I have never looked up the character Zhen 瑱 and I don't recall who gave the baby name. It seems that in the drama the grandmother named Yiying's baby. Character 瑱 with pinyin of "zhen" means jade jewelry on a crown which hangs over the ears. It definitely links to Jing's name which also has jade element in his name.H19279:
The interesting part is the same character with pinyin of "tiàn" means jade ear plugs and there is an idiom "以规为瑱 " [yǐ ɡuī wéi tiàn] which means "pay no attention to another's advice" or "ignore the rules". It implies Jing's grandma's intention and action. She knew her action to trap Jing is beyond the rule. She probably knew or sensed Yiying and Hou's relationship. In any case, the baby was still direct descendant of her husband and entitled the clan leader in future. She empathized Hou and this can be considered as compensation for his mistreatment by Jing's mother and his disqualification as clan leader by the clan seniors if the baby was Hou's son.
Now you have me a little curious about the name and the naming conventions in the novel. The novel mentions the Tushan Grandmother gave Zhen his name. Less than a month later, she passes away peacefully holding Jing and Hou in each hand. But I’m not so sure she had much empathy for anyone in particular. She only seemed to truly care about the family legacy and seemingly turned a blind eye to everything else.
When I first saw Zhen’s name, I initially wondered why he had the same name as the Tushan doctor, Hu Zhen, until I saw the Chinese characters were different. Then I saw the link to Jing’s name (radiant jade) with the jade element rather than Hou (bamboo element). On the one hand, naming him Zhen 瑱 (zhèn) outwardly cements his status with the thematic link to Jing, to obvious benefit. Another meaning in classical usage, 瑱 (tiàn) as "jade earplugs," could serve as a compensatory name to Jing's “radiance,” which the Grandmother may find too bright (hard to control) for comfort. So Zhen’s 瑱 is intentionally more muted and has the desired utilitarian aspects for the family. I could see Tong Hua choosing a name for multiple meanings, and “ignore the rules” perfectly suits the Grandmother’s style. She certainly knew she was trapping Jing.
I wonder how Xiang Liu, born alone from an egg, got his name …
Snowcup:
If you’re just starting to review it, like I am, I might suggest viewing it more like a picture book – the photos are pretty good. So far, my favorite is the adorable snowman family in front of Bao Zhu’s house – those rascally grandkids were so precocious, both in the novel and drama.
The text, however, is another story on a different plane, set to crash. Of course, there’s some real content – more like old news – sprinkled in among the horse feathers to add credence. Brings to mind the recent meme for this:
“I ain’t reading all that. I’m happy for you tho. Or sorry that happened.”
I can't read the text anyway since I don't know Mandarin :-)
It's interesting to see the amount of analysis that people go into. I guess, they really love the XL/XY pairing and want to leave no stone unturned to uncover TH's hidden thread.
Came across a parallel to Xiao Yao and Xiang Liu inside the seashell.
Sweet. Is it real or created with AI? It's scary to think how good AI is that it's getting harder to tell the difference.
When I first saw Zhen’s name, I initially wondered why he had the same name as the Tushan doctor, Hu Zhen, until I saw the Chinese characters were different. Then I saw the link to Jing’s name (radiant jade) with the jade element rather than Hou (bamboo element). On the one hand, naming him Zhen 瑱 (zhèn) outwardly cements his status with the thematic link to Jing, to obvious benefit. Another meaning in classical usage, 瑱 (tiàn) as "jade earplugs," could serve as a compensatory name to Jing's “radiance,” which the Grandmother may find too bright (hard to control) for comfort. So Zhen’s 瑱 is intentionally more muted and has the desired utilitarian aspects for the family. I could see Tong Hua choosing a name for multiple meanings, and “ignore the rules” perfectly suits the Grandmother’s style. She certainly knew she was trapping Jing.
Super interesting. Thank you for sharing.
Much earlier on, we discussed TH taking inspiration from 'The Dream of the Red Chamber' and its writing method. We discussed the names of the two families (in DotRC) and how they were part of the theme that the novel was highlighting. I think TH was very deliberate with what she wrote and what she didn't write, and paid attention to very fine details. There was a breakdown of the names and the changes to the names between the 2 editions that liddi did. And solarlunaescalipse also did an analysis of the names as well.
On the subject of the bamboo and jade element. There were references to both of these in the novel that we discussed. I think there was disagreement at some point about whether the text was talking about bamboo, it was about Jing or CX.
I wonder how Xiang Liu, born alone from an egg, got his name …
Did he name himself or did his adopted father name him?
And what would be the breakdown of his name and its meaning?
I can't read the text anyway since I don't know Mandarin :-)HeadInTheClouds:
Me either without some help. There are phone apps for photo text, if you’re inclined.
Sweet. Is it real or created with AI? It's scary to think how good AI is that it's getting harder to tell the difference.
Oh, you might be right. It does seem too good to be true. Awww, it’s so lovely!
Super interesting. Thank you for sharing.
Much earlier on, we discussed TH taking inspiration from 'The Dream of the Red Chamber' and its writing method. We discussed the names of the two families (in DotRC) and how they were part of the theme that the novel was highlighting. I think TH was very deliberate with what she wrote and what she didn't write, and paid attention to very fine details. There was a breakdown of the names and the changes to the names between the 2 editions that liddi did. And solarlunaescalipse also did an analysis of the names as well.
On the subject of the bamboo and jade element. There were references to both of these in the novel that we discussed. I think there was disagreement at some point about whether the text was talking about bamboo, it was about Jing or CX.
Thanks for the references and context – I’d probably need to review the discussions to get a better understanding of their points, though I do recall someone linking the green bamboo color to Jing.
What intrigues me most about Zhen’s naming is its narrative function. As @H19279 noted, 瑱’s dual meaning (zhèn/tiàn) and the “ignore the rules” idiom seem to reveal the Grandmother’s unspoken motives. For instance:
Most character names reflect on TH’s intentions, but Zhen’s name is unique because it’s chosen by the Grandmother herself. This gives us a window into her character. Was she ruthless, conflicted or just pragmatic?
Has it really been one year since Season 2 ended? How time flies. To commemorate one year since Xiang Liu's passing. Tencent released a new, nice and bloody picture. Happy anniversary to all my fellow XL lovers here.
Yes! And this week, in two short days, will be the anniversary of the debut of Season 1! I think I'm going to start a rewatch -- with notebook in hand. lol
Because Jing is confirmed to be infertile. Tong Hua mentioned in her early days that the prototypes for the Tushan brothers, Tushan Hou and Tushan Jing, were based on the brothers Ouyang Feng and Ouyang Lie from the Legend of the Condor Heroes series. (Tong Hua said that the older brother was not given a name, only known as the master of White Camel Mountain.)
Ouyang Feng is Tushan Hou, who had an affair with his sister-in-law (meaning his younger brother's wife, Yi Ying) and fathered the child Ouyang Ke (Tushan Zhen). Tong Hua deliberately wrote that Hou had bronze-colored skin as a tribute to Leslie Cheung’s portrayal of the Western Venom Ouyang Feng.
The prototype of Hou is the elder brother, Leslie Cheung.
Ouyang Lie is Tushan Jing, who injured his genitals in his early years and was judged by the sect to be infertile and unable to satisfy his wife.
So, why do you think Tong Hua refuses to write the wedding night of Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing?
She simply can’t write it — this humble concubine is incapable of doing so!
Ouyang Feng's elder brother also has a fan-made version named Ouyang Di, from The Great Biography of Western Venom Ouyang Feng by Zha Liang Jushi — one of the more influential pseudo-Jin Yong works of that era. According to the book: Ouyang Di, due to practicing a bizarre and sinister technique, lost the pleasure of sexual relations. Later, through the matchmaking of the Pale-Faced Rakshasa, he married Murong Zheng, but unfortunately was unable to fulfill a man's duties, causing his young wife to fall into sorrow and resentment...
See? No matter which version you look at, you really can’t expect anything from their married life!
There’s not a single wasted word in Tong Hua’s entire novel — she writes one part and hides nine — but this inner thigh injury is practically written out nine parts in full!
But Xiao Liu doesn’t know about it: As for the other hidden injuries and how well they’ve healed, even Xiao Liu isn’t really sure.
From a medical perspective, if there are tough scars on a "grilled sausage" (a euphemism for the male genitalia), it can affect stretching and movement. Traditional Chinese medicine can’t treat this kind of issue — burn injuries like this require microsurgical skin grafting, something the Great Wilderness doesn’t have in its tech tree.
This also explains the long-standing question: “Why didn’t Tushan Jing cancel the engagement?”
He allowed Hou and Yi Ying to get involved, used their affair to frame himself as the father, so he could claim their child as his own legitimate heir to continue the Tushan bloodline (since he has the eggs but no rooster — i.e., infertile). Then, once the child was born, he planned to “kill the donkey once the millstone’s done,” exposing their affair and discarding them.
At the same time, he pretended to be the victim in front of Xiao Yao to gain sympathy, ruin her reputation, and use the “recorder” (as a metaphor for gathering evidence or manipulating the narrative)... So the truth is, he never intended to cancel the marriage in the first place — which is why it kept being dragged out and never actually broken off.
Tong Hua once asked on Weibo: Why didn’t this master of White Camel Mountain stop Ouyang Feng from having a secret affair with his own wife?
Because he wanted an heir! On the family genealogy, Ouyang Ke is listed as Ouyang Lie’s son. Otherwise, the main branch of the family would’ve died out — there would be no incense offerings, no continuation of the bloodline.
Tong Hua’s original words were: “But clearly, he never truly stopped it.”
Notice that Tong Hua used the word “stop” — he simply “did not stop it,” not *“didn’t know about it”! This detail is crucial to understanding the original work.
So Tushan Jing had long known there was something going on between Hou and Yi Ying. Even Xiangliu could spot it with just one glance — how could Jing, who spent so much time with Yi Ying, not have noticed? He just chose not to stop it.
Even You (the hidden guard) might have known. She was quick, skilled at stealth, and could easily hide and secretly observe the two without being discovered.
The foreshadowing lies in the moment when Xiao Yao asked Hu Ya, Hu Zhen, Jing Ye, and You to keep an eye on Yi Ying and Hou — You remained completely silent.
Think about it — when Yi Ying knelt down, Jing clearly already knew about her affair with Hou. So why didn’t he expose them publicly?
Because the child hadn’t been born yet, and he needed that child to be recognized as his legitimate heir. If the child were exposed in public as an illegitimate lovechild, he himself would be left without an heir, and the Tushan bloodline would end. On top of that, Qingqiu’s reputation would suffer a heavy blow.
That’s why he had to acknowledge the child as his legitimate son — even if it meant hurting Xiao Yao. (Yi Ying’s kneeling move was a powerful one, and Jing accepted it calmly — saving Qingqiu’s face was more important than protecting Xiao Yao.)
Yi Ying’s trump card was preserving Jing’s dignity in exchange for him acknowledging the child as his own. If Jing dared to expose the truth, he would lose both face and substance — so he didn’t dare.
On the flip side, if Jing had been fertile and could father his own children in the future, then he wouldn’t have needed to claim this illegitimate child. He could’ve just exposed the affair and wouldn’t have had to hurt Xiao Yao at all.
Now think about it — if Jing didn’t want to expose them publicly, he could’ve secretly told Grandma: “I can’t have children, and Yi Ying is cheating on me with my older brother.”
So what would Grandma have said? She would definitely protect the child! Whether it’s her grandson or great-grandson, they’re all her flesh and blood. She would’ve said, “Just acknowledge the child first!”
Now think further — why didn’t Jing care later on when Xiao Yao got close to his older brother?
Even though Xiao Yao was a royal princess, you never know what could happen. What if his brother got desperate and crossed the line? Jing could end up losing both the woman and his reputation.
Hou even knew illusions — what if Xiao Yao was tricked and lost her body to him?
Did Jing have a backup plan?
No — he simply didn’t care.
If Xiao Yao ended up pregnant with Hou’s child, even better — he could step in and “take responsibility” earlier.
That’s the true wolf in sheep’s clothing — the “Little White Rabbit” act masking the cunning of a ruthless strategist.
That’s the brilliant, calculating gentleman of Qingqiu.
That’s the real political intrigue of this novel.
— “The Tale of Saint Xiao Yao Getting Deceived”
The whole Great Wilderness knows how cunning he is — everyone except Xiao Yao.
Dear readers, now that you know the truth, don’t you feel a wave of satisfaction?
Now imagine — if the entire Great Wilderness found out that the noble Qingqiu young master is not functional, and that the Tushan heir is actually a lovechild…
Wouldn’t the storytellers across the land be overjoyed? They’d have endless tales to tell and never worry about making a living again!
Just think — if Cousin (Xuan) found out that Qingqiu’s proud son was impotent, he’d probably laugh himself awake in his dreams.
And how do you think Yi Ying discovered that Jing was a broken man?
In the original novel, it’s written that she had Grandma slip him an aphrodisiac and a hallucinogen — any normal man would’ve raised his “little umbrella” by then.
But Jing? Still no reaction down there.
So then… well, the truth became clear.
Of course, die-hard ancient Xiao-Yao × Tushan Jing shippers like Sha Bian probably felt like dying from heartbreak after learning the truth.
I’m just here for the drama — I just want to see, after the truth is out, who among the sane folks can still ship a contract-marriage CP?
Let’s see if nibbling duck necks and sipping plum wine with a eunuch is really the most beautiful form of love — a so-called contract marriage.
Xiangliu saved Tushan Jing — what he really did was find Xiao Yao someone she could eat duck necks and chicken feet with in peace — a food-sharing companion (对食).
From this, it’s clear that Tong Hua is a pioneer and innovator in literary style — she created an entirely new category of couple: the contract-marriage CP, turning the impossible into possible, transforming decay into wonder!
“Lost You Forever” features two romantic storylines:
The overt: Xiao Yao × Jing
The hidden: Xiao Yao × Xiangliu
As the saying goes:
One hidden, one exposed — one real, one fake
One pair of mermen, one pair of food companions
One lifetime of true love, one lifetime of fake marriage.
The contract-marriage CP, spending the rest of their days as food companions amidst the peaceful years of wisteria cakes, duck necks, chicken feet, and plum wine…
A groundbreaking chapter in literary history —
An Ode to Asexual Love in the style of Li Sao!
Thanks to YZ for the spot-on performance.
https://www.zhihu.com/question/644348808/answer/3469548920?utm_psn=1771939398353248256
Tushan Jing’s prototype is Ouyang Feng’s older brother, and the original character setting by the author already includes discussion points related to that aspect — so please be mindful and respectful in discussions.
“A civil Zhihu relies on everyone’s efforts. Merit +1.”
Tushan Hou's prototype (Leslie Cheung’s version of Ouyang Feng), Fangfeng Yiying’s prototype (Maggie Cheung’s version of Madam Ouyang), and Tushan Jing’s prototype (Ouyang Feng’s older brother — I didn’t notice in the cast list either, perhaps only mentioned in the dialogue?).
"Ashes of Time"
Many film and TV adaptations express it in a subtle or implicit way.
Why did Tong Hua choose to design Tushan Jing this way?
Maybe it’s because she dislikes men who act like Xianglin’s sao—always complaining and self-pitying—and prefers men who get things done.
The blogger respects the author’s personal writing preferences…
If others don’t like it, they can simply choose not to read her books or watch her dramas—or just criticize the author, Tong Hua, directly.
Really dislikes nagging, long-winded men, like Xianglin’s sao — this quote is from a letter Tong Hua wrote to Meng Jue, a character in Yun Zhong Ge.
Tong Hua used Weibo to share her fondness for Xiangliu.
Regarding Tushan Jing’s private condition, there are five people in the novel who might know the truth. They are listed one by one below:
1️⃣ Tushan Hou, as the mastermind and main perpetrator of the abuse, not only destroyed Tushan Jing’s entire body except for his face (including his internally hoarse voice), but also clearly carried out flaying on “the softest and most sensitive area between the legs” — that is, his private parts.
Conclusion: He knows.
Hou wished for nothing more than for Jing to lose everything.
Chang: Steal a woman? Then castrate him! (Such a practical idea! Brother Hou definitely wouldn’t have thought of such a basic method of abuse.)
(Of course, some people might choose to believe that Tushan Hou was a kind soul who destroyed every part of Jing’s body with a purpose — and just happened not to abuse that area...)
Too tragic.
"The softest and most sensitive area between the legs" was flayed.
Unfortunate, yet fortunate — his head was left intact, no fatal blows dealt.
2️⃣ Xiao Liu, as the one who rescued him and personally tended to his injuries, saw his naked body and even massaged the acupuncture points around that area.
However, the book clearly states later that Xiao Liu wasn’t really sure whether his hidden ailment had healed or not.
Xiao Yao would be even less likely to know — she never even saw it…
You… that part was…
Xiao Liu wasn’t sure.
Conclusion: Unclear.
(Sorry, correction here — seems like later on, Sister Yao actually knew Jing very well, and ruthlessly crushed him in every aspect... No one can fool Sister Yao’s sharp eyes!)
Xuan: Huh?
3️⃣ Fangfeng Yiying, before Grandma administered the drug, had seen Tushan Jing’s body. Her reaction was one of shock and fear, and she called him a “cripple.”
Cripple.
Because of the affair between Yiying and Hou, it’s reasonable to assume that Hou likely told her about Jing’s physical condition. Then, on the night Grandma gave him the drug, she confirmed his lack of response in that area — afterward, Yiying directly and accurately began referring to him as a “broken man./uselles man”
From “cripple” to “broken man./uselles man”
Conclusion: She knows
(Yiying was the only eyewitness present after Jing took the drug)
4️⃣ Xiangliu, who rescued the dying fox from the sea, spent seven years treating him. He definitely would have examined his entire body — some parts would be impossible not to notice, right?
Conclusion: Likely knows
(This part is open to interpretation — feel free to make your own reasonable guesses. What do you think? Does he know or not?)
5️⃣ Tushan Jing himself — when he confessed to Xiao Liu in the Dragonbone Prison, he said that only in front of her did he “feel like” a man.
Take a closer look at the wording: what kind of problem would make a man feel so insecure that he no longer feels like a man?
Would wounded soldiers on the battlefield, bearing scars or permanent damage, say they don’t feel like men anymore?
Moreover, he saw himself as “incomplete” — filled with inferiority and sorrow. This isn’t about being “disabled.”
Xiao Yao once said that his legs could be healed — it was his own choice not to seek treatment, using his condition to emotionally bind and manipulate (PUA) Xiao Yao.
His limp could be healed, but he chose not to; the scars on his body could never be erased — including, of course, the flaying scar on that part.
Bitterness, incompleteness.
As for whether Jing Ye, the maid who cared for him during the 37 years he was bedridden, noticed anything about his private condition — please refer to the Xiangliu section. It’s open to reasonable speculation, no conclusion will be made here.
[All of the above is based entirely on content from the novel and drama — with no additives. Feel free to judge for yourself!]
"Filter mode" incoming...
What’s a giant whirlpool compared to this? If little Jing says he’s fine, then he must be fine!
/ So many tricks — but do you think Dr. Tang buys it?
(Trying to dumb down Dr. Tang? Not a chance! Dr. Tang only trusts her own logical reasoning!)
(Between little Jing and Tong Hua, one of them has to be the “half-witted one”…
Since little Jing is a peerless mastermind, the blogger chooses to believe in Jing —
which means Tong Hua is the half-witted one!!!)
【Debate Time!!!】
If Tushan Jing claims he's functional,
then here's the question: when someone takes an aphrodisiac, it inevitably requires something to resolve the effects…
In nearly all novels featuring the "aphrodisiac overdose" trope, there are typically three possible outcomes:
① A physical "action scene" must take place…
② A top-level martial artist forcibly channels inner energy to expel the drug, at the cost of injuring their own body…
③ They remain unyielding and die from internal combustion! (Standard edition)
⋯
④ Tushan Jing calmly states: “I can absolutely suppress it with willpower!” (This novel’s exclusive edition)
According to the novel, Tushan Jing himself claimed outcome ④ — that he could forcibly suppress it.
However, Fangfeng Yiying presented a fifth conclusion — personally confirming that he’s a "broken man or uselles man."
Between the testimonies of Tushan Jing and Fangfeng Yiying,
which one do you, fellow detectives, choose to believe???
As for this answerer — I firmly and unwaveringly believe Yiying!
【Now let’s step into science ahead of schedule! A detailed breakdown of what really happened that night in the drama version (the night he took the drug)!!!】
❶ Using the Guifang artifact Time Lamp to reverse time — during the flashback, he “suddenly started convulsing, in so much pain it looked like he couldn’t breathe,” and after seeing it, his eyes became “hollow and terrifying.”
(What did he see that caused such fear and pain...?
Did something really happen — or was it that something was supposed to happen, but he couldn’t go through with it?)
❷ Specific steps
❸ Falsely claimed “I didn’t remember anything,” and said nothing, wearing a face full of sorrow and disappointment.
Li Rongchang wondered, “If you knew it’d be like this, why risk your life for it?”
【Viewers confused: “Tong Hua, you added so many scenes to this plot, but didn’t give the audience any answers? Are you messing with us?”】
What kind of man could endure that? (Is this another hint that Jing is not a real man?)
(The broadcast version deleted the clearer scripted line where Li Rongchang implied “what man could endure that,” and instead filmed a scene of Tushan Jing silently shedding tears in utter despair.)
❹ He went over it in his mind countless times (thought through 130 strategies). So, do you think he truly saw nothing… or was he truly broken?
Xiao Yao was momentarily stunned, unable to describe the feelings in her heart.
(In the drama, Xiao Yao's intelligence unexpectedly rose... Since you put it that way, I’ll just believe it… What else can I do?)
Tushan Jing was born with spiritual eyes.
Tushan Jing was born with spiritual eyes, able to see through all illusions and disguises. And yet just a bit of hallucinogenic drug renders his innate spiritual eyes useless? (Hallucinogen > spiritual eyes? Do you believe that? He even misjudged people?)
Just how many of his words are actually true…
The divine item Zhuyan Flower > Innate Spiritual Eyes — this, I believe.
❺ The two silently accepted the "after taking the drug" situation, and then faced the "beloved one" double buff — Tushan Jing's self-restraint theory...
(The broadcast version deleted Xiaoyao’s line in the script that hinted “there’s not a single piece of evidence.” Hahaha, no wonder they had to leak the script in advance—so many brilliant hints were secretly cut out. If no one pointed them out, how would the audience ever realize something was off? Writing, then deleting, half-revealing and half-hiding—tsk tsk, just playing clever tricks.)
The script removed Xiaoyao’s original blind agreement with Theory ④ (the bizarre and IQ-dropping “limited edition self-restraint theory”), and changed it to:
“Even though you don’t have a shred of evidence” (just running your mouth)...
But still followed with:
“I believe you” and “Thank you for trusting me.”
Such a chaotic and elaborate night ends with Tushan Jing “seemingly” having done everything in vain, and still “not knowing what exactly happened.”
He puts forward the “self-restraint theory.”
Does he truly not know, or is he pretending not to know?
In the end, should we believe Yiying or Tushan Jing?
Detectives, judge for yourselves!
[The fact that “that night” is never written — it’s a deliberate plot device set by Tong Hua. You’re free to say you believe Yiying, or that you believe Tushan Jing. Either way, it’s not written and will never be written! She only wrote about his private parts having suffered punishment, and that he took an aphrodisiac — but nothing else, nope!]
I really dislike guys who ramble on and on, like Xianglin sao — this line is quoted from the letter Tong Hua wrote for Meng Jue in Song in the Clouds.
Tong Hua probably finds it very amusing, right? You all just keep guessing, then — does he actually have a problem or not? (The moment you want to know the answer to this question, that is the real problem.)
She just won’t tell you what happened in that memory…
Jing speaks lies with absolute calm and composure.
Little Jing only tells the truth (because he's either blind with his eyes open or has a short circuit in his brain, unable to recognize the Tushan clan emblem).
[After everything calms down, one day, out of nowhere, Tushan Jing suddenly thinks he's fine again and sweet-talks Xiaoyao, saying they can have children now!]
The broadcast version also deleted this part:
"To the friends in the comment section who don't agree with me believing in Yiying—wouldn't it be easy to just say, ‘I believe in what Tushan Jing said’? Is that so difficult? He’s already lost his memory, can’t you feel a bit sorry for him? Even Xiaoyao believes him, so why don’t you?"
Jin’er is his son. Even if he doesn’t care about himself, he still wants to see Jin’er — he loves Jin’er deeply.
(As an additional note about the term “ideal husband,” Xiao Yao’s standards are different from others — she just wants someone to accompany her, not necessarily to marry. So she doesn’t care about that aspect at all.)
She just wanted someone to keep her company.
So the male merman, Xiangliu, couldn't return home and ended up sending a man to accompany the female merman, Xiao Yao... (Note: the man and the male/female mermen are not the same kind... so...)
In the end, don't think about who gained or lost more between Yao and Jing — everything between them was mutual and consensual... Yao and Jing didn’t care about feelings (about who loved whom); they only cared about life itself.
Jing doesn't care who Yao is emotionally connected with — he only cares that their lives are bound together.
Jing only cares about Yao's life.
August 8, 2024 — Lost You Forever seminar explanation regarding the hidden subplot:
To add further clarification: since the novel runs both main and hidden storylines in parallel, but the drama couldn’t pass censorship with both lines being presented equally, the actors portrayed the Xiao Yao–Jing (Yao-Jing) main storyline on the surface, while the props, costumes, and art direction (including cinematography) followed the Xiao Yao–Xiang Liu (Yao-Liu) hidden storyline.
(The Yao-Liu hidden line was left for novel fans to dig into. For viewers who haven’t read the book, just following the Yao-Jing main storyline is enough... there’s no need to be fixated on the hidden one.)
[Xiaoyao and Xiangliu: in love, yet afraid to admit it.
Brought together by a fateful drug, they started off fighting—seemingly like fire and water—but in truth, they deeply cared for each other.
They hid their true feelings, and in the end, the only ones they betrayed were themselves.]
~Love each other but not meant to be together.~
The change in the structure of the ice crystal ball that Xiao Yao gave directly reveals the hidden Xiao Yao–Xiang Liu ending from the novel (because after so many years, it's not easy to fully deduce the Xiao Yao–Xiang Liu hidden storyline just from the book, but the drama version made it explicit).
The structural change of the ice crystal ball shows the male and female mermen running toward each other — a mutual pursuit.
(There was a comment that was way too long — I really had no interest in finishing it. It even brought up things like “slinging mud at him”...? All I did was express that I believe in what Fangfeng Yiying said. You could also say “you believe in what Tushan Jing said.” If there’s really any mud-slinging, it’s Tong Hua who threw it at him. Tushan Jing is based on Ouyang Lie — if you're a Yao-Jing shipper, go find Tong Hua and ask her to clear Tushan Jing’s name. Tell her to write out what exactly happened that night. Tushan Jing “lost his memory,” but Tong Hua didn’t. And while you’re at it, ask her to erase all the torture his private parts went through.)
Ouyang Lie, Ouyang Feng, Madam Ouyang, Ouyang Ke — Tushan Jing, Tushan Hou, Fangfeng Yiying, Tushan Zhen.
[One last time: Lost You Forever (whether it's the novel or the drama adaptation) is Tong Hua's original work. She has the right to make any changes to the characters and plot. Of course, audiences have the right to stop watching or to criticize Tong Hua’s values and morals — but do not spread baseless rumors or throw tantrums here! If you want to point out arguments or start a discussion, please provide the original sources!]
Don’t disturb the normal discussion among knowledgeable users in my post!
https://www.zhihu.com/question/655366337/answer/3492746328?utm_psn=1777046604488822784
It turns out that many people are filling in the gaps with their own assumptions. Some believe that Tushan Jing is completely unharmed, while others believe he has been castrated. Both interpretations are incorrect.
If Tushan Jing were truly a eunuch, then there would be no reason to question the origins of Tushan Zhen.
If Tushan Jing were completely unharmed, then Tushan Hou would seem overly kind—torturing him all over, leaving scars, applying spiritual medicine, and still protecting his second brother.
With so much controversy, it's best to refer directly to the original novel. Tong Hua's logic is extremely rigorous and precise, with not a single word misplaced!
[The following dozen or so quotations are all from Tong Hua's original work—there is not a single word of fabrication, malicious interpretation, or fan fiction.]
I am a graduate of medical school, and the following analysis is purely from a medical and literary perspective, based on the descriptions in the original novel.
To be precise, it’s not that Tong Hua was unwilling to write a consummation scene for Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing — she deliberately emphasized that they did not consummate their marriage. Otherwise, she could have simply skipped the topic without mentioning it.
After all, from the very beginning of the novel, Tong Hua put great effort into describing the condition of Tushan Jing’s body — such as the skinned areas on his inner thighs, the base of his thighs, and the most painful part between his legs. She carefully laid the groundwork through many details.
The answer to why Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing never consummated their marriage is already embedded in the text.
Tong Hua’s novels often include consummation scenes for true couples — yet she specifically avoids writing one for Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing, a couple who went through a century of love, separation, and reunion. Not only does she avoid writing it, she deliberately and repeatedly emphasizes that it never happened.
The real answer lies in the very first chapter of the novel. I recommend everyone to read it again, word by word, line by line — otherwise, you’ll end up like the “worldly people” Tong Hua mocks and ridicules.
(The Xiao Yao–Jing pairing was accompanied from the start by mockery, missing pieces, and a waning moon.)
The brilliant and concise Peking University alumna Tong Hua used an entire 154-character paragraph to painstakingly describe the injuries on Tushan Jing’s inner thighs, the base of his thighs, and the area between his legs — multiple times his skin was flayed, causing damage to the corpus cavernosum.
Although the organ itself remained intact — still capable of reaction and desire — actually functioning may have been somewhat impaired!
In Chapter 1 of the original Lost You Forever novel (“Life Is But a Fleeting Guest”), the passage reads:
“From the outer thigh to the hips and waist were all kinds of scars, but compared to the torture inflicted on the inner thighs, those were not worth mentioning. The skin on the man’s inner thighs had been flayed in shreds. From the knee all the way up to the base of the thigh, the wounds — some new, some old — varied in color from deep to light, looking like a piece of ragged cloth full of mismatched patches. It was a painful sight. The person who carried out the torture clearly understood the human body's limits — they knew the area between a man's legs is the softest and most sensitive, so each time they sliced off a piece of skin, it would cause unbearable pain without killing him.”
From a medical perspective, this type of injury involves multiple areas of the corpus cavernosum and scrotum being flayed, causing severe damage and tissue loss. However, in order to keep him alive, the organ and urethra were intentionally preserved.
During the treatment, it was Xiao Yao herself who performed the full-body wound cleaning and surgical trimming.
Xiao Yao is the single person in the entire world who knows the extent of Tushan Jing’s private injuries most clearly.
From the very beginning, she knew — Tushan Jing was a broken body.
In direct correlation with this, the only soft part left on Tushan Jing’s body was the inside of his lips.
This implies that after three years of repeated injuries and being doused with spiritual medicine, his entire body had developed thick scabs and callus-like subcutaneous fibrous tissue — even the softest part of a man’s body, his genitals, had become scabbed over
What the drama adaptation couldn’t portray is that, for more than half a year, it was Xiao Yao who personally helped Tushan Jing with massages, changing his medicine, and washing his body.
From the start, she felt no shyness at all when it came to seeing or touching his naked body, including his private parts.
After more than half a year of Xiao Yao washing Tushan Jing’s body, why did she suddenly blush the first time he was finally able to bathe on his own?
(Let’s forgive the drama adaptation for being unable to depict this part.)
In fact, in the original novel, she saw him move his hands around and reach between his legs — this was now a man with mobility and agency, no longer a patient lying in bed, passively receiving medical treatment.
Although Xiao Yao had lived as a man for over a hundred years, her inner instincts were still those of a young woman.
Her blushing had nothing to do with love — it was purely a reaction of gender-based modesty and shame.
As for the specific recovery of Tushan Jing’s injuries, it should be understood as follows:
All open wounds had healed, but the scars remained and could not be removed. The extent of functional recovery is unknown.
Xiao Yao had no way of knowing the condition of the hidden internal injuries, nor did she concern herself with those uncertain "functions."
In Book 1, Chapter 8: “Fading Light, Why Not Return?”, while in the Dragonbone Prison, Tushan Jing also gave a clear and subtle hint:
His body was still intact — he was still a man.
(Though scarred and damaged, his testicles and base were still there.)
Immediately afterward, during the first visit to the Five Gods Mountain, author Tong Hua essentially gave a death sentence to all of Tushan Jing’s scars —
completely shutting down any possibility of recovery or removal.
In Book 1, Chapter 14: “This Feeling Cannot Be Willed Away”, during the seaside kiss scene outside the Dragonbone Prison,
author Tong Hua provided a detailed follow-up description regarding Tushan Jing’s injuries at the base of his thighs and his physiological reaction—
The phrase “burning and restless” (火烧火燎得不自在) indicates that there was a physical reaction,
but the sensation was likely a mix of heat, pain, and discomfort.
Later, in Book 2, Chapter 3: “Peaceful Years Shared With You”, during the scene in the Osmanthus Garden,
Tushan Jing clearly had a strong physical reaction and renewed confidence after feeling Xiao Yao’s affection as she kissed his leg, showing no disgust toward his scarred and damaged body.
Meanwhile, as Xiao Yao grew intimate with Tushan Jing, her inner emotions were filled with shyness, nervousness, panic, anticipation, and even an instinctive fear.
Although Xiao Yao (a virgin) didn’t fully understand, Tushan Jing deeply felt the bitterness of his own “incompleteness.”
(A lame leg is a disability, not an “incompleteness” — when someone says a man is “incomplete,” those who understand, understand.)
In this chapter, Tong Hua also clearly wrote that Fangfeng Yiying (a mature woman) reacted to seeing Tushan Jing’s injuries with fear and dread — from that moment on, she no longer dared to go near him.
Fangfeng Yiying was not an ordinary sheltered lady — she was skilled in archery and horseback riding from a young age, well-traveled and experienced.
For someone like her to turn pale with fright, display such fear, and thereafter despise and avoid him, it definitely wasn’t just ordinary scars — it had to be something far more severe.
Later on, when Fangfeng Yiying spoke privately about Tushan Jing, her tone was filled with contempt, calling him a "weak and useless waste."
This comes from Book 2, Chapter 1: "Green Plum Ballad of Longing" — the Zhurong Mansion drama scene.
After Fangfeng Yiying drugged Tushan Jing and spent a night with him, then married him,
she upgraded her insult — from calling him a “useless waste” (废物) to a “broken man” (废人).
This is from Book 3, Chapter 1: “The East Wind Is Cruel, Affection Is Fickle”, during the scene where Yiying gets jealous of Tushan Hou flirting with Xiao Yao.
[Summary] Because the author, Tong Hua, could not betray her own setup and foreshadowing, allowing Xiao Yao to consummate the marriage would inevitably mean she’d have to touch all of Tushan Jing’s scars and the physical deformity at the base of his leg — and how could her heart bear to write such a scene? That’s why she refused to write a consummation scene!
Moreover, after the drama aired, both the official character accounts and the actors’ final posts made it very clear that Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing had no children in their remaining years. Even Ye Shiqi (Jing’s identity) used the phrase “you, quietly left without disturbing anyone”, which neatly closed the loop on all the logic.
Taking all of this into account, it’s clear to those who truly understand the novel that claims saying Tushan Jing’s male organ was fully intact or that he had been completely castrated like a eunuch are both inaccurate.
The truth is: he had deep, permanent scars and a deformed organ — but it still retained basic function.
He had once felt utterly hopeless about it, but when Wen Xiaoliu blushed upon seeing him bathe, he regained some confidence. Perhaps, under the influence of Yiying’s aphrodisiac and hallucinogenic drugs, there might still be a chance of having a child, so he himself wasn’t sure whether or not something had actually happened between him and Yiying. He still held onto hope that he was physically capable. He just didn’t know whether, after the incident of the “nine tails severed, seven lost”, his body could still recover, or how long it might last.
Tong Hua structured the narrative with tight and consistent logic from beginning to end. At the start of Chapter 18, the final chapter of the third book, she clearly emphasized that:
Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing never consummated their marriage
Tushan Jing was not in a hurry
On her wedding night, Xiao Yao held Lieyang — dressed in white, with white hair — and cried her heart out.
As for why Xiao Yao would accept such a marriage, and whether she minded —
She absolutely accepted Tushan Jing’s body and was completely unbothered by it. In fact, she likely never even thought that deeply about it.
That’s because Xiao Yao’s view of marriage was never the same as that of a typical woman.
Everyone should already know that she grew up without the guidance of a mature female figure, and that she was a doctor specializing in treating female infertility.
(Note: Gynecology and infertility treatment are separate departments from male fertility and urology — even in most women’s and reproductive hospitals.)
As early as her time in Qingshui Town, Xiao Yao had already made vague and confused statements about marriage.
Later, in Xuan Yuan City, she also expressed to her grandfather that she didn’t have high hopes or expectations for marriage.
Because her divine consciousness had not fully returned, even after spending one final night with Xiangliu in the sea — lasting 37 years in the dream realm — she still had no clear physical sensation or understanding of sexual intimacy.
The evidence lies in Book 2, Chapter 9: “Where the Wind Returns, I Send You My Care.”
In the drama version, changes were made. However, in the original novel, Xiao Yao and Xiangliu watched animals mating together, and Xiao Yao focused intently on observing them for a while before finally understanding what was going on — and immediately blushed.
This clearly proves that Xiao Yao always had the heart of a young girl; when it came to true intimacy between a man and a woman, she had no real-life experience, expectations, or fantasies.
After carefully watching the mating scene, when Xiangliu said, “The bigger the shell, the stronger the male,” Xiao Yao immediately wondered, “How big is Xiangliu’s shell? Then how strong is Xiangliu?” — and she blushed a second time.
Shortly afterward, she felt sleepy and wanted to go to bed.
Unfortunately, this dreamlike moment — a near-consummation between Xiao Yao and Xiangliu — was completely deleted in the drama adaptation.
It can be said that on that night, Xiao Yao subconsciously began to develop sexual fantasies about Xiangliu.
The next morning, when she woke up, she stretched sweetly, and Xiangliu smiled as he sensed her joy.
Xiao Yao then remembered that the enormous shell was actually the love nest of the strong Xiangliu, where they had slept side by side for 37 years, and for the third time, she blushed.
She opened her eyes wide to look at Xiangliu, which activated the love Gu between them. Xiangliu then used all his lifelong strength to resist the temptation in Xiao Yao’s gaze.
“Xiao Yao and Xiangliu watching animals mate, and blushing three times in one night” — it was on this very night that Xiao Yao truly experienced a sexual awakening.
Her desire and affection for Xiangliu had been fully and vividly expressed.
Therefore, before the wedding, Xiao Yao gifted the female mermaid to Xiangliu inside the shell house, and reached out to summon the male mermaid's crystal orb — a meaning that Xiangliu understood perfectly well.
Comparing Xiao Yao’s two major intimate scenes:
In the Osmanthus Garden, when Tushan Jing crossed the line and kissed her with his tongue, she felt panicked, scared, only thinking about how sweet it tasted, while backing away, hiding in his arms, and eventually dodging his kiss.
But in the undersea shell, she was lost in romantic fantasies, blushing, heart pounding, and even deliberately widened her eyes to gaze at Xiangliu.
The difference in her mindset is crystal clear. It cannot be deliberately ignored or maliciously twisted.
It’s not that the man's heart is made of stone — her heart had long since belonged to the world beneath the sea!
