A tender and heartbreaking look into the realities of a gay relationship in China. Unlike other 'feel good' stories where everyone finds out and supports the main characters and their relationship, despite all the happy years the two spend together, hardly anyone knows that they're a couple.

The villagers and mother don't apologise for their cruelty. Some friends and family don't meet again or reconcile. People don't take responsibility and make amends for the hurt they caused others.

But there are also beautiful things in life. Like children who love you and... more>> want to see their parents happy, no matter who they want to spend their life with. True friends who look out for you and are with you to the end. There are siblings who'll always see you as the apple of their eye.

Loved this book, and is a defo must-read for everyone!!! <<less

"Darling."

I am ON MY KNEES with that pet name alone. Darn you Zheng Siqi for being the man you are! I love the person who rec'd me this novel--may your pillow be cold & nice every night. Such a great read, especially if you want something poignant, bittersweet, chockful of literary romanticism if that's your preference. I'm so sick of all these hot university professors in these danmeis trying to make me delulu over actual professors.

Definitely give this a try if you're looking for a seasoned romance. I love mature... more>> couples; it's like watching a classical orchestra perform. It just tickles my brain in all the right ways. Add on in an incredible TL & you have a stellar novel at hand. This one takes a more interesting & dare I say realistic take on the concept of having two respectively different individuals in completely opposite social standings. There's a boatload of hurdles, prejudice, & when sh*t hits the fan--what can exactly guarantee a lasting relationship? The slowburn between Zheng Siqi & Qiao Fengtian is *chef's kisses*. Not to mention the undeniable support they have for each other in the midst of all the chaos & nonsense people are projecting at them. I'm a fan of the story & how it turned out. Reality doesn't ensure every person is happy, but if there's peace--that's close enough.

Ok enough rambling because I can actually just blab my thoughts for hours on this novel, but here's my TL;DR...

HOT PROFESSOR HEALS LONELY HAIRDRESSER, PLS READ <<less

Absolutely amazing! Realistic and life-like slice of life, with a bit of angst, 2 MCs that will steal your heart, awesome side characters and 2 wonderful kids.
It's sad that in Chinese culture parents beating their children (even when said children are adults) is still a thing. Made me said and angry. Toxic, mean and abusive families aren't worth anybody's time or respect.

One of the best novels I’ve read on any of these apps. Translator did a good job conveying the flowery language esp in the letter our humanities prof writes (I cried a bit). It’s a really good portrayal of longing and the human desire to belong and be loved.

I don't usually write reviews for novels, but this one is special. It's a slow romance and the story focuses more on the MC (Qiao Fengtian) and ML's (Zheng Siqi's) lives and how they, especially the MC, deal with family, identity, and community. I'd say the story is more about toleration and what some people are willing to do or give up in order to fit their definition of "liberated". I think the introduction to the novel sums it up perfectly—Qiao Fengtian is a gladioli who stands firm in his... more>> beliefs no matter what life throws his way. And I think that's beautiful. <<less

I liked this deep story. Even though it's only +30 chapters, each chapter is extremely long... equivalent to three or four chapters in other novels. But back to the content of the novel, it's extremely down to earth and gives you the feels. The bitter times are bitter and the sweet times are bittersweet.

Towards the middle, I hit pause and read two lighter novels cause I started feeling gloomy in real life. MC, Qiao Fengtian, is truly an onion character who is layered. I'm glad that ML, Zheng Siqi, was... more>> perceptive and inquisitive enough to see MC's gentleness.

Overall, a slow paced novel with a slow simmering burn. Read if you want your heart to bleed a lil.

Of note: There's a happy ending. <<less

What does it mean to cry over written texts? I found that out after reading this. This novel was so well written. No rushed plot, no unrealistic expectations. Everything flowed well.
The characters had the right emotions, every single feeling the characters felt gave me a deeper understanding of the book and made me feel as if I was more that a reader.
I love this book, I love the MC and Ml, I love his friends, I love the side characters (Mc’s friends), my heart goes out to them. I really wish they have the best of ending.

This is not a book you can re read in week or go into with light emotions. After reading this book you’ll definitely need a light and fluffy romance after. I cried and I began to rethink life and cherish everything I have. This book was great, I would definitely recommend! Plus it was a HE.
Thank you translator and thank you Author for allowing me to enjoy such novel❤️

Omg. Amazing journey. Power translation brought me tears of joy and anguish. Cannot thank the ithor nd translator enough. Will definitely read again.

its really good...i wouldn't say I understood everything cuz y'know its adult thingy, if that makes sense

anyways I always like life-related novels like this cuz I learn something from them everytime, like how the characters carry themselves in the society, how they interact with each other, like how people can't be perfect in every way, like how some people dont know their own worth, like how they overestimate or underestimate themselves, like how long lasting friendship works and many more....

so its wht I like practically

about the story, its... more>> slow paced, and if someone is wondering that its a short story, nope, its not cuz chapters are very big and they have parts in them too, I personally am not a fan of short stories and when I got to know that its equal to 100 chapter novel I was really very happy.

if I were to describe the characters of this novel then I think they are well matched for each other

and its irl realted so love between same s*x has always been a taboo in the society, but that doesn't keep them to lower themselves to others and they continue to walk together ahead without stopping

for me its totally worth it <<less

Just read the tags, if you're uncomfortable reading these type of stories then don't pursue in reading it. If you're okay with it then don't hesitate and enjoy the leads' stories. Their love story tells the dark side of being homosexual, it focuses on the realistic side so be prepared of the angst brought by it.

Also, it really is a slow romance which I really love. The MC and ML's personalities are so loveable. They're very suited to each other, their kind of love is what I also hope to... more>> have. Zheng Siqi as a partner is so good, the type of partner who we rarely see in real life. I'm just happy the two of them found each other!

Totally worth your time. <<less

it's a good mature story with lots of fluff and angst giving it a 8/10 but probably won't re-read it but its a good read for a one time read <3~

Excellent novel. The translation is good and the story is beautiful

I read translations as mindless escapism and when I finish one I move right on to the next one, but Four O’Clock Flower is different. It made me think, about life and about family

The struggles Qiao FengTian faced were heartbreaking and hard to read at times. He wasn’t perfect, he made mistakes, which made him seem more real and made his story resonate with me

It's realistic in its portrayal of people struggling to live and find their place in conservative society where conforming to norms is the default. All the characters were well-rounded with strengths & weaknesses, shaped by their perceptions & experiences, sometimes frustrated me to no end, but I could understand their actions.

The best part is, it is HE, and they're very sweet, so I can finish with a smile on my face