♥️The Hidden Story of Yaoliu ♥️

Aug 17, 2025 10:18 am

“Lost You Forever” — Lifting the Fog, Searching for the Truth (Thirteen): The Metaphors of ‘Monkeys’ and ‘Ears’

At the entrance of Huichun Hall hangs garlic; layer by layer its skin is peeled away, gleaming white like jade — it is both ruthless calculation and pure food.

In this section, we will explore what exactly the repeatedly appearing “monkey” and “ear” refer to. This part is rather abstract and not very straightforward, but it is exquisitely crafted; it is the innermost layer of garlic skin, closest to the core.

To understand the core, the “monkey” and the “ear” are very important.

Let us continue to look at it from the author’s perspective:

Tong Hua said that the 2012 version of Lost You Forever was the most mature work in terms of her writing skills at that time. After the 2019 revision, she also made up for some regrets. ——Indeed, she borrowed and incorporated all the good elements from the great classics.

Earlier, we mentioned how Tong Hua borrowed plotlines and philosophies from Dream of the Red Chamber and The Nine-Colored Deer. Here, we will see how she drew from Journey to the West.

The content of Journey to the West is rich and also contains mature theories.

One of the more mainstream views is…

The scripture-seeking team is actually a depiction of one person divided:

Tang Seng is the body, Sun Wukong is the mind, the White Dragon Horse—the horse is intention, Zhu Bajie—the pig is desire, Sha Seng—the fish is action.

In the application within Lost You Forever, here are a few examples:

After the wedding snatching and the return, the “body” was separated, but the “heart” was always together, highlighting the theme of Lost You Forever.

Fangfeng Yiying is Xiaoyao’s “Yi /intention,” and the only two preserved mounts, the Heavenly Horse of the Fangfeng clan, emphasize the relationship between “Yi/intention” (意) and “Ma/horse” (马).

The pig represents “yu (欲, desire),” and Cangxuan is linked with the pig’s head. First, it is a jest, calling Cangxuan a pig’s head; second, it means that Cangxuan’s “yu (欲, desire)” is something he does not let Anian see.

Zhu Bajie carrying his wife — Cangxuan’s “yu (欲, desire)” toward Xiaoyao grows.

After Xiaoliu first encounter, he told Shiqi to imagine her as a talking pig. From that moment, he began wanting to poison Xiangliu — thus arose “yu (欲, desire).”

Fish represents “action.” Tushan Hou drives and commands the fish demon, digs out its heart, and controls the fish demon’s “action.”

This alludes to Jing using Xiaoyao to control Xiangliu, and using Xiangliu to control Xiaoyao. In the previous passage, it was already stated — “If you save her, you fall into my trap; if you don’t save her, you will watch her die.” Xiangliu’s choice was to save her.

In Journey to the West, the monkey represents the “heart.”

This is the “True and False Monkey King” episode. Sun Wukong devoted himself wholeheartedly to protecting Tang Seng on the pilgrimage for scriptures, but Tang Seng repeatedly drove him away. Resentful and angry, Wukong gave rise to a “divided heart.”

The monkey represents the heart. The true heart resides within one’s own body, while the additional “monkey,” the Six-Eared Macaque, is the “second heart,” also called the “deluded heart./false heart”

The deluded heart confuses the true heart, therefore, the Six-Eared “Mí” Monkey.

Explanation:

妄心 (wàng xīn) = deluded / false heart.
迷 (mí) = confused, lost, or deceived.
六耳“迷”猴 = “Six-Eared ‘Mí’ Monkey” → a metaphor for the deluded heart that misleads the true heart.

In essence: the false heart confuses the true heart, giving rise to the “Mí Monkey” as a symbol of confusion or deception in the heart.

“Left ear” and “right ear”

The “Six Ears” represent the “six faculties”: joy, anger, love, thought, desire, and worry.

The left ear represents “joy, anger, and love,” while the right ear represents “thought, desire, and worry.”

Joy and anger arise from love. The few special depictions of Xiangliu’s laughter and anger after his feelings awaken in Qingshui Town represent the “left ear” born from love.

The boy in the death arena had no left ear. After gaining freedom, Xiaoyao gave him the name “Left Ear.”

Fangfeng Bei, when dissected character by character, contains both a left ear and a right ear. When Fangfeng Bei died, Xiangliu lost the left ear, leaving only the right ear.

Xiangliu shot and killed Fenglong. Breaking down the characters “丰” and “隆”: three generations in sequence, left ear, another life.

—The boy in the death arena killed the slave master once again, and after gaining freedom, he began a new life with a left ear. Taking a wife and children, traversing rivers and lands, he merged into the ordinary, mundane world of human life.

—The everyday life of the mortal world soothes ordinary hearts the most. The left ear and right ear — joy, anger, love, thought, desire, and worry — are the firewood, rice, oil, and salt of human life, the sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy of this world.

The metaphor and philosophy of the “monkey”
The extra monkey represents a person’s “deluded heart (妄心).”

Those who experience joy, anger, love, thought, desire, and worry inevitably give rise to a “deluded heart.” A person’s greatest enemy is oneself; growth is not only self-improvement but also self-correction.

Sun Wukong struck and killed his own “second heart,” and from then on, the “mind-monkey” returned to its proper place, with the “true heart” overcoming the “deluded heart.”

Let us now examine the metaphor of the “monkey.”

The struggle of the two hearts
Some of Tushan Jing’s events are not easy to understand because the plot contains embedded metaphors. Let us examine the meaning of certain events within these metaphors.

Tushan Jing is Xiaoyao’s “monkey.”

Tushan Jing and Xiaoyao are out of sync; he wants to end his life, corresponding to the “monkey.”

Tushan Jing, this “monkey,” is also the nine-tailed fox demon who imprisoned her.

There is a person who gives up all love for themselves, a false happiness that comes effortlessly — this is Xiaoyao’s deluded heart (妄心).

Yet her demands were something even her own mother could not fulfill. By understanding her mother and reconciling with her, Xiaoyao grows, and her deluded heart (妄心) is broken.

The TV adaptation added the “struggle of the two hearts.”

The Six-Eared Macaque can foresee the future, and the spirit cultivated by Tushan Jing can anticipate danger.

Tushan Jing predicted the danger; to save Tushan Tian, he lured Xiaoyao to Qingshui Town, forcing Xiangliu to assist secretly — otherwise, Xiaoyao would perish alongside him.

The moment she heard about going to Qingshui Town, Xiaoyao took the bait.

The “Faceless Assassins” killed all of Tushan family’s secret guards, and then, suddenly, these assassins themselves turned into corpses, leaving Xiaoyao completely unharmed.

Yiying looked sickly. Who killed the assassins? Let us guess…

Xiangliu killed the "Faceless Assassins", marking the end of the deal between Xiaoyao and Tushan Jing.

—The changes made in the TV adaptation once again emphasize Xiaoyao and Xiangliu working together to overcome Xiaoyao’s “deluded heart,” symbolizing her growth.

In Xiaoyao’s struggle of the two hearts, the “true heart” prevailed.

Tushan Hou is Tushan Jing’s “monkey.”

“Under the same umbrella but with different handles, same person but different fates.” In terms of writing technique, Hou and Jing are the same person, and “Hou” sounds the same as “monkey.”

Tushan Jing was tormented and humiliated by Tushan Hou. As we mentioned before, the richest man coveted politics and sought to stir up the political situation. In metaphor, the one tormenting him is his own deluded heart.

Tushan Jing’s deluded heart, Tushan Hou, wants everything — wanting everything, insisting “I want this and that, and more.”

Tushan Jing does not want to take revenge on Hou, allowing his deluded heart to grow.

—When Jing duels with Hou, Jing cannot defeat Hou.

The struggle of the two hearts continues, with neither willing to die nor give up.

The true heart and the deluded heart — which one is stronger after all?

Let me point out one plot detail: the fox-tail puppet could deceive everyone except Tushan Hou. Therefore, the one that Tushan Hou had to exert his last strength to kill could not have been a puppet.

—Tushan Jing struggled so hard to survive, yet he could not overcome the wildly growing “Six-Eared Macaque” within himself, and in the end, he was killed by his own desires, reaping the bitter consequences.

In Tushan Jing’s struggle of the two hearts, the “deluded heart” killed the “true heart.”

Chishui Fenglong is Xiangliu’s “monkey.”

The Monkey Demon King brews “monkey wine,” and the dragon pearls are made into dice. The Monkey Demon King’s longing, the exquisite dice holding red beans, symbolizes a deep, bone-deep yearning…

Fenglong and Hou both jumped off the boat to catch fish; they are very similar.

Xiangliu possesses extraordinary intelligence and the highest combat power; he is the optimal general that every emperor desires.

Which man wouldn’t have the ambition and dreams to traverse the world?

Fenglong is the prince of Chenrong, and Xiangliu is a general of Chenrong.

To stop the war, Xiangliu killed Fenglong, cutting off his own path to fame and success, noble titles, and high office — perhaps even his chance of survival.

Stopping war is true martial skill.

Those who lay down their weapons are the real brave ones.

In Xiangliu’s struggle of the two hearts, the “true heart” killed the “deluded heart.”

This corresponds to what Jun said: “Fame, wealth, and power cannot tempt you.”

—Throughout the hidden narrative, the fox and the snake are always a contrasting pair. The difference is that in some places it is obvious, while in others it is deeply hidden.

Following the interpretive approach of Journey to the West, the answers to the hidden plot also emerge. If it feels mentally exhausting, blame Tong Hua’s high intelligence.

In the plots of Dream of the Red Chamber and The Nine-Colored Deer, Tushan Jing dies. In Journey to the West, likewise, Tushan Jing dies.

This is a story of growth. Eternal Longing is not a tragedy; it is powerful and warm.

The three main characters: one is forced to grow through hardships, one grows in reverse, and one grows actively and resiliently.

This is also why most people favor Xiangliu.

We’re not done yet. Tong Hua’s entire Classic of Mountains and Seas series tells the story of several generations, who go through eighty-one trials to obtain the “true scriptures,” following the narrative of Journey to the West.

The “True Scripture” is the wish of King Shennong, the lifelong endeavor of Chichen, the passionate and generous declaration of succession by the Grandfather, the lifelong sacrifice of Cang Xuan, and also the result strongly promoted by Xiangliu. It is the victory of class struggle, a world that is unified, peaceful, and equal among humans, gods, and demons, a world where even the son of a lowly person can become a great hero.

Did they ultimately achieve their wishes? We will see slowly.

AkuMau

Aug 18, 2025 12:36 am

"Longing — Part Twenty-Two: Cangxuan, When Desire Clouds the Eyes, Cruelty Clouds the Heart"

"In order to meet the requirements for adapting the work into film and television, the drama version of Cangxuan had to make modifications to the original familial relationships and political intrigue details."

"She wanted to kill him, and he pretended not to see it."

The original work’s logic is tightly interwoven, and any change inevitably affects the whole. The script deliberately retained loopholes.

For example, Ah Heng became a disciple of Xie Zu, yet he retained the ‘looks like grandmother’ trait. Xiao Yao calls Cangxuan’s parents ‘Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt,’ yet she still uses the term ‘grandfather.’

Every instance of this deliberate sense of disconnection conveys a feeling of helplessness

While the script strives to salvage the internal logic, it also tries to change the form without altering the essence, patching up the major gaps in the book and highlighting parts that were deeply buried in the original work.

Cangxuan became somewhat disordered due to the 'changes that had to be made.' Therefore, in this article, we attempt to outline the original Cangxuan based on the character relationships in the book and the additional clues provided in the drama."

It’s reversed again.

Xiao Yao is Cangxuan’s older sister, but Ah Heng used 药物 (yàowù) medicine/drugs to alter the pregnancy, turning the older sister into a younger sister. The story of siblings was told as if it were a brother-sister story.

It’s the 'old trick,' 'reversed.' All of childhood Cangxuan’s promises regarding Xiao Yao, from the perspective of the plot, are reversed.

The real familial relationships

The childhood emotions of Yao and Xuan were like the beginning of the story of 'The Golden House Hides a Beauty'—cousins, childhood sweethearts, innocent words without restraint. But 'The Golden House Hides a Beauty' is not a happy tale; Liu Che and A Jiao’s story has always had nothing to do with a beautiful romance.

The young Cangxuan, having lost his family, drank mulberry honey and vomited.

Xiao Yao comforted the young Cangxuan, soothing his loneliness and fear

Knowing that Cangxuan is living well, that is the only sweetness she has left.

She used her life to protect Cangxuan.

And there is the following segment. Don’t get carried away—look carefully, and you will notice the problem. How did Cangxuan respond to Xiao Yao’s protection with her life?

Xiangliu appeared, warning of danger.

Xiangliu warned of danger again, and Xiao Yao looked around.

Yujiang appeared, and fully energized Cangxuan protected Xiao Yao.

When Cangxuan was beaten to near death, Xiao Yao turned her back to him and, facing the person drawing a bow in the darkness, used her body to shield Cangxuan.

After confirming it was Xiangliu, Xiao Yao turned around, offering her back to Xiangliu to protect Cangxuan, tightly clutching Cangxuan’s clothes.

Cangxuan shouted hoarsely for her to get out of the way.

The camera focused on Cangxuan’s hand: tightly gripping the clothes, palm open, never pushing Xiao Yao, whose spiritual power was weak.

The camera then focused on Xiangliu’s face, a contemptuous smile.

Once the truth was seen clearly, the plot once again fell into place.

After the assassination, Xiao Yao made pastry poison for Xiangliu. (‘Pastry’ is a code for a return, the poison represents affection, shaped into a form of beautiful memory.)

Xiangliu taught Xiao Yao archery. (To defend herself effectively.)

Is Xiao Yao foolish? At the most crucial moment, she clearly knows who she can trust unconditionally.

Is Xiangliu foolish? The longing and pain he sensed through the lover’s gu had already revealed to him the truth of Xiao Yao’s return.

Cruelty clouds the heart.

Cangxuan would protect Xiao Yao. However, when protecting Xiao Yao requires paying a high price, he becomes fearful and gives up.

For the sake of seizing power, Cangxuan caused Xiao Yao to be brutally killed by the combined forces of the Central Plains. Facing the killers, he chose to continue cooperating.

He married Chen Rong Xinyue, the granddaughter of his father’s murderer.

Cangxuan was raised from childhood to be an emperor; he is not an ordinary person, but someone destined for great achievements and responsibilities. We see his attitude toward the nobility and the common people, his contributions to both fragmentation and unification, and his choices between war and peace. As an emperor, Cangxuan is not only competent but successful, even glorious and great.

From crown prince to emperor, Cangxuan’s emotions and desires could all be mistakes; he has far too many circumstances beyond his control.

The calm, composed, and big-picture-minded Cangxuan was clouded by cruelty in his heart, which is why he is 'shrimp.

'Pig’ and ‘Shrimp’

Two symbols have always followed Cangxuan: the pig and the shrimp. Sometimes they appear as props, sometimes as allusions.

We mentioned earlier Journey to the West: the pig represents 'desire.' The shrimp appears as a prop multiple times, hinting at Cangxuan’s 'invisible' trait.

Cangxuan is blinded by desire.

Qingshui Town

From the beginning, Mr. Shi told him that Xiao Liu was Xiao Yao.

Later, all the 'abnormalities' pointed to Xiao Liu being Xiao Yao.

Xiangliu guessed it, the fox guessed it, Shao Hao guessed it when he heard him describe it—all of them guessed it.

Cangxuan is not foolish, but he does not believe it.

The sister in his memory is like this: ⏬ when the sister grows up, she will be like A Nian, and later she will become his wife.

And Xiaoliu is like this. ⏬ He cannot see that Xiaoliu used the illusion technique, nor can he imagine that this crude man is his adorable sister Yuxue, the noble princess.

Cangxuan was blinded by desire. He guessed it, but it was not what he was willing to see—impossible! He chose to look away.

The same happened later. When Xiao Yao was pregnant, she once again gave Cangxuan the 'shrimp' prop.

That truth existed deep in his heart. Once again, he was blinded by desire—he guessed it, but was unwilling to see it.

Xiao Yao died because of him, returned because he needed the fox… most of the blame for the vomiting blood lay on himself.

Cangxuan once again chose to look away, convincing himself that it was the fox’s fault, that it was all the fox’s doing…

The Lover’s Gu and Cangxuan

Cangxuan and Xiaoyao planted the Lover’s Gu; they had each other in their hearts, but the Gu could not make their lives and hearts linked as one

When the Lover’s Gu was lifted, cangxuan finally no longer had to be coerced by the Gu. Yet there was an inexplicable sense of loss on his face, while joy and relief were instead written on Lao Sang’s face

The Lover’s Gu was transferred to Xiangliu, allowing Yaoliu to share life and heart as one.

Whether they are truly linked in life and heart depends on whether both are willing.

Whether they are willing to share life and death with each other, and treat each other with wholehearted devotion. Sharing life, linking hearts.

Cangxuan and Yao Liu

Kill me?

Cangxuan knew it from the very beginning.

Xiangliu, afraid of involving Xiaoliu, clumsily lied, saying, 'I just wanted to kill you.' Cangxuan remembered it."

Xiangliu chased him to Wushen Mountain, and Cangxuan teased, 'You came all the way to Wushen Mountain just to kill me!'

Xiangliu no longer had any reason to be obstinate and admitted, 'This time, it’s not for His Highness.'

Xiangliu broke into Chenrong Mountain to save Xiao Yao, and Cangxuan asked again, 'You came all the way to Chenrong Mountain just to kill me?'

—Xiangliu risked his life three times to save Xiao Yao, and Cangxuan said 'kill me' twice, exposing Xiangliu’s clumsy lies.

Cangxuan always knew.

He also knew that the Lover’s Gu could save lives, and that the Gui Fang family possessed 'secret techniques.'

Change in attitude

Xiao Liu defected, and Cangxuan sensed desire through the gu insects, realizing that Xiao Liu was not dead and had an intimate emotional relationship with Xiangliu.

Here he asked, and Xiaoliu answered half-true, half-false: 'I’m afraid of him, but I don’t dislike him,' 'We’re not enemies, but certainly not friends' — we all know what she means. Afraid he might abandon me, loving him, we are lovers

When Xiao Yao asked about Xiangliu, Cangxuan treated it as facing a formidable enemy and issued a warning.

Asked, 'How did Xiangliu save you?' and revealed Xiangliu’s 'deal,' sabotaging him. Xiao Yao answered vaguely and leapt at the fox, confusing Cangxuan’s line of sight.

On one hand, 'shrimp,' and on the other, began to suspect Fangfeng Bei.

During the wedding-snatching return in the drama, it was confirmed that Fangfeng Bei is Xiangliu.

He knew; it was the 'shrimp' he had deliberately chosen.

Desire blinds the eyes.

When Cangxuan truly possessed the entire world, he also inherited the loneliness of the whole world.

Xiao Yao is his only warmth. He wants her, but the empresses he could marry could only be Chenrong Xinyue and A Nian.

It is very clear in the drama: in the later stages, Cangxuan struggles between desire and reason.

Xiao Yao was on Xiaoyue Peak; although Cangxuan could not have her, at least he could see her every day.

Seeing Xiao Yao being intimate with the fox, he was really angry.

After using him, he chopped the fox and saved his sister from the clutches of the scumbag—he is a good brother.
Since the 'Running Man' incident, for every single scheme and malicious calculation of the fox, he has been a witness.
He is a hundred times better than the fox, and he is self-righteous about it.

Knowing that Xiao Yao and Xiangliu are truly husband and wife, he pretends with the 'shrimp.'

Forcibly breaking apart his sister’s family, using her, causing her to die because of him…

In Xiao Yao’s heart, what exactly does he count as?

Over nearly a hundred years, how much of Xiao Yao’s kindness toward him was genuine, and how much was forced, beyond her control?

Xiangliu can wholeheartedly protect her, risk his life to save her—what about him?

Most importantly, he will definitely eliminate Xiangliu. With the Lover’s Gu binding their lives and hearts, Xiao Yao would also be killed.

Thus, Cangxuan continues to choose to be blinded by desire, have his heart clouded by cruelty, and keeps pretending all the way…

Xiao Yao’s anger

Cangxuan, you are ungrateful! — I want to unify everything; toward King Haoling, I remember only grudges, not favors."

"The truth after cangxuan’s sly argument:

The death of cangxuan’s father—the direct culprit was Yanqi

The death of Xiaoyao’s parents—the direct culprit was the Old King of Xi Yan.

Yet he held no grudge against either of them."

The fault lies with Xiao Yao; she should not have discussed emotions with the emperor. The emperor is more concerned with gains and losses.

Xiao Yao’s tearful accusation

Xiao Yao dreamed of Tushan Zhen.

We all know who she dreamed of, and who Tushan Zhen represents.

In the drama, it is made very clear: Tushan Zhen was poisoned and fell unconscious, the poison administered by her biological mother. The drama has Xiao Yao see Tushan Zhen ill with her own eyes. At this moment, who else could she possibly be thinking of?

Xiao Yao arrived at the scene and guessed what had happened, her eyes shifting left and right a few times. When Li Rongchang mentioned Jing falling into the water, the corner of Xiao Yao’s mouth twitched, revealing a barely noticeable smile, and then she jumped into the water.

Cangxuan followed closely and jumped in, pulling her back.

When Xiao Yao, who dared not reveal her sea monster constitution, was pulled back by Cangxuan, and Xiangliu felt intense heartache through the gu, did he hear Xiao Yao scolding him painfully through the gu? 'Bastard, coward!'

Xiangliu was heartbroken and said, 'Had I known it would be like this...'

In the drama, Xiao Yao is quite wild. Because the drama cut parts about the great whirlpool, poisoning, and the breakup, all the conflicts were concentrated in this part.

Comparison of two pictures. Where are my family? You have torn our flesh and blood apart.

The secret escape passage was lost, yet she herself did not escape. Fangfeng Yiying’s son was poisoned and she treated him. What about her own son, who was weak and sickly because he had been given medicine by her?

Vomiting, eating cakes. Cangxuan knew about all those days she spent with her son. Wisteria, the child’s pain. Facing Xiao Yao’s silent accusation, Cangxuan was still pretending with the 'shrimp'.

The words she shouted to the sea, her crazed state, her whitened hair, the sword she swung—all were eruptions of longing for her son and husband, and anger toward Cangxuan.

At midnight, she paid homage to the full moon, wearing a white wedding dress similar to the one used for planting the gu. Every word she spoke was a prayer to the two emperors for her family torn apart.

Chi Chen’s daughter was, by nature, a she-beast. Someone, out of jealousy, wanted to kill her male beast; her cubs would be left alone and go mad—shouldn’t they?

I spared no effort to help you obtain the throne, I compiled medical books so that you could benefit all living beings and gain prestige among the people…

You have everything, and all I want is my family, my husband, and my son. Why do you give me nothing?

The old man saw it all with his own eyes, knew it in his heart, and understood everything clearly.

In the ending part, several storylines are intertwined. Let’s first look at the beginning of the Yao-Cangxuan line. (The story still has a turning point.)

The emperors and Yao Liu, when facing Tushan Jing, were like a family. Regardless of their motives, they indeed helped, protected, and guided Xiao Yao.

When Tushan Jing died, the world had become one family, leaving only the remnants of Qingshui Town. The conflict of interest between Cangxuan and Xiangliu was exposed.

After Xiao Yao caused a commotion using an excuse, her grandfather showed Cangxuan the karmic illusion. The old man’s meaning was very clear: either you release her and bear the risk, or you kill her and bear the 'consequence' yourself.

Cangxuan refused to believe and refused to comprehend. He set a trap to lure Fenglong to his death; Xiangliu, in order to save the righteous army soldiers, could only jump into the pit.

What followed would be silencing witnesses, making Xiangliu willingly disappear forever. With Xiangliu alive, Cangxuan was on pins and needles.

The Lover’s Gu binds their lives and hearts; if one dies, both perish. Between Xiao Yao’s life and his own peace of mind, Cangxuan had actually already made his choice.

However, when it came to this point, Cangxuan was still pretending with the 'shrimp.'

Up to this moment, his thought remained: I want it all.

Doppelgängers and shadow-writing

Regarding the emotional part, the drama’s explanation is actually very clear.

The main emotional storyline remains unchanged, but the emotional details of the main characters are expressed through the visible storylines of the doppelgänger characters.

Chenrong Xinyue (心悦, ‘Xin Yue’ meaning ‘heart’s delight’ or ‘joy of the heart’) is Xin Yue. In the first half, compared to Tushan Jing, it seems like affection, but it is more about the other person’s status.

Sometimes she also represents Xiao Yao.

In the second half, Chenrong Xinyue represents Cangxuan, focusing on jealousy. Because of jealousy, evil thoughts arise.

Cangxuan wanted to kill Xiangliu, also because of jealousy.

Cangxuan is not a villain. As an emperor, all his emotions and desires are considered wrong; he has too many things beyond his control.

The debts owed by each character will eventually be settled, one by one—no one can escape.

At the beginning of the story, Xiao Yao gave Cangxuan a fox tail. A patchwork continuation—the tail is the ending. That’s how we get the story we see.

In Mr. Shi’s account, Xiao Yao gave Cangxuan a jade pendant. The jade pendant represents noble status. Xiao Yao cast aside her noble status and went into seclusion.

After Xiao Yao went into seclusion, Cangxuan still had a fox-tail puppet. This tells us that beyond the ending, there is another ending.

The ending is perfect.

AkuMau

Aug 18, 2025 06:49 am

Question:

Tushan Jing was born with spiritual eyes that can see through all transformations and illusions, so why, when his grandmother and Yiying set him up, did he not see that the Xiaoyao transformed by Yiying was fake?
A nine-tailed fox can transform at will, so why, when he first met Anian and feared being recognized, did Tushan Jing not transform? Instead, he put Xiaoliu in danger and acted as the one who ran away?

AkuMau

Aug 19, 2025 12:16 pm

Tong Hua was afraid that everyone still might not understand, so she specifically created ‘Filter’. Of course, if you don’t want to watch ‘Filter’, that’s fine too—just reading ‘Lost You Forever’ is also okay…

‘Filter’ is the restoration of reputation that Tong Hua has returned to her readers.

IX. Connections Outside the Drama
❶ A Thousand Faces (Filter Collaboration Chapter)
(This part is a crossover with Tong Hua’s new drama, just for fun—no need to overthink it ❌)

Note ⚠️: Filter and Lost You Forever are two works with completely independent storylines. Their common ground lies in Tong Hua’s narrative “logic of thinking”…

① “Thousand Forms” and “Filter Bracelet”

Male transformation vs female transformation

Our hearts beat as one

Overpowered in martial strength, Su Chengcheng (‘Yushan max-level account’ Sister Yao) VS mentally strong but physically weak Tang Qi (‘Xiangliu without cultivation techniques’).

The handsome guy has arrived.

● Theme

【Life】

“The toad’s oil.”

“Both love and responsibility must be firmly held (want them all).

“Love and responsibility, I want them all. (Xiangliu’s inner voice: Xiaoyao and the righteous army—I want them both.)”

• Accept your imperfect self.

“Participation Award” — plain-looking, quick-eyed and deft-handed, able to take on ten at once.

“Four-color seer.”

【Love】

“Möbius strip: eternal and perfect love.”

“Her courage and kindness are a ray of light that shines into my heart.”

“Vomeronasal organ, pheromones.”

“The normal state of a ‘woman who is loved’—beautiful because of love.”

“Love and Time.”

“Prince Rupert’s Drop.”

• Love is a ‘good medicine.’

“You are the only color in my world.”

“Love that cannot be obtained (lack of love).”

“Home of Rock Sugar Oranges.”

【Some Values】

“The beauty of women comes in countless forms.”

“Work is a woman’s greatest reliance.”

“If evil is not punished, how can good be upheld?”

“Allow mistakes, strive to correct them.”

“The same world, different ‘eyes.’”

“Be yourself.”

“Both ‘ordinariness’ and ‘perfection’ bring anxiety.”

“The rainbow is rich and colorful.”

“Love yourself.”

“Time flies like a white colt passing through a gap, yet the fragrance of the heart endures forever.”

“Love is the resonance of souls — how far have ‘you’ evolved?”

“Make reasonable use of science.”

“Beauty”

“The ordinary you and me.”

② Su Chengcheng’s Filter Bracelet: A Thousand Faces

● Principle of the Filter

“Deception by light and shadow.”

“‘Future’ technology.”

“Material”

【Filter Experiment】

“Passed the test.”

“Members of the Filter Team.”

“Who is Grandma Selling Flowers? (Most likely related to Bai Yuxia).”

● Filter function

Upgrade 1: Three-dimensional copying

Upgrade 2: Three-dimensional printing (2D image to 3D conversion)

Upgrade 3: Three-dimensional projection

Upgrade 4: Inner barrage of thoughts

Love Gu modern version (So this is the little trick you lovebirds are playing? The blogger once imagined Sister Yao saying to the Love Gu every day, “Hubby, I love you~,” but unexpectedly it turned out to be the reserved Xiangliu saying it to Sister Yao…)

Final form: “Invisibility” (visual concealment)

1️⃣ Su Miao (bright and beautiful, fictional identity)

Death Escape

["Pride and Prejudice"]

Identity vs Appearance

Change an identity vs change an appearance

[What exactly do you like?]

Do you only like this identity / this face?

If what you like is only this identity / this face, then once it disappears, you won’t need to like it anymore.

[I only like “you”]

It’s all my fault.

No matter who “you” are, I only like “you.”

● Alpaca (Su Miao’s “keepsake”)

Send it to the zoo

【Destroy the corpse and erase the traces】

Destroy the corpse and erase the traces.

Evil alpaca.

Not “it”

…

【The end of each identity will mark the beginning of a new one.】

Little brat, this bossy big sis has plenty of strength and tricks.

Kokuto

Aug 19, 2025 07:05 pm

AkuMau:
Question:
Tushan Jing was born with spiritual eyes that can see through all formations and illusions, so why, when his grandmother and Yiying set him up, did he not see that the Xiaoyao transformed by Yiying was fake?
A nine-tailed fox can transform at will, so why, when he first met Anian and feared being recognized, did Tushan Jing not transform? Instead, he put Xiaoliu in danger and acted as the one who ran away?

Good questions.

Wasn't he drugged? That may have had to do something with it. I'm not sure Jing can see through ALL formations and illusions, can he? Why didn't he see through XY's illusion, then? And he didn't notice the formation in the assassination attempt did he??

That's a good point. Though we never did see Jing transform into another person. We did see him transform into his tails.

AkuMau

Aug 20, 2025 05:17 am

Kokuto:
Good questions.
Wasn't he drugged? That may have had to do something with it. I'm not sure Jing can see through ALL formations and illusions, can he? Why did he see through XY's illusion, then? And he didn't notice the formation in the assassination attempt did he??

That's a good point. Though we never did see Jing transform into another person. We did see him transform into his tails.

[Jing possessed a natural Spirit Eye, able to see through all illusions and transformations. With the help of the spirit-aware little fox, he continued tracking until he reached another valley. Before him was a formation combining the three elements of water, wood, and fire—a deadly killing array. However, the ground was covered in snow, which worked to his advantage. Jing scooped up a handful of snow from the ground, held it in his palm, and white mist emanated from between his hands, enveloping him so that he disappeared completely.]

Jing has a natural spiritual eye, capable of seeing through all illusions and transformations.Just a little hallucinogen, and his natural spiritual eye stops working? (Hallucinogen > natural spiritual eye? Do you believe it? He can even misjudge people?) How many of the things he says are actually true…The divine artifact “Zhuyan Flower” > natural spiritual eye, this I believe...

[Jing took a small pouch of medicine and held it up to Xiaoyao’s nose, letting her smell it.

Xiaoyao said, “You really haven’t forgotten what I taught you.”

“Never will forget.”]

Tushan Jing, who would never forget the herbal knowledge taught by Xiaoyao, would not be made to faint by Lady Tushan.

“Note: Sorry, I made a typo in writing. It should be 'transformation,' not 'formation.'”

That's a good point. Though we never did see Jing transform into another person.

who knows… we could take the example when Hou killed Lanmei. Was the person on the screen really Tushan Hou or Tushan Jing…

AkuMau

Aug 20, 2025 12:31 pm

Did Yaoliu really have a child?”

It was originally Tong Hua who pointed to the story of Wu Xuanshuang. Tong Hua said that Wu Xuanshuang raised the child of her deceased beloved until adulthood, and that this embodies the spirit of life that Lost You Forever seeks to convey. In contrast, Cangxuan and his mother, when compared to Madam Hu Yidao, are not a good example.

What is the “spirit of life”?

In Once Promised, through the words of Changyi and Changpu, Tong Hua expressed her view on life and death: only life can dispel the shadow of death. Life means giving birth to children.

[Changyi was slightly stunned. No matter how much he hated that father, this child was still A Heng’s child.

“Yes, I’m going to be an uncle,” Changyi laughed from the bottom of his heart. Only now did he truly understand his mother’s joy — in this world, only life can dispel the shadow of death.

Changpu’s laughter rang out. “Since you like children, then let’s have a whole bunch of them.” She sat down beside Changyi, propped her chin up with both hands, squinting as she said, “If a group of children surrounded Mother, calling her ‘Grandmother, Grandmother’ nonstop, she would surely smile so wide every single day that she couldn’t close her mouth.” She clapped her hands and declared to Changyi, “It’s decided then! Let’s hurry and have children, a whole bunch of them, so that the entire Chaoyun Hive will be filled with the laughter of children.”]

With this hint, during the first week of the third volume’s publication, the discussions on Baidu Tieba were already very lively, including Tong Hua’s own little amusement in fanning the flames. Someone compiled everything and posted it on Sina Weibo:

Someone compared the similarities between A’Heng and Xiaoyao, the mother and daughter, in the room, to explain what Tong Hua called her “little amusement.”

If this matter were placed in ancient times, it would be considered chongxi (a marriage to ward off misfortune). The Sunü of Jiuyou wrote the Sunü Xinjing for the Yellow Emperor, which was precisely about using sexual intercourse to cure illness. Moreover, when Xiaoyao woke up, she happily asked Maoqiu to take her to see him. Therefore, there is no such issue of this being forced—underline this: “it did not go against the woman’s will.”

The responsible editor for Lost You Forever was well known to be a supporter of the Yaojing pairing. After she went to seek confirmation from Tong Hua and learned the truth:

[Wusha 无杀

2013-08-19 10:12 from weibo.com

…………In the end, when I learned the truth, my tears fell down @

Tong Hua 桐华

@Yingying Yishui 滢盈一水: I read a post on Tieba, and suddenly I started to believe that when healing her injuries, Xiangliu really did sleep with Xiaoyao………………… He hoped she wouldn’t hate him. The author said that the physical changes were only one reason; Xiaoyao was sleeping inside a seashell, and merfolk mate inside seashells. In the end, Xiangliu gave Xiaoyao a Laughing Baby Doll with a big belly. Don’t forget, not long before that, he also saved her once……………… @Tong Hua 桐华, don’t you really consider telling the truth to clear up the rumors? Kill the editor @Wusha 无杀 we want the truth!]

What exactly was the author thinking?

Tong Hua’s modern-themed works are all very pure, and even the ages of Luo Qiqi and Zhang Jun don’t quite match. But when it comes to non-modern fantasy, historical, or science fiction novels, she completely lets herself go.

In Tong Hua’s works, true loves who have “done it”:

Scarlet Heart (步步惊心): Ruoxi vs. Fourth Prince — miscarried.
Ballad of the Desert (大漠谣): Xiaoyu vs. Huo Qubing — had a child.
Song in the Clouds (云中歌): Yunge vs. Liu Fuling — miscarried.
Once Promised (曾许诺): A Heng vs. Chiyou — had a child.
Lost You Forever (长相思): Xiaoyao vs. Xiangliu — left behind offspring.
Memory Lost in Space (散落星河的记忆): Luo Xun vs. Yin Nanzhao — fulfilled the male lead’s mission.
The Starry Night, The Starry Sea (那片星空那片海): Wu Julan vs. Shen Luo — left behind offspring.

The other daughters have it, so Xiaoyao must have it too—this is her little amusement. Having a child is because, later in her books, The Starry Night, The Starry Sea also has the female lead insisting on leaving offspring for the male lead, as if only in this way can it be considered the continuation of “life.” In that book, the male lead is still the king of the mermen, and it can be seen as an extra story of Xiaoyao and Xiangliu.

A Heng and Chiyou had a child, Xiaoyao and Xiangliu left offspring, Wu Julan and Shen Luo left offspring. Luo Lan fulfilled the continuation of Yin Nanzhao’s undertaking, the reconciliation between clone species and humans.

[Coming out of the supermarket, the wind was strong and the sunlight was dazzling. Through the car window, I saw the sky was so blue, the clouds so white, and I thought of Jiuming (a character in one of my stories), dressed in white. In the twists and turns of the mortal world, he should have been such a carefree demon, yet was bound by responsibility. I always liked to use snow to describe him. Just as I was lost in this sorrowful thought, suddenly it began to snow. Snowflakes hit the car window. I was astonished! The sunlight was still so dazzling, and my husband said, “Sun snow! Very rare!”]

I don’t know what happened to Tong Hua in 2011–2012. Sun Snow?

The Prototypes of Lost You Forever Characters

Xiaoyao is Wu Xuanshuang; her true love died, she herself lived on, raising her beloved’s child to adulthood (Wu Xuanshuang is not Xiaoyao’s mother; Xiaoyao’s mother lived only to wait for Xiaoyao to grow up).
Cangxuan and his mother are like Madam Hu Yidao and Hu Fei, who committed suicide to be buried together.
The Tushan brothers are like the Ouyang Feng brothers, borrowing seed to have children.
Xiangliu is Sun Snow, he is Zhang Jun, and can serve as a seamless substitute. In Those Youthful Times That Can’t Return, there are Zhang Jun’s pressing questions and the scenes by the sea.

[With him there, the fear faded, and the adventurous, thrill-seeking side of my nature was stirred. As we went deeper and deeper, the seawater had already risen to my waist. When a wave surged in, I held my breath tightly and closed my eyes. With a thunderous crash, I felt as though I had been swept under by the raging sea, my body battered and out of control — fear, terror, and exhilaration all at once. He held on to me tightly, and I clung to him just as hard. In that moment, it seemed as if the only thing I had was him, as if he were the very pillar of my whole world.

After a while, the tide began to ebb, the water level dropped, and my head broke through the surface again. I let out a long breath and coughed violently. With no experience, I had still ended up choking. His eyes were filled with laughter as he looked at me, laughing out loud.

I kept coughing, wiping my eyes, and brushing back my hair, and still managed to spare a kick for him.

Once I had caught my breath, we held hands and got ready to face the next wave.

Amid the vast green waves, we became each other’s only one. Between the rising and falling of the tide, we laughed freely, reveling in unrestrained joy.]

According to Wu Xuanshuang’s story, since her deceased beloved Li Yi had a child, then Xiangliu also has a child. But who gave birth to Xiangliu’s child? It can’t be that Xiangliu himself laid an egg, right? If that were truly the case, then Xiaoyao would also have eaten a snake egg!

AkuMau

Aug 23, 2025 11:27 am

The red thread of love

"Lost you forever vs FILTER "

[That thread may be accidental, but the moment it entwined made me believe it was destined.]

[What the eyes see is false;

What the heart feels is real.]

I love “you.” It has nothing to do with appearance, species, intelligence (social identity), or gender. I love the “one and only” soul.

[TV Drama Filter — Dedicated to Ordinary You and Me

25-3-20 18:00 Official Weibo of TV drama Filter

Posted in Beijing

Written for Tang Qi and Su Chengcheng:

“Dedicated to ordinary you and me.” The familiar ending theme played, but there was no option for the next episode. Yet I know you will continue to love each other in a parallel world.

This spring, together you had dinner by the light of a handmade desk lamp in a powerless laboratory, and you protected each other in moments of pursuit; you confessed under the rainbow, and you bid farewell beneath the rainbow steps; at the flower-surrounded lakeside you proposed with a Prince Rupert’s drop, and in a tent you bared your hearts and confessed; you ran together under one school uniform in the rain, and kissed in the snow.

Regret may be an unavoidable part of life. When the whole world could no longer see Chengcheng, even her footsteps were erased, yet Tang Qi still heard the sound of Chengcheng approaching, reached out his hand, and held the wind chime together with “the air.”

At the wedding scene, I saw happiness overflowing from you both. Everyone was cheering, but as I watched this moment, my eyes slowly turned red — so if you are truly happy, I will be the one to shed tears first.

Thank you for showing me the true form of love: be yourself, and there will be someone who loves you with unwavering devotion. Love is the ultimate filter — unrelated to appearance, identity, gender, or even species.

I will forever remember that in 2025, Filter came into my world together with joy, happiness, deep emotions, and the spring; I will forever remember those days filled with both laughter and tears, spent together with you, with the King of Filter, and with the Divine Mirror Soldiers.

Unforgettable, reluctant to part, yet still I must bid you both a proper farewell. Goodbye — I hope you will always be happy, and I hope we will still have the chance to meet again. I will carry with me the warmth and emotions brought by Filter as I walk into every brilliant tomorrow. #Filter #FilterFinale#

— One of the Divine Mirror Soldiers who, sweetened to the point of toothache, still refuses to wake up

关注我的人:

“No matter who you are, no matter what identity or appearance you have, the person I truly want to spend my life with is you.” This does seem to echo Tong Hua’s style, and also fits the protagonist’s personality (clever and with her own mind). The overall logic is complete as well.

In fact, the heroine only loves the Nine-Headed Demon. Who cares what identity, or who exactly it is? After all, it’s still that one and only Nine-Headed Demon in the world. So, Nine-Headed Demon, don’t you die. Nine-Headed Demon, you must come back alive. That’s all.

Finallyand :

Yes, the soul-love written by Tong Hua has always been like this — loving the soul. All the fussing over Bei-Liu’s identity is completely unnecessary.

Together, we admire the beauty of the mortal world(That person is like a rainbow — only upon encountering them do you realize such a thing exists).

Lost you forever:

As long as within heaven and earth

there are still such sights,

life is truly precious.

No matter how rare the scenery is,

if seen too often, it becomes dull—

unless there is someone to accompany me,

then it will have meaning.

Scenery is always lifeless;

only people

can give scenery its meaning.

FILTER:

This world, precisely because it is like a rainbow—

able to embrace and display all kinds of colors—

makes even someone as very, very ordinary as me feel

that being alive is truly meaningful.

I like you.

Sorry, I said it wrong.

I don’t think it’s just “like.”

I have fallen in love with you.

KnitTeaTankLock

Aug 23, 2025 07:17 pm

There is much I don't understand but what I am going to ask about right now is:

how can it be said that Tushan Jing wants Xiao Yao to be his forever for her elixir blood so that he can be healed/live and not be sacrificed to the Tushan spirit

AND

Jing was behind the attack to torture and kill her in Meilin forest ?

Kokuto

Aug 23, 2025 11:24 pm

knitmergetanklock:
There is much I don't understand but what I am going to ask about right now is:

There's a lot I don't understand either. :)

These are translations of essays from different people found in a variety of places. Some of it is objective or subjective analysis of the text or drama or Tong Hua posts, and others are speculation and others are, IMO, flights of fancy. It isn't just one person's writings, so, it isn't consistent across posts.