Didn’t Expect That, Did You? Chapter Extra 8 Discussion

6/5, extra star because I heard the translator is very cute.

Translator here~

This is my first time writing a review on NU about a novel, and it's also my first time translating a story. I saw that this novel was popular and had no translations, so I decided to translate it myself to read personally.

But I guess fate had a different plan for me because I became so engrossed in the story that I kept translating chapter after chapter, and now I want to share it with the world. That's how good it is.

Four straight days of translating, 90 chapters, and a bunch of carpal tunnel later, I can give my thoughts about this novel. I still have the extras to read through, but they're all fluff, judging by the author's comments. There will be no spoilers here.

What can I say about this story? Well, first of all, it's a take on the classic trope of a bad girlfriend treating their significant other poorly, then realizing after they lose them that they love them, so they get a chance to go back in time and chase their wife for a happy ending. We're used to seeing the scumbag protagonist get a happy ending.

But what if they don't?

That's the premise of this story. Although it's focused on the recipient of the abusive relationship, it's not a story of a scumbag's redemption. It's a story about a beaten-down woman looking for her happiness after being denied it for so long.

I love the characters. The world truly feels alive. Although the cast of characters is smaller than "She Is The Protagonist, " another story by the same author, the main characters and some side characters each have their character development. Rather than the characters following the plot, the plot is moved by the characters, and the readers are peering into their lives. The story is written so that it's like these interesting characters are colliding and interacting, and someone just happened to record it.

It goes without saying that the characters are charming, especially the main character, Shao Cixin, who is similar to Yu Ru Bing from SITP. Unlike Yu Ru Bing, however, as evidenced by the synopsis, she has a lot of trauma, which plays a part in how she acts. She goes through quite the journey and finally grows up as a character. Plus, I think our Xinxin is cuter, but that's my opinion. I genuinely believe this is a coming-of-age story; even though the characters are older than the usual protagonists of those stories, I think it's apt to call it that.

Although the premise and start might turn people off, this novel is not angsty, and there are not many melodramatic moments or problems that arise for the sake of pushing the plot along. This story doesn't focus on external conflicts but the internal strife and insecurities of the main characters. Everything feels natural, like how two people in that situation would act. This novel is one of the author's most recent novels, and their writing and characterization have improved dramatically... and so have the romantic lines.

Would I say that it's perfect? No, nothing in this world is perfect, but I know without a doubt that it is by far one of the best Baihe novels I have read. Would I say that it's a bit cliched? Yes, it does have a few tropes that avid Chinese Baihe fans would be familiar with. But it does each trope very well and even subverts a lot of them, and I think that's what matters.

I'm not the most eloquent with my words so I'll just be frank- I love this story. And I hope that at the very least, you could give it a try.