I came across this drama thanks to a featured article on mydramalist. Otherwise, I would not have picked it up myself, given how I tend to shy away from modern day Chinese dramas after having been burned multiple times. And the poster and synopsis do not do this drama justice. But lo and behold, here is a modern day Chinese drama that’s only 16 episodes long and kept my attention from start to finish!

We first meet our heroine, Ruan Nian Chu (Yilia Yu), going on blind dates and musing about boys and dating with her fashionable, wealthy best friend, like a typical city girl. But we soon learn she went through a traumatic experience five years ago with a man she cannot forget (hence why she's single). He saved her from drowning, and I must admit at first, her continued interest in this man had me rolling my eyes. I mean, this was five freaking years ago. As the story progresses, however, we discovered through flashbacks that this mysterious man and her spent a significant amount of time together following the incident, with him protecting her by disguising her as his woman to deter any would be rapists in a region controlled by a crime organization where she was held captive. Now THAT is understandable. I mean, who could forget an experience like that? The flashbacks have a way of revealing major, romantically intense memories in a way that had me fascinated.

After helping her escape, he appears to have perished in an explosion, along with the rest of the gang. She has been longing for him since. Now, five years later, suddenly, he's back. And here's where we meet our hero, Li Teng (Tsao Yu Ning), now head of a security company; a cold man with an assured authority. With the two of them meeting again after such a long time, in a setting so far removed from their first encounter, can they finally be together? Things are not so simple as he’s more mysterious than ever before and his motives unclear. One thing is for sure though, their feelings have only intensified.

This drama made me a fan out of Tsao Yu Ning (Where have you been all this time?). There were times when he reminded me of Lee Min-ki or Kang Ha-neul or Yeo Jin-goo but most of the time I just thought he was HOT. The dude looks seriously good from every angle. He's one of the most attractive men I have ever seen and even more so because he can act. He plays a man whose outside exterior is so cold but burning like charcoal inside for the heroine. I know that's a common character trope nowadays but he plays it so well I loved every minute of it. I loved, loved, loved his wolf-like, penetrating gaze. His chemistry with Yilia Yu is one of the best I've ever seen; whose character, by the way, is also easily likable. She is so delicate but so strong. Their characters’ sexual tension is palpable. A look here, a look there spoke volumes about their feelings. And their mundane, post confession romance is just as heart pounding and sweet. I couldn't get enough of their interactions that I rewatched for many days after finishing.

I was impressed with how the drama weaves the past and present together to help us understand the choices the characters make. The editing here is really top-notch. In a few scenes, the drama effectively conveys how the leads fall for each other before reluctantly parting ways. By the time they meet again in the present time, without much being said, we completely understood the characters' wants and the hidden layers. I do wish the flashbacks were longer; they spiced up the drama and gave depth to the story. Though not too many, there are some action scenes with excellent choreography. Li Teng felt like a real former special forces agent, capable and formidable. But at times you may feel as if you’re in a different drama because of how light the present story is. Overall though, it is a story that is a nice balance of light and intense. Thanks to its length, this was the perfect drama to binge on a long weekend and left me feeling satisfied.