Silver-Bus

Suspense thriller

Its notch romance, but suspense, don’t read on when you hate spoilers.

The twist in the story brings up Hitchcock vibes, actually. It’s an old fashioned drama, the production is good, it has a good story flow. Why does it remind me of Hitchcock? The story is focused on the three main actors, the fl, her husband and his lover, it’s a psychological hide and seek, and the actors manage to carry the drama.

Li Ruoqi is very convincing as a wife who wakes up helpless, trying to make sense of her situation- trapped by her suddenly cold and calculating husband and his volatile, greedy lover the woman in red, her daughter is their pawn. It’s good to see her fake to be weak and meek, to plan, retreat and advance.

Zhou Hang - the ml- is a narcissist, others are just tools he uses for his goal. He’s able to turn from caring husband to hateful in a microsecond.

The sfl, the lover she’s greedy, paranoid and cruel. Is she one note? Yes, but reliably so.

A shoutout to the child actress who plays daughter Susu this wasn’t an easy role and she did great!

When the fl goes into revenge mode- she doesn’t hesitate and won’t shy back from getting her hands dirty. Nerves of steel!

What was missing? This drama had many ingredients for a “is he or isn’t he”. It called for a morally grey ml, a sexual tension underlying the relationship between the two women and the man. but this was neither scripted nor delivered It’s a pity, because the fl was great and the ml was the key for this and it’s hard to say- maybe he just wasn’t given proper direction or the material?

It’s a solid drama, a good watch (really) and a lost opportunity for excellence at the same time. It’s not a romance. If you like the suspense of a whodunit, you’re well served.

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Cute and flirty version of „The Prince is too wild“

A Chen Si at his hottest (uniform, styling is to die for) and LXY - a dream team. A couple that makes sense (and both are great sensual kissers) She has a subtle natural charm and acting skills! Loved her collab with Cao Tian Kai *Secret Color Criticality* a few weeks ago or a the slow burn drama that turned the heat on *Take the bait* with Liu Lanbo.

Do you know the plot where the fl loves her engaged gege (unrequited), and then a ml appears who coaxes or drags her away from this hopeless crush? A very popular take on it is “The Prince is too wild” with Zeng Hui (outside CEO ice, inside ruthless passion).

This is this plot in Republican era clothes. And it’s not this drama at all, at the same time

*OMG*

It starts with a bang presenting him as a dark dangerous and “prime red flag estate” military commander (a Dobermann next to him)
He meets her at her brothers engagement party after she returns from her three years of exile in France - asks her if she’s still in love with her “brother” - and tells her she should be “his woman”.
And then …I couldn’t stop watching it completely, it was 3 am…

Chen Si, he’s flirty and sensual and at times provocative (*that’s what I ***adore*** in a drama, instant love) and she reacts wonderfully flustered and nervous which he loves.

His family is very influential, so she’s asking for his protection or help a few times. And he’s frank, it’s not for free. So she finally makes a deal to free her jailed foster father - she’ll be his woman (but in secret only) - and then discovers that this deal wasn’t necessary at all because he has already done his magic. Now he insists that they had an agreement - and a deal is a deal.

That’s their relationship in a nutshell. He needles her to get her attention, relentlessly., but not cruel. when she finally takes his bait (the deak) and gives her verbal consent, he’s not dragging her to the bedroom. That’s not his goal, it is the starting shot for him to playfully seduce LXY step by step.

He treats her as his girlfriend while she acts on the premise that it’s a one time deal only. To her bafflement, it’s not a “close your eyes and think of England” *- her noble sacrifice number. He’s patiently amused about this expectation and good naturedly supports her attempts at secrecy.

Of course, there’s a bit of politics and green tea, a scumbag and a Gege waking up and facing his emotions, but there’s as well a warm adoptive mother and a surprise friend.

Guess what, both leads brought their A Game and it’s cute and hot.

The cast was good! Her foster brother / Gege was perceptive and nice- and jealous too. His fiancée - it’s finally one who’s more than a rival and spiteful.

- Chen Si looks at her with so much tenderness and warmth in his eyes… 😍

- he is *stealing kisses* behind the back of her family, it’s so young and in love coded.

- The running gag is her defensive claim of French boyfriends with too many kisses to count. And he says in dry amusement that for all this, she’s terrible at kissing. French Kissing. Her reply: “as if you’re good at it! 😘🤣

- Or when she’s got to pick him up in her car and she wears a headscarf and sunglasses (at night)🤣

- when she tries to get rid of him (too funny)

It’s a lovely romcom with a warm and sensual atmosphere and two good leads just having fun. 🤩 So flirty, romantic and increasingly steamy… what it’s not: a domineering man blackmails her into a physical relationship. And that’s why it’s so different from the Zeng Hui version and it’s just what I needed. Have I mentioned how super hot 🔥 Chen Si looks?

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Bittersweet Jiejie Romance

She’s a CEO in an artists company focused on classical music, engaged to a renowned music professor out of family interests. She wants the company that belonged to her mum (you know the trope, step mum/ sibling)
And there’s a piano wunderkind out of a working class family, his mum died in a hit & run, his father lies comatose in a hospital. He works several jobs just to get by, his place at the academy had to be given up.
And then they meet. There’s a chance for spring. Hope.


This is an outstanding drama. It’s a bitter sweet jiejie romance which is carefully layered with several motives (betrayal, deceit, duplicity, a spider web of interests). Music is a central part of the drama.
She hurt her hand and can’t play the violin anymore and he can’t play his instrument either, he lacks the means.
There’s Brahms, a genius composer in the romanticism, the ml draws a comparison between his hopeless love to Jiang and Brahms’ to the older and married Clara Schumann. They’re both damaged, wounded warriors in their own way.

Yesterday, I reviewed a drama and said “I don’t like melo.” That’s still true. But it’s as well true that some dramas are melodramatic and I love them because they’re simply excellent and not one note *same problem, no solution, rinse repeat* which is the reason why I dislike melo, but layered, intricately so. To enjoy it, expect a good Woody Allen movie vibe (yes, he’s a despicable human being, but e.g. Blue Jasmine is a fantastic movie).

You can’t help but watch what’s unfolding and though the leitmotif is melo, it’s so much more.

Is this a rave review? 😇 It is. When I’ve watched a drama and at the end want to rewatch immediately, just to catch nuances that escaped me the first time, it gets high marks in my books.

**MXY** surprised me with his range, he was sweet, naive and a dreamer. I nearly cried (rare). He has grown so much as an actor, I’m curious what he’ll do next.

And the fl **Jeana Ho** is a cold calculating CEO, experienced and jaded - her arc is an exciting one, she’s so detached and you may wonder if she’ll be able to build an emotional bond with this sensitive and trusting didi.

Very good performance from both.

*Quality* - high, all in all. And I won’t add “for a vertical” because we’ve all seen a pronounced upwards trend the last months.

**Recommendation**

Definitely. It’ll get you hooked and reeled in. But don’t watch when you want to forget what you’ve seen ten minutes later. It won’t work.

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Tough as nails CEO (f) - suspense story

It’s an intriguing plot, she’s a rich and successful widow, her best friend killed herself when she ended up broke after a 💘 scam.
She’s out for justice and revenge. Wang Hao Zhen is the man / boyfriend who’s responsible- but it’s soon. Evident that he’s torn and cares.
It’s a cat and mouse game, where the fl is much superior and plays with WHZ to get more information about the men in the shadows (it’s an organization) and to torment him.
It’s well done, a possible romance between the two leads is starting point of the drama (if you want to catch a Romeo you’ve got to let yourself be hooked), but it’s uneven.
If you’re into suspense and a woman at the helm, it’s your drama. WHZ is a morally grey character with less agency than the fl- lack of means makes a huge difference, but he’s not a puppet either.
It’s a new role for him and it’s well done.
Is it a romance? No, she’s portrayed as nearly impermeable, with only hints of positive emotions towards WHZ.

It’s a good drama- but for good romantic tension or chemistry, warmth was missing.

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WHZ at his flirty dangerous best

Loved it.
WHZ as Cheng Jin is the new doc at nurse Luo Jia’s hospital. This she learns in a staff meeting and to her surprise he’s the hot ONS from last weekend (yep, scumbag bf caught cheating/ dumped and she needed consolation or ego boost. Whatever, she picked him up.

And now she learns that she’s in trouble, because Chen Jin is cute and playful but clear in his message - he wants her in his life. Meanwhile her ex - as well a doctor at the same hospital doesn’t accept being dumped.

Now we add both Chen Jin’s and her Ex, and we got the mess we need for a successful romcom.

But: the first 1h 25 minutes of playful banter and seduction and happy first love (and lots of steam) come to an abrupt end when CJ meets his Ex at a restaurant where LJ celebrates her promotion with him and her coworkers. He lashes out at the Ex who just can’t believe that it’s over (the Ex insists he just wants to make her jealous). He’s so mad that the shocked LJ listens to him indeed talking about them as if she’s just his tool to annoy the Ex.

She’s done.

But he isn’t. And for the next 90 minutes he just won’t accept it’s over, now the real drama starts. We have to realize that the perfect fun bf has a darker, ruthless and egotistical side to his character. And that his fist fights - he defends her twice- were a premonition of what’s lurking between the cute manipulating - that actually, looking back, it’s all a bit too much. He’s strong willed and casually cruel (nearly paralyzing a man pestering her - on purpose, he’s offering the necessary operation as a blackmail tool) and that he has a background that makes others accomodate him. Political influence and money, that he uses casually to get vacation and apologies, department chiefs working his will. He does it all so discreetly and with charm - but ready to rumble when necessary. Her Ex knows him and warned LJ that she’s walking into a fire pit.

This guy won’t allow her to date others - until he says it’s over it ain’t over. WHZ did warn Lu Lulu as well (in the honey moon phase) that he’s not as perfect and good as she thinks and it’s true.


Now we’ve established that he’s a psycho stalker - the magic of WHZ who had obviously tremendous fun playing this black dragon using green tea magic- comes into play.

You root for him although you clearly see his flaws and totally understand Lu Lulu / LJ refusing and refusing again to forgive and restart.

Why? The Ex was way out of line… provoking him and he got too emotional and just lashed out, unthinking. It was not about the fl - which is good - and bad at the same time, because in the heat of the moment he did use her as a weapon against his ex. And saying “if you don’t stop I’ll even marry her” BAD.

But hating him for it? No.
The fl learns a lot about him, then and after, that he is strong willed and ruthless. And he learns that there are limits to what is acceptable. And he does honestly regret what he did.

His relentless siege on her with puppy eyes and flowers, stuffed animals with his voice recorded and activated to beg mercy … following her to a new city… his growing despair.. it’s captivating to watch and if you didn’t know how sexy and dangerously good an actor he is - you’ll know now.

It’s the first vertical I’ve seen where I understand fully why she breaks up and refuses to accept his apologies. And at the same time, it’s the first vertical where forgiving him is an actual and credible option at some point.

So enjoy. It’s an exceptional drama.

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How to catch Mr. Pei when you’re super flirty but all talk

A beautiful young woman, dressed flamboyantly in red with a fascinator (hat) strolls slightly drunk into a welcome banquet of city honoraries and immediately starts to sing her own praise as an “experienced woman” to the guest of honor? Yep, oversexed or let’s call it hypersexual. Change of bf? Monthly- current number: 26 and rising.

Lan Lan had obviously fun that she could play aggressively raunchy instead of a blushing maiden as usual.

WDT is not amused (but maybe curious?) and sends her away.

**Now a trigger warning**
⚠️ sexual abuse, domestic violence⚠️

Before we get deep into spoiler country - don’t fear. In dramaland, can the lead be a mega promiscuous woman (or man)?
The fl has a horrible reputation (tons of boyfriends) but she’s a successful business woman.

If anyone has some insights into hypersexual behavior, you may have guessed correctly. Here, her behavior is camouflage (all talk) and hides PTSD. it’s the abusive father who wanted ( and still tries) to send his daughter as a bed warmer to business partners and started doing this when she was only a teenager. She narrowly escaped rape, the man in question ended up in jail- but he’s about to return. She fears him deeply. The only man this predator is afraid of is WDT- Mr. Pei. Her dad still beats her up, forces her to approach the powerful Mr. Pei- and she has her own reasons to want him to fall for her.

Her dirty talk is not his style, but he can’t help but be intrigued by certain contradictions in what she poses as and what she does. Especially her business acumen and creative revenge get his approval.


It’s warm and sensitive (they try!), how WDT and the ” seductive vixen” slowly build trust and

Special mention to a proper ten minute or more happy end, yay and two best friends (men) ending up as normal couple instead of a joke.

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High Stakes Games

Clothes and cars are 1920s, a unknown genius gambler appears shortly before the deciding tournament. It’s the gorgeous fl who approaches the Ninth Master (ml) for sponsorship.
She wants revenge for her murdered father, the ml seeks revenge for his former mentor. Opposing forces, deceit, betrayal, hidden identities all in front of sumptuous interior sets.

Immediately hooked by the classy outfits and sets, I loved the gambler and scam artist plot. First of all, the gambling involves cards, dice and mahjong. The last is translated as poker - why? only the translator knows. Because calling it “poker” doesn’t help understanding the rules.

But it wasn’t relevant because it’s all about the sexual tension between the leads *who don’t trust each other and still feel the mutual attraction build*. They prepare for THE competition between ruthless gamblers for the crown as “King of Birds”. Underneath all this the fl risks everything to avenge her father, including killing the ml, if necessary. The ml has his own agenda to find the “Ghost Master” and if the fl should be the daughter of a traitor, he’ll use her first and kill her later.



**Xie Yu Wang** is not only handsome but talented to boot. It’s a challenging role, physically- all these smart card and dice throws including using them as a weapon*.
He’s so good at showing a man usually in total control of his emotions who fights the allure of the fl. She’s a talented and flamboyant beauty with a sharp mind. It was a great performance, I don’t know many actresses who would have pulled this off.
She’s a character like Han Yu Tong in “Bloom in shadows” - but Sun Yiran adds much more sex appeal (think: Sharon Stone).

Their chemistry was palpable.

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Fights and steam

They had money (for vertical standard). Enough for an impressive stand off between police/ MXY & helpers plus a crazy mouthy helicopter escape as the show opener. Absolutely OTT/ it reminded me of a Bruce Willis movie.
The storytelling? It was underwhelming, till the end the helicopter scene couldn’t be placed in the story or timeline.

But:
I make do with the simple joys in life. Watching a good-looking man shot from flattering angles...

A lot of fighting scenes, ambitious ones, and he managed to do all of these punches and clever moves with an open shirt, smoking his cigarette. OTT cool 😂?

The not only freaky but mediocre parts:
The timeline… crossed. 

Scenes were lined up haphazardly. *Kidnappings! We need them!* So we had one hostage situation plus two kidnappings in the first four minutes. They must have had a checklist and wanted it done early. To mess up the timeline?

Apart from trying to figure out where they were in the story-The past? Present? Before? After? - the plot itself wasn’t mysterious.
Anyone who’s seen “The Departed” knew what was going on five minutes in. But of course, it’s two totally different levels of quality in the editing room or of the production team and director? I have no clue. I can only say, with these scenes, the individual value of them, it might have been a decent movie. And it’s not that it looked like they mixed up episodes.

What they delivered on - coolness and steam
The hottest scene was when she was drugged , she stood with him under the shower..where he tried to resist her and cool her down without being her antidote. He was so tender and caring. 🔥🤗


And every time he teased her, you saw the couple had some chemistry. Big Plus: sweet, crazy mad menacing and steamy scenes. A lot. MXY more half dressed than dressed, a lot.

The villain was b o r i n g though- why? He had no chemistry at all with the FL. And he wasn’t mean or cruel. Just ambitious. And ruthless.

All in all, prepare yourself for a wild ride deep into the valley of “no brain required”. But if you have a sense of humor and a ready collection of sweets and drinks- it’s entertaining.

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It’s cute

This plot, I’ve seen it a few times. Grandmas orchestrate a flash marriage, he’s leaving immediately after registration for a year. When he returns it’s one near miss after the other while she works for him as his assistant. And the version with Ke Chun and Wang Gege, it’s nearly identical.

The acting: He Jianqi was good. The fl wasn’t bad, but the chemistry lacked, it seemed to be a one sided love. She was admiring him verbally, but a true attraction didn’t come through (to me). While he really fell for her. She was too busy keeping a proper distance and when he got closer, she didn’t project that she was tempted. Wang Gege was so much better than this fl.

The plot: business as usual with hardly any green tea and bullying. But they had added a few very good scenes, the how they got married was - first scene- was a great start.

It’s a good watch if you want to admire He Jianqi and have fun with grandma.

Steam factor: zero. If there was a kiss or an embrace m, it was edited out.

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