Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 blabla100:

True, but that's the thing, in regards to 17 and Jing, I don't believe XY actually loved the person, but what that person could offer her. She is willing to marry 17 because 17 could offer her the life she always wished for and not because she genuinly loves either jing or 17.

XY has affection for YSQ. Very different in degree and "texture" to her love for XL. Her feelings for YSQ stemmed from pity and responsibility and their "romantic" relationship is rooted in conditions and practical considerations. Incredibly different to what she feels for XL. I personally don't think you can romantically love 2 people at the same time. There's the person you are drawn to, attracted to and want to get closer and discover everything about them. And if you are keeping another romantic option around, it's because this second person serves some need or purpose. YSQ can give her what she's looking for, she cares about him and with time together there is attachment, but it's very different from that love that is not within control and is like a moth flying into the flames. The kind that is symbolized by the Lovers Bugs. Even her answer to A Heng's "Why Jing?" question was not about her feelings for him, but about what he could do for her. It harked back to the nature of their relationship - one that stemmed from practical consideration and his meeting her requirements.

Secondly, the author created the Lovers Bugs that once successfully planted, it's two hearts as one (can't go shoving another person in there - 3 is a damn crowd), it can't be undone, and can only be killed. Symbolically, it's love that only ends with death. So whatever it is XY feels for YSQ, it never threatened the Lovers Bugs. 

And finally, even YSQ/Jing knows who XY truly loves. All that stalking comes from insecurity. Fearing that if he didn't hold on to her, she would disappear. In the beginning, he was hopeful that she would come to love him, but by the end, he has given up on that and settled for being able to be by her side. This was why he was more concerned about the life-connection property of the Lovers Bugs - fearing that if XL died, XY would die with him (i.e. no XY for him to cling to) - but didn't care about the emotional/heart connection aspects. He already knows that XY is emotionally connected to XL; Lovers Bugs or no Lovers Bugs.

 liddi:

It is telling that once she realised they were one and the same, she felt acceptance and relief, a heavy burden in one corner of her heart was lifted. Why? Because she now knew that Xiang Liu can be tender and warm, carefree and spontaneous, that he was so similar to her after all, in the things they loved, in the things that gave them joy as they spent time together

I think even before she confirmed his identity in her bedchamber, she already "knew" that FFB was XL. 

The first time that XY saw FFB at the dancing hall, even before she could see his face, he felt familiar to her. When she thought that FFB couldn't be XL, she first felt relief then disappointment, because she missed XL and he wasn't the person that she just met. So contradictory when it comes to XL. 

The second time that XY met FFB in the garden, she found it strange that the Lovers Bugs didn't react. Her mind was saying that he couldn't be XL, and yet once again she thought that he felt familiar. It's a feeling that couldn't be explained by logic, but something that comes from instinct. 

The third time was CX's assassination outside their uncle's mansion. The night was dark so she couldn't actually see who was on the Pegasus, but her instinct (there goes that word again) told her that it was him (FFB); she couldn't see him, but she could feel him. I don't think FFB would be involved in his family's political machinations. He managed to stay unbothered for hundreds of years because he was a no-gooder who stayed out of family affairs; so I don't think they would involve him in this.

The "him" that XY was feeling, that her instinct was signalling was of course XL (probably in his assassin mode). Much like years later, when he brushed by her in the street in disguise, she chased after him out of pure instinctive recognition. XY has always been very in tune and sensitive towards XL. Unlike Jing, who could stand right behind her and she doesn't even realise it.

Would she have so readily spent time with FFB if she didn't "recognize" him as XL? She recognizes him, but her logical mind doesn't want to acknowledge it. Why? Was it because she found it hard to believe that XL could be this sweet and gentle with her? Was it because she was afraid that if she acknowledged it, the sweet time would come to an end?

 liddi:

Revisiting the scene where he seeks refuge in her chambers, it is interesting that for someone who drew the line so clearly with Xiang Liu during their last encounter and was afraid to let him into her dreams, the moment she realised Fangfeng Bei was Xiang Liu, she instinctively laid down next to him

She acted out of instinct. The next day though, her guard was back up. She told him that he was not suitable to walk into a girl's dream so what was she doing being so intimate with this person that she was trying to not let walk into her dream? I would like to add that she was also not erm..wearing her undergarment that night. Her cousin's leering just before made her self-conscious and yet, the next moment she was lying in bed with this very unsuitable man. And there was that missing 2nd night. Did they sleep on the same bed again?

 liddi:

The real question is, what was Xiao Yao doing during that unaccounted for period?

Trying to maintain her scruples :-)

 blabla100:

I guess that's the reason why she couldn't answer XL's last question, how could she admit out loud that the one she loves is the one who refuses to stay with her forever and rejected her first and only attempt of fighting for something. She tried so hard to love jing and so hard not to love XL that's beyond pitiful . What she said at the end about XL not doing himself right applies to her as well.

OK, fine. I'll shed some tears for XY here. This is what happened when you entered a relationship out of fear - fear of loneliness, fear of abandonment, fear of whatever - you ended up short-changing yourself and robbing yourself of the opportunities for something more. Some people make do and have a good enough relationship; they then find solace in their children or something else. Others realized that what they settled for was a lot less than they thought and they need/want more and that maybe being alone isn't as bad as they feared. 

 blabla100:

Honestly it is easier to cope with XL and XY tragic love story, than with what Jing fans got. I am actually less frustrated to be in the yaolin ship, because if I was a jinger I would have been a lot more pissed. We are actually the like ones, seriously.

I don't think the YaoJings see it that way. They see their couple ended up together, therefore it's a happy ending, therefore it must and has to be true love. Because apparently, they've never came across a story where the female or male lead ended up with their non-true love before (just look at poor CX). They are also 100% convinced that XY does not love XL. Just checked out the individual who came into this thread 2 weeks back. Didn't even have the grace not to name-call us. I've come across YaoJing who claimed that XY must love Jing and only Jing because the main female character cannot love one person, but chooses to marry another. Also because XY is the female lead, everything that she does is right and beyond criticism. This is the kind of logic and reasoning that we're dealing ưith.

Disclaimer: not everyone who likes Jing or ship YaoJing is like this.

 H19279:

in my opinion, WXL was missing XL. Xl did not show up for months.

I think it's both because she misses him and as a way to break the tension/stalemate from their previous encounter where she drew on his face. At first, she was anticipating retaliation, but after months of nothing some of that intense worry had subsided, so for things to go back to the way they were, they needed to meet up and have it out. 

That conversation was just an excuse to get him to come to see her; I don't think she seriously thought that he was behind the Tian Er situation. XL realized that she was "playing" him so he punished her by pushing her out of the tree. This retaliation is for getting him to come to this meeting on false pretences and for drawing on his face. WYL's reaction after being pushed out of the tree was one of happiness. She had successfully broken the tension between her and XL, and the punishment was a small price to pay. These two were in a constant state of push and pull during the QS arc. 

I see the QS arc as a flirtation/discovery dance between these two. XL was the aloof, unpredictable "bad boy". WYL was intrigued and attracted. She was constantly poking at him to get his attention. YSQ was the adoring puppy that worshipped the ground that WYL walked on. She was flattered and enjoyed the adoration (what an ego boost),  but it was the dangerous bad boy from the wrong side of the track that got her all excited. Young XY is competitive and combative - she would enjoy the challenge of XL, and would be rather bored with a YSQ.

@HeadUnTheClouds

"XY has affection for YSQ. Very different in degree and "texture" to her love for XL. Her feelings for YSQ stemmed from pity and responsibility and their "romantic" relationship is rooted in conditions and practical considerations. "

I definetely share your opinion. Sometimes when I think about it I can almost believe that she got to finally love him in a way during their 43 years of engagement, but then I remember how  on their wedding day XY begged CX to spare XL's life, the first and only thing that XY ever asked CX for, how on their wedding night she drank so much that she passed out, how hurt she was when she heard about XL's death, how she chose XL's home to spend the rest of her life in... and I reconsider. It's as she said, she was willing to marry 17 so she did, but the person she most wanted to spend her entire life with was XL and this never changed. 

 Kokuto:

Ah, here:

https://ameblo.jp/shanghaijvmi/entry-12815420590.html

Two maps, in the middle of the page.  One when there were 3 kingdoms, and one when there were 2 kingdoms.

The maps are from the drama.

The 1st map actually just mentions Xi Yan, Chen Rong and Hao Ling.

The 2nd map merely shows Xi Yan and Chen Rong, with the explanation that Xi Yan conquered Chen Rong.

I simply cannot remember where I saw a map of the Great Wilderness before...

Speaking of her suicide, I personally am not sure if she knew or she didn't know that it was XL who saved her life, but I believe her suicide was also one of her last try and plea to XL to give up on his doomed path and run away with her. I believe that if she couldn't keep XL alive, she was prepared to die with him, but either if she knew he saved her or she thought he didn't bother, I believe she understood his message to her. Jing was saved by a mercouple, if I read the text XY seems to be really amazed by it, but come on, who really believes XY was that dumb that she wasn't able to put 2 and 2 togheter. XY could read people and people's intentions very well, despite playing dumb. Sometimes I have the feeling that XY purposely pretended not to know the things XL did for her because she knew XL didn't want her to know, kinda like she did regarding their 37 years togheter.  

 H19279:

I don't know if XL used trick to erase her memory of their conversation about whom she was willing to marry and whom she wanted to spend life. However, in that even there were several factors that could make the person to forget or no memorize of what had happened.

@H19279 @solarlunareclipse

It is true that one's memories may be hazy after a drunken stupor, but we are talking about Xiao Yao, who can hold her liquor with the best of them - remember her drinking sessions with Cang Xuan way back when, where she managed to not reveal anything she did not want to, and still stay pretty lucid despite being tipsy. 

For me, it still boils down to the following. 

Would Xiang Liu have asked those questions, if he had no way of ensuring she would not remember it? He was probing into her heart to confirm what she wanted - he planned the first three questions, and it was only the 4th question that was a spur of the moment, a question for himself. Those were questions he would not want Xiao Yao to know he asked. So would he jeopardise his carefully laid plans if he could not clean up afterwards? I don't believe he would.

 H19279:

Moreover, when XY figured out that XL erased the memory in her mirror, she thought that he destroyed all the memory at some point (that she did not know). And until chapter 34 (one year after the wedding robbery), that memory was still intact. She always kept the mirror in her bossom. How could she conclude that he did it if she was not aware there was moment he was around when she was unconcious. 

The last time there was any mention of the xingxing mirror prior to Ch51 was in Vol 3 Ch1 (Chapter 34) when she loaned it to Jing to record Hou and Yi Ying's duplicity. While she always had the mirror with her, the novel does not tell us when the last time she looked at those two memories was. In addition, she was aware that the night they severed their relationship, she passed out in Xiang Liu's presence after he drew most of her blood (Vol 3 Ch13 - Chapter 46). So could she really be certain that he did not erase the memories then? In other words, there were other times when she was unconscious, and he could have done so, and it was not simply restricted to the time when she committed suicide.

 H19279:

However, the previous time she had a reason for the wait. She had sent him the ice crystal globe and the message. This time, she  had already cut off their relationship. What gave her hope that he would come ?

She was disappointed when she saw Lie Yang, and learnt that it was the Royal Mother who saved her, not whom she had expected. For me, she continued to wait because she hoped against hope, that despite all the harsh words they exchanged, he would still come since he would have known that she had been at the brink of death and only just been saved; that he cared enough to come in spite of it all. It was a grasp in the dark for him to reach out to her, not because she had reason to think he would, but because she hoped in spite of it all, he would. He had always come without fail every time she was in danger. This time he did not show up when she was at death's door. Would he come, knowing that he almost lost her and she was finally saved? Not today? Perhaps tomorrow? No? The day after that? And so, she continued to wait until the day of the succession was at hand and he still never showed. 

Another point that reinforces my belief that Xiao Yao truly thought the Royal Mother saved her and severed the Lovers Bug connection came from her outburst when she learnt of Xiang Liu's death. In this moment of extreme shock and utter disbelief, she realised she never sensed his death because the lovers bug was removed by the Royal Mother. At that point in time, she would not have been in a frame of mind to pretend to go along with the story she was told if she ever thought they were lies in the first place. As such, these would have been her genuine thoughts and emotions, which in turn also mean that she really did not remember the healing process after all:

小夭喃喃说：“不可能！不可能！他不可能就这么死了！我一点感觉都没有，我什么感觉都没有……”她突然想起，情人蛊已经被王母解了，她的确不可能有感觉，小夭眼前发黑，身子向后软去。 

Xiao Yao murmured, "It cannot be! It cannot be! He could not have died just like this! I didn't feel anything, I did not feel anything at all..." She suddenly remembered that the Lovers bug had already been removed by the Royal Mother, so she would not be able to feel anything anymore indeed. Xiao Yao's vision went dark, her body went limp and she collapsed backwards.

-- Vol 3 Ch18  (Chapter 51)