Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 Sssnoopyyy:

Also cannot imagine Xinyue killing TSJ just to make XY unhappy.

No. Xin Yue's target was Xiao Yao all along. In this version, Xin Yue worked with Hou to lure them both to Qingshui Town (Hou's target was Jing while Xin Yue wanted Xiao Yao dead) though honestly, what assurance do they have that Xiao Yao would have gone with Jing to Qingshui Town when it was Zhen's illness that prompted Jing's trip there. Perhaps they counted on the fact that he would have asked Xiao Yao to go along due to her medical skills. Still... feels a little contrived.

 Sssnoopyyy:

So in the end, instead of CX becoming morally grey over his love for her, they wanted him to be a ''good'' guy and dampen down that obsessive love

I feel that they were afraid to allow Cang Xuan to go over to the dark side as it were, and preferred to whitewash and redeem him. However, if they went down this route, there was no good reason for Xiao Yao to stay away in the end, which contradicts the way the story plays out.

 plor20:

Argh! The strong build up to a watered down one dimensional character is going to be such a let down. Only XL death will be the only saving grace of the tragedy.

I am still hoping, hoping that someone fixed the script before it was filmed. Else it would be a very painful watch... knowing what we know.

 Kokuto:

Ah, okay, so at one point in the script, near the end, a stage direction / note refers to XY's thinking / talking to herself of XL as a friend -- not even her soulmate, eh, XY?   So, of course, all those times that XY was thinking how much she pitied Jing, means he's just someone she feels sorry for, right?  I thought this was like a casting list or end credits or something actually "definitive."

In the scene when Xiao Yao wanted to kiss Jing outside Dragon Bone prison after refusing to kiss Xiang Liu earlier, the script (and the BTS) states clearly that Xiao Yao wanted to kiss him because she felt pity for him and his inferiority complex:

TSJ: What I'm saying is the truth. (hesitating) Have you heard the discussions about you in the Great Wilderness?
XY (indifferent smile): What did they say about me?
TSJ: They are saying how good you are. I know I am not worthy of you. In this world, there are many healthy, intelligent, handsome men...

Tushan Jing's back was ramrod straight, but his head gradually lowered. Xiao Yao's indifferent smile faded and she stared severely at Tushan Jing.

XY: Jing, lift your head! Tushan Jing, lift up your head.

Tushan Jing raised his head.

XY: Fangfeng Yi Ying can despise you, but how can you despise yourself? Other people can judge you based on your position, wealth and appearance, but how can you not know who you are?
TSJ: I...

Tushan Jing gazed at Xiao Yao, grief hidden in his gaze, without a shred of self-confidence. Xiao Yao's eyes are filled with pity, and she leaned towards Tushan Jing.

XY (murmuring softly): Last night, a man tried to force me to kiss him. Now I just want to kiss you.

-- S01E20 (originally leaked script S01E17 scene 31)

 Kokuto:

Yes, it smacks of them pushing the official CP again, but if it is XY's thought, we know she lies to herself regularly.  She knows they are both connected by the Lovers Bug still.

Based on the leaked script, she conveniently never found out the name and true nature of the Lovers bug. What Jing only knew was that if one was injured, the other would be too, so hoped that when the time came, Cang Xuan would stay his hand against Xiang Liu so that Xiao Yao would not be killed too.

 Kokuto:

Yes, though the only time that XY finds courage is when Jing is taken from her.  At least the actors understand what is going on.

The leaked script has Jing realising how selfish the 15-year promise he exacted from Xiao Yao was, because he forced her to choose him. So when he got Xiang Liu to stop the wedding, he was supposedly giving Xiao Yao the chance to choose again.

TSJ: Many years ago, because I wanted wholeheartedly to be with Xiao Liu, I took advantage of her kindness, and never gave her a chance to choose between me and Xiang Liu. However, in the end, I could not give her happiness. Now... I give the chance to choose back to her. This is what I owe her.

-- Ep7 (S02E15) scene 12

This train of thought makes no sense. He wanted Xiao Yao to be able to choose again by disrupting her wedding. But how does Xiang Liu taking her away from her wedding allow her to choose? What choice is he offering? He himself was already a married man. And the irony of it all is that before the wedding, Xiao Yao had already made her choice known by sending the crystal globe to Xiang Liu, independent of any manipulation of events Jing came up with. Even though the way the script handled her creation of the crystal globe and 7-day wait was lacklustre at best, the point remained that at that moment, she reached out to Xiang Liu, asking him to take her away, and waited for him to come to her in vain.

 Kokuto:

Keeping my fingers crossed for season 2.

Will try and see if I manage to analyse the S1 script sometime. And yes, keeping everything I can cross, crossed that S2 will not be a trainwreck. Though, for me, seeing Xiang Liu again is worth the price of admission alone...

 Kokuto:

Or it could be someone actually let a YaoLiu do the posters, instead of the Jingers we've been plagued with! Did you see that WeTV drop of new stills on twitter? Some Jinger put XY, CZ, Jing AND A Nian on one tweet, cause of the 4 pic limit, and relegated FFB and Feng Long to another entirely different tweet!! Like really? You couldn't put FFB on the same tweet with XY??

That's deliberate behaviour by a Jinger, no doubt. XY, CZ, XL and Jing are the four main characters, so it makes no sense to put Feng Long instead of XL/FFB.

 liddi:

As those on this thread can attest, I had an outburst that "Drama Xiao Yao did not deserve Xiang Liu at all" after I read the leaked script, which no one understood why, until I finished translating it.

Shhhh! She doesn't deserve him in the novel either :-).

I think by downplaying the XaoLiu love and connection in the drama, they stripped away XY's complexity - her psychological struggles; trying to break away from her fears, but keep on getting dragged back. Which is typical for any change process. 

I'm in the minority, but I find the CX/XY's relationship and bond to also be unhealthy. Their traumatic childhood bonded them and with them, it became an extreme/unhealthy dependency. It works in the fantastical world of LYF, but on a more objective basis, it's quite warped. I don't think there is a single healthy relationship in this novel. Traumatized people and their unhealthy relationship patterns

.

 HeadInTheClouds:

That's deliberate behaviour by a Jinger, no doubt. XY, CZ, XL and Jing are the four main characters, so it makes no sense to put Feng Long instead of XL/FFB.

It wasn't even Feng Long.  It was A Nian!!!  XY, CZ, Jing, and A Nian!!  Yes, Jinger.  We SEE what you did.  =_=

 HeadInTheClouds:

Yeah! I think it was the scene after the 37 years. He also told her in that scene that he was willing to be her slave. Much dignity. Such a healthy relationship dynamic *sarcasm*.

SMH

Actually, I would be fine with that, if people weren't trying to gaslight me about how wonderful it is.

 HeadInTheClouds:

Us YaoLiu's fans . No, wait, I'm a XL's fan only. Anyhoo! We are losing our shit in the funniest way.

It's a case of laughing ... hysterically.  lol

 Kokuto:

It wasn't even Feng Long.  It was A Nian!!!  XY, CZ, Jing, and A Nian!!  Yes, Jinger.  We SEE what you did.  =_=

what was this about again? Ok I feel like AN was given a much bigger role in this adaptation. Perhaps that's why she was given all those lines and scenes that belonged to others (aka Ah Bi and Lie Yang, etc). Although I grew to like her a bit as the story progressed (really did not like her in the beginning), this change was unnecessary. I guess they also want to give the actress more scenes as well (because they are popular or they want to promote them). But to not include XL/FFB? that is whack.

 Svetlanchik89:

Girls, I'm getting more and more upset if you watch this video, you can see the moment where Xiang Liu is sitting with wine in a shell 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FlUcZ0unV4

(ಥ﹏ಥ) And it was snowing too.....┻━┻ ︵ヽ(`Д´)ﾉ︵ ┻━┻

 Kokuto:

Is that where he will be looking at the crystal ball?

He was gazing at the crystal ball by the river in Qing Shui town under drizzing rain in the novel

 Kokuto:

Oh, I missed that.  Did that occur in the book?  Is that where he will be looking at the crystal ball?

Awwwww.  Chubby is with him!

Either this is the moment when Fox and Xiao Yao reunite, or that momentw ith the pearl. 

 Svetlanchik89:

Either this is the moment when Fox and Xiao Yao reunite, or that momentw ith the pearl. 

Nooooooooooooo!  Moment with the pearl should be cut! stomped on!  and BURNT!