Qi Xi is the beautiful, top ranking student of her law school. Her life could only be describe to be smooth sailing. But, the only thing that made her dissatisfied was her unpleasant rival, Gu Yan. Over the past 4 years as her classmate, Gu Yan robbed Qi Xi of countless opportunities and awards.
And just as she was about to speak on behalf of her class as Outstanding Graduate, Qi Xi received a letter from the expressionless Gu Yan… a confession letter that could only be compared to a form of s*xual harassment signed by the outstanding Gu Yan himself.
Qi Xi changed her graduation speech out of anger, starting with the confession letter. With a hearty and passionate speech, she called for society to respect women, and in the end she emphasized, “Gu Yan, you might have a crush, but it is a crime to confess like this! I’m someone you can’t catch up with in your life!”
However, after finishing the speech, Qi Xi discovered a terrible fact… at the back of the confession letter was a line, “roommate Zhang Jia Liang” put together, the true signature of the letter was, “Written by Gu Yan’s roommate Zhang Jia Liang”
The letter was not written by Gu Yan…
The male lead (ML) had feelings for her since college, but she saw him as a rival. When he confessed, it led to a misunderstanding on the female lead's (MC) part. Later, when they started working together after college, the more time the MC spent with the ML, the more she fell in love with him. However, she thought he was in love with someone else.
It's a really funny, fluffy, and enjoyable read. There were also some important issues addressed, particularly those related to her experiences as a woman. , it was a great story. I've read other works by this author, and this one has fewer legal elements compared to the others.
I really enjoyed Qi Xi's character development. Watching her fall for Gu Yan made me swoon for him too (unfortunately, he's not real, right?). What can I say... Qi Xi is incredibly dense despite being intelligent, but who can blame her when Gu Yan keeps things so ambiguous?
Compared to the author's other works, I'd say this one is less cringe (fewer moments of second-hand embarrassment and less cheesiness), more comedic, and more romantic. There were so many genuinely funny moments, like the scene where they eat durian together. The scenes of them riding a bike while discussing life and love, despite being in suits, felt very romantic. They acted less like rivals and more like cats and dogs, constantly pulling at each other. Qi Xi constantly tries to get closer to Gu Yan—each attempt seems to fail, or does it?
**UPDATE: Finished today**
I was a bit unsatisfied with the ending. It felt like there might be more, and the ending left me hanging. The proposal also felt like a joke and seemed too cheesy.
*spoiler*
Out of all the possible ways to propose, why did he have to use Jason Derulo's "Marry Me"? ;;q;;
Before she started her internship at the law firm, Qi Xi's greatest adversary was Gu Yan—the man who "stole" everything. He was the class valedictorian, the most popular student at school, and the teachers were thoroughly impressed by him. Qi Xi always aimed for perfection, so when Gu Yan entered her life, she saw him as nothing more than an annoying obstacle.
However, things changed during the graduation ceremony. After Qi Xi mistakenly accused Gu Yan of being unscrupulous, she embarked on a journey she never imagined—she decided to impress Gu Yan and become best friends with him. Despite feeling guilty, she realized she had to go to extremes because Gu Yan's strict sister was her boss. As long as she could keep her job, she was willing to do anything. This even included downloading a fan-created "bible" that detailed all of Gu Yan's likes and dislikes.
As she studied the "bible" to become friends with the aloof Gu Yan, she never expected to discover another side to her most insufferable classmate. Yes, he was extremely cold and aloof... but beneath it all was an innocent, yet lovable person. A man obsessed with durian, a man who could recite the Wikipedia page about his favorite rock band, a man who "pretends" to be regal but wolfs down an entire bento box when no one is watching...
The more time she spent with him, the more she realized just how fortunate Gu Yan's crush was... and without realizing it, she fell for him. Hard, yet gracefully, in the quintessential Qi Xi style. Because she didn't want to be the villain who further disrupts Gu Yan's life, she tried to keep her distance... but would Gu Yan let her? Especially since her debt to him was still unpaid?
Like all of Ye Feiran's works, this novel blends romance and comedy as two newly graduated lawyers navigate work, love, and life. However, unlike her other novels where the main characters are often overpowered, in this story, the characters act their age. They struggle as newbie lawyers despite being at the top of their class, but they learn and grow through the cases they handle. For anyone currently interning or starting a new career path, the characters' experiences will be very relatable as they make mistakes and learn from them.
I will update the review (and include spoilers) once the novel concludes.