Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

Hello, I need to ask a question; this board is active, so hopefully someone can give me an answer. 

What was the timespan of the story? I'm having trouble pinpoint how much time has passed. And how old are these characters if we are talking normal human ages?

 HeadInTheClouds:

OMG, you guys! My poor man has been accused of controlling Xiao Yao

Oh no, no, no that's not what I meant!!! Actually, in my head it looks like this:
Xiang Liu: "Hmm, under the pretext of biting, I'll try to give her pleasure. I'll see how she reacts and if she accepts it from me. If she does, then I'm not disgusting to her."

Ha-ha, there's a lot of weird explanations in my head! 🫠

 HeadInTheClouds:

Was it ignorant, or did she simply not care?  If she was aware and still did what she did and did not care, then she is a total b****. Sorry, that's just f*** up.  

The worst thing is that she is aware of everything. She is so smart, intelligent and understands EVERYTHING between man and woman.  She even started flirting with Xiang Liu  the FIRST minute they met (being still in man's body, what a mess this girl is!).

 HeadInTheClouds:

the clues can be slapping you across the face, and you would still find another explanation for them

Her hysterical self-assurance that that kiss on the forehead from Xiang Liu didn't exist and was an illusion.

 HeadInTheClouds:

Feng Long got run over when he was behaving appropriately and honestly.

I was shocked how cruel and ignorant she was to him, just using him for her own benefit and throwing him away like garbage, when situation turned unexpected way. He always treated her with dignity and even asked her once again if she really sure she wants to marry him. She said yes and then left him at the altar, ruining man's reputation forever. And his feelings.

 HeadInTheClouds:

she hurts other people because of her cowardice and immaturity. Jing

I forgot to ask, did Jing know that other feelings except for pain were transferred to Xiang Liu through Lovers Bugs?

 primaspe:

She knew Jing loved her, and she cared about him but didn't think that her feelings for XL would/could hurt Jing. 

 HeadInTheClouds:

Oh, well! She should have tortured him some more :-).

Going on a honeymoon to a place where she was happy with another man. Seriously? And she wasn't even embarrassed to mention Xiang Liu's name for this reason. I'm not defending Jing - that's what he deserved. And these are just the first "alarm bells", the first red flags from Xiao Yao. More is ahead, when fake feelings will lose the battle with everyday routine.

 HeadInTheClouds:

The downplaying, the playing dumb, the deflecting.

Here, we call it " the artist of the burnt-out theater". 🤪

I suddenly came up with a short and stupid explanation 🫣. She was furious with Xiang Liu for rejecting her and thought this way: "You will feel everything I have with Jing.

Well that's what I think happened the last time she sang the ballad, while on the boat. XL triggered her by saying that he regrets tying his life to a weak woman like her and asked her for the bug to be removed before putting her life at risk again and în return she starts singing the ballad to Jing. That serves as both a slap on the face, but also as  means to assure him that she won't put herself în danger anymore. Why? Obviously because she didn't want their bug removed.

I always thought she should have asked him directly. Not through some crystal ball, poison, koi fish, and lotus... no, just directly with words.

Well that's part of her trauma. She finds it wrong to take the first step. I recall a conversation she had with CX about how both of them are reactive people who hopes for the choice to pick them instead. I disagree though that XY didn't take the initiative în regards to XL, IMO she did take the initiative în regards to both XL and Ah Nian. Giving the context of the story and the heroine's mentality, the crystal ball was such a powerful act from her part. I believe that even a person with no trauma would find it pretty difficult to declare herself to someone who most of the times keeps you at arms lenght, so for XY to take this step was more than anyone could ask for,  especially since she kept testing the waters quite a few times before, with no positive response.

"the clues can be slapping you across the face, and you would still find another explanation for them"

"Her hysterical self-assurance that that kiss on the forehead from Xiang Liu didn't exist and was an illusion."

Again, my interpretation is different. I do not believe she tried to deny that forehead kiss, let's just say that similar to the way she acted when she first met Bei after their 37 years underwater, she deliberately pretended not to have happened not as means to lie to herself, but because she knew that XL didn't want the kiss to be acknowledged by neither of them or to get her entangled again.  

"He reached out and stroked her, closing her eyes: "I'm leaving! "
Xiaotian suddenly covered his forehead and opened her eyes to look. There was no one in front of her.
Illusion! It must be an illusion!"

"Xiang Liu didn’t want her to know that when she was unconscious the things he did with her, and she didn’t want him to know that she already knew. Their embraces and companionship, just let it be buried deep in the dark ocean depths!" 

I do not believe that a person who's în denial takes the initiative to test the waters as XY did so many times. If she willingly refuses to recognize XL's feelings for her, than what's the point of always wanting to find out what's on his mind? 

"In the show, when he tells her about Fang Feng Bei's death, he asks her a question: "Have you opened your heart to him?" He asks a LEADING question. This question brings her as close to the opportunity to confess her feelings for him as possible. "

I haven't rewatched the drama since it aired, but I believe this scene is pretty debatable. Depending of what has been said before, it could been seen as a leading question, as you said, but I can also interpret it as" could you have been so stupid as to take Bei for real and actually opened your heart to him? If he was genuinely curious or if he was mocking her I am not so sure.

Episode 5)
"What is the reason for Xiang Liu left his one white hair in Wen Xiaoliu’s bed? Was it because Xiang Liu’s action was expressing a love for Wen Xiaoliu?"

I don't believe XL left his hair on her bed on purpose, more like it fell off. I don't recall how this scene was în the novel, but I know there is  a similar scene with Jing, so if I'd have to make a guess, I'd say XL's hair on WXL's bed was meant to highlight the interactions they had during the night. While sleeping next to Jing, she liked to touch and play with his hair, so maybe she did the same with XL while he was sleeping next to her, especially since she was obsessed with his hair. 

"Xiaoyao tugged at Jing, "Lie down, I want to touch your hair."
    Jing lay down on his side, and Xiaoyao's fingers curled around his hair, "Will you disappear when I open my eyes tomorrow?"
I'll come to see you after you arrive in Central Plains."
    Xiaoyao closed her eyes, "Give me news, no matter what method you use, just don't make me wait too long."
    "Okay."
Jing mustered up his courage for a long while before he dared to ask in a low voice: "Xiaoyao, are you, are you thinking about me?"
    No one answered him.
    Jing was dejected. After a while, he suddenly came to his senses and whispered: "Xiaoyao"
Xiaoyao's eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted, and she was sleeping soundly. Jing couldn't help but sigh and smile slightly.
    In the morning, when Xiaoyao woke up, she was covered with a quilt.
    She looked at the desk. Everything was neatly arranged, and there were only three silk handkerchiefs left.
Xiaoyao sat up and wanted to take the silk handkerchief. She felt something in her hand. She looked down and saw a strand of black hair, softly wrapped around her fingers. It was probably because Jing didn't want her to wake up when he was about to leave, so he simply cut off his hair."

 MountainPine:

But he drank her blood not only to heal, but sometimes for no reason at all. Like on that "date" on the tree. Their "preparations" and actions regarding the blood-sucking process were very coordinated and harmonious there. No questions, no explanations.

It wasn't for no reason at all.  It was because it was a power boost.

Remember, her blood did not have special healing properties innately from birth.  Her blood could heal because her spirit power had been forced into her bones, and some folks have said, because of the special herbs the 9 tailed fox was feeding her.  And the reason the 9 tailed fox did that was so he could eat her easily, i.e. absorb her spirit power and thus level up.  I'm guessing this sort of sidestepped the restriction of being a willing sacrifice, to achieve the full effect of 'eating' a god.

So, the question is, what constitutes a demon 'eating' a god?  Do they have to consume the entire physical body?  Or is it just the spirit power?  Or is it their blood?  The fact that XL says more than once that XY wouldn't be more than a mouthful for him, and that we know he ate / absorbed the real Fang Feng Bei's power, and that he was worried about the sea demons eating half dead Jing, suggests that demons do, in fact, eat some portion of the physical body for the spirit power.

 Kokuto:

Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao didn't have any interactions during the night, though, in the drama.  He slept on the bed and she slept on the floor.... except for when she was drawing on his face with charcoal.  Of course, in the novel, I believe she climbed up on him and straddled his body while he was immobilized and drew on face.   Yeah, we was robbed. ;p

Did we ever see her touch XL's hair?  I don't think so.

I'm not up to speed on this thread so I'm probably missing context for this question, but we did get to see XY touch XL's hair in two different scenes of the novel. 

-

LYF 35:

“What are you thinking about?”

“As Qi Yo’s daughter, there is no place in the world for me.”

Xiang Liu lifted Xiao Yao’s head. “If you have nowhere to go, then you can always go out to sea. The ocean is so vast that there will be a place for you.”

Xiao Yao remembered that she had the ability of a sea demon now and the endless ocean might be a nightmare for others but was paradise for her. If Xuan Yuan and Gao Xing didn’t have a place for her, she could always go to the sea. Having discovered a secret passage that no one else knew could save her life, Xiao Yao suddenly felt a sliver of calm.

She stared at Xiang Liu and the man before her was that dissolute wastrel, but the moment she was about to become torn again a strand of white hair fell that reminded her exactly who he was. Xiao Yao softly stroked his hair and said, “This place is not safe to stay. Pay your respects and hurry off!”

Because she just cried, Xiao Yao’s eyes were extraordinarily clear and bright. Xiang Liu could clearly see himself reflected in her eyes, so he covered her eyes with his hand. “I’m off!”

Xiao Yao felt a soft coolness brush over her forehead, a brief touch that immediately vanished. Xiao Yao clasped her forehead in shock and opened her eyes to see the room was already empty before her.

Mistaken illusion! It was a mistaken illusion!

-

LYF 43:

Xiao Yao lowered her head and her tears came down silently.

Xiang Liu turned around to stare at the ocean expanse, with his back to Xiao Yao, but even then he clearly heard her tears falling. One drop after another, so soft and bunched together, the sound entered his ears like a sharp thorn prick, each drop a stab to his heart.

Xiang Liu said, “If you have time to cry, use it to think about who tried to kill you.”

Xiao Yao suddenly remembered Miao Pu and used her sleeve to wipe away her tears. “I have to go back, otherwise Zhuan Xu will kill Miao Pu for sure!”

“Even if the Black Emperor wanted to kill Miao Pu, he’d have to find her first.”

Xiao Yao remembered the seagull demon mentioning a partner. Miao Pu never came to rescue her which meant she likely encountered the other killer. Xiao Yao’s face fell. “Miao Pu…..is Miao Pu dead?”

“I don’t know! When I rushed over all I saw were two winged horse corpses in the water. She likely was attacked but I didn’t see her body.” Xiao Yao sighed in relief until Xiang Liu added “She could have sunk into the ocean.”

Xiang Liu always had a way of making her grateful to him in one second, and the other want to choke him to death. Xiao Yao was anxious and upset but there was nothing she could do to Xiang Liu for being mean. “I need to find Miao Pu, you take me back to that island.”

Xiang Liu said, “I happen to have free time, I can accompany you to go look for Miao Pu.”

“When did you become so nice?”

“Of course there is a price.”

“I only have one head, so I can't outthink your nine heads. I don’t think this deal is going to be good.”

Xiang Liu vaulted into the ocean without a care about Xiao Yao’s reverse psychology negotiating tactics. Xiao Yao anxiously jumped into the ocean after him and grabbed a lock of his flowing white hair.

Xiang Liu turned around and glared at her, so Xiao Yao let go with a smile. “You help me find the seagull demon and I agree to your price.” The seagull demon chose to let the whirlpool swallow her up forever, clearly she knew this ocean expanse very well. Only with Xiang Liu’s help could Xiao Yao hope to find her quickly.

Xiang Liu rose up from the ocean to stand on the waves. His white hair like the clouds, his white robe like the snow, the silver moonlight made him look even more noble and ethereal, except his expression looking down at Xiao Yao was filled with an evil smirk. “Any price I want?”

Xiao Yao stood up on the waves and raised her chin to look at Xiang Liu. “As long as it has nothing to do with Zhuan Xu, then any price is fine!” For Miao Pu, even if she had to make a real deal with the devil she would do it. At this point what else did she have left to lose?

Xiang Liu said, “The price is for you to stay alive. Even if Tu Shan Jing is really dead, you have to stay alive!”

Xiao Yao stared dumbstruck at Xiang Liu before her eyes went beyond him to stare at the limitless ocean horizon. A life that was long, a longing that had no end in sight……if she didn’t give up and stayed alive, what would that feel like? Probably like a dark night with no sunrise. Xiao Yao didn’t understand why Xiang Liu cared about her life or death.

Xiang Liu coldly said, “I just don’t have any interest in dying with you. If you want to give up, then first find the way to break the voodoo bug link.”

Right! Her life was connected to Xiang Liu. She really did need to find the solution to break the spell. Xiao Yao said, “I accept your price, so take me to find the seagull demon!”