SAYE IS THE REAL DEAL. It is absolutely heartwarming and a slice of life that really FEELS like a slice of life. The characters, everything is feels so real. Jiang Cheng and Gu Fei will always have a place in my heart. It is my comfort book. I've never been so invested in a chinese novel before.

A must read (again)

I'm so glad that I choose Saye as my first ever BL novel to immerse myself into. Can't wait for this to be fully translated so I can binge read this masterpiece 💓

I liked it a lot. It's really realistic and glittering the precious part of humanity ?? (Idk what I’m talking about)

i absolutely feel I’m enlightened by this novel.i start to be more patient to kids and start to care more for handicaps people.

I love SAYE. When I first started reading it, I thought, 'It's good.' Then I reached the last update and moved on to another novel to busy myself with. I'm back, approx. 1 year later, and I think it's HELLA f*ckING GOOD!!! Back then, I didn't get to appreciate so much of its beauty, but now, coming back, it was actually more beautiful than I've remembered. Really. No novel has ever inspired me so much, no characters have ever been so beautiful to me. This novel is truly one of... more>> a kind. 💯 Percent would recommend. After this, its really hard to read another novel, because this is too good. I love all the characters in this novel. Love, love, love. That's all I have for this book.

PS. Still the best, after all this time. If I ever get my hands on any form of merch I WILL GRAB IT, NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES. For a while, it even inspired me to do better in my studies (because of Jiang Cheng's grind). I'll do my best too. SaYe is just one of a kind. Its chef's kiss. Made such a huge impact in my life. Phenomenal. <<less

Completed and reread several times.

This novel, to me, like thousands of other readers, is the white moonlight of campus bl in my heart. (Some ML's on danmei might find substitute for their white moonlight, but this novel is too good for me to find any worthy substitute)

The story of two financially weak students falling in love, understanding eachother, loving, caring and AHHHHHH.

This novel gives a more realistic view on campus bl novels

10/5 would definitely reread many times again.

This is my first review but this is definitely not my first time reading a BL novel. I can say with confidence that I've read relatively a large number of BL novels, in simple words, I love BL.

Now, as for my review, I would like to say one word: E.X.T.R.A.O.R.D.I.N.A.R.Y!!!!

Read it, you won't regret it. The character arcs are uh-mazing and the story is genuinely quite different. Not like the repetitive same stuff, I was so bored of reading the same sh** and I am so happy I found this.

Have... more>> fun reading it guys. <<less

This is such a realistic story about 2 boys dealing with their problems in a selfish world.

I especially like how the writer portrays mental health; how it can stay with you and make every little thing effect you, and how you face the world with it and how the world treats you because of it.

You don't need to be anywhere near in the situation of the MCs to relate to them. Except the basketball matches, their everyday life is actually pretty interesting to me, someone who dislikes slice of life.

Because... more>> this story is so good, every little details that isn't as good as the overall story is, is very noticeable, so I have to nitpick:

If only both MC weren't "incredibly handsome" it would've been better. Like just say handsome and go lmao not incredibly handsome that kind of gets in the way of the realness. There are 3 main typed of BL: 1) gays for the sake of fangirl material 2) gay bc there are gay people in this world 3) gay to portray the struggles of the LGBTQ community. Everything else in this story points to 2) or 3), but the MCs being two super hot guys in a relationship falls into 1). Too bad bc this could've been something else.

The relationship between both MCs is also very good portrayed. Pretty realistic, not too much and not too little. It's just a bit too quick for the reader because both characters don't directly make it known to the reader that they like each other. Now I know of another book in which the girl also never made her love known to the reader, but as a reader you could just feel it. This isn't the case with SaYe.

Spoiler

And no, rubbing each other off isn't showing love, it's just attraction. You can feel the attraction, yes, and both characters do make that known to the reader. And then suddenly they're like "ok, it's love" and the next second they're together. And just to be clear, that situation is perfectly reasonable, but it just isn't portrayed well.

[collapse]

*Just completed the raws and I take this paragraph back*

Also the character of Jiang Cheng is pretty hard to grasp.

{Prob also partly because of the translation. NOW LISTEN the translators did a GOOD job. The thing is just that, like the translator said, the way Jiang Cheng talks comes off as rude when translated. The way he swears is actually just very casual like when you tell a friend to f*ck off.}

So the thing is that Jiang Cheng is a character with many layers. He has a quick temper, acts like a rogue, but is actually pretty disciplined and has a sense of justice. He can also be really childish. Now the problem is that these types of layers are often portrayed as different characters instead of as a part of a whole. So it sometimes feel like you're looking at a bunch of different people instead of just different sides of one person.

---

BUT remember, this is just me nitpicking. If this was a faceslapping/fangirl-material/dogblood novel or smthn, I would never be this critical because then the target audience changes. The more critical I am, the better the quality of the story is. <<less

one of the best yaoi, or even novel in general i've ever read. The author did well in making the setting (e.g. The city) comes to life, I could vividly imagine living in that kind of city and feel its nuance. I LOVE the main characters and their relationship, that feels so genuine, pure and sometimes it makes my heart ache. Like the feeling of first love. The characters are not perfect and but they accept and love each other's strengths and weaknesses. I WANT MORE EPILOGUES!! Completed this book... more>> through MTLing, but its fairly understandable if you have basic Chinese proficiency. Going to reread after the translation is completed. <<less

Probably Wu Zhe's best novel and one of the best (if not the best) in the danmei.

I love everything about this novel, I have read a lot of danmei to the point that there is almost no novel that I have not read but this one made me experience new feelings. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me love, and it made me think about things I never thought about.

Jiang Cheng and Gu Fei are as endearing and as real as any protagonist could be. I... more>> loved the progress of their relationship, from being indifferent, from being friends, from being a couple that still doesn't fully trust to becoming a couple that communicates, understands and supports each other.

I think the title does the novel justice and I love how it makes sense at the end when they can run freely without the restraints they had on them. It was very satisfying to see Jiang Cheng's call with his mother, the progress he made at every moment to move forward and never give up, something that I can only admire but not imitate. And it was also very satisfying (probably the most) to see Gu Fei, THE GU FEI, say and do everything he always wanted to do for himself and thinking of himself as a priority, not others. Seeing how he feels happier and how others realize it, seeing how he behaves like a child he could never be moved me and made me feel proud, that's my chicken was my thought lol.

Wu Zhe's writing is always great and I never get tired of seeing his realities because they feel real and common to life, things that can happen without us knowing.

I loved them both as much as they love each other, their personalities so different but so complementary, their idiotic moments, their genius moments, their vulnerable moments and their happy moments. I think they were the best thing that could happen in each other's lives, since I can't imagine another world in which they are not together.

I could say more like the angst killed me but the sweetness then revived me, but I don't know what else to say since I have no words to describe this novel. It was definitely worth the wait since I wanted to read it finished since 2021 and I was only able to read it now, it did not disappoint me.

Without a doubt, this novel left many phrases that I could quote because of how splendid they are, but I think what it left the most was the message. The message of hope, as the saying goes, hope is the last thing that is lost but when it is lost, absolutely everything is lost.I saw the two phases in this novel and without a doubt the radiance of hope made me realize how important it is and how much a person changes by having it.

I leave Wu Zhe's last sentence here since it touched my heartstrings:"

"No one's life will be perfect all the time, but no matter what, you must look forward, if you have hope, you will be invincible." <<less

Sa Ye is so heartwarming and honestly gives me hope in life, especially when I feel lost or stuck. It's really inspirational seeing Feicheng's growth and the effect that they have on each other. Both Jiang Cheng and Gu Fei's (hell, all the character's) situations, feelings, and thought processes are so real and raw that I feel as if they are actual people that exist out there in the world. I literally can not go a week without re-reading random parts of this novel, it seriously has had such a... more>> huge impact on my life and I'm so thankful that I was able to come across it. I have an immense amount of love for all the characters but Gu Fei has become my favorite fictional character of all time. The Gu siblings and Jiang Cheng really are #family to me <<less

One of the best novel I read overall. Everything was said before me so I can only say - highly recommend to read. I patiently waiting for complete translation to re-read it in higher quality.

This is the best and most beautiful BL novel I've ever read, and one of the best novels overall. I don't know why, but I felt a strong nostalgia when I read the first chapter. I was reading it on these translation sites and their translations are so beautiful, but then I became too impatient to wait for new updates that I read the rest in MTL (but I'm not giving away any spoilers here). All I want to say is that I love the protagonists' maturity, their coolness, their... more>> respect for each other and the fact that they look out for each other through thick and through thin. I reveled in their joy and cried with their pain (the second book that I've ever shed tears upon). I also like the fact that they both have friends of their own. It's usually one popular guy (or one with several friends) and one loner in most BLs (I'm not complaining, though). Anyway, even though I have MTL'ed the entire book, I still keep up with and read the latest updates from the sae and amidstwoods sites. That's how much I love this novel. <<less

Omg. Just AAAAA I have so many emotions. This story is absolutely beautiful.

To be honest the summary made me skip past it a few times because it didn't entice me at all, please don't make the same mistake I did and put it off.

The 4.8 near perfect rating also speaks for itself and is well deserved, as I've dropped stories rated 4.5 before but with so many people rating it so high as well I doubt there's a person that will dislike this if genuinely trying it (apart from preconceived... more>> biases e.g. H*mophobia)

There is not a single thing I can criticize, the story is a masterpiece (use of r word in early translations was off-putting but later translators didn't use it)

Had me hooked from the first few chaoters binging for a few days, love love love all the thought put into character development, exploration of mental health topics and such made me cry at times sympathizing, but I think it just made the story so much more real where if the characters had no hardships it would be a completely different story and lackluster

Anyways big recommend. Highkey want to buy my own copy <<less

Finished reading raws, highly recommend.

This has to be the most realistic novel I've read within the genre.

Everything from the complexity of the main pair, the three dimensional side characters, the struggles of each character by themselves but also together in their relationship, the life-like dialogue, the comedic bits, the obstacles and overcoming them. Sa Ye is an encouraging novel about studying to break the shackles of life and pursue a brighter future, but it is also about how the first step to all that is overcoming the mental shackles that... more>> one puts on oneself. It's a story about how regardless of how shitty a situation you're in, there can always be hope. Jiang Cheng was so lucky to have met Gu Fei. But as the story wears on, it becomes evident how lucky Gu Fei was to have met Jiang Cheng as well. And it is not just those two, so many important side characters who may have their flaws but are ultimately kindhearted make appearances. And the world is so lucky to have good people like them.

This novel was a bit rough to read. It's not incredibly angsty and there's no great tragedies. But it's rough to read regardless because of how stifling the most mundane little tragedies can be. Yet the main characters don't allow those moments to define them. They find themselves and their happiness in the everyday. The day to day life, watching Gu Fei's little sister skateboard, studying to improve oneself, grilling meat with a bunch of friends, squeezing into a tiny old vehicle that's barely a car, chattering about meaningless things. It really is just a beautiful coming of age story, and while the romance is such a central theme of it all, I really appreciate the book for how well-written Jiang Cheng and Gu Fei are as individual characters. <<less

I never thought I'd love a modern setting BL novel this much 😭😭😭 The story is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time...

Can someone please tell me if there are decent MTLs?? I really want to finish the rest of the novel while I wait for the human translation... Thank you 💜

Finished it today; binged it in 5 days.

I have no words for how this novel makes me feel.

It's the best thing I've read in 2020 thus far. Do yourself a favour if you were like me and hesitating about reading it: DO IT.

"I hope we can all be as brave as each other."

First off, I can say that this novel is worthy of all the praise it gets. I don't know how to explain it, but this novel has this whole healing aura around it. I cannot begin to describe my love for this novel, as this wasn't just garbled word smashes and muffled screams.

The dialogue is incredible, but I was particularly taken by the author's writing style. Writing good dialogue is a very delicate art, but Wu Zhe does it almost... more>> perfectly. Whether it's playful bantering or heart-to-heart conversations or small talk, we're given a good amount of insight into the characters that's both natural and interesting. Wu Zhe did a great job portraying youth in a way that rings true, with its impulsiveness and courage. No matter what the characters go through, there's nearly always a strong thread of optimism that keeps the novel from ever getting too heavy. Not to mention, the author has a wicked sense of humor. I really appreciate that there's no unnecessary drama in the book.

What makes it especially different from other novels I've read is how mental illness is written and tackled here as realistically as possible. It's not something that just cures itself with the power of love. It's a rather serious issue that many struggles with, if no particular actions were addressed. It's such a tender story that brings two drastically different people together. It's about letting loose and being true to oneself.

Throughout this novel, you will be immersed in the ordinary lives of two boys and their very realistic struggles as they cope with the shackles and repercussions of an unhealthy family environment. You will root for them as they find success and glimmers of hope in the rusty, dilapidated town they live in. You will want them to succeed, you will grow with them, cry with them, and desperately just want them to be free, to run wildly, and finally find their own happiness.

I'll never get tired of saying this a hundred times. This novel is wonderfully beautiful, its setting, its plot, its characters, its words, everything can touch your heart. I cried a lot and giggled a lot too while reading this. For me, it's the closest story to reach a solid 5/5, and believe me, I've read a LOT. <<less

It's so beautiful and perfect that I cannot express it in mere words. The characters so real; theirs thoughts so human, so clear; the writing (even reading an English translation) so pretty. Its humor is as good as its sad moments. It's a 100/10. And it makes me sad cause after enjoying it I have problems finding something else to read that can satisfy me.

TLDR: totally recommend, mature, non cliche history. With excellent characters and interactions. My top/perfect novel

OUT OF THIS WORLD AMAZING - my favourite contemporary Danmei and contemporary audiodrama ever, and an all-time favourite (one of 38 favourites out of the 1171 books I've read). So utterly real, engaging, engrossing, moving, and heartwarming.

You will not regret getting to know Jiang Cheng and Gu Fei - what are you waiting for?

My absolute favourite Damei novel. Where do I even begin? Everything from beginning to end is so damn good. The novel perfectly encompasses the differences between the lives of the 2 MCs. I actually can’t put into words how much I love this novel. JUST GO READ IT NOW!!! WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE??