I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with Chinese historical BLs. Some are genuinely excellent, but then there are others that cram in so much plot that keeping track of all the layers of betrayal and scheming gets exhausting, and I end up checking out mentally. Part of the issue is also just how much content is out there in this space, so something really has to stand out to keep me hooked. In this case, the production value is genuinely impressive, top tier stuff, but story wise, I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about these characters. There's a ton of political scheming and backstage manipulation running throughout. Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, a hostage ends up falling for his own Prince Charming. The show runs eight episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long. After spending three years guarding the border, Fifth Prince Yin Qi gets called back to the capital because of a secret letter, only to end up walking straight into a deadly...
I think I am at my peak limit of vertical dramas. I keep saying I need to stop watching these but they are so convenient to watch while running on treadmill that invariable I do end up watching. I am not sure how many of these I have seen already. So here goes one more. It is funny though how all of these series have sort of a [attern to them and you know exactly where the story is headed.
Kit Sterling, a public defender betrayed by his cheating girlfriend, drunkenly declares at a bar that he'll marry the next person who walks through the door. Enter Daniel Finch - sexy defense lawyer and guess what; suddenly the two wake up married. Daniel remembers that Kit is the same boy who many years ago saved him as a kid (Kit has no memory of it). Here starts the drama of will they won't they stay married. Kit's sister is in hospital and Dsaniel's care for her creates a soft spot in Kit for them. The duo keep butt heading in the court in multiple cases that we see and a healthy relationship starts to build. In a twist, Daniel is also engaged to a girl who happens to belong to a mafia family and they have control over Daniel since they knows father's secret. Somewhere along the lines, the du lawyers start to fall in love with each other. The series catapults into everything from mistaken identity to mafia ties, blackmail, courthouse theatrics, hospital drama, and surprise revelations, all tied together by the slow-burn romance between the stubbornly-in-denial Kit and the emotionally committed Daniel.
Kit spends much of the series constantly insisting "I'm not gay," even as he flirts, makes out, and emotionally clings to Daniel. In contrast, Daniel is puny eyes in love with Kit since he is the same guy who he has been looking for years. Neither of them has had a gay relationship before. The plot is filled with dramatic turns: shady crime families, arranged engagements, fake appointments to masquerade parties, courtroom sabotage, drugged drinks, assassination attempts, and crooked cops. Of course we have jealous girlfriends (hilariously over the top) and a few court cases too. Absolutely, do not try to find logic in any situation here, because there are plenty loose ends. It helps that the kisses here between the two men are plenty and seem real. They do have a good chemistry overall and My god! They are both hot. Having said that, the show teases intimacy between Kit and Daniel constantly with those kisses, but never fully delivers on those romantic payoffs. It's an ok watch, slightly better than some of the other ones I have seen so far. (6/10)

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