@AH

"Although this scene seems entirely about WXL's relationship with YSQ. And not in a "YSQ/TSJ is just a proxy for XL" kind of way. It's about WXL watching YSQ, it's about WXL being angry with YSQ, it's about YSQ staying with WXL after everyone else has left even when WXL won't forgive him, it's about WXL having YSQ accompany "him", and it's about WXL forgiving YSQ. And in the next scene, it's also about WXL teasing YSQ. "

Agree. I interpreted this scene the same way you do, she was thinking if she should forgive 17 or not. I don't remember what the next scene is though, I should re-read the QStown arc, especially since that's my favorite.

 blabla100:
Agree. I interpreted this scene the same way you do, she was thinking if she should forgive 17 or not.

Good to know :)


 blabla100:
I don't remember what the next scene is though

By "the next scene" I meant the spying-on-Chuanzi part of the excerpt I quoted. That scene and the lotus leaf scene feel like two consecutive, connected scenes rather than just one long scene. 

 AH :
Is it mirrored though? In both cases, he saves XY's life by feeding her his essential soul blood. But it seems like there are some pretty significant differences in how he goes about saving her in each case, which makes it seem like the description of how he saves her in chapter 48 can't be relied upon to demonstrate how XL fed his essential soul blood to XY during each of the 400+ healing sessions in chapter 22.

I believe it is mirrored. 

What Ch37 describes as 本命精血 essential life blood and Chapter 48's 心头精血 heart's essential blood, both refer to the same thing. While Ch37 does not specify exactly that he fed her his essential life blood via his mouth, Ch48 tells us that it was extracted by him biting down on the tip of his tongue, so how else would he have fed something in his mouth into hers, if not via mouth to mouth contact?

Ch48 continues to describe their appearance as such:

相柳搂着小夭,盘腿坐在白色的海贝上,咬破舌尖,将心头精血喂给小夭。情人蛊同命连心,只要一息尚存,精血交融,生机自会延续。

相柳设置的阵法被破,烈阳和獙君闯了进来。烈阳怒气冲冲,一拳击下,五色鱼铸成的五彩圆球散开,密密麻麻的五色鱼惊慌地逃逸,看上去就好似无数道色彩绚丽的流光在相柳和小夭身边飞舞,十分诡异美丽。 

烈阳知道小夭体质特异,看到相柳和小夭的样子,以为相柳是在吸取小夭的灵气练什么妖功,气得怒吼一声,一掌打向相柳的后背。 

正是唤醒小夭的紧要关头,相柳不敢动,只能硬受,幸亏獙君心细,看出不对,出手护了一下。 

“你干什么?”烈阳对着獙君怒吼,还想再次击杀相柳。

獙君拉住烈阳,传音道:“他好像不是在害小夭,小夭的生机越来越强。”

烈阳是受虞渊和汤谷之力修炼成的琅鸟妖,耳目比灵力高深的神族都灵敏,他仔细感受了一下,果然像獙君说的一样,小夭的生机越来越强。烈阳嘀咕:“古古怪怪!反正不是个好东西!”却唯恐惊扰了相柳,不敢再乱动,反倒守在水面上,为相柳护法。

约莫过了半盏茶工夫,相柳抱着小夭徐徐浮出水面,对烈阳和獙君说:“谢二位相助。”

烈阳伸出手,冷冷地说:“把小夭还给我们。”

相柳低头看着小夭,未言未动,任由烈阳把小夭从他怀里抱走。

虽然已经感觉到小夭气息正常,但獙君还是握住小夭的手腕,用灵力检查了一遍她的身体,果然,一切都已正常。其实,小夭现在就可以醒来,不过相柳似乎想让她沉睡,特意给她施加了一个法术,封住了她的心神。

Xiang Liu held Xiao Yao in his arms and sat cross-legged on the white seashell. Biting the tip of his tongue, he fed Xiao Yao his heart’s essential blood. The Lovers Bug enabled lives to share the same fates and joined hearts. As long as a single breath still remained, life could be extended with the mingling of essential blood.

The formation set up by Xiang Liu was broken, and Lie Yang and Sir Bi barged in. Filled with fury, Lie Yang’s fist struck out, and the colourful spherical formation of five-coloured fish scattered. The countless five-coloured fish that fled in panic seemed like numerous colourful streams of light fleeting around Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao, exceedingly strange and beautiful.

Lie Yang was aware of Xiao Yao’s unusual physique. When he saw what Xiang Liu was doing with Xiao Yao, he thought that Xiang Liu was absorbing her spiritual energy to cultivate some form of demonic power. Roaring with rage, he struck Xiang Liu on the back with his palm.

This was the critical moment to awaken Xiao Yao, so Xiang Liu dared not move and could only endure the attack. Fortunately, Sir Bi’s careful nature sensed something was not right, and stepped in to protect him.

“What are you doing?” Lie Yang roared in fury at Sir Bi, intending to attack Xiang Liu once more.

Sir Bi grabbed hold of Lie Yang, and telepathically said, “He does not appear to be harming Xiao Yao. Xiao Yao’s life signs are increasingly stronger.”

Lie Yang was a demon bird cultivated from the powers of Yu Abyss and Tang Gorge, his eyes and ears far sharper than spiritually powerful deities. He checked carefully. It was just as Sir Bi described. Xiao Yao’s life signs were getting stronger. Lie Yang grumbled, “It is strange! Whatever it is, it can't be anything good!” but he dared not move recklessly anymore. Instead, he remained on the surface of the water, protecting Xiang Liu’s formation.

After a short period of time (半盏茶 ~5 mins), Xiang Liu emerged from the water with Xiao Yao in his arms, and said to Lie Yang and Sir Bi, “Thank you both for your assistance.”

Lie Yang held out his hands and returned coldly, “Give Xiao Yao back to us.”

Xiang Liu lowered his head to gaze at Xiao Yao without a word or movement, letting Lie Yang take her from his arms.

Although Xiao Yao's breathing seemed normal, Sir Bi still held her wrist and used his spiritual power to check her body. Sure enough, everything was normal. By right, Xiao Yao should have been able to wake up now, except Xiang Liu appeared to want her to stay in a deep slumber, and had deliberately cast a spell on her, sealing her consciousness.

-- Vol 3 Ch15  (Chapter 48)


Add on to the fact that Lie Yang assumed he was absorbing her spiritual energy based on the way he was doing with Xiao Yao, this reinforces the fact that there was mouth to mouth contact involved when he fed her his essential blood. 

We can also deduce that the short period of time (~5mins) that Xiang Liu took after that, was to suck out the poison from his blood in her body, similar to how he always healed her those 37 years. This should not have changed, because the blood he gave her was the same, so the poison that would kill her then would also be a danger to her now. This time though, he kept her in a deep slumber and sealed her consciousness, in order to ensure that she would have no awareness who actually saved her. Hence, she would not have known about the feeding of essential blood, nor the sucking out of the poison, and would believe whatever story Sir Bi cooked up later about how she was saved. 

As for him requiring only that short period of time to revive her, as opposed to the 37 years, it could be that while she was at death's door, but her injuries were not as dire as during the Plum Forest assassination, which required to be put into a state of limbo before being slowly coaxed out as she underwent healing. Her physical body had also been healing within the seashell's blood formation on Jade Mountain for a month by then. In addition, it was conceivable that this time round, he gave far more of his essential blood and spiritual powers to awaken her because time was of the essence, both for him and her (with the onset of the final battle, and anticipating Sir Bi and Lie Yang's intervention), so he no longer had the luxury to slowly, carefully wake her up. I suspect that he sealed her consciousness before healing her, else she would have been aware of the essential blood coursing through her body, burning and shattering her body into pieces as it finally healed and awakened her. 

@Liddi,

i share the same thought about mouth to mouth contact as the way he transferred his essential blood in chapter 48 as well as during 37 years. 

The quantity of blood transfer is much less in chapter 48 due to those reasons that you have mentioned (the seriousness of the injury and she was healed partially during 1 month in the spelled Shell under jade mountain water)

However the moment that he cast the sleeping spell on XY can’t be before Lie Yang and Sir Bi saw him transferring the blood. TH described the process continually since he came wo the water until Sir Bi stopped Lie Yang attacking XL. There was short blank time (~5 minute) that TH did not describe which corresponds to the time after Sir Bi and Lie Yang left XL in the water to continue the treatment until XL brought XY up to the bank.

I don’t know if XY would experience the similar pain with the last treatment in chapter 22. she experienced such pain since her spiritual consciousness was outside the body. It was the pain of merging the consciousness. Chapter 22 was written from XY’s POV while chapter 48 was written from XL’s and neutral POV. Thus XY’s feeling was hidden.

If you believe that her spiritual consciousness was outside her body in chapter 48 as in chapter 22, then XY could have detected XL and his heart beat when he was nearby .  then the process in chapter 48 would be identical with the last treatment in chapter 22. 

When CX dived in the water, he saw XY’s “happy” or “smiling” expression. This implied that she could sense the water surrounding her body which made her happy.  No matter if her spiritual consciousness is intact with the body or outside her body, her consciousness was alert and felt/sense the contact e environment or XL via the lover bug

 H19279:

so there were 4 most influential clans of the whole Dai Huang; Chi sui, Tu Shan, Xi liang and Cui Fang (don’t remember)

then there were 6 big clans in Central plains. Fang feng either belonged to this group or 1 step lower than this. I think it is 1 step lower. Fang feng clan did not have significant impact on political map

If i remember correctly Fang feng clan lived in the north of Central Plain

I'm pretty sure the four great clans are from the Central Plains.  They may have influence throughout Dai Huang, but they were part of Chenrong, like the six great families.


When I was re-watching some episodes, CX claimed to be from the Dragon Squad in Haolin.  Originally, I thought he was claiming a military order, but this time it was clear that Squads are some sort of clan in Haolin and that there are four of them?  I've no idea why would call a clan a squad.  Any ideas?  Or any place where they mention what the four squads are named?

 Kokuto:

I'm pretty sure the four great clans are from the Central Plains.  They may have influence throughout Dai Huang, but they were part of Chenrong, like the six great families.


When I was re-watching some episodes, CX claimed to be from the Dragon Squad in Haolin.  Originally, I thought he was claiming a military order, but this time it was clear that Squads are some sort of clan in Haolin and that there are four of them?  I've no idea why would call a clan a squad.  Any ideas?  Or any place where they mention what the four squads are named?

There were 4 main “clan” in Haoling too. Green dragon, white tiger , the one where Wu jiang came from (I dont remember pyingin name). It is mentioned in chapter 40 (i can’t check the book now).

The big Four were all  from Sheng nong/chenrong. But they had global influence. Chi Sui specialized on boat/ship making and Tushan did trading throughout Dahuang. Chapter 36 mentioned Jing had followed the merchant caravans everywhere. Xiliang was very strong in the past and they had their own army which XY’s grandmother relied to help Yellow Emperor in the early day. 

@ Solarlulareclipse,

Da Huang was told in detail in the introduction of the book. Sheng nong was the most important and largest part with core history of DaHuang

 Kokuto:
When I was re-watching some episodes, CX claimed to be from the Dragon Squad in Haolin.  Originally, I thought he was claiming a military order, but this time it was clear that Squads are some sort of clan in Haolin and that there are four of them?  I've no idea why would call a clan a squad.  Any ideas?  Or any place where they mention what the four squads are named?

 H19279:
There were 4 main “clan” in Haoling too. Green dragon, white tiger , the one where Wu jiang came from (I dont remember pyingin name). It is mentioned in chapter 40 (i can’t check the book now).

The 4 main tribes in Gao Xin / Hao Ling were:

青龙 Qing Long  (later renamed to 青阳 Qing Yang, after Cang Xuan's oldest uncle)
羲和 Xi He  (where Yu Jiang originated from)
白虎 Bai Hu
常曦 Chang Xi

Chang Xi and Bai Hu tribes defected to Xuan Yuan during the war against Gao Xin, and remained in Gao Xin after the war ended. Later the Qing Long and Xi He tribes followed the White Emperor to Xuan Yuan mountain after the Qing Long tribe was renamed to Qing Yang by Cang Xuan at their behest.

 H19279:
There were 4 main “clan” in Haoling too. Green dragon, white tiger , the one where Wu jiang came from (I dont remember pyingin name). It is mentioned in chapter 40 (i can’t check the book now).

Okay, I'm scanning Chapter 40 now ... Koala calls them tribes, which makes more sense than squads.  Are they

Bai Hu -- white tiger?

Chang Yi -- ?

Yi He -- ?

Qing Long -- green dragon?

 blabla100:
WXL was far away from being stupid, her acting started after she got her identity back, in fact ever since the dragon bone prison, her attitude there towards jing was obviously fake and out of character. She made up her mind and played along, but WXL was never stupid or in denial, IMO. Yes, she was living in a man's body, but she was a fertility doctor who knew very well how things work. 

I agree with this--WXL was very astute. That's how he survived hundreds of years in the wilderness with very low powers. Transforming into a woman's body and getting weighed down with the responsibilities predetermined by her blood and her status didn't cause her brain to become muddled. It's just limited her freedom and put her in a cage of sorts.

 AH :
Even if there is an association between XL and white lotus blossoms in the novel (which seems different than lotus leaves or lily fronds), the way WXL is behaving in this scene... I really don't see WXL tearing the lotus leaf into strips as an indication that WXL was daydreaming about XL.

The Chinese text says lotus leaves. Lily fronds is an inaccurate translation since water lilies (Nymphaea) and lotus (Nelumbo) are two different genus of plants. The Chinese characters for "lotus" from this passage match the other mentions of lotus in the text. Koala inaccurately translates lotus as lilies in quite a few passages.

I tend to associate the entire lotus plant with XL, not just the blossoms. That said, I agree that WXL probably wasn't daydreaming of XL while tearing the lotus leaves since the text says he is looking at and thinking about Shi Qi while doing it. I initially came to the conclusion that he was daydreaming of XL while tearing the leaves because of tunnel vision focusing on the symbolism behind the lotus.

However, I still interpret the entire first paragraph to be WXL daydreaming about XL. The description at the end of this passage matches well with an excerpt about lovesickness from the introduction to the first volume of the book. WXL never fell in love with YSQ in QST, so I believe the "bones drinking wine" and "delightful light intoxication" should be associated with XL.

没有病人的时候,小六喜欢拿一片荷叶遮住眼睛,仰面躺在晒草药的草席上,双臂贴着耳朵往上伸展,双脚自然合并,脚尖往下。整个身体笔直得像一条线,想象中好似身体可以无限延展,那种筋骨撑拉的感觉,配上温暖的太阳、荷叶的清香,简直就像骨头饮了酒,小醉微醺的美妙
When there were no patients, Xiao Liu liked to cover his eyes with a lotus leaf, lie on a straw mat used for drying herbs, face up, with his arms stretched upward, touching his ears, and his feet naturally together, toes pointing downward. His whole body was straight like a line and he imagined he could infinitely extend his body. The feeling of stretching his muscles and bones, paired with the warm sun and the fragrance of lotus leaves, was like the bones drinking wine, a delightful light intoxication.

— Vol 1 Ch 4 (Chapter 4)

相思是一杯有毒的美酒,入喉甘美,销魂蚀骨,直到入心入肺,便再也无药可解...
Lovesickness is a cup of poisonous fine wine; it is sweet as it enters the throat, melting the soul and eroding the bones, until it enters the heart and lungs, after which there is no longer a cure for it.

— Introduction to Vol 1 (link to full translation by liddi)

 AH :
WXL? So only looking at the period of time before XY's true identity was revealed / she regained her true / female form? 

I mis-worded my question. Plausible deniability aside, do you think there was a point in the novel where XY was most likely aware of her feelings for XL? This means the whole novel, not just the QST arc.


@ H19279, Kokuto, liddi -- thanks for clarifying the information around the clans! 

 liddi:

The 4 main tribes in Gao Xin / Hao Ling were:

青龙 Qing Long  (later renamed to 青阳 Qing Yang, after Cang Xuan's oldest uncle)
羲和 Xi He  (where Yu Jiang originated from)
白虎 Bai Hu
常曦 Chang Xi

Chang Xi and Bai Hu tribes defected to Xuan Yuan during the war against Gao Xin, and remained in Gao Xin after the war ended. Later the Qing Long and Xi He tribes followed the White Emperor to Xuan Yuan mountain

Ah, thank you!  

Hmmmm.  Google Translate says Qing Yang is Green Male Genitalia.... or Green Sun.  What the heck is CX trying to say about the ruling tribe of Daddy Emperor and Beloved Ru Shuo?

 solarlunareclipse:
I mis-worded my question. Plausible deniability aside, do you think there was a point in the novel where XY was most likely aware of her feelings for XL? This means the whole novel, not just the QST arc.

I do believed that XY awared of her affinity to XL since Qing Shui town era. As someone mentioned that she recorded his image in the mirror at looked at this for months until she took the excuse of Chuanzi's marriage issue to make appointment with him. She wanted to record his smile when he tenderly smiled when she drank the "dirty" tea. She volunteerly helped him to get the herb back and cared for his live/safety (in chapter 5). Subconsciously she didn't know it was love. However in chapter 6, in the pool, they both awared of how they truely felt. And since then she (WXL) started to say she was "scared" of XL. She was scared because she knew she might have feeling for him. Thus, she did her best to cut off that stir in her heart. Here is my analysis about this: https://mydramalist.com/discussions/lost-you-forever/110123-xl-and-xy-story-and-romance-warning-spoilers?pid=2922553&page=442#p2922553

Throughout the female XY''s era, althought she did not admit she loved him but her action spoke out so. And the person that she said "I lost the person I liked" was XL, not Jing. I wrote a post about this: Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance - Page 419 #2902991 - Lost You Forever - MyDramaList. The person that she followed in her wedding was XL ("You know that liking someone is something that can’t stop you, and not liking someone gives you any reason to end it "); It was not just because of the blood oath or she did not like FL that she run away from the wedding. The most important reason is her love to that person whom she followed.  She always mentioned 2 candidate for marrying: someone who was engaged (Jing) and someone who was grandfather's enemy (XL) - Chapter 16; Someone had intention but no capability (Jing) and someone had capability but no intention (XL) in chapter 28. She was aware of her feeling to XL.

I don't think that they fell in love at the first sight/sound but they were attracted to each other at the first sight/sound. Inside, WXL was still a young girl and she was impressed and had a crush on XY's appearance. Who could resist such enchanting, ethereal beauty. 

 H19279:
However the moment that he cast the sleeping spell on XY can’t be before Lie Yang and Sir Bi saw him transferring the blood. TH described the process continually since he came wo the water until Sir Bi stopped Lie Yang attacking XL. There was short blank time (~5 minute) that TH did not describe which corresponds to the time after Sir Bi and Lie Yang left XL in the water to continue the treatment until XL brought XY up to the bank.

That is true. In which case, it meant that the spell to seal her consciousness could only have been done after the healing. 


 H19279:
I don’t know if XY would experience the similar pain with the last treatment in chapter 22. she experienced such pain since her spiritual consciousness was outside the body. It was the pain of merging the consciousness. Chapter 22 was written from XY’s POV while chapter 48 was written from XL’s and neutral POV. Thus XY’s feeling was hidden.

If you believe that her spiritual consciousness was outside her body in chapter 48 as in chapter 22, then XY could have detected XL and his heart beat when he was nearby .  then the process in chapter 48 would be identical with the last treatment in chapter 22.

When CX dived in the water, he saw XY’s “happy” or “smiling” expression. This implied that she could sense the water surrounding her body which made her happy.  No matter if her spiritual consciousness is intact with the body or outside her body, her consciousness was alert and felt/sense the contact e environment or XL via the lover bug

I am not as certain that she did not feel the pain of the essential blood coursing through her in Ch48. On the last day of the 37 years when Xiang Liu woke her up, the novel described that all her spiritual consciousness merged into her body:

相柳把自己的本命精血喂给小夭,和以前不同,如果以前他的精血是温暖的小火焰,能驱开小夭身体内死亡带来的冰冷,那么今夜,他的精血就是熊熊烈火,在炙烤着小夭。它们在她体内乱冲乱撞,好似把她的身体炸裂成一片片,又一点点糅合在一起。
小夭喊不出、叫不出,身体在剧烈地颤抖。渐渐地,她的手能动了,她的腿能动了,终于,她痛苦地尖叫了一声,
所有神识融入身体,在极度的痛苦中昏死过去。

Xiang Liu fed Xiao Yao his own essential life blood, but it was different from before. In the past, his essential blood were like small warm flames which drove away the coldness brought by death from Xiao Yao's body, but tonight, his essential blood was like a raging inferno, scorching Xiao Yao. It collided wildly inside her body and appeared to shatter her body into pieces before merging it back together little by little.

Xiao Yao could neither scream nor cry out as her body shook violently. Gradually, her hands could move, her legs could move. At last, she screamed in pain as all her spiritual consciousness merged into her body, and she passed out in the midst of the overwhelming agony.

-- Vol 2 Ch5 (Chapter 22)

神识 Spiritual / divine consciousness generally refers to the eight consciousness (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind, manas-vijnana, alaya-vijnana). 

She had already been slowly recovering parts of her consciousness throughout the years - hearing, touch, thoughts. As such, that final night, what finally merged back into her body were all her remaining consciousnesses - before she could be fully awakened. 

So unlike the dramatisation of the 37 years, I don't believe that her spiritual consciousness was a separate entity outside of her body. Rather, it was always a part of her, but its cognition could not be fully merged back into her physical self because of the extent of her injuries. In some ways, I imagine that the remaining consciousness were still in a state of limbo, disconnected from her physical self, until Xiang Liu's essential blood forcibly revived them.

On Jade Mountain, she was close to death but I doubt that she was at a state where she needed to be put into a state of limbo in order to save her life. As such, I think her spiritual consciousness was intact within her body, but not fully cognitive. In which case, Xiang Liu's healing would have been to forcibly revive the cognition in all her consciousness. The fact that he would have had to do it within such a short period of time meant that drastic measures had to be taken, and thus, it would be likely there was a great transfusion of essential blood due to the urgency of the moment. We know that outpouring of essential blood caused Xiao Yao's body tremendous agony during the last day of the 37 years, so I doubt this would be any different. If so, why would Xiao Yao forget?

There is one possibility. In sealing her spiritual consciousness after the healing, did Xiang Liu also do exactly what he did back in Qingshui town after the asking of the 4 questions, which was to wipe her memories of the entire healing process, including the pain?

相柳给她盖被子,小夭突然睁开了眼睛:“为什么?”
相柳看着小夭,不知道她问的是哪个为什么,是为什么逼她悔婚,还是为什么用妖术窥探她的内心。
小夭却已放弃追问,闭上了眼睛,喃喃说:“我好难受……相柳,我难受……”
相柳的手掌贴在小夭的额头,低声说:“
你会忘记刚才的事,睡一觉就好了!”
小夭睡着了,唇畔却是一缕讥讽的笑,似乎在说:睡一觉,不会好!
***
小夭醒来时,头痛欲裂。
她觉得昨夜的事有点古怪,可想了半晌,想不出所以然,便放弃了。

As Xiang Liu covered her with a quilt, Xiao Yao suddenly opened her eyes. “Why?”

Xiang Liu stared at Xiao Yao, not knowing what exactly she was asking about. Was it why he forced her to break off her marriage? Or was it why he used his powers to probe into her heart?

Xiao Yao gave up asking and closed her eyes, murmuring, “I hurt so much... Xiang Liu, I hurt...”

Xiang Liu placed his palm on her forehead and said in a low voice, “You will forget what happened just now. It will all be fine after a good sleep!”

Xiao Yao fell asleep but there was a sardonic smile on her lips as if to say, “It won't all be fine even after a good sleep!”

***

When Xiao Yao woke up, she had a splitting headache. She sensed there was something strange about last night's events, but despite thinking about it for some time, she could not figure out what it was, so she gave up.

-- Vol 2 Ch15  (Chapter 32)

 Kokuto:
Hmmmm.  Google Translate says Qing Yang is Green Male Genitalia.... or Green Sun.  What the heck is CX trying to say about the ruling tribe of Daddy Emperor and Beloved Ru Shuo?

LOL! 

青 qīng means "green". The words 青春 refers to youth or youthfulness. 

阳 yáng means "sun", "bright", "positive", "living". 

Even if Qing Yang was not the name of Cang Xuan's oldest uncle, I'm sure genitalia was far from his mind when he bestowed the new name LOL

 H19279:
I don't think that they fell in love at the first sight/sound but they were attracted to each other at the first sight/sound. Inside, WXL was still a young girl and she was impressed and had a crush on XY's appearance. Who could resist such enchanting, ethereal beauty. 

Yes, I agree that technically it wasn't "love" at first sight/sound and only a deep attraction. If we use a strict definition of love, you can't really love someone at first sight without knowing them. I just meant the cliché "love at first sight/sound," similar to how Chi Chen loved A Heng at first sight. XL wouldn't have let WXL see his true face if he didn't have a deep attraction to WXL because, let's be honest, that was a really stupid and risky move.

Also, thanks for the links to your previous analysis. The evidence was well laid out and the viewpoints pretty much completely align with my own interpretation:

  1. XL was the man XY was referring to that gave her "a few drops of honey."
  2. XL was the person XY was referring to when she told Jing she lost the person she loved due to her own pessimism, distrust, and self-righteousness.

The second point might support the interpretation that XL allowed himself to be a choice for her during his FFB era—especially before the 37 years at sea—and XY was the one who didn't seize that opportunity. This was before CX became emperor and set out to unite the wilderness—so before it was fated that CX and XL would go head to head and before the eminent demise of the Shen Nong Remnant Army. The interpretation that XY had a choice to pursue the relationship might be supported by A Bi telling XL, "Even if Tu Shan Jing is dead, I’m still relieved that the guy Xiao Yao picked was him."

 liddi:
There is one possibility. In sealing her spiritual consciousness after the healing, did Xiang Liu also do exactly what he did back in Qingshui town after the asking of the 4 questions, which was to wipe her memories of the entire healing process, including the pain?

XL must have sealed her spiritual consciousness after healing—otherwise, XY would not have been surprised that the memories in her gorilla beast mirror were gone after learning of XL's death. However, I think there is a possibility that he didn't wipe her memories of the healing. XL entered Yao Pond to save XY on Jade Mountain. The night before her Royal Mother succession ceremony, XY sat by the banks of Yao Pond, staring in a daze at the reflection of the moon in the water. Did she know that XL saved her in Yao Pond?

一轮满月,悬挂在黛色的天空,清辉静静洒下,瑶池上水波荡漾,银光点点。相柳犹如一条鱼儿般无声无息地没入瑶池,波光乍开,人影已逝,只几圈涟漪缓缓荡开。
A full moon hung in the indigo sky, casting a quiet and clear radiance. The water in Yao Pond rippled gently, with scattered silver light. Xiang Liu, like a fish, silently submerged into Yao Pond, creating ripples as his figure faded away, leaving only a few slowly dissipating circles of ripples.

— Vol 3 Ch 15 (Chapter 48)

晚上,瑶池畔。
小夭一身素净的白衣,头发松松绾起,双脚悬空,坐在水榭的栏杆上,呆呆望着碧波中倒映的一轮月影。

At night, by the banks of Yao Pond.
Xiao Yao wore a simple white robe, her hair loosely tied up, her feet dangling in the air as she sat on the railing of the waterside pavilion, staring in a daze at the reflection of a round moon in the aquamarine waves.

— Vol 3 Ch 16 (Chapter 49)

That would explain why XY asked, "Did the Royal Mother save me?" when she woke up. This type of close-ended question makes it easier for someone to go along with the story without having to make up a complicated lie. If she didn't know how she was saved, I imagine a more open-ended question like, "Who saved me?" would have been more appropriate.

@AH

"After tormenting and infuriating XL in chapter 3, WXL hid from XL for days and then spent the next few months praying that XL would be kept so busy that he wouldn't think of WXL. But after several months, Mao Qiu showed up in WXL's room and WXL knew "his" time of avoiding XL and trying to wait for his anger to diminish was up. "

The text for this scene from chapter 4 is quite conflicting actually. I am not sure who was looking for who.