There are so many stories where the ML is a fluffy, innocent upstanding guy - go read one of those if that's what you're after!

Black-Bellied Seme/Gong characters (MLs that we as readers know are manipulative/obsessive/evil/etc.) are FUN to read about! The novel is tagged R*pe so the idea that you're going into this novel unaware that Bad Things Happen™ is just silly. Not every book is for everyone. No fictional book owes you comfort. If you don't like bad MLs, read a book that has a good ML (in your... more>> opinion) and don't downvote an obviously well-written novel for such a self-caused distaste.

Imagine if I gave every novel that, while well-written, had a BL main pairing and I wanted hetero, so I give it 1 star and say 'story was good but it needed more male/female romance'? That's not the author's intention! And in this novel, the author's intention isn't for YY to be Captain America! <<less

I dont understand why people give bad review.. Because in my opinion, this novel is great. I reread this novel times and times again. The ML is childish, but strong willed and sincere. The MC is mature and tried his best to cope with his life turn upside down. But both are straight forward in their feeling for each other, save us the drama. I love it. And would like to reccomend it ?

Too much power inbalance and it didn't feel like MC/ML relationships was genuine. I love smart MC/overbearing and possessive ML, but this one was not my cup of tea. Felt like the MC was too white lotus and manipulative in his own ways (even though lots of other reviews found him likeable) and the ML was brainlessly chasing after MC. MC and ML just were not compatible in my eyes and it didn't get better.

Honestly as the story kept going it felt like MC had a protagonist halo that made... more>> the ML fall in love with him and insist on being with him no matter what lol. ML got more and more brainless and it was not adorable.

The relationship dynamic wasn't for me and it felt like it was borderline abus*ve on both ends. <<less

UPDATE 4/4/2019: I reread this for fun but woah I rate this a 1.5 now. I just don't like the ML, the MC thinks the ML changed but no lol, he's still oppressive and manipulative until the end.

I would rate this a 2.5.

I like the sweet moments butttt there is little character development on the gong. I LOVE possessive and aggressive gongs but this one is not my cup of tea. He's unreasonable and he doesn't listen to the shou from start to finish. Thank god the shou is likable.

Tldr it's HE but a not so good read. I finished it for the shou and smut.

Why my ratings are low

While the novel has an interesting premise and the dynamics of the characters seem interesting, there's just something OOC about the ML being so childish while having gone to the army. I don't know how he'd last when the army is an institution that prides in discipline and answering to authorities. Also if the ML really doesn't want to work for the company, why shouldn't he leave and find his own path. Why does his father and MC have to force him to work in a... more>> job they think he should be doing? So what if ML can't run the company? Why should a child be saddled with following after their parent's choices without regard for what they want? I'm not comfortable with the MC and ML's dynamics and I'm not comfortable with someone being forced to do something they don't want to do even if ML is a childish prick, he should still as an adult get to pick his own path. I'm sure the story might be better later on, but this entire premise makes it too triggering for me to read, considering how many people I know who are caught in the same position of taking after the family business and being unhappy about it. Even if he gets happy later on... that's highly unlikely IRL.

Ultimately, I didn't finish the novel but my rating is for the plot and not for the quality of writing. I'm sure many of the other reviewers enjoyed the story overall. The subject matter of someone being forced to pursue a career not of their calling for me was just something that I don't support. Still, if you don't mind the plot, maybe like the other readers, you'll find yourself enjoying the story. <<less

I. Loved. It.

This story was written magnificently, the plot the author has written was delivered beautifully. Yes there's r*pe in the tags and yes its part of the story. But honestly be openminded. Not all stories are meant to be written for the perfect love or fluff.

The ML was an idiotic military guy who acted like a gangster at the beginning but you see how much he grows as a character, you see him compromising and emotionally, mentally growing. The character development is really nicely done. His initial immaturity isn't... more>> gone when the MC leaves and forces the ML to be more mature, it's just changed to be more or a lover's jealousy.

The MC, what I liked the most about the story is that he doesn't forgive the ML about the r*pe, he doesn't just blindly fall in love and give up all of his other aspects of life. He's a talented business man and it shows how even when he thinks with his heart about the ML, he still cares equally about his reputation, his family, and all the friendships he's made in his life.

The most important reason I think this novel was amazing, the ending. The way the author concluded the novel was beautiful. The MC and ML's main issue, was that both of them had a wedge between them with the r*pe incident that happened at the beginning of their relationship, in fact it started the toxic initial relationship. They both, overcome that incident learning to put it behind them. I know people will say r*pe is not forgiveable and all that, but the MC and ML were going to end up together. If the author hadn't resolved this issue, them being together wouldn't make any sense and it would have been considered a toxic relationship even the second time. Which would defeat the purpose of all the character growth. The author promised angst and delivered it to the point of making my throat close up with tears in my eyes. Then the author appeased us by making the two charscters grow and when they got together it was a proper mature relationship which honestly made me feel, it was worth it. Another thing, the MC didn't like forget or forgive the incident, but he still tried his best to move forward and look at what the future has to offer which made this realistic and just satisfying to read. <<less

....I binge read this for 3 days straight. I have not seen the drama.. but I'm not sure if I want to because I feel like I'm going to be disappointed it doesn't follow through that it's an actual romance due to censorship.

As the tags mentioned, majority is non consensual and hate s*x. There's even dubious s*x that comes with the influence of aphrodisiacs. So readers who don't want to come across these themes should turn back and not read at all. Despite that there's a few fluff and sweet... more>> moments but they are very few but impactful.

The smut aside, the ML is very stubborn and one track minded, and of course I wouldn't want to leave out, also an arrogant asshat. Considering he came from that kind of background and was still a brat in the beginning, you do see how all of his experiences accumulated and changed him to the person he is in the later chapters. He bears deep, DEEP grudges. That bit hasn't changed in the least... how many grievances he experienced in the past he'll return it 100 times. So yes, if there's anything this novel can teach us it's that, spite can be a motivating factor to success.

There's also a lot of miscommunication, misunderstanding and these people not being honest with their feelings so they decide to hold a contest who can piss the other off more by saying things they know will really stab the other where it hurts; mutually harming each other because they love and hate each other...

MC is probably the only rational person in this novel. This unfortunate guy who only wanted to focus on his career in the beginning had control spiraled out of his hands the moment he met MC. I do admire that he's unyielding yet knows when to bend but still has strong willpower. He is definitely not a weak stick who can't think for himself despite the constant pressure and tribulations everywhere. Any lesser man might break down and succumb to insanity.

It is because of him, I finished to read to the end because there is no tragedy tag and I am the spectator who is cheering him on from the sidelines who wholeheartedly wishes for the development of their good end. And I can say it's worth it.

Edit: also why do some readers come to the story knowing there is a r*pe tag if you feel it is uncomfortable to read about it. the tag is there. if you can't stomach it, it makes you uncomfortable, you are valid but don't bloody read it. Nobody is forcing you to.

Do you go to every r*pe tag novel and say r*pe is bad, you've never experienced it etc etc. of course every person who is reading knows it is the worst situation. Assuming every reader is rightfully over 18 and are able emotionally sound and old enough to distinguish good from bad, as well as fiction from reality. <<less

5/5* LOVE THIS AUTHOR AND NOVEL!

This author isn't that popular on NU but I deduct she must be in China as many of her novels are adapted into audio dramas and this one has even been adapted in live action drama.

This is my 3rd novel by this author and I have become a serous fan!! So far I like 'My little poplar' the most, then this one and 'Professional substitute'.

What I love (about this author) :

• • Mature writing and setting (excellent smut too) : All her couples are characters that have seen the world in the sense of previous relationships. They are not the weak virg*nal types. Though I also enjoy these white moonlight/lotus, innocent type of stories tremendously, I am also overjoyed to find stories like Beloved enemy. They feel so more real and the plot development is always so excellent that you even ship the couples more. Despite their wordly attitude and vast experience they just fall soooo hard for eachother, to the extent that it gets obsessive and destructive, and the way it happens is so well written and natural!

• • Complex, fleshed out characters, flawed but oh so hot: I just LOVE how this author is able to make her characters come alive. MC sounds dull just from the description (corporate manager type), but WOW! He is so eloquent, elegant, smart, hard working, diligent, capable, succesful etc. He feels very indebted towards anyone that was good to him. He had zero back ground but managed to get to the top of the corporate ladder all by himself. His biggest flaw is that he cares (too much) about how others view him. It only became a problem when he felt betrayed and utterly humiliated by ML and his family to let go of these iron principles of him how to maintain himself in society in which he fought so hard for. In short he is a fully fleshed out 3D character. I fell in love with MC too and as a reader I totally get why ML would fall so hard for MC, to the extent it became destructive.

• • ML: all ML's written by this author are aggressive, extremely hot headed, physically the top of the pyramid when it comes to looks and sexuality and stamina. The feeling is so raw and HOT. They also always have super powerful background, but ML is used to simple food and housing (due to military background). The powerful background is not used to throw around weight, rather it complicates ML tremendously in being together with MC. MLs are always s*um in the beginning, there is often r*pe and dubcon, but it is not so simple. ML is a complex characters too. There is a lot of guilt, suffering too. And caring and doting. So far in the stories I read, ML always disliked MC, but man... They fall soooooo hard in the end. And this process is always so well written and convincing! Not the type of falling in love at first sight and getting obsessed for no particular reason (aka Kdrama settings). The HE is always due to ML being so damn persistent in never-letting-go!!He would rather die together than ever let go. He suffers tremendous pain during this process (especially in Professional Substitute').

• • Plot and character development: I always wonder at the beginning.... How can this couple become lovers and the kind that are so obsessed?? They so hate eachother now... And everytime author manages in to make the process so beautiful and powerful.

• • Side characters: best side characters I have read are in the stories of this author. Especially in My little poplar. They are believable and relatable. Equally fleshed out like the main characters. There is lot of character development.

• • Overall feeling - raw, emotional, destructive and super addicting: Writing skills and writing style are just so good! Pacing is excellent, scenes are captivating and don't drag. Page turners. It is balanced between descriptions and dialogues. The flow is always good. As soon as I start reading I can't stop.

So why the bad ratings?

The character settings.... Not everyone can like these explosive, agressive MLs who can and will NEVER let go. Totally obsessive and destructive. The type that would rather die then let go. It can be defined as very toxic and unhealthy. And I totally get why some readers are truly repulsed by this. But it is also the setting that I ship them so much and feel so much pain for ML in the end. His never ending persistence makes me numb and I only wish them to be together again.

I really hope this author will write a story that has a more 'normal/popular' character setting too. With her excellent writing style such story could be explosively popular. On the other hand, it does make her stories very distinctive from the mass...

BTW I don't like the pictures of the TV drama of this story. Real actors can never come close to the images in my head. Description of MC is quite different than the actor in TV drama.

I don't understand why this novel is so underrated. This is one of my favorite (188) novels!!! I just like the tension, also the intimate moments were so intense!!!!

The ML and MC. Both strong. The ML is physically strong and strong-willed and the MC mature and intelligent.

I hate that I like this novel. I really do. It does agaisnt everything that I like in a novel. It has the exact amount of misunderstanding, indecisiveness that I hate and lets not forget the r*pe parts too. The ML is an as*hole and very childish most of the time too. I completely understand why people hate this novel, I really do. Which is why drives it drives me insane how I really liked the MC, plot and writing style, plz dont ask why I dont think I have... more>> the answer for you. <<less

This was an emotional roller coaster. There was so much angst at some point I had to come back and check the tags to confirm that it's not a tragedy.

ML was a soft, quick to anger but open as a book puppy. However, as it progressed he became a dark, overbearing "if you leave me I'll break your legs and lock you up in a basement." Still love him to bits though because everything he did he did for MC including changing who he was.

MC was a selfish self centered... more>> prude and he gave me a headache every time he spoke to ML.

Spoiler

He kept comparing ML to other people (mind you ML is 11 years younger than everyone else. He kept bashing him, telling him he's nothing, he's not good enough, he needs to change, and when ML finally became what he wanted he decided nah, this is too much. I hated his pompous ass and the only redeeming quality he had was finally accepting ML

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8/10 would recommend. <<less

They should've just stayed enemies lol

YY was insufferable and yet the author still made him endgame

Annoyed me to no end

Loved GQP tho, but I could never understand forgiving someone who r*ped me and ruined my life with evidence of said r*pe.

No.

First and foremost read the tag carefully, if you're not comfortable with any of them then stop reading at once. As for the story, the ML although childish and very possessive, he's very much true to his word until the end. He's ready to sacrifice everything for our MC. MC was much older than ML but still the balance is there. He's not the s*upid type and can be bullied easily. The relationship of the ML and MC has their own ups and downs but in the end they were... more>> able to overcome all the obstacles. A good read if you were able to pass the tags. <<less

I think this is the book that I have reread the most. It is very intense. I love the protagonists unwavering feelings for each other. Even though the ML is immature with a one-track mind, I like his character growth. And unlike most of yanderes who go off the rail once their SO left them or spend their times chasing them and trying to force them until they comeback, sometimes using questionable means, I admire how YY, with all his immaturity and impatience, instead of blindly chasing after GQP and... more>> wasting away, manages to spend the time of their separation to make himself stronger for the sake of GQP and their future. <<less

Actually, came bit late to this gem after readin some comments. Yeah, that YY really pain in the *ss. So I felt you, all of the readers and reviewers who gave one and two stars.

I gave 4.5/5 cos I like that YY behind that overbearing, rough, possesive, narrow minded exteriors, he was the first that stood tall and still in the relationship. He spiced up (also messed up, haha) GQP steady and monotone life. I love how naive he was, and his fiery love for GQP.

I love GQP, for his... more>> maturity and patience toward YY. That stubborn YY was an emotional challenge to the nerve (me as a reader really wanna smack his face in some chaps). I think GQP bit masochism, for some YY words and deeds kinda hurtful.

Of course the steamy juicy love was goood. Well proportioned to the plot. And the plot also elaborated. Got hooked already at first chap.

it was rough start, with many bumps in the middle and happy at the ending. RELIEVED and HAPPY for their finally put down their barrier, and say the magic word L O V E

Admired your work author Sui Qian Cheng and tge kindness of rosyspell translator, for your hardwork to spread this novel <<less

Its is literally the best romantic novel I've every read. I enjoyed it so much that I even forgot to sleep😂and specially the intimate moments (*cough) were so intense and hot😂 And this novel even made me laugh most of the time. One time I laughed so hard which made my mom think that I was possessed in the middle of the night😂😂anyway I highly recommend this novel❤

This is the only novel that forced me to leave a review because of how frustrating it is. I mean, the relationship between the 2 is too toxic. I dunno man, I've read a lot of novels with the same concept but this one, jezus, it's too exhausting to read that I just gave up.

A four stars rating for this novel feels too much at some parts but I cannot shy away from the fact that I love this novel, a lot, much more than I had initially anticipated.

Normally for this type of novel, I will try to be more profound and look at things from a bigger picture, because nothing in this novel is really new anyway. MC and ML’s relationship started from a rocky place (enemy) and slowly and ahem... roughly turn into a lovely Dovey stage and I have to explicitly... more>> say I would even hate it if the author didn’t do that one right thing that completely captivates me.

Before talking about the sole reason I gave it a fours start rating let’s get all the bad things out of the way first.

This novel is very trope-heavy. It’s a romantic love story so It’s bound to be it. The back and forth misunderstanding and the too-late realization are all there and they can get annoying sometimes.

The male lead Yuan Yang is too immature. Some of his actions in this novel should be seriously questioned, my biggest problem about this male character at the end of the day was the lack of his development as a person. I truly believe that the author could have gotten so much more out of him and but didn’t which is such an opportunity missed.

All the things I said above is one part that I seriously dislike about this novel, but some other parts that I like are just so good, so captivating, so beautiful that I still at the end of the day fell head over heel with it.

First, and It might be a personal thing but I am such a sucker for an age gap relationship, especially when the one pursuing is younger. And the author did just the right thing with how these two people view the relationship. Earlier I mentioned, I don’t like the character Yuan Yang, his way of thinking is too young and impulsive and sometimes he came across as a bit naive, but it might be because the way I view this character is directly comparing him to the other lead with is Gu Qingpei, an 11 years older man.

These two characters were written so well with all the flaws, they make me feel they’re real-life people rather than characters in the novel. Gu Qingpei, someone who is so experienced in life, he’s seen enough, he’s very cautious and he knew to think twice and thrice before doing anything, which is a good thing, but can also be a flaw.

Yuan Yang, the younger one, he’s like all of us when we were younger, when we were naive and thought that nothing in life is impossible and that we could get everything we want. Being this persistence is good but let’s face it, the reality is harsh and wishful thinking is also part of his flaw.

These 2 people are in stark contrast to each other, one cares too much and the other cares too little. They compliment each other so beautifully and their sweet moments are just so sweet.

The second and probably the biggest reason I love this novel is Gu Qingpei, This character, the way he looks at life, the way he behaves and reacts to a certain situation. He’s so captivating and I love him so much, so much that sometimes I feel like I only stick through this novel because I want to see his ending and I genuinely want him to be happy for the rest of his life whatever decision he makes. He isn’t just a character from a novel instead he’s like a brother that I just care so much about and I applaud the author for being able to write such a character that left this huge impression on me.

Overall, even though this novel is very trope-heavy and a lot of things should be questioned, Its well-grounded attitude and fascinating way of depicting characters, are the things that should be complimented.

Maybe I’m just very shallow after all, I love and care about this novel so much, not every bit of it but the part I love is enough for me to overlook the part I don’t, hence the 4 stars rating is very personal. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but It mine, and I freaking love it. <<less

You will like this novel if you like possesive ML's and dont mind non/dub-con. If that moves your boat, this is the novel for you.

Okay, now for my thoughts. Personally, I think meeting Yuan Yang (ML) was Gu Qingpei's greatest misfortune. YY (ML) is the whole package for possesive ML. R*pe, coercion, kidnapping, stalking, basically doing everything he can to make sure he can control GQP (MC). The only thing ML didn't do was hit GQP. He reeks of possesiveness and childishness and has no respect for the independence and... more>> autonomy of GQP.

Spoiler

Note the time-skip tag. Honestly, I was hoping the ML would mature and reflect on what he did before, and that they could have a healthy relationship. But nope, after GCP (MC) returns, its the same thing all over again. ML taps his phone, follows him to his home and work, kidnaps him, r*pes him again. I might've enjoyed this novel more, but the possessiveness and level of stalking was too much. It hit too close to reality, and if GQP were a real person he would need all the help he could get to get away from this crazy person. I've seen too many people in GQP's situation and the feeling of not being able to get away from someone is truly scary.

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Basically, the ML's whole personality is childishness and possesiveness, which doesn't change throughout the novel.

Spoiler

A small comfort is that he gave up a lot to be with GQP (MC), s/a his family. However, I feel he didnt suffer enough by the time they got back together. His guilt for the video just wasn't enough for me.

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As for the MC, I was too busy feeling bad for him to be able to get a good grasp on his personality. I do feel that he's three-dimensional though. He was just a person with ambitions living his life, trying to advance in his career. He's not a completly good person; he holds his grudges and is two-faced when doing business. But he's not a bad person either. <<less

This is an absolutely great novel and wonderful translation, too. I like Years of Intoxication (both novel and Manhua) but this is even better! The character development is deep, the plot is clever and realistic, and just enough of heart quenching moments to drive you crazy. Both MC and ML really both grew up through out the story despite their own issues.

if you are hesitant to red this, you really should give this a try. The plot and context are refreshing and clever. For now, I will move to the... more>> 3rd installment of this shared universe of novels. The author now has become one of my favourites of all time along with MXTX. <<less