The voice of the MC makes the more tragic aspects of the novel easier to read. 

[Review of volumes 1–3] Basically, this is the AO3 tag "Crack treated seriously." Shen Qingqiu is such a hilarious narrator who develops along with the story he transmigrated into as his actions trigger changes in the characters and world around him. The characters become more sympathetic and complex as SQQ gives them the opportunity to break free from their archetypes. Luo Binghe changes, most of all, from a toxically masculine male harem protagonist into a lovesick fool who yearns for his shizun. Everything is wrapped up in SQQ's hilariously scathing and meta commentary on web fiction tropes to make this a super fun and engaging read. Very excited to get to the extras!

Man.......

For starter's I'll list off the things I loved about this series because there were a lot and these are particular tropes that I don't see very often/done well that originally pulled me into reading this novel.

Besides the humor, complicated characters, moral ambiguity, and weighted decisions that make for an exciting and thoughtful read, I really enjoyed the unreliable narrator/manipulative lead duo because of how much more confusing it made the whole story. Though this sounds like a con, it was that dynamic that made this series all the more interesting because it becomes up to the reader to see through both facades to experience the true story which is pretty rewarding when things start coming together.

Within this book there's already a lot of miscommunication between the two male leads ON TOP of both Shen Yuan's narration and Luo Binghe's actions towards Shen Qingqiu.

When you put all of them together, it feels a little like a murder mystery trying to figure out what everyone is thinking, their intentions, and so on.

As for why I did not chose to rate this one higher, the blame falls almost completely on the ending. It was short and abrupt and it seemed almost unfinished. Before I continue I must preface that I completely understand why the ending was as...anticlimactic as I'm choosing to describe it, the main reason being this was not originally Shen Yuan's story to fulfill. The ending was not bad but it was not as satisfying as it could have been if it were the original Shen Qingqiu or if MXTX had utilized Luo Binghe's intellect in figuring out that this was not the Shen Qingqiu from before. Personally, I felt that I ended this series with more questions than answers and that may be a turn-off for some.

Does Yue Qingyan ever find closure? What happened to Shen Jiu and will he ever receive his own redemption? What would happen if Binghe found out about Shen Yuan? All of that on top of what went on in the real world after both Shen Yuan and Airplane's deaths!

There is so much left to wonder about but that's what fanfiction is for I suppose.

Regardless, this was my second MXTX series and in typical Cucumber-fashion this was the one that I loved even more because of it's flaws. It always kept me thinking even to the very end. The amount of mental gymnastics I had to do trying to figure out how the hell Shen Qingqiu was going to get out of each mess he created could actually have given me a headache. This series was so fun to read and even more fun to critique and I'm kind of happy it's the least popular because there's a specific mindset one must have to read this and actually enjoy it. 

ie. Whatever was happening on Mother's Day 2024 iykyk

Tio, quiero mucho a estos dos tontos

I would never in a million years date Lou Binghe (the love interest).
He just does not act right in public

While I do agree the pacing is off a little at the end, Scum Villain never fails to linger in my mind. Who doesn’t love peeling stuff apart and looking at it from every angle?