Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 liddi:

He tries to confirm this part of it with Xiang Liu, and is told that they could feel each other's intense emotions too - joy, grief, and even more so, passion.

Ok, I'm back, but I'm going to bounce again after seeing this part. They are going to use the Lovers Bugs and Xiang Liu to prove the passion between YaoJing! And this is going to make Xiao Yao look good how exactly? Since they cut out the Voodoo King's scene as well, the nature of the Lovers Bugs is more vague than ever; it's not hard to dismiss it as unrequited love on Xiang Liu's side.

*sigh* I guess I'll always have the novel.

 HeadInTheClouds:

Ok, I'm back, but I'm going to bounce again after seeing this part. They are going to use the Lovers Bugs and Xiang Liu to prove the passion between YaoJing! And this is going to make Xiao Yao look good how exactly? Since they cut out the Voodoo King's scene as well, the nature of the Lovers Bugs is more vague than ever; it's not hard to dismiss it as unrequited love on Xiang Liu's side.

I don't quite see it that way. After revisiting what the old Lirong meat seller said, I think it is clear that there needs to be mutual love, else they would suffer the repercussions of retaliation. Not only that, he also clearly said that the lover's bug demands not just lives, but hearts. Since it is the joining of lives and hearts, it also goes to show that it demands not just Xiang Liu, but also Xiao Yao's heart. 

The walnut that disappeared after the bug was planted in them, and Xiang Liu confirming the bug was planted successfully before he killed the bugs, are indisputable affirmations that there was mutual love between them after all.

离戎老伯：传说中有一种极其难养的雌雄蛊。一雌一雄，力量相当。施蛊者便无法控制蛊虫。这种情况大都是女子养来种给情郎的，求的是一心一意，永不相负。一旦种上，便同命连心，生死相随，所以又叫做情蛊。
相柳：如果彼此无情，能种蛊吗。
离戎老伯：哎呦，不行不行不行。不过蛊术之道神秘莫测，也许能种吧。但即便勉强种下也是后患无穷，不但不能同命连心，还可能被蛊虫反噬，危及性命啊。
相柳：怎么解蛊
离戎老伯：种蛊要靠情意，解蛊也要靠情意。如果种蛊时间不长，趁其根基未稳，也可能将蛊移到另一个人身上。但另一个人必须心中有情才行。情蛊这东西啊，不但要命还要心。你命是有九条，但心只有一颗。一旦给了出去，可就再也收不回来了。

LROM: Legend has it there are male-female poisonous bugs which are very difficult to cultivate. One is male, the other is female, with equal power. The one who raises them cannot control the poisonous bug. Mostly women raise it for their lovers, hoping for a love that is devoted (one heart, one mind), never betraying each other. Once it is planted, the couple's hearts and fates/lives are joined, living and dying together. As such, it is also called love poisonous bug.
XL: If there is no love between the couple, would it be possible to plant the bug?
LROM: No, no, no. However, the art of poisonous bugs is mysterious and unpredictable. Perhaps it is possible. Even so, forcibly planting it will lead to endless troubles. Not only are they unable to join their hearts together and share the same fates/lives, but the poisonous bugs may retaliate against them and harm their lives.
XL: How can they be removed?
LROM: The planting of the bug relies on love, as does its removal. If it has not been planted for long, it is possible to transfer it to another person while its foundation has not yet stabilised. However, the other person must have love in his heart. The love poisonous bug demands not only your life but your heart. You have nine lives, but only one heart. Once your heart is given, you can never take it back. 

 liddi:

This differs starkly from the novel, where Xiao Yao knew from Se Mei Er the name of the bug, and later learnt from the shaman king what is needed to plant it successfully, and its repercussions.

 blabla100:

So in the drama XY never finds out the nature of the bugs? Wow...

I don't really see how this matters, given how XY immediately denied it when the Voodoo King explained it.  She would never admit to herself or to XL that they loved each other.  And she certainly never acted on it.

 liddi:

I don't quite see it that way. After revisiting what the old Lirong meat seller said, I think it is clear that there needs to be mutual love, else they would suffer the repercussions of retaliation. Not only that, he also clearly said that the lover's bug demands not just lives, but hearts. Since it is the joining of lives and hearts, it also goes to show that it demands not just Xiang Liu, but also Xiao Yao's heart.

The walnut that disappeared after the bug was planted in them, and Xiang Liu confirming the bug was planted successfully before he killed the bugs, are indisputable affirmations that there was mutual love between them after all.

I agree.  I hate seeing the Voodoo King scene going away, if that's the case, but since the viewer knows it's called the Lovers Bug and how it works, then old Lirong fufills a similar purpose as the Voodoo King for the viewer.

 Kokuto:

I don't really see how this matters, given how XY immediately denied it when the Voodoo King explained it. She would never admit to herself or to XL that they loved each other. And she certainly never acted on it.

It matters a lot, IMO. her knowing gives their ending that extra bittersweetness and the foundation of Xiao Yao's eternally yearning for Xiang Liu. There are numerous obstacles standing between them, one of them is Xiao Yao's uncertainty about Xiang Liu's feelings for her. She suspected the Lovers Bugs' nature and the scene with the Voodoo King confirmed it. Her denial there is really more for Jing's benefit. As much as she engaged in willful ignorance and self-deception,  that would have caused doubt and opened up the possibility that he feels the same way that she does. Regardless of whether she acted on this knowledge or not, this makes the fact that they could not be together that much more painful because it wasn't due to a lack of love. Leaving her ignorance takes away this extra dimension of pain and regret of what could have been.

 liddi:

I don't quite see it that way. After revisiting what the old Lirong meat seller said, I think it is clear that there needs to be mutual love, else they would suffer the repercussions of retaliation.

 Kokuto:

I agree. I hate seeing the Voodoo King scene going away, if that's the case, but since the viewer knows it's called the Lovers Bug and how it works, then old Lirong fufills a similar purpose as the Voodoo King for the viewer.

I don't have that much faith in the viewers :-). We have a whole novel with loads of evidence and yet, there are still people who say that they are only "soulmates" of the friendship variety. Even the term Lovers Bugs is called into question - that it doesn't necessarily mean that it's romantic love. 

It isn't just his one thing either. It's this, plus the numerous changes that pushed YaoJing as as 1:1 and removed key moments of YaoLiu that will make it that much easier to dismiss their relationship as one-sided. Particularly with them adding the scene of XiangLiu experiencing pain from YaoJing's intimacy. That paints a picture of Xiao Yao as happy with another man, not caring or thinking a wit about Xiang Liu while he's suffering due to his love for her.

I really don't like what they doing with Xiang Liu's character. He loves Xiao Yao, but he'd never come across as undignified or lovesick. It's even worse when Xiao Yao here is completely oblivious. I just hope that these scenes will be played out differently from how they read on paper. 

It is what it is. Watching an adaptation of a well-liked novel comes with certain thwart expectations and disappointments. The novel is still there for those who love it and the Xiang Liu from the novel.

 H19279:

So by removing all the scenes which gave XY information about the nature of the Lovers' bug, it helps drama XY (Yang Zi) and the production team an excuse for XY's ignorance, for her moving on as happy wife with Jing in the end of the drama (@Liddi said that the wedding will be after she knows about XL's death). It also helps to change the fact from "self-decieving her own real feeling for XL" or her "confusion of XL's feeling for her" into unknowing. And because she doesn't know anything, she could do whatever

That's what it seems like to me. As I mentioned in my post above, it isn't just one thing, but the multitude of changes that are designed to push YaoJing as 1:1 (having Jing being less useless, writing him as noble - giving Xiao Yao's back her choice between him and Xiang Liu etc. ) They are shooting for a 100% happy ending (that "healing" that they've been promoting), not just a "not a tragedy" one.

 I feel like they are removing whatever depth Xiao Yao has by taking away all the internal conflict between her fear of being abandoned/alone and the pull of her heart. In the process, they demoted Xiang Liu to the typical second male lead with one-sided love for the female lead. This also reduced the depth of Xiang Liu's sacrifice since it means he'd never had a chance with Xiao Yao to start with. It drastically changed the story and the characters in the novel, IMO.

Anybody knows, when Xiao Yao fall in love with Xiang Liu?

 Taspia:

Anybody knows, when Xiao Yao fall in love with Xiang Liu?

If the typical romance narative is applied: the relationship ends where it starts, then XY started falling in love with XL when they went to the sea watching the moon.

Xiang Liu raised his hand to smack Xiao Liu who immediately closed his eyes and curled up like a beaten animal’s automatic reaction to anticipating more pain. Xiang Liu’s hand lowered and he put it on Xiao Liu’s neck. Xiao Liu saw that he didn’t hit or bite and felt a bit bolder “You’re really different tonight. Did you grow up in the ocean?”

Xiang Liu didn’t answer and Furball descended until he was right up against the ocean surface. Xiang Liu got off the back of the condor and instead of falling in the water he was standing on the surface like it was land. He reached out his hand to Xiao Liu and he immediately grabbed it and slid off the condor. Furball was actually scared of water and immediately rose back into the air.

Xiang Liu strolled along the waves with Xiao Liu. There wasn’t a sliver of light, the ocean was pitch black, there was nothing ahead of them, there was nothing behind them. The world was so vast and Xiao Liu felt so miniscule as if a wave could swallow him at any time. He grabbed Xiang Liu’s hand tightly.

Xiang Liu suddenly stopped and Xiao Liu didn’t know why but he didn’t ask any questions. He inched closer to Xiang Liu and kept him company staring out towards the East. After some time, a moon rose from the edge of the ocean and the quiet beauty was so powerful that Xiao Liu felt the hard shell around his heart soften. In the sound of the ocean waves, Xiang Liu’s voice spoke “As long as there are such sights in this world, then life is very precious.”

Xiao Liu nattered “The most precious of sights will get old after seeing it too much. Only if someone views it with me. Views are dead, only if a person can appreciate it then the view has meaning.”

It wasn’t clear whether Xiang Liu heard what Xiao Liu said, but he didn’t respond. The most beautiful view had passed and Xiang Liu summoned Furball to take them back. Xiang Liu closed his eyes and there was exhaustion in his brows. Xiao Liu asked “Why are you in a bad mood?” (chapter 4)

After this event, the next encounter between XL and WXL related to the herb medicine. WXL helped XL to get the medicine back from CX. WXL stayed in Shen nong army camp for a few days. When WXL saw XL smiling, he just wanted to record it. 

 H19279:

If the typical romance narative is applied: the relationship ends where it starts, then XY started falling in love with XL when they went to the sea watching the moon.

I think XY started to fall in love with him when they went moon gazing as well. Look at her facial expression.

 H19279:

Xiao Liu nattered “The most precious of sights will get old after seeing it too much. Only if someone views it with me. Views are dead, only if a person can appreciate it then the view has meaning.”

It wasn’t clear whether Xiang Liu heard what Xiao Liu said, but he didn’t respond.

Xiao Yao didn't see Xiang Liu's subtle smile but the audience did. It's obvious they both have feelings for each other (I mean the YaoLius can see it :) )