Novel chapter summaries

Okay, y’all I actually did it! Buckle up because it’s a wild ride from start to finish.
I tried to summarize as best as I could. I have left out some scenes in the novel that I didn’t really think added much and tried to stick the main points. Some chapters have a lot of stuff happening while others don‘t so the length of summaries per chapter vary accordingly.

Koala has brilliantly and dedicatedly translated each chapter for us here  - https://koalasplayground.com/recapped-dramas/ (scroll down to Lost You Forever) 

 I could have never done these summaries without her or the original author, Tong Hua. The following summaries are intended to be a guide for those who have already read the novel or want to but cannot currently do so. No copyright infringement is intended here! 

Without further ado: the summaries of each chapter of Lost You Forever -

Novel VS Drama
Zhuan Xu = Cang Xuan
Gao Xing = Haoling
 Xuan Yuan = Xi Yan
Sheng Nong = Chen Rong
Yellow Emperor = Cang Xuan’s grandfather, ruler of Xuan Yuan (in the book, he’s both Cang Xuan and Xiaoyao’s grandfather, in the drama, he treats Xiaoyao as a granddaughter but her mother was his wife’s disciple/adopted daughter)
Black Emperor = Cang Xuan’s title once he takes the throne of Xuan Yuan
Grand Emperor = Xiaoyao’s adoptive father, ruler of Gao Xing/Haoling
Qi Yo = Chi Chen (Xiaoyao’s real father who died in the same battle with her mother)


Prologue:
Three regions - Gao Xing, Xuan Yuan, Sheng Nong. Sheng Nong was defeated so now the other two that remain are ruled separately by the Grand Emperor (Gao Xing) and the Yellow Emperor (Xuan Yuan).

1:
Wen Xiao Liu is a small town doctor running a fertility clinic in Qing Shui town with his adopted family - two human orphans and a retired immortal general. One day, he finds a man near death who has been tortured for several years and nurses him back to health. He names him Ye Shiqi and they become devoted friends.

2:
To arrange money for his adopted son’s marriage, Xiao Liu ventures into the mountains to look for rare herbs. He is captured by Xiang Liu, a nine headed snake demon, who orders him to make whatever medicine or poison he wants. He has him whipped until Xiao Liu agrees. Ye Shiqi tracks Xiao Liu and takes him back home to care for his wounds. Xiao Liu prepares poison for Xiang Liu which he eats like candy.

3:
There is a scuffle between Xiao Liu’s adopted family and some newcomers in town who are Gods in disguise, Xuan (Cang Xuan, a Xuan Yuan Prince) and Ah Nian (Gao Xing Princess). Xiao Liu poisons Ah Nian’s maid who humiliated his family and agrees to cure her if they apologize. His plan fails when Ye Shiqi disappears in the moment he needs back up and Xiao Liu ends up hurt. He is upset that Shiqi disappeared when he needed him most and treats him coldly. Xiang Liu visits Xiao Liu and drinks his blood to heal. Xuan formally apologizes and becomes friends with Xiao Liu.

4:
Shiqi apologizes for disappearing when needed most and promises to always be there for Xiao Liu. Xiao Liu tells Xiang Liu a piece of his past when he was locked in a cage for 30 years, beaten and fed herbs to make him into a super healing elixir. He developed a skill for poisons over those years and killed his captor. Ye Shiqi is recognized by his former servant. He is actually Tushan Jing, the famed second master of a wealthy merchant family, one of the four non-royal great clans. Shiqi/Jing is very reluctant to return to his family as he does not wish to leave Xiao Liu who encourages him to look out for himself as Shiqi’s previous torture would have been as a result of betrayal by someone close to him.

5:
Xiao Liu overhears villagers discussing about Fangfeng Yiyang, the dedicated fiancée of Tushan Jing who went to stay with his family after he mysteriously fell ill and has awaited his return/recovery all these years. In return for the six years of looking after him, Xiao Liu asks Shiqi/Jing for six years without rent for his clinic. Shiqi agrees. Xiang Liu asks Xiao Liu to get medicine for his resistance army, the remnants of Sheng Nong. Xiao Liu asks Shiqi/Jing for the medicine but it is taken by someone else before Xiang Liu can get to it. Xiao Liu realizes it must be Xuan so he kidnaps Ah Nian and only returns her when the medicine is also returned. Xuan has Xiao Liu tortured. Shiqi/Jing has Xiang Liu distract the guards so he can rescue Xiao Liu who reveals he poisoned Xuan with a voodoo bug, meaning that when Xiao Liu experiences pain so will Xuan.

6:
Xiao Liu uses the voodoo bug to inflict pain on himself and therefore Xuan as Xiang Liu and Xuan battle. A fox tail trinket falls from Xuan’s body during the fight, Xiao Liu recognises it and realizes Xuan’s true identity. He protects Xuan with his body and allows him to run away from Xiang Liu. Xiang Liu heals Xiao Liu despite being mad at him for letting Xuan go. Xiang Liu reveals that he knows Xiao Liu’s current form is false and that he might actually be a woman. Xiao Liu promises to remove the voodoo bug from Xuan once the latter leaves town.

7:
Fangfeng Yiyang arrives in town, causing Xiao Liu to treat Shiqi/Jing formally again. Xiang Liu and Xiao Liu discuss the voodoo bug situation and Xiang Liu volunteers for the bug to be transferred to him from Xuan. Xiao Liu is called to treat Xuan who has been gravely injured by an arrow. Xiao Liu goes to Jing to ask for high quality healing items and meets Fangfeng Yiyang who is a skilled archer and he suspects her of being Xuan’s attacker. Xiao Liu makes Jing promise to never hurt Xuan. Xiao Liu heals Xuan. Xiang Liu is made to promise never to hurt Xuan or Jing or ask Xiao Liu to hurt/kill the Grand Emperor or the Yellow Emperor and in exchange, Xiao Liu will do one thing that he asks of him. Xiao Liu successfully transfers the voodoo bug into Xiang Liu.

8:
Xiao Liu tries to convince Jing to go away but he does not want to leave Xiao Liu. Xuan’s Master wants to meet Xiao Liu so Xuan asks Xiao Liu to come with him to Gao Xing. Xiao Liu tries to refuse but Xuan is adamant. Xiao Liu attempts to run away with Jing’s help but they are caught by Xuan, taken to Gao Xing and thrown in jail. Xuan has Xiao Liu’s legs broken to prevent him from running away again. Jing promises never to leave Xiao Liu. He reveals he knows Xiao Liu is a girl and tells her about his family - Tushan Hou is his elder brother but the son of a maid, therefore he felt inferior to Jing and was the one responsible for him being locked up and tortured for two years. Jing does not want revenge however, he only wants to stay with Xiao Liu - he promises her that in fifteen years, he will become her Ye Shiqi again.

9:
Xiao Liu meets with the Grand Emperor who arranges for her to have snacks at bedtime. Cang Xuan is initially confused as this is what the emperor would do for his missing elder daughter and Cang Xuan’s beloved cousin, Xiaoyao. Cang Xuan realizes Xiao Liu is actually Xiaoyao and is immediately sad and feels guilty about all the torture he has put her through. Ah Nian punishes Xiao Liu for her previous kidnapping attempt. Xiao Liu sees Ah Nian’s mother who looks exactly like her own mother and is distraught, calling out for her mother and asking why she abandoned her. Cang Xuan tries to console her and tells her that the lady isn’t her mother, she just looks like her. Xiao Liu calms down after a while and admits to being Xiaoyao. Xiaoyao reconciles with her father and Cang Xuan and tells them about her past - from when she left Jade Mountain, losing her true face, torture by the fox demon and becoming Wen Xiao Liu.

10:
Xiaoyao tells Cang Xuan about how the rumors that she is Qi Yo’s daughter is what drove her away from Jade Mountain. Xiaoyao and Cang Xuan promise to protect each other and always stick together, echoing the promise they made in childhood. They are grateful to be reunited.

11:
Cang Xuan takes Xiaoyao and Ah Nian out for some fun on a boat when they bump into Fangfeng Yiyang and another girl. They fight which leads to their boat sinking and Cang Xuan goes missing briefly. He is rescued by Sheng Nong Xing Yue, a daughter of one of the four great clans.

12:
Cang Xuan takes Xiaoyao to restore her true form at Jade Mountain by the Royal Mother who is her former master. Xiaoyao is introduced to Ah Nian as her elder sister which Ah Nian immediately protests about.

13:
Preparations are underway for Xiaoyao’s official introduction as the Great Princess of Gao Xing. Sheng Nong Xing Yue and her brother Chi Shui Feng Long arrive at Gao Xing for the event along with Jing and his fiancee Fangfeng Yiyang. Everyone is wondering what Xiaoyao looks like. Despite Ah Nian ruining her intended gown, Xiaoyao has a successful introduction with mixed reactions from the men in her life - Cang Xuan feels slightly angry but doesn’t know why and Jing feels like he needs to grab onto something that feels just out of reach. Xiaoyao promises her dad to mend the relationship between her and Ah Nian. She dresses up prettily in anticipation of going to meet up with Jing. Ah Nian goes to sulk and ends up meeting Xiang Liu who sympathizes with her and promises to teach Xiaoyao a lesson; in return Ah Nian will do something for him in the future. Ah Nian meets Xiaoyao and pushes her into the ocean where Xiang Liu is waiting - he gestures for her to kiss him to receive air as they had done previously but since becoming a woman again, Xiaoyao doesn’t feel that it’s right and refuses which angers Xiang Liu. He takes her to the shore and asks what is different. She explains that she doesn’t want him to walk in her dreams. Xiang Liu abandons her and Xiaoyao is left swimming in the ocean trying to reach Jing.

14:
Jing finds Xiaoyao and they have some romantic time to themselves. Cang Xuan isn’t happy when Xiaoyao returns, having spent an entire night out supposedly with Jing. Xiaoyao explains about Ah Nian and then goes to settle the score with her. Ah Nian and Xiaoyao end up having a heart to heart and agree that they will have nothing to do with each other. Xiaoyao goes to visit Jing but he’s not in his residence so she goes out shopping instead where she runs into Xing Yue, Yiyang, Feng Long, Jing, his brother Hou and Cang Xuan. Once they realize Xiaoyao is the Princess, Xing Yue and Feng Long’s attitude instantly become more respectful. They all go drinking on a boat and eventually split off into groups, allowing for couple time together (Xing Yue and Cang Xuan, Xiaoyao and Jing).

15:
Xiaoyao and Cang Xuan return to Xuan Yuan where Cang Xuan gets a hard time from his cousins and uncle. Xiaoyao sticks up for Cang Xuan and takes him with her to meet their grandfather, the Yellow Emperor and current ruler of Xuan Yuan. They reminisce about their childhood spent on Xuan Yuan mountain. Xiaoyao meets Fangfeng Bei, Yiyang’s second brother, who resembles Xiang Liu closely. There is an attempt on Cang Xuan’s life and Xiaoyao protects him with her body. Though both are injured, they manage to come through the assassination attempt.

16:
Jing regularly sends Xiaoyao plum blossom wine until one day the wine stops coming. Six months pass without Xiaoyao hearing from Jing. Xiaoyao convinces Fangfeng Bei to teach her archery; he agrees with the condition that she spend time with him. Xiaoyao’s life becomes busy between making poisons and sending them off to Xiang Liu and spending time with Fangfeng Bei learning archery and exploring the town. They become close and a year passes. One day, Bei takes Xiaoyao to see slave fighting. They coincidentally meet Jing and Yiyang outside. Ah Nian sneaks into Xuan Yuan. Jing tries to meet Xiaoyao but she avoids him initially. He gives her a fish amethyst and they make up.

17:
Cang Xuan becomes a drunk and indulges in degenerate behavior in a ploy to get demoted to the Middle Plains. Fangfeng Bei comes to Xiaoyao in the middle of the night and is confirmed to be Xiang Liu when he tries to drink from her neck. Xiaoyao refuses and offers her wrist instead; he spends the night in her room recovering. Xiaoyao sees through Cang Xuan’s act and agrees to help him detoxify from the drugs poisoning him once the time is right. Cang Xuan’s plan succeeds and he is sent to the Middle Plains to repair the main palace there. Xiaoyao goes along with him.

18:
Xiaoyao helps Cang Xuan detoxify from the drugs over two months. Jing sends Xiaoyao a bottle of wine every 15 days. Jing and Xiaoyao spend some time together. Xiaoyao looks into Fangfeng Bei’s background and later meets Bei to discuss how Xiang Liu and Bei became one person - the original Bei went to the cold north lands and was dying when Xiang Liu came across him. Bei willingly gave his immortal life to Xiang Liu with the promise that Xiang Liu would look after Bei’s ailing mother which he did and he continued to use Bei’s identity for convenience over the years.

19:
Xiaoyao continues to spend time with Xiang Liu in his Bei form. Bei takes Xiaoyao to get a new bow as her archery skill has improved. They bump into Yiyang and Jing at the weapon store which makes Xiaoyao jealous. There is an attack on Jing but it turns out to be his decoy. Jing is unharmed and waiting for Xiaoyao who is relieved that he is all right. Cang Xuan asks Xiaoyao to go out with Feng Long as he needs Feng Long’s support. Xiaoyao gives an exquisite poison dish to Bei which he enjoys; she thinks to herself how much better it could be if Xiang Liu could be Bei all the time.

20:
On Cang Xuan’s request, Xiaoyao goes to stay with Feng Long and Xing Yue. Xiaoyao and Xing Yue become closer. Jing joins her there and the four of them spend time together, drinking and playing. Xiaoyao convinces Jing to teach her how to play the zither so they can spend more time together. They have more romantic time together.

21:
Xing Yue takes Xiaoyao out to see the cherry blossoms at a party. However, there is an assassination attempt on Xiaoyao - she is accused of being Qi Yo’s daughter. Qi Yo was the Sheng Nong general and in the last war, was responsible for the death of several clans. She is severely injured which is felt by Xiang Liu who leaves immediately to go rescue her. Cang Xuan and Jing simultaneously also feel that something bad has happened to Xiaoyao and go to find her. Jing arrives first and finds a nearly dead Xiaoyao. He is heartbroken and hugs her, transferring all his spiritual power to her as a lethal fire engulfs them both. Cang Xuan finds them. Xiaoyao is basically dead but he has his subordinates continuously give her spiritual power to sustain her body. Jing is badly burned but his subconsciousness does not want to live in a world without Xiaoyao so he remains in a coma. Xiang Liu tells Cang Xuan that he can save Xiaoyao but he needs to take her away. Though reluctant, Cang Xuan allows Xiang Liu to leave with Xiaoyao’s body.

22:
Cang Xuan captures and tortures the culprit who hurt Xiaoyao. He weeds out his associates and also swiftly arranges their deaths though Xing Yue and Feng Long caution against it as it could put his pursuit of the Xuan Yuan emperor position in jeopardy. Thirty seven years pass while Xiang Liu slowly heals Xiaoyao with essential blood from his soul every month. Xiaoyao’s consciousness is awake during this time so she hears Xiang Liu telling her about how he used to be a slave before he was rescued by one of the Sheng Nong generals and that is why he continuously fights with the resistant remnants of the Sheng Nong army. When Xiaoyao wakes up, Xiang Liu is nowhere to be seen which saddens her. She goes to Xing Yue’s place where she finds Jing and gives him her blood to help heal him. Cang Xuan is upset that Xiaoyao didn’t come to see him first but quickly forgives her; he is just happy to have her back. Jing wakes up and declares his intentions toward Xiaoyao in front of Feng Long which upsets the latter greatly.

23:
Jing goes back to his grandmother and again talks about canceling the engagement with Yiyang. His grandmother refuses to hear of it and insists on installing Jing as the next Tushan clan leader. She uses her impending death to persuade him. Jing goes to Xiaoyao and tells her everything and she comforts him. Jing becomes the Tushan clan leader. Bei takes Xiaoyao to see more slave fighting and they witness the slave they saw forty years ago win his final match and achieve his freedom. Jing and Feng Long reconcile after a manly fist fight.

24:
Xiaoyao goes to treat Jing’s grandmother. She realizes that Xiaoyao is the one that Jing wants to marry and reiterates to him that this cannot be, much to Jing’s dismay. Xiaoyao hires someone to create a bow for her and coincidentally receives a priceless bow created from rare materials that was suspiciously commissioned but never collected. It needs Xiang Liu’s blood to accept its owner but since Xiaoyao had Xiang Liu’s soul blood when he revived her, the bow immediately recognises her as its owner.

25:
Xiaoyao meets with Bei and he tells her that she no longer needs him as her teacher as she is skilled enough to kill someone with her new bow. Jing is reserved when Xiaoyao goes with him to give his grandmother more medication. Yiyang faints and is revealed to be pregnant when Xiaoyao checks her pulse. Xiaoyao leaves in shock and vomits blood on arriving at Cang Xuan’s place. Cang Xuan stays by Xiaoyao’s side as she recovers. Jing explains that his grandmother gave him a love potion and sent him to Yiyang. Xiaoyao breaks up with Jing and wishes him well on his upcoming marriage. Cang Xuan also decides to marry his first consort as part of a political move. He asks that Xiaoyao does not congratulate him.

26:
Cang Xuan gets married. Bei and Xiaoyao leave together to go to the ocean where Xiaoyao nearly kisses Xiang Liu who laughs at her and then shows her that she can now breathe underwater. They spy on a mermaid couple mating and eat fish together. Cang Xuan and Xiaoyao drink together and she drunkenly asks Cang Xuan to find her a man. Jing’s grandmother dies.

27:
The Yellow Emperor (Cang Xuan’s grandfather) comes to survey the Middle Plains. There is a foiled assassination attempt on his life and all clues rather obviously point to Cang Xuan. Xiaoyao and Cang Xuan go to see their grandfather together. Their cousins and uncles criticize Cang Xuan’s marriage and actions, making it seem like he is abandoning Xuan Yuan in favor of the Middle Plains. Xiaoyao defends Cang Xuan and points out the obvious plot of framing Cang Xuan for the assassination attempt. Cang Xuan and Xiaoyao are attacked and they fight together to kill their assassins.

28:
Feng Long proposes to Xiaoyao, pointing out what a good political arrangement it would be for Cang Xuan. Xiaoyao agrees for Cang Xuan’s sake. Cang Xuan is initially unhappy when he hears of the marriage but then agrees as well, stating there isn’t a better man than Feng Long for her. Feng Long becomes Chi Shui clan leader. The Yellow Emperor abdicates to Cang Xuan and Cang Xuan becomes the new ruler of Xuan Yuan.

(end of season 1)

Thank you so much!! 

In what episode does FYY find out that she was tricked into loving TSH and not TSJ? Wiki mentioned she mistook TSH as TSJ

 ObsidianAviary:

In what episode does FYY find out that she was tricked into loving TSH and not TSJ? Wiki mentioned she mistook TSH as TSJ

 steph_ravita:

@ObsidianAviary

That’s not accurate. TSH purposefully seduced FYY because she was TSJ’s fiancée. She knew who she was falling in love with; she wasn’t technically tricked. She finds out that TSH purposefully approached her in episode 9 Season 2.

The drama doesn't cover all the details that are set out in the novel. 

In the novel, the sequence of events unfolds as follows:

(1) TSJ and TSH were good and loving brothers towards one another for 400+ years despite the fact that TSJ's mother treated TSH terribly and obviously favoured TSJ. 

(2) TSJ's mother got sick and chose FFYY to be TSJ's fiancee. TSJ agreed to the match without even meeting FFYY or knowing what she looked like. Between his mother's illness and managing clan business, TSJ was very busy. So TSH went in TSJ's stead to meet FFYY in Gao Xing (Haoling in the drama) where she was traveling with friends. 

(3) When TSH and FFYY met for the first time in Gao Xing, TSH saved FFYY's life. 

FFYY did not know the identity of her saviour when he saved her, but immediately developed romantic feelings for him. When he said that he had come to Gao Xing to meet a particular girl, she was disappointed despite the fact that she was already engaged. Later, she heard someone call her saviour "Young Master Tushan" and he responded. So she and her friends thought that her saviour had turned out to be her fiancee, TSJ, who had come to see her. She was overjoyed and happily prepared for the wedding.

It seems like TSH might also not have known that the girl he saved was FFYY at the time (although it's also possible that this was an act and he knew who she was from the beginning). Later, when one of FFYY's friends called her by her name, TSH stared at her before smiling and saying, "So it's you!". 

(4) TSH returned to Qing Qiu and congratulated TSJ, telling him that his fiancee was smart and beautiful. At this point, TSH and TSJ still seemed to have the good and loving brotherly relationship they had had for 400+ years. 

(5) After TSJ's mother died, TSH became a despondent mess and drank constantly. At that time, TSJ focused on comforting TSH. He was in no mood for romance and forgot about the engagement. 

(6) Fearing for TSH's life, TSJ's grandmother revealed the truth about TSH's birth. After hearing the truth, TSH pulled himself together and stopped drinking. 

(7) Four years after TSJ's mother's death, TSJ's grandmother decided it was time for TSJ to marry FFYY and for TSJ to be announced as the next clan leader. 

(8) Before the wedding date arrived (and before FFYY even left the Fangfeng family residence), TSH kidnapped TSJ and began torturing him. 

Why did TSH decide to take action against TSJ at that point? How much of it was due to their grandmother's plan to announce that TSJ was going to be the next clan leader? How much of it was due to TSJ's imminent wedding with FFYY? Is it possible that, in addition to all his other motives, perhaps TSH harboured some real romantic feelings for the girl he saved in Gao Xing and (after learning the truth about his birth) he couldn't bear to see TSJ marry her (while he was stuck with the maid that TSJ's mother chose for him to marry) on top of every other good thing that was handed to TSJ instead of to TSH?

(9) After TSJ disappeared, TSJ's grandmother hid the truth. She told the world that he was gravely ill and called off the imminent wedding between TSJ and FFYY. She also used a poisonous bug so that she could continue to act as the Tushan clan's leader in TSJ's absence, instead of handing the position to TSH. 

(10) FFYY's father wanted to cancel the engagement, but driven by her feelings for the man who saved her life, FFYY travelled to Qing Qiu in her wedding dress and came to live in the Tushan residence as if she were TSJ's wife. She was determined to find the person who harmed the man she loved and to kill that person. When she heard that TSH had harmed TSJ, she decided she would take her revenge against TSH when he returned. 

(11) Months later, TSH returned to Qing Qiu from Xuan Yuan castle (Xiyan castle in the drama) and FFYY realized the man she had fallen for was TSH, not TSJ. She decided she didn't care who he was or what he had done. She also didn't care that he was married or that she was engaged to his brother. At this point, TSH's relationship with TSJ was not the same as it was when TSH first met FFYY. Now he hated TSJ and was doing everything in his power to beat and degrade TSJ. 

TSH and FFYY began an affair that year. Did TSH pursue this affair with FFYY solely to degrade TSJ? 

After three years, TSH dumped TSJ's body in the river and left him for dead. After four years, TSH and FFYY began sleeping together. Did TSH also sleep with FFYY after he thought TSJ was dead just so he could continue degrading TSJ? Or did TSH perhaps also have some real romantic feelings for FFYY that he was acting on back then?

(12) Nine years after he disappeared, Jing Ye recognized TSJ in QS town. He had been living as Beggar / Ye Shi Qi in QS town for six years by that point. 

(13) After word of TSJ's reappearance reached her, FFYY went to QS town and she and TSJ met each other for the first time. 

(14) After TSJ returned, TSH continued his affair with FFYY and both of them looked down on TSJ.

(15) After TSJ awoke from his 37 year coma, his grandmother forced TSJ to become clan leader. There was also a risk that, after his grandmother died, he would break the engagement with FFYY, marry XY, and create his own heir. So TSH and FFYY hatched a plan: FFYY would get pregnant with TSH's child, FFYY would trick TSJ into sleeping with her (or at least thinking he had slept with her), FFYY would pretend that the child was TSJ's in order to force TSJ to marry her, either TSJ would die from poor health or the two of them would kill him, and TSH and FFYY would lead the clan until "TSJ's son" (who was really TSH's son) was old enough to take over. 

(16) XY wanted to create a rift between TSH and FFYY so that they would reveal that FFYY's child was TSH's son, not TSJ's son. She did so by using TSH's desire to hurt TSJ by taking the women that TSJ wanted (i.e. , XY) away from him in order to seduce TSH. This made FFYY question whether TSH ever had any real feelings for her, or if he had only ever pursued her in order to hurt TSJ. 

(17) After the truth was revealed about their affair and the child's parentage, TSH completely threw FFYY under the bus and pinned all the blame for their affair on her. 

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Chapter 18:

Xiao Yao asked, “You don’t want to kill Hou?”

“Even though mother was always unfair, but since birth he never treated me poorly. We had no dad and he got no love from mother, so he placed all the familial love he craved on me. He was my age but acted like an older brother and dad surrogate, always taking care of me. When I got complimented he would beam with pride. I once asked him why and he said that even if he hurt, I was his beloved younger brother and he was proud of me. We were loving brothers that were the envy of all. He really was an exceptional older brother for four hundred years. Xiao Yao, I can’t kill him!” Jing’s voice conveyed his sadness and regret and guilt, because he knew his choice would bind him and bind Xiao Yao.

-----

Chapter 14:

Xiao Yao shoved Jing hard. “I don’t want to play anymore. I take back my promise! You scram back to Qing Qiu and go marry Fang Feng Yi Yang!”

Jing didn’t dare do anything back to her but he also didn’t budge. “I won’t marry her. She doesn’t like me so she likely doesn’t want to marry me either.”

Xiao Yao stopped shoving. “I don’t believe it! What reason does she have to not like you?”

“I’m a cripple and I can tell she’s shocked and dismayed. One time she saw the scars on my body and was shocked…..” To say “shocked” was an understatement, Yi Yang’s face was stark white and she was petrified, not daring to look at him in that moment. Since then, when they were alone together, she would purposely keep her distance from him.

Xiao Yao felt terrible, she knew Jing had a crippled leg and his scars were truly scary, but that shouldn’t be a reason to dislike him. Xiao Yao said, “You guys have been engaged for tens of years, shouldn’t she not care about such external trappings?”

“In truth, before I saw her in Qing Shui Town, I didn’t even know what she looked like. We never met before and she was chosen by my mother. By then my mother was very sick and I didn’t want her to fret over my marriage so I agreed immediately. I took care of my mother and ran the businesses so I was so busy I didn’t care much about this. It was my brother who went off to meet her and came back with a smile and told me, “congrats, she’s beautiful and smart”. After mother died, I had to take care of my despondent brother so was in no mood for romance. After my grandmother revealed my brother’s birth, I was even less inclined to think about this. Then my grandmother wanted to set the wedding date and that was when I remembered I had a fiancee. My grandmother is elderly and my sister-in-law is of no use so the Tu Shan clan needs a lady of the house to help my grandmother with her worries. After my grandmother discussed with the clan elders, they set a wedding date but before it arrived, I was already captured by my brother.”

So Qing Shui Town was their first meeting, no wonder Fang Feng Yi Yang was disappointed…..Xiao Yao’s feelings were so conflicted, she felt angry and upset, but also somewhat happy. She really didn’t know what she was thinking.

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Chapter 8:

“My father died shortly after I was born. I have an older twin brother named Tu Shang Hou. He is different from me since birth, he likes raising beasts and is a very active person. I liked the arts and was very refined. But we were both very good at business even if our methods are different. We were equal and neither was better than the other. Because we were twins, we learned everything together and people couldn’t help but compare us. I was better at the classic arts but he was stronger at the spiritual powers. But our mother was always very cold towards him no matter what he did. Because of her attitude towards him, people around us complimented me and derided him as well. My brother tried hard and kept trying to win our mother’s approval, but she not only didn’t give it, she did everything in her power to keep beating him down. No matter what I did she complimented me. Under our mother’s control, the power in the family ended up in my hands. She found for me a fiancee in the powerful Fang Feng family daughter, but only gave my brother a maid for a wife. I raised a fuss for my brother but he continued to try and win her affection so married the maid. But our mother continued to be cold towards him. When she was dying, my brother gave her medicine but she tossed it in his face and told him to scram. She said he disgusted her. My brother finally broke down and cried and asked why she played favorites. She raged at him and said that he could not match up to me, that he had a disgusting heart and mind, that he couldn’t even compare to one toe on my foot. She died shortly thereafter and I was very sad, but felt my brother was even more sad. He didn’t just lose a mother, he lost any chance of getting her acceptance. When she died he started to drink and told everyone that it was enough there was one Tu Shan Jing in this world, there was no need for a pathetic useless Tu Shan Hou. Our grandmother didn’t want him to kill himself so finally told the truth. He wasn’t my mother’s son, he was born of our father and a maid. The maid killed herself after she gave birth to him. Because he was born 8 days before me, our grandmother made the announcement that we were twins. After he heard this he stopped drinking and started getting a grip on himself. I felt very bad towards him so treated him very well and that made our grandmother happy and she complimented me often for being so caring. She told my brother to help me always. After my mother died four years, grandmother decided to have my wedding and announce to the world that I would be the clan leader. One day, my brother came to see me and asked to talk. I went with him without any suspicion, and when I woke up I was in a deep dark jail cell, my powers sealed, my limbs in dragon bone chains.”

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Chapter 42:

The tiger raised its front paws and was about to smash the entire fox body to smithereens when suddenly Hou’s entire body froze and his roar stopped, while the tiger’s body began to shrink.

Hou looked down in disbelief as an arrow tipped with a pair of intertwined mandarin ducks protruded from his chest. He touched the tips with the lover birds and murmured “Yi Yang!”

Hou lifted his head to look up towards the sky.

A white flying horse descended and an all black clad Yi Yang was sprawled on the horse and holding a beautiful bow in her hand.

Because she was so weak and afraid of falling off the horse, she used a rope to tie herself to the horse’s back. Now Yi Yang untied the rope and fell off the horse. She appeared too weak to walk but used the bow as a crutch to slowly stumble over.

Hou stared at Yi Yang as the blood dripped from his chest, a mocking smile on his lips “Is that the bow that I designed for you?”

“This is also something you gave me!” Yi Yang ripped off her black face veil and her face was completely shriveled and dried, without any blood or flesh. It was like dried skin directly plastered on bone, except her eyes were bright and shiny like a young girl, making the visage even more ghastly.

Hou made a noise and it wasn’t clear if he was trying to laugh or cry. “You’re saving him? You came to save him? If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

“You should say that if it wasn’t for you, everything would be different!” Yi Yang glanced at Jing with conflicted emotions. She harmed him time and again but he chose to forgive her. She used to see his kindness as weakness but only after she was truly heartbroken did she understand that hating is easy but forgiving required a stronger vaster heart.

Yi Yang stumbled towards Hou. “But I met you first! That year it was festival season and I was in Gao Xing traveling with my girlfriends to see the lanterns. There was an accident and I fell in the water, but I couldn’t swim and was caught by a water grass demon. It was you who saved me, and then accompanied me to view the lanterns while rowing on the lake to help me find my friends. I could tell this wasn’t your first time in Gao Xing and asked why you were there. You said, “I came to see a girl, I heard she was viewing the lanterns.” I knew I was already engaged but felt this disappointment in my heart. Later I found my friends and they called me Yi Yang, and you heard that and asked if I was Ms. Fang Feng. I said yes and you stared at me before smiling, “So it’s you!” You then rowed out towards the ocean and I heard someone calling you “Young Master Tu Shan” and you responded. All my friends teased me because we all thought you were the Tu Shan young master I was engaged to, and you came specifically to see me. I stared at you rowing away, with surprise and joy in my heart, thinking “So it’s you!” I prepared my trousseau and happily waited to marry you. But the news came instead was your grave illness and the wedding called off. Father tried to find out if you were dead or missing, not wanting to marry me to someone who was going to die. He wanted to cancel the engagement but all I could see was you standing within the lanterns with a smile saying “So it’s you!” I ignored my father’s objection and put on my wedding dress, rushing thousands of miles to Qing Qiu with one thought – I would find out who harmed you and kill that person. Even if you didn’t marry me yet, I lived as your wife, taking good care of grandmother. When I learned that Tu Shan Hou harmed you, I decided to take revenge for you once Hou came back to the residence. Months later you finished a big deal and came home from Xuan Yuan Castle, I helped grandmother out to welcome you back and you walked towards me under the lit lanterns and I stared dumbstruck with only one thought: “So it’s you!”

Yi Yang used all her strength to shoot out that arrow and now she collapsed on the ground, and ignoring the mud on her face, she raised her head to look at Hou. “That moment, all my hate turned into joy. I didn’t care who you were or what you had done, as long as you were alive then I was happy.”

Yi Yang softly asked, “Hou, I just want to know, was your true heart there even for one moment?”

Hou coldly laughed. “We’re about to die, what does it matter, true heart or not?”

Yi Yang crawled forward and stood up shakily. She looked at Jing. “I agreed to set this trap for Hou not to kill you, but to kill Hou. I told you before that I’m not the same as you. Someone who wrongs me, I will make him pay! Zhen Er’s poison has been lifted and I wrote him a letter to let him know all the wrong things his mom and real dad did. I hope that when he grows up, he can repay you on my behalf. Jing, I’m sorry! It’s not that you’re not good, it’s that you’re too good! The heavens knew that you were too good for me, that I wasn’t good enough for you. So that’s why I met him first!”

Yi Yang walked up to Hou and whispered in his ears, “I don’t care if you were sincere or faking it this whole time, you promised to be a pair of mandarin ducks with me, lovers forever, in life and in death.” She grabbed Hou’s waist with one hand and the arrow with the other, and used all her remaining power to push the arrow forward until it pierced fully through Hou’s heart and into her heart.

Hou may have been gravely injured with the arrow but he still had power, he could have pushed Yi Yang away. It wasn’t clear if he was dazed or wanted this, but he let Yi Yang embrace him as if he knew what she was going to do. When Yi Yang touched the arrow, he actually wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer into his arms. He smiled at Jing. “This time, it’s still not fair. And the person cheating for you is my own woman!”

When the arrow pierced Yi Yang, Hou used all his remaining power to rush forward and kick Jing with all his might. “Let’s all die together!”

Jing’s body flew into the air and fell into the Qing Shui River.

With that kick Hou used up all his energy and died, but his body continued to move forward and he fell into the Qing Shui River along with Yi Yang.

Yi Yang held him tightly, nestled in his arms, tears falling from her eyes.

The two pierced together with an arrow tipped with mandarin ducks disappeared underneath the churning waves.

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Chapter 34:

Yi Yang was decked out in her most beautiful attire and she nervously paced around the room.

After a long time, it wasn’t clear from where Hou entered and Yi Yang immediately ran into his arms. Hou embraced her but asked in annoyance, “Didn’t we agree never to meet privately until after Jing is dead? What happened that made you force me to come see you?”

Yi Yang asked, “Where is the fish ruby you gave me? Did you bring it?”

Hou was startled and then said, “I forgot to bring it.”

Yi Yang anxiously asked, “Forgot? Every time you came you would bring it. Didn’t you say that you loved watching it roll around my body. You said that only its shocking red could match up to my soft white skin.”

Hou laughed. “We haven’t made love in tens of years, it’s normal to forget to bring it.”

Yi Yang coldly retorted, “Yes, it’s been tens of years since we made love. That’s why you have someone new and forgot someone old.”

Likely he felt guilty so Hou picked Yi Yang up and tossed her on the pallet. “You know you are the only one in my heart. Don’t ever compare yourself to the other women.”

Hou leaned down to kiss Yi Yang but she stopped him. “What about the Gao Xing Eldest Princess?”

Hou’s movements stopped and Yi Yang snarled, “Did you forget to bring the fish ruby you gave me because it’s already hanging around another woman’s body?”

Yi Yang shoved Hou off with her spiritual power and he was actually tossed onto the ground. He hurriedly climbed up and called out “Listen to me explain, I did give the fish ruby to Xiao Yao but it’s because…..”

“Xiao Yao? You’re so familiar with her now!”

“Princess, it’s the Princess! I gave the fish ruby to the Princess as a temporary gesture……”

Yi Yang furiously raged, “It’s temporary! From Spring until Summer you see her every three or four days and you call that temporary? How many times have we met in the last tens of years? If you and her are temporary, then what is our relationship? Nonexistent?”

Hou urgently tried to explain. “I went to seduce the Princess to further degrade Jing! I really haven’t fallen for her for real. She’s just a prey in my eyes! It’s only because she’s the woman that Jing wants so I want to snatch her. You know how much I loathe and hate Jing…”

Yi Yang was startled and her face turned ashen. “Then what about me? What is your feelings towards me? Is it because of that cripple Jing that you wanted me?”

“No, no, Yi Yang! You are different from them! You are my one and only!”

Hou went to embrace Yi Yang but she took steps back. She believed what Hou said, that he only wanted to snatch Xiao Yao because Jing liked her. But in believing what Hou said, that made Yi Yang’s heart truly shaken. She was willing to do anything for him but now she didn’t know anymore. Did Hou really like her? Or was she the same as Xiao Yao, just an instrument used to torment Jing?

Hou anxiously begged, “Yi Yang, believe me! You are not the same as them…”

Yi Yang stared at Hou. “You stand there and don’t move and look me in the eye.”

Hou stared at Yi Yang and she stared back. “You said I’m not the same as them. Because you truly like me? Or is it because Jing did nothing and I used your son to tie him up completely?”

In front of Yi Yang’s piercing stare, Hou blinked and smiled. “Of course it’s because I really like you.”

Yi Yang stared at Hou and her overwhelming sorrow poured forth. Hou embraced Yi Yang and tried to kiss her but she viciously slapped him across the face and cried out, “You’re full of lies!”

“No, no……”

Yi Yang turned and rushed outside and out of the frame of the mirror. Hou chased after her and also disappeared from the mirror.

...

Jing summoned all the elders and exposed Hou and Yi Yang’s secret. All nine elders were stunned into silence after watching the memory in the gorilla mirror. Then they started interrogating but Yi Yang never once said anything. Hou in turn revealed everything and admitted he started being with Yi Yang the first year after Jing went missing, and by the fourth year they had slept together. Hou pinned all the blame on Yi Yang, saying she was unable to stand the loneliness and seduced him.

Hou said this confession privately the first time, and the second time said it publicly before all the elders and Yi Yang. She still said not a word and simply stared at Hou. She just kept staring and staring at Hou like she never saw him before until now. When the elders asked her if “What Hou said is true?”, she still said nothing. But her bright eyes gradually dimmed like a room candle being extinguished leaving only pitch black darkness.

Because Yi Yang didn’t say anything, the elders decided that what Hou said was the truth.

...

Yi Yang asked, “Why? You ought to hate me the most.”

Jing stood at the door and turned back to look at Yi Yang.

He was refined and lofty while she was shamed and dirty, but his eyes on her showed no disgust. Yi Yang said, “In the past, I never knew how Hou felt around you but now I do. I did so much wrong towards you and you have more right than any to punish me, but I don’t see a shred of hate in your eyes. Why don’t you agree to the tortures suggested for me?”

“You are already enduring the cruelest torture of all.”

Yi Yang was stunned and then agreed, “Yes! I am being tortured by the world’s coldest cruelest punishment.”

Jing said, “No matter what my brother said, I’ve always believed that you did nothing wrong by falling in love with him. But it was wrong when you killed sister-in-law to conceal it. Do you still remember her?”

Yi Yang murmured, “Hou’s wife, of course I still remember!”

“My mother’s actions have shown me that hate will never end so killing you is a punishment to release anger but I don’t want us to incur another cycle of vengeance and let Zhen Er become the next Hou.”

Yi Yang stared at Jing and under the sunlight his features were clearly illuminated. He looked so much like Hou, but without the brash smirk and instead there was a clear placid gentleness. This was the first time that Yi Yang clearly saw what Jing looked like and she smiled. “I used to think you were weak and useless but today I realized that hate does not need intelligence but is the gut reaction of someone who is hurt. To forgive requires true intelligence and strength of character. Unfortunately I can’t do it which is why it was actually me who couldn’t match up to you. I still like an eye for an eye, which is why I’m the perfect match for Hou!”

Jing said as the door closed, “Until you can take care of Zhen Er, I will raise him well.”

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Chapter 23:

Xiao Yao sighed. It wasn’t that she didn’t care but if Jing’s grandmother was willing to give up her life and Jing selfishly choose to leave the Tu Shan clan to be with her, then he wouldn’t be the Jing that Xiao Yao liked.

That night Jing didn’t go back to Qing Qiu.

That night, Hou also didn’t go back to Qing Qiu. Lan Mu was long used to it and never dared speak a word about it. That night she turned into a fox and snuck to check on Fang Feng Yi Yang and saw that she was also missing. In sixty years, it wasn’t the first time she discovered both Hou and Yi Yang gone at the same time. Lan Mu hid under the blankets and cried all night, not because of Hou not coming home all night, but because she discovered something she shouldn’t know and she was absolutely terrified.