I almost didn't watch this one because of this poster. Its giving 50 Shades of Grey and that is not my vibe... saw it while scrolling on Instagram and kept swiping but the persuasive #cdrama community was raving about it as the next hit so I gave in...

Xiao Qiao  (Song Zu Er), a clever girl from the Qiao family, marries Wei Shao (Liu Yu Ning), the master of the Wei family, as part of a family alliance. Despite the bad blood between their clans, the two start off wary of each other, constantly testing boundaries in both humorous and tense ways. Over time, they begin to appreciate each other's unique quirks and talents. Through various ups and downs, they learn to work as a team, tackling family drama and larger issues to bring some peace to their world. It’s a story of partnership built through trial, error, and a little chaos.

2. Our supporting cast

The story drew us in from the beginning, I was thoroughly engrossed. This is the second time I am writing about a drama just after its finished airing. While I enjoyed the supporting roles, many of them felt one-dimensional, and I wished for more depth. Qiao Man's personal  maids (Hu Xiao Ting, Li Xue Qin and Cola Yao) played their parts, but it would have been nice to have more backstory for them. It would have made the story more grander and added to the slowed pace during certain periods of the drama. Not everything has to be love story. I wanted to see the challenges they faced while helping their mistress manage the household. How were they accepted so easily? They were a nice mix of ages and experiences for some good storytelling.... another missed opportunity. 

The generals (Wang Cheng Si and Wu Hao Chen), who were both loyal and humorous by Lord Wei's side, could have shared more about the stories behind their loyalty. With some characters, there was an attempt to provide depth, but it seemed to fizzle out towards the end. Wei Yan's (Liu Duan Duan) entrance was filled with enticing mystery as the elusive, clever Casanova, only for him to transition into a pining lost soul and then return as a warrior. The same energy that marked his entrance was needed throughout his character arc. Within the first two episodes of us meeting him, he had the audacity to give Wei Shao a drawing of Xiao Qiao and claim that that is the women he had fallen for and wants to marry. He confidently states that she is married. Wei Shao only realized after his generals pointed it out him, then just passed it off as his mistake for not formally introducing them to each other much earlier😶. Wei Yan then proceeds to keep a courtesan that looks just like Xiao Qiao in his sleeping quarters. She is even asked to dress like her! Can we spell it out loud ? All together now... A.U.D.A.C.I.T.Y.  Where was all this energy in the later episodes Mr. Wei Yan? We needed it.

3. Our villains

I will say the same thing I say every time. We don't have to like our villains, but we must appreciate and understand what has shaped them into who they are. They need to push the story forward in a way that makes sense. However, as we moved toward the later episodes, the depth of the villains' actions and behaviors seemed lacking to me. Lady Zhu( Cui Yi) is the mean unaccepting mother-in-law who always fumbles in crucial moments and ends up annoying us instead...lol.  Su E Huang's (Xuan Lu) obsession with the Wei clan should have been focused on her struggle to fulfill her destiny as an empress. Qiao Yue (Feng Hui) may not have been our favorite character, but it doesn't make strategic political sense for him to turn against the Wei clan. Chen Pang (Du Yu Ming) could have been a more convincing main villain, but he just disappeared from the story. And let's not even discuss Li Yan (Ji Xiao Bing). They all had a lot of potential, but the script ultimately let them down.

Is it worth your time? Yes, consider this a #cdrama fix that you can binge-watch without much thinking. I mean the chemistry between our leads is WAY UP there😍. Is it our 2025 summer hit? It had all the right elements but sadly its a no from me,  but time will tell...I am now a fan of the the leads and supporting actors so I will be looking out for their upcoming dramas, but we will forget this one and move on to the next one.  

What were your thoughts? Tell me in the comments

I watched it on You tube, Viki and WeTV