The more I think about it, the more convince I am that XL knew from the beginning that he is capabile to have the bugs killed. At least în the novel. I am pretty sure he had all the infos beforehand. As mentioned before, he was so close of killing XY without hesitation in chapter 13, he knew that that's only going to cost him one of his lifes, regardless of him having only 1 heart. To me it makes sense he had the whole picture, I don't believe he gathered more infos down the road.blabla100:
Chapter 13 is all over the place as to what XL's intention toward XY was -- which makes sense given XL didn't seem to know what he wanted to do. For every comment that says he was lethally inclined, there's one or two that says he only wanted to torment her.
I could be wrong, but I don't think there's anything in the novel that says he knew he could get rid of the bug, until he gets rid of it, near the end of the book. From what he says then, he probably found out or figured out, after XY asked him to go to the Voodoo King with her -- again, long after he accepted the bug.
What and when XL knows about the Lovers Bug, as well as where the info came from, is unclear in the novel, but the drama makes most of that clear -- especially the fact that he specifically asked the veteran if he could get rid of the bug after he accepted it, and was told no.
I honestly didn't even know people are disputing XL's intention of killing her în chapter 13, to me it's a clear cut though. I believe he really mean it.
In Chapter 13, when XL is enlisting A Nian's help to get XY away from Haolin and into his element, he tells her that while he would kill Xiyan's CX, he would never kill Haolin's Princess XY, because his Resistance Army would never want to be on the wrong side of Haolin. Which is entirely true, as Haolin and the Resistance Army are defacto allies against Xiyan. It was the defection of Haolin to Xiyan, via CX, that led to the end of the Resistance Army.
You are right that there is nothing în the novel that gives any hint about how and from whom XL gathered his infos about the bugs, but we do have the answer to when. He knew since the beginning and there is nothing that insinuates he might have had incompleted infos. This is debatable anyway, but I personally believe he had the full picture.
Actually, in Chapter 7 of the novel it shows that XL didn't have complete knowledge of the Lovers Bug, either. He didn't know how to lure it out of CX and into him. That was all XY's knowledge and doing. It also implies that XY knew they were called Lovers Bugs.
The drama, which does add a few things to the novel, makes it clear exactly what info about the Lovers Bugs that XL had before he accepted it, and it was incomplete.
I don't see him accepting the bug without having a way out. I believe @AH posted a very good analyse of "it's your fault because you didn't ask the right question", which goes way back în the story, so definetely it wasn't something that XL figured out at the end.
I'm trying to go back and catch up so I'll try to read AH's post. But it can only go back to when XY asked him to remove the Lovers Bug after she and Jing visited the Voodoo King, which is in the back half of the story.
But let's say he found out later, what could have made the difference? Why was he able to find the solution later on and not from the start?
Because he planned on a future with WXL where they shared the Lovers Bug. He wanted it and WXL's love. He wasn't planning on removing the bug when he accepted it. Later, despite the pain it caused him, while XY was kissing with Jing, and when XY was desolate, he still wanted the Lovers Bug, because it was his connection to his love, and his proof that he was loved by XY. He only had to consider removing it when his situation and the Army's changed, when Haolin went to CX.
WXL/XY was even less likely to know how to handle her feelings already when she was a male, but even more so when she became a female again. Especially at the time in Gao Xing chapter 13: she had only just retrieve her female body/state of mind and reconnect with her family. How can XL expect a positive and sound reaction from an overwhelmed XY forced to kiss and threatened to be drowned?blimarch:
I don't think that WXL worried much about his romantic feelings for XL since he was a man. Once she returned to Haolin, she had to cut off her romantic feelings for XL, since he was her enemy and she had made the promise to Jing.
I didn't say XL expected a positive reaction from XY in Chapter 13. I think XL was just reacting for , as opposed to having a plan, which is why I said XL ran over to Haolin with his hair on fire. I didn't get the impression that his plan was to force her to air kiss him, but it just made him madder when she refused, and things spiraled from there.
Why did XL decided that this very reaction from XY was her sincere, ultimate and unchangeable word about what she felt about him? How could XL decided on the spot that this only moment would decide the fate of the rest of their relationship and act upon it without even explaining to XY the meaning of whatever just happened?
Maybe because it hurt like a giant gaping chest wound? On top of all the other hurts she had piled on to him, like refusing his help, after he ran to her rescue. Like lying to him about her identity as his enemy, while tying him to her with the Lovers Bug. Like promising Jing to wait for him.
I'm sorry. Exactly WHAT is XL supposed to explain about what just happened? He wasn't the one who rejected XY and told her she was unsuitable for him to love.
And clearly, he didn't accept it as her unchangeable word about how she felt about him. After he recovered enough from the wound she dealt him with her rejecting him and then falling into Jing's arms, and he could think about their situation and how the Lovers Bugs were not Heartbreak Bugs, he hauled out Fang Feng Bei -- someone who could be a suitable man for her dreams. If they could just get over that enemies thing. ;p
One does not preclude the other. It "didn’t fe[lt] like they were on the run" and XL "did not rush him along", and WXL being "really happy" "never felt in danger". This "escape from the guards" while holding hands and (air-)kissing surrounded by the spectacular wonders of the ocean doesn't scream "it's just an action scene" for anybody. Not even for WXL who "secretly" recorded that moment with her precious mirror. In the drama, there's an interesting depiction of this scene: when XL who is watching lovingly WXL is caught in the act by her, he pretends like nothing happened while WXL is taken aback and stare at him in a new way. What a missed opportunity for XL.
It doesn't matter if it didn't feel like they were on the run. It didn't feel like it cause XL was super competent enough to avoid the Haolin guards, and a battle, and keep XY alive, all while sharing the wonders of the ocean. I think it's a bit much to also ask him to also completely throw his guarded nature away and start acting like a lovesick boy and have the most important personal conversation of his life at the same time -- when he himself was awash in feelings he had never had before.
Another missed opportunity: to round off this special evening that began in the ocean and ended in the just as romantic atmosphere of the sky, XL could have seized the chance and confessed.
IIRC, XY got on Chubby and promptly fell asleep.
Either XL could just have revealed the truth about the Lover's Bug and in doing so, kill 2 birds with 1 stone: show to WXL an irrefutable proof that she is a woman and that she is in love with him. Or either, XL could have just confessed his feelings and said that he knew she is a woman and that he is prepared to wait until she is ready to accept his feelings. It worked for TSJ, why not for him?
Because XL isn't manipulative like Jing. And that's probably why he didn't confess, either, because he's not like Jing. Despite XY's accusations of XL being transactional, he very much avoided placing any sense of obligation on XY.
Besides, when did XL talk about his feelings with anyone?
WXL wouldn't have to answer him immediately and it would give her time to think things over and sort out her feelings for him. XL didn't have much to lose apart from putting up with a cringeworthy moment and getting off his high horse of his dignified general persona.
I could see FFB losing his dignified persona, but not XL. But maybe XL was the one who needed time to sort things out and come to terms with his feelings. Like I said, it's not like he had any experience of this to draw on.
All that said, I'll have to read exactly what was happening with XL between the acceptance of the Lovers Bug and XY bugging out to avoid being dragged to Haolin. There does seem to have been some time between the two events, but I don't recall XL showing up then.
From the moment WXL chose not to reveal her true identity and follow CX, there was no indication that she wasn't open for a new start in life. She was determined to have her own life, rather like at the end of the novel when she distances herself from her family.
I'm pretty sure that new start in life didn't include XL or Jing, but Jing figured out how stick on her like a tick.
Besides, CX returned to Haoling, far from any eventual attempts to kill him. Moreover, CX had not yet entered the race for power and had no influence. And the situation with the Resistance Army was not to lead to XL and CX crossing paths any time soon. So, "as long as he [didn't] shoot [CX] with an arrow", WXL could be with him.
I could be wrong, but I think the Uncles had made attempts on CX's life in Haolin. And he had entered the race for power, pretty much once he was born. And he was specifically in Qingshui Town, looking for power, by trying to recruit or kill XL.
The situation with the Resistance Army was the whole reason why XL was trying to kill CX. He told her as much and that he was going to kill CX. He'd already admitted to XY he was an assassin, and he'd also revealed he was working with a deadly assassin in one of his attempts on CX already. And clearly, he had no problem going to Haolin. So, WXL could only be with XY if she was fine with him killing CX ... which clearly, she was not.
Of course he told her so, he wanted her help and he knew that regardless of A Nian's feelings for XY, she wouldn't have agreed to have her killed.
If it was just about getting A Nian's help, then why would he admit he wanted to kill her beloved CX? That's not the sort of person that A Nian would want to help or trust his words. He's told her the truth. Killing the princess of their allies would be disastrous for the Resistance Army.
He misinterpreted her refusal for a confirmation that she did, în fact, fooled him. Besides,
If XY is this mastermind who fooled him, wouldn't she be the dumbest person alive to refuse to fool him again, by just giving him an air kiss?
"Xiang Liu’s sharp finger retracted in that moment and Xiao Yao never knew how close she was to death."
This is something that the narrator tells us, it's not an observation that comes from either XL or XY, who didn't even realise how close she was to die.
Is it? I wonder. I'll have to do some digging.
Okay, so you are saying that XL is lying to A Nian, and that he really intended to kill XY from the start (despite the fact that it would destroy his army).
But then he got XY in the water and wasn't going to kill her (for some reason), until she refused to air kiss, because that proved to him she fooled him (even though he knew she was lying about her identity since the first moment he met her and they shared the Lovers Bug), and that made him decide to kill her, instead of listening to her explanation. But he didn't kill her right then and there by letting her drown, but pulled her to the surface and listened to her weak ass explanation and then decided not to kill her.
Much like the question of XL's lethal intention in this chapter, I find this contradictory and confusing.
Sooner than that, I believe XY first asked about how to remove the bugs în chapter 28.
Ah, yes, you are correct, though it is Chapter 29, I believe. It's part of those scenes where Jing's friend tries to convince XY that married with kid Jing is a better option than FFB.
My question was how do you think he was able to find a solution down the road, as you believe happened.
Well, he had far more time to look for a solution then that short time XY gave him when she asked for his help to free CX of the Lovers Bug. In the years since then, he could have gone to see the Voodoo King. He could have talked to other members of the Jiu Li tribe, much like XY did, when she allegedly learned the name of the bug. He could have asked some of his Central Plains allies to look through their ancient medical texts. There's plenty of ways he could have learned more about the Lovers Bugs. Or, as he told XY, he could have realized he was asking the wrong question.
Excellent summary. I feel like this should be filed away in an FAQ. ^^AH :
Thank you very much.
Sometimes a bit of ridiculousness, trashiness, or pure distraction is exactly what the doctor ordered.
And sometimes the bad dramas (or books) are so bad they transcend to the point where they become so-bad-they're-somehow-good. ^^
The eye-rolling and the snorting because of the ridiculousness are the best parts about watching/reading these sorts of things. That and the grimacing :-).HeadInTheClouds:
Definitely. And it doesn't just apply to dramas or books, but even music. I present to you the classic "After Dark" to learn all about romance from the man himself. Just a word of warning - don't listen while driving - a friend of mine who foolishly decided to listen to it behind the wheel almost had an accident as a result. Xiang Liu could really have benefited from these pearls of wisdom... he was already halfway there with the island and fish in the water. What did he miss out? Was it the toothbrush or the bikini? Think of all the missed opportunities... sigh.
But I think the biggest difference between MJue/YG and MJiu/JY to XL/XY is that both YG and JY picked MJue and MJiu at the start and it was through their own actions that they lost their women.
That is true. Meng Jiu allowed his inferiority complex to get in the way; while his foster son Meng Jue's ambitions was the culprit. Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao is more complex than that - her own fear of abandonment punctuated by the very knowledge that they stand on opposing sides - yet it did not make any difference anyway - the Lover's bug was proof of that. So I don't quite see it as either one of them losing the other, because their love never changed, even if they were destined not to be together in the end.
Which ship were you on for these two novels?
That is a tough one. I personally liked Meng Jiu (he reminds me of Xiang Liu in certain ways, including the extent of his sacrifice which he kept from her to ensure she had a carefree, happy life - doesn't that remind you of someone?), but was happy for Jin Yu that she found a man with whom she can laugh and be happy with, one with whom her broken heart healed. On the other hand, would you believe that I shipped Liu Fu Ling and Shangguan Xiao Mei most? I adore Xiao Mei and would have loved to have seen her Older Brother Emperor reciprocate her love too rather than just care for her as an older brother. So of all the ships to board, that is the epitome of a sinking ship, which never even set sail in the first place!
nathsketch:
"Buongiorno, I'm Fabio" AHAHAHAHAHA
He's such a meme here in my country lololol
Thanks for the laughs, let me listen to this while I work.
The background music, tho. Gosh, I love the internet.
You're welcome! As they say, laughter is the best medicine, so am glad to be the bearer of laughs! Are you sure you won't be distracted, listening to it while you work? I had a hard time keeping a straight face listening to it at work back then too lol.
Definitely. And it doesn't just apply to dramas or books, but even music. I present to you the classic "After Dark" to learn all about romance from the man himself. Just a word of warning - don't listen while driving - a friend of mine who foolishly decided to listen to it behind the wheel almost had an accident as a result. Xiang Liu could really have benefited from these pearls of wisdom... he was already halfway there with the island and fish in the water. What did he miss out? Was it the toothbrush or the bikini? Think of all the missed opportunities... sigh.liddi:
LOL! What the ... I am speechless.
Before I had this image of XL reading bodice rippers trying to figure out the Love Thang. Now, I've got the image of him listening intently to Fabio. So, so, so very wrong. lol
I can see this being the subject of Xiang Liu's Little Theater in season 2.
The first time Jing hears the song, the last verse becomes:solarlunareclipse:
緣何世間有悲歡
Why is there sorrow and joy in the world?
緣何人生有聚散
Why there are gatherings and separations in life?
XL sang this song in front of Jing, Xing Yue and FL on the first day that Jing moved to live in Xiao Zhurong's manson. Xing Yue prepared a welcome party in the garden and XY drank a lot She got drunken and look at the fullmoon and sang this song.
Ironically, the verse that changed in the version Jing first hears is almost certainly inspired by Xiang Liu rather than Jing. The verse reflects Xiao Yao's feelings regarding her last interaction with Fang Feng Bei in Chapter 19 before he leaves for business to Qing Shui Town. This event occurs shortly before she first sings the lovesickness song to Jing, Feng Long, and Xing Yue.
Why is there sorrow and joy in the world? - Xiao Yao painstakingly handcrafted a koi fish frolicking in lily pond poison dish and confessed to Fang Feng Bei that he is her soulmate. She feels sorrowful because he didn't affirm her declaration.
Why there are gatherings and separations in life? - Fang Feng Bei had to leave for a while to handle business in Qing Shui Town.
Only wish to be with you - Xiao Yao wants to be with Xiang Liu/Fang Feng Bei.
Staying together forever, never separating - Before Fang Feng Bei left, Xiao Yao expressed her desire for him to stay Fang Feng Bei forever. She wishes Xiang Liu would give up the responsibilities that make him the enemy of Cang Xuan and her bloodline so they can be together without opposition.
Xiao Yao sings this song to Jing because he happens to be present when she is feeling lovesick for Xiang Liu.
Yes, @Windiaaa also mentioned before that XY did not sing this verson for Jing but actually to the moon
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