I've watched quite a few romance dramas and have actually accepted the fact no matter how much they play it differently, it boils down to the same "framework" - getting together --> separating --> getting back together. I guess it's kind of the core messaging behind most romance dramas - a relationship is only real if both partners could survive through obstacles and end up stronger together.

Back to the drama, I don't see this as just a romance drama but it's also a drama that talks about how these two individuals change their perspectives in lives and work through their past baggages. There are many real issues which are addressed in this series:

1. Between ethics and work profession, which one do you pick?
2. The competition in a corporate environment and how different people survive in that environment.
3. The fact that even in today's modern world, women are still treated differently in a professional environment. Gender preference when it comes to hiring, is still very real.

In the comments, a lot of people really hated on Wu Fei and the lady boss of the firm. Well, it just shows how well these actresses have portrayed their characters. Without Wu Fei, I think the whole process of Qin Shi climbing up to Level 11 seems a little too easy. Without the lady boss, the message about working women won't have such a huge impact.

Acting wise, I was pensive because of the age gap between Yang Mi and Xu Kai, but I was quite a fan of Yang Mi's work for a while and quite like Xu Kai's acting as well so I decided to give it a go. Surprisingly, their chemistry is off the charts. The whole relationship played out very well throughout the drama.

From the romance point of view, there are a lot of comments about how they ended the whole drama so hastily. Qin Shi and Yang Hua had to break up and only to reconcile at the very last minute. I on the other hand, quite like the pacing. They had spent so much screen time as lovers in the middle of the series, and there are quite a few scenes loaded with cuteness and romance between the two, how much more romance do you want the scriptwriters to inject in the end of the drama?

The break up is essential for Qin Shi to finally realize her own feelings and decide on her own standpoint when it comes to love. If you have been following how Qin Shi and Yang Hua communicated with each other since the beginning of their relationship, surely you sense the amount of unwavering trust they have for each other. Deep down, Yang Hua knows that Qin Shi loves him and believes that she would realize that given time and space. So what if they have separated for 7 months? I think even if it's a whole entire year, Qin Shi would still go back to him. Plus knowing his character, he had probably been keeping tabs on Qin Shi the entire time.

The ending is quite a good closure in my opinion. Not just a happy ending to Yang Hua and Qin Shi's relationship but also to Qin Shi's career as a woman in the law industry.

I would still highly recommend for people who have not watched the drama to give this a try. Probably not the top 1 romance drama I would pick but still a good one.