Honestly, I hate myself for reading the most recently released Case File: Compendium novel. Now I have to wait until October to get the next installment!
And let me tell you, that wait is going to be excrutiating. This novel made some real progress, both from an action and romance perspective. On the action front, Xie Xue has contracted a new version of RN-13 from when she was visiting the psychiatric hospital. Luckily, it wasn’t a large dose by any means and it seems likely that Xie Qingcheng could find a potential antedote. He Yu of course wants to help. Though he has no romantic feelings for Xie Xue anymore, she was still his friend for a very long time. But more than that, he wants to help the love of his life.
In addition for finding an antedote for Xie Xue, Xie Qingcheng is also hellbent on getting evidence to take down the organization responsible for both his parents’ mysterious death and the death of many young university students. It’s learned through a found videotape that these young women were being targeted and lured to a headquarters that immediately locked them up and began testing variations of RN-13. None of those young women made it out alive, and they were tortured for their troubles. It’s clear that this organization is willing to do whatever it takes to keep their activities a secret.
Xie Qingcheng and He Yu do manage to come across an unlikely ally – someone they thought to be dead and someone else completely. It turns out their quest for vengeance for one of the earlier victims of the organization’s crimes has led her to become quite a force to be reckoned with. It felt like there was a lot of forward momentum with this plotline in the novel, so I’m curious to see where it goes from here. Especially now that they seem to be more forcefully going after He Yu’s blood toxin ability. Luckily, He Yu now has Xie Qingcheng more than willing to defend him.
On the romance front, He Yu is suffering. He is in love, and now that he knows what it is, he can’t successfully contain his illness. Xie Qingcheng notices how much He Yu seems to be struggling lately, and when he finally pressures He Yu into confiding in him, the truth leaves him more confused than ever. The two then awkwardly continue on in their quest for Xie Xue, but that just leaves He Yu almost more defeated. It’s not until they are trapped for an almost certain death again that Xie Qingchenge starts to reevaluate his feelings towards He Yu. He finally initiates a kiss between the two of them in the flames of a basement, but he feels almost none of the usual shame or regret that usually accompanies their encoutners.
It’s all a little confusing for him in the end, but he doesn’t seem to be fighting it. He Yu naturally will take what he can get, so he is elated with Xie Qingcheng’s not outright refusal of his affections. For a novel in this series that had no smut in it, I felt just as giddy as this unfolded. I cannot wait to see how their relationship develops further and if there will be much more resistance from Xie Qingcheng. I imagine there will always be a little something there making any feelings seem wrong, but I’m ready for him to fully let his walls down. He Yu is practically there himself, so he is the most susceptible to heartbreak in this relationship. And it might come quicker than he’s expecting if Xie Qingcheng refuses to take care of himself.
Please pray for me as I wait patiently for the next volume of this series to be released.