Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 mparthur:

I don't think XL dies just like that.  He has nine lives, doesn't it?

He used two of them for XY. I forgot if he used two more or not and I forgot how the other lives get killed tbh. But the battle was long and fierce so maybe he died several times during it. He was also using an illusion to distract and appear as gonggong. 

 Sirry Usly:

Oh also, there was something about having the bug eat his heart?? I'd have to go back and look. But the love bug removal process definitely had something to do with it. 

Yes, I think he gave up 1-2 lives to save XY after the cherry blossom death trap, at least 1 life to save Jing, at least 1 life to save XY after she poisons her cousin and self, and when XY’s bug was removed it really damaged his life span. So at minimum, that’s 5 lives right there? Someone else may have a more accurate  tally from the novel. 

 Noush:

I think XL kind of believes in it as well. In the end, he had lots of precious time with his love and was not a loner anymore. He died with his heart captured with love, and not hate. Isn't it sort of a happy ending for him?

In  a sense, this is true. He died fulfilling his duty to the Chenrong army and also making sure his love, XY, would have a lifetime of happiness, even if it meant he won't be there by her side anymore.

For everyone asking about the lovers bug

Chp. 48 excerpt: 

[Xiang Liu sat down next to the raft and stared at the sleeping Xiao Yao before softly saying, 

 "The tree grows old on land together, the mandarin ducks die together in the water - the Lover's Bug connects heart to heart and our lives, and it truly has no way to break the bug.

Years ago I was only able to remove the bug from Zhuan Xu because he didn't know it was you so he didn't willingly accept the bug. So you never successfully planted the bug on him in the first place.

But I…..I was heart and soul willing, so the bug successfully planted in me. You asked me to remove the bug and I kept telling you I can't do it, but you didn't believe me. But I truly didn't lie to you, I cannot remove the bug.”

Xiang Liu picked up Xiao Yao's hand and used his finger as a knife to slice into the flesh of her palm and his palm back and forth until he drew a blood spell "I cannot remove the bug, but I can kill the bug!"

Xiang Liu smiled before joining his bloody palm to Xiao Yao's bloody palm, so tightly that the blood flowing wasn't clear whether it was his or hers.

 "Don't blame me for not telling you this before, blame yourself for being useless!"

Xiang Liu started to chant the spell and with it countless glowing blue dots appeared and flew around both of them.

The blue dots lit up the night sky until it was an ethereal beauty of lights in the air and reflected in the lake surface.

Xiang Liu's hand suddenly grabbed a real dagger made from ice and he stabbed it directly into his own heart. ]

Chp. 48 excerpt continued: 

[Sir Bi understood what happened. 

The heart and life connected Lover's Bug was planted between Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao, which is why Xiang Liu could have saved Xiao Yao's life earlier. 

Xiang Liu managed to now break the bug by using his own life as the lure to kill the bugs. It was a suicidal method, but a method that only Nine Lives Xiang Liu could use by taking one of his lives.]

 chase_kayden:

Isn't XL the one who removed the bug before he went to war? I think I read that in the comments section before. I might be wrong. Coz if he died in the war with the bug still inside him, XY will surely feel it.

I added the stuff from the translated novel that refers to how XL was able to remove the bug. Hope this helps. 

At chp. 37 the voodoo king tells Jing and XY about the lover's bug:

"The Lover's Bug -- either live in love or die in heartbreak. Once the Lover's Bug has been planted there is no way to break the spell. It is impossible. This is what I was trying to say earlier about why so few people raise it despite the great benefit. Only very determined girls would raise the bug but even if they successfully raise it, it's near impossible to find a man willing to accept the other bug to be planted in him."

 Sirry Usly:

I added the stuff from the translated novel that refers to how XL was able to remove the bug. Hope this helps. 

Thanks, dear. Yeah, it helps.

And why did XY want the bug removed if, in your excerpt of Ch. 37, it's impossible to remove it?