sid_guardian | Focus on: Shen Wei waking up in the mountains with an IV in his arm (episode 11)

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Focus on: Shen Wei waking up in the mountains with an IV in his arm (episode 11)

Location of scene: episode 11, starting at 19:00. Or if you want to watch Zhao Yunlan tenderly covering Shen Wei with his jacket after making a Discovery, start at 18:00.

Some people have posted absolutely spectacular in-depth scene discussions and I admire them! This post...is not that. It's more about things that make me smile and go ahhhhh, in the hope that I can bring that same feeling to you all.

This scene! It's the only time we EVER get to see Shen Wei wake up in bed, in canon. (And also the only scene where Zhao Yunlan gets to gaze at him as he sleeps, unless you want to count the 'dust on your face' scene in the lab.) Compare that to the multiple, beautifully lit scenes where Zhao Yunlan sleeps and Shen Wei watches him with all the longing and tenderness and occasional heartfelt exclamations of "Idiot!"

Waking up alone, Shen Wei is just ravishingly beautiful. Soft-eyed, no glasses, no more armor than a rumpled t-shirt - I mean LOOK AT HIM.

And then he wakes up.

And finds his glasses, and a note from Zhao Yunlan - and this is where I come to my other favorite moment: THE SMILEY. It's a little winky face:

The smiley is only visible for about 8 frames, nicely outlined by Shen Wei's glasses. I love the attention to detail here, on the prop, as well as the characterization. I just melt, because OF COURSE Zhao Yunlan communicates his feelings for this man through an adorkable little hand-drawn smiley. And that he just discovered that the man is the Envoy isn't stopping him.

Shen Wei picks up his jacket, sniffs it, and makes the same discovery as Zhao Yunlan. The curly shadow of his glasses on his face, combined with that very intent look as he worries about his secret identity being discovered: YUM.

The next moment, his students walk in, and the switch from Black-Cloaked Envoy's steely gaze to Professor Shen looking particularly cute and harmless is chef's kiss:

Fic recs, meta, et al:

I don't think I've ever read any fic that references this moment. Well, except for this cute snippet, which feels relevant though it's set in novel canon:

write me a little note, send me a letter (468 words) by lazulisong, where Shen Wei disapproves of Zhao Yunlan's handwriting.

ETA: and

chinashop wrote with courage as our shield (300 words), where Zhao Yunlan again gives Shen Wei an IV after the Bench Scene.

Questions:

- so, what was the deal with the IV in Shen Wei's arm, anyway? Is this a normal treatment for someone who drank too much? Is it evidence of Zhao Yunlan being sweetly Extra about Shen Wei? (See also: "You could get TETANUS!")

- when Shen Wei wakes up, we see the IV bag hanging there, but the IV is no longer attached to his hand. So who removed it?

- do we ever get any other indication that Shen Wei sleeps, or needs to sleep, other than this scene? The only thing I can think of is that we know he has a bedroom, because Zhao Yunlan has secretly visited it during his break-in, and knows what the view from the window looks like.

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I never noticed ZYL's smiley face on the note! Thank you for pointing that out, love it.

Yay! It was my hope for making this post, that the smiley would be a nice discovery. And it does go by super fast, almost more like a wink to the viewer.

Eugh, yes, Shen Wei looking soft and befuddled and adorably-squinty-eyed at the morning light is just... cinematic poetry!

And I can vouch, while never having directly experienced the IV-to-prevent-hangovers method myself, I'm good friends with someone who was married to a Corpsman, and yes... I definitely recall her mentioning that as a thing once a good while back. I was completely baffled by the whole idea of it at the time, but as soon as I saw it in Guardian, I was cackling. The implications are just so cute! Clearly they would have brought that IV equipment for the possibility of having to treat a more serious injury, but Zhao Yunlan is just...'well, we brought it along, might as well bust it out and use it to spare a bit of mild discomfort to pretty, hapless professor over here!'

Shen Wei looking soft and befuddled and adorably-squinty-eyed at the morning light is just... cinematic poetry!

Siiiiigh I agree, and love how you put that. Shen Wei looks so soft and sleepy and it's just a shame that ZYL isn't there to watch him wake up, even though I can see that it would have dissolved the dramatic tension.

Good to know, about the IV! I never heard of this as a hangover cure, before, but yeah, if you have the equipment anyway...

Oh my goodness, I love this post! *showers it and you with hearts* This is such a wonderful, low-key scene, with so much vulnerability and emotion for just a few moments of screentime. I love how the students' arrival at the end really underlines Shen Wei's secrets, the identities and roles he's juggling, and how sincere he is in all of them.

I love that the smiley is a winky face! It's like "we're both in on your secret now", except that Shen Wei probably has no idea how to interpret it, and Zhao Yunlan is still figuring it out, really. *noogies Zhao Yunlan forever*

Re the IV: I believe IVs are used a lot in China, even for quite low-level/seemingly unrelated complaints, but I picked that up from the internet so don't quote me. :-) I like to think Zhao Yunlan stayed and watched Shen Wei sleeping until the IV was done -- a counterpart to Shen Wei staying with Zhao Yunlan in ep 8 when he was sick -- so my headcanon is that Zhao Yunlan was the one to detach it. (Also, Zhao Yunlan and the others had been drinking, so they couldn't set off for the city straight away anyway.)

The scene before this, with "Zhao Yunlan tenderly covering Shen Wei with his jacket" as you so aptly put it, is where I think Zhao Yunlan realises and accepts his feelings for Shen Wei -- I adore it so much!

I wrote a little ficlet set after the bench scene where Zhao Yunlan again gives Shen Wei an IV, inspired by this scene.

Aw, I love the idea of ZYL giving SW an IV after the Bench Scene! That feels much more justified, really, given what Shen Wei went through in Dixing, sniff. I'll add your story to the post.

I appreciate your info about IVs being used a lot - I was missing any and all cultural context here, and I did wonder how normal I was supposed to find it.

I agree, my headcanon is also that ZYL was the one to watch the IV run out and then carefully detach it. It really is quite sweet of him, and I wish we could have seen more of that moment!

Lovely post! As you say, it's a very brief moment but it really has so much in it about Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan and their changing relationship.
The curly shadow of his glasses on his face, combined with that very intent look as he worries about his secret identity being discovered:
Such a nice shot. (I mean, one of the things that got me into Guardian (and, you know, associated fandom, and Zhu Yilong in general, oh dear) was seeing some screenshots and going "wow this guy has nice eyes" and Guardian really did everything to make the most of them.)
As noted above, IVs are not uncommon in Japan either; I know my husband thinks it's totally normal to go to the doctor and get an IV treatment for a bad cold, for instance.

Z1L's eyes/eyelashes are just ridiculously pretty

As noted above, IVs are not uncommon in Japan either; I know my husband thinks it's totally normal to go to the doctor and get an IV treatment for a bad cold, for instance.

I'm super jealous hahaha

one of the things that got me into Guardian (and, you know, associated fandom, and Zhu Yilong in general, oh dear

heee, SAME. I know the feeling! I was dragged back headlong into fandom by HIS FACE. And eyelashes. He's a menace. And yeah, I agree, Guardian did absolutely fantastic work with Zhu Yilong closeups and letting him work his magic.

I know my husband thinks it's totally normal to go to the doctor and get an IV treatment for a bad cold
...wow. That is amazing to me, and so useful to know, thanks so much! This is the cultural context I was missing while I was going O.O over this scene.

Wonderful post with lovely visuals! I love this scene, and your post makes me want to snuggle up with it. I never noticed that the smiley was winking! That is so awesome. Oh, Zhao Yunlan. ♥

Just to chime in about the IV thing, though I don't have direct experience, but in other modern-day setting Cdramas I've watched, they seem to use IVs for a lot of things.

My headcanon is also that Zhao Yunlan stayed and removed the IV when it was time. Because I like to think of him being sweetly Extra (perfectly put!).

I never noticed that the smiley was winking! That is so awesome. Oh, Zhao Yunlan. ♥

Aw yay, I'm happy I could bring you a tiny new adorable thing to notice! It's just so darling and so very, very him.

My headcanon is also that Zhao Yunlan stayed and removed the IV when it was time.

Yes! Man, the more I think about it, the more I wish we had seen this. There was a lot of caretaking happening behind the scenes, here.

This scene is adorable, sleepy Shen Wei is so cute! I don't have any useful insights here, but while looking at Zhao Yunlan's note I was struck with the strong mental image of him hastily scribbling it, grinning at the idea to add the smiley, and then carefully drawing the winky face just right with the tip of his tongue sticking out in concentration. It just seems like a very deliberate winky face. (And we've seen how he draws Shen Wei and the Black-Cloaked Envoy in his notebook, so this is serious art for him.) :D

while looking at Zhao Yunlan's note I was struck with the strong mental image of him hastily scribbling it, grinning at the idea to add the smiley, and then carefully drawing the winky face just right with the tip of his tongue sticking out in concentration. It just seems like a very deliberate winky face.

It does! Oh man, I love this mental image of ZYL at work and grinning at his own inspiration, and I can absolutely see that tonguetip sticking out. <3 The smiley is deliberate, as you say - he worked to draw that oval eye instead of just a dot, and the mouth with the upturned corners. So adorable. And yes, serious art for him.

Yes! Oh, this is such an adorable scene. Including Shen Wei's "oh fuck" face when he realizes the jacket stinks and his secret might be out. But the best bit is when Zhao Yunlan lovingly drapes the jacket over Shen Wei. If only we'd gotten a few more scenes like that...

do we ever get any other indication that Shen Wei sleeps, or needs to sleep, other than this scene?
Other than the mentioned presumably normal-looking bedroom, Shen Wei doesn't seem too confused when he wakes up, so sleeping is probably something he does often enough to know what waking up is. Perhaps not as much as humans or on the same schedule, but regularly enough.

If only we'd gotten a few more scenes like that...

Yeah, seriously, it's no wonder we've all fallen into the Shen Wei h/c hole. He never got enough comfort in canon, poor darling.

And yeah, I like to think Shen Wei does sleep sometimes, and maybe eventually Zhao Yunlan will teach him how to take a nap.

This scene and this post are both so delightful! And OMG, thank you for pointing out that smiley face!

I just melt, because OF COURSE Zhao Yunlan communicates his feelings for this man through an adorkable little hand-drawn smiley. And that he just discovered that the man is the Envoy isn't stopping him.

OF COURSE! Seriously, the fact that he literally just discovered Shen Wei is the Envoy, and THIS is what he does, is so ... him. :D I love thinking about Zhao Yunlan deciding to write that.

I agree with everyone else that Zhao Yunlan probably removed the IV himself. I imagine him sitting there trying to absorb what he just discovered, watching Shen Wei sleep, and finally pulling out the IV and writing that note ... and I'm just all ♥ ♥ ♥ over it.

I don't think we have any definite indication whether Shen Wei sleeps or not, but in the drama we have no reason to think he wouldn't? Other Dixingren clearly do sleep (see mirror!Zhou Weiwei, and also the bed in the Dijun Palace the one time Zhao Yunlan and Da Qing stay). I totally buy him needing much less sleep than other people, though!

I agree with everyone else that Zhao Yunlan probably removed the IV himself. I imagine him sitting there trying to absorb what he just discovered, watching Shen Wei sleep, and finally pulling out the IV and writing that note ... and I'm just all ♥ ♥ ♥ over it.

Yes! It is such a sweet, satisfying scene to imagine, and I love it so much.

I don't think we have any definite indication whether Shen Wei sleeps or not, but in the drama we have no reason to think he wouldn't?

Yeah, you're right, this may be a novel-related thing that made its way into drama fanon, too. It's interesting to think about, though.

Okay, that switch between badass and innocent dork is the best! So cute!

But does anybody know what the note says? I think I got the first part (先回去了, or "gone back first"), but the middle character in the second part is so bad... I do not know nearly enough Chinese to read good handwriting, let alone bad. XD I guessed on the 去 because nothing else fits? So the second part looks to me like 常。。。乐 but no idea what that middle character might be. Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

If there were subs for this note, I totally missed them.

Fwiw, the Viki subtitle for the note is: [We headed back first. Let's meet soon! From Zhao]

Ooh, thanks! That's more than I had to start with! :-D

And

solo's subs say the same, but leave off the "from Zhao", though I assume the last character next to the smiley is his name. (And did he really sign it just 'Zhao'?)

I can't read any Chinese at all, so I always have the same questions!

He does sign it just "Zhao"! I have no idea if that's usual. (It probably is ...)

Pretty sure it says "先回去了, 常联系".

联系 makes so much more sense, thank you!!

Nothing wrong with expressing your love of a scene by going "Awwwww!", especially while praising the drama's attention to detail in item placement, cinematography, and acting. Although we were kinda robbed of having more scenes of sleepy and sleeping Shen Wei. (Z1L pls my poor heart why are you so pretty >.<)

- so, what was the deal with the IV in Shen Wei's arm, anyway? Is this a normal treatment for someone who drank too much? Is it evidence of Zhao Yunlan being sweetly Extra about Shen Wei?

When I lived in China and got a horrible case of pneumonia, the hospital's non-emergency wing had an area dedicated to patients receiving treatment via IV. My Chinese coworkers told me that it's not that uncommon to receive treatment intravenously since the IV is delivering the medicine directly into your bloodstream. (The doctor prescribed me three days of antibiotics via IV... it was a rough time.) However, I don't know how prevalent this is in other parts of China, so take my perspective with a grain of salt.

My knowledge of medicine mostly comes from family members, but I remember learning that treatments for alcohol intoxication can be delivered intravenously. Given how he woke up without a hangover, the IV could have also helped Shen Wei's blood pressure and hydration while unconscious. Not sure what was used exactly, but it's wonderful emergency supplied were on standby. Plus, a Zhao Yunlan doting on Shen Wei is best Zhao Yunlan.

- do we ever get any other indication that Shen Wei sleeps, or needs to sleep, other than this scene?

I prefer Shen Wei needing sleep, even if it's a bit less compared to the average Dixingren, Yashou, or Haixingren. He's pretty darn overpowered already, so having mundane limitations adds a layer of... humanity or normalcy to him? Shen Wei always maintains an air of godlike untouchability in every one of his personas, which has to be beyond exhausting. Poor guy needs some moments to cool down and be vulnerable in his insanely busy life (i.e. cuddling with the bf after putting out fires all day at DCU, in Dixing, and with the SID).

That said, one can make a decent argument that he doesn't need sleep. Such a reading isn't technically wrong either. His comment about not needing to dream later on in the show is interesting, but, like a lot of the drama canon, it can be tricky to know what is true, misleading, literal, or figurative.

Thanks for the input on IV-related medicine! Oof, that pneumonia must have been awful.

He's pretty darn overpowered already, so having mundane limitations adds a layer of... humanity or normalcy to him?

Yeah, that's a very good point, and I like how you put that.

Poor guy needs some moments to cool down and be vulnerable in his insanely busy life

He does! Oh man, he so does, and I feel like I'm in that corner with a lot of fans, where we write fic to give Shen Wei all the comfort and care he doesn't get in canon (and also get him hurt first, a lot, but shhhh).

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Focus on: Shen Wei waking up in the mountains with an IV in his arm (episode 11)

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