The romance of the MC and ML can be said to be built on misunderstandings. Although, that is not entirely the case. The ML appears to have fallen for the MC quite early on, but the MC only really decided to accept the ML quite late, somewhere around chapter 80 or so? At that point the MC proved his decision to stay with the ML through some... really painful sexy time...I winced inwardly at that part.

It was quite touching to see the ML's dedication towards the MC. (Dude hugged a corpse to sleep for 5 years wtf.) The earlier parts (before the system forced the MC to push the ML into the abyss) was this mutual happy daily life arc. Both parties were content with life as teacher and student. At this point, ML was a really devoted student and his fondness might not have crossed into love yet. Either that or he just hadn't realised his feelings yet.

Then came the 'I'm back from the abyss!' arc. It kind of threw the MC of guard since the ML came back faster than expected. But oh well, he went with it and tried to awkwardly avoid the ML as much as possible thinking that his student hated him for kicking him into the abyss. (As per the original story) The two kind of fell out because of this, so when MC was being framed for some crime ML failed to defend him, resulting in the MC being thrown into jail. After escaping with some help, the MC travels to a city and has a dream along the way. In the dream, he abruptly realises the cause for the strange the point gaining method thus far. This part was honestly gold. The rationalisation that the MC used to figure it out plus the ever so helpful kiss from the ML had me rolling on the ground in laughter for a good while.

Then MC fakes his death, leaving our little puppy devastated. Of course he returns after 5 years, but many thins have changed by then. This final arc helps to fill up some plot holes, introduce us to a deadpan father who says ridiculous things and give our side characters a little spotlight. The ending is a happy one despite all the hardships our MC and ML had to face. The troll system continues to troll, but at least it was kinda helpful towards the end. We are also treated to some extras including an interview where 'interesting' questions are asked about the MC and ML's relationship, as well as a an occasion where the original ML (the one from the harem stallion novel) and the puppy love ML are swapped. No, original ML didn't kill MC on the spot, but it was so damn funny how the MC realised that the ML was a different one. (Really? Your technique in bed is too good to be him?)

Come to think of it, a lot of the misunderstandings stemmed from the MC's initial over reliance on the original story's plot. Because of that, he kept misreading the ML, causing much suffering on both their parts. The MC also realises this near the end, thinking that if only he understood how the ML actually felt all this time, they could have avoided so much pain and suffering.

The original Shen Qingqiu is especially compelling because of his tragic backstory. He's a victim of the circumstances he was raised in, and a classic case of wrong place, wrong time. Honestly, I would have loved if the original Shen Qingqiu wasn't treated as some irredeemable villain and immediately offed to make way for the main character. It feels especially cheap when everyone just accepts that Shen Qingqiu magically became a better person overnight so we can just forget what the original Shen Qingqiu was like.

The ML hug The MC dead body for 5 years. Creepy!. I am not a fan of Yandere, but The ML puppy love towards The MC really cute and I can`t really hate him. I love him even more ƪ (♥ﻬ♥) ʃ

The Original Shen Qingqiu has a really sad past *damn ninjas cutting onions! (ಥ﹏ಥ)

Initially, when I started reading I was smitten by the ML and the MC's interaction. Until the first time, Binghe choked the MC and had him drink his blood. I wasn't okay after that part.

As I proceeded to read in hopes that maybe something would change my mind over this toxic relationship it grew worse. For someone who's a crybaby, he sure does play with Shen Yuan pretending like he didn't know he was in his dream. Getting the MC to sympathize with him. I despise such emotional manipulation.

Further, the ML proceeded to kiss the MC without consent, and can we just talk about the r*pe. I've also read so many comments stating how it's not r*pe. As for that, please educate yourself on what's r*pe and what isn't, forcing yourself on someone and getting their clothes off and so on. I stopped after chapter 70. I can't comment on the other smut scenes because I haven't read them but judging from other's comment I can safely assume it wasn't anything like 'making love'.

kiss him several times against his will, lock him in a house against his will, and apparently sleep (or more?!) with his corpse for the 5 years he was presumed dead..... against his will

The OOC mechanic is wonky, there is no real explanation why it's acceptable to act completely different from the original character, the switch is very sudden, he just needs to reach a certain point in the story before being given complete independence. There was no transition, he goes from in character to out of character in one sentence, for me it seemed like lazy writing, the author either didn't know how to make it smoother, maybe didn't think it through enough, or simply didn't care.

I'm not a fan of "this character turned evil because of abuse", it's the most uninspired and laziest way to justify their actions, there is no depth to it, combined with him deciding that the abuse he faced was for his own good, a sign of love, before switching to absolute hate in the next moment, shows a lack of psychological understanding, which could have been prevented by reading basic information that you can find online in 5 minutes. An adult's or young adult's psyche doesn't work like this, it could have been used, questionably but could have, if he was a child – but he isn't. As soon as an author includes aspects of psychology, they should make sure that what they portray is realistic, especially when it's so easy to research. This might be a minor thing for some readers, for me it's negligence.

This brings me back to Luo Binghe, he doesn't love Shen Qingqiu, he's obsessed with him, going so far as to sleep with his corpse. Yes, he sleeps with his corpse even weeks after he died.

Still sad Yue Qingyuan's storyline had 0 development even after the reveal of a truly compelling backstory between YQ and SQQ. Post-reveal SQQ was just all, don't talk to me, I ain't him anymore. Such wasted potential. #JusticeforYQ

MC literally dies for or directly because of the ML 3 times. Can I slap the ML with my slipper?? Oh wait, I can't because he's the golden protag *eye roll*.

The MC literally only had s*x with the ML since there was no other way to calm the ML's anger/crazed state and prevent him from self destructing and destroying the sects...

ML forces MC to drink his demon blood (TWICE, even when revived into a new body MC can't escape the cray) so he can inflict pain on him whenever the MC disagrees with him. ML even cuddles with the MC's corpse (!!) body-pillow style when MC "dies". And somehow when MC sees this, the next minute he's just like, "oh he's suffered a lot". Like bro, RUN. The creep factor has exceeded 100.

MC has stated again and again: he can't go back to his original world because his original body is dead. That's why he was panicking in one of the chapters where he was about to get sent back to his original world after failing a task. Instead, he exchanged his points and opted for a punishment aka getting transported into the original Luo Binghe's universe and having his limbs cut off.

The other one being the writer of the universe, you had quite some possibilities for nice interactions - but no, the MC is self centered and so is the plot

the lover relationship between the two starts as the obsession of one and the self sacrifice that can also be read as repayment for his hypocritical care.

it feels like pity and duty, not love

The ML has to totally break down and go crazy for the MC to realize how much his half assed everything did hurt the abused boy he pitied so much -

the former hero ends up being a « cry baby with a maiden heart » (sexism please) begging for the attention of the indifferent spectator that his master is : he’s really desperately pitiful, even if when it works !

the intimacy is the worse - it start with consensual r*pe (seriously gruesome !) and goes to enduring the appetite of the other - with pain and no satisfaction - both are described as physically incompatible (!!! Why bother writing about that !)

the « maiden with a heart of glass » has a huge member that is « too big for the small butt of the MC » (who doesn’t in these novels), but despite offering the very straight MC to reverse (yes !) position, it’s a no - (why ??!)

they are immortal cultivators, but s*x is too exhausting and it’s damaging the body (yes go rocket launcher !)

so there you go for the ridiculous and pompous abuse of imaginary « gay » couple, where one his husband, the over is « wife » that of course hate or endure s*x for the sake of the other...

« bored double M » should have been the title Of this book

From the beginning, one of the biggest themes in this story is Qingqiu's inability to understand that Binghe is different from the original novel's. Even after creating a more positive relationship with him in hopes of saving his own skin, Qingqiu still thinks of Binghe as the original, with the original's tastes, eventual personality, etc. This is the root of basically all of their misunderstandings.

This can be seen early on through how he observed the original novel's members of Binghe's harem even when Binghe and the plot has deviated from that already. I would say that Qingqiu is at least somewhat able to see Binghe as slightly different from the original novel's when he was still a young untainted sheep, though as Binghe pointed out later in the Huan Hua, nothing he does personally after falling into the Abyss could make Qingqiu change his mind, because at that point, he already saw Binghe as the carbon copy of the original. I personally don't believe this started after the Abyss, but rather right at the moment before he pushes Binghe in. Even though the System forces Qingqiu to do it with the threat of his own life (20, 000 points overkill), the fact is that as Binghe pleaded him to listen, Qingqiu was looking into the future and not at the present Binghe.

Sure, Qingqiu could have probably handled it differently. It's possible he could have told Binghe that he is in danger now with his demonic blood released, and if he wants to be able to get more powerful and control it while also staying out trouble from the human world, he must go down the Abyss. But I doubt those ideas even crossed his mind. Qingqiu was already thinking too far ahead, with a concrete idea of who Binghe should be already in his head. Qingqiu even said it himself, that he never really considered himself as part of the story, but rather an outsider looking in. Even when he grew attached, he never truly differentiated novel verse and his verse.

This isn't necessarily criticism, as I'm just stating that these are all the reasons why Qingqiu acts the way he does, and it's part of the story inherently. And I personally cannot fault Qingqiu for it entirely. After all, to him, all of this was just a novel, all of these characters are part of that novel, and all he wanted to do from the beginning was to survive. To him, it was all inevitable. A flaw perhaps, in his character. But that's a pretty understandable flaw.

Especially after Qingqiu died which... uh, yeah. Pretty much expected.

One part of the story not to my tastes was the non-con scene, which was non/dub-con for both characters essentially. Warning, it's at chapter 80. Context is that Mo Xin (Binghe's sword) starts to muddle his mind and that happens. However, Binghe stopped in the process and started crying when he realized Qingqiu was in pain which caused the latter to go "... why are YOU crying??? Why am I, the victim, now comforting the assaulter???"

It made sense, or at least had some relevance to the plot/story (Binghe's sword is a bit of a beep) but yeah. Still might be triggering to some so warning right here.

I do wonder why non/dub-con is such a popular thing in the bl community is. I see it in yaoi manga, in c-novels, in webtoons. Wonder why it has become the norm almost? History and society influence? Especially in the Eastern hemisphere. Like, its almost celebrated to an extent, or just very common.