Easily Set Aflame 轻易放火 by Mo Bao Fei Bao (HE)

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• This is the novel that shot Mo Bao Fei Bao up in popularity. Using her experience as a screenwriter in real life, MBFB gives us a glimpse of what it’s like behind the scenes in filming a drama and creates a light, warm, sweet romance that many girls have dreamt about in their young, innocent years.

  Jia He is a screenwriter in her later-twenties. From her early teenage years, her idol has been actor Yi Wenze, and now, her latest script is bringing him in as the male lead. A chance to work with her idol is a dream come true. Their work allows them to get to know each other on a more personal level, until one day, she can scarcely believe that her idol is pursuing her…

  Jia He:
  Former reporter turned screenwriter because of betrayal in a previous relationship. She is supposed to be smooth and well-adapted to the entertainment circle, talented and respected. However, when she is with Yi Wenze, it feels as if she turns into an easily embarrassed, inexperienced girl.

  Yi Wenze:
  Famous actor in his early thirties. Recently experienced a failed marriage and divorce. Typical of MBFB’s novels, Yi Wenze is the ideal man. He puts Jia He first, always thinking about her needs/feelings, puts effort into their relationship, understanding the stress that a high-profile romance will bear and trying to mitigate those as much as possible. What’s not to like about him?

  One word can be used to describe this story: sweet. Seriously, it is sweet, sweet, sweet — so sweet your teeth will ache. Yi Wenze is nothing short of the perfect boyfriend the way he absolutely adores and dotes on Jia He. I’m a big sucker for sweet romance novels, but I must say that even I find it a little cheesy at times.

  When I was reading this novel, I almost felt this was an alternate universe of another of the author’s novels and one of my favourites, Really, Really Miss You (which was written more than 2 years later). Jia He is very similar to Really, Really’s female lead, Gu Sheng. They are both shy, kind, fumbling around and figuring out how to have a relationship with a man who is high profile and the rumours/gossip/etc. that comes with it. Yi Wenze is similar to Really, Really’s Mo Qingcheng/Toupai in that they are firm and confident in their love for the female lead, shielding her from being in an unwanted spotlight, warm and considerate to her. You can also find counterparts for the supporting characters: Yi Wenze’s best friend, Wu Zhilun ~ Jue Mei in Really Really, Qiao Qiao ~ Geng Xiaoxing, etc. Even the circumstances of why the male lead, a famous star, is attracted to the female lead, an ordinary girl, is similar — (mini-SPOILER) unbeknownst to the female lead, both the male leads had “encountered” her before in their past.

  If you have read some of MBFB’s later novels such as Together Forever; One Life One Incarnation: Beautiful Bones; or Really, Really Miss You, you might notice that the writing seems different in this novel. This is one of the author’s first novels and was written over 3 years ago. The writing seems less mature and less cohesive. At times, I feel like I’m reading a fanfic, not a novel written by MBFB, who I admire in her later works for her characterization. In this one, I feel her characterization of Jia He is inconsistent. Jia He has worked for several years in the entertainment circle by now, has had heartbreak and betrayal in romance, and should not be completely inexperienced, but when she is with Yi Wenze, she seems like she turns into an innocent school girl. Then, in some scenes, she will turn back into a sharp-tongued screenwriter who can hold her own in the cut-throat entertainment circle. (I feel this flaw was “fixed” in Really, Really Miss You by making Gu Sheng much younger and a student who hasn’t stepped out in the real world yet… hence, her innocence is believable.)

  I am not saying this is a bad story — quite the contrary — but that if you are used to MBFB’s later style, you will notice a difference in this one and probably be able to spot flaws you are not used to seeing in her works.

  Summary: It’s not an amazingly written novel but is definitely a nice, easy read, the perfect story to pick up if you have just read through something terribly angtsy and need a pick-me-up. You will be grinning happily and escaping into a romantic fantasy that is not the least bit believable but very much enjoyable.

• Hi Hoju,

  Thanks for posting this. i've to go find the missing chapter.... Yes, I do agree that Jia He is a bit too sweet for a late twenty year old person with one failed relationship behind her. In front of YWZ, she reverts back to her younger self where she is only her fan. One of the reasons I find Gu Sheng cuter is that MBFB wrote her inner thoughts and GS being younger.

  But I love the part her whole family found out that her bf is YWZ.

  There's another book in that series... 轻易靠近.. About Jia He's friend, but I made the mistake to read the ending, and found out that it is a mixed ending. Now I can't find myself reading the whole middle parts of it. But as a character, Xiao Yu is more consistent and more mature.

• Hi hoju so this one the novel that you mention ? Thanks i will check :)

• @Mssyng
  The ebook2 link I posted has chapter 51. It's 19lou and has tons of extra fan posts you have to sort through, hence why I still posted ebook1. Ch 51 is on page 6, post #91. It's an important chapter because YWZ explains his past encounter with teenager Jia He and we need this part to understand why it was a turning point in his life.

  I like YWZ's one-liner to Jia He's cousin when she stole the phone from Jia He to talk to her "brother-in-law," who she didn't know was YWZ.

  I heard about 轻易靠近, but I read that the ending will make you cry, so I chose to pass on that one for now. Actually, the original ending was a sad one and then when the book went to printing press, the ending was revised to the open one... But I'm still in my "I need a happy ending" phase.

  @Hanny,
  Yup, this is it. It should be easier to read in google than Really, Really. Post back here and let us know what you think after you're done.

• Hoju, I believe your ebook1 (91baby) actually has chapter 51. It is located on page 4, post #80.

• XinnXinn, thanks! I didn't read scroll there after all the comments at the end of the story. I'll go edit the post.

• I don't know if it's just me or what. This book is relatively short but it seems like I took forever to finish it. Maybe it's the way it's written or maybe it's the lack of excitement. The story really came out rather flat to me. I thought it was not as sweet as Hoju described it but it was certainly angtsless. There was not even a slight disagreement, the harmonious relationship was unbelievable. And I also agree that given JiaHe's age and her exposure to the entertainment industry, it didn't feel quite right that she couldn't handle the relationship and the limelight or stress that came with it.

  Although, I didn't develop any toothache from reading the book itself (as my tolerance for sweetness is ultra high), Yi Wen Ze is about as sweet and considerate as can be. Yes, I agree with Hoju on this point - "what's not to like about him? He's nothing short of perfect as a boyfriend". He is simply too good to be true. Who wouldn't love to have a boyfriend who whips out spare contact lenses for her at her whims and fancies....

  To sum it up, my heart didn't skip a bit while reading it but at the same time I really wanted to finish it because I want to get to know MBFB because my next target is Beautiful Bones.

• Don't let this book give represent MBFB. Sure, it's the one that increased her popularity as an author, but it really does not represent her writing quality. Beautiful Bones has waaaaaay higher quality writing!

  That's what I meant about it being fanfic-like. This is deliberately written so sweet that it's unbelievable and reads like someone's fantasy. I guess I was a little subtle when I said "sweet until it gives you a toothache," I meant it's so sweet it's cheesy at certain places.

  I thought there was a time when YWZ got mad? Didn't Jia He do something airhead-y like putting her hand in front of YWZ's eyes while he was driving on the freeway? Or am I mixing up my novels?

  I think it's still an enjoyable read because I like reading angst-free novels in which you just watch romance unfold, but I don't love this novel. (However, this book does have a huge fan base.)

• Hi,

  new here. Just a quick question--what does "HE", "BE", and "OE" stand for?

• Welcome,

  HE = Happy Ending
  BE = Bad Ending
  OE = Open Ending which can also mean there is more than 1 obvious male lead so which one will get the girl?