This is an absolutely wonderful book, and I was hooked right from the preview Peach Flower House posted on their site. The cover art by 侑橋 is also absolutely gorgeous.

Song Yao is such a wonderful protagonist, and surrounded by such a wonderful cast of characters. Hengwen Qingjun is a wonderful deuteragonist and I love seeing how their relationship plays out. The story is funny, gripping, painful (in a wonderful way), sweet, and made me cry a bit. It was just a blast to read. Song Yao's insistence on helping others at the cost of his own happiness is so wonderfully heart-wrenching, and I love the little references to how fortune telling works and comes true in unexpected ways. I also wanted to laugh so much at Hengwen struggling with Song Yao's bullheadedness about their relationship, and how obvious Hengwen was being about how much he cares for Song Yao and Song Yao alone.

Overall this was a wonderful book. If you like m/m stories about pining, miscommunication, fake dating, and a bit of comedy and some great angst, this is for you. I look forward to giving a "The Imperial Uncle" a try in October. ( )