Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 blabla100:

I do believe he did, at one point, intend to have an on going relationship with XY, but I do not believe he ever thought that he will grow old with XY. The way I see it, he was very clear minded about this aspect and the temporary companion that WXL spoke about was exactly what he could and intended  from the get go.  The discussion they had about the temporary companion is quite important to the story and definetely TH added it with a well established purpose.

That’s interesting. It’s likely WXL didn’t have the self-awareness to know that was a lie. Perhaps it could have created a misunderstanding at the start, though I’m not sure that XL would have thought that for long. WXL too often complained of feeling lonely to XL. As XL’s awareness of his feelings for XY deepened and his own understanding of love grew, I would think it would have been even less likely for XL to think so. “Someone to rely on” is what he wanted for XY.

 blabla100:

Again, the way I see it it has nothing to do with having 1 life versus 9, their principle was the same, going down with the ship, with the soldiers they willingly accepted to be in charge of, regardless of sharing the same view as them or not.

I’m curious, do you think TH had any specific purpose in creating XL’s character with nine lives?

 blabla100:

I have a few days off and I am în a reading spree, so I am almost half a way through memory lost în space, a book that shares a few similar aspects to Lyf. In it, the ML  suffers from a dangerous mutation that has no cure, it can activate all of a sudden and once that happens it's a death sentence. Howerer, that didn't stop him or the FL to indulge in a very close relationship, similar to the relationship of XY-FFB, the only thing he asked for was for her to treasure her own life regardless of the costs and never give up. The FL în this novel is very different than XY, but not that different than WXL, so IMO XL thought that WXL îs strong enough to handle the situation after he's gone, so what he agreed to was a temporary companionship from the get go. În fact, I believe that what he wanted to ask of her when they made the oath was exactly this, to keep on living and make the best out of life after his demise.

I’m enjoying your reading updates! Your description here reminds me of the poem, “Parting From My Wife,” which was linked in a discussion a few months back. At the time, it was mentioned how each of the LYF chapters corresponds to a classic Chinese poem. While I’m not sure what was previously discussed about this poem, related to Chapter 50 (Hair Bound Together Without Any Doubts), your words capture the sentiments I see reflected in it. “Enjoy the glorious seasons with all your heart, never forget times of happiness.” (努力爱春华，莫忘欢乐时.)

While poetry isn’t my strong suit, the poem seems fairly straightforward (thank you for the translation!). It’s a soldier’s farewell to the woman he loves as he leaves to fulfill his duty. Though the couple in the poem are married (and XY and Jing get married in this chapter), I think it more likely represents XL and XY and his unspoken feelings for her as the final battle approaches. The line “Serving on the battlefield, not knowing when we will meet again” (行役在战场，相见未有期) feels particularly apt. It was mentioned that the meaning of the poem corresponds to the meaning of the chapter in the story. I was especially drawn to the last line of the poem: “If I survive, I will surely return, if I die, consider it as an unending yearning” (生当复来归，死当长相思.).

Here’s a breakdown of the individual words*:

• 生 (shēng): Life, to live.
• 当 (dāng): Should, ought to.
• 复 (fù): Again, to return.
• 来 (lái): To come
• 归 (guī): To return home.
  

Together,  生当复来归  means “If I live, I will surely return to you.”

• 死 (sǐ): Death, to die.
• 当 (dāng): Should, must.
• 长 (cháng): Long, eternal.
• 相思 (xiāng sī): Mutual longing, deep yearning.

Together,  死当长相思  means “If I die, I will long for you forever.”

For me, the last line conveys a mix of uncertainty, devotion, and a promise to return. It’s a testament of his enduring love and commitment in the face of potential death. 

Was there any general consensus about the poem in prior discussions? What are your thoughts on its meaning and how it connects to the story?

*chatGpt definitions 

Thanks for adding the link to the discussions. I may be partial to the poems for chapters 50 and 51.  :-)

 Snowcup:

Now I have the drama scene of XL/FFB and XY in her bedroom in S1 stuck in my head. It plays somewhat differently in the drama vs. the novel where we didn’t have a strong sense of XL’s reactions. Has there been any discussion about this yet? There’s an implication in his response that seems to go beyond XY’s rejection to a neck bite. 

https://www.tiktok.com/@wetv_official/video/7264930692964912392

I once made a scene comparison...I'll see if I can find it for you. But the novel portrays a different XY. Though I think Tan interpretation is for me feels right. 

 Snowcup:

That would be fun to see if you find it. XY seemed a bit colder in the drama, and I wonder if YZ interpreted her role that way as a counterpoint to TJC’s XL in the scene. Agree TJC’s portrayal feels aligned with the story.

There's a belief that the drama tries to push YaoJing, perhaps to satisfy the censors and portray XY in love only with the man she ends up.

 Kikinaki:

---

Hi guys,

What's new? It's been a while 

Hello! I'm stuck over at the Filter comments section! 🤭🤣 I think Tong Hua may have gotten better at writing screenplays, I'm just waiting to see how she ends all the story arcs.

 Kikinaki:

---

Hi guys,

What's new? It's been a while 

Hello!  We're still her, though it has slowed down.

 plor20:

Hello! I'm stuck over at the Filter comments section! 🤭🤣 I think Tong Hua may have gotten better at writing screenplays, I'm just waiting to see how she ends all the story arcs.

Me too!  Though I'm behind.  Such a fun drama, but with layers.  I hope she sticks it.

 Kikinaki:

Oh wow! Tong Hua has a new script? I really want to read it

Is there a group discussion page , I want to join

The discussion is in the comments.  Apparently there's lots of discussion in China amongst fans.

 Frost_edelweiss:

Mind blown that this discussion reaches 736 pages here and is also pointing to my favorite fun show of the past few days: Filter !    

Well, we were quite chatty and ... long winded, and we had a year between parts.

The power of Tong Hua and Tan Jian Ci. ;p

 Frost_edelweiss:

Laughing!  yesss.....   We enjoy, don't we!

This is my comfort space I come back too when I need some thought provoking shennegans to ponder about. 🤭