The ending of this excerpt leaves me with so many questions. What happens to Zhu Jiajia? Is Zhou Peiyu going to be the key to a cure? How will the school respond to the outbreak? And what role does Li Wenli play in all of this? I need the next chapter immediately. This story has me completely hooked with its blend of romance, horror, and mystery. Definitely going to recommend it to friends who like dark stories.
Can we talk about Chengcheng for a moment? This kid is way too adorable and mature for his age. A four-year-old who reads by himself, helps with mopping, and willingly goes to kindergarten just to make his mom less stressed? I'm not crying, you're crying. The detail about him being sent to toddler classes before he was even two because there was no one to look after him broke my heart. And the way Li Mai looks at him with such tenderness and guilt – that mother-son dynamic is beautifully written. I love that he's not just a plot device but has his own personality. Him complaining about kindergarten being boring and preferring museums? A little old soul.
Shui Shui seems like a kind anchor, but I hope she gets more depth. Her recognizing Ye Feng from earlier (when she gave him money) is a nice connection. The fact she’s assigned to commentate shows her involvement. Her worry for him feels genuine. The bullet comments calling her wife are cringe but realistic. She might become a bridge between the real world and the game. Maybe she’ll have a bigger role later when Ye Feng returns.
1 The humor in this story is well-placed. From Golden Boy saying, “The Kitchen God does nothing, yet people still worship him,” to Yun Yichu thinking Chang Ming is a tree, the jokes land. It keeps the mood from getting too heavy. Even when Chang Ming is teasing Yun Yichu about his family or his intelligence, it feels playful, not mean. It makes the characters more likeable and relatable.
One small bit I liked was the "Bang!" of the door slamming after crawling back to her room. It's a tiny moment of defiance. She can't stand, she's dying, but she still has the strength to slam a door in Pei Yanshu's face. It's such a human, petty, and completely satisfying action. It tells the "perfect" Senior Brother exactly where he can go without a single word of explanation.
Now, the father, Lu Xiao, man I wanted to shake him. His whole “the emperor is wise, I must be loyal even if it kills us” attitude made me furious. But I think that’s good writing—it triggers a strong emotional response in the reader. He’s not stupid; he’s just trapped by his feudal mentality. The line about “all blessings and storms are from the sovereign” sums up his world view. He’s a military man who’s never questioned the system, and that’s tragic. The interaction where he chases Lu An with a family staff, but the kid outsmarts him, is so satisfying. I laughed when Lu An calls him “shameless old man” and accuses him of having no martial virtue. Their dynamic is the core of this section. However, I did find it a little unbelievable that a hardened general couldn’t catch a six-year-old even in a confined room. But then again, the kid is super slippery and has adult instincts, so maybe it’s okay. I hope the father gets more depth later, maybe a character arc where he learns to be less blindly loyal.