Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 HeadInTheClouds:

Not sure if this have been discussed.

When do you think Jing resized that FFB is XL?

Like XY, TSJ would have recognized that FFB's face was the same as XL's face from the first time he met FFB in chapter 16 and presumably wondered about it. XY confirmed that. She also thought that TSJ would have used the Tushan Clan's resources to look into FFB's background (similar to the check that XY asked CX to run for her after XL confirmed that he was FFB), but he presumably wouldn't have been able to find any info that CX wasn't able to find with his sources and spy network. 

And then FFB went and lived with TSJ and FFYY... I imagine TSJ probably tried to keep tabs on FFB to try to figure out if FFB was XL or not during that time, but we (the readers) aren't told much about it so we don't know if TSJ would have picked up on any hints. 

In chapter 18, TSJ spied on XY and "FFB" in the maze at little Zhu Rong's residence when XY was talking to "FFB" about him having nine faces and 81 forms and what the real FFB looked like, and it's possible that TSJ could have overheard some of that conversation. But it seemed to me like XL noticed when TSJ arrived and (unlike later circumstances... like chapter 37) he didn't want TSJ to hear their conversation, so he cut XY off and tricked her into throwing an ice dagger at TSJ to force TSJ to reveal himself. 

After emerging from his 37-year coma in chapter 22, TSJ would have come to know that XL saved XY's life, confirming that there was still some kind of relationship between XL and XY after WXL became XY. 

TSJ told XY in chapter 24 that he felt like FFB was XL when "FFB" scared XY into his arms after she told him that she wished she could have saved him from the death match arena, and XY avoided the topic by saying that she didn't want to talk about FFB or XL. Although TSJ could have been hiding the fact that he already knew that FFB was XL, I personally think that it wasn't a deception and TSJ only suspected that FFB was XL at this point and was not yet completely certain of his identity. 

In chapter 26, TSJ overheard XY telling XL to cut it out when she reacted to him increasing her heart rate, and then encountered XY returning from the direction of ocean with "FFB" the next day. If he didn't know with certainty that FFB was XL at that point, I imagine his suspicions would have increased after that. 

And in chapter 29 XY found out that Li Jie Chang knew that FFB was XL and assumed that meant that TSJ knew too. If TSJ didn't know before that night, it seems very likely that Li Jie Chang would have talked to TSJ about FFB/XL after finding out that TSJ was in love with XY and that XY was close with FFB/XL.

And then even if he wasn't 100% certain earlier, TSJ definitely knew with 100% certainty that FFB was XL by chapter 32, when he made a deal with XL and then "FFB" invoked XY's promise to prevent her from marrying Feng Long. 

TSJ admitted / confirmed to XY that he knew that FFB was XL when she went to confront him in chapter 33. 

My sense is that TSJ strongly suspected that FFB was XL for a very long time, but wasn't absolutely, 100% certain until Li Jie Chang confirmed it around chapter 29 and then XL further confirmed it in chapter 32.

 nathsketch:

I finished them :3

Wow. Absolutely gorgeous!

 H19279:

What is jiaolong actually? In my perception, jiaolong resembles crocodile.

I see jiaolong as water dragons (thanks to Cdramas), although the word jiao stands for various other meanings/creatures depending on which classic texts you are reading. I think jiaoren means mer-people. If you've seen Til the End of the Moon, then in the dream sequence, the male lead character was a jiaolong. Apparently, there are different kinds of dragons in Chinese mythology, having different powers and dwellings. Jiaolongs are considered more primitive and reptilian in appearance.

 H19279:

(1) The link to Xiang Liu in the myth (2) His blood is poisonous (3) the foreshadow of the story “snake demon- evil 9 tailed fox demon” that XY told him

Yes, the analogy to the snake demon is probably the closest that the novel got to XL being a snake demon.

 AH :

Lol, the fact that my immediate reaction was the exact same word. @nathsketch please take that as confirmation that they are in fact gorgeous, and not a sign of my lacking original thoughts. ^^"

Hahaha awesome, I’m quite content with the double gorgeousness :D Thank you so much ❤️

@HeadInTheClouds

"I tend to be more characters than plot focus in my reading/watching," 

Same, I said it before, but my all time favorite author is Dostoievski, which IMO he was not only a fantastic writer, but also a great psychologist, someone who deeply understood the human nature. Might be because I am from eastern Europe as well, so I can relate to his views more. TH is quite good in this aspect too, but what frustrated me the most when reading lyf and why I don't plan a full re-read anytime soon is that I don't feel it's worth it to invest so many hours for a plot I don't find entertaining, just so I can get to enjoy a few fragments with XL and XY.  I know strong essences are kept în small bottles, but honestly I find the politics în lyf quite boring and the parts with Jing and XY are simply a pain to me to read. 

Plot wise, I believe song în the clouds is better, but tragedies done well and revenge stories are definetely my cup of tea. Speaking of which, I am only a few chapters în volume 2 so might be too soon to say this, but surprisngly I find XL more similar to the emperor, rather than Meng Jue. I might change my opinion though. Romance wise too, the way he is able to understand her dishes îs similar to XL understanding XY's poisons, something that neither Meng Jue or Jing could. Same recyclated formula actually. Another similarity îs that the Emperor refused to consume his wedding night with the empress because of the promise he made to the FL în chapter 1,  when he accepted her shoe.  XY too delayed her wedding to Jing and we never got to see them consume their wedding night. Song în the clouds has the shoe, LYF has the bug. 

"Could you elaborate a bit on these points; about keeping the flaws of the story and the characters' identity?" 

I mentioned it before but IMO TH never gave them a chance. She build XL în such a way that IMO giving up on his duty to pursue a future with XY was never an option he could have ever considered without going out of his character.  To XY as well, TH only gave her 2 options, she could have either went after XL and end up killing herself, either keeping away and getting the not a tragedy ending she got, altough I personally belive TH gave the credit of keeping XY away from XL to XL, not to XY. So if I was to personally pick, I would have definetely picked the first option. I don't believe XY living a love story with XL and survive him was ever an option to TH, they were doomed from the start. 

 blabla100:

@nathsketch

Awesome art, nathsketch.  I love TJC's XL, but I don't really see myself as his fan, but you managed to make him look as great as XL and FFB. 

Thank you thank you <3

 liddi:

I've only read two thus far. 

相思日月长 is the one where she resurrects Xiang Liu using a fragment of his soul which Gong Gong managed to preserve.

不负相思意 is the one where she manages to go back in time due to the mirror after his death, and makes different choices, knowing now what she didn't before.

Are there english versions of these? I have been looking so hard for some good lost you forever fanfictions where xiaoyao chooses xiang liu.

 AH :

My sense is that TSJ strongly suspected that FFB was XL for a very long time, but wasn't absolutely, 100% certain until Li Jie Chang confirmed it around chapter 29 and then XL further confirmed it in chapter 32.

You have meticulously and perfectly documented Jing's initial suspicions up to confirmation that Fangfeng Bei and Xiang Liu are one and the same - thank you! 

I agree that his suspicions were only confirmed when Lirong Chang made the ruckus at the Lirong donkey meat seller's place, as he would certainly have told Jing who Fangfeng Bei really was after that even if Jing had not gleaned on to the fact based on his pointed barbs. It is interesting though, that Xiang Liu made no secret of his alter ego to Lirong Chang, who had no loyalties to the Shen Nong army. It is possible that they crossed paths during one of those times when Xiang Liu visited the old man and his identity was revealed. In the leaked script, Lirong Chang would later be tasked to try and persuade Xiang Liu to switch sides, but failed, as did his predecessors before him.