Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 liddi:

With access to a clearer version of the leaked script, we see that Jing managed to identify the poisonous bug with his physician Hu Zhen's help. However, he did not appear to be given any further details in terms of the requirement to plant such a bug.

Thank you for the translation, liddi.

So it looks like he doesn't actually know that they are Lovers Bugs. They removed the scene of the Voodoo King and replaced it with this? Does the script show if and/or how Xiao Yao find out about the Lovers Bugs?

 Kokuto:

When XY first encountered FFB and wondered if he was XL, she was disappointed at the thought that she might have seen one of XL's many false faces instead of XL's true face. She wonders if XL might be someone like her, a person who wants to have a true self and a person who isn't interested in false transformations.
Not sure about this, but it reminds me of when XL was trying to get XY to admit to being a woman in the hot spring after she was wounded when she stepped between XL and CX.  And when XY tried to make a joke about it, XL gave up and said he wasn't interested in her fake body.  I always thought that this was an odd thing for a shape shifter to say, and a missed opportunity for XL ... but seen in context of your observation ... it makes more sense.

I felt like there were a few factors that played into that comment from XL.

You know me, I always feel like context is key. There's a lot going on in the lead-up to that comment in chapter 6 that feels highly relevant. The important factors that set up that comment for me are:

(1)   WXL used the bug connection to help XL gain the upper hand in his battle against CX, but in the last moment, when XL was about to win the fight and land the killing blow, WXL used his/her own body to protect CX and (despite WXL's severe injuries) WXL clung to XL's hand and later to his leg - stopping XL from going after CX and allowing CX to escape. This is a massive betrayal. XL was (understandably) enraged that his plans were ruined, and likely felt hurt by the betrayal. 

(2)   Despite his fury, XL couldn't bring himself to kill WXL. When WXL fainted, XL picked him/her up and took him/her away. Despite his extensive injuries from battle and the difficulty he had earlier in the story obtaining medicine for his soldiers, XL obtained "all sorts of precious medicines" and painkillers for WXL. In the drama, they explained it by showing XL taking on a job as an assassin, again despite his injuries. XL found a secluded cave with a pool where WXL could heal, and put his/her body in the pool along with the precious medicines and pain killers. It seems like XL didn't drink WXL's blood at any point in that time to help heal his injuries, even though "it was near impossible for him to find medicine to heal his injuries. Which is why the equally strange form Xiao Liu was his best medicine."

(3)   XL waited until WXL woke up and asked him/her for an explanation. When XL asked, his brow was furrowed and his rage was tamped down. When WXL said something to him that sounded like the truth ("Why did you save him?" ... "Because I know who he is."), XL's brow lifted slightly. I feel like that detail is intended to show how much XL cares about hearing the truth from WXL.

(4)   When XL bites WXL, he bites him/her hard. He's clearly still upset. I imagine most of that emotion still stems from WXL ruining his plans and all the effort he put into taking CX down. Perhaps some of it stems from the betrayal itself. And then I wonder if some of it might also be related to WXL willingly putting himself/herself in danger, almost dying, and then having this cavalier attitude ("...if you want to kill me, then kill me!"). Given all the effort that XL put into saving WXL, he clearly cared about whether WXL lived or died at this point. 

(5)   When XL raises his head from the bite, he definitely seems to be turned on ("Xiang Liu raised his head and stared at Xiao Liu, blood staining his lips, his eyes darkened, his breath slightly labored."). Based on what we know from what CX felt in this scene and his comments later, WXL might also have been turned on. 

(6)   XL's hand was probably holding WXL's neck when he bit him/her. After staring at WXL with blood stained lips, darkened eyes, and heavy breaths, XL moves his hand down from WXL's neck ("tracing his jawline, down his clavicle"). To stop XL from going further, WXL grabs XL's hand and starts talking about being a man and insisting that this is his/her true form, even though XL knows / firmly believes that it isn't. 

So XL is injured (i.e., in a vulnerable state), cares about the truth, is upset (definitely feels angry, probably feels betrayed and hurt, and possibly is upset with WXL for risking his/her life), is turned on, and then makes a move. For me, that's the background leading up to XL's comment. 

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Then there's the factors that play into the comment. 

Not Interested in Lies - One factor is that XL firmly believes that WXL is lying when he/she insists that this male form is his/her true form. When WXL blatantly lies to him ("I'm a man."), and doubles down on the lie ("This is my true form!") and goes so far as to make a show of it ("Touch me then, touch me. After you’re done then stop accusing me of being a woman!”), I imagine its hurtful to XL (especially given how their relationship is built on moments of honest vulnerability) and a major turn-off. Underneath "I'm not interested in your false form." I felt like maybe XL was probably thinking / feeling, "I'm not interested in hearing these lies from you."

Saving Face - As another factor, XL was definitely turned on in this scene and actually starts to make a move. Even though WXL might have also been turned on, he/she was not prepared to have a lusty make out session or to go all the way with XL in this scene. He/she slides down into the water and stops XL's hand before it goes further than his/her clavicle, and starts talking about being a man. Then he/she insists that this is his/her true form, and "violently shook off Xiang Liu’s hand and then spread himself open like a dead pig headed to boiling water." And WXL said, “Touch me then, touch me. After you’re done then stop accusing me of being a woman!” All of that is a rejection of XL making a move. So his comment ("I'm not interested in your false form.") also felt like it was about saving face after being rejected. 

Sexuality - Sexuality might be another factor. XL still firmly believes that the true form of the person he's falling for is a woman, and perhaps he ultimately really is only interested in that form. In my headcanon both drama!XL and novel!XL are unapologetically bi and attracted to XY even in her WXL form, but I acknowledge that Tong Hua probably wrote XL as straight (or at least as someone who thinks he's straight) and XL's comment ("I'm not interested in your false form."), when he thinks that her true form is a woman, supports that (his lust in this scene on the other hand...). 

Not Interested in False Forms - IMO, the final factor, as you observed, is this idea that both XY and XL generally prefer to avoid using false forms themselves when possible and are very interested in seeing / knowing each other's true forms. XY would have been disappointed if the face she knew for XL and FFB turned out to be a magical transformation rather than the true face of XL's humanoid form. XL may feel similarly. He wants to see and to know WXL's true form, and isn't particularly interested in any false faces or forms that he/she uses. 

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Gif by Elise (https://www.tumblr.com/ladynamie/733193888008962048/xiang-liu-and-xiao-yao-in-lost-you-forever?source=share) to break up all this text.

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Chapter 6:

Xuan was flying but Xiang Liu suddenly darted out like a ghost from within the thicket, his hands already transformed into razor sharp claws like five daggers, and it was swiftly aimed at Xuan. Xuan blocked with his whip but the whip was destroyed but the claw hand was intact. Xiang Liu’s eyes glowed demon red and Xuan’s body was pressed down like a mountain was on top of him. He couldn’t move or dodge but he refused to close his eyes. If he was going to die, then he wanted to see clearly how he died.

A figure flew forward like a shooting star into Xuan’s embrace and blocked Xiang Liu’s thunderous blow.

“Ah———” Xiao Liu painfully screamed.

Xuan felt the exact same pain, it pierced him straight through the heart. But he only felt the pain and wasn’t actually injured. Xuan stared in shock at Xiao Liu, not understanding why Xiao Liu saved his life at his own expense.

Xiao Liu pushed him hard. “Run!”

Xiang Liu wouldn’t let Xuan escape and tried to attack again. Xiao Liu turned and risked his life again, tightly grabbing onto Xiang Liu’s clawed hand to prevent him from attacking Xuan again.

Xuan’s men arrived and helped him escape, but Xuan turned and gave Xiao Liu a mystified look.

Xiang Liu was so close to victory but Xiao Liu ruined it. He was enraged and kicked Xiao Liu hard. Xiao Liu crumpled to the ground but still used every ounce of his might to hold on to Xiang Liu’s leg so he couldn’t chase after Xuan.

Xuan was helped on a winged ride which rose into the clouds and disappeared. He leaned on his servant and tightly clenched his lips as he felt the same pain. The pain was in his stomach, his arms, every part of his body hurt. It was like his entire body was being ripped to shreds. But he knew he wasn’t going to be ripped to shreds, because this pain didn’t belong to him, it belonged to Xiao Liu.

Xuan stared out into the cloud sea and couldn’t figure it out. Why? Why did Xiao Liu first help Xiang Liu kill him, but at the very last moment, risked his own life to save him? He used a vicious torture on Xiao Liu, so Xiao Liu ought to hate him and want him dead. Why save him then?

Xiang Liu’s rage was like the churning ocean, threatening to swallow everything in its path. Xiao Liu knew Xiang Liu would kill him but felt no fear.

The red blood around her made her see the fire red phoenix flowers. Under the phoenix tree, there was a Mom who made a swing for her. She stood on the swing and welcomed the falling phoenix leaves. She rose high and her laughter blanketed the earth. Gege stood under the phoenix tree, looking up at her with a smile. When she came down, he pushed her up again. Her swing rose up, came down, rose up, came down…..

Xiang Liu’s razor sharp claw came down towards Xiao Liu’s neck but Xiao Liu’s eyes were wide open and he smiled sweetly towards him, his smile like a flower blooming in the Spring. Xiao Liu’s thin neck was in Xiang Liu’s hand, he only needed to squeeze and all trouble would be gone. Xiao Liu smiled and sighed softly, as if he was content. His head lowered and his eyes closed.

Xiang Liu jerked back his hand, picking up Xiao Liu and taking him away.

When Xiao Liu opened his eyes, he was in the middle of a cave, his entire body soaked in a small pool. There were all sorts of precious medicines tossed into the pool. For anyone else, mixing all these various herbs and medicines would do more harm than good. But for Xiao Liu’s weird body, soaking in all sorts of random things actually helped.

There was likely a painkiller medicine in there as well because Xiao Liu felt his body was soft and painless. Not far from the pool, Xiang Liu sat on a jade pallet, his brows furrowed as if all the energy was focused there, as if he was about to collapse at any moment. Xiao Liu didn’t dare move or speak so quietly closed his eyes.

“Why did you save him?” Xiang Liu’s voice was icy cold, containing his tamped down rage.

Xiao Liu’s mind twirled for a minute but didn’t even hesitate and said clearly, “Because I know who he is.”

Xiang Liu’s brow lifted slightly.

Xiao Liu continued, “A few days ago I was mulling over why you were so free with your time lately and actually spending every day with me. Then I realized you weren’t taking care of me, you were waiting for Xuan. Jing wanted me to hide in the mountains because he knew that you guys had been battling with the Xuan Yuan army for hundreds of years and they still couldn’t track you down. If you wanted, there was no way Xuan could have found me. But you guessed his real identity, and you knew he wouldn’t let me live, so you used me to set a trap with the intention to kill him.”

“So I used you as a lure. You have a problem with that?”

“Normally no, since he wants to kill me so best take him out. But I know now who he really is. He is Zhuan Xu, one of the Xuan Yuan Kingdom princes. Not just any prince, he is the eldest grandson prince of the Yellow Emperor! If I help you kill him, then the Yellow Emperor will surely wreak vengeance on the world and I won’t have any peace. There won’t be a place within the vast wilderness that I can hide!”

Xiang Liu opened his eyes and stared. “I used to think you had some guts.”

Xiao Liu responded, “Sorry for disappointing you. You dare to make an enemy of the Yellow Emperor, I don’t. The rage of an Emperor, the blood flows a thousand miles! I cannot endure it!”

“How did you learn Xuan’s identity?”

“When you were chasing him, one of his servants was so frantic he slipped and said something about hurry up and save Prince Zhuan Xu. It was mumbled but you were willing to endure massive injury to try and kill him and there isn’t a lot of people in the vast wilderness that would get you that worked up. I thought about it and connected the dots.”

Xiang Liu stood up and walked into the pool, his hand grabbed Xiao Liu’s neck and slammed it against the stone side. “You knew that I would risk severe injury to kill him!” Xiao Liu had no strength to resist so backed down. “I ruined your big plan, so if you want to kill me then kill me!” He docilely stuck out his neck and closed his eyes.

Xiang Liu coldly laughed. “Kill you? That would be too easy on you!” He lowered his head and bit down hard on Xiao Liu’s neck and drank his blood as if to release his rage. Xiao Liu leaned his neck back and rested on the side of the pool. Thank god he was of some use to Xiang Liu. Since Xiang Liu was a nine-headed demon with a very strange form, it was near impossible for him to find medicine to heal his injuries. Which is why the equally strange form Xiao Liu was his best medicine.

Xuan was laying on the pallet and suddenly bolted upright and touched his neck. Xiao Liu was still alive!

In the beginning there was a sharp pain like teeth biting through the flesh. But gradually, the pain transformed into something odd. In the pain there was a sensation of numbness, a shivering feeling of bliss, as if someone was sucking, and licking, and lightly kissing.

Xuan felt his mouth turn dry and was suddenly very angry. With such severe injuries, was that guy crazy or what the heck was he doing?

Xiang Liu raised his head and stared at Xiao Liu, blood staining his lips, his eyes darkened, his breath slightly labored. Xiao Liu was initially sitting sprawled like a man but suddenly he slid down and unconsciously wanted to cover his chest, but he immediately stopped himself and continued to sit sprawled open.

Xiang Liu’s hand moved down from his neck, tracing his jawline, down his clavicle. Xiao Liu grabbed his hand and smiled. “I’m a man. Even if you like men, you should find someone better looking.”

“You’re a man?” Xiang Liu’s slightly blood stained lips curved upward. “If you’re a man, how did you lure the Jiu Jiu out?”

Xiao Liu blinked quizzically, “I don’t believe you can’t change your shape as well as your voice.”

“I trust a beast’s natural instinct.”

“If a beast’s natural instinct was so accurate, your Furball wouldn’t have been poisoned by me. There would be no such thing as traps, and hunters wouldn’t need to hunt.”

“What kind of transformation spell are you using? You have very weak powers but it’s completely seamless just like it’s your true form.”

Xiao Liu angrily said, “This is my true form!”

Xiang Liu stared at him, his eyes as dark as ink, and Xiao Liu’s heart started racing. He violently shook off Xiang Liu’s hand and then spread himself open like a dead pig headed to boiling water. “Touch me then, touch me. After you’re done then stop accusing me of being a woman!”

Xiang Liu glared at him. “I’m not interested in your false form.” He released Xiao Liu, turned and walked out of the pool to go lay on the pallet and continued healing himself.

Xiao Liu’s wildly nervous heart finally relaxed. He was already severely injured, plus Xiang Liu drank his blood, so his head was woozy and he laid down in the pool to also start healing himself.

A day later, Jing arrived nearby. Xiang Liu was still injured and a very wary person so he would never meet someone that could be a threat. When he felt Jing close to the cave, he quietly left and the injured Xiao Liu was alone in the cave when Jing came in.

 blabla100:

@AH

I always interpreted that scene as XL being turned on not because of him biting her, but because he felt that WXL was turned on by the bite. 

I think differently. XL got aroused first and XY felt bliss because of XL's sucking and kind of kiss. 

Did XL develop any special feeling/like or even love WXL before this scene. It was very likely that XL already fell into WXL. The moment he picked WXL for watching the moon rising on the sea could be when his heart started to melt for WXL. Later, WXL voluntarily offered the blood for him for healing and helped him to get the herb moved him further. The way WXL cared for his safety, his life despite the danger and his advice of hiding in a safe place was interpreted by him as WXL also had feeling for him. XL was furious because WXL saved CX the last minute and his plan was ruined by him/her. What saved WXL at that point was that WXL showed his weakness, vulnerability, and willingness to accept any punishment with kind of pleased/sweet facial expression

 AH :

Xiao Liu’s eyes were wide open and he smiled sweetly towards him, his smile like a flower blooming in the Spring. Xiao Liu’s thin neck was in Xiang Liu’s hand, he only needed to squeeze and all trouble would be gone. Xiao Liu smiled and sighed softly, as if he was content. His head lowered and his eyes closed.

XL cared for WXL, he also wanted to know why WXL saved CX since he could punish WXL any time later. And WXL gave him a reasonable explanation for his action. Killing WXL was taken off but XL still wanted to punish him for his betray. Keep in mind that XL also suffered serious injury. He was also in vulnerable situation. His mind would not be as firm and clear as usual. WXL used to say that for demon the appearance was not important. And again in the pool WXL showed his weakness (since he was injury, he was weak, soft, no intention to show strong body line), he didn't show any resistance, accept any punishment. " He docilely stuck out his neck and closed his eyes. The neck normally is the most weakest and crucial body part on an animal whick is usually the attacked point. We see in nature that many predators attack prey at the neck. WXL showed his surrender to him. XL vented his anger, punished WXL by hard biting. Since he was in "mad stage of mind" and deep down he thought WXL was a woman, WXL in soft form, that intimacy made him aroused. And beside biting, he passionately sucked, licked and kissed WXL which in tern made WXL "a shivering feeling of bliss " (because of the serious injury, WXL's alert mind was lower too).

One thing should be noted that a small, white neck is sexy in men's view. And actually it is the most visiable part of the body with regard of the costume style in ancient time. 

 blabla100:

@AH

I always interpreted that scene as XL being turned on not because of him biting her, but because he felt that WXL was turned on by his bite.  Sort of like he got turn on because she got turn on. The neck is one of the most erogenous zones after all.

Although it's different from my interpretation, that alternative interpretation still makes sense to me. The sensations CX feels, his reaction to them, and his comment about "urges" later on strongly suggest that WXL was turned on. XL didn't have the bug in him at this point, but he was a demon with keen senses. Perhaps with such close proximity he could sense that WXL was turned on without needing to feel it through the bug connection.

If that were the case, it would add another layer to XL's feelings and reaction. WXL was turned on first, and XL was turned on because WXL was turned on, but when XL moved to take things further, WXL stopped him, killed the mood, and acted like he/she wasn't turned on. How frustrating for XL. 

 blabla100:

By true form I understand their true selves, and not really their psyhical appearance.

IMO, the dialogue suggests that their discussion about true forms and false forms is about whether WXL's true physical form is that of a woman or that of a man. 

“I’m a man. Even if you like men, you should find someone better looking.”

“You’re a man?” Xiang Liu’s slightly blood stained lips curved upward. “If you’re a man, how did you lure the Jiu Jiu out?”

Xiao Liu blinked quizzically, “I don’t believe you can’t change your shape as well as your voice.”

“I trust a beast’s natural instinct.”

“If a beast’s natural instinct was so accurate, your Furball wouldn’t have been poisoned by me. There would be no such thing as traps, and hunters wouldn’t need to hunt.”

“What kind of transformation spell are you using? You have very weak powers but it’s completely seamless just like it’s your true form.”

Xiao Liu angrily said, “This is my true form!”

...

He violently shook off Xiang Liu’s hand and then spread himself open like a dead pig headed to boiling water. “Touch me then, touch me. After you’re done then stop accusing me of being a woman!”

Xiang Liu glared at him. “I’m not interested in your false form.”

 blabla100:

IMO he knew that the bite got her excited, when he told her that he is not interested în her false form, I took it as he is not interested in her lies, because she kept telling him that that's her real form, but who knows anymore.

I definitely agree that XL wasn't interested in hearing WXL lie about being a man, and that that was one of the main reasons he made his "I'm not interested in your false form." comment. But I think there was probably a little more to it. Like the other factors I mentioned. 

 H19279:

XL was furious because WXL saved CX the last minute and his plan was ruined by him/her. What saved WXL at that point was that WXL showed his weakness, vulnerability, and willingness to accept any punishment with kind of pleased/sweet facial expression

In the part that you quoted (where WXL remembers CX, smiles sweetly, sighs softly, and then faints), I do not interpret WXL as showing "willingness to accept any punishment". 

Xiao Liu knew Xiang Liu would kill him but felt no fear.

The red blood around her made her see the fire red phoenix flowers. Under the phoenix tree, there was a Mom who made a swing for her. She stood on the swing and welcomed the falling phoenix leaves. She rose high and her laughter blanketed the earth. Gege stood under the phoenix tree, looking up at her with a smile. When she came down, he pushed her up again. Her swing rose up, came down, rose up, came down…..

Xiang Liu’s razor sharp claw came down towards Xiao Liu’s neck but Xiao Liu’s eyes were wide open and he smiled sweetly towards him, his smile like a flower blooming in the Spring. Xiao Liu’s thin neck was in Xiang Liu’s hand, he only needed to squeeze and all trouble would be gone. Xiao Liu smiled and sighed softly, as if he was content. His head lowered and his eyes closed.

Xiang Liu jerked back his hand, picking up Xiao Liu and taking him away.

WXL was lost in memories of CX. When she smiled, I think she was smiling at CX in her memories, not at XL. And then she fainted. 

So, IMO, XL first couldn't bring himself to use his claws on her neck when she looked at him and smiled sweetly at him (even though, in her mind, she was smiling at CX) and then he couldn't bring himself to strangle her when she fainted because she was defenceless (or, as you put it, weak and vulnerable). And of course in both cases the smile and the defencelessness might not have stopped him if he didn't also already have feelings for WXL.

Later on, in the cave, I agree that WXL showed a willingness to face consequence (e.g., death) for his/her actions, mostly because he/she was too weak to put up any kind of fight.

Xiang Liu stood up and walked into the pool, his hand grabbed Xiao Liu’s neck and slammed it against the stone side. “You knew that I would risk severe injury to kill him!” Xiao Liu had no strength to resist so backed down. “I ruined your big plan, so if you want to kill me then kill me!” He docilely stuck out his neck and closed his eyes.

Xiang Liu coldly laughed. “Kill you? That would be too easy on you!” He lowered his head and bit down hard on Xiao Liu’s neck and drank his blood as if to release his rage. Xiao Liu leaned his neck back and rested on the side of the pool.

 HeadInTheClouds:

Thank you for the translation, liddi.

So it looks like he doesn't actually know that they are Lovers Bugs. They removed the scene of the Voodoo King and replaced it with this? Does the script show if and/or how Xiao Yao find out about the Lovers Bugs?

So far, 2 episodes later, and with 160 pages of script left from where I stopped reading, he has not spoken a word about the nature of the bugs to Xiao Yao. I don't recall it mentioned during my original quick glance through of the script, but will share if it is mentioned again later.

@AH

"but when XL moved to take things further, WXL stopped him, killed the mood, and acted like he/she wasn't turned on."

I personally felt that it was WXL who got more frustrated, she kept getting defensive , while XL not so much. To me he seemed genuinly more curious about the transformation spell she was using, giving her weak power.  I don't really belive that her defensive reaction was due to her being afraid that he will actually take things further without consent, more like she was afraid of what she herself felt, her first time being turned on as a woman. She kept saying I am a man, I am not a woman, but I am not sure if she was saying it to him or to herself.  It is not really about her being a man or a woman, but about her acceptance that she is not WLX. Yes, she did get confused when CX told her about her urges, she acted as if she has no idea what he îs talking about,  but I don't quite buy it. I don't know, the more I think the more confused I get, it can go many ways. 

Her getting turned on is also the reason why, IMO, avoided his neck bites after.