AH

I agree that sometimes the FL doesn't manage her anger in an ideal way (and the writers seem to like hamming up her reactions in an attempt at comic relief), but I feel like most of the time when the FL has an "outburst" the underlying demand she's making or the boundary she's trying to set is reasonable (like demanding that moocher ex-boyfriend contribute to the cost of all the house supplies he had used) and the outburst comes after some kind of breaking point... whereas if the ML didn't drag and drag and drag the secrets out and spoke to the FL about them sooner he'd have a much better chance of having a calm and reasonable conversation with the FL.

In the case where the truth about the ML's father came out, the FL had a very calm, understanding, and sympathetic reaction despite the fact that the ML continuously hid the truth from her and she only found out because of the CEO. When the FL had that reaction, told the ML that she was there for him as his partner, and asked that there be no more secrets between them, the ML should have taken that golden opportunity to come clean. The fact that he still didn't have an honest conversation with the FL at that point made all the continued secret keeping that much more problematic.

Lol, okay that all sounds very critical. I'm still enjoying the drama. This just happens to be the aspect of the ML's behaviour that frustrates me the most.

How ironic was it that the FL punished the CEO by having everyone eat a delicious and nutritious Korean breakfast in front of him while he was forced to eat an "American" breakfast that was just super processed and sugary dessert snacks... and then when she sent the ML and SFL away before they could finish that nice Korean breakfast the ML and SFL ended up going to Subway to eat processed American fast food and then the script had them awkwardly talk about how that food was good and tasted delicious?

(1) As far as the FL knows, the CEO is the kind of person who would write the kind of hate comments that were harsh enough for someone as forgiving as Ja Yeon to file a lawsuit against him. She doesn't know that he wasn't actually the person who wrote the most hurtful comment (the comment that was actually written by Ja Jun, which unwittingly hit too close to the truth about Ja Yeon's father) and the FL hasn't seen first hand how much the CEO regrets the comments he did write and the fact that he paid Ha Jun to write the rest. The FL also knows that the CEO is the kind of person who would fire an employee and demote his wife from a leadership position because that employee turned out to be his father's child out of wedlock (something that is obviously not the employee or his wife's fault) without even trying to talk to either of them about it first.

(2) Ja Yeon probably had to deal with many people, including boyfriends or potential boyfriends, being awful to her after finding out that she was a foster child and her father is a murderer. And that was before her father was released on parole. If someone was going to defy the odds and stick by Ja Yeon after finding out about her family history, how likely would it be that that someone would be Mr. super-sensitive CEO who seems to become close with an employee one minute and then ruthlessly fires the same employee the next minute simply because of who the employee's father is? The FL asked the CEO if he could stick with Ja Yeon through anything. Clearly she thought that he would be like everyone else who let Ja Yeon down and abandoned her in the past. Whereas the FL believes that she is the only one who will definitely stick by Ja Yeon through everything, no matter what. And that seems quite believable, since the FL has clearly stuck by Ja Yeon for many years and hasn't put any of the blame for her father's death on Ja Yeon.

I felt very differently. I kept getting annoyed with the ML deciding, over and over again, to hide critically important information from the FL until she inevitably found out in the worst possible way, leaving her feeling hurt and like he doesn't trust her and like he can't be trusted himself, instead of getting ahead of it by giving her the proper warning and explanation she deserves and then figuring out how to handle things WITH her.

The ML knew who the FL and her foster sisters were from the beginning, but pretended that he didn't. He didn't tell the FL that he was her mother's last foster child. Even when they got married and he greeted her mother at the wedding, the ML still didn't tell the FL that he already knew her mother. After the wedding, he ghosted the FL (disappearing off the face of the earth and ignoring all the FL's calls for three months), secretly visited the FL's mother, and didn't tell the FL anything about it, even after he came back. He bought his wedding ring instead of returning it, but lied to the FL about it and said that he had only rented it. She had to find out the truth from someone else. When he was forced to join the FL's company, he gave the FL zero warning about it even though there was a huge risk that a misstep would impact her career. She only found out when he showed up in front of her - forcing her to have to scramble and fumble while she was at work. When he moved into the FL's house, he hid the reason why he knew that the rooftop room didn't have a bathroom and once again failed to take the opportunity to tell the FL about his history with her mother and the fact that he had lived in her childhood home after she moved out. When he figured out that he was the chairman's son, he had so many opportunities to tell the FL about it but chose not to even though, again, it was information that could have a serious impact on her career. And it *did* end up having a serious impact on her career - it caused the CEO to demote her from the leadership position that she had only just managed to earn thanks to her hard work (and had already nearly lost due to him showing up at the company without warning the FL or giving her a chance to come up with a good plan to deal with it). And when the CEO gave the ML an ultimatum about leaving the country, the ML didn't say anything about it to the FL. He could have treated her like a partner and told her and then talked with her about how to deal with it. But instead he kept her in the dark so that she ended up finding out about it in a terrible way (triggering her abandonment complex) from someone else.

I was honestly annoyed that the FL didn't confront the ML about hiding the fact that he was the chairman's son from her and the fact that that was why he was forced to join her company. In different circumstances, his parentage would be information that he could morally keep to himself until he felt ready to share it. But in the given circumstances there was a very obvious risk that the information could lead to a situation where the FL's career and reputation would be in danger. The ML was even warned by Mr. Jung that he should think about protecting the FL. But the ML still kept the FL totally in the dark and completely failed to warn her or to protect her properly. It was so frustrating.

The ML generally seems like a sweet person, but he has a horrible habit of keeping secrets from the FL and completely failing to learn his lesson each time a secret implodes and ends up hurting the FL again.

This felt like a levelled-up version of Hello Monster and Come and Hug Me.

I haven't watched the drama yet (I'm waiting), so this is all speculation that's completely in the dark... but did she study abroad before working abroad? If so, she probably had major debts to pay off for both student loans for international tuition rates (unless she got a full ride for her entire study abroad) and her cost of living while she was a student (food, housing, transportation, medical care, visas, etc.). Even if she had major scholarships and was very frugal with her food, housing, and transportation choices (to the extent possible)... one major medical incident in the US could easily wipe out her savings and put her into debt.

She also might have initially held positions at that company or other companies that were poorly compensated (e.g., unpaid internships or low-paid starting or temp contract positions) before working her way up to a better compensated position... while still dealing with a very high cost of living in the Bay Area or similar metropolitan areas.

I normally stick to dramas I've watched with my lists. But thanks for letting me know. ^^

In chapter 23 of the novel, XY says: “我在想，如果你从死斗场里逃出来时，是我救了你该多好！如果那样的话，我就会让你只做防风邶！真恨不得能早出生几百年，我一定会去死斗场里找你……"

Which roughly translates to: "I was thinking: if, when you escaped from within the death match arena, it was me who saved you, how wonderful that would have been! If that were the case, I would have made you only take the role of Fang Feng Bei! I really wish I could have been born a few hundred years earlier; I would definitely have gone to the death match arena to find/search for you…"

It sort of sounds like XY was saying that she wished she (and not Gong Gong) had saved XL when he was injured and nearly killed (by the whirlpool) after he escaped from the slave death match arena... and even more than that, she would have gone to the slave death match arena directly to look for him (and maybe to try and help him escape sooner and more safely). And then once he had escaped, she would have had him only live a life like FFB's carefree life (with no ties to a general and an army that was determined to fight to the death for a lost cause / that was her family's enemy).

Basically she would make her wish that he would always be FFB (the version of XL that was unburdened and able to be with her) come true.

For context, before the 37 years of healing, XL told XY that he had been a slave in the death match arena back when he was FFB and had not yet revealed that FFB and XL were the same person. It also seems to have been common knowledge that Gong Gong saved XL's life at one point and that XL later returned to Gong Gong when Gong Gong was abandoned by the world in order to repay that life debt. Whereas XY only found out about Gong Gong saving XL from the whirlpool (specifically) during the 37 years of healing when she was supposed to not be able to hear what XL was saying to her. Thanks to chapter 26, we know that XY was aware that XL did not want XY to know the things he said and did during the 37 years of healing (in chapter 22) and that she decided to pretend that she had not heard anything (including the merpeople's mating song) during that time. So it makes sense that she wouldn't mention the whirlpool in this scene.

Just as Kokuto said, XL escaped from the slave death match arena on his own. He must have fled back to the ocean (where he was born), because he ended up nearly being killed by a whirlpool in the ocean.

It's unclear whether XL was already badly wounded from his escape when he encountered the whirlpool (thus explaining why he was endangered by the whirlpool in the first place, when he would normally avoid it) or if he was still being pursued when he reached the ocean so he tried to use the whirlpool to escape from his pursuers but ended up endangering his own life and getting badly injured by the whirlpool. IMO, the first option seems more likely. Although it's worth noting that XL didn't trust Gong Gong (Hong Jiang) and some time after Gong Gong saved him he fled to the far north to escape and hide from his pursuers. Meaning that he didn't feel that he had fully escaped from his pursuers even after Gong Gong saved him.

Gong Gong saved XL from the whirlpool, treated XL's wounds, and taught XL a healing technique before he ran away. XL later used that healing technique to develop his own fighting technique while he was hiding in the far north.

The snake demon that kept XY company when she was a child was definitely not XL for at least two reasons.

First, the snake demon from that time was killed by the nine-tailed fox that stole XY away and kept her captive for 30 years. Although XL has nine lives, the drama shows us exactly when he lost each of those lives. One life (and one head) were lost when he saved XY's life after her assassination. Two lives (and two more heads) were lost when XL killed the Lovers Bugs. The rest of his lives were lost in the final battle. So in the drama XL definitely didn't lose a life to a nine-tailed fox during XY's childhood.

Second, the snake demon from that time (after young XY ran away from Jade Mountain) had not cultivated enough to manifest a human form before it was killed. It only had enough cultivation to understand what XY was saying (like Chubby). Whereas at that point in time (70+ years after the battle between forces led by Chi Chen and the Princess General) XL's human form was several hundred years old. He had already taken over FFB's identity for over 170 years and he had joined the remnant army ~70 years prior (shortly after that battle).

IMO, when XY described her experiences with the snake demon and nine-tailed fox, XL realized how lonely and difficult her childhood had been. And that she had been held captive and tortured and had to free herself when she was young. Which was similar to his childhood experience where he never knew his parents, he was enslaved, and he was forced to fight for his life in the death match arena from a young age until he freed himself.

Added, thanks!

It's a bit different from some of the others in this list since some of the things the FL said were exaggerated and some were outright lies and she said those things while recording the conversation because she knew she was being set up. But the ML clearly enjoyed hearing what she said anyway and in any case it does fit the description for this list.

You're welcome!

You'll probably get different answers from different fans based on their own interpretations. The novel helps provide some insight. Based on that, IMO it was a bit of both. She was attracted by YSQ's looks and body (hence the blushing that was such an important moment for YSQ) and she had the beginning of romantic feelings for YSQ (17) that she tried to cut off, but those feelings hadn't solidified yet in QS Town, and she also did feel a certain level of care and pity for him.

In the novel, the dragon bone prison confession scene happens in chapter 8. In chapter 14, YSQ/TSJ still feels that XY didn't love him yet and that she mainly felt care and pity for him, so he refused her kiss at that point (because he wants her love, not her care and pity). Later on he accepts her kiss and in chapter 22 XY's existing feelings for TSJ grow stronger after finding out that TSJ sought death when he thought that XY was dead.

Also, just as a tip to avoid confusion, most fans use "XL" for Xiang Liu (the white-haired demon) and "WXL" for Wen Xiao Liu / "XY" for Xiao Yao (the female lead). ^^

"He did use TSJ - because if he returned Jing to Xiaoyao, then she won't need to avenge him anymore.

...

That was the Xiangliu - he will want his army to survive if possible. He wasn't planning for them to die. He only chose to die with them when there was no other way out. Xiaoyao was his last move to get rid of Cangxuan - he could use her to save his troops."

-

We've discussed this before, but that interpretation differs pretty significantly from my interpretation.

I don't think that XL wanted to use TSJ's death to get XY to kill CX (or any other prominent person in Xuan Yuan).

I think XL wanted to use TSJ's death to get XY to permanently free herself from the hold that CX had on her, because she wouldn't be able to have the lifetime of worry-free happiness that XL wished for her to have (with TSJ!) unless and until she was able to free herself from CX.

From the very beginning XL knew that the Shengnong remnant army's cause was a lost one. Each and every solider was committed to fighting until their death and none of them expected to survive. That was the path they chose for themselves, and death on the battlefield (the "best" death for a general) was clearly the ending that XL foresaw for himself. When XL had WXL help him get medicine for his comrades all the way back in chapter 5, XL knew he was only prolonging their lives temporarily and that their deaths were inevitable, but he wanted to at least let them die the way they wanted to die: as soldiers on the battlefield, facing the Xuan Yuan army.

相柳面无表情，进了屋子，淡淡说：“如果能尽快弄到药，至少让他们可以多活一段日子。他们是战士，即使要死，也应该死在黄帝的军队前。”

If XL's #1 priority had been to save his comrades lives and to advance their cause even if he had to hurt XY to do so, there were other steps he could have taken (instead of trying to manipulate XY to kill CX or other leaders in Xuan Yuan) that would have been more effective.

To destablilize Xuan Yuan, XL could have spread rumours (true rumours) about CX's feelings for XY and the fact that CX was behind the killing of the Tushan Clan leader in order to prevent XY from marrying TSJ. He could even have spread further rumours (false rumours, but ones that would be difficult for CX to refute since he claimed that FFB was killed by his men) that CX had hired FFB to take XY away from her wedding with Feng Long and then had FFB killed.

He could have used TSJ as a hostage to make demands from the Tushan Clan.

Or, to really put CX in a bind, XL could have revealed the true nature of the bug connection between himself and XY to CX so that CX would be aware that if his army killed XL, XY would likely die too. He also could have used the bug connection to cause XY immense pain and threatened to use the bug connection to kill XY if CX did not give in to his demands.

CX would be compelled to comply with XL's demands not only out of desperation to save XY because he loved her and couldn't bear the thought of living without her, but also because of the guilt he would feel knowing that the bug connection between XL and XY was only established because XY needed to transfer the bug out of CX and into a different host. So CX might feel that he was partly responsible for any pain that XY experienced, and any danger to her life, that was caused by the bug connection beetween XY and XL.

-----

"I am sure he had other ways to 'return Jing' if he chose to, such as use the merfolk who are not directly affiliated with him in the first place. See how Xiaoyao in the novel just thought of thanking the mer couple, she never even thought XL was involved."

-

How is that an "other way" to return TSJ though?

Using the mercouple to hide his involvement was the exact method that XL did use to return TSJ to XY... after he obtained XY's blood (which he needed in order to revive TSJ) and after XY got to the point where she was able to free herself from CX's hold.

-----

"Xiaoyao had her own means to cure Jing, instead of needing Xiangliu to take so much of her blood at one go because he knew he needed to wake Jing up asap - since Xiaoyao was about to become the Queen mother after she tried to kill CX."

-

We don't know that XY would have been able to revive TSJ on her own. The life-saving pill that she made for TSJ wasn't enough to revive him. It was only enough to prevent him from dying from the injuries that TSH inflicted against him.

And it's possible that XL might have used methods that only he was capable of using in order to revive TSJ. For example, as you and I have discussed before, some fans speculate that XL used one of his extra lives (in addition to XY's blood) to create the jewel that he used to revive TSJ. If that was the case, then it seems very possible that XY would not have been able to revive TSJ on her own.

Also, at the time that XL took XY's blood from her in order to create the jewel that he used to revive TSJ, XY was not about to immenently become the Royal Mother. Six months passed between the time when XL collected the blood from XY and the time when XY realized that CX was behind TSJ's death. At that point, XY didn't choose to become the next Royal Mother. She chose to poison herself. She only decided to become the Royal Mother after XL saved XY's life. And XL had already ordered the mercouple to revive TSJ before XY came to that decision.

TSJ was revived five days before he arrived on Jade Mountain in the middle of XY's Royal Mother ascension ceremony. Three days before the ceremony, XY made the decision to become the next Royal Mother after she woke up and the then-current Royal Mother offered the position to her. Four days before the ceremony, XL saved XY's life. So if TSJ was revived five days earlier, XL must have ordered the mercouple to revive TSJ before XL saved XY's life and before she decided to become the next Royal Mother.

-----

"Over the six years of Xiaoyao's pining, Xiangliu wanted Xiaoyao to hunt down who killed TSJ. She herself analyzed that he hoped that she would make mistakes along the way and kill the other clan leaders that she suspected, so that the Central plains can destabilize. When Xiaoyao still didn't get to the right conclusion, he finally gave her the last piece of information she needed on the night he failed to kill Cangxuan himself."

-

For six and a half years after TSJ disappeared, XY had no idea that anyone other than TSH (who was already dead) was behind TSJ's death. She didn't do any hunting during that time.

Then, at the six and a half year mark, XL made XY aware that someone else was behind TSJ's death, and gave her all the clues she needed to realize that the person responsible was CX... although it still took her six months to figure it out because she simply couldn't believe that CX would ever hurt her that way... especially if he were to do so because of his feelings for her.

XY had to come to that realization herself (without XL directly giving her the answer) in order for her to really believe it and to finally get to the point where she could leave CX forever.

And XL didn't want XY to realize that he was giving this information to her for her own benefit. He wanted her to think that he was giving this information to her in order to use her and manipulate her. Just like everything else he did for her in secret without letting her realize his true intentions.

-----

"He did that even knowing that Xiaoyao might get killed trying to kill CX."

-

Like I said, I don't think that XL's goal was to get XY to kill CX. But I do think he wanted XY to realize that CX killed TSJ for another reason (so that she could free herself from CX) and that XL likely would have anticipated that that realization would lead to a confrontation between XY and CX, which could have involved some risks for XY's safety.

But XL would have known that CX would never let his guards kill XY. The Yellow Emperor and Left Ear also wouldn't let CX's guards kill XY. And XL made XY promise in chapter 43 that she would live.

In chapter 44, XY and Left Ear were able to survive even when they had to face dozens of assassins on their own. Assassins that Feng Long later admitted were his best guards.

And, in the very unlikely circumstance that CX, the Yellow Emperor, Left Ear, and XY herself all failed to protect XY's life from CX's guards, we've already seen a circumstance where XY was subjected to horrific injuries from a brutal assassination that left her clinically dead... And yet XL was able to save her life after she suffered those injuries. Although the bug connection wasn't a 100% guarantee that XY couldn't be killed, it did make it much more difficult to kill her compared to other people.

And the "zero" risk alternative wasn't really "zero" risk. If XY never realized that CX killed TSJ, never realized that CX was willing to kill the man she wanted to marry and to hurt her deeply in order to keep her by his side, and never got to the point where she would be willing to leave CX forever... she would spend the next few hundred or thousand years trapped in a life that could never make her happy. She'd continue to view CX as her closest person and she'd continue to think that she would willingly give CX anything, including her life, if he asked. If she tried to leave, CX would reel her back in eventually, every time. And that life not only wouldn't make XY happy, it also placed her at the epicenter of the world's political schemeing where she would constantly face threats to her safety.

Maybe more patience with fellow fans and less patience with the drama script writers, so it all balances out. ^^

soTreeD and I have had several discussions about our interpretations of various details in the novel (and the drama too, to a lesser extent). Sometimes our interpretations are pretty much the same and sometimes they are quite different. But like I've said before, I prefer to have these dicussions with fans who have a variety of perspectives. That's more interesting and I feel like I end up with a better understanding of the story that way.

But XL never used TSJ as a bargaining chip?

XL needed XY's blood to revive TSJ and he needed to obtain the blood from XY and to get it to TSJ in a way where both TSJ and XY would have no idea that XL was responsible for reviving TSJ. An opportunity for XL to do that finally arose in chapter 46, six and half years after TSJ disappeared.

And XL needed to time TSJ's return right so that XY realized that CX was responsible for TSJ's death and was fully prepared to cut off her relationship with CX and to leave him in a way that was permanent. That objective was achieved in chapter 47 and chapter 49.

XL also needed to kill the bugs in order to break the bug connection between him and XY so that his death in the final battle would not cause XY's death. XL's opportunity to acheive that objective finally arose in chapter 48.

And, again, XL needed to ensure that both of those things happened without XY realizing that XL caused those things to happen for XY's benefit. For XY's sake, he needed XY to believe that he had no feelings for her.

After those steps were achieved in chapters 47, 48 and 49 (six months after the events of chapter 46), TSJ returned in chapter 49. He woke up five days before he arrived on Jade Mountain. The Royal Mother ascension ceremony took place three days after XY woke up. So XL must have ordered the mercouple to wake TSJ up before he saved XY's life and broke the bug connection.

And, IMO, TSJ arrived at the perfect moment. Everything that needed to happen between XY and CX and everything that needed to happen between XY and XL happened AND TSJ was able to stop XY from becoming the Royal Mother.

----

I agree that the drama made it very difficult to tell how long TSJ had been missing before he returned. It definitely didn't feel like seven years had passed.

I also agree that the drama changes were unrealistic and that they were a lot of disappointing moments in this adaptation despite having a great cast.

I partly agree and partly disagree.

In the novel, TSJ would have floated in the ocean unconscious, just as he did in the drama.

And it was noted in the novel (when the Xuan Yuan army was still looking for TSJ) that sea monsters would love the opportunity to eat up an unconscioius deity. IMO, the fact that he wasn't eaten by sea monsters while he was unconscious and defenseless in the ocean for such a long time implied that he was protected by XL or by merpeople acting on his orders.

In the novel, TSJ was looked after and woken up by a mercouple, and TSJ was intentionally kept in the dark so that he didn't realize the mercouple was acting on XL's orders and had used the blood jewel that XL created from XY's blood to revive him.

It's not outright stated, but context implies that TSJ summoned Li Li (his winged mount / crane) after he woke up. He definitely flew to XY on Li Li and arrived in time to stop her from becoming the Royal Mother.

So, in principle, I don't take issue with the drama showing TSJ floating in the ocean or with the drama showing XL protecting TSJ from sea monsters because one definitely happened and the other probably happend in the novel (although I did find that scene to be... not great). But I am disappointed that the mercouple's involvement was removed, and that TSJ's dramatic arrival (on Li Li) at Jade Mountain to interrupt XY's Royal Mother ascension ceremony was changed to TSJ just popping up at the Jade Mountain lake in such an underwhelming fashion.

I didn't think this part of the drama made XL look better. By removing the fact that he used the blood jewel to save TSJ and by removing the mercouple's involvement, I thought it actually diminished XL's role.

I felt like the drama made TSJ a more active participant in the saving of his own life (by adding the scene where we see him trying to escape from the underwater cave, without XL's help or the help of any other person). But I do think that the drama significiantly diminished the scene where he returned by removing the whole Royal Mother ascension ceremony, removing XY imagining TSJ before the ceremony, changing the way he appeared (i.e., not on Li Li) and by having CX tell the audience that he was alive before he appeared.

Thanks for having the discussion! ^^

“Thanks for taking the time to share the novel and fan speculations.”

You’re welcome!

—

“The drama had XL showing up randomly out at sea was really speechless for me. They want him to have a hand in 'saving Jing' so badly.”


XL being involved in saving TSJ is such a critical part of XL’s “means of protecting yourself, person to rely on, place to go” arc and that arc was already so watered down in the drama… I feel like they had to have XL be involved in saving TSJ some way / to some degree. But I agree that the five-second sea monster showdown scene felt forced. I would have preferred something closer to how it was handled in the novel. But I guess that would have required more screen time to explain.

—

“In the novel its never clear how XL 'gave his life' in the first place, since a life is hardly a quantifiable item.”

I agree that the exact specifics of the 血咒 or 蛊术种方法 that XL used when he sacrificed a life to extend XY’s life in chapter 22 are never explained.

Although we do see XL use blood magic and the sacrifice of a life (or two lives, in the drama) to kill the Lovers Bugs. So I imagine it would probably be somewhat similar.

—

“It’s not clear what is 本命精血, and how much XL has to give in order for it to be considered a 'life’.”

I thought the two concepts were separate. XL sacrificed a life to extend XY’s life in chapter 22 and (additionally) he transferred his essential blood to XY on every full moon for 37 years in order to slowly heal the horrific wounds she sustained in the assassination attempt / to revive her after she locked up her consciousness and her senses.

In chapter 48 of the novel, XL might have sacrificed another life to save XY or he might not (it’s not clear) but he used blood magic on the shell where XY slept and he transferred his essential blood to her once, and that seemed to be enough to heal her poison.

—

“How I saw it was, Xiangliu healed Xiaoyao over the years but her lifespan was her own original lifespan. He re-ignited her 'engine' with his own life force ( xianxia medical science haha ) after healing her body over the years, but her body has now been permanently 'mutated' by his blood. Perhaps the first time to evolve her needed decades, but at the Yao chi he only needed a moment since her body was now similar to his, so the way to re-ignite her life force will take only a moment. The act of reigniting her life does not seem to involve killing one of his own lives.”

Oh that’s an interesting theory. The idea that XL could heal XY much faster in chapter 48 compared to chapter 22 because the transfusions XY received in chapter 22 had already made XY more like XL. I personally thought that XL’s blood transfusions making XY more like XL was just a byproduct of the healing process, rather than a necessary part of the process. But I always thought the discrepancy (37 years’ worth of transfusions vs. one transfusion) seemed odd. So I’m open to hearing theories that can help explain the difference.

—

“Anyway the drama changed it so that Xiaoyao was not dead now and didn't need to be revived.
The drama team suddenly changed the condition to using 2 lives to kill the bugs when in the novel XL only used 1 life to lure the bugs into himself and kill them.”

Yes, the drama got rid of XY poisoning herself and XL saving her from that lethal dose of poison in chapter 48. And they changed the number of lives that XL sacrificed to lure out and kill the bugs from one to two. I guess in an attempt to make up the difference?

—

“He told Bi Jun, one more life doesn't matter on the battle field, that's why I always thought Xiangliu went for the final battle with 8 lives intact.”

When XL said that line to Sir Bi in the novel (and to the Royal Mother in the drama), I interpreted it as XL saying, “No need to bother healing my wounds. I’ve just sacrificed another life (or two) and if I lose one more life due to my injuries that doesn’t matter. Whether I have one more life or one less life against the Xuan Yuan army, it doesn’t matter because I’m planning to lose all of my remaining lives (no matter how many or how few there are) in the final battle against Xuan Yuan so I can die on the battlefield with my comrades anyway.”