Rating: 4.75⭐️

This isn’t as heart-fluttering as Hidden Love, yet somehow I like this one better. It’s less butterflies-rioting, more slow-burn frostbite. No pun intended.

Wen Yifan. She’s so dear to me it physically hurts. She keeps trying to have a better life for herself even when her own family (especially her sorry excuse of a mother) barely chooses her back. The way she was treated like she didn’t even deserve to take up space? I’M DEVASTATED.

And then her university friends label her as cold, avoidant, and distant. But I don’t see that. I think she’s being realistic. She understands that after graduation, life moves on. People drift away. You don’t always get to keep the perfect dynamics forever and that’s okay. You keep the ones that matter. You are not tailor-made to please everyone. She’s not a people pleaser and I love her for that.

Sang Yan’s confidence skills need to be scientifically studied. Sometimes he’s so confident I get secondhand embarrassment through the page. Especially when he’s pursuing— sorry, correction, when he thinks Yifan is the one eagerly pursuing him in his delusional little brain.

But underneath that smug, cold outer layer, he’s actually soft and protective. He notices things. He cares in quiet ways he absolutely refuses to acknowledge.

And it feels so fresh seeing this version of him. In Hidden Love, I only saw Sang Yan through Sang Zhi’s lens as the chaotic, annoying older brother. But here, through Yifan’s perspective, he’s stubbornly gentle (no, he will never admit this).

THE FORCED PROXIMITY THO. The tension. The domestic interactions. I was SO seated.

I just know that volume two is going to be deeper and darker. The miscommunication. The separation. The emotional devastation. I’m scared. But I’m also absolutely ready.

P.S. Where is my beloved Dian Dian the cat? This is a formal complaint.

Rating: 4.75⭐️

The atmosphere of the second volume is still as comforting as the first one. But this one has more layers. It goes a little deeper.

I finally get more details about what actually happened with Duan Jiaxu’s family, the weight he’s been carrying, and that depth gives the story more emotional gravity.

And I’m living for Sang Zhi’s growth! She was bratty (affectionately) and impulsive in the first book (very understandable, she was literally a teenager). But here, she’s maturing. She’s a lot wiser and more thoughtful.

And if we’re talking about Duan Jiaxu in his boyfriend era… I swear that man is shameless on so many levels and I fear that he cannot be cured (I don’t think he wants to be cured anyway). He’s literally the CEO of flirting. Throwing rizz 24/7.

The romance still carries that cozy, heart-fluttering energy, but this time it’s a little… spicier (well, maybe a lot). I swear their interactions had me giggling and squealing like I just witnessed something illegal.

Sang Zhi and Sang Yan are STILL professional rage baiters. I’m literally living for their chaotic dynamic.

And excuse me but WEN YIFAN CAMEO??? The way I GASPED. Nobody told me that she appears in this book??? I am SO ready to read her and Sang Yan’s story next. Cancelling all my plans. FULLY SEATED.

Reading this felt like going on a precious, emotional journey. It wasn’t just words on a page. It was immersive. It made me feel everything. The head-over-heels. The anxious overthinking. The longing. I don’t think I’m emotionally recovering anytime soon.

Rating: 4.75⭐️

This is literally the guidebook to discovering your first crush. But this isn’t just First Crush 101, it’s First Crush 911. Emotional emergency. Butterflies rioting. I swear it’s so sweet it gave me diabetes.

Sang Zhi is so effortlessly funny and just a little unhinged. She roasts people like it’s her full-time job and I respect that deeply. She’s bratty but in the most endearing way possible and I love her for that.

And Duan Jiaxu? A CERTIFIED SHAMELESS FLIRT. Green forest? No. He’s the entire protected ecosystem. If I were Sang Zhi, I would’ve folded immediately. IMMEDIATELY. Even with his world-class terrible pick-up lines.

Watching Sang Zhi slowly develop her crush was so entertaining. It wasn’t rushed. It was gradual. It was subtle. It was painfully realistic. The yearning? Top-tier.

And once Duan Jiaxu enters his lovesick loser era? HE COMMITS. He doesn’t back down. Their interactions are so stinking cute I physically could not stop giggling.

Also, Sang Zhi and Sang Yan? Peak sibling dynamics. Bickering is their love language. They are professional rage baiters and I adore them.

Can we talk about Sang Zhi’s family, though? ACTUAL FAMILY GOALS. Her parents? Top-tier parenting. The warmth. The support. The way they communicate. It’s so heartwarming, like, please adopt me.

And I love that this story isn’t just romance. It’s also about growing up. Chasing your dreams. Becoming the better version of yourself. If you want something, you fight for it.

But also… Duan Jiaxu’s backstory? Actual pain. What he had to go through because of his family’s tragedy broke my heart. He deserves the world. And for him, that world is her.

Now let me be petty for one second.

This isn’t technically a flaw but I need to say it for my own sanity: I have never felt a stronger urge to throw a wooden chair at Jiang Ying. Straight in the face. And I’d do it thrice.

Overall? Ferally endearing. Yearning so intense it should be studied.