— Retro Drama Talk — Lost You Forever - Seasons 1 & 2 (2023-24) Chinese Drama Review

Details RATING: (6.5/10) NATIVE TITLE: 长相思 – Zhǎng xiàng sī YEAR SEASON 1: 2023 YEAR SEASON 2: 2024 EPISODES: 39 (season 1) + 23 (season 2) DURATION: 45’ DIRECTOR: Yang Huan, Qin Zhen SCREENWRITER: Tong Hua, Wang Jing, Qin Ye, Xue Ling Zhi ORIGINAL CREATOR: Tong Hua (长相思 - Longing)

Lost You Forever is a tale suspended between melancholy and longing, a meditation on love and the physical and spiritual distance between two lovers, where time seems to stretch and feelings settle with the patience of the seasons. It's a story of separations, of identities lost and rediscovered, of bonds that transform as the protagonists search for a place in the world and in the hearts of others.

In this review of the drama Lost You Forever, I will explore not only the plot and characters, but also the way the narrative manages to build an emotional atmosphere of nostalgia, anticipation, and silence, making this one of the most beloved dramas of 2023-24.

Plot

On the fantasy continent of Dahuang, where mortals, immortals, and demons coexist, there are three kingdoms: Haoling, Chenrong, and Xiyan. The first is the most powerful and prosperous state; the second benefits from fertile lands and a large population; the third has strict laws and strong military power.

After a bitter war that lasted centuries, Xiyan succeeded in conquering Chenrong. However, the king of Xiyan never gained full recognition from the inhabitants of the Central Plains, and rebellions were frequent and bloody. During one of these uprisings, the Crown Prince of Xiyan, father of Xiyan Cangxuan, dies; during the funeral ceremony, his wife Chang Pu, after accusing her husband's ninth brother of treason, stabs him to death and then takes her own life.

Orphaned of both parents, Cangxuan is entrusted to the care of his paternal grandmother Xiling Xiezu, his aunt Xiling Heng and his younger cousin Haoling Jiuyao, known as Xiao Yao. Shortly afterward, Xiezu dies, and Xiling Heng is sent to quell another uprising led by the ferocious general Chi Cheng and sacrifices her life to kill him.

Left alone, the two children are separated: Cangxuan is sent to Haoling as a hostage, while Xiao Yao is sent to Jade Mountain to cultivate herself under the guidance of the Queen Mother. The two reluctantly part, hoping to be reunited one day, but a few years later, Xiao Yao escapes from Jade Mountain, and she disappears completely.

Three centuries later, the girl has changed appearance and gender and works as a doctor in the Hall of Rejuvenation in the city of Qingshui, a free territory among the three states of Dahuang, under the pseudonym Wen Xiaoliu.

Thanks to her medical knowledge, she saves Tushan Jing, a noble heir to the Tushan family who was left near death by his brother Tushang Hou, and the young man ends up falling in love with her.

Wen Xiaoliu also finds himself dealing with the ferocious demon Xiang Liu, who in turn falls for her.

After many vicissitudes, Cangxuan, who has always been in love with his cousin, finally manages to reunite with her, but decides not to declare his love until he has conquered the throne of Xiyan and reunified the three kingdoms.

Xiao Yao will support her cousin in his rise to power and, to facilitate his success, agree to marry Chishui Fenglong, the legitimate heir of the Chenrong royal dynasty, who has fallen in love with her at first sight.

In this complex political landscape, Xiao Yao will discover uncomfortable truths about her past and will repeatedly risk being swept up in power struggles, almost losing her life. Her suitors, however, will always find a way to save her, and in the end, she will get her long-desired happy ending.

Lost You Forever Drama Review (No Spoilers)

Lost You Forever is a romantic drama worth watching mainly for its exceptional cast: the actors manage to give depth and charm to characters who, on paper, would risk inevitably appearing stereotypical.

Plot and Narrative Pace

The story itself is not without its charm, but the plot — especially in the second season — suffers from a certain lack of dynamism.

Although political intrigue, war, and power struggles form the backdrop to the narrative, the story ends up focusing almost exclusively on Xiao Yao's romantic adventures and her endless back-and-forth with the four men who gravitate toward her. The result is that the characterizations of the protagonists and the main love story are often so melodramatic that it makes one wonder if this is more of a period soap opera than a xuanhuan.

Adding to the drama is the omnipresence of the romantic "pentagon" between the protagonist and the four male leads — a dynamic not seen with such insistence since the days of Jun Jiu Ling. Theoretically, it should aim to fuel the emotional tension of the story, but in practice, it often ends up being more irritating than engaging and significantly slowing down the development of the political events, which remain one of the weakest aspects of the drama's narrative universe.

Characters

Personally, I found the contradictory nature of many of the characters particularly frustrating.

Tushan Jing is presented as a man of extraordinary intelligence and business acumen, yet at the same time displays an almost exasperating submissiveness toward everyone around him.

Xiao Yao, who should be known for her open-mindedness and independent spirit, instead proves surprisingly unwilling to accept the moral dilemmas of the man she loves.

Xiang Liu alternates moments of obvious attachment to Xiao Yao with a studied indifference that ends up appearing more annoying than believable.

As for Xiyan Cangxuan, his constant displays of affection toward his cousin contrast starkly with the cold and distant attitude he reserves for all the other women in his life, including those he has married for political reasons.

Cast

Fortunately, what the screenplay sometimes lacks in credibility, the cast makes up for, which overall proves extremely convincing.

The greatest praise undoubtedly goes to the semi-established Deng Wei and the charming Tan Jianci, who deliver two contrasting yet equally moving performances: the former as the meek and compliant Tushang Jin — a role he handles with far greater credibility than his portrayal of Xiao Lin in Till the End of the Moon — and the latter as the implacable and subtly ambiguous Xiang Liu, to whom he imbues a magnetic and complex personality.

As always, Yang Zi is excellent, infusing her character with the typical spontaneity and naturalness that make her believable both as the carefree Wen Xiaoliu and as the combative and naive Princess Xiao Yao.

Zhang Wanyi's performance is also intense and charismatic, particularly effective in portraying Cangxuan's inner torment, torn between political ambition and his ties to his cousin.

Zheng Guo Lin is bright, welcoming, and protective as the King of Haoling, Xiao Yao's stepfather, while Dai Luwa energetically portrays Princess Haoling Yi, somewhat arrogant but driven by genuine passion.

The only one I found less convincing was Wang Hongyi as Chishui Fenglong: his performance often seems uneven and fails to contribute to a truly solid character profile.

Visual Aspects and Soundtrack

Visually, Lost You Forever proves decidedly more interesting. The direction is solid and capable of discreetly accompanying the story and livening it up with some beautiful shots, while the CGI — now an essential element for any self-respecting xuanhuan — reconstructs the Dahuang settings with great care, helping to give the narrative that almost fairytale aura that is one of its main strengths. Forests, cities, and buildings seem to emerge from a world suspended between myth and legend, and the overall effect often manages to convey a genuine sense of wonder in the viewer.

One detail that made me smile was the presence of some small CGI creatures, such as the spiritual fox that serves as Tushan Jing's messenger or the plump long-tailed tit (shima enaga) that transforms into Xiang Liu's mount.

Of course, these little animals make no pretense of realism: their only purpose is to be irresistibly cute. This is precisely why they work so well: they introduce a playful, almost childlike note to a production that uses CGI with surprising realism, adding a further touch of fairytale enchantment to the story.

The costumes, despite belonging to a fantasy universe and not being traceable to a specific historical style, appear extremely refined and richly detailed, with evident attention to the scenography and characterization of the characters. Indeed, the clothes don't simply decorate the scene; they also help clearly define the personalities of the figures populating the Dahuang. Those of the male protagonists stand out, particularly the cool elegance of Xiang Liu and the ethereal refinement of Tushan Jing, whose hanfu seem to perfectly reflect the two characters' personalities and place within the story.

The soundtrack, perfectly in line with the tradition of romantic dramas, moves with slow, sentimental sounds. Nevertheless, it still deserves a special mention, because it features some beautiful love songs performed by the same actors of the series: among these the melancholic 等不到的等待 (The Wait That Cannot Be Waited For or Xiang Liu’s Theme), sung by Tan Jianci, or the duet 偏爱人间烟火 (Prefer the Mundane World), originally performed by Hu Xia and Zhang Zining but re-proposed by Tan Jianci and Yang Zi themselves. My favorite, however, remains 相见相思 (See and Miss One Another), performed by Yang Zi alone and inserted into a splendid seduction scene with Deng Wei — one of those moments where music and image truly manage to blend memorably.

Lost You Forever Drama Review (Spoilers)

What Works: Love Scenes

Paradoxically, the true strength of Lost You Forever is its emotional dimension. While the political plot often proceeds subtly, whenever the narrative focuses on the emotional relationships between the characters, the drama suddenly seems to find its own rhythm.

Much of the credit goes to Yang Zi, who manages to build a surprisingly believable chemistry with each of her co-stars, creating moments of intimacy that are genuinely moving. It's no coincidence that some of the most memorable scenes in the series are precisely those in which Xiao Yao finds herself emotionally confronted by her suitors.

Personally, I've rewatched at least a thousand times the promise of love that Tushan Jing makes to Xiao Yao while they're imprisoned in Dragon Bone Prison in episode 14 of the first season, as well as the dialogue in episode 19 in which she confesses to Xiang Liu that she's scared of falling in love with him. Equally unforgettable are the moment when Xiao Yao lets Xiang Liu drink her blood after his incursion into the Xiyan royal palace in episode 25, and the incredibly romantic sequence in episode 28 in which she steals a kiss from Tushan Jing—a kiss he returns shortly after, when she tells him she's not disgusted by the scars marking her body.

The series manages to reach equally intense emotional peaks even in more spectacular scenes, such as the now iconic one in which Xiang Liu climbs the steps of the Xiyan palace to carry Xiao Yao away and save her, or in the long sequences in which he cares for her, feeding her his blood to bring her back to life. No less touching is Xiao Yao's reunion with Tushan Jing after her awakening in episode 33, while Cangxuan's confession to Xiao Yao—thankfully revealed to be illusory—represents one of the drama's most emotionally charged moments.

And when the story truly strikes a chord with the viewer, it does so without half measures: just think of the heartbreaking scene in episode 21 of season two, in which Xiao Yao decides to say goodbye to Xiang Liu forever, definitively severing all ties with him, or the scene in which she, still not resigned to the disappearance of her beloved Tushan Jing, celebrates a proxy wedding with the moon representing her missing fiancé.

Ultimately, it is in these moments suspended between desire, hesitation, and vulnerability that Lost You Forever truly shines. When the story focuses on romantic interactions, the drama manages to express its authenticity, restoring to the viewer the melancholic intensity encapsulated in its title. Ironically, therefore, what overall represents its greatest limitation — namely the almost obsessive insistence on the dynamics of love — ends up also becoming its greatest charm, thanks to the actors' ability to transform every glance, every hesitation and every gesture of care into a small fragment of memorable emotion.

What Doesn't Work: the Behavior of the Characters

Moving from the emotional to the strictly narrative dimension, it must unfortunately be admitted that the screenplay for Lost You Forever displays a rather stereotypical view of the characters' relationship dynamics.

The sentimental element occupies such a dominant role that it leaves little breathing room for other subplots, focusing the viewer's attention almost exclusively on the characters' romantic relationships and inevitably exposing their flaws. By episode 19 of the first season, in fact, it becomes clear that the narrative hinges primarily on the volatile love triangle between Xiao Yao, Tushan Jing/Ye Shiqi, and Xiang Liu/Fangfeng Bei. The story stubbornly oscillates between two opposing poles: on one side, the polite and devoted Tushan Jing, on the other, the dark and unpredictable charm of Xiang Liu.

The result is a constant emotional rollercoaster that often sacrifices the coherence of the characters' behavior, inevitably falling into the melodramatic dynamics typical of the most idle romantic series. A rather obvious example is Xiao Yao's attitude toward Tushan Jing between the end of the first season and the beginning of the second. The female protagonist proves surprisingly unsympathetic toward a man who, in addition to carrying a considerable baggage of family trauma, is also trapped in an engagement to a woman he detests and who detests him, but whom he cannot easily dismiss due to the intricate family dynamics of his clan. Despite this, Xiao Yao doesn't hesitate to tease him and make him jealous with Xiang Liu — or his alter ego Fangfeng Bei — as if it were the most reasonable way to handle an already complicated situation.

Curiously, all of Xiao Yao's indulgence seems to be reserved exclusively for Xiang Liu himself: a wrathful demon who has attempted to assassinate his cousin several times (the last of which proved fatal for Chishui Fenglong), and who, when necessary, doesn't hesitate to feed on his blood to harness its healing powers. I must admit, however, that it's difficult to remain completely immune to the subtle, ambiguous charm that Xiang Liu radiates, especially thanks to Tan Jianci's magnetic performance, whose eloquent silences and soul-piercing gazes manage to make his character far more intriguing than one might expect.

Further complicating the situation is Tushan Jing's attitude, who doesn't always demonstrate the necessary readiness to defend his relationship with Xiao Yao. It takes until the seventh episode of the second season for him to finally find the courage to reveal that Tushan Tian is actually the son his cheating girlfriend had with his brother — a rather crucial piece of information, even if he himself admits he has no concrete evidence to prove it. For their part, the writers seem to enjoy testing the couple with an almost uninterrupted series of vicissitudes, to the point that the drama's most memorable twists aren't so much the declarations of war between the various states or the repeated assassination attempts on Xiyan Cangxuan, but rather the numerous occasions in which the two risk death due to their respective misfortunes.

The result is that the viewer finds himself waiting fifty episodes before finally glimpsing the possibility of a happy ending for Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing. But all things considered, it's worth making do: it's still better than watching an entire drama only to witness the death of all the main characters in the last five minutes. From this perspective, the proxy wedding between Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing — celebrated with the moon representing the missing groom — takes on an almost ironically consoling quality. The idea is romantic, certainly, but also slightly surreal considering that the ceremony could have taken place years earlier, had the protagonist not asked her fiancé to postpone so he could devote himself to compiling his endless medical encyclopedia.

As for Xiao Yao's final choice to marry Tushan Jing, I confess I cannot agree with the opinion that Chishui Fenglong would have been a more sensible alternative. Throughout the series, her character appears rather dull, lacking in true acumen and practicality, incapable of taking initiative, whether politically, militarily, or romantically. She wholeheartedly supports Cangxuan's plan to unify the Three Kingdoms, but in practice, the only thing she seems capable of doing is leading the army—not always brilliantly—while for all other matters, she continues to rely on Tushan Jing's help.

Even on the romantic front, her behavior leaves more than a few perplexed. He falls in love with Xiao Yao at first sight without even being able to explain to himself the reason for this feeling, and consequently never finds a concrete way to win her over. He fails to notice the obvious connection between her and Tushan Jing and does nothing to prevent Xiang Liu—in the guise of Fangfeng Bei—from stealing the bride away during the wedding. His surprisingly passive acceptance of the annulment of the marriage agreement further reinforces the impression that the union served primarily a strategic purpose for him in consolidating his political position.

The character certainly shows a nobler side when he attempts to save his sister from Cangxuan's wrath after the failed assassination attempt on Xiao Yao. However, even in this case, one gets the impression that his action is motivated more by a desire to assuage his guilt toward Chishui Xinyue than by genuine brotherly love. Ultimately, even his death seems rather senseless: Fenglong decides to block the poisoned arrow shot by Xiang Liu at Cangxuan with his own body, when he could probably have intervened in a less dramatic but equally effective way.

The character may be perceived by the audience as more "human" or more resolute than Tushan Jing. However, upon closer inspection, it is precisely the latter's almost absolute devotion that makes him the ideal companion for Xiao Yao: for the protagonist, what truly matters is not political prestige or physical strength, but the certainty of being put first by the man she loves.

Finally, Cangxuan's handling of his feelings for Xiao Yao sometimes borders on the unintentionally comical. Every time he seems on the verge of confessing his love to his cousin, he suddenly falls prey to a sort of strategic stammer and the conversation lapses into nothingness. In reality, given the turn of events, the viewer has known for some time that his wish to marry Xiao Yao will never come true, although confirmation only comes in episodes 18 and 19 of the second season, when the character has a vision after drinking tea prepared with the Karma Fruit from the divine tree of Mount Dushuo — a drink that his grandfather, with undoubted wisdom, treacherously administers to him.

Characters and Cast

Primary Characters

Haoling Jiuyao/Xiling Jiuyao/Xiao Yao/Wen Xiaoliu (Yang Zi) daughter of Xiling Heng and Chi Cheng, stepdaughter of the King of Haoling and cousin of Xiyan Cangxuan. After her mother's death, she is sent to cultivate herself on the Jade Mountain but escapes, and for a long time, nothing more is heard of her. Ultimately, it is thanks to her that the unification of the three kingdoms is achieved.

Xiyan Cangxuan (Zhang Wan Yi) Prince of Xiyan, son of Xiyan Zhongyi and Chang Pu, and cousin of Xiao Yao. After being orphaned, he is entrusted to the care of his grandmother and paternal aunt and becomes inseparable from his younger cousin Xiao Yao. Following the deaths of the two women, he is sent as a hostage to Haoling, where he becomes the King's disciple. He has always been in love with Xiao Yao and wants to become King of Xiyan at all costs to unify the three Kingdoms and ensure his cousin a serene and peaceful existence.

Tushan Jing/Ye Shiqi (Deng Wei) second son of the Nine-Tailed Immortal Foxes of Qingqiu and future head of the Tushan clan. He is extremely good-natured and compliant, and after being tortured nearly to death by his jealous brother, he falls into the river, and the current carries him near the city of Qingshui. There, Ma Zi and Chuan Zi find him and convince Wen Xiaoliu to heal him. Once he is healed, Xiaoliu agrees to take him on as an apprentice, but in reality, he stays only because he has realized that his benefactor is a woman and has fallen in love with her. Ultimately, his loyalty and dedication will win Xiao Yao's love for him.

Xiang Liu/Fangfeng Bei (Tan Jian Ci) nine-headed sea demon, rescued from the demon fighting arena and adopted by General Hong Jiang. After his stepfather's death, he decides to replace him as leader of the Chenrong Army rebels and moves with them to their secret camp deep in the forest. It is here that he encounters Wen Xiaoliu and, believing him to be an enemy spy, kidnaps him. He quickly realizes that she is a woman and is intrigued by her. They begin an exchange of favors that ultimately leads to his falling in love with the girl. To better blend in with the mortals and stay close to Xiao Yao, he assumes the identity of Fangfeng Bei, the late brother of Fangfeng Yi Ying.

Chishui Fenglong (Wang Hong Yi) legitimate heir to the royal Chenrong dynasty. He is a friend of Tushan Jing, and after meeting Cangxuan, he agrees to help him conquer the Central Plains in exchange for a title. As soon as he sees Xiao Yao, he falls in love with her at first sight and, taking advantage of her complex relationship situation, manages to win her hand. On their wedding day, however, Xiang Liu/Fangfeng Bei kidnaps the bride, and their marriage agreement is annulled.

Haoling Yi/A'Nian (Dai Luwa) second daughter of the King of Haoling and Xiao Yao's half-sister. She is spoiled and arrogant and initially resents Xiao Yao's return, even trying to get rid of her, but the two eventually become good friends. She has always been in love with Xiyan Cangxuan, having grown up with her, but when she manages to marry him, she realizes that the only woman in her heart is Xiao Yao.

Supporting Characters

Xiyan

King of Xiyan (Hou Chang Rong) grandfather of Cangxuan and Xiao Yao. He is a stern and authoritarian ruler, but he cares deeply for the lives of his two nephews and, to prevent them from being mistreated by their uncles and cousins, banishes them from the Xiyan court.

Xiyan Zhongyi, Crown Prince of Xiyan and father of Xiyan Cangxuan. He dies while quelling a rebellion in the Central Plains.

Chang Pu (Wang Le Jun) Chief of the Ruoshui Tribe, wife of Xiyan Zhongyi and mother of Xiyan Cangxuan. She commits suicide after accusing the Ninth Prince of Xiyan of treason and stabbing him to death.

Xiyan Yi Peng (Wu Hong) Ninth Prince of Xiyan and uncle of Cangxuan. He is killed by Cangxuan's mother during his father's funeral because he was suspected of collaborating with the Chenrong rebels.

Xiyan Yu Yang (Gong Zheng Nan) Seventh Prince of Xiyan, uncle of Cangxuan and father of Xiyan Shi Ran (He Shang Kai).

Xiyan De Yan (Sun Wei) Fifth Prince of Xiyan, uncle of Cangxuan and father of Xiyan Yue Liang (Wang Lue Tao).

Xiling Xiezu (Fang Xiao Li) Queen of Xiyan and grandmother of Cangxuan and Xiao Yao. She lives in seclusion on Zhaoyun Peak with her daughter and granddaughter.

Xiling Heng (Jin Feng) known as the Princess General of Xiyan, is the ex-wife of the King of Haoling and the mother of Xiao Yao. When Xiao Yao is still a child, she is sent by the King of Xiyan to fight the Demon General Chi Cheng of Chenrong and sacrifices her life to kill him. She is actually in love with Chi Cheng, and Xiao Yao was born from their relationship.

Lao Sang (Gao Ji Cai) servant of Xiyan Cangxuan. He is the human form of the Zhaoyun Peak Mulberry Tree that Xiao Yao washed down with wine as a child.

Queen Mother (Yang Ming Na) Immortal Guardian of the Jade Mountain. After the deaths of Xiling Xiezu and Xiling Heng, Xiao Yao is sent to her to be instructed and learn how to use her powers. She later helps Xiao Yao regain her appearance and teaches her to control the Invigorating Flower, the powerful spiritual weapon implanted in her body by her mother, which allows her to change her appearance at will but risks stripping her of her identity.

Haoling

King of Haoling (Zheng Guo Lin) father of A'Nian and stepfather of Xiao Yao. He is a just and magnanimous ruler, but initially neglects his wife Xiling Heng, who ends up falling in love with the Demon General Chi Cheng.

Consort Jing An (Jin Feng) mother of A'Nian, who bears a striking resemblance to the deceased Xiling Heng. The King of Haoling marries her after the death of his wife, with whom he discovered he was in love.

Ru Shou (Ding Jia Wen) King of Haoling's best disciple, assigned to protect A'Nian.

Chenrong

Chenrong Yi (Tan Jian Chang) father of Chishui Fenglong and Chenrong Xin Yue.

Chenrong Xin Yue (Wang Zhen) sister of Chishui Fenglong. She falls in love at first sight with Xiyan Cangxuan, but decides not to marry him until he becomes king of the Three Kingdoms. Once unification is achieved, Cangxuan marries her for political reasons and names her queen, but falls out of favor when he tries to have Xiao Yao killed.

Chi Cheng, Chenrong General, known as the Demon General, and Xiao Yao's true father. He falls in love with Xiling Heng, so much so that he builds her a house in the secret village of Baili, where he plans to live with her and her daughter.

Hong Jiang (He Yong Sheng) general who leads the last rebel group of the Chenrong Army and adoptive father of Xiang Liu.

Lirong Chang (Shao Wei Tong) head of the Two-Headed Hound family. He is a friend of Tushan Jing and the owner of the Zijin gambling den.

Lirong Ji (Cheng Guo Dong) Lirong Chang's uncle. He was one of the soldiers who fought alongside General Chi Cheng.

Mu Fei (Shen Tai) sole survivor of the Mu clan of Zhiyi exterminated by Chi Cheng. In agreement with Xiyan Yu Yang and Xiyan De Yan, he kills Xiao Yao while she is on a trip with Chenrong Yi to the Plum Blossom Forest near Zhiyi. As a result, Tushan Jing falls into a prolonged coma, and Xiang Liu is forced to give up one of his lives to revive his beloved.

Qingshui City

Lao Mu (Chen Chuang) deserter from the Xiyan Army who took refuge in Qingshui City, a free zone between the Three Kingdoms. He shelters Wen Xiaoliu/Xiao Yao and helps her run the "Hall of Rejuvenation," a medical clinic specializing in fertility problems.

Ma Zi/Freckly (Sun Kai) orphan adopted by Lao Mu. Thanks to the help of Wen Xiaoliu/Xiao Yao, he manages to marry his fiancée Chun Tao (Peng Dou Dou).

Chuan Zi/Skinny (Gao Xuan Ming) orphan adopted by Lao Mu. Thanks to the help of Wen Xiaoliu/Xiao Yao, he manages to marry his fiancée Sang Tian'er (Pu Tao).

Tushan Hou (Ye Xiao Wei) eldest son of the Nine-Tailed Immortal Foxes of Qingqiu, the son of a concubine of the head of the family. Resentful toward his brother for never receiving the recognition he deserves, he attempts to kill him and take his place with the help of his lover Fangfeng Yi Ying.

Fangfeng Yi Ying (Huang Can Can) Tushan Jing's betrothed and Fangfeng Bai's sister. She is in love with Tushan Hou and has repeatedly conspired with him to kill her fiancé.

Favorite Character: Xiang Liu

A powerful demon with a fearsome reputation, he initially appears surly, irascible, and deliberately hostile to goodwill. Yet, behind this ferocious mask, a surprisingly strong moral code soon emerges.

His loyalty to General Hong Jiang is the most obvious example. Rescued by him from the fighting arena where he had spent much of his childhood, the demon never forgot that gesture and remained devotedly at his side, even caring for his soldiers: he procured medicine and supplies by every means possible and even ensured that his fallen comrades received a dignified burial. Even when he assumes the identity of Fangfeng Bei, he demonstrates an unexpected side to his personality, accepting with almost filial respect the dying man's last wish, who entrusted his ailing mother to him.

His relationship with Xiao Yao is perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the character. During the first season, Xiang Liu helps her free Xiyan Cangxuan from the poisonous parasite she had carelessly implanted in his heart, agreeing to take it into his body despite knowing that, if he doesn't win Xiao Yao's love, that choice could lead to his death. Later, he even sacrifices one of his nine lives to bring her back to life after being tortured by Mu Fei. In the second season, his sacrifice becomes even more silent: he secretly gives up two more of his lives to destroy the parasite remaining in Xiao Yao's heart and saves Tushan Jing from the voracious sea monsters when he ends up in the sea following Tushan Hou's ambush.

As Fangfeng Bei, he also cares attentively for Xiao Yao: he takes her to distraction when she's suffering from her troubled love affair with Tushan Jing, and even rescues her from a loveless marriage to Chishui Fenglong. His approach to her, however, remains consistent with his character: Xiang Liu is brusque, aloof, and sometimes even cruel in his words, but this very harshness often leads her to reflect on what she truly desires, without him taking advantage of the situation with petty demands or manipulation.

He never reveals his feelings openly, and perhaps for this very reason his love seems even more tragic. Xiang Liu shields her from the shadows and hopes only that she can be happy, to the point of giving her up in favor of Tushan Jing. Ultimately, this is the character's paradox: he does everything he can to avoid appearing good — perhaps to avoid tarnishing his reputation as a demon, perhaps to protect himself from his own feelings — but he never acts in a truly cruel or destructive way towards Xiao Yao.

Enigmatic and contradictory, Xiang Liu nevertheless remains faithful to his idea of ​​righteousness, which not even a brutal childhood could corrupt. The ultimate test comes when, to protect Hong Jiang's army, he sacrifices his own life, forever abandoning the woman he loves.

Although the character fascinated me enormously, I must admit that on my personal scale, Xiang Liu ends up sharing first place with Tushan Jing. The kindness and absolute dedication he shows towards Xiao Yao are indeed something extremely rare to encounter in a drama—and probably one of the very few reasons I would watch Lost You Forever again.

Un-Favorite Character: Chenrong Xin Yue

Unlike other antagonists, her ambition is unjustifiable: it appears rather as a form of cold and opportunistic calculation, driven almost exclusively by a sense of revenge and a desire for power and prestige.

When she first meets Xiyan, Cangxuan seems immediately infatuated, but her admiration fades when faced with the uncertain prospect of the Prince's ascension to the throne. As long as the boy's political future remains in the balance, she is careful not to commit herself to him in a marriage that might compromise her own ambitions. Only when Cangxuan finally succeeds in becoming king does her position suddenly change: at that point, she does everything she can to get married, with the all-too-clear goal of attaining the title of Queen of the Three Kingdoms.

Once she has achieved this goal, however, her behavior becomes even more devious: unable to accept Xiao Yao's presence at Cangxuan's side, she lets a jealousy as petty as it is dangerous emerge. Indeed, she doesn't hesitate to send assassins to aid Tushan Hou and Fangfeng Yiying in their attempt to eliminate Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing, demonstrating once again how little she cares about the consequences of her actions.

Throughout the series, she repeatedly reveals a personality that is not only careerist and hypocritical, but also profoundly selfish. She doesn't seem to show the slightest appreciation for her family's efforts to regain Cangxuan's favor. Her brother, Chishui Fenglong, even volunteers to destroy the last remnant of Chanrong's rebel army—even though they were his own fellow citizens—in the hope of accumulating enough merit to convince the king to pardon her for the attempted assassination of Xiao Yao. It's an enormous sacrifice, yet one that seems to leave her completely indifferent.

It's true that her childhood spent as a hostage in Xiyan must not have been easy, but in her case, her difficult past doesn't seem to be a convincing explanation for her behavior. Rather, it seems to have fueled a narcissism and cynicism that end up rivaling — and at times even surpassing — that of the already detestable Tushan Hou. She appears neither as a tragic character nor as a captivating antagonist: she is simply a woman willing to sacrifice anyone to consolidate her position, without ever showing the slightest remorse.