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There's Something Wrong with the Chief Vol. 1
by Yang Su
Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?
A richly layered danmei with incredible character development spanning years of separation and reunion, combining martial arts action with devastating emotional depth and one of the most compelling slow burn romances in Chinese web fiction.
Synopsis
The Qielan Clan’s youngest assassin, Xiahou Lian, needs to get inside the aristocratic Xie family. He manages to gain a post serving Xie Jinglan, the family’s youngest son. However, the boys’ friendship soon undercuts Xiahou Lian’s treacherous ruse, causing him to make a choice that will follow him long into adulthood… Xiahou Lian, the Qielan Clan’s youngest assassin, needs to get inside the aristocratic Xie household for his next assignment. He secures a post under Xie Jinglan, the family’s youngest son, and all players are in position. Yet as the date of the planned assassination approaches, the two boys find that they’ve become fast friends. Thus, Xiahou Lian takes a course of action that will haunt him for years to come… As fates turn, Xiahou Lian is reduced to working as a dog for the chief of the Eastern Depot, a Ming dynasty spy agency. But the chief is the very boy Xiahou Lian once saved! What’s more, he seems more charming than resentful. There’s definitely something wrong with the chief…
At a Glance
4.13 ★ GoodreadsTop TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.
MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.
Book Details
Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.
4.13 ★
Page CountHow long the commitment is.
364 pages
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.
2025
Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?
Fantasy
PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.
M/M
POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).
Multi-POV
Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.
Slow Burn
CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.
spoiler
AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.
AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.
No
TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.
Mood & Vibe
MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.
FMC: N/A sign in to unlock
slow burn with late spice sign in to unlock
historical sign in to unlock
book hangover sign in to unlock
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