The toilet scene at the start was bold. Starting a BL romance ABO story with two idiots in a smoking area/toilet talking about an online fight is funny. It immediately sets the tone as not being too serious. It also grounds the fantastical setting (5S Alphas) with a very human emotion (petty online beef). I quickly settled into the story because of this.
The dialogue during the video call was snappy and realistic. Yu Duoduo not letting her mother finish fake lines? Good. But the mother’s quick shift from anger to fake sweetness felt cartoonish. It weakened the villain’s threat level for me.
The thugs giving him a silver tael out of fear was a nice touch. It reminds you that in this world, money flows with power. He doesn't have to trade or barter; he just has to be scarier than the other guy. It’s a simplistic but effective economic system for the story.
The training scene with learning spells by just clicking a button feels way too convenient. I get that it's a gamer system cheat, but it removes any sense of struggle or achievement. At least make him fail once or twice before mastering it. Right now it's just "I have read the book, I am perfect at the spell" which kills tension. Hope they balance that with some actual cost later.
Overall, the first chunk of this novel sets up a classic paranormal detective story with a modern police backdrop. The pacing is a bit uneven – some parts drag, others hook. I’m curious enough to keep reading, especially to find out what Chen Cheng’s ritual reveals. The flour and candle scene is a strong cliffhanger.
I don't usually read campus romance stuff, but this one hooked me right from the bus scene. The two gossipy girls talking trash about Zhu Jiajia felt way too real. I swear I've heard identical conversations in my own school. The way the author wrote their jealousy dripping through every word made me uncomfortable in a good way. And Zhou Peiyu just sitting there bored, not caring at all, that's exactly how I'd react too. The contrast between the online mob mentality and his indifference was a nice touch.
The "birth allowance" is a cynical but clever world-building detail. It shows the clans view people as a resource, like livestock. They encourage breeding just enough to keep the workforce going. It’s a dark, realistic take on a feudal fantasy society that avoids romanticizing the peasant life.