AH

We have a thread discussion going on this topic further down in the main comments section ^^

CX and Feng Long have the most, IMO.

In S1 of the drama, they get along mostly fine at first. CX needs TSJ's support, and TSJ provides it readily. Later on when TSJ marries another woman, CX starts to hate TSJ a bit for the pain and heartbreak he causes XY. He also isn't aware of how much help TSJ gives him, or that he is providing his help willingly - not just because he is XY's "brother". That will likely get worse in S2. They don't clash in S1.

? Are you wanting me to use the spoiler tag? This is generally covered in the first episode. I left out details that I would consider to be spoilers.

In the novel, XY's mother was the Emperor and Empress' biological daughter. And ZX's father was her fourth brother. Making ZX and XY biological cousins.

In the drama, XY's mother refers to the Empress as shifu and CX says that XY's mother was the Empress' disciple. This was almost certainly added to avoid censorship concerns. But the drama also confirms that XY looks more like her grandmother (the Empress) than her own mother. And XY says that she and CX have a blood relationship. So whether they are blood related or not in the drama isn't as clear as it is in the novel.

You're welcome ^^

I'm not sure I'm following the TSJ questions.

Regarding CX and XY, in the novel ZX and XY are biological cousins. In the drama, it's less clear. They made some changes that seem to be designed to get around censorship restrictions. So it is unclear whether CX and XY are biological cousins or not closely related by blood at all.

I'm going to assume "yes" means all the characters.

XL dies on the battlefield making a last stand with the remnant army, as he always wanted. He successfully did all the things he wanted to do for XY before he dies. He also pushed her to cut ties with him, severed their bug connection, and erased all traces of himself from her life to minimize the impact that his death would have on her.

TSJ returns to XY from the dead and finally marries her. After XL dies, they decide to wander and explore the ocean and the islands that XL had described to XY. XY says perhaps they will find an island they like to settle down on.

TSJ convinces XY to forgive ZX for facilitating his murder. ZX agrees to be only a brother to XY as long as she promises to keep his mother's flower with her for the rest of her life. The flower was meant to be given to ZX's wife and can be used to command his clan's army. XY does not say goodbye to ZX before she leaves. As she and TSJ are able to transform their appearances, he will have to rule knowing that any person in his kingdom could be XY.

Feng Long is killed by XL's arrow. He was protecting ZX and asks ZX to forgive Xing Yue for plotting to kill XY before he dies.

Do you want to know how things ended for all of the main characters, or certain characters specifically?

In the novel, Hou kills TSJ, and ZX makes it possible.

Based on what we've heard about the leaked script for S2, it sounds like they've changed that in the drama so that CX is not the one who supports Hou.

No worries! It's definitely confusing. Especially since, in the drama, CX's mother refers to XY's mother as "sister".

The story is not complete at the end of S1, but one significant plot point is resolved in the last episode. S1 is based on the first 28 chapters of a 51 chapter novel.

The female lead (XY) has four love interests. Three of them are in love with her, and the fourth is attracted to her status, personality and beauty and proposes marriage to her, but is not in love with her. XY's romance is not resolved at the end of S1.

LYF = Lost You Forever. A fan that goes by Koala has published a translation of LYF (the novel) on her website (https://koalasplayground.com/tag/lost-you-forever/page/7/). She included translations of parts of chapter 17, 18 and 19 of Once Promised along with relevant chapters of LYF, and she indicated that chapter 19 of Once Promised was the final chapter of that novel.

Agreed, I'm also pretty sure they used those terms for censorship reasons. But I'm trying to figure out if it means they really made a change from the novel so that Xi Ling Heng definitely isn't the Emperor and Empress' daughter, or if it's just an obfuscation.

If it's an actual change, then I need to update the synopsis.

Thank you for the link! I see that CX does refer to Xi Ling Heng as the Empress' disciple rather than her daughter, which is consistent with how Xi Ling Heng addresses the Empresses (i.e., as "shifu" rather than "mother").

I wonder if those references might be used because they are just ambiguous enough to get around censorship requirements? The terms "master" and "disciple" suggest that they are not also mother and daughter, but don't absolutely preclude it.

The drama confirms that XY resembles the Empress more than her own mother, and I really can't see how that would be possible if she isn't the Empress' granddaughter.

There was a comment that got deleted that said that XY’s mother is not the Emperor and Empress’ daughter in the drama. That she is only the Empress’ disciple and not her blood relation. Can anyone confirm if that’s true?

XY's mother does call the Empress master rather than mother or Empress in the drama, and she does say that she was taught by CX's grandmother and that her last name is not Xiyan... but does that mean that she is not the Emperor and Empress' daughter? In the drama, XY's mother's name is Xi Ling Heng and the Empress' name is Xi Ling Xie. In the novel, the Empress' name is Xi Ling Lie Zhu and XY’s mother takes her mother’s maiden name (so she becomes Xi Ling Heng) so that she can freely wander in the wilderness.

There are so many consistent family relations references. CX's mother refers to XY's mother as sister. XY refers to CX's mother as aunt, and CX refers to XY's mother as aunt. When the Emperor speaks with CX, he refers to XY's mother as his aunt. XY refers to the Empress as "Granny" and CX refers to the Empress as "Grandmother". That could all feasibly happen without blood ties... but if XY's mother wasn't a princess of Xiyan, how did she have the status to marry the King of Haoling? Would he have married someone from Xiyan who didn't have the status of a princess? She is only named as "Princess General" when she is sent to face Chi Chen, years after divorcing the King of Haoling, so that wouldn't have been the status that she had when she married him.

And 10 minutes into episode 19, XY says to CX that they share a blood relation. And 7 minutes into episode 21, the Yellow Emperor tells XY that she looks exactly like her grandmother when he first met her.

If they did take away XY's mother's blood relations and XY's blood relations with CX and the Emperor... that's a pretty drastic change from the novel. XY's doubly royal status made her incredibly important, and the fact that she (along with ZX in the novel) is the only remaining living descendant of the Emperor and Empress was a hugely important protection for her / part of her status.

And I'd also need to update the synopsis… ^^"

In the novel, ZX's father (Chang Yi) was XY's uncle by blood and her mother's Fourth Brother. ZX's mother is XY's mother's sister-in-law. They are both the grandchildren of the Yellow Emperor and his Empress. ZX through his father and XY through her mother.

Yep. A few similarities (they're both soldiers...), but mostly those two are quite different. And there's both more connecting XY and XL than there is connecting Gale and Katniss, and more keeping them apart (https://kisskh.at/44985-lost-you-forever#comment-14463639 for a start).

I felt the same about the triangle. I ended up being satisfied with how Tong Hua resolved it in the novel, but I also would not have minded seeing XY skip off into the sunset with both XL and TSJ as a happy throuple. ^^

I can picture it now:

1. If the female lead's relationship with a kind, sweet man ends with him marrying someone else, don't make sacrifices to make it possible for her to get back together with him. Take the opportunity to get engaged to her yourself!

2. It's okay to stay loyal to your family and fulfill a suicide mission in dedication to them, but don't actually die.

3. If the female lead cuts ties with you for keeping her in the dark to protect her, be very patient and devoted. Don't try to force her to take you back. Win her over again by giving her glimpses of your continued intense devotion, saving her life (again) and trusting her as a partner.

Yes, that is something that LLtG has in its favour. But even that is almost a parallel. General LBY pushes CSS away because he can't let go of his revenge. He nearly dies getting it, and loses CSS for years. But unlike XL, he gets a second chance and is willing to take it.