
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.
I was like when did I ever subscribed to this manga? What is this ? But it's soo wholesome..