Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 Kokuto:

Well, I missed out entirely on the moon viewing and the eclipse.  We were completely covered over with clouds. :(  But hopefully everyone had a lovely Mid-Autumn Festival.

 solarlunareclipse:

I went outside to see the lunar eclipse at its peak last night. It was very cool, like someone took a bite out of the top of a cookie.

I’m glad someone enjoyed it. I could barely see anything through the clouds too. Well, Kokuto, we can catch it again in 2033.  :-)

 solarlunareclipse:

For example, only through CX's description do we know that XY felt a shivering feeling of bliss when XL was drinking her blood in the medicine pool. Xiao Yao's narration of this event was focused being relieved that at least she was of some use to XL so that he didn't kill her.

 Kokuto:

We also understood the blood drinking was pleasurable, when XY described FFB drinking from her wrist.

In the novel, when CX reminds Xiao Liu to restrain his urges, Xiao Liu is seemingly confused but later “smiled quietly” or in Koala’s version, “started to smile.” This implies she does know what CX means. The phrase, “Can I really go to you for a drink?” follows immediately afterwards, and the reader may miss the meaning.

(google)
Xuan raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Take care of your body. If you are injured, restrain your desires!"

“..." Xiao Liu was confused. When had he ever felt sexual desire?

Xuan touched his neck and left with a smile. Xiao Liu still blinked in confusion. After a while, he pursed his lips and smiled quietly. Can I really go to you for a drink? There was a voice in his heart that objected, but another voice said that he would leave soon, and if he didn't drink now, he would have no chance in the future.

Exactly. The first time FFB teaches XY archery in S1 Ep 22, guiding her in position, and she finally hits the target, she’s actually thinking about XL biting her neck.

ch.16 (google)
Fangfeng Bei stood behind Xiao Yao, holding Xiao Yao's hand, guiding Xiao Yao's hand, and directing Xiao Yao to follow his movements, "Keep your body straight, use force gently, hold the bow properly, hold the arrow calmly, push forward and move back, the bow is fully trained!" With the word "trained", the arrow flew out and nailed steadily into the tree trunk.

"What does it feel like?"

"I didn't think about anything in my mind, my eyes were not fixed on the target, I was only focused on the action of drawing the bow and shooting the arrow."

"Good understanding."

Xiao Yao smiled bitterly. It was not that she wanted to understand, but at that moment, her body's reaction was just like when Xiang Liu approached her. She felt that he would bite her neck, and her mind went blank.

 Snowcup:

I’m glad someone enjoyed it. I could barely see anything through the clouds too. Well, Kokuto, we can catch it again in 2033.  :-)

I guess I lucked out! Make sure to post on this forum in 2033 to remind us of the next celestial trifecta: super harvest moon lunar eclipse. ;)

 solarlunareclipse:

Despite having XY serve as the (unreliable) narrator, TH doesn't write about XY's thoughts and emotions in a straightforward manner. A lot of what XY believes and knows is left in the hidden lines. For example, only through CX's description do we know that XY felt a shivering feeling of bliss when XL was drinking her blood in the medicine pool. Xiao Yao's narration of this event was focused being relieved that at least she was of some use to XL so that he didn't kill her.

 Kokuto:

We also understood the blood drinking was pleasurable, when XY described FFB drinking from her wrist.

 Snowcup:

In the novel, when CX reminds Xiao Liu to restrain his urges, Xiao Liu is seemingly confused but later “smiled quietly” or in Koala’s version, “started to smile.” This implies she does know what CX means. The phrase, “Can I really go to you for a drink?” follows immediately afterwards, and the reader may miss the meaning.

 blabla100:

I agree. She was aware of what it means, that's reinforced by the fact that later on she refused to let him drink blood from her neck. Same goes for their kisses underwater.

 Snowcup:

The first time FFB teaches XY archery in S1 Ep 22, guiding her in position, and she finally hits the target, she’s actually thinking about XL biting her neck.

I agree that TH gives ample hints that XY is deeply attracted to XL and that she is self-aware enough to understand and acknowledge this attraction. My original point was that TH doesn't write about XY's thoughts and emotions in a straightforward manner. 

If we talk about the neck biting scene itself (not how it was recalled later), TH omits XY describing how pleasurable it is in the moment even though XY undoubtedly feels it. I don’t believe this omission means XY is denying her feelings, but simply that TH chooses to omit describing this aspect of XY’s feelings through XY’s perspective and switches to CX’s perspective to subtly hint at XY’s feelings while casting some doubt on and downplaying what XY actually feels. This is a classic example of TH misdirection.

TH strategically omitting information is why I see XY as a mystery. In contrast, TH basically lays bare XL’s true intentions in the epilogue. His devotion to XY and the things he does to set her up to live well are not questioned because we understand his true intent. However, readers never get a complete picture of XY’s intent, causing many to make potentially inaccurate assumptions. For example, many people believe XY to be selfish in taking unnecessary risks that put herself in danger without thinking through the consequences that her actions have on XL, whose life is linked to hers. I’m not convinced that this assumption about XY is accurate and believe that TH has intentionally omitted describing XY’s true intent behind her seemingly careless and selfish actions.

 Snowcup:

Xiang Liu truly treasures the ice crystal globe that Xao Yao prepared for him. He recognizes the great lengths XY had taken in creating it for him. With the mermaid’s one hand on her heart and the other reaching out to him as the merman, this is the single confession XL has ever received from XY of her true feelings for him. Which is why I can’t see XL ever relinquishing the merman to Jing, not even in his imagination.

I'm interest in hearing more about your interpretation of the crystal ball from XL's perspective. Does XL interpret the 1st merman to be himself and the 2nd merman to also be himself ? What do you think was XL's purpose in adding the second merman? Why do you think the scene in the crystal ball was changed from the novel and the leaked script?

 Snowcup:

The novel and the script indicated the change in the crystal ball as a fait accompli, which would explain the lack of special effects. "This was the crystal globe Xiao Yao gave him, except now it had been altered by him, and was different from before ..."

There's a possibility that the crystal ball was actually altered by XL in the drama, just like it was in the novel and leaked script, and the later disappearance of the second merman was a continuity error. In my opinion, there's an equally likely possibility that there is no continuity error in the drama and the second merman was originally imagined by XL. Everything else about the crystal ball in the drama was changed from the novel and the leaked script, so it's plausible to me the fact that XL actually altered the crystal ball was also changed.