AH

The spoiler tag is made for replies like this. For the sake of those who don't want to see spoilers, please use it.

You're welcome :) That wording is confusing even for native English speakers.

"Consume" would be better translated as "use up". No matter how much heart blood XL would have to use to revive XY if she were to die again, XL could recoup it (if he wanted to) by drinking her blood.

There's a really good analysis of how to think of what "zhiji" really means in Mandarin. This has come up for a few different dramas and translations (e.g., the Untamed): https://hunxi-guilai.tumblr.com/post/612161034673946624/all-right-guys-lets-have-a-conversation-about

TL;DR: "zhiji" means a person who knows, understands and recognizes you.

Although it doesn't preclude romance, it doesn't necessarily have romantic connotations. And although a true zhiji is very rare, you could theoretically have multiple zhijis. Your enemy could be your zhiji. Someone you just met could be your zhiji, and someone you have known your whole life could be your zhiji. But new or long-standing, it's always inherently a deep and meaningful connection.

In fact, it's may even be the deepest possible type of relationship. Because "knowing", "understanding" and "recognizing" someone is so rare, powerful and meaningful. In the tradition of ancient Chinese literature, it is frequently portrayed as a relationship that is worth dying for.

When I read the novel, I had similar feelings about XL and Sir Bi being friendly acquaintances / drinking buddies. I'm far too invested in the idea of this fictional character having a friend ^^

You're right that the outline of the scene and almost all of its original elements are there, but they made some tweaks. I felt like those relatively small tweaks *significantly* changed the mood of the scene and made both characters' thoughts / feelings less clear.

Yes, she will end up happy with one of the main characters.

Several main characters die. Some of those deaths are not permanent, but some are.

The novel ending is happier for certain main characters than it is for others. Also, death isn't necessarily the worst ending a character can have. But if you don't want to watch unless all of the main characters live and get unambiguously happy endings, then this might not be your cup of tea.

I'd read that fic ^^

The drama censored that scene where XY is in the pool. In the novel, XL is already pretty certain XY is a woman at that point, and in that moment after biting XY he's attracted to her. The finger tracing? Attraction. But they changed the vibe in the drama (likely to pass censorship) so the mood of the scene is confusing.

In the novel, the author's favourite character has what you could optimistically call a bittersweet ending, but plenty of readers consider it utterly tragic. Another main character has a low-key tragic ending. And two other main characters get a mostly happy (but still partly bittersweet) ending.

Maybe trying to convince the censors ^^

I am still holding out a tiny bit of hope that the adaptation of chapter 43 will give us some good scenes to enjoy.

This fan definitely appreciates it ^^

Wow hats off to the drama writers. That was a great add!

Novel readers: does anyone remember what chapter fem!XL (the veiled lady in white on the boat) appears? It would be whatever chapter corresponds with episode 17. I've looked through the novel and can't find it. Was that a scene that was created especially for the drama?!

I get what you mean. I just find it funny that really all of the main characters have two identities, although some definitely last longer than others.

Fearsome demon general XL vs concubine-born second son of a second-tier clan + playboy FFB.

Haoling Princess XY vs male small town doctor WQL.

Xiyan Prince CX vs small town wine merchant Xuan.

Wealthy future clan leader TSJ vs penniless assistant to a small town doctor YSQ.

Glad you liked them. I totally get why they cut those scenes. Even for the ones with no censorship issues, they'd be hard to film or include in a way that did them justice. But these cut bits are one of the reasons I keep telling people to go read the novel. They're so good! ^^

In my head-canon version of this story, TSJ and XL are both pan (XL doesn't come across as ace to me) but picky. They fall for the person and not the package.

And although XL initially says he's not interested in XY's "false" WQL form (despite already being hot and bothered in that scene, at least in the novel version), he quickly gets over that and will happily switch his own gender just so he can sit next to WQL on a little boat and feel more like a couple. Maybe even be perceived as a well-matched couple by others.

The types of things that *aren't* in the drama but *are* in the the first 7 chapters of the novel are things I'm not surprised were cut or adjusted, but I miss them anyway and prefer the novel because of them. A lot of them are related to how XL and XY's relationship is portrayed. And there are more changes in the later chapters.

Things like the description of XL stopping by to visit XY occasionally for no reason after Ma Zi's wedding:

"After Ma Zi’s wedding, Nine Lives Xiang Liu would occasionally come and sit in the clinic courtyard and drink a few cups of Xiao Liu’s wine and nibble on a few of Xiao Liu’s snacks."

Things like the fact that after XL stuns XY in order to make ZX vulnerable to an assassination attempt, XY lays on top of XL while the two of them float in the lake and they have half a conversation like that before XY starts swimming (and it's in that position that XL first suggests transferring the bug from ZX to him):

"Xiang Liu’s body fell backward and he laid down on the water’s surface. Xiao Liu’s entire body was still aching so he couldn’t move and could only lay on top of him... Xiao Liu closed his eyes and felt them rocking on the waves. The water supported everything so there was no need to use any strength and it was quite relaxing... Xiang Liu softly laughed. “Then put the bug inside me.” Xiao Liu scoffed, “Like you would be so nice.”"

Things like the fact that XL passes air to XY many times under water after XL receives the poisonous bug, and it's not an issue:

"All the fish in the ocean came to help and created a maze to block and distract the Gao Xing soldiers and lead them astray. Xiang Liu held Xiao Liu’s hand and swam in the silent eerie bottom of the ocean. Every time Xiao Liu ran out of oxygen, Xiang Liu would pass a breath of air to him."

Just a bunch of stuff like that. Not massive changes. But definitely things I miss.