Focus on: Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei talk in front of the kidnappers' place, episode 18

[sakana17]

Location of scene: Episode 18, 31:56-35:20 and 37:50-41:39 (they are also in 37:08-37:19 talking to Yehuo)

For this post, I used the English subtitles QCed by solo and the Chinese transcript from 鸢野飞 on bilibili. [Note: I have only minimal Chinese from 2 years of Mandarin classes in college a while back.]

Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei have caught Yehuo and take the Jeep to the building where Yehuo and his buddies have been living(?). (I assume they've been living there because of the beds.) Zhao Yunlan parks behind the car Lin Jing and Da Qing had taken. Zhao Yunlan runs up to check the car but no one's inside. He looks up at the building and tells Shen Wei that Da Qing and Lin Jing must've fallen into a trap.



Zhao Yunlan gets a phone call that seems to be from Guo Changcheng and Chu Shuzhi, who discovered two dead bodies in the locker room at the underground fight club. While Zhao Yunlan is on the phone, Shen Wei seems to sense something and looks at the building. When Zhao Yunlan gets off the phone, he asks Shen Wei, "What's up?" and Shen Wei tells him he has a feeling/hunch.



Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei look at each other.



Then two of the kidnappers come out onto a balcony/rooftop of the building and shout down at Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei to release Yehuo and prepare a getaway car or they will kill the three hostages (Da Qing, Lin Jing, and Bo Bi). Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei turn in tandem to look at the kidnappers.





Zhao Yunlan says, "I knew it," and exchanges a look with Shen Wei. He calls to the kidnappers that young guys like them should be in school right now.



There's a brief cut to Da Qing and Lin Jing inside the kidnappers' lair. Their wrists are tied. Lin Jing asks Da Qing to help him get something out of his pocket. Then we cut back to Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei talking to the kidnappers.

Shen Wei: 古人云，有教无类。可惜呀。
"古人云" (gǔ rén yún) can mean "the ancients said"
"有教无类" (yǒu jiào wú lèi) is a saying. The literal meaning seems like "education has no class distinction," and "education for everyone" gets the meaning across.
"可惜呀" (kě xí ya) can mean "unfortunately" or "what a pity"

Zhao Yunlan reacts to this and trolls him with, "The great Professor Shen is feeling compassion? Last time when I went to Dixing, I was told the place doesn't even have a regular formal school."





Shen Wei looks at Zhao Yunlan and replies that he made many proposals, but the situation in Dixing is complicated, and they were not approved.

Zhao Yunlan gestures at him and tells Shen Wei it's because Shen Wei doesn't put himself in the shoes of the decision makers. (那是因为你没有想过人家在做决定的时候在想什么, which Google translates as "that's because you haven't thought about what people are thinking when they make a decision"). Then he says, "Next time, I'll come along to handle your PR."







Shen Wei reacts. "Next time? Last time you went to Dixing, you had serious adverse reactions. You cannot go there again if it's not necessary."







There's another cut back to Da Qing and Lin Jing with Lin Jing's device that lets him hear sound from a thousand meters away, then we resume with Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei.

Zhao Yunlan: "If it's not necessary? So I still have a chance to go." He grins.



Shen Wei: "You cannot go."

Zhao Yunlan: "Can too."



Shen Wei: "I said you can't, so you can't."

One of the kidnappers interrupts them at this point and asks if they are even listening to him. Zhao Yunlan tells him they're not trying to ignore him, but they have to consider the request, then he suggests they listen to Yehuo. He opens the door of Jeep and Yehuo gets out. The kidnappers are surprised and ask if he's okay. Yehuo tells them not to be idiots, says he did wrong and will be taken for punishment. He tells the kidnappers to release the hostages. The kidnappers don't believe it. They think Yehuo is a captive who can't speak his mind.



Yehuo apologizes to Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei, saying, "I didn't educate them well." He asks that Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei forgive them. Zhao Yunlan says they can do that, but they want to know what Yehuo's relationship with them is. The kidnappers shout that Yehuo is their savior.

Then we get the flashback about Yehuo saving the young guys in the fight club and he explains it to Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei. Shen Wei realizes the case is related to Zhu Jiu after all. In the kidnappers' lair, Lin Jing, Da Qing, and Bo Bi are listening with Lin Jing's invention. Yehuo again asks for the kidnappers to be forgiven, and says he knows he has to be taken back. The kidnappers get upset and say they have an advantage because they have the hostages.

Zhao Yunlan: "What did I just tell you? I said you should go back to school and study hard! Did you really think we were unprepared and just talking nonsense to stall for time?"

Right then, the kidnappers' attentions are drawn back to the building. Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng have arrived to save the hostages. Zhao Yunlan asks Yehuo if there's anything else he wants to say. Yehuo says that the Black-Cloaked Envoy's enforcement is known to be strict and impartial. Behind Shen Wei's back, Zhao Yunlan reacts cutely to this.





Yehuo says he knows he can't escape this time.

Zhao Yunlan (again making a cute face at Shen Wei's back): 诶~那可说不好啊。之前有一个叫郑意的… (éi~ Nà kě shuō bu hǎo a. Zhī qián yǒu yī gè jiào Zhèng Yì de...)
The fansubs have "Well, I wouldn't say that. There was that case involving--" but 之前有一个叫郑意的… mentions Zheng Yi, so he's specifically referring to the Zheng Yi and Tan Xiao case from episodes 12-14.



Shen Wei is being more serious. "Dixing rules are Dixing rules."



He tells Yehuo he could've lived in Haixing in secret, but he used his power and exposed himself to save those kids from the fight club. Because Yehuo used his power to protect people, not harm them, Shen Wei can show extrajudicial mercy.



Zhao Yunlan looks pleased (and maybe smug because he knew Shen Wei would be merciful to Yehuo).



Shen Wei is afraid that Zhu Jiu will find Yehuo if he stays in Dragon City, so he must leave. Yehuo asks what about the kidnappers. Zhao Yunlan says they can find a place for them to settle. Chu Shuzhi and the others arrive, and Zhao Yunlan tells Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng to take Yehuo and the others out of Dragon City to find a safe place. He warns them there will be no end-of-year bonus if they mess it up, and smiles like he's having fun trolling his team.

Chu Shuzhi gives Yehuo the champion's belt and tells him he deserves it more. Yehuo tells Chu Shuzhi he envies him because he has a good life here. Chu Shuzhi agrees, except that his boss is a smug bastard.

Zhao Yunlan calls out Lao Chu and tells him to take Bo Bi away, too.



The scene ends with Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng heading off with Yehuo, Bo Bi, and the two kidnappers.

This is one of my favorite WeiLan scenes, because I love their bantering/bickering/trolling here. It's got a bratty Zhao Yunlan dynamic, but it's balanced by Shen Wei trolling him right back. He lays down the law: "I say you can't go to Dixing anymore, so you can't," and although Shen Wei must have enough physical power to prevent Zhao Yunlan from going to Dixing again, if Zhao Yunlan wants to go back, Shen Wei will reluctantly let him (as later events in the series prove).

I love their couple vibe here, and I love that they are working together. Whatever the reason for their bantering conversation--if it was to stall for time--they're doing it for the same purpose, and they both remain aware of the situation. It feels extemporaneous.

I also like that when Zhao Yunlan seems on the verge of taking the couple vibe too far and speaking for the Black-Cloaked Envoy about showing mercy to Yehuo, Shen Wei makes the boundary clear. But he does show mercy and explains why, and I love Zhao Yunlan's reaction because he approves and because he guessed/knew Shen Wei would do so. They are on the same page here, which I enjoy watching so much.

Their body language with each other is relaxed (in Shen Wei's case, less tense, I guess 😄). Zhao Yunlan throughout the scene is slouchy, gesturing, smiling. But he listens seriously to Yehuo, and to me it seems like Zhao Yunlan is performing his nonchalant act.

Zhao Yunlan's scolding of the kidnappers about being in school sort of reminded me of Zhao Yunlan in episode 4 telling Lin Yusen to graduate and come back to the SID. Zhao Yunlan worried about the kids of today?!

There is the fascinating worldbuilding tidbit that Shen Wei tried to get schools in Dixing but his proposals were turned down!

What do you think Yehuo told Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan on the way? They don't seem surprised at the situation, and they don't act as if they believe that the kidnappers will follow through on their threats. Why?

Do you accept Shen Wei's account of why there are no schools in Dixing? If so, who rejected his proposals and why?

Were there schools in pre-meteorite ancient times that Shen Wei remembers? Or did he get the idea for schools while being on Haixing as the Black-Cloaked Envoy?

Do you think Zhao Yunlan's "unprepared and just talking nonsense to stall for time" is true? Or was it a way of defusing the situation? Or getting a read on the kidnappers? All of the above?

Come discuss this scene! Thoughts, theories, ideas, plot bunnies, squee, fanwork recs... Anything related to this scene welcome!

Comments

[maggie33]

This is a great post with lovely pics. I love this scene so much, too, for the same reasons you do - their couple vibe, the banter, the fond looks.

Shen Wei: "You cannot go."

Zhao Yunlan: "Can too."

Shen Wei: "I said you can't, so you can't."

That exchange always makes me laugh.

And I love Ye Huo, so I love this scene for him, too. Especially that talk with Chu Shuzhi, when Ye Huo says he envies Chu Shuzhi his life here. I really wish that Ye Huo stayed as a new member of the SID. He would be a great addition to the team. :)

[trobadora]

Yeah, agreed, he'd make a great SID member! I loved when he came back at the end.

[sakana17]

Yes, it's a great Ye Huo scene, too. I think the Ye Huo parts are worthy of their own post. :) I would've loved to see him join the SID or at least see more of him working with the SID. I always thought it was so cool when he came back to help.

[shadaras]

Yes! Ye Huo is fantastic and I would love to see more content about him. :) He's so steady, and so dedicated to protecting and helping people, and this scene really brings out how well he can work with the SID.

[nnozomi]

Wonderful post about a wonderful scene! I’m so glad you picked this one out to discuss. I love this conversation. It’s visually so nice to look at—they’re both wearing the same colors, dark-ish blue over white, but in denim versus a three-piece suit, and with the added contrast of Zhao Yunlan’s slouch (only Zhao Yunlan could lounge while standing up and not leaning against anything) and Shen Wei’s plumb-straight back. Also, Shen Wei’s expression during most of their private conversation is a joy to observe—the situation is serious and the matter under discussion is serious and Zhao Yunlan is being a brat, he is not going to smile at him, but oh does he ever want to.
I have a lot of feelings about Shen Wei and education and Dixing (6K-odd worth of them previously expressed in fic); I imagine that, having seen how schools and universities work in modern-day Haixing, he applied to the Regent to start some in Dixing and got a bureaucratic runaround (education being the enemy of the Regent’s easy-going dictatorship? also, maybe the Regent has legitimate budget concerns?). I think it probably breaks his heart that education is his vocation in Haixing and yet he can’t bring any of it to his own people (and the rigidity of the Black-Cloaked Envoy’s role is working against him in himself as well?).
(It’s tangential to this scene but I also love the bits of non-SW/ZYL comic relief not discussed here: Da Qing and Lin Jing being peeved rather than frightened to be taken hostage, Guo Changcheng and Chu Shuzhi doing their newlywed thing and getting sassed for it by Da Qing...playing nicely off the stronger emotional resonance of the main conversation as you’ve shown it here.)

[marycrawford]

LOLOL I was just looking at that argument screenshot and admiring ZYL's body language -- but this

only Zhao Yunlan could lounge while standing up and not leaning against anything

sums it up best of all. It's a rare talent and he has it!

[trobadora]

the situation is serious and the matter under discussion is serious and Zhao Yunlan is being a brat, he is not going to smile at him, but oh does he ever want to

Haha, I love how you put that!

Totally agreed, this whole scene is a delight.

[sakana17]

only Zhao Yunlan could lounge while standing up and not leaning against anything

This is perfect, yes!

Shen Wei’s expression during most of their private conversation is a joy to observe

It is. I think he's trying so hard not to smile at Zhao Yunlan's bratty trolling.

I imagine that, having seen how schools and universities work in modern-day Haixing, he applied to the Regent to start some in Dixing and got a bureaucratic runaround (education being the enemy of the Regent’s easy-going dictatorship? also, maybe the Regent has legitimate budget concerns?)

I lay the blame on the Regent, but I'm biased against the Regent... That's a good point about the budget. Dixing isn't exactly thriving, from what we can see. But yeah, my anti-Regent bias tells me it's more because he'd feel threatened by a more educated citizenry who could start asking perceptive questions about the status quo.

I think it probably breaks his heart that education is his vocation in Haixing and yet he can’t bring any of it to his own people

;___;

[china_shop]

It’s visually so nice to look at—they’re both wearing the same colors, dark-ish blue over white, but in denim versus a three-piece suit

They're even both wearing subtle checks!! ♥____♥

Guo Changcheng and Chu Shuzhi doing their newlywed thing

Changcheng is so pleased with himself for zapping two humans who were already restrained. Hee!

[dorinda]

I'm so glad you chose this scene--I adore it! It has such good characterization of Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan, and how their relationship has developed: in dialogue, of course, but also, as your screencaps do a great job of showing, in their body language and facial expressions.

They're so married, basically. :D Totally in sync, as you show well. And it does a good job of showing how Zhao Yunlan has his own position with Shen Wei that he is comfortably settled into, not intimidated by the fact that his man is also Hei Pao Shi. He's happy to go "Can too" and "You need a good PR man" and "You didn't even set up any schools lol", noodge noodge, being playful and teasing and very much himself. They both lovingly troll each other in their own specific ways. And in front of other people, too! It says a lot about Shen Wei and his development, to me, that by this point he's comfortable being so coupley in public.

I always think that the banter and chit-chat and delay is related to what you ask about what Yehuo might have told Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan about the kidnappers on the way over. I think then they know that the kids are young, impulsive, scared, rudderless. So that situation would not benefit at all from a forward charge. Instead they hang back, establish a calm/scolding parental authority (why aren't you kids in school!), chat with each other... defusing, getting a better read on the situation. I'm not sure if Zhao Yunlan specifically knows or expects Lao Chu and Guo Changcheng will slip in while the kidnappers are distracted, but I could see it--or at least, he'd know they'd be on their way eventually.

One thing I hadn't thought directly about until your post, is how important this scene is for establishing the link between SID and Yehuo, in both directions. They learn important things about him--how he rescues the at-risk youth, but also how he takes responsibility for them, asking Shen Wei & Zhao Yunlan to forgive them, plus taking responsibility for his own actions, saying he knows he has to be taken back. They see how much of a protector he is, conscientious, mature. And in return, he sees how they, and Hei Pao Shi, operate--with justice, but tempered with wisdom and mercy. And in the banter, he sees other things, like them keeping calm, not overreacting, playing the subtle game (instead of ego and violence, running in to the situation head-on which might make one of the inexperienced young hostage-takers panic and actually hurt someone). With all of that, it's no wonder that Yehuo ends up willing and even happy to work with them later, when the chips are down.

I'm always curious about the question of the schools. It's a very long time to go without them, so I figure it could be that Dixing had some form of them in the past, but then their culture declined (possibly the final decline correlating with the eventual loss/scattering of the Tools?), so they didn't have them once Hei Pao Shi was up and about. I'm never sure about how the authority works, in terms of Shen Wei wanting to enact some policy and not being able to. Is any policy vulnerable to a single veto, from the Lord, Regent, or Envoy? That would certainly make it hard to get anything done. (And before the Envoy woke back up, the Regent wouldn't have had to share as much of the power, that's for sure, so he would love the power a single veto would bring.) Are there other powerful people that a policymaker needs to get on his side, like does/did Dixing have important and influential families? People with particularly useful (dangerous) hereditary powers whom tradition says should be kept happy so they never turn against the Palace?

[trobadora]

OMG, this is a wonderful comment.

They both lovingly troll each other in their own specific ways. And in front of other people, too!

Yes! I really love that about them both, and seeing them so openly comfortable with each other is fantastic.

how important this scene is for establishing the link between SID and Yehuo, in both directions

I hadn't thought about it that way either, not until you laid it out so clearly! You're 100% right, and I completely agree that between Ye Huo's maturity and willingness to take responsibility, and the Envoy's and the SID's willingness to show mercy, and their obvious approval of what Ye Huo did, they're establishing a very solid foundation for what comes later. And the drama does that without making it obvious it's going anywhere! I love that. :D

[sakana17]

They're so married, basically. 

They are! I loooove that about this scene.

It says a lot about Shen Wei and his development, to me, that by this point he's comfortable being so coupley in public.

That's a great point. They are doing their married bantering in front of Yehuo and the kidnappers, and Shen Wei isn't unwillingly being dragged into it by Zhao Yunlan. He's sassing right back.

what Yehuo might have told Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan about the kidnappers on the way over. I think then they know that the kids are young, impulsive, scared, rudderless. So that situation would not benefit at all from a forward charge.

Yes - I hadn't thought deeply about it before working on the post, but I believe Yehuo must've told them that these are scared kids acting on impulse, but they're not bad kids at heart. Something like that. My guess is he doesn't have time to tell them the full story that he relates during the flashback.

establish a calm/scolding parental authority

I hadn't thought about it this way before, but yes! And that adds to the Married Couple vibe: the Dads scolding the kids.

how important this scene is for establishing the link between SID and Yehuo

The Yehuo parts of this scene are worthy of a separate post. I really like Yehuo, but I couldn't do justice to him in this scene. I love your point about how he learns important things about Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan in this scene, and it lays a good foundation for everything that comes next and his ultimate decision to help & work with them later.

So many great questions about Dixing's government and how things get done there! So much food for thought! Single-vote veto seems likely, though it's intriguing to think that if a proposal needs a 2/3 majority from the triumvirate, the Dijun Lord also voted against schools. We don't know much about the Dijun Lord, but we see that he can ring his bell when the Regent isn't expecting him to, and that implies some level of agency.

[marycrawford]

Too many screencaps? NEVER. I especially love your attention to the bits where either ZYL or SW are out of focus, but we can still see them react. Zhao Yunlan's little responsive faces are just so cute, damn. And the body language, with the thumbs into the jean pockets and the way his upper body curves away in that "so I can" moment!

I agree so much about loving to see them in such balance - trolling each other juuuuust a bit, couple vibe, the way they are both so aligned on what justice and mercy should mean.

[trobadora]

I love it so much when they're trolling, and I'm so happy everyone else loves it too. Troll!Shen Wei is my favourite, of course. :D

[sakana17]

Too many screencaps? NEVER.

:D I weeded out a good 7 or 8 other ones because I went overboard, between Zhao Yunlan's facial expressions and changes of posture, and Shen Wei looking at him.

trolling each other juuuuust a bit, couple vibe, the way they are both so aligned on what justice and mercy should mean

Yes! It's such a lovely scene of them.

[trobadora]

Zhao Yunlan gestures at him and tells Shen Wei it's because Shen Wei doesn't put himself in the shoes of the decision makers. (…) Then he says, "Next time, I'll come along to handle your PR."

Zhao Yunlan is being pretty flippant here, partly on purpose because they’re trolling the kidnappers, but also partly because he still doesn't really get Dixing. And yet I always wonder how much he really does believe what he’s saying ...

Shen Wei: "You cannot go."
Zhao Yunlan: "Can too."
Shen Wei: "I said you can't, so you can't."

I really love their banter, but I also love that it's literally true: if Shen Wei doesn't agree, Zhao Yunlan can't go. And Zhao Yunlan is totally undaunted by that, but also, Shen Wei is willing to say no if there's not a good reason. Now, what counts as a good-enough reason is obviously highly changeable, but still – unlike some, I don't think Shen Wei can't/won't say no to Zhao Yunlan. And conversely, Zhao Yunlan is brattily insisting here, but when Shen Wei later goes to Dixing alone – the first time he gets captured - he tells Zhao Yunlan to wait until he has word from him, and Zhao Yunlan does, even though he's fretting and clearly doesn't want to sit there doing nothing.

he's specifically referring to the Zheng Yi and Tan Xiao case from episodes 12-14

Oooh! I didn't remember that at all! I love the specific callback to the Zheng Yi case. It clearly mattered a lot to Zhao Yunlan back when it happened, seeing the truth of the Envoy's mercy after the Envoy had just officially taken Zheng Yi away, so this is great both from a continuity POV and on the characterisation front.

Because Yehuo used his power to protect people, not harm them, Shen Wei can show extrajudicial mercy.

He doesn't say extrajudicial, though, does he? In fact, he starts with "Dixing has its own rules", which both serves as a rebuke to Zhao Yunlan and as a reminder what role he's speaking in. I mean, the Zheng Yi case was obviously him doing one thing officially and then unofficially letting Zheng Yi off the hook, but here, it sounds to me like he's talking within the boundaries of what he's allowed to judge in his role as Envoy.

Btw, what I find interesting is that they never talk about the kidnappers when it comes to taking Dixingren back to Dixing, just about Ye Huo himself, so are they all human? There's a scene earlier this episode when they’re following Ye Huo's motorbike and lose him, so they use the black energy detector, and there’s one source that's Ye Huo's and another at the house where the kidnappers are – doesn't that suggest at least some of the boys are Dixingren as well? Am I missing something else?

This is one of my favorite WeiLan scenes, because I love their bantering/bickering/trolling here. It's got a bratty Zhao Yunlan dynamic, but it's balanced by Shen Wei trolling him right back.

They're so in synch! And their bantering is so comfortable and familiar! I love it. :D

I also like that when Zhao Yunlan seems on the verge of taking the couple vibe too far and speaking for the Black-Cloaked Envoy about showing mercy to Yehuo, Shen Wei makes the boundary clear.

YES. This is so important to me. Zhao Yunlan has a tendency to talk over Shen Wei when it comes to Dixing matters that I find a bit uncomfortable at times, but Shen Wei does put a stop to it when it goes too far, and Zhao Yunlan does listen to him.

But he does show mercy and explains why, and I love Zhao Yunlan's reaction because he approves and because he guessed/knew Shen Wei would do so. They are on the same page here, which I enjoy watching so much.

All of this! ♥ ♥ ♥

What do you think Yehuo told Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan on the way? They don't seem surprised at the situation, and they don't act as if they believe that the kidnappers will follow through on their threats. Why?

I think he must have told them enough about the young men he's been protecting – trying to defend them/protect them even now, from the SID/the Envoy – that they could be reasonably sure they weren’t an actual threat. Or they'd have approached the situation very differently. Instead they were more interested in getting them to listen and cooperate rather than capturing them.

Do you accept Shen Wei's account of why there are no schools in Dixing? If so, who rejected his proposals and why?

The Regent, presumably? He seems to be in charge of Dixing internal matters. The Envoy seems to be mainly responsible for law enforcement/judgment, and I assume he doesn't really have a say on other subjects. He even had to intercede with the Regent when it came to showing mercy to the Shadow Man, so he’s not in charge of sentencing either, though he does seem to have some power there.

Were there schools in pre-meteorite ancient times that Shen Wei remembers? Or did he get the idea for schools while being on Haixing as the Black-Cloaked Envoy?

I think probably not. Haixing presumably also had no schools back then. So Shen Wei got the idea from modern-day Haixing.

Do you think Zhao Yunlan's "unprepared and just talking nonsense to stall for time" is true? Or was it a way of defusing the situation? Or getting a read on the kidnappers? All of the above?

I think it was partly stalling for time (because they knew Lao-Chu and Xiao-Guo were on their way), but also, defusing the situation and getting the kidnappers to cooperate, because they didn't actually want to arrest them – they clearly haven’t talked about it before, but I think they were on the same page about that regardless.

[dorinda]

I will say that for all Zhao Yunlan doesn't really get Dixing, he's actually completely correct about Hei Pao Shi's PR problem! Later in the show, a lot of the trouble comes from the garbled whisper networks about him in Dixing-- 'I heard the Envoy is a traitor', 'it was the Envoy who got us stuck down here', 'oh this guy is actually the Envoy, burning the treaty', etc. If only he could have better and more accurate/responsive information channels!

[trobadora]

He definitely has a PR problem, but a Haixingren getting involved in it would probably lead to even more problems on the "he's in league with Haixing and doesn't really care about us" front ...

[china_shop]

I mean, I think Zhao Yunlan has a point in that out of his and Shen Wei's respective politicking styles, Shen Wei seems more likely to me to come at things straight-on and butt heads, which would just make the Regent dig his heels in to preserve his own standing, whereas Zhao Yunlan is more likely to come up with sly/manipulative manoeuvres. So Zhao Yunlan's observing and then privately giving Shen Wei advice and helping him counter-scheme might help? And then Shen Wei's principles and understanding of Dixing and its laws could temper those schemes?

Also, while I'm here:

so they use the black energy detector, and there’s one source that's Ye Huo's and another at the house where the kidnappers are – doesn't that suggest at least some of the boys are Dixingren as well? Am I missing something else?

Could it be Da Qing? I assumed all Ye Huo's followers were humans, or wouldn't Shen Wei have had to take the Dixingren away somewhere?

[trobadora]

Zhao Yunlan giving advice definitely would be likely to help, agreed! If he'd said "I'm going to help you solve your PR problem" I would have had no objections. *g*

Could it be Da Qing? I assumed all Ye Huo's followers were humans, or wouldn't Shen Wei have had to take the Dixingren away somewhere?

Da Qing isn't there, though? At that point, the SID members haven't found the place yet - they discover the two black energy signatures, and SW and ZYL take off after the one (Ye Huo), while Lin Jing and Da Qing take off after the other (which leads them to the house, where they get captured).

And yeah, that's my question exactly! He let Ye Huo off the hook, so he might have let them off the hook too, but at least it should have come up ...

[china_shop]

Da Qing isn't there, though? At that point, the SID members haven't found the place yet - they discover the two black energy signatures, and SW and ZYL take off after the one (Ye Huo), while Lin Jing and Da Qing take off after the other (which leads them to the house, where they get captured).

Oh, right. Then I've got nothing.

[sakana17]

He doesn't say extrajudicial, though, does he?

"Extrajudicial mercy" is from the fansubs QCed by solo. The file I have is dated August 2019; maybe the fansubs have been changed since then. I didn't check to see what Amazon or Viki used. FWIW, the Chinese is 我可以法外开恩。(Wǒ kě yǐ fǎ wài kāi'ēn), which Google translates as "I can do it outside the law" or "I can do something outside the law." 法 means law or rule. Maybe it's more like "I can bend the rules"?

Haixing presumably also had no schools back then. So Shen Wei got the idea from modern-day Haixing.

Oh, actually I meant modern Haixing in my question, but now that I look at it, I see how that's not clear since he was Black-Cloaked Envoy on Haixing in both ancient and modern times. Ugh, I apologize for my stupidity!

[trobadora]

No, you're right, I have no idea how I missed the actual line when I was talking about the meaning of the line ... It does seem to mean literally extrajudicial mercy. Sorry! Hm, then how does that go together with Shen Wei starting out invoking Dixing's rules? Maybe he means he doesn't need to invoke the law? I wish I understood more Chinese!

And no worries, it should have been clear from context. I don't seem to have been very awake writing my comment yesterday!

[melinoel616]

This is "They Are So Married" the scene. I half expected the kidnappers to tell those two lovebirds to get a room, but "Are you even listening?!" works too. XD

(And I agree with everyone who said there is no such thing as too many screenshots! Heck, my post had a lot too.)

Anyway, I'm glad to tackled this scene because it takes place during my second-favorite case in the drama. I love the underground fighting ring case so much, and our smitten dorks being their overwhelmingly charming selves is half of it. Thank you for providing notes on body language and conversational dynamics, because I'd be too busy gushing and laughing to give any kind of concrete analyses.

There is the fascinating worldbuilding tidbit that Shen Wei tried to get schools in Dixing but his proposals were turned down!

I love this tidbit too, but I think it's even more fascinating with the fact the original (and rejected) ending of the drama had Zhao Yunlan building the first school in Dixing after resigning from the SID. In theory I like having an idea echo and come full circle, which happens a lot in the drama with cases and character development with the main cast, but the execution seemed to be very sloppy. Though it does mean Zhao Yunlan giving PR advice to the bartender and a handful of references to Dixing lacking schools (including the same bartender asking ZYL "What's a school?" at one point) all feel like an abandoned plot thread.

Some fanfics have tackled providing education opportunities to Dixing, and it's something definitely worth exploring further. Which leads me to...

Do you accept Shen Wei's account of why there are no schools in Dixing? If so, who rejected his proposals and why?

To put it bluntly, I 100% accept Shen Wei's account because the Regent is an obstructionist politician. He doesn't genuinely want Dixing to improve; he just wants to maintain the power he has and thus the status quo. An education system means giving people access to knowledge and nurturing the ability to think; both are tools that can be used to reform (at best) or topple (at worst) the government. Unfortunately, while he does believe in giving people opportunities to thrive, Shen Wei is just Heipaoshi, an iconic war hero, not a politician. The Regent has the power and agency to enact change, but he refuses to act because he believes it does not benefit him in any way.

(Meanwhile the Lord of Dixing is too busy completing paperwork for what systems are in place, and that stuff alone can kill him in a handful of years. Such an overtaxed machine keeping the ship from sinking cannot advocate for a revolutionary way to navigate the turbulent oceans.)

Were there schools in pre-meteorite ancient times that Shen Wei remembers? Or did he get the idea for schools while being on Haixing as the Black-Cloaked Envoy?

There probably were no schools at all back then. Even if the best world Dixing was a well structured society with an education system, the meteorite did send the planet into an era of ecological and societal turmoil. The fact Dixingren don't use or know the word "school" or "hospital" is damning enough for the 10,000-year-old state of their society to horrify anyone.

Based on how baby!Shen Wei views the world in the past, I don't think he knew life outside of survival existed. Or, if he could conceive of a world where he wasn't just a nomad and a soldier, he didn't know how to make it become a tangible reality. OR, maybe he had a handful of memories of a time when he received some education - through his parents or through a school - but that was so long in the past that he only has the subconscious notion of "gather information to solve problems", aka learning. (Though that can call into question if SW is naturally an intellectual even without his powers or if it comes solely from his dark energy power to learn.) We don't spend a lot of time in the past, but babby!Shen Wei seemed to want something that he never got to vocalize because Zhao Yunlan interrupted him. Maybe that was when he'd talk about education, or maybe he'd talk about his desire to learn and cultivate curious minds in a peaceful place (only he's lacking the vocabulary).

To me it makes more sense for Shen Wei to be recently exposed to a school and feel so passionately about it that he embraces education for personal enjoyment, his cover's employment, and Heipaoshi's part-time cause. But canon is so open-ended at times that I can understand someone having a different interpretation.

Yikes, this comment went on WAY too long! o_O

Sorry if I didn't add much to this post; I have a lot of thoughts about the school stuff and Dixing that I really want to explore more of in fics.

[sakana17]

Really interesting points about education and Dixing and young Shen Wei! There's so much there that can be explored in fic.

[china_shop]

asklfas;dlfkaadsklfja;sdlfksd I love everything about a) this scene, b) your post about this scene (the screencaps are gorgeous), c) Zhao Yunlan's cute faces!!!, d) their mutual trolling, e) Shen Wei cutting Zhao Yunlan off when he oversteps, f) Chu Shuzhi joining in the trolling, g) all of it! :D :D :D :D :D

I've been reading the discussion and enjoying it immensely, too. <3

A few minor thoughts:

Zhao Yunlan says they can find a place for them to settle.

Given he doesn't explain to Chu Shuzhi what to do, this makes me wonder if the SID has safe houses in other cities, and what they might be used for.

Do you accept Shen Wei's account of why there are no schools in Dixing? If so, who rejected his proposals and why?

I suspect the Dijun rejected the proposals at the Regent's urging, probably on the grounds of funding, resources and/or tradition. I think Shen Wei has jurisdiction in Haixing, which is why he can yell at the Regent while the Regent grovels in ep 15, at the SID, but the Dijun rules Dixing with the Regent as his prime minister/grand vizier/puppet master (though as noted, the Dijun does overrule the Regent when it comes to An Bai), so Shen Wei has to petition the Regent on the Shadow Man's behalf and stand by while An Bai and co are threatened with execution. I suspect most petitions to the Dijun go through the Regent.

On another note, I remember the first time I watched this scene, I fully expected Lin Jing's eavesdropping device to reveal Shen Wei's identity (rather than being a shortcut to Bo Bi learning the truth), and I'm still a little bemused that Lin Jing managed to listen in on half the conversation and didn't put it together. (And also that Da Qing and Bo Bi could apparently hear what was going on via Lin Jing's ear piece?) Even when Lin Jing & co show up outside the building, Shen Wei tells Ye Huo, "You should leave the city as soon as possible" in a tone that is not very Professor Shen, civilian consultant to the SID-ish, and no one seems to notice. :-)

[trobadora]

Oh hey, that's an excellent point about the potential reveal of Shen Wei's identity! Damn, now I want to rewatch the scene again from that perspective in particular ... and I want to know what Lin Jing and Da Qing made of what they heard!

[china_shop]

There are so many pieces of evidence that Lin Jing picks up along the way (the evidence bed test!) that I half think he worked it out but decided not to say anything. Secret-keepers solidarity?

[trobadora]

I like the idea of him realising afterwards that he had all the piees and somehow never put them together. (Because every time he started thinking in that direction he got distracted by a webnovel updating or something. *g*)

(There's a fic in there, isn't there? Five times Lin Jing could have realised Professor Shen was the Black-Cloaked Envoy, or something ...)

[china_shop]

(Because every time he started thinking in that direction he got distracted by a webnovel updating or something. *g*)

LOL!

(I think it's already on my to-write list. *g*)

[trobadora]

Hee! :D

[sakana17]

Given he doesn't explain to Chu Shuzhi what to do, this makes me wonder if the SID has safe houses in other cities, and what they might be used for.

I wondered about this, too, when I was typing up notes for the post.

I remember the first time I watched this scene, I fully expected Lin Jing's eavesdropping device to reveal Shen Wei's identity

I thought the same thing. This time, I watched carefully and we never clearly see when Lin Jing puts the listening device away.