I actually read this back in 2021, I know this because I had a post made about it. And judging by what I wrote back in 2021 I didn't like it that much. But now I'm reading it and I think it's okay. This is such a bizarre feeling.
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Summary: Getting his Best Actor award accomplished actor Zhu Yu suddenly meets an accident and is transported into a novel where he becomes an "illegitimate" child of the Zhu family, gloomy and unlikable little person who was taken to Zhu family half-through, but of course no one welcomed him, even his own father often had different reactions, but mainly couldn't cease to lecture him all the time.
Zhu Yu knows that the OG followed the protagonist group and liked Zhou Ming, but of course his feelings would never be reciprocated. He also will have a fateful meeting with Zhou Jiarong, Zhou Ming's uncle, who has a specific condition where he has trouble sleeping, but being around MC helps to relieve it.
Zhu Yu is pretty positive about his new life, he wants to stay away from the protagonist group and actually wants to study, what he lacked in his previous life as an orphan.
Who knew his path will cross with Zhou Hiarong so early and this will lead to a new home filled with understanding and love.
Ironically, this is one of the authors I'm following on JJ. So I happily read them.
I can understand my previous irritability, probably caused by reading many similar novels and being done with tropes and cliche. After re-reading it (because I wanted to read some nice BL story) I realized that I quite like it.
Surely, it has a lot of casual tropes and popular things, but I think the characters are great and it all flows nicely. I admit that I was quite harsh on it before. Was my mood that bad at the time lol.
Characters:
Zhu Yu (MC) he is quite remarkable. Very positive and pretty lively personality. He lived long enough and survived in entertainment industry without being marred. Now he has a new life he cherishes and he also can study. Although he has a lot of skills he brought with himself he never shows off, they just come around from time to time. In previous review I said these things were brought up in abrupt way, but I do not agree with my past self, because he mentions from time to time that he learnt skills and took liberty hiring professionals even for smallest roles, so we can guess his approach and that he has many tricks up his sleeve.
Zhou Jiarong (ML) is a bit typical domineering CEO, but not really at the same time. Surely he has some sad past because his mother was a second wife, she wasn't loved, the same goes for him. Even if he is an adult who rules the Zhou family, others might say he guards it for his eldest brother, who actually looks down on him. He has quite a cold personality, but it is explained by his upbringing. Now when he met Zhu Yu he saw a lively and smart young man who is worthy of raising. He knew that Zhu Yu's experience in the Zhu household was far from ideal, thus when Zhu Yu found himself in predicament he reached out to help.
Zhu family, I think they don't appear much, only few times just to spice things up or progress the plot. Like stepmother Feng Wan who is always hostile to MC let it slip that she is the one who interfered in the relationship of Zhu Yu's mom and his biological father. Others consider Zhu Yu as illegitimate child, but he's actually not.
Zhu Shaoran is the typical small animal, looking as if the whole world wronged him type of character. It's not that he doesn't change, he does with time, but the story doesn't include him much. He had a lot of misconception about Zhu Yu for a very long time, also because of his attitude OG Zhu Yu was scorned by others, so that's a "kind protagonist" for you.
Zhou Ming, also does not participate much I'd say, he admires his uncle and thinks what his grandfather and father do is too much, but he's still a kid. He is a dignified young master, but not that follows tha illogical route, which is prevelent in such books where characters don't know right from wrong.
Jin Shengchi maybe has the biggest transformation. He has that braindead flavor when it comes to Shaoran, since he considers him weak and incapable from guarding from someone cunning like Zhu Yu, but with new Zhu Yu who kept to himself and changed he started from agression to eventually admitting he was wrong and wanting to be friends (boy probably didn't realize his attraction), but it was partially too late. Zhu Yu didn't like his character much, but wouldn't make things difficult or ugly either.
There is also a bunch of other extra characters who circle in this universe.
Relationship:
Is the focal point of the story tbh. We spend a lot of time witnessing the development of how relationship between Zhu Yu and Zhou Jiarong transforms.
It has a bit os misunderstanding taste at first. Like, for example, we as readers know that Zhu Yu does not really need anyone's protection, but Jiarong is differet, he knows that Zhu Yu was abused at the Zhu house, so he sees this liveliness differently.
What is remarkable in a way is how Jiarong starts from truly raising Zhu Yu as a kid, he sees his potantial and doesn't want him to be submerged in the Zhu family's quigmire. Of course the fact that Zhu Yu can help him get rid of insomnia is part of the deal, but his feelings are genuine.
Zhu Yu is probably the only one who has such a connection with him, treats him like normal. They truly care for each other.
Note: some may not like the fact that Jiarong has used a ruler on Zhu Yu, but the purpose of it was purely educational, since Jiarong wanted Zhu Yu to continue work hard and correct his mistakes. A lot of people think that parenting should be soft, but how can you built a stronger character and resilience if you allow a person everything. Because Zhu Yu indeed lied when he promised not to or fought when he promised not to. Jiarong was afraid he would grow crooked, he repeated many times that Zhu Yu can do anything, but never grow crooked. But he still used it only a couple of time and later could not bring himself using it again.
Also, the fact that Jiarong suddenly felt the surge of feelings for Zhu Yu (physical) did not make him happy at all. He immediately distanced himself. He is not some abstinent CEO and acknowledges the presence of physical need, but not with Zhu Yu for sure. After all he didn't bring Zhu Yu for him to become a little wife. So he didn't make any moves.
The development from here basically depends on their discovering feelings for each other. And everything follows quite a step by step motion.
I'd say it's not bad, since even if the entire book focuses on these two, but they don't have this instant come together moment and you have to read really far to get there. So yeah.
One thing I do admit that after reading I did feel like some characters are there just to move the plot forward and when they were done with their role they disappeared.
Another point I do not appreciate, but it was handled with more or less care is that two from the protagonist group eventually fall for Zhu Yu, but the thing is it's the new Zhu Yu they appreciate and cherish. He is indeed someone truly likable, but it also put the original boy down a bit. Even if author did not really bring him for harsh comparison. On the contray commenting on his unfortunate fate.
But I prefer when someone who might fall for the MC but who is not a designated ML to have a moment of peace and they don't develop into some love-crazed maniac as if love becomes everything for them. The two have their hearts broken because someone was there first.
So all in all it was okay. Had some good moments.
RATE: 3,5/5.
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