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sid_guardian2021-08-28 11:05 am
china_shop) wrote in sid_guardian2021-08-28 11:05 am
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Focus on: "I'm worried you'll be too excited to sleep", episode 14
Episode 14, 41:41 to 42:15 (here on Youtube)
I used Viki's subs, and lightly edited them.
On Shen Wei's first day officially working with the SID, after a restaurant dinner with xiao-Guo's uncle followed by a street-food dinner with the SID team, Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei walk together to their respective front doors. Cong Bo is covertly watching, but I'm mostly ignoring that.
The scene starts with them walking down the hallway towards camera. Zhao Yunlan's arm is slung across Shen Wei's shoulders, and when we cut to them, Shen Wei is looking at Zhao Yunlan's hand in a way that suggests Zhao Yunlan only just put it there, and Shen Wei isn't in the mood for this. Not cross, just "oh, you're still being like this."
Zhao Yunlan: Hei-laoge, we are one family now.
黑老哥从今天起咱可就是一家人了
Shen Wei doesn't react: Goodnight.
晚安
Zhao Yunlan raises his voice as Shen Wei turns away: If you need anything, come to me anytime.
那个有什么事 随时找我
Shen Wei turns back, asking a genuine question: What thing would I need?
我会有什么事
Zhao Yunlan acts serious: Come on. Today is your first day joining us, and I'm worried...
看你说的 今天呢 是你正式加盟我处的第一天 我这不是怕你
Zhao Yunlan, cont. leans in and down until they're at eye level and grins: ...you'll be too excited to sleep.
晚上兴奋得睡不着觉吗
Shen Wei is not charmed, does not reply, just digs his keys out of his bag and turns away.
Zhao Yunlan is not at all deterred by Shen Wei's non-response: Bye, sleep early.
行了 你早点休息啊
This scene sets up the Cong Bo blackmail plot, but it's also a lovely character moment between the two of them. They've been on the same page at moments throughout the day -- in the Department of Supervision before their meeting with Minister Gao, and in the car after dinner with xiao-Guo's uncle -- they obviously get each other and like each other, but there's also been a fundamental mismatch of moods and attitudes, as I described in my post on the car singing scene. Zhao Yunlan is buoyed up on high spirits at having learned Shen Wei's secret and successfully recruited him. Like he told Da Qing in episode 8, "I feel happy every time we work together." So he's being handsy, saying they're family, teasing Shen Wei about not being able to sleep. And the way he bends down to deliver his punchline is perhaps even a bit patronising -- or at least provocative.
Shen Wei, otoh, has had a long couple of days. He's still adjusting to Zhao Yunlan knowing his secret and possibly still unconvinced of the wisdom of working directly with the SID (uncomfortable with it, worried it will bring the SID into further danger, concerned about the consequences for his position at the university). Zhao Yunlan's gloating is neither appropriate nor welcome! And as in the car singing scene, Shen Wei isn't trying to hide his discomfort by being polite or conciliatory. He's being real, his expression and tone serious as he refuses to engage with the teasing.
On a technical level, the scene has no music, no close-ups and no fancy lighting. The only visual disruption is when we briefly see the guys through the screen on Cong Bo's camera.
The main reason I chose this scene is becausetrobadora and I had an email exchange about it a couple of years ago. Posting here with permission.
me: I watched this scene DOZENS of times when I was writing [a Shen Wei POV fic set at this point in canon], and the more I watched it, the more it felt like from the inside, it's not actually flirty. Zhao Yunlan is doing his "happy teasing IN YOUR FACE" thing, like he was in the car with the singing, and Shen Wei is barely responding AT ALL. It made me think that the interaction is actually much flirtier to the casual viewer...
(...which also made me go, "Why isn't Cong Bo jumping to unfounded conclusions, like he always does? Is it just assumption of heterosexuality?")
Trobadora: Yeah, I really don't read it as actually flirty either! Zhao Yunlan is poking at Shen Wei, and Shen Wei is not really there for being poked in that particular way. But also isn't actively pissed off - I read him as much less pissy than earlier, and more just "UGH YOU" here. I suppose it's the sentiment he arrived at in the car, toward the end when he couldn't quite hide his smile.
me: I think Zhao Yunlan could super easily shade into being flirty if Shen Wei gave him any encouragement at all, but he doesn't.
And I can see why people read it as flirty: all that draping himself over Shen Wei, and the smiling and teasing. From other people, that exact behaviour would be flirty and even overly pushy, but somehow it's not from Zhao Yunlan -- maybe because we get to see exactly how shamelessly flirty he can be? Maybe because his flirtiness is often more tempting than pushy, like smiling up at Shen Wei through his eyelashes?
Trobadora: YES! That's exactly it. He's hanging all over Shen Wei, but it's just NOT flirty. When Zhao Yunlan is being genuinely flirty he tends to be more passive/inviting, and when he's being pushy it's mostly about something else. I really adore that about him.
me: Oh, yes! That's a great way of putting it!!! \o/
What do you think? Do you read this scene as flirty? What do you think is going through Shen Wei's mind? In what ways is it the same as or different from the car singing scene?
This is at the end of episode 14, and in episode 15, Zhao Yunlan has changed his hair. ("[A]ccording to several sources easily found with a Google search, in traditional Chinese culture women change their hair when they are married. Long and braided --> Tied back." Tumblr post: Weilan is Canon?) What prompts the hair change? Do you think it's supposed to indicate that Shen Wei takes Zhao Yunlan up on his offer? That this is the point when they get together? Or could Zhao Yunlan just be declaring his interest/commitment?
I have a couple of fanworks inspired by this scene, and I found a bunch more on AO3:
Dare to Hold bytrobadora - Mature. Zhao Yunlan lifts an open palm, his smile turning into a grin. "Welcome to the SID!" And then, because his brain-to-mouth filter is plainly broken, and upsetting Shen Wei to a previously unknown degree apparently calls for an encore, he adds, "Though I'm wondering, why do I get the impression you'd have been less upset if I'd asked for a kiss?"
Set the night on fire by![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
yantantether - Mature. Even Shen Wei’s self-control has its limits.
One Door Closes, Another Opens bysakana17 - Mature. Zhao Yunlan accidentally spends the night with Shen Wei.
It's Not the Fall That Kills You byEliza - Teen. Shen Wei could still feel the heat of where Zhao Yunlan had pressed up against him as they walked down this hallway barely an hour earlier.
if I kiss you (kisses will end) byumadoshi - Explicit. (Locked to the archive.)
every day closer bychina_shop - Teen. The end of the team dinner, and what came after.
Alignment bychina_shop - Teen. The night after Shen Wei’s first day with the SID, Zhao Yunlan wakes from a nightmare and needs to talk to him.
Please link to any other fanworks that deal with this scene! I imagine there's a lot more out there! :-)
I used Viki's subs, and lightly edited them.
On Shen Wei's first day officially working with the SID, after a restaurant dinner with xiao-Guo's uncle followed by a street-food dinner with the SID team, Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei walk together to their respective front doors. Cong Bo is covertly watching, but I'm mostly ignoring that.
The scene starts with them walking down the hallway towards camera. Zhao Yunlan's arm is slung across Shen Wei's shoulders, and when we cut to them, Shen Wei is looking at Zhao Yunlan's hand in a way that suggests Zhao Yunlan only just put it there, and Shen Wei isn't in the mood for this. Not cross, just "oh, you're still being like this."
Zhao Yunlan: Hei-laoge, we are one family now.
黑老哥从今天起咱可就是一家人了
Shen Wei doesn't react: Goodnight.
晚安
Zhao Yunlan raises his voice as Shen Wei turns away: If you need anything, come to me anytime.
那个有什么事 随时找我
Shen Wei turns back, asking a genuine question: What thing would I need?
我会有什么事
Zhao Yunlan acts serious: Come on. Today is your first day joining us, and I'm worried...
看你说的 今天呢 是你正式加盟我处的第一天 我这不是怕你
Zhao Yunlan, cont. leans in and down until they're at eye level and grins: ...you'll be too excited to sleep.
晚上兴奋得睡不着觉吗
Shen Wei is not charmed, does not reply, just digs his keys out of his bag and turns away.
Zhao Yunlan is not at all deterred by Shen Wei's non-response: Bye, sleep early.
行了 你早点休息啊
General thoughts
This scene sets up the Cong Bo blackmail plot, but it's also a lovely character moment between the two of them. They've been on the same page at moments throughout the day -- in the Department of Supervision before their meeting with Minister Gao, and in the car after dinner with xiao-Guo's uncle -- they obviously get each other and like each other, but there's also been a fundamental mismatch of moods and attitudes, as I described in my post on the car singing scene. Zhao Yunlan is buoyed up on high spirits at having learned Shen Wei's secret and successfully recruited him. Like he told Da Qing in episode 8, "I feel happy every time we work together." So he's being handsy, saying they're family, teasing Shen Wei about not being able to sleep. And the way he bends down to deliver his punchline is perhaps even a bit patronising -- or at least provocative.
Shen Wei, otoh, has had a long couple of days. He's still adjusting to Zhao Yunlan knowing his secret and possibly still unconvinced of the wisdom of working directly with the SID (uncomfortable with it, worried it will bring the SID into further danger, concerned about the consequences for his position at the university). Zhao Yunlan's gloating is neither appropriate nor welcome! And as in the car singing scene, Shen Wei isn't trying to hide his discomfort by being polite or conciliatory. He's being real, his expression and tone serious as he refuses to engage with the teasing.
On a technical level, the scene has no music, no close-ups and no fancy lighting. The only visual disruption is when we briefly see the guys through the screen on Cong Bo's camera.
Zhao Yunlan's flirting
The main reason I chose this scene is because
trobadora and I had an email exchange about it a couple of years ago. Posting here with permission.me: I watched this scene DOZENS of times when I was writing [a Shen Wei POV fic set at this point in canon], and the more I watched it, the more it felt like from the inside, it's not actually flirty. Zhao Yunlan is doing his "happy teasing IN YOUR FACE" thing, like he was in the car with the singing, and Shen Wei is barely responding AT ALL. It made me think that the interaction is actually much flirtier to the casual viewer...
(...which also made me go, "Why isn't Cong Bo jumping to unfounded conclusions, like he always does? Is it just assumption of heterosexuality?")
Trobadora: Yeah, I really don't read it as actually flirty either! Zhao Yunlan is poking at Shen Wei, and Shen Wei is not really there for being poked in that particular way. But also isn't actively pissed off - I read him as much less pissy than earlier, and more just "UGH YOU" here. I suppose it's the sentiment he arrived at in the car, toward the end when he couldn't quite hide his smile.
me: I think Zhao Yunlan could super easily shade into being flirty if Shen Wei gave him any encouragement at all, but he doesn't.
And I can see why people read it as flirty: all that draping himself over Shen Wei, and the smiling and teasing. From other people, that exact behaviour would be flirty and even overly pushy, but somehow it's not from Zhao Yunlan -- maybe because we get to see exactly how shamelessly flirty he can be? Maybe because his flirtiness is often more tempting than pushy, like smiling up at Shen Wei through his eyelashes?
Trobadora: YES! That's exactly it. He's hanging all over Shen Wei, but it's just NOT flirty. When Zhao Yunlan is being genuinely flirty he tends to be more passive/inviting, and when he's being pushy it's mostly about something else. I really adore that about him.
me: Oh, yes! That's a great way of putting it!!! \o/
Questions
What do you think? Do you read this scene as flirty? What do you think is going through Shen Wei's mind? In what ways is it the same as or different from the car singing scene?
This is at the end of episode 14, and in episode 15, Zhao Yunlan has changed his hair. ("[A]ccording to several sources easily found with a Google search, in traditional Chinese culture women change their hair when they are married. Long and braided --> Tied back." Tumblr post: Weilan is Canon?) What prompts the hair change? Do you think it's supposed to indicate that Shen Wei takes Zhao Yunlan up on his offer? That this is the point when they get together? Or could Zhao Yunlan just be declaring his interest/commitment?
I have a couple of fanworks inspired by this scene, and I found a bunch more on AO3:
Dare to Hold by
trobadora - Mature. Zhao Yunlan lifts an open palm, his smile turning into a grin. "Welcome to the SID!" And then, because his brain-to-mouth filter is plainly broken, and upsetting Shen Wei to a previously unknown degree apparently calls for an encore, he adds, "Though I'm wondering, why do I get the impression you'd have been less upset if I'd asked for a kiss?"Set the night on fire by
One Door Closes, Another Opens by
sakana17 - Mature. Zhao Yunlan accidentally spends the night with Shen Wei.It's Not the Fall That Kills You by
if I kiss you (kisses will end) by
umadoshi - Explicit. (Locked to the archive.)every day closer by
china_shop - Teen. The end of the team dinner, and what came after.Alignment by
china_shop - Teen. The night after Shen Wei’s first day with the SID, Zhao Yunlan wakes from a nightmare and needs to talk to him.Please link to any other fanworks that deal with this scene! I imagine there's a lot more out there! :-)
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He really does! It makes me wonder what kind of a reaction he's hoping for, if any. :-)
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I liked how just like Zhao Yunlan is being real with Shen Wei, Shen Wei has dropped any pretense of politeness / concealing how he feels - he could definitely have reacted more diplomatically to Zhao Yunlan but instead he chose to be real and display how he was actually feeling... he has so many secrets and things he can't say but in this, he can be honest. I like it!
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Oh, that's such a great observation, and I kind of glossed right over it. They're both being real, aren't they? Zhao Yunlan's teasing isn't an act or a test -- it's exuberance and playfulness that he's not trying to contain. Cool!
Shen Wei has dropped any pretense of politeness / concealing how he feels - he could definitely have reacted more diplomatically to Zhao Yunlan but instead he chose to be real and display how he was actually feeling... he has so many secrets and things he can't say but in this, he can be honest. I like it!
Yessss! It's so great. And I think Zhao Yunlan must understand that and appreciate it too.
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Yeah, I really like that! Like it's clear that Zhao Yunlan is Not Bothered by how Shen Wei is responding to him and I think that's because he understands why (we know Zhao Yunlan is scary good at reading people, after all!). He can see that this is Shen Wei with the mask down / being real with him and I think he definitely appreciates it and it might even be part of why he's so playful? He's like... Hei-laoge is being real with me! This is the best day! Ever! So even when Shen Wei just turns away to get his key Zhao Yunlan is like ^____^
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