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Black-bellied vs. Black-bellied: Ultimate Showdown

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Genre

Adult Drama Mature Romance Yaoi

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Rating(4.4 / 5.0, 151 votes)

5	74% (111 votes)
4	9% (14 votes)
3	5% (7 votes)
2	5% (7 votes)
1	8% (12 votes)

Language

Support Book (#ad)

Author(s)

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Xi He Qing Ling
羲和清零

Artist(s)

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N/A

Year

Example: 2012

2020

Status in COO

Status in Country of Origin. One entry per line

187 Chapters (Completed)

Licensed

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Completely Translated

Original Publisher

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English Publisher

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Release Frequency

Every 36 Day(s)

Activity Stats
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Weekly Rank: #1073
Monthly Rank: #6446
All Time Rank: #3288

Reading List
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On 2292 Reading Lists
Monthly Rank: #8953
All Time Rank: #3651

Description

Links are NOT allowed. Format your description nicely so people can easily read them. Please use proper spacing and paragraphs.

In order to help his father investigate the true situation at the group’s clothing company, Qi Yu was almost involved in an economic case. Fortunately, he was able to get away because of “an old hand” who had selflessly been providing him with help.

But as his interactions with this old hand grew, Qi Yu gradually began to discover that all this was far less simple than it seemed. He began to have his doubts about the other’s true identity and his purpose for appearing at his side…

“There is only one true heroism in the world: to see the world as it is, and to love it.”

——Romain Rowland

Associated Names

One entry per line

The Hunter Behind the Scenes
The Ultimate Showdown of Black-bellied and Black-bellied
การปะทะกันของคนตีสองหน้า
幕后獵手
腹黑和腹黑的终极对决

Related Series

The Daily Life of Being the Campus Idol’s Fake Boyfriend (Shared Universe)
Assistant Architect (Shared Universe)

Recommendations

The Daily Life of Being the Campus Idol’s Fake Boyfriend (3)
Assistant Architect (2)
The Perfect Relationship (1)
Assigned CEO (1)

Recommendation Lists

Latest Release

Date	Group	Release
08/09/22	Chrysanthemum Garden	c187
08/08/22	Chrysanthemum Garden	c186
08/01/22	Chrysanthemum Garden	c185
07/26/22	Chrysanthemum Garden	c184
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07/11/22	Chrysanthemum Garden	c182
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07/04/22	Chrysanthemum Garden	c179
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06/27/22	Chrysanthemum Garden	c177
06/24/22	Chrysanthemum Garden	c176
06/21/22	Chrysanthemum Garden	c175
06/20/22	Chrysanthemum Garden	c174
06/16/22	Chrysanthemum Garden	c173

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Review

32 Reviews

New spod

Nov 30, 2023

Status: Completed

4.4/5

This novel is really cute! The relationship between MC and ML is my favorite part of this novel.

Initially, when I read the reviews, I was kinda uncomfortable about the fact that ML was supposed to be MCs teacher (I was expecting grooming or smth lol) but ML was more like a tutor rather than a teacher. Their relationship progress felt a bitt unrealistic but it was still within the acceptable range of progress.

Also, MC doesn't really act black-bellied. He's kind, but not a pushover. He had character development as the... more>>

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idlehands

Jan 07, 2022

Status: --

I'm not that far in and probably continue it at some point, but my rating won't change no matter how much "character development" might happen later on.

This novel has the same problems as the author's other story.

The main characters are around 20, studying/working adults, yet they all have the maturity level and mental competence of 13 years old children.

Someone who grew up in the business circle, was dragged along to meetings etc. From a young age, can't possibly be this trusting and naïve, most lower-middle class children are more realistic... more>> than MC.
If we look at side characters, they are the opposite, scoundrels with zero intelligence so MC can look more outstanding, at least he has manners and good grades.

In short, all characters are stereotypes, nothing else.

I'm only around chapter 44 and am dead tired of how often the author repeats how good looking MC is, it's such a major focus that I have to wonder if I'm reading an entertainment story, a very shallow one.

Here too, women are evil plot devises, I think 5 were given a name, of which only MC's mother is a decent person, most of the others are basically money-hungry prostit**es sleeping with whoever their rich boyfriend/employer tells them to bed.
All the others are only there to blush due to MC's good looks and occasionally try to hit on him.

Why was this necessary?

The relationship between ML and MC is uncomfortable at best, an absolute no-go at worst.

ML is manipulative, while MC is so immature and dense that he doesn't even realise ML is chasing him, he genuinely thinks of him as a teacher - which ML is aware of.
This kind of dynamic is, at least for me, extremely uncomfortable.

It doesn't get any better when he finally understands ML's real intention, instead of voicing his own interest, he starts to play games as not to "lose" to the ML, no matter that the guy never really did anything, MC is just too s*upid to see through the simplest of things.

She likely wanted to make it look like ML gives MC his total support, teaches him how the business world really works, and helps him to grow.
He repeatedly states that he wants MC to come to him willingly, fall in love with him earnestly, but that's not how it is if you look at it closely.

ML has already done so much for MC that he developed a dependency, meanwhile ML does his best to make MC paranoid about everyone around him, even long-term friends.
It's supposed to seem like MC was only made aware of possibilities, that he's now prepared should anyone he likes turn out to be a bad person, and he himself says that he will continue to trust "worthy" people until something happens that proves their bad motives.

"Trust" means you are sure they would never hurt you, "trust" doesn't have a timestamp, if you are already prepared that things go south with someone, then you don't trust them at all.

I'm sure the author didn't think that far, there are quite a lot of similar things that make it clear she never went below the surface, readers are expected to take it at face value and not to think about it too deeply.

It's basically "Campus idol's fake boyfriend" but in a business setting, equally shallow if you try to look at it instead of just glancing at it, characterisation isn't any better either, it's just more ridiculous considering that the characters in this one are supposed to be working adults at the top of the food chain.

I've gone into this with the expectation of reading a mature business focused novel, because that's what it's tagged as – but sadly not what it turned out to be.

What annoyed me the most and would warrant to drop my rating to zero, is that the author seems to think being gay means to like every single man you come across.
It's seriously insulting how MC doubts his "gayness" because he isn't interested in a guy who's basically sexually harassing him, so he can't possibly like ML either, he's obviously straight.

This is such a dangerous stereotype on which a good portion of h*mophobia is based on, I can't fathom why an author would use this in their story, I can only hope she doesn't actually believe it herself.

Two stars for the accurate business aspects, that's the only positive point I could find. <<less

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Xu Wen Hui

Aug 25, 2021

Status: --

I read this novel a few months ago, and the only impression I still have of it was the title really doesn't match the novel.

Spoiler

when I finished reading it, I remembered checking the reviews on jjwxc, because to me, the MC wasn't really black bellied and more holy motherish? To me it was more like a innocent, young rich second gen MC who opened his eyes to the dark side of society x the secret identity black bellied ML who taught and mentored him

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This is just my opinion though, but I still liked the couple's interactions

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Indigokhalil

Mar 28, 2022

Status: c187

I've never written a review before but after having actually finished reading this novel and seeing how few reviews there are of it, I feel the need to do one. In my opinion, this story doesn't receive enough praise. It's very different from the usual danmei webnovel but different doesn't mean bad.

For one, the background of this story is the business world. And it's not just because the characters are CEOs or office workers. It talks about stock manipulations, acquisitions, mergers, investments, etc., all the various aspects of a corporate... more>> business. And the author weaves a very convincingly realistic setting.

Which brings me to the next point – the ‘realistic’ setting. In this story, (apart from, arguably, the ML and MC) everyone is portrayed in various shades of gray. For most of the characters in this story, you can't say they're completely good or completely bad. For a lot of the 'bad' characters, I find myself feeling sorry for them or liking some aspect of them while hating others.

The author also writes realistic situations. She portrays the business world in all its ugliness and moral ambiguity. It's this morally ambiguous setting that forces the MC to grow, to learn, to form his principles and his courage.
The MC's growth is slow. I actually prefer it this way. He starts the story as a sort of naive, unbending 19 year old which to me, sounds reasonable. I don't know about you but I wasn't anything impressive at 19. I was pretty much just a college student trying to find my way around. Granted, I'm no business scion, but I did have classmates who were and they were no better than I was. I'd be more turned off if he started off as some bigshot business genius. The author writes his growth in a way that we can clearly see it. He becomes more cunning, more wily, more able to play the game. He learns to see people -- including long time friends and the ML -- as they are and he makes his own decisions as to whether to trust them or not. In short, he grows as a shrewd businessman but with principles. However, he doesn't really fully mature until maybe the 130 chapter mark. Just keep that in mind.

The ML starts of as a sort of life teacher for the MC, while at the same time, he is an undercover government agent tasked with investigating the MC's family company. Because he's so much more experienced than the MC, the relationship in the beginning is pretty lopsided. But as the MC grows, their relationship also changes to be much more even. The MC, while he was taught and guided by the ML, does form his own opinions and his own principles. As he begins to fully mature, he starts taking steps independent of the ML and that's when their relationship, for me, begins to become quite even.

The story is told almost exclusively from the view of the MC so we hardly see the view of the ML. Despite that, we can see his struggles between his mission and his love for the MC. It really pulls at my heartstrings. Towards the end, you can also see his utmost devotion. Awww... my heart.

The plot is amazing. The whole 180+ chapter novel is one big corporate intrigue story. Everything ties in. Things that happen in the beginning are connected to the end. It shows that the author really thought this story out.

Another big thing that I love about this story is the author's motivation behind writing it. In a note on chapter 130, she explicitly explains that she wanted to write about idealists in a society like the one that we currently live in where people give up their scruples to get ahead. In the final analysis, that is exactly what she does. She has the MC and ML represent what she thinks to be the 'proper' path. She shows the struggles and the price the MC had to pay -- losing friends, potential partners, an easy way to succeed, making hard decisions that affect 'innocent' people -- in order to stick to his principles. In the end, the MC and ML are rewarded for this but it came at a cost.

The author was criticized for being idealistic by some Chinese readers. Among western readers though, I feel this story is being criticized for being not idealistic enough. We're so used to stories where black and white are so clearly delineated, where the MC is completely upstanding, right, pure and OP. Well, this story isn't one of those and I think it's all the better for it. I think readers who've experienced working in corporate can relate to a lot of the characters and themes in this story.

One last thing I would like to address is the lack of good female characters. Yes, there aren't a lot of 'good' female characters. The only one that could be considered is Jiang Ying, the MC's mom. However, I would like to point out that there aren't really that many 'good' male characters either. As the author has explicitly said, the ML and MC are the ones she wrote to be 'right/good'. Everyone else is just kind of gray. The female characters could certainly fawn over the MC less though. A possible reason why there's also very few female characters is because she made the setting to be realistic and while I find it sad and believe that it shouldn't be the case, women are under-represented in the upper levels of corporate business.

Overall, I really liked this story and I hope you would give it a try. I hope you'll read it through til the end because I think this story needs to be read in its entirely to really be enjoyed and to understand what the author was trying to do and say. Rating 4.7 out of 5.0. <<less

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periperi

Aug 19, 2021

Status: Completed

Current rating: 4 stars

I think this book (so far) has one of my favourite ML. The super smart, teasing, and helps MC kind of ML (but also kind of black bellied as per the tags). It was 5 stars all the way till around chapter 60, I'll see if I continue.

I love MC and ML interactions and their student-teacher vibe (not actual school setting, more of ML teaching MC business stuff). Also, with so many entertainment setting stories out there, it's very refreshing for such a business oriented book (not... more>> that I understood much about that aspect). And I kind of liked the little hidden identity part as well that unravels fairly quickly, although ML remains rather mysterious.

Now what I didn't really like (but is a personal preference, I think most people won't mind it, mind the spoiler!) :

Spoiler

around chapter 60, MC and ML enters a second contract as the first student-teacher one ends. Where MC takes advantage of ML's feelings for him to get ML to stay with him (and continue teaching him) in exchange for MC's "body" but not his heart as he is not gay. And ML accepts it. I kind of think ML probably has other motives too but if not, then love has made him accept a the short end of the stick in that deal. Also, I thought MC clearly showed so many signs of affection and even said he liked ML but when it came down to it, he said no he doesn't?! But also, understandably, he doesn't want to make a rash decision. But I don't like that kind of deals (makes me feel like it's cheating someone's feelings). Even if the affection is actually secretly mutual, with a deal smack in between them, it feels dirty. SIGH I preferred their previous interactions. And to think this book is about 180 chapters long and this is only chapter 60.

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But otherwise, so far it's a pretty interesting book with strong characters in the business setting with cameos from author's other book. (And yes, they smoke, WHY).

Edit: At chapter 73 and I actually still really like the story (will rate this 4.5). I think the CP really compliment each other (love how competent the characters are) and the business part is surprisingly still quite interesting. Still minus 0.5 for my spoiler above because

Spoiler

I would rather the cute parts without a black and white deal between them. But their relationship is still very cute.

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Edit: completed, overall still around 4-4.5 stars. Still really like ML (maybe moreso than MC). The story is actually entertaining enough and can see the growth of MC but certain parts, MC kept throwing tantrums (reminds me of assistant architect). I just want to say I felt really

Spoiler

bad for the zhang kid at the end of the book who got kidnapped with MC. Like he had bad intentions but he was a victim of his circumstance and I wanted him to have a happier end too. Like I just felt sorry for him in the whole book.

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And FYI, this book has no side CP other than Qi Feng from the other book. <<less

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twobada

Oct 21, 2022

Status: c1

I think that the reviews criticizing the MC are expecting the wrong things. Even if he grew up following his dad, he is still in his early 20s and hadn't even had any social interactions beyond the gatherings his dad took him to that he didn't even get to actively participate in as an adult. On top of that, he doesn't have the inherent disposition of businessmen. All the business-like traits he has were learned, rather than innate. He wasn't even 25 yet by the time the story ended.

Also, the... more>>

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Accellia

Jul 05, 2022

Status: c170

from the author of campus romance to business setting? good development :)

MC initial character is not quite like the title; MC is more like well behaved and naive teenager with good morality. he is only black belly nature to his young bro and when teasing ML lol. MC character development is chef's kiss :* from that naive kid to young adult but still retain his own basic principle. that sound still naive but honestly it's also good. and his emotional turbulence and development is very satisfyingly told. as the... more>>

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Psychoutre

Apr 29, 2022

Status: c65

MTL is pretty good!

Quite sad to drop this tbh, I was having the time of my life reading that the MC is 186cm tall, we love non-feminine shous, however it didn't last when his character is pretty childish, naive and quick to anger. I was fooled by the cover thinking I'd read about a cunning, smart, well-behaved MC and a similarly scheming ML. I was hoping a battle of wits, but that definitely wasn't the case. Essentially MC doesn't have class... such a shame.

Just wanting to throw hands with the... more>>

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abhi_2296

Apr 28, 2023

Status: Completed

A hidden gem, not known by many, but what a lovely coincidence for me to come across it. It has become one of my favourites.

I remember narrating the plot to a friend before I finished, and even my friend became so invested to hear the story. BvB can be considered a coming-of-age novel of a young heir of a conglomerate who, in a moment of impulse, ends up messing with the wrong man (or messing with the absolute Right Man... where would Qi Yu be if he had not entangled... more>>

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secondthots

Aug 14, 2022

Status: Completed

Honestly, there is nothing more satisfying than losing sleep on a phenomenal read.

It’s 1:25am—to be fair—this is actually not the latest I’ve stayed up finishing a novel. I think my thoughts are always clearer in the later parts of the night anyways. ANYWHO- my point: you should read this.

I’m not even going to be roundabout with it; READ THIS NOVEL.

... more>>

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qwynedd

Apr 27, 2022

Status: c40

I honestly feel annoyed and really don't like ml, i'll probably drop this.

... more>>

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ricoerrr

Mar 22, 2023

Status: Completed

characters;

mc: qi yu

ml: fu yangsheng

... more>> summary:

MC is a wealthy fuerdai who meets ML at a bar, although MC thought nothing of their encounter, ML falls in love at first sight. ML is an incredibly astute business consultant coming from a secretive background, and so he uses his connections to approach MC under the guise of being his secretary and teacher. He helps MC hone his skills and guides him as MC navigates the business world. When MC finds out ml's feelings for him, he proposes a 'boyfriend contract' to keep ML by his side. Soon after, MC reciprocates his feelings.

Spoiler

mc's family business situation turn for the worse due to foul play. MC investigates and finds evidence of their own employees colluding with their competitors. MC also learns that ML actually works at a top secret government organization meant to probe economic crimes. Because of the nature of his work, ML was went to another city, and so they separate but keep a long distance relationship. At the climax of the story, mc's meddling becomes so disadvantageous for his competitors that he gets kidnapped. ML flies to his rescue, the perpetrators are arrested, and ML gives up his post to stay by mc's side.

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thoughts

A GEM. I've read a lot of novels featuring ceos and businessmen but this one was the first to have such a detailed and nuanced storytelling of the business world. The author herself isnt in the indutry but I can tell that she did her due diligence and researched a lot for this story. I appreciate how everything was still understandable for readers who are unfamiliar with business (me).

we get to see qi yu starting off as a little young master without any practical experience, still wet behind the ears, taking on the responsibility of investigating his own family business due to some falsified reports. He starts off quite naive and tries to assume the best in people, to the point where he couldnt even understand how a competitor could steal their products by bribing their own executives. But he learns pretty fast, and with fu yangsheng's guidance we see his independence develop more later on as he takes on a more proactive role by seeking investors, seeking talents, managing his own team, doing crisis mitigation, etc. The author does point out that qi yu is very idealistic and people like him dont typically exist (or survive) in the real world, but I do appreciate how she decided to write him as a humane leader. He has a bottom line, has good morals, and sticks with his ideals. It makes empathizing with a rich billionaire a lot easier lmao

and despite the focus of the story being principally on qi yu's growth as a venture capitalist, it doesnt skimp on the romance at all. Fu yansheng chases qi yu in his own special way and and its kinda silly but also kinda cute :') and qi yu, thank god, isnt a total airhead and picks up on the clues fairly quickly. I absolutely love how he tries to get the upper hand by coming up with the 'boyfriend contract' except he totally shot himself in the foot with that

once theyre together they hug and kiss and get intimate so often its just <3333 to read. And despite qi yu wanting to take his feelings slow, its clear that he really really likes fu yansheng, from the moments he spends with him, to the moments theyre separated. I love reading reciprocated love and this novel just does it so well.

Spoiler

i also gotta give it for fu yansheng's morally grey approach. At the start he gave me gasliting vibes because he's always trying to remind qi yu how not everyone should be trusted, how relationships are made based on the vested interest the other party has, and how qi yu needs to start valuating his relationships this way as well. And that makes sense given the context: businessmen are here to make money and cut losses, and jumping ship is perfectly normal. And in hindsight it was a good thing to teach qi yu because theres plenty of examples instory where friends become foes. But whats funny to me is how he makes an exception for himself because of nonsense reasons. Qi yu made a point to ask - multiple times!! - Why he should trust fu yansheng, and all he got was 'you have potential' or 'its for the good of the country' like lmaoooo

and that side cp HAD ME IN A CHOKEHOLD. I really really really wanted to read more about them :')

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<<less

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dee_ism

Sep 26, 2022

Status: --

It's better than my expectation.
Since it share the same universe with The Daily Life of Being the Campus Idol’s Fake Boyfriend, I thought it would have the same feeling, a light campus romance with sweet nothings.
But turns out it much better.

I love how the story dwelling with the business world. And how our MC character growth. And how the romance relationship growth.

At first I have a bit bad feeling towards ML (he's a bit annoying with his teases) but as the story progress, I found him really reliable.... more>>

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5thepast

May 26, 2023

Status: Completed

I read this directly after The Daily Life of Being the Campus Idol’s Fake Boyfriend and I thought it was a fun companion novel. It was enjoyable to see a little more of the characters from the first novel and to see what happens with the other twin. That being said, I think I liked this one a little bit less than the first.

I enjoyed the characters, but found the book wasn't fully holding my attention for the first half. I did end up getting more into it as things... more>>

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bbyshark

Nov 26, 2022

Status: Completed

I had already finished 'The Daily Life of Being the Campus Idol’s Fake Boyfriend' before this novel and I was curious about the other twin - Qi Yu's story so, I started it. And I have to say that I really enjoyed reading and loved this one.

I love both MC and ML's characters. It takes some time to appreciate them in my opinion. Criticizing the novel and rating it low when you just finished reading upto ch40 of a novel with total 187 chapters is just irresponsible. Both of them... more>>

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Queen_of_Cha

Sep 26, 2022

Status: Completed

AMAZING!!!

Two good morally good husbands brought us a kind of unique story. I loved how everything was executed. While this vibe is very different from Assistant Architect, which I came here after, I loved the characters and the story just the same. ML is as mentioned in the title very black-belly yet very much loyal to his principles. While the MC, in the beginning, was portrayed to be innocent/naive, his growth was all the more beautiful to read. And slowly he was able to match the ML in many areas.

Teacher... more>>

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Staringatast

Sep 10, 2022

Status: Completed

This is a wonderful story and even though the other 2 stories in this universe sound completely different, this novel makes me very eager to read them.

I absolutely love how the author carefully lays out her ideals, and what she thinks business owners should use as their moral compass. People should be smart enough to analyze their situation with a clear mind, but they shouldn't be afraid of choosing the suboptimal decision if it means upholding their values. So many companies now, especially if they are listed, are purely driven... more>>

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Daisyatira

Sep 07, 2022

Status: Completed

I actually mind blown with this novel. I can't stop reading it for few days straight. It is different from other lite novel. In fact it is full of unexpected plot. The characters are different from usual, their background are heavy. It easily become one of my favorites read.

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yellauraya

Sep 02, 2022

Status: Completed

★★★★☆ [4/5 stars]

I enjoyed reading this novel a lot! The plot is quite heavy in business-related aspect and it sometimes makes my brain unable to function because of too much information. But despite that, the business aspect of the story is also interesting to follow. It's gratifying that I actually learned a bit because of it.

But putting that part of the plot aside, the romance in this novel is actually so good! The relationship of the MC and ML gave a perfect amount of sweetness, bitterness, s*xual desire, maturity, understanding,... more>>

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Ainslee

Jun 21, 2022

Status: c88

The story was kinda sweet, however the MC didn't really fit the black belly tittle because he's obviously kinda naive and inexperienced for manipulative behaviour identic for the usual black belly personality.

While the ML fit the title really well.

Halfway thru, they were just on a living together but not sleeping together stage. ML was very patient in his pursuit. Lol.

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SilentWatch8

Nov 17, 2021

Status: c50

I like it so far!

MC who is used to being the one in control over his emotions and relationship are slowly being led by the ML into being more spoiled and artless, despite him actually teaching the MC how to be more calculative.

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