Ep 6: Shen Wei and the chancellor talk about Li Qian, and Zhao Yunlan shows up

[china_shop]

This post covers two small adjoining scenes: Shen Wei reproaching the university chancellor for letting Li Qian drop out, and Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan walking the hallways together directly afterwards.

Context

The last time Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan saw each other, before this scene, was when Zhao Yunlan consulted Shen Wei about the Mirror Girl case (when Shen Wei says “[This is] the first time that you think this case is not related to me and are coming to see me for an information consultation”). That consultation is cosy and warm. But since then Zhao Yunlan and Da Qing have searched Shen Wei's flat and found the SID file, and Zhao Yunlan has sent a query to the Dixing archives and the thank-you spy banner to Shen Wei. His suspicions are running high, and Shen Wei knows about the flat-searching, so he must be aware of that.

The scene with the chancellor

This is the second of three conversations between Shen Wei and the chancellor. The first is in ep 5, when the chancellor suggests Shen Wei should move out of the teachers' dorms. The third is in ep 17, when he tries to make Shen Wei choose between professoring and consulting for the SID.



This scene begins with the chancellor turned away from Shen Wei, despite their being mid-conversation. It's a far cry from the polite discussion over tea cups near the start of the previous episode.

Chancellor: Li Qian wanted to quit school. It was her own will.
休学是李茜同学她自己的意思
She completed all the papers to leave school.
休学手续也是她自己办的

Clearly the chancellor didn't notify Shen Wei before allowing the paperwork to be processed, and for some reason, Li Qian didn't discuss it with Shen Wei either.



Shen Wei: How could you let a student fill out papers to quit school?
你怎么能让学生自己办理退学呢

Shen Wei is standing formally, hands folded in front of him, presumably having barged in to protest as soon as he heard the news. (Which explains the lack of tea.) And now he's scolding the chancellor, his boss and apparent senior. The shot switches to close-up, and we see Shen Wei's frustration as he looks away to huff slightly and switches tactics, trying to appeal to the chancellor's reasonableness.

Shen Wei (cont.): Li Qian has a special family situation. We should contact her parents first, take into consideration her emotions, and then —
李茜的家里情况比较特殊 我们因该先联系一下她的家长 照顾一下她的情绪 然后我们再去



Chancellor: (adjusts his glasses while Shen Wei is speaking, avoiding his gaze, then interrupts) I know what you mean. Li Qian's situation is indeed special.
我明白 李茜这个事件 是有些情况



Shen Wei falls silent.



Zhao Yunlan arrives outside the office, but neither Shen Wei nor the chancellor seem to notice.

Chancellor (cont): But I think that with her present situation, it's not suitable for her to continue studying.
但是我感觉就她目前的状况 他不适合再继续学习
(The original subs translate this as “she is not suitable for studying.” Google translate gives me “But I don't think she's fit to continue studying in her current state.” Anyone have an opinion on this line? How much is he casting aspersions on her?)



Shen Wei: *is quiet for six seconds, reacting and adjusting to defeat*

Shen Wei: (in a politer tone of voice) Principal, I'll get going. *bows*
校长 我先走了

There are various ways you could interpret this scene. Maybe it doesn't have any deeper meaning beyond what's in the fairly innocuous dialogue. But personally, I'm inclined to read it as the chancellor implying he encouraged Li Qian to leave — or at least, didn't dissuade her — because of her being a person of interest in a SID case (“Li Qian's situation is indeed special”) and, by extension, because of her brush with dark energy and Dixingren.

We know the chancellor has form in this area. He asked Shen Wei to move out of the teachers' dorms because of his perceived association with the SID. And if I'm right, this scene would work as foreshadowing for their next meeting, after Shen Wei officially becomes a consultant for the SID.

Anyway, I feel like there's an implicit “be careful” in this conversation, and a resistance to the presence of strange/special goings on, and it's that which silences Shen Wei and causes him to retreat, first into silence, then politeness, and then by physically leaving.



I think this screencap beautifully encapsulates Shen Wei's dilemma — caught equidistant between the chancellor of the resolutely respectable university, on the one hand, and Zhao Yunlan chief of the SID, skulking outside, on the other.

The scene in the hallway

Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan walk the university hallways together, continuing the conversation. Shen Wei seems to assume Zhao Yunlan has context — or he's too upset to care that his concerns might not make any sense if Zhao Yunlan didn't overhear the meeting. This is an unusually serious scene for them, almost sombre. Zhao Yunlan makes a couple of half-hearted attempts at compliments/flirting, but neither of them are really in the mood.



Shen Wei emerges from the chancellor's office, sees Zhao Yunlan there without much apparent surprise, and they start walking together.

Shen Wei: Li Qian's family had problems a long time ago. I am her teacher, but I didn't notice any problem beforehand.
李茜的家里早就出了问题 我却没能发现自己学上的不对

Given we literally saw him sit down with Li Qian in episode 1 and ask how she was doing, I feel like there has to be more to this than he's saying. Does he mean even earlier?



Zhao Yunlan: (puts his hand on Shen Wei's shoulder) Your shoulders aren't broader than the ocean, so why are you trying to bear everything yourself?
你这肩也没比海还宽啊 什么都往上扛
Shen Wei: If a student is undisciplined, it's the teacher's fault.
教不严师之惰

(Does anyone have any insight into this phrase? Google isn't giving me anything, and the Yabla dictionary doesn't have it as an idiom, but the translated elements there suggest it's more like “if the teacher isn't strict, their students are lazy”? I'm not sure how this relates to Li Qian, since she was far from lazy or undisciplined! So could it perhaps be an idiom to the effect of “the buck stops here [with the teacher]”?)

Zhao Yunlan: (lets go of Shen Wei's shoulder)
Shen Wei (cont): If only I discovered it earlier, I... (breaks off) Never mind.
如果我能早一点发现的话 我 算了 不说了

I think this is the nub of it. I think Shen Wei is reproaching himself for not noticing the Longevity Dial sooner. It was right under his nose, a burden to Li Qian, quite possibly compromising her life force, and definitely putting her in danger, and he of all people never noticed! But he can't say that to Zhao Yunlan, because why would an ordinary Haixingren professor have recognised one of the Hallows?

Zhao Yunlan, meanwhile, notices that Shen Wei cuts himself off, but he doesn't push it.

Zhao Yunlan: It must be such a pleasure to be your student. How is Li Qian right now?
能做你的学生 可真的是幸福啊 李茜现在怎么样了
Shen Wei: She is resting at home. With these kinds of things happening, no one could be all right in a short period of time.
发生这样的事情 在短期之内 任谁都无法释怀吧 她现在在家休养呢



Zhao Yunlan: It is good for her to be alone for a while. I hope that she will make it through. I'll go visit her after she has calmed down.
一个人静静也挺好的 真希望他可以早日振作起来 等她心理平复一些之后呢 我再去看她



Shen Wei: (nods and turns to him) Let's hope that no one will bother her for this period of time.
希望在这段时间里不会才有人去打扰她



Zhao Yunlan: Mm. (nods)
Shen Wei: (checks his watch) I have a class. I have to go now.
我要去上课了 我先走了
Zhao Yunlan: Okay.
好



Zhao Yunlan: (watches him leave)

Thoughts and questions

1. How do you think Shen Wei found out Li Qian had dropped out? He tells Zhao Yunlan how she's doing — did he visit her? Did one of the other students tell him? Did the chancellor notify him after the fact, perhaps in writing?


2. Did Li Qian really want to quit university? Do you think the chancellor might have used Shen Wei's position and reputation as leverage, and that's why she didn't consult her professor before dropping out? (This is pure speculation on my part.)


3. What is the chancellor's agenda during this scene with Shen Wei? How much is he prejudiced against strange goings on (not wholly unreasonably, given the body count), and how much does he just object to one of his junior professors bursting in to reprimand him?


4. Why does Shen Wei stop arguing with the chancellor? Does he realise it's pointless, recognise that his own position is potentially at risk, or both? Or something else?


5. How much did Zhao Yunlan pick up of their meeting, and what did he make of it? Why is he even there? (Oh! Maybe he showed up to speak on Li Qian's behalf, but realised while listening in that the SID's support would do Li Qian more harm than good?)


6. Shen Wei talks about contacting Li Qian's parents, but the doctor at the hospital (episode 2) didn't seem to think she had other family. Thoughts?


7. When Shen Wei says, "Li Qian's family had problems a long time ago," is he referring to her grandmother's near-death experience a year ago, when Li Qian saved her with the Dial, or do you think it's something else?


8. Do you have any thoughts or feelings about the chancellor overall? (I feel like his job is to protect the reputation of the university, and there have been a lot of Unexplained Incidents involving the murders of multiple students lately. And the SID is hanging around a lot. So it's natural for his response to be to try and remove any trace of potential trouble from his campus. I don't agree with his decisions, but I can see why he's making them. It's the kind of role that invites conservatism.) (Speaking of which, I wonder if this is what Zhao Yunlan was thinking of during the conversation outside Ye Huo's house in ep 18, when he says Shen Wei's proposals for a school in Dixing were rejected because Shen Wei doesn't put himself in the shoes of the decisionmakers. Does he think in the above scene that Shen Wei could have made a better case for Li Qian, taking into account the chancellor's concerns?)


9. Shen Wei goes slightly “innocent wide-eyed professor” at the end of his conversation with Zhao Yunlan. By hoping “no one will bother her,” does he mean Dixingren, or people generally, or is this his way of saying “please be gentle with her; no interrogations!”?

Thoughts, reactions, fanwork recs (anything involving the chancellor?), or anything else related to this scene welcome!

Comments

[miss_ingno]

Chancellor (cont): But I think that with her present situation, it's not suitable for her to continue studying.

Ohhh, fascinating! For some reason, the chancellor's phrasing never pinged me as weird while watching (I just assumed it was an informative scene and Shen Wei was protesting to "give her more time to cope") but I could totally see him pushing Li Qian to leave. I do wonder if Chinese colleges have some "family emergency" leave of absence or something like a sabbatical she could be taking instead, before returning after some time off? I don't know enough about how education in China is run, but I could imagine if she didn't take that sort of leave, and if China takes note of grades/attendance, her lack there might drag down those stats, which would make sense for the Chancellor to care about? (I hope that makes sense sorry for the convoluted run-on sentence ^^")

But in the context with him pushing Shen Wei further and further away, it seems more likely to be related to that. Are strange things happening at DCU impacting its reputation perhaps? And it makes me wonder if the Chancellor is aware of Dixing, since some characters seem to be, and prejudiced against them. On the one hand, two of his professors are actively pursuing dark energy experiments for the Supervisory Bureau, and Professor Shen's research/area of expertise is no secret, considering our introduction to the show. OTOH, I can't really see him agreeing for that sort of research to be connected to his university if he does? (On the other other hand, the connection to the Bureau and probable funding could be enough of an incentive to turn a blind eye...)

1. How do you think Shen Wei found out Li Qian had dropped out? He tells Zhao Yunlan how she's doing — did he visit her? Did one of the other students tell him? Did the chancellor notify him after the fact, perhaps in writing?

I can't see her telling him, or else we'd get a scene where he gently tries to urge her not to. Unless it was too late (and the Trouble At DCU subplot does require him to come into conflict with the Chancellor for thematic value. Hmm.) I could see Li Qian not wanting to admit to that sort of perceived failure. Though, oh man, how mean would it be if Shen Wei learned from some administrator because he wanted access to some data related to Li Qian? Something related to her thesis/lab work? I could see how Shen Wei would be extra frustrated with the Chancellor in that case.

4. Why does Shen Wei stop arguing with the chancellor? Does he realise it's pointless, recognise that his own position is potentially at risk, or both? Or something else?

I do think Shen Wei is aware that this isn't getting him anywhere, so that might be why. But I also find it significant that this is the moment the audience is made aware of Zhao Yunlan lurking - we don't know how long he's been there or if Shen Wei was aware of him before, but Zhao Yunlan's movement could also be a reminder to mask up. I wonder if he doesn't want ZYL to witness this? He never mentions (at least on screen) his troubles at DCU with ZYL iirc. Why? Does he just not want to burden ZYL? Scare him away (afraid of "for Shen Wei's own good" line of thinking?) It might also be entirely unrelated to that and just happen off-screen lmao idk. Shen Wei is definitely in a Mood here, frustrated and blaming himself for not helping Li Qian enough.

6. Shen Wei talks about contacting Li Qian's parents, but the doctor at the hospital (episode 2) didn't seem to think she had other family. Thoughts?

Yeah, that's an odd contradiction. Assuming it's not an issue of translation (could it refer to guardians-acting-in-the-place-of-parents?), maybe her parents live far away and Li Qian stayed with her grandmother, so the doctor meant they couldn't come because it'd take too long/cost too much? Or perhaps her parents had an ugly divorce, and only one of them is dead? Both alive but still don't want anything to do with Li Qian? Like, if they have a new spouse and a new child to prioritize. I feel like there was mention of Li Qian not getting along with her extended family either in ep 1/2 but I can't recall why I got that impression. Definitely sucks that Li Qian is now all alone :/

7. When Shen Wei says, "Li Qian's family had problems a long time ago," is he referring to her grandmother's near-death experience a year ago, when Li Qian saved her with the Dial, or do you think it's something else?

I assumed the former, but if above speculation is true, it could be that Shen Wei is actually aware of the type of family situation Li Qian has? Especially if it's the step-parent step-sibling type. (Oh man, now I want an exploration of that, Shen Wei and Li Qian working quietly together in the lab or on grading papers, and Li Qian just slowly, softly opening up to him 🥺)

Does he think in the above scene that Shen Wei could have made a better case for Li Qian, taking into account the chancellor's concerns?

Ohhhhh. I wonder if ZYL would have argued along the line of Li Qian being a victim of those Strange Happenings, and that she's not the trouble magnet, there will be no further Incidents involving her? Or maybe even come up with some fake evidence to plant on a scapegoat to clear her name? (Or, since I can't quite see him going to those lengths, putting in a cover story that only marginally involves her, and thus betters her reputation?)

Actually on that note I just realized: Li Qian made a pretty public suicide attempt in ep 2 there. Something a lot of students saw. That might also be part of the reason the Chancellor wants her gone? Having less suicides in your statistics can only be a good thing, and while that's a pretty cold and calculated line of thought, it would align with his goals. Whether Li Qian gets help isn't really his responsibility, right? But her dying on campus is.

or is this his way of saying “please be gentle with her; no interrogations!”?

I read it as this! "Please don't bother her, she's going through enough." Also I love, love, love Zhao Yunlan's thoughtful expression as he stares after Shen Wei, mind already working on how this new piece of the puzzle fits into the mystery of Shen Wei :Dc

[trobadora]

On the one hand, two of his professors are actively pursuing dark energy experiments for the Supervisory Bureau, and Professor Shen's research/area of expertise is no secret, considering our introduction to the show. OTOH, I can't really see him agreeing for that sort of research to be connected to his university if he does? (On the other other hand, the connection to the Bureau and probable funding could be enough of an incentive to turn a blind eye...)

I don't think he has a clue about what Professor Ouyang and Professor Zhou are doing; that lab is highly classified. So it's all about connections (and possibly funding) to him. And Professor Shen's research seems to have a sufficient amount of plausible deniability - it's not outright outing the existence of Dixingren, even though to anyone who knows, it must be clear what he's talking about. So I don't think the chancellor really knows about any of it.

could it refer to guardians-acting-in-the-place-of-parents?

Yeah, the Chinese says guardian, not parents.

That might also be part of the reason the Chancellor wants her gone? Having less suicides in your statistics can only be a good thing

Oh dear. Yeah, I can totally see that. Poor Li Qian.

[china_shop]

Yeah, the Chinese says guardian, not parents.

Oh, good to know. Thanks! <3

[miss_ingno]

I don't think he has a clue about what Professor Ouyang and Professor Zhou are doing; that lab is highly classified. So it's all about connections (and possibly funding) to him.

Good point!

Yeah, the Chinese says guardian, not parents.

Ah, cheers! That makes more sense. No extra Li Qian angst for me in that case tho :')

Oh dear. Yeah, I can totally see that. Poor Li Qian.

Right? :( she's had a rough time of it lately *pats her head*

[china_shop]

but I could totally see him pushing Li Qian to leave.

Right? She's not being a neat little cog in his academic machine -- that means she's disrupting its workings!

but I could imagine if she didn't take that sort of leave, and if China takes note of grades/attendance, her lack there might drag down those stats, which would make sense for the Chancellor to care about?

Yeah, good point. She has other stuff going on, on top of the tangle with the SID. *pets her*

Are strange things happening at DCU impacting its reputation perhaps?

I think it would totally make sense if there have been worried phone calls from parents who've heard about the recent strange deaths. Probably from Education Ministers, too.

And it makes me wonder if the Chancellor is aware of Dixing, since some characters seem to be, and prejudiced against them. On the one hand, two of his professors are actively pursuing dark energy experiments for the Supervisory Bureau, and Professor Shen's research/area of expertise is no secret, considering our introduction to the show. OTOH, I can't really see him agreeing for that sort of research to be connected to his university if he does?

Hm, but Shen Wei's research (as far as we know) is in genetic mutation, which isn't explicitly about dark energy. Plus, knowing about and experimenting with dark energy isn't necessarily the same as knowing about Dixing or Dixingren, right? There's clearly some dark energy in Haixing, so wouldn't it be like researching dark matter or string theory or something?

In ep 17, the chancellor says, "I never imagined that after Professor Zhou and Professor Ouyang, you, Professor Shen, would also become a member of confidential departments." Fwiw, I always took that to mean Prof Zhou and Prof Ouyang had left the university to work full-time in the DoS research lab, especially given the chancellor is using their example to make Shen Wei choose. If there were precedent for continuing to teach and work elsewhere, wouldn't that take the pressure off? So I thought Prof Zhou had retired from teaching to pursue practical research in the lab, and Shen Wei had stepped into his shoes as professor of biological engineering at the university. (How many biological engineering professors does one university need, after all? *g*)

I wonder if Prof Zhou and Prof Ouyang knew about Dixing before they joined the lab. I can't remember if there's any indication in canon about that. They must have known about dark energy, but...

So, to come back to this scene, I feel like it's not inconsistent for the chancellor to be okay with theoretical dark energy research while objecting to ~unnatural goings on~ and inexplicable murders. And if he sees the latter as synonymous with the SID, then Shen Wei associating himself with the SID looks like him moving from pure theory to involvement in the chancellor's DNWs. If that makes sense?

Though, oh man, how mean would it be if Shen Wei learned from some administrator because he wanted access to some data related to Li Qian? Something related to her thesis/lab work? I could see how Shen Wei would be extra frustrated with the Chancellor in that case.

Right? Or the chancellor emails Shen Wei, knowing he doesn't read his emails, and then the departmental admin prints it out and brings it to him, and by then it's too late? /o\

but Zhao Yunlan's movement could also be a reminder to mask up.

Yeah, maybe, though Shen Wei's back is turned, so it would have to be another sense detecting his presence. Obviously entirely possible. (I feel like his focus is more on the chancellor, though.)

I wonder if he doesn't want ZYL to witness this? He never mentions (at least on screen) his troubles at DCU with ZYL iirc. Why?

Oh, hm, I think at least part of that could be not wanting to expose ZYL to more anti-Dixingren/anti-dark-energy attitudes when ZYL is still a bit inclined that way himself. And part of it could be -- I mean, there has to be a lot of complicated feelings about doing work he loves for an organisation that would cast him out if they knew his background, you know? That's a bitter pill to swallow. Maybe he doesn't want to expose that contradiction/compromise to ZYL's astute gaze?

I feel like there was mention of Li Qian not getting along with her extended family either in ep 1/2 but I can't recall why I got that impression. Definitely sucks that Li Qian is now all alone :/

Oh, I don't remember that. *hopes someone else does* And yeah, all the hugs and pets for Li Qian. (nnozomi has headcanon that Xiao Guo befriends her, and I really like that thought, especially after Xiao Guo visited and shared about his own grandmother at the hospital.)

Ohhhhh. I wonder if ZYL would have argued along the line of Li Qian being a victim of those Strange Happenings, and that she's not the trouble magnet, there will be no further Incidents involving her?

Yes, that's what I was thinking. And I find it really interesting that Shen Wei doesn't take that tack. (Similarly, in his first meeting with the chancellor, he doesn't deny the rumours -- he says he'll take responsibility for them. That might just be because he wants to move out anyway, but it might be that he's not prepared to outright lie about his background?)

Actually on that note I just realized: Li Qian made a pretty public suicide attempt in ep 2 there. Something a lot of students saw. That might also be part of the reason the Chancellor wants her gone?

Oh, really good point. I mean, I feel like she can't be the only one -- when you have that many teenagers/young adults! -- but yeah, her attempt was very public. *pets her more* That must have made the prospect of going back that much harder, too. :-(

Also I love, love, love Zhao Yunlan's thoughtful expression as he stares after Shen Wei, mind already working on how this new piece of the puzzle fits into the mystery of Shen Wei

Yesss! akdjfadkfja :D :D :D

[miss_ingno]

Right? She's not being a neat little cog in his academic machine -- that means she's disrupting its workings!

That's a good summary of the Chancellor's motivations!

I think it would totally make sense if there have been worried phone calls from parents who've heard about the recent strange deaths. Probably from Education Ministers, too.

Yeah, especially if universities rely on reputation for funding. I'd be interested how those education politics work in China! Like, are the universities state-funded? Privately owned? Reliant on alumni? (so many options, and for all of them the Chancellor would want only the best PR!)

Plus, knowing about and experimenting with dark energy isn't necessarily the same as knowing about Dixing or Dixingren, right? There's clearly some dark energy in Haixing, so wouldn't it be like researching dark matter or string theory or something?

Agreed! I do think I'm leaning towards the Chancellor being unaware and mostly just worrying over public image.

Fwiw, I always took that to mean Prof Zhou and Prof Ouyang had left the university to work full-time in the DoS research lab, especially given the chancellor is using their example to make Shen Wei choose. If there were precedent for continuing to teach and work elsewhere, wouldn't that take the pressure off?

Oh, good point! I assumed that at least Professor Ouyang was still working at DCU since he came to Shen Wei's presentation in the beginning, although it makes sense if he doesn't anymore too - he's clearly there to recruit Shen Wei, and even then keeping abreast of interesting research/upcoming talent is only good sense. And the lab does recruit Li Qian a bit later, so they're clearly on the look out for more talent.

(How many biological engineering professors does one university need, after all? *g*)

Depends what all falls under that umbrella term in Chinese academia! :'D I mean, my university's psychological neurobiology faculty had two teaching profs (although one was the head and the other not of the same level? might've been a post-grad I'm honestly not sure) and a different psych faculty had two established professors teaching (one the class, one the related workshop/seminar). Plus they all had at least 2-3 research minions assistants. So who knows lol I think it might also depend on what degrees are offered (a degree in bio-engineering would necessite a lot more sub-faculties to deal with various areas of the subject, while a biology or microbiology major might have bio-engineering faculty as one of those subsets). Which obviously also presumes that China has a similar set-up to German universities I'm using for comparison, ha.

I wonder if Prof Zhou and Prof Ouyang knew about Dixing before they joined the lab. I can't remember if there's any indication in canon about that. They must have known about dark energy, but...

That's a good question! And it felt to me like they searched out Li Qian specifically because she had connections to the strange happenings (are they aware of the Sundial incident? I assume so, between SID having to report on the case and Lin Jing feeding Prof Ouyang said info. The recruiting feels targeted, I'm saying). I assume Professor Ouyang knows by the time he heads the lab for certain, his actions re: injecting himself make more sense in the framing of Ye Zun's escalation towards a coming Haixing-Dixing war.

Ohhhh, Professor Zhou and Shen Wei talking about it after, though. If Prof Zhou was aware but didn't know Shen Wei was aware. Or did he suspect, what with Shen Wei's culture shock in the beginning? Although Shen Wei's been awake for probably 20-30 years by then, so there shouldn't be too much shock if he's been actively looking into Haixing and living there. Although if he'd been staying mostly in Dixing instead, that's a different matter...

Oh, hm, I think at least part of that could be not wanting to expose ZYL to more anti-Dixingren/anti-dark-energy attitudes when ZYL is still a bit inclined that way himself. And part of it could be -- I mean, there has to be a lot of complicated feelings about doing work he loves for an organisation that would cast him out if they knew his background, you know? That's a bitter pill to swallow. Maybe he doesn't want to expose that contradiction/compromise to ZYL's astute gaze?

I have :( so many feelings about this. It's definitely hard, and Shen Wei deserves better >.<

nnozomi has headcanon that Xiao Guo befriends her, and I really like that thought, especially after Xiao Guo visited and shared about his own grandmother at the hospital.

That is a lovely headcanon and if there's fic of that, I'd love a rec :D

I find it really interesting that Shen Wei doesn't take that tack. (Similarly, in his first meeting with the chancellor, he doesn't deny the rumours -- he says he'll take responsibility for them. That might just be because he wants to move out anyway, but it might be that he's not prepared to outright lie about his background?)

Maybe Shen Wei knows that the Chancellor won't care for that arguement? He can't be unaware of the man's general attitude. As long as Li Qian is somehow "connected" to the reputation ruining, getting her out of sight can only help brushing it under the rug :/ (and that is indeed interesting! Shen Wei is walking such a tightrope of identities, especially early on. And the line blurs later on when he doesn't have to worry about the secret with Zhao Yunlan any longer *hearts*)

I mean, I feel like she can't be the only one -- when you have that many teenagers/young adults! -- but yeah, her attempt was very public. *pets her more* That must have made the prospect of going back that much harder, too. :-(

I mean, one of the facts about suicide is that, information spreading about it happening can lead to copycats. Already suicidal young adults under the pressure of studying and getting good grades could see someone "brave" enough to do the thing they've been considering and follow through. So for the Chancellor, caring about statistics, he's not dealing with just one suicide but potential a small surge that would look even worse for DCU's rep. Not to excuse him of coure, people deserve to get help not the boot >:(

Poor Li Qian. There must have been so much gossip - it didn't look like she had many friends, she was quite isolated by the end there (both due to time constraints and possibly self-isolation, and I don't read her as a very outgoing character before everything going down either :/)

[china_shop]

I assumed that at least Professor Ouyang was still working at DCU since he came to Shen Wei's presentation in the beginning, although it makes sense if he doesn't anymore too - he's clearly there to recruit Shen Wei, and even then keeping abreast of interesting research/upcoming talent is only good sense.

Oh, right. I think I read him being driven off after their talk, and the fact that it's explicitly a public lecture, as "he works elsewhere", but of course that could be part-time here, part-time there.

I think it might also depend on what degrees are offered (a degree in bio-engineering would necessite a lot more sub-faculties to deal with various areas of the subject, while a biology or microbiology major might have bio-engineering faculty as one of those subsets).

True, true. The University of Dragon City could be famed worldwide for its biological engineering dept, for all we know! *g*

And it felt to me like they searched out Li Qian specifically because she had connections to the strange happenings (are they aware of the Sundial incident? I assume so, between SID having to report on the case and Lin Jing feeding Prof Ouyang said info. The recruiting feels targeted, I'm saying).

I think they searched her out to run tests on her, and she corrected something on their whiteboard, which led to recruitment. But I'm not clear when they might have learned about the Hallows/Sundial incident. When Zhao Xinci visits the SID in ep 16, Lin Jing says the Sundial is a private collectible, which made me think the SID was hiding the Hallows from the other agencies. Idk!

I assume Professor Ouyang knows by the time he heads the lab for certain, his actions re: injecting himself make more sense in the framing of Ye Zun's escalation towards a coming Haixing-Dixing war.

Agreed!

Although Shen Wei's been awake for probably 20-30 years by then, so there shouldn't be too much shock if he's been actively looking into Haixing and living there. Although if he'd been staying mostly in Dixing instead, that's a different matter...

I think he went to Haixing pretty quickly, after waking up -- partly to look for Kunlun, and partly to get out of the Regent's hair.

Maybe Shen Wei knows that the Chancellor won't care for that arguement? He can't be unaware of the man's general attitude. As long as Li Qian is somehow "connected" to the reputation ruining, getting her out of sight can only help brushing it under the rug :/

Good point -- though that makes the Chancellor even more villainous in my view. *stabs him with a cake fork*

[miss_ingno]

I think they searched her out to run tests on her, and she corrected something on their whiteboard, which led to recruitment.

Oh, duh! That makes sense, I totally forgot about that part x'D

But I'm not clear when they might have learned about the Hallows/Sundial incident. When Zhao Xinci visits the SID in ep 16, Lin Jing says the Sundial is a private collectible, which made me think the SID was hiding the Hallows from the other agencies. Idk!

I assume that Lin Jing, while at SID, would toe the official party line, but in his secret reports to Professor Ouyang would've probably included it? Like, I bet he ran a bunch of tests on the dial and shared the results with his mentor, as a spy should. Alternatively, he could've just shared Li Qian's involvement with ancient artefacts and Dixingren about the early case, but left out the Sundial itself, which would still explain Professor Ouyang's interest in Li Qian specifically? 🤔

*joins in the cake fork stabbings*

[china_shop]

I assume that Lin Jing, while at SID, would toe the official party line, but in his secret reports to Professor Ouyang would've probably included it?

Oh, good point. Yeah, he probably doesn't see the outside agencies as an anti-SID monolith, the way I tend to. ;-p

Alternatively, he could've just shared Li Qian's involvement with ancient artefacts and Dixingren about the early case, but left out the Sundial itself, which would still explain Professor Ouyang's interest in Li Qian specifically? 🤔

Also, quite possible!

*joins in the cake fork stabbings*

Hee! ♥!!

[trobadora]

Sorry, comment misfire!

[trobadora]

Oooh, this is a great post!

Clearly the chancellor didn't notify Shen Wei before allowing the paperwork to be processed, and for some reason, Li Qian didn't discuss it with Shen Wei either.

I think Li Qian at this point is essentially in hiding, emotionally speaking, and doesn't feel like she has spoons to discuss things with Professor Shen - in part probably becasue doesn't want to burden him with her problems, and is worried about disappointing him.

But personally, I'm inclined to read it as the chancellor implying he encouraged Li Qian to leave — or at least, didn't dissuade her — because of her being a person of interest in a SID case (“Li Qian's situation is indeed special”) and, by extension, because of her brush with dark energy and Dixingren.

Yeah, that makes perfect sense to me, in the context of the rest of the chancellor's behaviour, and I read it as foreshadowing too.

Anyway, I feel like there's an implicit “be careful” in this conversation

I don't think he's consciously trying to warn Shen Wei away? He probably thinks Shen Wei will see things his way if he just thinks about it. (Just like I don't think he ever expected Shen Wei to actually resign from the university when presented with the choice to either quit the SID or the university.) But Shen Wei definitely recognises he's not going to get anywhere with this right now.

I think this screencap beautifully encapsulates Shen Wei's dilemma — caught equidistant between the chancellor of the resolutely respectable university, on the one hand, and Zhao Yunlan chief of the SID, skulking outside, on the other.

Yes, that's a really well constructed shot!

Does anyone have any insight into this phrase? Google isn't giving me anything, and the Yabla dictionary doesn't have it as an idiom, but the translated elements there suggest it's more like “if the teacher isn't strict, their students are lazy”?

No, it's more like "if the teaching isn't strict, the teacher is lazy".

教不严师之惰 does seem to be a quote and an established expression. Here is a question/answer about it.

How do you think Shen Wei found out Li Qian had dropped out? He tells Zhao Yunlan how she's doing — did he visit her? Did one of the other students tell him? Did the chancellor notify him after the fact, perhaps in writing?

I think he's been visiting her, but she didn't tell him, and he found out from some piece of administrative paperwork, which then immediately sent him to the chancellor.

Did Li Qian really want to quit university? Do you think the chancellor might have used Shen Wei's position and reputation as leverage, and that's why she didn't consult her professor before dropping out? (This is pure speculation on my part.)

I think she needed a break, and didn't have the energy/nerves to negotiate it, so it was easier to drop out. And the chancellor at the very least failed her by not helping her, because he did want to be rid of her. Because problems, especially visible problems, and ESPECIALLY especially problems related to weird stuff like the SID's investigations, are something he wants to push out of sight. (And out of mind.) Bad image, you know.

What is the chancellor's agenda during this scene with Shen Wei? How much is he prejudiced against strange goings on (not wholly unreasonably, given the body count), and how much does he just object to one of his junior professors bursting in to reprimand him?

I think he thinks Shen Wei is being overly emotional and unreasonable, and he'll surely see reason once the chancellor tells him to!

Why does Shen Wei stop arguing with the chancellor? Does he realise it's pointless, recognise that his own position is potentially at risk, or both? Or something else?

IMO he recognises he's not getting anywhere right now, and since the paperwork is a done deal and the chancellor is not budging, he'll need to talk to Li Qian first to see how he can help her.

How much did Zhao Yunlan pick up of their meeting, and what did he make of it? Why is he even there? (Oh! Maybe he showed up to speak on Li Qian's behalf, but realised while listening in that the SID's support would do Li Qian more harm than good?)

I think he heard enough to understand what's going on. But I can't see why he'd be there for Li Qian; it would be pretty weird if he knew about her leaving before Shen Wei did? Not sure why he's there, but maybe he was just visiting to try and poke at Shen Wei's secrets a bit more.

Shen Wei talks about contacting Li Qian's parents, but the doctor at the hospital (episode 2) didn't seem to think she had other family. Thoughts?

The Chinese actually says 家长, which is head of household or guardian, not parents. Not sure who that might be.

When Shen Wei says, "Li Qian's family had problems a long time ago," is he referring to her grandmother's near-death experience a year ago, when Li Qian saved her with the Dial, or do you think it's something else?

Yeah, I think it's about Li Qian's use of the Sundial and everything that followed.

(I think what the Chinese actually says is that her family already had problems earlier (i.e. that they didn't start just recently with the Dixingren attack); there's nothing about "a long time ago" in the Chinese. And Shen Wei did notice she had problems, but he seems to be blaming himself for not picking up on them earlier. After all they found out she used the Sundial a year ago, and I didn't get the impression from episode 1 that he'd been trying to get her to open up for very long.)

I feel like his job is to protect the reputation of the university, and there have been a lot of Unexplained Incidents involving the murders of multiple students lately. And the SID is hanging around a lot. So it's natural for his response to be to try and remove any trace of potential trouble from his campus. I don't agree with his decisions, but I can see why he's making them.

Yeah. He's clearly failing his students if this is his general approach to problems, but it's very consistent with his role. A pretty common failure, probably.

Does he think in the above scene that Shen Wei could have made a better case for Li Qian, taking into account the chancellor's concerns?

I don't think so, in this case? I mean, I don't see what Shen Wei could have said or done that might actually have changed the chancellor's mind here.

By hoping “no one will bother her,” does he mean Dixingren, or people generally, or is this his way of saying “please be gentle with her; no interrogations!”?

Yeah, that's how I read it - it was a warning for Zhao Yunlan, since Zhao Yunaln mentioned visiting her.

[trobadora]

Now in the right place - I forgot this bit: But I think that with her present situation, it's not suitable for her to continue studying.
但是我感觉就她目前的状况 他不适合再继续学习
(The original subs translate this as “she is not suitable for studying.” Google translate gives me “But I don't think she's fit to continue studying in her current state.” Anyone have an opinion on this line? How much is he casting aspersions on her?)

I think the Google translate version is probably right, and he doesn't outright cast aspersions on her. But "her current state" covers a lot, you know? It's a more subtle insinuation, I think.

[china_shop]

*nodnod* Thanks!

Poor Li Qian...

[china_shop]

\o/!!

I think Li Qian at this point is essentially in hiding, emotionally speaking, and doesn't feel like she has spoons to discuss things with Professor Shen - in part probably because doesn't want to burden him with her problems, and is worried about disappointing him.

Yeah, agreed. I was wondering if she might have turned to him for advice if she hadn't felt that would disadvantage him in some way, though. As the (possibly) sole remaining adult in her life. Maybe she picked up on the chancellor's "the SID is disreputable" vibe and had heard through the grapevine that Shen Wei has been seen around campus with Zhao Yunlan, and that made it a difficult subject to bring up?

Yeah, that makes perfect sense to me, in the context of the rest of the chancellor's behaviour, and I read it as foreshadowing too.

\o/ (And also /o\. Poor Li Qing!)

I don't think he's consciously trying to warn Shen Wei away? He probably thinks Shen Wei will see things his way if he just thinks about it.

Maybe, although he must be able to tell that Shen Wei is one of those "fervently concerned for their students to the point of coddling" kind of professors, especially about his favourites. But also, the chancellor doesn't have to intend it that way for that to be what Shen Wei hears, right? It makes it pretty clear that association with the SID/Dixing-y things is disadvantageous...

No, it's more like "if the teaching isn't strict, the teacher is lazy".

Ah, okay. So a kind of "teaching is a big responsibility, and I've fallen down on it"? Thanks! (I looked at that quora page, but the first answer was someone using google translate, and I missed the second. Doh!)

I think she needed a break, and didn't have the energy/nerves to negotiate it, so it was easier to drop out.

*nodnod* *wonders where the counselling services are, maybe they don't have those*

I think she needed a break, and didn't have the energy/nerves to negotiate it, so it was easier to drop out. And the chancellor at the very least failed her by not helping her, because he did want to be rid of her. Because problems, especially visible problems, and ESPECIALLY especially problems related to weird stuff like the SID's investigations, are something he wants to push out of sight. (And out of mind.) Bad image, you know.

Yes, that.

IMO he recognises he's not getting anywhere right now, and since the paperwork is a done deal and the chancellor is not budging, he'll need to talk to Li Qian first to see how he can help her.

This makes me wonder how much he was involved in her starting to work at the lab with Prof Zhou... Might he have mentioned her familiarity with the Dial? Or did Prof Ouyang hear from Lin Jing? (Or both?)

But I can't see why he'd be there for Li Qian; it would be pretty weird if he knew about her leaving before Shen Wei did? Not sure why he's there, but maybe he was just visiting to try and poke at Shen Wei's secrets a bit more.

He's at the chancellor's office rather than Shen Wei's, though. Maybe Changcheng told him? Or he happened to call Shen Wei just as Shen Wei found out? Idk. Maybe it's just one of those tv conflation of events for dramatic convenience...

I think what the Chinese actually says is that her family already had problems earlier (i.e. that they didn't start just recently with the Dixingren attack); there's nothing about "a long time ago" in the Chinese. And Shen Wei did notice she had problems, but he seems to be blaming himself for not picking up on them earlier.

Ahhh, that makes sense. Thanks! And yeah, presumably it was a gradual slide into not-coping for Li Qian, and Shen Wei just assumed it was the usual pressures of university work or something, until it was too late... :-(

I mean, I don't see what Shen Wei could have said or done that might actually have changed the chancellor's mind here.

He could have said, "None of this was Li Qian's fault. She was an innocent bystander (an ordinary girl and a promising scientist) who got caught up in a terrible tragedy." Like, he doesn't do anything to address the chancellor's underlying concern, maybe because that would mean acknowledging it and implicitly agreeing that the SID and ~strange goings on~ are acceptable reasons to jettison someone. (It still wouldn't have worked, because he would have come at it head-on instead of finding a way for the chancellor to easily change his mind without losing face. But he could have tried...)

Yeah, that's how I read it - it was a warning for Zhao Yunlan, since Zhao Yunaln mentioned visiting her.

Do you think he's asking Zhao Yunlan to stay away, though, or just go easy?

[trobadora]

I was wondering if she might have turned to him for advice if she hadn't felt that would disadvantage him in some way, though. As the (possibly) sole remaining adult in her life.

I think she would have, in a while, but perhaps not just yet. She's in a pretty bad place, and reaching out can be hard.

But also, the chancellor doesn't have to intend it that way for that to be what Shen Wei hears, right? It makes it pretty clear that association with the SID/Dixing-y things is disadvantageous...

Yes, 100% agreed - that is absolutely what Shen Wei hears, regardless of the chancellor's own thoughts (or lack thereof) on the matter.

So a kind of "teaching is a big responsibility, and I've fallen down on it"?

That's how I'm reading it!

This makes me wonder how much he was involved in her starting to work at the lab with Prof Zhou... Might he have mentioned her familiarity with the Dial? Or did Prof Ouyang hear from Lin Jing? (Or both?)

I don't think he was involved in that at all, or would have wanted her there if he'd known about it. They presumably knew about her interaction with the Sundial through either Lin Jing or official SID reports that they had access to through the Ministry. And originally they only called her in to examine her for aftereffects/question her on the sundial, didn't they?

He's at the chancellor's office rather than Shen Wei's, though. Maybe Changcheng told him?

Xiao-Guo also has no reason to know - how does he come in?! I think it's more likely that he went to Shen Wei's office, didn't find Shen Wei, and then heard from a student that Shen Wei had gone to see the chancellor.

And yeah, presumably it was a gradual slide into not-coping for Li Qian, and Shen Wei just assumed it was the usual pressures of university work or something, until it was too late... :-(

Yeah, that was my impression.

He could have said, "None of this was Li Qian's fault. She was an innocent bystander (an ordinary girl and a promising scientist) who got caught up in a terrible tragedy."

Yeah, but I don't see what good that would have done. The chancellor isn't interested in whether she's at fault or no, he's interested in getting rid of the complication she represents. IMO Shen Wei recognises that, which is why he doesn't bother trying to argue on that front ...

Do you think he's asking Zhao Yunlan to stay away, though, or just go easy?

I think he was asking him to stay away, since the SID had no real need to interview her again at that point.

[china_shop]

She's in a pretty bad place, and reaching out can be hard.

Hm, I felt like, by the time her case had closed, she'd got some closure and healing. Her grandmother had absolved her and protected her, and she's got rid of the Sundial. I feel like she's past the bad place, and into "rebuilding"? But who knows -- we don't see.

And originally they only called her in to examine her for aftereffects/question her on the sundial, didn't they?

Yes, you're right. I guess it makes sense for Lin Jing to secretly tell Prof Ouyang about the Sundial, while simultaneously handwaving it to the Xingdu Bureau, as represented by ZXC.

Xiao-Guo also has no reason to know - how does he come in?!

Sorry! I've adopted nnozomi's headcanon that Li Qian and GCC become friends (based, iirc, on Li Qian calling him "Changcheng" at the lab later on, and also that scene at the hospital with the tofu skins).

Yeah, but I don't see what good that would have done. The chancellor isn't interested in whether she's at fault or no, he's interested in getting rid of the complication she represents.

Do we know that for sure? Maybe he's open to, idk, appeals for justice? (I mean, I think you're right, but it's pretty bleak if Shen Wei believes that of his employer. /o\)

I think he was asking him to stay away, since the SID had no real need to interview her again at that point.

I don't think ZYL was proposing an official SID visit, though...?

[elenothar]

Not enough brain to properly engage with this like I want to and people have already said most of what I was thinking, but one thing I've been puzzling about for a while:

Do you have any thoughts or feelings about the chancellor overall? (I feel like his job is to protect the reputation of the university, and there have been a lot of Unexplained Incidents involving the murders of multiple students lately. And the SID is hanging around a lot. So it's natural for his response to be to try and remove any trace of potential trouble from his campus. I don't agree with his decisions, but I can see why he's making them. It's the kind of role that invites conservatism.)

While watching, I was surprised why a university chancellor was involved with this in the first place (head of the department I could see, but the translation of 校长 seems pretty clear) - at least in Western universities it would be unlikely for someone that high up in the administration to bother with a specific student's case. Not sure if that's not the case in China, this is a translation ??, or if this is a convenience thing for the sake of storytelling.

[china_shop]

Oh, good point. I don't know either. (It works so well narratively -- known character, rule of threes, foreshadowing -- that I never questioned it.)

[nnozomi]

I also don't have enough brain to do much more than say thanks, this is a great post. As we've discussed before, Shen Wei's particular care for Li Qian makes me feel that he identifies with her in a lot of ways, which must make his feeling of having failed her even more painful.
I have to appreciate that the chancellor really isn't an evil administrator, not even on the level of Minister Gao--he's making sensible decisions with the information he has. I don't think he's evil enough to push Li Qian out of school with a threat to Shen Wei's reputation etc., especially since there really isn't much profit in it for him/the university.
That said, I do think Shen Wei is right that he should have been asked to sign off on Li Qian's leaving school (and honestly, I can't think of any university where that wouldn't have been a requirement!); his Chinese when he says "How can you let a student leave school on her own recognizance?" or similar is very blunt, without any polite language--he uses the basic 你 instead of the honorific 您 that he uses in their earlier encounter, for instance, showing how upset and angry he is.
THAT said, I also think that Li Qian really needed a clean break, just a chance to catch her breath and her balance without having to deal with university work/studies or complex emotional relationships, and remaining in close touch with Shen Wei at this point would have made her life more complicated in some ways, as much as they care about each other.

[china_shop]

I have to appreciate that the chancellor really isn't an evil administrator, not even on the level of Minister Gao

Ha, I don't think of Minister Gao as evil, so much as incapable. His intentions/goals are a lot like Zhao Xinci's I think? He just doesn't know how to enact them competently. Whereas the chancellor seems more capable and genially cut-throat. ;-)

his Chinese when he says "How can you let a student leave school on her own recognizance?" or similar is very blunt, without any polite language--he uses the basic 你 instead of the honorific 您 that he uses in their earlier encounter, for instance, showing how upset and angry he is.

Ahh, awesome! Thanks for that detail. <3

THAT said, I also think that Li Qian really needed a clean break, just a chance to catch her breath and her balance without having to deal with university work/studies or complex emotional relationships, and remaining in close touch with Shen Wei at this point would have made her life more complicated in some ways, as much as they care about each other.

I suppose so... Though, if she cuts off all her complex emotional relationships, what does that leave? I don't like the thought of her all alone and isolated, in her recovery/grieving. (I actually think Zhao Yunlan checking in on her is a lovely thought, and I hope he went through with it. He understands about losing a parent/parent-figure, and he's not as intense about her life and academic potential as Shen Wei is.)

♥