Please use the spoiler tag for those who might not want to know that Xiang Liu doesn't get a happy ending!Now…
Did you read XL's epilogue as well? If you did, you should also read the chapters that explain the meaning behind the ice crystal ball before XL puts it into the big-bellied laughing doll. It's heartbreaking, but so good!
Coming back here to just say XIANG LIU 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 (I spoilt myself by googling the ending of…
Please use the spoiler tag for those who might not want to know that Xiang Liu doesn't get a happy ending!
Now that you know a little bit about his ending anyway, I strongly recommend reading the novel. His ending is beautifully written. No summary does it justice.
I don't view these moments as cruel for two main reasons. (1) The novel makes it clear that, despite all his efforts…
There's another passage from chapter 43 that's rather on point:
---
“What about the man who was with you before? You called him Bei.”
...
Xiao Yao looked at Xiang Liu just as he glanced at her and the two’s eyes met. Xiao Yao immediately looked away and said to Left Ear “He died.”
...
Left Ear asked “Do you miss him?”
Xiao Yao sighed and didn’t answer.
Left Ear was persistent and stared at Xiao Yao to ask again “He’s not here anymore. Do you miss him?”
Xiao Yao cried out, “Yes!”
Left Ear smiled. “That will make him very happy.”
Xiao Yao stared at Xiang Liu as she said to Left Ear “You’re not him. How do you know whether he cares that someone misses him? He totally wouldn’t care.”
Left Ear’s expression was dead serious, and he normally spoke so little and cared not to explain anything, but now he was very agitated and said, “I know! We slaves are never scared of death! We’re not scared of anything, other than being scared of the dark! If I died and someone missed me...” Left Ear used his fist to hit his chest “...then it wouldn’t be dark here, it would be very bright and very happy!”
Xiao Yao asked Xiang Liu, “Is what he’s saying true?”
Xiang Liu smirked at Xiao Yao and teased, “You actually want to believe that? I totally don’t care!"
“I must be crazy then, to have believed it!” Xiao Yao laughed heartily and used that exaggerated gesture to snap the tenuous mood between them.
---
Tong Hua uses Left Ear as a proxy for XL many times. Despite his obvious lie to XY, he definitely cares!
For the novel readers, I couldn't figure out whether XL found XY's soul roaming around him during 37 years when…
Since you asked specifically for novel readers' perspective I should note that, in the novel, XY doesn't have an out-of-body spirit experience during the 37 years of healing. She is trapped in her own body unable to move or open her eyes. At first she can't hear or feel anything. Then she feels XL's heartbeat through the connection. Then his presence. Eventually she starts to be able to hear sounds, so she can hear the merpeople's song and the things that XL said out loud in her presence. But there was no out-of-body soul for XL to see. They added that for the drama.
As Kokuto mentioned, they've talked about Gong Gong / Hong Jiang before.
XL is a shape shifter. I'm guessing he can shape shift into someone who has a reaction to poison.
Like most deities and demons, XL can change his appearance. But there are ways to see through most deities and demons' false forms, unless they are extremely powerful or have a powerful object like XY has. Even so, most deities and demons are still affected by poison even when they conceal their appearance. Plus XL is using his real human-form face when he's FFB (and dying his hair rather than changing it, which I still think is an odd choice). So I don't think changing his form is how XL gets around being poisoned vs. not being poisoned.
I think he can either allow poisons to work on him (regardless of which form he's in) if he wants, or he can recognize a poison and use his powers to fake the symptoms.
Of the two, based on his personality and the way it plays out in the drama and novel, I think the first option is more likely. I just can't see XL faking symptoms in front of XY, even if he was able to correctly identify the poison and know what the symptoms for it should look like.
does anyone understand why feng long is willing to help cang xuan? as he mentioned his family is well off, and…
There's a passage in the novel (chapter 39) where Feng Long thanks TSJ for convincing him to back ZX:
Feng Long invited Jing out for a walk and when they were alone he said “Back then I felt Zhuan Xu was a smart choice but he was fighting an uphill battle all alone so I hesitated in deciding whether to back him. It was thanks to your endless persuasion that led me to make up my mind. Thank you!” Back then to get him to decide, Jing even said “Because Zhuan Xu is all alone is even more reason for you to back him. If you picked Cui Liang or Yu Hao it would be adding to their masses of supporters. But if you picked Zhuan Xu then you’re the first to back him and would be forever in his good graces.”
Jing smiled “I was merely analyzing the situation for you, in the end you made the choice of your own consideration.”
Feng Long looked out over the distance and sighed “You’re always like this, always refusing to accept your due! You thought up the plan to win Zhuan Xu the throne by giving up Xuan Yuan Mountain and going to Sheng Nong Mountain. You explained it all to me, how His majesty would be gaining the support of the Middle Plains by going to Sheng Nong Mountain, and with our help his success would increase since he was the eldest grandson of the Emperor and Empress anyways so the Xuan Yuan elders would not vehemently oppose him in the end after he got the support of the Middle Plains. Your analysis persuaded me to support His majesty and to this day he still thinks I came up with that plan, that I was the one with such grand vision, hence he’s always extra trusting of me and allows me to remain as both a friend and subordinate to him.”
Feng Long was perplexed “Jing, why don’t you ever fight for something with me?” He was born in the same lofty background as Jing, one the future Chi Sui clan leader and the other the future Tu Shan clan leader. On the journey to make Zhuan Xu the Black Emperor, Jing likely did more for Zhuan Xu than Feng Long, and definitely not any less. But Jing always remained in the background and acted like Feng Long’s follower, allowing him to take all the reward on the way to making Feng Long’s own ambitions come true.
Jing said “How did I not compete with you? I only gave up the things I don’t care about. What I really want I never once let you have.”
“You mean…..” Feng Long furrowed his brow and asked “Xiao Yao?”
For the last few lines in the scene below, do you think XL only touched XY's forehead with his hand? Or did he…
I did read the novel and that's pretty close to one version that I mapped out! Basically XL unexpectedly survives and TSJ does not .... (sorry TSJ!) ^^"
For the last few lines in the scene below, do you think XL only touched XY's forehead with his hand? Or did he…
Yes, me too! I really tried to come up with a satisfying fix-it fic outline for them or at least some kind of one-shot and it just... doesn't work. I could get part of the way there, but never to a place that felt more right than Tong Hua's ending.
For the last few lines in the scene below, do you think XL only touched XY's forehead with his hand? Or did he…
I'm re-reading the novel slowly this time (I read it way too fast the first time and missed / skipped a lot). I think this might be the only real one. All the other times I can think of where his lips touch her, it's related to drinking her blood, transferring his essential blood to her, or passing air to her underwater. He was unusually soft and comforting in this scene.
For the last few lines in the scene below, do you think XL only touched XY's forehead with his hand? Or did he…
Agreed about the description of lips. Tong Hua describes XL's lips as cold in chapter 7 and TSJ's lips as soft and cool in chapter 20.
I also feel like the fact that Tong Hua makes a point of describing the touch as brief and immediately withdrawn plus XY's reaction (shocked, insisting to herself that it was an illusion, and she was sitting in the room in a daze for a while afterwards) must be intended to indicate that he did more than just touch her forehead with his hand. Especially since he lifted XY's head earlier with no reaction, and she softly stroked his hair only a few moments before he left.
But it's like a secret kiss for the reader to work out. You really have to pay attention to realize it even happened.
A question for novel readers about interpreting a scene in chapter 35...
For the last few lines in the scene below, do you think XL only touched XY's forehead with his hand? Or did he close her eyes, and then kiss her forehead quickly before leaving?
---
Xiao Yao buried her head in her lap and grew silent. She felt her heart all jumbled and she didn’t know if it was for Xiang Liu or for herself.
“What are you thinking about?”
“As Qi Yo’s daughter, there is no place in the world for me.”
Xiang Liu lifted Xiao Yao’s head. “If you have nowhere to go, then you can always go out to sea. The ocean is so vast that there will be a place for you.”
Xiao Yao remembered that she had the ability of a sea demon now and the endless ocean might be a nightmare for others but was paradise for her. If Xuan Yuan and Gao Xing didn’t have a place for her, she could always go to the sea. Having discovered a secret passage that no one else knew could save her life, Xiao Yao suddenly felt a sliver of calm.
She stared at Xiang Liu and the man before her was that dissolute wastrel, but the moment she was about to become torn again a strand of white hair fell that reminded her exactly who he was. Xiao Yao softly stroked his hair and said, “This place is not safe to stay. Pay your respects and hurry off!”
Because she just cried, Xiao Yao’s eyes were extraordinarily clear and bright. Xiang Liu could clearly see himself reflected in her eyes, so he covered her eyes with his hand. “I’m off!”
Xiao Yao felt a soft coolness brush over her forehead, a brief touch that immediately vanished. Xiao Yao clasped her forehead in shock and opened her eyes to see the room was already empty before her.
Mistaken illusion! It was a mistaken illusion!
[XL and TSJ have a whole conversation outside before XL leaves and TSJ heads inside, meanwhile...]
In the cold dark room, Xiao Yao sat there in a daze.
I'm sure this has been covered a lot here, but I always feel bad for XL every time that XY makes a "if only you…
I don't view these moments as cruel for two main reasons.
(1) The novel makes it clear that, despite all his efforts to keep XY at a certain distance, XL constantly worries that XY will hate him. He worried about it out loud during the 37 years of healing. More than once. After he takes her away from her wedding, he asks her if she hates him for it. In the end when he pushes her to cut ties with him, the novel clearly says he feels joy when she is able to shoot him with an arrow, but isn't able to bring herself to shoot him in the heart where it would really do damage. So I think her indirectly making it clear that she enjoys spending time with him as FFB and that she wishes he could always be FFB would be something he would appreciate and find reassuring, even knowing that he would never allow himself to make that choice.
(2) No one is forcing him to stay with Hong Jiang and the Chengrong remnant army, or to die on the battlefield. Those are things he chooses. XL could choose to be FFB forever. Or he could take one of the many offers that Xiyan made to him (mostly because of XY) and switch sides. Or, instead of going quite so far, he could abandon Hong Jiang and run away with XY without joining Xiyan. It's honourable that he doesn't, but it's his choice. The only thing stopping him from doing any of those things is himself. Letting him know that she wishes he would choose to be FFB, and signalling that there could be something between them if he did, just allows him to make a more informed choice. Never expressing those sentiments might actually be crueller. Like forcing XL to make his choice without all the relevant information. Without knowing that there could have been something between them if he had chosen to just be FFB.
Edit: I'll add that the reason it's not quite the same in reverse (why hiding his feelings, rather than hinting at or indirectly confessing them, is the right move for XL) is that XL knows that he won't choose to do the things he would need to do to be with XY. Specifically, he won't abandon Hong Jiang and the Chengrong army or try to survive their final battle. So it would be crueller to make her aware of his feelings, given that he knows he definitely won't be with her for the long term.
I don't recall ZX ever finding out that the poisonous bugs were Lovers' Bugs, but there is this scene where they…
Oh, this exchange from chapter 21 (when XL arrives to take XY away after the assassination attempt) is also relevant:
Xiang Liu said, “In Qing Shui Town, Wen Xiao Liu planted a voodoo bug on Xuan. To remove the bug, Xiao Liu transferred it into another person.”
Zhuan Xu stared at Xiang Liu and raised his hand. “Everyone leave.”
All the guards left and Xiang Liu walked up to Zhuan Xu. He turned towards the court. “Follow me.”
Xiang Liu saw Xiao Yao and walked over and sat down beside the water jade pallet, staring down at the silent and unmoving Xiao Yao.
Zhuan Xu glanced at Xiao Xiao and she walked over to take over for the guard transferring power to Xiao Yao and that guard left the chamber.
Zhuan Xu asked, “Is the voodoo bug in you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” Zhuan Xu could understand Xiao Yao wanting to remove the bug from him and moving it to another. What he couldn’t understand was why Xiang Liu agreed to let Xiao Yao move it into him.
Xiang Liu coolly replied, “That is between Xiao Yao and me.”
I don't recall ZX ever finding out that the poisonous bugs were Lovers' Bugs, but there is this scene where they…
Not exactly. ZX knows (from experience) that the bug would cause XL to feel XY's pain. Heartache is a form of pain. I don't think ZX would make the leap (realizing that the bugs were Lovers' Bugs that would require XL or any other recipient to be in love with XY for the bug to be planted properly) without being told about that part more directly. Even XY doesn't know that they're called Lovers' Bugs until chapter 26, and she learns more details much later when she visits the Voodoo King with TSJ.
But ZX is definitely aware that XY and XL are still connected, and now he might be wondering (along with XY) about whether XL can feel XY's deep heartache (which was extreme enough to make her physically ill). And he definitely wants XY to get the bug removed ASAP.
3 
1 
1 
Now that you know a little bit about his ending anyway, I strongly recommend reading the novel. His ending is beautifully written. No summary does it justice.
The drama has shown some of the moments from the novel that I mentioned. Hopefully part 2 will show the rest.
---
“What about the man who was with you before? You called him Bei.”
...
Xiao Yao looked at Xiang Liu just as he glanced at her and the two’s eyes met. Xiao Yao immediately looked away and said to Left Ear “He died.”
...
Left Ear asked “Do you miss him?”
Xiao Yao sighed and didn’t answer.
Left Ear was persistent and stared at Xiao Yao to ask again “He’s not here anymore. Do you miss him?”
Xiao Yao cried out, “Yes!”
Left Ear smiled. “That will make him very happy.”
Xiao Yao stared at Xiang Liu as she said to Left Ear “You’re not him. How do you know whether he cares that someone misses him? He totally wouldn’t care.”
Left Ear’s expression was dead serious, and he normally spoke so little and cared not to explain anything, but now he was very agitated and said, “I know! We slaves are never scared of death! We’re not scared of anything, other than being scared of the dark! If I died and someone missed me...” Left Ear used his fist to hit his chest “...then it wouldn’t be dark here, it would be very bright and very happy!”
Xiao Yao asked Xiang Liu, “Is what he’s saying true?”
Xiang Liu smirked at Xiao Yao and teased, “You actually want to believe that? I totally don’t care!"
“I must be crazy then, to have believed it!” Xiao Yao laughed heartily and used that exaggerated gesture to snap the tenuous mood between them.
---
Tong Hua uses Left Ear as a proxy for XL many times. Despite his obvious lie to XY, he definitely cares!
As Kokuto mentioned, they've talked about Gong Gong / Hong Jiang before.
I think he can either allow poisons to work on him (regardless of which form he's in) if he wants, or he can recognize a poison and use his powers to fake the symptoms.
Of the two, based on his personality and the way it plays out in the drama and novel, I think the first option is more likely. I just can't see XL faking symptoms in front of XY, even if he was able to correctly identify the poison and know what the symptoms for it should look like.
Feng Long invited Jing out for a walk and when they were alone he said “Back then I felt Zhuan Xu was a smart choice but he was fighting an uphill battle all alone so I hesitated in deciding whether to back him. It was thanks to your endless persuasion that led me to make up my mind. Thank you!” Back then to get him to decide, Jing even said “Because Zhuan Xu is all alone is even more reason for you to back him. If you picked Cui Liang or Yu Hao it would be adding to their masses of supporters. But if you picked Zhuan Xu then you’re the first to back him and would be forever in his good graces.”
Jing smiled “I was merely analyzing the situation for you, in the end you made the choice of your own consideration.”
Feng Long looked out over the distance and sighed “You’re always like this, always refusing to accept your due! You thought up the plan to win Zhuan Xu the throne by giving up Xuan Yuan Mountain and going to Sheng Nong Mountain. You explained it all to me, how His majesty would be gaining the support of the Middle Plains by going to Sheng Nong Mountain, and with our help his success would increase since he was the eldest grandson of the Emperor and Empress anyways so the Xuan Yuan elders would not vehemently oppose him in the end after he got the support of the Middle Plains. Your analysis persuaded me to support His majesty and to this day he still thinks I came up with that plan, that I was the one with such grand vision, hence he’s always extra trusting of me and allows me to remain as both a friend and subordinate to him.”
Feng Long was perplexed “Jing, why don’t you ever fight for something with me?” He was born in the same lofty background as Jing, one the future Chi Sui clan leader and the other the future Tu Shan clan leader. On the journey to make Zhuan Xu the Black Emperor, Jing likely did more for Zhuan Xu than Feng Long, and definitely not any less. But Jing always remained in the background and acted like Feng Long’s follower, allowing him to take all the reward on the way to making Feng Long’s own ambitions come true.
Jing said “How did I not compete with you? I only gave up the things I don’t care about. What I really want I never once let you have.”
“You mean…..” Feng Long furrowed his brow and asked “Xiao Yao?”
I also feel like the fact that Tong Hua makes a point of describing the touch as brief and immediately withdrawn plus XY's reaction (shocked, insisting to herself that it was an illusion, and she was sitting in the room in a daze for a while afterwards) must be intended to indicate that he did more than just touch her forehead with his hand. Especially since he lifted XY's head earlier with no reaction, and she softly stroked his hair only a few moments before he left.
But it's like a secret kiss for the reader to work out. You really have to pay attention to realize it even happened.
---
Xiao Yao buried her head in her lap and grew silent. She felt her heart all jumbled and she didn’t know if it was for Xiang Liu or for herself.
“What are you thinking about?”
“As Qi Yo’s daughter, there is no place in the world for me.”
Xiang Liu lifted Xiao Yao’s head. “If you have nowhere to go, then you can always go out to sea. The ocean is so vast that there will be a place for you.”
Xiao Yao remembered that she had the ability of a sea demon now and the endless ocean might be a nightmare for others but was paradise for her. If Xuan Yuan and Gao Xing didn’t have a place for her, she could always go to the sea. Having discovered a secret passage that no one else knew could save her life, Xiao Yao suddenly felt a sliver of calm.
She stared at Xiang Liu and the man before her was that dissolute wastrel, but the moment she was about to become torn again a strand of white hair fell that reminded her exactly who he was. Xiao Yao softly stroked his hair and said, “This place is not safe to stay. Pay your respects and hurry off!”
Because she just cried, Xiao Yao’s eyes were extraordinarily clear and bright. Xiang Liu could clearly see himself reflected in her eyes, so he covered her eyes with his hand. “I’m off!”
Xiao Yao felt a soft coolness brush over her forehead, a brief touch that immediately vanished. Xiao Yao clasped her forehead in shock and opened her eyes to see the room was already empty before her.
Mistaken illusion! It was a mistaken illusion!
[XL and TSJ have a whole conversation outside before XL leaves and TSJ heads inside, meanwhile...]
In the cold dark room, Xiao Yao sat there in a daze.
(1) The novel makes it clear that, despite all his efforts to keep XY at a certain distance, XL constantly worries that XY will hate him. He worried about it out loud during the 37 years of healing. More than once. After he takes her away from her wedding, he asks her if she hates him for it. In the end when he pushes her to cut ties with him, the novel clearly says he feels joy when she is able to shoot him with an arrow, but isn't able to bring herself to shoot him in the heart where it would really do damage. So I think her indirectly making it clear that she enjoys spending time with him as FFB and that she wishes he could always be FFB would be something he would appreciate and find reassuring, even knowing that he would never allow himself to make that choice.
(2) No one is forcing him to stay with Hong Jiang and the Chengrong remnant army, or to die on the battlefield. Those are things he chooses. XL could choose to be FFB forever. Or he could take one of the many offers that Xiyan made to him (mostly because of XY) and switch sides. Or, instead of going quite so far, he could abandon Hong Jiang and run away with XY without joining Xiyan. It's honourable that he doesn't, but it's his choice. The only thing stopping him from doing any of those things is himself. Letting him know that she wishes he would choose to be FFB, and signalling that there could be something between them if he did, just allows him to make a more informed choice. Never expressing those sentiments might actually be crueller. Like forcing XL to make his choice without all the relevant information. Without knowing that there could have been something between them if he had chosen to just be FFB.
Edit: I'll add that the reason it's not quite the same in reverse (why hiding his feelings, rather than hinting at or indirectly confessing them, is the right move for XL) is that XL knows that he won't choose to do the things he would need to do to be with XY. Specifically, he won't abandon Hong Jiang and the Chengrong army or try to survive their final battle. So it would be crueller to make her aware of his feelings, given that he knows he definitely won't be with her for the long term.
Xiang Liu said, “In Qing Shui Town, Wen Xiao Liu planted a voodoo bug on Xuan. To remove the bug, Xiao Liu transferred it into another person.”
Zhuan Xu stared at Xiang Liu and raised his hand. “Everyone leave.”
All the guards left and Xiang Liu walked up to Zhuan Xu. He turned towards the court. “Follow me.”
Xiang Liu saw Xiao Yao and walked over and sat down beside the water jade pallet, staring down at the silent and unmoving Xiao Yao.
Zhuan Xu glanced at Xiao Xiao and she walked over to take over for the guard transferring power to Xiao Yao and that guard left the chamber.
Zhuan Xu asked, “Is the voodoo bug in you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” Zhuan Xu could understand Xiao Yao wanting to remove the bug from him and moving it to another. What he couldn’t understand was why Xiang Liu agreed to let Xiao Yao move it into him.
Xiang Liu coolly replied, “That is between Xiao Yao and me.”
But ZX is definitely aware that XY and XL are still connected, and now he might be wondering (along with XY) about whether XL can feel XY's deep heartache (which was extreme enough to make her physically ill). And he definitely wants XY to get the bug removed ASAP.