I also like how he became more open to his thoughts. There are dialogues later in the novel that he would never bother saying in the earlier part, and it feels so fulfilling watching this development grow. SY grew up with no emotional support in his life. His mother went crazy after getting abandoned by her husband and treated SY very harmfully, his father is hopeless case and it doesn't help that he views SY as an asset not his own child, his stepmother is pretty decent and does helped him in the later story but overall this experience led SY to develop a hopeless longing for family, and harmful aversion towards it.

I think the reason why it became such a drag is bec of the progression of the characterization of the MC. The MC had so much to offer at the beginning with how he's kind but a tsundere character. He's really likeable at the start and you can see through his actions that he has a soft heart. He was this repressed, passive fellow who is hated by his dad but he's still kind to others and is struggling to be loved. But as the novel continues, the author constantly shoves in your throat the idea that the MC is a kind, cute, and likeable sort of individual. It's not shown anymore but is imposed on you through the ML's perception of the MC. Well, the MC is definitely kind but he is starting to become unlikeable. He changed into this hissy, violent, aggressive, stubborn, jealous, small-minded piece of work. He still shows kindness at times but the story just becomes dragging with how he constantly misundenderstands every friggin situation. That's the whole plotline, they misunderstand each other, the MC throws a hissy fit, punches or beats the ML, the ML thinks he's cute and says it in his mind, the ML coaxes the MC, they make up or some sort, then the next misunderstanding ensues again. That why the story becomes dragging because I know there will be a misunderstanding again and the same make up thing will happen again and again. Then we have the ML. He's, well, he's just ok. He's not really great or anything. He's just generally ok. He's a do-gooder, handsome, smart, the kind who exudes laziness but he's not really lazy, and the dependable sort of kid who for some reason is in a situation where he's living like a poor person when he's really not. He always thinks the MC is cute or something even when he's being beaten and mistreated. I guess that's his thing. Nothing much to say about it.

I don't think I can go through the next 40 plus chapters when the plot is so predictable. I definitely know that the MC is going to be pissed at the ML when he finds out the ML is rich. Then the ML is going to coax him, the MC will reluctantly forgives him and their weird relationship full of the MC hitting the ML will continue.

It may seem like the MC doesn't put as much effort into the relationship, but that is acknowledged and he does try his best to be considerate, it's just hard for him to show affection outwardly but he really is gentle in his own way.

MC has depression (?), PTSD (?), and an extremely low self esteem due to his family issues. His stepmom tried to help, but it's also hard for her since she also has to protect her own biological son, but she cares for the MC and really steps up near the end of the novel.

It's that whole "parents find out, couple gets separated" typa thing. But I really felt like this plot-line was pulled off well in this novel because often in other novels that I have read, the main couple gets separated and never contacts each other until well into adulthood. But in this novel, they have people on their side helping them stay in contact with each other, as well as both putting in just... so much effort to be there for one another despite the obstacles that the MC's dickbag father and the ML's dickbag grandpa put in the way (they are also reunited fairly quickly compared to other novels). The author really describes how the separation affected them in a really tear jerking way. I won't say more... orz.

the extras also made me both laugh and cry... some of the extras included ML's diary after the events of the novel, an alternate universe where ML and MC were neighbors and childhood sweethearts, the POV of the dog they adopted as the couple and friends grew into adulthood, and more!!

MC always kicks the ML and treats him in his own hedgehog way for the longest time, but you would think after so many years together, there would be some character development where he realizes he doesn't have to push everyone away from him anymore and act in this defensive way and that ML definitely loves him so he should feel secure and not need to be so defensive. At one point in the novel, one of the side characters tells him that he shouldn't always expect the ML to tolerate him constantly be this way. The author writes this as a realization on his part about his actions and then backs off from it making it seem like here's a lesson learned, nope it wasn't learned after all. This makes the ML enable his actions and enable him to always rely on ML, not learning how to be independent because the ML believes that only by doing things this way does the MC know that no matter how bad he acts, he has someone who loves him unconditionally. This in real life would be a recipe for disaster unless the ML was really a masochist. The extras wipe out the character growth from the end of the novel and most of the chapters were just cute fluff comedy. Not really worth reading and also makes me sad to read that MC did not get better and continues to act the way he has without changing.

As mentioned earlier, ML has a mistaken belief that the only way to let MC feel secure is by letting him act spoiled and defensive while knowing ML's affection will never wane. However this in reality would not work. How could ML not have a bad day sometime and just think to himself I can't even deal with this today. That's probably how the relationship would start breaking apart. A relationship that relies on one party to unilaterally tolerate everything is not going to last. Also the author buys into the same fallacy that many women have in China, that you will notice in CNovels in that the "woman's" role is the person who controls the finance and the guy has to listen to all the demands and they're always right. Aka wife s*ave. As a Chinese woman, I've known people around me to buy into this and have very unhealthy expectations for their partners to achieve. In one of the extras, ML is hospitalized for a medical procedure and MC has no idea what to do with himself or even where to find the keys. He's completely 100% dependent on ML and while this is chalked up as romantic, it's extremely enabling. MC needs to learn to take care of himself. No one can be 100% there for someone else and in emergencies, he should be able to handle things and not just fall apart if not for himself than for ML. The extras really damaged my impression of this novel. The novel ended on a high note for character development and for the sake of comedy and fluff, the author rolled all that back for funsies. I was very severely disappointed with that but I understand there will be a lot of people who will find the extras cute.

depression doesn't disappear magically after meeting up with your loved ones you got separated from. I don't think the author intended that, but I just felt a bit weird after reading that scene which I may have interpreted wrong. Marked this as spoiler since I'm not sure if MC's depression get mentioned early on and also since don't really know how to express what I want to say and it's confusing. Might just be me reading in too much.

Didn't quite liked it cause it was like their character growyh regressed and Song Yan became major super tsundere again with peak jealousy. Xia Zhiye was also super M, and a bit blackbellied tbh. Still readable. They both went to Peking University together. So it isn't quite an open ending like one of the reviewers mentioned. I think they just haven't found the extras.

This one is really cute!!!! Song Minghai dies early!!! HOORAY. Five year old XZY and SY are neighbours! Baby love! So cute.

The story of Zhou Ziqiu x Shen Jiayan hahaha. That's all I will say.

From the POV of Xia Daye, their dog! The wedding!!!!! So lovely.