FoxyFennac

YaoXuan is kind of subtle. I think it's more about timing. In their adult life, CX recognized her very late. XY already had met both Jing and XL.

" It doesn't matter who did more for her (we know but she doesn't so it doesn't count in her choice! )"
This is so true. YaoJing is an ordinary lovestory of an ordinary couple. She chose a person whose feelings she was 100% sure of. A safe choice.
YaoXuan was never really in the picture because of sibling-trope and familial love.
YaoLiu was an intriguing love story with a lot of potential that was not explored.

Personally I didn't want XL to end up with XY. I don't feel that XY was the right person for him but it's "love". And people can't control their feelings for each other sometimes even if they are wrong. It is very tiring to control yourself.
On that point, I feel Jing was an easier choice since XY never had to control or hide her feelings for him!

It's a reverse harem genre, FL- centered romance. S2 wouldn't make much sense without S1.

It was the snake in XY's childhood that died with whom XY used to play. 9/8 is the number of tails. XY was imprisoned by the fox demon when she was a child. This is the connection people are talking about.

XL is a nine-headed serpent.
Jing is nine-tailed fox.

Well said!! From a lover's pov, TSJ did seem as an ideal lover whose life is revolving around XY. But life is so much more than just romantic love. Love also has so many different forms!!

First impression is often the last impression. TSJ was literally introduced into the story as a servant boy of WXL in QS town as YSQ.

That being said, I don't see Jing as a servant but his role in the whole story was definitely meant to be a companion for XY, the one who would never abandon her. The one she could fall back on without a care. This was his primary role, the essence of his character. I agree with @nathsketch here that even if TSJ had all his scenes from the novel in the story, his character would still be overshadowed by XL. And it's the author's setting in the novel. We already had two ambitious and complex male characters as CX and XL, author had to keep TSJ simpler. Otherwise everyone would have been the same. Where would the fun be!

Agreed. TH wrote Jing that way. It's not the fault of Deng Wei or the production team. Jing is a regular, rich, 'good' , 'nice' guy, commonly found in most of C-stories. Jing and XY's love story was 'common'. Even Ah Heng and Chi Chen's love story had more thrill than XY's.

It was my first drama of TJC, so it's not like that my liking of XL is because of TJC's portrayal. The character itself is fascinating.

Agreed. I liked XL's character the most in this story. He is just so complex, keeps you thinking about him. He has that consuming kind of personality/love. Like a moth to a fire.
That said, I don't hate Jing either. He had his own role to play in the story in whatever capacity he was needed.

War brings money to corrupt people so those people would never want true peace to prevail!

Foxes are cute 😉Not commenting on the drama itself but I so loved the CGI and costume of Yang Mi in FSM and her makeup as well

I don't think XL exactly had the "purpose". Hong Jian and the soldiers had become a sort of family for him. He was taking care of them for the sake of loyalty and camaraderie. He loved XY but since she would not reciprocate his feelings, he had no motivation to let go of his family, the family which would eventually die. And it's not that he chose death becuase of XY. It was his default ending since he was on the losing side and he knew it. He was ready to let go of life since there was nothing to bind him to life until he met XY. And we all know that XY was not a 'simple' character either!

XL is a complex character and he is not the 'male lead' as well so he has less depiction in the story. His traumatic past is not as widely explored as XY and TSJ's. I believe that he also needed someone who would be brave to love him and XY was simply not that person, which is probably why, they both missed many of the opportunities.

I am perfectly fine with XY ending up with Jing. It's a very normal and safe choice, given their circumstances.

I really think that death makes a character unforgettable, especially if they're strong and complex. Xiang Liu’s deep love for Xiaoyao and his dramatic end made him stand out way more. He’s always keeping you on your toes. Compared to him, Jing feels kinda boring and his growth isn’t as interesting. It does not help Jing that TJC did an amazing job with Xiang Liu, making him way more memorable and impactful.

I do get why people would like Jing but XL is not simply forgettable. I still can't forget the scene in "The King's Woman" where the guy kills Dilireba with his own hands. Death has such a way of immortalizing a character.

And come on, every single character in this story is flawed, even the "good, kind" Jing is not flawless either. It's upto you whose flaws you would ignore. CX, XL, XY and Jing, none of these characters were working for greater good. All of them had personal motivations.
CX wanted power, not for people, but for protecting himself and XY.
XL fought the war, owing to Hong Jiang and his comrades, not for the sake of "country".
XY ignored all the War stuff and just wanted CX on throne and a man to spend her life with.
Jing did whatever XY wanted.
None of them was noble imo.

I don't mind the War theme in the story. War is THE WORST thing but we have armed conflicts in 21st century also, it's quite understandable in the context of this story plus it's a fictional world where honour and sovereignity are more valued. War has always been a part of human history and as much as we would like the world to be War-free, it is not happening in the near future. Someone in some corner of the world is still living in a war zone. May we get ever-lasting peace!!!

They literally had no chemistry. I couldn't even feel their chemistry in season 1. Somebody in the comments once said that their interactions were like mother-son and I couldn't unsee that😅
Specially when you could notice an obvious tension between XY and XL from their first scene when she was singing for Fei Fei. Now that I call chemistry.
I personally believe that only appealing thing of Jing was his devotion, character-wise there was nothing much going on for him.

Yeah. She is one confused lady!

Just trying here to understand both characters. Hate is such a strong emotion and I specially wouldn't use this on fictional characters :) I love XL but I don't hate Jing.

My take is that, from a modern mindset, most girls would not prefer XL, especially the way it started. He was pretty mean to her in the beginning. Nowadays, people don't tolerate such behaviour. That "bad boy with golden heart" trope looks good in stories but not much preferred in real life.

XY, herself, was a confused personality and XL was a complex character. I don't think she was a right fit for him. I agree that XL doesn't have abandonment issues but that doesnot mean that all the time he suffered in the slave arena didn't leave him with any trauma of sort. Although he experienced maternal love from FFB's mother, that love was obviously for original FFB and not exactly XL. He knew what it felt to be loved but it is still not quite real, it is not for him. His foster father's love was definitely not some doting kind of love. With his soldiers, he had more of respect and camaraderie. Romantic relationship was his one way of experiencing, a whole-hearted love- a love solely for him. Unfortunately, he fell in love with a person who would not reciprocate his feelings. Although we understand that many decisions he took, were for the good of XY but people can and are right to argue that XL had no right to make decisions on XY's behalf like erasing the mirror etc. It goes against the autonomy of a person. That's where his character became a bit problematic from a modern pov.

Regarding Jing, if i want to use a positive word for his character, it would be 'Gentle'. People fall for 'gentleness' all the time. Nowadays, literally, every woman wants their man to treat them like the world revolves around them. Jing fits perfectly into this. I personally like men to have some backbone but I can also understand the appeal of Jing like person to modern girls. He definitely did a lot of questionable things. Also in xianxia, usually the Guy has the duty of protecting 3 realms like stuff where they kind of leave their girl behind, i guess that trope is kind of reversed here where the guy left everything for the girl. Regardless, I feel his character was weak and bland even if he had gotten all the scenes and CGI. Jing and XY both had a trauma bond. I specially don't like his 15-year promise thing. It felt forced and controlling. His engagement drama is so bad from a modern pov. It literally put XY in a mistress position. Their romance scenes did not interest me at all. Maybe if he was the sole lead or main lead and did not have a XL to compare, i might have liked his character more.

Anyone who doesn't recognize that XL's character was the most remarkable or unforgettable in the whole story would honestly be missing out. Though I agree that XL and XY aren't suited for a healthy relationship because of their emotional baggage from past traumas, it's clear that XL stands out in both the novel and the drama. It's not just about stealing lines or CGI; his character setting is incredibly powerful. Plus, sad endings always leave a bigger impact, especially when the character, like XL, is already very strong.

I agree, XL definitely deserved his own girl.

I really like Jing’s character and appreciate how he brings healthier relationship vibes. He’s caring, emotionally available, and truly loves Xiao Yao. His devotion and willingness to put her first are really admirable and would make for a stable, loving partnership.

But honestly, in the context of the story, Jing sometimes felt a bit dull compared to other characters. While his qualities are solid, they didn’t stand out as much next to the more complex and dynamic personalities like Xiang Liu. Plus, his whole mess with the engagement and dragging his feet on resolving it made him seem a bit indecisive and less impactful. Even though he’s important to the story and to Xiao Yao, he kinda got overshadowed by the more intense drama around him.

Initially, XY was drawn to the character of YSQ, not exactly TSJ. In fact, TSJ adopted a YSQ-like persona at the end of the story by giving up everything. What XY actually admired was someone with single-minded devotion like YSQ. Significant changes in his character would have made it difficult for him to revert to that YSQ-like persona. So, he didn't really grow much throughout the story; instead, he experienced a kind of circular development.

On the other hand, XL and even CX exhibited more character growth than TSJ, especially XL. XL, despite his traumatic past and his somewhat ruthless and calculated nature due to his military position, did not become a villainous or bloodthirsty character. Instead, he learned to love, which is a remarkable achievement for someone like him.

Agree with almost everything😂
Both XL and CX at least had some other ambition besides pining after XY
TSJ, it seemed, had nothing else to do 😂

Absolutely, everyone has their imperfections, and finding someone who accepts and even embraces those imperfections can make a relationship truly special. XY and TSJ were those kinds of people for each other. TSJ once said that when WXL blushed upon seeing his body, it healed his self-esteem as a man, knowing he could affect her that way. They saw beyond each other's flaws. It's no wonder they ended up together.

Let's enjoy the story and move on!!

It's a shame that the debate over the characters has turned into a fight between the actors. Honestly, Xiang Liu's character was objectively stronger than Tushan Jing’s in the novel, which is I guess one of the reasons, the other experienced actor did not take the role of TSJ. It definitely helped that Tan Jianci is an amazing actor who brought Xiang Liu to life so vividly. No wonder he really stood out compared to Tushan Jing, played by Deng Wei. But let’s not forget, DW is a relatively new actor and did a great job too. Both actors brought something special to their roles, and it’s better to appreciate their performances without turning it into a competition.