This review may contain spoilers
I’m writing this to give high praise to Fan Shuai qi and Dong Zi fan.
Both gave phenomenal performances, and the script complemented them wonderfully. The audience absolutely adores these two characters.
At first, I started watching and got hooked because I loved the Crown Prince (He Yu)—he’s a charming, roguish, and lovable character.
Then, I became utterly captivated by Shizi Bu (Bu Shulin). She’s handsome, playful, and acts like an unruly playboy, seemingly causing mischief everywhere without causing real harm—just petty antics. She’s brilliant at investigations and martial arts, though not much of a strategist. Unless you’re the guy on the receiving end of her punches, any woman on the receiving end of her flirting—like that hand-holding scene—would undoubtedly fall for her. Initially, she probably just looked after Cui Jinbai as an investigative partner, but gradually, her feminine side slipped out in front of him—through her tone of voice, her gaze, and her gestures. I’m certain A-Lin let her guard down, but strictly around the two people she truly loves and holds close: Deputy Cui and Xi He. Her demeanor shifted subtly, and later on, when she appeared as a woman, she was utterly adorable. My only slight regret is that her female look didn’t feel quite as cool as her natural charisma. Having read the novel, that’s how I interpret it. Bu Shulin is someone who is sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. She loves Cui Jinbai deeply and can never keep up with him because he’s shrewd, a master schemer, and a skilled martial artist. While Cui Jinbai can’t beat his wife in a fight, he certainly won her heart with his schemes.
The third person I fell in love with in this drama is Cui Jinbai. I loved how he transformed from being stern, glaring at Bu Shulin with disdain and reprimanding eyes, and rolling his eyes in sheer disbelief, to showing pure devotion, protection, and sweet tenderness in his gaze. What I loved most were his schemes to bring A-Lin to him: arranging for Wang Sanlang from her gang to work with him just so she would visit, issuing an arrest warrant, tricking her into eating the food he brought, finding excuses to enter the Bu Manor, confessing his feelings, caring for and protecting her, rushing to her rescue, the breakup scene, and the moment he asked to go along with her. Every single shot was executed so well and looked so endearing.
Rewatching it several times, I noticed the meticulous attention to detail in their styling, makeup, hair, height, and footwear (both wore height-increasing shoes), as well as their body language—how they sit, stand, and walk. Bu Shulin has her signature way of sitting, while Cui Jinbai always kneels upright with a straight back. The farewell scene in the pavilion was hilarious because Cui Jinbai was kneeling formally, while Bu Shulin was sitting with her legs spread wide, resting her arms on her knees like a total dude. It looked so funny, and Deputy Cui seemed so delightfully whipped! It painted a vivid picture of what their future married life will look like. Thank goodness Deputy Cui never gave up. In the end, their two sons helped turn things around; if she hadn’t become pregnant to shift the momentum, she probably would have kept acting cold and breaking his heart over and over. Deputy Cui truly got lucky.
Meng Ziyi (Xi He) also delivered a great performance; I just personally wasn’t fond of the female lead’s characterization. While not entirely heartless, she felt rather cold and detached.
At first, I started watching and got hooked because I loved the Crown Prince (He Yu)—he’s a charming, roguish, and lovable character.
Then, I became utterly captivated by Shizi Bu (Bu Shulin). She’s handsome, playful, and acts like an unruly playboy, seemingly causing mischief everywhere without causing real harm—just petty antics. She’s brilliant at investigations and martial arts, though not much of a strategist. Unless you’re the guy on the receiving end of her punches, any woman on the receiving end of her flirting—like that hand-holding scene—would undoubtedly fall for her. Initially, she probably just looked after Cui Jinbai as an investigative partner, but gradually, her feminine side slipped out in front of him—through her tone of voice, her gaze, and her gestures. I’m certain A-Lin let her guard down, but strictly around the two people she truly loves and holds close: Deputy Cui and Xi He. Her demeanor shifted subtly, and later on, when she appeared as a woman, she was utterly adorable. My only slight regret is that her female look didn’t feel quite as cool as her natural charisma. Having read the novel, that’s how I interpret it. Bu Shulin is someone who is sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. She loves Cui Jinbai deeply and can never keep up with him because he’s shrewd, a master schemer, and a skilled martial artist. While Cui Jinbai can’t beat his wife in a fight, he certainly won her heart with his schemes.
The third person I fell in love with in this drama is Cui Jinbai. I loved how he transformed from being stern, glaring at Bu Shulin with disdain and reprimanding eyes, and rolling his eyes in sheer disbelief, to showing pure devotion, protection, and sweet tenderness in his gaze. What I loved most were his schemes to bring A-Lin to him: arranging for Wang Sanlang from her gang to work with him just so she would visit, issuing an arrest warrant, tricking her into eating the food he brought, finding excuses to enter the Bu Manor, confessing his feelings, caring for and protecting her, rushing to her rescue, the breakup scene, and the moment he asked to go along with her. Every single shot was executed so well and looked so endearing.
Rewatching it several times, I noticed the meticulous attention to detail in their styling, makeup, hair, height, and footwear (both wore height-increasing shoes), as well as their body language—how they sit, stand, and walk. Bu Shulin has her signature way of sitting, while Cui Jinbai always kneels upright with a straight back. The farewell scene in the pavilion was hilarious because Cui Jinbai was kneeling formally, while Bu Shulin was sitting with her legs spread wide, resting her arms on her knees like a total dude. It looked so funny, and Deputy Cui seemed so delightfully whipped! It painted a vivid picture of what their future married life will look like. Thank goodness Deputy Cui never gave up. In the end, their two sons helped turn things around; if she hadn’t become pregnant to shift the momentum, she probably would have kept acting cold and breaking his heart over and over. Deputy Cui truly got lucky.
Meng Ziyi (Xi He) also delivered a great performance; I just personally wasn’t fond of the female lead’s characterization. While not entirely heartless, she felt rather cold and detached.
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