Ahhh, what a fabulous post! So many of your little observations and asides made me laugh, and your screen caps are really really great. <3 <3 <3
I find this episode and the next one super confusing, partly because Chu Shuzhi's behaviour is so OTT and at first I read that as an indication it was a dream, but no. He's just Being Like That A Lot, in dream and out. (Also, the way he seems to suddenly switch from Dixing to Haixing after Changcheng is struck down! So confusing!) So thanks for untangling it a bit! <333 (I hope one day someone will make a timeline/outline of the entire dream sequence, because I feel like there might be dreams within dreams sometimes, but I might be wrong? Idk!!)
The Regent is still a bad man.
Hee!
I also think this shows Chu Shuzhi trying to protect his family, even if his words are a touch more rough and blunt.
Yes, good point! I don't think he'd have sent Changcheng into Zhu Hong's dream unprotected, not even with Zhao Yunlan there. He'd have felt too responsible if something had happened.
I’m still on the fence on what the dark energy was for? Was it to cause pain to punish the Nightmare Master or was it so Ye Zun could steal his powers somewhat?
I'm not sure either. Usually Ye Zun has to eat people to gain their power, so maybe this is a threat? Like, "Do a better job, or I'll eat you and do it myself!"?
On another note, we see Zhu Hong smiling at her desk. I couldn’t quite figure out why she was smiling?
Maybe she's pleased with the self-criticism Changcheng wrote her, and feeling smug for having evaded/delegated the punishment?
Also, I’m just going to highlight mean dream Chu Shuzhi and then really vaguely evil mean dream Chu Shuzhi with that tiny little smile on the second picture.
*applauds* That's such a great smirk!
This made me laugh because Da Qing is a very nosey cat! LOL.
Hee! I think he's hoping for something salacious, too, the perv. Or maybe just desperate for good material to tease ZYL with?
Also, can we talk about how Chu Shuzhi is sitting here?
YES, PLEASE, CAN WE? (Has he been taking sprawling lessons from ZYL? *g*)
Minister Gao: You need to recognize your position! Zhao Yunlan: And you need to recognize that you’re not qualified to sit here and judge us.
LOL, I feel like all his political smarts and diplomacy have gone out the window since Shen Wei's been missing. Zhao Yunlan, you can manage Minister Gao better than this!! Zhao Yunlan outright threatens him at the end, there, which is not an advisable way to talk to your superiors, even when they're being very wrong!! /o\ (I suppose Minister Gao wanting to scapegoat Chu Shuzhi pushes a lot of the Zhao Xinci buttons again.)
I find it very interesting how the team is seated. Everyone but Chu Shuzhi sits close together whereas Chu Shuzhi stands off to the side. A clear depiction of his ‘outsider’ status. I feel like this is more self-imposed by Chu Shuzhi himself, since the discussion the team is having is about protecting Chu Shuzhi.
Agreed! I think he's feeling self-conscious and dreadful. The leak has brought up so many old feelings for him, including epic shame at not protecting Nianzhi, and no one else could ever understand. *pets him very carefully*
This was another reason I got confused about the dreams -- because this is such a marked contrast with Zhao Yunlan's bad temper at the DoS, and it's just like the start of Changcheng's dream... Is it supposed to be a deliberate misdirect, I wonder? It definitely made me more unsure about what was dream and what wasn't.
But this isn't, so I'm wondering how his mood gets turned around. Via defiance and a resolve to keep the team bolstered and ticking over?
Which calls back to Shen Wei writing Zhao Yunlan’s [self-criticism]
Hahaha, I'd forgotten about that. Perfect!
I just mean the journey of emotions Chu Shuzhi goes through in this particular episode. So many Emotions.
So many!!!!! And so intense!!!!!
For his statement about family is he saying for his actual family line, or his SID family?
I wondered whether Ya Qing had added in some (fake or exaggerated) dirt on Nianzhi, and that was part of what had got Chu Shuzhi so very worked up...
Zhao Yunlan’s line about only knowing violence because Chu Shuzhi is worried is such: AIEE my heart. Chu Shuzhi is seen XD XD XD
HEE! *hearts you* It's such a great line/observation! (And it's so dramatic, because he can be very gentle, you know, especially with Changcheng? But his defence mechanism is so often grumpiness and violence. Understandably!) And I really like Zhao Yunlan talking to him reasonably, acknowledging his feelings and counseling him. This is the mature, capable leader Zhao Yunlan, not the frustrated hothead. ♥
Chu Shuzhi leans over Zhao Yunlan’s desk and offers to bring Professor Shen ‘back to you’. BACK TO YOU.
It's so good!!!!!!! It's like when Zhu Hong is openly jealous of the SW/ZYL relationship. The whole team knows!! :D :D :D
(I was just thinking that Chu Shuzhi offering to bring Shen Wei back is kind of like a temptation dream for Zhao Yunlan. He doesn't need the Master of Nightmares to torment him; he has the RL thing! *pets him*)
We find Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng standing outside the portal to Dixing. Chu Shuzhi talks about having not been back in awhile.
I find the contrast between this journey to Dixing and the later dream journey really interesting. Like, here Chu Shuzhi's affect is flat and unenthusiastic about going to Dixing, but later, in the dream, Dixing is where he locates his happy ever after with Changcheng and Nianzhi. He really does still have a lot of "home" feelings about it.
Eventually Guo Changcheng is booted into the portal by Chu Shuzhi.
Literally, hee! Just like when Zhao Yunlan kicked him out of Zhu Hong's dream. *g*
Is the inhale because Dixing smells like ‘home’ to him, or because he’s mentally preparing for whatever may happen.
I was wondering if it was the smell of imprisonment and subjugation? This was where he was tortured, I think?
You can just feel the ‘I’m absolutely done’ energy from Chu Shuzhi in this whole whole whole scene. I love it!
He has zero time for the Regent, and no compunction about showing it!! I wonder what Shen Wei or Zhao Yunlan would think of him being so open about his attitude, given he represents both of them in different ways. Even if neither of the leaders likes the Regent, they do/might have to work with him in the future.
I thought this bit was interesting:
Regent: Isn't your Chief Zhao his good friend? Doesn't he know [where Hei Pao Shi is]? CSZ: If you don't know, then just say it. No need to trap me with your questions.
Is Chu Shuzhi actually saying, "I'm not going to out them to you, even if you bait me!" here?!
(he sure is getting his steps in)
LOLOL!! <333
I'm so confused about puppet Nianzhi. Is it a different puppet from the one(s) Chu Shuzhi had before? Are his little puppet that appeared in Zhu Hong's dream, and his bigger puppet he had at the mah jong game separate, or one that changes shape? I need to know!!! *g* And does Ye Zun have the Nianzhi one? (I think I've been wrongly assuming that his regular puppet is Nianzhi... oops.)
In all honesty it reminds me of how Chu Shuzhi used to be in the very beginning episodes with Guo Changcheng.
Just being himself, with all his politeness switched off? *g*
SUCH brave Changcheng, YESSS!!
I think this is interesting because he’s no longer trying to scare Guo Changcheng away, but instead talking about what’s really upsetting him.
That's such a great point, yesss! He's so conflicted about Changcheng being there, wants to protect him, but also finds him comforting, and still utterly trusts him. <3 <3 <3
Chu Shuzhi says: Tell Zhao Yunlan, I am nobody. No courage, no ability. I’m a nobody anyone can trample on.
*cries forever and ever and ever*
As Guo Changcheng speaks we see Chu Shuzhi furtively pinch his thigh and when he feels the pain he smiles, because it means it’s not a dream
Ahhh, I missed that. OH BABY!! <3 <3 <3
First, when Chu Shuzhi was talking to Zhao Yunlan he said he sent Guo Changcheng back, but when they see each other it’s clear Chu Shuzhi knows what happened. Is this because Nightmare Master had made Chu Shuzhi say those words to Zhao Yunlan? A subliminal message/hypnosis as it were?
Oh, that makes sense!
Third, how dare Nightmare Master hold Chu Shuzhi’s hand. HOW DARE. And how dare he impersonate Changcheng, HOW DARE.
RIGHT? HOW VERY DARE!!!
Fourth, do you think the Nightmare Master’s powers give a sense of how a person acts/thinks? That he can fool people so well, or is he just a great manipulator.
I wonder if he can mould the victim's projection? Like, the victim generates the dream, and the Nightmare Master shapes it the way he wants, and sometimes steps into a role.
Thank you for the explanations of the childhood flashbacks -- I get so confused about which twin is which!!
First, when we see Guo Changcheng sitting so calm and composed in the chair is it because he’s using his powers (Nightmare Master that is? My brain says yes!)
That makes sense to me!
How do you think Chu Shuzhi got back to the SID after being defeated by Ye Zun?
I'm unsure about that, too. He wakes up in the SID, and he's sitting at his desk. Zhao Yunlan doesn't seem surprised to see him there, and speaks as if Chu Shuzhi has just been reporting back, but why would Chu Shuzhi be sitting at his desk for that? It's weird!
When the Regent was pretending not to know where Shen Wei was, what do you think that look at the very end was? I felt like it was significant in some ways, but I’m not sure what to read of it.
I think it was a "that's all I'm going to tell you" look. I think the Regent doesn't want to get on Ye Zun's bad side, so he's prevaricating like the weasel he is.
Does everyone have a favorite Ye Zun scene? If so, what it is?
I can't decide between the confrontation with ZYL in the park in ep 20, with the villain monologuing, and when he invades the SID in ep 34. But there might be others I don't remember, too.
I still feel vaguely confused on the Chu twins background. Can someone confirm that I am not reading things incorrectly and that there are at least two (maybe three) versions of the Chu twins background between 32 and 33?
I'm super confused, too. I hope someone will do a scene discussion post on this one day. In the meantime, I think the actual real version is what Chu Shuzhi tells unconscious(?) Changcheng in the SID lab, next episode.
Congrats again on such a great post!!
I might a few more little observations once I've been through my notes, but I'll put them in a separate comment. This is already so long! ;-D
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I find this episode and the next one super confusing, partly because Chu Shuzhi's behaviour is so OTT and at first I read that as an indication it was a dream, but no. He's just Being Like That A Lot, in dream and out. (Also, the way he seems to suddenly switch from Dixing to Haixing after Changcheng is struck down! So confusing!) So thanks for untangling it a bit! <333 (I hope one day someone will make a timeline/outline of the entire dream sequence, because I feel like there might be dreams within dreams sometimes, but I might be wrong? Idk!!)
The Regent is still a bad man.
Hee!
I also think this shows Chu Shuzhi trying to protect his family, even if his words are a touch more rough and blunt.
Yes, good point! I don't think he'd have sent Changcheng into Zhu Hong's dream unprotected, not even with Zhao Yunlan there. He'd have felt too responsible if something had happened.
I’m still on the fence on what the dark energy was for? Was it to cause pain to punish the Nightmare Master or was it so Ye Zun could steal his powers somewhat?
I'm not sure either. Usually Ye Zun has to eat people to gain their power, so maybe this is a threat? Like, "Do a better job, or I'll eat you and do it myself!"?
On another note, we see Zhu Hong smiling at her desk. I couldn’t quite figure out why she was smiling?
Maybe she's pleased with the self-criticism Changcheng wrote her, and feeling smug for having evaded/delegated the punishment?
Also, I’m just going to highlight mean dream Chu Shuzhi and then really vaguely evil mean dream Chu Shuzhi with that tiny little smile on the second picture.
*applauds* That's such a great smirk!
This made me laugh because Da Qing is a very nosey cat! LOL.
Hee! I think he's hoping for something salacious, too, the perv. Or maybe just desperate for good material to tease ZYL with?
Also, can we talk about how Chu Shuzhi is sitting here?
YES, PLEASE, CAN WE? (Has he been taking sprawling lessons from ZYL? *g*)
Minister Gao: You need to recognize your position! Zhao Yunlan: And you need to recognize that you’re not qualified to sit here and judge us.
LOL, I feel like all his political smarts and diplomacy have gone out the window since Shen Wei's been missing. Zhao Yunlan, you can manage Minister Gao better than this!! Zhao Yunlan outright threatens him at the end, there, which is not an advisable way to talk to your superiors, even when they're being very wrong!! /o\ (I suppose Minister Gao wanting to scapegoat Chu Shuzhi pushes a lot of the Zhao Xinci buttons again.)
I find it very interesting how the team is seated. Everyone but Chu Shuzhi sits close together whereas Chu Shuzhi stands off to the side. A clear depiction of his ‘outsider’ status.
I feel like this is more self-imposed by Chu Shuzhi himself, since the discussion the team is having is about protecting Chu Shuzhi.
Agreed! I think he's feeling self-conscious and dreadful. The leak has brought up so many old feelings for him, including epic shame at not protecting Nianzhi, and no one else could ever understand. *pets him very carefully*
Eventually, Zhao Yunlan enters looking quite spry? Happy?
This was another reason I got confused about the dreams -- because this is such a marked contrast with Zhao Yunlan's bad temper at the DoS, and it's just like the start of Changcheng's dream... Is it supposed to be a deliberate misdirect, I wonder? It definitely made me more unsure about what was dream and what wasn't.
But this isn't, so I'm wondering how his mood gets turned around. Via defiance and a resolve to keep the team bolstered and ticking over?
Which calls back to Shen Wei writing Zhao Yunlan’s [self-criticism]
Hahaha, I'd forgotten about that. Perfect!
I just mean the journey of emotions Chu Shuzhi goes through in this particular episode. So many Emotions.
So many!!!!! And so intense!!!!!
For his statement about family is he saying for his actual family line, or his SID family?
I wondered whether Ya Qing had added in some (fake or exaggerated) dirt on Nianzhi, and that was part of what had got Chu Shuzhi so very worked up...
Zhao Yunlan’s line about only knowing violence because Chu Shuzhi is worried is such: AIEE my heart. Chu Shuzhi is seen XD XD XD
HEE! *hearts you* It's such a great line/observation! (And it's so dramatic, because he can be very gentle, you know, especially with Changcheng? But his defence mechanism is so often grumpiness and violence. Understandably!) And I really like Zhao Yunlan talking to him reasonably, acknowledging his feelings and counseling him. This is the mature, capable leader Zhao Yunlan, not the frustrated hothead. ♥
Chu Shuzhi leans over Zhao Yunlan’s desk and offers to bring Professor Shen ‘back to you’. BACK TO YOU.
It's so good!!!!!!! It's like when Zhu Hong is openly jealous of the SW/ZYL relationship. The whole team knows!! :D :D :D
(I was just thinking that Chu Shuzhi offering to bring Shen Wei back is kind of like a temptation dream for Zhao Yunlan. He doesn't need the Master of Nightmares to torment him; he has the RL thing! *pets him*)
We find Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng standing outside the portal to Dixing. Chu Shuzhi talks about having not been back in awhile.
I find the contrast between this journey to Dixing and the later dream journey really interesting. Like, here Chu Shuzhi's affect is flat and unenthusiastic about going to Dixing, but later, in the dream, Dixing is where he locates his happy ever after with Changcheng and Nianzhi. He really does still have a lot of "home" feelings about it.
Eventually Guo Changcheng is booted into the portal by Chu Shuzhi.
Literally, hee! Just like when Zhao Yunlan kicked him out of Zhu Hong's dream. *g*
Is the inhale because Dixing smells like ‘home’ to him, or because he’s mentally preparing for whatever may happen.
I was wondering if it was the smell of imprisonment and subjugation? This was where he was tortured, I think?
You can just feel the ‘I’m absolutely done’ energy from Chu Shuzhi in this whole whole whole scene. I love it!
He has zero time for the Regent, and no compunction about showing it!! I wonder what Shen Wei or Zhao Yunlan would think of him being so open about his attitude, given he represents both of them in different ways. Even if neither of the leaders likes the Regent, they do/might have to work with him in the future.
I thought this bit was interesting:
Regent: Isn't your Chief Zhao his good friend? Doesn't he know [where Hei Pao Shi is]?
CSZ: If you don't know, then just say it. No need to trap me with your questions.
Is Chu Shuzhi actually saying, "I'm not going to out them to you, even if you bait me!" here?!
(he sure is getting his steps in)
LOLOL!! <333
I'm so confused about puppet Nianzhi. Is it a different puppet from the one(s) Chu Shuzhi had before? Are his little puppet that appeared in Zhu Hong's dream, and his bigger puppet he had at the mah jong game separate, or one that changes shape? I need to know!!! *g* And does Ye Zun have the Nianzhi one? (I think I've been wrongly assuming that his regular puppet is Nianzhi... oops.)
In all honesty it reminds me of how Chu Shuzhi used to be in the very beginning episodes with Guo Changcheng.
Just being himself, with all his politeness switched off? *g*
SUCH brave Changcheng, YESSS!!
I think this is interesting because he’s no longer trying to scare Guo Changcheng away, but instead talking about what’s really upsetting him.
That's such a great point, yesss! He's so conflicted about Changcheng being there, wants to protect him, but also finds him comforting, and still utterly trusts him. <3 <3 <3
Chu Shuzhi says: Tell Zhao Yunlan, I am nobody. No courage, no ability. I’m a nobody anyone can trample on.
*cries forever and ever and ever*
As Guo Changcheng speaks we see Chu Shuzhi furtively pinch his thigh and when he feels the pain he smiles, because it means it’s not a dream
Ahhh, I missed that. OH BABY!! <3 <3 <3
First, when Chu Shuzhi was talking to Zhao Yunlan he said he sent Guo Changcheng back, but when they see each other it’s clear Chu Shuzhi knows what happened. Is this because Nightmare Master had made Chu Shuzhi say those words to Zhao Yunlan? A subliminal message/hypnosis as it were?
Oh, that makes sense!
Third, how dare Nightmare Master hold Chu Shuzhi’s hand. HOW DARE. And how dare he impersonate Changcheng, HOW DARE.
RIGHT? HOW VERY DARE!!!
Fourth, do you think the Nightmare Master’s powers give a sense of how a person acts/thinks? That he can fool people so well, or is he just a great manipulator.
I wonder if he can mould the victim's projection? Like, the victim generates the dream, and the Nightmare Master shapes it the way he wants, and sometimes steps into a role.
Thank you for the explanations of the childhood flashbacks -- I get so confused about which twin is which!!
First, when we see Guo Changcheng sitting so calm and composed in the chair is it because he’s using his powers (Nightmare Master that is? My brain says yes!)
That makes sense to me!
How do you think Chu Shuzhi got back to the SID after being defeated by Ye Zun?
I'm unsure about that, too. He wakes up in the SID, and he's sitting at his desk. Zhao Yunlan doesn't seem surprised to see him there, and speaks as if Chu Shuzhi has just been reporting back, but why would Chu Shuzhi be sitting at his desk for that? It's weird!
When the Regent was pretending not to know where Shen Wei was, what do you think that look at the very end was? I felt like it was significant in some ways, but I’m not sure what to read of it.
I think it was a "that's all I'm going to tell you" look. I think the Regent doesn't want to get on Ye Zun's bad side, so he's prevaricating like the weasel he is.
Does everyone have a favorite Ye Zun scene? If so, what it is?
I can't decide between the confrontation with ZYL in the park in ep 20, with the villain monologuing, and when he invades the SID in ep 34. But there might be others I don't remember, too.
I still feel vaguely confused on the Chu twins background. Can someone confirm that I am not reading things incorrectly and that there are at least two (maybe three) versions of the Chu twins background between 32 and 33?
I'm super confused, too. I hope someone will do a scene discussion post on this one day. In the meantime, I think the actual real version is what Chu Shuzhi tells unconscious(?) Changcheng in the SID lab, next episode.
Congrats again on such a great post!!
I might a few more little observations once I've been through my notes, but I'll put them in a separate comment. This is already so long! ;-D