Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 nathsketch:

Well, after reading a comment along the lines of "the plot of this story is not that deep", then I'm convinced everything is possible when it comes to them :)

SMH. I am speechless.

 windiaaa041293:

@liddi,you asked this before.

桐华
何谓相思？思而不得，最相思。
相爱是两个人的天长地久，相思却是一个人的地老天荒。
《长相思 1：如初见》
一场清水镇的相遇让所有人在故事中悉数登场，也改变了所有人的命运，甚至改变了整个大荒的命运。小夭遇到了叶十七，也遇到了相柳和玱玹，属于他们的故事正是拉开了序幕，但一切都只是草蛇灰线，绵延千里。我们肉眼可见的真的是一切的真相？爱之于一人又究竟能在万般取舍之下深入几分？相思是一杯有毒的美酒，入喉甘美，销魂蚀骨，直到入心入肺，便再也无药可解，毒发时撕心裂肺，只有心上人的笑容可解，陪伴可解，若是不得，便只余刻骨相思，至死不休。故事仍在继续。

https://www.zhihu.com/pub/book/119601797

Thank you very much.

The text says this:

Lost You Forever is one of the works Tong Hua herself is most satisfied with, the final chapter in the series of 山经海纪 The Mountain and Sea Chronicles. Set against a grandiose backdrop with many characters with different characteristics, while the main theme is love, it is not merely about love that is engraved on the bones and inscribed in the heart, but also the position that family, country and world holds in a person's life, and the familial affections and choices that lead to sharing each other's burdens.

What is lovesickness? A yearning that can never be realised, is the greatest yearning.

Loving each other means being everlasting and unchanging for two people. However, yearning is drawn out desolation for one person.

Lost You Forever Vol 1: As When We First Met

An encounter at Qingshui town is every character's introduction in the story which changed everyone's fate, and even the fate of the entire Great Wilderness. Xiao Yao met Ye Shi Qi, as well as Xiang Liu and Cang Xuan. The curtain to their story was raised, but everything was only "snakes on the grass, lines on dust", stretching out for thousands of miles. Is what we perceive with the naked eye really the truth? How deep can love go for a person in the face of manifold choices? Lovesickness is a cup of poisonous fine wine; it is sweet as it enters the throat, melting the soul and eroding the bones (sending one into a state of ecstasy), until it enters the heart and lungs, after which there is no longer a cure for it. Once the poison acts, it rips out the heart and lungs. Only the smile, the companionship of the loved one can cure it. If these cannot be obtained, all that remains is yearning engraved on the bones that lasts until death. The story still continues.

Another content introduction to the 2013 edition includes this line:

生命是一场又一场的相遇和别离，是一次又一次的遗忘和开始，可总有些事，一旦发生，就留下印迹；总有个人，一旦来过，就无法忘记。

Life is a series of encounters and partings; it is a series of forgetting and beginnings. However, there will always be some things which once happened, would leave behind a trace; there will always be someone, whom once encountered, can never be forgotten.

 liddi:

What is lovesickness? A yearning that can never be realised, is the greatest yearning.

Loving each other means being everlasting and unchanging for two people. However, yearning is drawn out desolation for one person.

 liddi:

Lovesickness is a cup of poisononus fine wine; it is sweet as it enters the throat, melting the soul and eroding the bones (sending one into a state of esctasy), until it enters the heart and lungs, after which there is no longer a cure for it.

Yearning is bittersweet if it's temporary and you know there is an ending in sight. When there's no hope of a reunion, of ever meeting again, it's a bitter, poisonous wine, indeed! :-(

 liddi:

Only the smile, the companionship of the loved one can cure it. If these cannot be obtained, all that remains is yearning engraved on the bones that lasts until death.

This is very tragic. Even more so if this unending yearning is accompanied by regrets.

 liddi:

"snakes on the grass, lines on dust", stretching out for thousands of miles. Is what we perceive with the naked eye really the truth?

I feel like this is potentially a reference to the s"snake in the grass" writing technique that we've discussed.  Are there other ways to understand this "snakes on the grass, lines on dust"?

As always, thank you for the translation @liddi :-)

 MengXiang:

Regarding the face forming flower, that was something I was confused about too. I thought it can be kept to keep her young because of her low powers she would age more quickly. I thought it lost the ability to change faces. 

 H19279:

He waved his hand over Xiao Yao’s forehead and a flash of red streaked across before the peach blossom mark vanished leaving only a beautiful peach blossom branch in Xiao Yao’s hand. (Chapter 37)

 liddi:

The Royal Mother calmly replied, "The Form Retaining Flower sealed in your body now only has the effect of retaining your looks, and no longer has the ability to transform. Perhaps by a stroke of good fortune, that it will recover [its ability] in the future."

-- Vol1 Ch12

 liddi:

However Cang Xuan did not leave. After scrutinising Xiao Yao, he hurried over and lifted her chin with one hand while touching her forehead with the other. "Where is the peach blossom on your forehead?"

Xiao Yao pointed to a small wooden peach hairpin on her bun, "It's here."

-- Vol 3 Ch4 (Chapter 37)

Hey guys ^^ I am super duper not caught up on this thread, but I thought I'd pop by and saw some new translations from liddi, which are always worth a read (thanks liddi!). 

Just wanted to add to this that we know for sure that XY was able to use the face forming flower to transform after the Grand Emperor extracted it from her in chapter 37 (and turned it into the peach blossom branch hairpin that XY wore afterwards) because she used it to transform into Xian's form in chapter 46 when she snuck away from the Xuan Yuan army base in QS town to meet XL by Gourd Lake after he killed Feng Long. 

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Chapter 46 (Koala's translation):

If Feng Long hadn’t taken that arrow for Zhuan Xu, it would be Zhuan Xu who was dead now! Thinking of the person turning black being Zhuan Xu, Xiao Yao’s body shivered in fear. She was always aware that Xiang Liu and her stood on opposing sides, but with Feng Long’s death today before her eyes, she finally understood the stark reality – Xiang Liu is Zhuan Xu’s enemy! He could kill Zhuan Xu!

Zhuan Xu said, “Don’t worry about the bug, Yin said that when the host person dies then the other bug dies or goes back to the host body. When Xiang Liu is dead then your bug will be lifted.”

Yin’s understanding was true for all bugs, other than the Lover’s Bug. Xiao Yao said, “You get some rest!"

She closed the night pearl light. Zhuan Xu had a lot on his mind, especially Feng Long’s last words before he died, but with so much going on he was exhausted and quickly fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, Xiang Liu did indeed bring soldiers on another sneak attack. Zhuan Xu rushed out of the room and in the hubbub no one noticed Xiao Yao. She used the Face Forming Flower to change her looks to Xian and, with Left Ear’s help, snuck out of the residence.

Left Ear had his own winged ride and took Xiao Yao through many mountain tops until they landed beside a lake.

Xiao Yao prodded the bug inside her as she called out in her heart – Xiang Liu, I want to see you!

The lake surface was calm and the moon reflected perfectly on it, with Xiang Liu not appearing for the longest time. Xiao Yao finally couldn’t control herself anymore and loudly screamed, “Xiang Liu, I know you can feel it! Get the fuck here to see me!”

As Xiao Yao’s screams left her throat raw, the sound of a condor cry reached her. A white condor zoomed down and flew close to the lake surface towards Xiao Yao. Xiang Liu flew off his winged ride and walked on the waves towards Xiao Yao. He was the ephemeral traveler from a faraway land, white hair white robe pristine without being touched by the dirt of the common world. Even if each step he took was walking over war and fire and brimstone, nothing could affect him.

@AH

Hi! So good to see you here. Thank you for your kind words as always.

Good call in pointing out Xiao Yao transformed into Chishui Xian when sneaking out with Left Ear to confront Xiang Liu after Feng Long's death. So we already know definitively that the Face Retaining Flower had regained its transformative powers by then.

Speaking of which, it seemed this part of the possibility was not in Koala's translation when the Royal Mother restored Xiao Yao's true form. Another addition in the 2019 edition perhaps?

 liddi:

@AH

Hi! So good to see you here

Likewise ^^

 liddi:

Thank you for your kind words as always.

<3

 liddi:

Good call in pointing out Xiao Yao transformed into Chishui Xian when sneaking out with Left Ear to confront Xiang Liu after Feng Long's death. So we already know definitively that the Face Retaining Flower had regained its transformative powers by then.

Speaking of which, it seemed this part of the possibility was not in Koala's translation when the Royal Mother restored Xiao Yao's true form. Another addition in the 2019 edition perhaps?

Yep. 

Koala's translation of chapter 12 from the 2013 edition only had:

The Royal Mother merely nodded her head but her expression never changed, as if nothing in the world or time could ever affect her. A peach blossom branch grew from the tip of her finger and she used it to touch Xiao Liu’s forehead. A bright red peach blossom birthmark appeared in the middle of her forehead.

Xiao Liu asked, “The Face Forming Flower is a magical object from Jade Mountain. Why can’t you take it out?”

The Royal Mother said coldly, “There is much in this world I cannot do.”

Xiao Liu asked, “Who put this magical object in my body? Wasn’t it you?”

The Royal Mother replied, “Who put it in you doesn’t matter. You need only care that I can help you now. Your body may be unique but your powers are weak now so in the future you will need this to keep your face from aging faster than the other goddesses. The Face Forming Flower remaining in your body won’t have any harm.”

...

Xiao Yao bowed to the Royal Mother. “Thank you, Royal Mother, for returning my true form.”

The Royal Mother said coolly, “The Face Forming Flower in your body now only can help you maintain your beauty. It no longer can allow you to transform.”

Xiao Yao laughed. “I’ve changed my face enough for a lifetime. I don’t want to change anymore.”

-----

So it's missing the last line from your translation one page back (https://mydramalist.com/discussions/lost-you-forever/110123-xl-and-xy-story-and-romance-warning-spoilers?pid=2867053&page=357#p2867053):

Xiao Yao bowed to the Royal Mother, "Thank you, Royal Mother, for restoring my true form."

The Royal Mother calmly replied, "The Form Retaining Flower sealed in your body now only has the effect of retaining your looks, and no longer has the ability to transform. Perhaps by a stroke of good fortune, that it will recover [its ability] in the future."

-----

I think you're right that it's probably a line that Tong Hua added in the updated edition. Probably to help explain to readers how XY was able to use the face forming flower to transform in chapter 46 / why the Grand Emperor thought that XY would be able to use the face forming flower to transform and evade CX if he tried to look for her after she left Xuan Yuan at the end of the novel.

I was always a bit curious about Tong Hua's reason for having the face forming flower lose its transformation powers between chapter 12 and chapter 37. Was it just to emphasize XY's reaction (i.e., her disinterest in transforming - a sentiment she shares with XL, a similarity that is emphasized several times after FFB appears in chapter 15) or was there some other narrative reason why Tong Hua felt that XY couldn't be allowed to have the ability to undergo undetectable transformations?

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Chapter 15:

On Cao Yun Peak, Xiao Yao sat on the swing while Zhuan Xu leaned against a tree. She kept wondering, was that Xiang Liu or not Xiang Liu?

“Gege, have you ever seen Xiang Liu’s real face?”

“No, every time I’ve seen him, he’s wearing a mask.”

Xiao Yao was curious. “Xuan Yuan has him on the most wanted list for hundreds of years but there isn’t a portrait to go along with it. All these years and no one has seen what he really looks like?”

“People have seen it, but Xiang Liu is a Nine-headed demon, and rumor has it that he has nine real faces and also eighty-one different forms. All the people who have seen him have contradictory statements, one time someone described him to look exactly like sixth uncle.”

Was the Xiang Liu she saw just one of his faces? Xiao Yao was curious, but also disappointed.

Zhuan Xu stared at her. “But it is weird! His transformation ability is one where even a magical object can’t detect it, why does he need to wear a mask? He can just change his face!”

Xiao Yao said, “Maybe he’s like me, he wants to have a true self and is uninterested in magical transformations.”

Zhuan Xu asked, “Why suddenly asking about Xiang Liu?”

“I….I just thought of him.”

Xiao Yao didn’t want to lie to Zhuan Xu so told him half the truth, and the despondent tone in her voice made Zhuan Xu’s heart hurt a little. He softly said, “You are no longer Qing Shui Town’s Wen Xiao Liu.”

Xiao Yao smiled. “I know.”

Zhuan Xu changed the subject. “The guy who wanted to pick you up at the dance hall is your younger cousin Shi Ju, the only son of uncle Cang Lin.”

“The person next to him?”

“I don’t know him but he’s not using transformation or a masking spell. Though after what you and Jing did last time, I’m no longer absolutely certain about piercing through transformations.”

 HeadInTheClouds:

I just want to clarify, liddi. 

Do you mean the literal translation of the text is "snake on the grass and lines on dust", and that you believe that it is a reference to the "grass snake dust line" technique?

No. I meant it says literally "grass snake dust line" but I translated what the term represents. Sorry if I am confusing everyone ?

EDIT: Not sure why emojis don't show up on my post except in edits. One of the mysteries of life.

No idea who wrote the introduction to the novel, but it is definitely a blatant hint to readers to read between the lines, and not take everything at mere face value. The real question is where do we draw the line between what is truly hidden in plain sight, and pure flights of fantasy. Not for the first time, I wish Tong Hua would clobber us over the head with exactly what she was trying to hint, which would certainly put a stop to all the fan wars... or not?

 HeadInTheClouds:

This is very tragic. Even more so if this unending yearning is accompanied by regrets.

I agree. It is heartbreaking. And it applies not just to unrequited love, but the irrevocable loss of the loved one, with no hope of ever seeing or hearing them again.

 AH :

I was always a bit curious about Tong Hua's reason for having the face forming flower lose its transformation powers between chapter 12 and chapter 37. Was it just to emphasize XY's reaction (i.e., her disinterest in transforming - a sentiment she shares with XL, a similarity that is emphasized several times after FFB appears in chapter 15) or was there some other narrative reason why Tong Hua felt that XY couldn't be allowed to have the ability to undergo undetectable transformations?

That's an interesting question. We were never told when the flower regained its powers, but the fact that Xiao Yao only used it so many years later, indicated her similarity with Xiang Liu, embracing her true face with little to no inclination for subterfuge. It also stands to reason that regaining her true form after 300 years of not even knowing what her own face looked like, and by extension what she thought was her real identity in the world, she saw no reason to hide behind yet another fake identity. The irony though is that even her face before those 300 years were never hers as well, forcibly hidden behind yet another fake appearance, and it was only with the Royal Mother's help that she faced the world with her true face for the first time ever in her life.