Starting off I feel it's important to point out that I didn't watch this when it came out in 2019, but in 2024, which explains a lot of my sentiments below. Despite Zhao Lusi being my favorite actress, I watched this drama rather late.

Strong, intelligent and mature characters are my favorite, as well as playful and funny ones. To be completely honest the FL's character here was not my cup of tea. Though she did get a bit more mature towards the end, she still was very naive in her views about justice and in her actions.

I 100% get that the ML had done a ton of questionable things, but so had everyone else. In an environment where everyone was out to get everyone and especially the ML, it's pretty obvious that he could not afford to be soft hearted, otherwise he'd end up dead. I'm not excusing his actions, all I'm saying is that he wasn't worse than most "good people" in the story. Everyone had their own views about justice and what's right, in the drama. The FL very immaturely thought that
• 1stly, everybody shares the same beliefs as her and when she realizes that it's not true she
•2ndly believes that she can convince everyone to change.
She constantly blames the ML, which I get it, it's understandable to feel hurt and kind of betrayed by some of his actions, like him using her. But honestly, what did she expect? From the very beginning it was very clear that he was using her, to steal the 2ml's martial art style. He had literally told her, it wasn't a secret. Not to mention how she always pushed the ML to help her "friends" (they barely considered her their friend for most of the story) and the 2ndML, whilst CLEARLY knowing that they are quite literally MORTAL ENEMIES. She made the ML give the 2ndML the snow lotus to stabilize his inner qi so that he can continue to use his martial arts and basically antagonize the ML (bc that's what he does) and I'm like - ughhh- I'm seriously so frustrated. Did she seriously think that Xiao Bai would even for a moment, be thankful to QY and suddenly decide he no longer wishes to kill him, bc he's his savior? I think not. She is so naive it's annoying. And it's not like she didn't use the ML as well (e.g. when she tried to get the antidote for FC). She was upset about him using her (which is completely understandable), but she already knew she was being used in the beginning (for the martial arts book).

Also she was way too critical of the ML. That can be clearly seen by how she kept on forgiving Xiao Bai again and again and tried to make things work with him, even after he used her. The 2ndML did the exact same thing, he used her, when they were gonna marry each other and also when he tried to kill QY but ended up hurting him instead. Unfortunately she was way more tolerant and forgiving with him than with the ML. The worst thing the FL did, in my opinion, is try to help Xiao Bai and his friends, when she clearly knew they were the ML's enemies, which ended up hurting him and almost killing him.

Although I'm very frustrated with the way the FL's character was written, I loved Zhao Lusi's acting, as always it was superb. I only wished they had used her own voice. I liked the ml's character, though he indeed was a bit too cruel. I honestly would've loved for him to reach his goal and become the leader of all the martial arts sects as he wanted. Li Hongyi did an amazing job in his portrayal (Worth to be mentioned, the white wig suited him so much, which is quite difficult to pull off). The main couple's chemistry was great. I really wish they star in another drama together, now after all those years, with a higher budget and a great plot. Be it historical fantasy or modern I'd watch it. I wasn't particularly fond of the 2ML's portrayal, to me he seemed a bit too stoic and his body movements seemed somewhat rigid and unnatural. Not gonna lie the special effects aren't good at all and the production doesn't seem that high quality, but the leads' acting saved it.

In conclusion I really like Zhao Lusi's and Li Hongyi's acting. I can't say that I loved it as a story or as a production, but it was great to pass the time, mainly bc of the main couple's bickering. The leads' chemistry was amazing and it would be the only reason to re-watch!