Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

I'm slowly making my way through my responses.

 MountainPine:

My only option is rather ordinary: that, in his soul, of course, he wanted to hear a confession, as every lover wants.

That's one of the interpretations. The other one is that it was the last chance that he was giving their relationship. How she responded determined what he would do. For me, their month-long stay in Qing Shui town following the marriage robbery was his last attempt to wait for her to make up her mind and decide which direction she wants to move towards. However, like always, she was passive, and he was forced to ask her those questions. Her lack of an answer to the final one was all the answer he needed. 

 MountainPine:

And on his bitter way of hiding his love, he slipped and fell a few times (poor guy😭), and that is normal. As in the German proverb "You can't hide love and cough."

But why was he hiding his love?

And I love learning these proverbs :-). German is an interesting language; well, all languages are interesting. I find the way certain languages capture specific emotional states fascinating. 

 MountainPine:

But my favorite line about love, heard in a sermon is: the only love that is true is the love that you can control. Xiang Liu was the only one in this story who realized and fully accepted his love, acted like a person who loves, and, most importantly, who could control his love. All the other relationships of all the other characters are something sick and sometimes even disgusting.

Control here means you are able to control yourself and how you love, right?

I like it. It's being able to love without falling victim/slave to the emotion. It required a great deal of maturity. The rest of the relationships in this story came from a place of obsession and fear; it's not romantic or healthy at all. 

 MountainPine:

I didn't notice any signs in the novel that would hint that there is hope for Xiao Yao's recovery. I'm very, very curious what exactly you noticed!

One way to look at it is that it took losing Xiang Liu to force Xiao Yao to realise what she had lost because of her fear. For the majority of the novel, Xiao Yao has been wavering back and forth - Jing represents the "safe choice" due to the confines of her fears, whereas Xiang Liu represents the growth and freedom from facing and working through her fears.  Xiang Liu worked hard to help her grow, but sometimes it takes realising what not changing is costing you for you to make the change. 

While this is not a certainty, I think Xiao Yao in the novel has the potential to recover. Drama's Xiao Yao is a lost cause :-).

 MountainPine:

In fact, he has some special  "talent" for presenting things in a relationship as being solely his merit and feat for her, as an exceptional and great service, and not just the normal state of things. 🤢

You noticed that too. Like with the Purple Fish Jewel. If you look at it carefully, what did he actually do for her that wasn't tied to obtaining his own interest in being with her?

 Did you also notice how he used the people besides him as mouthpieces to verbalise his sacrifices, how difficult things were for him, and to test the water with her? 

 MountainPine:

They successfully make each other even more weaker and sicker. 🤕🤕

Co-dependency. Their sickness is a match for each other. 

 MountainPine:

"Now I really regret that my life is connected with a stupid and weak woman like you. I beg you, before you die of stupidity..." We're used to seeing these words solely as Xiang Liu's attempt to make her hate him, but just try to look at it with a fresh eye and a new perspective - it's all the harsh but honest truth about her!..

I haven't finished the drama, but was this also in the drama? He probably did it to sever their tie, but there was a kernel of truth in there. She was stupid and weak on certain matters. 

My only option is rather ordinary: that, in his soul, of course, he wanted to hear a confession, as every lover wants.

...

That's one of the interpretations. The other one is that it was the last chance that he was giving their relationship. How she responded determined what he would do. For me, their month-long stay in Qing Shui town following the marriage robbery was his last attempt to wait for her to make up her mind and decide which direction she wants to move towards. However, like always, she was passive, and he was forced to ask her those questions. Her lack of an answer to the final one was all the answer he needed.

I have a third interpretation to this scene, lol. Taking into account the events that happened prior to him asking the 4 questions - Bei congratulating XY on her engagement and asking her twice to go inside the house despite her obvious reluctance, XY's humiliation at the wedding, XL's confirmation that he received the crystal ball 2 months prior, XL encouraging XY since day 1 of their month spent în QS's Town to go outside, XL killing Bei and his reminder to XY that their relationship was nothing more than a deal, his insistence in closing that window while XY trying hard to open it, I find it hard to believe that what XL wanted, at that point în time, was a confession or that it was a last attempt from him to give a chance to their relationship.

 Honestly, I believe that what he wanted to hear was exactly the opposite.

XL knew what XY meant with the Crystal ball. The Crystal ball was sent as XY's last attempt. Yellow emperor already told her that XL rejected all their offers to change sides, so she sent him the Crystal ball as to tell him that she îs willing to give up everything if that's what it takes.
 XL knew about her sleepless nights, knew what XY wanted to hear when she told him the name of their bugs, knew why she waited for him for 7 days în front of the dragon bone prison, knew for whom he is being persuaded yet again to change sides and for sure knew the significance of the Crystal ball, so why did he ask the forth question?

For a confession? Makes little sense, since for one he already knew who's în XY's heart,  so what's the purpose to double check

 and second, these questions were asked while XY was under influence, so what difference would an admission make for XL, since it would have been a confession made while not being sober / conscious. A confession made while unconcious or against one's will  it's a far cry from taking commitment, so to believe that XL wanted to hear her say his name în order to give another chance to their relationship doesn't sound right to me. 

The way I view it, the last question was asked because he hoped that, after all the signals he sent her that he has no intention to be with her, she will firmly choose shiqi and that she had given up her hopes to be with him anymore. He hoped that her heart's desire would have been finally overpowered by her will and therefore to regain the smarts to make the right decision for herself. 

XY knew XL rejected  her pursuit, but she neither left or talked to him for the whole month, rather she kept waiting as she waited în those 7 days în front of the dragon bone prison. His reminder that their relationship was always just a deal was the last straw that broke the camel's back.  Her reluctance to answer his 4th question was precisely because of that, IMO. How can she say she wants to spent her life with XL, when XL rejected her and made it clear that their relationship is only a transaction?  She kept insisting in having that window open, while XL kept closing it. She opened her mouth to answer, but how can she admit of keep wanting someone that didn't chose her and clearly rejected her? That's too much for someone as reactive as XY, therefore her struggle and headache. 

"Xiang Liu covered her with a blanket and Xiao Yao suddenly opened her eyes “Why?”

Xiang Liu stared at Xiao Yao and didn’t know exactly what she was asking why about. Was it why he forced her to become a runaway bride? Or was it why he used his powers to probe the true feelings inside her heart?

Xiao Yao gave up asking and closed her eyes to murmur “I’m so hurting……Xiang Liu, I hurt………”

Regarding which why XY was asking, I believe none of the two, but rather

Xiaoyao was silent for a while, and suddenly asked, "Xiangliu, why did you choose Gonggong? Is it just because he is your adoptive father? Xiaotian didn't know why he had the courage to ask this question,"

What she actually asked him wasn't "why do you have to be my brother's enemy", but rather "why can't you choose a different path then that of a general who's best ending is to die on the battlefield?"

 Her struggle when facing XL's 4th question, the problem she refused to think about, the "why" she kept asking XL about. Why can't I keep you, why can't you choose a path that will allow you to live? Why Gonggong and not me?

"You’ll forget what just happened and after a good night’s sleep it’ll all be fine!”

Xiao Yao fell asleep but there was a sardonic smile on her lips as if mocking “Even after a good sleep it won’t all be fine!”

Because it's not only his rejection that pains her, the fact that she's not his choice, but also because of what his choice is. A path doomed to end on the battlefield. 

Xiaoyao buried her head in her knees, silent. She felt a blockage in her heart, but she couldn't tell whether it was for Xiangliu or for herself. "

 What are you thinking about?"

  "As the daughter of Chiyou, the world is so big, but there is nowhere to go."

   Xiangliu lifted Xiaoyao's head: "If it really doesn't work, just set sail. The sky is high and the sea is vast. "

She told him that as the daughter of Chiyou, even though the world îs big, there is nowhere to go, but what she was thinking about was actually "home îs where your heart îs. With you gone, there will be no home for me anymore". Her statement came right after XL explained her why he can't choose another path.

 She felt a blockage în her heart, wasn't sure if it was for XL or for herself, however when XL asked her what îs she thinking about, she tells him her real feelings, but using Chiyou as the excuse. Not because she was în denial, but because she respected XL's choice.