ok we're just an episode away from the final so here goes -

long story short, this is a slow burn drama. there isn't any strong passion romance if that's what you're looking for. the plot and action builds up slowly, and (really) systematically toward the eventual finale that we're seeing or expecting for. i hesitated if i should write a review for this show because i can't call it a LIKE, but i wouldn't say i dislike it either. there're loopholes in the plot for sure, considering how it's a battle between the black (drug syndicate) and the white (cops + undercover), and how the ML and FL seem to always have everything under control (the drug dealers can't be that oblivious, are they?) but i supposed it is truly a show where you would keep on watching just as the episodes keep running.

as we would already guess, the ML and FL are undercover for the police force and they used to be lovers, except that the ML was kept in the dark throughout — at least up until the last few episodes — because he thought she had died in an explosive incident caused by him in the past (wow such a turn it up in the plot you'll only find in c-dramas honestly). in a twist of fate, the FL went through surgery and became an undercover too, hiding the truth from everyone, including the ML and her brother, who's another cop.

just as long as you sit tight and get through the first few episodes, you're pretty much set for the remaining of the show. i can't deny that the FL's entrance in the show, before we actually figure out her undercover identity, is slightly annoying. she leeches onto the ML and with her princess attitude, it was pretty much a no for me. but it all went well once we put the pieces together and made sense of her character. their pairing worked out decently (of course, she knew him since forever!) and it was a comfortable watch. at this point, i've also got to give kudos for the relationship between the ML and SML (mu qing and li ruosheng), this brotherhood would be such a painful one to watch once the SML faces the ML's betrayal (i'm guessing it's in the last episode).

all in all, this drama focused a lot on character build up which is much appreciated for a theme like this. i'm quite glad it didn't jump into all that c-drama romance. it's definitely a slow burn so if you're looking for plenty of action and quick progression, this probably wouldn't be for you. but otherwise, this should be a decent one to past some time, and for a slow watch.