Focus on: Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan’s conversation with Minister Gao (mention of Zhao Xinci)

[ishipallthings]

Location: ep 14, 22:31-24:32 (transcripts from Viki subs, screencaps from me.)

Hi everyone! This is my first scene discussion post on this comm, so I’m still kind of figuring out how this works :)

To provide some context, Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan are meeting with Minister Gao at his office (supposedly to discuss Zheng Yi’s case, as Zhao Yunlan tells Shen Wei on the car ride over, though that doesn’t really happen). Before they sit down to talk, Minister Gao asks Shen Wei how he was persuaded to join SID as a consultant and we get a delightful flashback :)

***

The Scene


We start off with the three of them moving to the couch to talk (and with Zhao Yunlan *guiding* Shen Wei with a hand on his back - he really has a hard time keeping his hands off Shen Wei, doesn’t he? :P)


Then Minister Gao brings up the topic of Zhao Yunlan’s self-criticism (written by Shen Wei, hehe), and they sort of exchange side-ways panicked gazes without full-on eye contact.


Zhao Yunlan is a little worried when Minister Gao doesn’t continue. He clearly doesn’t expect praise, but he gets it.

Minister Gao: Amazing! You wrote it so well! 好 写得太好了

Chief Zhao, I never thought you were so knowledgeable about our traditions and cultures. 赵处长 没想到你对传统文化 有那么深的造诣

Such flowing and high expressive self-criticism! 一篇检讨 写得是洋洋洒洒


Zhao Yunlan’s worry transforms into relieved laughter.


Shen Wei ducks his head and smiles too.


Zhao Yunlan claps Shen Wei on the shoulder at this, both in thanks and because again, he has trouble keeping his hands to himself, hehe.


Then Minister Gao brings up Zhao Xinci by saying (to Zhao Yunlan): You are indeed the son of Brother Xinci. 真不愧是心慈兄的公子



Shen Wei is immediately on his guard and you can see Zhao Yunlan’s face just fall a little at the mention of his father, even while he keeps a polite mask in place (SO MANY FEELS)



Minister Gao tells them that Zhao Xinci is a friend and role model of his, and that he was recently promoted to the position of Director-General of the Xingdu Bureau (星督局局长). Minister Gao goes on to explain more about the Bureau when Shen Wei asks.


As Minister Gao is explaining, we get a shot of Zhao Yunlan with his hands folded together on his leg, a far cry from his previously open and relaxed posture and body language when he was clapping Shen Wei on the shoulder.


Zhao Yunlan: He was promoted again? 原来他又高升了呀

Minister Gao: He didn't tell you? 怎么 心慈兄在家里 每根你说过

Zhao Yunlan: He doesn't talk much. 他老人家不大爱说话



As Minister Gao comments that Zhao Xinci shouldn’t be so serious at home, Shen Wei is glancing down at Zhao Yunlan’s hands, which are now clenched tighter and tighter.




Shen Wei clearly observes Zhao Yunlan’s reaction and his tight, withdrawn expression. We get a close-up of Shen Wei’s own expression and then a wider shot.


After seeing Zhao Yunlan's reaction, Shen Wei asks Minister Gao if has anything else to discuss with them.

Shen Wei: Minister, do you have anything else to say that's why you called us over here? 高部长 您今天叫我们过来是不是有什么事要交代?


Shen Wei’s question successfully changes the subject.

Minister Gao: Did you notice a strange man holding a camera in his hand 在黄朝阳家的那场风波里 你们有没有注意到


Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan exchange glances again, and Zhao Yunlan’s previously withdrawn expression has turned focused and speculative with this new topic. They go to discuss Cong Bo and the possible threat he poses to the SID, but I’ll end my scene recap here and move on to my observations.

***

Favorite Things about this Scene/Observations:

• I picked this scene because I love how in tune Shen Wei is with Zhao Yunlan’s reaction and body language when Zhao Xinci is mentioned. His reaction is subtle but it says so much (protective and pained on Zhao Yunlan's behalf). The way he distracts Minister Gao with his question towards the end of the scene so they can move on to a less emotionally fraught topic gives me all the feels <3 In an email to china_shop, I highlighted this part of the scene as a parallel to Shen Wei noticing that Zhao Yunlan doesn’t want to drink in ep 11 so he swoops in to drink on Zhao Yunlan’s behalf (and then faints :P). This moment is a little less obvious, but I really enjoy the similarities.
  
  One of my favorite Weilan things is how aware they are of each other and this scene is a
  great example of that.


• I’ve mentioned this already, but I LOVE that Zhao Yunlan guides Shen Wei to the couch with a hand on his back (it’s so unnecessary and yet we have it), and the little happy shoulder clap is so great too.


• There’s also quite a bit of eye contact in this scene between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan, both when Minister Gao brings up the self-criticism) and later on when the topic moves on to Cong Bo, and I always love that.


• Shen Wei smiles when Minister Gao says he never expected Zhao Yunlan to be so knowledgeable about traditions and cultures. Obviously, he’s smiling because they successfully got Minister Gao believing Zhao Yunlan wrote the self-criticism but I like to think he’s also smiling because when it comes to knowing Zhao Yunlan well, Shen Wei is an expert :D


• When Minister Gao first mentions Zhao Xinci, Shen Wei’s expression and demeanor transforms from relieved (about the self-criticism) to careful, and I’d say protective (8th screencap). I think Zhao Yunlan hasn’t yet mentioned his father to Shen Wei when we get to this scene - I could be remembering wrong though. It’s a detail I really like.

Questions:

• Do you think Shen Wei asked about Xingdu Bureau as a way to keep the Minister’s focus on him and away from Zhao Yunlan, or did he also want more information about the Bureau?


• What do you think Shen Wei is thinking about Zhao Yunlan’s reaction to the mention of Zhao Xinci given his own professional history with ZXC?


• What do you like about this scene? :)

I haven’t read any fanworks that focus specifically on this scene (although there are many wonderful Episode 14 codas!), but I’ve missed one or some, please do link me!

Comments

[marycrawford]

Aaah fabulous screenshots, and I love your attention to their body language/facial expressions! They interact in such layered ways here.

One of my favorite Weilan things is how aware they are of each other and this scene is a
great example of that.

100% THIS. They are in tune, and when ZYL's response to the mention of his dad changes the melody to minor key, SW adapts immediately.

I think Zhao Yunlan hasn’t yet mentioned his father to Shen Wei when we get to this scene

I think so too! Which, oof, if my timeline memory is accurate, means that ZYL talked to SW about his mom before ever mentioning his dad. Of course, SW knows who his dad is, but I don't know if he has been given any clues about the nature of their relationship before. I feel like SW would not have guessed how ZYL feels about his dad, unless Zhao senior actually badmouthed his son to the BCE? Who knows. I love that SW is so quick to understand and sympathize in this moment.

[tehfanglyfish]

This is a scene that I haven't thought about enough, honestly. And I love how you caught Zhao Yunlan's inability to keep his hands off of Shen Wei XD

In thinking about Shen Wei witnessing Zhao Yunlan's reaction to the mention of Zhao Xinci, one thing that came to mind was Shen Wei's relationship with Ye Zun. Not that it's the same as Zhao Yunlan's experience with his father, but it's still a complicated, messy, uncomfortable family dynamic. Definitely not the kind of thing one wants to discuss in that kind of setting.

I interpreted the shift as Shen Wei witnessing Zhao Yunlan's obvious discomfort about family and going into protect mode. I'm sure he'd like to get more info on the Bureau, but he didn't have to step in at that specific moment to get information. he could probably have learned a lot just by listening to Minister Gao and Zhao Yunlan talking.

I really enjoyed reading your take on this scene!

[awanderingcoyote]

Do you think Shen Wei asked about Xingdu Bureau as a way to keep the Minister’s focus on him and away from Zhao Yunlan, or did he also want more information about the Bureau? -- I do think he went for two reasons. The first to support ZYL but also to try and scope out what's going on at the Bureau.

What do you think Shen Wei is thinking about Zhao Yunlan’s reaction to the mention of Zhao Xinci given his own professional history with ZXC? -- I think once ZYL is triggered Shen Wei goes into protection mode which leads into let me divert this conversation flow to something else, something safer for ZYL.

What do you like about this scene? :) -- My fave parts of this scene is the interplay between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan. I also loved the fact that they showed his hands clasped together, more relaxed, and then after his father is mentioned they go to nail biting into skin and that Shen Wei saw that. A very good byplay!

Very nice write-up!!

[velithya]

I really like Shen Wei in this scene - he's so switched on and alert, which I think starts out as that he's effectively "undercover" in the Ministry Office (Minister Gao might have seen him subdue the wedding party but do we know that he 100% knows Shen Wei is Dixingren? - but in any case I think it's clear he doesn't know that Shen Wei is Heipaoshi - IMO he wouldn't be so casual with Dixing's Envoy) but Shen Wei being Shen Wei he can't help but be very attuned to Zhao Yunlan at all times so as soon as he picks up on the little cues that Zhao Yunlan is distressed he leaps into action.

> Do you think Shen Wei asked about Xingdu Bureau as a way to keep the Minister’s focus on him and away from Zhao Yunlan, or did he also want more information about the Bureau?

I think that he asked the question to divert attention; getting information is a bonus but I don't think he particularly cared about Minister Gao's answer as long as it changed the topic away from Zhao Xinci. I think Zhao Yunlan's emotional state was his number one priority!

[sakana17]

This is a great write-up with lovely screencaps!

I love how in tune Shen Wei is with Zhao Yunlan’s reaction and body language when Zhao Xinci is mentioned

That's one of my favorite things about this scene.

I think Zhao Yunlan hasn’t yet mentioned his father to Shen Wei when we get to this scene

I think as far as we know, he hasn't. My feeling is that Shen Wei didn't know how strained the father-son relationship is until this scene when he sees how tense Zhao Yunlan becomes.

By now, Shen Wei has seen that Zhao Yunlan isn't like his father, and I always wonder how Zhao Xinci and Shen Wei interacted when Zhao Xinci was head of the SID.

[nnozomi]

This is a terrific writeup, I really have nothing to add, except an idea based on the details you point out--Zhao Yunlan starts with his hand on Shen Wei's back and then on his shoulder, mostly because he can't keep his hands off him anyway lol, but also in a sense reassuring him, making sure he knows that Zhao Yunlan is there with him to protect both of his identities. And then, when the topic of Zhao Xinci comes up and Zhao Yunlan tenses, Shen Wei is the one to notice his tension and step in gracefully to protect him.

[elenothar]

Don't mind me, I'm just over here staring at that third-to-last screencap for a worryingly long time...

This is one of the scenes that makes me think that Shen Wei actually could be good at politics, if it didn't jar so much with his sensibilities. He doesn't normally have the patience for it (or the willingness to compromise, I think), but here, to protect Zhao Yunlan and make him look as good in front of his boss as possible? He's very on top of it.

My favourite thing about this scene is how attuned they are to each other. Just <3

[china_shop]

Ahhhhhhh, this is such a great post (and an utterly delightful choice of scene)!!!!! *hearts everywhere* I love your screencaps, too!

I’ve mentioned this already, but I LOVE that Zhao Yunlan guides Shen Wei to the couch with a hand on his back (it’s so unnecessary and yet we have it)

alkdsjfa;ldskjfa;sdfks I don't know if I've ever noticed that before. :D :D :D

Zhao Yunlan claps Shen Wei on the shoulder at this, both in thanks and because again, he has trouble keeping his hands to himself, hehe.

Hee! Yes, I feel like Zhao Yunlan's touching Shen Wei is a way of passing the compliment on, even though he can't explicitly do so. Otherwise, it's pretty embarrassing sitting there receiving praise for something he didn't do. Even Zhao Yunlan isn't that shameless. *g*

Obviously, he’s smiling because they successfully got Minister Gao believing Zhao Yunlan wrote the self-criticism but I like to think he’s also smiling because when it comes to knowing Zhao Yunlan well, Shen Wei is an expert :D

Maybe also a little bit of a trolling smile, because he's made Zhao Yunlan sound more eloquent than he normally would, and this kind of puts Zhao Yunlan on the spot? *g*

I think Zhao Yunlan hasn’t yet mentioned his father to Shen Wei when we get to this scene - I could be remembering wrong though.

I'm pretty sure that's the case.

I find it kind of strange Zhao Yunlan didn't already know Minister Gao knows ZXC. Surely it would have come up in meetings earlier, even if he doesn't remember they used to be cop partners? And Minister Gao doesn't seem to realise Zhao Yunlan doesn't live at home. This suggests to me that Minister Gao and ZXC aren't really close at all, lately. I suspect they'd fallen out of touch until ZXC got in promotion and had reason to be in touch with Minister Gao again.

Minister Gao: Technically speaking, they are the highest leaders of your Special Investigation Unit. Under normal circumstances, they won't give you orders directly.

Zhao Yunlan kind of laughs at that. I wonder if he's like, partly, "My father is always trying to give me orders -- and now they'll be official. >:-("

And Minister Gao saying, "He didn't tell you?" reminds ZYL that he's supposed to put on a good outward facing face and pretend they're a normal respectable family, for the sake of both their careers, if nothing else.

(Ha, sorry, I went and made this all about Zhao Yunlan. Shen Wei is also awesome! Like you, I really love how attentive he is. *heart-eyes* :D :D :D)