25 Years of Reading, Except for One Book 25年阅，一本除外

1. 1 迷 Bewitching Formation 迷魂阵 Mauve Mallow锦葵紫Romance266k WordsCompleted Shen Xiyin’s husband was gravely injured while killing an evil spirit, leaving him unable to father an heir. As the head of a sect, he did not want to leave his position without a successor, nor did he want anyone to learn of this secret that would damage his reputation. He wanted Shen Xiyin to put the greater good first and secretly conceive a child with another man, giving birth to his “heir.” To that end, he schemed to push Shen Xiyin into the Bewitching Array. There was another man inside 206kFavorites170.9kClicks/ch167.4kGifts

   Curator note

   I read it this year. It's similar to "Crossing the Yang Qi," but better written, with better prose, female lead character, and plot. Crossing the Yang Qi: Some descriptions are very archaic, like eating seasoned meat at a roadside stall and not caring much about hygiene. The female lead isn't portrayed as "dignified" enough; she's too obsequious, which I don't like. The female lead is rather flat and lacks any redeeming qualities, while the male lead tries too hard to be impressive. The plot is boring, unfolding only from the female lead's perspective, which is very limiting. She just seems helpless and clueless. It's not exciting or has any moving climaxes. It's a fairly typical post-drama novel. The writing style is smooth and engaging, but the male lead's character is flat, partly due to the limited and superficial interactions between the main characters, and partly because he's too monotonous. The female lead's character is also somewhat flat; she's gentle yet resilient. The parallel interweaving of the main characters' romance and the supporting characters' storylines feels forced. While the main characters maintain basic moral values, the lack of tension in their relationship makes the story feel weak and boring after marriage.

2. 2 满 A Courtyard in Full Bloom 满庭芳 Yudong榆冬Romance1.3M WordsOngoing It goes VIP tomorrow. Thank you all for your support. Lin Zhen opened her eyes to find herself in the body of a poor girl from the countryside. Up at dawn to gather pig fodder, spinning hemp late into the night. Just when the silkworms and mulberry trees were taken care of, it was time to plant the rice. She never had a moment to herself. She worked diligently and quietly skimmed money off the top. One day, her stepmother told her they were going to the capital to stay with relatives. After 24.5kFavorites24.1kClicks/ch56.3kGifts

   Curator note

   Yu Dong, I hate you. Are you not planning to end it? Saying "it'll be over soon" means it won't be over soon, and saying "I'll update tomorrow" is just an expression of wanting to update more. The story begins with the female lead marrying and following the male lead to become an official and fight in wars: 1. The female lead's perspective isn't the main one. In the scenes between the female and male leads, the male lead's feelings are very clear, while the female lead's thoughts and feelings are shrouded in mystery, her emotions lacking an outlet, creating a very montage-like effect. Or perhaps it's a deliberate use of euphemisms, making it easy to reconcile any situation. She's almost eighteen, almost ready to consummate their marriage, and then they feign divorce. The female lead and the male lead are clearly incompatible and can't get along, yet it's written that the male lead initiated the divorce to protect her, as if the subtle differences and unspoken feelings between them have vanished without a trace. 2. The female lead's career and romantic storylines are both inferior to the male lead's. Her career storyline always ends abruptly, hastily concluded. In contrast, the amount of detail and effort invested in the male lead's career is vastly different. It's strange that the male lead's career is written about instead of the female lead's. As for the romantic storyline, the more charming the male lead is, the more the female lead is perceived as "ungrateful." 3. The character also undergoes a very negative transformation. Initially, Lin Zhen is intelligent, kind, cunning, vibrant, assertive, worldly-wise, and principled. Later, confined to the male protagonist's household, she becomes a stubborn and inflexible person. While initially worldly-wise and insightful about human nature, she later becomes extremely obstinate and intolerant of injustice. It's hard to imagine that the author, while showing affection for the female protagonist and creating a character with ideals and beliefs, only devotes so little attention to describing her ideals. A sense of accomplishment and satisfaction is irreplaceable by other emotions, such as love or family affection. This book has been without its female lead for a long time, and it keeps reverting to its old ways. -

3. 3 嘉 After Jiajing Got Someone Pregnant in a Dream 嘉靖感而有孕之后 Meng Sh Shui孟水水Romance616k WordsOngoing VIP release date: September 9 A dream of the sun entering one’s arms foretells the birth of a noble son. One night, Jiajing dreamed that a ball of fire fell from the sky and landed in his arms. When he awoke, he found himself repeatedly retching and vomiting. The imperial physicians were summoned at once to take his pulse. They all dropped to their knees in terror. “Your Majesty, this pulse… it seems… it seems to be a pregnancy pulse.” After decades of painstaking Daoist cultivation, the Daoist 29.8kFavorites44.7kClicks/ch42.2kGifts

   Curator note

   The Empress Dowager Jiajing is a bit too much [rainbow praise]. The author is so talented in every aspect. However, there are too many nannies; straight women can't handle it. It feels like the protagonist is Jiajing, with very few female characters.

4. 4 末 Stockpiling Supplies to Survive in a Doomsday Star House 末世星屋生存囤货 Nan Ling南绫Romance1.7M WordsCompleted A completed Apocalypse novel set in the same universe: My Space Is a Camper [Apocalypse], Space Storage / Apocalypse Escape / Everyday Life / Food / Feel-Good Fiction Apocalypse Disaster · Space · Stockpiling · Infinite Flow · Feel-Good Fiction [Complete! Please leave a five-star review. The VIP chapters are frequently revised; the complete version is only on Jinjiang.] [Typos may be corrected, so please ignore updates.] Tsunamis, earthquakes, zombies, meteor showers, collapsed bridges, hailsto 176.3kFavorites306.2kClicks/ch411.9kGifts

   Curator note

   Boring. The writing is mediocre, and the author forces a dramatic climax at the end of each unit, like a primary school essay—it's less than 40 out of 60, childish. Logically, this kind of post-apocalyptic story should be more engaging, but the stories are all rather bland. The protagonist is too safe, so there's little dramatic conflict, and it just smoothly progresses...

5. 5 如 How to Stop the Male Lead from Going Mad 如何阻止男主发疯 Stir-Fried Cucumber爆炒小黄瓜Romance352k WordsCompleted The print edition has been retitled How to Stop Him from Falling. Presales begin on February 24, 2026 (the eighth day of the Lunar New Year) at 7:00 p.m. [This story is based on the original work’s characterizations, but does not use its plot. You can read it as an original story.] [This is a derivative work, but the characterizations, plot, and backstories contain a great deal of personal interpretation and transformative writing, with a very distinctive personal style. Please do not treat the 593.4kFavorites573.3kClicks/ch503kGifts

   Curator note

   Slightly boring. The writing style is like a slice of toast—not very flavorful, but you can eat it with some jam. The appeal comes from the original setting; without that setting, the writing lacks strength. I read through the exciting parts with a calm mind. The author's stilted translation style is unpleasant; the first two words are often paused, followed by phrases like "who knew" and "however." It seems the reputation isn't very good; it's caused quite a stir. I only saw the controversy after reading it. If I don't like the author, I won't read it again.

6. 6 探 The Flower Snatcher 探花 Qing Yin卿隐Romance613k WordsCompleted (Signed for simplified Chinese publication. Follow progress on Weibo at @Jinjiang Qingyin) [Blurb] Once, she dreaded going to court. Later, she dreaded leaving it. Scene: After court, Chen Jinzhao grips her jade tablet and walks off with her head down, only to be swiftly stopped by the chief eunuch waiting outside the Golden Hall. “Top Graduate, the Prince Regent is waiting for you to discuss state affairs. This way, please.” Where the chief eunuch points, a four-horse carriage is waitin 429.3kFavorites394kClicks/ch701.2kGifts

   Curator note

   Vicious, utterly vicious, embodying all the vices. I especially dislike stories where the female lead lacks agency; she seems artificial, devoid of genuine emotions. However, I can understand the author's deliberate omission of the female lead's feelings for the male lead—falling in love with someone who oppresses her is just a joke. Genuine emotions are reduced to a mere play-act by the male and female leads, too contrived and cheesy. The male lead's long, drawn-out monologues are like a maze, the female lead stripped of some of her emotions to the point of being afraid to even feel disgust. The female lead is strangely devoted to others, while the male lead ultimately gains everything. The spoilers from friends and family are merely a ploy to push the female lead towards the male lead, creating an ostrich-like, weak-willed female lead. While "Imperial Concubine" had strong writing power and tension, the style felt like a plus-sized version of a domineering CEO—cold and indifferent in some parts, and resembling a loser's incoherent "Oh my god!" I find plots involving rulers and subjects, fathers and sons, especially the female lead being someone else's father, annoying. This is just child's play, stop with the awkward stuff. It's been packaged a bit, but the masculine charm is still undeniable, attracting countless women. Or rather, people who love women can still claim to love women in this story, calling the male lead a "ladies' man," and trying to educate readers of other books about not loving women—isn't that ridiculous? Fine, love it if you want, close your eyes and enjoy the perverse pleasure, but even so, it's still unpleasant to read. The author loves to pad out the story and create suspense. The male lead is incredibly low-class; he trades twenty years of his lifespan for the female lead's infertility, then later writes about his constant anxiety—does he regret it? An even lower-class man offers him the female lead, and the male lead actually sees it as some kind of masculinity, treating the female lead as just another object. He even gives the female lead a chance to advance his career—you men are the only ones who truly belong here. The female lead avoids sex, and the male lead punishes her by subjecting her to it severely; in the story, the female lead obediently accepts, and readers outside the story see it as flirting. 0 People feel sorry for the female lead, including the female lead herself. Actually, the author secretly fell in love with the female lead through her character's skin, right? I will no longer force myself to read a story that I can't finish after the first chapter. Be wary of recommendations.

7. 7 渡21+ Borrowing Yang Energy 渡阳气 Sing of the Wind and Go风歌且行Romance275k WordsCompleted 261.9kFavorites279kClicks/ch131.9kGifts

   Curator note

   Phoenix. The appeal is so-so; the female lead is so pitiful and weak (not blaming her). I always felt the same fear of danger as her. Although it's from her perspective, this lack of visual depth makes the story feel rushed and underdeveloped.

8. 8 跟21+ You Just Don’t Get It, Rich People 跟你们天龙人说不明白 Call Me Su the Third叫我苏三少Romance1.2M WordsOngoing 192.9kFavorites214.2kClicks/ch767.8kGifts

   Curator note

   My first impression of San San's writing was one of delight; her ideas were clever and insightful. The female lead was so captivating in just a few chapters, instantly drawing the reader in. It's rare to see a female lead in a romance novel so detached from conventional stereotypes. Now, after reading about a hundred chapters, that initial spark is gone. The plot's logic is slightly questionable, and some descriptions are so detailed and excessive that they feel cloying and overwhelming. There's a bit of information overload; the dialogue always feels like an argument. The author isn't superficial, it's just that there's far too much dialogue and description. I bought many chapters but haven't read them, and I've lost interest. I've noticed that they always like to ask for leave. As soon as one person asks for leave, the other person follows suit in a second.

9. 9 前 After My Ex-Boyfriends Ran Off with the Kids 前男友们带球跑后 Fan Yuetai范月台Romance801k WordsCompleted 1. Xue Yu transmigrates into a world where people can awaken animal spirit forms. Awakening a cheetah spirit form can increase your running speed. Awakening a tiger spirit form can increase your strength... As an Earthling, Xue Yu is a different species from the native inhabitants. Even after transmigrating several years ago, she still hasn't awakened a spirit form. She muddles along, being picky as she dates a few people. Until one day, several ex-boyfriends show up at her door with children, 142.9kFavorites174.8kClicks/ch223.4kGifts

   Curator note

   Fan Yuetai's reputation: A mischievous and lawless tyrant. But many of the male supporting characters are quite annoying and unpleasant, not attractive to me. I glanced at the new book, and the male supporting characters are still like simps, all clinging to the female lead.

10. 10 皇 Imperial Noble Consort 皇贵妃 Qing Yin卿隐Romance361k WordsCompleted The instant the young emperor learned that her heart belonged to someone else, his blood roared through his veins. He wanted nothing more than to tear her to pieces. He had ascended the throne in his youth and stood at the pinnacle of power, ruling over a vast empire. Every civil and military official bowed to him, yet she alone trampled his imperial dignity beneath her feet. On the day the affair came to light, Wen Yin finally understood just how terrifying the emperor could be once he sh 80.9kFavorites166.4kClicks/ch28.5kGifts

    Curator note

    Vicious. An old, frail lion, unable to look his father in the eye… the vibe is too strong. The female lead dies and that's it? Who wants to read about a pig demon? The male lead is also named Zhu Jing, and described as "boneless"—isn't that just Zhu Yuanzhang, the "big mango"? Ugly, fierce, and strong… what's the author's point in writing this? I'm particularly struck by how the male lead treats the female lead like a plaything; I see no pity or heartache from the author for her suffering and despair. Even without genuine emotion, it's wrong to use this as a pretext to unleash malice on the female lead. I admire the author's ruthlessness in tormenting her. The only novel where the author wants to kill the male lead from beginning to end, dismember him, and mince him into meat paste. He's inhuman and should be sent to the slaughterhouse. The male lead can be bad, but he can't be low-class. Almost all of this author's male leads are rotten cucumbers; they don't just have normal sex lives, they like to frequent brothels. And they even have to put on a facade—not just prostitution, but a life of luxury and womanizing. What I consider angst-filled stories: tragic endings, love amidst hatred, forced possession, unrequited love, and missed opportunities. Actual angst: Abusing the female protagonist

11. 11 失 The Lost Continent 失落大陆 Duo Mu Mu Duo多木木多Romance207k WordsCompleted A lost continent, a civilization of strange beings A romance between a human girl and an inhuman creature^^ Theme: Self-reliance and strength. 51.7kFavorites161.4kClicks/ch14kGifts

    Curator note

    Shocking. An unknown civilization, a lost continent—may you always have the courage to live. I apologize for my previous dismissive attitude; the author truly handles profound matters with effortless grace. This is the first truly human-centric novel I've ever read. It's bizarre, terrifying, and despairing. The story opens with the protagonist being raped by a monster. The "male protagonist" is mute; only the female protagonist is human. Because she's his partner, because they've shared a past of "marital intimacy," the female protagonist subconsciously and self-comfortingly believes that "it" is the only thing she can rely on in this strange world. However, this unique, ephemeral fantasy is shattered harshly in the later stages. Even humans are no different from monkeys, horses, or cattle on this continent. She becomes the male protagonist's partner simply because this primitive animal is in heat. Whether the female protagonist finds happiness and "love" or compromises later on, I don't know, I can't help but feel unable to bear thinking about it. Even the idea that the female protagonist has been assimilated and brainwashed is cruel and hurtful. Isn't this already the best ending? But why does it still hurt so much? Previously, I only read books that were outwardly human but still possessed human-like thoughts and understanding. But with this book, I realized that the one thing humans are most incapable of doing is relinquishing their "human" dignity.

12. 12 美 The Beauty Who Deceives the Emperor 美人欺君 Fish Offering, Fish Fish Fish獭祭鱼鱼鱼Romance462k WordsCompleted [I'm updating a free story. Come find me and hang out!] Yan Nian spent ten years as a spy in Bianjing, serving with all her heart and building an impressive record. All she wanted was to retire, return home in glory, and live out the rest of her days in peace. But her boss was a piece of work. After accepting her resignation, he forced one last mission on her: seduce Ye Xuchuan, the powerful leader of the emperor's maternal relatives. At the news, Yan Nian nearly blacked out. Everyone knew t 12.6kFavorites17.4kClicks/ch5.7kGifts

    Curator note

    It's good. A love-hate relationship, full of twists and turns, incredibly melodramatic. The male lead is wicked, the female lead is ruthless, and the author isn't afraid to write it. I don't like the children's scenes, although it uses many tropes and is quite unrestrained, the writing is still good. I read it for entertainment without delving too deeply. It was from this point that I noticed that in novels, whether the male lead is affectionate or not, he always cares about the female lead willingly or unwillingly, even in stories that torment female characters, the author will still label it as the male lead's "love." But there's a scene in this book where the male lead is truly, unequivocally, and maliciously refuses to help the female lead. It was a little nerve-wracking. Why give men such allure? Why package them as caring for the female lead? While surprised, it was also somewhat satisfying. My preferences for male lead characters are two extremes: either a genuine gentleman or a "no poison, no man" type.

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