Seizing Dreams official art

(official cover art by Takarai Rihito)

Seizing Dreams | 夺梦 | Duó Mèng

Author: Fēi Tiān Yè Xiáng | 非天夜翔

General information

Chapters: 165Status: completeGenre: modern day, fantasy, science fictionTags: 1v1, HE, university setting, humor, slice of life, friends to lovers, lots of pining, FLUFF, explicit sex scenes, mature themes, gay main character, bisexual male lead

“I exist in the sunlight, the winds, between the heavens and the earth, and also in dreams; I've always been around, and have never been separated from you.” - Seizing Dreams

Summary

“Within the dream of the dreamer, the one who was dreamed of awoke.” – Jorge Luis Borges“I exist in the sunlight, the wind, between the heavens and the earth, and also in dreams.”One night, Yu Hao, a college student who was at his wits’ end had an unexpected encounter with a mysterious visitor – “General” – who had dream traveled. He led Yu Hao in solving the countless riddles that abounded in the realm of the conscious, and lit up the fire beacons on the meandering Great Wall.*Thereafter, the darkness retreated, the sun rose, and when the long night was thoroughly lit up, the him who existed in reality was reborn.The black dragon that roared, the lighthouse and demonic eye on the coastline, the rain forest before Chichén Itzá, the fierce beasts that wreaked havoc in the Colosseum… the bizarre projection of reality in one’s consciousness reflected the hidden place that the sunlight in reality couldn’t touch – the innumerable sins of the human heart.The journey of seizing dreams continues, and one can only hope that the sun will continue illuminating the human heart.

* Fire beacons on the Great Wall were lit up to signal a border invasion.(summary from chickengege.org)

“Go back and live your life to the fullest. When you feel like giving up all hope... don't forget that you still have me...” - Seizing Dreams

Why you should read

  • The characters travel through other people's dreams (and their own)!

  • It's a very funny novel, you'll laugh a lot

  • The main character knows he's gay and identifies that way from the start

  • In fact, there are multiple queer characters and relationships

  • A few side couples, and everyone has a story

  • Lots of ~scheming and conspiracies in this novel

  • Also social commentary on class and mental illness

  • There are short arcs where the characters solve cases, and in between those arcs, the book is more slice of life so there's sweetness and angst

  • If you like psychology... this book is for you. Not only does the main character study psychology at school, this book is full of things like interpreting dreams and characters' state of mind

Seizing Dreams art

(official cover art by 猫树 Mao Shu)

Do you like:

  • pining and YEARNING?

  • pairings where the characters become best friends and fall in love?

  • height differences??

  • when the couple gets together before the end of the novel?

If yes, then you'll like the main couple

“I've experienced many unpleasant things in the past too, but they were all wounds that others had inflicted on us. These wounds shouldn't have appeared in the first place... yet they did. We did not cause all these things to happen, it's not our fault.” - Seizing Dreams

Characters

Yu Hao

  • Main character (MC)

  • 18 years old at the start of the book

  • Sweet, good at singing, stubborn, smart, inquisitive

  • Has a strong sense of justice

Zhou Sheng

  • Male lead (ML)

  • 20 years old at the start of the book

  • Athletic, a very good cook, cunning and hides how smart he is to fool others

  • Will fight anyone who messes with Yu Hao

Seizing Dreams audio drama art

(official cover art by Takarai Rihito)

Chen Yekai

  • Friend and teacher of the MC

  • 25 years old at the start of the book

  • Enigmatic, intelligent and knowledgeable, likes expensive things, so handsome that he looks like a celebrity

  • Has a very sad and touching backstory

Fu Liqun

  • Friend and roommate of the MC and ML

  • Kind-hearted, loyal and supportive, athletic, loves when his friends make him food

  • A sweet guy who has a lot going on under the surface

Ou Qihang

  • 19 years old at the start of the story

  • Very smart, strategic and clever, a good student, black belt in Taekwondo

  • More than meets the eye

Huang Ting

  • Police officer who helps the other characters solve cases

  • Cool and collected, very observant and focused, stubborn, rule-follower

  • Relentless in his pursuit of things

“In this dark night, he thought that perhaps, what he would remember most clearly for life would probably be Zhou Sheng's hand.” - Seizing Dreams

Content Warnings

Please note that if there are no chapters specified, it may be because the content appears or is mentioned multiple times.Depression-related symptoms
Domestic abuse and intimate partner violence*
Child abuse
Attempted murder
Incest
Pedophilia
Sexual abuse and rape**
Suicide
Attempted suicide
Suicidal ideation
Homophobia***
Transphobic language
Occasional disturbing imagery
Gore
General violence and physical fights
Death
Use of the “r” slur (chapters 62, 117)
Mentions of abortion
Alcohol consumption
Car accidents
Mentions of genocide
Abduction/kidnapping
Gun-related violence
Forced imprisonment and food deprivation
Life-threatening disease
ElectrocutionClick here for the content warnings for the sex scenes.* Described in graphic detail in chapter 68
** Mentioned and alluded to; there is no direct depiction of any sexual assault
*** There is a coming out scene that gets very violent in chapter 110If you have any questions about the content warnings or if there's anything you think should be added to the carrd, let me know!

Content Warnings, continued

Prior to the recent edits to the English translation of the novel, there were numerous sex scenes that were for the most part fade to black with only a little description. The reason for this is that the raws on JJWXC are censored, so the sex scenes are not explicit.However, the explicit sex scenes contained in the traditional Chinese print versions are being translated and added to the English translation. The chapters containing explicit sex scenes are indicated on the Chicken Gege website.Cock stepping (chapter 85)
Roleplay
Somnophilia (chapter 108)
Mild power dynamicsLet me know if there's anything I should add or if you have any questions.

Official Art:

Novel art:

Art from the audio drama:

Art for the songs 《燃火夺梦》 and 《循光夺梦》:

“To tell you the truth, I have always yearned for someone who would still stand before me after countless sunrises and find me once again.” - Seizing Dreams