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Using this thread as a save draft feature ^^"

• Missing someone / forgetting vs. not forgetting / remembering / memories / erasing memories
• Ties / poison / making and delivering poison / the poisonous bugs / the Lovers' bugs
• Sparing a life / saving a life / sacrificing a life / choosing death
• Fear of loneliness / alleviating loneliness / temporary companionship
• Gifts
• No means of protecting oneself, no one to rely on, no place to go
• True identity / false identity / hidden identity / true form / false form / masks / true feelings / false feelings / hidden feelings / hidden wishes
• Humour / jokes / tricks / pranks / interesting battles-of-wits that alleviate boredom / ridiculous or silly behaviour (especially when used to break tension or to cheer each other up) / irreverent behaviour

• In chapter 2, when XL meets WXL for the first time, he first hears her sorrowful song about missing someone and never forgetting. WXL's true identity (as a woman / as XY) is hidden, but XL knows that her male form is a false form thanks to the Fei Fei. WXL tries to poison XL and he brings her back to the military camp for questioning, where she refuses to confess her true identity but has a rare moment of true vulnerability and reveals that she is a person with no means of protecting herself, no one to rely on and no place to go. XL spares her life and ties the two of them together by forcing WXL to "agree" to work for him to make the poisons he requests in exchange for her life. When YSQ arrives, WXL behaves ridiculously (grabbing YSQ's face like a child) and XL has to stop himself from smiling before he lets the two of them go. 
• In chapter 2, Furball delivers XL's poison requests and WXL makes the poisons and sends them back to XL. WXL originally thought XL wanted to use the poisons against his enemies, so she gave them an odd colour or smell so they would be useless for that purpose. When WXL realized that XL was consuming the poisons himself, she made them taste horrible. 
• In chapter 2, when XL meets WXL for the second time, he brings a wedding gift to the clinic and tells WXL that he brought it because she did well (making the poisons). WXL gives XL poisoned wine, jokes with him ("I just want to whip you 80 to 100 times"), and tells XL that she is afraid of being lonely and that if she can't find a permanent companion, having temporary companions (like the ones she has collected at the clinic) to alleviate her loneliness will do. After the wedding, XL occasionally visits the clinic, where he eats snacks and drinks wine (poisoned by WXL) before leaving. WXL's poisons continue to have no apparent effect on XL, and WXL gets frustrated by XL's attitude of not taking her seriously. 
• In chapter 3, when XL finds WXL moping *in* the river, he laughs and asks if she is night fishing before pulling her up on to Furball and giving her a drink to warm her belly. WXL is petulant ("what are you looking at? / so what? / none of your business!") and XL asks if she's itching for a whipping. Later, WXL howls and intentionally falls / dives off of Furball into the lake below. XL brings Furball to the surface of the lake to collect her, and WXL dares XL to race her and taunts him until he agrees. WXL loses the race but is cheered up immensely. XL previously said that he was curious about WXL's past (the past of her true identity) and after the race he concludes that she grew up somewhere with a lot of water. WXL starts talking irreverently about XL's nine-heads (perhaps trying to distract him from talking about her past), and XL uses his power to shut her up and bites her as a warning. When he drinks her blood, he discovers that her blood has the unique power to heal him. They didn't part on good terms, but the next time WXL thinks of XL, she notes that he continued to request poisons from her.
• In chapter 3, WXL wishes to the moon that XL would die in a number of ways. She carries this "happy, hopeful wish" to bed, only to find XL there. She blurted out "I wasn't cursing you!" (making it obvious that she was). XL smiles, beckons her over, and bites her. This time he drinks her blood "for real" (and not just as a warning) to heal his injuries. XL asks if she is scared. She lies and says that she is. He calls her a liar and she admits that she isn't scared anymore. XL says he might still eat her, and WXL laughs and says that she already belongs to him so he can do whatever he likes with her. XY glares at XL when he takes her bed and her preferred blanket. Later, when XL is self-healing and can't move, she climbs on top of him, grabs his neck, laughs, slaps both of his cheeks and taunts him. She used coal to draw nine eyes on his face and then smudged them until they became nine heads. She showed XL her work with her mirror, and when he mouthed that he would devour her, she rubbed coal on his lips and said, "If you don't mind being dirty, go ahead and eat!" WXL joked a bit more and left. After tormenting XL, she was in a very good mood. 
• In chapter 4, "many months" after tormenting XL, WXL giggles while looking at the memory she saved in her mirror of XL's glaring face covered in her charcoal doodles. She flicks the image of his face and says, "Go ahead and rage!" before putting the mirror away.

• In chapter 46, XL basically gives XY an opportunity to kill him (after she shoots him in the chest with an arrow he tells her that she needs to shoot him in the heart in order to kill him, and then waits). XY shoots another arrow, but she couldn't bring herself to kill XL, so her arrow misses. XL pushes XY to break the ties between them. Throughout the encounter XL wears a cold expression and a false smile that hides his true feelings. When XL is finally alone, his false smile fades and his eyes reflect his true feelings of eternal loneliness. 
• In chapter 47, XY tried to end her life. 
• In chapter 48, XL saves XY's life. He plans to die with the remnant army soon, so he also sacrifices one of his extra lives to break the Lovers' Bug connection between him and XY so that his death will not cause her to die too. XL does this in secret and asks Ah Nian and Sir Bi to hide his involvement to try to limit the amount of pain that XY will experience after his death. He also erases the memories of him that XY saved in her mirror, so she will not be able to use the mirror to remember him and to miss him. 
• In chapter 49, thanks to XL's secret efforts, TSJ (a person who will stay by XY's side as someone she can rely on) is brought back to life / revived and returns to XY in time to stop her from becoming the Royal Mother of Jade Mountain. If he had been too late, XY would have condemned herself to a lifetime of unending loneliness. 
• In chapter 50 / chapter 51 / XL's epilogue, XL carves his wishes for XY into the ice crystal ball, the gift that XY sent to him in chapter 31 as a thinly veiled confession / ultimatum / request that indirectly expressed her true feelings and wishes. He kept the ice crystal ball for over 50 years before sending it back to her. The wishes he carves are: The ability to take care of yourself, someone to rely on, a place to go – wishing you a lifetime of worry-free happiness! XL hides the ice crystal ball and his wishes inside a big-bellied laughing doll that XL carves as a wedding gift and has Sir Bi give the doll to XY (pretending it is from him) when she marries TSJ. 
• In chapter 51, XY finds out that XL chose to die in battle with the remnant army. In a sense, he did not spare his own life. XY realizes she will never see XL again, grieves, and runs through her memories of their interactions. She wants to look at the memories of XL that she saved in her mirror, but discovers that XL erased them. Eventually XY decides that she wants to leave Xuan Yuan and go to the ocean to explore the islands that XL mentioned. As XL reminded her, the ocean was a place that XY could always go (thanks to her transformation after XL's blood transfusions) and it was the only place (apart from Jade Mountain) that was beyond CX's control. When packing to leave, the big-bellied laughing doll's impish smile makes XY laugh for the first time since she found out about XL's death. TSJ sees that and asks Miao Pu to include the doll in the belongings that they will take with them when they leave. 

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I agree that Chae Young-Shin would make different choices than canon!XY. Their issues, traumas and circumstances are not totally the same. But I do still see a ton of parallels between the two characters that would be fun to capitalize on in order to give XY and XL different circumstances where they could have a happy ending together.

Major Healer spoilers ahead for those who haven't watched it. 

Chae Young-Shin / Oh Ji-An	Wen Xiao Liu / Xiao Yao / Gao Xing Jiu Yao / Xiling Jiu Yao
When Young-Shin was a young child, her mother left her in the safest place she could in the circumstances before disappearing. All at once her mother disappeared, her father died, and she was permanently separated from her male childhood best friend and everyone else she previously knew. As a result, Young-Shin survived but felt like she was thrown away and later in life she feared being abandoned by others. Later in the story, Young-Shin reconnects with her mother and learns the truth about what happened, which gives her some closure.	When XY was a young child, her mother left her in the safest place she could in the circumstances (Jade Mountain) before disappearing. Her mother disappeared (and unbeknownst to her, her birth father died) and she was separated from her male childhood best friend and everyone else she previously knew. As a result, XY survived but felt like she was thrown away and later in life she feared being abandoned. Later in the story, Young-Shin reconnects with her mother and learns the truth about what happened, which gives her some closure.
As a young child, Young-Shin was "adopted" by a man who ruthlessly physically abused her, leaving her deeply traumatized. Although she escaped from him when she was still a child, the experience had lasting impacts on her as an adult. Even as a grown up, when she witnesses physical violence, she is rendered powerless by crippling panic attacks. Despite this difficult handicap, Young-Shin still finds herself in situations where she's up against groups of men who intend to harm her on multiple occasions. At those times, Seo Jung-Hoo / Healer's alter ego Bong-Soo secretly helps protect her and inspires her to be brave in order to protect him.	As a child, XY was briefly taken in by a mortal human pedophile and later was captured by a nine-tailed fox demon who kept her in a cage for 30 years. During that time, the nine-tailed fox tortured her by forcing her to eat horrible concoctions that caused her spiritual power to be transferred into her blood, a process that was extremely painful. Although she escaped from him when she was still a child, the experience had lasting impacts on her as an adult. As a result, XY lost her ability to use her previously high spiritual power in fights. Although she always had some poison skills to fall back on, this left XY feeling like she had no means to protect herself for a while. Despite this difficult handicap, XY still finds herself in situations where she's up against high-powered people who intend to harm her on multiple occasions. But after Xiang Liu's alter ego Fang Feng Bei helps teach her archery, secretly commissions a world-class bow for her, and pushes her to further develop her poison skills, she is better equipped to protect herself.
Someone connected to Young-Shin's parents tries to kill Young-Shin by luring her into a trap and having her die in an elevator "accident". Healer saves her life and Young-Shin initially views his actions in a certain way (a way that leads her to let him kiss her without letting her see his face) but later is misled into thinking that he only saved her because of transaction that he entered into with Kim Moon-Ho.	Someone connected to XY's biological father tries to kill Young-Shin by luring her into a trap and having her die a violent death with all traces burned away by fire. Xiang Liu saves her life and XY initially views his actions in a certain way (a way that leads her to cry bitterly when he doesn't meet her after she wakes up) but later is misled into thinking that he only saved her because of transaction that he entered into with CX.
Seo Jung-Hoo had his own remote secret hideout, like Superman's fortress of solitude. His hideout included a giant wall that featured an image of an island and an ocean, as well as a large bed with all-white pillows, all-white sheets and all-white bedding. At one point in the story, Seo Jung-Hoo is in a bad way (freezing, starving, and sick), but Young-Shin finds him before it's too late. She climbs into bed with him to warm him up, cooks for him and brings him back to life, in a manner of speaking. When Seo Jung-Hoo has mostly recovered, he tries to make Young-Shin leave him. He says she should be scared of her - he's hiding so much from her and he could hurt her. But Young-Shin firmly rejects all of his attempts to push her away and stays with him. follows.	Xiang Liu had his own giant clam shell that he usually kept in the ocean, far away from his life with the remnant army and his life as FFB. The clam shell included a bed-like area and was all-white. At one point in the story, when XY was near death, Xiang Liu got to XY in time and brought her to his clam shell for healing. Among other things, he used his essential soul blood to heal and revive her. Practically brining her back from the dead. When XY has recovered, XL disappears and sends Furball to take XY back to TSJ without meeting her.
Young-Shin's biological parents were very much in love and, as a young child, Young-Shin was doted on by her biological parents when they were around (although they were often away). Her parents' best friends had a son who was about her age whom she was very close with. They were constant companions and often fell asleep beside each other. They were often looked after by a man (Kim Moon-Ho) who deeply cared about both of them and who was in love with Young-Shin's mother. Many years after Young-Shin disappeared, that man was the person who ended up finding Young-Shin again in order to protect her, which led her to discover her birth identity as Oh Ji-An later on. Later in her childhood, Young-Shin was adopted a second time and raised by a man who was not her biological father, but he loved her and doted on her anyway. Her adoptive father (a criminal lawyer and cafe owner) would not hesitate to use his small army of reformed criminal friends to help protect his adoptive daughter.	XY's biological parents were very much in love and as a young child and XY was doted on by her biological parents when they were around (although they were often away). Her mother's brother had a son who was about her age whom she was very close with. They were constant companions and often fell asleep beside each other. At different stages of their lives, they were cared for and raised by a man (Shao Hao) who deeply cared about both of them and who was in love with XY's mother. Many years after XY disappeared, that man was the person who ended up finding XY again in order to protect her, which led her to regain her identity as Gao Xing Jiu Yao. In her early childhood and after she regained her true identity, XY was raised by a man who was not her biological father, but he loved her and doted on her anyway. Her adoptive father would not hesitate to use his power as an Emperor and his literal army to help protect his adoptive daughter.
After being separated from Young-Shin, Young-Shin's mother's health was seriously jeopardized and she became disabled and wheel-chair bound, which made it harder for her to find Young-Shin. She was led to believe that Young-Shin was likely dead. It was only when Young-Shin was an adult that she was finally brought to her mother and learned the truth about her parents' story and identities.	After being separated from XY, XY's mother nearly died and she turned into a monster-like desert beast who was forced to stay in one location to avoid causing widespread destruction, so she could not go to XY. XY was led to believe that her mother was dead. It was only when XY was an adult that she was finally brought to her mother and learned the truth about her parents' story and her biological father's identity.
The powerful and talented night courier / man-for-hire "Healer" / Seo Jung-Hoo initially has a rough encounter with Young-Shin, but finds himself strangely drawn to her. He uses work as an excuse to get closer to her and to protect her. After initially only interacting with her as Healer, he creates a less threatening alter-ego (Bong Soo) to approach her so he can be by her side in a different way (as her work junior).   Seo Jung-Hoo is mostly the lone wolf type, but he has a sidekick (Jo Min-Ja / hacker ahjumma) who helps him with missions and a mentor / teacher / father-figure (Ki Young-Jae) who was close with Young Shin's parents and Seo Jung-Hoo's parents when they were alive. At the beginning of the drama, his dream is to make enough money to buy his own private island in the ocean off the coast of Panama where he can live alone in peace. Near the end of the drama we find out that this dream may have been inspired by a game that he played with Young-Shin as a child, when they would pretend to escape to Moru Moru island together. At the end of the drama, Seo Jung-Hoo no longer feels the need to pursue that dream, because he's found happiness with Young-Shin and wants to try to live a normal life with her instead of running away.	The powerful and talented military advisor / assassin-for-hire "Nine Lives" / Xiang Liu initially has a rough encounter with XY, but finds himself strangely drawn to her. He uses work as an excuse to get closer to her and to protect her. After initially only interacting with her as Xiang Liu, he uses his less threatening alter-ego (Fang Feng Bei) to approach her so he can be by her side in a different way (as her archery teacher and temporary companion). Xiang Liu is mostly the lone wolf type, but he has a sidekick (Furball) who helps him with various tasks and a mentor / teacher / father-figure (Gong Gong) who knew XY's parents when they were alive. Half way through the novel, Xiang Liu takes XY to escape from the troubles of her life to temporarily seek happiness in the ocean. Their date ends with XL telling XY about the Ocean's countless beautiful islands, and XY wishing she could go explore them. At the end of the novel, XL dies as the last man standing on an island out in the ocean, and because of him (and his gift that allows her to breathe under water and feel like a daughter of the sea) XY decides to leave Dahuang to explore the Ocean's islands per her previous wish.

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 liddi:

The thing though... is that I don't believe Xiang Liu would ask her to accept him, even as Fangfeng Bei and follow it through with a commitment, knowing that he would never abandon the Shen Nong remnant army in the end. Everything he ever did with her, he always predicated it with the repeated reminder that theirs was merely a transient relationship, so that she would not view it as anything more, and place any hope in it. Not because he did not wish to have a lifetime with her, but because he could not, would not do that to her (even through an alter-ego) and later abandon her once more through his imminent death, in very much the same way she understood cerebrally that her mother's death was in defense of their people, yet keenly felt abandoned by that same death.

I also agree that canon!XL would not confess to XY like that, even as FFB. The idea behind the AU concept is that the circumstances would be significantly altered to align more closely with Healer's plot in order to create a situation where Fang Feng Bei could confess like that. The remnant army would probably need to go completely (and CX and TSJ would not be separate characters... elements of their stories would be given to Xiang Liu / Fang Feng Bei to the extent necessary). Like Ki Young-Jae, Gong Gong would probably die. Xiang Liu would no longer have an army that he planned to die with, but like Seo Jung-Hoo, Xiang Liu would feel like he was not able to be / worthy of being with XY / Young-Shin, especially at the point where Seo Jung-Hoo's father was accused of killing Young-Shin's father. And just as Young-Shin convinced Seo Jung-Hoo that he was wrong and they should be together, XY would convince Xiang Liu that he was wrong and they should be together. For me, that altered dynamic would be so satisfying.

H