Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 solarlunareclipse:

Ultimately, whether you believe the second epilogue exists, and whether you believe Tong Hua authored it, is up to your own judgment. Believe whatever makes you happy :)

Thank you for the publishing info.

And yes.  We all have our headcanon and interpretations.

 MengXiang:

I highly doubt it as I did read a fanfic with pretty much that script and he came back as GFB.

Once again... How on earth does XL get XY pregnant.... Putting that in defined logic for me. TH would not destroy XY and XL integrity like that.

Thank @liddi for the translation as always!

I don’t mind any ending however impossible it may seem, but I still prefer the original to be honest. I cannot see a proud general like XL to give up fighting for what he believed in, much less surrendering. I would much rather have a sad than an insulting end for XL. Actually if I were to have my own epilogue about them,  it would be XL entering her dreams thereafter since the memories they shared lived in her mind, heart and soul. She still lived a happy life with TSJ, have children,  and at the end of her life, her soul went to see XL. You know the scene in the drama where they were at the beach, XL turned and extended his hand? That’s how I pictured him welcoming her. I think that kind of scene have been used in a lot of xianxia dramas but really fit the ending of star-crossed lovers. 

YaoLiu's Couple Outfits

In Chinese legend, the Red Thread of Fate is an unbreakable thread that connects destined lovers across time, space, and circumstance, similar to the Poisonous Lovers' Bug (情人蛊) connection. It’s possible that the Red Thread of Fate (姻緣紅線) serves as the theme for YaoLiu's couple outfits. Both outfits are predominantly white, with seafoam green accents and striking red trim.

Xiang Liu wears his Red Thread of Fate outfit when he feels vulnerable towards Xiao Yao. The times he wore this outfit are:

1. When he came injured to Xiao Liu's room and she drew seven eyes on his head - https://youtu.be/Fjum0A6WUxE?si=YWHJnrdmnIhhSpa7&t=1382 
2. When YaoLiu planted the Poisonous Lovers' Bugs - https://youtu.be/mtVkzUTmALc?si=ZHePqyzTJ3V39Bl1&t=2253 
3. When he tried to get Xiao Yao to kiss him for air - https://youtu.be/La3K4xsf6VM?si=QKumCDXWOJfvOsiw&t=1789 
4. When he is at Chi Chen's cottage and discovers that A Heng and Chi Chen had lived there together, he briefly allows himself to imagine what a future with Xiao Yao might be like. - https://youtu.be/hpYDA5BNt3s?si=WjAuHA8pEi36j8d_&t=1220

Xiao Yao wears her Red Thread of Fate outfit when she feels vulnerable towards Xiang Liu, usually in response to something he does. The times she wore this outfit are:

1. After Fangfeng Bei revealed that he was Xiang Liu - https://youtu.be/M4Ms8mhqyCg?si=H7UEYQlBRoxBbQ1D&t=2168 
2. After she made Fangfeng Bei the Koi Fish Frolicking in Lotus Pond poison dish and told him he was her soulmate - https://youtu.be/rPWQivZbKEE?si=9lFm1_kFdsESgkr0&t=1878 
3. After Tushan Jing woke up form his coma, but more importantly, after she spent 37 years under the sea with Xiang Liu and he refused to see her after she woke from her coma - https://youtu.be/fQ4qgGTp3qs?si=pkP5oEd_emvMVK6i&t=2065 
4. After Xiang Liu took her out for a date under the sea during Cang Xuan's first wedding - https://youtu.be/EJdxa7W1m3U?si=Zsl3xYnkwz4HfUHb&t=2056 
5. After she agreed to get engaged to Feng Long to help Cang Xuan - https://youtu.be/O4uDYhGjbZE?si=hGL1on5BpXYfZYfX&t=474 
6. After Xiang Liu took her to the donkey meat restaurant and he made it clear that they were destined to walk separate paths - https://youtu.be/W9rhpi9eRxQ?si=q-PyKV8rC0_J11VP&t=655

Let me know if I missed any times where they were wearing these outfits!

Previous posts on these outfits:

• https://mydramalist.com/discussions/lost-you-forever/121043-about-long-lovesickness-yaoliu?pid=2849075&page=2#p2849075
• https://mydramalist.com/discussions/lost-you-forever/110123-xl-and-xy-story-and-romance-warning-spoilers?pid=2907497&page=429#p2907497
• https://mydramalist.com/discussions/lost-you-forever/110123-xl-and-xy-story-and-romance-warning-spoilers?pid=2938903&page=453#p2938903

@FSS2

Actually if I were to have my own epilogue about them,  it would be XL entering her dreams thereafter since the memories they shared lived in her mind, heart and soul. She still lived a happy life with TSJ, have children,  and at the end of her life, her soul went to see XL. You know the scene in the drama where they were at the beach, XL turned and extended his hand? That’s how I pictured him welcoming her. I think kind of scene have been used in a lot of xianxia dramas but really fit the ending of star-crossed lovers

Someone here wrote an excellent fanfic similar to what you have described, more or less. It's in the fanfic thread. It's an English one and we'll written ....

 solarlunareclipse:

After Xiang Liu took her to the donkey meat restaurant and he made it clear that they were destined to walk separate paths - https://youtu.be/W9rhpi9eRxQ?si=q-PyKV8rC0_J11VP&t=655

Let me know if I missed any times where they were wearing these outfits!

Thank you for collecting these WITH links!  I thought I noticed her wearing it more in season 2, but didn't make note of it.  This last one (6), may have occurred after that, but it didn't seem to be connected to that at all. :(

If I see it again, I'll make a note of it.

 AH :

Does the Yellow Emperor find out that Qing Yang did not survive before the end of Once Promised?

Took me some time to confirm this. 

Up to Qing Yang and Yun Sang's wedding, the Yellow Emperor did not know he had died, else he would not have assumed that Qing Yang could have other consorts after his marriage to Yun Sang, nor repeatedly enquired about Qing Yang's health:

“We want all the land and people of Shen Nong. To show our sincerity, the prince who proposes marriage must be the future heir to the throne. Otherwise, why would Shen Nong submit to us? Another reason is that we are compelled by the situation to do this. The Shen Nong people make up nearly half the population of the Great Wilderness, and the Shen Nong clan is the largest deity clan within it. Furthermore, with the deity clans that have intermarried with Shen Nong over generations, anyone who marries a Shen Nong princess will gain the full support of these people and the deity clans. After surrendering, whether out of guilt or to save their lives, the Shen Nong remnants will certainly try to push the Xuan Yuan prince who is married to them onto the throne. Only in this way will a child with Shen Nong blood inherit the throne in the future and secure the interests of the Shen Nong clan for a long time.”

Ah Heng asked in a low voice, “Royal Father, are you truly willing to have a child with Shen Nong blood ascend the throne in the future?”

The Yellow Emperor smiled bitterly, “What can I do if I am unwilling? Military conquest is always only a temporary solution. Even if I wanted to be a tyrant, could I kill off all the Shen Nong people? I fear that before I could kill them all, Xuan Yuan would already be destroyed. If this is the only way for the bloodlines of the two clans to merge and for Xuan Yuan to securely rule the world, then I must accept it! Of course, this is only a stopgap measure. Qing Yang will not have only one consort. If Shen Nong does nothing in the future, then they will naturally have no place in this world!”

Ah Heng felt both fear and respect for her father. His vision was not limited to the immediate victory; his outlook had already extended to a thousand years into the future.

-- Once Promised Vol 2 Ch5  (originally Chapter 8)

After Qing Yang's wedding, A Heng bade farewell to the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor asked about Qing Yang's injuries with great concern and repeatedly urged A Heng to take good care of him and tell Qing Yang not to worry but make sure he recovered completely.

A Heng had anticipated the Yellow Emperor's instructions. After a millennium of strategising, Qing Yang's power within the Xuan Yuan was like a crouching tiger. Now, with the addition of the newly surrendered Shen Nong, his influence had become even more formidable. If Qing Yang were in good health, the Yellow Emperor would be worried. However, with Qing Yang currently injured and unable to participate in political affairs, it prevented military power from becoming too concentrated in Qing Yang's hands.

-- Once Promised Vol 2 Ch10  (originally Chapter 13)

Yi Peng only found out at Consort Tongyu's grave that Qing Yang had died, but the Yellow Emperor was  not present at the time, being at Chang Pu's funeral. As such, he could not have heard what A Heng told Yi Peng about Qing Yang:

A Heng ignored him and continued walking towards the grave. Yi Peng became enraged and swung at A Heng, each strike intended to be fatal. “Are you here to gloat?”

A Heng dodged while replying, “What should I gloat about? Gloat that my own three older brothers were killed by all of you? Should I gloat that my mother has been driven to the brink of death by your mother?”

Yi Peng asked with suspicion, “What are you talking about? Isn’t Qing Yang alive and well?”

“He’s already dead. When you set him up to make Royal Father believe Qing Yang was truly plotting to poison him, the poison Qing Yang drank took effect during the confrontation with Chi Chen, and he died at Chi Chen’s hands.”

“Then the Qing Yang healing in seclusion at the bottom of the Gui Xu waters is fake?” Yi Peng laughed uproariously until he was gasping for breath. “Mother, did you hear that? The murderer who killed my older brother died long ago! And that vicious old woman will soon die too!”

-- Once Promised Vol 2 Ch11  (originally Chapter 14)

However, just before A Heng went to war against Shen Nong, the Yellow Emperor's words seemed to indicate he knew his successor would be Cang Xuan, not Qing Yang. While it was true that at the time Qing Yang had no heir, it did not make sense for him to assume that Qing Yang would never have a son. The only reason he would make such a solemn promise that Cang Xuan would inherit the empire is that somewhere along the way after Qing Yang's marriage, he knew that his son was already dead. He personally never visited his son at Gui Xu though he sent people to do so. Only Xie Zu could tell that the Qing Yang she saw recuperating was not her son. So I can't tell when exactly he found out, save to say that by this point in time, he already knew.

When A Heng entered Zhao Yun Hall, the Yellow Emperor was inside, teaching Cang Xuan a lesson. It was a piece of writing he had composed for Chi Chen and the whole world.

If the sun does not appear at noon, it is considered missed timing; if you hold a blade but do not cut, it is a missed opportunity; if you wield an axe but do not chop, the enemy will come. If the small streams are not blocked, they will become rivers; if the flickers of light is not put out, what can be done about the blazing fires? If the leaves do not fall, the axe will be used to cut them.  

Cang Xuan said, "So, it still comes down to using force? But Grandfather just said yesterday that using force easily is not advisable, and that showing kindness to the world is the best strategy?"

The Yellow Emperor looked at A Heng and said, "Sometimes, once a war starts, there is no right or wrong. The only way to end it is through force overcoming force, by fighting to end the fighting."

A Heng walked up to the Yellow Emperor, "Did Royal Father send Uncle Zhi Mo to persuade me to go to war?"

"I did."

"I am willing to lead the army into battle, but not for you. Whatever happens to you is your own doing! If Xuan Yuan were solely yours, its downfall would have nothing to do with me. But Xuan Yuan is not only yours; it is also Mother’s and Uncle Zhi Mo’s lifelong effort, it belongs to the countless soldiers who sacrificed themselves for Xuan Yuan, and more so, all the people of Xuan Yuan."

The Yellow Emperor said, "I know."

"When Fourth Brother was trapped in Xun Mountain, I asked Shao Hao for soldiers, thinking he would certainly agree for the sake of Eldest Brother. I did not expect him to refuse. Later... Royal Father must have known long ago that Chi Chen went, and although he wished to help me, he could only offer half of his power. Only the soldiers of Xuan Yuan, willing to risk their lives to save their brothers, gave their all. At that moment, I truly understood the meaning of blood ties, family, and country: even if I do not know you, I am willing to die to protect you! I just learnt that Uncle Zhi Mo’s only son, Yue Yuan, also died in Xun Mountain. Xuan Yuan is full of people like Yue Yuan. If Xuan Yuan is destroyed, their families will be left without support. I used to not understand Fourth Brother’s feelings when he went to his death; didn't he love Fourth Sister-in-law deeply? Could he bear to leave young Cang Xuan behind? But now I understand Fourth Brother. Yue Yuan and the others did not let me down, and I cannot let them down either!"

A Heng knelt before the Yellow Emperor, "Royal Father, I protect Xuan Yuan for you. Will you protect Cang Xuan?"

The Yellow Emperor said solemnly, "I swear by the entire kingdom that no one can harm him. I will teach him diligently. Everything you protect will one day belong to him."

With such a solemn promise, A Heng had no further worries. She kowtowed three times then took Cang Xuan by the hand and departed.

-- Once Promised Vol 2 Ch14  (originally Chapter 17)

 AH :

And so strange to read this passage and then to read about how Shao Hao chose to slowly poison his father to death.

I think one of the things that makes Tong Hua's writing so compelling is that every character has their flaws and yet every character is shown to have the capacity for love and goodness of some kind (Yi Peng comes to mind, but it applies to pretty much every character). No matter how villainous a character may be at any point, we are always shown another side of them. And often we get to see how one particular trait in a character can be both good and bad (e.g., ruthlessness, a lack of ruthlessness, loyalty, etc.). And we are given an opportunity to understand that we are seeing the story from the perspective of certain characters at certain points in their lives, and if we were viewing the story from the perspective of their enemies at the right time in their enemies' lives, we might view the heroes as villains to root against and the villains as heroes to root for. It makes for very rich and interesting characters and story telling. 

Fully agree, and I find this particularly so in Once Promised. No one character is perfect, and some would go on to do terrible terrible things in the course of the story, but we as readers, see their capacity for good and bad, and we understand, even if we do not condone what they have done. It also drives home the point that history is written by victors. Those who are called rebels who refuse to accept the trend of the world, are patriots in the eyes of those they are fighting for who would rather die than lose their honour and sacrifice their principles. Even someone as extreme and brutal as Yan Zhuan, was deserving of respect, he who would rather die than bow his head than sell his bloodline and heritage, though his treatment of his own men was cruel and unconscionable. How do we measure Luo Jia against Hong Jiang - one who was the first to surrender, which in turn would have delivered such a blow to morale among those who continued to resist, while the other fought to the bitter end hundreds of years later even when the world at large saw them as a useless, discarded people persisting in a futile cause. 

At the end of Vol 1, the three men whom A Heng should have been able to trust and rely on, all betrayed her - one who deliberately humiliated her and used her as an item for trade, while the other two accepted the cruel offer, knowing what it meant for her to be taken away, weighing her less than the interests of their individual kingdoms. In that moment, not a single one of them - Chi Chen, Qing Yang, Shao Hao - deserved her, and I wept for the impossibility of her situation, and even more so when she died saving Chi Chen in the course of it and plunged into Yu Abyss, with Lie Yang rushing in without hesitation after her (Chi Chen who struggled against the abyss to keep A Heng from falling in, was struck unconscious by Luo Jia and taken away by his roc). A Bi, held back by Luo Jia, could not follow, but would spend the next 200 years at Yu Abyss, searching for A Heng, terribly deformed due to being exposed to the environment there.

We also see how different Shao Hao and Qing Yang are. Ultimately, Qing Yang was far less ruthless than Shao Hao, but in some ways, I can understand Shao Hao. He had a weak father who failed to protect him after his mother died - and attempts on his life had been ongoing ever since he was a child, even by those whom he trusted, and his survival depended on him crushing his enemies, with no room for retaliation. In some ways, Cang Xuan's situation is very much like his. Was Gao Xin better under his rule? Yes, I believe so. He protected his nation the best he could at a time when the situation in the Great Wilderness was highly volatile, though he was still out of his league against the Yellow Emperor. 

By the same token, would Xuan Yuan have been better under Qing Yang? I do not know. Even if he and Shao Hao both became kings, they already knew they would ultimately go to war against each other. As such, war was bound to happen, regardless of whether it was the Yellow Emperor or the younger generation who ruled. However, he had a more humane side to him compared to Shao Hao, because he had his family whom he was determined to protect. If Qing Yang had survived, A Heng and Zhong Yi might still have survived too, and there could have been a far happier ending for them, and by extension their children.

 AH :

Poor little XY. Even before her mother abandoned her she was already making XY feel, as a three year-old, that she could only rely on herself. Independence and self-sufficinecy are good aspects to develop in a child. But this lesson, to this degree, at this age seems far too harsh. 

I think it is this training that helped her survive in the Great Wilderness during the 300 years that she was lost, when she had no one to rely on except herself. It was ironic that once she regained her identity as princess, her burdens and responsibilities would chip away at that same independent spirit, and she could no longer do as she wished, because her actions now affected those around her.

Xiang Liu seemed to be angered. His demonic eyes appeared, and he reached out to grip Xiao Yao’s neck. Xiao Yao remained unafraid, gasping for breath as she coldly laughed and said, “If you don’t dare to kill me, then stop these pointless actions! Compared to you, the nine-tailed fox demon had far more methods of torture which he used on me for thirty years. Do you think I would fear a bit of torture from you?”

The red glow in Xiang Liu’s eyes dissipated and he smiled as he looked appraisingly at Xiao Yao, gently stroking the blood vessel on Xiao Yao’s neck. “Not bad. You've regained some of the personality you had when I first you! It appears that Cang Xuan has not turned you into a pampered pet just yet!”

-- Vol 3 Ch13  (Chapter 46)

 AH :

Also, cranes always make me think of TSJ. Mandarin ducks make me think of XL. Can egrets be associated with CX?

Do you think Tong Hua included the references to these birds in this scene intentionally, as if she already had some idea of where things would go in LYF? Or do you think it's just coincidental?  

I can't imagine Xiang Liu being associated with a bird that flees from little Xiao Yao's presence. If anything, I would have associated him with the birds of prey that regarded this little bully as their friend and played with her. 

I am not sure whether these birds are meant to be related to LYF. The cranes, mandarin ducks and egrets are gentler birds which are intimidated by her. Even the reference to the crane was more of domination over the bird, after which the bird couldn't run away fast enough the next time it saw her. So I can't really say...

 AH :

I have to say it makes me think highly of Gong Gong.

Yes. It certainly makes me feel that Xiang Liu's loyalty and love for his Adoptive Father was not misplaced, even though I often wish they had never met.

 AH :

When XL trained his water powers in the far north, he used a technique developed from Gong Gong's technique and specialized in snow / ice powers. Perhaps the highest parts of the mountains outside of QS town would have snow for most or even all of the year?

It's a possibility. It was also snowing in Qingshui Town, so it is not a stretch to imagine that the mountain peaks might be cold enough for the better part of a year.

 AH :

But I agree he'd likely be way more in his element if the fighting occurred near or (even better) in the ocean. Gong Gong too.

I guess that's why it was predictable that, after the remanant army was burned out of the mountains that gave them a geogrphic advantage, they next went to the ocean. 

 Kokuto:

I think it was Gong Gong who was the sea deity in mythology, but they seems to have ceded that to Xiang Liu -- which actually makes sense to me, with him being a demon.

Regardless, I think they are both personifications of flooding, but definitely Xiang Liu, so I tend to think even on land they are devastating.  I would think there powers would include summoning waters, for flooding.  And in many places, there's plenty of water underground, or any river would be dangerous.

In Once Promised, Hong Jiang was called the Water Deity who was skilled in manipulating water spirits. Xiang Liu is the King of the Sea. So definitely, rivers and oceans would have presented a far better advantage for both him and Xiang Liu.

Though, even in the description of Xiang Liu's battle with Cang Xuan at Qingshui Town, there is no mention of water, merely ice blades and his ice curved sword, and the use of winged rides. And he never once showed his true form in battle in the novel, except when he died.