Live Up To

Name: Live Up To
ISBN: 9787539960647

则慕Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaJan 2026

3.3

Word count: 130K words
Chapters: 32
ISBN: 9787539960647

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Summary

She was his empress—and the orphaned remnant of the clan that massacred his. At sixteen, she rescued a stranded youth, Zhong Chen, from the snows beyond the frontier, and so began a doomed entanglement that would span a lifetime. He promised her the only place in his harem; twice she exchanged her blood for his, trading a body meant to live a hundred years for his life—and draining her own allotment of years. When she discovers that the man she loves beyond measure is in truth her enemy, she begins a game in which her life is the stake. From then on, love is a blade, and no one is spared.

Editor's review

Bu Fu is a long ancient-set novel of anguished romance that twists love and vengeance into a single cord. The core tension comes from opposed identities: she is the empress, and also the orphaned survivor of the clan he exterminated; he was the stranded youth she once rescued from the snow, and ultimately becomes the husband she must fight to the death. The author, Ze Mu, does not let the conflict rest on misunderstandings and verbal sparring; instead, through fantastical bodily costs such as two blood exchanges, a medicine-body physique, and the draining of lifespan, the weight of feeling is pressed into concrete sacrifice and depletion, so that the anguish is no longer mere emotion but a measurable expenditure of life. When the heroine discovers that the one she loves deeply is in truth her enemy, the narrative shifts from emotional entanglement to a game played with lives as chess pieces; love and hatred drive each other, and the characters' choices carry all the more oppressive force. It suits readers who relish strong plotting and intense emotional conflict and who like to read in long uninterrupted stretches; those who prefer light, sweet romances or fast-paced gratifying fiction should adjust their expectations beforehand. Character relationships are dense and emotion runs high; readers are advised to note the shifting motives behind each of the heroine's acts of giving, for that is the most rewarding part of the book to savor.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who favor ancient-set anguished romance, opposed identities, and stories woven of love and hate
Readers who enjoy intense emotional conflict and characters who pay enormous costs for their choices
Readers open to fantastical elements blended into romance and unbothered by depictions of bodily cost
Readers who want to experience relationships gradually collapsing and rebuilding over a long narrative

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer light, sweet romances and want an unoppressive reading experience
Realist-minded readers who find blood exchanges and drained lifespan hard to accept
Readers expecting fast-paced gratifying fiction and put off by emotional tug-of-war and repeated entanglement

Reading tips

First sort out the sources of hatred on both the heroine's and hero's sides, then read the romance line; each choice will weigh more clearly.
Watch for the moments when blood exchange and lifespan appear, and read them as markers of the relationship.
When the heroine learns the truth, pause and look back at all she has given before, to feel the effect of the reversed perspective.
If you become deeply absorbed emotionally, read in segments and avoid long sittings in high-pressure passages.

About the publisher

Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1958

Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House focuses on literary publishing while also covering the humanities, social sciences, and books on art and daily life. Its approximately 1,535 titles in the database span social novels, world history, design, science fiction, classic works, and film and television: they include modern Chinese literary classics by Lu Xun such as A Madman's Diary: The Complete Short Stories of Lu Xun, Call to Arms, Four Generations Under One Roof, and Teahouse, as well as foreign literary memoirs like Stefan Zweig's The World of Yesterday. In science fiction it offers Asimov's Galactic Empire series, while in architecture and art it publishes Liu Dunzhen's Classical Gardens of Suzhou and design titles from Phoenix Space. Its authors are concentrated among classic writers such as Lu Xun, Zweig, and Asimov, with translators including Liang Xijiang, Zhong Haonan, and Ye Lihua. Its overall character is built on classic works while embracing genre fiction and visual culture. Public information is limited, and this introduction is based on the titles in the database.

版权信息
第一章
第二章
第三章
第四章
第五章
第六章
第七章
第八章
第九章
第十章
第十一章
第十二章
第十三章
第十四章
第十五章
第十六章
第十七章
第十八章
第十九章
第二十章
第二十一章
第二十二章
第二十三章
第二十四章
第二十五章
第二十六章
第二十七章
第二十八章曲魅番外——生前妒歌舞，死后同灰尘
第二十九章番外夜深忽梦1
第三十章番外夜深忽梦2
第三十一章番外夜深忽梦3

FAQ

Is the romance more sweet or more anguishing?

Judging from the material, the story is driven by clan-exterminating vengeance, blood exchange to prolong life, and a game played with lives as pieces; the emotional tone leans anguished, with sweetness mostly hidden in memories and brief tenderness. If you expect light sweetness, you may find it oppressive; if you like love-hate entanglement and emotionally costly romance, it will suit you better.

I have not read other works by Ze Mu; can I read this one directly?

Yes. This is a standalone story and does not depend on earlier works. Go straight into the text, accept the characters' identity setup and emotional premise, and follow the events to understand their choices; no extra preparation is needed.

Does the two blood exchanges premise affect comprehension?

It is key to understanding the heroine's logic. The blood exchange and medicine-body premise explain why she can fight to the death, and it gives each of her sacrifices a clear cost. You need not dig into the mechanics; focus on how it changes the relationship and the stakes of the game between the two.

Is it better read in one sitting or slowly?

Either works, but emotional intensity is high. For immersion, set aside long uninterrupted time; if you are easily moved by anguished plot, read in segments and pause at key turns to digest the characters' motives; the experience will be steadier.

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About the author

则慕 Author

Ze Mu is a web-fiction author about whom only limited public information is available; nationality, birth and death dates, and an English name have not been reliably recorded. Nine works are held in the collection, including My Seemingly Perfect Husband, Imperial Candy, Spring Water Brighter Than the Sky, Not Letting Down, Imperial Younger Brother, Invisible Chang'an, I Am a Princess, Not a Young Man, and Just Like the Stars, Just Like You. Judging by their subjects, the author moves across modern romance, time-travel and alternate-history fiction, and suspense and mystery. The works explore suspicion and tension in contemporary relationships, as well as identity displacement and power struggles in ancient court settings, while attempting to plant suspenseful threads in the plot. The overall style tends to center on character emotions and to drive narrative through premise and reversal, showing a self-aware use of genre elements. Because verifiable biographical information is limited, this sketch of the author's writing interests rests on the works alone; further personal details await public documentation.