★❤︎𝕊ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑙0oo

notes: this story is part of the author's '188 group' that features notoriously scumbag gongs and i didn't have high expectations going in after listening to 'intoxication'. however, i'm a sucker for older gongs/younger shous as well as business/office settings, and ended up enjoying it despite my aversion to dog blood and scummy gongs.

according to the danmu, yuan yang is the least scummy of the gongs in the 188 group, and despite some of his questionable decisions, i'd agree. he's more like a violent wolf-puppy that can't control its emotions, but there's also a touch of innocence to him that was charming. yes he was crazy possessive and had a violent temper, but he didn't go out of his way to hurt yuan yang (it's a 188 story so the bar is that low lmao) and was quick to act as giver and protector when he recognized his feelings for gu qingpei.

as for gu pingqei, i liked that he was logical and reasonable and was overall a good 'master' to yuan yang. although he was strict, he gave credit when it was due and genuinely wanted yuan yang to grow and mature. i also liked that he didn't lose his sense of self even when shit went down, and just tried to move forward and keep doing his best like the level-headed businessman he is.

while the production and voice acting weren't standouts, i was still hooked on this AD and binged all 10 episodes in one sitting. the pacing was great as i didn't feel bored partway through and there were some really sweet moments that made me sigh happily (as well as a lot of exciting ~sexytimes that made me check if my headphones were on properly lol)

would rec if you can stomach the trigger warnings and also enjoy age difference and couples that are at odds with each other because of how different their personalities and circumstances are.