Okay, first things first, the chemistry between Yan Yikuan and Song Yi is hands down the best I've ever seen! I watched Love in Hanyuan back in 2020 or 2021 (Yes, I'm just getting around to the review) and since then I've seen probably more than 30 C dramas. The only other one where I've seen chemistry at this level would be Maid's Revenge/Forever Love with Chen Fangtong and Dai Gaozheng.

Acting/Cast: I was really excited to watch this one because of Song Yi since I saw her in The Disguiser. Her acting is good in this, but since Love in Hanyuan, she's definitely improved and matured. As for Yan Yikuan, this is my first and only time ever seeing him. I'd love to see them together again in the future, but so far it hasn't happened.

Story:
The plot was decent. Don't expect this to be a very accurate or realistic spy drama, because it's just not. There are a lot of situations that happen that are just not very realistic. Instead, it's got your typical toxic relationship between the main couple set in the Republican Era. Again, the chemistry between the two actors really brings it to the next level, so the typical toxic relationship trope is bearable. The toxic indecisiveness of their feelings comes with the territory, but I really didn't like one particular time in which the FL waits for the ML at the church all day and he finally shows up, but he just calls her mom to pick her up and abandons her. I felt that was too cruel and it made me sort of hate his character.

Also, I've seen so many c dramas where the moms are useless money-grubbing burdens. I understand the mom's character is pertinent to the FL's character development because, without a useless mom the FL wouldn't be perceived as so pitiful, wouldn't be pushed to grow up, learn new skills, and provide for the two of them. At the same time, it's annoying and kinda a sad portrayal of mothers and women since it's so overused.

I love how much we can see that the ML cares for the FL. Even during the breakup portion and he's engaged to her best friend, he's still 100% more concerned about our FL like when she's sick or if she lacks an umbrella in the rain type of thing. I think his care makes his character redeemable after abandoning her at the church. Otherwise, I would still find him despicable and cowardly.

There were some parts where I felt there were holes in the plot. Like when the ML takes over and moves into the FL's house and the FL becomes his maid. I feel like it's kind of forgotten that it was her house. There's this one part where the ML at the time is engaged to the FL's best friend. The best friend brings some food over to cook for the ML. Both the FL and ML don't tell the best friend that the FL is the ML's maid. So during this whole cooking ordeal, the best friend becomes sort of suspicious because our FL knows what the ML likes to eat and doesn't like to eat and the FL also knows where the apron in the kitchen is. To which I say...it was her house previously! Obviously, she had maids when living in the house and we know from prior episodes that she didn't know how to cook before, but it was her house, so like it's not that weird????

I think the part where the SML loses his mind when finding out he was betrayed by the ML and the FL (to whom he was engaged) was a bit overdone.

The ending:
When I first watched this drama, it wrecked me because I thought it wasn't a happy ending and that the so-called happy part was just in the FL's mind. But I recently went back and rewatched the ending and it wasn't all in her head. It is a happy ending, there's just sort of a quick fake-out that the director does to mess with the audience.