A Lovely Slow Burn Romance

I went into this drama not expecting much. A CEO convincing a hot young Dr. to marry her isn't very compelling, but what made this work was the brilliant acting of Zhou Yu Tong and Gong Jun, who managed to show fresh, emotionally vulnerable characters navigating a crazy world. I loved the relationship between Fang Ning and Ling Rui, how it was a slow burn into a deep, understanding romance. There are a few cliché moments, but they're quickly overridden by fun, unexpected dialogue and emotional growth that is rare in dramas these days. I genuinely laughed for the majority their scenes and one argument scene took my breath away at how raw it was. The one major reason to watch: communication!!! I love two adults communicating even if it's not 100%. It gets there eventually!

** Minor Spoilers **

Although the "villain" does come off a little too villainy, and the second half starts out promising a tired trope of separation and return, the second half turned out to be my favorite half with how natural Zhou Yu Tong and Gong Jun were with each other and You You. They convinced me they've been a family the whole time and we're just watching their home videos.
I knocked off stars for the repetitive songs, although I thought they were cute in the beginning. But I would have liked some variety. And also for second-leads who just didn't capture me the same way. This story felt very much like it could have been a solid 15-20 episodes and be super strong, but the second leads stories just dragged the story for me (sorry for any fans! I do enjoy the actors, just not their roles this time). I will definitely be re-watching this in the future.

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