Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 HeadInTheClouds:

It would be the 3rd book. I'm of two minds about this. I would like to see more, but only if Xiang Liu comes back and can have a true HE. I have absolutely no interest in reading about YaoJing's descendants. We should be careful what we wish for, if she wrote a book featuring YaoJing's descendants we would no longer be able to laugh at Jing's lack of a wedding night :-)

LOL!  They would have to be CX's descendants.  You know he'll have a small army given his harem.

I thought there was a second book between Once Promised and LYF that got abandoned?  And it seems like the book following LYF was supposed to be about one of the other clans, like Guifang?

@blahblah100 @H19279 @AH

I'm gonna butt in and give my two cents.

It appears that are few wires got crossed in the discussion; as it often happened when one thing just rolled into another and get bogged down by details. Let's take a step back for a clearer look at the pictures. We're looking at two different scenes - the singing to lure out Fei Fei and the scene after WXL woke up after taking the hit for Cang Xuan. It's probably best to separate them to discuss for clarity's sake.

The Fe Fei scene from Chapter 2:

I think what AH is saying is that if Xiao Yao had anyone in mind while singing that song at that moment, it would be Cang Xuan instead of Xiang Liu or Jing. I don't think she means that Xiao Yao must be thinking of Cang Xuan and/or that song is about/for Cang Xuan. AH reasons that Xiao Yao might have tapped into her feelings of missing Cang Xuan to bring real feelings to that song - kinda like method singing :-). I think that reasoning is reasonable since XY does miss Cang Xuan.

Personally, the imagery used in that song is very much about romantic love and because I don't see Xiao Yao's feelings for Cang Xuan ever have a romantic bend, I think it would be a little weird to be thinking of your gege while singing about longing/sadness for a lover. It's like me thinking about my brother while I'm singing And I'll Always Love You or something similar. Lol, that image is simultaneously funny and just really, really wrong :-).

The poem scene from Chapter 6:

H19279 reasons that Xiao Yao tends to use Jing as a painkiller when she struggles to deal with her emotions for Xiang Liu, this scene was part of her pattern of behaviour. AH's position is XY o using "alcohol" i.e Jing's comforting to dull the ache of missing Cang Xuan. 

I'm about to make myself sick by saying something that favours Jing (*heave), but I agree with your interpretation of this scene AH (please note my resentment of the situation (not you), AH :-) )While I absolutely agree with H19279's view that Xiao Yao used Jing as a means to deal with her feelings for Xiang Liu, I'm with AH on the interpretation of this particular scene for two reasons. First, given XY's feelings of missing Cang Xuan and the momentous "reunion" with him that she just had, the ache of their separation for the past 300 years would be very close to the surface. It makes sense that this would be the pain that she would try to forget at that moment. Second, whenever Xiao Yao used Jing to deal with her feelings for Xiang Liu, it usually comes in the form of acting out what she couldn't do with Xiang Liu to Jing. Like attempting to kiss Jing outside the Bone Prison following refusing to accept XL's "kiss". Following that logic, she should have tried to erm make-out with Jing here, but instead, Jing is just there to pass her the wine. In other words, Jing's presence here was incidental. AH mentioned Jing comforting Xiao Yao/WXL in the Bone Prison and I agree that this was an instant when he's comforting her rather than her deliberately (but maybe unconsciously) using him to work through whatever she's struggling with for Xiang Liu. 

As always, loved all the lively discussions that everyone brings to the table. It keeps this thread going. We need differing opinions otherwise it will just become an echo chamber and group think. That's no fun and doesn't add to a well-rounded reading of the novel :-).

 HeadInTheClouds:

it usually comes in the form of acting out what she couldn't do with Xiang Liu to Jing. Like attempting to kiss Jing outside the Bone Prison following refusing to accept XL's "kiss". Following that logic, she should have tried to erm make-out with Jing here, but instead, Jing is just there to pass her the wine

There is no wine here LOL. The wine was in the poem. What did Jing and XY do? 

Xiao Liu walked up to Jing and he reached out to touch his face as if to confirm he was real. Xiao Liu slightly leaned his head to feel the warmth of his palm.

Jing suddenly embraced Xiao Liu, gentle but tightly pulling him into his arms. Xiao Liu closed his eyes, allowing his head to lightly rest on Jing’s shoulder. In this moment, they were just Shi Qi and Xiao Liu.

Cling clank, plates crashed on the ground. Xiao Liu raised his head and saw Jing Ye standing dumbstruck in the corridor, her eyes filled with shock and dismay. Xiao Liu’s evil side rose up so he maintained his position and closed his eyes, pretending he saw and heard nothing, waiting to see how Jing would react.

Jing disappointed Xiao Liu, he was calm and continued to quietly embrace Xiao Liu. There was the feeling that even if the world was ending, he was still going keep on hugging.

XY was in the room, she observed the room, the garden and Jing was in the garden. She put on her robe and came out to get some comfort from Jing . This is the first time that she came to him for seeking comfort (all the previous times, Jing found her in sorts of "injury" by XL). Jing embraced and hugged XY very tightly. The itmacy between them was high enough that made Jing Je shocked. 

Moreover, when XY seeked the comfort from Jing, it did not always mean she did a form of acting out that she couldn't do with XL or something that she wanted to do with XL. When it is emotional pain, she just needed comforting. For example: when XL scared her outside the casino, Jing was also "passerby"and she run way with Jing ; after 1 months in QS town, she came to see Jing releasing heremotion (expressing her regret and crying on him) 

And that poem is a kind of foreshadow, metaphor for XY ‘s decision to choose Jing instead of XL (the mountain that the poet wanted to climb but quitted because of external reasons). This is the main purpose that TH used the poem in this section. That is my main point 

 Elise:

AJTL spoilers > I thought watching A Journey to Love would make me happier during the holidays but it made me more sad. The show was so funny in the beginning but everything went downhill during episode 34 until the end. I was making funny gifs for this show, now I don't want to make them anymore. Too sad :(

I know right? It started so fun and happy. I've stopped watching for the time being. I need a time that is not the festive season to watch something like this.

 HeadInTheClouds:

I know right? It started so fun and happy. I've stopped watching for the time being. I need a time that is not the festive season to watch something like this.

I need to watch another historical drama that ends happily to wash the sadness away T_T I heard My Dearest has a good ending. Only 21 episodes too.

 Elise:

I need to watch another historical drama that ends happily to wash the sadness away T_T I heard My Dearest has a good ending. Only 21 episodes too.

I've been watching The Last Immortal for precisely that reason. I have some problems with the male lead, but at least I know that a Happy Ending is guaranteed.

Which My Dearest are you referring to? I think there's a Korean's drama by that name and it doesn't look too happy

 HeadInTheClouds:

I've been watching The Last Immortal for precisely that reason. I have some problems with the male lead, but at least I know that a Happy Ending is guaranteed.

Yes, I think insideout91 and  H19279 said it's a happy ending and the second male lead doesn't end up alone too.

 HeadInTheClouds:

Which My Dearest are you referring to? I think there's a Korean's drama by that name and it doesn't look too happy

The Korean drama that's on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/40071c-my-dearest . It's inspired by Gone with the Wind, one of my favorite stories.

 HeadInTheClouds:

Hmm. Gone with the Wind isn't exactly what I would call happy. But Scarlett is both compelling and horribly unlikable. Love her character, but 1000% would avoid like the plague in real life. Unless I need someone to get shit done :-)

Scarlett is deeply flawed which is what makes her character so great and entertaining to see lol.

 HeadInTheClouds:

I don't typically like Saeguk, but I do like Nam Gon Ming. Is he playing the Rhett's character?

Yes, the male lead is playing Rhett's character while the female lead plays a character similar to Scarlett. There's also another character similar to Ashley. My Dearest recreated a couple of scenes from Gone with the Wind too like Nam Gon Ming's character overhearing the female lead confessing to 'Ashley'.