This drama has some major star power; joe chen and huang xiao ming absolutely killed it along with the rest of the cast. The chemistry between all the actors is evident and they show all the emotions and romance blossoming through the camera amazingly. The pure sadness and rebelliousness we see in yingdong makes you want to empathize with him, but also mingzhu is just as pitiful.
despite the star power and amazing chemistry at parts the slimy script writing degraded the quality of the show. At times the script will contradict itself, for example the zhouzhen(ML) will tell jinxiu (FL) you cant live in shanghai bund by yourself, its not for a country girl like you. he in fact goes out of his way to keep guards posted and provides her with a job and home. But later zhouzhen tells the 2nd FL(mingzhu) that jinxiu can survive anywhere using her own abilities. SPOILER (zhouzhen saves jinxiu from being raped when she was working at a hostess bar) she would not have been able to fend for herself at all.
A damsel in distress is a damsel in distress, it would have been better to recognize that and go with it, rather than give the FL a very brazen personality being brave with little sense of humility pretending she can make it anywhere. this is another thing, we see personal growth in all the characters, but the FL. She remains that naive country girl who is merely saved by the mafia lord and does what he wants or what she wants. At some point you want to cheer on for mingzhu more than anyone else.
again, the script also made zhouzhen into such a possessive and jealous man in love. zhouzhen loves and cares for jinxiu and sacrifices constantly for her, but the character is again contradicting himself. He is so gentle with her when he falls in love with her but gets weirdly aggressive after. it was an odd switch.

The music is absolutely forgettable, it cuts in and out at the weirdest timing.

i honestly was more invested in mingzhus story near in the last 14 episodes and. Not worth a rewatch