Finding Glowing Beauty in Books 书中自有颜如玉: Book Review

Terribly sorry for the disappearing act, but I’ve been so swamped with work that I really haven’t had much time for much else save for reading and sleeping. I know I’m terribly late on translations for The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful, but I promise that I’ll get back to it, and hopefully by the end of this week I’d be able to churn out a chapter. In the meantime, I thought I should start to pen down my thoughts regarding some of the more interesting books that I’ve read during this period of time. This is the first time I’m introducing Ban Li Zi‘s novels, but its a hilarious, light and easy read so you might see more of her novels coming along your way.

The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful: Chapter 22

In Chapter 22 of The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful, we finally deal with the fall out of discovery. With the police clamping down so tightly on the both of them, this day was bound to come sooner or later; but knowing that it was bound to occur, and seeing it play out, is two entirely different things. My heart aches for my two poor, silly youths. Once again, thank you everyone for being patient and understanding! 🙂

The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful: Chapter 21

In Chapter 21 of The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful, Chen Nian and Bei Ye begin their period of separation as the police begin to clamp down on investigations in relation to Wei Cai’s death. The greater the distance between the two of them, the more unlikely the police will discover their connection and the clues linking Wei Cai’s death to them. But, as Chen Nian senses the police getting one step closer to discovering the ‘truth’, she begins to break down and wonder – how long more is she able to hide her ‘involvement’ in Wei Cai’s death?

Ancient God 上古: Book Review

It may not seem like it, but I actually much prefer Chinese mythology novels as opposed to C-novels with ancient settings or modern settings. This is because most Chinese mythology novels have characters with lives that span thousands and thousands of years, resulting in the story taking place in a much grander scale. After all, harbouring a love that spans thousands of years is just that much more impactful that a love than spans tens of years. Having said, the C-novel community, however, hasn’t been able to churn out quality mythology novels, which is why I’ve picked up more modern novels and ancient novels as opposed to Chinese mythology novels. Thus, Ancient God by Xing Ling truly came as a surprise, because although it wasn’t penned by one of the famous mythology authors, Xing Ling still manages to create an intricate and lovely story that I can easily invest myself in. Of course, this story is not without its flaws, but I’ll take what I can get.

The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful: Chapter 20

In Chapter 20 of The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful, we begin counting down towards the graduation exams and Chen Nian and Bei Ye’s ticket out of this horrid town. However, with the police beginning to clamp down on Chen Nian, will the two be able to escape this town and find their true liberation? As Bei Ye witnesses Chen Nian getting cornered right in front of his very own eyes, what could he possibly do to protect Chen Nian? Once again, I apologise for the late update, and I’m thankful for all your sweet words and encouragement. (: I’m glad I managed to churn out a chapter before the week is done!

The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful: Chapter 19

 

Thank you everybody for your kind encouragement and understanding, it’s slightly late, but Chapter 19 of The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful is finally here! In Chapter 19, we bask in the idyllic, slow moments of Chen Nian and Bei Ye’s bliss, although in some small parts, we do sense the ominous tones that underlie some parts of their outing. As the Police begin to close the gap and narrow their suspect pool, an increasing number of arrows seem to point towards Bei Ye as the rapist and murderer. Bei Ye’s just a ticking timebomb waiting to be embroiled in this entire matter, and one can only hope for the best for our two tired youths.

Short Update (10/04/16)

My dear readers, apologies for the radio silence. Work has been terribly busy this week, and terribly draining (3-4am nights every single day, and dragging myself out of bed at 7am), such that I simply have no time to continue working on translations. Even now, I still do not have the time to come up with a proper apology post and to reply all of your supportive comments as I’m still rushing to meet my work deadlines. I do know the feeling of being left hanging, and I’m terribly sorry that this is something I had to do, despite the constant support I’ve received. I’ll work terribly hard to resume translations next week – I’ll try to post an update during the weekdays, but I promise that an update will definitely be out sometime next Saturday latest. Once again, terribly sorry for the radio silence, and your kind understanding is always appreciated.

The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful: Chapter 18

In Chapter 18 of The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful, we see the extent and depth of Chen Nian’s trust in Bei Ye – even if Bei Ye was indeed the one who murdered Wei Cai, and even if he was the rapist who goes around sexually assaulting various girls in a huge raincoat, Chen Nian remains unfearful, and unafraid of him. Her faith and trust in him – that he would never hurt her – is so deep, and so unwavering, that it’s extremely foolish, and yet, so very touching. In this Chapter, we also see the police start to clamp down on Wei Cai’s murderer – will the halcyon days of these two youths last much longer?

The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful: Chapter 17

In Chapter 17 of The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful, we begin to see the cracks in Bei Ye and Chen Nian’s quiet lives – now that Wei Cai is officially found to be dead, the police will begin to ramp up investigations. Why is Wei Cai dead? Did Chen Nian really kill her? Or was it the raincoat suspect? Or could it be Bei Ye? All our dear Chen Nian can do now is tightly hang on to her trust and faith in Bei Ye, and if he said she didn’t cause Wei Cai’s death, she’d just believe that she didn’t do it.

The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful: Chapter 16

In Chapter 16 of The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful, we return to a strange sense of normalcy, one that isn’t expected after the recent upheavals, but isnevertheless gladly  welcome, for it gives us a short reprieve before we truly head into the storm. After the incident, Bei Ye and Chen Nian become more essential to each other than ever, and it is at this point where Chen Nian really seems to begin placing her utmost faith, love and trust in Bei Ye – so much so that I wonder whether she still recalls her initial plan to ditch him and leave for Beijing after graduation exams.