As a reader, the best thing about this novel is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously where it shouldn’t, but knows when to pull back and show real emotion. The balance between jokes about wet pants and the heartfelt goal to save a friend is commendable. I also love the sense of space: the cramped rental apartment, the bright school corridors, the luxury apartment building — each setting has its own colour. The “automated note-taking” style of writing (short paragraphs, frequent dialogue, interjections) makes for a fast read. I finished these three excerpts in one sitting. Now I need to know what happened to the Jingren client, who the elevator man is, and how the school reputation damage will affect Xie’s puppet deliveries. Also, I want to see Li Yanqiao’s full backstory. This is a solid binge-read, and I recommend starting it.
The side characters from Qingshui Guild are a bit flat so far. Captain Wen is nice, Gao Shan is helpful, but they don't have much personality beyond being impressed by the MC. I hope they get more development later. The official Yang Shu already has more spark with her clever banter.
Okay, the realm system is pretty standard Xianxia stuff, but the power gap here is just silly. Peng Feng is seventeen years old and already at the fifth level of the Diamond Realm. His own sect leader is only at the fifth level of the *Innate* Realm, which is two entire major realms below him. The fact that he is hiding this by pretending to be a weakling at the sixth level of the Acquired Realm is hilarious. It is the ultimate "playing dumb" trope, and I am here for it. The scale is completely tilted in his favor, which is what you want in a power fantasy.
Tian Taozi is... a lot. The way she just yeeted a grenade without checking if there was a civilian nearby? That's not great protocol. But I gotta admit, her character is entertaining. The rapid-fire dialogue, the "I don't have money" pocket-clutching, the immediate shift from guilt to cheerfulness—she's got personality. I'm guessing she's going to be the comic relief in an otherwise dark story, but I hope she gets some serious moments too. Otherwise she might end up feeling one-dimensional.
Some people might complain that the Emperor and Empress are too trusting, just accepting the system’s info without much verification. But they did get the physician to confirm the pregnancy, and they caught the Third Princess red-handed. So it’s not like they blindly believed. They did their due diligence in about five minutes. That’s efficient parenting right there. Plus, they have the power to act quickly—king perks.
The contrast between Jiang Ming’s inner thoughts and his outer actions is hilarious sometimes. On the outside, he’s the confident, heroic savior. On the inside, he’s a horny, scheming guy who wants to "invest" in a baby. This dissonance is actually fun if you don’t take it seriously. It’s like reading the diary of a villain who everyone thinks is a saint. When he’s comforting Chen Damei, you know he’s also checking out her shoulders. It makes him a morally grey protagonist, not a good guy, but an entertaining one. I just wish the author would lean into that greyness more instead of pretending he’s a great hero.