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Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

AH
Leaked script Ep 6
Chapter 31 (Koala)

At dusk, Xiang Liu stood by the banks of Gourd Lake in the lightly drizzling rain, holding a box in his hand with a faraway expression. It seemed as if Xiao Yao's voice could be heard in the rustling sounds of the wind, rushing waters and familiar scenery.

[Flashback: Xiao Liu challenging Xiang Liu to a swimming competition]

Xiang Liu withdrew his gaze and opened the box, taking out the ice crystal globe.

In an instant, the cold air and drizzling rain that came into contact with the ice crystal globe crystalised into snowflakes that danced around Xiang Liu.

Xiang Liu immediately realised the lengths to which Xiao Yao went to create it. His eyes held mixed emotions, and he was visibly moved.

Within the crystal globe was a base of blue sea, with colourful small fishes and red corals in it. On the surface of the sea was a great white seashell, and a beautiful mermaid sat on it, one hand on her heart, and the other hand outstretched towards the merman in the water, floating on the waves.

[Flashback to the time they saw the mating mercouple]

Xiang Liu lifted his hand and reached out as if to hold the mermaid's hand, but lingered without moving closer. Snowflakes fluttered down between him and the crystal globe, and his eyes were filled with sorrow.

He walked out of the brothel to find a misty rain falling.

He walked through a long street towards the western riverbanks, strolling slowly.

He stood by the edge of the river and stared out at the water and misty air and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

After a long time he looked down and opened his hand and in his palm was an ice crystal ball.
Misty raindrops fell on his palm and created an icy mist around the ice crystal ball. It made the blue water inside even more vibrant like the ocean under a full moon.

The blue ocean depths, the isolated peacefulness, the mermaid sitting on her beautiful clam shell home reaching out her hand to beckon, to plead, to summon. But the merman just coldly looked out at the world outside the ice crystal ball.

Xiang Liu stared at the ice crystal scene for a long, long time.

Slowly he reached out a finger and pressed it on the ice crystal so it looked like he was taking the mermaid’s outstretched hand.

At a glance, it appeared that they were holding hands but in truth the ice crystal separated them. They were from two completely different worlds, they could never truly be together.

Xiao Yao, dressed in white, sat hugging her knees on a rock outside Dragon Bone prison at dusk. The glow of sunset filled the sky as the ocean waves lapped on the rocks.

Xiao Yao fixed her gaze on the distant waves. She suddenly stood up and looked eagerly at the surface of the ocean, but could see nothing except water. Her eyes slowly filled with dejection and hurt, and she sat blankly back down.

************

[Several days later]

The sky was getting darker, with the last rays of light left at the horizon.

Waves rolled in, but Xiao Yao still maintained the same position, hugging her knees as she sat on top of the rock outside Dragon Bone prison.
A Nian skipped right up behind her.

AN (curiously): Sister, you have been sitting here for quite a few days already. What exactly are you thinking of?

XY: I don't know.

AN: You don't know?

XY: I am just waiting.

A Nian looked around suspiciously.

AN: What are you waiting for?

XY: I don't know.

AN (amused): You are still waiting even though you don't know?

XY (quietly): Perhaps I am just waiting for fate.

A Nian sat down by her side, and looked at her strangely.

AN: Fate? What do you mean by fate?

XY: I don't know.

A Nian pursed her lips and stared at Xiao Yao angrily.

AN: Sister, you didn't bother to answer my questions properly at all. Every answer is an "I don't know"!

XY: I really have no idea. People know nothing in this life! We don't know when we are born, when we will die, whether lovers will eventually get married, loving couples would be able to grow old together. We don't even know what will happen tomorrow.

A Nian finally understood what she meant. She thought of Cang Xuan and looked sadly at the horizon.

AN (murmuring): I don't know... (sighs) Back then, I thought that as Gao Xin princess, I could have whatever I wanted. I did not know that Cang Xuan gege would leave Gao Xin, did not know he would become king of Xuan Yuan, let alone that he would make someone else his queen. The person I am today has no idea either whether I could be with Cang Xuan gege in the future.

Xiao Yao patted A Nian comfortingly, and she looked back at her.

AN: What do you hope to be able to wait for?

XY: Royal Father asked me to wait for 7 days. If nothing happened within the 7 days, it is fate; if something did happen, it is also fate.

AN (comprehending): When you are unable to change anything, and do not know how to change it, it seems that all you can do is wait.

A Nian sadly rested her head on Xiao Yao's shoulders.

With the surging of the tide, the two sisters looked out to the horizon as the last rays of sunset sank under the ocean.

The Grand Emperor said, “I’ll give you seven days to reconsider.”

During the ensuing seven days, Xiao Yao really did reconsider and think carefully. Every day she sat on the jagged rocks outside of the Dragon Bone Prison and looked out over the deep blue ocean.

When Ah Nian went to get her, she could see the blue horizon, the red rocks on the cliffs, and Xiao Yao dressed all in white sitting barefoot on the black jagged rocks as the waves crested at her feet.

This image was impossible to describe other than Ah Nian felt a sense of utter desolation for her sister. Xiao Yao’s image made her think of the legends of old, of a fisherman’s wife sitting on the rocks waiting for her lover to come back, sitting and waiting for so long she turned into a rock.

Ah Nian had to break the desolation so she flew over and yelled, “Jiejie!”

Xiao Yao smiled at Ah Nian and then continued looking out over the horizon. Ah Nian said down beside her. “Jiejie, what are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.”

Ah Nian also looked out on the horizon and sighed. “I remember it was near here that I pushed you into the ocean. Back then I was so unhappy but now I realize it was nothing.”

Xiao Yao smiled. “You’ve grown up.”

Ah Nian asked, “Jiejie, what were you doing that night here?”

Xiao Yao said, “I came to see a friend.”

“Then later, did that Nine-headed demon Xiang Liu continue to harass you?”

Xiao Yao shook her head.

Ah Nian said, “I thought that demon was pretty fascinating.”

Xiao Yao looked back out over the blue ocean and said nothing.

________________________________

Seven days later the Grand Emperor asked Xiao Yao, “Have you decided?”

Xiao Yao said, “I decided. Announce the wedding date!”

The Grand Emperor said nothing and announced the wedding date to the world. In the Autumn month on the 22nd day, Eldest Princess Gao Xing Jiu Yao was going to get married.


On the day of the wedding, Xiao Yao was on board the Gao Xin wedding barge.

The Autumn month arrived and the Gao Xing wedding party departed from Five Gods Mountain via the water route towards Chi Sui.

Under Ru So’s expert travel planning, the wedding party entered the Chi Sui waterways on the dawn of the 22nd and the Chi Sui welcoming ships were waiting with celebratory music playing that was so loud it shook the Earth.

Both sides of the Chi Sui shore were jam packed with spectators there to watch the festivities.

Chi Sui’s clan traditional attire was the classic flair of the Middle Plains with a preference for red. Xiao Yao took off her white robe with her maids’ assistance and put on her red wedding dress.

The ships entered the Chi Sui river and gradually slowed down. It was the season for the magnolias to bloom and there were magnolia trees on both sides of the shore and the fragrance carried for miles as the petals rained down. Xiao Yao sat by the ship’s window and silently stared at the yellow petals floating by in the water.

The ship hadn’t yet reached the Chi Sui clan residence when the sound of the chatter on the shore reached the ship. Because too many guests were in attendance and the residence could not hold so many, the Chi Sui clan used its ice powers to freeze the lake surface into ice and a banquet was set up there. It brought a cool breeze to the proceedings and a great view to enjoy the banquet.

The guests sighed, clearly the head of the Four Great Clans could do anything, it could find disciples with the necessary powers and it had money to spend on even the biggest of parties.

When everyone saw the Gao Xing ships arriving, all the wedding guests stood up to watch.

Feng Long was wearing all red and was standing by the shore.

Xiao Yao gingerly walked to the edge of the ship with the assistance of her maid. She was dressed regally in all red and wearing a crown of jewels but her face was very beautifully bare. She only had on a little bit of lip tint which paired with the red peach blossom brand on her forehead turned her into a vision of beauty.

Feng Long normally didn’t put much thought into women but seeing her and thinking that tonight she would lay in his arms made even his heart thunder.

The ship reached shore but Feng Long still didn’t move and only stared dumbstruck at Xiao Yao.

The crowds laughed at him and his face turned beet red and he quickly grabbed the red lotus flower branch bouquet and bowed to Xiao Yao. “The lotus opens to bear unity, together our hearts as one.”

Xiao Yao reached out for it and repeated the same auspicious promise.

With the sound of music surrounding them, Feng Long assisted Xiao Yao off the ship and felt her small hand in his but it wasn’t soft like the other girls but instead had hard calluses, which made him feel even more tender towards her and he held her hand even tighter.

Meanwhile, Fangfeng Bei sat at the bow of a small boat on the river canal of Zhi Yi city. The boat passed by the location where Xiang Liu came to the city the last time and met Wen Xiao Liu.

[Flashback to Wen Xiao Liu waving to the boat from the shore
WXL: Boatman! Boatman! ]

Fangfeng Bei's eyes were cold and the illusion disappeared. The boat continued to move forward but the illusion of Wen Xiao Liu reappeared once more.

[Flashback:
WXL: I take things as they come, the four corners of the world is my home, no matter where I go. ]

Fangfeng Bei's cold eyes betrayed a trace of emotion. Lowering his gaze, an ice crystal globe appeared in his hand.

He stared at the crystal globe intently as if bewitched, and reached out to touch the mermaid within, their fingertips touching through the ice crystal.

His eyes softened but his words were cold.

FFB: I taught you the ability to protect yourself, yet now you want to take things lying down and just get by. Have you asked if I agreed?

N/A
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liddi
 Kokuto:
They have to give us new songs and BGM, too, right?  I mean, they ARE going to score that final battle.

Oh, that would be cool with Zhang Wan Yi getting a song.  Plus we need another Yang Zi ... WE NEED THAT NEW OST!!!

Why doesn't anyone ask these sorts of important questions in these interviews.  There's even a video with the music guy, Dong Dong? ... maybe he says something about it.  Let me find it.

Composer 董冬冬 Dong Dongdong said he composed 10 songs for LYF.  If we include the nursery song and the Chenrong army's song, there are already 10 songs in the S1 soundtrack. So I am hoping that he considered those as part of the instrumental soundtrack and not proper songs, which means we will get new songs in S2.

The music special feature is also shared on Twitter:

LYF Music Special Feature Part 1

LYF Music Special Feature Part 2


This is the translation of the video:

This drama "Lost You Forever" - its patriotic sentiment, romantic love, familial love, and of course a lot of detailed emotional nuances. So a lot of our music is emotion-centered. Regardless of whether it is the narrative sense from the string instruments, or the humming of the female voice, or each character theme song, they are all expressing "yearning".

From the initial rough edits, to detailed edits, to composing music based on the scenes, I spent 4.5 months. The way I approached [composing for] Lost You Forever is similar to how I would usually compose for a film, but I actually composed 10 songs, and over 200 pieces of background music in total. So it's true, I really love this drama.

Actually when we were composing the instrumental music, we experimented a lot. At first I thought I did not want to use folk instruments this time. We wanted to go more for the symphonic feel, create an overwhelming momentum, let the music be more grandiose. However, probably about halfway through it, I felt that the instrumentation was too simplistic by just solely using a symphonic orchestra. There is still a need to use some folk instruments. So in the end I added the dizi,  shakuhachi, 箫 xiao, as well as the pipa. I discovered that composing for Chinese historical dramas still requires the integration of our folk elements into it.

The music 王权之路 "The Road to the Throne" for Cang Xuan's ascension to the throne is very grandiose, basically with a sense of a grand symphony. Everytime Cang Xuan... whether it is his ascension to the throne, or when he is faced with the greatest challenges, this is the main theme that accentuates his performance.

Tushan Jing's 愈 "Healing". In the beginning, he was a badly wounded person saved by Xiao Yao, who in the end, transformed into an elegant young man. As such, I made his song more "cultured". When Wang Zhengliang sang this song, he gave it more of a scholarly feel, which makes people feel it is a very clean song when they hear it.

In Lost You Forever, the most captivating battle scenes have to be Xiang Liu's, and [the music] is the most different out of what I composed. At the time, I wondered how to represent this Nine-headed Demon Xiang Liu. I felt that using that particularly strange female voice, that extremely cold, high-pitched chanting, as well as the particularly eerie pipa... Each time he appeared, Xiang Liu's distinctive music would be present. Then at the climax of the battle, the 唢呐 suona (loud high-pitched Chinese wind instrument) would play.

In the first 18 episodes, Yang Zi was actually playing a man. Then in Ep18, she suddenly transformed into Xiao Yao, that kind of beauty, whose beauty overshadows everything in the world. I have to compose a song for this, which is 万物不如你 "The World Cannot Compare To You".

This time, when we composed the songs and background music for Lost You Forever, our topmost priority is suitability. Although these are all heartwrenching songs, their levels (of sadness) are not the same. All our songs are about love, which particularly matches the main theme of "Eternal Yearning".

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liddi
 AH :
Happy to put liddi and Koala's work into table form. ^^

The LYF S2 leaked script text is from liddi's translation on page 211 of this thread:

Thank you for your comparison!

It just drives home again how lacklustre the changes are, and the significance of the crystal globe greatly diminished by changing the fact that it was prepared 4 years ago to something she thought of as a last present for Xiang Liu before her wedding. 

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Kokuto
 liddi:
Composer 董冬冬 Dong Dongdong said he composed 10 songs for LYF. If we include the nursery song and the Chenrong army's song, there are already 10 songs in the S1 soundtrack. So I am hoping that he considered those as part of the instrumental soundtrack and not proper songs, which means we will get new songs in S2.

Oh, no!  But someone has to compose the Chi Chen song!


 liddi:
This is the translation of the video:

Oh, bless you!  That's very interesting about the XL music.  I was just talking in the comments about how I felt his music was eerie in part because he was a demon.

And he succeeded so well, in having the music and the themes for each character express yearning.  As soon as I hear the first few notes of the opening credits, my heart just clenches up.

It's cool how he give CX the GRAND music.  As it should be.  lol

I wish he had talked about Yang Zi's See and Miss Me, the duets and Tan Jian Ci's songs, but it would have been a much much longer video.  lol

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AH
 liddi:
Thank you for your comparison!

Thank you for providing the script translations!

 liddi:
It just drives home again how lacklustre the changes are, and the significance of the crystal globe greatly diminished by changing the fact that it was prepared 4 years ago to something she thought of as a last present for Xiang Liu before her wedding. 

I completely agree. 

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Kokuto
 AH :
Happy to put liddi and Koala's work into table form. ^^

Bless you too!  It's going to take me a minute to digest, but this is so much easier.  Thank you!

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liddi
 Kokuto:
Oh, no!  But someone has to compose the Chi Chen song!

Surely it has to happen. Seeing it was referenced prominently in the script to begin with, I am truly excited at the thought of hearing TJC sing it.


 Kokuto:
Oh, bless you!  That's very interesting about the XL music.  I was just talking in the comments about how I felt his music was eerie in part because he was a demon.

And he succeeded so well, in having the music and the themes for each character express yearning.  As soon as I hear the first few notes of the opening credits, my heart just clenches up.

It's cool how he give CX the GRAND music.  As it should be.  lol

You're very welcome! 

Yes, he made Xiang Liu's theme music very unique - discordant, eerie, otherworldly. I particularly love the motif when Xiao Liu sees his mask melting away for the first time - menacing, the steady beat of the drum reflecting the thumping heartbeat as we see the face behind the mask that strikes dread and awe at the same time.

You summed up the reaction to the opening credits perfectly - I feel the same way too. To be honest, initially I felt that the overall soundtrack a little too muted, but as I continued to listen, I appreciated how dialed back it was, never overpowering, but beautifully complementing the scenes. Oh, and I love 爱之哀叹 Lament of Love which often plays during Xiang Liu's scenes - just the solo, plaintive female voice that perfectly expresses the yearning of the scene, and often brings me to tears.


 Kokuto:
I wish he had talked about Yang Zi's See and Miss Me, the duets and Tan Jian Ci's songs, but it would have been a much much longer video.  lol

Me too, especially 偏爱人间烟火 Favouring Mortal Fireworks. I guess he selected one song/piece for each main character that best represents them, and he clearly loves what he accomplished with Xiang Liu's music.

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AH

The Viki synopsis for LYF 2 caught my eye. With my rock-bottom expectations, I'm not anticipating that anything in S2 will demonstrate that XY wants to run away with XL this clearly and unequivocally. But the acknowledgement here was still nice to see.  

When Princess Jiu Yao’s (Yang Zi) royal past was wiped away, she had no choice but to build a life far from home, masquerading as a man. Living a simple life, fate introduces her to future clan leader Tu Shan Jing (Deng Wei) and the demon Xiang Liu (Tan Jian Ci). Torn between these two and Prince Xi Yan Cang Xuan (Zhang Wan Yi), who has been searching for her, Jiu Yao must choose her path. After helping Cang Xuan secure the throne, Jiu Yao wishes to live a secluded life with Xiang Liu, but Cang Xuan has other plans. Can he let her go after years of searching? Directed by Yang Huan and Zoe Qin, this 2024 sequel to the Chinese fantasy romance series “Lost You Forever” delves into love, duty, and destiny.

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AH
 Kokuto:

Bless you too!  It's going to take me a minute to digest, but this is so much easier.  Thank you!

You're welcome. ^^

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Kokuto
 AH :

The Viki synopsis for LYF 2 caught my eye. With my rock-bottom expectations, I'm not anticipating that anything in S2 will demonstrate that XY wants to run away with XL this clearly and unequivocally. But the acknowledgement here was still nice to see.  

When Princess Jiu Yao’s (Yang Zi) royal past was wiped away, she had no choice but to build a life far from home, masquerading as a man. Living a simple life, fate introduces her to future clan leader Tu Shan Jing (Deng Wei) and the demon Xiang Liu (Tan Jian Ci). Torn between these two and Prince Xi Yan Cang Xuan (Zhang Wan Yi), who has been searching for her, Jiu Yao must choose her path. After helping Cang Xuan secure the throne, Jiu Yao wishes to live a secluded life with Xiang Liu, but Cang Xuan has other plans. Can he let her go after years of searching? Directed by Yang Huan and Zoe Qin, this 2024 sequel to the Chinese fantasy romance series “Lost You Forever” delves into love, duty, and destiny.

Whooooaaaa!!!!  How did that slip through?

Dare we ... hope?

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liddi
 AH :
The Viki synopsis for LYF 2 caught my eye. With my rock-bottom expectations, I'm not anticipating that anything in S2 will demonstrate that XY wants to run away with XL this clearly and unequivocally. But the acknowledgement here was still nice to see.  

Wow that is indeed a clear nod to the YaoLiu loveline, with nary a mention of the official pairing. Perhaps the admin is a YaoLiu fan too. And yes, dare we hope that they know something we don't?

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AH
 Kokuto:
Whooooaaaa!!!!  How did that slip through?

Dare we ... hope?
 liddi:
Wow that is indeed a clear nod to the YaoLiu loveline, with nary a mention of the official pairing. Perhaps the admin is a YaoLiu fan too. And yes, dare we hope that they know something we don't?

Tbh I feel like it's probably a typo and they meant to refer to TSJ. 

But I'll still enjoy seeing it for as long as it stays up. 

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liddi
 AH :

Tbh I feel like it's probably a typo and they meant to refer to TSJ. 

But I'll still enjoy seeing it for as long as it stays up. 

Nah. I'm utterly convinced they read Xiao Yao's mind and knew exactly whom she really wanted to live a secluded life with. 

But yes. Do tell us if it ever gets changed.

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Kokuto
 AH :

Tbh I feel like it's probably a typo and they meant to refer to TSJ. 

But I'll still enjoy seeing it for as long as it stays up. 

But Jing was married after CX ascended the throne, and the end of season 1, so it can't be him.  It has to be XL ... or Feng Long.  lol  Poor Feng Long.


 liddi:

Wow that is indeed a clear nod to the YaoLiu loveline, with nary a mention of the official pairing. Perhaps the admin is a YaoLiu fan too. And yes, dare we hope that they know something we don't?

I'm betting a YaoLiu fan ... but hoping they know something we don't!  lol!

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Sssnoopyyy
 Liu Yifei:

Petition to change the drama's name from Lost you forever to Happily ever after. After all XY was supposed to lose someone and the only person she lost was her love of life, Xiang Liu and not that platonic bullshit. How in the world lovers bug represent platonic love. The book was about Xiang Liu. Not some ordinary romance drama with Tushan Jiing. They made everything 1000x worse. I will be weeping forever for Xiang Liu and ba writing. Anyway TJC did a great job.

Happily ever after is exactly what I thought when I read the leaked script. The changes totally eliminate the lost you forever theme (which is actually for CX’s character, ofc yes XY does lose XL too and it was not platonic). They butchered it all cuhs of censorship

 liddi:

LOL. I adore Ru Shou and A Nian's interactions actually! I'm not sure whether he would have treated her better than Cang Xuan, but certainly, their bickering is a breath of fresh air after all the pain from everyone else. 

Though you may need to take sides some time... after all, he led the army that killed Xiang Liu and crushed the Shen Nong resistance army... 

I do too! And it isn’t out of ill will with the way they treated each other. If they changed the love line to them, I can see them being like other drama cp’s that bicker and then fall in love. But sadly, she became one of the many women in CX’s harem.

love the OST’s! Chi chen’s song - XL singing this to XY wasn’t part of the novel right? I think it was only mentioned when he destroyed the bug in that scene. Anyway I still love 万物不如你 "The World Cannot Compare To You" - always reminds me of CX and XY’s scenes because they play it a lot when they are together with the beautiful cinematography and backdrops!

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