Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

I'm sorry that I haven't read through this whole thread. When did XL fall in love with XY? It had to have been before he accepted the bug. It was early on, but how early do you think it was it?

mimi0108

I'm sorry that I haven't read through this whole thread. When did XL fall in love with XY? It had to have been before he accepted the bug. It was early on, but how early do you think it was it?

My opinion:

XL is intrigued by her from her confession in the tent. He knows it's a woman disguised as a man, and thinks it's a deity with nowhere to go. Her presence disturbs his loneliness. Reason why he comes to pick her up in episode 4 for a ride in the sky. At that moment, XY reveals her moods, her thoughts and we see XL is touched by this and understands what she is going through. We see him soften and he even goes so far as to do a race with her. But she starts joking on his heads so he gets mad and bites her to make her pay. In my opinion, from that moment on, he was interested in her as a woman. Despite his brutality, there's something very intimate about the way he touches her during the punishment (especially since he knows she's a woman).
So for me, from episode 4, XY begins to attract him. From there, he starts waiting for her on her bed etc... Something he allows himself because he wants intimacy between them. But I think he really falls in love with her (and realizes it) in episode 7 when he takes her to admire the moon. He allows himself to do this precisely because he has feelings for her and wants to spend a tender moment with her. And his reaction when she doesn't let go of his hand indicates he's completely fallen for her.

Excellent observations.  I agree he is intrigued from the beginning.  And while that moon light stroll is a good candidate, I maintain, despite some very credible arguments against it, that XL didn't know / admit he was in love until he got the Poison Love Bug.  He's really not famiiar with human emotions and he's never been in love.  Yes, I still maintain, that was something a test for himself.  Ready for the disagreements! ;p

 AhRa:

omg this is how i feeeeeel!

I feel in comparison to XiangLiu, XiaoYao expresses her love to 17 so openly (honestly can't understand why), I feel so bitter.

So it would be a little redemption for my XiangLiu heart. 

I tears my heart out every time. 

But  XY can express herself openly because Jing did so first.  Plus Jing isn't actively treating their budding love and flowering relationship as if it were a weed infestation and hitting it with industrial Round Up and a flame thrower.

 AhRa:

My moment of redemption.

Bahahahahaa

IKR?  I wish.

 mimi0108:

So for me, from episode 4, XY begins to attract him. From there, he starts waiting for her on her bed etc... Something he allows himself because he wants intimacy between them. But I think he really falls in love with her (and realizes it) in episode 7 when he takes her to admire the moon. He allows himself to do this precisely because he has feelings for her and wants to spend a tender moment with her. And his reaction when she doesn't let go of his hand indicates he's completely fallen for her.

Thank you so much for your detailed response! (MDL won't let me quote your whole response due to length.)

@Kokuto I see what you mean and, indeed, it is possible that he didn't assume his feelings before having the poison love bug x)

For me, I see it like this: he's been aware of having feelings for her since episode 7, as shown by the times he tries to pat her on the head, the looks he gives her and so on. But the poison love bug is a test for him. He's never known romantic love but he feels that must be how he feels about XY. He is physically attracted to her and thinks to have feelings for her. He also feels like she must have feelings for him since she made the poisonous bug for him (even though she didn't know what she was doing, the bug couple was raised because she was thinking of XL and therefore a part of her loved him enough for the bugs to smell it and flourish). He thinks XY is alone like him and unattached. She is "doomed" anyway since she has the bug in her. Therefore, he wants to have the bug both out of curiosity (to see what romantic love is and if it's what he was feeling) but also to not be alone and have this connection with someone. He almost begs her to transfer the poisonous bug to him, which was comical.

But that's my opinion and, anyway, unless we have a scene telling us precisely when it was, we are all free to interpret as we feel and I love it because it's interesting to see how each interpret scenes x)

 Kokuto:

 He's really not famiiar with human emotions and he's never been in love.  Yes, I still maintain, that was something a test for himself.  Ready for the disagreements! ;p

Oh I like your point of view! :)

 nathsketch:

AhRa I went to your profile page and was taken aback hahahah dang those are some fine pictures!!

It's a verrrry nice profile page. :)

 Kokuto:

I hate MDL doing that.  Especially since it's a ridiculous small limit.  I have to copy and paste so many posts, so I can see what I'm responding to. :(

lol! I agree!