The Chinese Donghua Heaven Official’s Blessing (commonly referred to as TGCF) is back for its second season, bringing the flirtatious and intense tension that makes main characters Hua Cheng and Xie Lian so addictive on screen.

Adapted from the web novel by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (MXTX), Heaven Official’s Blessing tells the story of the unfortunate crown prince and humble fallen god Xian Lian and the Ghost King of Ghost City Hua Cheng (San Lang). Having waited hundreds of years for his childhood savior, Xie Lian, Hua Cheng becomes an unexpected, gentle protector of the god inside a world where he is seen as anything but.

While the first season took our duo (and others) to Mount YuJun and Banyue, the second takes us to Hua Cheng’s domain, Ghost City.

The first two episodes set the stage for the journey ahead, sending Xie Lian on a mission into Ghost City along with Qing and Qingxuan. There, they come face-to-face with Hua Cheng inside a gambling hall.

At this point, it’s common knowledge that Xie Lian has unknowingly befriended the Ghost King, a truth that has stirred both awe and suspicion among the gods.

Just like in the first season, as chaos rains around them, Hua Cheng and Xie Lian manage to create a series within a series. Like the calm in the middle of a storm, their love story grows inside the turmoil. Steady. Solid. Somehow brilliantly simple despite the complexity of the situations they find themselves in.

It feels like nothing happened in the second episode beyond the betting table scene it focused on. And yet, an entire romance flourished under the prying eyes of ghosts and gods alike. From the stares to the touches to the gentle manipulation Hua Cheng has over the crowd of onlookers and his patience with the man he loves.

And that’s the reason TGCF is so brilliant. It relies heavily on the love swirling calmly amid the storm surrounding it. All while highlighting Xie Lian’s kind, humble nature and Hua Cheng’s desire to cater to the man he loves while still managing to remain the man so many fear.

For novel readers and those who haven’t read it, it will be fascinating to see Xie Lian and Hua Cheng’s growth inside the Ghost King’s realm and beyond. Check it out now on Crunchyroll and Bilibili!

Rating- 4 out of 5