... cause these damn strawberries are either making my blood boil or making me hungry!!!
Spoilers:
Xiao Bai is barely hanging onto his sanity cause Rimbaud becomes a shameless pervert once he completes his cultivation stage. The main reason he doesn't want sex is because male cats have barbed peepees and doesn't want to hurt him so he's waiting like a mad man.
Their 1st kiss happened at Chapter 200.
The SLOW BURN is basically SLOW BURNING!!!
I honestly love it because it focuses on the plot. I read this thinking it's gonna have smut but NO it's a slow burn to heaven unlike most stories right now where they get down and dirty at chapter 1. The world building is exceptional and it's honestly my 1st novel where I can focus on the plot which made me sacrifice sleep cause it is so intriguing. I don't even care how the smut will happen and if it glosses over like how Danmei novels go about with censorship.
The ML is such a green flag and slowly but surely makes sure our MC isn't uncomfortable knowing how their relationship is a boss-employee one from his POV. I read ahead with MTL but stopped after that 1st kiss cause I want to savour the upcoming interactions they will have. He's so patient even though he knows he can snatch him and make him his at a snap of his fingers but he is just so good to him. I love it so much. I read a spoiler that he even asked permission to officially court our MC and it's just soooooo sweet. Considering how consent gets thrown out the window with Omegaverse stories, this one is just so gentlemanly with everything. It's still ongoing so I encourage you guys to read the novel.
I'll call the ML Richard since it's what is in the novel. Richard opened the Dad's eyes to what is really happening to Etienne by saying how sh*tty of a Father he is by not protecting his only child and not doing his best because he has trauma from the Empress' assault. Richard calls him out on his "Boohoo Woe is Me" BS by pointing out all the mistreatments he did by pushing the throne on him instead of having Etienne by his side in order to protect him from the Empress. He tries to FINALLY finally look at Etienne but he had enough and told him to just pretend they get along for publicity. Etienne gave up on his dad basically which "hurt" the dad so he tries to "help" in small ways. Dad basically defends him in public and whatnot but it isn't enough. They remain in a strained relationship up until the point where they imprison the Empress. By the time Etienne and Richard get their happy ending he still has a strained relationship with Etienne but Etienne permits him to be a good grandfather to their children.
I honestly don't have an ounce of sympathy for him since he missed so many opportunities to save Etienne but I'm glad Etienne permits him to make up for it by being a doting grandpa and remained civil till the end.