Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 ZYHLJ:

Hi everyone~ I just came here to let you know that I am still alive and just busy writing that fanfic (which is not in my native language), and @liddi I did not forget to reply to you! I don't know why this fanfic seems to be getting further away from the end the more I write it. I'm afraid I may need to post it three times... But anyway I should be able to post the first part before tomorrow night, and I will open a separate thread for LYF fanfic, everyone is welcome to create there~ :-)

Looking forward to reading your fic :-)

@AH Maybe a potential collaboration between you guys?

 AH :

But a fanfic AU where the details are tweaked slightly so XY can consent and participate? Completely different - I'd be totally on board with that.

Are you finally venturing into the world of smut fic, AH? It's not the easiest thing to write. It seems so simple, but to do it well - capturing the characters' voice in such an intimate situation - and with enough details and passion without venturing into purple prose territory, it's a delicate balance.

 ZYHLJ:

Hi everyone~ I just came here to let you know that I am still alive and just busy writing that fanfic (which is not in my native language), and @liddi I did not forget to reply to you! I don't know why this fanfic seems to be getting further away from the end the more I write it. I'm afraid I may need to post it three times... But anyway I should be able to post the first part before tomorrow night, and I will open a separate thread for LYF fanfic, everyone is welcome to create there~ :-)

That's wonderful news indeed and I certainly look forward to reading it! 3 times? There can never be too much of Xiang Liu so that's music to my ears. Incidentally are you writing in Chinese first before translating it to English. If so, would you share your original Chinese text for the New Year vignette? Love the descriptions and would have loved to read it in Chinese too!

Sorry about the delayed response, liddi. I'm so behind on all the posts. Just getting some time to answer them now.

 liddi:

How do you find the two novels? Wrong ship - was it the Yin Nanzhao and Luo Xun pairing? How about Yin Nanzhao vs Xiang Liu? How similar do you find them?

I never finished Memories Scattered....I put the novel aside after a certain point, cursing TH to hell and back. Anyone who has read this novel can probably guess at which point I set it aside :-). I intended to return to it but never found the motivation to. I have been contemplating doing a re-read and seeing it through, but life has been running me ragged. Once things calm down, I might pick it up again and the novel Sha Po Lan as well. Didn't finish that one either. 

The set-up is similar to TH other novels,  - female-lead focused with 2 male leads and how certain external factors influence her choices etc. Luo Xin is probably more similar to Ah Heng than XY, but Yin Nanzhao is more XL-like than Chi You. In my opinion, LYF and the character of XY have the most limiting scope out of the TH's novels that I've read. TH's other female leads often have to deal with powerful external forces that they have very little control over and couldn't overcome - RX, YG, AH - XY could have played a much bigger role, and have much more control over the situation, but she chose not to. Her character is incredibly passive and didn't try very hard, IMO.

In Memories, Luo Xin is a central player in the happenings of the story - maybe because it's set in the future, so Luo Xin isn't restricted by historical conventions and limitations placed on women. But like with anything, there are always limitations and difficult choices to be made and we'll all bump up against barriers and forces beyond our control. As I mentioned, Luo Xin is more Ah Heng than XY. She's very much about going all in and come what may, she'll deal with it. Whatever objections YNZ puts up, she smashes them down :-). Although, there are reasons why she could be like this :-).

Yin Nanzhao has many characteristics that we love in XL - the pure heartness, the devotion and sacrifice for the things and people that are important to him. The clear-headed in making difficult choices. And like XL he is all about pushing Luo Xin to grow stronger, be tougher and come into her own so that she could deal with all the challenges to come. His love and sacrifice for Luo Xin is absolute. You will probably want to smack and curse him as you did with XL - did you really have to do that YNZ, couldn't you be a little less principle and cool-headed? These two were caught in forces and circumstances far bigger and stronger than they were with so much at stake. I would say the barriers and challenges between YNZ and LL were more insurmountable than YaoLiu. 

And yes, I was firmly ensconced on the YNZ/LL ship. The other male lead just paled in comparison. Poor thing.

 liddi:

I wonder how faithful the English series would be to the source material. Is the novel strongly influenced by the cultural elements, that it would take a lot of changes to adapt it for an English-speaking audience?

I don't remember the story being strongly influenced by cultural elements that would need considerable re-writing to adapt for an English-speaking audience. It's definitely not a si-fi novel - it's no DUNE - since, IMO, the futuristic setting is more the backdrop to explore very human elements - feelings, relationships etc. - which is TH strongest ability as an author. It is still a very strongly romantic novel, now with a futuristic setting instead of historical or fantasy. The cultural element here would probably come from TH's Chinese/Asian sensitivity/outlook on love and relationships which can be very different from a Western perspective.

 ZYHLJ:

Hi everyone~ I just came here to let you know that I am still alive and just busy writing that fanfic (which is not in my native language), and @liddi I did not forget to reply to you! I don't know why this fanfic seems to be getting further away from the end the more I write it. I'm afraid I may need to post it three times... But anyway I should be able to post the first part before tomorrow night, and I will open a separate thread for LYF fanfic, everyone is welcome to create there~ :-)

AWESOME!

 Kokuto:

Heh ... So, there's a chance you'll change your mind, right? LOL! kidding, kidding :)

I hate Jing with the fire of a thousand burning suns, and I hate this theory with the fire of 100000. Do you see the extent of my hatred? :-)

 Kokuto:

And are we really supposed to believe that XL is such a bad lover, that XY immediately throws herself on Jing's comatose body? Oh, hell no.

The reputation of his Supreme Hydra of Sexual Tension must be protected at all costs. He can not lose to that fox. 

All jokes aside,  as I said, fans can have whatever theories they want. Their lives, their choices. I can't control it, and I don't want to. I just find this theory highly questionable and farfetched. So far-fetched that it seems like these fans have hopped on a rocket and flown all the way to Pluto to find it :-)

@HeadsInTheClouds

"By sensitive topic do you mean rape? Let us call it what it is because there is nothing in the novel - as it is written - that would convince me that if this theory is true, then XL didn't rape XY. She was in a coma and while aware, she had no means to communicate her wants and needs."

I don't believe anyone here is supporting rape, you take things a bit too far. I can't speak for everyone, but while I agree with your POV, I personally have no problem debating this topic, because after all this theory does exist among lyf fans. Again, I too believe it is far fetched, but if I say I am not against it doesn't mean I am a rape supporter, because I take into account the connection they shared through the lover's bugs. If anything happened, which again I personally don't believe it, but if anything happened, I am supporting this theory on the grounds that it was consensual. I said it before I believe, but TTEFTM had an identical scene, even worse actually, because they had no bugs to communicate through, and I don't know how many people looked at that scene as FL raping the ML. 

About the abortion Meng Jue forced on the FL, I have no idea how it turned out, was that the reason he didn't end up with the FL? I don't mind spoilers, I am just trying to figure TH's take on these type of topics out.  I know already she went the "was all in order to save your life" route, but I am curious if the FL ended up forgiving or understanding MJ's action or not.  As you said it, what  was TH's exploration on abortion? Or she only used it as a plot device for whatever came after? 

Just to make sure, if these topics are a trigger for anyone here, I apologize and I definetely won't mention them again. 

 blabla100:

I don't believe anyone here is supporting rape, you take things a bit too far.

 blabla100:

but if I say I am not against it doesn't mean I am a rape supporter

I want to make it clear that I was not accusing or implying that you or anyone else - here or elsewhere - are a supporter of rape because you want to entertain this theory. I apologize for making it come across that way. That thought did not even enter my mind when I wrote my comments. My general stance on people and things is to see them in a positive light, unless and until I've been shown (numerous times) otherwise. Judging people for the entertainment that they enjoy is pretty darn ridiculous. And with some of the questionable things that I enjoy, it's like slapping myself across the face. 

My thinking on some of the more outlandish theories out there is that sometimes fans get so excited about a certain idea and theory that they just run with it, without thinking about the potential implications. This story and the YaoLiu romance left a lot of regrets and wishfulness for readers. Goodness knows, I'm pretty OK with the ending and I still run around reading fanfics where they get a HEA. 

My comment was on the ground that as it is written, if XL had sex with XY then it amount to rape. And all the actions of the characters afterwards are incongruent with their characterization as they are written in the novel. I find the theories that it was consensual etc. to be utterly unconvincing and paint these characters in an incredibly negative light. Therefore, I'm against this theory. If anyone else finds it convincing and compelling then that is entirely up to them. 

I've said in my comment that I have no desire to police anyone from debating this topic. This is a free forum and there have been plenty of debates and disagreements over certain theories and interpretations. If I disagree, I usually just scroll through. This time because I hate this theory so much I piped in with my thoughts. I don't want to discourage anyone from posting and sharing their opinions. Go for it. I can scroll.