Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 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.

 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.

 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:

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.

 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.

 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.

@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?. 

"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.