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Remnants of Filth: Yuwu (Novel) #5
Remnants of Filth: Yuwu (Novel) Vol. 5
A LIFETIME TOGETHER
Now that Mo Xi has uncovered the truth after eight long years, he and Gu Mang finally have a chance to clear away the lies of the past. Both know the moments they share are destined to be fleeting. Despite his efforts to remain lucid, Gu Mang's memories from the Time Mirror continue to slip away, and dark magic eats at his mind.
Yet peace at home is short-lived as new threats gather at the frontier. When the Liao Kingdom attacks once again, Gu Mang will join his former master, Murong Lian, as well as Mo Xi to confront their nation's darkest enemy. Their to neutralize an ancient danger inextricably tied to Chonghua's most secret history.
Now that Mo Xi has uncovered the truth after eight long years, he and Gu Mang finally have a chance to clear away the lies of the past. Both know the moments they share are destined to be fleeting. Despite his efforts to remain lucid, Gu Mang's memories from the Time Mirror continue to slip away, and dark magic eats at his mind.
Yet peace at home is short-lived as new threats gather at the frontier. When the Liao Kingdom attacks once again, Gu Mang will join his former master, Murong Lian, as well as Mo Xi to confront their nation's darkest enemy. Their to neutralize an ancient danger inextricably tied to Chonghua's most secret history.
324 pages, Paperback
Published November 19, 2024
142 people are currently reading
1961 people want to read
About the author
Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
82 books1,526 followersAssociated Names:
* Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
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* Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat (English Profile)
* Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
* 肉包不吃肉 (Chinese Profile)
* โร่วเปาปู้ชือโร่ว (Thai Profile)
* Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat (English Profile)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 329 reviews
November 29, 2024
Okay Murong Lian, I see why you are on the cover! The things we learn in this volume had me in tears but it’s Meatbun so of course we expect that. She does give us a lot of sweet moments that almost make you want to stop reading and say “The End” so I am very thankful for that 🥰
Mo Xi’s absolute devotion to Gu Mang and GM’s fears and pain being exposed just make me love them more than I thought possible. Their love has endured so much and I am absolutely obsessed with their story and how they will eventually reach their HE. The last ten pages gutted me and had me reading through my tears. These two have my whole heart ❤️
Mo Xi is up there with Xiao Chiye and Lu Feng with that protector baby girl energy. I’m sure I’ll have to edit this a few times because this doesn’t sound quite right 😂
“He closed his eyes and brought a hand to the back of Gu Mang’s head, taking this demon feared by all into his arms like a cherished treasure. “Won’t you please stay?” ”
Mo Xi’s absolute devotion to Gu Mang and GM’s fears and pain being exposed just make me love them more than I thought possible. Their love has endured so much and I am absolutely obsessed with their story and how they will eventually reach their HE. The last ten pages gutted me and had me reading through my tears. These two have my whole heart ❤️
Mo Xi is up there with Xiao Chiye and Lu Feng with that protector baby girl energy. I’m sure I’ll have to edit this a few times because this doesn’t sound quite right 😂
“He closed his eyes and brought a hand to the back of Gu Mang’s head, taking this demon feared by all into his arms like a cherished treasure. “Won’t you please stay?” ”
August 7, 2025
“you have to…day by day…spend the rest of your life taking care of this home with me. okay?”
oh fireball the king of yearning that you are 😭😭😭
oh fireball the king of yearning that you are 😭😭😭
May 23, 2025
The schemes are deep, the revelations, shocking. But most importantly, this volume is an ode to Mo Xi’s unshakable love.
When he turned in the darkness, he found his beloved from eight years ago was no longer young. He was covered in dust, spattered in blood. The only thing that hadn’t changed were those bright, obstinate black eyes.
The lover he had relinquished ran toward him, overtook him, and stood in the thicket of brambles, panting as he said—Shixiong, Gu Mang, I’ve come to find you. Let’s go home.
When he loved someone, it was for a lifetime. It had nothing to do with lineage, with identity, with time.
Mo Xi, I salute you.
When he turned in the darkness, he found his beloved from eight years ago was no longer young. He was covered in dust, spattered in blood. The only thing that hadn’t changed were those bright, obstinate black eyes.
The lover he had relinquished ran toward him, overtook him, and stood in the thicket of brambles, panting as he said—Shixiong, Gu Mang, I’ve come to find you. Let’s go home.
When he loved someone, it was for a lifetime. It had nothing to do with lineage, with identity, with time.
Mo Xi, I salute you.
August 26, 2025
gu mang gave his everything to his country, mo xi gave everything to him in return
August 20, 2025
everyone get behind me right now!! (except the emperor)
January 12, 2025
I’m convinced that Meatbun has never heard of happiness.
December 2, 2024
RTC but the end was devastating. Meatbun you're sick. I can't wait to read more you glorious author you.
Actual Review:
One thing for the pacing with this book. First bit was all slow and relaxed and being in love. Then BOOM. Plot plot plot. Every single bit of plot came barreling at me at 400 miles per hour. I won't lie, if this is the novel that was supposed to magically win me over to Murong Lian's side, it didn't. I don't care about his sad little past. Still an asshole who treated Gu Mang and Mo Xi terribly. In fact, knowing his backstory makes me even more angry with him. Gu Mang had to really come to face the consequences of his actions in this book. Poor guy. I can't say too much without spoilers so I'll leave you with this crack ship idea. We get Princess Mengze a nice sexy guard lady to ease the pain of being in love with a super taken and super gay man all these years. I think that would make her feel better. She deserves a sexy guard lady to sweep her off her feet. I won't get my wish, but a lady can dream.
Actual Review:
One thing for the pacing with this book. First bit was all slow and relaxed and being in love. Then BOOM. Plot plot plot. Every single bit of plot came barreling at me at 400 miles per hour. I won't lie, if this is the novel that was supposed to magically win me over to Murong Lian's side, it didn't. I don't care about his sad little past. Still an asshole who treated Gu Mang and Mo Xi terribly. In fact, knowing his backstory makes me even more angry with him. Gu Mang had to really come to face the consequences of his actions in this book. Poor guy. I can't say too much without spoilers so I'll leave you with this crack ship idea. We get Princess Mengze a nice sexy guard lady to ease the pain of being in love with a super taken and super gay man all these years. I think that would make her feel better. She deserves a sexy guard lady to sweep her off her feet. I won't get my wish, but a lady can dream.
January 6, 2025
murong lian
May 15, 2025
Must be the opium smoker Murong Lian on the cover.
May 20, 2025
this was was somehow the most action packed despite not even being 300 pages. not sure I'll forgive 7seas for putting all their danmei on ozempic but atleast I get move pretty covers that way
March 17, 2026
It seems like I’ve said this in almost every review that I’ve written for this series so far, but once again I feel that this volume managed to be even better than the last. The margin isn’t as pronounced as it was between book three and book four or especially between book one and two. There are also still some things that I like better about book four than I do book five, but overall I still think volume five is the slightly better book. That may be due to that fact that I adored all the tender sweetness in this volume. Certainly there were still copious amounts of pain and heartbreak, but this volume probably had the highest proportion of happy moments thus far in the series. I’ve always been a total sucker for sweetness and this felt like a much needed reprieve after the devastating sadness of books three and four. Don’t get me wrong, I still suffered and cried, but it felt nice to have more warm fuzzy moments mixed in as well for a change.
Seriously though, I just do not understand why I don’t hear more praise for Remnants of Filth. Obviously, aside from MXTX, Meatbun is probably the second most popular danmei author out there right now. Or at least she is in the English speaking fandom, as far as I’m aware. However, I feel like whenever I see people discussing Meatbun’s work it’s usually about The Husky and His White Cat Shizun or Case File Compendium. I seem to very rarely see fans talking about Remnants of Filth. Admittedly, I’ve never read either Erha or BAB. Yuwu is my first Meatbun series. However, I find it hard to believe that the other two could be so much better that they’d just completely overshadow Yuwu. Seriously! This series is an a god damned masterpiece! And how do I not see more love for Ximang? Their love is just so heartbreakingly beautiful!
It was so nice to get to see the two of them together with (almost) everything finally out in the open between them. I’ve said in reviews for previous volumes that there were things that I disliked about or was frustrated with regarding Mo Xi and his attitude towards Gu Mang. However, after reading this volume I take back every critical thing that I ever said about Mo Xi. I realize now that I completely misjudged and misunderstood him in the beginning. He is just the absolute sweetest, most loyal, loving and steadfast person there is. I honestly just cannot decide whether I love him or Gu Mang more at this point. Either way, one thing that I do know how much I love the two of them together! At this point, Ximang is literally up there with Wangxian and Hualian for me. I want to see these two together so badly and for both of them to be happy, whole and healthy.
Tenderness and cute couple moments aside, this book was also extremely exciting, entertaining and well written in other aspects. Nearly everything that happened in Da’ze city was heart-poundingly exciting and also rather nerve wracking. With Meatbun, I’m never sure whether the main characters will make it out of any given situation unscathed or whether some new and devastating calamity might befall them on the next page. I get particularly nervous whenever the Liao Kingdom’s guoshi is involved. That guy is just utterly terrifying!
I was completely on the edge of my seat during the entire final third or so of the book. I really thought that most of the major plot twists had already been revealed, but this volume still had one hell of a doozy that caught me completely off guard. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll only say that I absolutely did not see it coming until the very last minute as the pieces slowly started to fall into place. Like literally, I was just utterly dumbstruck! Which is awesome because I love being surprised. I feel like I’m too often able to predict the direction of a story’s plot be that in books, movies, video games, etc. Not so with Remnants of Filth. This series just continues to surprise me with new and unexpected twists and turns. It is incredibly exciting!
I also find it absolutely fascinating how the author is able to make me believe a character is one way at the beginning only to completely flip things on their head later on in the story and show me how completely I misjudged them. Meatbun does this in such a masterful way that I’m simply left stunned every time. It’s such a unique and amazing method of character development. I think that I honestly end up liking the characters that much more for the journey of discovery that slowly unveils their true personalities and hidden motivations.
I really just cannot get over how good Remnants of Filth really is! With each successive volume that I read, it continues to surpass my every expectation. If this level of quality continues into the final two volumes, then Yuwu is almost certainly going to end up being a favorite of mine! I might even end up liking it just as much as my second favorite danmei, Heaven Official’s Blessing.
Seriously though, I just do not understand why I don’t hear more praise for Remnants of Filth. Obviously, aside from MXTX, Meatbun is probably the second most popular danmei author out there right now. Or at least she is in the English speaking fandom, as far as I’m aware. However, I feel like whenever I see people discussing Meatbun’s work it’s usually about The Husky and His White Cat Shizun or Case File Compendium. I seem to very rarely see fans talking about Remnants of Filth. Admittedly, I’ve never read either Erha or BAB. Yuwu is my first Meatbun series. However, I find it hard to believe that the other two could be so much better that they’d just completely overshadow Yuwu. Seriously! This series is an a god damned masterpiece! And how do I not see more love for Ximang? Their love is just so heartbreakingly beautiful!
It was so nice to get to see the two of them together with (almost) everything finally out in the open between them. I’ve said in reviews for previous volumes that there were things that I disliked about or was frustrated with regarding Mo Xi and his attitude towards Gu Mang. However, after reading this volume I take back every critical thing that I ever said about Mo Xi. I realize now that I completely misjudged and misunderstood him in the beginning. He is just the absolute sweetest, most loyal, loving and steadfast person there is. I honestly just cannot decide whether I love him or Gu Mang more at this point. Either way, one thing that I do know how much I love the two of them together! At this point, Ximang is literally up there with Wangxian and Hualian for me. I want to see these two together so badly and for both of them to be happy, whole and healthy.
Tenderness and cute couple moments aside, this book was also extremely exciting, entertaining and well written in other aspects. Nearly everything that happened in Da’ze city was heart-poundingly exciting and also rather nerve wracking. With Meatbun, I’m never sure whether the main characters will make it out of any given situation unscathed or whether some new and devastating calamity might befall them on the next page. I get particularly nervous whenever the Liao Kingdom’s guoshi is involved. That guy is just utterly terrifying!
I was completely on the edge of my seat during the entire final third or so of the book. I really thought that most of the major plot twists had already been revealed, but this volume still had one hell of a doozy that caught me completely off guard. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll only say that I absolutely did not see it coming until the very last minute as the pieces slowly started to fall into place. Like literally, I was just utterly dumbstruck! Which is awesome because I love being surprised. I feel like I’m too often able to predict the direction of a story’s plot be that in books, movies, video games, etc. Not so with Remnants of Filth. This series just continues to surprise me with new and unexpected twists and turns. It is incredibly exciting!
I also find it absolutely fascinating how the author is able to make me believe a character is one way at the beginning only to completely flip things on their head later on in the story and show me how completely I misjudged them. Meatbun does this in such a masterful way that I’m simply left stunned every time. It’s such a unique and amazing method of character development. I think that I honestly end up liking the characters that much more for the journey of discovery that slowly unveils their true personalities and hidden motivations.
I really just cannot get over how good Remnants of Filth really is! With each successive volume that I read, it continues to surpass my every expectation. If this level of quality continues into the final two volumes, then Yuwu is almost certainly going to end up being a favorite of mine! I might even end up liking it just as much as my second favorite danmei, Heaven Official’s Blessing.
Read
July 6, 2025 “on the day he decided to confess his feelings to gu mang, what he gave to him wasn’t his love. it was his heart.”
honestly expected this to be sadder than it was but was wayyy more cuter than i expected it would be! gu mang and mo xi were SO cute in this, they love each other so much that it drives me insane. i was so giddy and kept smiling at the book, they make me so happy…
the very first chapter in this was PEAK, it was so sad and so loving and so cute, everything simultaneously… i love it so much. this might be my favourite chapter in this whole novel (two more volumes to come but i doubt the place of this will be taken!), it was actually perfect. i love them so much. the last bit with gu mang finding out about something related to mo xi (keeping it vague cause spoilers…) was actually quite sad, i felt so bad for the both of them but at the same time, kinda relieved that gu mang finally found out about this thing? but wow, that was very sad.
mo xi is soo unbelievably underrated, he’s so loving but in such a healthy way - honestly, he might be one of the best i’ve ever read, him telling gu mang that he doesn’t need to be with him; he just needs to allow mo xi to be by his side and share his burden… insane, that killed me. i’m gonna write five paragraphs extolling him in my final review of the novel but. just in this volume!!! he ruined his body to protect gu mang, is unabashed about his lover and what his lover did, would do anything to make his lover and what he treasures safe, has lit almost died for his lover so many times… my underrated king. he had so many good moments in this book, loved it!
controversial opinion but murong lian’s backstory was so bleh… i didn’t care for him at all and the reveal just made all his actions so dumb for me. all he has going for him is that he’s attractive and he made me laugh once which isn’t anything at all so! but, i liked his mother and her surrounding story, that was actually nice and the best part of the backstory (i felt more feelings for her in a chapter than i ever did for him for five whole books). honestly, if his reasonings for being who he was was a bit more solid, i could’ve really liked him - i just needed a mind-blowing backstory. i don’t even care if he’s evil… just give me a well written character…
here are some good (very long… ha…) quotes!
1.
mo xi’s heart seemed to freeze over, its beating stalled. he gazed at the man in front of him, at that tearful and wan, yet genuine face. even in the sweetest dreams he ever had, he didn’t dare dream that gu mang might sincerely speak these words.
“i love you, i’ve always loved you… i’m sorry, i was selfish in the past. i was the one who didn’t think about what you wanted or what you were afraid of. i wanted to protect you in my own way, but i didn’t know…didn’t know…��
didn’t know you would stumble after me to make up for eight years of lost time, that you would forsake the best of your youth trying to bring me back. i didn’t know you were sure of your choice at such a young age—that you would devote a lifetime to one person.
i didn’t know that even after enduring so much, you would still walk beside me, even into hell.
he fell silent.
mo xi, teary-eyed himself, tilted gu mang’s face upward. he reached out to wipe the tear tracks off gu mang’s cheek, little by little. “didn’t know i loved you too?” he murmured. “that i could love you for so long?”
2.
“mo xi took hold of his hand, the rims of his eyes red. “must you keep pushing me away?” gu mang froze.
“it’s been so many years, shixiong. but do you know what hurt me the most? it wasn’t that you stabbed me or left me. it was that you turned into someone i didn’t recognize at all… do you know how miserable i was? you wanted to protect me, you didn’t want to implicate me. i know. but i told you long ago—in this world, i have no one dear to me, except for you. when you protected me, why didn’t you think what would be cruelest to me? did you think i would fear to suffer alongside you, or the criticism of others? what i fear is you never returning to my side, gu mang—i’m afraid of losing you!” mo xi closed his eyes. he still held back his tears, but his lashes were wet.
“all these years…i’ve always treated you sincerely. i used to hope my sincerity would be enough to win me yours in return. but after going through so much, it no longer matters if you love me, if you’re willing to be with me… i only ask…”
he stroked gu mang’s hair, lowering his lashes as he pressed a kiss to gu mang’s temple, forcing down the tremor in his voice. “i only ask that you give me the chance to protect you, to stay by your side. i just want to take care of you,” he said hoarsely. “will you really not allow me the smallest glimpse of truth? will you not let me share the burden you carry on your shoulders, even the slightest bit? gu mang…i’m one of your comrades and brothers-in-arms, too. would you rather leave me out in the cold, make me live on through pain worse than death?”
3.
gu mang had waited. all this time, he had waited. he’d pricked mo xi until his hands ran with blood, stabbed mo xi until his body was covered with scars, but still mo xi never gave up on him.
all these years, he’d hoped mo xi would put aside their past love, hoped he could live a quiet life, marry a gentle and virtuous wife, and sire a brood of lively children. sooner or later, time would wash away the unbridled passion of their reckless youth, leaving only faint ink stains. such were the considerations he had made on mo xi’s behalf.
but gu mang had made one grave mistake. in this world, love and the lack of it could change, but one’s heart would forever be the same. and mo xi had never been a careless person. on the day he decided to confess his feelings to gu mang, what he gave to him wasn’t his love. it was his heart.
it was his heart... his heart...
honestly expected this to be sadder than it was but was wayyy more cuter than i expected it would be! gu mang and mo xi were SO cute in this, they love each other so much that it drives me insane. i was so giddy and kept smiling at the book, they make me so happy…
the very first chapter in this was PEAK, it was so sad and so loving and so cute, everything simultaneously… i love it so much. this might be my favourite chapter in this whole novel (two more volumes to come but i doubt the place of this will be taken!), it was actually perfect. i love them so much. the last bit with gu mang finding out about something related to mo xi (keeping it vague cause spoilers…) was actually quite sad, i felt so bad for the both of them but at the same time, kinda relieved that gu mang finally found out about this thing? but wow, that was very sad.
mo xi is soo unbelievably underrated, he’s so loving but in such a healthy way - honestly, he might be one of the best i’ve ever read, him telling gu mang that he doesn’t need to be with him; he just needs to allow mo xi to be by his side and share his burden… insane, that killed me. i’m gonna write five paragraphs extolling him in my final review of the novel but. just in this volume!!! he ruined his body to protect gu mang, is unabashed about his lover and what his lover did, would do anything to make his lover and what he treasures safe, has lit almost died for his lover so many times… my underrated king. he had so many good moments in this book, loved it!
controversial opinion but murong lian’s backstory was so bleh… i didn’t care for him at all and the reveal just made all his actions so dumb for me. all he has going for him is that he’s attractive and he made me laugh once which isn’t anything at all so! but, i liked his mother and her surrounding story, that was actually nice and the best part of the backstory (i felt more feelings for her in a chapter than i ever did for him for five whole books). honestly, if his reasonings for being who he was was a bit more solid, i could’ve really liked him - i just needed a mind-blowing backstory. i don’t even care if he’s evil… just give me a well written character…
here are some good (very long… ha…) quotes!
1.
mo xi’s heart seemed to freeze over, its beating stalled. he gazed at the man in front of him, at that tearful and wan, yet genuine face. even in the sweetest dreams he ever had, he didn’t dare dream that gu mang might sincerely speak these words.
“i love you, i’ve always loved you… i’m sorry, i was selfish in the past. i was the one who didn’t think about what you wanted or what you were afraid of. i wanted to protect you in my own way, but i didn’t know…didn’t know…��
didn’t know you would stumble after me to make up for eight years of lost time, that you would forsake the best of your youth trying to bring me back. i didn’t know you were sure of your choice at such a young age—that you would devote a lifetime to one person.
i didn’t know that even after enduring so much, you would still walk beside me, even into hell.
he fell silent.
mo xi, teary-eyed himself, tilted gu mang’s face upward. he reached out to wipe the tear tracks off gu mang’s cheek, little by little. “didn’t know i loved you too?” he murmured. “that i could love you for so long?”
2.
“mo xi took hold of his hand, the rims of his eyes red. “must you keep pushing me away?” gu mang froze.
“it’s been so many years, shixiong. but do you know what hurt me the most? it wasn’t that you stabbed me or left me. it was that you turned into someone i didn’t recognize at all… do you know how miserable i was? you wanted to protect me, you didn’t want to implicate me. i know. but i told you long ago—in this world, i have no one dear to me, except for you. when you protected me, why didn’t you think what would be cruelest to me? did you think i would fear to suffer alongside you, or the criticism of others? what i fear is you never returning to my side, gu mang—i’m afraid of losing you!” mo xi closed his eyes. he still held back his tears, but his lashes were wet.
“all these years…i’ve always treated you sincerely. i used to hope my sincerity would be enough to win me yours in return. but after going through so much, it no longer matters if you love me, if you’re willing to be with me… i only ask…”
he stroked gu mang’s hair, lowering his lashes as he pressed a kiss to gu mang’s temple, forcing down the tremor in his voice. “i only ask that you give me the chance to protect you, to stay by your side. i just want to take care of you,” he said hoarsely. “will you really not allow me the smallest glimpse of truth? will you not let me share the burden you carry on your shoulders, even the slightest bit? gu mang…i’m one of your comrades and brothers-in-arms, too. would you rather leave me out in the cold, make me live on through pain worse than death?”
3.
gu mang had waited. all this time, he had waited. he’d pricked mo xi until his hands ran with blood, stabbed mo xi until his body was covered with scars, but still mo xi never gave up on him.
all these years, he’d hoped mo xi would put aside their past love, hoped he could live a quiet life, marry a gentle and virtuous wife, and sire a brood of lively children. sooner or later, time would wash away the unbridled passion of their reckless youth, leaving only faint ink stains. such were the considerations he had made on mo xi’s behalf.
but gu mang had made one grave mistake. in this world, love and the lack of it could change, but one’s heart would forever be the same. and mo xi had never been a careless person. on the day he decided to confess his feelings to gu mang, what he gave to him wasn’t his love. it was his heart.
it was his heart... his heart...
December 23, 2024
I need therapy.
February 21, 2026
Call me Murong Lian because I've been consuming sticks like ephemera because of the fluctuations of emotions I have for this volume. So domestic, and so, so cruel.
“Everything had changed, save for those eyes gazing at him, as sincere and deep as the first time he revealed his love and desire. Somehow, this first love of theirs had already gone on fourteen years.”
Their "peaceful days" is so short-lived! Tsk! I'll have to run towards the next volumes knowing there's no extras for my XiMang. But the long awaited happy ending is still dangling on my front like an apple waiting to be bitten. But of course, it will not come so easily:
“Look… Shixiong, look how silly I am. Could you stay and look after me? I spent ten years of my life so you would look after me again. Don’t let me be silly anymore. Won’t you… Won’t you please stay?”
“Mo… Mo Xi? I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I… I didn’t want to harm you, I didn’t want to force you into it… I really… I didn’t know you would… you would… That’s ten years…”
How many decades are there in a lifetime? Why were you so stubborn, offering up your life for someone you thought betrayed you?
“Yes. Ten years. So… you must always be well. Otherwise, I’ll be very angry. If I’m angry… won’t my life get even shorter? To stay with me a little while longer, even just one more day— Shixiong, you have to be good. Don’t become a demon, don’t blame yourself. Don’t leave me. You have to… day by day… spend the rest of your life taking care of this home with me. Okay?”
Fourteen years of love. Eight years of separation. They're both already so beaten to the point of black and blue. Don't they deserve a love without hindrance and pain? Please, just let them have some peace! Especially Mo Xi, man's has been giving his everything for his Shixiong while Gu Mang has been giving his everything for their country. Gu Mang-gege's princess, his royal highness, his little shidi. His love for his Shige knows no bounds. No one could compare.
Anyway, what I also like the most on this volume is Princess Mengze. And she is not just defined by her love for Mo Xi despite always being reduced to just a "woman." She has a very big role on this book and I will not elaborate on that. Next, Murong Lian. Finally! I can now speak about Murong Lian-gege. He is a quiet indictment of the system. He is not softness corrupted overnight, but a child shaped by a court that rewards cruelty and punishes vulnerability. He wanted to gift sweets to his baby brother! Their connection—shadowed by the memory of Auntie Lin's lost warmth—reveals him and Gu Mang who diverged at the same wound. Their family drama especially Auntie Lin's death will never not hurt me. They were just little kids! I can't wait for the end.
“Everything had changed, save for those eyes gazing at him, as sincere and deep as the first time he revealed his love and desire. Somehow, this first love of theirs had already gone on fourteen years.”
Their "peaceful days" is so short-lived! Tsk! I'll have to run towards the next volumes knowing there's no extras for my XiMang. But the long awaited happy ending is still dangling on my front like an apple waiting to be bitten. But of course, it will not come so easily:
“Look… Shixiong, look how silly I am. Could you stay and look after me? I spent ten years of my life so you would look after me again. Don’t let me be silly anymore. Won’t you… Won’t you please stay?”
“Mo… Mo Xi? I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I… I didn’t want to harm you, I didn’t want to force you into it… I really… I didn’t know you would… you would… That’s ten years…”
How many decades are there in a lifetime? Why were you so stubborn, offering up your life for someone you thought betrayed you?
“Yes. Ten years. So… you must always be well. Otherwise, I’ll be very angry. If I’m angry… won’t my life get even shorter? To stay with me a little while longer, even just one more day— Shixiong, you have to be good. Don’t become a demon, don’t blame yourself. Don’t leave me. You have to… day by day… spend the rest of your life taking care of this home with me. Okay?”
Fourteen years of love. Eight years of separation. They're both already so beaten to the point of black and blue. Don't they deserve a love without hindrance and pain? Please, just let them have some peace! Especially Mo Xi, man's has been giving his everything for his Shixiong while Gu Mang has been giving his everything for their country. Gu Mang-gege's princess, his royal highness, his little shidi. His love for his Shige knows no bounds. No one could compare.
Anyway, what I also like the most on this volume is Princess Mengze. And she is not just defined by her love for Mo Xi despite always being reduced to just a "woman." She has a very big role on this book and I will not elaborate on that. Next, Murong Lian. Finally! I can now speak about Murong Lian-gege. He is a quiet indictment of the system. He is not softness corrupted overnight, but a child shaped by a court that rewards cruelty and punishes vulnerability. He wanted to gift sweets to his baby brother! Their connection—shadowed by the memory of Auntie Lin's lost warmth—reveals him and Gu Mang who diverged at the same wound. Their family drama especially Auntie Lin's death will never not hurt me. They were just little kids! I can't wait for the end.
January 24, 2026
"You wanted to protect me, you didn’t want to implicate me. I know. But I told you long ago—in this world, I have no one dear to me, except for you. When you protected me, why didn’t you think what would be cruelest to me? Did you think I would fear to suffer alongside you, or the criticism of others? What I fear is you never returning to my side, Gu Mang—I’m afraid of losing you!"
I don’t know why I keep doing this to myself, but this is my fifth Meatbun book in a row and somehow I’m still here. If you’ve read her work before, you already know what kind of pain you’re signing up for. She really is the Queen of Pain, and this volume doesn’t ease up at all. What surprised me most was how much more present the secondary characters felt this time. They’re not just there to fill space. They made everything heavier, more complicated, and honestly more painful in a way that worked for me. I felt more connected to the world because of them, even when it hurt to keep reading.
Mo Xi and Gu Mang continue to break my heart in very different ways. Mo Xi loves quietly, through endurance and loyalty, always holding himself back and always putting Gu Mang first. There’s something almost painful about how patient he is. Gu Mang, on the other hand, feels everything. His guilt hangs over every choice he makes, and he hides fear behind softness and humor, but his devotion is intense. Together, they feel deeply intertwined, shaped by shared history and sacrifice. Their relationship feels fragile, restrained, and deeply intimate without needing big speeches or dramatic gestures. It feels earned, and that’s what made it hit so hard for me.
This volume swings a lot in tone. Large parts are slow, tender, and emotionally heavy, focused on closeness and quiet moments, and then it suddenly shifts into very explicit territory. There’s no easing into it. The contrast is sharp, and it made those moments land harder instead of blending together. I can see some readers struggling with the pacing and how often the story sits in pain without offering much relief. For me, that intensity was the point. If you like character driven stories, emotional consequences, and sitting with complicated feelings long after you close the book, this one delivers in a way that feels deliberate and deeply affecting.
Date Read: 2024.12.03
Re-read: 2026.01.23
I don’t know why I keep doing this to myself, but this is my fifth Meatbun book in a row and somehow I’m still here. If you’ve read her work before, you already know what kind of pain you’re signing up for. She really is the Queen of Pain, and this volume doesn’t ease up at all. What surprised me most was how much more present the secondary characters felt this time. They’re not just there to fill space. They made everything heavier, more complicated, and honestly more painful in a way that worked for me. I felt more connected to the world because of them, even when it hurt to keep reading.
Mo Xi and Gu Mang continue to break my heart in very different ways. Mo Xi loves quietly, through endurance and loyalty, always holding himself back and always putting Gu Mang first. There’s something almost painful about how patient he is. Gu Mang, on the other hand, feels everything. His guilt hangs over every choice he makes, and he hides fear behind softness and humor, but his devotion is intense. Together, they feel deeply intertwined, shaped by shared history and sacrifice. Their relationship feels fragile, restrained, and deeply intimate without needing big speeches or dramatic gestures. It feels earned, and that’s what made it hit so hard for me.
This volume swings a lot in tone. Large parts are slow, tender, and emotionally heavy, focused on closeness and quiet moments, and then it suddenly shifts into very explicit territory. There’s no easing into it. The contrast is sharp, and it made those moments land harder instead of blending together. I can see some readers struggling with the pacing and how often the story sits in pain without offering much relief. For me, that intensity was the point. If you like character driven stories, emotional consequences, and sitting with complicated feelings long after you close the book, this one delivers in a way that feels deliberate and deeply affecting.
Date Read: 2024.12.03
Re-read: 2026.01.23
June 16, 2025
4 stars. Every single character in this book is just irrevocably screwed up, aren't they?
November 13, 2025
was it necessary for that ending to be so devastating??? I'm crying in a puddle of my own tears
December 16, 2025
“I’ll give you everything I promised you,” he said. “It’s only been eight years. We still have long lives ahead of us—how could I not want you?”
The romance is ROMANCING, the plot is PLOTTING and the plot twists are PLOT TWISTING.
I never thought this series would have me in a chokehold but here we are.
December 29, 2025
murong lian you think that sad ass backstory will make me forgive you?? loser. LOSER!!!!
December 6, 2024
2.5/5stars
I think I might hate YUWU loll I just think the story telling is SO bad like every time something happens I feel like I'm losing my mind with how awful its done. It tells everything and shows nothing and I just don't care about the characters AT ALL anymore
I think this is a DNF for me... which is so sad cause the only other Danmei I've DNFed was Casefile also by meatbun. I can't believe she wrote the best danmei ever (Erha) and then the 2 i've hated the most T-T
I think I might hate YUWU loll I just think the story telling is SO bad like every time something happens I feel like I'm losing my mind with how awful its done. It tells everything and shows nothing and I just don't care about the characters AT ALL anymore
I think this is a DNF for me... which is so sad cause the only other Danmei I've DNFed was Casefile also by meatbun. I can't believe she wrote the best danmei ever (Erha) and then the 2 i've hated the most T-T
March 13, 2026
Mo Xi wasn’t sad enough in this book for my liking 😔
January 7, 2026
4.5 but im rounding it down
November 29, 2024
“To stay with me a little while longer, even just one more day—Shixiong, you have to be good. Don’t become a demon, don’t blame yourself. Don’t leave me. You have to…day by day…spend the rest of your life taking care of this home with me. Okay?”
excuse me while i curl up into a little ball and just sob, okay?? just sobbing. it feels like i waited my whole life to see mo xi & gu mang communicate, just as long as mo xi was waiting to get some answers from gu mang—and it was everything :’)
so much of the story so far had been more about reminiscing over their youthful days when they were just innocent, but then they’re both looking at each other clearly all these years later, and it’s sooooo much. i love this so much. need the next volume immediately!!
(p.s. goodreads missed out big time by not including yuwu in the romance category for this year’s choice awards. ximang would blow all the other candidates out the water, let me tell you that)
excuse me while i curl up into a little ball and just sob, okay?? just sobbing. it feels like i waited my whole life to see mo xi & gu mang communicate, just as long as mo xi was waiting to get some answers from gu mang—and it was everything :’)
so much of the story so far had been more about reminiscing over their youthful days when they were just innocent, but then they’re both looking at each other clearly all these years later, and it’s sooooo much. i love this so much. need the next volume immediately!!
(p.s. goodreads missed out big time by not including yuwu in the romance category for this year’s choice awards. ximang would blow all the other candidates out the water, let me tell you that)
October 9, 2024
₊˚⊹♡ ˚ ➺ 5/5 ✧
"mo xi closed his eyes, cupping a hand around the back of gu mang's head. the demon that everyone wished to avoid - he embraced, like a cherished treasure."
i love murong lian so much, i'm so glad he has become a more developed character <3
"mo xi closed his eyes, cupping a hand around the back of gu mang's head. the demon that everyone wished to avoid - he embraced, like a cherished treasure."
i love murong lian so much, i'm so glad he has become a more developed character <3
June 16, 2024
Angst with more angst with a dash of sweetness.
February 27, 2025
the first part? amazing
the middle part? ✨️🌝🌝💖
the final part? oh for fuck sake
the middle part? ✨️🌝🌝💖
the final part? oh for fuck sake
November 14, 2025
"I don't want to see you leave. I don't want to see you with anyone else." The yearning and angst in this danmei will be the death of me. Five big stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
October 9, 2025
OK. I'm internally howling... just let him be... you jerks... let him go... 😭😭😭
February 5, 2025
This volume was equal parts fluffy and messed up!
In this volume, we see quite a few peaceful days for Mo Xi and Gu Mang thanks to the Time Mirror giving the latter his memories back, if only for a short time. Our two men finally find it in them to confess the feelings they had each been keeping buried for years.
But peace is never lasting. War with the Liao kingdom rears its ugly head once again, and it's up to Mo Xi's command to save them all and take back some stolen cities. All while he needs to come to terms with the fact that his lover is losing himself yet again.
We learned so much about Gu Mang's past that it was a bit overwhelming, but that big reveal at the end had me reeling, so I'm unsure how to process it all. With Murong Lian actually coming back with a decent redemption I was a bit floored, as he was such an antagonist from the get-go. All of this coalesces into one big truth that the citizens of Chonghua aren't ready to know.
Meatbun has such a way with words that it leaves me in awe every time! This is the perfect continuation of a marvelous series! Onto the next adventure!
In this volume, we see quite a few peaceful days for Mo Xi and Gu Mang thanks to the Time Mirror giving the latter his memories back, if only for a short time. Our two men finally find it in them to confess the feelings they had each been keeping buried for years.
But peace is never lasting. War with the Liao kingdom rears its ugly head once again, and it's up to Mo Xi's command to save them all and take back some stolen cities. All while he needs to come to terms with the fact that his lover is losing himself yet again.
We learned so much about Gu Mang's past that it was a bit overwhelming, but that big reveal at the end had me reeling, so I'm unsure how to process it all. With Murong Lian actually coming back with a decent redemption I was a bit floored, as he was such an antagonist from the get-go. All of this coalesces into one big truth that the citizens of Chonghua aren't ready to know.
Meatbun has such a way with words that it leaves me in awe every time! This is the perfect continuation of a marvelous series! Onto the next adventure!
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