This series is one of the last to come out this year, and I didn't expect to be hit with such a captivating story only a few weeks before the new year, iQiyi jealously guarded this gem. The story itself is rather simple about two assassins, Ren Ruyi and Ning Yuan Zhou from two warring and enemy countries, Wu and An. Of course, it wouldn't be exciting if the two didn't fall for each other.

The premise begins when in a bloody battle, the Wu state loses and the Emperor is taken prisoner to the state of An.

Yuan Zhou is the former leader of the Six Dao Hall, an assassin organization, who found himself accompanying Emperor Wu during this battle and one of the only ones to survive. Long story short, he is later pressured to accompany the delegation, with the Princess Yang Ying trapped by the Empress schemes into cross-dressing as a prince, and save the Emperor. At his side are other assassins who accompany him in his task, of course the audience is led to discover each character and fall under their charms.

As for Ren Ruyi, she is a former assassin of the Scarlet Guards who had to re-infiltrate the ranks of the organization to find the murderer of the Empress of An who was like a mother to her. Due to lack of luck, she finds herself having to abandon her scheme due to circumstances that will be detailed in the series, and she cross paths with Yuan Zhou while she tries to hide. Yuan Zhou agrees to host her and eventually, through other circumstances, she accompanies the delegation to enter the state.

I won't reveal more about the story, but I will touch on a word about how their love story was. First, it doesn't seem forced, then, refreshingly, it's Ruyi who runs after Yuan Zhou, who from a charismatic leader becomes timid in the face of these attempts. The two quickly learn to understand each other due to their unique position and much is conveyed emotionally through their gestures and facial expressions. It's mature and above all healthy.
Ruyi is probably the most badass female character I've seen, they didn't try to build her reputation too much, and on the contrary let her skills do the talking to later reveal that Ruyi is in fact a legendary assassin. Yuan Zhou is equally impressive, especially his wits and adept at playing mind games with his enemies. They are a power couple in all their glory and it is a pleasure to follow them.

The pacing of the story is really good, we don't dwell endlessly on misunderstandings, it's generally resolved within one episode and we stay focused on the main story. The secondary characters are just as interesting and often touching, they all have a story that is revealed. The overall production is really good and also the fighting scene, nothing on the level of "My Journey To You" (a series released this year whose cinematography is breathtaking) but really pleasant to see.

I have mixed feelings about the ending and the last episodes though, I think the writing could have been better and it's a let down by the writers.