Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 windiaaa041293:

I mean, Tonghua's expression of lifting the corners of her lips, raising her eyebrows and smiling… is what she said is not true.

So I asked, has anyone seen Tonghua's expression like that, because someone discussed it in one of the articles.

Good question. Is there a video of this infamous interview? Some things need to be seen and heard. 

Only the transcript is not really enough to be counting chickens and singing Kumbaya so soon.

 windiaaa041293:

@HeadInthecloud
apakah ada kesamaannya?

I'm not sure what the language is, but I don't understand. I also unfortunately can't read Chinese, so I can't understand these texts. Sorry :-(

 windiaaa041293:

Description of the doll given by XL.
wearing a belly band shaped like a pomegranate, why does it have to be a pomegranate?

 H19279:

it is said that it was added by sir Bi. in Chinese that pomegranate is pronounced similar to It’s Liu (it is xiangliu)

Yes. I takes as Sir Bi attempt to signal to XY who the doll came from (i.e. XL). Whether XY picked it up is not clear, but what is clear is that the doll was the thing that managed to finally made her laugh and cheer her up after XL's death. Without being around, he still managed to be the one to help her deal with her sadness. 

XL hope is for XY to have a life free from sadness and worries. What's a better presentation of that than an innocent, laughing child? Our 9-headed serpent is very thoughtful, despite his outer expression.

 H19279:

Taking this part about becoming half demon. I have a question about what did XY think if she died again, he saved her again and she would become more like him. What did she mean? Become what? Which aspect of his? She could breath, swim under water like fish. What else could she change? Some more head?

I didn't hone in on this at all. I took it to be her attempt at letting him know that she doesn't regret that it had happened and if it had changed her even more, she would accepted that too.

 blabla100:

as a way for XY to let XL know that she doesn't regret anything that happened during their 37 years togheter, even more so she is happy and grateful for it.

This was my take as well.

 windiaaa041293:

Teacher Tong Hua imitated the writing technique of Dream of Red Mansions. The grass snake and the gray thread are thousands of miles away.(By the way, I've never read the book.)

I think blabla100 mentioned this in an earlier post. 

And I'm not quite sure what the grass snake and the gray thread are supposed to mean. I'm going to take a stab in the dark and guess that they are talking about the writing technique of using another person/situation that appeared unrelated to mirror/foreshadow what the author is trying to convey in another person/situation. Like how Tong Hua uses Tian-Er/Chuan Zi to hint at the nature of Xiao Yao/Jing relationship.

Correct me if I'm completely off base

 AH :

I agree with HeadInTheClouds' take. Tong Hua added a ton of details in in chapter 22 and chapter 43 that are commonly associated with sex, but didn't intend for the reader to conclude that actual intercourse took place in those scenes.

Absolutely. No actual sexual intercourse occurred. If it really did, I would drop LYF, Tong Hua, and Xiang Liu as one of my favourite male characters so fast all 9 of his heads would spin. That would be straight-up rape.

 blabla100:

The only one who's lacking îs Jing, he clearly didn't get any scene of this sort, that is why I am starting to belive that her love for him is more on the platonic level, though platonic îs not exactly the right word either

Come to the dark-side blabla100 :-). It's really fun over here.

I read above that you're a Libra, and Libra likes to be fair and balanced. But, this is fiction. Taking a side is not going to destroy that world.

 nathsketch:

Good question. Is there a video of this infamous interview? Some things need to be seen and heard. 

Only the transcript is not really enough to be counting chickens and singing Kumbaya so soon.

I wish I could find that interview too.

I could only find this one https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV18Q4y1P7FD/

She said LYF is not a tragedy https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Dh4y1D7MH/?spm_id_from=333.788.recommend_more_video.0

 AH :

Is this about the suggestion that XL had intercourse with XY during the 37 years of healing? I'm glad to hear that wasn't a serious suggestion. I'm sorry if I come across as humourless when I respond to those posts. I don't want to rain on anyone's parade. It's just... rape is something that I take very, very seriously. I know we're talking about fictional characters and scenarios here, and everyone is entitled to their own opinions and tongue-in-cheek theories, but I just don't feel right if I don't put my own two cents in when that kind of suggestion comes up. 

Edit: Oh wait, were you referring to the comment about XY’s reaction (seeming guilty) when she first saw XL after the 37 years of healing?

Sorry to both @AH.

Yeah... this is just an opinion, anyone can believe it or not at all. Some fans believe it out loud, there are those who believe it but only keep it in their hearts, and there are those who really don't believe it.

so we can't blame them completely.
Because actually Tonghua himself directed there with the clues she left behind.
And those who express this opinion are not just guessing.

just curious,
i just noticed the novel was revised in 2019.

What's the difference between that and the original publication?

"Some viewers are willing to defend Xiang Liu especially because they are aware of his hidden feelings behind the scenes. But Xiao Yao is not aware of the same feelings, his weak side and his affected self-esteem. Between them there is an abyss and Xiang Liu knows it and that's why he decided to keep his love hidden."

That post from the main comment section got me thinking about what XY knows and what she doesn't know. 

XY knows:

• XL easily could have killed her in chapter 2 for trespassing on the remnant army's territory and lying about her identity (which, coupled with her poison skills and the fact that XL knew that spies had infiltrated the army's ranks, clearly created a strong suspicion that she was a spy), not to mention the fact that she attempted to take a Jiu Jiu from that territory, confessed to conspiring to take rare herbs from that territory, and attacked Furball and XL with poison and sleep powder... but he chose to spare her life.
• XL is fiercely loyal to his adoptive father Gong Gong and the remnant army and deeply cares about them. XL goes against his demon nature to live a disciplined life with the remnant army.
• XL doesn't like it when other people talk about his nine heads, but he allows XY to do so because, in her heart, she doesn't find him strange. 
• XL can appreciate the beautiful aspects of life, like a full moon rising over a still lake, and told XY that life was worth living as long as there were such views to be appreciated. 
• XL is willing to swim-race against XY for the fun of it / to help lift XY's bad mood. 
• When XY used her body to save CX's life (thwarting XL's plans), XL healed her. 
• XL took over FFB's identity before he joined the remnant army. XL diligently took care of the real FFB's sick mother for four years, and felt like he got the better part of his deal with the real FFB since it allowed him to experience a mother's unconditional love.
• As FFB, XL was able to be patient, doting and fun-loving. 
• XL spent 10 years diligently teaching her archery. 
• XL spent 37 years diligently healing her, including transfusing his essential blood to her over 400 times. In that time, he was tender, caressed her face, and slept beside her. Near the end of the 37 years, he started to take her out on excursions to see the moon and experience the ocean's depths, including the song of the merpeople. 
• XL knew that TSJ was dying and that he sent her directly to TSJ when she woke up at the end of the 37 years of healing. 
• XL was once a slave in the death match arena, and he got out by escaping but was severely injured. He fled all the way to the far north to escape his attackers and stayed there for over one hundred years. 
• After initially giving Left Ear hope to keep fighting (winning the bet with XY about which of them could give Left Ear hope), XL went back to see 7 of Left Ear's matches, which kept that hope alive. 
• When XY was lonely after the ceremony where TSJ became clan leader, XL took her out to gamble and have fun, and to see Left Ear win his freedom.
• When XY was upset at CX's wedding (when she saw TSJ for the first time after TSJ's wedding), XL took her out to spend a day and a night in the ocean. She learned the significance of the clam shell (which mercouples view as their homes) and that XL's blood had given her the ability to breathe underwater.
• When XY was upset about being Qi Yo's daughter, XL came to comfort her and reminded her that she could always go to the ocean if she had nowhere else to go. 
• XL knew that XY's poisonous bugs were Lovers' Bugs "from the beginning". 
• XL gave her a jewel map of the ocean in chapter 43 and reminded her that the ocean would always have a place for her. 
• XL was the one who gave XY the clues necessary to realize that CX was behind TSJ's death.  

XY did not know:

• XL and XY were able to transfer the Lovers' Bug from CX to XL because XL wholeheartedly accepted the transfer, knowing what it entailed. 
• XL commissioned her bow and collected the rare materials for it.
• In many of the cases where XL acts cold or harsh towards XY, he does so with the intent to protect her. He pushes her away / towards TSJ because he knows he can't be with her / he knows that he will eventually die on the battlefield. When he is FFB, he emphasizes the temporary nature of their companionship for similar reasons. 
• In chapter 32, XL confirmed that XY was willing to marry YSQ and asked other questions about her feelings. 
• XL used the blood that he collected from XY in chapter 46 to save TSJ's life and return him to XY, so that she could marry TSJ instead of becoming the Royal Mother.
• XL invoked a promise that Ah Nian owed him so that his clam shell (covered in rare, life-extending blood magic) would be used to keep XY alive in chapter 48 until XL could get to her.
• XL used another one of his lives to save XY's life in chapter 48. 
• XL used another one of his lives to break the bug connection between them in chapter 48. He long knew how to break the bug connection, but didn't do so until the bug connection put XY at risk (since XL intended to die in the remnant army's final battle). 
• XL carved the big-bellied laughing doll. XL added a figure (representing TSJ) to the ice crystal ball that XY created and carved his well wishes for XY into it, before hiding it inside the big-bellied laughing doll and sending it to Sir Bi to be given as Sir Bi's wedding gift to XY.

@kokuto

I agree, Xiaoyao probably knows it, but she refuses to admit it.