You've Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post Vol. 2 by Blackegg: review

4/5 stars on Goodreads

You've Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post Vol. 2 by Blackegg

Continuing with The Perils of Pigeon Post series so more conscientious don’t have to. The basic story remains good. Wu Xingzi, the forty-year-old civil servant who has neither looks nor grace, money nor prospects, continues his relationship with Guan Shanjin, the young, handsome, and vigorous war hero general feared by all.

The start is really sweet. The general accompanies Wu Xingzi to the latter’s home village during the New Year to pay respects to his ancestors. The villagers are baffled to see them after months of absence. Half of them were sure Wu Xingzi would return a dumped man and when that hasn’t happened, decide that he must have used sorcery to bewitch the general. The rest of the village is ready to defend Wu Xingzi with fists and brooms. They win.

Wu Xingzi is prepared to stay home for good and let the general go. More so after the rumour circulating the village reach him that he’s only a substitute for Mr Lu, the general’s beloved teacher. But the general has other ideas. He even becomes violently jealous when Wu Xingzi shows him his treasured collection of dick pictures he’s received through the Peng Society.

In a fit of rage the general tears some of them, causing the old man great distress. The pictures were the only thing that kept him from killing himself for loneliness and he had counted on them to keep him company after the general leaves him. His sorrow was so real that I cried with him for the loss and for his loneliness.

But Wu Xingzi never clings to sorrow, and Guan Shanjin’s genuine remorse mollifies him. After the general replaces the torn pictures, he’s ready to follow him back to the Horse-Face city. But there Wu Xingzi again finds himself ignored for Mr Lu. The teacher’s wedding preparations with miss Yue take the general’s time. At first, Wu Xingzi doesn’t think it odd, but when both Mr Lu and Miss Yue constantly rub it in his face that the general prefers Mr Lu, even someone as slow and goodnatured as him is forced to come to a conclusion that he’s not needed. Problem is, despite his best intentions, he’s fallen in love with Guan Shanjin.

Little does he know that the general has already grown out of love with Mr Lu, and is prepared to spend his life with Wu Xingzi, mostly because he doesn’t bother to tell it to the older man. He needs a distraction while he prepares an attack against the Yue family, and doesn’t want to involve Wu Xingzi. But when he finally has time for the older man, Wu Xingzi is already gone.

The volume ends there. It’s followed, however, by two extra chapters in “alternate” universe that are basically really bizarre rape porn. You’d best skip them completely for the sake of your ability to continue to respect the general and for your mental health.

Like in the first volume, there are numerous long and unrealistic sex scenes. I think the author has based their idea of gay sex on omegaverse BL, because I don’t think men’s bodies behave quite that way. While I didn’t mind them as such, I rolled my eyes a few times. In bed, the general is rather forceful, making poor Wu Xingzi suffer a lot, no matter how much the older man likes it. Outside the bed, he’s caring and loving, looking after his older lover very well. He doesn’t realise it himself that he’s falling in love. I like how he sees the old man as he is, not attractive at all, yet he can’t help preferring him to the supremely beautiful Mr Lu.

For his part, Wu Xingzi is yet to realise he’s not as alone as he believes. He’s made friends who are prepared to go to great lengths to ensure his happiness. It remains to be seen whether the winners are those who think he’ll be happiest without the general or those who think he should end up with him. I definitely want him to find all the happiness, so I have to keep reading on.