Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 AH :

ly hate (Rise of Phoenixes I'm looking at you!!!).  

OMG!!!! Dude!!! It took me sooo long to get over that! My chest hurt for so long especially because her choice in the end made no sense to me. I could rant forever about it. In fact...I have ???

 nathsketch:

I just feel like having to cope with the two outcomes at the same time is too much for me to handle.

I think if you focus more on all the foreshadowing currently in the show, it will help you be more accepting of the outcome. Through s1, XL has been hinting at what his "ultimate goals" are and what a "satisfying ending" would be for him. He said that the best ending for a soldier is to die in the battle field not because of illness when everyone got sick. He also would not let his left ear go with him and has been constantly doing things to push XY away every time she gets/or tries to get close to him. XL also told Jing that if XY carried about status, there would be no shiqi in this world. At the end of the day, this is the ending XL is willing to choose for himself. And for him to give all that up just because he's in love with XY would make him a completely different person from the character a lot of people have come to love and hate. At least that's what ultimately helped me not feel so sad. Hopefully, this will somehow help you. 

Ik they are changing some things from the novel come s2 so I didn't mention anything I read to help you cope. Also, if you think about it, XL lived a fairly long life. Humans don't even get to live that long in their universe which we find out when he's talking to WXL during the wedding. And during his life, he got to experience familial love and romantic love as well as friendship with XY and his FFB persona. Additionally, he got to go on a lot of fun adventures with XY. 

Idk I think atp I've come to realize that all the male leads have pros and cons/happiness and sadness in their lives and that's what makes this universe/story that TH created so interesting and fun. 

Besides, at least this isn't ending the way Rise of The Phonixes did. When I think of that suddenly I am okay ???

 nathsketch:

You're now making me really scared about RotP. Is it really this bad??

Girl yes! Lmao, my chest hurt for a year. I was soo pissed. I cried tears of anger. I've never done that before. This show came out in 2018 and till this day I am still sooo upset thinking about it. I don't think I've ever been that upset over a show in my life. 

 Sirry Usly:

Girl yes! Lmao, my chest hurt for a year. I was soo pissed. I cried tears of anger. I've never done that before. This show came out in 2018 and till this day I am still sooo upset thinking about it. I don't think I've ever been that upset over a show in my life. 

Lmao, even now thinking about it upsets me I could actually cry. It's not even about...what happened it's about the journey and how the ending does not add up with all the sacrifices and the journey the characters took. That's all I can say without spoiling it. But despite that, I still recommend that show to every and anyone. It's so worth the watch. The act, the ost, the cinematography, the plots. It's so good. 

 nathsketch:

Guess that'll be me in a year ?

@ me when you finish it so we can rant and vent together because I loveee shit talking about that ending ??? it's my favorite thing to do. 

 AH :

Woops, sorry for opening that wound!

?? It's okay, I have a hate-love relationship with it. That show was so good despite that ending. 

Since apparently we will have to wait until next year for Season 2, I wanted to talk about the separation between XL & XY. 

XiaoYao who is afraid of abandonment AND who, according to her cousin, doesn't wait for anyone, spends her time seeing XL leave her, waiting for him, etc…
And we see the evolution of her resolutions/thoughts/feelings with each separation.

1st one : Episode 14 - XL comes to save her (too late) and, seeing that he is injured and that their chance of survival is low + having Shiqi with her, XY gives up trying everything to escape with XL and sends him away (also probably knowing that after that day, she may not see him again at least not as with her fake identity).  XL leaves her because she asks him to but she does it out of concern for him (and also because she's aware the moment of truth with her family is approaching & she can no longer run away from it).
This is the last time they see each other as XL and WXL and WXL's look implies the gravity of the moment. It's the beginning of the end for them (even if it also marks the beginning of a long, complicated but strong relationship).

2nd: Episode 19 - XY is now openly the princess of Haoling and in XL's enemy camp. She has just confessed to him she's afraid of falling in love with him. XL abandons XY because he's angry, sad and resentful ("if I help you and it makes you dream of me, that would be a sin"). He leaves her because she wants him to but does it in a petty way. XY doesn't want to be abandoned while not wanting XL presence in the sense that he wants it. She still seeks to maintain a lighthearted friendship between them but he doesn't want to.
This moment marks the end of their relationship as it was before because they both crossed the line: XL by trying to force her to kiss him then abandoning her because she doesn't want him romantically and XY by revealing she is afraid of loving him now she's in her female body. The two having therefore openly expressed the romantic tension between them.

3rd: Episode 25 - XY now knows for sure that FFB is XL. After helping him, she recalls the good and bad memories between them and bids him farewell (since he is on the run from her family). But having contradictory feelings, she returns to treat him a few hours later while he is already gone. We see at this moment the conflict in her. She wants him gone (and put a distance between them by forbidding him to bite her neck) but at the same time she starts to assume/realize she doesn't really want that.  The time spent with FFB shook her resolutions and the barriers she tried to put around her heart.

4th: Episode 27 - XY and XL have a good time together. But XL announces he must return to the Chenrong army, that he will no longer be FFB for a while. XY then expresses for the first time she doesn't want to see him leave by saying she would like him to only live as FFB. This is the first time that XL leaves her without it being her choice and that she openly expresses her reluctance to see him go. Her feelings for him are now openly more assertive and strong, and she can no longer hide the fact she wants him in her life.

5th: Episode 32 - XY & XL spent 37 years together while XY was in a coma and only alive in spirit form. When she wakes up, XY learns XL doesn't want to see her and sends her back to her family. Upon learning this, XY returns to lie where she was for 37 years and cries. This is the first time XL leaves without saying goodbye and XY openly shows her despair and sadness.  At that moment, XY can openly embrace her love for him as well as the pain their impossible/unspoken love and XL's choices cause her. Because, unlike all other times, she is alone (and therefore can no longer lie to herself). Furthermore, the 37 years they spent together broke down all the barriers she had put in place.

6th time: Episode 35 - XY goes to see XL to ask for his blood to tame her new bow. XL then tells she has mastered archery and that their lessons stop there. The pretext that allowed them to spend time together is now coming to an end. XL turns away from her and, for the first time, XY ends up doing the same. Each going in the opposite direction which means XY is done waiting for him. That she too will follow her path from now on. Because of XL's absence and silence during their last separation, she returned to Shiqi and decided to place her faith in him. Therefore, XL & XY farewell this time also symbolizes the end of their mutual hope for a romance between them.

I hate this man, why is he like thissssss?