Few books can beat “Crimson Romance” (Xue Se Lang Man) when it comes to creating a character who female readers think is the perfect lover and male readers think is an ideal friend. You may find that the novel is nice to read, and that’s probably not just because of its interesting words and stories, but more likely due to the main character, Zhong Yuemin, who simply enchants you.
 In the year of 1968, Zhong Yuemin decides to be a troublemaker, triggering fights on the streets, flirting with girls, stealing books from the library, and enjoying the years more than most did. He then chooses to xiaxiang (rusticate), relocating to impoverished Shanbei, wearing shabby clothes, begging for food, and his toughness flourished. He later joins the army, trekking through tropical forests, shooting guns at smugglers, and his longest dream was fulfilled. In the 1980s, he retires from the army, selling jianbing (Chinese pancakes), and when the rest think he is crazy, he believes in “no shame as long as you are working.” His roles kept changing, from company manager to prisoner, from cab driver to restaurateur, and even an anti-poacher of Tibetan Antelopes in barren Kekexili (Hoh Xil).
You can totally relate to one of the females characters when she says that “Zhong Yuemin is the on-the-road kind of person.” He keeps walking down his road of life and never gets bored. He experiences every change with joy and enjoys every bit of it. His choices at life’s crossroads aren’t products of endless predictions, but instead part of a philosophy to experience and to be ready to face any consequences. Once a decision is made, there are no fears or regrets, even his love leaves him, his friend dies, and he is lonely all over again.
The idea of settling down scares him. It’s exactly what attracts other people. The rest of us are too mundane to take a life in which there is no nine-to-five job, no marriage, or children. We just have to let the “what if” question obsess us for our whole life.
Crimson Romance was written by Du Liang, the same author of the 2005 bestseller “Flashing Swords”