Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 MengXiang:

1. I never fully understood the part where he pushes her out of the tree. It seems to me she was willing and happy he did it as it meant he would no longer be suspicious of her. However I don't understand how being pushed from a tree achieves this.

I wouldn't say that scene was XY's attempt to make XL not be suspicious of her. I'd say it was about alleviating his anger from their last encounter. 

XY sought XL out in that scene with a silly excuse to meet (asking him about owning the brothel) in order to alleviate XL's remaining anger from their last meeting when she teased him and wrote all over his face with charcoal. She really went all out in that scene, knowing that XL would be furious. XY came away from her encounter with XL in the tree scene feeling satisfied, because she successfully diffused his anger. Meaning that she would not be in danger from his temper the next time they met. 

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Chapter 3:

In the middle of the night, Xiao Liu climbed on top of Xiang Liu’s body and he opened his eyes. Xiao Liu grabbed his neck and laughed wildly. “You’re using your power to heal yourself, right? Don’t interrupt and stop now otherwise you’ll exacerbate your injury and may even lose all your powers and lose all thought.” Xiang Liu closed his eyes.

Xiao Liu slapped his left cheek “How about I whip you 40 times?” Xiao Liu slapped his right cheek “You stupid demon, you’re not afraid of pain. If I cut off your left arm you’ll probably roast it with your right arm and eat it.”

“Hee hee…..” Xiao Liu jumped off the pallet and ran to the kitchen to grab some coal from the stove. He slithered back to the room and jumped on the pallet and hooted “Even you have a day like this! Don’t be angry and focus on healing your injury, don’t let me distract you!” Xiao Liu grabbed the coal and started carefully drawing over Xiang Liu’s face.

After Xiao Liu was done and approved of the results, he grabbed his precious mirror and put it in front of Xiang Liu’s face “Take a look but don’t get mad and ruin your healing energy flow.” Xiang Liu opened his eyes which were sharper than knives but Xiao Liu was on a roll “Look!”

Inside the mirror, under Xiang Liu’s left eye was three more eyes, under his right eye was three more eyes, and there was one more eye on his forehead. Xiao Liu counted “One, two three……….a total of nine.”

Xiao Liu used his blackened fingers to rub those eyes until they became heads and he turned nine eyes into nine heads. Xiang Liu stared at him and Xiao Liu furrowed his brows “I really can’t imagine what nine heads looks like. One of these days you have to show me your true form!” Xiang Liu’s lips moved and he wordlessly mouthed “I am going to devour you.”

Xiao Liu used his dirty fingers to rub on his lips “If you don’t mind it being so dirty then go ahead and eat!”

Xiao Liu flipped off the pallet and cocked his head to stare at Xiang Liu. “I’m leaving, no need to come look for me. I’m going to disappear for a few days until your temper dies down. When you remember my good side then I’ll be back.” Xiao Liu grabbed some snacks from the kitchen and was about to leave when he saw Shi Qi.

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Chapter 4:

Xiao Liu tucked the mirror away and put his hands behind his head. After that night, many months had passed and Xiang Liu never showed up again. So many people were looking to take him down so it’s normal for him not to appear. If he did appear Xiao Liu would feel like his life had reached the end. So Xiao Liu prayed every day for more people to be looking to take him down. Make his life so busy that he completely forgot about Qing Shui Town and one Wen Xiao Liu.

But, now……aish!

A little white condor that was the astral projection of the giant white flying condor Furball came flying in through the window and haughtily landed in front of Xiao Liu. Xiao Liu spoke to it “Seeing you so puffed up, I just want to pluck all your feathers off, roast your right side, stew your left side, and after eating all of you throw your bones to the dogs.”

Furball charged Xiao Liu who grabbed his head and rolled under the pallet “Tell your master I need to see him. It’s something important.” Furball glared angrily at Xiao Liu before spreading his wings and flying into the night. Xiao Liu felt it a bad idea to meet Xiang Liu in the room. The same environment may cause him to remember the insult last time and he’ll easily get enraged.

...

Furball rose higher and Xiang Liu left.

Xiao Liu waited a few moments before slowly sitting up. His head was spinning and he couldn’t see straight and his legs hurt so much he couldn’t walk. The startled chipmunk peered out at him and Xiao Liu smiled “What’cha looking at? Looking at me being made a fool? I didn’t get to be a fool for nothing, I traded something small for something big. The next time I see that big demon he won’t be looking to wring my neck…”

The sun hadn’t even risen when Shi Qi tracked him down and found Xiao Liu curled up within a tangle of broken branches. He looked totally beaten up but was sleeping with a slight smile on his lips. Shi Qi knelt down and slowly picked off the leaves on his head and saw that there were two fresh bite marks on Xiao Liu’s neck. It was slightly hidden underneath his collar with the red teeth impression vaguely showing the imprint of a pair of lips.

 MengXiang:

3. In the novel, At the end when XL kills the LB he says to AB that she only has Jing in her heart. 

I don't recall XL saying this in chapter 48. 

I recall him telling Sir Bi that the person XY is missing is TSJ. Which makes sense. She was heartbroken when TSJ disappeared and missed him terribly, and she tried to kill herself and ZX when she confirmed that ZX had contributed to TSJ's death because of his feelings for her. Sir Bi calls TSJ the person that XY picked, and XL doesn't object to that statement. 

I wouldn't interpret that to mean that XL (or Sir Bi) is saying that XY only has TSJ in her heart.

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Chapter 48:

Xiang Liu said, “Xiao Yao told me that she lived on Jade Mountain for seventy years when she was small. It’s clear how much you guys care about her, so taking care of her is not because the Black Emperor asked it of you.”

Sir Bi ruefully said, “The world is filled with happiness and sadness, and time washes away everything. Lie Yang and I have let all worldly connections go, but the only thing of the world we care about is Xiao Yao.”

“How so?”

Si Bi said, “My mom died when I was born, and Qi Yo came across and rescued me. He sent me to Jade Mountain to Xiao Yao’s mom, who raised me since I was a baby. When Lie Yang was still a phoenix bird, he was captured by Qi Yo to use as the carrier bird to send messages back and forth to Xiao Yao’s mom. She was a mother and family to both of us.”

“I see.”

Sir Bi stared at Xiang Liu, “I heard your reputation isn’t so good out in the world?”

Xiang Liu chuckled, “My reputation is just a hairsbreadth better than Qi Yo.”

Sir Bir grew silent before asking, “You and Xiao Yao… you two really are just friends?”

Xiang Liu smiled before turning to look at Xiao Yao, “The person Xiao Yao is missing is Tu Shan Jing.”

Sir Bi sighed in relief “That’s good.”

Xiang Liu said mockingly, “Can’t believe my reputation is so bad even a demon raised by Qi Yo would disdain me.”

Sir Bi shook his head “No, I don’t disdain you at all. It’s the opposite, I truly respect you! Your heart is as clear as crystal, even my voice cannot enchant you or lead you astray. Power, wealth, and glory hold no sway or temptation for you.”

Sir Bi stared at Xiang Liu and looked truly conflicted, like he was looking at Xiang Liu but seeing another great man from long ago. “It’s not that you’re not good……..it’s just that…….for Xiao Yao……” Sir Bi sighed loudly “Even if Tu Shan Jing is dead, I’m still relieved that the guy Xiao Yao picked was him.”

Xiang Liu smiled and appeared not to take offense to what Sir Bi said and asked “I have one favor to ask of you.”

Sir Bi said, “If I can do it, I will.” A gentleman’s friendship may be light as water, but a gentleman’s promise was as heavy as gold.

“I want to sever the remaining connections between me and Xiao Yao. In a bit, no matter what is happening, please do not interfere and just watch.”

Sir Bi replied swiftly, “I will!”

 HeadInTheClouds:

And now I'm just asking questions and answering them.myself like a mad person ?

lol! No worries. I enjoyed reading your thoughts. They're helpful!

Okay. Everything seems so obvious with the relevant snippets quotes all there... I think I should reread the whole book again.

I am rereading the part about "the person she is missing" and it does mean she picked Jing. But I do feel as it is in response to the question regarding their friendship status... I think the "misses" implies love. That she loves Jing and not him so there was nothing for Sir Bi to worry about. 

I should just reread the book again to her better feel!

 MengXiang:

I have read the translated novel and watched the drama. I was originally on the Jing ship but I changed both in novel and drama due to the depth of XL love and how utterly selfless he was. It is so heartbreaking it was so see him sacrifice so much and willingly pushing her away. How much live and resolve would be required. Words can not express how gut wretching it is to see him love her so much but can not express it. I just wish she knew so someone could acknowledge what a pure heart he had.

Hey there MengXiang! Welcome! ♥️

Always great to see someone say what you've said. It's the opinion of most of us, and understandably so.

 bugei:

eternal yearning is definitely xiangliu but love you forever is definitely not jing. 

the character bracelets from tencent tells a bit more story

https://x.com/toastmybuns1/status/1689778680355241984?s=46&t=T8bahxduZkeboSt8gPe5Pw

Wow nice, I didn't know about these bracelets, their descriptions do speak volumes, lol

Love you forever though can be Jing, because the way I see it, these chapters are titled from their perepective (CX, Jing, XL) , not hers, that's why I thought that maybe yearning for you is her take on things, since she is the only main who didn't get a title. 

 nathsketch:

Hey, are there any specific points in our discussion that you all would like to see in the LYF season 2 thread? It's a bit empty over there and this one is already overflowing with replies.

If we were to relocate certain topics to that thread, the conversations around the leaked script and chapters 29 - 31 would be the topics that would make the most sense to me to transfer over. But we've talked about those topics so much in this thread already, I feel like it makes more sense to stick to this thread for those topics until S2 starts airing. 

Someone needs to show me how to  quote....

@AH you are right. It was an answer to dodge... I see it now... I was misdirected like Sir B. Sometimes I wish TH was more direct... some parts leave me thinking does he really mean this or am I over thinking it!

The novel was amazing especially at the end when you really get the full confirmation of XL love. Before that it was not as explicit. I can't imagine it being better! I can't imagine it being better! Will be back in a few days.