There is nothing that makes Xiang Liu give up the idea of dying on the battlefield, his gratitude for Hong Xiang is bigger. I thought Xiao Yao could do it, but every time she talks to him about him being free, he gets annoyed because he hates to think about the possibility that they could have a life together. He pushes her, he believes that there is no second chance for him but he likes to make her see indirectly that others can have opportunities, in the scene of the slave's liberation he makes it clear.
Xiao Yao and Xiang Liu's fear caused them to lose forever. They presented themselves as unattainable for each other... Especially Xiang Liu who never let her really know what she meants to him.
My friend considers Xiao Yao to be selfish. As an audience we wonder why Xiao Yo asks for what she is not willing to offer. But from a psychological point of view, it is her defense mechanism (and them are generally unconscious). Being a person who is highly afraid of loneliness and abandonment, she first makes sure that those who intend to be close to her, show it by strong actions because we can all say pretty words that will be carried away by the wind. Her ingrained fear even makes her believe that she doesn't have to make sacrifices because her presence is enough for those who love her. Only Cang Xuan is the exception, because the promise they made to each other when they were children carries weight on her because of their happy moments in childhood. Such memories are her safe place.
Xiao Yao's main ideal is love above all else, and even though she knows deep down that it is not possible (because in her social circle there are priorities that are not love), she clings to the hope that it can be so. Here I realized that her character had many opportunities to grow, but the writer took the route of giving her a love development and not a character development as she gave it to Xiang Liu, who despite being in love to the bone, had a separate life that led him to understand that love is not necessarily to be together but that his beloved can be happy.
I registered basically to comment Xiang Liu easily entered my list of memorable characters (Ning Yi, Wei Yingluo, Zhen Huan, Wei Wuxian) in the Chinese series I've watched! The fact that he was played by Tan Jian Ci was really a win, he added additional flavors to the character and made me feel a range of emotions! I was initially reluctant to watch Lost You Forever because I read comments where the characters were criticized for being intolerable (?) and I disagree because there are layers to them that would easily go unnoticed if you don't watch the episodes with an open mind. Yes, there are characters that fell short in their development but still their actions are not a straight line. Also, there are persons who will only take the effort to analyze and understand their favorite characters, but will balk at the idea of doing so with those they don't like. That is why discussions about characters end up in fights because they are driven by bias.
Xiao Yao and Xiang Liu's fear caused them to lose forever. They presented themselves as unattainable for each other... Especially Xiang Liu who never let her really know what she meants to him.
Xiao Yao's main ideal is love above all else, and even though she knows deep down that it is not possible (because in her social circle there are priorities that are not love), she clings to the hope that it can be so. Here I realized that her character had many opportunities to grow, but the writer took the route of giving her a love development and not a character development as she gave it to Xiang Liu, who despite being in love to the bone, had a separate life that led him to understand that love is not necessarily to be together but that his beloved can be happy.