I. The Good
Beautiful faces, beautiful costumes, beautiful set... and that was about it. The music neither added to the experience nor took away from it, and none of the songs are particularly memorable.

II. The Bad
Year 2024 must be YZX's year to play toxic characters that kill their love interest's family members for the sake of power (see Love and Bid Farewell). In this drama, YZX plays the second male lead (2ML) who has made the equally questionable decision of forsaking love and principles for power. The first male lead is played by ZHR, whose baby face lends credence to his role as the (seemingly) naive younger brother who only wants to live life peacefully with the FL portrayed by ZCH, whose acting skills were lukewarm at best. ZCH had a delicious role which she delivered without any enthusiasm, relying completely on her pretty face to carry the scenes.

The storyline is interesting for this sort of revenge-themed dramas: The ingenue younger brother is the one who wins the lady. However, the manner in which the storyline was expanded and the plot devices used were tepid like a glass of water left out in 36C weather. Episode 1 opens with a steamy scene of the 2ML and the FL supposedly enjoying a tryst as the ML furiously hunts for the 2ML, before the FL runs into the ML's arms crying offense. The FL and the 2ML were originally betrothed as children, before the 2ML murders her entire family and sets the estate on fire to please the Crown Prince. The FL's face is somehow hurt in the fire, but a witch doctor saves her and gives her plastic surgery, rendering her appearances beautiful and unrecognisable. The FL plots the 2ML's downfall, by using the ML to gain access to the 2ML. For some inane and inexplicable reason, this required the FL to plant a child-Gu bug in the 2ML, and if she failed to seduce the 2ML into falling in love with her within a year, she'd die from the mother-Gu bug in her. In episode 2 we find out that ML is the beloved Xiao grandson and the 2ML is the unloved bastard grandson and by episode 3, the FL has finagled a way to move into the Xiao residence and the ML is clearly crushing on the FL. The 2ML objects to the FL and ML's blossoming romance and the FL takes the opportunity to start seducing the 2ML. Episode 5 reveals that the 2ML's mother had murdered the ML's mother, so that she could marry General Xiao and give some legitimacy to the 2ML, but her evil deeds have rendered her paranoid. The 2ML confronts the FL in episode 7 for driving his mother's paranoia, and the FL takes it as an opportunity to seduce the 2ML further. The ML witnesses the FL and the 2ML scandalously entwined and confronts her with some oblique references to freedom. Episode 9 suggests that the FL and the 2ML did have sexual relations, but the FL denies it and obfuscates the reality by coyly flirting with the 2ML. In episode 10, the ML declares that he will surrender inheritance to the 2ML and he only wants the FL. The 2ML kidnaps the FL, and plans to render his brother disabled when the ML inevitably tries to save her. The ML successfully saves the FL without losing his limbs, but in the meantime, the 2ML had successfully executed his plan to fake-save their father, to gain their father's approval and secure heir rights.

The second arc begins in episode 13. To protect the ML, the FL cold-heartedly informs him of her plans to marry his brother who now was more likely to be the heir. As the FL unravels the 2ML's plans, the ML stabs his own leg to kickstart his own plans of dragging his brother down. Apparently, being rejected by a woman is the beginning of his villain arc. This provides the FL an opportunity to provide care to the 2ML and elicit feelings in episode 14. While the 2ML's feelings develop in episodes 15 and 16, the ML repeatedly rubs the proverbial salt in the FL's wound, because of course the 2ML is already betrothed to the Crown Prince's sister. The ML saves the FL from the princess' plot and it is revealed in episode 18 that he is aware of the FL's true identity and her plans for revenge, and that his cruel act was merely to assist her in her plans. They continue their act for the 2ML, who is revealed to be deeply in love with his childhood sweetheart (the FL) and who had murdered the Xia'an clan in exchange for the FL's life. It is also disclosed in episode 20 that it was the princess who had set the Xia'an residence on fire. The princess attempts to assassinate the FL in episode 21, but the ML saves her and with some kind of physics-defying gymnastics, he manages to climb back up a cliff that he'd fallen off, with no scratches on him. The 2ML, who had rushed over to save the FL, witnesses their loving embrace and goes into hiding. To lure him out, the FL and ML planned to get married, which brings us back to the opening scene in episode 1. Episode 23 confusingly opens with the 2ML presenting the FL as the surviving Xia'an member to the Crown Prince, after the cliffhanger in episode 22. As it turns out, the FL, ML, and 2ML had plotted the Crown Prince's downfall after the confrontation at the wedding, with the 2ML gifting evidence of the Crown Prince's crimes to the FL and ML for their wedding gift. Of course, the 2ML dies protecting the FL from the princess trying to stab her. Burdened by guilt, the FL tells the ML to forget about 'Ban Meng' in the beginning of episode 24, and they go their separate ways. But by the end of the episode, after the ML returns successful from some random battle, they meet each other again.

As you can see, not very creative, not very titillating, and definitely underwhelming. I can't even say I was secretly thrilled by the so-called 'steamy' scenes.

III. The Ugly
There's nothing particularly ugly and there are no trigger warnings (other than the mass murder at the beginning, but what's new).

IV. The Verdict
Beauty can only take you so far without substance. While the FL, ML, and 2ML are not hard on the eyes, there are better things to watch.