"Don't be afraid. I'm alright. I'll protect you." - Hua Qian

"Don't Worry. Don't be afraid. You have me by your side." - Hua Wen Ang

The above are two (2) of the most heartwarming yet heartbreaking moments and I can still remember how heavy these scenes are for me. The mere thought of my sibling/s catching a sword stab for me and my father taking the blame to cover my shits will be the trigger for me to lose my screws, go mad and never recover ever again; and to think that Hua Qian experienced it twice (2x) just made me realized how gravely injured, badly traumatized and maimed she was all those times yet still managed to pull herself together to redo her life to hopefully rectify the past mistakes she's done during her 'first' attempt of it.

First and foremost, I wanna tell people to just watch it and don't even give a damn about all the negative reviews you may find on MDL. Don't be dissuade by those subjective opinions and never allow them as well to take this opportunity from you to watch such an excellent drama.

This story is like a manual handbook that will teach you how to lookback on your previous actions—what you've done wrong, what are the things you could've dealt with better and actions/mistakes you should never do again. It's a narrative that will make you remember that life is only good for a lifetime, that there's no 2nd life at all. So you must seize the moment, face all your fears, own up to your past mistakes, make ammends by correcting them and live your life better with satisfaction and contentment.

This drama gave me so much life lessons, inspirations and warmth that for some reason I feel like I can handle the situations ahead of me much better now. This show reminded me that "Kindness will never go unnotice and will certainly be rewarded in the most satisfying and unexpected way possible" and I know it may sound exaggerated however this story is truly one of those dramas that will make you look back at your life while thinking to youself...Have I been nice enough?, Have I been appreciative of what I currently have?, Have I ever hurt someone without any valid reason? and so on. This is also one of the major reason why I want people to watch this drama; because I want them to take some moment to ponder on how are they living their lives so far... was it satisfying? is it worth it? and is it something that you can be proud of when you think about all of it decades from now? I hope people can find peace, realization and healing from this wonderful anecdote.

I originally want to talk about the 3 male leads—their difference, what I like about them and which approach I like better; but then, how can I do that when there's 2 different dimensions and one of them which happened to be the main focus of the entire story turned out to be a dream? I myself got flustered after finding out; because I tend to take notes of the scenes I find interesting and want to talk about so that I can use it as a go to guide to write my reviews but how can I use that now knowing that the 98% of the show is actually a dream? I know it sounds dramatic but it really is complicated...since the things I initally observed turned out to be a creation of Hua Qian's dream/imagination only.

Anyways, I just want to say that out of all the 3 ML, I love Hua Rong Zhou the best! It would have been a thrilling moment to see him settle down and live happily ever after with Hua Qian but dang! the plot twist killed that idea for me. I'm sad but not even a bit disappointed about it because I understand that some people, specially those who are going through traumatic experiences may/tend to create an imaginary friend for them to feel secured, protected and loved. I understand that it's Hua Qian's defense mechanism working. Because she needs someone who will be there unconditionally for her. Someone who will always choose her whenever and whatever happens.

Regarding Zhong Xi Wu, I was conflicted of him at first specially on how he acted on Hua Qian's dream. However, when his true intention and feeling were revealed at the final episode, I was like, "Damn! I was wrong all this time. This man is even more devoted and crazy in love more than I thought he originally was." This guy is the sole reason why Hua Qian is even still alive and able to "re-live" her life through her dream. He basically gave her another chance to life, a new direction and a redemption path to take. It was all thanks to him that she was able to deal with her obsession, devious desires, regrets, and her overall inner demons. He made her feel better and in good health (physically) as much as he can and thanks to all that, she stayed breathing and eventually woke up; and although the 1st 'wake up' attempt was a failure because she's still unable to distinguish between the reality and fiction (dream), the 2nd attempt finally turned out to be a successful one. As it served as a conclusion and agreement to herself that she can no longer live in that way—under the spell of her illusions and imaginations; and that sooner or later she'll have to face everything because after all she still has a whole world infront of her to face and conquer—which is the reality she's been escaping all this time, as she was unconcious, greatly harmed and traumatized of what had happened.

More so, I wanna say that this story is all about facing her own fears and mistakes. Owning up, dealing with them and correcting all of them (as much as she can). Not because she needs and is obliged to, but because she has to, as a healing and coping process of all the bruises, pain and sufferings she had inflicted to innocent people as well as to herself. It's a redemption for all the mistakes of her childish and immature self and also a stand that she's ready to move forward, ahead and infront of the excruciating experiences she went through. Which is an indication of growth and maturity.

In terms of overall costume, production set up and editing, I wanna say that it's either this drama received a good amount of budget/funding or the people workong behind the scenes are just truly talented, flexible and resourceful to make it seem like it. Costumes are beautifully chosen and well coordinated and although the households look relatively small and cramped, I was still able to see how nice, huge and grand it actually looks like inside. So I really want to commend the production team/staffs for their hardwork and dedication to make this production look pleasing and convincing.

Lastly, I'm still in awe on how flawlessly they pulled off the story to become just an imagination/dream when all this times I was convinced it's a time travel plot. I felt stupid for believing what they made me believe it was and it's also the reason why the distaste still lingers in my mouth till now. It's like I was played by both the director and writer...and up until this moment I still feel bad because my ship (Hua Qian X Hua Rong Zhou) can never happen.

P.S. Hua Rongzhou picking up slacks the very moment Hua Qian got divorced still amazes and fascinates me. This is probably my top most favorite part of the story + him fighting Zhong Xi Wu's guards perpetually for 26 months to obtain the information regarding Hua Qian's whereabouts. His growth from being a weak boy into a vigorous man deserves so much praise and admiration.

Story - 10, I love everything about this drama. The story itself was nicely written and although the dialogues aren't as complex, poetic and deep in comparison to the typical historical costume dramas, it was able to keep its own uniqueness and identity for being simple yet clear.

Acting/Cast - 10, I want to praise Zhou Ye for her outstanding execution of Hua Qian. She went all out and I can now consider her as one of the actress who can really act whatever role you give to her. Aside from that I'm also satisfied with the whole cast and I just want to mention how I admired Zhang Zheng Yang's acting here. He's unreadable to me and I love that he made me feel that way.

Music - 10, I love the full list of songs used. I feel like they fits the dramas mood/vibe so much and it is simply calming. Listening to the songs put me at ease. Kudos to Music Team.

Rewatch Value - 10, No words can make me turn my back on this masterpiece. Although the plot twist shocked and disarranged me quite a lot I still love this drama so so much!

Overall - 10, Isn't obvious? lol This show is one of those 1 in a million dramas that actually puts value on the story composition itself rather than having it just beautiful and attractive. It is well crafted and delivers a logical and meaningful message that's crucial and timeless for everyone regardless of age and status.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.