Lost You Forever S2 (长相思 第二季) is a continuation from Season 1 with another 23 episodes to complete the series. There are 62 episodes altogether which is pretty long if you are going to sit through both seasons at one go. I watched the first season not long after it was released which was about a year ago. This one year gap is a disadvantage to me with I will elaborate on in my Lost You Forever S2 review below. Overall, I feel that this second season is not as exiting as the first although it is still a solid continuation of the story.
My rating: 8/10
Episodes: 23
Type: Xianxia Romance
Aired: July 2024
Images Credit: WeTV Official Facebook
The Cast Of Lost You Forever S2
- Yang Zi as Xiao Yao
- Zhang Wan Yi as Xiyan Cang Xuan
- Deng Wei as Tushan Jing
- Tan Jian Ci as Xiang Liu
- Dai Lu Wa as A Nian / Haoling Yi
- Wang Hong Yi as Chishui Feng Long
- Wang Zhen as Chenrong Xin Yue
- Huang Can Can as Fangfeng Yi Ying
- Zheng Guo Lin as King of Haoling
- Hou Chang Rong as Great King of Xiyan
- Ye Xiao Wei as Tushan Hou
Main & Supporting Characters
The characters are more or less the same from Season 1. Hence, you can visit the page for the information.
Synopsis
Cang Xuan has now taken over the throne from his grandfather to become the King of Xiyan. His greatest wish is always to protect Xiao Yao and ensure her happiness. He loves her but is forced by circumstances into a political marriage to strengthen his powers and for Xiyan’s interests. At the same time, Xiao Yao is engaged to Feng Long although she is indifferent towards him. She still can’t completely let go of Tushan Jing who is still married to Yi Ying. Xiao Yao also continues to have dealings with Xiang Liu who has secret feelings for her.
All the men in Xiao Yao’s life are connected to each other in the grand scheme of things. A lot is at stake due to politics and states’ interests. But all of them love her in their own way as she grapples with the fact that her biological father is a condemned demon.
Lost You Forever S2 Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)
Lost You Forever S2 has a happy ending for Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing. They have their wedding after securing blessings from Xiao Yao’s grandfather, the King of Haoling, and Cang Xuan. Cang Xuan also confesses his feelings to Xiao Yao before her wedding. He tells her that he wanted the throne because he needed it to protect her. However, that also means his world just doesn’t revolve around her alone and he couldn’t give up the throne for her. He is sorry that he didn’t choose her but she comforts him that what they have achieved is the best outcome that they can have. Xiao Yao also doesn’t regret helping Cang Xuan to get the throne.
After the wedding, Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing embark on a traveling life. Xiang Liu, who has died in the battle with Xiyan, has left a wedding gift for Xiao Yao through A Nian. When A Nian presents it to Xiao Yao, she didn’t tell her sister that it was from Xiang Liu but pretends it is her gift instead as what Xiang Liu would have wanted.
The drama ends with Cang Xuan and A Nian visiting the town where Xiao Yao used to live as a doctor. Cang Xuan still thinks of Xiao Yao and wonders where she and Tushan Jing might be. He and A Nian agree that the couple would be happy being free and living among the masses.
Xiao Yao & Cang Xuan
Cang Xuan reluctantly marries Xin Yue and makes her his Queen in Episode 3 because he needs her clan’s support for stability. However, he couldn’t be bothered to spend the wedding night with her as his heart is with Xiao Yao. He tries to confess his feelings to Xiao Yao when they are both drunk in Episode 5. However, their grandfather cuts short his confession. He also advises Cang Xuan not to control Xiao Yao’s life after she decided to get back together with Tushan Jing in Episode 9.
In Episode 15, Xiao Yao supports the King of Haoling’s decision to marry off A Nian to Cang Xuan. This frustrates Cang Xuan as Xiao Yao has no idea how he feels towards her. Cang Xuan has no choice but to marry A Nian in Episode 16 as that is the only way to unite the 2 states without more wars and instability.
In Episode 18, Cang Xuan’s grandfather lets him experience the tragedy that will ensue should he takes out Tushan Jing. In the illusion in Episode 19, Xiao Yao will just end up killing herself if Cang Xuan kills Tushan Jing. His grandfather also gives him food for thought in Episode 22 as he will need to choose between Xiao Yao and the throne in his life path. it is bittersweet for Cang Xuan when Tushan Jing is found alive and reunites with Xiao Yao.
Xiao Yao & Feng Long
Feng Long asks Xiao Yao to get married to him in Episode 4 since they are already engaged. She agrees. With Tushan Jing already married to Yi Ying, Xiao Yao is largely indifferent to the idea of marriage. They have their wedding at the end of Episode 5 and beginning of Episode 6. However, the ceremony is cut short by Xiang Liu who threatens Xiao Yao to abandon the wedding and follow him. Xiang Liu reminds Xiao Yao of her oath to him to do as he says or all her happiness will turn to pain.
Thus, Xiao Yao leaves the wedding ceremony before it is completed and the marriage to Feng Long is cancelled as a result. Feng Long also remains friends with Tushan Jing in Episode 13 after the latter and Xiao Yao got together. He feels that they are not competitors as they want different things in life. Feng Long is ambitious while Tushan Jing just wants a happy life with Xiao Yao.
Feng Long knows Xin Yue is responsible for getting Tushan Hou to attack Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing out of spite and jealousy. He helps her to cover it up in Episode 20 and then offers to lead Xiyan troops against Chenrong. Feng Long hopes a win will enable him to ask Cang Xuan to forgive Xin Yue. He shields Cang Xuan from Xiang Liu’s poisoned arrow and dies in Episode 21. Before he dies, he asks Cang Xuan to spare Xin Yue and treat her well. Cang Xuan agrees to his request. Feng Long also tells him that his support for him and his successes were actually Tushan Jing’s effort. He merely claimed the credit for what his friend did behind the scenes.
Xiao Yao & Xiang Liu
Xiao Yao is angry at Xiang Liu for ruining her reputation by forcing her to abandon her wedding to Feng Long in Episode 6. But Xiang Liu tells her in Episode 7 that it was Tushan Jing who hired him to disrupt the wedding in exchange for provisions for his Chenrong Army.
In Episode 16, Xiao Yao assumes that Xiang Liu is using her as a pawn against Cang Xuan due to the poisonous lovers’ bug in their body. He also asks for her blood supposedly for healing in Episode 21. She tells him that she owes him no favor after that and doesn’t want to see him again. Xiang Liu then removes the bug from an unconscious Xiao Yao with A Nian’s help in Episode 22 due to an impending war with Xiyan. He sacrifices 2 of his lives in order to do that.
Xiang Liu asks A Nian to keep it a secret. He says that Xiao Yao doesn’t need to know since they are not meant to be. It was also Xiang Liu that found Tushan Jing and quietly protected him from the sea demons until he was rescued by Xiyan’s soldiers. Xiang Liu dies in the battlefield with his refusal to surrender to Xiyan in Episode 23.
Xiao Yao & Tushan Jing
Tushan Jing is suspicious of his son’s paternity and doubts that he actually slept with Yi Ying. So, he risks his life to go back to the past to try to find out the truth in Episode 4. His heart is damaged as a result. After Xiao Yao found out from Xiang Liu that Tushan Jing had hired him to disrupt her wedding to Feng Long, she goes to confront him in Episode 7. They talk about their mistakes and past regrets. Xiao Yao also learns from Tushan Jing that the son isn’t his and he has been suffering from ill health because of her.
Xiao Yao then plots to create a rift between Yi Ying and Tushan Hou to expose them for what they did to Tushan Jing. The boy is indeed Tushan Jing’s nephew instead of son. Tushan Hou is exiled to Haoling while Yi Ying is confined to the family altar. Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing get back together as a couple in Episode 9. In Episode 11, he tells Xiao Yao that Yi Ying will be declared dead and live in seclusion due to her crime. After a year of “mourning”, he will then be free to marry her.
Tushan Jing plans to propose to Xiao Yao but she delays it as she wants to finish compiling a medical encyclopedia before getting married. He goes missing in Episode 17 after falling into the water due to Tushan Hou’s attack. Yi Ying kills herself together with Tushan Hou after the set-up. In Episode 18, Xiao Yao conducts a wedding ceremony to marry Tushan Jing although he is presumed dead despite Cang Xuan’s objection. Tushan Jing is found alive and reunites with Xiao Yao in Episode 22.
Who Is Xiao Yao’s Father?
Rumors surface that Xiao Yao’s father is Chi Chen in Episode 10. The King of Haoling confirms the fact in Episode 11. In Episode 12, Cang Xuan explains to Xiao Yao that he is waging a war against Haoling because he has a grudge against the King. The King of Haoling refused to lend Xiao Yao’s mother, Xiling Heng, an army to save Cang Xuan’s father during a battle with the Chenrong Army in the past. His father died as a result. Xiling Heng divorced the King of Haoling thereafter.
In Episode 14, Xiao Yao learns from the King of Haoling that his marriage to Xiling Heng was based on an agreement. Once he got the throne, they were supposed to divorce although he fell in love with her after the marriage. But then Chenrong attacked Xiyan and Chi Chen was Chenrong’s General. He and Xiling Heng fell in love with each other despite being in opposite camps.
The King of Haoling then brings Xiao Yao to Baili where her parents had set up a dream home. Xiao Yao meets her mother inside the house in Episode 15. Her mother explains to her that she and Chi Chen couldn’t give up Xiyan and Chenrong respectively due to their identity and duty. She used Solar Flame to burn down the Chenrong Army and sacrificed herself in the process. Chi Chen had also sacrificed himself and turned into ashes to preserve a trace of her consciousness which is sealed inside the home. This is to enable her to wait for Xiao Yao and meet her for one last time. Xiling Heng dies and fades away after her obsession of meeting Xiao Yao is realized.
Lost You Forever S2 Review – Be Prepared For Heartbreaks
Lost You Forever S2 picks up from where S1 left off. Therefore, you do have to watch the first season before getting onboard the second just like Joy Of Life S1 and S2. Otherwise, the story would make no sense. Personally, I feel that the time gap between the 2 seasons of Lost You Forever has a detrimental effect on the enjoyability of S2. The momentum is lost when the story for S2 opens. Perhaps the pacing is off because the plot seems to be going in circles in the first 8 episodes or so as the female lead’s entanglement with the 4 men continues.
Fortunately, the story picks up in the second half. There is much more emotions in the characters and the scenes. This is also where you will feel for certain characters and their fate. Hence, you do need to prepare for heartbreaks and maybe, a few tissues. The drama is able to move you because the characters are very well-portrayed. They make you feel invested in them and may even leave a deep imprint in your mind. It is very much a character-driven drama.
So, if you are watching this for the story, it won’t be as impressive. There is no intriguing schemings and plots like typical palace dramas such as The Princess Royal. There is also no actual war scenes and little on strategies. The bulk of the focus is on the characters’ motivations, emotions, and sacrifices. These are things that will pull you into the drama and make you follow the characters’ journey.
The Downside Of A “Reverse Harem”
Lost You Forever S2 has 23 episodes to close off the story. With 4 men in the female lead’s life, the problem arises when you are not happy with who she will end up with. You will have your favorite and if his fate is not going to be a happy one, you will probably lose your mood as you watch. And if you have a strong opinion on this issue, you will question her choice of a partner. Thus, the ending may not be what you would expect or want.
To make matters a little worse, her choice is revealed much earlier. So, all the time that she is shown spending with the guy is not going to thrill you if you don’t like him one bit. You might also dread the ending that is to come since her choice is made clear way before.
However, both the male and female characters are written in such a way that all of them have their own motivations, duties, and/or emotional baggages. The upside to this is the female lead’s choice will be understandable in the end. It is just inevitable that it will still leave a bitter taste in the mouth for some. After all, different viewers will feel differently for the 4 men. I’m actually curious who would be most viewers’ favorite and you can vote for your choice in this poll.
Characters Could Be Better Written
Lost You Forever S2 spends a considerable amount of time on Cang Xuan compared to the other 3 men in the female lead’s life. I didn’t read the novel and hence, I can’t comment on how the story and characters differ from the drama. But Cang Xuan dominates the screen time here. There is nothing wrong as he is the male lead but I also get the feeling that the scriptwriter failed to push his character all the way to spice up the story.
Cang Xuan could have been a dangerous villain of a wolf in sheep’s clothing but somehow, they decided to take him down a notch to be a ruler with a conscience instead. All along, he is slowly moving over to the dark side but they didn’t allow him to cross that threshold which could have made the story more interesting to me. Instead, they bring out his dark side due to his jealousy and possessiveness with a dreamy illusion which is such a cop-out.
At the same time, the scriptwriter also didn’t do justice to Tushan Jing. He is reduced to a weakling with minimal screen time. Tushan Jing is supposed to be an intelligent person with foresight. But all we get from him is a physically weak man when he appears on screen. His strengths are not emphasized at all. His only obvious trait is his devotion to the female lead. Consequently, it is natural for viewers to have a bias view of him compared to the other men.
Having said that, the drama is still a very emotive one. While the characters could be better fleshed out for a more compelling story, they are still great in bringing forth the emotional aspects which is due to the skillful acting of the cast.
Acting
To me, the cast did a brilliant job with their characters. The actors continued their fine job from S1 and some scenes are mesmerizing as the drama comes to a close. Yang Zi is at her best as Xiao Yao. The scene that left a deep impression on me is the altercation between a hysterical Xiao Yao and Cang Xuan. Yang Zi brought out Xiao Yao’s sense of desperation, hurt, and betrayal in that scene.
Of course, it helps that Zhang Wan Yi is also in his element as Cang Xuan. I could feel his frustration, helplessness, and yearning for Xiao Yao in his acting. His facial expressions and eyes will tell you how much he wants her but couldn’t.
Tan Jian Ci remains that dangerous Xiang Liu who secretly loves Xiao Yao but acts like her enemy when they are together at times. He will have this pensive and soulful expression when he thinks of her. The actor is able to make you feel the character’s pain and sacrifice for the woman he loves.
Just like in S1, Deng Wei fails to shine as Tushan Jing to me. Maybe it is the way the character is written as he is supposed to be weak. The lack of screen time for him also makes him less impressionable compared to the other actors. I also can’t sense much chemistry between him and Yang Zi to push their romance to another level.
My Verdict – Good But S1 Was Better
Personally, I prefer Love You Forever S1 than the second season. The story is more comprehensive in the first with better character development. S2 feels less compelling for the first half of the drama. There seems to be a momentum loss there that doesn’t make you feel totally immersed into the story. But I still like how it picks up after the halfway mark. That is when raw emotions make you feel for the characters. The pain will be there and you can feel the heaviness in your heart.
Overall, it is indeed a beautiful story of the different characters and how the men’s love for a woman causes them heartbreak and regrets. The characters are driven by different motivations based on their life experiences and how they define love in their lives. The ending may not be everyone’s cup of tea but the story is such that any ending will have its fair share of detractors. This is especially so for the female lead’s choice of partner which may not align with yours. So, you do need to keep an open mind with it comes to the ending.
For this review of Lost You Forever S2, I would rate it 8/10. It is a must watch if you did enjoy S1. The romance isn’t a passionate one in S2 and at times, the drama will feel more like a story of a frustrated lovesick ruler. But I think the scriptwriter still did a good job overall to flush out each character’s story to make you understand their point of view, thanks to a solid S1 which laid out a strong foundation for S2 to build upon. So, you can’t really feel annoyed with any of the characters despite their flaws.
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