Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 AH :

Very surreal that the discussion threads are converging like this. 

I'm enjoying the fox lair now that they are in their new thread just like a kid who has the house all to herself hahahaha

AH  VIP

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. 

A declaration is stating she loves him and wants to be with him.  She knows exactly what a declaration of love is, cause Jing has made them repeatedly.   She's not declaring, but as you said, she's asking.  She's asking him to come rescue her from a fate her other two loves have trapped her in.  That's why I said she's hedging her bets.  She's still afraid to declare her love for XL.

Yes.  XL does get XY's message. And that message is that she still thinks they belong in two separate worlds.  That's half the message she sent with the crystal ball.  So, not only is she afraid, but she's confused.

And that's why XL  leaves XY hanging, because she's confused -- not because he thinks they can't be together.  By waiting until the wedding, he's forcing her to burn some bridges, that may allow her to make a choice.  Of course, he's also making CX's life and alliances difficult - always a good thing.  Oh, and he's getting 37 years of provisions. A double bonus, considering the number he choose.

But it's pretty clear after leaving the wedding, that XY only wanted to be rescued, and the second half of the message was how she would continue their relationship.  Though, he gave her plenty of time to change her mind, and he DID try one more time, when he asked her who she wanted to spend her life with.

XL doesn't need a crystal ball message from XY to KNOW that she is miserable and doesn't want to marry Feng Long, he's got the PLB.  Nor does he need Jing as a spur.  He didn't even tell her about Jing, IIRC, until she got ready to leave, when it helped him reset their relationship to what XY was comfortable with -- thinking everything with XL was a transaction.

Am slowly going through the leaked script now.  In what is supposed to be Ep2  (originally S2 E10), there is an additional scene at the gambling den when Xiao Yao went to gamble recklessly after meeting Jing. With this scene, Xiang Liu's questions as he probed her mind after taking her away from her wedding is given some form of continuity and context:

Leaked script Ep2 scene 10

At the gambling den, Fangfeng Bei walked out from the crowd and sat opposite Xiao Yao.  She calmly sized him up.

XY: What should we bet on?
FFB (indolently): Not money. Let's bet on something else. Do you dare?

Xiao Yao hesitated.

XY: What's there to be afraid of? Name it.
FFB: Higher number wins. The loser must answer a question truthfully.
XY (indifferently): Alright. Let's gamble!

Xiao Yao and Fangfeng Bei took up the dice cup and waved it. Fangfeng Bei obtained 6,6,5 while Xiao Yao first got 2 6s and a still spinning 3rd dice, which ended up on a 4. Xiao Yao's face changed amid the boos from the gamblers present.

FFB (unrestrained smile): Who... do you like?

Xiao Yao was stunned.
Tushan Jing anxiously stared at the Xiao Yao in the water mirror, hope in his eyes.
Xiao Yao felt that Fangfeng Bei was deliberately embarrassing her, and glared at him,

XY: What kind of rubbish question is that? Change to another one.
FFB: I will ask what I want to ask. All you need to do is answer. If you don't, that means you lose.
XY (sly smile): Fine I'll answer! The one I like is... the one I want to spend the rest of my life with.

The hope in Tushan Jing's eyes faded, and his eyes dimmed.
Fangfeng Bei stared at Xiao Yao.

FFB: Who do you wish to spend your lifetime with?

Xiao Yao avoided Fangfeng Bei's eyes and picked up the dice.

XY: That is the next question. You can ask it after you win.

Xiao Yao and Fangfeng Bei rolled the dice once more. This time there were no mishaps and Xiao Yao won this round.
Xiao Yao looked at Fangfeng Bei.

XY: If given the chance, would you still choose this path?
FFB (silent momentarily): I will!
XY: Why?

Fangfeng Bei quietly stared at Xiao Yao. Just when Xiao Yao thought he would refuse to answer, he laughed.

FFB: Because on this path, I met a very important person. If I had chosen another path, I might have never met her.

Xiao Yao did not understand that the person he referred to was a "she" 她, not "he" 他  (both are pronounced the same  - tā )

XY: You are really loyal to your foster father!

Xiao Yao lost interest and got up to leave without even taking her winnings.

XY: I don't want to bet anymore. It's meaningless.

After leaving instructions with the dog-masked guards, Fangfeng Bei got up and left.

FFB: Charge the lady's winnings to my account.

--------------------

Later, in Ep3 (originally S2 E11), after leaving the donkey meat seller's place, the scene where Fangfeng Bei walked Xiao Yao to the entrance of the manor is also changed. Originally they both stood there and looked at each other until the doors of the manor finally closed, Xiao Yao finally feeling the encroaching sadness that her stolen times with Fangfeng Bei are gradually coming to an end:

Leaked script Ep3 scene 1

XY: Whom should I marry if not Feng Long?

Fangfeng Bei raised his eyebrows, a playful look on his face.

FFB: You ask me, whom should I ask?
XY (angrily): In any case, no matter whom I marry, that person must not be married, nor an enemy of my brother.

Fangfeng Bei continued to grin, showing no signs of joy or anger.
At this moment, there were sounds of laughter as A Nian, Xingyue etc appeared from a corner, lanterns in the hand, playing happily. A Nian saw Xiao Yao and waved the lantern in her hand.

AN (happily): Sister, quickly come over.

FFB (smiled and stopped walking): I can only see you off here. Ahead... is your world.

Xiao Yao looked at the happily playing noblewomen and stood there, not moving. Xingyue ignored Fangfeng Bei and called Xiao Yao to join them.
Xiao Yao hesitated and looked back at Fangfeng Bei but he had already turned to leave. She looked at his departing figure in loss and sadness and opened her mouth, but ultimately did not call out.
A Nian ran over.

AN: Sister, what are you looking at? I called you several times but you ignored me.
XY (sadly): Nothing. Just a passerby who occasionally kept me company in this world. Ultimately he wasn't someone who can travel with me all the way after all.

Xiao Yao turned and left with A Nian.
Fangfeng Bei stopped walking and turned to see the direction in which Xiao Yao had left. In the distance, Xiao Yao, A Nian and Xingyue's cheerful voices faded away, returning to the world they belong to.
A flash of desolation passed through Fangfeng Bei's eyes. It seemed as if his and Xiao Yao's worlds were now separated forever.

Uuggh 

Leaked script …??? Ugghh

How do we  tell the director make a quick sequel and have  XL returning back alive in a body and this time they can be  together ?  

 AH :

Oh my god liddi thank you for sharing those! 

Although they are changes (and I really dislike most changes), I can get on board with these ones. They feel consistent with the heart wrenching sentiments from the original version. 

You're welcome! I agree that some of the changes are fine and give further context / insight into how they think and feel. I liked the scene at the gambling den, but wish they retained how neither could bring themselves to look away as the doors of the manor closed. Will try to share more as I get the time to analyse.

 Dramadoggy2021:

Uuggh 

Leaked script …??? Ugghh

How do we  tell the director make a quick sequel and have  XL returning back alive in a body and this time they can be  together ?  

I am still holding out for the variety show H!6 YaoLiu special which is rumoured to have shot Xiao Yao and Xiang Liu's happy ending as part of their program. Fingers crossed! 

 AH :

I’m a little sad about not getting to see that moment, but I’m actually glad they cut the part where XY said that XL shouldn’t come around as much anymore. What XY was saying in that moment vs what she was feeling was so complicated. It would be nearly impossible to capture on screen. 

That's true. The double entendre of her words, in addition to how she actually feels behind the barbs would require a lot of voiceover, which would be clumsy and does not translate well on screen. I am still hoping and praying that the inconceivable changes that were detected ended up revised for the better.

 blabla100:

@kokuto

"“But it's pretty clear after leaving the wedding, that XY only wanted to be rescued, and the second half of the message was how she would continue their relationship.”

To be rescues from what? No one was forcing her to get marry, în fact everyone told her to think carefully before making a decision, It just doesn't make any sense. 

Good point. She had several opportunities to call off the engagement herself. Why wait for XL by the ocean at all? She doesn’t need him to end the engagement.

Someone else posted the words already, but XY tells Feng Long herself: she wants to settle down, but the one with feelings does not have the ability (TSJ) and the one with the ability does not have feelings (XL). If XL won’t choose her, she’ll keep her promise to Feng Long and settle for a life with him, even though she doesn’t love him.