Ahh! Yes, the first episode where he pets Da Qing is an awesome awesome moment! Especially, like you said, what with what Shen Wei already knows :heartheart:

I went back and watched! After Da Qing's "you too, right?", there's a moment before Shen Wei smiles when he's staring a thousand miles away, clearly wearing the Black-Cloaked Envoy's face--as you say, a moment of all his loneliness and his secrets, how much more complicated it is for him, with all the memories the others don't have, than for Da Qing and his straightforward cat brain. Oh dear. ;( - Yes! THe moment before he smiles where he's doing the thousand yard stare is what tugged at my heart strings.

(Also, Shen Wei looks so young in this particular outfit/hairstyle that it backs up my personal headcanon that one reason for his exquisite suits is to distract people from the fact that he's actually looked the same the whole time, undergrad/grad student/professor...). - Oh I like this thought immensely! Like 'nothing' to see here 'nothing' to see XD XD XD He definitely presents differently when he's dressed in suit versus 'casually' dressed, even if casually dressed is still 'dressy'? :D

THank you for reading and commenting!!