Tied up in a bun - could it be another way of saying that he's tied up to his duties / restricted? 

 liddi:
Is it just me but their conscious physical interactions, out of companionship, tenderness, outright mischief, or simple mollification just makes me smile and ache at the same time

Yes <3

 liddi:
and it makes it doubly hard to think that even most of that are being taken away in the drama.

Double yes </3

 AH :

She is recalling a scene with TSJ from chapter 14.

https://mydramalist.com/discussions/lost-you-forever/110123-xl-and-xy-story-and-romance-warning-spoilers?pid=2838529&page=274#p2838529

https://mydramalist.com/discussions/lost-you-forever/110123-xl-and-xy-story-and-romance-warning-spoilers?pid=2838713&page=275#p2838713

In the ocean? I don't know, that date wasn't exactly în the ocean, it doesn't exactly sounds right to me.  Why would TH use "ocean" as a set up, when that date was taking place în the dragon prison? If I am not mistaken the only time ocean was mentioned, was when XY felt XL is coming and asked Jing to bring her to the ocean. As I said, to me ocean screams XL. And also the black hair turning white feels as if she's referring to FFB and XL.  This scene comes after the 37 years she spent with XL underwater? 

Chapter 21:

[XY has been assassinated and is unconscious]

Zhuan Xu walked out with Jin Xuan and saw the sky blanketed with soldiers. Suddenly a person broke through the defenses and stormed Zhi Jin Summit. White hair, white robe, standing tall and proud on the back of a white condor, completely untouched like the first snow, he was even more extraordinarily eye-catching with the dawn sun behind him.

-----

Chapter 48:

[XY has attempted to poison herself to death and is unconscious]

On Jade Mountain, the sun was setting and the peach blossoms blooming in exquisite glory in the sunset. In the sky, a white condor with a golden feather crown was slowly descending through the clouds, with a white-robed, white-haired Xiang Liu standing on its back, billowing in the wind like an ethereal being.


wasn't this atmosphere similar to when xiaoyao saw jing?

("the dawn sun behind him." "the sun was setting")

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

Also I am sure people already mentioned this, but it's both funny and telling  how that 15 years promise was made în a prison. 

 blabla100:

In the ocean? I don't know, that date wasn't exactly în the ocean, it doesn't exactly sounds right to me. As I said, to me ocean screams XL. And also the black hair turning white feels as if she's referring to FFB and XL.  This scene comes after the 37 years she spent with XL underwater? 

Yes. 

CX, XY, TSJ, Feng Long, Xing Yue, FFYY and TSH take a boat out to sea. XY and XL had the "not suitable to appear in a young girl's dream" conversation the night before. 

-----

Chapter 14:

They headed to a nearby port where Zhuan Xu had a boat ready and they all boarded and headed out to sea.

On the boat and with the cold sea air blowing, everyone’s drunkenness dissipated somewhat. Perhaps because they were all still so young, or maybe tomorrow was farewell, but everyone was in the mood to keep making merry so the wine continued to flow.

Yi Yang got drunk and pulled Xing Yue to dance on the deck. Feng Long saw a giant fish swim by and said he was going to catch it and with a plop he jumped overboard. 

...

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.

Jing silently walked behind her and she turned and sat down on the deck and scoffed, “Now you dare get close to me?”

Jing said nothing and Xiao Yao raised her empty cup. Jing poured her another cup and she handed the cup to him. He thought she wanted him to drink and was about to when she lifted her veil and pointed to her lips.

Jing placed the cup of wine under her lips and she grabbed his hand to drink it slowly.

...

Jing smoothed her hair back from her face when Xiao Yao suddenly grabbed him around the waist and murmured, “I did go see you this afternoon, if you don’t believe me go ask your guard. I couldn’t find you so I went shopping.”

Jing held Xiao Yao and rested his cheek on her head. It was just a short time, he sunk to the depths of despair and now vaulted back up to the clouds of happiness.

He felt Xiao Yao’s body sinking and looked down to see that she was fast asleep. He smiled and adjusted their positions so that she was sleeping in his arms.

The sea breeze was gently blowing as the boat was rocked by the waves. He looked up at the moon and wanted to spend this night like this.

...

Jing’s forehead rested on Xiao Yao’s forehead and he prayed “Please keep your heart for me.”

Xiao Yao’s hands sank into his hair and she grabbed it. “I can tell you’re a sneaky one, even if I want to forget it, you’ll find ways to keep reminding. You say you don’t dare hope, but then you don’t let go either.”

...

Jing laughed and then sighed. “They are coming back.”

Xiao Yao looked up. “It’s almost sunrise, they ought to be back.”

Jing looked at Xiao Yao and wanted to put the hat on her but she held his hand and wouldn’t let him. She bit her lips and closed her eyes. Jing tenderly kissed her on the forehead, until the very last minute when he lifted his head and put the hat on her.

Xiao Yao ran to the back of the boat to fix her clothes and hair. She heard Xing Yue, Zhuan Xu, and Feng Long talking. She looked up and saw Jing’s hair was a mess from her raking her fingers through it. It was too late to tell him and her face darkened with worry. Then she saw Jing stand up and release the band tying his hair up and sent his hair flying in the sea breeze. He leaned against the railing and looked up at the sunrise.

Xiao Yao’s heart leaped to her chest like a little deer lost. Zhuan Xu had to call her a few times to get her attention. He pushed her softly. “What are you thinking?”

Xiao Yao quickly said “Oh, you guys are back.” Her face was bright red but thankfully it was covered by the veil so no one could see it. Zhuan Xu seemed to understand something and concern flitted across his eyes.

Xing Yue complained about how they forgot where the boat was so swam for a long time before finding it, and how they didn’t run into Yi Yang and Hou and hoped they were alright.

 windiaaa041293:
Chapter 21:

[XY has been assassinated and is unconscious]

Zhuan Xu walked out with Jin Xuan and saw the sky blanketed with soldiers. Suddenly a person broke through the defenses and stormed Zhi Jin Summit. White hair, white robe, standing tall and proud on the back of a white condor, completely untouched like the first snow, he was even more extraordinarily eye-catching with the dawn sun behind him.

-----

Chapter 48:

[XY has attempted to poison herself to death and is unconscious]

On Jade Mountain, the sun was setting and the peach blossoms blooming in exquisite glory in the sunset. In the sky, a white condor with a golden feather crown was slowly descending through the clouds, with a white-robed, white-haired Xiang Liu standing on its back, billowing in the wind like an ethereal being.



wasn't this atmosphere similar to when xiaoyao saw jing?

("the dawn sun behind him." "the sun was setting")

I specifically mentioned those scenes because they reference the sunrise and sunset behind XL. 

But they both occur after the scene where XY was looking at TSJ in chapter 14.

And, as I made a point of mentioning, XY was unconscious in both scenes. She did not see XL arriving with the sun behind him. 

@AH

Oh, I forgot about that date, I thought you're referring to the dragon prison. Yes, I can see the similarity, altough that date wasn't exactly în the ocean and perhaps also because they keep using the word sea instead of ocean. 

@AH

The novel never describes XY seeing XL's hair untied. In chapter 43 (29 chapters after this scene), XY sees XL's hair "fanned out" and protecting her from the whirlpool, but his hair is not described as untied. In chapter 27 (13 chapters after this scene), XY has a dream where FFB's hair flies in the breeze, but again it's not described as loose or untied. And she hasn't even met FFB by chapter 14

Actually XL’s hair is always untied. Not like in drama. Read the first meeting between them. 

in the scene when XL answered XY that FFB died. His hair was described as untied too

i read somewhere this scene was pointed out.

Jing was standing  against the sunlight. under the sunshine, when hair is loose and flying in the wind, the dark color will fade. making it looked much lighter color

What I don't really understand is out of all the dates XY had with Jing, why would TH use that scene in particular? Because personally, as I said before, I read ocean and I think of XL, not at Jing. 

@H19279

"Jing was standing  against the sunlight. under the sunshine, when hair is loose and flying in the wind, the dark color will fade. making it looked much lighter color" 

Oh right. I knew there was something more to it, but I couldn't remember what. 

I think this is the beauty of the story, that it leaves so many interpretation and feelings.

At one level it's explicitly tieing Jing but on another level giving off XL imagery. If it was XL it tells us her longing for him which we already know. If it's Jing it tells us her longing for him which she also has.

It's beautiful to re read whole book again with these different lens.

 H19279:
Actually XL’s hair is always untied. Not like in drama. Read the first meeting between them. 

It is not tied in a bun. But it is tied back, neatly. 

blimarch  posted the relevant excerpt from chapter 2. 

https://mydramalist.com/discussions/lost-you-forever/110123-xl-and-xy-story-and-romance-warning-spoilers?pid=2838653&page=275#p2838653

The manhua version of XL depicts XL's hairstyle as described in the novel ("a jade-colored rope was used to tie it neatly back to let it fall behind his head"):

 H19279:
in the scene when XL answered XY that FFB died. His hair was described as untied too

I can't speak to the original Mandarin text, but in Koala's translation his hair is not specifically described as tied or untied. It is only described as falling behind him like a waterfall, which it would do if it was tied back as usual or if it was untied. 

-----

Chapter 32:

Xiao Yao walked outside and saw Xiang Liu standing in the courtyard.

His hair was back to being all white and fell behind him like a waterfall. The tree behind him had red leaves and the brightness contrasted so that he looked even more ethereal like untouched snow.

Xiao Yao sensed something but had to confirm it. “Where is Fang Feng Bei?”

Xiang Liu coolly replied, “He’s dead.”

-----

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. 

-----

Chapter 14:

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.

Posted by windiaaa

"This sentence happened when Xiaoyao met Xiang Liu for the second time. 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. She didn't just start choosing Jing as the mediator after the fifteen-year contract in Dragon Bone Prison. She had been doing this for a long time, and she had become perfect with practice."

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)