I have such a bitter aftertaste in my mouth after finishing it.
This series doesn't bring anything new that hasn't been done before, or maybe it's just me because as an avid manga reader for many years series like Fushigi Yûgi or Inuyasha did a lot better work at both entering a book world thing on the first one and being a half demon in a world of folklore for the second one. I don't think the fact it wasn't super original in concept takes from the series by itself at all, but sadly it does when the plot and execution go out the window.

This series really grabbed my attention from the start for both being a type of fantastical storyline I like and because as someone that also plays videogames I found it very funny.
Where a lot of people thought the show slow I saw it as those side quests in videogames that you spend too much time for little reward and let you meet more of the characters or side characters, so I didn't have any complains about those parts of the series personally. I found myself grinning at the subtle references, even if maybe not even explicitly planned by the showrunners.
I've read also some people complain about the costumes but I personally really liked the colourful clothes although I do think the magical jewellery that both main leads wear could have been much better looking.

For me the plot started to go sour when the bracelet of doom appeared when FL is going to marry Ruo Shi. I could give it a pass before if there were some little inconsistencies here and there, or if the FL was over the top at times (because I've seen her in another one and she was so much worse in that one) or the fact that the other two main leads felt quite plain many times (but at times I thought it might be intentional). But the plot with the bracelet, how it starts and develops, and the subsequent lack of explanation is what triggered a spiral for me from that point onwards.
More specifically it's both ML not reacting quicker questioning things, the fact FL puts it on as soon as she receives it (why would she anyway?) and especially the fact that no one tells anything afterwards about what happened. FL doesn't tell ML (not sure if she even knows deep down), Ruo Shi doesn't tell anyone and just gives the bracelet "back" to ML, without even telling him what it does? He never either pays anything for what he's done, he doesn't even get an earful. I don't know, I feel there was a chunk of content missing there, and the problem is that those "missing" parts started to appear more often from that point onwards.

The editing was at times also very frustrating, especially that moment when Ziqi is being tortured and suspended from the threads by the aunt and we cut to the story of Mu Yao and Fu Yi again. The forced suspense made me lose interest in what was going to happen to Ziqi.
There are as said, many parts in the later half where it feels rushed or there is a lack of context, explanation or we're jumping from one thing to another without much direction. The ending is VERY rushed in my opinion, we go from one minute trying to kill the baddie to some tunnels of time or something to then learn in two seconds that everything that Ziqi is or has told is basically smoke and that he's also from the real world, or a copy of the real world him (we never get to know). I also still don't understand why they were walking the stairs that slow. I mean at the top I get it but they started going up in that speed already while all the people are being drained of energy😂

The worst of it though is the main leads relationship, how can you have so much build up to it and once they actually confess to one another they just back down to the point of being almost acquaintances at times. This was such a disappointment!!
And then it's almost brought at the end just because they needed it for the closure but that ending was also very disappointing and anticlimactic, and the drama surrounding the author was unnecessary and felt forced in a series that has been for the most part quite lighthearted with some more action/adventure parts in the mix. We don't even see that much of it to care and doesn't add anything to the ending. I also was very disappointed that they used the "dream" as plot device in the end, especially because it contradicts what happened in the beginning. I think there were many options of ending this in a good way but the way chosen is very unsatisfactory. Her not remembering anything is cliché and boring, the classic open ended with a phrase or the main character being called by someone has been overused already and I don't understand at all why the real Cui Cui and grandfather are there and shown but no one else is?😂

Anyway, I liked this series in general for the fantasy, the world building, the videogame elements and the funny bits it brought, and because I'm a sucker for grumpy MLs that are soft inside, but the plot after that bracelet part of the story just went downhill quite quickly and it got disappointing.
I don't know if I can recommend it, it's watchable but it leaves you with a bitter aftertaste. I sadly won't rewatch it as much as I enjoyed the first part, the relationship angst completely fizzling out after telling each other is such a let-down.