Lotus

I could barely watched the scene of XY's torture, it was too gruesome. I can imagine how heartbreaking it is for TSJ to find her like that.

CX becomes the emperor and starts a war with XY's father. Two more climaxes regarding TSJ and XL. An assasination and death of TSJ by his brother aided by CX and inevitable ending between XY and XL.

TSJ's hometown is close to where XY lives at that moment. TSJ also has the fox's essence, which is more intuitively aware and able to track XY down with higher accuracy. This is described better in the novel. XL was quite far away in his soldier's headquarters, outside the village where they met. CX, although felt XY's distress, he didn't have the tracking and animal instinct the same way as TSJ. That's why TSJ got to XY first.

When TSJ arrived, XY had already stopped breathing. Poor Jing desperately tried to revive her by giving her his essence, but he gave up hope because she had stopped breathing and died. He decided to die with her and sat in the trap, protecting her body while he let himself burn. Tragic! TSJ realizes at that point that without XY, he has no will to live, all that he had ever lived for since the day she found him almost dead and brought him back to life was her. This is a point of big decision for TSJ. CX still had his desire for power and to become king to live for, XL his desire to protect the rebel army and support Gong Gong, TSJ had nothing else to live for other than XY. This was when TSJ realized that outside of XY, nothing else matters. TSJ didn't die protecting XY. He decided to die with her because she had stopped breathing and died when he found her.

Today's two episodes is all comedy, from XL to FL...

I don't think the author gave him much of a chance, on paper in the novel, he seemed boring. In the drama, Feng Long has his own charm!

The drama became a comedy with Feng Long's women-wooing tactics in episode 28. That man does have a special taste in women! Who knows if XY really marries him, they probably enjoy each other's company to no end... as he says: "She's willing to try anything." ;o)

XL does everything with a condition. At least to XY, he never does anything without asking for something in return. That's not exactly vulnerability.

As for the love bug, asking XY to make a terrible swear on her life that if she doesn't do what he asks in return everything she loves will turn into hate, and everything she enjoys will turns into sufferings isn't exactly unconditional.

I think the only unconditional thing he did was order the bow and teaching XY to protect her self with archery. His only condition was that she hung out with him, nothing else. Everything else came with a condition to benefit Gong Gong's army.

XL purposely don't want to make any gestures for XY to think that he's in love with her. Even forcing her to kiss her underwater first, not to trying to kiss her first. His methods are not a screaming signal to a girl "I'm in love with you." That's what I mean by emotional vulnerability, risking emotion rejection by taking the first step, making a blantant first move to tell the other you're interested without knowing the outcome of it. TSJ did plenty of that while XY was rejecting him numerous times, telling him to leave her alone. He persisted! Made her bed comfortable, doing whatever she asked without needing anything in return or asking her to thank him.
The only thing TSJ asked for is 15 years to settle his affairs to be with XY, but as you will see, even that he decided to dismiss and wants to be with her right away as the story progresses.

Fifteen years isn't a lot if you live for thousands of years, that's like a couple of weeks in human age.

Every fiction still follows a line of logical narrative based on human reality. Any fiction that doesn't follow a logical narrative based on ordinary people and their personalities doesn't usually do well. I take it the author follows the same logical narratives as most other authors to weave a story with human characteristics endowed in the characters. So far, this story is popular because it does follow a logical narrative in creating a believable story, unlike other c-dramas.

Have you checked out AvenueX? I follow her YouTube channels to analyze past c-dramas. She has a background in the industry. Her analysis is very accurate about the script and stories and the logical flow of a drama which makes one successful over another. How to make a character come alive: make it as close to a living person's characteristics as possible. I would say this story does that job pretty well.

I'm just following the thread of Mizu's discussion about trauma, it makes for an interesting discussion... so lighten up!

I'm a trauma therapist and I can tell you that TSJ is the best match for XY to heal. He's consistently stable, and willing to talk things out while remaining calm everytime they have conflict. TSJ relationship and bonding patterns has what trauma therapists would call "secure attachment" because of TSJ's upbringing where unconditional love from his mother, his grandmother is never lacking. XL and XY has what people call an "insecure attachment" pattern, one where they're vulnerable to rejection and avoids vulnerability or the possibility of being rejected or the slightest sign of abandonment. People with that pattern has difficult trusting emotionally and need to be with those with secure attachment to heal and overcome their incessant fear of abandonment. These insecure patterns comes from childhood physical abuse, abandonment and emotional neglect which XL and XY has plenty in their childhood background. As for TSJ, he experienced abuse as an adult, it is a very different experience as an adult as a person has already formed their attachment bonding foundation in childhood. Also, TSJ was lucky enough to meet XY to heal him both physically and emotionally to overcome his PTSD. His secure attachment bonding pattern remains intact. Two people with an insecure attachment pattern is a recipe for heartbreak and constant insecurity in a relationship. XL isn't the best match for XY, this is why the author choose TSJ because of his character and psychological makeup unless we're talking about a sad ending melodrama.

That's lame, XY saved him with her blood many times. In episode 28, he's hiding in her bedroom and she saves him from the guards. Where is his loyalty to her? Knowing that would devastate her, he's always trying to kill her brother Cang Xuan.

Gong Gong saved him once, XY saved him many times. That's so distorted the way XL loyalty is placed. In the end, the character never approached the issue head once, take one moral risks on behalf of XY. Did he even entertained of approaching Gong Gong and asking the question if the man would let him go? Nope. That's why as much as I feel sorry for XL and his quiet sacrifices, I don't agree that he deserves any love from XY. XL sits on the moral high horse, not risking anything for XY. TSJ approached his grandmother, confronts his family's endowment and responsibility and is willing to give it all up, risking other people calling him an unfilial son, a person who shrugs clan's responsibility, a weak guy who chooses a woman over an empire and power. TSJ lost the moral high ground but gains XY.

That's just a lame excuse. TuShan Jing is willing to leave everything for XY. I think his family raising him, giving him everything wealth, power, status and love is much more than what Gong Gong given XL. What TuShan Jing is willing to give up is more than anyone willing to do. Rejecting his family's endowment and responsibility is much more than being disloyal to Gong Gong if XL was to choose. But I guess to an abused puppy, a scrap of food is a lot more than someone who is always fed plenty.

Ultimately, as much as I feel sorry for XL, TuShan Jing did the noble thing in love that XY wanted in the end. XL can't make the same sacrifice. Love is always a choice, you can't always have everything be ironed and smoothed out, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Loyalty to family and ideals vs. devotion to one woman, TuShan Jing made that choice, XL didn't. I don't blame XY for choosing TSJ.

For a second in episode 27, looking into FFB/XL eyes when XY asked him that question at the archery practice, he almost was leaning towards leaving everything for her. But XL is exactly like XY, he too is afraid of being abandoned. The only person in the world who he can truly rely on that will not abandon him is his godfather. He doesn't entirely trust XY not to do that either. A relationship can't happen if someone doesn't take a step first and be vulnerable to take risks, XL hasn't got it in him, but TuShan Jing got plenty. TuShan Jing's real power over XY is his vulnerability and undying devotion; no matter how she treats him, he always takes a step first and risks emotional rejection. Even with multiple rejections and XY constantly pushing him away, he persists... Jing is not a dumb guy, he's a CEO running a vast business empire. His one advantage in life is that he was loved by his parents, his grandma and everyone around him (except his brother later). Jing has much more resilient to rejection than XL because he knows he's loved at the core. He can tolerate the rejection and bounce back without any doubt on his self-esteem, XL on the other hand, cannot because at the core he sees himself as a 9 headed demon that everyone despises and look down upon. He loves XY because she doesn't look at him that way. It's easy to see how they each react to jealousy. TuShan Jing just feels sad for a moment then persists in clearing up the miscommunication. XL gives XY a death stare. Cang Xuan outright feels murderous. Who do you want to be with?

In episode 27, when XY asked FFB "if you give up everything, I would travel with you." sums up XY's decision-making requirement. She wants the person who she will be with always to choose her first. Only TuShan Jing qualifies in this regard, he's willing to leave everything for her. She's abandoned by love ones too many times. She doesn't want to be abandoned by a love partner, so he must always choose her first.

In episode 27, when XY asked FFB "if you give up everything, I would travel with you." sums up XY's decision making requirement. She wants the person who she will be with to always choose her first. Only TuShan Jing qualifies in this regard, he's willing to leave everything for her.

I'm not sure I would give my heart and trust a man who's trying to kill my most beloved "brother", the one who is most dear to me multiple times?! XL is being unrealistic that she would give him any chance at all. He gave her 40 lashes as a first impression, bites her regularly to use as a medicine bottle, and threatened her and her family multiple times. What did the guy expect? That's she all thrilled about him because he does a few nice things for her or wasn't treating her harshly once? Did XL think that she would declare her undying devotion and love for him while he was still out to kill Cang Xuan at every chance he had? The fox TuShan Jing looks like a shining candidate to be with in this regard.... lots of money and influence to help her brother, always protective of her and anyone close to her, dotes on her without question. Did I mentioned that Tushan Jing was the only who didn't beat or abuse our XY physically or threatened her safety in any way yet? Add on "willing to leave everything for her".... how could she NOT pick the fox?

I'm not trying to bash XL here, I find him and XY pairing very passionate and heartwarming, yet there are obvious flaws in him that will never allow XY to get close to him even if she wants to do it.

I'm not sure I would give my heart and trust a man who's trying to kill my most beloved "brother", the one who is most dear to me multiple times?! XL is being unrealistic that she would give him any chance at all. I mean he gave her 40 lashes as a first impression, bites her regularly to use as medicine bottle, threatened her and her family multiple times. What did the guy expect? That's she all thrilled about him because he does a few nice things for her or wasn't treating her harshly once? Did XL thinks that she will declare her undying devotion and love for him while he still out to kill Cang Xuan at every chance he has?

She seemed to have a thing for Male Harem then ;) !

I can't blame her for choosing Jing and being afraid of falling in love with XL. Jing makes her feel safe and still rational. I'm leaning towards the interpretation of why she resisted XL because there is a high risk that XL will make her go crazy and lose all her rational sense if he gets in.

She is never depicted in the drama or novel thinking about Jing the same way as she misses XL. She never took his pictures with the mirror?! XY relationship with Jing is boring and controlled in comparison to the interactions she has with XL. She never disclose to Jing a lot of her feelings and secrets from her past the same way with XL.

Funny how XY still gravitates towards XL in FFB's even with the playboy characteristic. She truly can't resist being around him.