i'm not much of a fan of modern dramas, so it's a pleasant surprise how much i'm enjoying this. the sets are great, especially sheng yang and jian bing's homes, because they have that messy, lived in quality to them, with a realistic balance of decor and clutter, that make the sets come alive and add so much depth to the characters. all of the actors are doing a good job too, from sheng yang's parents to jian bing's husband and the various antagonists in their lives like sheng yang's superior and jian bing's client. not one person is a caricature, except perhaps the intern that has a crush on sheng yang.

another thing that took me by surprise is how feminist this story is (for the time being, at least). jian bing is aloof and not the easiest person to get along with, and i'm glad they've given her something other than that self-sacrificing, bubbly and loving personality that female leads are often saddled with. bai baihe is an excellent actress and her portrayal of jian bing is extremely attractive not in a physical sense but in the sense that we want to keep watching her.

xiao zhan's sheng yang hasn't really had as much development as jian bing yet, but i bet we'll get to see more of his internal struggles etc in the coming episodes.

so if anyone is hesitating to watch this, i definitely recommend giving it a chance.