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Character Analysis - Qi Yunke: the difference between love, lost and obssession

Generation to Generation - CommentaryDrama RamblingsGeneration to Generation: episode 36Character Analysis - Qi Yunke: the difference between love, lost and obssessionReally long and totally NOT succinct At All ramblings about (almost entirely) a single narrative point in Generation to Generation 🙂🙂TLDR: at the bottom——Final battle between our leads Cai Zhao and Mu Qingyan vs Qi Yunke: Why does Qi Yunke hate Mu Qingyan so much and why is he so obssessed with pairing Cai Zhao with Song Yuzhi? It’s not because he loves his nephew (and favorite male student) Song Yuzhi and his bai yue guang’s niece (and favorite female student) Cai Zhao that he thinks they should be together. In fact he was never even thinking about them as a potential couple until very recently. Because he was fine with Song Yuzhi and his daughter Qi Lingbo being engaged since forever. So what changed? It was, of course, our male lead Mu Qingyan’s existence. With him in the picture, Qi Yunke realized Song Yuzhi and Cai Zhao are the real qing mei zhu ma who deserve each other, in his mind. Why? It’s because they remind him of himself and Cai Pingshu.The final battle is really the nail in the head. I love how this narrative has been planted since around ep 20 with Qi Yunke’s argument with his wife Yin Sulian. She hates Cai Pingshu, almost even more so after her death, because now Cai Pingshu will forever be in her husband’s mind as his bai yue guang. And the more Yin Sulian argues with Qi Yunke about Cai Pingshu, the more he feels like the world has wronged Cai Pingshu, even when she herself never had any regret when she was alive. After Chang Ning is revealed to be Mu Qingyan, a vital member of the Li Sect (Demon Sect), Qi Yunke told Cai Zhao about the “painted skin demon”, that Mu Qingyan is like that. Throughout the show, and especially in this final battle, Qi Yunke constantly refer to Mu Qingyan as the “painted skin demon”, never mind that he never actually killed anyone or betray Cai Zhao. Why? Of course it’s because Mu Qingyan reminds Qi Yunke of the original “painted skin demon” Mu Zhengyang. Not only is he another boy from the Demon Li Sect, he also looks almost exactly like Mu Zhengyang (because he’s Mu Zhengyang’s twin brother’s son 😭). And most importantly, because Cai Zhao loves Mu Qingyan. And chooses him. Time and time again Cai Zhao chooses Mu Qingyan, even going against her family, her Sect, hurting her people, all to save his life. Everytime Zhaozhao choose Mu Qingyan, it angers many people, but I’m sure no one is more angry than Qi Yunke. Despite the fact that Cai Zhao is not even his daughter. Why? Because this sacrificial devotion, this overwhelming, intense love, reminds Qi Yunke of something he can never have, something he lost. And lost to another Demon Sect boy. It was like seeing his bai yue guang, the love of his life, Cai Pingshu, falls for the mysterious masked boy, who turned out to be Li Sect member Mu Zhengyang, again. It’s like seeing how Pingshu, brave and beautiful as she is, chose an outsider boy, a boy from their Enemy Sect as that. A choice that ultimately proved disastrous, because it was Mu Zhengyang who killed all their Sect brothers and sisters, ultimately leading to Cai Pingshu having to fight Nie Hengcheng alone and left living half a life for years. That painful betrayal is the ghost that haunted Qi Yunke’s life, almost more than it haunted Cai Pingshu herself.To Qi Yunke, he sees Cai Zhao and Song Yuzhi as the perfect couple, because he sees himself in Song Yuzhi the way he sees Cai Pinsghu in Cai Zhao. And the more Cai Zhao loves Mu Qingyan, the more Qi Yunke hates him. To Qi Yunke, Mu Qingyan must’ve seduced Cai Zhao to use her the way Mu Zhengyang did Cai Pingshu. History really repeats itself. That’s why when he sees Song Yuzhi cares for Cai Zhao, it’s like him caring for Cai Pingshu again. Hence why the last few episodes, he’s sooo much more obssessed with pairing Zhaozhao with Yuzhi. Of course Mu Qingyan also proves to be a thorn in his side, ruining his plans with Nie Zhe and reviving Li Sect instead of destroying it like Qi Yunke’s wish. But out of everything, Qi Yunke’s personal beef with Mu Qingyan all boils down to Mu Qingyan being his uncle’s nephew, Cai Zhao being her aunt’s niece and Song Yuzhi being his nephew. Because if Qi Yunke himself lost the fight in this love triangle, then the least he can do is let his nephew win, right?Yet the more Qi Yunke insists on Cai Zhao and Song Yuzhi, the more he proves himself to be in the wrong. All it shows is that he never really loved or understood Cai Pingshu. Why is it that she went with Mu Zhengyang to find the Snow Scaled Beast’s saliva, the Night Orchid or the Sunflower, and not with him. Why is it that all these years Cai Pingshu is still alive and yet Qi Yunke himself could never be with her? Why is it that even when she knows Nie Hengcheng will die within 3 years but still risked her life to kill him? These are all the things in life that Qi Yunke will never understand. Like why Cai Pingshu chose Mu Zhengyang, why she loved him. Yes, it’s true that Mu Zhengyang approached Pingshu with ulterior motives. But it’s also true that they loved each other. Just like with Cai Zhao and Mu Qingyan. Like how Cai Zhao said in ep 29, that despite many times Mu Qingyan lied to her, used her, upset her, she can’t hell but love him. And yes, in the end, Cai Pingshu killed Mu Zhengyang, but she never regretted having met him and loved him. Nor does her loving or hating Mu Zhengyang has anything to do with Qi Yunke in the first place. And similarly, neither is who Cai Zhao Song Yuzhi and Mu Qingyan loves or doesn’t love. Love is not something you can force. The more you force it, the more it will turn to hate. We actually see this theme talked about often in this drama. With the most glaring example being Qi Yunke himself with his wife Yin Sulian. Sulian forcing herself to believe Qi Yunke loved her or still loves her, just to end up dead under his blade. Her mistake proved fatal. His cruelty and hypocrisy proved painful for all involved, but especially his innocent daughter Qi Lingbo. In fact the person who spelled this theme out is actually Cai Zhao, to Mu Qingyan. Even when she fell for him, loved him, risked her life for him, time and time again Zhaozhao told Qingyan to let her go. Because she will not repeat her ancestors’ mistakes. To be locked up in a cage like the second generation of Luoying Valley lord, Luo Shiyun, by her lover Mu Donglie. Or be betrayed like her aunt Cai Pingshu by her lover Mu Zhengyang, or be forced into accepting anyone suit, or to leave behind her family for any man. At least 3 times Mu Qingyan fought for this, fought for her to stay with him. But despite everything, and finally the fourth time, he let her go. Just because Cai Zhao loves Mu Qingyan doesn’t mean she have to choose to be with him, not at least until he proves that it’s worth it for her. Why did Cai Zhao chose to save Mu Qingyan knowing the potential life threatening consequences she will face but still do it, and insists again she would still do it even if she knew he used her as a leverage in his plan, and yet in the same conversation told him she’s leaving him? Because saving him is worth it, and that he proved so, risking his life many times before to save her, and because it’s the right thing to do, that he did no wrong to deserve being executed, and that even if Cai Zhao is the only one willing to save him, she must risk it. And at the same time, Mu Qingyan did not prove to Cai Zhao it’s worth it or that it’s the right thing to do to be with hi, yet. Even when he planted the blossoms tree to remind her of her hometown Luoying Valley, or treat her most warmly, there’s still unfinished business, people she left behind who deserved an answer from her. That’s why Cai Zhao still left Mu Qingyan, when she knew well if she stay, she can be the jiaozhu furen, avoid facing capital punishment back in Qingque Sect, and of course, be with Mu Qingyan. Because if Cai Zhao stayed, she would break her own rules, and hurt everyone she loved and who loved her back. For Cai Zhao, no matter how much she loved Mu Qingyan, she never wanted to compromise her freedom, her free spirit, to be with him, because she understand that in the long run, that kind of obssessive love will turn into hate. So much ramblings about Cai Zhao and Mu Qingyan in the last point 😭 i mean it makes sense, they are the main characters after all 😂 but back to Qi Yunke. The last and most blatant point that seperates him and Cai Pingshu is what he chose to do in the end after she dies. I think after years of doing everything to save her, Cai Pingshu stil passed away, and people moved on, that enraged Qi Yunke. But his grief became a deadly fuel, a greed that knows no end. In this final battle, Qi Yunke kept saying everything he did was for Cai Pingshu, but how could it? He was just deluding himself. Because part of, if not all of him knows damn well if Cai Pingshu was still alive, she would never accept his evil plans. And yet in the end, he still insisted that he did it all for her. Using Cai Pingshu as an excuse for his greed, this final straw is what proved Qi Yunke will never understand or deserve Cai Pingshu.——Ok that was a lot. I’d say, despite everything, I’m actually not sure if Qi Yunke ever “loved” Cai Pingshu 😭 what I mean is, I don’t 100% think the show’s narrative portrays Qi Yunke’s feelings for Cai Pingshu as entire inherently romantic. All this ramblings is just my own interpretation that their relationship, Cai Pingshu, Mu Zhengyang and Qi Yunke, is meant to parallel Cai Zhao, Mu Qingyan and Song Yuzhi. Hence why I see it as Qi Yunke being obssessed over Cai Pingshu. Which he is, at least in the literal meaning, but im not sure if it was truly romantic or more so a kind of guilt, especially survivor guilt, considering aside from Cai Pingshu, himself and Lei Xiuming, all their other friends were killed by Mu Zhengyang. Lastly, I wanna comment on how Qi Yunke being the final villain. I must admit that I suspected him since forever, but, Call me Cai Zhao cuz I did NOT want him to be the final Big Bad at all 😭. First, it’s cliche 😭 i love cliches sometimes but it’s just too…predictable idk 😭 second, i guess seeing how much Cai Zhao respected Qi Yunke and loves him like a father, i didn’t want it to be true at all 😭 yes he gets on my nerves the first 15 eps or so of the show i can’t lie. I hate men (male characters) who are weak, wishy washy with their wives and obviously pining for another woman, but especially his hypocrisy surrounding Yin Dai. And even despite all that (which are all obvious narrative foundation for him being the final Big Bad), I still didn’t want it to be true 😭 i guess I felt for Cai Zhao too much, and I was right, because it makes her being the one to kill him hurts 10x more, even when he deserves it 😭 the perfect poetic irony, and yet the one staying behind, the one successfully avenge their loved ones and kill the villain, actually is the one who will mourn his death the most 😭 i guess it makes for good angst that they built Cai Zhao’s relationship with Qi Yunke so well that I almost hate it.I also liked that in the end, after all that madness, Qi Yunke actually came to realize his misjudgement. Because after Zhaozhao stabbed him, Qi Yunke woke up and acknowledge that Mu Qingyan is not the "painted skin demon”. In a sense, they broke that generational curse 😭 finally Qi Yunke sees Mu Qingyan for who he really is and not as a comparison to his uncle, but it's a little too late. Not that they were ever chummy anyways, but it was a big hurt for Zhaozhao to choose between her family, her sect, including her shifu, vs choosing Mu Qingyan, so that final acceptance really ties it all together the theme of peace over the jianghu world.——Also yes in the beginning I said Qi Yunke shipping Cai Zhao and Song Yuzhi is not because he loves them, but that don’t mean I think his affection for them was fake, though 😭 I actually believe Zhaozhao and Yuzhi are the ones Qi Yunke genuinely loved. Qi Yunke is a profound villain, I will say. He’s a major hypocrite, but he, too, has validity in his ambition and has love for a few he has ties with. Though Song Yuzhi is also Yin Dai’s grandson, Qi Yunke did raise him, so it hurts to hurt him. Similarly, Cai Zhao is another child he raised, but even more so, Cai Zhao is the closest person to Cai Pingshu who’s still alive anymore. Which is why when he said Mu Qingyan deserves to die when he dragged Zhaozhao into his evil plans, he means it. Mu Qingyan really is the outlier Qi Yunke could not foresee in his perfect plan, and his existence sure to infuriates Qi Yunke to no end 💀.——Also interestingly how the younger generation are all niece and nephews of the older gen 😭 we got mommy issues and daddy issues, now it’s uncle issues 😭😂 jddjdjd——Okay that’s all 😃 it was such a long commentary 😭 idk if anyone but me will read this but if you do, thanks 😭 mostly just me rambling lol, but despite everything, I liked how the finale fight went. Overall the drama has some plot holes mostly in terms of character building but it’s not too glaring or take away from the journey or the ending for me. ——TLDR: Qi Yunke hates Mu Qingyan and wants Cai Zhao to end up with Song Yuzhi because he sees himself in Song Yuzhi, Cai Zhao is like her aunt Cai Pingshu and Mu Qingyan js like his uncle Mu Zhengyang. If Qi Yunke couldn’t be with Cai Pingshu, then at least Cai Zhao should be with Song Yuzhi.

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idk if it's just me but i find to cringe…

idk if it's just me but i find to cringe whenever Moo start dancing in the middle of nowhere - not a care that people r looking & pointing. but i guess u gotta be shameless if u wanna be famous. still find it utterly embarrassing. but Kang finds it endearing - to each their own lol. *****************************************************************************************************************the budding romance is so cute & sweet - even when they finally butt-heads they each went to apology to the other. they better communicators then a load of adults in these dramas/BL's. & given the flashback we know why Kang 'lost it' & yet that was not the ipad's fault. if he wants to blame something - blame cellphones, that's what distracted his father who walked into the freakin road while having a conversation with his wife. if anything the ipad was a last gift from his father & he lost his life trying to bring it to his son (ok - maybe it wasn't as dramatic lol) still that was the last thing his father brought for him & Kang out of guilt not only doesn't want to use it but also isn't continuing his studies??? weird - even weirder that his mother is enabling him. even if he doesn't want to go to Art school he can study something, anything then join the work force - that could screw up his future. weird his mother is ok with that

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A Game of Power, Pride, and Hidden Truths

First ImpressionThis episode was chaotic in the best way — politics, tension, humour, and those quiet emotional moments all mixed together.Episode ThoughtsWe start with the Prime Minister’s son being punished, which opens up more questions about his true identity and connection to the Prime Minister. The power struggle between the Prime Minister and the Grand Tutor continues, and once again it’s clear the Female Lead is being pulled into their political games.Her entrance back into the capital is iconic — the flower crown, the confidence, and the way she immediately shuts down both sides trying to belittle her. That whole interaction was honestly hilarious, especially seeing the Emperor quietly amused in the background.Despite all the political tension, we get a softer side with the Female Lead and Male Lead. He’s still moving in the shadows, but their meeting feels honest and grounded. Their conversation about corruption and truth, and his quiet promise to find the truth for her, was such a standout moment. Meanwhile, Mr Jin’s jealousy adds another layer — you can tell he cares in his own way, even if it comes out differently.The Royal Princess continues to be a highlight too — her reaction to the Emperor and the forced marriage situation was chaotic but so entertaining.At the same time, the bigger picture is getting darker. The Emperor feels trapped between the Prime Minister and the Grand Tutor, both trying to manipulate the situation. Everyone is playing their own game, and unfortunately the Female Lead is becoming a key piece on the board.Character Notes • Female Lead: Still absolutely owning every scene. She refuses to be pushed around and stands her ground even in the capital — love her confidence. • Male Lead: Quiet but steady. He’s trying to understand everything and protect her in his own way without forcing anything. • Prime Minister & Grand Tutor: Both power-hungry, just with different approaches. Neither can be trusted. • Emperor: Honestly… I feel for him. Completely stuck and being pulled in every direction. • Mr Jin: Jealous but not malicious — his actions feel complicated rather than outright bad.Final ThoughtsThis episode balanced humour, politics, and emotional tension so well. You can feel everything building towards something bigger, and I’m very ready for the fallout.Favourite MomentThe Female Lead shutting down the Prime Minister and Grand Tutor — iconic behaviour.Trope Check • Strong female lead • Political power struggle • Hidden identities • Jealous second lead • “I’ll find the truth for you” • Royal court drama

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Five Stars

ep34The court scenes -- so different to the usual droning mountains of finery.The Emperor seemed to enjoy the disruption, and I saw a few ministers snickering in their sleeves.ChangYu was just being her usual fearless, direct self. No different from in Lin'An.So here is the question -- the peril of the capitol is real and the usual cdrama tension is -- the bad guys will sneak up and throw you in prison if you arent exceedingly clever.How can this be true (it is I am scared to death of Wei Yan) at the same time as the realism of the personal family relationships (wei Yan and Wei Xuan, Wei Yan and the Emperor) is so poignant. How can the investigations into what happened feel so interesting at the same time as the court is full of buffoonery.How does the director do this? How does he keep us watching while wriggling restively in our seats? Everyone has commented on it in one way or another -- he maintains dramatic tension even as he takes great looping swerves into comedy and deep dark true romance, How many love stories so far? In addition to the three living couples?ep34I loved the look of that embrace in the alleyway because JiuHeng is like some tall dark cloud and he just wraps ChangYu up in his cloak or whatever and they become one. Those long billowy sleeve really can turn a hug into something very sheltering.ep34FCY's procession through the streets of the capitol. What a contrast to that entrance of the god-of-war when the Marquis returned to his own camp. Scowling and slouching.Who says we didnt see enough or the original Marquis in the beginning? It was there but we just didnt see it.And as Jinbao says, so what if the female general and her merry band are from the sticks? Everybody loves a parade.

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Beautiful

This episode really touched me. I’m watching it at the right moment. If I’d watched this drama a few years earlier, it would not have touched me this much, as I’ve witnessed a similar situation lately.My mom’s best friend recently got back together with her high school sweetheart in her late 60s after splitting up due to a misunderstanding in their late teens. They were married though, but they had been single for years before they met again. Now they are living together, and holding hands and going everywhere together. I bet this must be a great news for everyone who knows both of them. I heard it was greatly celebrated during a class reunion lately. 🥹

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this was sweet & adorable, the start was…

this was sweet & adorable, the start was a bit cringe but Moo is funny in a goofy way & i liked his interaction wit his mother. there is love there - even if it is tough love - which he needs for sure. ***************************************************************then when he met Kang - instant chemistry, they so adorable together & so so innocent (even though the actors r 20 they look like babies), really enjoyed the vibe of this 1st ep. ***********************************************************************************but idk why Kang doesn't think he is kind, given everything we see of him in this ep - he IS utterly kind & big hearted to boot, but i guess it has something to do with his parents or deceased father - will have to wait & see.

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before anything i have to say that i hated…

before anything i have to say that i hated the narrator, that kept giving us info about peaches, maybe at the start it was cute / interesting, but after a while it turned boring & felt like he was basically selling the same crap, just "dressed" in different ways. *wish this was the only minus in this BL - it wasn't, Poom isn't a good actor & his 'sexy face' was anything but... so was his acting on a whole. ***************************************************************************************************************************also this BL hugely relied on the sex scenes - which turned this into soft core porno or erotica, which is a genre that has it's audience, to me it felt exploitative - cause both mains r newbies & as a main role means recognition & more work, they (most newcomers) r desperate to become famous, idk if this type of BL will get them the right attention. or showcase their acting abilities. ******************************************************************************************************************************i fast forwarded huge parts of this BL so i wont be rating it (here i have to to post a review) & yet i don't think i missed out on anything important. the 2n couple was non existent to me. & after the train wreak that was the pervious ep - idk why we needed one more ep to finish things off - but i get that if u loved this & liked the mains character's then u want to see a ep that is full of fluff & happiness - something healthy after a load of toxicity. personally i don't get where Sasom's overbearing, tyrannically controlling parents disappeared to. they suddenly just disappeared after one ep & i am left wondering why even introduce them(?) if u not gonna use them. oh well - the mains got a happily ever after & the main plus this ended. better luck next time for all the actors involved

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what a freakin depressing ep, half of this…

what a freakin depressing ep, half of this ep was hella depressing & i get it's so Lynx could make peace with his mother & finally activate his powers. but aish i didn't wanna tear up & feel this depressed in the last - which usually is upbeat & happy. yeah the rest was very fluffy & fun. but the start tool a bit of the "shine" away. still a very very sweet BL. First & Khao did a great job - but their chemistry is that of an old married couple. they like a comfy pair of old slippers. looking at them u know u home. so nothing surprising there. *************************************************************************************************************Leo was an added bonus & he liven things up - pity his character was underdeveloped & there wasn't more of him in general - but what we got was a delight & i loved him. cute BL

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The masks are off and outmaneuvered

PengYu reopens the street vendor renovation project and has a hard time accepting that’s all YuCi wants for her shares. She simply wants him to take on his most difficult task of being called a good man. He even agrees to team with Li if it will oust Jiang. Things looks bright as Chen Mo and YuCi enjoy a sunset, share a kiss and make plans for her bday. She dares to see the sun for just this short while. Jiang has a temper tantrum in his closet and Li has suggested he leaves Lysen. That’s when Jiang comes back that Bosi is a done deal so he didn’t renege on his promise. Li knows something big happened and he’s not happy. LiangLiang knew when the street vendors returned that YuCi was behind the shares. She also tells Gma she is the flip side of the coin with YuCi, daring to go where YuCi would not. She finds the info on Market Master and his crypto text fund and hands it all to Jiang. She also says that YuCi had him in her revenge plans all along. YuCi never cared about Jiang’s placement at all but he believes LiangLiang’s lie that he was part of YuCi’s revenge. He never stopped to think it was countering his lie to fund her projects if she got Li to back them. He knows LiangLiang lies, but because they give him what he wants, those 10% shares, he willingly falls in line with them. They all richly deserve each other. Lysen is literally hell. 🤬They all leave the building so that YuCi is confronted by Jiang’s putter. After telling TianTian to trust her instincts, I wish she would have done that when she paused knowing something was up before she entered the room. Even the Gma thought she was hit too hard. Liang Liang and Gma show up at the scene to observe his handiwork and get their turns. Liang Liang read all about the twin in Mr Rao’s diary. She was just waiting for the proper time to share the news. After the daddy reveal for her, she is more than happy to return the favor on why Rao loathed YuCi. He mourned the child that wasn’t. The Gma took her turn about MuRan’s death and how she was instrumental kinda ignoring the fact that her grandson and LiangLiang were instrumental in Qiang’s demise. She mocks her 4% shares and says children shouldn’t get involved and this mess is the result of two bickering little girls. Jiang denies her answering Chen Mo’s call but challenges her to call the police. He promises to end everyone and thing she cares about and that he can do it. With the Gma’s comment, the three of them witnessing her psychological breakdown, I am thinking she will find herself back in the psych ward but it will be different now. Her friends have been exposed and may not be able to help her. I hope Market Master gets to keep his hiding place and doesn’t get hurt by the snake trio. He knew it was a risk and hopefully has connections to shield him. I am super annoyed that Chen Mo interfered and didn’t let YuCi know she was a twin. This was a huge disservice that LiangLiang got to blindside her with. I’m betting YuCi’s mom doesn’t know about the diary. What we don’t know is if YuCi did. While all this is happening, Mr Rao wakes up. This is a horrible place to end and only one episode for next two days.😝This drama has been scorned by some for being a Makjang. If that is what this is, I am a fan. The twists and turns keep me interested and even with this annoying change of events, I am riveted to my seat wanting to see what happens next. Kudos to cast and production crew for making me feel so invested in these characters. 👏🏻

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Five Stars

A hayeong toda feliz falando que gosta dele 🥹🥹🥹🥹 ela é muito preciosa Ele sempre cuidou dela e agora ela cuidou dele, fofos demais Finalmente ele vai falar com o manjae ele precisava desabafar tudo isso 😭Espero que dê tudo certo na prova e na cirurgia NÃO ACREDITO QUE ELE FEZ ISSO COM A MINHA HAYEONG 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭O acidente foi culpa dela, sera? Eles tirando a foto no mesmo lugar 🤏🏽😭Sabia que ele se culpava pela morte dos pais dela, sendo que ele nao teve culpa To com o coração partido 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭É isso, vai dar tudo errado, eu to muito triste já

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