On bad childhoods and healing through finding purpose and love with the blessing of the state . . .

The premise is compelling and addictive: Ying Bu Yi - the most feared man in the empire tries and struggles to win over in all the wrong ways Cheng Shao Shang, an abandoned daughter of a military official.

Ying Bu Yi falls hard and fast for Cheng Shao Shang intensely realizing that they have this bond in a painful past and resulting resourcefulness. But Cheng Shao Shang has multiple options in life and being the star to someone else's sun or moon feels too unsettling after being let down and deprioritized multiple times in her life.

Thus sets the scene of the first half of the show. The leads have very little chemistry with each other and Ying Bu Yi wanders around in a very one note, in a fear me as I walk type way. Cheng Shao Sheng is a much more interesting and vibrant character in the first half.

THERE IS A LOT OF RESCUING, JUST ENDLESS RESCUE SCENES, which create the adrenaline, fast paced romance despite the lack of chemistry. The point made over and over and over again is when times become uncertain, wouldn't you want the most fearsome, capable person around?

Credit to the supporting actors - there's tons of them and they all had very unique personalities and I was invested in them as much (if not more so at times) than the main couple.

Music is decent, one of the instrumental pieces was quite nostalgic and wistful. Would not rewatch.

I did go on to watch part 2 - and more analysis will be there.