• Since it's a short oneshot, I won't reveal too much: 'A Late Return' is a beautiful and melancholic story about Ye Wenshui and Li Aoxue, and their deep love. In case you're wondering, Ye Wenshui is the one waiting for Li Aoxue's return, as Li Aoxue seems to be a brave general or soldier who went to fought for his kingdom.

It was indeed tragic, but in a 'their relationship is so pure and heartwarming I might've just shed a tear or two reading this' way rather than 'I'll definitely cry... more>> over this oneshot in my bathroom floor at 3am with the lights off and then run to the kitchen to grab a snack because I used all my energy during this mental breakdown'. Because unlike plenty of oneshots with the 'tragedy' tag, the angst here wasn't forced and/or emotionally draining, it was a nice read.

And the characters were so well-written that they brought out the exact emotions the author was perhaps looking to fish out from the readers. I didn't hate anyone because it's not that kind of story and the addition of an antagonist might've been very unnecessary to the plot. Thankfully it didn't go that route. The characters were interesting without diving too deep into their backgrounds. The few flashbacks were useful in giving us an insight into their childhood without making it the core, but also recognising it as the reason for their strong bond as a pair of lovers, or perhaps husbands, today.

All in all, I loved 'A Late Return' and would definitely recommend giving this a try if it caught your interest. Happy reading! <<less

4.5/5

It's a bad end, but their love is truly heartwarming. In fact, despite the tragedy tag, there isn't too much heartache since the overall atmosphere is warm and mellow.

The author set the tone of the story well, and the narrative is easy to understand despite a slight poetic undertone.

It's a worthwhile read, I recommend anyone to give it a try.

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Spoiler

I wish Ye Wenshui could really wait until Li Aoxue is a hundred years old, and what's described in the text wasn't just Li Aoxue's imagination, but Wenshui actually came to greet him home. 😢 They love each other so much; they deserve a happy ending.

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