Okay so let me just say — this whole hospital scene is a masterclass in misdirection, and I am HERE for it. The original novel supposedly had Xie Zhengnian as the childhood sweetheart who adored Qin Nian his whole life, right? But what do we get here? A cold, suspicious man who barely gives her the time of day. The author is playing with us so hard. Every time I thought I understood the setup, BAM — new information flips everything. And then there's the subplot thread with Fang Yanli. Oh my god, the woman is a menace. She comes in with her smug attitude, clearly having her own network of compound gossip, and drops this line: "Captain Xie won't protect her. She'll be driven out soon enough." What does that even mean? Is there some inside information about Xie Zhengnian's plans? Is someone plotting against Qin Nian? This is the kind of foreshadowing that makes you sit up straight and immediately flip ahead to see what happens. The scene with Qi Yaoyao is also fascinating from a plot standpoint. She's a nurse, which means she's embedded in the hospital — right where Xie Zhengnian is recovering. And her look? "Her eyes shot out like knives, filled with hatred." This isn't just casual rivalry. This is personal. This is the kind of hatred that comes from someone who has been wronged deeply, or who sees someone as a threat to something she wants. Given that she's mentioned as "decently good-looking" before, and Qin Nian just stole all the attention in one night... I'm starting to think Qi Yaoyao might be the rival love interest the original book hinted at. And if Xie Zhengnian was supposed to be Qin Nian's cherished childhood sweetheart, then Qi Yaoyao's hatred makes even more sense — she probably had feelings for him too. The plot is weaving together so many threads here: the mystery of the original Qin Nian's cruel plan (drowning children for a lover??), the current Qin Nian's transformation, the political undercurrents in the compound, and the slow-burn tension between Xie Zhengnian and his wife. It's a lot, but it's working. I just want to know what Fang Yanli knows that she won't tell her husband.
I have to address the clerk's breakdown because honestly? That might be the most unhinged and brilliant piece of dialogue in this entire batch. After Xin Yuanshou's body is pulled from the cauldron, Yang Fei threatens the clerk into talking. And what does he scream? "It was Guanyin! The Horse-Head King! He cursed them— Lord Yu was dismembered, now another boiled alive— this is the Horse-Head King condemning them to hell, punishing them with hell's torments! The Horse-Head King! The Horse-Head King—" He repeats it three times. Three times. While sobbing. This man is on the floor, hugging his knees, muttering incoherently, and the only coherent thing that comes out is this wild, superstitious rant about Buddhist hell punishments. And here's the thing — it's not random. The text carefully establishes that Hu Li, a crippled former gambler, is the one who told them about the Horse-Head King and Guanyin's curses. The clerk is just repeating what he heard. But the fact that this belief system has infected the entire station — that a man who saw a boiled corpse immediately jumps to "hell's punishments" instead of "murder" — says something enormous about the world this story lives in. The dialogue throughout this batch is remarkably functional. No one wastes words. Song Huaijin's questions are sharp and direct. Qi Xun's medical observations are precise: "The chest and abdomen are bloated. The face is purplish, with slight froth at the mouth and nose." She doesn't dramatize — she reports. Even her excitement when she finds "Yu Ming" in the records is contained: "Could it be such a coincidence?" Her heart jolts, but her mouth barely moves. But then there's the attendants' testimony, which is where the dialogue gets interesting. They're nervous, hesitant, giving just enough information to be useful but clearly holding back. "No… nothing unusual… only… only the general seemed uneasy these past two days." The ellipses in the original text do so much work here. You can hear them choosing their words, glancing at each other, wondering how much is safe to say. And Song Huaijin's response — "Every time he had seen Xin Yuanshou, the man appeared calm. Was it all an act?" — that's not dialogue, that's narration, but it's the kind of narration that feels like a character's internal voice. The author lets us hear Song Huaijin's suspicion without spelling it out. The dialogue in this batch does exactly what good dialogue should: it reveals character, advances the plot, and builds atmosphere all at once. Even the clerk's breakdown, as unhinged as it is, serves all three purposes.
There's this recurring theme of who has a place and who doesn't, and it's not just literal housing. Lin Yue's entire arc in these chapters is about belonging and being pushed out. She saved fifty thousand yuan from her first year of college — that's years of discipline, of living below her means, of trying to build something stable in a city that doesn't care about her. And Qing Jing takes it all away with a phone call and a locksmith. The USB drive is such a rich symbol here. It represents Lin Yue's effort, her preparation, her willingness to go the extra mile. Qing Jing stealing it is literally stealing her professional credibility. And the fact that it was never meant to be used in the meeting? That's the cruel joke — Lin Yue's anxiety was unnecessary, but Qing Jing's betrayal was very real. The USB becomes this object that means different things to different people: a training tool for He Yuan, a career-making prop for Lin Yue, a weapon for Qing Jing. Then there's the dorm situation. Shared rooms for regular staff, single rooms only for management. The company housing system literally codifies hierarchy into sleeping arrangements. Lin Yue can't bring herself to share after the Qing Jing incident — she's been violated once in a shared space and the idea of another one terrifies her. But the system offers no alternative. She's trapped between pride and necessity, which is honestly the most relatable dilemma in the whole book.
There's something really cinematic about how this passage is constructed. Let me walk through it. We open with sound. "Clang-clang-clang." The rhythmic hammering becomes the heartbeat of the entire teaching sequence. It's not just background noise—the author uses it as a pacing device. Every time Lin Qiaozhi makes an adjustment, we get another round of "clang-clang-clang," and then the cracking sound of steel breaking. Three times in a row. You can literally hear the steel giving way. Then the scene shifts to Lin Jiadong arriving with the mung bean soup. The tin kettle, the enamel mugs dangling from his fingers—these are such specific, grounded details. This isn't a generic "he brought food" moment. It's a tin kettle and ENAMEL mugs. You can hear the clink. You can imagine the cold soup being poured. And then the dinner scene. The solid wood dining table. The plate with a crack, the bowl missing a corner. These objects matter. That damaged table becomes the physical manifestation of everything broken in this family. When she kicks it, the "deafening bang" and "clatter of dishes" isn't just noise—it's the sound of years of suppressed frustration finally exploding. The plane tree scene is where the visual writing really shines. Red-brick apartment buildings. The western corner of the residential compound. Engineer Lu's apartment building visible in the distance. She's literally looking at the building where her mentor lives while her own family falls apart behind her. The spatial relationships between these buildings tell you everything about where she stands in this world. And the neighbors! "Quite a few heads poked out" from the corridor. This is such a vivid snapshot of communal Chinese apartment living—thin walls, shared spaces, everyone knowing everyone's business. The gossip that follows feels so real.
the novel is good and they is also room for improvement
super plot nice twists and Waiting for more chapters guys let's hit Power stones it is super story read until 64 good until now q
Shameless author here
Hey dear author Your book resonated deeply with me, and I'm convinced it can inspire many more readers. I'd love to share some ideas on how to expand its reach and amplify its impact.May I have the privilege of discussing my thoughts with you?
OMg, where is kaelith when we need him?!
Great storycan't wait for more chapters
five stars ?the name daewon kind of reminds me of Daemon ?
It gives this eerie vibe and brings reference from this world into reality, the writing was great, almost too great which is strange, the words you use,love it, and that name , you should probably do some cover art but I love it.