AH

Do you want to know how things ended for all of the main characters, or certain characters specifically?

In the novel, Hou kills TSJ, and ZX makes it possible.

Based on what we've heard about the leaked script for S2, it sounds like they've changed that in the drama so that CX is not the one who supports Hou.

No worries! It's definitely confusing. Especially since, in the drama, CX's mother refers to XY's mother as "sister".

The story is not complete at the end of S1, but one significant plot point is resolved in the last episode. S1 is based on the first 28 chapters of a 51 chapter novel.

The female lead (XY) has four love interests. Three of them are in love with her, and the fourth is attracted to her status, personality and beauty and proposes marriage to her, but is not in love with her. XY's romance is not resolved at the end of S1.

LYF = Lost You Forever. A fan that goes by Koala has published a translation of LYF (the novel) on her website (https://koalasplayground.com/tag/lost-you-forever/page/7/). She included translations of parts of chapter 17, 18 and 19 of Once Promised along with relevant chapters of LYF, and she indicated that chapter 19 of Once Promised was the final chapter of that novel.

Agreed, I'm also pretty sure they used those terms for censorship reasons. But I'm trying to figure out if it means they really made a change from the novel so that Xi Ling Heng definitely isn't the Emperor and Empress' daughter, or if it's just an obfuscation.

If it's an actual change, then I need to update the synopsis.

Thank you for the link! I see that CX does refer to Xi Ling Heng as the Empress' disciple rather than her daughter, which is consistent with how Xi Ling Heng addresses the Empresses (i.e., as "shifu" rather than "mother").

I wonder if those references might be used because they are just ambiguous enough to get around censorship requirements? The terms "master" and "disciple" suggest that they are not also mother and daughter, but don't absolutely preclude it.

The drama confirms that XY resembles the Empress more than her own mother, and I really can't see how that would be possible if she isn't the Empress' granddaughter.

There was a comment that got deleted that said that XY’s mother is not the Emperor and Empress’ daughter in the drama. That she is only the Empress’ disciple and not her blood relation. Can anyone confirm if that’s true?

XY's mother does call the Empress master rather than mother or Empress in the drama, and she does say that she was taught by CX's grandmother and that her last name is not Xiyan... but does that mean that she is not the Emperor and Empress' daughter? In the drama, XY's mother's name is Xi Ling Heng and the Empress' name is Xi Ling Xie. In the novel, the Empress' name is Xi Ling Lie Zhu and XY’s mother takes her mother’s maiden name (so she becomes Xi Ling Heng) so that she can freely wander in the wilderness.

There are so many consistent family relations references. CX's mother refers to XY's mother as sister. XY refers to CX's mother as aunt, and CX refers to XY's mother as aunt. When the Emperor speaks with CX, he refers to XY's mother as his aunt. XY refers to the Empress as "Granny" and CX refers to the Empress as "Grandmother". That could all feasibly happen without blood ties... but if XY's mother wasn't a princess of Xiyan, how did she have the status to marry the King of Haoling? Would he have married someone from Xiyan who didn't have the status of a princess? She is only named as "Princess General" when she is sent to face Chi Chen, years after divorcing the King of Haoling, so that wouldn't have been the status that she had when she married him.

And 10 minutes into episode 19, XY says to CX that they share a blood relation. And 7 minutes into episode 21, the Yellow Emperor tells XY that she looks exactly like her grandmother when he first met her.

If they did take away XY's mother's blood relations and XY's blood relations with CX and the Emperor... that's a pretty drastic change from the novel. XY's doubly royal status made her incredibly important, and the fact that she (along with ZX in the novel) is the only remaining living descendant of the Emperor and Empress was a hugely important protection for her / part of her status.

And I'd also need to update the synopsis… ^^"

In the novel, ZX's father (Chang Yi) was XY's uncle by blood and her mother's Fourth Brother. ZX's mother is XY's mother's sister-in-law. They are both the grandchildren of the Yellow Emperor and his Empress. ZX through his father and XY through her mother.

Yep. A few similarities (they're both soldiers...), but mostly those two are quite different. And there's both more connecting XY and XL than there is connecting Gale and Katniss, and more keeping them apart (https://mydramalist.com/44985-lost-you-forever#comment-14463639 for a start).

I felt the same about the triangle. I ended up being satisfied with how Tong Hua resolved it in the novel, but I also would not have minded seeing XY skip off into the sunset with both XL and TSJ as a happy throuple. ^^

I can picture it now:

1. If the female lead's relationship with a kind, sweet man ends with him marrying someone else, don't make sacrifices to make it possible for her to get back together with him. Take the opportunity to get engaged to her yourself!

2. It's okay to stay loyal to your family and fulfill a suicide mission in dedication to them, but don't actually die.

3. If the female lead cuts ties with you for keeping her in the dark to protect her, be very patient and devoted. Don't try to force her to take you back. Win her over again by giving her glimpses of your continued intense devotion, saving her life (again) and trusting her as a partner.

Yes, that is something that LLtG has in its favour. But even that is almost a parallel. General LBY pushes CSS away because he can't let go of his revenge. He nearly dies getting it, and loses CSS for years. But unlike XL, he gets a second chance and is willing to take it.

So much more so in the novel! The way XY's reactions to the bites are portrayed in the drama, especially the later bites... well I'll just say it's one of the things that makes me prefer the novel.

Interesting comparison. There are definitely similarities between TSJ and Peeta in terms of their personalities and devotion, and the kind of ending they would offer XY and Katniss respectively. The reasons why XY and Katniss would choose them are pretty similar.

As for the reasons why XY might decide to not choose XL... that feels more complicated than the reasons why Katniss ultimately doesn't choose Gale.

It seems many of us are in the same boat ^^

This type of heartache is addictive.

Youtube clips sucked me into a mini-rewatch of Love Like the Galaxy and I can't help but see parallels. A female lead who is traumatized and has difficulty trusting after her family members abandon her. Three suitors that fall for her first. One who is gentle, kind and sweet. One with a lofty status who enjoys bickering with her and keeps his feelings for her to himself for a long time, but holds out hope even when he knows it's hopeless. One who is a battle-hardened general who falls for her hard and fast and helps her both secretly and not-so-secretly...

Although it's still problematic, they are not siblings. They are cousins who call each other gege (brother) and meimei (sister). Ah Nian and CX also refer to each other the same way even though they are not related.

Just so you're not burned twice: season two of House of the Dragon probably won't air until 2024.

Part one doesn't end on a cliffhanger exactly. It ends when a major plot point milestone is achieved. But there is still plenty of story left to tell, and it's not clear how the romance of the female lead (XY) will be resolved. At the end of part one, she is engaged to a man that she does not love.