Blooming Flowers Silent Sorrow
花开有时颓靡无声 huā kāi yǒu shí tú mí wú shēng
Author: 水千丞 shuǐ qiān chéng
118 Chapters + 1 extra
Ratings: 3.5/5
I was re-reading “Are You Addicted Vol2″ and “Professional Stuntman” again, wondering if the next Chinese Bl novel I read should be Chai Ji Dan’s “Feng Mang” or a Shui Qian Cheng’s novel. Apparently, the novel with angst and pent-up frustrations looked more enticing to me. So i picked one of Shui Qian Cheng’s novel. You can find my reviews of these 2 novels in my earlier post, just scroll down below. 👇
I chose this Chinese Bl novel because there was no review about it in Novel Updates, it’s not fully translated yet and it’s as if there are not many readers yet. But I trust my favourite author – I just need to stomach her flavourful formula of violence, circumstantial rape, betrayal, angst, pent-up frustrations, possessive and handsome male lead. And I wasn’t disappointed at all. This novel has all of these.
Another point to note is this novel is the author’s first novel. She wrote this novel in 2010 when she was a University 3rd year student. Her later novels just got better.
For the first 40-50 chapters, there were quite a scattered amount of mature obscenities between the MC and ML and not much of a good plot. Lots of sweetness, cuteness and lovey-doveys. Savour all these precious moments before we go on an emotional roller coaster ride! The tempo of the story picked up quickly after Chapter 40+ and more characters appeared to thicken the plot. Thereafter, it was a roller coaster ride of emotions and some heart-breaking moments that made me cry shamelessly towards the end.
I’ll rate this bl novel 3.5/5 if not a 4/5 as I would have wished the author had tied up some loose ends to this story.
⚠️Warning⚠️: Spoilers, mature content, rape
~ SPOILERS ~
The setting of this novel is ancient China, Suzhou, Jiangnan.
The MC is 20 year-old Jin XiaoBao (XB). He’s a fat good-for-nothing son of the wealthy Jin Family in Suzhou. He is simple-minded, gullible, happy-go-lucky and spent his time visiting brothels with his friends and chased pretty girls. He enjoyed flaunting his wealth and felt that being fat is a symbol of wealth and prosperity. He is kind, considerate and loved his adopted younger sister.
One day when he was on his way to send gifts to a beauty and ask for her hand in marriage, he encountered a rare beauty clad in white. “She” was fighting with a group of people and XB tried to rescue “her”. He was smitten by her beauty that he’s deemed that “she” was the only one he will marry. Thereafter he tried all ways to woo her.
This beauty who had an imposing and cold demeanour, was very skilled in martial arts. “She” despised XB and would kick him if he tried to touch her or get too close.
Finally, one day when XB tried to rescue the beauty again who was fighting with the assassins, the beauty saved him instead and was shot by poison needles. The poison was aphrodisiacs which left the beauty feeling hot and irritable. “She” ran towards the river and told XB to stay away and leave but XB was worried about “her” and refused to leave. The beauty felt unbearably hot due to the effects of the aphrodisiacs that “she” jumped into the river and her thick makeup was washed off, revealing a much more beautiful youthful face. XB was instantly mesmerised. Eventually, XB discovered that the beauty was actually a young boy of about 15 years old. Realising that the youth didn’t know how to relief himself due to the aphrodisiac poison, XB helped him masturbate. The turn of events led to the youth penetrating XB forcefully until they both fainted. XB bled and was injured badly. They were discovered by their servants in an obscene position and were brought back to nurse their injuries.
The 15 year old youth is Zheng Huai En (ML). His real name is Zong Zheng Huai En (HE). The surname “Zong Zhen” had lineage to the Emperor. HE was the son of the Emperor’s Royal Consort who was only 2nd in rank after the Empress. The Royal Consort was a rare beauty of all the lands and the Emperor doted on her only. Unfortunately, the jealous Empress schemed and had her banished to the Cold Palace (palace for concubines who lost favours from the Emperor), losing favour of the Emperor. The Royal Consort gave birth to HE and died of a difficult delivery in the Cold Palace. The Emperor thought the baby was dead but was in fact secretly smuggled out of the palace by his love rival, the 2nd Prince.
The 2nd Prince who had fought for the throne with the Emperor and lost had built his own empire outside the Palace. He was the sect leader of the powerful Tong Sect. He raised HE as his own son, scheming to have HE kill his own biological father, the Emperor and claim the throne for him.
But with XB’s shameless courting, HE tasted man’s lust and sex. XB wanted to have the opportunity to top HE but every time he failed miserably. 🤣 HE found consolation for his lust in the body of XB. XB was not a gay but he was smitten by HE’s beauty that he was bent to become bisexual. He vowed that no matter what he will only love HE. He confessed to HE and promised that he will only love him forever.
HE was stumped but he accepted XB and told XB he could only love him and nobody else. HE didn’t know what he liked about XB since XB had no merits to brag about. But having sex with XB definitely felt really good and he looked cute and probably good to hug to sleep. Both HE and XB were obsessed with each other but HE is probably the more possessive of the two. If fact, he’s the most possessive one whereas XB adored HE to the max wanting to provide the best for HE.
One fateful day, after unexpectedly meeting his friends of vice, XB was pulled to visit the brothel. HE was vexed and blinded with jealousy. He rushed to the brothel to teach XB a hard lesson by fucking him there and then to the embarrassment of XB. Everyone at the brothel heard the commotion and painful cries of XB.
HE who was the young lord of the powerful Tong Sect went ahead to complete his mission by wiping out the 5 wealthy families in Suzhou who had become wealthy through ill-gotten means with the evidences he had collected. The Jin Family (XB’s family) was one of them. They were charged with corruption and was punishable by death from the Emperor. The Jin family’s wealth were looted by the Tong Sect and turned penniless overnight. XB and his parents were imprisoned by the court.
HE had planned for XB’s escape from prison but his plan failed resulting in XB being poisoned and tortured by his old time enemy. XB and his parents were later saved by XB’s childhood friend, Su Yin.
The ordeal made XB realise how gullible he was in the past. He was upset that HE betrayed their love and trust and made use of him for sex and then ditched him. He really hated him to the bones now.
At this moment, HE was unable to leave Tong Sect and was imprisoned by his adopted father, the Sect Leader (2nd Prince). His attempt to flee the Sect failed and he was badly injured. Three months later, he promised to complete his last mission for the sect and thereafter, be set free from the Sect.
HE went to look for XB in Dali but was shocked that the lovable and gullible fat XB was no longer. XB had lost a lot of weight, he was no longer the happy-go-lucky bouncy cute guy who looked at HE with full of love and adoration. Instead XB was full of hatred for HE. XB was also poisoned and he suffered seizure once the weather turned cold like when it rained or snowed. He had to stay away from the elements and be wrapped up to keep warm. Their meetings were full of angst and frustrations. HE was shocked and frustrated since he didn’t understand what he did to cause XB to hate him so much. But HE was only 15 or 16 years old then. He was young and lacked guidance from an elder on how to handle human relationships, love and friendship. His adopted father was not his real father and only taught him martial arts stringently and made use of him to complete missions. There was no warm father-son type of relationship between them.
In their fiery and angsty exchanges, HE realised what he did wrong and about XB’s poison. But I’m glad he didn’t let go of XB easily and instead tried to atone his sins by searching for the rare flower herbs to cure his poison and returned XB’s kidnapped adopted sister. It was a long, arduous and perilous journey for HE to get XB’s forgiveness but he finally won it through his perseverance and sincerity.
What I was not satisfied of this novel was that the author could have probably tied up the lose ends of HE’s birth right as a Prince and probably as the Crown Prince. HE is probably not interested in living in the Palace nor inherit any Royal titles but how would an Emperor do nothing for him knowing that his son is staying outside the Palace? It would probably be more satisfying for the Emperor to provide some kind of title or recognition for HE, spend some quality time with son or Emperor disguised as a mentor to get close to long lost son kind of plot would be quite satisfying and heart warming. At the same time, banish the evil Empress for her wrong doings.
Overall I enjoyed reading this novel that I couldn’t put it down. And I will definitely recommend you to read this novel.
English Translation: Not Completed
Read here:
https://novelplanet.com/Novel/Blooming-Flowers-Silent-Sorrow
Chinese Raw:
https://www.256wenxue.com/read/856/1.html