The SID have caught someone at the scene of the crime in the face-stealing case. It's Shen Wei, who is then taken to the SID headquarters for interrogation.
At the SID, waiting for the interrogation to begin, Zhao Yunlan is lounging on a sofa ready to watch everything like it's a TV show. Shen Wei, in the interrogation room proper, is sitting calmly with his eyes closed.
Zhu Hong interrogates Shen Wei, 02:54-04:14
Zhu Hong is the first to interrogate Shen Wei, and the battle between Shen Wei's fake smiles and Zhu Hong's facts begins. After pointing out that Shen Wei's stroll took him a little far from home, Zhu Hong comments on the fact that he is much too calm about the whole thing for an university professor—his nerves too steely. Shen Wei looks down for a moment, and then apparently decides that antagonising everyone is the way to go. To be fair, it works on Zhao Yunlan, who is a a bit too delighted when Shen Wei goes on the offensive and taunts Zhu Hong about her Yashou powers.
Zhu Hong is rightly annoyed, and leaves. Shen Wei's smile at this needs to be seen in motion:
The crowning glory in Shen Wei's repertoire of fake smiles
I can only commend Zhu Hong on her restraint.
Chu Shuzhi (and his puppet)'s turn, 04:15-05:40
After Zhu Hong, Chu Shuzhi takes his turn at interrogating Shen Wei. He takes a different approach from Zhu Hong, going for intimidation via puppet cleaning. He sits opposite Shen Wei and wipes his puppet's face.
Shen Wei initiates the conversation by remarking that the doll seems almost alive. Between talk of puppets and philosophy, he tries to touch Chu Shuzhi's puppet.
Lin Jing's reaction to Shen Wei's trying to touch the puppet; also note Zhu Hong pouting cutely
Chu Shuzhi tells Shen Wei that his nerves really are made of steel. Shen Wei responds that it's because his conscience is clear. And also, they don't have any evidence.
Zhao Yunlan is still watching all this from the sofa, looking intrigued.
Chu Shuzhi proceeds to insult Shen Wei by praising the Black-Cloaked Envoy, whose toes he cannot hope to compare to, according to Chu Shuzhi.
"Then he must be a righteous hero," says Shen Wei while looking directly at Zhao Yunlan behind the one-way mirror. We know that Chu Shuzhi is talking about the Black-Cloaked Envoy, but who is Shen Wei talking about? Is he talking about himself here? What is he trying to convey by saying that while looking directly at Zhao Yunlan?
Zhao Yunlan enters the interrogation room, 05:41-06:23
Zhao Yunlan, whose presence was perceptible throughout the scene both for the viewers and Shen Wei, gets involved in the interrogation at this point.
We got to see Zhao Yunlan looking thoughtful and amused while he was watching the interrogation, but when he comes to confront Shen Wei himself he's not smiling and he's certainly not amused. Shen Wei also changes tack.
Zhao Yunlan very straightforwardly asks him if he is connected to the case. Shen Wei answers no.
They look at each other for a few seconds of silence*, before Zhao Yunlan decides to let him go.
[*10 seconds, it's 10 seconds of silence.]
Both Zhu Hong and Chu Shuzhi left the interrogation disgruntled, and Zhao Yunlan is not an exception. He huffs a rather exasperated laugh, pushes his chair back and leaves the room.
The scene ends with Shen Wei watching him walk away:
Additional details
Chu Shuzhi has his puppet with him in the interrogation room, but Shen Wei and Zhu Hong's confrontation also comes with props. Zhu Hong brings Shen Wei a glass of water before beginning the interrogation. Shen Wei moves it before leaning forward to deliver the "Are you not fully evolved?" line. Zhu Hong taps her pen on the table to punctuate her own accusations.
Here is a look at the SID's interrogation setup—a room with a table, chairs, and a one-way mirror behind which there is a control room of sorts.
A few other things:
The Snake Yashou powers and skills that Shen Wei mentions are "making medicines, stealthy movement, hypnosis, and instant explosive force" (03:53).
By talking about Zhu Hong's powers, Shen Wei reveals that he has particular knowledge about the Yashou. For a regular university professor, is this more or less unusual than knowing about Dixing and Dixingren?
Zhao Yunlan says that they "don't usually bring back ordinary criminals, witnesses, or suspects to [the SID] headquarters" (05:49). Do you think he says this to underscore the ways Shen Wei fits and doesn't fit those categories? Does this mean that their interrogation strategy here is different from their usual modus operandi?
Zhu Hong and Chu Shuzhi have different approaches to the interrogation. Zhu Hong starts by trying to establish rapport with Shen Wei, mentioning their past interactions, while Chu Shuzhi goes straight for intimidation. They complement each other, and it seems like established practice.
Shen Wei is genuinely hostile to Zhu Hong and Chu Shuzhi in this scene, but ultimately he is right that they have no evidence to hold him. He doesn't have to be convincing or less suspicious, and he is also the Black-Cloaked Envoy, which probably makes him the only Dixingren on the surface who is in no danger from the SID, Chu Shuzhi included. Which makes me wonder, do you think the Black-Cloaked Envoy has diplomatic immunity, or some equivalent?
The way Da Qing is sitting would make any cat proud.
Questions
This scene was early in the show. If you remember, what was your reaction when you first saw it? What was your impression of Shen Wei? The SID? Zhao Yunlan? What about now, with hindsight on your side?
What do you think about the SID's interrogation strategy?
What about Shen Wei's strategy? Is this the best response to being interrogated by the SID? Why use this approach with them?
Does Shen Wei's strategy have any hope of working on anyone other than Zhao Yunlan? Why do you think it works on Zhao Yunlan? Why does Zhao Yunlan choose to believe him? What's his reasoning here?
What do you think about Zhu Hong's insecurity regarding her Yashou powers? Why do you think she's insecure about them? Do Yashou powers need to be practised? Do you think they're a point of contention between Zhu Hong and her relatives?
So, come and have your say! Share links to meta, picspams, and related fanworks, new or old! Self-recs are wholeheartedly encouraged. Basically, this is the place for anything you want to say or link to about this scene.
This is a fantastic post! I love this scene so much. And I'll come back with a proper comment tomorrow, but I just wanted to say:
The crowning glory in Shen Wei's repertoire of fake smiles
Every time I see this moment I think "oh, it really shows here that Shen Wei and Ye Zun are brothers after all" - and then I remember. The same face, the same lips, the same everything! AND YET.
Every time I see this moment I think "oh, it really shows here that Shen Wei and Ye Zun are brothers after all" - and then I remember. The same face, the same lips, the same everything! AND YET.
I have this exact reaction, including the moment of wait, that's literally the same face.
Oh I have thoughts about this scene! It took me a long time to get my head around what's going on here, and I'm not really committed to my current ideas about it, either, but here they are:
I don't think this is typical SID procedure. This is Zhao Yunlan being a little obsessed with figuring out what makes this Shen Wei guy tick, and making his subordinates play along. I really doubt Zhao Yunlan actually believes Shen Wei is a serial killer or anything. He instinctively wants to trust Shen Wei (his ethics, not his honesty). But he's fed up with Shen Wei always turning up at the crime scene and he knows Shen Wei is hiding something big, and this is a convenient excuse to get him into a spot where he might reveal something.
Shen Wei's tactic here is completely insane if he's trying to escape suspicion, but he's really not worried about getting thrown in Haixing prison or hauled to Dixing by the Black-Cloaked Envoy. It's almost out-of-character for him to be so rude to Zhu Hong, especially, but I think he's just not thinking about Zhu Hong because he's so tied up in Zhao Yunlan. He's annoyed that Zhao Yunlan is throwing his subordinates at him, and he's telling Zhao Yunlan to take things up with him directly. The way he drops the mask when Zhao Yunlan finally comes in is revealing. He got what he wanted there and rewarded it with some sincerity: "If you ask me directly, I won't lie to you." (Which is...not exactly entirely the case but he would like for it to be.) Also, he just desperately wants Zhao Yunlan to believe he's a good person. There's a lot of raw emotion going on at that moment.
It's frustrating for Zhao Yunlan, because he was hoping to get some real answers here, not just further weirdness, but when he's looking directly at Shen Wei, who is telling him what he already knows ("I'm not the criminal") and asking for trust, he can't bring himself to withhold that trust. Of course, he's still totally fascinated with Shen Wei, and he does keep his issues with Shen Wei between the two of them after this, I think. They were both testing each other, pushing boundaries, and Shen Wei won this round.
Oh, almost forgot: Shen Wei's righteous hero comment and turning to look "through" the mirror? My guess is he thinks Chu Shuzhi is talking about Zhao Yunlan. (I think I got that idea from someone else? Maybe?) He's oblivious to the identity porn that is happening in the room because he just assumes anyone who knows Zhao Yunlan/Kunlun would have that sort of high opinion of him. Paired with the look, he's being a bit snarky at Zhao Yunlan, because he thinks Zhao Yunlan is currently being a bit of a dick and holding him under false pretenses. He's kind of challenging Zhao Yunlan to behave like the righteous person Shen Wei wants to believe he is.
I get the feeling that Yashou powers require some kind of cultivation and that Zhu Hong gets shit from Fourth Uncle for neglecting it in favor of acting like a human in the city, and that's why that's so touchy. Made worse yet by the fact that she acts like a human for Zhao Yunlan.
Okay, I think I'm done theorizing wildly for now...oh dear, this got long. Thank you for this post! There is just so much subtext happening in this scene, it's fascinating.
I don't think this is typical SID procedure. This is Zhao Yunlan being a little obsessed with figuring out what makes this Shen Wei guy tick, and making his subordinates play along.
Ooh, I really like this reading!
I really doubt Zhao Yunlan actually believes Shen Wei is a serial killer or anything.
Yeah, though this isn't just Shen Wei turning up at the crime scene -- it's also him trying to run away when the SID showed up. If he'd been there for non-nefarious purposes, wouldn't he have greeted them as a witness and told them whatever he knew/had seen? (From their POV, I mean.) And yet no one asks why, if his conscience is clear, he tried to flee.
Shen Wei's tactic here is completely insane if he's trying to escape suspicion
Totally agreed! I definitely think he's trying to get Zhao Yunlan's attention. And yes to his rudeness to Zhu Hong being uncharacteristic.
The way he drops the mask when Zhao Yunlan finally comes in is revealing. He got what he wanted there and rewarded it with some sincerity: "If you ask me directly, I won't lie to you." (Which is...not exactly entirely the case but he would like for it to be.) Also, he just desperately wants Zhao Yunlan to believe he's a good person. There's a lot of raw emotion going on at that moment.
I have a different headcanon for this part, and I don't know if I believe it, but I can't quite shake it. It's informed by a conversation from chapter 4 of starandrea's The Way Home (Forever a Miracle), which is more or less summed up by this:
“When you arrived at the university,” Shen Wei is saying, “I thought I had succeeded. I thought the way you pretended not to know me was a… a ruse. A trick meant for those around us, perhaps… an invitation for me to show you what I’d learned.”
He honestly has no idea what to say. He knows what he wants to say: I’m sorry and I didn’t know, over and over again. The words are on the tip of his tongue. But if he’s who Shen Wei thinks he is, then nothing he can say is enough.
“I’d never do that to you,” he blurts out.
This of all things makes Shen Wei look at him, and he thinks about what he just said. “Okay,” he admits, because that expression isn’t wrong. “Yeah, you’re right. I’d totally do something like that.”
That, and the way that Shen Wei's expression shifts when Zhao Yunlan says (at least in the original subs), "I am being straightforward and asking you a question." To me, Shen Wei looks almost stricken after their exchange, and so I always wonder if he's been unable up till now to shake the faint possibility that this is some kind of game or necessary pretence (much like Kunlun's necessary but not seamless pretence, in fact). That Zhao Yunlan does know who he is (like Kunlun did). And this is the moment where that unlikely hope is extinguished. Idk. It works in my head...
Oh, almost forgot: Shen Wei's righteous hero comment and turning to look "through" the mirror? My guess is he thinks Chu Shuzhi is talking about Zhao Yunlan. (I think I got that idea from someone else? Maybe?) He's oblivious to the identity porn that is happening in the room because he just assumes anyone who knows Zhao Yunlan/Kunlun would have that sort of high opinion of him. Paired with the look, he's being a bit snarky at Zhao Yunlan, because he thinks Zhao Yunlan is currently being a bit of a dick and holding him under false pretenses. He's kind of challenging Zhao Yunlan to behave like the righteous person Shen Wei wants to believe he is.
Ooh, I really love that. Yes. That makes so much sense. (It always seemed weird to me that he'd call himself righteous like that.) Though it's hilarious that he thinks Chu Shuzhi thinks that highly of Zhao Yunlan. *g*
I get the feeling that Yashou powers require some kind of cultivation and that Zhu Hong gets shit from Fourth Uncle for neglecting it in favor of acting like a human in the city, and that's why that's so touchy.
Whereas I always assume Zhu Hong is half-human (since her father ran away to the human city and had her), and her "developmental problems" stem from that.
It's not often that we completely disagree in our readings of canon, but I just can't buy an interpretation of Shen Wei where he hasn't figured out the time loop long before meeting Zhao Yunlan. My one hard-and-fast headcanon! *g*
Shen Wei looks almost stricken after their exchange
I rewatched just now to see if I can pinpoint what you mean - when he swallows, right? I wouldn't describe that as "stricken", but there's something there - the way I read it, he's really feeling just how far Zhao Yunlan is from being Kunlun, how far they have to go.
Not trying to persuade you otherwise (obviously), but he can have figured out it's time travel without knowing the shape of it, or how many time loops are involved. They could be the Doctor and River Song, for all he knows. And so much of Zhao Yunlan's persona is performance/fronting that it must be hard to be sure exactly how deep the performance runs. Idk.
(I don't really think it's true -- it's just a particularly persistent possibility headcanon, and this scene in particular always triggers it.)
I rewatched just now to see if I can pinpoint what you mean - when he swallows, right?
Shen Wei has his gaze lowered. ZYL says, "I am being straightforward and asking you a question," and Shen Wei looks up at him directly, like he's expecting something. And then, yeah, after ZYL walks out, Shen Wei has... unhappy feelings of some kind.
it's also him trying to run away when the SID showed up.
A great point. I could think of several ways this could be explained away, the most obvious of which would be just to lie and say that he was going for help, but he doesn't get a chance to lie directly because like you said, "no one asks why, if his conscience is clear, he tried to flee". My not entirely serious opinion is that he was being so suspicious in so many ways that they forgot to bring this up.
That Zhao Yunlan does know who he is (like Kunlun did). And this is the moment where that unlikely hope is extinguished. Idk. It works in my head...
This is different from my own reading, which is more aligned with ratbones and trobadora's interpretations, but I think this could work, too. His hope doesn't have to be rational or reasonable for the disappointment to be real.
My not entirely serious opinion is that he was being so suspicious in so many ways that they forgot to bring this up.
Hee! Yes.
His hope doesn't have to be rational or reasonable for the disappointment to be real.
Yes, that. And in a world that contains Hallows and an apparently immortal amnesiac Da Qing and whatever else, it's not like there aren't a hundred plausible possibilities. It would be unscientific to rule them all out entirely, wouldn't it? (I actually wrote a ficlet about this a while back. *pets Shen Wei*) ETA: Oh, and there's that bit in episode 1 where he's looking at ZYL's file and thinking, "I hope you still remember our agreement to me/date." (I don't think he believes it even then, really, but he hopes anyway.)
And in a world that contains Hallows and an apparently immortal amnesiac Da Qing and whatever else, it's not like there aren't a hundred plausible possibilities.
I agree. While there's some evidence to there being a time loop in a certain direction (the lollipops), there's no way for Shen Wei to be completely sure.
Oh, and there's that bit in episode 1 where he's looking at ZYL's file and thinking, "I hope you still remember our agreement to me/date."
I forgot about that. Yeah, that points to Shen Wei being at least uncertain about what's going on with Zhao Yunlan/Kunlun.
Yeah, though this isn't just Shen Wei turning up at the crime scene -- it's also him trying to run away when the SID showed up. Yeah, I agree that suspicion against Shen Wei would be reasonable here! And other members of the SID might suspect him. I just think Zhao Yunlan doesn't (there's no way Shen Wei's behavior in the interrogation room would've changed Zhao Yunlan's mind if he did.)
I have a different headcanon for this part, and I don't know if I believe it, but I can't quite shake it. Hmmm this could work for me! I took that expression on Shen Wei's face at the end to be his "oh no he's mad at me :(" face, but it could be more than that. Shen Wei must have supposed Kunlun was a time traveler well before this, and from there it's not a huge leap to think the time travel might not have happened yet for Zhao Yunlan...but Shen Wei probably doesn't want to believe that. And I do think he suspected/hoped that Zhao Yunlan was only pretending to not know him, at least at the beginning.
Though it's hilarious that he thinks Chu Shuzhi thinks that highly of Zhao Yunlan. It is hilarious and also the exact sort of mistake Shen Wei would make and I just find it very endearing and silly. (The interpretation that marycrawford commented about is logical as well, but I still like my version because awww Shen Wei :D)
Whereas I always assume Zhu Hong is half-human (since her father ran away to the human city and had her), and her "developmental problems" stem from that. Ohhhhh wow I never considered that but it makes a TON of sense. I mean, it could be both things! But regardless, that adds a very different nuance to things - if that's the case, I wonder who knows about it? Zhu Hong must at least suspect, and Fourth Uncle probably knows, at least...
The thing about Zhu Hong is slightly undercut by, as trobadora says below, her getting her fighting powers in hand by the end of the show. But maybe being half-Yashou just means it was harder for her to develop/shift? Idk.
I LOVE this whole scene so much, and every time I rewatch it I love it more. I'm very much convinced that Shen Wei DOES understand that Chu Shuzhi is talking about the Envoy; he basically says "you remind me of someone, but you're not worth a tenth of him", and SW is well aware that CSZ a) pretty much worships the Envoy and b) wouldn't find SW similar to ZYL at all, but would be able to spot at least some resemblance between SW and the Envoy.
But even though SW knows who CSZ is talking about, he takes that topic and runs with it in another direction - he turns to look at ZYL and aims his words toward him, calling him a righteous hero. He's misdirecting the compliment, as it were, and aiming it at ZYL. I don't know if he's being snarky to ZYL or being whole-heartedly sincere, and I could read it either way!
Shen Wei isn't always fantastic at predicting how he comes off to people or what they're thinking about him, so I do think he could be honestly mistaken, but your interpretation makes a lot of sense too. (I think Chu Shuzhi might find the two of them similar - I mean, I definitely did even here at the beginning, with their intensity and everything...but I'm not sure Shen Wei would think that Chu Shuzhi would think that, lol, so now I'm back to agreeing with you.)
He's annoyed that Zhao Yunlan is throwing his subordinates at him, and he's telling Zhao Yunlan to take things up with him directly.
Yes! This! ♥ ♥ ♥
And yeah, he's absolutely not trying to evade suspicion - he's drawing their attention very deliberately here, practically showing off the side of him that's not a mild-mannered professor. And it only gets Zhao Yunlan more fascinated by him. *g*
I get the feeling that Yashou powers require some kind of cultivation and that Zhu Hong gets shit from Fourth Uncle for neglecting it in favor of acting like a human in the city, and that's why that's so touchy. Made worse yet by the fact that she acts like a human for Zhao Yunlan.
he's drawing their attention very deliberately here, practically showing off the side of him that's not a mild-mannered professor. And it only gets Zhao Yunlan more fascinated by him. Yeah, Zhao Yunlan's response is so telling here, hah. He really gets a kick out of seeing Shen Wei get a bit mean, even as extremely fishy as that comes across.
Zhao Yunlan's response is so telling here, hah. He really gets a kick out of seeing Shen Wei get a bit mean, even as extremely fishy as that comes across.
Yes! I think this might be the moment where I started to see Zhao Yunlan's layers better, too. The way he reacts here is just, mwah. ZYL watches SW "outfox his hapless staff", and instead of being frustrated by it, he's into it. (Line stolen from a gorgeous story of yantantether's that stuck with me.)
I don't think this is typical SID procedure. This is Zhao Yunlan being a little obsessed with figuring out what makes this Shen Wei guy tick, and making his subordinates play along.
I like this interpretation, and I think there's evidence for it even in the way the entire scene is set up. It's almost like a performance, with Zhao Yunlan as the audience.
I really doubt Zhao Yunlan actually believes Shen Wei is a serial killer or anything. He instinctively wants to trust Shen Wei (his ethics, not his honesty).
That distinction, between trusting his ethics and not honesty, is probably at the heart of their relationship. Shen Wei is a lying liar who lies, but he's a good person who can be trusted to do the right thing, or at least what he believes to be the right thing.
Shen Wei's tactic here is completely insane if he's trying to escape suspicion
Hee. It really, really is.
They were both testing each other, pushing boundaries, and Shen Wei won this round.
Yes. This gets at the core of the scene. It's a round of negotiation between the two of them.
Oh, almost forgot: Shen Wei's righteous hero comment and turning to look "through" the mirror? My guess is he thinks Chu Shuzhi is talking about Zhao Yunlan. (I think I got that idea from someone else? Maybe?) He's oblivious to the identity porn that is happening in the room because he just assumes anyone who knows Zhao Yunlan/Kunlun would have that sort of high opinion of him. Paired with the look, he's being a bit snarky at Zhao Yunlan, because he thinks Zhao Yunlan is currently being a bit of a dick and holding him under false pretenses. He's kind of challenging Zhao Yunlan to behave like the righteous person Shen Wei wants to believe he is.
This is incredibly funny to me. I love it for what it says about Shen Wei's starry-eyed adoration of Zhao Yunlan (who's probably more Kunlun than Zhao Yunlan in his mind at this point), and the way that doesn't stop him from being pointedly snarky at him. And I also love to imagine what Chu Shuzhi would think--it's possible he'd be so incredulous he'd forget to be horrified.
I get the feeling that Yashou powers require some kind of cultivation and that Zhu Hong gets shit from Fourth Uncle for neglecting it in favor of acting like a human in the city, and that's why that's so touchy. Made worse yet by the fact that she acts like a human for Zhao Yunlan.
That's an excellent point. Zhu Hong is trying to act like a human and sabotaging herself.
I think there's evidence for it even in the way the entire scene is set up. It's almost like a performance, with Zhao Yunlan as the audience. Ahh, yes, that's very well-put! I kind of love those shots of Zhao Yunlan as amused audience member.
That distinction, between trusting his ethics and not honesty, is probably at the heart of their relationship. Shen Wei is a lying liar who lies, but he's a good person who can be trusted to do the right thing, or at least what he believes to be the right thing. Right, exactly that! Throughout the show, Zhao Yunlan gets frustrated with the dishonesty, but it's not because he doubts Shen Wei - pretty much the opposite, and they're already developing that dynamic here.
I love it for what it says about Shen Wei's starry-eyed adoration of Zhao Yunlan (who's probably more Kunlun than Zhao Yunlan in his mind at this point), and the way that doesn't stop him from being pointedly snarky at him. Heee. I really enjoy how both Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan (later on, at least) think the absolute world of each other, and have tons of respect for each other...but are still totally willing to recognize when the other one is being an asshole, and to generally sass each other.
And I also love to imagine what Chu Shuzhi would think--it's possible he'd be so incredulous he'd forget to be horrified. Oh no I REALLY want to see this, ahaha! I mean, if this somehow came out after Chu Shuzhi found out Shen Wei is the BCE...the sheer WTF NO battling it out with the need to respect the Envoy and not call his mistake ridiculous...poor Lao Chu.
I know I already said this, but this is such a great write-up! I really enjoyed reading it. :D
Shen Wei looks down for a moment, and then apparently decides that antagonising everyone is the way to go.
I always read this as "100% not mild-mannerered professor". He's really going all-out showing off that he's not who he appears to be. AT ALL. And I really like the way Zhao Yunlan enjoys it when Shen Wei goes on the offensive. I think this is also an early hint that shows us that Zhao Yunlan will like Shen Wei's Envoy side as well, he isn't just into the professor.
Between talk of puppets and philosophy, he tries to touch Chu Shuzhi's puppet.
And he knows Chu Shuzhi and his background, so he's being as obnoxious and provocative as he can here. (No wonder Zhao Yunlan likes it.) I adore troll!Shen Wei so much, heh.
Is he talking about himself here? What is he trying to convey by saying that while looking directly at Zhao Yunlan?
I really like marycrawford's read below, that he's redirecting the compliment at Zhao Yunlan.
[*10 seconds, it's 10 seconds of silence.]
Hee! :D
Shen Wei reveals that he has particular knowledge about the Yashou. For a regular university professor, is this more or less unusual than knowing about Dixing and Dixingren?
I think less unusual, since Yashou at least are living on the surface. Dixingren aren't even supposed to be there!
Does this mean that their interrogation strategy here is different from their usual modus operandi?
Yeah, I don't think this is in any way usual.
Which makes me wonder, do you think the Black-Cloaked Envoy has diplomatic immunity, or some equivalent?
Some equivalent, to be sure.
This scene was early in the show. If you remember, what was your reaction when you first saw it? What was your impression of Shen Wei? The SID? Zhao Yunlan? What about now, with hindsight on your side?
First reaction: I love Shen Wei. Later reaction: I love troll!Shen Wei. *g*
It's such a good scene that tells us so much about these characters, about what gets under Zhu Hong's and Lao-Chu's s skin, what Shen Wei is capable of, how much Zhao Yunlan wants to poke at Shen Wei and how much he likes what he finds.
What about Shen Wei's strategy? Is this the best response to being interrogated by the SID? Why use this approach with them?
It's the best response if your goal is to hook Zhao Yunlan!
It's not a strategy that would work on someone else, but then Shen Wei wouldn't have acted this way if he were dealing with anyone else. And Zhao Yunlan believes Shen Wei because there isn't any evidence that he's involved, and in fact evidence that he isn't - as both Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan note later, there's blood on the scene but none on either the supposed victim nor Shen Wei nor Lin Yusen. Something's fishy about the whole thing, and they know it.
What do you think about Zhu Hong's insecurity regarding her Yashou powers? Why do you think she's insecure about them?
Given how well she seems to have her powers in hand towards the end of the show, it might be that she's blocking herself by trying to be more human. Which her family definitely would not approve of! But she can't admit it to herself because then she'd have to admit the effects her choices are having.
And I really like the way Zhao Yunlan enjoys it when Shen Wei goes on the offensive. I think this is also an early hint that shows us that Zhao Yunlan will like Shen Wei's Envoy side as well, he isn't just into the professor.
I know I already said this, but this is such a great write-up! I really enjoyed reading it. :D
Thank you! I'm really glad you found it enjoyable.
And I really like the way Zhao Yunlan enjoys it when Shen Wei goes on the offensive. I think this is also an early hint that shows us that Zhao Yunlan will like Shen Wei's Envoy side as well, he isn't just into the professor.
Zhao Yunlan's reactions in this scene really are excellent, and so is your point about how Zhao Yunlan is into this side of Shen Wei.
And he knows Chu Shuzhi and his background, so he's being as obnoxious and provocative as he can here.
Yes! Exactly this. He's really going for it, attacking Zhu Hong and Chu Shuzhi in ways that are guaranteed to rattle them.
I think less unusual, since Yashou at least are living on the surface. Dixingren aren't even supposed to be there!
You bring up a good point. Knowledge about the Yashou must be more widespread.
First reaction: I love Shen Wei. Later reaction: I love troll!Shen Wei. *g*
*g* This scene really is a treasure trove of excellent troll!Shen Wei moments.
It's such a good scene that tells us so much about these characters, about what gets under Zhu Hong's and Lao-Chu's s skin, what Shen Wei is capable of, how much Zhao Yunlan wants to poke at Shen Wei and how much he likes what he finds.
Yes, it gets at some truths about all these characters, even as it's steeped in misdirection and complicated subtextual layers.
It's the best response if your goal is to hook Zhao Yunlan!
Ha! This is true. It's specially tailored to work on Zhao Yunlan.
Given how well she seems to have her powers in hand towards the end of the show, it might be that she's blocking herself by trying to be more human.
This is plausible to me. There's nothing wrong with Zhu Hong's powers that is not self-reinforcing. And it's good to see her work it out in the end, too.
This is such a great post, and a wonderful scene! I love it!
Rewatching the scene, I feel like Shen Wei starts off quite professorial at Zhu Hong, like he's coaching a student through a logic problem as if they're in a tutorial. It's not until she challenges his steely-nerved reaction to the crime scene that he changes strategy and comes at her. When he drops his head, it's like he's deciding that yes, she's right, his mild-mannered professor cover is blown, and there's no point trying to recover it. From them on, he's just trolling to provoke her. And oh, he plays lao-Chu like a fiddle. *loves*
The look towards Zhao Yunlan, presumably through one-way glass, and the "righteous hero" snark is also an open indication to the SID that he's well aware of the spectators. This whole thing is performance.
[*10 seconds, it's 10 seconds of silence.]
Hee! ♥
By talking about Zhu Hong's powers, Shen Wei reveals that he has particular knowledge about the Yashou. For a regular university professor, is this more or less unusual than knowing about Dixing and Dixingren?
I would say more unusual. We know Professor Ouyang is investigating dark energy, so Dixing is known in science circles, if not widely spoken of outside them. But Yashou seem to be completely off the human radar, I think? When Dixing come to the surface, they seem to come to Dragon City, but we only know of four Yashou that have entered human society -- Da Qing, Ya Qing (presumably, at some point, given her computer and driving abilities), Zhu Hong and Zhu Hong's father. Yashou are so strongly isolationist, they're not a threat to humans. I could easily buy that almost no one in Dragon City knows about them, especially outside the Xingdu Bureau, the DoS and the SID.
Zhao Yunlan says that they "don't usually bring back ordinary criminals, witnesses, or suspects to [the SID] headquarters" (05:49).
Oh, is that what he's saying? Thank you! I've always had trouble parsing that.
Which makes me wonder, do you think the Black-Cloaked Envoy has diplomatic immunity, or some equivalent?
He's there in a diplomatic role and bound by the Guardian Treaty. So yeah, something like immunity -- though if he started throwing his Envoy weight around, I'm sure some kind of diplomatic action would be taken!
If you remember, what was your reaction when you first saw it? What was your impression of Shen Wei? The SID? Zhao Yunlan? What about now, with hindsight on your side?
I don't remember my initial reaction, but now I really love it.
Does Shen Wei's strategy have any hope of working on anyone other than Zhao Yunlan? Why do you think it works on Zhao Yunlan? Why does Zhao Yunlan choose to believe him? What's his reasoning here?
Shen Wei's logic is sound and undeniable, they can't justify holding him, but Zhao Yunlan is of course still suspicious of him in general. (Aside: two scenes after this, ZYL and CSZ are talking, and it's revealed that CSZ is tracking someone with his puppet -- to ZYL's approval. Is the someone being tracked Shen Wei? Does this ever pay off?)
What do you think about Zhu Hong's insecurity regarding her Yashou powers? Why do you think she's insecure about them?
There's such a gulf between her life and the traditional Yashou life that every single other person in her tribe is leading, I don't see how she could not be insecure about it. She's caught between worlds, in some ways. And her saying, "I'm the one holding back the Snake tribe" sounds to me like she's paraphrasing/interpreting Fourth Uncle's complaints to her -- or maybe her own feelings.
This is such a great post, and a wonderful scene! I love it!
Thank you! I just love this scene so much.
Rewatching the scene, I feel like Shen Wei starts off quite professorial at Zhu Hong, like he's coaching a student through a logic problem as if they're in a tutorial.
I like this framing. It really is very professorial, his detached explanation of how there was another person, and nevermind the reason Shen Wei was in that part of town.
It's not until she challenges his steely-nerved reaction to the crime scene that he changes strategy and comes at her. When he drops his head, it's like he's deciding that yes, she's right, his mild-mannered professor cover is blown, and there's no point trying to recover it. From them on, he's just trolling to provoke her. And oh, he plays lao-Chu like a fiddle. *loves*
Haha, yes, if he can't be a mild-mannered professor, then he'll just be a superlative troll.
This whole thing is performance.
Yes! I really love this aspect of the scene.
I would say more unusual. We know Professor Ouyang is investigating dark energy, so Dixing is known in science circles, if not widely spoken of outside them. But Yashou seem to be completely off the human radar, I think? When Dixing come to the surface, they seem to come to Dragon City, but we only know of four Yashou that have entered human society -- Da Qing, Ya Qing (presumably, at some point, given her computer and driving abilities), Zhu Hong and Zhu Hong's father. Yashou are so strongly isolationist, they're not a threat to humans. I could easily buy that almost no one in Dragon City knows about them, especially outside the Xingdu Bureau, the DoS and the SID.
Oooh, what an interesting perspective, and not one I've considered. Makes sense, too, since Dixing is a research topic that has government backing, and the Yashou are, or at least were, staying off the radar.
Oh, is that what he's saying? Thank you! I've always had trouble parsing that.
I can't take any sort of credit. That's from the Viki subtitles. I did check it using the Baidu translation website, several dictionaries, and my almost non-existent smidgeon of Chinese before posting though, because it's so different from the other subtitle versions, and I'm pretty sure this is the correct translation.
Aside: two scenes after this, ZYL and CSZ are talking, and it's revealed that CSZ is tracking someone with his puppet -- to ZYL's approval. Is the someone being tracked Shen Wei? Does this ever pay off?
Ah, I think I just assumed he was tracking Lin Yusen. I don't think it's mentioned again.
There's such a gulf between her life and the traditional Yashou life that every single other person in her tribe is leading, I don't see how she could not be insecure about it. She's caught between worlds, in some ways. And her saying, "I'm the one holding back the Snake tribe" sounds to me like she's paraphrasing/interpreting Fourth Uncle's complaints to her -- or maybe her own feelings.
This is similar to my own reading. Shen Wei's words touched a nerve because Zhu Hong has complicated feelings about Yashou life, and an equally complicated relationship to Yashou life.
Thank you for the links. I haven't checked out the fic yet, but the poll is hilarious.
No obligation! I just really like the idea of these posts collecting up relevant links, almost like indexes of related fanworks. :-)
Ah, I think I just assumed he was tracking Lin Yusen. I don't think it's mentioned again.
Hm, I can't imagine Chu Shuzhi caring enough to track Lin Yusen off his own initiative, whereas Shen Wei was so rude to him and so mysterious... Oh, now I'm wondering whether Chu Shuzhi found out Shen Wei's identity via the puppet surveillance and never says a word to anyone, and that's why he's so polite/awkward when he delivers the banner later on. It would be kind of awesome if he knew and was all, "Lord Envoy doesn't want me to know so I shall remain steadfastly silent and not betray so much as an inkling." *g*
And maybe Shen Wei is even aware that he knows, and they both keep up the pretence, and the "apology" later on is for the benefit of the rest of the SID. Either that, or Shen Wei found an innocent-seeming way to shake his puppet tail.
/I don't really think this, but I think it's a fun reading :-)
No obligation! I just really like the idea of these posts collecting up relevant links, almost like indexes of related fanworks. :-)
Oh, I know. (I do want to check out the fic though.)
Oh, now I'm wondering whether Chu Shuzhi found out Shen Wei's identity via the puppet surveillance and never says a word to anyone, and that's why he's so polite/awkward when he delivers the banner later on.
Oh, poor Chu Shuzhi, what would he even think, finding out that Shen Wei is the Black-Cloaked Envoy so soon after he insulted him to his face? It is a fun reading though, and I could buy it as an AU. I know that I had a moment when I first saw the banner scene where I wondered whether Chu Shuzhi knew about the Black-Cloaked Envoy. There was something about his attitude that seemed a bit different.
I thought he was tracking Lin Yusen too, due to the way the following scene has them meeting and confronting Lin Yusen. Lao-Chu calls him "the target", too.
I can't take any sort of credit. That's from the Viki subtitles. I did check it using the Baidu translation website, several dictionaries, and my almost non-existent smidgeon of Chinese before posting though, because it's so different from the other subtitle versions, and I'm pretty sure this is the correct translation.
Thank you for this! That makes so much more sense.
Rewatching the scene, I feel like Shen Wei starts off quite professorial at Zhu Hong, like he's coaching a student through a logic problem as if they're in a tutorial. It's not until she challenges his steely-nerved reaction to the crime scene that he changes strategy and comes at her. When he drops his head, it's like he's deciding that yes, she's right, his mild-mannered professor cover is blown, and there's no point trying to recover it. From them on, he's just trolling to provoke her.
This is a great recap and I love the screencaps and gifs. Thank you for putting it all together. I don't have anything to add to what's already been commented upon. Interesting discussion!
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sid_guardian2020-12-11 10:10 pm
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The crowning glory in Shen Wei's repertoire of fake smiles
Every time I see this moment I think "oh, it really shows here that Shen Wei and Ye Zun are brothers after all" - and then I remember. The same face, the same lips, the same everything! AND YET.
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I have this exact reaction, including the moment of wait, that's literally the same face.
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I don't think this is typical SID procedure. This is Zhao Yunlan being a little obsessed with figuring out what makes this Shen Wei guy tick, and making his subordinates play along. I really doubt Zhao Yunlan actually believes Shen Wei is a serial killer or anything. He instinctively wants to trust Shen Wei (his ethics, not his honesty). But he's fed up with Shen Wei always turning up at the crime scene and he knows Shen Wei is hiding something big, and this is a convenient excuse to get him into a spot where he might reveal something.
Shen Wei's tactic here is completely insane if he's trying to escape suspicion, but he's really not worried about getting thrown in Haixing prison or hauled to Dixing by the Black-Cloaked Envoy. It's almost out-of-character for him to be so rude to Zhu Hong, especially, but I think he's just not thinking about Zhu Hong because he's so tied up in Zhao Yunlan. He's annoyed that Zhao Yunlan is throwing his subordinates at him, and he's telling Zhao Yunlan to take things up with him directly. The way he drops the mask when Zhao Yunlan finally comes in is revealing. He got what he wanted there and rewarded it with some sincerity: "If you ask me directly, I won't lie to you." (Which is...not exactly entirely the case but he would like for it to be.) Also, he just desperately wants Zhao Yunlan to believe he's a good person. There's a lot of raw emotion going on at that moment.
It's frustrating for Zhao Yunlan, because he was hoping to get some real answers here, not just further weirdness, but when he's looking directly at Shen Wei, who is telling him what he already knows ("I'm not the criminal") and asking for trust, he can't bring himself to withhold that trust. Of course, he's still totally fascinated with Shen Wei, and he does keep his issues with Shen Wei between the two of them after this, I think. They were both testing each other, pushing boundaries, and Shen Wei won this round.
Oh, almost forgot: Shen Wei's righteous hero comment and turning to look "through" the mirror? My guess is he thinks Chu Shuzhi is talking about Zhao Yunlan. (I think I got that idea from someone else? Maybe?) He's oblivious to the identity porn that is happening in the room because he just assumes anyone who knows Zhao Yunlan/Kunlun would have that sort of high opinion of him. Paired with the look, he's being a bit snarky at Zhao Yunlan, because he thinks Zhao Yunlan is currently being a bit of a dick and holding him under false pretenses. He's kind of challenging Zhao Yunlan to behave like the righteous person Shen Wei wants to believe he is.
I get the feeling that Yashou powers require some kind of cultivation and that Zhu Hong gets shit from Fourth Uncle for neglecting it in favor of acting like a human in the city, and that's why that's so touchy. Made worse yet by the fact that she acts like a human for Zhao Yunlan.
Okay, I think I'm done theorizing wildly for now...oh dear, this got long. Thank you for this post! There is just so much subtext happening in this scene, it's fascinating.
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Ooh, I really like this reading!
Yeah, though this isn't just Shen Wei turning up at the crime scene -- it's also him trying to run away when the SID showed up. If he'd been there for non-nefarious purposes, wouldn't he have greeted them as a witness and told them whatever he knew/had seen? (From their POV, I mean.) And yet no one asks why, if his conscience is clear, he tried to flee.
Totally agreed! I definitely think he's trying to get Zhao Yunlan's attention. And yes to his rudeness to Zhu Hong being uncharacteristic.
I have a different headcanon for this part, and I don't know if I believe it, but I can't quite shake it. It's informed by a conversation from chapter 4 of
That, and the way that Shen Wei's expression shifts when Zhao Yunlan says (at least in the original subs), "I am being straightforward and asking you a question." To me, Shen Wei looks almost stricken after their exchange, and so I always wonder if he's been unable up till now to shake the faint possibility that this is some kind of game or necessary pretence (much like Kunlun's necessary but not seamless pretence, in fact). That Zhao Yunlan does know who he is (like Kunlun did). And this is the moment where that unlikely hope is extinguished. Idk. It works in my head...
Ooh, I really love that. Yes. That makes so much sense. (It always seemed weird to me that he'd call himself righteous like that.) Though it's hilarious that he thinks Chu Shuzhi thinks that highly of Zhao Yunlan. *g*
Whereas I always assume Zhu Hong is half-human (since her father ran away to the human city and had her), and her "developmental problems" stem from that.
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Shen Wei looks almost stricken after their exchange
I rewatched just now to see if I can pinpoint what you mean - when he swallows, right? I wouldn't describe that as "stricken", but there's something there - the way I read it, he's really feeling just how far Zhao Yunlan is from being Kunlun, how far they have to go.
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(I don't really think it's true -- it's just a particularly persistent possibility headcanon, and this scene in particular always triggers it.)
Shen Wei has his gaze lowered. ZYL says, "I am being straightforward and asking you a question," and Shen Wei looks up at him directly, like he's expecting something. And then, yeah, after ZYL walks out, Shen Wei has... unhappy feelings of some kind.
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*rewatches again*
Huh, it doesn't look expectant to me, just a reaction to what ZYL says.
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A great point. I could think of several ways this could be explained away, the most obvious of which would be just to lie and say that he was going for help, but he doesn't get a chance to lie directly because like you said, "no one asks why, if his conscience is clear, he tried to flee". My not entirely serious opinion is that he was being so suspicious in so many ways that they forgot to bring this up.
That Zhao Yunlan does know who he is (like Kunlun did). And this is the moment where that unlikely hope is extinguished. Idk. It works in my head...
This is different from my own reading, which is more aligned with
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Hee! Yes.
Yes, that. And in a world that contains Hallows and an apparently immortal amnesiac Da Qing and whatever else, it's not like there aren't a hundred plausible possibilities. It would be unscientific to rule them all out entirely, wouldn't it? (I actually wrote a ficlet about this a while back. *pets Shen Wei*) ETA: Oh, and there's that bit in episode 1 where he's looking at ZYL's file and thinking, "I hope you still remember our agreement to me/date." (I don't think he believes it even then, really, but he hopes anyway.)
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I agree. While there's some evidence to there being a time loop in a certain direction (the lollipops), there's no way for Shen Wei to be completely sure.
Oh, and there's that bit in episode 1 where he's looking at ZYL's file and thinking, "I hope you still remember our agreement to me/date."
I forgot about that. Yeah, that points to Shen Wei being at least uncertain about what's going on with Zhao Yunlan/Kunlun.
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Yeah, I agree that suspicion against Shen Wei would be reasonable here! And other members of the SID might suspect him. I just think Zhao Yunlan doesn't (there's no way Shen Wei's behavior in the interrogation room would've changed Zhao Yunlan's mind if he did.)
Hmmm this could work for me! I took that expression on Shen Wei's face at the end to be his "oh no he's mad at me :(" face, but it could be more than that. Shen Wei must have supposed Kunlun was a time traveler well before this, and from there it's not a huge leap to think the time travel might not have happened yet for Zhao Yunlan...but Shen Wei probably doesn't want to believe that. And I do think he suspected/hoped that Zhao Yunlan was only pretending to not know him, at least at the beginning.
It is hilarious and also the exact sort of mistake Shen Wei would make and I just find it very endearing and silly. (The interpretation that
Ohhhhh wow I never considered that but it makes a TON of sense. I mean, it could be both things! But regardless, that adds a very different nuance to things - if that's the case, I wonder who knows about it? Zhu Hong must at least suspect, and Fourth Uncle probably knows, at least...
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But even though SW knows who CSZ is talking about, he takes that topic and runs with it in another direction - he turns to look at ZYL and aims his words toward him, calling him a righteous hero. He's misdirecting the compliment, as it were, and aiming it at ZYL. I don't know if he's being snarky to ZYL or being whole-heartedly sincere, and I could read it either way!
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Yes! This! ♥ ♥ ♥
And yeah, he's absolutely not trying to evade suspicion - he's drawing their attention very deliberately here, practically showing off the side of him that's not a mild-mannered professor. And it only gets Zhao Yunlan more fascinated by him. *g*
I get the feeling that Yashou powers require some kind of cultivation and that Zhu Hong gets shit from Fourth Uncle for neglecting it in favor of acting like a human in the city, and that's why that's so touchy. Made worse yet by the fact that she acts like a human for Zhao Yunlan.
That makes a lot of sense to me!
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Yeah, Zhao Yunlan's response is so telling here, hah. He really gets a kick out of seeing Shen Wei get a bit mean, even as extremely fishy as that comes across.
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Yes! I think this might be the moment where I started to see Zhao Yunlan's layers better, too. The way he reacts here is just, mwah. ZYL watches SW "outfox his hapless staff", and instead of being frustrated by it, he's into it. (Line stolen from a gorgeous story of
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I like this interpretation, and I think there's evidence for it even in the way the entire scene is set up. It's almost like a performance, with Zhao Yunlan as the audience.
I really doubt Zhao Yunlan actually believes Shen Wei is a serial killer or anything. He instinctively wants to trust Shen Wei (his ethics, not his honesty).
That distinction, between trusting his ethics and not honesty, is probably at the heart of their relationship. Shen Wei is a lying liar who lies, but he's a good person who can be trusted to do the right thing, or at least what he believes to be the right thing.
Shen Wei's tactic here is completely insane if he's trying to escape suspicion
Hee. It really, really is.
They were both testing each other, pushing boundaries, and Shen Wei won this round.
Yes. This gets at the core of the scene. It's a round of negotiation between the two of them.
Oh, almost forgot: Shen Wei's righteous hero comment and turning to look "through" the mirror? My guess is he thinks Chu Shuzhi is talking about Zhao Yunlan. (I think I got that idea from someone else? Maybe?) He's oblivious to the identity porn that is happening in the room because he just assumes anyone who knows Zhao Yunlan/Kunlun would have that sort of high opinion of him. Paired with the look, he's being a bit snarky at Zhao Yunlan, because he thinks Zhao Yunlan is currently being a bit of a dick and holding him under false pretenses. He's kind of challenging Zhao Yunlan to behave like the righteous person Shen Wei wants to believe he is.
This is incredibly funny to me. I love it for what it says about Shen Wei's starry-eyed adoration of Zhao Yunlan (who's probably more Kunlun than Zhao Yunlan in his mind at this point), and the way that doesn't stop him from being pointedly snarky at him. And I also love to imagine what Chu Shuzhi would think--it's possible he'd be so incredulous he'd forget to be horrified.
I get the feeling that Yashou powers require some kind of cultivation and that Zhu Hong gets shit from Fourth Uncle for neglecting it in favor of acting like a human in the city, and that's why that's so touchy. Made worse yet by the fact that she acts like a human for Zhao Yunlan.
That's an excellent point. Zhu Hong is trying to act like a human and sabotaging herself.
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Ahh, yes, that's very well-put! I kind of love those shots of Zhao Yunlan as amused audience member.
Right, exactly that! Throughout the show, Zhao Yunlan gets frustrated with the dishonesty, but it's not because he doubts Shen Wei - pretty much the opposite, and they're already developing that dynamic here.
Heee. I really enjoy how both Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan (later on, at least) think the absolute world of each other, and have tons of respect for each other...but are still totally willing to recognize when the other one is being an asshole, and to generally sass each other.
Oh no I REALLY want to see this, ahaha! I mean, if this somehow came out after Chu Shuzhi found out Shen Wei is the BCE...the sheer WTF NO battling it out with the need to respect the Envoy and not call his mistake ridiculous...poor Lao Chu.
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Shen Wei looks down for a moment, and then apparently decides that antagonising everyone is the way to go.
I always read this as "100% not mild-mannerered professor". He's really going all-out showing off that he's not who he appears to be. AT ALL. And I really like the way Zhao Yunlan enjoys it when Shen Wei goes on the offensive. I think this is also an early hint that shows us that Zhao Yunlan will like Shen Wei's Envoy side as well, he isn't just into the professor.
Between talk of puppets and philosophy, he tries to touch Chu Shuzhi's puppet.
And he knows Chu Shuzhi and his background, so he's being as obnoxious and provocative as he can here. (No wonder Zhao Yunlan likes it.) I adore troll!Shen Wei so much, heh.
Is he talking about himself here? What is he trying to convey by saying that while looking directly at Zhao Yunlan?
I really like
[*10 seconds, it's 10 seconds of silence.]
Hee! :D
Shen Wei reveals that he has particular knowledge about the Yashou. For a regular university professor, is this more or less unusual than knowing about Dixing and Dixingren?
I think less unusual, since Yashou at least are living on the surface. Dixingren aren't even supposed to be there!
Does this mean that their interrogation strategy here is different from their usual modus operandi?
Yeah, I don't think this is in any way usual.
Which makes me wonder, do you think the Black-Cloaked Envoy has diplomatic immunity, or some equivalent?
Some equivalent, to be sure.
This scene was early in the show. If you remember, what was your reaction when you first saw it? What was your impression of Shen Wei? The SID? Zhao Yunlan? What about now, with hindsight on your side?
First reaction: I love Shen Wei. Later reaction: I love troll!Shen Wei. *g*
It's such a good scene that tells us so much about these characters, about what gets under Zhu Hong's and Lao-Chu's s skin, what Shen Wei is capable of, how much Zhao Yunlan wants to poke at Shen Wei and how much he likes what he finds.
What about Shen Wei's strategy? Is this the best response to being interrogated by the SID? Why use this approach with them?
It's the best response if your goal is to hook Zhao Yunlan!
It's not a strategy that would work on someone else, but then Shen Wei wouldn't have acted this way if he were dealing with anyone else. And Zhao Yunlan believes Shen Wei because there isn't any evidence that he's involved, and in fact evidence that he isn't - as both Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan note later, there's blood on the scene but none on either the supposed victim nor Shen Wei nor Lin Yusen. Something's fishy about the whole thing, and they know it.
What do you think about Zhu Hong's insecurity regarding her Yashou powers? Why do you think she's insecure about them?
Given how well she seems to have her powers in hand towards the end of the show, it might be that she's blocking herself by trying to be more human. Which her family definitely would not approve of! But she can't admit it to herself because then she'd have to admit the effects her choices are having.
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That's a great point. Yes!
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Thank you! I'm really glad you found it enjoyable.
And I really like the way Zhao Yunlan enjoys it when Shen Wei goes on the offensive. I think this is also an early hint that shows us that Zhao Yunlan will like Shen Wei's Envoy side as well, he isn't just into the professor.
Zhao Yunlan's reactions in this scene really are excellent, and so is your point about how Zhao Yunlan is into this side of Shen Wei.
And he knows Chu Shuzhi and his background, so he's being as obnoxious and provocative as he can here.
Yes! Exactly this. He's really going for it, attacking Zhu Hong and Chu Shuzhi in ways that are guaranteed to rattle them.
I think less unusual, since Yashou at least are living on the surface. Dixingren aren't even supposed to be there!
You bring up a good point. Knowledge about the Yashou must be more widespread.
First reaction: I love Shen Wei. Later reaction: I love troll!Shen Wei. *g*
*g* This scene really is a treasure trove of excellent troll!Shen Wei moments.
It's such a good scene that tells us so much about these characters, about what gets under Zhu Hong's and Lao-Chu's s skin, what Shen Wei is capable of, how much Zhao Yunlan wants to poke at Shen Wei and how much he likes what he finds.
Yes, it gets at some truths about all these characters, even as it's steeped in misdirection and complicated subtextual layers.
It's the best response if your goal is to hook Zhao Yunlan!
Ha! This is true. It's specially tailored to work on Zhao Yunlan.
Given how well she seems to have her powers in hand towards the end of the show, it might be that she's blocking herself by trying to be more human.
This is plausible to me. There's nothing wrong with Zhu Hong's powers that is not self-reinforcing. And it's good to see her work it out in the end, too.
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Rewatching the scene, I feel like Shen Wei starts off quite professorial at Zhu Hong, like he's coaching a student through a logic problem as if they're in a tutorial. It's not until she challenges his steely-nerved reaction to the crime scene that he changes strategy and comes at her. When he drops his head, it's like he's deciding that yes, she's right, his mild-mannered professor cover is blown, and there's no point trying to recover it. From them on, he's just trolling to provoke her. And oh, he plays lao-Chu like a fiddle. *loves*
The look towards Zhao Yunlan, presumably through one-way glass, and the "righteous hero" snark is also an open indication to the SID that he's well aware of the spectators. This whole thing is performance.
Hee! ♥
I would say more unusual. We know Professor Ouyang is investigating dark energy, so Dixing is known in science circles, if not widely spoken of outside them. But Yashou seem to be completely off the human radar, I think? When Dixing come to the surface, they seem to come to Dragon City, but we only know of four Yashou that have entered human society -- Da Qing, Ya Qing (presumably, at some point, given her computer and driving abilities), Zhu Hong and Zhu Hong's father. Yashou are so strongly isolationist, they're not a threat to humans. I could easily buy that almost no one in Dragon City knows about them, especially outside the Xingdu Bureau, the DoS and the SID.
Oh, is that what he's saying? Thank you! I've always had trouble parsing that.
He's there in a diplomatic role and bound by the Guardian Treaty. So yeah, something like immunity -- though if he started throwing his Envoy weight around, I'm sure some kind of diplomatic action would be taken!
I don't remember my initial reaction, but now I really love it.
Shen Wei's logic is sound and undeniable, they can't justify holding him, but Zhao Yunlan is of course still suspicious of him in general. (Aside: two scenes after this, ZYL and CSZ are talking, and it's revealed that CSZ is tracking someone with his puppet -- to ZYL's approval. Is the someone being tracked Shen Wei? Does this ever pay off?)
There's such a gulf between her life and the traditional Yashou life that every single other person in her tribe is leading, I don't see how she could not be insecure about it. She's caught between worlds, in some ways. And her saying, "I'm the one holding back the Snake tribe" sounds to me like she's paraphrasing/interpreting Fourth Uncle's complaints to her -- or maybe her own feelings.
Related works:
- I wrote an AU version of this scene in When I Was Older.
- A poll and some discussion about why Chu Shuzhi decided to go for intimidation via doll-cleaning.
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Thank you! I just love this scene so much.
Rewatching the scene, I feel like Shen Wei starts off quite professorial at Zhu Hong, like he's coaching a student through a logic problem as if they're in a tutorial.
I like this framing. It really is very professorial, his detached explanation of how there was another person, and nevermind the reason Shen Wei was in that part of town.
It's not until she challenges his steely-nerved reaction to the crime scene that he changes strategy and comes at her. When he drops his head, it's like he's deciding that yes, she's right, his mild-mannered professor cover is blown, and there's no point trying to recover it. From them on, he's just trolling to provoke her. And oh, he plays lao-Chu like a fiddle. *loves*
Haha, yes, if he can't be a mild-mannered professor, then he'll just be a superlative troll.
This whole thing is performance.
Yes! I really love this aspect of the scene.
I would say more unusual. We know Professor Ouyang is investigating dark energy, so Dixing is known in science circles, if not widely spoken of outside them. But Yashou seem to be completely off the human radar, I think? When Dixing come to the surface, they seem to come to Dragon City, but we only know of four Yashou that have entered human society -- Da Qing, Ya Qing (presumably, at some point, given her computer and driving abilities), Zhu Hong and Zhu Hong's father. Yashou are so strongly isolationist, they're not a threat to humans. I could easily buy that almost no one in Dragon City knows about them, especially outside the Xingdu Bureau, the DoS and the SID.
Oooh, what an interesting perspective, and not one I've considered. Makes sense, too, since Dixing is a research topic that has government backing, and the Yashou are, or at least were, staying off the radar.
Oh, is that what he's saying? Thank you! I've always had trouble parsing that.
I can't take any sort of credit. That's from the Viki subtitles. I did check it using the Baidu translation website, several dictionaries, and my almost non-existent smidgeon of Chinese before posting though, because it's so different from the other subtitle versions, and I'm pretty sure this is the correct translation.
Aside: two scenes after this, ZYL and CSZ are talking, and it's revealed that CSZ is tracking someone with his puppet -- to ZYL's approval. Is the someone being tracked Shen Wei? Does this ever pay off?
Ah, I think I just assumed he was tracking Lin Yusen. I don't think it's mentioned again.
There's such a gulf between her life and the traditional Yashou life that every single other person in her tribe is leading, I don't see how she could not be insecure about it. She's caught between worlds, in some ways. And her saying, "I'm the one holding back the Snake tribe" sounds to me like she's paraphrasing/interpreting Fourth Uncle's complaints to her -- or maybe her own feelings.
This is similar to my own reading. Shen Wei's words touched a nerve because Zhu Hong has complicated feelings about Yashou life, and an equally complicated relationship to Yashou life.
Thank you for the links. I haven't checked out the fic yet, but the poll is hilarious.
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No obligation! I just really like the idea of these posts collecting up relevant links, almost like indexes of related fanworks. :-)
Hm, I can't imagine Chu Shuzhi caring enough to track Lin Yusen off his own initiative, whereas Shen Wei was so rude to him and so mysterious... Oh, now I'm wondering whether Chu Shuzhi found out Shen Wei's identity via the puppet surveillance and never says a word to anyone, and that's why he's so polite/awkward when he delivers the banner later on. It would be kind of awesome if he knew and was all, "Lord Envoy doesn't want me to know so I shall remain steadfastly silent and not betray so much as an inkling." *g*
And maybe Shen Wei is even aware that he knows, and they both keep up the pretence, and the "apology" later on is for the benefit of the rest of the SID. Either that, or Shen Wei found an innocent-seeming way to shake his puppet tail.
/I don't really think this, but I think it's a fun reading :-)
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Oh, I know. (I do want to check out the fic though.)
Oh, now I'm wondering whether Chu Shuzhi found out Shen Wei's identity via the puppet surveillance and never says a word to anyone, and that's why he's so polite/awkward when he delivers the banner later on.
Oh, poor Chu Shuzhi, what would he even think, finding out that Shen Wei is the Black-Cloaked Envoy so soon after he insulted him to his face? It is a fun reading though, and I could buy it as an AU. I know that I had a moment when I first saw the banner scene where I wondered whether Chu Shuzhi knew about the Black-Cloaked Envoy. There was something about his attitude that seemed a bit different.
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Thank you for this! That makes so much more sense.
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This is a great read!
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