I’m going to be honest: I never thought I’d complete this drama. I started watching it offhandedly because I’ve been a fan of bai jingting for a while but the 40 episode count for a contemporary drama was a huge “drags on too long and is probably boring in the middle” red flag for me. Additionally, the first 3 episodes genuinely made me so livid I almost dropped the show then and there because of the female leads initial characterisation (she was so childish and entitled and I rly did not understand her actions at all let alone how she was a qualified doctor) and the tired predictable romance cliches (apparently the webnovel this is based on is over 10 years old .. that carries…)

But I persisted ! And for the most part I’m glad I did. I can’t deny that I was right that this dragged in the middle but for the most part I had a good time watching this. Certain plot lines either bored me or irrationally angered me (my poor yanshan you deserved better) not to mention laughable medical inaccuracy in many instances, however the annoyances were minor in comparison to the plot lines that I genuinely enjoyed and particularly in comparison to the truly lovely characterisation and portrayal of the male and female lead (bai jingting and ma sichun did such a good job carrying this drama). I can’t in good conscience rate this drama super highly but I also can’t deny that I had a good time watching and that it feels dear to me. Against all odds I did complete 40 episodes of this which should speak for itself (I’m very fussy with dramas and have a tendency to drop them easily).

I think what really carried this drama as it went on were the two leads, their characterisation, and their chemistry. Some reviewers have commented that their relationship feels too sanitised almost to the extent of bffs or a longterm married couple and I can’t deny that but I also don’t mind ? The way they speak to each other feels so natural and real and all the laughing ?? Truly warmed my heart in several instances and I’m rarely super convinced by romance heavy dramas. I love how the relationship did feel like one between equals with none of the frequently seen cdrama power imbalances or questionable age differences. Both of them were adults with their own sense of self and social circles outside of each other and they both had thriving careers. Their communication especially during the whole shen sister fiasco was honestly so refreshing to see.

As for the several other relationships and characters in this drama . I do have some mixed thoughts. The 2nd couple outside of the earthquake arc mostly just annoyed me but the older couple were pretty endearing even if the flashbacks and long montages for the second and third couples felt … exorbitant (I skipped them). However, in spite of some annoyances most of the relationships in this drama both romantic and platonic were genuinely so enjoyable and a lot of the dialogue genuinely made me either grin or giggle and it honestly caught me off guard. I grew attached to several of the side characters too and thought a lot of them were treated with real love and care and got fleshed out in their own way… except my poor yanshan’s plotline .. who decided that was a good idea. Also why are the nurse characters literally only ever gossiping it’s ridiculous and misogynistic nurses are the backbone of any hospital and I’m tired of medical dramas ignoring that-

ANYWAY. against all odds this drama feels so dear to me. I watched it over 3-4 days while recovering from surgery and overall I’m glad the world and the characters of this show could keep me company. This is a majority very light hearted and heart warming drama with compelling characters and some really interesting and beautiful stories to tell and I’m glad I found it at this moment where I needed something to cheer me up