Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 AH :

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Lol. When I say I lived in the text...

But really nathsketch is spot on. I just have to recognize that the wording is familiar and then it's not difficult to quickly find the actual text. I've had the tabs open for over a month now. 

Gotcha! Hahaha

Leaked script   (Ch35 equivalent) - differences are highlighted in yellow

Ep11  (S2 Ep19 - Vol2 Ch2 / Ch35)

[After Xiao Yao realised who her real father is, she stumbled away in shock in the streets]
A lantern seller recommended her a lantern with 6 sides, each with an illustration of the battle between the Xuan Yuan princess and Chi Chen. He explained each picture while Xiao Yao looked on in increasing devastation:

1st picture - a proud man in red robes with one foot trampling on a well-dressed man and one hand holding up a nobleman's head. Bodies were strewn on the ground.
2nd picture - the red-robed man riding a gigantic roc, leading a vast army, attacking Xuan Yuan city with balls of fire and arrows.
3rd picture - His red robes flowing in the wind, the man stood over the devastated Xuan Yuan city, countless skeletons hanging on the city walls
4th picture - Xuan Yuan princess dressed in battle armour, flying across the sky on a winged horse

Xiao Yao could not bear to look anymore and left.
A man stepped forward and asked to buy the lantern.

[The next scene is similar to the novel - Xiao Yao going to the deceased Lirong donkey meat seller's place, plaintively asking about her father, meeting Xiang Liu there. He in turn asked her to trust her mother's taste in men, telling her that unlike him, at least she knew her parents, teasing her about him once being so hungry one of his heads almost ate another one]

XL: Do you still need me to describe more of my pitiful past to let you feel that having a monster for a father is no big deal?
XY (glares): No need!
XL (smiles): Be it you deity tribes, or us demon tribes, none of us can determine our birth, nor can we choose our parents. So why should you feel upset over something that happened before you were born?

Xiao Yao fell into a momentary silence, as if recalling something.

XY: Hong Jiang was a great general of Shen Nong. Did you ever meet Chi Chen when you followed Hong Jiang?
XL: No. By the time I followed foster father, Chi Chen had already died.
XY (momentary silence): Xiang Liu, why did you choose Hong Jiang? Is it just because he is your foster father?
XL: Not just because of foster father. There are also all those soldiers I fought alongside with and watched them die. We drank together, went to battle together, collected our fallen comrades' bodies together. It's been hundreds of years, their bodies have also been cremated, (self-mockery) but the memories of nine heads are too clear, I can still remember their voices and laughing faces...
XY (red-rimmed): Mother once said that there are some ties that cannot be abandoned even at the cost of one's life. Fourth uncle gave up Aunt and Cang Xuan, Mother abandoned me. No matter what great cause and ties she did it for, I will never forgive her!

Xiao Yao buried her head in her lap and fell silent. Xiang Liu quietly looked at her in pity and sorrow. In the end she fell asleep, and he continued to accompany her by her side.
At last, her eyes fluttered, about to wake up. Xiang Liu gave her one last longing glance before disappearing in a flurry of snowflakes.
A snowflake gently fell on Xiao Yao's forehead. She clasped her forehead in shock and opened her eyes, but there was no one there. Instead, the lantern she saw earlier was on the ground.
In anger, Xiao Yao picked up the lantern and happened upon the 5th picture - amid roaring winds, Xuan Yuan princess and Chi Chen, one wielding a sword, the other a sabre, in a deadly battle.
In grief and anger, Xiao Yao threw the lantern to the ground. Just as it was about to hit the ground, it suddenly hovered in the air. Tushan Jing entered the door and drew the lantern into his hand.

XY (angrily): What are you doing?

Tushan Jing walked up to her and lit the lantern.

XY: Tushan Jing!

Xiao Yao turned aside in anger, unwilling to look. However, the lantern hovered in front of her. Tushan Jing embraced Xiao Yao's shoulder.

TSJ (gently): Xiao Yao, take a closer look.

Finding his behaviour strange, she looked up. The lantern was spinning, revealing all 6 pictures. At first she was angry, but when she continued to look, her expression changed. The pictures were still the same, but now there was a sentence with each picture, providing a different context to it.

1st picture: 诛权贵 Kill the rich and powerful
2nd picture: 保中原 Protect the Middle Plains
3rd picture: 屠强敌 Destroy strong enemies
4th picture: 担大义 Taking up the greater cause
5th picture: 弃私情 Sacrificing personal feelings 

Xiao Yao stared at the last picture - Xuan Yuan princess stabbing Chi Chen in the chest, and collapsing in pain, her spiritual power spent. The accompanying words: 不负苍生不负卿 Not betraying the common people, Not betraying the one they love

Xiao Yao's tears fell in torrents.

TSJ (sincerely): I believe that what Xiang Liu surmised is the truth. Your father never betrayed your mother, nor did your mother betray him. It is just that one is the Shen Nong great general, the other is the great Xuan Yuan princess. Their lives were not their own in such troubled times.

Xiao Yao continued to look at the spinning lantern, crying and laughing, relieved yet resentful. Tushan Jing wrapped his arms around her shoulders and embraced Xiao Yao.

XY (crying): They died, not betraying the common people or each other. But what about me? Since they gave birth to me, why didn't they raise me? Did they ever think of me when they died? Did they not worry that people would try to kill me, that I would have no home to go to, that I would be caged up by the Nine-tailed fox and tortured...

As Xiao Yao burst into tears, Tushan Jing gently caressed her back, letting her vent out all her sorrow and resentment

 liddi:

At last, her eyes fluttered, about to wake up. Xiang Liu gave her one last longing glance before disappearing in a flurry of snowflakes.
A snowflake gently fell on Xiao Yao's forehead. She clasped her forehead in shock and opened her eyes, but there was no one there. Instead, the lantern she saw earlier was on the ground.

So they changed yet another Xiang Liu scene from the novel. Us YaoLiu fans were looking forward to that possible forehead kiss from Xiang Liu. It's just a snowflake instead.

 Elise:

So they changed yet another Xiang Liu scene from the novel. Us YaoLiu fans were looking forward to that possible forehead kiss from Xiang Liu. It's just a snowflake instead. 

Not one moment of peace.

 liddi:

Yup. They took that away, just as they took away him reminding her about always having a place in the ocean to go to, her stroking his hair telling him to leave as it was not safe for him, him covering her eyes when he sees himself reflected in them.

All those precious YaoLiu moments GONE 😫

 liddi:

[The next scene is similar to the novel - Xiao Yao going to the deceased Lirong donkey meat seller's place, plaintively asking about her father, meeting Xiang Liu there. He in turn asked her to trust her mother's taste in men, telling her that unlike him, at least she knew her parents, teasing her about him once being so hungry one of his heads almost ate another one]

Oh thank god they kept him teasing and comforting her. I cared more about that than the kiss. 

 liddi:

It's been hundreds of years, their bodies have also been cremated, (self-mockery) but the memories of nine heads are too clear, I can still remember their voices and laughing faces...
XY (red-rimmed): Mother once said that there are some ties that cannot be abandoned even at the cost of one's life. Fourth uncle gave up Aunt and Cang Xuan, Mother abandoned me. No matter what great cause and ties she did it for, I will never forgive her!

This doesn't seem like much of a change from what I remember? The original text was quite similar?

Edit: Well, not the part about not forgiving her mother. That's a change. And it feels like it's also being directed at XL. Whereas with her thoughts in the novel... she seemed much more understanding of XL's feelings. 

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Chapter 35:

In her teary eyes, Xiao Yao saw a shape appear from the corner of the dark room. Xiao Yao immediately used her arms to cover her face and wipe away her tears.

“Who are you? Why are you hiding there?” Xiao Yao’s voice was scratchy but she was already calm.

The shadow didn’t speak, but also didn’t leave. Instead it walked over to the pallet.

Xiao Yao didn’t raise her head, but clearly felt it. The other heart was walking towards her and beating with her heart. “Xiang Liu!”

Xiao Yao lifted her head and saw Xiang Liu dressed all in black with a black cloak covering him, wrapping his entire form snugly in pure black. He seemed like an imposing but ordinary person, until the slight gap in his hood showed a few white hairs.

Xiao Yao suddenly realized he saw her earlier crying and loss of composure and felt very awkward so she coldly asked, “Why are you hiding here? To see something you can mock?”

Xiang Liu said, “Be reasonable, okay? I came to pay my respects to a departed old friend and you suddenly barged in. It’s you who interrupted me. Furthermore, what is there about you that is worth mocking?”

“Didn’t General Xiang Liu hear that I’m the bastard daughter of Qi Yo?”

Xiang Liu laughed and his cold expression softened a bit. “So it’s that business! What’s so mockworthy about that? Tell me.”

Xiao Yao angrily glared at Xiang Liu but with her cheeks still streaked with tears this glare was totally weak.

Xiang Liu sat down beside her and laughed. “Looks like the rumors are true, you really are the dear daughter of the Great General Qi Yo.”

“Shut up!” Xiao Yao lowered her head to ignore him.

“Suddenly changing a dad, and into one that is reviled by the entire world, that would indeed be hard to accept.”

“Shut up!”

“You might not know anything about Qi Yo, but you know your mom. Since she chose him, you ought to trust her taste.”

“I said to shut up!”

“No matter what, you know who your parents are and that’s better off than me. I’m a demon that came out of an egg. I have no idea who my parents are.”

Xiao Yao raised her head to look at Xiang Liu, trying to ascertain whether he was telling the truth. Xiang Liu earnestly said, “You know I have nine heads and at most I eat more than others. Since I was small, I scrounged around for food and my days were awful. I’d get beaten and chased and almost killed. My nine heads would sometimes fight with each other. One time I was so hungry one head almost ate another head…”

Xiao Yao’s eyes widened into saucers “Really?”

“Of course not!”

“You——–” Xiao Yao was so exasperated she almost expired on the spot.

Xiang Liu kept on talking earnestly, “I remember someone said to me once “people are so weird, whether lucky or unlucky, happy or unhappy, it’s all based on comparing with others.” I’m just telling you about my even-more-horrible past so that you can see your life is pretty good in comparison!”

Xiao Yao remembered that the person was her and she grumbled, “I didn’t make stuff up though!”

“Coming out of an egg was true, having nine heads is true, the rest…..” Xiang Liu rapped himself on the head and muttered, “I was making it up so well…what else did I say?”

Xiao Yao didn’t know if she ought to cry or to laugh but the pain in her heart really had lessened a lot.

Xiang Liu asked, “Do you want me to tell you more about my pitiful past so that you can feel like having a big demon devil for a dad isn’t that big of a deal?”

Xiao Yao’s eyes opened wide and she asked, “Did you ever meet Qi Yo?” Maybe because Xiang Liu was also a world renowned demon devil, it was easier for her to talk about Qi Yo with him.

“No, when I started to follow my adoptive father, Qi Yo was already dead.”

“How was the relationship between Gong Gong and Qi Yo?”

“Really bad back then, almost hated foes. But after Qi Yo died and my adoptive father would pay respects to Zhu Rong, he would always also pay respects to Qi Yo.” Xiang Liu laughed in mockery, “You can’t have expected those guys to have been on good terms back then. If they got along, then Sheng Nong would have never been destroyed.”

Xiao Yao was silent before suddenly asking, “Xiang Liu, why did you pick Gong Gong? Because he’s your adoptive father?” Xiao Yao didn’t know how she had the guts to ask him this question, probably because Xiang Liu didn’t seem like Xiang Liu tonight.

“Not just because he’s my adoptive father, there are also all those soldiers I fought along with and watched them die. We drank together, we went to battle together, we picked up our fallen brethren’s bodies…” Xiang Liu looked over at the altar “For hundreds of years, do you know how many of my fellow soldiers I’ve had to personally cremate?”

Xiao Yao couldn’t imagine, but she understood what Xiang Liu felt. Her Fourth Uncle could have survived that day, and he did love Fourth Aunt and Zhuan Xu, but he chose to die alongside his soldiers. In this world there was camaraderie so strong that one would die rather than abandon it.

Xiang Liu laughed and pointed at his head. “I’ve lost count, but they are all here.”

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!

Xiang Liu vaulted out of the room and onto the courtyard wall to see that there was dense fog all outside and nowhere he could go.

Xiang Liu turned around with a smile to see Jing standing there dressed in blue. He asked with a chuckle, “Tu Shan clan leader, was it interesting to eavesdrop? I didn’t tell her you were listening in back there so why are you using a mystical fog to make it difficult for me?”

Jing calmly said, “If you don’t want to run into Zhuan Xu’s personal guards, head North because I left a path open there.”

“Looks like I misunderstood clan leader’s intentions, thank you!” Xiang Liu fixed his hat and changed his face before vaulting North.

Jing said “Thank you.”

Xiang Liu abruptly stopped in his tracks and turned back, “What is the Tu Shan clan leader’s thanks for? I ought to listen carefully in case I miss something of value in the future.”

Jing smiled “Thank you for comforting her. I’ll definitely offer something of value but the question is whether you’ll want it?”

Xiang Liu said in a half serious, half joking tone “Of course I want it, but ——— not from you!”

Jing’s expression changed while Xiang Liu laughed out loud and disappeared into the fog.

In the cold dark room, Xiao Yao sat there in a daze.

A person walked in from outside and as he walked, all the lamps lit up in the room like he was bringing light to Xiao Yao. She was surprised and called out “Jing!”

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 liddi:

Xiang Liu gave her one last longing glance before disappearing in a flurry of snowflakes.
A snowflake gently fell on Xiao Yao's forehead. She clasped her forehead in shock and opened her eyes, but there was no one there.

Hmmm. So that's what they did with the kiss. I don't love it. But I guess I'm happy that at least some version of the original scene was included, even if it's a heavily watered down version. 

 liddi:

Leaked script   (Ch35 equivalent) - differences are highlighted in yellow

Thank you for your translations once again. Very much appreciated!

 nathsketch:

Pardon my French, but what a load of bollocks.

Seriously, this better be a very professionally made prank. Where’s Tong Hua?

I thought he was her favorite character 😭

Can the producers let YZ and TJC star in another drama together please. They have the best chemistry in the show.