Hei Fengxi and Bai Fengxi are a fated pair. To the world, they're known as the Hei-Bai Fengxi duo, "Hei" and "Bai" as in black and white. They're each other's greatest rivals, companions and partners in crime but also inseparable like light and shadow. It's hard to describe their relationship with just a few simple words.

"As beautiful as she is lethal." Bai Fengxi is a smart and brave yet carefree heroine who stands in the face of justice. She's a cute glutton when there's good food and a headstrong, cheeky opponent when there's a good fight. Secretly, she's also Princess Feng Xiyun of Qing who's renowned for her intelligence and eloquence.

Hei Fengxi is the embodiment of grace and elegance that's known as a diplomatic and just hero. But underneath that façade, he's extremely cunning and ambitious, just like the endearing nickname "Black Foxy" Bai Fengxi has given him. Like her, he also has a double identity as the Second Prince Feng Lanxi of Yong. From a young age, he was forced to fake illness and learn the ruthlessness of court politics on the path to becoming the royal heir. Hei Fengxi is tough and merciless towards his opponents but incredibly soft-hearted when it comes to his own people, especially Bai Fengxi.

I'm truly in love with the duality of both leads. They're adventurous and playful in the martial arts world, but very dedicated to their royal duties in bringing peace and prosperity to their citizens. There's an unwavering trust and teamwork between Hei and Bai Fengxi that makes them a force to be reckoned with. What's more impressive is that they're both on equal footing where no one side is weaker than the other in talents, martial arts or status. While political schemes and wuxia values do play a major role in the plot, there's a more evident focus on romance.

The chemistry between Yang Yang and Zhao Lusi is so sweet and overwhelming. Admittedly, I didn't know how this couple would pane out in a historical drama but this is way better than any of my wildest dreams. They just click so well together. I can see that both have matured a lot in their acting. Yang Yang has become more experienced with subtle expressions from his role in You Are My Glory, as well as with action scenes from Glory of Special Forces. His background as a contemporary dancer also greatly contributes to the poised and refined portrayal of Hei Fengxi. On the other hand, Zhao Lusi plays the dashing and charismatic Bai Fengxi very well. She's truly badass on so many levels. It's like she has combined the female power from both of her roles in The Romance of Tiger & Rose and The Long Ballad together. Despite the age gap in real life, this pair looks great together on-screen. Though off-screen they're so childish and competitive with each other, it's no wonder Yang Yang said they have the same mental age as a 5-year-old.

This drama also has a very vibrant side cast. Xuan Lu as Feng Qiwu is such a girl crush and I love it when she teams up with Bai Fengxi, total femme fatale style. It's nice to see Wei Wuxian's martial sister kicking up a storm and fighting like a general. The kid playing Han Pu is such a sweetheart. He's a smart little cookie that knows how to bring the vibes. Feng Chang, played by Zhang Tian Yang, is a great older brother. He's protective of Hei Fengxi and really cares for him. Zhang Feng Yi pulls a very convincing act as the sly and cynical King of Yong (Hei Fengxi's father). It's heartbreaking to see Hei Fengxi suffer at his father's callousness.

We can't not talk about the excellent production from the director of none other than Love and Redemption, Ancient Love Poetry and Under the Power. The costumes are absolutely gorgeous and really highlight the duality of the leads. Those high pony tails and headpieces are just chef kiss. The scenery, action scenes and CGI are seamless. I love how Hei Fengxi uses the fan and Bai Fengxi uses her silk ribbon, it's such an effortlessly cool way to fight. Plus, those flying sequences are so satisfying to watch. While the last few episodes do feel a bit rushed, the overall plot remains fairly coherent and easy to follow. As prementioned, it's not supposed to be full-on political, like for say Nirvana in Fire, but emphasises more on the journey of Hei and Bai Fengxi as they traverse the world and discover what is truly the most important in life. Admittedly, there've been a few controversies and problems with the production crew towards the later part of filming, but this drama has turned out to be a fine one so all credits to the cast and staffs.

The OSTs are very complementary as well. Unparalleled (无双) by Liu Yuning is so empowering and intense. Except it's a bit strange to hear from Zhao Lusi's lover in The Long Ballad, if you get what I mean. My favourite got to be Breath of Wind (风息) by Tiger Hu and Ye Xuan Qing as it's very fitting for the Hei-Bai Fengxi couple. A Dream Come True (一梦浮生) by Silence Wang is like a sweet love confession. While Like A Dream (如梦) by Sunny is like a bashful reply to that confession. Lastly, Orphan (孤注) by Tan Wei Wei is the emotional song that hits you least expect it.

*If you're confused about the politics and would like some clarifications, CloudA has put together a fantastic background summary in the Discussion forum below.

FAVOURITE QUOTES:

“If I die, no one will know your [Hei Fengxi's] true face. Life will be boring.” Bai Fengxi

“I can hide anything from the world. Yet, I can’t hide anything from you [Bai Fengxi].” Hei Fengxi

“They always say to love until the ocean and earth run dry. We both know that these are just false promises. To me, I only want to hold your [Bai Fengxi's] hand until the end of life.” Hei Fengxi

“I met you [Bai Fengxi] when I just started in the martial arts world. And thanks to you, I saw the kindness of the world. And thanks to your company, I know what true feelings mean. It’s all thanks to you that I gave the world another chance.” Hei Fengxi

“They said sometimes you had to lose one thing in order to gain another. But some things are too painful to be let go. I can’t let go of her [Bai Fengxi] no matter how hard I try… I can let go of all my mortal desire except for this one. I can discard three thousand strands of woes but let me keep this one strand… Let it bind me for the rest of my life.” Hei Fengxi