After weeks of carefully looking for a “good” novel among the hundreds in my to-read, I finally encountered one while looking for something light/brainless. What's even more ironic is that it’s by the author Neleta, whose other works I've read tend to start out strong and compelling before turning extremely ridiculous towards the end. (But still I keep their works in my bookmarks because they’d always contain well-written smut in the middle)
The novel’s title is 宝贝 (BaoBei), which can mean treasure/darling/baby. The protagonist's name is XiaoBao, and he has a pet monkey named XiaoBei. (XiaoBao is a precious baby 💖)
The plot is that XiaoBao was born with defects, making his father, a renowned martial arts expert, hate him. Later, his mother also left for some reason, but rumors say she eloped with someone. And after she left, XiaoBao seems to have incurred some kind of curse/disease that subjects him to extreme pain every first and fifteenth of the month. Black spots also started breaking out on his face, making him look ugly. All these combined makes the father hate XiaBao even more.
So XiaoBao grew up avoiding his father and being raised by servants. He doesn’t even live in the main house but in a small broken house/shed outside. The house also seems to be haunted because every half month he’d hear a “ghost” screaming from under his bed. Not wanting to further worry the servants who take care of him, he doesn’t tell anyone about this.
Then one day, his father tells him to leave and fend for himself.
But on the night before leaving, XiaoBao hears the ghost's cries from under his bed again. Seeing that the talismans he bought didn't work, he wants to try talking to the ghost. But while groping under his bed to reach the ghost, he instead discovers a secret passage... that leads to a torture chamber.
And now I am invested.
I have so much hope for this novel that I pray Neleta won't fuck it up again in the later parts 😭😭😭
