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sid_guardian2020-11-28 01:49 am
laireshi) wrote in sid_guardian2020-11-28 01:49 am
Entry tags:
Focus on: the kitchen knife scene from episode 23
Location of scene: episode 23, 34:26-37:25 (in the full version of the episode, at least; it’s currently 32:40 to 35:40 on YouTube)
This is an image-heavy post, because Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan's expressions just have to be seen, and also because a hurt Shen Wei is a very pretty Shen Wei.
The scene set-up is such: Shen Wei used the Longevity Dial to heal Zhao Yunlan’s eyes. They went to Dixing again and came back. Once in Zhao Yunlan’s flat, Shen Wei says he’ll “attend to him for one last night”. Sure, Shen Wei. Zhao Yunlan accepts that very easily. Everything goes well.
The scene proper: Zhao Yunlan wakes up.
I screencapped this because I like this shot at Zhao Yunlan’s bed through an hourglass… Are they running out of time?
We can hear Shen Wei, sounding rather in pain, but Zhao Yunlan doesn’t seem to hear it. He checks his phone first, gets up, doesn’t seem surprised in the slightest to see Shen Wei in his kitchen in what’s probably the middle of the night. Shen Wei’s back is to Zhao Yunlan, he doesn’t notice him. Zhao Yunlan asks if Shen Wei woke up hungry, because it’s absolutely normal that he spends his nights at Zhao Yunlan’s place when his apartment is across the corridor.
Zhao Yunlan looks so fond in this scene, soft and relaxed at home—until the horror sets in. His question took Shen Wei by surprise, Shen Wei turns around, startled, and drops a knife to the floor. He looks caught and guilty and very pale, almost teary-eyed, and then he wobbles and has to lean on the counter to keep standing. He’s also very obviously hiding his left wrist behind his back. Zhao Yunlan walks to him, clearly worried. He gives him a long look, and grabs his hand to look at his wrist, revealing a cut oozing black energy instead of blood.
Shen Wei is still very pale, with almost white lips, and breathing heavily. Zhao Yunlan is annoyed at him: he’s already correctly deducted the problem here. He speaks in a low voice, and Shen Wei doesn’t meet his eyes.
Shen Wei does not intend to reply. He frees his wrist and walks away, but Zhao Yunlan’s next words stop him.
Shen Wei is still very wobbly. It’s a wonderful hurt/comfort scene. Or hurt/no comfort, as it might be. He starts speaking a few times before he manages a full sentence.
Zhao Yunlan pauses and takes a deep breath. He’s obviously horrified at the situation and at being the cause of Shen Wei’s pain, but he tries to be calm and supportive. (In contrast to his slow inhale-exhale, the camera changes to Shen Wei and his too short, too quick breaths.)
Zhao Yunlan can’t even look at Shen Wei.
Shen Wei decides the best way to reassure him and make him stop worrying is to smile while looking like death warmed over. He frowns, his fist is closed really tight, and it’s obviously painful as he heals the cut on his wrist. He smiles again, because that makes sense.
Shen Wei. Shen Wei, baby, no. Shen Wei, this is the opposite of reassuring. Zhao Yunlan does not like it.
Shen Wei’s response is immediate, with zero hesitation, zero doubts; it’s the absolute truth in his mind and it’s killing me. It’s also killing Zhao Yunlan.
THE DEVOTION. THE LOVE. SHEN WEI!!!
They just look at each other for several moments, and then Zhao Yunlan snaps and yells at him.
And Shen Wei just. Gets in his face. And says, fully serious, fully committed, and so incredibly intense.
Zhao Yunlan is beyond confused. Shen Wei blinks.
He leaves, and Zhao Yunlan is still too confused? Shocked? to stop him again.
This is one of the most emotionally-charged scenes in the drama, in my opinion. It’s in the middle of the series, Zhao Yunlan obviously cares about Shen Wei a lot at this point, and the opposite doesn’t even have to be stated, considering *points at the time loop and cries*
Shen Wei is very vulnerable here, hurt and too weakened to hide it (I can’t get over how pale and wobbly he is, and his lips!). I feel like his attempt at reassuring Zhao Yunlan tells us a lot about his approach to his own well-being. He just doesn’t understand how saying “fortunately, I’m used to getting injured” is the literal worst thing he could say in that situation. Fortunately. Sure, Shen Wei! Sure! *throws up hands* He doesn’t get that his pain matters, that he shouldn’t have had to get used to it. He’s used to being treated like a weapon, not someone that someone else cares and worries about.
And then there’s the “you’re worth it” and “this life is what I’m returning to you”, and a) that’s a love confession if I’ve ever seen one, b) Zhao Yunlan knew already that Shen Wei was weirdly intense about him, but this is something else, stated explicitly (by Shen Wei! without any evasions or half-truths!) and backed (horrifically so!) by his actions.
He breaks Zhao Yunlan’s heart and mine. I love how Zhao Yunlan gets actually angry at him in this scene. He obviously has no idea how to deal with Shen Wei being Like That and hates that Shen Wei got hurt because of him, and Shen Wei’s reaction just makes it worse. Zhao Yunlan is really out of his element here, and I think he's almost scared of Shen Wei's devotion to him and what it leads Shen Wei to do.
Questions:
1) Is Shen Wei already planning his failsafe plan at this point?
2) What exactly does he mean here: “I need to exchange all of the energy in my body”? Is he exchanging his dark energy for light? Did he have the option of actually healing himself instead of turning himself into a living bomb?
3) When did he realise the price for healing Zhao Yunlan’s eyes? We see him struggling with dark energy just after the exchange took place, but did he know the extent of it back then?
4) Why is Shen Wei doing this in Zhao Yunlan’s flat when he obviously would’ve preferred to keep it a secret?
5) What does Zhao Yunlan think Shen Wei meant at the end, saying, “This life is what I’m returning to you”?
6) Did Shen Wei have to cut himself again at any point?
Bonus question: earlier in the episode (32:01 or 30:15 on youtube), Zhao Yunlan looks at Shen Wei preparing food, and sees the kitchen separated from the room by a layer of dark energy. Is this related to the knife scene? What do you think it is supposed to mean?
So, come and have your say!
This is an image-heavy post, because Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan's expressions just have to be seen, and also because a hurt Shen Wei is a very pretty Shen Wei.
The scene set-up is such: Shen Wei used the Longevity Dial to heal Zhao Yunlan’s eyes. They went to Dixing again and came back. Once in Zhao Yunlan’s flat, Shen Wei says he’ll “attend to him for one last night”. Sure, Shen Wei. Zhao Yunlan accepts that very easily. Everything goes well.
The scene proper: Zhao Yunlan wakes up.
I screencapped this because I like this shot at Zhao Yunlan’s bed through an hourglass… Are they running out of time?
We can hear Shen Wei, sounding rather in pain, but Zhao Yunlan doesn’t seem to hear it. He checks his phone first, gets up, doesn’t seem surprised in the slightest to see Shen Wei in his kitchen in what’s probably the middle of the night. Shen Wei’s back is to Zhao Yunlan, he doesn’t notice him. Zhao Yunlan asks if Shen Wei woke up hungry, because it’s absolutely normal that he spends his nights at Zhao Yunlan’s place when his apartment is across the corridor.
Zhao Yunlan looks so fond in this scene, soft and relaxed at home—until the horror sets in. His question took Shen Wei by surprise, Shen Wei turns around, startled, and drops a knife to the floor. He looks caught and guilty and very pale, almost teary-eyed, and then he wobbles and has to lean on the counter to keep standing. He’s also very obviously hiding his left wrist behind his back. Zhao Yunlan walks to him, clearly worried. He gives him a long look, and grabs his hand to look at his wrist, revealing a cut oozing black energy instead of blood.
Shen Wei is still very pale, with almost white lips, and breathing heavily. Zhao Yunlan is annoyed at him: he’s already correctly deducted the problem here. He speaks in a low voice, and Shen Wei doesn’t meet his eyes.
Shen Wei does not intend to reply. He frees his wrist and walks away, but Zhao Yunlan’s next words stop him.
Shen Wei is still very wobbly. It’s a wonderful hurt/comfort scene. Or hurt/no comfort, as it might be. He starts speaking a few times before he manages a full sentence.
Zhao Yunlan pauses and takes a deep breath. He’s obviously horrified at the situation and at being the cause of Shen Wei’s pain, but he tries to be calm and supportive. (In contrast to his slow inhale-exhale, the camera changes to Shen Wei and his too short, too quick breaths.)
Zhao Yunlan can’t even look at Shen Wei.
Shen Wei decides the best way to reassure him and make him stop worrying is to smile while looking like death warmed over. He frowns, his fist is closed really tight, and it’s obviously painful as he heals the cut on his wrist. He smiles again, because that makes sense.
Shen Wei. Shen Wei, baby, no. Shen Wei, this is the opposite of reassuring. Zhao Yunlan does not like it.
Shen Wei’s response is immediate, with zero hesitation, zero doubts; it’s the absolute truth in his mind and it’s killing me. It’s also killing Zhao Yunlan.
THE DEVOTION. THE LOVE. SHEN WEI!!!
They just look at each other for several moments, and then Zhao Yunlan snaps and yells at him.
And Shen Wei just. Gets in his face. And says, fully serious, fully committed, and so incredibly intense.
Zhao Yunlan is beyond confused. Shen Wei blinks.
He leaves, and Zhao Yunlan is still too confused? Shocked? to stop him again.
This is one of the most emotionally-charged scenes in the drama, in my opinion. It’s in the middle of the series, Zhao Yunlan obviously cares about Shen Wei a lot at this point, and the opposite doesn’t even have to be stated, considering *points at the time loop and cries*
Shen Wei is very vulnerable here, hurt and too weakened to hide it (I can’t get over how pale and wobbly he is, and his lips!). I feel like his attempt at reassuring Zhao Yunlan tells us a lot about his approach to his own well-being. He just doesn’t understand how saying “fortunately, I’m used to getting injured” is the literal worst thing he could say in that situation. Fortunately. Sure, Shen Wei! Sure! *throws up hands* He doesn’t get that his pain matters, that he shouldn’t have had to get used to it. He’s used to being treated like a weapon, not someone that someone else cares and worries about.
And then there’s the “you’re worth it” and “this life is what I’m returning to you”, and a) that’s a love confession if I’ve ever seen one, b) Zhao Yunlan knew already that Shen Wei was weirdly intense about him, but this is something else, stated explicitly (by Shen Wei! without any evasions or half-truths!) and backed (horrifically so!) by his actions.
He breaks Zhao Yunlan’s heart and mine. I love how Zhao Yunlan gets actually angry at him in this scene. He obviously has no idea how to deal with Shen Wei being Like That and hates that Shen Wei got hurt because of him, and Shen Wei’s reaction just makes it worse. Zhao Yunlan is really out of his element here, and I think he's almost scared of Shen Wei's devotion to him and what it leads Shen Wei to do.
Questions:
1) Is Shen Wei already planning his failsafe plan at this point?
2) What exactly does he mean here: “I need to exchange all of the energy in my body”? Is he exchanging his dark energy for light? Did he have the option of actually healing himself instead of turning himself into a living bomb?
3) When did he realise the price for healing Zhao Yunlan’s eyes? We see him struggling with dark energy just after the exchange took place, but did he know the extent of it back then?
4) Why is Shen Wei doing this in Zhao Yunlan’s flat when he obviously would’ve preferred to keep it a secret?
5) What does Zhao Yunlan think Shen Wei meant at the end, saying, “This life is what I’m returning to you”?
6) Did Shen Wei have to cut himself again at any point?
Bonus question: earlier in the episode (32:01 or 30:15 on youtube), Zhao Yunlan looks at Shen Wei preparing food, and sees the kitchen separated from the room by a layer of dark energy. Is this related to the knife scene? What do you think it is supposed to mean?
So, come and have your say!