liddi

Congratulations to Revenant for being nominated for Best Drama and Best Screenplay (Kim Eun Hee) in the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards! Am rooting for them to win! There is outcry that Kim Taeri was snubbed in the Best Actress category. I have not watched any of the dramas the other nominees are in, so I cannot comment, save to say that she gave a stellar, award-worthy performance here, and is well deserving of any accolades given.

At long last, this drama is finally available to international audiences on Netflix! While I don't believe it managed to upstage the original, it admirably held its own to the end, incorporating local elements that makes it relatable to its domestic audience. Seems like a rewatch is in order. Now to find the time...

Congratulations to Kim Tae Ri for winning Daesang at 2023 SBS Drama Awards for her role in Revenant! An accolade that is very well deserved! Winners Of The 2023 SBS Drama Awards TV/FILM Dec 30, 2023 by S. Nam SBS has celebrated the top dramas and actors of 2023! On December 29, the 2023 SBS Drama Awards took place to honor the network’s dramas from the past year. This year’s Daesang (Grand Prize) went to two winners—Lee Je Hoon for his performance in “Taxi Driver 2” and Kim Tae Ri for her performance in “Revenant.” Check out the full list of winners: Daesang (Grand Prize): Lee Je Hoon (“Taxi Driver 2”), Kim Tae Ri (“Revenant”) : cr. Soompi

Q12. Who was your favourite character? Lost You Forever S1's Xiang Liu, hands down. He frustrates me, I am convinced he got dropped on all 9 heads as a baby serpent because of the noble idiocy (with a capital "I") with which he makes his choices, but I loved him way back in the novel, and I love him still in the very capable hands of TJC. And now I am preparing for even more pain as far as he is concerned in S2.

Acks - late again. Q10. What is a trope that should be banned? Just one? So hard pressed to choose! Apart from the usual suspects of scheming side characters trying to tear apart the OTP and amnesiac lead characters strung around by previously mentioned scheming side characters, another trope I am really tired of is the leads having some far-flung link back in their childhood, so that we can chalk their love up to fate, written in the stars since the beginning of time, or at least since their birth. Q11. Who was the best villain? Hmm... I won't quite describe it as "best". Although the diabolical, vengeful yet pitiful Hyang-I from Revenant is an obvious choice, I think for the terrible things she wrought across generations, the worst is still Na Byung-hee, who sacrificed her husband and her own son and grandson just to satisfy her insatiable lust for wealth and power. She may have been human, but she was anything but.

Oh I've missed two questions! 8. A drama you wished you didn't watch Hmm... I haven't watched anything that made me want to poke my eyes out yet. I didn't love LMLMV as much as I expected, but I do plan to revisit it when the scenes I am waiting for do show up, so that doesn't count. So I guess my inability to answer probably is a good thing..... 9. A doomed romance that you were shipping anyway This is a tricky question... because the drama with the couple I love most has not finished airing yet. Setting them aside, I guess I have no viable answers for this question either. The bane of watching only a handful of dramas this year. Gah.

Q7 - What drama has the best family / squad? It's the time for all the "Journey"s to shine! A Journey to Love - the squad from Six Path Hall are hilarious, loyal to the hilt, extremely innovative, the best wingmen ever. My Journey to You - apart from Gong Shang Jue and Gong Yuan Zhi, the Gong men certainly did not start off with much of a united front, but the familial ties that were revealed and the loyalty and fealty that was earned over the course of the drama is definitely the highlight for me. Hononary mention: Revenant - I am not sure if the trio can be considered a squad, but the moving bond and trust that grew from three lonely souls is worth the price of admission alone.

Q6 - Who is the best Appa and/or Omma? Oh dear... this is literally slim pickings from the crop of 2023 dramas I watched, when most parents/grandparents/parent figures are either downright evil (looking at you, Na Byunghee aka Yeom Haesang's grandmother in Revenant!), nasty (Xue Yuan aka Xie Wei's father in Story of Kunning Palace) or just plain useless (that would be Gu Sanyeong's mother, who needed to be mothered rather than mother her daughter, again from Revenant). If I really had to pick someone, I guess Jiang Xuening's father from Story of Kunning Palace is a viable candidate. He is supportive, tries to bridge the gulf between his wife and daughter, and comforts her as much as he can. I love too how he is protective and proud of her, even when others despise her as a country bumpkin. The other parent who gave her all to protect her son is Yeom Haesang's mother, even though she was against insurmountable odds, and would lose her life in the process. Such a sad list.......

@IpohBanana Yes, I know people who love it and those who are not as enamoured about LMLMV. I love TJC - he is pretty much an all-rounder which is such a rare occurrence in the industry these days, and his work ethic truly impresses me, but I just can't get into this particular drama. It may possibly be due to the fact that I have very little patience for cavity-inducing dramas and perpetually starstruck female leads with male leads who are too unrealistically good in everything, which invariably ends up with me rolling my eyes to the back of my head. I will revisit the drama again at some later stage, when his Gu Yun-esque persona makes his appearance, and we'll see if I manage to overcome my knee jerk aversion to such dramas then. Fingers crossed.

Q5 - What drama did not meet expectations? Um..... I'm not so sure whether this has to do with meeting expectations, or the drama genre itself. It feels unfair since the drama has not finished airing yet, but I really wanted to love Love Me Love My Voice because it has Tan Jianci, voice acting and cooking, plus there is a segment where the characters are in historical garb, but I did not even manage to continue past Ep1. While the drama itself has beautiful soundtracks, overly saccharine sweet dramas were never my cup of tea, and it seems not even Tan Jianci and his gorgeous voice could overcome my aversion for this genre. For the moment, I have not felt the inclination to watch, so am just waiting for the historical segment to be broadcast before I jump in again, and hopefully be able to stay on after that.

Q4 - Favourite relationship in a drama? Lost You Forever S1 - Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao. Love their every interaction, both in the drama and in the novel, though it is fraught with pain, and promises to be even more heartbreaking in S2. My Journey to You - Gong Shang Jue and Gong Yuan Zhi are the epitome of sibling love that I hope to see among my own children, and brought me to tears more than once. Revenant - the dynamics between Gu Sanyeong, Yeom Haesang and Lee Hongsae is arguably the best thing in the drama. I love how their distrust evolved into a bond where there is utmost trust, going to all lengths for each other. And the budding relationship between Sanyeong and Hongsae is so precious, especially as she slowly prepares herself for an impending life of darkness.

Q3 - A drama I wish I'd watched sooner? Hmm... nothing from this year comes to mind. 2022 Cdrama Under the Skin is probably it for me. I caught snippets of it when it was airing back in 2022, but only properly sat down to watch it this year, and wish I had done so when the thread was still active. Although the last case felt a bit of a let down, I still loved the overall drama so much that I rewatched it again soon after I finished it the first time. Am so thrilled that S2 is confirmed, and will start filming in Apr 2024, sans all the previously rumoured changes that would have ruined the drama for me. cr. Dramawiki

Q2 - A drama I watched and enjoyed without any recommendations? Does this also preclude any drama I already determined I would watch due to the scriptwriter or original author? If so, it would be every drama I mentioned for Q1 except Revenant and Lost You Forever S1 ....

Thank you for the shoutout @Tofu! Drama that brought me joy? That's a tough one. My viewing fare was abysmally low this year, and most of it broke my heart rather than gave me laughter, but I am just going to answer based on dramas that I truly enjoyed, even if there is little joy in the actual content itself. Anyway: Revenant KEH is back in perfect form, and of course, had to just broadcast the drama on yet another platform, which meant signing up on Disney+ Hotstar for it! Breathtaking tapestry of characters, lore and mystery backed by excellent ensemble performances, mesmerising cinematography, on-point soundtrack and excellent direction. I love too that there is no irrelevant character, but each and every one of them provides an integral piece to the puzzle. And the epilogue... I still can't think of the epilogue without tearing up. Lost You Forever S1 The drama which I am still unable to move on from. The novel and the drama broke my heart, but there is no closure for me yet because S2 has not aired, though I already have pretty much a good idea what will unfold assuming the leaked script remains unchanged. Excellent performances all round with amazing soundtrack that remains on repeat on my playlist, though as a novel fan first, I am not particularly happy with how certain scenes are adapted, nuances omitted or changed. Nevertheless, the drama opened my eyes to the cast, and I know I will be following most of their works going forward. My Journey to You I am a little on the fence with this one. I truly enjoyed the mystery and the measured, deliberate way details are revealed, but was extremely put off by the last few episodes which dragged on unnecessarily with ludicrous results. It is also ironic that while there are two couples vying for my attention, ultimately I am truly invested only in the sibling bond between the two brothers. Story of Kunning Palace I was not expecting to enjoy this one, since I am not a fan of Bai Lu and was not impressed with Zhang Linghe's performance in My Journey to You. Nonetheless, it truly was an enjoyable viewing fare that kept me glued to the seat for the most part, and Zhang Linghe delivered his breakout performance here as Xie Wei. A Journey to Love It is actually too early to talk about this drama, but I really enjoyed what I have seen so far. Great ensemble performances, particularly from Liu Shishi who is truly awesome here. The storyline is tight, with a good balance of comic relief and tension, though I am already anticipating angst from a well-loved character based on previews. Fingers crossed it remains strong to the end.

@IpohBanana Thank you very much for your kind words. With grown children myself, I am definitely not young. In some ways yes, it is good to have a life partner that complements your personality. However, for me, in the long run, two people who are similar in terms of core values, interests, life views have a better chance of making a relationship work than those who are not. As time goes by and the first flushes of romance have worn thin, the differences either grate even more, or get smoothed out, which means that at least one person has to compromise or change. Just my point of view. In any case, I don't think any of the three men loved her any less. And based on the novel, neither Xiao Yao nor Jing would have survived and been able to be together in the end if not for Xiang Liu's selfless love and sacrifices. So Tan Jianci described it best when he said ultimately Xiang Liu 相互成全 - he fulfilled her wishes to have the ability to protect herself, have lifelong companionship (by saving Jing and ensuring he could return to her) and a place to go to (the vast ocean and the countless unnamed islands outside of Cang Xuan's jurisdiction); and he too fulfilled his own destiny - loyal to his foster father and his comrades to the end, ensuring they will be interred in the homeland they longed for but could not return to in life. The winged fox demon Sir Bi described Xiang Liu's heart to be clear and incorruptible, not swayed by enchantment, power, wealth or glory. As such, it is doubly hard for those who love Xiang Liu, knowing the fate life had in store for him. Both Yang Zi and Zhang Wanyi alluded to changes in S2. Based on the leaked script (no idea if it is the finalised version though), there are substantial changes in S2, which I balk at since it takes away from the underpinning narrative of the novel. Some of the changes are as follows: In any case, I really hope this script is not the finalised version, and that they found a way to iron out glaring inconsistencies and massive plotholes. Fingers crossed.

@Mouse @IpohBanana Welcome! I lost everything I was writing in response to your posts during a power trip... argh! Anyway, lemme try to recall what I was rambling about. Koala did a brilliant job translating the entire novel here at Chinese Novel Translations section, under Lost You Forever (Chang Xiang Si 長相思). Her translations also include references to Once Promised (which features Xiao Yao's parents' love story). Do note that Koala's translations were based on the original 2013 novel, where names of characters and places were lifted directly from Chinese origin mythology (something which caused quite a lot of controversy). In 2019, the novel was revised and certain names and locations changed (which is reflected in the drama as well) e.g.: 颛顼 Zhuan Xu - renamed to 玱玹 Cang Xuan 蚩尤 Chi You - renamed to 赤宸 Chi Chen 共工 Gong Gong - renamed to 洪江 Hong Jiang 九黎 Jiu Li, the tribe where the lover's bug originated - renamed to 百黎 Bai Li While the novel retains the original names of the kingdoms, the drama also renamed those: 神农 Shen Nong (辰荣 Chen Rong in the drama) 轩辕 Xuan Yuan ( 西炎 Xi Yan in the drama) 高辛 Gao Xin (皓翎 Hao Ling in the drama) As for the title of the novel, 长相思 literally means Eternally Yearning for Each Other. Revised editions of the novel from 2019 onwards added a new volume title for Vol 1 Vol 1 如初见 As When We First Met Vol 2 诉衷情 Love Confessed Vol 3 思无涯 Unending Yearning S1 did an excellent job adapting the novel, and for the most part, is extremely faithful to the source material. There is a leaked script floating around, which shows substantial departure in S2. I usually keep a pretty open mind as far as adaptations and remakes go, but assuming the script is authentic, I do have concerns about the direction it will take, especially when a major part of a theme that underpins the novel is suddenly made irrelevant and makes no sense. Keeping fingers crossed that these concerns are unfounded and S2 will be just as beautifully crafted as its predecessor. What I find particularly incredible about the drama and the novel is how I love Xiao Yao's relationship with each of the men who love her. Cang Xuan in particular holds a special place in my heart due to of the precious bond they shared ever since they were just innocent children, his vow to claim the Xi Yan throne because he was powerless, and that was the only way he knew to protect her. I still tear up each time I hear little Cang Xuan's desolate cries as he watched Xiao Yao disappear from his sight to Jade Mountain. After they were reunited, it was as if nothing has changed - their devotion to each other, Xiao Yao who would fight and kill for him even though she had no personal ambition in his journey to the throne - but he knew it was no longer the same, her heart already given elsewhere, their innocent promise to marry each other so that they would not be apart no longer holding any standing for her. As such, my heart breaks for him with every yearning look he gave her when she wasn't looking, every tear he shed even as he masked it with repeated assurances to protect her so that no one dares treat her badly. Zhang Wanyi embodies Cang Xuan, and I can't wait to see how he delivers the extremities of his character in S2. I adored Ye Shiqi from the moment he shielded Xiao Liu from the dripping wax of the burning candle, long before he knew she was female. That was our very first introduction to him as a person - unfailingly kind even to someone he had just met, and his subsequent abject adoration for Xiao Liu, his indulgence towards her and her foibles, and his attitude towards the brother who subjected him to such horrific torture just served to cement the impression of his gentleness, warmth and strength, particularly impressive in the face of his ability to forgive, living with physical scars which could never be removed but not allowing his emotional scars to change the essence of who he was. His brilliance as a tactician would be instrumental in propelling Cang Xuan down the right path to claim the throne, yet he was content to stay out of the limelight, wanting simply to exist as a part of Xiao Yao's life, caring not for power or fame. It was ironic then that such an exceptional mind would be entrapped into a position and marriage he did not want, and even more frustrating that he would not come clean to Xiao Yao, allowing her to find out for herself with Yi Ying's pregnancy. I can understand his fears, knowing that it meant losing her, but how long did he honestly think he could have kept it from her? Not for the first time, I find myself questioning how Jing is portrayed in the drama, and feel that his characterisation suffered due to being seen as indecisive and solely wallowing in romantic love, when Jing of the novel is far far more than that. However, I was extremely moved by how Deng Wei delivered Jing's utter devastation when he found Xiao Yao strung up lifeless in Plum Forest - quiet, heartbreaking tears as he desperately begged her to live, then resigned himself to follow her in death while protecting her body from the flames that would engulf them. What can I say about Xiang Liu, whom Tan Jianci brought to life, a feat I didn't think possible? He evokes so much lingering sadness that leaves me with all the what-ifs, and in a different life if fate had been kinder, if indeed Xiao Yao had been the one to save him when he escaped the death arena, things could have been so different for him, for them. However, this was the man whose fate was already sealed way before Xiao Yao was born, he who suffered horrifically as a child - brutally tortured and forced to systematically kill in order to survive - who even as a demon despised by the deity tribes, did not give his word lightly, but once he did, would give his life to keep it. We see this in his promise to the real Fangfeng Bei, the degree to which he cared for the ailing mother, allowing her to finally die in peace and contentment. We see it in his pledge to his foster father Hong Jiang and his comrades, despite clearly knowing that theirs was a futile cause and their end already written. It is notable how his love for Xiao Yao differs from her other suitors. Where they would protect her from danger, he empowers her to protect herself, so that she need never be reliant on another person to keep her safe. And what makes his love for her doubly poignant was that it was not unrequited, because deep down in her heart, Xiao Yao loved him too but dared not allow herself to go there because of their opposing stances. This is evident as the lovers bug was successfully planted in both of them, and never once retaliated in what would be the 120+ years that it was in them. He taught her to cherish life, from the first time they gazed at the beautiful sight under the full moon, to the years he spent with her as Fangfeng Bei. The following is my translation of the novel which describes Xiao Yao's thoughts of their times together beautifully.: In the past two years, the two of them accompanied each other to explore every nook and cranny of Xuan Yuan city. He would sometimes disappear, then sometimes appear, carefree and spontaneous. Xiao Yao felt that they could continue playing together for an eternity because they were too similar. They cared for nothing, were willing to try anything, were interested in all things, and everything could make them smile. They appreciated all that was beautiful but wanted to own none of it. Their lives were at the juncture of light and darkness. If they chose to face the light, behind them were thousands of miles of desolation. If they chose to face the darkness, behind them was the glittering splendour of the world. But even if they faced the light, they were still stepped in darkness. It was not that they could not understand what it was to be in pure light, but they could never forget all the pain they experienced before, the pain that followed them like a shadow. They were strong, independent, indifferent, so no matter what they encountered, they could go on living well. Last night, when she realised he was Xiang Liu, she felt no surprise at all. It was as if that was how it was meant to be, and the heavy burden in one corner of her heart was lifted, but weighed down at the same time in another part of her. Okay, I have rambled far too much again. Am on tenterhooks waiting for S2, while hoping against hope that the last 21 episodes will be just as unforgettable as the first 39. And wishing 檀建次 Tan Jianci a very wonderful 33th birthday today!

Someone shared a screenshot of Tong Hua's old post on Weibo, before 长相思 Lost You Forever was first published in March 2013, where she alludes to Xiang Liu, and her own grief when she thought of him. Can't share the Weibo screenshot but here is the translation: 从超市出来，风很大，阳光很灿烂。透过车窗，看到蓝天很蓝，白云很白，想起了九命 （偶故事中的人物）一袭白衣，九曲红尘，本该是何等逍遥的妖，却因责任困住了自己。总喜欢用雪去形容他，想着正伤感，突然下雪了，雪花打在车窗上。我惊愕！明明阳光还十分灿烂，老公说，太阳雪！很少见！ Coming out from the supermarket, the wind was strong and the sun was bright. Through the car window, I saw that the blue skies were really blue and the white clouds were really white. I thought of Nine Lives (a character in a story), all dressed in white, living nine lives in the mortal realm, a demon who should have been so unfettered and free but instead trapped himself with responsibility. I always love to use the snow to describe him. Just as I was feeling sad, it suddenly started snowing, and the snowflakes hit against the car window. I was shocked! The sun was clearly still shining brightly. My husband said, "Sunny and snowing! It's a rare occurrence!" -- 桐华tonghua @ Weibo, 26 Feb 2012 cr. 芒果捞智多星 Weibo

Truly thrilled that Under the Skin S2 was officially announced today, featuring the return of the same leads! In conjunction with the announcement, Tan Jianci also posted "好久不见 Long time no see" on Weibo. The drama's official Weibo account also specifically stated that there are no new female leads, and A Lie understands the sentiments of the Beijiang public, which is great news. No idea whether the fiasco with the scriptwriters was finally resolved and they are back on the project. Fingers crossed that it will be yet another tightly woven script. Can't wait! cr. dramapotatoe twitter

@ktcjdrama No I have not watched this - wasn't even on my radar until your shoutout. Now that I realise it is based on 桐华 Tong Hua's novel, am definitely adding it to my list. Thank you for bringing it to my attention! Not sure what to expect, but will definitely try it some time hopefully soon, having just completed My Journey to You. Another one of Tong Hua's works I am waiting for (which has not even started filming yet) is modern fantasy themed drama 滤镜 Filter, with Tan Jianci and Li Landi as the leads.

Lost You Forever Season 2 obtained its broadcasting license yesterday. No idea when it will air, but apparently it has been reduced from 35 to 21 episodes. I am concerned if this is true since there is still so much left to cover from the novel. Hopefully it will be seamlessly done and no crucial parts omitted. Looking forward to its broadcast.

书生说 The Scholar Speaks conducted an interesting interview with Tong Hua back in 2019 in conjunction with the publication of the latest revised edition of 长相思 Lost You Forever. In it, she speaks about 步步惊心 which launched her career as an author, Lost You Forever, and her thoughts on adaptation, among other things. Now I am curious what exactly she has improved from the original novel. Does anyone know? 《书生说》-桐华《长相思》何谓相思？思而不得，最相思 https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV18Q4y1P7FD Hello everyone. I am Tong Hua. This is my work Lost You Forever, which will see a new revised edition in 2019. Lost You Forever is the last historical romance out of my 10 works. Written in 2012, I felt at the time that it was the most well-written of my works, but upon reviewing it after many years, I still feel that it is lacking in some areas. This revised edition is not able to make up for all the regrets, but it has done its best to address all the areas that it can. I hope everyone will like it. In what way has 步步惊心 Scarlet Heart, which propelled you to fame, influenced your subsequent works? This novel holds especial meaning for me. It is my first work. It is also the work that made me famous. In a sense, it changed my career path, and influenced my life plans. As such, it is particularly meaningful for me. Let's put it this way. If Scarlet Heart was not well-written and was not well received, I would very likely have continued working in my area of expertise, which is finance, instead of seriously going down the writer's path. It was Scarlet Heart's success that made me realise that my works are loved by many readers, and as such changed my career. During the creative process, do you work out in advance the ending of each character? I normally do not write an outline for my stories, which means I myself actually have no idea how the character would end. As I write, it's sometimes based on my own deeper understanding of the characters or like being pushed. Or perhaps sometimes it's the character who guides you slowly towards the end of his fate. So it is not deliberate, but a natural progression. Many of your works have been adapted into dramas. What do you think these drama should retain? My greatest hope is that the characters and their emotions are retained. Novels are two-dimensional while dramas are three dimensional. As such, when a novel is adapted into a drama, changes are inevitable. Some changes are due to funding requirements. One can be unrestrained with the descriptions in the novels, but such scenes cannot be filmed in reality. Such changes are understandable. However, I personally hope to retain the integrity of the character and their emotions. Although the plot or scenes may change, if the character's integrity can be upheld throughout, then the adaptation is a good one in my eyes. You have written so many romance novels. What is your own view on love? My own take on love - as a woman, I will talk about it from the viewpoint of a woman. I feel that firstly, is to be the best version of yourself which is to achieve mental and financial independence. Only by ensuring independence in these two areas can there be true equality in love. Please recommend a book that has greatly influenced you and elaborate the reasons for your recommendation. A book that has greatly influenced me would be Tolstoy's Anna Karenina as it is a classic, a great literary work. Different people derive different aspects from it. I read it when I was much younger, so at the time my focus was on the romance. Tolstoy's Anna had a destructive, tragic love line, which gave me a lot to reflect upon. Personally, I feel that this is something women should reflect upon, regardless of the era [they live in]. As such, I recommend this book. 桐华说：长相思不是悲剧，每个人都找到了自己的归宿 https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Dh4y1D7MH My first novel was a story set in ancient times, which is Scarlet Heart that everyone should have heard of. Lost You Forever is my last historical story to date. Is there a story between Lost You Forever and Once Promised? Yes. At the time, there were plans for a story, and I had actually written about 100K to 200K words. However, I was extremely dissatisfied with it because I felt that I failed to properly convey what I wanted to express. As such, I put it on hold and went on to write Lost You Forever. Why are most of your novels tragic? Actually that's not true. I'm not saying that I prefer tragic stories. To me, Once Promised is a tragedy, but Lost You Forever is not considered as one. All the characters in Lost You Forever found their proper place in life, so to me, Lost You Forever is not a tragic story. Are there any plans for new books? Lately, I have ideas for two stories in my mind. Both are modern stories, so some readers might be disappointed because they feel that I should revisit historical stories. Nonetheless, for now, my inspiration lies in modern stories. The ideas for the two stories are there but I personally do not know yet whether I will be able to complete them because there is a still a long process from taking an idea to actually writing it. Will you let your children read your works? I think that is challenging because my child is a young boy. I feel that on the whole, boys are... my books are mostly romances, more geared towards women, so he may not necessarily enjoy them. However, I think I will let him read them when he has grown up.

@ktcjdrama My books are well kept too, but I still can't help but be nervous! I do use the transparent book wrap, but since the book cover will still be wrapped within the dust jacket, there is no easy way for the covers to be seen. Guess I'll just leave them unwrapped and just keep a hawk's eye on them! The main cast of Lost You Forever were on Hi6 variety show (of which Tan Jianci is a regular member) twice. Though the filming was done two consecutive days, their time there was broadcast first early Jul before the drama aired, and once in mid Aug before the finale. So good to see them let their hair down and just have fun, with hilarious antics aplenty!

@ktcjdrama I got mine from Shopee but I have seen it offered on Lazada and even eBay as well - just do a search for "长相思 小说". I am currently torn - I want to wrap the books to protect them, yet don't want to since I won't be able to see the covers within the dust jackets. Decisions decisions! There is also a manhua version of the novel published this year, but I can only find Vols 1-3 so far, which ends with Shiqi's confession to Xiao Liu in Dragon Bone Prison. Interestingly, it also prematurely features the novel epilogue, which hurts to see, even though it is still early days yet based on the manhua timeline. Hopefully the rest of the story will be made available soon since I believe the manhua was already completed.

@peperomia @ktcjdrama @40somethingahjumma Unfortunately, the most recent news is that S2 will air next year after all. I just hope that we don't have to wait too long. The withdrawals are bad enough as it is. @40somethingahjumma Thank you very much for sharing the BTSes. I love just how happy and warm the set is, which makes the fan wars that are so prevalent now that much more disappointing to see. In particular, Cang Xuan-Xiao Yao BTSes are intense and goes to show just how much Zhang Wanyi and Yang Zi poured their hearts out into those scenes, which in turn resonate with us as viewers. For Yao-Liu fans who have read the novel and find it difficult to move on, here is a long, well-written (based on how what I've read so far) Chinese fanfic 不负相思意 which seamlessly takes place after the conclusion of the novel.

The latest publication of the novel finally arrived today. Truly gorgeous, the covers of all 3 books combining to make a spectacular panaroma, while the book inserts depict breathtaking illustrations and key prose from iconic scenes between Xiao Yao and the three men who love her. Am in love all over again!