Xiang Liu and You (Yes, You)

 insideout91:

Why he need do this sacrifices if no one will appreciate it ever(((

I understand @AH from storytelling side, buuuuuut we here want him happy and alive !  travel somewhere with Chubby)) his life already was too hard, why all other characters got their HE except him( 

I'm thinking of that time when Xiao Yao almost met her demise from that assassination attempt where she was pierced with the sharpest blades. She had Xiang Liu to save her. In the end, Xiang Liu got pierced and shredded from thousands of arrows. He had no one to save him.

It's not fair that he suffered so much and didn't get a happy ending. Us XL fans wanted him to live too ?

 Elise:

I'm thinking of that time when Xiao Yao almost met her demise from that assassination attempt where she was pierced with the sharpest blades. She had Xiang Liu to save her. In the end, Xiang Liu got pierced and shredded from thousands of arrows. He had no one to save him.

It's not fair that he suffered so much and didn't get a happy ending. Us XL fans wanted him to live too ?

Yep(( because how did everything for woman who never truly loved him and died for army which never respected him can considered as satisfying ending? He didn't have any regrets at the end, but did he had happiness? Painful lonely death I don't think anyone dream about it 

 insideout91:

we know that he was assassin that whole time

He takes on jobs as an assassin occasionally to make money. I'm not sure I would characterize it as something that takes up much of his time. 

 insideout91:

his friends asholes

That's a strong word. FFB generally has a reputation as a playboy and ne'er-do-well. His friends seem to have similar reputations. As far as we are aware, those "friendships" are pretty shallow, at least when compared with XL's relationship with XY. But if they were really awful I don't think XL would spend time with them. That would be too much like pretending to be the original FFB. And XL is clear that he isn't pretending to be FFB. He is just being himself with dyed hair. 

 insideout91:

so I not sure that his life was free and happy, it's something we can only guess and imagine

You're right. It's hard to know what his life as FFB at that point would have been like. We can only speculate about the specifics. But at least we know that he was not enslaved, force to fight, obligated to fight, or running for his life at that point. 

 insideout91:

Second about being unworthy, it's exactly what drama show us... when XY said that XL not type of man that should be in girl dream

"In no way the type to be in a girl's dream" can mean many things. I never interpreted that line as implying that XL was in any way unworthy.

-----

In the drama, the conversation goes:

XL: When we were under water, why did you rather die than let me help you breathe?

XY: I was dizzy at that time. Who would remember?

XL: [grabs XY by the back of her neck and pulls her close] Do you need me to help you recall?

XY: I remember. Because I was scared.

XL: Scared? Scared of what?

XY: You. I was scared of you.

XL: Kissing me would be more terrifying than death?

XY: My gege once chatted with me one night. He laughed at me for being a girl who still dreams... 

XL: Continue.

XY: Although... although the possibility is very small, I'm still scared that I might accidentally let you into my dreams. You are in no way the type to be in a girl's dream. This is probably more terrifying than death.

-----

XL knows that XY considers herself to be an abandoned person who doesn't trust others and feels that she can only rely on herself. She's not the type to trust her heart to another person easily. At this point in their relationship, XY did not know the true nature of the poisonous bugs. She would have no reason to think that XL was the type of person that she could entrust her heart to without fear of being hurt. Quite the opposite. He has hurt her physically more than once even after they had developed a rapport. And he is CX's enemy. Her grandfather's enemy. Xuan Yuan's enemy. And now he knows her true identity. Everything about XL at that point should scream danger, potential tragedy, and potential heartbreak. 

So I always interpreted the dream line to be saying that XY was afraid of allowing herself to dream of XL and to develop romantic feelings for him, because she was afraid of falling hard and having her heart broken. In her eyes at that point, he was not the type who could be trusted to never hurt her. 

Very different from being unworthy.

 insideout91:

or when XL said CX that he will never ruin XY reputation with such horrible demon as him

In the drama, CX tells Xiao Xiao to lead XL (and XY) out through a hidden tunnel. XL tells him not to worry, he won't let anyone gossip about the princess and him, the furtive demon, and ruin her reputation. 

-----

In the novel:

Zhuan Xu made the decision but when he saw Xiang Liu taking Xiao Yao away his hands clenched into fists. He said to Xiao Xiao, “Lead him out through the secret passageway. I don’t want my little sister’s name to be associated with this big demon. I still want her to marry into a good family one day!”

Xiang Liu didn’t appear to mind at all and merely smiled and followed Xiao Xiao into the secret passageway with Xiao Yao in his arms.

-----

Given who XL is (Xuan Yuan's #1 enemy, the biggest killer of their soldiers for the past several hundred years, the only reasons Gong Gong's resistance army has managed to persist for so long) "the furtive demon" and "this big demon" are quite innocuous descriptions. 

Xiao Yao is an unmarried princess. Her reputation is already less than pristine thanks to all the time she spent consorting with FFB. If it became known that she was taken away, unconscious, from Sheng Nong mountain by none other than Sheng Nong remnant army general Xiang Liu, her reputation would really come into question. 

But the harm to her reputation wouldn't be because XL is unworthy.

 insideout91:

as TJC said XL person who pay for small kindness with 10000 more , which also shows he think he doesn't deserve kindness and need repay for it

I never felt like XL gave the impression of someone who felt undeserving of receiving kindness. 

When Gong Gong saved XL's life, XL stabbed him. When Gong Gong tried to heal XL's wounds, XL ran away not because he felt undeserving of that kindness, but because he didn't trust Gong Gong at that time. There was a clear debt between them, and XL paid it. I don't think anything about that suggests that XL felt that he didn't deserve kindness. 

 insideout91:

For example XY, after XL feed her blood and take care of her for 37 years!! Think it's enough that CX gave XL some mountain for graves and she doesn't owe him anything, even gratitude.. 

XL spends 37 years healing XY and uses up a life to save hers. During that time, XL discovers the memories that XY saved of him in her mirror. At that point he had already decided that she would need to erase those memories - he says so out loud. He knows he will not abandon the Sheng Nong remnant army. He was already thinking ahead to the point of his death, and how to protect her from being haunted by his memory. So when XY wakes up, he doesn't meet her and instead he sends her to TSJ. He's already decided to push XY to be with TSJ instead of him. 

As you mentioned, XL asks CX for one of the peaks of Sheng Nong mountain, the new capital of CX's empire, to be designated as a forbidden area and given over as a final resting place for the soldiers of XL's Sheng Nong remnant army. That's a big ask. Of course, it's an excuse to hide XL's real motives for saving XY from CX and (to an extent) from XY herself. 

XL pretending that it's all a transaction that doesn't mean anything and that XY doesn't owe him anything, XL hiding his feelings and pushing XY to be with TSJ... I don't see those things as driven by a sense of unworthiness. He chose the Sheng Nong remnant army. And a future with XY wasn't possible... not because he is not worthy, but for a number of other insurmountable reasons. So he takes steps to protect XY instead of pursuing her. 

 insideout91:

Also about Romeo and Juliet, it's more in novel , in drama I even not sure she actually likes him, because feelings from her side very uncertain and we see only some hints and should imagine ourselves that she actually likes him

Although I agree that her feelings are easier to see in the novel, I definitely feel like I can see XY's feelings for XL in the drama too. And I expect we will see more in S2.

 Elise:

He had no one to save him.

I know it's not what anyone wants to hear... but he had multiple lives to spare. He didn't want to be saved. If someone had saved him, it would have ruined everything he planned... the end he chose for himself.

 insideout91:

did everything for woman who never truly loved him

... what?

 insideout91:

and died for army which never respected him

He is respected in the novel. He's not besties with his subordinates. But they respect and appreciate him. Hopefully they will also adapt this part of his epilogue in S2.

----

Xiang Liu quietly walked past a row of tents, his snow white robe like a small breeze softly rustling through the camp, becoming the sole light in the heavy darkness of the moment. Every soldier who saw him unwittingly felt a tiny bit of ease and their mood a little lifted.

Many years ago, new recruits would complain to the old veteran soldiers, “That Nine Headed Demon, why does he have to be flashy? We’re going to battle, not to a matchmaking meeting. Does he need to dress so eye-catching?”

Those who experienced life and death before their eyes and carried home the bodies of their comrades would smile with resignation. “After you’ve been to a few battles, you will understand why.”

Only when those rookies slowly felt the weight of those life experiences did they start to understand what the old soldiers meant. On the battlefield, when that all-white figure appeared, he would capture the attention of every enemy and all the strongest attacks would be aimed at him. That would help save more of their troops as Xiang Liu took the brunt of all the enemy attacks. So at night in the camp, when the all-white figure was spotted, no matter how near the enemy was, all the soldiers could still sleep soundly.

 insideout91:

not remind me that ungrateful XY, who forget about 37 years after 5 min ??

She doesn't forget. But she does bury her memories from that time and not speak about them, because that's what XL wants.

---

Chapter 26:

Xiao Yao suddenly stopped and strained to listen as a melodic singing drifted to her, so beautiful even her soul was quaking, it was a sound not to be heard in the world above. But Xiao Yao remembered that she heard it before.

Xiang Liu said “That’s….”

“The mating song of the merpeople.”

“How do you know?” Xiang Liu stared at Xiao Yao.

Xiao Yao acted nonchalantly with a smile. “I guessed it. Legend says the merpeople have incredibly melodic voices so from who else in the deep ocean but the merpeople to sing like that?” Xiang Liu didn’t want her to know that when she was unconscious the things he did with her, and she didn’t want him to know that she already knew. Their embraces and companionship, just let it be buried deep in the dark ocean depths!

LOL!  The gif we didn't know we needed.

Eeeuww

 Kokuto:

LOL!  The gif we didn't know we needed.

Eeeuww

cutie)))