Miss Mystery (2023)

This Drama is…Mmm! Mmm! Good

I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect when I first started watching this drama. But boy, was I happy that I started watching it. You will not be disappointed because this drama grips you from the very beginning because of the two main leads. Which I can only say, they are hot!

Leo Yang (Zhu Guan Wen - ML) and Chen Shujun (Lin Bao ER/Xin Tong - FL) have the most amazing chemistry. Sparks fly as soon as they look at each other or are on screen together. You never know what you will get or who is going to make the first move.

Leo Yang just oozes sexiness with his subtle gazes and that husky voice. Chen Shujun holds her own with him quite well. I loved seeing that she remains the "smart woman" throughout this drama. She was able to show her true self in every scene which was leading and teasing him making her a woman who was not only in control of her emotions but his as well. The way they banter between each other and their flirting at every opportunity keeps you totally immersed in the world that they have us fall into as we watch this mysterious love story unfold.

Miss Mystery revolves around Xue Tong who witnessed her family being brutally murdered. For 18 years she waited to take revenge against those who killed her family. She returns back to her hometown under the guise as Miss Lin Bao Er, the daughter of a weather Nanyang businessman.

This girl is no shrinking violet, she is clever, smart, cunning, good with a gun, skilled with strategizing and understanding her opponents. As she is being chased by men, she knocks on the door of the charming young master of the Zhu family - Zhu Guan Wen. As he opens the door (only in a towel mind you), Lin Bao Er burst in and pushes him up against the door, telling him to be quiet. The men come to Zhu Guan Wen’s room (he is now dressed) and are met with him pointing a gun at them telling them they are messing up his good time, as we see Lin Bao Er hidden under covers.

Once the men leave, the two being to have a fight with a gun. Getting the upper hand on Lin Bao Er he takes the gun from her and tells her she owes him a favor for saving her. Not to be outdone, she then gets the gun from him. Toying with him, she runs the gun down his open shirt which shows his naked chest. Putting the gun down from him, she runs her hand down his chest as he says to her, “Ms. Lin, are you satisfied with my charm.” Which her response was taking his tie, wrapping it around his neck and pulling him towards her, as he leans in to kiss her, she places her finger on his lips, “Too bad, I already have plans, or I would spend some more time with you.” Thus, begins this very sexy “cat and mouse” game.

The sexual tension between these two is off the charts. Their game gets more intriguing when she shows up at his engagement banquet which she did not have an invitation. But upon his arrival, she latches on to him to use him as her entry to get into the banquet. But he turns the tables on her, because this is his engagement banquet to which he announces the love of his life and his fiancée…Ms. Lin Bao Er. As she stands there in shock amazement along with the other guests, oh and the girl who thought was going to be his fiancée, he leans in and says, “Now, this time, are you satisfied?”

They both need each other so they entered into this contract:
- Zhu Guanwen and Lin Bao Er are engaged in name only, with no interference in each other’s personal lives.
- During the contract period, Lin Bao Er can engage in business in the capacity of Mrs. Zhu, with profits split fifty-fifty.
- Lin Bao Er will reside in the Zhu Manor during the contract period but with separate beds and not disturbance to each other (you see how long that last).

You can’t help yourself cheering for Zhu Guanwen who has fallen hopelessly in love with Lin Bao Er by episode 5.

He finally confesses to her after another close moment of being injured: “It’s in Zhu’s manor, or more precisely, in Xue’s manor. At that time, you were hiding in the closet, and bore scars on your shoulder. I didn’t know why you were there, but all I knew was I had to hide you, protect you, and keep you out of sight from others. I never thought I’d ever meet you again. At first, I was just curious about you. But slowly, I was captivated by your every move. I couldn’t help but want to know more about your past. I even imagined every day how I wished I could be with you and protect you all the time in the 18 years since we first met. So now, I’m really grateful to fate for bringing you back to me and letting me fall into your trap. I don’t care if you’re using me. I don’t care if you’re Xue Tong or Lin Bao Er. All I know is…I love you.” She finally accepts his ring…and the kiss…whew, what a kiss…. which leads to, well, you know…

Lin Bao Er wants to get revenge at those who murdered her family, the Zue family which are: Zhu Mao, Yang Jian, Qian Tong, and Dou Huaizhong. Every opponent she takes down with precise precision except for one and he turns out to be Zhu Guanwen’s father - Zhu Mao.

But there is a mystery behind Zhu Mao which both Zhu Guanwen and Lin Bao Er discover which tells her why her parents were murdered. Zhu Mao was originally a gang member active in the underworld of Guangzhou. He transformed himself, or so everyone thought but was secretly trafficking humans. He even secretly murdered Zhou Jishu, a rich businessman in Guangzhou and took his wife, Chen Peiqin. This was Zhu Guanwen’s mother. He was forced to accept him as his father.

Further revelations ensue, Zhu Mao tells Zhu Guanwen that his father and him were best friends in childhood. He tells him he passed away at a young age. He saw how pitiful his mother was, so he took them in. Lin Bao Er’s family was murdered because they knew too much about Zhu Mao.

The final showdown does come, with Lin Bao Er and Zhu Guanwen facing off with Zhu Mao who gets his demise at the hand of Lin Bao Er. Justice has been served.

Now with all of the drama behind them, they now have a beautiful wedding with plenty of fireworks, oh and not those just in the sky, but those many kisses too!

I have to say each episode to me kept getting better and better. I could not wait to watch the next episodes because their love seemed to be deepening along with their sexual desire for each other. You will see that it is not only Zhu Guanwen who is the aggressor in initiating these sexy encounters but Lin Bao Er as well because she tried to but could not help but fall in love with him. This couple will just make you smile because they are so good together.

Oh, and the sexiest scenes are two, and trust there are plenty because these two just sizzle – but a piece of candy and a lollipop will have a whole new meaning for you after you see how he kisses her, and she kisses him. It is Mmm..Mmm..good!

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Average typical Republican low-budget web drama. It's OK. Nothing special.

The Republican era seems to be a really popular time period for these low-budget short web dramas. How does “Miss Mystery” stack up against the likes of “Provoke”, “Maid’s Revenge” and “Everlasting Bride”? Well, I think it’s in the middle of the pack.

The story is straightforward - hidden identity, secrets, revenge, and falling in love. Since this is a short drama, I’m glad it didn’t have too complicated a plot. That was my biggest complaint about “Everlasting Bride”. Cinematography, acting and chemistry are not as good as “Provoke”, and the ML is not as handsome as Mr. Abs, Dai Gao Zheng, but he does have some nice abs. LOL. I also don’t think the FL is as pretty as the female leads in other dramas.

Acting is not impressive in the earlier episodes, especially for the female lead. Her portrayal of the calm and smart FL is a little bland and emotionless. ML is a little better. However, I did notice some improvement towards the second half of the drama. For some reason, I found the dubbed voices ‘acted’ better than the actors themself. ML’s voice sounds so much more mature than the actor’s face.

The plot is nothing special and we’ve seen this many times. At least we have a male lead that’s not mean or abusive to the female lead (except for one drunken, frustrated scene). I would have loved to see the push-and-pull between the leads last a little longer, and the ML not falling in love and be so smitten that quickly. It doesn’t have the sexy tension that “Provoke” has. However, I do applaud them for some pretty good kisses from both leads. Female lead is also too smart. Everything goes her way and she’s the mastermind of everything.

Given this is a lower budget production, the quality is decent. Nothing seems too cheap. I like the mysterious opening theme song. I do dislike the use of slow motion in romantic scenes and especially in non-romantic regular scenes. Why would you do that?

It’s an OK drama and I probably won’t recommend it unless you are a fan of the actors or this type of genre. These are short 15-minute episodes, so if you want something quick and easy, it’s OK.


Completed: 3/14/2024 - Review #417

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