atmospheres:

The actress is a longtime friend of both Yangzi and TJC, so she might be a bit biased due to that too. The actress who plays Xiling Heng, XY's mother, is also YaoLiu, she posted on her social media a while back saying something to the effect that XY should choose XL.

金丰 who played A Heng was also in Under the Skin with Tan Jianci, as the perpetrator in the plastic surgeon case (Eps1-2). She posted a video cleverly merging scenes of Fangfeng Bei and Xiao Yao agreeing to leave with him, amid annotations of A Heng's disapproval, which then intercuts to present day where their characters supposedly reincarnates in Under the Skin (Shen Yi suddenly recognises her as 母后大人, addressing her as Imperial Mother lol!), and she tries to escape but couldn't, so finally gave YaoLiu her approval. It was a very amusing video, very tongue in cheek and fun, but she got viciously attacked on Weibo by YaoJing fans for daring to support YaoLiu instead of the official pairing especially since she was supposed to be Xiao Yao's mother, even to the extent of saying that this was the reason her career was always subpar. Really ridiculous.

 Elise:

I wonder if we'll ever hear Yang Zi's answer as to which of the three guys she supports in real life though I suspect it's Xiang Liu ?

In interviews I've seen, Yang Zi is always very politically correct - saying Shiqi is the official pairing, Cang Xuan is her 1st male lead, Xiang Liu is her 知己 (some translates this as "soulmate", though the word can also mean "confidante"). However, she also said that most of Xiang Liu scenes in the drama are classic scenes that novel fans will know very well, and that Xiao Yao's relationship with Xiang Liu is very heartwrenching, because she never knew everything he did for her. 

 liddi:
but she got viciously attacked on Weibo by YaoJing fans for daring to support YaoLiu instead of the official pairing especially since she was supposed to be Xiao Yao's mother, even to the extent of saying that this was the reason her career was always subpar. Really ridiculous.

Seriously.  What is wrong with people?  Were they raised in a barn?  I'm all for enjoying their fandom, but this is just wrong.

 liddi:
金丰 who played A Heng was also in Under the Skin with Tan Jianci, as the perpetrator in the plastic surgeon case (Eps1-2). She posted a video cleverly merging scenes of Fangfeng Bei and Xiao Yao agreeing to leave with him, amid annotations of A Heng's disapproval, which then intercuts to present day where their characters supposedly reincarnates in Under the Skin (Shen Yi suddenly recognises her as 母后大人, addressing her as Imperial Mother lol!), and she tries to escape but couldn't, so finally gave YaoLiu her approval.

That's pretty awesome that she makes FMV.  I've seen several using scenes from Under the Skin.

 Actors look so different in costume and modern shows.  I didn't know she was Under the Skin.  Now I'm going to have to watch those episodes again.

 atmospheres:
During a cast press event for LYF, a couple of big name fans in the novel fandom were invited to attend and speak with the cast. One of them, I don't know her fandom handle, had made videos analyzing the novel and story. When she spoke to the cast, YZ and TJC both told her they watched her analyses and found her videos useful in their preparation for their roles and thanked her. This fan is a YaoLiu supporter, I wonder how much of her YaoLiu sentiments came through in her analyses (I would think it most likely would have) and whether that influenced YZ in any way in her portrayal.

Are these videos and analyses posted somewhere for us to read?  Hopefully translated.


 atmospheres:
YZ has mentioned that she played XY as having no idea about the extent of XL's feelings for her, but she also said in a cast livestream that her and TJC discussed it a lot during the filming of the scene when XL as FFB almost touches XY's face and how she just found it impossible to believe that at that moment XY still has no idea about XL's feelings for her.

Exactly what I've said.  XY would have to be blind not to see XL / FFB's love which is nakedly revealed in his gaze, repeatedly.

I can believe XY might not grasp the extent of XL's feelings at various times, but she has to see the emotion in his gaze.  At some level, she has to understand she is willfully blind.  She really doesn't want to admit or face her feelings for XL.

@liddi and Kokuto

Yep,  not for the first time I wondered how these people are raised. What's missing in their lives that they get so caught up in shipping and fanning that they attack strangers just because they enjoy something different? Enjoy yours things and let others enjoy theirs. I have seen comments by XY/Jing shippers that wish for XY/YL's shippers to experience abuse and assault (because, you know we shipped XY with her abuser ?). The utter disconnect of seeing yourself as morally superior because you shipped the supposedly "green flag/healthy relationship" while wishing abuse/assault on others. Unfortunately. This sort of behaviour isn't restricted to the XY/Jing ship or LYF fandom. 

YZ has been in the industry for decades, so she's well verse in dealing with these things. Smart of her to stay neutral, given the craziness that we just mentioned. From her interviews, my opinion is that, at the very least, she doesn't think that XY's feelings for XL is strictly that of soul mates of the friendship kind. Frankly, I think only the most unreasonable shippers or those really bad at reading comphrension would insists on this interpretation. I found YZ's comment that YZ didn't really chose anyone, its just that Jing was the only one that chose her quite interesting. 

Speaking of Under the Skin. Not in a million years would I have picked TJC for XL while watching it. But his acting combined with the costuming really captured the character. I wasn't planning to watch LYF, but I saw short video of XL's fight compilation and was really taken with how TJC carried himself and his intense gaze. 

 liddi:
It was a very amusing video, very tongue in cheek and fun, but she got viciously attacked on Weibo by YaoJing fans for daring to support YaoLiu instead of the official pairing especially since she was supposed to be Xiao Yao's mother, even to the extent of saying that this was the reason her career was always subpar. Really ridiculous.

That is horrible that happened to her (and yes, I remember the actress from Under the Skin). I find that quite funny in an absurd way because if we're going to play the battle of the CPs game and that official pairing trumps all nonsense, then 健饼果紫 ought to be the ones rioting since their CP predates LYF, just sayin'.

Anyway, I came to the show for TJC, having been a longtime fan of his I knew what he was capable of but still had difficulty envisioning him in a xianxia and I guess I'm staying because his character and his performance is fantastic, even better than I could've hoped. I'm annoyed he made me watch and enjoy an idol romance xianxia since I absolutely hate that type of show and avoid it like the plague.

 Kokuto:
Are these videos and analyses posted somewhere for us to read?  Hopefully translated.

I don't know because I don't follow the novel fandom, I wasn't familiar with the book or the story before watching the show. I only watched the show for TJC, since I watch every show he's in, although I ended up liking it, for the most part.

 liddi:
It was a very amusing video, very tongue in cheek and fun, but she got viciously attacked on Weibo by YaoJing fans for daring to support YaoLiu instead of the official pairing especially since she was supposed to be Xiao Yao's mother, even to the extent of saying that this was the reason her career was always subpar. Really ridiculous.

This is simply absurd. And to think that the YaoLius are most of the time labeled the toxic ones. Ridiculous.

 liddi:

In interviews I've seen, Yang Zi is always very politically correct - saying Shiqi is the official pairing, Cang Xuan is her 1st male lead, Xiang Liu is her 知己 (some translates this as "soulmate", though the word can also mean "confidante"). However, she also said that most of Xiang Liu scenes in the drama are classic scenes that novel fans will know very well, and that Xiao Yao's relationship with Xiang Liu is very heartwrenching, because she never knew everything he did for her. 

I'm not surprised she remained neutral considering how mad the fans can get. She also said something like Xiang Liu's scenes are hard to shoot since each time he appears, it's like an iconic moment: https://twitter.com/Berries2002/status/1696394823362544118?s=20

And that's exactly how I felt when I read the novel the first time. It's heartbreaking because she never knew all he did for her :(

 atmospheres:
I find that quite funny in an absurd way because if we're going to play the battle of the CPs game and that official pairing trumps all nonsense, then 健饼果紫 ought to be the ones rioting since their CP predates LYF, just sayin'.

I always assumed 健饼果紫 was a real-life CP fandom set up due to their collaboration in LYF. You mean it wasn't? What was the basis for that fandom then? I don't recall them working on any projects together previously, though I am aware they were already long term friends after they met online, when he mistook her for a history professor. 

I was first introduced to Tan Jianci in Advisors Alliance so I knew his acting ability, but could never visualise him as Xiang Liu when I heard of his casting. He definitely exceeded my expectations and then some, and now I cannot imagine anyone else playing that role. Romantic xianxia is a genre that I usually do not enjoy, but LYF is not your typical xianxia either. I have been waiting for his new dramas to drop - thought Love Me, Love My Voice was supposed to air Oct 3rd, but that didn't happen. But the one I really can't wait for is Under the Skin S2. So pleased the production team took the concerns of the fans on board. Any idea if the original scriptwriter is back too?


 HeadInTheClouds:
I found YZ's comment that YZ didn't really chose anyone, its just that Jing was the only one that chose her quite interesting. 

I remember Yang Zi's comment on this topic at the time, which is indeed interesting - Xiang Liu would never express his feelings, even refusing to respond to her overtures when she took that first step; while Cang Xuan chose to accept her offer to use her as a means of amassing support until he confessed his feelings too late. The only one whose feelings she was always sure of was Jing. She also mentioned that when she reverted to her female identity, she also lost the freedom she enjoyed as Wen Xiao Liu, being now constrained by her identity and bloodline. I remember Tan Jianci himself saying that he loved the Qingshui town arc best, which I do too, because it was a time when their identities and by extension, relationships were not as complicated.

@Kokuto @nathsketch 

Yes it is certainly disturbing behaviour, and I am just sorry that the actors suffer the brunt of it. Entitled fans are not new, and unfortunately, we see it in almost every fandom. 

@Elise

The heartbreak at the injustice we feel for Xiang Liu, which novel Xiao Yao railed against - "doing right by everyone except himself", contributes in a significant way to the inability to move on, that's for sure.

 liddi:
I always assumed 健饼果紫 was a real-life CP fandom set up due to their collaboration in LYF. You mean it wasn't? What was the basis for that fandom then? I don't recall them working on any projects together previously, though I am aware they were already long term friends after they met online, when he mistook her for a history professor. 

Both their fandoms and the industry were aware of their years-long friendship before YZ discussed it openly, for the first time iirc, last year on Hi6. I believe it was based on the usual vague stuff actorCP fandom in China bases their shipping on like social media posts and comments from them and their mutual industry friends, I don't closely follow that sector of his fandom and I didn't follow her or her fandom at all back then (I still don't for the latter although inevitably when there's overlap from them into his fandom). Definitely that sector of his fandom expanded and became more vocal since her Hi6 appearances last year and probably even more so since the premiere of LYF and the accompanying promo cycle.

@MTH123

‘Then, here’s another question I could have asked.

Is
     XL as is
          greater than
     TSJ (or CX) plus extraordinary things?

You’d probably answer yes, as most people in this thread probably would. This thought experiment didn’t help me at all, lol.‘

if I must be fair and think about it logically, then the answer is no. But my brain stop working  as soon as XL/FFB shows up on the screen so YES YES YES ???.

Like the others have pointed out aptly TJC as XL/FFB is mesmerizing. It the perfect combo of good acting, actor‘s charisma on screen , great character and story/lines that make his XL/FFB unforgettable. Yesterday I watched TJC live streaming after LYF ended and he asked which XL/FFB‘s scene and line are his fans‘s favourite. For me it easier to answer, which scene/line is not my fav, because I rewatch his scenes so many times and not yet bored. I always found something new/nuances in his acting, that I missed before.  

I‘m curious though about the discussion ‚lost in translation‘ that some are discussing. I thought that maybe so many of international fans are Jinger because they missed the nuances of the story as they watch the drama from western point of view and can only understand the story using english subtitles. But how is it in china? Are there more YaoLiu or YaoJing shippers? I‘m so glad to know that many cast crew actually YaoLiu shippers?, send them hugs for enduring the vicious backlash from those rabid Jingers.

And are most of you here actually asian descendant living abroad or westener? I am interested to know if this western lens is really the major cause which influence peple to be a Jinger or Liuer?. 

 luv2bafangurl:
I‘m curious though about the discussion ‚lost in translation‘ that some are discussing. I thought that maybe so many of international fans are Jinger because they missed the nuances of the story as they watch the drama from western point of view and can only understand the story using english subtitles. But how is it in china? Are there more YaoLiu or YaoJing shippers? I‘m so glad to know that many cast crew actually YaoLiu shippers?, send them hugs for enduring the vicious backlash from those rabid Jingers.

And are most of you here actually asian descendant living abroad or westener? I am interested to know if this western lens is really the major cause which influence peple to be a Jinger or Liuer?.

Hmmm.  Not sure, but I don't think it falls along those lines.  I mean, both Tan Jian Ci and Deng Wei gained a huge amount of followers on Weibo off of LYF, and those are not Western users.  From posts here, I don't get the feeling that YaoJing is mostly Western, either. 

I don't understand Mandarin, so I am relying on the English subtitles for a general understanding of  what is being said.  However, I don't rely ONLY on them.   It's a visual medium, and I figure out quite a bit from the acting and understanding the language of film and story, as well as the soundtrack cues.  I used to watch unsubbed shows and jidaigeki on Mom's TV Japan, and I could follow what was happening generally, even if I wasn't aware of the specifics or all the nuances.

I think it's more about shipping wars.  Apparently, like love, shipping, is a universal language. :p

"And are most of you here actually asian descendant living abroad or westener? I am interested to know if this western lens is really the major cause which influence peple to be a Jinger or Liuer" 

Western / european, no asian ties în my family. Just been a fan of asian culture ever since sandy bell and sailor moon era. Also, I am not that young either, I have seen many Jingers said that a lot of XL fans must be young adults, which IMO îs not actually true. Yes, as a mother I would want my daugther to have a Jing în her life, but as a woman, I'd go after an XL.