#Yuxiao literally has four mothers.

[mercyll]

(Jwqs spoilers)

Ranting about Nangong Shunu, Xiao-Die, Nagsi Jiya, and Shuya and Shudie.

Xiao-Die as a person is very sheltered and closed off due to her trauma while Nagsi Jiya is the opposite, she's larger than life, sharp, and commands a room just by walking into it.

Xiao-Die is more of a compliant to Nangong Shunu because they can both understand and relate to one another due to their shared experiences with sexual abuse and how much of an undying love Nangong Shunu has for Xiao-Die's daughter, Yuxiao.

Despite their cultural heritage, they love one another and no matter how much she tries Xiao-Die cannot bring herself to ever renounce or hate Nangong Shunu.

Nangong Shunu found herself falling in love with Xiao-Die because she sees her as so pure and someone with a kind heart and she finds that side of her infectious.

That is their dynamic, mutual understanding, and unrelenting love.

It's a very genuine and pure love, which is why they were meant for one another.

Then there's Nagsi Jiya...

Nagsi Jiya...

SHE'S NAGSI JIYA!!!

What can I say about this woman that hasn't already been said?

She's smart, powerful and uses her beauty as a weapon to manipulate everything in her favor and earn power. Nagsi Jiya has no room in her heart for anyone but herself. Her heart is almost stone.

She uses people for sex, and while she cares about Nangong Shunu she never is unable to be faithful to her. She's a very polyamorous person, she cannot be tied down to a single relationship. She loves power and she loves lust far too much. She's too ambitious so her heart just doesn't have space for one person.

Nagsi Jiya broke Nangong Shunu's heart by her unfaithfulness and Nangong Shunu was never able to forgive her for that. She felt used.

And in reality, while Nagsi Jiya did want to help empower and protect Nangong Shunu from Lu Zhongxing, she did use Nangong Shunu. Nagsi Jiya originally wanted to sleep with Nangong Jingnu but realised that was impossible because Nangong Jingnu would always be faithful to Qi Yan and so Nagsi Jiya decided to settle for the other royal daughter.

Nangong Shunu's feelings of being used and cast aside weren't inaccurate which makes her heartbreak so much more bitter.

Nagsi Jiya had done so much to protect and empower her and in the end, she could never love anyone more than herself. Her heart was well and truly closed.

That is until she has her son and that is when Nagsi Jiya learns to be more selfless but at this point what had been between Nangong Shunu and Nagsi Jiya was well and truly dead and Nangong Shunu has already fallen deeply in love with Xiao-Die and moved on.

Nagsi Jiya is the one who got away.