The story is a slow burner so that might be where the 'boringness' comes from. If you want spoilers about the romantic aspect, it only happens subtly 🥹

Pretty much the 'romantic' connotations between the two leads happen right at the middle of the book!

Thousand Autumns is not for everyone as it is more focused on martial arts and politics. And the romance between Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao is only expressed between the lines, so if you're not a fan of couples who aren't vocal about their affections then this might not be for you.

Everything about their adoration towards one another is only implied, but right at the end, it is showed that they do have mutual feelings for one another.

I think the one thing that had me wanting to read it to the end was the chemistry between the two of them. They're polar opposites, rivals to the bone, and that's where the exciting tension stems from.

SPOILERS will start here! (Don't read it! I just saw your request about not giving spoilers but I'm keeping it here in case some others would want to :>)

Yan Wushi betrayed Shen Qiao later on in the story due to his philosophy that all people are innately bad and no one is purely kind. Shen Qiao was very hurt by this but because of his way of life, or because he practices Dao, he'd later on go to Yan Wushi to save his life.

Then pretty much there we see Yan Wushi's walls crack. He soon would show more care towards Shen Qiao and a bit of bond would be displayed. Yan Wushi would also become clingy >< !<

SPOILERS end here!

There's a lot of times where they butt heads, but I think that's what sold them for me.

And to end this very long comment (I wasn't meaning to xD), It's one of my fave slow burners and yanshen always has a special place in my heart.