Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 HeadInTheClouds:

For me, personally, the most wonderful way to love someone is to uplift and empower them, to teach them to be independent of you. Life is unpredictable, and you want the person you love to be able to stand on their own and continue on when you leave them one day (planned or unplanned).

 HeadInTheClouds:

Xiang Liu's love is also free of possessiveness. He doesn't need to be with Xiao Yao, to have Xiao Yao by his side (although that would be nice, of course) in order to treat her well. He would have done the same thing even if she didn't love him inreturn. He wants her happiness simply because he loves her, and that gives him joy.

This. Exactly.

 HeadInTheClouds:

Unthematically, Xiang Liu is a fully realized character on his own, and his ending leaves all of us who love who he is and what he represents with that feeling of not wanting to yield to the unfairness/unjust of it all

Yes. It is what we see as the injustice of someone like him loving the way he did, sacrificing so much for everyone he cared for, leaving behind only a black pool of blood at the end of it. But I believe that he continues to live on in her life, and those who knew him - Sir Bi, and very possibly even A Nian.

 liddi:

Hm... perhaps it was poor translation on my part? Let me try and rephrase... 

涂山璟 (VO)：幸好玱玹和小夭感情深厚，如果有朝一日真到了那一步，蛊还是解不了，玱玹应该会为了小夭，对相柳手下留情。
TSJ (VO): It is fortunate that Cang Xuan and Xiao Yao have a deep relationship. Should the day come when it gets to that point and the bug still could not be removed, for Xiao Yao, Cang Xuan would surely be merciful to Xiang Liu.

I don't like the way it reads, but does this make it any better?

Your translation was fine @liddi, other people understand its meaning right away. I think my brain just cross wired yesterday from too much TSJ‘s sinister character speculation that I allowed my bias to interpreted everything connected to him in worst way. And because maybe it’s so clear to me that off course CX will spare XL as long he’s life tied to XY, so I’m questioning why there was need in the script for TSJ to state the obvious in the drama, other than making him looks good. But on second thought, TSJ VO may have the opposite effect in reminding the audience that XL action in severing the PLB connection actually not only  make sure that XY is safe but also cut off his safety net (CX won’t be merciful to him anymore).  It’s truly a selfless act, that actually bring him harm in more ways. I’m sure that XL never count on PLB connection to survive anyway, but a more calculating character would cash on this connection. Always appreciate your efforts ❤️.

@H19279

I agree with your analysis and it fit my understanding of XY as well. I think XY made a conscious decision to gamble on TSJ in dragon bone prison but still withholding her heart somehow, whereas after 37 years TSJ willingness to die with her so moved her (for all the wrong reasons, stupid girl) that she allowed this time her heart to be more invested as well. Before 37 years, her reaction to TSJ failure in keeping his promises (15 wine bottle delivery stopp, he keeps appearing with FFYY in social setting and they for all appearance look like the perfect couple) was getting angry and trying to distance herself from TSJ but after TSJ revival she didn’t get angry and even comforted TSJ when he accepted being appointed as clan leader although this acceptance clearly showed how TSJ basically chose his grandma over XY, or her jealousy seeing TSJ and FFYY together made her used FFB to retaliate. The XY at the beginning would be more heartless and able to cut TSJ off, but because this time she allowed her heart to be mellowed as well, she wasn‘t able to broke up with TSJ and waiting patiently instead. 

No wonder we all love XL so much, as the story progress his character evolved to be this epic awesome unsurpassable Hotness himself, while the other characters like XY and TSJ, which were awesome or endearing at first devolving to be a stupid contradictory hot mess of psychological traumas or weak inefficient and probably sinister manipulator instead. I almost forget the poor CX, I like him in the drama and he had his moments where I went ‚owww you rocks bro‘ (where he said firmly to FL and XingYue that he won‘t compromise and will punished everyone involved in XY assassination swiftly) but I‘m not that invested in his journey to the throne and his dramatic moments with XY didn‘t move me emotionally, not like that white hair dude who only need to stare and I feel all of his hidden pain, love, yearning, you name it, behind his eyes.

@H19279

I had read your analysis on XY-Jing-Tianer twice and I fully agree with everything you said. That is exactly what I belive too. 

Thanks Liddi for your explanation. If XY was wearing red waiting for Jing then that scene does mimic the 7 days wait for XL because it was taken outside DBP (like what H19279 says). 

All something came up on my mind again, as we all know XY and XL hearts trusts each other and despite XY keep avoiding her feelings etc…. Why on earth would she wrote XL name on the suspected list of names she thinks may contributed to killing Jing? Was it because of his actions or words on chapter 45 that made her think like that as she obviously would not think it’s CX. But what will happen if he is the one, can she kill him? I mean she can’t even bear to kill XL when she know he wanted to kill CX. 

And like that one month in QS town, though there was no pov on XL I felt like he wanted to tell her something after he snatch her from the wedding or he was waiting for something from her. I feel like he hurting himself as he kill of FFB because I believe he knew she wanted to spend her life with him as FFB. 

By the way though there is no evidence but it easy to conclude  that XL made another human stand next to XY on the crystal ball but some Jing fans said this was already made by XY when she send him the crystal ball attached with the message implying she is getting married now so he should move on.

No. The novel stated clearly that the crystal globe she sent to him only had a mermaid with one hand on heart, and another hand outstretched to a merman who stood on the waves. Then in the epilogue, in the crystal globe he gifted back to her in the big-bellied doll, we see that this time, there was an additional man who stood beside the mermaid, holding her outstretched hand, while the merman remained on the waves. So it was clear that the man was added by Xiang Liu, an indication of the lifelong companion he ensured she would have in his place

The book stats when she made it, it was just the mermaid and the merman. That's clear cut.

I took the globe as her silent declaration that he is in her heart and she wanted him to take her hand. The note was her out if he rejected her. Her plausible denial that it was just a last gift before she gets married and nothing more. 

 MengXiang:

I can't remember if this has been discussed but after the wedding robbery, before she left he said he got what he wanted so she can go. What exactly did he want?

Part of me says it's about her talking to TE and gaining new perspective and hope and then guiding her to find Jing. However, at the back of my mind does what he truly want to know is his place in her heart and thus the question and her leaving after the question.

I don't believe for one second it was the supplies even though at a superficial level it may imply that.

The main objective of the robbery is to prevent her from marrying unsuitable guy. Then destroyed her reputation so that later only someone who really loved and cared for her would like to marry her. No more political marriage . 

About 1 month stay in QS town:

i think he just wanted to give her enough time to settle down, sort out her emotion and ready to face the life ahead. 

maybe he also wanted het to see Tian Er’s life. However he could not control what Tian Er would tell her. Learning that Chuan Xi and Tian Er  had a happy life would bring her some motivation. 

He also could see her reaction and attitude to XL when FFB wasn’t there anymore and that they could part away from each other. He knew from the drinking and questioning event that she was still willing to get married to YSQ. He gave her reason to see Jing.

Last, maybe he just desiresd a bit of time to be with her. That would be the last chance for him to be next to her.

 blabla100:

About the note and the crystal ball, I can't check it right now, but if I remember correctly the note said something like "please accept it with a smile". I don't know how does it sound în chinese, but to me this sounds more like a plea to accept the ball / its wish, as in please don't reject me,  rather than please accept the ball as the last poison I will make for you.

my translation said “ i will get married in 2 months. this is the last gift for you. Please accept it”

 H19279:

Xiao Yao giggled and assured him “Being heart connected isn’t all that intimate. At most Xiang Liu feels some of my pain whereas I feel nothing from him. This doesn’t count as having our hearts as one.”

Xiao Yao really is a master at willful ignorance and self-deception. At this point, she was already aware that the reason she couldn't feel anything from Xiang Liu was because he was suppressing that side of the connection. And being heart connected is not intimate???? What is she smoking and where can I get some, 'cause that stuff is potent?

 H19279:

Actually Jing wasn’t bothered by the hearts connected, he was worried about the life being linked. This worry was something he couldn’t discuss with Xiao Yao so he continued to let her assume he was bothered by their emotional ties.

Xiao Yao and Jing's differing concerns about the Lovers Bugs connection remind me of studies that suggested that men are more bothered by physical/sexual cheating, whereas women are more concerned about emotional cheating. Jing is OK with Xiao Yao's emotional connection with Xiang Liu as long as he (Jing) can physically have her; Xiao Yao is more concerned about Jing being upset about the emotional connection between her and XL.