Review: The Jealous CEO Treats Me Hypocritically is (much) more than its title

Sometimes, you go into a novel with low expectations, and you end up pleasantly surprised.^[1] Despite what its misleading title might suggest, The Jealous CEO Treats Me Hypocritically is one of those novels.

*this review may contain minor spoilers*

When the “true” protagonist goes missing after a system error, our cynical and business-orientated main character Shu Yian finds herself tasked with sticking to the female lead and protecting her from other love interests until the protagonist is found and order is restored to the world.

As all the transmigrators before her had “failed” the mission because they fell in love with the female lead, the system specifically chooses Shu Yian because she is someone “who only focuses on doing business, and who does not need or want love.”

And because Shu Yian is not familiar with the novel she’s been transmigrated to, the system generously provides her with a mind-reading chip. So, armed with the mind-reading chip and motivated by the promise of money, Shu Yian sets off to complete the system’s tasks.

There’s just one issue: Shu Yian can’t stand the female lead, Su Wen.

Her nonsensical thoughts drive Shu Yian up a wall.

But as Su Wen’s fiancée and “shield,” Shu Yian has no choice but to try and get along with the other party.

Both Shu Yian and Su Wen begin the novel despising each other, and it’s their slow progression from enemies (in an arranged marriage!) to lovers that forms the foundation of the narrative.

But as the novel progresses and we spend more time with the main characters, we begin to realize that neither party might be as antagonistic as they seem…

Is Shu Yian really as cold-hearted and money-motivated as the system thinks she is? And is Su Wen really as stubborn and unreasonable as Shu Yian wants to believe she is?

As I read The Jealous CEO Treats Me Hypocritically, I was pleasantly surprised by Shu Yian and Su Wen’s character dynamic. Despite what could’ve been many red flags (the title and the premise come to mind), their relationship is far and away characterized by consent, humor, and the comfort they come to find in each other.

And much like the main characters, the plot of the novel has many unforeseen, hidden aspects to it that make it stand out from the “typical” wish-fulfillment transmigration narrative.

A significant part of my enjoyment from reading The Jealous CEO Treats Me Hypocritically came from slowly piecing together the “truth” at the center of its world.

I relished in The Jealous CEO Treats Me Hypocritically’s commitment to challenging the reader with incredible, genre-defying plot twists, and if that sounds like something you would enjoy, then the novel is perfect for you.

But with that being said, I was bothered by a particular moment in the story that involved one of my least favorite romance tropes: overblown misunderstandings between the main leads.

While the protagonists eventually resolve the issue, it had enough of an impact on the plot that it negatively affected my reading experience.

Thankfully, I can somewhat forgive the novel for this misstep because it still manages to stick the ending. I happily report that The Jealous CEO Treats Me Hypocritically sails off into the sunset on a high note.

The last chapter is easily one of the most emotionally impactful conclusions to a baihe novel I’ve ever read, and you’d be doing yourself a favor to get there.

Shu Yian and Su Wen don’t begin made for each other, but they end up perfect together.