
He.. I.. he has officially given up.. No.. keep fighting Ilic. Like why.. this is trauma bonding... Well, with how the novel started it wasn't going to be love, I knew it already.. but it still doesn't sit well with me.. gonna go read something light I guess

Yeah, I actually wanted to point this out too. This is definitely trauma bounding, and you can see the dark look in Ilic's eyes. It doesn't show that he loves Sa-yan in a genuine romantic way, it shows a look of defeat and a look that shows he's clinging to him out of desperation rather than love. It's not affection—it:s survival. He's been broken down so much that he sees Sa-yan as his only anchor, even if that bond is built on fear, control, or dependency. That dark look isn't devotion; it’s the expression of someone who feels trapped but can't let go.

I honestly hated the way this ended. It's a tragic ending, not a good one at all, and people who see it as a happy ending are just delusional and weird to me. I really wanted to see him escape, to get out and find some sort of peace, but instead, it just felt like everything fell apart. I feel bad for Ilic.

Bro Feng is just a weak willed person.. he didn't love the MC and didn't jump into water because of it.
He felt guilty because of murdering someone who had been kind to him. Clearly unlike his brother he psyche was somewhat normal.
How could you bear to kill someone (in this case push a heavily posioned MC into water) if you love them? Like love-LOVE them?
That being said, in the extras - if they all find love, then that's fine. Love who you will.

This work is not in the morally white zone. It's a period piece and many things are just plain wrong which we can clearly see and say in hindsight living in the 21st century. It's not just the second couple, there are major issues with the first couple too. And other adults who are supposed to be responsible for creating a safe space for children in the society.
So heed the warnings and drop this if it makes you uncomfortable in any manner. Your mental peace comes first.
That being said, I really like this. It's very unique and there are so many facets of the characters that we see. I'd keep reading it, since I consider myself very capable of handling heavy concepts and differentiating between art and reality. So, thank you for the uploads and the translation.. I went to buy the raws but there aren't any official English translation I could find.
This guy is really testing fate.. wdym He robs someone without covering his face.. that's like number 1 on Robbery for Dummies Book 101, if it existed... But he really be living life on the edge..
Exactly like how did he not "mysteriously" disappear by now