PeachBlossomGoddess

Jiang Ying, a bewitching songbird catches the eye of both Du Xunyu and his father, shipping magnate Du Jingchuan. The way she lures and provokes both men with her innocent wiles and wraps them around her finger is riveting. She is clearly up to no good but Du Xunyu has his own agenda and is willing to play along with her. This short drama starts strongly with a predictable but well executed revenge plot. Masterful and nuanced portrayals by the main actors and searing chemistry and palpable tension between the leads elevates the simple plot with well-drawn and resonating characterizations. Li Muchen (as Jiang Ying)in particular delivers a captivating performance as a seductive and manipulative agent provocateur that sows the seeds of discord in the Du household.

This short drama is compelling up to the final five episodes and then it manages to turn into a banal, draggy and somewhat sappy love story. The drama never delivers on the early promise of a very intense and passionate romance; lapsing into a very sweet one instead. The latter part of this drama is an example of how bad things happen when these short dramas end up with more budget and screen time. The ending was the worst - bafflingly attempting unnecessary melodrama when it should have and could have ended with a flourish after all the secrets are revealed. Although I still recommend this as a good short drama to pass time with, I can only rate this 7.5 because of the ending sag.