Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 liddi:

Xie Zu's primary wish for A Heng was to have a carefree, happy life. She did not object to Shao Hao  even though she never met him because Qing Yang and Zhong Yi both spoke highly of him, so she felt that A Heng should be able to find happiness with him.

 liddi:

Towards the end of her life, Xie Zu gave her blessings to A Heng to be with Chi Chen, even though she was aware that Chi Chen was the one who killed Qing Yang by mistake. Ultimately, she wanted only her daughter's happiness:

Thanks for the translated excerpts, liddi. Xie Zu seemed like great mother to A Heng, giving her independence and space to make her own decisions. In a way, this makes Xiao Yao's story even more tragic than A Heng's because Xiao Yao felt alone in the world, never having anyone she could rely on in her formative years. Although A Heng's story ended tragically, with her dying/becoming the living dead due in part to her own father's manipulation. At least A Heng knew her mother loved her unconditionally and cared about her happiness. Similarly, she knew that the man she loved, Chi Chen, loved her in return. In contrast, Xiao Yao always felt abandoned by all her parental figures, and XL refused to acknowledge that he loved her, so she never knew his feelings for sure.

I wonder if Xie Zu had a chance to go back to her youth, if she would have made the same decision to follow King Xuan Yuan.

I  don't think A Heng regretting being with Chi Chen, but I wonder if she had known how difficult things would have been for Xiao Yao, would she have done anything differently?

 FS22:

May I know where I can read the 1st epilogue?

My impression is that the 1st epilogue is XL's epilogue, where we learn about him making the big-bellied laughing doll.

 liddi:

Xiang Liu was the clan leader of the descendants of the King of the Underworld. Before the final battle, Xiang Liu went to the Guifang clan to settle his affairs. Several hundred people knelt in the Great Hall to plead with him, using Xiao Yao's life to threaten him, and Xiang Liu left behind his demon core and a copy of himself Fangfeng Bei.

Ah ok, I always wondered as to why Xiang Liu would leave his demon core with the Guifang clan for resurrection since he was dead set on righteously dying in battle. It makes sense if Guifang used Xiao Yao's life to threaten him.

Somewhat related to the rumored second epilogue and to be take with a grain of salt, but someone who said they had read the second epilogue also said that 长相思 first came out online in serial format--and that the original web version was different from the 2013 published version. Most notably, in order to buy medicine for Xiao Liu after Xiao Liu was injured while using his body to protect Xuan, Xiang Liu cut off one of his own heads in order to collect the bounty on it. If this is true, I'm glad they changed it in the published version of the novel. It's very gruesome, and it also undermines the fact that XL's love for XY is left unspoken, so like Xiao Yao, many reader's aren't sure about his feelings for her until the epilogue. Him severing a head for her that early in their relationship seems counter to the "grass snake ash thread" tale that Tong Hua set out to weave.

 AH :

And it seems rather inconsistent for XY, especially drama!XY, who was so insistent on marrying TSJ and was the one who asked TSJ to marry her (quite different from the novel).  

I wonder how much of a role censorship played in the treatment of drama!XY. One of my Chinese colleagues from work was telling me about all the unwritten censorship rules for dramas, which are much stricter than for novels. Basically, anything that goes against conventional moral values is being censored. I imagine either loving two men at the same time, or obviously loving one man, but deciding to be with another might violate some censorship rules. My colleague even told me that one of the unwritten rules is that all dramas must have happy endings. My colleague was very disappointed to find out that one of her favorite novels, where the main character commits suicide in the end, got adapted into a drama where the end just showed an open window, with no definite conclusion.

Anyway, if it really is an unwritten censorship law that dramas have to have happy endings, that might explain why they chose to put YaoJing's marriage after XL's death in battle.

 liddi:

Finally came across what appeared to be a more comprehensive description of the rumoured 2nd epilogue on Weibo. While cannot be substantiated, I find it interesting that the title of the LYF prequel appeared to refer to the name of the ice mask of the Guifang clan leader 千方相 "Thousands of Directions".

Anyway this is the translation - as always, take it with a massive ladle of salt:



Lost You Forever Epilogue 2 - Staying Together Forever

 FS22:

May I know where I can read the 1st epilogue?

 solarlunareclipse:

My impression is that the 1st epilogue is XL's epilogue, where we learn about him making the big-bellied laughing doll.

 solarlunareclipse:

Somewhat related to the rumored second epilogue and to be take with a grain of salt, but someone who said they had read the second epilogue also said that 长相思 first came out online in serial format--and that the original web version was different from the 2013 published version.

Wait @liddi  was the second epilogue description that you translated a description of a second epilogue for the novel (where XL's epilogue was the first epilogue)? 

Or was it for the drama (where I assume CX and Ah Nian's "many years later" scene in QS town would be the first epilogue)?

 FS22:

May I know where I can read the 1st epilogue?

You can read a translation of XL's epilogue here: https://koalasplayground.com/2020/02/12/lost-you-forever-epilogue-wishing-you-a-lifetime-of-worry-free-happiness/

 solarlunareclipse:

I wonder how much of a role censorship played in the treatment of drama!XY. One of my Chinese colleagues from work was telling me about all the unwritten censorship rules for dramas, which are much stricter than for novels. Basically, anything that goes against conventional moral values is being censored. I imagine either loving two men at the same time, or obviously loving one man, but deciding to be with another might violate some censorship rules. My colleague even told me that one of the unwritten rules is that all dramas must have happy endings. My colleague was very disappointed to find out that one of her favorite novels, where the main character commits suicide in the end, got adapted into a drama where the end just showed an open window, with no definite conclusion.

Anyway, if it really is an unwritten censorship law that dramas have to have happy endings, that might explain why they chose to put YaoJing's marriage after XL's death in battle.

If that's a rule now, I can think of a few C dramas where that rule couldn't have been in place when the drama got reviewed. Like The Rise of Phoenixes (2018) and One and Only (2021). 

And I wouldn't call the end of The Double (2024) happy. A bit like the open window drama your colleague mentioned, it heavily implies tragedy with some hints that maybe the tragedy didn't happen, so the ending is open rather than definitively tragic, happy or bittersweet. 

 AH :

If that's a rule now, I can think of a few C dramas where that rule couldn't have been in place when the drama got reviewed. Like The Rise of Phoenixes (2018) and One and Only (2021).

And I wouldn't call the end of The Double (2024) happy. A bit like the open window drama your colleague mentioned, it heavily implies tragedy with some hints that maybe the tragedy didn't happen, so the ending is open rather than definitively tragic, happy or bittersweet. 

Yeah, I think she mentioned that censorship controls started tightening after Covid. However the 2021 film you mentioned happened after Covid, even so, maybe things weren't as strict then as they are now. It's interesting that the 2024 film you mentioned has an open ending rather than definitely tragic. That got me thinking about the  ending to A Journey to Love (2023), where they tacked on a nonsensical open ending to the drama, almost as an afterthought after a tragic, seemingly definitive conclusion.

 FS22:

@Kokuto

I’m still unable to quote, but I’m replying from my phone. Not sure if it’s due to that.

I agree with him initially planning a life with WXL, but fate is just so cruel to him. There is one scene where I suspect XL slipped and did a gesture  of affection towards XY. It was when he comforted her after she knew her father was Qi Yo. He could see himself reflected in XY’s eyes and he covered her eyes with his hand, and XY felt something on her forehead. I think he might have kissed her?  

Me too, I can't quote either . The only way to quote is to use quote button. Which sadly doesn't work for large quote 

 FS22:

@liddi

Wow, if that epilogue is true, then my heart is content. Lol. May I know where I can read the 1st epilogue?

I highly doubt it as I did read a fanfic with pretty much that script and he came back as GFB.

Once again... How on earth does XL get XY pregnant.... Putting that in defined logic for me. TH would not destroy XY and XL integrity like that.

Thank @liddi for the translation as always!

 FS22:

Wow, if that epilogue is true, then my heart is content. Lol. May I know where I can read the 1st epilogue?

The second epilogue allegedly debuted on Jinjiang (晋江) alongside the serialized novel before its physical publication, but the epilogue was immediately deleted after its release. Jinjiang is an online platform catering to a female audience where authors can upload original works. During its short release, VIP members could access the epilogue, while regular members could not. Supposedly, a VIP member managed to capture a screenshot of it and shared it on Tianya (天涯), an online community providing forums, blogs, photo albums, videos, and other services. Unfortunately, Tianya ceased operations in April 2023 due to financial and technical issues and has yet to reopen.

 plor20:

My guess is that at one point, XL and XY relationship was more intimate but along the way, between TH and her editor, they decided to take it out, in order to keep the relationship stagnant. I'd imagine if there was scene that was sexually intimate, then it would ruin the anticipation from the audience, and would give XY more reason to fight for her realtionship with XL. However TH didn't want to show XY as the fighting type, she really wanted to keep her a damaged woman til the end, so no sex with XL. (¬‿¬)

This reminds me of Phantom of the Opera. In Phantom of the Opera she rejects the Phantom and married someone else. Then in the sequel, Love Never Dies it turns out they had a night a passion somewhere along the way and she had a child with him.