Mature storyline and relationships with smart leads

I have read the novel, so my views may be partially colored by that. The following is about the drama only.

Things about me that might be helpful for people to know while reading this review: I've been watching C-dramas (mostly court and wuxia dramas) for 30 years. I work in a field that does a lot of counseling, so recognizing emotions is very important for effectiveness at work. The things I can't stand the most in dramas are:
- unrealistic relationships that just appear out of nowhere
- characters who are supposedly smart but who never actually do anything smart. My expectations for "smart" behavior: in their situation and emotional state with their character personalities, I wouldn't have been able to find a better solution
- characters doing stupid things just to advance the plot...a mark of lazy screenwriting

THE REVIEW:

STORY: 9/10
I think the pacing is good; I enjoy buildup and intrigue, and I also like picking up foreshadowing (of which there's quite a lot). Some scenes with Di Chengen/Mu Qing can probably be skipped without affecting understanding of the plot at all, though. The first half feels like a rom-com, while the second half is an angsty tragedy...so just be prepared for the mood to completely twist when things get serious.
The storyline itself might have been a disaster with a different cast, but I think the actors have successfully saved it. We're invested in the characters, so we keep watching through the "filler" scenes...
None of my pet peeves have appeared, so still a high mark for me.

ACTING: 10/10
One of the saving graces of this drama.
Gong Jun gets an A+ for his depiction of Han Ye. His acting is layered and nuanced, and you can pick out conflicting emotions or when Han Ye knows you're trying to trick him but plays along anyway... Even when most of his face isn't moving much, you can tell from his eyes what he's feeling. Han Ye came out of the book as a flesh and blood person.
Reba also does a great job with her acting, A+. Also layered, subtle. Very realistic. Suitably imposing! I don't think a lot of actresses could play a dual role like this.
Liu Yuning: He's newer to acting, but you can definitely tell what emotions his character is feeling. I think he's overly exaggerated with his facial expressions, but I suspect that's because I'm expecting him to be the reserved, lazy, cool-headed person he is in the book...
Some of the older supporting actors also did an awesome job.

- MAIN CHARACTERS: 10/10. Most characters are 3-dimensional and/or have character development in the course of the story

Anle/Di Ziyuan: Sassy, smart, and strong woman who basically does what she wants and flaunts convention.

Han Ye: Reserved, and like his actor described, like "flowing water beneath the ice." Outwardly, he's a righteous gentleman with high tolerance for hijinks and disrespect, to the point where both viewers and other characters mistakenly think he's "naive" or even "weak." He may look like there's not much going on, but he's actually scary smart and capable of manipulating everything...and hiding it, too.

Luo Mingxi: Smart, cunning, and loyal, with some rather dark edges...

- RELATIONSHIPS: 10/10
Anle/Di Ziyuan and Han Ye: one of the most (if not THE most) mature and believable complicated love relationships I've seen in C-dramas. Very impressed! What I like best about their relationship is how much they respect and admire each other, and even when they're supposedly opponents, it's obvious they still care about and want to protect the other person. If the whole Di family thing hadn't happened, these two would have made an unmatchable dream team.

Di Ziyuan and Luo Mingxi: a lot of affection and trust. They always have each others' backs.

Han family: relationships in the Han family are so touching. While some of them may have...issues...it's obvious (and believable) that they love each other very much.

Han Ye and Wen Shuo: Love their relationship. While he's very reserved with others, Han Ye treats Wen Shuo like an exasperating but much loved little brother/son.

- PRODUCTION: 6.5/10
The CGI is many times sub-par, especially for an S+ drama. Other times it's fine. Watchable, at least.

The cuts are sometimes sloppy--positions, expressions, and people sometimes abruptly change places from one second to the next. This can be distracting if you're a person who notices those things.

I have an inkling that many scenes of secondary characters (new actors and actresses) were added to promote them. Linlang and Di Chengen especially.

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