Antidote (Wu Zhe)

Description

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Cheng Ke quit his job, moved away from his rich family in pursuit of arts. He is a sand painter who creates stunning pieces of art using sand. He becomes Jiang Yu Duo’s tenant who’s a gang leader and takes care of his sister’s apartments. Their worlds collide as they move from mutual rejection to mutual understanding. Through hard work and struggles, they each achieve success and move towards a better future.

Associated Names
One entry per line
Antidote
Jie Yao
解药
Related Series
Qing Kuang (Shared Universe)
Recommendations
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Latest Release

Date Group Release
09/08/23 KnoxT c102
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09/08/23 KnoxT c100
09/07/23 KnoxT c99
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Review
26 Reviews


Missjayrayg
New Missjayrayg
Apr 18, 2025
Status: Completed
4.9/5 !!!!!

LOVED this novel soooo much. The characters and plot was amazing, I mental health issues discussed and represented in this novel was so well done.

Only down side

Spoiler

The smut is not written. More like it was cut out ??? It confused me for a second and I lost my place in the story.

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However everything else about the story is amazing. I think I cried at one point. The characters feel so real and alive. I really cared about the MC and ML. Honestly anything by this author is really good.
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Lori_gh
Lori_gh
Aug 23, 2020
Status: --
I came here after watching the anime, but it’s really different, in a good way. The flow of the story is completely different and everything just seems better. Totally recommend. The novel emphasizes more on the struggles of the characters. It's even better because they are common real life struggles. The random gay moments also make it super worth it.
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LWH22
LWH22
Sep 28, 2020
Status: c102
This is good. I actually finished it through MTL because I got so curious about how Cheng Ke and Jian Yu Duo would end up. I liked their interactions and how they slowly got to know and trust each other. I like how the reader found out about and got to know Jiang Yu Duo and his story at the same time and pace as Cheng Ke, (the reader may be even a bit behind compared to Cheng Ke). The story is mainly about these two but other side... more>> characters were endearing as well, like Cheng Qing.

Spoiler

some parts of the story did actually scare me a bit, like descriptions of when Jiang Yu Duo would see "people" out of the corner of his eye, I actually felt his anxiety and frustration at those times. I liked how the author didn't do a "happily ever after" miracle cure but stated that it is something they would have to live with, which is more realistic

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chenjiaan
chenjiaan
Aug 27, 2020
Status: --
Good take on struggles in a modern relationship. Very heartwarming read that does a good job at developing characters and their relationship with one another. Wu Zhe is definitely an underrated writer and I love how she's so good at just slowly unveiling things as the story progresses.

However, the translation quality is iffy and I and have to wonder if it's being MTLed and then lightly edited.
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longing
longing
Nov 15, 2020
Status: c102
I MTLed it.

It is slice of life, the genre I hate and love at the same time. And it is amazing how complicated can be feelings caused by a novel. The story feels quite real. I will reread it if I'll ever forget the plot details.

So. MC and ML are equal, and they fit each other, love each other and always ready to help. They are both interesting characters. They're growing. And the way they're getting together is actually funny. All the story is written with pieces of comedy above... more>> the serious themes it shows.

Spoiler

There are the psychic issues and hospital theme, which I am not expert in, so I don't know if what author tells is true.

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If you want to smile, think about the life you have and its values and cry a little, I suppose you will not regret reading this work. I do not.

The warning here: it can be more difficult to read than it seems, I spent 5 days just because I needed some rest of it in the culmination, but you can finish it faster if your emotional stamina is higher than mine. <<less
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ylial
ylial
Jan 06, 2021
Status: Completed
Good story. A slice of life between 2 wounded persons. I like this because the ML is not omnipotent as other novels' ML. For usual danmei, Xu Ding is probably the ML since he is very capable to protect the MC. NOT RECOMMENDED for those who want fluffy, exciting, fast-paced and romantic BL novels

For used on MC & ML. In the first half of the story u won't know if the person's and shadows, that the ML sees, are real or not. Second half if facing their fears.
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lovecherrymotion
lovecherrymo
Jan 10, 2024
Status: Completed
Such a good novel. Even though I finished it a few weeks ago, I still can't stop thinking about it. Cheng Ke and Jiang Yuduo are such well-written, dynamic characters. Their struggles, actions, and personalities feel so real. This novel definitely goes through heavy subjects, and there are plenty of knives (both literal knives, and also the metaphorical 'knives' causing emotional damage to readers). The side characters are also interesting, though they are not the focus of the plot.

The synopsis on here kind of sucks. It starts with Cheng Ke... more>> being kicked out of home by his father (due to his brother's manipulations/actions). He has multiple chance encounters with Jiang Yuduo, and he eventually ends up as Cheng Ke's landlord. Cheng Ke has spent his entire life in a rich household, with servants taking care of literally everything. Now, he is alone and has to figure out how to live. The novel not only focuses on the developing relationship between Cheng Ke and Jiang Yuduo, it also focuses on their struggles and personal growth.

Cheng Ke struggles in domestic tasks, but excels in sand art and interacting with the 'high class' world.

Jiang Yuduo rules the streets and has many close followers, but he is tormented by his past and mental illness

Spoiler

(self harm, hallucinations, delusions) at one point, he even hurts cheng ke, and at other points WOULD have hurt him if cheng ke was physically in the same location

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This novel shows both of them dealing with their struggles, and relying on each other. Although both of them may seem rude, they are both compassionate people. Although they start the novel alone, by the end they have each other.

The relationship, trust, and romance that builds between Cheng Ke and Jiang Yuduo is extremely heartwarming. Some parts felt so desolate, that I had to take a break and read something fluffier. But the care those two had for each other allowed me to push through the darker moments.

Overall, I highly recommend. <<less
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meatbunluver
meatbunluver
Jan 19, 2024
Status: Completed
A really solid novel. There's something comforting about reading two broken people come together to pick up their shattered pieces, glue them together, and heal.

I wasn't sure what I was getting into from the synopsis (it doesn't even touch the surface of this masterpiece), but I'm so glad I read it. The author does a masterful job making you feel that the novel is real. It tackles serious issues, with a heavy sprinkle of comedy. Their backgrounds and lifestyles make Cheng Ke and Jiang Yuduo seem like people you can... more>> only meet through a story, but their struggles, flaws, and thoughts breathe through the pages.

Read if you like realistic novels with characters who genuinely grow to care and love each other, through all the hardships. <<less
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twobada
twobada
Jun 20, 2022
Status: --
1st of all, don't MTL if you can because it drastically lowers the experience.

2nd, the quality shines through even with bad MTL.

When it comes to danmeis that deal with mental illness, this is definitely one of the masterpieces. I feel overwhelmed right now because of how pleased I am after reading it and seeing our main CP grow in their journey together.

... more>> I especially love how both of them were actually mentally ill, with ML's mental illness being very, very severe. But they were patient, caring, and supportive with each other.

The fact that loving and caring for someone who's mentally ill requires commitment was also highlighted here. I liked that a lot. Because it's especially true in real life. Just the feeling of love is never enough. It's a lot of mental (and sometimes physical) effort and consideration.

That part was never glossed over here and you can really see the main couple's progress individually and as a couple.

The pacing was really good and the characters and the environment they lived in felt so alive even though the main focus was always on the main characters. There were no wasted chunks of text just describing what or who. Just people coming alive. Good writing. <<less
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wkhekwjewkej
wkhekwjewkej
Jan 17, 2025
Status: Completed
HANDS DOWN THE BEST ROMANCE I’VE READ.

It’s a story about two very different people hopelessly in love, and once again- they’re not perfect. They’re real people who face difficulties and you will love them go through their issues and fall in love with them. It’s a tear jerking book (i cried buckets as I read the entire thing in one go)

I had read this book a few years back. Sometimes things just hit harder as you age. When you realize at one point you crave that security and... more>> that warmth.

Characters:

Chang Ke, he’s very strong. Very very strong. He knows what he wants and never shys away from it. It’s a signature characteristic of Wu Zhe’s children but Chang Ke, I love you so much.

Jiang Yuduo. Oh my Jiang Yuduo. My child. He’s so precious, but he’s so alive, he has so much inside of him and he needed that perfect person to unlock his heart for him.

Romance:

This book isn’t anything worse than Saye, personally I enjoyed it more than Saye. The romance was so perfect. Two people who completed each others lives. What else is more complete than that? I don’t want to say anything more. Just read the book.

Plot:

The plot is pretty similar to Saye in the sense they slowly open up and explore each others worlds as they support one another, it’s a very beautiful and slow pace but at the same time it feels fast, I just know I experienced all the pain and pleasure they did. The premise though is very unique. The mystery is done really well.

overall: 5/5 personal: 5/5 <<less
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Michelle-08
Michelle-08
Jan 31, 2024
Status: Completed
“If the main character really died, then I wouldn’t have many feelings about it. Besides, so many people pay attention to the main character, whether they’re happy or sad, whether they’re well or not, whether they’re dead or alive, ” Jiang Yuduo withdrew from the novel world, speaking softly, “It’s a different story for side characters, especially the minor ones. No one ever cares about them.” - Aweeee! This truly breaks my heart.

What a roller coaster ride! The pain, struggle, the mental illness of the ML is heartbreaking. I like... more>> how the writer of this novel shows that not all mental illness patients can be treated completely like other novels depicted, which is what the case of our ML is. Here, the ML might be treating his mental illness for life but the good things is the MC is 100% there to understand and support him through his journey to healing. The love that they showed to each other is so beautiful.

This is highly recommended but please be mindful that there's a lot of trigger warnings for this novel, so read at your own risk. <<less
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Olivia D
Olivia D
Sep 06, 2023
Status: Completed
I didn't expect to love this novel so much. Its amazing how it potrays the mental illness and actually deals with it.

I love both Chengke and Jiang Yuduo relationship. Although it wasn't great in the beginning but they do cared about each other. Chengke is a son of rich man and he leave the house to lead his own life and ended as Yuduo's housemate for a while.

Its cute how Chengke appears to be clueless and didn't know how to turn on the stove or making soup etc (probably due... more>> to his upbringing). Yuduo is the one who is in charge helping him. Chengke is also interesting with his sand painting art.

I'm crying when Yuduo decided to continue his treatment & afraid if Chengke couldn't wait and soon leave him. I'm glad that Chengke is always there beside him.

Spoiler

That bubble tea shop opening moment is damn touching and sweet.

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# I did watch the anime ver tho its just a bromance but still some scene included which is good enough for me <<less
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HaylD
HaylD
Aug 13, 2023
Status: Completed
I first started reading the manua and fell in love. When I dove into the novel it only had 31 translated chapters so I MTLd the rest and it’s seriously such an amazing story!! I love the characters! I love the plot everything it’s one my absolute favorites. I’m excited that the translation is being finished! Absolutely worth a read or five!
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CrIsI
CrIsI
Aug 26, 2021
Status: c28
Hahaha love this Novel, between comedy and tragedy they walk forward and help eachother out sometimes voluntarily others accidentally, it doesn't matter.

Also, too funny how the Cheng's key always ends up stopping their arguments.
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bblank
bblank
Apr 14, 2025
Status: Completed
Can't say I can put this with my other solid 5 stars (not in good faith) , but since it's underrated, I'll give it some slack. Actually, my rating is 4.2-4.5

omg. Mental illness representation IN NOVELS?? HELLO? And it's not just some batsh*t crazy bastard manipulating, stalking, and beaing up the MC, only to get excused at every turn because he's an uwu baby and just loves MC 🥺. ... more>>
Spoiler

Yeah, our ML has some mental illness, or mental disorder, I don't know (schizo? we never did get his exact diagnosis) but it's never glorified. His bad behaviors towards MC as a result of his declining mental ealth are not excused or justified. There's very good portrayal of trauma and how it sticks to you, and it never quite leaves. There's realistic scenes of healing and relapsing, of struggling with yourself, ML goes through it all. In fact, it's so realistic that maybe the author has some personal ties to someone with similar struggles, because... man, some scenes had me in tears... (

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Spoiler

"Cheng Ke, you don't believe me, do you?" "I don't know what to believe - I don't know what happened" HELPPP SOMEONE SEDATE ME AHHHHH this hurt like a b*tchHHHhhh !! Twtttt.... Their relationship had me in tears lol. Everything is so real, so genuine, I don't know how to describe it, but Wu Zhe's works have a way of making these characters come to life. MC, Cheng Ke, showed a level of compassion and maturity beyond anyting expected of a spoiled rich young master. Every time he showed understanding, softness, I felt ML heal a little bit inside. Getting ML to admit to being sick, as well as getting treatment, , , and waiting for him through his treatment.... god, it would take a lot. This guy is the STANDARD yall dont understaaaaand dddf sfsfdlf !!

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Side cast this time was a bit bland. Er Miao from SAYE absolutely drop-kicks Meow from Antidote. (now that I type this, I see a pattern...?) Sister lu qiang, MC's family, even Cheng Qing (who got the most screentime) somehow... fell flat in the end, sorry. TT I didn't reaaaaally care for them!? Okay?! Especially knowing other Wu Zhe works, this one did not deliver on the side cast...

Spoiler

Back to sharing some scenes I adored. First and foremost our BIG softie ML with a golden heart. This guy is an entire green forest. I dont care, I DONT CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS, I will defend him forever, he did nothing wrong ever!!! From dealing with internal h*mophobia, to his fear of hospitals, to his fear of them, to his fear of everything, he's literally the bravest guy ever. I cannot imagine what living in constant paranoia would be like. His life was TOUGH before Cheng Ke, okay?! (can you tell he's my favourite in this duo. lol.) I related to him here and there. Mental illness is soooo stigmatized for no reason. ooooh u have the mental jeebies ooohh we all hate you now~~~ bruh. enough TT. Time to clock out on that bs.

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Spoiler

Unrelated but I ain't ever seen a sand artist MC. I didn't even know sand painting was a thing. I'll give it to ya, author, this one's genuinely unique. Well, Cheng Ke's entire character is unique. He gives me the strict wife vibe???? Hahah. Hear me out!! hear meee !!! (I shout from the asylum) I also think he handled ML well. Didn't treat him like a wild animal or a child, just... calmed him down, talked gently... I said earlier that I could feel ML's healing in real time, but I guess it healed me a little too : (Staying with someone at their lowest could not have been easy. Cheng Ke literally fell for ML for who he WAS, even at his lowest, can you imagine? That's... something you can't get by begging, as Hua Lian says, it's 3/4 fate and 1/4 intention.

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Anywayss <3. Can you believe this is the first ever novel character I've read who actually goes and gets therapy for their mental illness? And gets treatment? And starts taking medication? And improves? Genuinely???? Like in real life ??? The first they don't throw the "love heals all" bullsh*t at me, to the point where poor ML's traumatic childhood simply vaporizes into nothing because he's loved now? shut up. SHUT UP. This or nothing!!!!!!! uwahh

probably my favourite part lol. Cheng Ke in the ending was so cute, saving those tickets to reassure ML he isn't going anywhere.. <3 uuuuuuuu TT

That being said, this is a ROUGH read, an EMOTIONAL read, please read the tags first. Read the warnings. There are... heavy stuff, okay? stay safe. This is also a character driven novel. The plot is almost nonexistent, and it takes a back seat. Most of the exploration happenes with the character development, both personal and relationship development, and you've gotta make sure that's okay with your preferences before going in.

Spoiler

Yeah yeah. I know I said allat. but just a quick POI : why did Cheng Ke have to lowkey assault ML a few times. Was that necessary? Was it cool? ML was so obv not into it at the time.... Every time Cheng Ke did it, I had to make a mental tally of the amounts of times MC throws himself on/at ML. Let this man breathe.... wtf... yeah, the forced kisses were NOT it. And I'm not a sensitive bit*h either - I read noncon, but I really don't think it has a place in this particular novel.... There's even a scene where Cheng Ke says, "I'm gonna kiss you... I don't want your consent or anything, I'm just letting you know. Don't push me away, I'm a patient in pain" (he had a cast on FROM THE LAST TIME HE TRIED THIS SHIT!! Did you learn nothing.) Anyways this isn't allat bad because ML doesn't respond to it.... llike, at all. He didn't even say no or display any body languge to push Cheng Ke away. Like, if you're not interested, can you act like it?! At least a little~?!! Give me something to go off of, do you want it or nott !!! XD Which is why I'm torn lol.

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playfuldolphin
playfuldolph
Apr 14, 2025
Status: Completed
my first book by wu zhe, its close to my heart

i love jiang yuduo and cheng ke so much, like there were so many moments where I was laughing with tears in my eyes and feeling a warmth in my heart...

but be ready, this book really put me through the ringer

... more>> sigh it was so emotional just watching jiang yuduo and what he was growing through and then seeing cheng ke too, I could really feel their pain and boy did it hurt

goddamn this book brought me up then down, honestly its perfectly balanced with humor, romance, angst <3 <<less
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hejikkk
hejikkk
Dec 28, 2024
Status: Completed
A very unique story with the ML being a very memorable character.

I can't speak on the accuracy of the portrayal of mental illness, but I think the author did a good job in replicating some of the feeling + struggles that comes with caring for someone with trauma.

Unlike many romance novels, where the trauma is resolved with the bandaid of new love and a "don't worry I'm there for you", we see how sometimes that doesn't work out even if someone wants to believe these words. Being truly scared of... more>> what you might do. The anxiety that comes with wanting to get "better" but not actually getting better, and the helpless feeling of watching it all.

The serious approach to resolving memories of the past, rather than having it just be a plot device for the present, was quite refreshing to see.

However, I felt that aside from that, there wasn't too much development for everyone else. Perhaps I missed something in the translation, but especially the MC's life with sand painting was quite glossed over. Both how he began the craft, and also his ambitions for the future seem pretty mild and I wish there was more of a focus on it since it seems pretty interesting. Doesn't help much that he's often called "useless" and "tr*sh" and instead of counteracting that with his actions and goals, the novel just describes how he sits at home and has nothing to do all day...

I also didn't really vibe with the style of bickering that the characters had with each other, which is quite a shame. So most parts with joking dialogue was kind of boring to me.

Finally, I'm not sure if it was something that was lost in translation or present in the raws, but a lot of passages in the novel don't flow in an understandable order, as if paragraphs were cut out from the text. Also, towards the middle and end, the names of the characters in the text are often wrong, which leads to having to guess who actually said what, when the dialogue doesn't make sense. This was honestly kind of tiring to decipher, and paired with the seemingly missing plot points, it did impact my enjoyment in reading quite a bit. <<less
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At0mik
At0mik
Aug 17, 2024
Status: c1
Ahhhh, this author is just always hitting the right spots in my heart. This one is treading complex trauma and difficult family affairs, which both hit too close to home.

I truly enjoyed their story so much. It was quite painful at times, but also funny and fluffy in blance. Their bond is so nicely developed, and I love the quotidian scenes of domesticity and little moments of self-discovery in the absurd or funny- yet relatable scenes.

It just felt so real and tangible. They heal, and it is in a very... more>> realistic way, with ups and downs, and it ends up in a not perfect yet good enough state. This is the happiest of endings sometimes, and I am thankful for this author who keeps conveying this in such beautiful ways.

I hope this book gets picked up by another translator or a publishing team. No offense to the current translators, I appreciate the hard work, but it is full of errors that make reading confusing many times.

This will stay in my heart~ <<less
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kinda_legendary
kinda_legend
Feb 02, 2024
Status: Completed
I love this novel so much - I created my account to review it. Both of the characters are so well done and they have a great relationship. They start out as not liking eachother very much but grow to understand each other and are very respectful and display their love in different ways which is so nice. The story is well paced, with good comedy, happy moments and tense moments. I will say this novel is jot for people who do not like discussions on mental issues, I personally... more>> felt that they were handled well and not magically cured or anything like that but some people may prefer to avoid it. <<less
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Minkyboodle
Minkyboodle
Oct 26, 2023
Status: Completed
I really enjoyed this novel! The characters were interesting and the story seemed pretty original. It had good pacing and realistic interactions/relationships.
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Zozo7400
Zozo7400
Jan 25, 2025
Status: Completed
Saturday, 1:18 pm

Okayyy so I finished reading this danmei yesterday at 1:43 am! Yeah I was reading late into the night (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠) and well I'm a big fan of wu zhe and her novels so I quite liked this novel.

Tho I gotta say idk if it's the translation or if wu zhe wrote the novel this way but there were very sudden jump scenes, like it feels abrupt just going from one scene to another at times and also though I'm grateful for the translation, still there were a lot... more>> of mistakes in it. The names were wrong and also typos were plenty.

Aside from all this, if I talk about the story itself, it's good but not the best. I like wu zhe's other novels more. But then again this is not a school life danmei so it can't really be compared with her other novels. It's different and in it's own league. But I still feel it could have been better if not for the sudden happenings.

Anyways, all in all, this was an experience and I'm quite glad I read this novel. I didn't fully watch the donghua and tbh I had no idea what this novel was going to be about aside from a slice of life but when the psychological part of the novel came I was surprised and very interested in knowing more! Now I just wish all the very best and a very happy life for our jiang yu dou and cheng ke. They both deserve it. Especially my baby san ge (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠) ♡ he really really deserves and earned that happy life!

Until my next review ~ <<less
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