off, I want to thank the translator for their job in not only making it legible to those who can only read English, but also making it enjoyable. There's a certain charm that every story has instilled by the author's skill with story telling and language and that in itself is difficult to maintain when moving away from the original source. I'm sure there are some nuances that I missed because I read the English translation, but overall I loved the ride the translator provided.

That being said: I love... more>> this story. The pacing is great. The plot moves at a pace that neither feels too fast or too slow. The characters and their growth, from those I love and those I love to hate, are remarkable.

The MC hits my perfect medium of being capable without being so disgustingly OP that I feel like the character is just another wish fulfillment insert. She sympathetic to the women around her and their plights without being a push over. There's this thing that the author masterfully does where the POV is written in such a way that sometimes you forget that the narrator mostly is just the MC. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten s**ked into her view of the world only to be brought back by minute insights to the characters around the MC that made me have to rearrange what I though was happening to what was really happening outside of the MC's knowledge.

To the ML: I want to punt him into the sun most of the time but I also adore this tr*sh fire of a ML. He's very much a product of his time and environment. I like the fact that he is manipulative and self serving because that's what I expect from this type of setting. Even saying that though, some of his actions are so despicable, I can't help but clap and think his character would've done really well in A Song of Ice and Fire. He's not quite a sociopath or evil in general, but he is aware of who he is and just what position he holds. He can't be like those other ML in romance heavy plots where they just forge ahead because they are in love.

Their relationship in general: if you are looking for love in the beginning or even 100 chapters in, this is not the story for you. The side characters aren't foot notes but living and breathing characters with their own goals and aims that make the plot so much more interesting because how their existence affects the progression of the relationship. There isn't some s*upid triangle as their main hurdle but their inability to trust one another. Their relationship over all hits every one of my guilty pleasures of having the unworthy ML acknowledging his mistakes and missed opportunities and having to work for even an iota of what he used to have with the original owner of the body.

Overall: read it if you are looking for a complex story with a fleshed out back plots that are reflected in the world. The world is dynamic as are the characters and the interrelationships. Do not read if you like a simple and clean romance. <<less
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wintryday
wintryday rated it
April 10, 2019
Status: c305
I have a love-hate relationship with this novel. I love how good it is but it makes me so frustrated.

Why it's great: 1. Flawed and interesting MC. Ji Man is really an unique transmigrator in the sea of transmigation novels on this site, in the sense that she is not over-powered and tries to go against the grain. More importantly she is not OP even as she has a modern person's knowledge in an ancient world. 2. Unexpected twists and turns in the plot. Things doesn't always go her way.... more>> 3. Interesting catfights aka politics in the harem that MC has to deal with. 4. Things are not what they seem, unreliable narrator, leaving readers to second-guess what is really going on and adds to the sense of mystery. 5. Well-written novel, no cliches here. 5. Translation team did an amazing job.

Why it's frustrating: 1. Unlikable ML. It seems like the author made the ML out to be so unrelatable and scummy that most readers (including myself) will be fine if he just die off right now. Actually he could have died off 200 chapters ago and I think most readers here would throw a party. So if you are going into this novel only for the romance, please give up now unless you coming in with the expectation that the focus of this novel is not romance. I'm ok with slow romance but ML, why you gotta be so damn unlikeable? Translator-san says he will turn over a new leaf later in the story so I'm holding out for that.

2. Long-winded and never-ending harem drama. There is no end to the harem plots, harming/killing babies, trying to push other people into cold ponds during winter. Note to self: If transmigrate, do not go near ponds or bridges. The drama is interesting at first but it goes on too long in my opinion. I'm sloughing through the b*tch-fights and plots and it feels like a chore. In most transmigration novels, the reward of going through the long-winded harem fights is the satisfaction us readers get after MC out-smarts the other rivals and comes out on top by either winning the ML or by punishing the failed rivals and driving them into ruin. I would argue this is true in the earlier chapters, us readers are rewarded when MC defeats her rivals by climbing up the harem and confuses ML by acting opposite to his expectations. BUT the harem drama never ends. Which brings me to my next point..

3. MC's rival is a damn c*ckroach and her white lotus halo is too strong. I'm so tired of that girl. The plots are endless and resolution is only temporary. White lotus doesn't die or fall into permanent ruin. Us readers understands why when we see ML's pov, that white lotus has to be treated well for political reasons. But it is extremely frustrating. The worst thing is when white lotus gets demoted (temporary) and leaves the spotlight (temporary), another upstart b*tch comes into the picture.

My thoughts:

1. You should read this novel because it is very well-written.

2. I'm currently hanging on because of the super cute and sweet second ML. I wish the author could write a side-story of what if MC were to dump ML and get together with second ML instead. Lol.

3. ML should be castrated so that each harem member can finally get a piece of him to themselves. This is a joke by the way. <<less
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Yui
Yui
March 30, 2019
Status: c303
Pretty much disappointed as the story progress cause the MC personality kinda went side way and not to mention the ML character that keep changing and not consistent. Overall this is the worst romance genre I ever read.
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Dmhg
Dmhg rated it
March 11, 2019
Status: --
I was almost discouraged from reading this because of the reviews pertaining to the male lead. I'll admit, I don't particularly respect him as a male lead. That being said, the exquisite quality of the translations and the awesomeness of the female lead far outweighs the guy.

Ji Man isn't overpowered, in fact, sometimes she loses and suffers setbacks. But she's clever, and more than that I appreciate her attitudes and perspectives towards life and death and success and failure. The reason I can tolerate the ML's hoe-ish ways and full... more>> harem is because Ji Man does not give one crap about him and instead we first see our ML becoming kore intrigued by her and want more from her.

I genuinely really enjoyed this novel, and with the translation quality and speed, I recommend it to everyone <<less
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shirahana
shirahana rated it
February 12, 2019
Status: c255
Up to date on the current release. This story is absolutely fantastic, full of social and political intrigue. It's a mature read because of the realistic portrayals of character archetypes familiar to this genre. Because of that realism, I think the story is rather heavy, so for readers who expect pure and fluffy romances, this won't be easy to digest. Fortunately, the author does not pointlessly drag and stretch out conflicts. The development is seamless and I'll admit I sacrificed a whole night of sleep just to read all the... more>> current translations from the beginning.

I've noticed a concern from many readers. The ML certainly sleeps around a lot; that is expected from a man in this time period. But I feel this part of him will contribute to the romance in the later half of the novel: the translator has dropped curious hints about his gradual changes in some of their notes at the end of some chapter releases, so personally I look forward to seeing how he will pursue and beg for the FL to look his way. Recently I've taken a liking to slow-burn romances and I think this novel will demonstrate it beautifully without detracting from a fully fleshed story. <<less
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