Title: Eternal Love / Hard To Deceive / First Frost
Author: Guo Xiao, Zhu Yi
Artist: Zero
Chapters: 135
Status: Ongoing
Tags: childhood friends, slow-burn, first love
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Eternal Love: Official Summary
Wen Yifan, who returned to work in her hometown, unexpectedly bumped into the rumored „top handsome“ at a bar, only to realize that it was none other than Sang Yan, whom she had rejected and hurt in high school. Under the mischievous whims of fate, these two individuals who had once made a clean break began to frequently encounter each other and even unexpectedly became roommates! With each ambiguous test, the affection between them welled up in secrecy… Let’s witness how Sang Yan, the ideal boyfriend, deeply loved and doted on Wen Yifan!
Why You Should Read Eternal Love
Story‘s Pacing
Eternal Love is the very definition of a slow-burn romance. It‘s rewarding to watch the characters gradually peel back each other’s defensive layers. However, while the story is largely focused on everyday life, the reason she distanced herself from him in high school isn’t revealed until later. Even so, I never got bored thanks to the excellent execution of the playful teasing between the leads and the flashbacks gradually reveal more about their shared history.
Characters
Male Lead: Sang Yan
Sang Yan looks like a real person, with natural hair and eye colours. He typically wears either a suit or loose, casual clothing. He also owns a bar. He’s a playful and mischievous guy who always keeps the female lead on her toes. Despite what she did to him, he doesn’t hold a grudge against her. At first, however, he comes across as somewhat cold and doesn’t want to get close to her, either physically or emotionally.
Despite his indifferent demeanor, he cares deeply about her, protects her, and secretly smiles when she isn’t looking. He is a kind and genuine person who gradually helps the heroine come out of her shell. As a result to his support and patience, she eventually gains the confidence to become bold enough to pursue him herself.
Female Lead: Wen Yifan
Wen Yifan has two younger step-siblings whom she never got along with and still doesn’t get along with. In addition she was severely neglected as a child, which has left her emotionally distant and guarded. She works as a journalist for a TV station.
Despite her reserved personality, she’s extremely likeable because she doesn’t wallow in self-pity or constant self-doubt. Instead, she quietly carries on with her life and responsibilities. She’s also a sleepwalker, which leads to many funny and adorable moments throughout the story. These situations not only provide comic relief but also help the two leads grow closer and make progress in their relationship.
Another aspect I appreciated is that neither of the main characters was an outstanding student in high school. This makes them easier to relate to and helps the story feel more grounded and realistic.
Side Characters
Both of them also have close friends who are genuinely supportive and honest. That’s refreshing because, in many romance stories, friends are often portrayed as foolish and tend to give terrible advice. Here, the supporting cast feels mature and contributes positively to the story.
Art
Most scenes take place either at the bar, at work or at home. Most scenes also take place at night. The artist almost always uses warm beige tones, which emphasize the softness and warmth the two main characters bring into each other‘s lives.
I especially love the scenes where the main characters don’t speak. They simply look at each, yet you can feel the tension between them and all the unspoken things they want to say. Moments like these perfectly capture the emotional intimacy that makes their relationship so engaging.
Eternal Love Review: My Personal Reading Experience
I definitely enjoyed reading this web novel. My favorite moments are the scenes where Sang Yan teases Wen Yifan. At the same time he’s actually a great listener who notices even the smallest details and subtle changes in her behavior.
Because of his steady, non-intrusive support, Wen Yifan’s trust issues gradually give way to a quiet and gentle affection for him. She slowly lets her guard down around him and eventually learns to rely on him when she needs help.
He never pressures her to talk about her past and never directly asks about it either. However, this is also one of the few aspects I struggled with. In my opinion, they should have talked about her traumatic childhood much earlier. Even though he is aware of some of the strange incidents that happened to her, he never asks her about them, which felt a little unrealistic to me.
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