I love wen guan so very much. But I love it so much that I'm having a hard time writing a review, because I know I won't do it justice *wails*.

ANYWAY, while wen guan might seem like a very ordinary tomb-raiding novel where our main characters go on adventures uncovering tombs and demystifying history in individual arcs that tell stories of the past and yada yada, this story is way more than that. We meet interesting characters in each arc, all who have had some sort of tragic past, but... more>> who were unable to come to terms with their fate. And although they might've made questionable decisions in their lives, we come to learn that they are not despicable, nor are they evil. They might have been big figures in history, but their stories are as human as anyone's are.

Hence it is our MC Li Shiyi's job to guide them to the path of light (or towards hell, really, so that they can reincarnate successfully) and let go of the past. It's easier said than done, of course. For example, the moment she carried infant Song Shijiu out of a tomb and watched her grow day-by-day (yeah, like literally: Song Shijiu grows one year older every day) into a young lady, she knew everything would change.

Shijiu, Shijiu, precious sweet little Shijiu. Shijiu, who was showered with love the moment she emerged from that coffin, who received Shiyi's undivided attention no matter where she went. Shijiu, who would return your kindness double fold if you treated her just slightly well.

Spoiler

Shijiu, whose memories come back at the expense of her childlike innocence, but whose love for Shiyi will never waver in spite of that.

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Shijiu, please never stop being so cute.

And there's so much more to unpack from this story - Tu Laoyao, Xia Ji, Hua Mulan, Princess Taiping, Shangguan Wan'er, Little Myrtle... Each character breathes a life of their own, even if they're just a passerby in our story. But since I am not cultured enough, I will refrain from doing so.

LCC's writing truly stands out among other baihe authors, and if I were to choose my favourite part of this novel, it would be her prose - hands down. So much is conveyed through a couple of seemingly unusual words, but they teem with visceral emotion. LCC, you're amazing. If you were to sell an encyclopedia on love words, I'd be the first to buy it.

Wen guan is not flawless, I admit. In fact, our main couple's romance wasn't even one I could connect with. Instead, I leaned towards A-Yin and A-Luo's relationship. A-Yin, especially, is a character I love very very much - she's kind, loving, protective, willing to silently sacrifice herself for the people she loves. And when she's thrown into the deepest pits of hell, acts like nothing happened, just so that her loved ones wouldn't worry. I'm so happy that someone so deserving of love like A-Yin has someone like A-Luo by her side.

Spoiler

"Perhaps, there are really two young women who will grow old together after all." (And A-Yin, you owe me 1376 buckets of tears. How will you repay me?)

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But all minor complaints aside, wen guan is still an immensely enjoyable story.

So, as a final call - if you're an enjoyer of mysteries, adventures, angsty romance, gods and devils, humans and ghosts, this is the one for you. If you love reading about girls cuddling with each other, this is the one for you. And even if you're not into reading about girls cuddling with each other, read this too! <<less