This review may contain spoilers
Beautifully done
It was beautiful.Casting was so well done, everyone was absolutely stunningggg. Tian Xi Wei looked divine in Moonlit Reunion and even better here. . I have no words to explain her besides that she looks like an angel and her acting range is insane, can only think of one or two actresses that could pull it off. Nothing felt stiff, from fighting to kissing, everything flowed very naturally and nothing looked toooo absurd. Yes, she killed a general with two strikes but also has anyone complaining about this ever seen an actual PIG? They are huge. If a girl can carry a damn pig like nothing, then she can kill a man with two strikes, it makes sense, you know? Linghe also never, ever looked better and he could do both things he does best: brood and cry, and he did not disappoint. He does yearning very well, he does psycho very well and was able to masterfully navigate between the extremes of hot and cold. Honorable mention that hot scenes were hotting (god bless).
Aside from that, most characters had names, stories and personal motivations. Side stories were not boring, second couple did AMAZING, to the point of being as important to plot as the main couple. It did not have the usual (and useless) sidekicks around leads, with no boring plots or filler episodes, everything had a purpose.
Cinematography was a work of art. Lightning, camera work, angles, composition, and the color graaaaaaading!! There is a video the studio released about the color grading work, it is stunning. Costumes, wigs, scenarios, make up, soundtrack was not groundbreaking, but also very well done. The director has definitely add one more line to his already great record of very well executed projects.
And all of this allowed what I have rarely seen around: beautiful story telling. It allowed feelings to be expressed in actions/images, and avoided overexposure of information to explain events or actions, which is what often creates the sense of disbelief in us as consumers of the final product. This is why we often can’t tolerate some costume dramas: it looks staged, it feels fake. If I can’t connect with the story, characters, scenarios or world, I will lose interest in it, and this was not the case here. We got so many beautiful, unique, well done shots and angles. It was creative sometimes, poetic in others, and even cheesy at some point, but it was so so so pleasing to watch, we were weeeeell served.
Now, I do not ignore that the plot had some issues, but as anyone who knows a bit about how media control works in China, it is nothing new. The limitation of episodes, duration, removal of actors involved in scandal and other cultural requirements often lead to this outcome in this type of media (unfortunately). I also disagree with comments that talk about lack of creativity or absurdity of plot, and I can only presume those watchers have not been around for long, because denying the quality of work and content is absolute blindness or lack of experience.
Of course there is room for improvement, for example, further deepening of the ML feelings would have been great to the overall plot. The strength of the feelings that drove the Sui princes to madness is what made them so magnetic (besides being hot as well). The complex of the relationship between the second couple was soooo well done, it made the conflicts of the main couple seen a bit plain. It was hard to connect to that bone deep solitude that made the Marquis the cold and distant man he is at the begining of the story. We could watch and understand Changyu’s sorrows, but we saw very little of what made Xie Zheng who he was. This is a second strike for Linghe, because his role in Our Generation had the same exact issue. Do better handsome!
Personally, I would also have loved to see more ML fighting scenes. Seeing the FL rock it was great, she is main character after all, but I expected more from the Marquis. It was funny that the only scene he actually fought he was using a mask, which made me wonder if it was a skill issue…however, he did have fighting scenes in other productions, so I prefer to believe it was a very conscious choice. His aura was 1000/10 tho, no comments.
Regarding timeline and pacing, which are also very important for world building, both were great during the first 23 eps, the development of the relationships and plots felt real and solid. Rhythm got a bit wonky after that, but nothing that is not seen in every other production out there. And well, it affected the ending, which felt rushed and shallow when compared to everything else. I must say I would have preferred a single solid ending over the fan service they chose to do, with the random scenes from the alternate ending. But it is a HE and this girl likes a HE, so I will take my win.
Finally, well, I looooved it as the love story it is. It is not a heavy political, vengeance drama. It is not a comedy nor a parody. It is a love story, very sweet and very emotional/highstake, with lots of yearning (and kisses 🙏🏽). It has definitely earned a place within my all time favorites list and I think anyone who likes romance and costume/historial drama should give it a try, I am sure you won’t be disappointed.
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Sizzle To Fizzle
This show started strong but kinda went downhill after episode 29. The editing became choppy, scenes didn't flow well, and most of the time, narrations replaced actual action, which completely took away from the story's impact. I felt the Lin'An arc was overly prolonged which resulted in significant plot sacrifices to fit everything in.The male lead's character was sidelined and watered down, causing him to be overshadowed by the female lead throughout the drama. The Marquis of Wu'An, a figure of great importance was just an aura farmer with no real action on the battlefield. it’s honestly irritated me to no end. Just give this man some epic battle scenes for crying out loud!
Then there’s also our FL who faced zero consequences for her reckless actions after joining the military. She drugged her husband and made him miss a crucial battle, but was let off without any punishment because she was the wife of the Marquis. She broke many more rules and still faced no consequences, making it feel like she was above the law. Then we had her character become superwoman-like, killing seasoned generals on the battlefield with just two strikes, despite having no proper military training or battle experience. This was the fastest I’ve seen a soldier rise to the position of a general after just two battles. So unrealistic.
Despite the flaws with the writing, I think Tian Xiwei deserves credit for her performance here. It's her first drama I've seen and I’m quite impressed. ZLH, was still able to deliver a good one despite his FL overshadowing him.
I’m not gonna end this without mentioning Qi Min and Sui Yuanqing, oh boy, the Sui brothers were so deadly. I applaud Deng Kai for his portrayal of Qi Min. He portrayed this complex character so brilliantly. Lin Mu Ran equally did an amazing job, and it’s impressive considering he's just 20. I still can’t get over the confrontation scene between the brothers which led to SYQ's demise. That whole performance was peak.
Overall, this was an entertaining watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
A jade totally worth pursuing ❤️
What a wonderful joy ride this drama has been, and this is coming from someone who's read the novel multiple times and is able to make the comparison between the drama and novel.I'll start with the visuals and the cinematography, I'm just in awe of how amazing this director is with his craft. As a fan of Blossom, I knew his cinematography would not disappoint, but dang, he seriously up an entire level with POJ. Every scene, frame, and transition is with thought and purpose. His style of filming, especially during the first arc of the village life really made me feel like I'm immersed in their world. The glimpses we get of people's lives in the village, really gave off a sense of authenticity and tranquility and just so captivating. I will continue to follow this directors work for sure!
Casting. I cannot emphasize how perfectly casted to have ZLH and TXW as the cold but handsome marquis and the sweet, whimsical, straight forward, no BS, and strong butcher girl, respectively. To not only have 2 visually stunning actors take the lead but also matching the novel's descriptions of them both, is simply peak casting!!! ts almost like the characters were written with them in mind. I'm curious if the author had a say in the casting 🤔. TXW really stands out from start to finish, she carried out this role exceptionally well and has definitely lived up to the character of Changyu. TXW's emotionally range and versatility is something we don't see in most Cdramas. Bravo my girl! ⭐️⭐️
POJ has had the best overall casting that I've seen in a long time, aside from ZLH and TXW , all the supporting characters, even the child star has had their spotlight moments, every actor/actresses carried out such memorable performances. I'm confident to say that this drama has given a much needed career boost for alot these talented actors.
As for the storyline and plot, I would say the drama follows about 60-70% of the drama at most. In the beginning it appears the drama was choosing to faithfully follow the novel, besides the early development of Changyu and Xie Zheng's relationship in the village (a very welcome change 🤭), everything else was pretty much on par with the novel's progression in the first arc. Honestly, I think the first arc up to when they reunited at the camp was just excellently done 👌, the pacing and development was so engaging. Unfortunately, it is when they hit the military and Changyu's general arc that it started deviating from the novel and while I don't mind some of these changes, in fact, I even enjoyed some of them, I just felt there were certain parts they should've been faithful to: an example is when they changed the part where Xie Zheng chooses to break up with Changyu after finding out about her family, how he torments himself physically and mentally, and then goes chasing to be with her after accepting punishment. This was such a emotionally powerful arc that was not portrayed on screen and its such a missed opportunity cause ZLH would've slayed it. 😢 Another scene I would loved to see on screen is their official wedding, it was such a symbolic ending to the novel as the leads started with a fake marriage and ends up falling in love, going through thick and thin, preservere and finally having their happily ever after. A full circle moment. ❤️
Last but not least, our CP 😍🔥🔥🔥🔥. Seriously don't even know where to start as I'm sooo obsessed with their chemistry!! Even a glance at each other is making my toes curl - yes, big credit goes to the director for his emotionally impactful direction, but like I said before, there is only so much that camera angles and filters can help with bringing out the chemistry, the leads' acting is as equally as important as the director's artistic vision. ZLH and TXW has elevated the level of chemistry in Cdrama and will be hard to match for me. I'm really praying for a second collaboration between this two !!! 🔥🔥🔥😭😭
This is definitely one that I will re-watch ♾️!!!! 😭⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Disney's Mulan 2.0 ... Yawn
I know that the girl boss and Mary Sue archetypes are the hot trend nowadays, but this drama takes the cake. They amped it to absurd levels. At one point the FL lifts up two baskets full of rocks, each weighing 250-plus pounds (>100 kg). Once I saw this roughly 130 lb (59 kg) girl lift more than four times her weight, something that not even the top 1% of men can do, it jumped the shark for me.Sorry, but not even Disney's Mulan or Star Wars' Rey was that over the top. I guess she's the C-Drama equivalent of the overpowered Ms. Marvel in all her girl-boss, I can-beat-men-twice-my-size glory. So it comes at no surprise that the drama is peppered with the repetitive "women are equals" / "women can do whatever they want" PSA. That is, of course, the same recipe for pretty much every historical drama these days, but none as in-your-face as this one.
What about the ML you might ask? Is he also as strong and capable? He's pretty much a lanky ken doll who gladly accepts to be a matriarchal husband. No tension. No debate. It is quite obvious this oh so mighty and "battle-hardened" ancient general is wearing heavy make up. Enough said.
I couldn't take this drama seriously despite the strong effort of the otherwise likeable actors. I just couldn't. On top of that, the plot was fairly predictable and dragged, especially after the first third of the drama. There was no emotional payoff, hardly any humor and all too brief battle scenes. The other two secondary couples lacked originality. I basically fast-forwarded to the last episode. In the end, if you are desensitized to over-the-top Mary Sues and just want to see horse-riding pretty boys slathered with foundation, then this is for you.
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A bond forged beyond intentions
Pursuit of Jade didn’t just win me over, it settled somewhere deep inside me and refused to leave. It’s the kind of story that starts quietly, almost cautiously, and then slowly wraps itself around you until you realize you’re no longer just watching it, you’re living it. What begins as something calculated, a relationship built on necessity and hidden intentions, transforms into something real, something chosen, something that feels inevitable. And watching that shift happen, step by step, was one of the most beautiful parts of the journey.The main leads are unforgettable. Not because they’re perfect, but because they feel real in every possible way. Their chemistry isn’t loud or immediate, it lingers in the air, in the pauses, in the way they look at each other when words aren’t enough. Every interaction feels meaningful, layered with tension, softness, and things left unsaid. You don’t just see them fall in love, you feel it growing with them, through pain, trust, distance, and everything they endure together.
But what truly made this drama feel full and alive were all the relationships around them. The other couples brought different shades of love, each one with its own story, its own struggles, its own quiet moments that added depth to the narrative. None of them felt unnecessary. Instead, they made the world feel bigger, richer, more human.
And then there’s the Northwest Pig Butcher Squad. More than a group, they became family. Loud, chaotic, loyal in a way that feels unbreakable. They were there in the lightest moments, making you laugh, and in the darkest ones, holding everything together. Their bond added warmth, heart, and a sense of belonging that made the story feel even more real.
Visually, the drama is breathtaking in a quiet, almost poetic way. The colors, the scenography, the costumes, everything feels intentional. There’s a softness in the calmer scenes and a raw intensity in the more emotional ones, and that contrast creates something incredibly immersive. It’s the kind of drama where even silence feels full.
By the end, I didn’t feel like I had finished a story. I felt like I had lived through something. Like I had to say goodbye to people and a world that had slowly become familiar, almost comforting. And that feeling stayed with me.
10/10 — not just unforgettable, but something I’ll carry with me for a long time. 💫
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Must watch Visual Feast
Storyline can divide into three arcFirst arc-
Xigu Lane (Ep 1- Ep 20-Rating 12/10)
Second arc -
Wartime (Ep 21 to Ep 30- Rating 8.5/10)
Third arc-
Palace intrigued (Ep 31- Ep 40- Rating 9.5/10)
What's good
*ML and FL visual and eyes acting
*Very beautiful Cinematography
*Very nice bgm and OSTs
*can connect with every characters
*Decent fight sequence
*Overall plot motive and sum-up ending
What makes unsatisfied
*Fail to show war tactics and tension in second arc
*Lack of epic battle sequence for ML and lack of clean cut epic battle sequence of FL
*Reduce intensity of ML and FL scenes after half of the show
*Cut and shortened one and only ML and FL bed scene
*Glorify predator and victim relationship of second leads with explicit sex scenes, child abuse and two Epic Death Scenes
Highlights of the show
*ML ethereal beauty, feather-crown entry
*FL butcher to Honorable General journey with well executed Epic fight scenes
*Lin 'an town massacre
Overall
A Feeling good drama with very pleasing visual, plot pivotal of balance between love, duty, family and country.
Encourage to cherish peaceful time and showcase the glory of warriors and hell of war.
Have a nice day , Everyone.
Having very good collective viewing experience in this page.
Love you 🤟😘
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Magic happens under this director Zeng Qing Jie
Even though the leads are both really good-looking, most of their past dramas were kind of meh for me. A few were decent enough to finish, but none really made me go “WOW” until this one. I never been impressed by the 傻白甜 roles that Tian Xi Wei always takes on, so thanks to this drama, she can show off her true potential. From wire works, to horseback riding to carrying ML on her back, she definitely lives up to the role.Honestly, I think director Zeng Qing Jie is the single biggest reason to the drama's success. Everything from the styling and lighting to the storytelling just clicks, and the camera really knows how to capture the leads at their best. Talk about maximizing face cards from leads to the supporting leads!
The opening visuals and music give off a similar vibe to Blossom. The chemistry is very good esp by ep 7, but I wouldn’t say it’s as explosive as Blossom because it's double the episodes so build up needs to be way slower. Its such a fun and enjoyable watch with everything going for it! This is really how I think idol period drama should be made.
Enjoyable characters all around even the evil psycho ones are shippable!
Best memorable scenes outside of ML/FL which I'll be rewatching:
Li Wen Kai saves FL ep 9
FL takes psycho bro hostage ep 18 followed by FL killer fire scene
Li Wen Kai, FL reunion scene ep 23
Yu Qian Qian/Psycho Qi Min ep 21
FL fight scene with pig slaughter comparison ep 30
Qi Ming/SuYuanQing Final scene ep 33
Qi Ming/Yu Qian Qian Final scene ep 40
Too bad there's only 1 Zeng Qing Jie. For sure this is drama of the year for me that I shall be rewatching.
Now that it's over ... I feel a bit empty for weeks to come.
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All show No go!
I waited on watching the end of this, felt like I needed a breather, but it didn’t help and it didn’t work for me sadly.7 episodes in and would have given this 10/10 it was near perfection but it started to unravel slowly, they spent too long in the village, in fact that was a big problem for me with this, locations became stagnant. I started to get distracted when our FL got into the restaurant business, but it picked up, despite its sadness, with the village massacre and her incredible fight scene spinning through the air. ZLH lost it for me here, his character started to make less and less sense to me , especially regarding his little sister or lack there of and that’s when it really started to unravel.
The time in camp seemed like a whole lot of nothing, Feeble battle scenes, a whole lot of cooking, a great general not generaling, even riding in with feathers lost all impact because he’d done nothing to earn them and the unbelievable almost comical fight scenes by our FL, finally defeated any chemistry I felt for the couple, they actually got irritating.
I’d already started to feel like shipping the FL with Lord Li, but at this point I wouldn’t wish that on Lord Li. I think I liked Lord Li so much because his character actually had some flesh on the bones.
The last three episode got better, but they weren’t great, which says it all. They were a mish mash of all the stories concluding but done poorly, I mean what was that final non battle in the palace?
The villains were great, but again not enough screen time or fleshing out of their characters stories, they felt rushed and don’t even get me started on the three of them hanging off of the wall, chained together having a whole ass dialogue in perfect stillness, no pain, struggle or fear.
The political intrigue was much needed but came too late and not enough, I was left wanting more of the prime ministers story, his wife’s and her son and his lover and of course the previous king. That could have been a whole episode on its own.
We had sparse exchange with our ML’s and even the bath tub scene left me flat because it came out of nowhere.
The second couple had all the chemistry and stole the limelight, but we saw them too little.
In conclusion, I don’t know what happened from episodes 1-7 to the rest but it felt like the screenwriter or editor got a lobotomy. I ended up giving it a MDL 7.5 but honestly that is because of those first 7 episodes and I think I’m being generous, both structure, pacing and character development went out of the window for me, no amount of beautiful scenes, styling or big names could save this imho for me anyway.
The takeaways were some brilliant child acting those kids stole the show, those perfect first episodes and definitely actors I’m going to look out for in the future, oh and our 🔥 uncle, he got me through!
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Started strong, fell off 2/3 of the way through and found itself again at the end
This drama hooked me from episode 1. The chemistry between the leads and the story were so well done. It definitely felt like the production team spent a lot of time developing all the relationships, especially the leads, in the first 25ish episodes. It was obvious the female lead wore the pants in the relationship in the first half of the drama since ML married into her family so I was very much okay with that. But there really needed to have been more scenes showcasing the male lead's strength when his true identity was revealed in the second half of the drama. I do feel like we were robbed of fight scenes from ML.The drama started to fall off for me around episode 26 because it started focusing more on the politics and developing the story between the Wei and Li counselors. It really came down to pacing here. They should have woven the politics into the beginning scenes more instead of giving us 6-10 episodes of almost all politics. It was hard to stomach since we were already conditioned to see the FL and ML onscreen 95% of the time for the first 26 episodes. It just felt like they were trying to redirect our attention to learning something new more than halfway through the drama and it felt so disjointed.
Maybe one of the reasons why it was extra annoying to have so much FL and ML time but then all of a sudden have that drop off into politics is because despite this shift, the second leads' story was always so well developed. It just felt like they got it all. the scenes, the emotion, the build-up, the angst and of course the SK and DK was absolutely excellent in their acting and portrayal of their roles. It really left me feeling well, if the second leads can get that, why cant the first leads also get that?
The drama picked up for me again around episode 36 because well, surprise surprise, more primary lead time onscreen. Thats really what I needed. Thats not to say the drama was as good as its beginning episodes because it wasnt. The issue was the storytelling at the beginning was acted out, it was shown to the audience. But in the latter episodes in order to clear up all the politics/backstory/misunderstandings, characters had to actually spell it out while reminiscing. Listening to a monologue and trying to understand all the intricacies is very different and less entertaining than seeing it acted out.
Something that made this story really shine was allll the side characters. The ruffians turned brothers were so endearing. Mr and Mrs Zhao caring for FL and her sister really grounded the drama from the start and gave it warmth. Even ML's trusted guard was fantastic. Not to mention the comedy that all these characters gave to the story. Every single one of them was such a joy to watch. Usually when I see an express package come out, fans are quick to speed through the drama because they want to know what happens. But I think for the first time, I'm seeing fans say, I'm going to wait because I dont want it to end. I believe its this sense of safety and nostalgia from the beginning episodes that really left a mark for the audience.
Definitely one of my fave dramas of all time because I'll never forget the obsession of waiting to watch the next episode at the beginning. It simply started out so strong. Perhaps one way around episodes 27-35 being disappointing for me, would have been to wait and binge this drama. It was unfortunate that during that time, only one episode was coming out a day. So we were waiting a whole 24h for a subpar 40-50 min, which really added to the resentment. But had I been able to watch some less desirable episodes quickly and then make my way to the better episodes ahead, I probably wouldn't have felt the sting as much.
Thankful for for this drama and I feel fortunate to have been able to watch this.
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Magnificent C drama ✨✨✨✨✨✨⭐♥️❣️
Very lovely C-drama. From the very first episode, I got hooked. This drama has a mixture of funny, romantic, deadly, and dangerous emotions, which I really like. The background settings are absolutely gorgeous. Tian Xi Wei looks very cute, and I just love her role as a badass butcher 🔥. Zhang Linghe is so strong, protective, and handsome🫶😍☺️… I just can’t take my eyes off him. I also love Deng Kai is a perfect example of "Dark Romance" I love his obsessive, protective , scheming character so much..I'm head over heels for him completely..I just don't know I love his villain personality so much . I like Lin Muran too ..he is so younger than me but it's okh ..I like him too ...the child actor and actress who played Bao er and Chang Ning is really adorable 😍🥰..I love those childhood sweethearts 🌷...I really want a strong hug from Deng Kai because i know I will feel his warmth by hugging him...damn he is lit 💫..I love the entire team , cast infact Pig Butcher Squad ... Director, screen writer, entire caste , supporting role ...hats off to them ..I really love everything about this drama .Was this review helpful to you?
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Started with great hope...but...
Visually saying,this drama is a gem. Cinematography,color grading everything is extremely mesmerizing,all actors/ actresses were looking too good. Almost every scenario was captured in such a poetic way...it was just a feast for eyes.Even the starting was captivating. The love story beween a butcher girl from a remote village and Marquis of Wan who is injured and under false identity was definitely interesting. The set up of Lin'an village was so good...story pacing was going just right. Both the leads were perfect, good looks paired with good acting.
But the problem started midway when the story shifted from a sweet innocent love story to war situations, palace politics,nasty villains were introduced. Suddenly it became evident our Marquis has little to none activity on warfield, we only know or presume about his past heroism...but in present time he was injured half the time,there was no such example of why he holds such a grand position. On the other hand his wife,the butcher girl who never set foot outside her village,never been in such situations suddenly became general after unbelievably killing enemy general so easily. None of this makes sense.... Or they couldn’t potray it properly, idk. The whole lying/hiding Xie Zheng's identity in the military camp and everyone helping him doing that on a funny note...not amusing. Also Fan Changyu never getting any consequences for literally drugging the Marquis of Wan for stopping him from going to war...unbelievable.
The last arc,political arc was the most frustrating one. So many things were happening all of a sudden, but there was no proper explanation. Weird edits,abrupt cuts,very very underwhelming ending of the villains, so many plotholes, side stories not being explored properly....it was a mess. It definitely needed some more episodes to cover up everything. The ending was not satisfying either, even the alternate ending was abrupt. Couldn’t believe a show that started with so much potential ended with such a bizarre tone.
Another thing I couldn’t digest.. The romanticisation of the relationship between Qi Min and Qianqian. Whatever it was, it was not love from any side. He was an abuser,r*apist.... Why was their scenes more intense,sensual than the main couple? Are we supposed to sympathise with him?? What was the director thinking??
However, it was a pleasant one time watch. I enjoyed the Lin'an arc so much,the female lead was definitely a showstealer,such a good potrayal of Fan Changyu. Zhang Linghe also deserves applause,he looked really good with her.
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what a way to ruin the whole message with the last 20 minutes
what a way to cheapen the whole show with that ending.This drama started out good, I believe everyone's favourite part must be their village life days, they built something together that felt grounded and very sincere.
I also want to mention Qi Min and Qian Qian, their dynamic was disturbing (but also their chemistryy! so good), but still interesting to watch because of how tragic and psychologically messy it was.
But i have to talk about the ending!
The “what-if” sequence completely undermined everything that came before. By removing her background, her struggles, and the circumstances that shaped her, it should turn her into a fundamentally different person. And yet, the drama still insists they would end up together anyway. It quite literally ruined the whole 40 episodes I just spent watching.
That’s the problem.
It changes the message from a very specific connection, built on who they were, how they met, and what they meant to each other in that moment of their lives to something much more generic: that they would have fallen in love regardless of any of it. ahh pisses me off.
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