I was pleasantly surprised by this drama! After seeing a wide range of reviews online, I decided to give it a try with little to no expectations. Turns out, I found a drama with great romance, chemistry, and well-paced relationship development, which honestly makes up for the rest of the plot, which is a bit lackluster.

It started strong, with intriguing storylines and well-done character introductions. Then it slowed down, became confusing, dragged at times, even ridiculous, but finally picked up again and became engaging for the final episodes.

The leads were fantastic—both the female and male characters were strong, charismatic, and intelligent, which I loved. They had some of the best chemistry I’ve seen in a drama. Regarding the FL’s acting, I saw some complaints and I agree it's not on the same level as the ML's. However, I wouldn’t call it catastrophic; it’s just very different from Ding Yu Xi's performance.

The case-solving element of the plot was weak. I enjoy mysteries and unraveling the truth, but this felt amateurish. It was somehow both overcomplicated and overly simple. It seemed like they stretched it out to fill time, only to give us the easiest solution in the end. By the time the resolution came, I’d forgotten half of what was going on or how we got there.

The same goes for the side characters. There were way too many, most of whom were unnecessary. I couldn’t even remember some of their names. And the forced second couples? I couldn’t care less. Plus, the worst best friend character I've ever seen in a drama. I genuinely thought for half the drama that she's evil or something, turns out she's just annoying (omg the voice was killing me), stupid, spoiled and trashy.

Nevertheless, the chemistry between the main leads overshadowed all these flaws. It was so natural and hypnotic that I didn’t mind sitting through the weird case-solving moments just to get a moment of them together. They had an incredible presence on screen and great dialogues. I appreciated the pacing of their relationship, though I would have liked to see the ML’s portrayal as a cruel minister last a bit longer. Once he softened for the FL, he became a softie overall, and I really enjoyed the powerful introduction he had. But that’s just my personal take.

Great OST, already on my playlist ;)

Overall, I definitely recommend it, especially if you’re a fan of costume dramas and romance!