Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

Nov 2, 2023 06:52 am

@AH

"I still do not think XY was picturing XL at all when she looked at TSJ in chapter 14. The way she thinks about XL earlier in the chapter gives a good indication of her feelings towards XL at that particular point in the story."

For me it's not the way she thinks of XL, but the fact that she thinks of him. Also, I can't take her words seriously, obviously she loves him, hence at that point în time she already had the the love bug, so I think her thoughts at that time towards XL should be view through a different lense than what meets the eye.

blabla100

Nov 2, 2023 06:54 am

H19279:
jing’s hair in chapter 14 reminded her XL’s hair in the scene of excursion after transferring the bug. Hair in water also looks like as if it is flying in air (slower motion even)

Yes, that's what I belive too. That scene was also before she took her identity as a princess. The scene from chapter 26 also points to that.

Nov 2, 2023 06:57 am

blabla100:
Xiang Liu came to give a congratulatory gift. Xiao Yao poisoned Xiang Liu's wine but it did not poison Xiang Liu. After Xiang Liu left, Xiao Yao felt depressed and gave the wine to Jing. Drink, Jing was poisoned.

From that time on, Xiaoyao's desires that could not be satisfied by Xiang Liu would be released through Jing; emotions that could not be vented by Xiang Liu would be regulated by Jing.

For example, Mingyue on the Sea was heartbroken by Xiang Liu and found comfort in Jing; Xiang Liu used her Gu to assassinate Zhuan Xu, and she turned around and asked Jing if she could not hurt Zhuan Xu. She received Jing's affirmative reply and gave her hope. Some peace of mind; when Zhuan Xu came to capture her, her first thought was that Xiang Liu came to save her, but in the end it was Jing who helped her escape. There are many, many more, so I won’t list them all.

From Xiaoyao's perspective, Jing's shortcomings in Xiang Liu's are exactly the opposite. Xiang Liu is ruthless, but Jing is very kind; Xiang Liu always bullies her, but Jing cares about her; Xiang Liu may be difficult to control, but Jing listens to her words; Xiang Liu wants to kill her brother, but Jing promises not to Against her brother; Xiang Liu's attitude has always been unclear, but Jing has always made promises to her. Jing could give her whatever she couldn't get from Xiang Liu.

If you can't meet your needs, go to Jing and ask for them.

I agree with this.

I would also note that it went the other way too.

When XY felt lonely, neglected or upset (usually because of TSJ), XL or FFB would show up and make her feel better.

When XY started to doubt whether things would ever work out between her and TSJ in chapter 23, XL restored her hope.

When TSJ couldn't save XY's life alone, XL saved her.

When TSJ was on the brink of death, XL ensured that XY did not lose him.

blabla100

Nov 2, 2023 06:59 am

@AH

I know what you're saying, AH, but I am just not feeling it. The love bug IMO îs the best testimony that her heart truly belonged to XL. Also they were so alike, Jing was the medicine, but XL was her poison. It all start with XL, Jing was her rebound basically.

windiaaa041293

Nov 2, 2023 07:20 am

XL's hair is not tied up in a bun, it's exactly like the manhua picture.
But here Xiaoyao saw Jing taking off the crown that tied her hair... meaning Jing's hair wasn't tied anymore... it looked like XL hair.
And the atmosphere is sunrise... so it's like a silhouette... xy is as if you're looking at XL...making Xiaoyao's heart beat fast

Nov 2, 2023 07:28 am

blabla100:
@AH
"I still do not think XY was picturing XL at all when she looked at TSJ in chapter 14. The way she thinks about XL earlier in the chapter gives a good indication of her feelings towards XL at that particular point in the story."
For me it's not the way she thinks of XL, but the fact that she thinks of him. Also, I can't take her words seriously, obviously she loves him, hence at that point în time she already had the the love bug, so I think her thoughts at that time towards XL should be view through a different lense than what meets the eye.

I don't agree that there is any indication that she is thinking of XL in the scene where she is looking at TSJ's hair flying in the breeze in chapter 14.

I agree that XY had love in her heart for XL at that point. It is also clear that she's still annoyed with XL in chapter 14, after he abandoned her in the middle of the ocean the night before.

"...if it wasn’t for Xiang Liu that bastard demon tormenting her last night." is not something XY says out loud for show. Those are her inner thoughts.

----

Chapter 13 and 14:

Xiao Liu thought about it and finally put it into words. “My Gege, that is Zhuan Xu, he said one night when we were talking that I was still a girl who dreams. So….so….I’m scared that if I’m not careful, you’ll walk into my dreams. And you…..” Xiao Yao shook her head “You’re someone who is never ever suitable to show up in a young girl’s dreams. That might actually be scarier than death.”

Xiang Liu started chuckling, and it grew louder and louder until he was laughing. He released Xiao Yao and his body drifted away.

Xiao Yao yelled, “Hey…hey….don’t leave me here. If you leave me here, what’ll I do?”

Xiang Liu laughed. “Swim back!”

Xiao Yao was in disbelief. “You want me to swim back from here? This is the deep ocean and sea monsters are around. I’ve got very weak powers, any random sea monster can eat me!”

Xiang Liu smiled with a twinkle in his eye “I’m doing this for your own good. If I’m too tender and considerate with you, I might accidentally enter your dreams and leave you wishing for death. That would be a crime on my part.”

Xiang Liu finished talking and sank into the ocean and disappeared.

Xiao Yao couldn’t believe it and yelled, “Xiang Liu, Xiang Liu, Nine-lives! Nine-headed demon! Devil bastard! You damn Nine-headed demon bastard…..”

The waves ripped around her and the sea was desolate. Xiao Yao felt the ocean grew darker and looked around to gather her bearings and started swimming towards Five Gods Mountain.

Initially she was scared a sea monster would come and bite her but after swimming for a long time and still not seeing land, she was scared she would drown. She conserved her energy and stopped thinking and just started swimming as if she was in a trance and her body was moving in a steady rhythm.

...

Jing held her up and the two of them were treading water. Xiao Yao was so exhausted she was shivering, and for whatever reason, Jing was also shivering.

Xiao Yao said, “Don’t….don’t….in the water.” After a night in the water, she didn’t want to be here anymore.

...

They finally reached shore and Jing carried Xiao Yao to rest under a cliff outcropping. Xiao Yao’s face was white and her lips were black with cold. Jing put one hand on her back and the other on her palm and transferred power into her. Gradually it moved through her body and she stopped shivering.

...

Zhuan Xu smiled and walked over and vaulted into the water.

Xiao Yao laughed as she drank her wine and sprawled on the boat thinking to herself that if it wasn’t for Xiang Liu that bastard demon tormenting her last night, she would have jumped in right now.

-----

After finally getting back to her rooms, XY gets two hours of sleep and then goes out to find TSJ again, since it's his last day in town. She finds him with the group that ends up going on the boat excursion. That evening, she falls asleep in TSJ's arms. She calls for "Shi Qi!" in her sleep before waking up. She rakes her fingers through TSJ's hair and he kisses her forehead. Her focus is on TSJ and there is no indication that she is thinking of XL when she is looking at TSJ in that chapter.

H19279

Nov 2, 2023 07:33 am

@AH

Honestly, I couldn't imagine XL's hair style (even with the Vietnamese translation). But there is some key points:

His white hair is bouncy/floating as cloud (that was described in the Vietnamese translation in chapter 2)
He used a band to gather the hair at the back. But for sure it can't be look like pony hair, right?

So, when someone posted the photo (That you attached to your post) I finally can visualize his hair.

And the image of XL which was recorded in the gorilla mirror is as following:

" She took out her most precious mirror and pulled up the memory she saved in it. One was when she drew nine heads on Xiang Liu’s face, and the other was after she moved the voodoo bug from Zhuan Xu to Xiang Liu and walked along the ocean floor with him. She secretly used the mirror to record that moment.

In the dark blue ocean depths, Xiang Liu’s white hair white robe was so elegant and refined as he swam, the white hair billowing behind him, making his already handsome face even more ethereally beautiful".

In the post that pointed out the scene in chapter 14 where Jing, TSH and others on board, she/he also mentioned that in that event XY was actually quite bored. There were 3 things that drew her attention:

Jing's hair flying under the sunshine --> reminded her XL's hair
TJH riding on the big fish --> reminded her when XL carried her the sea water near WuShen Mountain for transfering the bug (in chapter 7)
The fish pill/jade that allows people to stay long inside water---> So, she can spend long time underwater (she liked the scenery underwater as in the excursion with XL - their first "date")

So, It is very likely that when she saw Jing's hair in chapter 14, she recalled XL's hair.

And when she missed Jing in depression with memory about the hair that you and other mentioned above in the latter chapter is her memory of Jing (anyway, she washed and dried Jing's hair many times)

liddi

Nov 2, 2023 07:33 am

windiaaa041293:
liddi maybe you can translate it? Is XL's real hair tied or loose?

The text in Vol 1 Ch2 says this:

白发如云，未束发髻，一条碧玉抹额将一头白发一丝不乱地拢在脑后，自然披垂，五官俊美到妖异，整个人也干净整洁到妖异。
His white hair was like the clouds, not tied up in a bun. A piece of jade-green forehead band gathered his white hair neatly behind his head, falling naturally. His features were so handsome that it was surreal, his entire being otherworldly spotless and clean.

So yes, his hair was partially tied, but not tied up, instead it is gathered and allowed to hang loosely behind his back.

The manhua's depiction is the closest to the novel:

EDIT: I see that @AH has already shared the picture earlier!

Nov 2, 2023 07:36 am

blabla100:
@AH

I know what you're saying, AH, but I am just not feeling it.

windiaaa041293:
it looked like XL hair.
And the atmosphere is sunrise... so it's like a silhouette... xy is as if you're looking at XL...making Xiaoyao's heart beat fast

I think we have to agree to disagree on this one.

Nov 2, 2023 07:36 am

liddi:
EDIT: I see that @AH has already shared the picture earlier!

Nice to know you had the same thought. ^^

blabla100

Nov 2, 2023 07:40 am

I belive that what windiaaa is saying is that Jing had his hair tied up in a bun and when he untied it, XY started to think of XL.

blabla100

Nov 2, 2023 07:42 am

@H19279

Very nice analysis!

IMO the scene from chapter 26 îs also about XL, I had this impression since my first reading.

windiaaa041293

Nov 2, 2023 07:51 am

blabla100:
This part I always felt it's about XL, not Jing. What date did she ever have with Jing in the ocean, am I forgetting something? Ocean screams XL, not Jing, when we are talking about the ocean, for sure it's not Jing that first comes to mind.
"Xiao Yao hadn’t seen Jing in over a year and seeing him like this, Xiao Yao maintained her smile and quietly stood next to the Xi Ling clan leader. She remembered in the ocean when he let his hair loose, the stirring in her heart. She remembered twining his hair around her fingers, each strand was a longing. Everything felt like yesterday but it was already black hair turned white and all longing severed."

agree.

so when in the ocean Xiaoyao saw Jing's hair loose without being tied.xiaoyao seems to be looking at xl. This means that xy is thinking about xl. Plus at that time the sun was rising.

H19279

Nov 2, 2023 08:25 am

liddi:
The text says thus:

巫王咳嗽了一声，郑重地说：“情人蛊，顾名思义有一对雌雄蛊虫，中蛊的男女命脉相连、心意相通，一人痛，另一人也会痛，一人伤，另一人也会伤。”
The shaman king coughed and solemnly said, "The lover's bug, as the name suggests, has a pair of male and female bugs. The man and woman who have planted the bug will have their lives intertwined, be in tune with each other emotionally. If one is hurt, the other will also feel the pain. If one is in emotional pain, the other will also feel emotional pain."

The term 心意相通 is tricky to translate. It basically means two people who are so attuned in terms of emotions and minds that they are aware of what the other person is feeling and thinking e.g. just by an action, look or expression, a person is able to express their love and the other person is able to understand it.

Dear Liddi,

I understand the term that you tried to explain here. It indeed can be converted to Vietnamese 100% - "tâm ý tương thông". However, it also very tricky and difficult to fully express the meaning and each person can interpret it differently (e.g., inner thought only or also sensation; aware, understand with or without other signals) . I agree with your explanation. I just don't agree with others who said he can sense or feel ALL XY's emotion and sensation (from far distance).