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Chen Xing Xu who hail from Goodbye My Princess, and Lu Yu Xiao from Perfect Match—both excellent productions—shine here once again. Both are stars in their own right, and their on-screen chemistry is one of this drama’s biggest strengths. Overall, the drama scores highly across the board: fashion, cast, humour, romance, storyline, and visual backdrop.
Worth mentioning too is Dai Yu in a supporting role, who does very well portraying a character shifting between arrogance and disappointment. I remember him as the villain in The Legends, and in every major drama where I have seen him as a second lead or in support, he has delivered. I have yet to see him headline a highly rated blockbuster, but I hope that opportunity comes soon.
I would also give credit to Fu Jia as Hu Xiu’s father. I have often seen him cast as despicable yet comical mandarins—he has the perfect expressive eyes for those roles—but here he reveals a different side as a protective, loving father, showing impressive versatility as an actor.
Why does this drama have such appeal?
It opens with Hu Xiu being abandoned by her fiancé at their engagement party—he simply does not show up. From there, she crosses paths with Xiao Zhiyu, a highly successful architect with his own design firm, and Pei Zhen, heir to a major construction empire. Both handsome, accomplished, and deeply drawn to her. There is something undeniably satisfying in watching a woman who has been walked out on find herself pursued by two exceptional men, while the awful ex-fiancé eventually receives his karma. That sense of vindication is sweet.
There is also a relatable underdog arc. Hu Xiu leaves a dreadful assistant job, struggles to break into architecture, disappointed in offer of similar roles, and only later gets the opportunity she wants. Many of us know how one unexpected event can alter the course of life. The drama plays well with that idea—had she landed the first job she interviewed for, even her romantic path might have been entirely different.
As with many romance dramas, there are plenty of “save the damsel in distress” moments from both suitors—ha! Much of the humour comes from their rivalry and jealous sparring. Watching Hu Xiu caught between two determined lovers is genuinely entertaining.
There is a thread of mystery running through the story, though not in who Xiao Zhiyu is pursuing—that much is clear. The deeper intrigue lies in what truly happened, and the hidden reasons why it unfolded as it did. The tension lies less in mystery and more in the rivalry between Pei Zhen and Xiao Zhiyu—played out on both the commercial battlefield and in matters of the heart. In a fiercely competitive commercial world like China’s, both open rivalry and underhanded tactics feel entirely believable.
For Chinese dramas, I usually gravitate toward historical or fantasy genres. The costumes and CGI are beautiful, but they also ask less realism of the viewer—who can say how deities or ancient courts ought to behave? Modern dramas are different. I often feel Chinese modern dramas can be overly cautious and less realistic, and there are a few things here I did question:
- In reality, architects are not usually blamed when buildings collapse; that tends to fall more on structural engineering (the civil engineers) or construction failures (the contractors or builders).
- Some of the public displays of affection felt less believable in a Chinese setting. Why does no one comes along and make some nasty comments?
- The parents' reaction to the couple sleeping together felt far milder than one might expect in a conservative society.
- And yes, those short skirts belong on date nights, not in the office—the costume designer needed a reality check. Professional dress is still very much alive, even in the West. Standards may have relaxed, but not that far up the thigh.
- Finally, there are familiar tropes—the classic “we fell in love, but something tragic happened between our families /clans a generation ago.” Overused? A little.
Those are my nitpicks. For modern dramas, I still tend to prefer Korean dramas, which I find bolder and often more realistic, rather than leaning as heavily on proven formulas and accepted tropes, trying to please the audience at the same time get accepted by the authorities.
That said, as you can see, I still gave this a 9.
And that tells you something—I do recommend watching this drama.
Worth mentioning too is Dai Yu in a supporting role, who does very well portraying a character shifting between arrogance and disappointment. I remember him as the villain in The Legends, and in every major drama where I have seen him as a second lead or in support, he has delivered. I have yet to see him headline a highly rated blockbuster, but I hope that opportunity comes soon.
I would also give credit to Fu Jia as Hu Xiu’s father. I have often seen him cast as despicable yet comical mandarins—he has the perfect expressive eyes for those roles—but here he reveals a different side as a protective, loving father, showing impressive versatility as an actor.
Why does this drama have such appeal?
It opens with Hu Xiu being abandoned by her fiancé at their engagement party—he simply does not show up. From there, she crosses paths with Xiao Zhiyu, a highly successful architect with his own design firm, and Pei Zhen, heir to a major construction empire. Both handsome, accomplished, and deeply drawn to her. There is something undeniably satisfying in watching a woman who has been walked out on find herself pursued by two exceptional men, while the awful ex-fiancé eventually receives his karma. That sense of vindication is sweet.
There is also a relatable underdog arc. Hu Xiu leaves a dreadful assistant job, struggles to break into architecture, disappointed in offer of similar roles, and only later gets the opportunity she wants. Many of us know how one unexpected event can alter the course of life. The drama plays well with that idea—had she landed the first job she interviewed for, even her romantic path might have been entirely different.
As with many romance dramas, there are plenty of “save the damsel in distress” moments from both suitors—ha! Much of the humour comes from their rivalry and jealous sparring. Watching Hu Xiu caught between two determined lovers is genuinely entertaining.
There is a thread of mystery running through the story, though not in who Xiao Zhiyu is pursuing—that much is clear. The deeper intrigue lies in what truly happened, and the hidden reasons why it unfolded as it did. The tension lies less in mystery and more in the rivalry between Pei Zhen and Xiao Zhiyu—played out on both the commercial battlefield and in matters of the heart. In a fiercely competitive commercial world like China’s, both open rivalry and underhanded tactics feel entirely believable.
For Chinese dramas, I usually gravitate toward historical or fantasy genres. The costumes and CGI are beautiful, but they also ask less realism of the viewer—who can say how deities or ancient courts ought to behave? Modern dramas are different. I often feel Chinese modern dramas can be overly cautious and less realistic, and there are a few things here I did question:
- In reality, architects are not usually blamed when buildings collapse; that tends to fall more on structural engineering (the civil engineers) or construction failures (the contractors or builders).
- Some of the public displays of affection felt less believable in a Chinese setting. Why does no one comes along and make some nasty comments?
- The parents' reaction to the couple sleeping together felt far milder than one might expect in a conservative society.
- And yes, those short skirts belong on date nights, not in the office—the costume designer needed a reality check. Professional dress is still very much alive, even in the West. Standards may have relaxed, but not that far up the thigh.
- Finally, there are familiar tropes—the classic “we fell in love, but something tragic happened between our families /clans a generation ago.” Overused? A little.
Those are my nitpicks. For modern dramas, I still tend to prefer Korean dramas, which I find bolder and often more realistic, rather than leaning as heavily on proven formulas and accepted tropes, trying to please the audience at the same time get accepted by the authorities.
That said, as you can see, I still gave this a 9.
And that tells you something—I do recommend watching this drama.
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