longer.blue

Given that JiangLi's "Dark Crossing" storyline seems to overlap a little with XQ's "Tenacious Illness" storyline because of the characters Chu Huainan and Chu Qiubai being related (and something about Shen Ting getting hurt in the novel and needing a doctor), a lot of fans (including me!) have been speculating about what 《Obsession》 is going to be like. In particular, there are tons of questions about how both JiangLi's and XQ's stories are going to be presented. Option #1 - The two stories might be adapted together into one storyline. So, on the one hand, this is the most worrying option for JiangLi fans, as it brings up questions of a) how these two very different storylines could be merged in a satisfying way, plus b) how much screentime each couple is going to have. Because a lot of fans were disappointed with how the ShenGao/LangTu couple storyline ended in Desire, the actors' fans are understandably worried something similar will happen again for Obsession if the two couples' stories are combined. To me, the JiangLi story seems like it'd be complicated to pace well, as it's something of a crime thriller and a romance at the same time, so I feel like it would be pretty difficult to successfully integrate this story with a story about a doctor and his patient. Besides, the tone of the two romance stories seems to be vastly different. JiangLi's couple story reads as funnier, more flirtatious, and more cooperative whereas XQ's couple story comes across as being darker and angstier. On the other hand, merging the stories is also the most likely and 'safest' option. Splitting the stories up into two dramas would not only increase production costs and possibly cause scheduling issues (which is a problem since the D4 group tend to work together on almost every public show, livestream, etc.), but I can see why NJ would think it makes sense for the stories to be combined given the fact that two of the main characters are related. Relatedly, splitting the stories into two dramas could cause a lot of unnecessary competition between fans, with fans who don't like JiangLi or XQ review bombing or negatively rating the specific drama those couples are part of. If one story is given more time and budget or is promoted more than the other, fans of the other couple would be upset. The backlash would be tremendous. Keeping the stories merged and making just one drama would cut costs, cause less delays and scheduling issues, and probably be faster/easier to plan and produce. This would (hopefully) mean that the filming goes a bit more smoothly because the group is all together, and it would (hopefully) mean that fans would be able to enjoy a new drama sooner. And if we go the most optimistic route and assume the stories have been faithfully adapted for the screen, even if they are merged, that would still mean that JiangLi's story gets a lot of fun scenes and screentime, plus a much better ending (since "Dark Crossing" is described as having a happy ending). This would be a huge step up from how their story developed in Desire. Basically, Option #1 is the safest, and it's not a bad option IF AND ONLY IF both couples' stories are treated with equal importance in the script *and* on the screen. Option #2 - The stories are separated and each couple has their own drama series. I've already discussed some of the potential pitfalls of this option, but there are also some potential positives + some potential hints that this might be the case. To start: from the synopses and fan discussions I've seen, both stories are complex and interesting enough to, in my opinion, deserve either equal screentime or - in this case - their own separate series. This would also allow fans of both couples and BL dramas in general to enjoy more stories and content. Besides, JiangLi fans in particular have been asking for JiangLi to have their own series, too, so it's not as if the demand isn't there. Plus, one of the Obsession posters which NJ posted features a wolf and a rabbit, which are symbols that have been exclusively associated with Ocean and Seeky, respectively. The fox and tiger, which represent XQ, weren't present in the posters or in the announcement as far as I know. It'd be strange (though not impossible, I guess) to decide to promote your new group series with the animal symbols associated with only half the group. Back in July/August 2025, there were also announcements that two modern scripts were being developed and written (along with one historical script). Now, if this is true, it's a *lot*. Producing three new group dramas (and promoting them!) with the amount of time they likely have left on their contracts (maybe 2-3 years?) would be a monumentally difficult task. Because of this, I don't think it's a stretch to consider that maybe the two modern scripts are separate JiangLi and XQ series. And the thing is... If production or time is an issue, it's also possible to split each story into a mini-series instead of a full-length drama. This would be more cost-effective and less time-intensive than two long dramas, but it would still allow for each story to be given its fair shot. Basically, two standalone mini-series for the two different couples + stories would make a lot of sense and would probably make lots of fans happy while still keeping things manageable. (The secret third option is a sort of blend of both Option #1 and #2, which is to have separate mini-series for each couple while they have cameos in each other's series. This would also help maintain unity among the group and fans.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- References (in the order that the info comes up): https://x.com/pwlzaking/status/2075994565568540829 https://x.com/JiangLi_ID/status/2075928505280512318 https://weibo.com/1583607592/5319596781604452 https://x.com/boyslovehub/status/1954300698268442928 https://x.com/0rangeFair/status/1950160046140047835