I'm writing this on the day the translation finished (hurray!)

This story is intentionally slow in the beginning, giving it a more slice of life feel.

The pace will only feel faster around the last 10-20%. This is when all the schemes and seeds planted in the beginning and middle finally show their results.

Rather than a strong action-packed flavor, this novel tastes more subtle and almost relaxed. As in real life, some of the events have multiple meanings and foreshadowings. They get revealed after some contemplation - or reading the comments... more>> of other readers who've done the thinking.

The two protags have a lot of strengths that suit their roles. The main character, Hua Xi Wan, is a refreshing break from all those other Josei/Shoujo Chinese novel MCs that are all about revenge and dealing with petty schemes. She has a lot of depth and strength, but she's judicious in their use, preferring a relaxed life.

Compared to To Be a Virtuous Wife's male lead (He Heng), our male lead here is more talkative. We get to see more of his opinions, thoughts, and ambitions. It's quite interesting how he develops.

Finally, this novel is interesting in how it comments the acting skills of the rest of the Imperial family and nobility.

In many other novels, the behaviors of many characters in nobility don't really fit the behavior that a courtier needs to survive. It short, they're not that believable. I feel like this novel is more accurate in how courtiers would have acted in such situations.

Spoiler

Before Hua Xi Wan transmigrated from the modern era, she was someone from the entertainment circles. If I remember correctly, she was a dancer and actress. It's funny whenever she comments her awe for the acting skills of the imperial family :p

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This novel is in fact similar to HTBA Virtuous Wife. I like the almost slice of life pacing. Nothing feels rushed. It's a nice read. A lot of translation are pretty bad that I cannot tell if they story is bad or the translation. I like this translation.