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Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

Kokuto
 H19279:
No, He would not leave Shen-nong army behind. He would stay with them till the end. Certainly is it. He made that decision before XY stepped in his life.

The thing is he has 9 lives. So why should he spend all of his lives for Shen-nong. He was capable of fulfilling his ideology as well as staying with XY.

Exactly.  And they were making a life together, even with him and the army.  XY could have come to the camp.


 H19279:
However, if he chose to confess to her and still fought against her family, what could he offer to the princess? Only his heart and let her decide? She once clearly said he was not suitable to step in any girl's dream. Did it hurt him? He had his own dignity. He was there as FFB for many years, she didn't choose him. And assume if later (when Jing was married) he confessed again and they were in love. However, that would place XY in very difficult situation: the two most important and loved ones for her fighting until one had die.

I think this was the biggest obstacle to their relationship, being enemies.  And yes, I agree.  If she could openly reject him, she was going to have to openly confess to him.  Even though he knew how she felt, she would have to admit it to herself and to him.  

 H19279:
Sir Bi said that his heart is as clear as crystal. He always thought which was best for her first even though he had to compromise himself.

This is one reason why I said, XL did choose XY, but loved her in his own way, which was to put her happiness over his own.


 H19279:
I sometimes think that what would happen if XY answered his 3rd question. Thing would have been different. In the book he tried to touch the mermaid's hand in the crystal ball, didn't he? He had that thought.

YES!  I thought that was one of, if not the last chance he was willing to risk making a change, but even then, she couldn't answer his question of who she wanted to spend her life with.  But I know others have different takes on that scene.


 H19279:
If XY had not become Princess of Gaoxin and Xuan Yuan, if XY stayed as WXL in QS Town, then the story would be different. I think that is one of his motivations when he accepted the Bugs

Exactly!  That was what he was counting on, especially since that is what she took an extra lashing for, to stay in QS town and be WXL.

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liddi
 MayaDavid:
Interesting discussion on Chapter 43. Personally, even more than the lovers bug, chapter 43 was the one that convinced me where XY’s heart truly lies. I am not as eloquent as you wonderful people, but since XL appeared, XY’s behavior was very contradictory to a woman who just lost her fiancé. She was in awe of his demon form, her heart raced uncontrollably, she ate well, she pouted, she grabbed his hair, she twirled, she taunted the seagull demon, and she slept well. And I thought that she even felt a little jealous of furball. In any case, I felt that she was so happy to be with him. And just a chapter before, she married Jing under the moon and said that she will not forget Jing even if it hurt. In chapter 43, she did ask XL about having seen Jing, cried and sang a song. However, those actions felt more like a reaction to XL’s harsh response.

Well said. In that moment, she had no qualms about allowing him to feed repeatedly on her neck, and even nestled into his arms, leaning on his shoulder. She tenderly touched the trace of blood at the corner of his lips and called him out that he was the one who was afraid. She admitted to Left Ear, in front of Xiang Liu that she missed Fangfeng Bei. Her feelings were all over the place when she glanced at Xiang Liu and imagined his life with the woman he loved if she could have met him before he ever met Hong Jiang. 

And of course, if the leaked script is to be believed, the whole chapter will be omitted from S2.

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Kokuto
 windiaaa041293:

I mean the last one is FFB and XL.

We know that the FFB identity is dead, and XL will not give up on his troops, so why should xy think about it, while the answer itself doesn't exist.

She knew FFB and XL were the same.  She wasn't going to get one without the other.  Besides, if she wanted to spend her life with FFB alone, she had ten years to make that happen, and she didn't.

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Kokuto
 liddi:

While the novel doesn't specifically say so, we can imagine it to have happened here, after Xiao Liu met Jing to obtain the medicines for the Shen Nong rebel army:

小六默默站了会儿，对相柳说：“我回去睡觉了，不送！”

相柳拽着他的衣领子，把他拎了回去，“在我没拿到药物前，你跟着我。”

Xiao Liu stood silently for a while, then said to Xiang Liu, "I'm going back to bed. See yourself out!"

Xiang Liu grabbed hold of his collar and hauled him back, "Until I get the medicines, you are staying with me."

-- Vol 1 Ch5


And in Ep8, the drama does have Xiao Liu walking backwards in that scene, even if it was due to Xiang Liu dragging him along.... so I guess Xiao Liu did make good on his promise in that sense!

LOL!  Now when I rewatch, I'll have to keep an eye open for any time XY is walking backwards.

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blabla100

@H19279 @Kokuto

The way I see it, there's no possible way for XL to ever think that he's going to help the army by buying them time until they are all dead, yet wanting to keep one life for himself in order to have a happy ending with XY afterwards. It sounds far fetched. The captain goes down with the ship. For a general the best ending is to die on the battlefield. That's who XL was. That's who her mom was. That's who XY's forth uncle was. "she understood what Xiang Liu felt. Her Fourth Uncle could have survived that day, and he did love Fourth Aunt and Zhuan Xu, but he chose to die alongside his soldiers. In this world there was camaraderie so strong that one would die rather than abandon it." Yes, XL loves life, but so does a terminal ill person. As TH said, love îs not everything în life. 

Yes, XL was CX enemy, but at the end of the day when she was asked, she said that she picked Jing not because he was CX's ally, but because only him could never abandon her. 

The casting sheet is made up for the drama, but the drama doesn't follow the novel 100%. I belive the diagram of the novel that windiaaa posted îs more accurate în this aspect. 

@liddi

"she could not help the tender physical interactions when she was with him, being involuntarily flustered in her heart and mind time and again, mustering the courage to take the first step to declare her feelings and ask him to take her away, waiting for him to come for her time and again in vain, deep down inside believing without a shadow of a doubt that he would be there anytime she was in danger. "

Exactly, she did try quite a few times to take the first step, but it was XL who always pushed her away. It's all just a transaction, so don't get your hopes up, don't you start dreaming about me. 

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H19279

Some unspoken language between XY and XL in chapter 43: 

“What about the man who was with you before? You called him Bei.” Left Ear saw Bei many times in the slave death match arena, but he was always wearing a dog face mask so Left Ear didn’t know what Bei looked like.

Xiao Yao looked at Xiang Liu just as he glanced at her and the two’s eyes met. Xiao Yao immediately looked away and said to Left Ear “He died.”

Left Ear asked “Do you miss him.”

Xiao Yao sighed and didn’t answer.

Left Ear was persistent and stared at Xiao Yao to ask again “He’s not here anymore, do you miss him?”

Xiao Yao cried out “Yes!”

Left Ear smiled “That will make him very happy!”

Xiao Yao stared at Xiang Liu as she said to Left Ear “You’re not him, how do you know whether he cares that someone misses him? He totally wouldn’t care!”

Left Ear’s express was dead serious, and he normally spoke so little and cared not to explain anything, but now he was very agitated and said “I know! We slaves are never scared of death! We’re not scared of anything, other than being scared of the dark! If I died and someone missed me….” Left Ear used his fist to hit his chest “then it wouldn’t be dark here, it would be very bright and very happy!”

Xiao Yao asked Xiang Liu “Is what he’s saying true?”

Xiang Liu smirked at Xiao Yao and teased “You actually want to believe that? I totally don’t care!

“I must be crazy then, to have believed it!” Xiao Yao laughed heartily and used that exaggerated gesture to snap the tenuous mood between them.

Their words could be nonsense or kind of "lie", teasing each other but their gestures speak volume. They totally understood each other.  

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MengXiang

@blabla100

Yes, XL was CX enemy, but at the end of the day when she was asked, she said that she picked Jing not because he was CX's ally, but because only him could never abandon her.

I actually disagree with this. That's what she says but in reality Jing abandoned her again and again. Her logic is flawed in deciding Jing because he couldn't abandoned her.  When she made that decision he had abandoned her numerous times. He abandoned her at the start as 17, he abandoned her for his family. She thought he wouldn't abandoned her because he wanted to die with her?  Was it because he said so but his promises were empty and actions speak for itself. Her reasoning to herself is flawed.

I think the reality is more along the line of she had no other options. XL did not make himself at option at the time she wanted him to. The reason is debatable as to why he didn't make himself an option or if he did but was rejected.


Their love story is such a tragedy because she won't make first step without realizing XL had made the biggest first step and given her a sincere pure heart and tired their fate together by taking on the PLB. He did this willingly without commitment from her that she would be his lover. 

Whether he did it just to protect her or because he saw a future.. without her commitment it's a risk and grand gesture.

In the end the guy whom she picked ended up being CX enemy and got bumped off and they both died.

I see the story as a tragedy. There are too many tragedies along the way to see the ending as happy.

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MengXiang
 liddi:

The picture on the cover actually looks more like the bright red berries of 南天竹 Chinese Sacred Bamboo (Nandina domestica), which however has no lovesickness meaning attached to it.


It looks similar to the bouquets that the main cast received when they finished filming...

cr. YaoLiu twitter

Oh wow nice pickup. 

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H19279
 MengXiang:
I think the reality is more along the line of she had no other options. XL did not make himself at option at the time she wanted him to. The reason is debatable as to why he didn't make himself an option or if he did but was rejected.

I think XY-XL relationship problem is a kind of miss-rehearsal. When he was ready, she didn't want him either she didn't understand her feeling or she thought she had a safer choice. And when she understood her feeling more, she stepped up (but still not fully committed) he already withdrew. 

the first part of their relationship: from WXL until the assassination and 37 years: He actually took the first step. He gave her his only heart as taking the bug. He came to save her in the Dragon Bone prison but was declined for some reasons (e.g., WXL was worried for his safety and YSQ's safety, she didn't understand her own feeling for him). Then the refusal about not being suitable to step in girl's dream. My feeling was he still kept a certain potential of staying with her. He hang out with her as FFB. 

After 37 years, he gave her choice when left her alone waking up in the shell. She didn't choose him. It probably upset him a lot. The first time that they met each other was after Jing's promotion ceremony. XY was unhappy and he encouraged her to keep hoping. His appearance, his talking tone was still as FFB. My first impression when I saw the scene in the casino is he also tried to encourage himself, keep hoping. 

Bei crooked his long legs and put his hands behind his head and leaned back “Forty years ago he made a deal with his slave owner. If he helped his owner win for forty straight years, then the owner would grant him his freedom. Tonight if he wins, he gets his freedom.”

“How did he do that?”

“Endless enduring and patience, for a sliver of hope he never gave up on. Actually, it was the same thing you did when you were trapped in the cage by the nine-tailed fox.”

Xiao Yao said nothing and gulped her cup of wine down. She then tossed her money to place a bet and pointed to the slave she knew “I bet on him winning.”

.....

Xiao Yao laughed out loud in joy and turned around and hugged Bei and excitedly exclaimed “Did you see that? He won, he’s free!”

Bei stared at the slave staggering forward and smiled “Yes, he won!”

And when they got out of the casino, she said she wished she was born earlier, she could save him and let him be FFB, be free. That also means she only accept FFB part in him. But he could not cut-off connection with Shen-nong army. If she wanted to be with him, she had to take it all. They met each other 4 more time including the marriage robbery. 3 out of 4, he wore white outfit. His conversation tone was similar to XL more than the friendly FFB's tone. 

 blabla100:
The captain goes down with the ship. For a general the best ending is to die on the battlefield. That's who XL was

He told her best ending for a general is to die in battlefield. Does it mean he would loss all of 8 lives in that battlefield to be with his soldiers until the end?  for people or god such as her mom or her 4th uncle, that indeed means completely dead. Not him. Why did she assume that his ending is unavoidable death? Moreover, he told her this quote after CX became king and she got engaged with FL. His circumstance now is much less suitable to be with any woman. And she got an fiancé which promised to have only 1 woman in life. I really wonder if Jing hadn't come to ask him to rob her wedding, would he still do it? FL may not be a passionate husband but he could "stayed" by her for long time. Is the reason for the robbery is that because he thought Jing was more suitable for her+ she didn't have feeling for FL + the provisions for Shen-nong army. 1 month they stayed in QS town, XY just ignored XL. they didn't have a proper talk. Maybe both of them had doubt and scare. His last initiate is the 3rd question. She resisted to answer. That moment, he quitted. Keep in mind that Tian Er's advice can be applied for XY-XL relationship too. Why didn't she try it with XL. Was she afraid of being rejected or she just didn't consider XL as candidate by that time. She chose her path with Jing. 

After that, only when she got serious troubles, she thought of him, expected him to save her. But both of them saw no fate together. 

BTW, why did he decide to die completely there? Ask TH. He could have faked his death and disappeared without any trace if he really wanted. TH just wanted him to be fairy God, make the most impressive fate/ending for him, like a pure heart.  Did he find himself satisfactory after all. Maybe

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blabla100

@MengXiang

Well you are right, Jing failed her quite a few times în the past, but no matter the hardship, his desire was always XY. XL, on the other hand, never showed any desire nor any intention to be with her. Regardless the misunderstandings they faced în the past, they did eventually reach up a point where everything was settled between them and XY did grow to trust him. The way I see it, XL, even though he loved her, he never had the intention to put her first. Jing wanted to put her first, but couldn't out of weakness and not because he lacked the will. 

Also, when AhHeng asked her why does he have to be him, I take XY's answer in connection to XL. Only Jing will never leave me, unlike XL who's choice îs going down with the army. 

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H19279
 blabla100:
The way I see it, XL, even though he loved her, he never had the intention to put her first.

That is true. But he also compromised army's benefit many time because of her. 


 blabla100:
Jing wanted to put her first, but couldn't out of weakness and not because he lacked the will. 

Assume that his grandmother had not died and FFYY &TJH hadn't been jealous and fell into XY's trap. Jing would have been stuck in his family forever. 

Jing could not solve his problem himself. He got out of trouble with other's help. He was recued just because TH wanted an "happy" ending. I don't understand how could he survive in isolated island for 6 years just with merfolk's help. How did XL save him? How did the blood jade made from XY's blood and XL's spiritual power work ? How could XL assure that Jing could woke up on that day (probably after his last visit)? 

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blabla100

@H19279

"BTW, why did he decide to die completely there? Ask TH. He could have faked his death and disappeared without any trace if he really wanted."

But that's exactly the point. He could have survived, but he didn't want to. It's not about him having 100 lifes to spare or just 1, it's a matter of principle. XY's forth uncle could have survived too, but he didn't want to. Not because he was suicidal or because he didn't care about his loved ones and definetely not because he only had 1 life, but because the captain goes down with the ship. 

"Is the reason for the robbery is that because he thought Jing was more suitable for her"

The reason for the robbery IMO îs that XL knew that Jing loved her while Feng Long didn't. Jing was a business man, while Feng Long had  greater and more dangerous aspirations în life. Jing could have provided her the companionship she longed for, while Feng Long could only give her freedom and a different type of loneliness, but loneliness neverthe less. Let me ask you, if you really belive XL wanted to make this work, why did he wait for the wedding day to take her away? She waited for him for 7 days before that. Why did he kill FBei?  Why did he treat her so poorly? He took her to meet TianEr for the same reason he took her to see the slaves fights, to restore hope and also as a way for her to understand that it's not only Jing that was at fault. 

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blabla100

@H19279

"My first impression when I saw the scene in the casino is he also tried to encourage himself, keep hoping.

If I am not mistaken, he took her to the casino în the exact day Jing became clan leader. I mean, knowing the context, it's quite obvious that his purpose was in regards to XY-Jing. 

"And when they got out of the casino, she said she wished she was born earlier, she could save him and let him be FFB, be free."

She wished she was born earlier, so she could save him în order for him to have the freedom to choose HER.

"After 37 years, he gave her choice when left her alone waking up in the shell." 

How is that giving her a choice? If he wanted to give her a choice, he would have been there when she woke up, he instead told her his choice precisely by not being there. 

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MayaDavid
 liddi:
Well said. In that moment, she had no qualms about allowing him to feed repeatedly on her neck, and even nestled into his arms, leaning on his shoulder. She tenderly touched the trace of blood at the corner of his lips and called him out that he was the one who was afraid. She admitted to Left Ear, in front of Xiang Liu that she missed Fangfeng Bei. Her feelings were all over the place when she glanced at Xiang Liu and imagined his life with the woman he loved if she could have met him before he ever met Hong Jiang. 

yes! I did not even include the neck feeding, because one could argue that she did it out of concern for him because he was severely injured after coming to her rescue. But the rest made it very clear to me  what place each man occupies in her heart. 


 liddi:
And of course, if the leaked script is to be believed, the whole chapter will be omitted from S2.

I was a bit frustrated when I read the leaked scripts you shared. The scene where she wiped blood from his lips was one of my favorite scenes from the novel along with the one where she stroked his white hair after talking about her father. However, I have some faith in the drama team. I had not read the book when I first watched the drama. I have seen some people say that the drama did not show the mutual love between XY and XL, but personally, I felt that the drama captured their love in beautiful subtle ways. I love how she kept staring at him when she first saw him as FFB in the brothel, and how she kept looking at him when he came to her rescue in Haoling (sea is below your feet), how she keeps gazing at him every time he leaves, how she was heartbroken when she woke up after 37 years and did not see him, and how she grabbed her sleeve and tried to calm herself the first time she met him after the 37 years.  I was a little disappointed about how the 37 years were portrayed  after reading the book but I understand that consent issues can be the cause of that. Another scene that I felt dissatisfied with the drama was when XL said that XY has graduated from archery and does not need to learn anymore from him. The text described that she was 'adrift and lost'. I did not feel that the drama captured it well. But for the most part, I was okay with the drama. Therefore, I am looking forward to S2. I am happy that the book is still available for me run to if I find the drama disappointing. 

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H19279
 blabla100:
How is that giving her a choice? If he wanted to give her a choice, he would have been there when she woke up, he instead told her his choice precisely by not being there. 

You don't think so. He is not as selfish as Jing. He would not take advantage of saving her to ask for her love and commitment. She could save Jing. And she could choose him or Jing. If she loved and chose him, she knew where to find him. What did she do? replicate his action to Jing. XL didn’t want her to know what he had done to her in 37 year. ok she just needed to know he did it for a peak in Shennong mountain. But she knew everything that he did in 37 year. everyone could see there was deep love, that how tender and understanding he was to her. She KNEW he lost a live for her. Jing was willing to die with her but XL did it already. is that because he had 9 lives then his 1 life was not as precious as Jing’s life? 

 blabla100:
She wished she was born earlier, so she could save him în order for him to be free to choose HER.

It also means she is willing for a free FFB, not XL. XL was never candidate for her. Could he change his past. No. Such kind of wish is similar like "If you could be FFB only". Jing followed them. So, he pretended to show his anger and she just took Jing and went away. 

 blabla100:
If I am not mistaken, he took her to the casino în the exact day Jing became clan leader. I mean, knowing the context, it's quite obvious that his purpose was in regards to XY-Jing. 

Yes, he brought her there the 1st purpose to encourage her to keep hoping. That could be her hope to stick with Jing. That could also hope her to face her own heart. That could also his hope to keep her even though she never chose him. 

you should take into account that XL understood XY more than she understood herself. Moreover, the bug also helped him to get her thinking even better. He knew her heartache for Jing’s betrayal (to her trust). He knew she loved him but she rather take FL than facing her heart. Some sentences in the poem used as the title for chapter 51 summaries XY's thought well : I was wrong yesterday. I let my brain dictate my heart. 

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