Kokuto:

The crystal ball isn't a declaration of XY's love for XL.  It's her hedging her bets, and being afraid to declare her love.  It's her STILL saying she's afraid of the type of man she thinks XL is and afraid to love him.

If it was a declaration, she'd have put the merman with the mermaid, rocking that shell with their love song.  It would have expressed her feelings and her hopes for the future, not her fears. 

I guess we'll see in the drama, IF they follow the book, but if XL returned the crystal ball with a white haired man in the shell WITH the mermaid, which I suspect he did, because he is not afraid to love her and THAT is what he wanted for them in a perfect world.

I absolutely see the ice crystal ball as a declaration. One of the mermaid’s hands is on her heart and the other is outstretched towards the merman. Beckoning to him. 

She made both of them into merpeople. The same. 

She didn’t put the figures together because that would defeat the purpose of the scene. The scene is asking XL a question. Will you come to me? Will you give me a reason to break my promise to Feng Long? Will you turn around and take my outstretched hand?

When we see XL holding the ice crystal ball, it’s clear that he understood the message. He wants to take the mermaid’s outstretched hand. But they are not destined to be together. So he leaves XY hanging. He doesn’t go to her. He doesn’t metaphorically take the mermaid’s hand. Until TSJ gives him an excuse to end her wedding in a way that still fits with his choices. 

 AH :
I absolutely see the ice crystal ball as a declaration.

Same! Even Ah Nian pov on xiao yao staring berefoot at the see "tells it" without words:

"When Ah Nian went to get her, she could see the blue horizon, the red rocks on the cliffs, and Xiao Yao dressed all in white sitting barefoot on the black jagged rocks as the waves crested at her feet.

This image was impossible to describe other than Ah Nian felt a sense of utter desolation for her sister. Xiao Yao’s image made her think of the legends of old, of a fisherman’s wife sitting on the rocks waiting for her lover to come back, sitting and waiting for so long she turned into a rock."


 Kokuto:
I guess we'll see in the drama, IF they follow the book, but if XL returned the crystal ball with a white haired man in the shell WITH the mermaid, which I suspect he did, because he is not afraid to love her and THAT is what he wanted for them in a perfect world.

Neither the novel nor the leaked script ever mentioned that the man Xiang Liu added holding the mermaid's hand had white hair. My interpretation was always that he meant that man (not a being of the sea like the other two) to be Jing, since the merman was still a distance away, in a world separate from the peaceful sea where the mermaid was. As such, it represented his blessings for Xiao Yao to have a lifetime of peaceful, worry free happiness with a man whom she can rely on. In any case, we shall see what the drama shows, assuming that scene is not cut from the final version.

I also don't think Xiao Yao was hedging her bets when she sent him the crystal ball since there was already nothing to hedge with - Jing being married, and Feng Long ready to marry her. Rather, it was more her appeal for him to take her away from a marriage she did not want deep down - one hand on the mermaid's heart while the other outstretched towards the merman indicating her heart's desire, calling out to him.

@kokuto

The Grand Emperor said “I’ll give you seven days to reconsider.”

During the ensuing seven days, Xiao Yao really did reconsider and think carefully. Every day she sat on the jagged rocks outside of the Dragon Bone Prison and looked out over the deep blue ocean.

When Ah Nian went to get her, she could see the blue horizon, the red rocks on the cliffs, and Xiao Yao dressed all in white sitting barefoot on the black jagged rocks as the waves crested at her feet.

This image was impossible to describe other than Ah Nian felt a sense of utter desolation for her sister. Xiao Yao’s image made her think of the legends of old, of a fisherman’s wife sitting on the rocks waiting for her lover to come back, sitting and waiting for so long she turned into a rock."

For me it is definetely a declaration, having one hand on her heart and one hand reaching to the merman îs like saying to him you are în my heart, look at me, I am here, I am waiting for you. Also the way AhNian compares XY to the image of a fisherman's wife waiting for her lover îs quite telling. 

"I guess we'll see in the drama, IF they follow the book, but if XL returned the crystal ball with a white haired man in the shell WITH the mermaid, which I suspect he did, because he is not afraid to love her and THAT is what he wanted for them in a perfect world."

I am not sure what you mean by that, XL never returned the crystal ball with a white man în the shell with the mermaid în the novel, the crystal ball he sent to her was basically almost the same as the one she gave to him, the difference was that HE placed a man next to her, but I don't rember having white hair, it's the first time I hear this actually. 


 liddi:
Rather, it was more her appeal for him to take her away from a marriage she did not want deep down - one hand on the mermaid's heart while the other outstretched towards the merman indicating her heart's desire, calling out to him.

Interesting. I always related it to her unexpressed feelings toward XL. Nice to have a new point of view! :)

 Elise:

So I was looking through the photo album to save the fan art I wanted to save in case they get deleted soon and I saw this photo

I don't recall his hair ever being down like this in the novel. He doesn't look injured too so it can't possibly be based on chapter 43 where he was injured saving XY.  New exclusive scene for the drama?


After going through the photo gallery far too many times, (shakes fist at whoever deleted all those pics), I believe this is a photoshopped image of this pic.  I've no idea why, though.


@liddi totally agree with both of your takes. 

@blabla100 the novel doesn’t specify the hair colour of the man that XL added. Some fans thought that the figure might represent XL rather than TSJ (I don’t subscribe to that theory) and they are waiting to see what colour hair the figure has in the drama to see if their theory is correct. 

 Kokuto:


After going through the photo gallery far too many times, (shakes fist at whoever deleted all those pics), I believe this is a photoshopped image of this pic.  I've no idea why, though.


Wow, well done! Excellent sleuthing. 

 Kokuto:


After going through the photo gallery far too many times, (shakes fist at whoever deleted all those pics), I believe this is a photoshopped image of this pic.  I've no idea why, though.


That's a very good eye, Kokuto!

 AH :

@liddi totally agree with both of your takes. 

@blabla100 the novel doesn’t specify the hair colour of the man that XL added. Some fans thought that the figure might represent XL rather than TSJ (I don’t subscribe to that theory) and they are waiting to see what colour hair the figure has in the drama to see if their theory is correct. 

Yes, this.  I'm one of the fans subscribing to this theory and awaiting the revelation in the drama. ;)

 nathsketch:

That's a very good eye, Kokuto! 

Thank you.  I've only got one eye now, because repeatedly scouring 1200+ pics ...

 AH :

@liddi totally agree with both of your takes. 

@blabla100 the novel doesn’t specify the hair colour of the man that XL added. Some fans thought that the figure might represent XL rather than TSJ (I don’t subscribe to that theory) and they are waiting to see what colour hair the figure has in the drama to see if their theory is correct. 

I see, but even so, that doesn't really change anything, especially not XL's confession from the epilogue, the 3 things he accomplished for her. We always knew he loved her and she îs bond to never find out what's în the doll anyway, he sent that crystal ball back right at the end of the novel, when his mission was completed, it was his answer to her declaration, I don't really see how will that change ppls views. Am I missing something? 

 Kokuto:

Thank you.  I've only got one eye now, because repeatedly scouring 1200+ pics ...

Have you had any sleep at all? Go to bed, girl!

Hahaha , I just love how @AH had tied us with the crystall ball - on both topics! :D :D

------->Will get to the bottom of this OBJECT! 

(even saw my @nath lurking in there :D As I'm here :p )

Have happy day, off for now *hugs*

 Symbolika1:

Hahaha , I just love how @AH had tied us with the crystall ball - on both topics! :D :D

------->Will get to the bottom of this OBJECT! 

(even saw my @nath lurking in there :D As I'm here :p )

Have happy day, off for now *hugs*

Very surreal that the discussion threads are converging like this.