Frostbite

I was searching for something light and cheerful to read, something that would lift my spirits, so I picked this one up without checking the tags or reviews (facepalm). I found it adorable how the main character (MC) has a crush on the male lead (ML). I was feeling "kilig"—that fluttery, giddy sensation you get when something is incredibly cute or romantic.

I was grinning and reliving the joy of having crushes until the angst kicked in.

During the entrance exam chapters, I had a bad feeling that something terrible was about to happen, but I convinced myself it would all turn out well in the end.

But it didn’t. The ML ended up in prison for killing his father.

While I’m okay with that—I had already mentally "killed" the father and hoped for his downfall many times while reading—the author left it with an open ending.

The story concludes with the ML no longer letting the MC visit him in prison, leaving the possibility that the MC will wait for the ML in the future.

I absolutely loathe open endings. I was hoping for an extra chapter showing them reuniting after the ML’s release, but there wasn’t one.

So now, I’m sobbing, wondering why their ending had to be like that?

Still, it’s a good read overall. It will make you smile, relate to it most of the time, reminisce about your youth (if you’re as old as me), and cry.

Update: I just read in the translator’s notes that there’s a sequel to this novel. I’ve changed my mind; I don’t dislike the ending as much anymore.

can't believe this story is dropped, i love the story so muuuch!!

A what if side story about how every would be different if agrave died early on

Translator here! This is my first independent translation project, and I am so excited to help make this story more accessible to international readers. This is hands-down one of my favorite web novels of all time, so you can probably guess that I am also a big fan of slowburn, angst, and pining, and it just so happens that these are three things Suancai-laoshi does extremely well.

This is a heartfelt coming-of-age story about two kids who fumble their way through falling in love for the first time while struggling with the sobering reality of familial abuse. There are many light-hearted slice-of-life moments and fun banter from side characters, and all the fluff that can be wrung out of a school life setting. (All hail Li Balei, our queen of gossip and snark.) There are also bleak moments that will leave you speechless and have you sobbing on your kitchen floor (throwback to my first read-through, heyo). This story will make you care about the characters and it will make you fall in love with their love, which is honestly the most important quality in a romance.

It's hard to come up with a non-spoilery summary of the novel because not much happens in the novel plot-wise. I almost want to say nothing particularly original happens in this novel either, especially if you are well-read in this genre. But I don't think that's the point. There are only so many ways a pair of high school kids can get together in real life, after all. What makes this story good are its characterizations and the emotional force behind each moment that advances their relationship.

I am a sucker for caring/needs-care pairings who are slightly codependent. If you're looking for a novel starring perfectly healthy relationships, you are not going to find that here. But the characters try the best they can given the circumstances (and the fact that they're literally children), and their flaws and failures make up the story's appeal.

I hope I do the story justice and I hope that you'll give it a chance if you're still on the fence.

The lovely reviewer above me mentioned extras — yes! There is a whole sequel that takes place after the events of this book, which I will be translating as soon as I'm done with Frostbite.

It's a slow-paced novel perfect for when you want to savor the moments. The story tackles some heavy themes, including child abuse and domestic violence. Both the main character and the love interest are strong in their own ways, though this isn't immediately obvious.

I'm just relieved it has a happy ending.

I read this around the time when there were only about 20 chapters translated, but now that more have piled up, I have no motivation to continue reading. This is just my personal opinion on why I dropped this novel.

The main character (MC) - I don't like him. My first impression of him is that he's shallow, and I don't have a problem with that, honestly. It's mostly humorous and makes sense considering he's a teenager. His shallowness is mainly in the context of crushes; he treats everyone decently, but he's only romantically interested in people he finds attractive. There's no real harm done there. The real problem I have with him arises when he gets a crush on someone and how he acts toward his crush.

The MC falls in love at first sight, starting a one-sided relationship where all he does is obsess over a guy who hasn't spoken a full sentence to him. He has no real friends other than one girl he occasionally talks to, and no real hobbies other than staring at the male lead (ML) and doing this weird thing where he assigns the ML points based on how attractive he finds him or whenever the ML does something he likes, like saying a word to him. It's kind of creepy—imagine if someone you didn't know was out there rating you like that. I really don't like how the ML is the center of the MC's life before they've ever had an actual bond, all because he finds the ML hot. I know he's a teenager, but come on.

All of that is annoying but not enough to make me hate him as a character. The worst part of him reveals itself when he sees something in the ML he doesn't like or finds unattractive, which is what really made me lose all respect for him. He saw cigarette burn scars on the ML, and I kid you not, this guy sees that and proceeds to subtract points from him. Like, hello? That's so gross. Why is he treating the ML like a piece of meat to be rated? Imagine looking at scars on someone's body and judging them like that. I don't think even his age can save him here because what the f*ck? Most of the time, cigarette burns are from abuse, child abuse in this case, but for some reason, the MC assumes they are self-inflicted (if I recall correctly), which is just as bad because why the hell would you judge someone for that? Later, the ML admits to self-harming by cutting his neck, which sounds very serious, and what the hell does the MC do? He subtracts points in his head. That's wild. He seems to lack empathy and cares more about the fact that his object of lust is not as convenient or easy to obsess over because he's literally suffering.

I'm convinced the MC has limerence based on how obsessive he is, but he seems to be much more obsessed with his idea of the ML rather than seeing the ML for who he is. I vaguely remember the time the MC speculated the ML might have a stutter but then began coping against the idea as if having a stutter is some sort of crime. Imagine if it was true, now imagine having a speech impediment and some mf you simply sit next to and have barely spoken to starts judging you for it. It's hypocritical too. The MC is gay, he can't change that, and it's something completely harmless, yet people in his previous school judged him for it, and rightfully he finds that annoying. But does he not see his own hypocrisy for judging someone for potentially having a stutter?

I really feel for the ML since he's very obviously a victim of child abuse, and by process of elimination, he's the most likable character. He's understandably very closed off, but when he reaches out and actually takes the initiative to get close to the MC—sitting with him, walking to school with him, listening to him, texting him—it’s actually really touching. He’s trying to trust again, and he’s so cute in the way he communicates it. It’s really f*cking tragic because I wonder what he would think if he knew how the MC has been thinking about him all this time. I really want him to find a real friend, not someone who wouldn’t even glance his way if he wasn’t good-looking.

All that aside, the novel has some things that were enjoyable too. There isn’t much of a plot since this is a slice of life, but I actually enjoy more character-focused stories. The setting is pretty low-key, and I like that too. The ML is interesting, and it’s really sweet when he finally responds to the MC’s attempts to get closer. I appreciate when the MC took away the ML’s cigarettes so he doesn’t get in trouble; that was probably the best thing he’s done for him.

Now, this is just my interpretation of the characters, and since I have dropped this novel, it’s completely possible that the MC has a great redemption arc where he realizes his flaws and overcomes them, and every problem I had with him was purposely set up to be fixed later. But I have no interest in finding out because most of the time, expecting problematic elements in these novels to be addressed later has only disappointed me and wasted my time.

I read this before the tragedy tag was added on NU ;-; Luckily, it's not truly a tragedy.

I loved this novel, although certain parts were extremely sad.

I still would say it has a HE.

While yes, the ML is in prison, the MC is able to wait. When he gets out, they will be together again.

I just want them to be happy : (Especially the ML)

For side characters, I really loved the girl, I'm not sure of her actual name since it was mtl'd as Li Ballet (lol). She was very supportive, and I hope she ends up happy.

I hope the author adds more extras of the MC and ML being happy together :)

Is this really by the same author as "Tattoo" and "Ferocious Dog of Old"???!!!! If so, it must be a much earlier work, perhaps from when the author was still in her teens?

Don’t waste your time on this. It really tests your patience.

The characters are lackluster, and the scenario is unbelievable for the 21st century, especially when the victim is such a strong character both physically and intellectually.

Can he really be physically abused to this extent (ML is super strong in dealing with multiple teenagers who have gangster abilities, yet he can't handle one adult)? What about societal measures—police and social media? The reasons for him staying and not wanting to move away are also extremely flimsy, hard to believe by any stretch of imagination.

Reading this might even take away the enjoyment from her previous novels. Hopefully, I will recover from reading this... :)