Warning that this is just my theory/opinion with very heavy spoilers (I don't recommend reading this until after finishing the story) :

The plot starts off as the MC's second chance. But in reality, the MC has long been dead. In the extra, it talks about things in the ML's perspective of life. And how he couldn't understand why his marriage with the MC was so bad. It was because he could never clearly expressed his love in words for the MC to understand causing both of them to feel insecure in their relationship and have misunderstandings.

After the MC's death, the ML developed a device that basically is the MC's 'second chance'. At the end of the extra, it shows when turning on the device where the MC first starts the story. The user takes on the perspective and character of the ML and this also explains why the MC kept calling the ML, the protagonist, throughout the story. Despite, this story not originally being set up as a person reincarnated into a novel.

It also explains why the MC is always unrealistically kind and gentle in every circumstance. It was cause the ML programmed the MC's personality based on what he observed of the MC as they grew up together. However, the MC only acted differently from his 'personality' when the ML is around because this is what the ML wished happened. He wanted the MC to cry, get angry, complain, and express himself to the ML rather than hiding all of his pain.

Based on my understanding of the ending, this made up virtual world that is the story, we are reading, is the ML's love letter to the MC. At the end, the ML says he would write out them getting married, their old age, and such. He wrote out a world where both of them were happy with friends and family. A love letter where they both got to experience the joy of love.

I feel like the correct title for this story would be "My Love Letter to You" or something like that. Just to end the story a bit more sweet after the extras.

So, I read the extras and omg it ruined the novel for me personally. I'm not going to go into details but if you do read the novel don't read the extras. It really felt that the author wanted to throw a huge plot twist but it just left the reader with more questions than answers. Though, if someone does end up reading the extras please explain the ending cause I've spent so long trying to figure it out and if it actually meant the way I think it does that is so dark and so depressing.

This story is tradgey guys, a tradgey! The extras explain it all.

So basically what we r seeing is a very high-tech simulation game kind of thing that the ML develops in order to fulfill his regrets with the MC. Of course the simulation is run from the perspective of Shen Cheng but what we really read in the novel is perspective of Jian Shiwu who is our MC. What I understood from the extras is that our MC is nothing more than computer data made on the impression that ML has of MC. The MC may seem like too kind, too good kind of guy, it's because ML built him that way.

Also for all those wondering why the whole novel and cannon-fodder thing was added to it. Well to them I can only say it must be something to do with ML's feelings or just something the author wanted to throw in for some more tags. Of course I'm more than happy to throw in my some of my black-hole knowledge: the ML didn't wanted a complete restart, he wanted the MC to remember all the wrongs both of them commited, so that they can work their way around all their faults (which btw did not happen, I mean the ML didn't fix his problem of expressing himself properly) and then get a happy ending, which the ML was able to achieve.

I seriously was considering drooping the novel with how slow-paced and sometimes illogical it was (with the 4years and all the wierd time skips) but glad stuck till the extras which more or less ties up all the loose ends.

If we were to see from my point of view, the MC and ML were highly incompatible. One, straight forward, insecure and other, repressed and unable to give security. Their incompatibilities outweighed their compatibility and the result was an awfully unbalanced and sad marriage.

They both loved eachother but, the other party couldn't express anything with lead to MC having no sense of security in their relationship (and the ML had already liked him) and more unpleasantries.

Perhaps, it it really were to be a 'rebirth' danmei, the MC would've avoided any entanglement with the ML.

I can really see MC having a good life without being entangled with the ML, who thought their relationship, devoid of communication was a normal thing.

The novel was nothing more than a virtual simulation made by ML as a coping mechanism to deal with MC's death.

The almost perfect MC who was as kind and beautiful as an angel, self omnipotence, everything was, but a simulation.

ML was still unreasonable in simulation too, lol. (In school too, he was like a perfect president who was ridiculously op).

2/5: two stars for the extras which made me happy.

Con:

The certain Big revelation of ML's origin is actually done in front of their Classmates and parents!!! And it wasn't so Accidentally either. MC's mother doesn't have problem saying all that in public! Sure she's angry for her dead friend's child sake, but that scene sooooo NOT Realistic.

I can't think of any other con though. But the pros...

Pros:

• • The one who almost become Villain was get their Karma/Retribution but not by something that was planned by MC and ML. Truly Karma. And they did end up realise their wrong doing and finally know when to stop.

• • Oh but it DOES HAVE Faceslapping where ML scare people.

• • The Family feels of MC's. And his parents, especially the mother, are so good to ML!

• • The Family feels of ML! ML and his father are Awkward with each other but they do care about each other and they knows it!!!

but MAYBE MC misunderstood? When you get on further chapters, it seems implied that things in the past might not be ML's doing, but ML may or may not be framed. Of course so far it was just a Theory. I prays so hard it was the truth though.

Does MC really know that ML had nothing to do with his Parents' tragedy in the previous life? Finally move on doesn't mean he guess that, right???

The author literally could have mention if MC know or guess about that in just one paragraph, but they didn't?!

Just because it was a relief for readers knowing ML is not Evil in the past life doesn't mean we happy with the lack of Revelation!!!

But if you think about it, based on the extras, the novel's world was all created from the ML's viewpoint. Perhaps, since he basically grew up by himself, he subconsciously created his character to never really interact as a normal person. The way he saved people also seemed forced. It was almost like he wanted to be a knight-in-shining-armor. He wanted to be seen as a perfect person, so MC was never aware of how ML lived and ML even purposely hid it from him. Until the end, ML didn't really have any character improvement since he was already an adult from the start, and from the start, it was all fake.

I don't believe that the extras were separate from the main story. There were too many holes and the extras mended most of them. Like QA and LH. When you consider how the world was created by the ML, then it would make sense that the side characters were just that. The focus was our dear main couple and ML seemed to really not care about everyone else aside from his lover.

In the story, ML seemed to consider MC's family as his own. So in their original world, why did they die? Since ML had always loved MC then why did he never help them go through that tough time? My theory is that he learned too late that he loved MC and never really understood his role as a husband and son-in-law. He could've helped but he didn't because as stated in the story, "When looking for a solution, he (ML) only thought that Jian Zicheng's prideful temperament would not accept his explicit help", which showed his lack of common sense and how in the original world, he actually never fitted in with MC's family.

I always did wonder why would ML be forced into marriage if MC's mother and his biological mother were best friends? My theory on this is that they never were. Maybe ML added this part to this world because it made things easier for them. In the original world, perhaps, there was never a connection between their two families and since ML didn't recognize his biological family, maybe he didn't really know how his biological family interacted, or how families interacted in general. Maybe he based his 'father' on his own persona after he lost MC. I would like to base the ML's strangeness at the mountain grave as his own feeling when he lost his lover. Anyway, I have a lot of delusions about this story hehe.

Adding on that, I always felt for JBC. He lost everything in the blink of an eye and was greedy and ignorant but in the end, he decided to live a humble life. For me, he always felt similar to MC. In the original world, what if ML never knew JBC since he didn't recognize his biological family. Maybe he could only base his character to the people around him which in this case, is our dear MC.

Don't get me wrong I loved the twist because (1) it made sense, (2) our dear ML really seemed like the type who never learned how to be normal, and (3) it hurts how ML loved too late but I think he honestly doesn't deserve our dear MC.

When I think about how MC persisted with his love from primary school until they were married but ML was like a block of wood who not only didn't know how to show affection, but was even hiding everything from MC, unconsciously treating him as a s*upid, naive fool, I hurt very very much.

Honestly, I kinda hate ML. He's the kind of insensitive person who has to lose something before he realizes their worth but even when given another chance, he won't be able to redeem himself because he just don't know how to. He was never taught affection and didn't know how to love. Maybe GD was added to the story to show how ML might have liked to be treated. He may have wanted that kind of attentive care but doesn't even know how to ask for it and I kinda hate him for this.

Also, about MC. What if the reason he never told anyone about his supposed 'regression' is because ML doesn't want to pop that little bubble of normalcy that they had? If the extras were true, then ML created MC with the past memories to still have the MC who loved him for years. There were many times where I thought MC would say something but the topic always seemed to become something else. I waited until the end of the story and MC never mentioned the past life. Maybe ML knew in his heart that the current MC is fake and can never replace the real one so he created the current MC to be unable to speak about it.

Additionally, MC's fear, anxiety and depression hit me hard. I could understand that part of him and I understood the reason why he was unable to overcome his subconscious reaction. But when I think that this MC was created from ML's version of him and if ML is aware of how MC's life went off the rails after he met him, then ML probably wanted MC to avoid him. I also remember the multiple times that ML ignored MC. Considering this, who really wanted to avoid who?

There are really a lot of gaps and holes in this story. Maybe I'm also a masochist because I actually liked the complexities and the hurt it brought me because it really got me thinking about life.

(examples are the plot about MC's online friend (won't spoil it much but MC had an online friend plot point that appeared out of nowhere) and MC's head ache (that gave me a headache cause it just disappeared and was forgotten))

Yes I know Ji beichuan is a canon fodder villain and he was annoying as hell and unforgivable but considering his age and his experiences, his impulsive actions can be understood. Yes he was raised in a rich family despite not being the real son, but he have recieved no actual love and care from the father he knew. Kids his age are sensitive so I wouldn't wonder if Ji Beichuan could actually sense Ji Yuansheng's disappointment with him, causing him to feel so scared that he'd be abandoned and be returned to his real parents, who he knows as good for nothings that can't raise and provide for the ML properly. He was used to luxury and suddenly going to such a life of course he would be afraid and be desperate. Though at the end of the day what he had done was unforgivable, he actually learned something from it and actually decided to change himself even if it was too late and it won't change his actions nor will he be forgiven. That's why I gave this novel a 3 just for Ji Beichuan.

I don’t know what the author put in the ending. It could just be that I’m sleep deprived or that I’m on my cycle. But the thought that this whole novel was just a simulation created by a grieving ML really hit me!!!! so!!!!! hard!!!! (Omg I’m crying again while writing). It’s so sad!!!! The thought that he completely lost the only person who cared for him simply because he couldn’t bring himself to learn or understand his own feelings. Imagine the soul crushing guilt???? And then he decides to cope by creating this whole simulation where you can go back and re-do that happy ending you never had... I know it’s not canon to the story but it still hurts!!!!

He had no luck with jobs in his past life and wanted to try out his moms career