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City of Angels
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Web Novel (CN)
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Rating(4.1 / 5.0, 63 votes)
5    54% (34 votes)
4    17% (11 votes)
3    14% (9 votes)
2    10% (6 votes)
1    5% (3 votes)
Language
Support Book (#ad)
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One entry per line
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N/A
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2020
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Status in Country of Origin. One entry per line
41 Chapters (Completed)
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Completely Translated
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One entry per line
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Release Frequency
Every 91.9 Day(s)
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Weekly Rank: #8035
Monthly Rank: #10991
All Time Rank: #11599
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On 920 Reading Lists
Monthly Rank: #29687
All Time Rank: #9418

Description

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A-Chong (阿崇) x Ning Yu (寧宇)

A vagabond x a straightforward man. The gong is a difficult man to woo.

A story about reaching out and catching someone in your hands.

Read at your own risk.

Associated Names
One entry per line
天使之城
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Tattoo (1)
24 Frames Per Second (1)
Drink, Drank, Drunk! (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. danmeis that i need like oxygen
  2. danmei reads 2023
  3. all the danmeis i've read
  4. Reading / To Be Read pt 2
  5. SHIZUN, THIS LIST SLAPS

Latest Release

Date Group Release
04/17/24 hundredblossoms extra: 50 questions
01/31/24 hundredblossoms weibo extras
07/09/23 hundredblossoms c36-41 + epilogue
05/30/23 hundredblossoms c31-35
05/01/23 hundredblossoms c26-30
03/13/23 hundredblossoms c21-25
02/27/23 hundredblossoms c16-20
02/13/23 hundredblossoms c11-15
02/05/23 hundredblossoms c6-10
01/23/23 hundredblossoms c1-5
Write a Review
6 Reviews sorted by


twobada
twobada rated it
July 9, 2023
Status: --
A really good story, but not a heart-fluttering one. It is less on romance, but more on learning to have the courage to love. It actually reminds of another danmei here called Tattoo.

Even though this story is HE, my heart still hurt for Ning Yu. A-Chong calls him greedy, but I think it's A-Chong who's greedy. He wants to maintain his freedom, his false sense of security stemming from his cynical views of love, his self-gratifying coping mechanism of engaging in superficial affections, his arrogance. But he doesn't want to... more>> face the consequences of playing with the other's feelings.

Of course, there's a reasonable back story for his behavior, but it still felt very unfair when he started flirting with Ning Yu even though Ning Yu never asked for it. He knew from the start that he himself would be okay after the fun has ended, but at that time, all he knew about Ning Yu was that Ning Yu was slightly attracted to him. He was the one who lured Ning Yu in, without even considering if Ning Yu would be able to deal with the aftermath, but he wasn't willing to take responsibility by firmly rejecting Ning Yu or accepting him.

Sure, there was some growth for him and some breaking out of his shell, but I still think it was Ning Yu's misfortune to have ever met him, and that if Ning Yu didn't have that kind of stubborn personality and strong mental fortitude, that kind of painful situationship would have ruined him. But yes, Ning Yu does grow through this relationship too.

This is definitely a kind of love story that gets its happy ending only through fiction.

However, it was indeed written very well. The imagery was poetic and the tone for each scene was always set very nicely. Overall, the novel even has this hazy, languid, yet restless vibe. Like hot summer afternoons spent lazily with the comfort of an electric fan.

The character settings themselves weren't exactly groundbreaking, but the way they were fleshed out through dialogue and actions was very engaging. I very much appreciate the lack of the word quota disease common among webnovel authors. Reading through the text didn't feel like I was simply going through narration, but that I was actually seeing the novel's world & the people in it through the eyes of the characters. <<less
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Eden
Eden rated it
July 21, 2023
Status: c1-5
Very sweet and hot story. But with an unusual ml.

Unlike the vast majority of doting mls, he's the one who wants to be pampered. And Ning Yu is happy to do so.

I don't believe Ning Yu was unlucky. Some people like to put in more effort, to take care of the other. Unfortunately, it's often unappreciated or even taken as patronizing.

... more>> Ah Chong is a lot more subtle with his show of love, but it's there, and it's really sweet. Ning Yu's care definitely doesn't go to waste.

They're a perfect match for each other. <<less
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ricoerrr
ricoerrr rated it
March 6, 2024
Status: weibo extras
characters:

mc: ning yu

ml: a-chong

... more>> summary:

MC goes to thailand for vacation and meets ml, who is his enigmatic tour guide. MC sleeps with ML and tries to pursue him, but ML only agrees to being his rent-a-boyfriend for one day. MC falls in love. After that, they part ways and MC goes back to china. Over the next year, he keeps in contact with ml. He decides to go back to thailand for school to continue pursuing ml. ML keeps his distance from MC as he doesnt want a relationship. Despite countless rejections, MC slowly wiggles himself into ml's life and ML warms up to him. They form an odd relationship where they toe the line of love and intimacy. And eventually they do get a happy ending :)

thoughts:

Spoiler

i really like the vibes. Its sunshine and beaches and the perpetual summer sets the tone of the novel. Rippling sunlight, warm breezes, seashores and beaches, heat and sweat, the tangy stickiness of summer, cloying mango and pineapple, lazy yet invigorating. Everything beautifully encapsulated in the prose. I loved it.

overall, its a journey about mutual healing and growth. The pov changed near the middle of the story where we pan away from ning yu's story and focus more on a chong's story. The first half was about ning yu finding strength and bravado and letting go of his inhibitions to chase the person he likes. The second half was about a chong found love and acceptance and a home in someone whom he can return to at the end of the day.

its hard to tell what exactly a chong didnt like about ning yu. Theres lots of reasons and theyre jumbled up. Maybe because he has a poor upbringing and ning yu had a proper one. Hes carefree and ning yu is uptight. He gets bored of people easily and seeks new bed partners whereas ning yu clings onto one person and doesnt let go. He doesnt want family but ning yu wants to be family with him. He doesnt like boring and ning yu is boring. Hes an adrenaline junkie and thinks ning yu would just chain him down. Not wanting to date ning yu for those reasons is fair but the way he went about it was bizzarfe. A chong thinks its fun to play with ning yu's feelings but hates it when it comes and bites him back. He also has a habit of playing the fake affectionate boyfriend but wont let ning yu show his affections. He couldve cut ties cold turkey if he really wanted to but he didnt. Hes not exactly a good person lol. But im also partial to the idea that a chong is a yes-man and got swept away by ning yu's pursuit. He probably never had someone infatuated with him to that extent and that makes it equal parts exciting and annoying. And so he does this half assesed attempt to distance himself but also not really. Point is, a chong is a very contradictory character but I dont dislike it, it gives the story a bit of charm.

anywho, maybe the secret ingredient was just being in his life often enough. And I think he realized having people care for him is a nice feeling. He likes it when his mom fusses over him, and he likes it when ning yu fusses over him.

i wish there was more about ning yu but I feel like the story focused a lot more on a chong. Ning yu's growth felt like it took a step back from the limelight. But hes the reason why the story exists. Im frankly amazed at his perseverance bc there were so many moments where I thought a chong was cruel and his disregard for ning yu's feelings hard to read. But ning yu took it all in stride. What shouldve stayed as a summer fling ended up being a permanent fixture in his life only bc he was determined enough to make it so. Hes headstrong and unrelenting and I love characters like that. I also like how in the end a chong starts seeing ning yu as someone who is 'full of positive energy, optimistic, enthusiastic, and sunny' when those characteristics were usually associated with a chong at the start of the novel.

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quisvi
quisvi rated it
January 15, 2024
Status: Completed
I loved this story a whole lot, and I'm so so glad that I was able to get the chance to read it!!

Along with the author's writing style, I love the hazy and comforting vibe the novel has and each description of the setting felt very immersive!

The novel isn't focused on romance but rather the healing and journey it takes to actually love another person, while also exploring what love is and means to them (specifically the ML).

I personally loved the dynamic between Ning Yu and A-Chong very much and... more>> their characterization! Their interactions were very dynamic and fluid and it didn't feel like I was just reading dialogue between two people on a screen. It was also just so lovely for me to see their dynamic unfold because of how similar they seem to be!! For me, it felt like they needed the exact same thing but because of how they grew up, it manifested in two different ways and I loved how the author portrayed their relationship!!

Following that, A-Chong is a selfish person but, his attitude didn't bother me at all because it felt realistic. Ning Yu and A-Chong both have reasons on why they behave the way that they do and I loved learning more about each of them!

ALSO !!! I loved seeing the metaphors from chapter 32 onwards, I thought they were so amazing and they fit so well and AGHHHHH!!!! This book is my Roman Empire I'm so serious !!!!

An amazing novel that I'd love to read again if I ever get the chance!!! <<less
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damnmei
damnmei rated it
May 25, 2025
Status: Completed
The audio drama baited me so hard into reading this— I heard one sentence spoken from the ML and I was completely taken in. Having now actually finished reading, I still can't believe how much I enjoyed this novel! Not only was it poetic and beautifully written, but the characters themselves had so much heart and were both so compelling individually and in relationship together. The perspective in this novel is also equally shared between the two protagonists, and you really are able to get such a deep understanding of... more>> how they think, and how they love. Note that this review will have some spoilers because I just need to ramble for a while on how much I love A-Chong, but I'll stay generally vague on things like backstory and some more key moments of their relationship development.

The male lead A-Chong in particular is such a standout character to me, with layers upon layers to his characterization despite the relatively shorter length of the novel, and so much interesting backstory to explain his behavior and internal drama. He's definitely not a very typical ML, with his occasional way of acting cute, his desire to be pampered, and his general aura and vibrancy. He really is so likable from beginning to end for me, and I especially loved how this novel gave so much time exploring his inner world, letting us see directly into his thoughts to better understand his motivations.

Ning Yu, also has such interesting characterization, and so much depth that isn't at first apparent with how straightforward and single minded in his pursuit he is. There's a chapter in the extras that really made me reconsider how I viewed him throughout the novel, as his narration can be a bit unreliable on how he is perceived in the world, and others clearly respect and admire him more than he himself really acknowledges. The way he falls in love is very well written and understandable, and while he is extremely persistent in his pursuit, it's also in a way that doesn't cross A-Chong's boundaries and respects his autonomy.

A-Chong puts on such a facade of nonchalance that it really takes seeing into his mind to understand the reasons why he doesn't actually set any hard boundaries against Ning Yu's pursuit. He has this easygoing and nonchalant attitude on the surface, always smiling and flirting, but as the novel progresses, his walls are slowly stripped bare, revealing all his hidden insecurities and inner demons. Things that he says in jest previously (like wanting to be held by his lover) are shown to be genuine desires of his, which Ning Yu fully accepts and proactively provides for him. It's really such a rare dynamic of a provider shou and doted-upon gong!

One thing that I was a bit scared about before picking up this novel was in whether the love between these two would feel equal by the end, as the start of their relationship is decidedly one-sided on the shou's side, and the gong is very avoidant of close relationships and anything beyond surface level friendship or a purely physical connection. Ning Yu's personality is very innocent and his feelings so pure and genuine that it can be a bit difficult to watch him bare his heart so openly and ardently for a man that keeps pushing him away, but after around the midpoint, A-Chong's mentality around Ning Yu really made a big shift as he came to realize how nothing about his real self could push this man away, and their love really does feel truly mutual by the end.

I feel A-Chong's character can be quite easily misunderstood, as we get such a deep look into his thoughts that it may be hard to really separate his inner world from his actual external presentation. Something I particularly love about A-Chong's character though is that even though he does have often quite rude and cynical thoughts, he never once speaks to others in a way that could be considered mean. He doesn't ever make Ning Yu feel lesser than or undeserving, and his deprecation is more self-directed than anything else. While reading, I felt so moved by his backstory that there was absolutely no way I could ever judge or hate him, and he really does deserve this kind of single-minded devotion and care more than anyone.

The way that A-Chong talks about his backstory is so detached, that it can be easy to get convinced that he really doesn't care that much, but he too is quite unreliable as a narrator, as every so often a thought will arise in his mind that shows just how much he has been affected by his childhood, and how little he truly regards himself. There are these moments where Ning Yu reads to him where he genuinely connects to the words, similar to how I felt reading this novel, and would uncontrollably begin crying (me and him both). His backstory and overall characterization is built up through the use of some really unique and touching metaphors as well, with none feeling overused or too glaringly obvious, something that I feel can be really difficult to get right in writing.

He has such multidimensional and also consistent characterization, in how he still jokes around at the end and retains all the key aspects of his character, but also in how he develops a softer, more tender quality, a feeling of romance and love for the world that he only is able to find through his understanding of Ning Yu's love for him. Accepting Ning Yu is accepting himself, with all the sides of himself that he once hated and suppressed now embraced wholeheartedly by his lover and now family. The two of them show their love in such different ways, and yet they understand and accept every side of each other. They truly complement one another so perfectly, with Ning Yu's persistence and sincerity matched against A-Chong's more playful and lackadaisical personality.

The smut is also top tier, A-Chong is one of the hottest MLs I've ever read (and especially listened to), and all their s*x scenes are written in a way where both are clearly very much into one another's bodies and in the actions themselves. As their relationship progresses, it's also really cute how their physical intimacy evolves, with more casual displays of affection and also moments of almost shyness that only come from actually having genuine feelings for the other (this mostly being on A-Chong's side). I just love when a former playboy starts feeling self-conscious about s*x, something that was always approached with such detachment before.

I cried a bit writing this review I can't lie, I really just love these two so much! I have so many more thoughts about these characters, but I'll just leave it here. One of my favorite novels I've read, especially of this length. A-Chong you deserve the world and I'm so happy you found your island. Such a beautiful story. <<less
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minkatzed
minkatzed
March 5, 2024
Status: --
Read the first 2-3 chapters, skimmed through until I reached chapter 6. I don't like the ML and I was quite weirded out about how MC doesn't take the hint and even goes back to Thailand, in the hopes of seeing/talking with ML.

The novel is written quite well and I understand why people would love it. I am not saying this novel is bad or anything of the like, is just that it's probably not for me. I wanted to slap both leads in the beginning and I don't have... more>> the patience to see it to the end. <<less
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