Overall, this drama tried to pack a lot into the story, the writing was consistent enough to weave the plots together seamlessly. The show started strong for me, with its fresh take on the FL's background, where she was the leader of a righteous gang whose focus was on helping the common people. I was intrigued by the synopsis and looked forward to seeing the romance develop as the OTP learned to work together and overcome their class disparity. Unfortunately, the writer had to throw in the usual palace nonsense, including the "secret royalty" trope. It did all fit together in the end, but the story development was not that smooth. I don't know if it was due to bad editing, censorship, or weak writing that caused the pacing to be off.

Despite all that, I could not help but binge on this show. In fact, I even watched the last 32 episodes raw because I had to find out what happened in the end. Why? Because of Bai Lu and Leon Lai!

I was so drawn to the OTP's visuals and their story. I did not mind their slow-burn romance, and even though there were few passionate scenes, there was great chemistry between Bai Lu and Leon Lai. There was a certain dignity in how the ML and FL displayed their feelings for each other. Both characters were strong, intelligent, savvy, and well-respected in their own societies. Watching them come together and realize how well they complement each other was an enjoyable watch for me. Of course, there were angsty moments of misunderstanding and noble idiocy, but compared to other period C-dramas, the melodrama was not heavy.

Bai Lu may have reached 'girl crush' status for me. She has an on-screen presence that commands attention, an attractiveness, and acting talent that one would expect of a female lead. She has the natural arrogant face to portray Long Ao Yi perfectly, and one memorable scene for me was when she danced to counter the ridicule of the so-called high-society guests. Bai Lu used her body language and expressions very well in this role as she transitioned between an unruly gang leader to a palace concubine. One reason why I gave the show a high rating because of the strong FL character who was also relatable. I like that Long Ao Yi could always rise above it all, move on and focus on the big picture or main point. Yes, she had her moments of weakness or slip-ups and silly stubbornness that delayed the progress of her relationship with Liu Qing Liu. However, all that was what I would expect of the character who stayed true to herself the whole time.

The show made the right choice casting Leon Lai next to Bai Lu. His manly good looks and physique match Bai Lu's haughty beauty really well, and he has the charisma to play the aloof Liu Qing Liu. His icy expressions were not emotionless, and he was not stiff. This role may not have given Leon a wide acting range, but he did pretty well with his micro-expressions, especially when Qing Liu started falling for Ao Yi. Given that this is only his second lead role, I think he did a great job. I hope that he will be casted in more lead roles as he hones his skills further. Likewise with Alen Fang. I had watched him in "The Love by Hypnotic" and was impressed by him. His character Li Zhao did give me a little SLS, and I felt so bad for him who was so in love with Ao Yi until the very end.