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Forbidden love between an ambitious young woman and her boss. It’s a well-worn cliché, but for a reason. We’re not breaking any new ground here, and that’s fine. The leads have great chemistry, and for that reason alone, I enjoyed this drama.

However, as I’m sure many others have already mentioned, the ML is an emotionally abusive prick. This can translate into increased sexual tension on screen, but to quote Fanny Price from the 1999 film adaptation of Mansfield Park, these men “amuse more in literature than they do in life,” and having dated a few of them myself, I was honestly hoping they’d break up. The ML’s character arc feels unearned, and I wish the writers would have put more effort into it.

Also, the faith that this series has in capitalist meritocracy is practically propagandistic; and while Chinese dramas are free of product placement, I did definitely feel like I was being sold on China, as the leads jet around the country to one glittering, modern cityscape after another. Don’t even get me started on their romantic little day trip to “Tibet, China,” which felt icky.