AH

Well thank you ^^ I riffed off of his marriage proposal conversation and another conversation that he has with XY later in the novel.

people are going to read your comment and go up and open mine thinking I've provided a proper translation ^^"

Friends, please don't be disappointed - it's just some tongue-in-cheek fun. Not a serious translation (and the timeline for certain references is a bit iffy). Also... novel spoilers, so please beware!

True!

I think you express yourself very clearly. Better than many native speakers ^^

"Xiao Yao. You are beautiful and fun to drink with. And your brother is so amazing. Through our engagement, we helped support him in achieving his ambitions. If we had gotten married, I could have spent even more time with him, Xin Yue and you. How nice would that have been? I don't regret arranging the world's most extravagant wedding for you, even if you ran away in the end. Now I wish you and brother Jing every happiness.

P.S. Sorry for conspiring against you that one time. I didn't want to. Like you said, let's call it even!

-- Feng Long."

(I kid of course ^^).

"It's a love triangle (even if I don't like to use this word since it's not quite the habitual love triangle) whose conclusion as it exists in the novel is only possible because of everyone's combined choices and XL actions that led to a bittersweet outcome."

I agree with this.

"It's quite possible that XL wouldn't have given up on Chenrong. But XY, in my opinion, could have been more indulged in her feelings for him, which would have put them both in an even more tragic and heartbreaking situation."

That's pretty much exactly what happened with XY's birth parents. She was lucky to mostly avoid repeating their tragic fate.

"P.S: English is not my native language and I sometimes struggle to express my thoughts well so sorry for any spelling and grammar mistakes or awkwardness in my comments."

Your spelling and grammar are clear and your thoughts are well expressed, but even if they weren't - no need to apologize! ^^ Writing in a second language (especially so well) is an admirable skill. It would take me ages to write so much in my second language, and it would likely be very inarticulate and full of errors.

Even if TSJ was a major obstacle between XL and XY... then it's an obstacle that only remains in place because of XL. He sends XY to save TSJ's life, he comforts XY when she can't be with TSJ and still creates romantic moments for them, in the drama he very explicitly helps change her mindset so that she is willing to hold onto hope for her relationship with TSJ, he helps XY realize who is responsible for TSJ's death, and he brings TSJ back from the dead. Without XL's intervention, TSJ would be dead twice over (same for XY) and even if they both survived they still might not have ended up together.

If XY never met TSJ... well the story would be very different. Would XL betray Gong Gong and the resistance army to be with XY in that version of the story? If he did, would ZX and the rest of the world accept their relationship? I feel like the answer would still be no...

I agree with Sirry Usly, there's no point trying to make others take a certain view - everyone is entitled to their own interpretations and head canons. We can each express opinions and give our reasoning... sometimes most readers / viewers will agree and sometimes they won't. And I don't see much value in engaging in ship wars or fan wars.

That said, based on my own interpretation, I would suggest that the last two conclusions at the end of your post might be overstatements. IMO, TSJ and XL's relationship is not so antagonistic.

In the novel, TSJ and XL clearly respect each other. TSJ asks FFB for help saving XY from a loveless marriage. TSJ tells XY that he is grateful to XL. And XL points out to XY that "Tu Shan Jing... He’s not a vindictive person, but he’s also not a weak fool. In hundreds of years, I’ve never once taken any advantage from him." And XL saves TSJ's life.

The drama is a little less clear (e.g., they added a line where XL calls TSJ "useless" in a moment of frustration when XY is injured while she is with TSJ), but XL definitely sees TSJ as the right person for XY by the time the 37 years of healing rolls around. Which is why he wakes her up and sends her directly to TSJ in time to save his life.

Although XY's promise to TSJ (to wait 15 years for him) is one of the reasons XY refuses to kiss XL in order to get air when they are underwater after she regains her female form, TSJ's existence as a romantic interest for XY is not the main reason XY doesn't choose XL. Even if TSJ didn't exist, there would still be huge hurdles preventing them from being together.

The trick is to make and interact with the types of posts you want to see in the comment section and ignore the rest. Eventually every old post will get buried as long as the comment section stays active.

This is definitely a true reverse harem drama. If that doesn't appeal to you, then I'd agree - probably best to skip this one.

The variety of answers you've received is quite amusing.

The author of the novel considers CX to be the ML. Most of XY's life is spent by his side following him on his journey and supporting him unconditionally. His story is a central part of the overall story. XY meets him first and he is her most important person, but she doesn't have romantic feelings for him and isn't aware that he has romantic feelings for her for a very long time. She sees him as a brother.

XY meets TSJ second. He is openly devoted to her and confesses his feelings early on. He is XY's main love interest throughout the story and is the person she ends up with at the end of the novel. He is considered the second ML after CX.

XY meets XL last out of the main three. Because of their identities and loyalties, they can never be together and they both know it. He hides his feelings for XY and does not pursue a direct romantic relationship with her, but he gets involved in her life in other ways. He is a fan favourite and apparently also the author's favourite character, but he is considered the third male lead.

YW ^^

In LYF (the novel), Gong Gong is a deity and a general of Sheng Nong. In Once Promised, he is referred to as a Water God because he is very powerful and his powers are water based (whereas general Zhu Rong is referred to as a Fire God because his powers are fire based).

In the drama, Hong Jiang is a deity and a general of Chenrong.

In both the novel and the drama, he (Gong Gong / Hong Jiang) is powerful enough to save a badly injured XL from a force of nature in the ocean (a deadly whirlpool), but he is not a god of the sea.

In chapter 24 of the novel, the weapons forger who made XY's bow refers to XL as "King of the Seas: the Nine Headed Demon" but that has nothing to do with XL being Gong Gong's adopted son.

Edit: Tong Hua borrowed the name "Gong Gong" from a character in Chinese mythology who was a water god, but with no affiliation with the sea: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonggong. In Chinese mythology, that character has a subordinate named Xiang Liu who had the body of a snake and nine heads: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiangliu.

Agreed!

3 and 6 - Agreed on all fronts. I am glad I'll be prepared in advance for these changes.

7 - Very happy to hear that! It's definitely a hugely important moment for XY to get that closure.

Thank you for answering so many questions, truly!

2 - YaoLiu fans are not going to be happy about that. Especially cutting the mouth-to-mouth essential blood transfer. But I guess the drama writers maybe felt it was repetitive to have XL save her life twice?

3 - I'll miss his role. In addition to everything else, it was nice to see XL have something close to a friend and someone who knew about and appreciated some of the sacrifices he made for XY. I hope Ah Nian can still be a proxy for the audience and appreciate some of the sacrifices he makes.

6 - Wow. What a watering down of her reasons for leaving him. And CX tells her he values the throne more than her... Very big changes.

7 - I'm not super surprised since her parents' story is so complicated and the drama prequel isn't an affiliated production. I'm glad she will get some closure, but sad that XY won't get to actually meet her mum or her dad's spirit.

So have they cut the part where XY poisons ZX and herself? XL doesn't bring her back from the dead for a second time? Ah Nian's favour isn't needed to send the clam shell to Jade Mountain, and XL doesn't interact with Sir Bi? I guess that's why they have Ah Nian deliver the doll... And if the pill that XY made for TSJ is enough to save his life instead of just preserving it, I guess XL doesn't use XY's blood to create the jewel that revives TSJ...

That's... a lot of changes.

Thank you for mentioning the parts that are still the same. And at least I know from the trailer that XL still does the things he needed to do to break the poisonous bug connection between him and XY...

If ZX isn't responsible for TSJ's death, does that mean XY doesn't leave him in the end? She's stuck living as a noble? I guess as the Tushan Clan leader's wife? Or does she break her promise to ZX and leave him, even though he wasn't responsible for TSJ's death?

I assume they also cut out the whole "beast" in the desert subplot, since they cut the part where the desert and the beast were mentioned in S1?

Very interesting. That has huge implications for XY's choices at the end of the story. Thanks for sharing!

They changed the essential blood scene!! Definitely need to watch the re-edited version of that one.

You're welcome ^^

In the photo section of this page above. https://kisskh.at/44985-lost-you-forever/photos