Ya, not Da, LOL. But that gave me a very funny image of Zhu Jiu trying and failing to argue with Da Qing's cat logic. :D
LOL! (Fixed now.) I think I'd enjoy Zhu Jiu much more if he had to deal with Da Qing. *g*
Huh, is that a common thing? I'm not familiar with that distinction, fascinating! (Though I'm not quite sure what palm-down beckoning looks like?)
Yeah, I see it a lot in Kdramas, and I checked and it's a thing in China, too. Though if you're being polite/respectful, you just make eye contact and nod.
Where does he cut the explanations short? I'm not quite sure what you're referring to.
I mean, he doesn't hang around to check on Da Qing or ask what happened. Lin Jing starts to explain to Da Qing, and Zhao Yunlan cuts him off and walks away. Sure, there's a case, but the way he looks away when Da Qing mentions Zheng Yi feels like more than that to me. Idk.
OMG, this is THE BEST. :D :D :D
:D :D :D
Question: how does Shen Wei know to go to the wedding? I think I'm forgetting something here.
Maybe he was on the guest list, as one of Dragon City's most eligible bachelors? He's certainly dressed for it. Or maybe he sensed a disturbance in the Force the same way Lin Jing's detector/radar thing did? (I had a poll question about this back in the day, fwiw.)
Also fascinating; it really does look like when Shen Wei arrives, he does a time freeze, for only the second time (after the rooftop appearance in episode 1). But it doesn't seem to affect Zheng Yi - is that an inherent limitation of the power (that it can only affect Haixingren?), or is she that strong so she can overcome a black energy effect? (Zhu Jiu seems to be outside the radius of the initial freeze? Idk.)
Oh, excellent question! Alas, I have no theories.
Well, from the previous Wu Xiaojun case? And he knows (like they all do) what that guy and his buddy the other father did to Wu Xiaojun, and that he got away with it. Maybe he means "I thought he'd get away with it all, or something he did would catch up with him eventually, but not that he'd end up accidental collateral damage in some unrelated event"?
The fact that he's addressing the dead person rather than talking about him makes it sound more personal to me, like they had a prior connection, but maybe it's just a translation thing.
That is such a !!!!!! line, especially at this point! I wonder what Shen Wei makes of it, and how serious he thinks Zhao Yunlan is.
RIGHT? All through this battle of wills, he's making it very clear he's on Shen Wei's side -- putting their chairs side by side, this line, and then "Shen Wei, I thought we were friends." He's being super open about where his allegiance lies. *hearts all of it*
Ooh, thanks for pointing out the dolly zoom! Awesome. :D
I think both, actually - he's heard, but also the way he looks after Zhao Yunlan before he follows seem more like he's contemplating the tension between them.
That works!
Also, I had totally forgotten about the scene where Cong Bo witnesses Zhu Jiu talking to crow!Ya Qing. And how quick Zhu Jiu is in picking up on someone watching!
I think Ya Qing clued Zhu Jiu in? There's a little gesture with her beak.
You know, this makes me wonder about an AU where Ya Qing finds the Hallows for her own tribe, not for Zhu Jiu/Ye Zun ... I mean, the restricted zone in Snake territory where the second passage to Dixing is has a place to use the Hallows, and there might be legends or top secret tribe leader-level info about it?
Ooooooh! (I hope you feel inspired to write this one day! I would looove to read it.)
Is the hydrangea a Yashou? Every time I rewatch this I become more convinced, and it would make sense - Ying Chun has to get her info from somewhere. *g*
I'm pretty sure it is. There's the pointed focus on it, and then Ying Chun says to Shen Wei, "We just got some intelligence." 我们刚刚得到情报 (26:06)
yaaurens speculated that given the way Fourth Uncle talks about Zhu Hong's father going to the city, Zhu Hong might only be half Yashou. I think if that were the case it would have been mentioned somewhere, and I can't remember any place where it was. But the absence of any mention of Zhu Hong's mother here is striking.
I've had that thought before. It would fit Zhu Hong's father's story very well. I don't think it has to be mentioned, particularly given it's her mother not her father, and sexism. But who knows?
Chu Shuzhi identifies himself on the phone as "Lao-Chu", I don't think I picked up on that before! Hee!
Ha, so weird. (Who's he talking to?)
I'm so used to all kinds of canons going with "you ... all of you ..." for (im)plausible deniability, but no, Guardian does it the other way round. Perfection. :D :D :D
Ahhhhh, excellent point, yes!! Shen Wei is making no secret at all of his investment and concern for Zhao Yunlan. :D :D :D :D :D :D
Same here! He says he wanted to keep ZYL safe, ZYL laughs (in disbelief? frustration?), and then Shen Wei starts with "Actually, I -" so it looks like it's the laugh that prompted him to speak. I really want to know what he'd have said, argh!
Maybe the laugh is relief that the secret-keeping is for Zhao Yunlan's sake (however misguided), rather than to shut him out? And Shen Wei recognises that and is about to say something even more personal??
What I want to know, though, is why it looks like Zhu Jiu is controlling him! Did Zheng Yi hypnotise him and tell him to do whatever Zhu Jiu wants? Or how does this work?
I think Zheng Yi puts him in a hypnotic state so he's open to the power of Zhu Jiu's suggestion? Which does make me wonder whether Shen Wei could have countered the suggestion, if he wasn't worried about Zhu Jiu immediately whisking the others away.
It's a great smirk, though! And also, I love how he swerves from this to offering himself in Zhao Yunlan's stead, not that it was ever going to work. (Not least because Zhu Jiu couldn't control Shen Wei for a second.)
It's all so good! And maybe Shen Wei could have rendered himself helpless somehow? Or fake!helpless? Idk. (Btw, I forgot to mention, but this, with Zhao Yunlan taken hostage by a villain, must be giving Shen Wei some serious "Rebel Chief taking Ye Zun" flashbacks, even if young!him wasn't there to see that. (He probably imagined it many times over as a child?)
(Incidentally - that's something she and Shen Wei have in common: neither of them think they have any way to retreat.)
Ohh, excellent catch! Nice!
I want to know SO MUCH about this little scene! How does Chu Shuzhi find Zhu Jiu's lair? How does Shen Wei? Why do they both apparently find it at the same time?! And yep, what you say about Lao-Chu's POV - he must figure Shen Wei is involved in things somehow.
If they'd located the lair as part of an earlier case, it would all make so much more sense -- along with Zhu Jiu relocating to that rooftop. Maybe there was a cut scene?
Damn, Lao-Chu POV of this scene would be so great!
It really would -- or his reflecting on it later. :D
And he's just watched Zhu Jiu make Zhao Yunlan kill Shen Wei (as far as he knows). It's not the greatest choice, but I think it's understandable.
Okay, that's fair. It does work in that context. I just want him to seem more conflicted about it, but I guess he has no real reason to trust or be loyal to the SID.
Regarding the question of whether Zhao Yunlan actually shot Shen Wei here, I think Shen Wei probably could have handled it (and maybe even invisibly, unlike the way Ye Zun handles it later), but Zhao Yunlan wouldn't have risked it. So he probably did the same thing he did with Zhu Hong, and counted on Shen Wei being able to handle that without being knocked out.
Yes, agreed -- or even shot right past him without grazing him, since the bullet risks damaging his energy, and he already knows Shen Wei's in on the ruse? With Zhu Hong, there was no chance to coordinate, so he had to knock her out.
So why was he completely unaffected by being shot in the Hanga caves?!
Yeah, I've got nothing for that. Hallows shenanigans?
"You actually killed Zhu Hong." My favourite line and moment in an episode not at all short on excellent moments! It's just so brilliant.
Ohhh, yes! Excellent choice!
I definitely think he's fuming about Shen Wei's secrets!
Given the location, it feels like it should be more case-related. Maybe he's pissed off about everything getting out of control because the Envoy didn't tell him the truth -- what he says in the lab scene?
Out in the alley after Lin Jing and Da Qing leave with Cong Bo, Zhao Yunlan repeats it again, complaining about being short-staffed, and Shen Wei promptly says he has to go back to uni for an experiment.
How many recruitment attempts is that now? *g*
I think something like, "Are you actually going to keep up this charade even now?"
That works!
and then, when he overextends himself, collapses into his Haixing look, also suggests that there is (or can be) more of a difference between the two appearances than the mere look.
Maybe the look takes extra energy to maintain in Haixing, and that's why it vanishes? That would track with him doing more and more plain clothes Envoying as the series progresses and his energy is weakened...?
But the Snakes are the ones who are deluding themselves the most, I think.
I... lean towards it being the Crows who are most deluded, personally. If Ya Qing thinks that Ye Zun and Zhu Jiu will do her any favours once they have their way, I think she's being massively optimistic. At least the Snakes are just doing what they've always done, and it's more or less worked for them for ten thousand years.
no subject
LOL! (Fixed now.) I think I'd enjoy Zhu Jiu much more if he had to deal with Da Qing. *g*
Huh, is that a common thing? I'm not familiar with that distinction, fascinating! (Though I'm not quite sure what palm-down beckoning looks like?)
Yeah, I see it a lot in Kdramas, and I checked and it's a thing in China, too. Though if you're being polite/respectful, you just make eye contact and nod.
Where does he cut the explanations short? I'm not quite sure what you're referring to.
I mean, he doesn't hang around to check on Da Qing or ask what happened. Lin Jing starts to explain to Da Qing, and Zhao Yunlan cuts him off and walks away. Sure, there's a case, but the way he looks away when Da Qing mentions Zheng Yi feels like more than that to me. Idk.
OMG, this is THE BEST. :D :D :D
:D :D :D
Question: how does Shen Wei know to go to the wedding? I think I'm forgetting something here.
Maybe he was on the guest list, as one of Dragon City's most eligible bachelors? He's certainly dressed for it. Or maybe he sensed a disturbance in the Force the same way Lin Jing's detector/radar thing did? (I had a poll question about this back in the day, fwiw.)
Also fascinating; it really does look like when Shen Wei arrives, he does a time freeze, for only the second time (after the rooftop appearance in episode 1). But it doesn't seem to affect Zheng Yi - is that an inherent limitation of the power (that it can only affect Haixingren?), or is she that strong so she can overcome a black energy effect? (Zhu Jiu seems to be outside the radius of the initial freeze? Idk.)
Oh, excellent question! Alas, I have no theories.
Well, from the previous Wu Xiaojun case? And he knows (like they all do) what that guy and his buddy the other father did to Wu Xiaojun, and that he got away with it. Maybe he means "I thought he'd get away with it all, or something he did would catch up with him eventually, but not that he'd end up accidental collateral damage in some unrelated event"?
The fact that he's addressing the dead person rather than talking about him makes it sound more personal to me, like they had a prior connection, but maybe it's just a translation thing.
That is such a !!!!!! line, especially at this point! I wonder what Shen Wei makes of it, and how serious he thinks Zhao Yunlan is.
RIGHT? All through this battle of wills, he's making it very clear he's on Shen Wei's side -- putting their chairs side by side, this line, and then "Shen Wei, I thought we were friends." He's being super open about where his allegiance lies. *hearts all of it*
Ooh, thanks for pointing out the dolly zoom! Awesome. :D
I think both, actually - he's heard, but also the way he looks after Zhao Yunlan before he follows seem more like he's contemplating the tension between them.
That works!
Also, I had totally forgotten about the scene where Cong Bo witnesses Zhu Jiu talking to crow!Ya Qing. And how quick Zhu Jiu is in picking up on someone watching!
I think Ya Qing clued Zhu Jiu in? There's a little gesture with her beak.
You know, this makes me wonder about an AU where Ya Qing finds the Hallows for her own tribe, not for Zhu Jiu/Ye Zun ... I mean, the restricted zone in Snake territory where the second passage to Dixing is has a place to use the Hallows, and there might be legends or top secret tribe leader-level info about it?
Ooooooh! (I hope you feel inspired to write this one day! I would looove to read it.)
Is the hydrangea a Yashou? Every time I rewatch this I become more convinced, and it would make sense - Ying Chun has to get her info from somewhere. *g*
I'm pretty sure it is. There's the pointed focus on it, and then Ying Chun says to Shen Wei, "We just got some intelligence."
我们刚刚得到情报 (26:06)
I've had that thought before. It would fit Zhu Hong's father's story very well. I don't think it has to be mentioned, particularly given it's her mother not her father, and sexism. But who knows?
Chu Shuzhi identifies himself on the phone as "Lao-Chu", I don't think I picked up on that before! Hee!
Ha, so weird. (Who's he talking to?)
I'm so used to all kinds of canons going with "you ... all of you ..." for (im)plausible deniability, but no, Guardian does it the other way round. Perfection. :D :D :D
Ahhhhh, excellent point, yes!! Shen Wei is making no secret at all of his investment and concern for Zhao Yunlan. :D :D :D :D :D :D
Same here! He says he wanted to keep ZYL safe, ZYL laughs (in disbelief? frustration?), and then Shen Wei starts with "Actually, I -" so it looks like it's the laugh that prompted him to speak. I really want to know what he'd have said, argh!
Maybe the laugh is relief that the secret-keeping is for Zhao Yunlan's sake (however misguided), rather than to shut him out? And Shen Wei recognises that and is about to say something even more personal??
What I want to know, though, is why it looks like Zhu Jiu is controlling him! Did Zheng Yi hypnotise him and tell him to do whatever Zhu Jiu wants? Or how does this work?
I think Zheng Yi puts him in a hypnotic state so he's open to the power of Zhu Jiu's suggestion? Which does make me wonder whether Shen Wei could have countered the suggestion, if he wasn't worried about Zhu Jiu immediately whisking the others away.
It's a great smirk, though! And also, I love how he swerves from this to offering himself in Zhao Yunlan's stead, not that it was ever going to work. (Not least because Zhu Jiu couldn't control Shen Wei for a second.)
It's all so good! And maybe Shen Wei could have rendered himself helpless somehow? Or fake!helpless? Idk. (Btw, I forgot to mention, but this, with Zhao Yunlan taken hostage by a villain, must be giving Shen Wei some serious "Rebel Chief taking Ye Zun" flashbacks, even if young!him wasn't there to see that. (He probably imagined it many times over as a child?)
(Incidentally - that's something she and Shen Wei have in common: neither of them think they have any way to retreat.)
Ohh, excellent catch! Nice!
I want to know SO MUCH about this little scene! How does Chu Shuzhi find Zhu Jiu's lair? How does Shen Wei? Why do they both apparently find it at the same time?! And yep, what you say about Lao-Chu's POV - he must figure Shen Wei is involved in things somehow.
If they'd located the lair as part of an earlier case, it would all make so much more sense -- along with Zhu Jiu relocating to that rooftop. Maybe there was a cut scene?
Damn, Lao-Chu POV of this scene would be so great!
It really would -- or his reflecting on it later. :D
And he's just watched Zhu Jiu make Zhao Yunlan kill Shen Wei (as far as he knows). It's not the greatest choice, but I think it's understandable.
Okay, that's fair. It does work in that context. I just want him to seem more conflicted about it, but I guess he has no real reason to trust or be loyal to the SID.
Regarding the question of whether Zhao Yunlan actually shot Shen Wei here, I think Shen Wei probably could have handled it (and maybe even invisibly, unlike the way Ye Zun handles it later), but Zhao Yunlan wouldn't have risked it. So he probably did the same thing he did with Zhu Hong, and counted on Shen Wei being able to handle that without being knocked out.
Yes, agreed -- or even shot right past him without grazing him, since the bullet risks damaging his energy, and he already knows Shen Wei's in on the ruse? With Zhu Hong, there was no chance to coordinate, so he had to knock her out.
So why was he completely unaffected by being shot in the Hanga caves?!
Yeah, I've got nothing for that. Hallows shenanigans?
"You actually killed Zhu Hong." My favourite line and moment in an episode not at all short on excellent moments! It's just so brilliant.
Ohhh, yes! Excellent choice!
I definitely think he's fuming about Shen Wei's secrets!
Given the location, it feels like it should be more case-related. Maybe he's pissed off about everything getting out of control because the Envoy didn't tell him the truth -- what he says in the lab scene?
Out in the alley after Lin Jing and Da Qing leave with Cong Bo, Zhao Yunlan repeats it again, complaining about being short-staffed, and Shen Wei promptly says he has to go back to uni for an experiment.
How many recruitment attempts is that now? *g*
I think something like, "Are you actually going to keep up this charade even now?"
That works!
and then, when he overextends himself, collapses into his Haixing look, also suggests that there is (or can be) more of a difference between the two appearances than the mere look.
Maybe the look takes extra energy to maintain in Haixing, and that's why it vanishes? That would track with him doing more and more plain clothes Envoying as the series progresses and his energy is weakened...?
But the Snakes are the ones who are deluding themselves the most, I think.
I... lean towards it being the Crows who are most deluded, personally. If Ya Qing thinks that Ye Zun and Zhu Jiu will do her any favours once they have their way, I think she's being massively optimistic. At least the Snakes are just doing what they've always done, and it's more or less worked for them for ten thousand years.
Team Shen Wei's Little Smirk. *g*
Haha, excellent choice!