If You Are a Dodder Flower

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In her previous life, she tried her best, she struggled. In the end, she has lost to her own mediocrity.

In this life, she resigned to her fate.

After her mother passed away, Xia Rou reincarnated as an orphan and she got taken in by her mother’s lover. Once again she stepped into Cao family, and once again she had to confront the people she loved and hated…

She dares not to expect anything, only except that she won’t suffer any more in this life…

Associated Names
One entry per line
如果你是菟丝花
Related Series
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Recommendations
Rebirth of an Abandoned Woman (2)
Rebirth on the Doors to the Civil Affairs Bureau (2)
Chongfei Manual (2)
Every Vicious Woman Needs a Loyal Man (1)
Trial Marriage Husband: Need to Work Hard (1)
You Look Like You’re Made of Money (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Novels I would re-read
  2. My favorite Chinese novels
  3. Novels i would take to my grave#2
  4. I search for more long novels
  5. Books that I've read and loved

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117 Reviews sorted by


Fictionaddiction
Fictionaddiction rated it
March 15, 2019
Status: c1 part1
This story is really good. I'm addicted and keep checking for new updates every 5 min. You will love it with your heart even if you may sometimes not agree in your mind.

The translation is excellent and it's updated regularly.

Summary which contains some spoilers:

... more>>
Spoiler

Xia Rou reincarnated in her 15 year old body after dying at 25. She wants to correct the mistakes she made by hurting the people she loved due to her inferiority complex.

her mother a weak lady has been abandoned by her father for that reason and thus after attempting su*cide was rescued by Cao Xiong. Who wanted a mistress bec. He felt lonely after the death of his wife, and didn't wish to introduce a stepmother to his 4 sons (although they know about the mistress).

constantly hearing others calling her mother a mistress Xia Rou felt inferior and was determined to be better than her.

after her mother's death. Cao Xiong took her to raise. Due to the family being a military family and somewhat poor in communication+servant gossiping+her already low self esteem from being a mistress' daughter. She was willful and ignored the Cao family's well wishes bec. She viewed them as though they were looking down on her.

In this life she understands their good intentions and strives to not hurt their feelings and be a good girl.

why I said you would love this with your heart but maybe not mind?

Because I do believe her actions in the first life are justified. For example, her mother just died and she is wearing black. The house keeper tells her you are in somebody else's house and it brings an ominous feeling, so you should wear neutral colors. So she goes online and fills her whole wardrobe with black. And this causes the house keeper to treat her stiffly! I would do the same if I were her honestly. Anyway I won't add more coz I hate lengthy reviews.

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pastelbunnyyy
pastelbunnyyy rated it
March 10, 2021
Status: Completed
This was a rollercoaster read. Initially, I was already iffy at the idea of *literally* raising your lover (I guess it's a personal preference but as someone who treats someone not blood-related to me as a sibling, I can't imagine how you could switch from siblings to a romantic relationship).

However, I loved how real all the characters are. They are flawed and is in no way portrayed as perfect. No one is just good or bad. And THEN the last few chapters of MC's struggle - I was amazed at... more>> where the author drove this story to. I was so prepared to come in here with a 5-star rating.

Then that lazy writing of an ending happened. Upsetting. I can even look past all the frustrating chauvinistic by ALL the male characters in this novel because it is culturally appropriate (???). But that ending??? I would have preferred a tragedy than...that. <<less
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1Sami
1Sami rated it
July 17, 2020
Status: c79.4
Okay, first off, my ship sank! The idea is great, it's written perfectly, and the conclusion is non existent. It just came out of nowhere. The ML confessed in chapter 72 and it's over in chapter 79. It's still amazing though I just wanted my ship to sail.
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frostcrystal
frostcrystal rated it
March 25, 2020
Status: c73 part2
This is one of those stories that is nicely translated and easy to read if you are good at glossing over things, but BOY OH BOY if you start thinking about the themes in it and what it's teaching you, you start feeling grossed out real quick.

For other squicked out readers like me who would otherwise enjoy the story of a girl who goes back in time to act differently with her foster family, I'd recommend to you Beware of the Brothers, which is a manga but fortunately without the... more>> creepy vibes of Dodder Flower. <<less
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Tully
Tully rated it
June 27, 2019
Status: c34 part2
I can't help but say this is a brilliant portrayal of human nature.

  1. The MC is very self-aware. Out of all the rebirths and second chances I have read, I acknowledge that she is cut above the rest. Now, when I look back to those MCs, I feel kind of sad to realize how lacking in character they were compared to her. She's very simple, mature, realistic. She was never seeking revenge so the lack of dog-blood drama is a plus.
  2. The characters are complex. No one is good or bad, they are all greys. The author was able to portray how the treatment of a person depends on circumstance and identity. In reality, human relationships are indeed that much complex. That is especially true in the concept of rebirths or second chances. Your friend now can be your enemy in the rebirth.
  3. Pacing is great. The author knows what specific events and character realizations are appropriate in order to push forward changes in feelings and POVs--something I quite appreciate. Reading this book gives you a steady and quiet feeling much like the temperament of the MC and the Cao Family.
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SnowyRAWR
SnowyRAWR rated it
April 18, 2019
Status: c23 part1
I love the story, MC, and plot so far. I can't wait until the I find out who Xia Rou ends up with.

I think before she reincarnated, it was hinted that Cao Yang like Xia Rou. Hopefully, Cao Yang and Xia Rou ends up together. I still can't believe there is like a 16-year age gap between them. I think it was mentioned how Cao Yang is almost 30-years-old while Xia Rou is 15-years-old.

Ironically, the father and eldest son have the same taste in women.

I can't wait for the next... more>> update!!!! <<less
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Yunieanis
Yunieanis rated it
June 18, 2020
Status: --
Tbh, I like the story so much. Indeed, when we're younger, we are immature, we did a lot of things that we wish could have changed. Acknowledging your weakness is the first step to move on.

Her 15 self behavior isn't wrong, because she isn't fully matured and that's why the whole family can tolerate with her behaviour. But once adulting, you will realise if only you don't do this or that.

Also, what's wrong with being obidient if it can make everyone happy? We can choose whether or not to be... more>> obidient or rebellious. Why do you question their choices of wanting to be obidient? And for people who likrs obidient type, it's their own choice. We live in a world full of different personalities and preferences. You don't like it doesn't mean everyone else won't.

I like the message that tge author trying to tell. And contrary to everyone's belief, I think the ending is perfect. We don't need to know the reason of her rebirth and so on. Because we know why without being told.

But I do wish for an epilogue or an extra <<less
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whitespade
whitespade rated it
May 3, 2020
Status: Completed
I can't stand people talking about the chauvinism in this novel because this novel is at least not a hypocrite - 99% of the novels in novelupdates have rich men taking care of poor (but beautiful!) women. This novel acknowledge the truth that these pretty women (most FL) just cling on to rich ML like dodder flowers however much they pretend to be independent women.

I love how author correctly display how the usual ML is - corrupted, chauvinistic, a**holes. In normal novel all the rich CEOs are somehow better than... more>> normal people when here its showed that they are just monsters that use people. The whole Cao family are human tr*sh and MC able to see them as such, but accepts it because that's how high society is. I love our MC. She is a lovable cinnamon roll. People are complaining that she's 'weak' but I find her very strong in being able to get her past hatred and grugdes away and see herself and others in a more objective light. Her past life she want to marry money but in this life she learn money dont buy happiness thus try to steer her life towards it.

People who don't like the pairing - it's basically set in stone from the first few chapters. Why are you a masochist and read till the end. I specifically read this for the in*est and the 'trapped' atmosphere so heads up to others wanting to read this. If you like yaoi you maybe would like this because there's a lot of in*est yaoi out there so you know the general outlook of the story.

The ending is splendid. In*est and confinement actually have consequence! FL was basically mind broken by ML. <<less
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faye_chan
faye_chan rated it
December 21, 2019
Status: c62 part2
The story flows well and translation is great. I especially love how lovely and self aware the main character.

In her past life she was ambitious, inconsiderate and caused a lot of problems for her adopted family, in particular her eldest brother who was always looking out for her. When given a second chance at life all she wishes for the people around her is the best and their happiness. Being an 'obedient' little sister was her attempt of not troubling her eldest brother so he could focus on his life.

... more>>
Spoiler

As she reminisces about the past you can see hints that he had loved her and missed that chance of ever saying anything. In current timeline you get to see how his feelings started to build from responsibility, to care and affection.

The romantic build up was great, but the ending was too rushed. The development of her feelings are not properly explored and it's ambiguous whether in the end he was the right choice for her. Still I'm glad they ended up together, I would've thrown a fit otherwise.

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iampheng
iampheng rated it
October 30, 2019
Status: c55.2
I think I'm about 2/3 through the novel, and can guess where it's headed, so I will offer my opinion.

The translation is excellent---I'd give them 5/5 alone.

This novel was good to read in one sitting, but once you pause reading and really think about the dynamics in the novel, it's kind of problematic. I'm not saying the author is problematic, I'm saying the author has, perhaps intentionally, crafted problematic leading characters. The characters are just so... painfully imperfect and realistic in how problematic they are (hah, sorry). To be clear,... more>> perfect characters are kind of annoying because they're hard to relate to. For the characters in this novel, their imperfections, specifically the characterization of the female characters aren't too difficult to be sympathetic towards (me, being a woman). There are so many kinds of women in this story, ranging in the following characterizations: gentle and weak, capable and arrogant (my fave, hehe), ambitious and short-sighted, and once bitten-twice shy. The MC is the last kind. She's alright... as the other reviewers have mentioned, her outstanding characteristics include being obedient and gentle. Oh... and she apparently has a really small waist ::shrugs:: I preferred the sassier and more ambitious her. So, sure she's got some self-awareness about her "place." But let's be real, many of the women in this story "know their place"... the places that the men in the story have put them.

And, that part is my major annoyance towards the story. The Men. I didn't care about the age difference (didn't even notice) between the MC and ML. I didn't care about the MC and ML's sibling-like relationship. I didn't even care about how the MC was dangerously treading into Mary Sue territory. For me, despite the varied and nuanced portrayals of women characters, the Men are all... kind of basic and one-note. Many of the men characters can be summed up in a few words: class conscious and chauvinistic (at varying levels). Their interactions with women depended on her pedigree. This is very obvious in the characterizations of the interactions of the major male characters towards all of the women in the story, and the orientation of characters towards the MC---her value in "high society" (or whatever) rests on her relationship with the powerful men in her "family." So, it's how the men characters view the women characters in the story that bothers me.

Spoiler

Conversely, think about the interaction between Hu Chen and that Liang guy. Though Liang is obviously an ambitious up and coming nouveau riche, he's still admired for being so by Hu Chen.

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This made me wonder if the author low-key didn't like men or was making a subtle critique of classism and hetero-patriarchy. Oh, hetero-patriarchy and not just patriarchy because one of the major supporting male characters is bi and struggling with being in the closet (and he's actually kind of toxic and dangerous; I'm hurt). Yeah, so basically, the men characters are disappointing to me because they're imperfect in very mediocre and common (albeit, realistic) ways. I prefer my ML's, and even second ML's, to be a little bit more special than just being hypocrites with money, power, and high libidos ::lolz::.

Spoiler

I think that the readers were supposed to feel a certain way when we realize that the ML was in love with/will fall in love with the MC over two lifetimes. So, that meant that regardless of whether she was unruly and ambitious or gentle and obedient, he loved her unconditionally. I didn't really buy that lol. I feel like a small waist can only get you so far lmaooo. jkjk

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Lastly, I never got the feeling that the author meant for us to believe that the MC's new found self-awareness was all that great. Despite all the praise she got, the MC's gentleness and obedience felt like her penance for the wrongs she believed she committed in her past life. I felt kind of "meh" about that. Partially because of that point, I feel that the story kind of takes itself a little too seriously when we should really be reading it for entertainment. As another reviewer mentioned, try not to learn anything from the story. lol. Just read it for fun and rejoice that we don't have to live such a restrained life like the MC (hopefully). <<less
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xuexin
xuexin rated it
October 19, 2019
Status: c54
Let me just warn you, don't think that because the story is set in modern time that it suddenly adopts modern practices. Just be a bit open minded when you start reading this book and understand the setting.

So far I have enjoyed the story, because the FL is not focused on achieving revenge. She just wants to navigate away from her downfall while thanking and appreciating the people who took care of her in her previous life. The story is a bit slow paced with the intention to show you... more>> how relationships are built, which is probably what makes the story enjoyable. Even in the early chapters you already know who you want to ship.

Fair warning though, the ML may be a bit overbearing for some people's taste. <<less
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RianiCassie
RianiCassie rated it
March 22, 2022
Status: --
The plot is quite annoying, this cao family is a selfish bunch of a-holes and the MC normalized it because of her feeling of guilt.

... more>>
Spoiler

The cao children afraid the cao father will feel more depressed if the MC is gloomy because of her mother. I mean puhleaseee, the mc's mother just died a week ago and she is all alone now, she doesn't have family at all and the only family she has and depend on had died. Who do you think is more pitiful? And so what if their mother cao died early, at least they still have a father and each other meanwhile the MC, who does she have? Who can she depend on?
It just sounds that they are actually hate her but seeing her so obedient like a doll, they are relieved at least she won't bring them trouble. Are you kidding?! If you don't like her, just give her support from afar like an apartment or school with dorm facilities instead of belittling her feelings like that. I mean she's only fifteen, even tho she's older it's still harsh to think and judge her like that.

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Bibi268
Bibi268 rated it
March 19, 2022
Status: 79 part4
I wanted to add my own two cents after reading the reviews so here is my personal opinion on the novel. The novel is supposed to show a different view of a broken character whose had bad influences in a sense of mainly being surrounded by sexist classist males who view people around them as inferior. They are entitled and the female lead did not have a good female model for her. She has been taught by those around her to be obedient quiet and pretty to be valued. In... more>> my opinion the ending is sad but it shows how our environment influences our behavior. In my opinion the male lead is disgusting and tr*sh honestly. He is forceful and selfish regarding the female lead as in object in regards then her own opinion. He is only lustful towards her body and priorities his s*xual desires, having s*x which borderlines consensual when the female lead mentions she only does it because she feels in debt to the family and knows he wants her body. She hasn’t even reached 20 and he is in his mid-thirties. I believe there was definitely grooming and pedophilia involved as the male lead has romantic and lustful thoughts towards her and there is a huge power imbalance where the female lead is forced to do whatever he says since she is living under his roof. Overall I believe the Cao family members are terrible and have no moral responsibility over the female lead as even though they provide her with material goods they don’t really focus on her happiness and dreams. The female lead focuses her whole life into pleasing them rather than searching for own happiness and it’s really disheartening. Though she is provided with a cushy lifestyle I can’t really say if her life would be worse off if she was sent to the orphanage where she could at least become independent later on. She was failed by almost everyone in her life who should have already noticed her depressive thoughts and become more considerate to her at the lost of the only guardian she had. Therapy should have been given when she was first introduced. All her so called brothers suck as they don’t even protect her from the eldest and their father as they are scared of their dominant and terrifying personalities and leave the female lead to fend for herself because they are scared to step in. The female lead has her own faults but I believe they stem from her past and upbringing rather than more of a personal characters development. I feel sad for the female lead but most likely in her eyes she views it as a happy ending as she is with the person she likes. She has her own thoughts and beliefs and is probably satisfied with her life but to me it is really unfortunate. <<less
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jeiiiii
jeiiiii rated it
February 5, 2022
Status: c79.2
If you're someone with good morals, who can understand what is right and what is wrong, and is just looking for a good novel to binge read in your free time, I SINCERELY DONT RECOMMEND THIS NOVEL.

TW for this novel: sexism, h*mophobia, chauvinism, pedophilia, GROOMING, manipulation, coercion

(stole this TW from user akiraa)

I rated it 2 stars mainly because the start of the novel was truly sweet and if you turn a blind eye to their misogynistic comments, you would truly love the sibling's relationship and the way the... more>> MC is treated like a princess, cause who doesn't want to get treated that way? And also the translation is simply superb.

However, I really recommend you all read the spoilers given by the other raters first before you read this story, because oh my god is it absolutely appalling.

Spoiler

MC was basically coerced into being in the relationship. She was groomed and manipulated into it. The ML is no doubt a pe*ophile and if you disagree with me, go argue with a wall or something. She was about to develop a healthy relationship with another person but the ML with his chauvinistic, egoistic, disgusting ass just had to ruin it. He affected her so much that she had to go through therapy.

The other characters, going in late into the novel is just infuriating. Cao Xiong and Cao Bi both noticed the anomaly between the two of them but just lets it be, and when MC is forced to flee overseas the only thing Cao Xiong said is that "You pushed her too far" absolutely disgusting. Cao An, considering MC is closest with him did absolutely nothing to get her out of her predicament and actually agreed to it.

The Cao Family is the source of her suffering both in the past life and her current life. If she had no interactions with the Cao Family in the past, she wouldn't be pushed to her death and I do not need to elaborate as to why in her current life, they are still the source of her nightmares. I do not understand as to why she was reincarnated for in her current life she is living the life of someone living in a gilded cage, I feel nothing but pity and sorrow towards her.

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There is a difference between someone weak-willed and someone with no will at all, its just that disappointingly, MC is the latter. I hope she ends that cycle and gets reincarnated as another person, with a better fate. <<less
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Goodreadsonly
Goodreadsonly
December 2, 2021
Status: Completed
Honestly this whole book is sad af. The MC wanted to make up for regrets and she did that by being what she thought the Cao family wanted. And she was happy for a long time living in this way until the ML came along.

The ML is why I can't give this 5 stars. He was so nice until he realized how he felt and just tried to push his ideas on to the MC. The whole last arc was disappointing and you don't even get to enjoy her happiness... more>> at the end. The author basically wrote yea its cool now, she's happy again.

Other than that this was a tearjerker. <<less
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Realvnv
Realvnv rated it
November 29, 2021
Status: Completed
First, I want to apologize to the author because of my spiteful comments written in the heat of the moment. Now that I've finished this and look back at my comments, I feel ashamed lol.

I feel the need to point out that whatever is written here is just friction, and it doesn't represent the author's worldview.

Now that we're clear, lemme start my review:

It's one of the best transmigration stories I've read, that's to say, it's subjective so don't force yourself to complete this novel because of many positive reviews like... more>> mine. What was at chapter 5, went for 15, 25... If you didn't like it at the start, you just can't.

Anyways, the MC in this book was hella different from my usual read. She was weak, be it physically or emotionally, "obedient", soft, clueless, borderline s*upid... She was the personification of all traits I dislike tbh.

The only thing that I liked about her was probably her self-awareness. She know she was s*upid, not the " I was s*upid, now I will act smart *proceeds to make 362736 more mistakes*" kind tho, she really knew.

The thing about transmigration novels is that the person redoing their life, somehow, become super smart, winner in life, lives without a single regret or mistake... It's like we're reading their parallel universe self in which they were winners in life, that has no relation to the 1st one.

Here, she admits that all she did was to avoid mistakes of her 1st life, she couldn't deal with the problems concerning the changes. She treated her big bro's words in the 1st life like a Bible and just lived according to it. To be fair, it worked till the bro himself changed lol.

Well, she also loves to belittle herself, lacks confidence, her bro is her religion yada yada... All in all, despite her faults, this gurl just grew on me.

Let's talk about ML, big bro. He's chauvinistic, possessive, responsible, smart... I liked it when he was just "big bro" ya know? It was pretty obvious that he was into her, like from the first meeting, so I'm not against them being together. The process was angsty but not out of character for both of them.

Not gonna write spoilers in the "spoi" tag 'cause I just know you would read it.

The story was pretty straightforward, the girl went from 7 to 20s in 80 chapters. Be it school life or her daily life wasn't detailed 'cause focus was mostly on characters.

In the end, this one was legit good. If ya can't stand weak charas though, don't read it. Not you b*tches skipping reading tags and give this gem 3.6 rating-

Edit: Author of this novel also has a QT novel called "Strategy to Capture Men". As far as I heard, MC there is pretty badass. So, Imma head out and camp there adios <<less
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Zemmiaphobia
Zemmiaphobia rated it
July 27, 2021
Status: c78
I tried so hard to like this! The novel is well written, I liked the pacing, and the translation is great but my god, the plot! I could ignore the casual sexism about how girls are naturally weaker, more reliant on men, better when they're obedient and submissive, etc etc, it's not anything you don't see in a ton of other novels, but I could not stand how pathetic the MC ends up being.

First off, the MC is so dumb and not in a cute way. At first I figured... more>> she was going through some depression from dying and combined with her guilt, I could see why she was trying so hard to be agreeable and overly docile, but she just takes everything the ML demands of her. Even when she's being 'stubborn' it's not really standing up for herself. Other characters even comment on how weird it is, but the author somehow spins it back to it being normal cuz they're in love? It's very borderline obsessive and by chapter 50 it gets creepy.

I could also kind of forgive the huuuuggggeee age gap between them, since the MC is mentally 25 and they don't actually get together until she's a legal adult, but the way he talks about her makes it clear he's really attracted to how dependent she is on him, like a child. Plus, when he makes a move on her she is still fully financially dependent on him and his family, there is no way she can really reject him, even if she wanted to. I don't like throwing terms like 'grooming' lightly but it really, really felt like that was what he was doing, albeit apparently unintentionally.

I thought I could power through but each new chapter was throwing up more and more red flags. By the time they finally have s*x, I was just so disgusted, I couldn't read anymore. <<less
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JessFS
JessFS rated it
April 19, 2021
Status: c32 part3
Hm... This is one of those cases where the story and the writing is good and interesting, but the author's bias ruins it...

I really hope this was written very long ago, because I can't stand the idea of someone living in the current times writing things like this.

There's a lot of male chauvinism and even misogyny between the lines.

Also, I really hate the fact that the ML is the ML... ... more>>
Spoiler

They were building a nice sibling relationship, he even recognized her as a sister and even thought it would be nice if she was his biologic sister, and then, started feeling attracted to her and even acted on that attraction (though she didn't noticed). And I know it's gonna go way worse because I read some of the reviews. It's honestly such a shame... I love the other siblings and their relationship with her, and I really wish she stablished a real sibling relationship with the ML too. I wish she wasn't so self deprecating and internally misogynistic, and realised that there isn't just the 2 extremes of stubborn rebellion and subservience.

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I love her reflections about her previous life. It's very realistic. But
Spoiler

I wish she would realise that her existence and personality are not necessarily wrong (yes, she did a lot of wrongs, and could have acted better, but it was all very consistent with her age and the things she went through). She was a child acting like a child, and people didn't want to accept nor understand that.

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Anyways, I like that she was given the opportunity to right her wrongs and fix her relationships, but I don't like the romance and neither with who and how it progressed.

Another thing I can't stand is how abuse is dealt with in this novel.
Spoiler

That kid was beaten up and that was it. Everybody even pushed her to seek that little bastard's help if there was any problem in the school and nobody, absolutely NOBODY saw anything wrong with that.

It was all pushed under the rug with the explanation of "male instincts" and linked to the fact that that little bastard's family members are absolute tr*sh, just like him. I can't with this bullshit.

And let's not even talk about how the ML started to thirst over the girl he recognized as a sister with the same glorious excuse of "male instincts".

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Anyways, sorry for the rant. I honestly thought I could power through this read, but I just can't.

It's an absolute shame. I really wish this was just a fluffy family novel, with a lot of character development, where all the male characters would slowly change their views and evolve, where the 4th brother would be able to
Spoiler

open himself to his family and stablish a healthy relationship with his lover (I really hope at least this happened. I will never know, though, cause I'm dropping this novel at ch32)

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and the 3rd brother wold be able to enjoy his hobby without the fear of being beaten by his father and brothers...

I'm gonna give 2 stars because of the brothers and the MCs reflections after rebirth. The other stars were deducted because of male chauvinism, misogyny and the ML. <<less
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Novels intoxicated
Novels intoxicated rated it
February 8, 2021
Status: Completed
I like how the story flows in a steady paced and how the character are depicted as how in reality where in the old days they see the perfect female as a quiet and obedient one and how male are just above everything. Although it sounds screwed, but that was just how society is.

This story really captures how people in the old days prefer an obedient and weak women ... more>>
Spoiler

where Xiao ruo mom feels like she wants to die when she was left by his husband. And how can yang and his father prefer an obedient and quiet wife compare to miss. Wang whose capable and has her own opinion

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Despite all of that, I still cannot get past in wanting to get angry at these characters (not the author who create them, but the character in the story itself) I really cannot accept the ML cauvinist behavior and how the FL are build as a s*upid, obedient and useless female without any man. I mean come on! It is just degrading. <<less
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Faceslappingisalwaysfun
Faceslappingisalwaysfun rated it
September 29, 2020
Status: c75
I'm disappointed. Honestly I came into the story wondering why the rating was so low because I actually enjoyed the premise and the fluffy plot with little drama. Then it all just went downhill and I had to quit.

First I'll just discuss what I liked. The initial plot was nice and not dramatic. I like that the MC didn't pursue revenge or change drastically after rebirth. She became more mature, something natural with time, but her skills and character didn't change. She pursues a peaceful life and puts aside the... more>> resentment in her heart. She comes to understand her mom's character and reflects a lot on her past life. MC shows a lot of growth in the beginning, which is a really nice touch from the author.

Now there was a lot that I did not like. First of all, the ML is hella creepy. He starts talking about her body and her physical appearance even when she first moves in. Maybe that's the author's choice and is not supposed to signify ML's desire for MC's body, but the fact that he's thinking about how curvaceous she is even when she's 15 is weird. Also, a lot of people have already discussed the obedience thing so I won't go too into it, but I did not like it either. While I appreciate that MC became more sensible, the constant description of her being quiet and obedient paints her as a doll and not a person. The MC is quiet and pretty. She cries a lot, like I've noticed it happens almost every few chapters. We rarely get to see her show much emotion other than devotion to her family and being sensible.

One big problem I had the ML and MC dynamic, which only got worse as the novel progressed.

Spoiler

It's practically abuse. The ML is super overbearing and never lets MC have her own way. He supposedly cares for her but never lets him out of her sight because she's too "delicate." MC even mentions that she can't be free around him. She can tease her fourth brother easily but always becomes docile in the face of MC. Does that sound like an equal or healthy relationship? No.

Fine, some are more accustomed to the chauvinistic ways as ML has reiterated, but his constant thoughts about MC just make it sound like he wants a trophy wife. He likes that she listens to him and is pretty. Nothing else about her personality. Just overbearing guy and obedient girl. Also the age gap is uncomfortable, especially since most of the story takes place when she is underage.

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The ending got really messy really quickly. I was shocked to realize that I only had around 4 chapters left despite all the drama that was going on right before I dropped it.

Spoiler

MC gets together with the devoted dude from her last life and while she does it because ML recommended him in her last life, she seems to be developing feelings for him. She gets shy and willingly holds his hand. Except ML suddenly sees them kissing and comes in to ruin their budding feelings because of his realization of his love. He forcibly kisses MC, gives her basically no time to adapt, and then feels no guilt as he continues to come onto her while maintaining his big brother façade. What?? MC's world literally crashes around her because he was supposed to be the big brother she relies on. He was on a pedestal and suddenly he's confessing to her and kissing her without consent but oh no big brother does not care. He just keeps coming onto her, kissing her and holding her leg. I felt so bad for Wei Qi because he and MC genuinely had an adorable relationship. ML was being really selfish and it was not pleasant to read. I also want to add that ML doesn't even wait to talk about breaking up or confessing. He literally sees MC and Wei Qi kiss, gets mad, and smashes his mouth on MC's after Wei Qi leaves.

Also, I know there are 4 chapters left but even if MC magically reciprocates feelings by the end, I will be left unconvinced. She showed so many signs of infatuation/love in her relationship with Wei Qi. She smiled a lot and constantly texted him. She became comfortable with him and they held hands despite MC's touch rejection. The way she viewed ML was a big brother to lean on. Suddenly she just loves him? No way I won't believe that. She just worships him and to switch that around so fast would be weird. I don't want them together. I was rooting for them because they were the main pair, but then the author added Wei Qi who was really considerate and much healthier for MC. He was hardworking and cherished her without being overbearing. He would have given her room to breathe while still adoring her.

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Overall, it left a bad aftertaste and I can't bear to read through the horrific ending, so I just dropped it. The way the story progressed, ML should have just stayed as a big brother. <<less
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