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sid_guardian2023-08-28 08:29 am
china_shop) wrote in sid_guardian2023-08-28 08:29 am
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GUARDIAN REWATCH – Episode 33
Beginning of episode: Chu Shuzhi is dreaming he's by the river with Guo Changcheng.
Ending of episode: Ye Zun is completely free from the pillar.
Important scenes/developments:
- Dream!Changcheng calls Chu Shuzhi "gege" on Nianzhi's behalf and tempts him with a happy-ever-after in Dixing.
- They go to Dixing; dream!Changcheng asks about Nianzhi and says, "What if I could revive him?"
- Chu Shuzhi tells another version of his backstory (I think?) and gets very agitated; dream!Changcheng soothes him.
- Dream!Changcheng says they need the Hallows, and they go to get them from the SID; dream!Changcheng tells Chu Shuzhi to destroy the security shield.
- Chu Shuzhi realises it's a trick and breaks out of the dream... into another dream? Where he tries to fight Nightmare Guy.
- More childhood backstory.
- Shuzhi pretends to be Nianzhi.
- Nianzhi gets his admission letter from the palace.
- Shuzhi gets in a bar fight and is arrested.
- The person Shuzhi beat up mistakenly kills Nianzhi instead.
- Shuzhi escapes from prison and kills the guy.
- The Regent sentences Shuzhi to 100 years.
- Chu Shuzhi wakes up on the SID couch, holding his doll; he and Zhao Yunlan are both super upset about Changcheng.
- At the pillar, Ye Zun tells Nightmare Guy that he's failed again and gives him one more chance. (Shen Wei is proud of the SID's resilience.)
- Zhao Yunlan and Da Qing worry about Changcheng and receive Shen Wei's letter.
- Zhao Yunlan goes to Dixing, finds Changcheng in the palace and meets the Shadow Man.
- The Shadow Man goes to the pillar and alarms Shen Wei... until Zhao Yunlan arrives with Changcheng. Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan reunite.
- Zhao Yunlan tries to break the pillar chains, and the Shadow Man takes over; he dies freeing Shen Wei.
- Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei carry Changcheng back to the SID, where Chu Shuzhi takes him to the lab.
- The Bench Scene!
- Chu Shuzhi caresses unconscious!Changcheng.
- Da Qing tells Chu Shuzhi that Shen Wei saved Changcheng at the pillar; also, don't touch the Hallows!
- Chu Shuzhi immediately goes for the Longevity Dial.
- Lin Jing remembers back when Professor Ouyang transferred him to the SID.
- Chu Shuzhi/Guo Changcheng Longevity Dial exchange!! Changcheng still doesn't wake, but Chu Shuzhi looks pleased/hopeful.
- Lin Jing falls asleep and dreams that everyone calls him a traitor and is rude about his inventions. He shuts down the security shield.
- Ye Zun eats a random passerby, and the soundtrack music is alarming.
Thoughts
Wow, so much happens in this episode!! We get the rest of Chu Shuzhi's dreams, Chu Shuzhi and Zhao Yunlan being worried about/grieving Guo Changcheng, Zhao Yunlan going to Dixing to rescue Changcheng and Shen Wei, the Bench Scene, and Chu Shuzhi trying to save Guo Changcheng with the Dial. Also, the Nightmare Master makes his third assault on the SID's security shield -- via Lin Jing -- and this time he succeeds. /o\
A lot of the twin stuff in Chu Shuzhi's dreams, as well as giving more depth to Chu Shuzhi's character and storyline, primes us for what's to come: in particular, dream!Changcheng offering to resurrect Nianzhi with the Dial foreshadows Chu Shuzhi saving real!Changcheng that way, and the part where they pretend to be each other sets us up for Ye Zun disguising himself as Shen Wei in the next ep.
- We start with Chu Shuzhi's line from the end of last episode ago, again: "What if I tell you I hope the reality can be the same as my dream. Would you believe it?" He says this despite his dream containing some fairly graphic torture, but it was for Nianzhi, so he's okay with it. (Or is he referring to his current dream, the one he's in, where Changcheng is alive? How much is he willingly going along with it?) Changcheng calls him "gege" on Nianzhi's behalf and says the three of them should elope to Dixing, and Chu Shuzhi hugs him happily. Aww. *stabs Nightmare Guy*
- At the gateway to Dixing, Chu Shuzhi tells Changcheng to think it over: "There isn't any daylight down there. There is dark energy everywhere." Changcheng says, "I'm a good-for-nothing to begin with. Whether it's safe or not anywhere, it has nothing to do with me." (Which strikes me as Nightmare Guy getting Changcheng's characterisation wrong. Real!Changcheng would be more focused on him and Chu Shuzhi protecting each other, imo. ;-p) Then dream!Changcheng links Nianzhi's death with the Regent, and Chu Shuzhi gets suspicious. Changcheng covers, and they go into the gate.
- In Dixing, they sprawl on some steps in the street.
(I'm sad we don't get to see the inside of a Dixing house, but I do love how relaxed and laid back Chu Shuzhi seems here.) Changcheng asks about Nianzhi, and Chu Shuzhi says he used to cook for him, to which Changcheng says he'll cook for Chu Shuzhi from now on. Then Changcheng says he wants to see Nianzhi's puppet to check his status, which does suggest it's a different puppet from Chu Shuzhi's regular puppet, except then Chu Shuzhi says, "What status? Isn't he always like that?" which confuses me again.
Click through for screencaps of the puppet Chu Shuzhi gives Nianzhi when they're young, and the puppet Zhao Yunlan puts in Chu Shuzhi's hand in the SID library. They look like the same puppet to me
Changcheng says he wants to meet Nianzhi himself and suggests reviving him.
CSZ: That's impossible. He... he is dead!
GCC: Why impossible? Wasn't I already dead? I came back to life.
me: Bold move there, reminding Chu Shuzhi that you recently died!
GCC: (cont.) What are you afraid of? Is he not your dearest brother? Are you afraid of his revival?
CSZ: I'm not!
GCC: (completely out of character) So what are you afraid of? You're afraid of him blaming you. Blaming you for not saving him at that time. Blaming you for causing his death!
CSZ: No, not like that! He didn't behave -- that's why he was chopped with one long knife on the chest! I saved him. I really did save him! But those guys, those guys just wouldn't spare him! I... They wouldn't spare him.
GCC: It's fine. I'm here. I'm here. (pulls Chu Shuzhi's head onto his shoulder and says in his ear:) Nianzhi will forgive you.
Wow, Nightmare Guy is a dick. He says he wants to use the Hallows to bring Nianzhi back. - Outside the SID, Chu Shuzhi hesitates. Nightmare Guy's "Changcheng" disguise is growing ever thinner -- I really love how badly he's hiding his greed and impatience, while trying to maintain the pretence, and how you can see him spinning dream-logic justifications for what he wants. "Chu-ge, there is a shield in the SID, right? Nianzhi is a Dixingren. He can't enter. We'd better destroy the shield first."
Chu Shuzhi pours blue energy at the door of the SID. (If it's that easy to break, why hasn't someone else done it? Or is it only vulnerable to SID members?) He must suspect, because as he's doing it, he says, "Changcheng, after this is done, let's have dinner." "Sure." "Let's have the spiciest dishes." "No problem. The spicier, the better." And Chu Shuzhi knows it's a lie. He turns his power on "Changcheng", and the whole dream shatters. - Cut to Chu Shuzhi storming down a (Haixing? or lit Dixing?) street. A gate swing closed in front of him.
He tries to fight Nightmare Guy, who says, "The dreamworld is so wonderful. The people you love and the things you care about are here. Why do you still have to get out?" like he really doesn't understand. Chu Shuzhi swings at him and sees a vision of the past: the twins playing pranks and Nianzhi getting his admission notice from the palace. And then back to the scene with the punishment urn, where:
Nianzhi: Brother, can I discuss something with you? Could you stop fiddling with that puppet? It's unlucky.
Shuzhi: I want to go to Haixing. I want to be a hero. I don't want to be like you and waste that kind of talent.
Nianzhi: I've given up on that. I'm going to work at Dijun Palace. I just want to live in peace.
Shuzhi: (puts down the pot and takes a puppet out of his pocket) This is... I know you don't like the things I make. But keep this with you as a token that I'm still protecting you.- So interesting that Shuzhi associates going to Haixing with being a hero.
- I'm not sure whether or not "I don't want to be like you and waste that kind of talent" implies he's talking about his own talent or Nianzhi's.
- I still kind of read this like Nianzhi is unpowered and low-key disapproves of Shuzhi's power.
Then Chu Shuzhi gets arrested by the Deacon (all by himself, so no resisting arrest here) for beating someone up in a pub. Nianzhi calls after him, "Ge, I'll get you out." But the beating victim (who looks surprisingly unscathed) runs into Nianzhi, confuses him for Shuzhi, and beats him to death. Shuzhi must hear about this somehow, because he uses his power to escape the prison, and he and his puppet kill the grovelling-for-mercy attacker. "A life for a life." After that, we see Shuzhi in stocks with guards aiming their rifles at his head, and the Regent sentencing him to 100 years.
Nightmare Guy seems to be watching this memory, because he looks into it and says, "Chu Shuzhi committed a crime. Chu Nianzhi got mistaken for Chu Shuzhi. Chu Nianzhi was then killed by the victim for it. Are you satisfied with this reality?"
CSZ: You mean... Changcheng... never came back? You mean that... to take back Nianzhi's remains from Ye Zun, I caused his death?
Owwww! Then he recounts his dreams: 1) Changcheng came back and they were going to live in Dixing together. 2) Nianzhi and he switched bodies so Chu Shuzhi was the sensible one, and Nianzhi was the mischievous one.
Chu Shuzhi is mad with grief and can't even stand; Zhu Yunlan cries too, puts the doll in Chu Shuzhi's hands and leaves him curled on the floor in the fetal position. *weeps* The version of the opening song that played over Zheng Yi and Tan Xiao's montage plays again here -- that at least is a hopeful sign, I think? (Is it the same lyrics?)
Ye Zun is supremely unimpressed and tortures him some more, but Shen Wei keeps smiling.
DQ: Thought you'd give him a beating or a good dressing-down.
ZYL: You can't blame a man who's made a genuine mistake.
DQ: What about Xiao Guo? Seriously, if anything happens to him, then if you don't hit him, I will!
ZYL: Shut your big mouth. We don't know what's happening there. Xiao Guo, that little devil, is always incredibly lucky. Since he came to the SID, his life has been in danger many times, but he always survived. He's not some ordinary kid. He'll be fine again this time.
DQ: Right, right, he'll be fine. Got to be fine.
Da Qing has changed his tune since episode 6, when they were interviewing Mirror Girl's fiancé, and Da Qing said, "Why are you humans so sensitive? Life and death are natural phenomena, no?"
And Zhao Yunlan doesn't really sound like someone who was just crying in the library, so I wonder how much his tears were sympathy for Chu Shuzhi.
Anyway, interestingly, they don't talk about going to Dixing to save Changcheng, but Da Qing does ask if Zhao Yunlan is going to save Shen Wei. Zhao Yunlan says he's waiting, and then FINALLY the letter arrives. It just says, "Dijun's Palace. Wei."
Zhao Yunlan is relieved and energised. He gives Da Qing his lollipop and tells him to keep an eye on Chu Shuzhi.
He promises to rescue Changcheng and Shen Wei, but then, oh no, the Shadow Man from ep 1 finds them!! Dun dun DUN!
Cut to the Shadow Man coming to the pillar and greeting Shen Wei. He explains about the Regent's siege squad (he survived by hiding in a shadow, hee!) and shows Shen Wei the Envoy's blade. We flashback to Shen Wei using his power to send Changcheng and the blade away, saying, "Take my blade and hold on until he finds you."
Now, Shen Wei shouts at the Shadow Man, asking why he has the blade. The Shadow Man shrugs, lol, and completely fails to explain. Shen Wei thinks hope is lost. He bows his head and says, "Just do it."
Offscreen, Zhao Yunlan (carrying Changcheng on his back) says, "Do what? He can't start till I get here." Shen Wei's face is an emotional journey. Zhao Yunlan carefully lays Changcheng down, then walks up to Shen Wei, and they have this MOMENT of "you're here and you're still alive!" drinking each other in until the Shadow Man, who can't read a room, butts in to explain why he's helping. ("Though you arrested me that day, you consoled my family afterwards and pleaded for me with the Regent. I may have committed a crime, but I do know gratitude." Also, he's not a fan of Ye Zun.) Zhao Yunlan sees the chains hurting Shen Wei and interrupts to start attacking the chains with Shen Wei's blade. Which obviously hurts him, but he ignores Shen Wei trying to talk him out of it.
He even falls to the ground, clutching his heart, but won't give up -- until the Shadow Man confiscates the blade and does it himself, at cost to his own life. And Shen Wei is too weak and injured to heal him, oh no!
Freed, Shen Wei glares at the pillar, and Zhao Yunlan is all, "Let's not waste his sacrifice / let's get out of here."
And then there's the Bench Scene, and I love it so much!! My favourite things about it are a) how Zhao Yunlan responds to everything monosyllabically to try to get Shen Wei to stop talking shop, and b) how they're so happy just to be together again. I love that they (and we) get this chance to revel in their reunion.
He remembers Da Qing saying, "Chief Zhao said when Xiao Guo was attacked by Ye Zun, Hei Pao Shi saved him. He used up his last reserve of strength to protect Xiao Guo. But Xiao Guo is seriously hurt. [...] You can take care of him inside the lab, but don't touch the Hallows." So Chu Shuzhi goes and gets the Longevity Dial, of course he does. Whyyy would you plant that seed?? (Or re-plant it, I guess. Dream!Changcheng planted it earlier, talking about reviving Nianzhi.) I can see why they'd prohibit it -- they can't afford to have Chu Shuzhi out of commission at this point. But at the same time, Changcheng!! They have to save Changcheng!! And hey, if it's good enough for the Envoy...
Sounds like spying to me. Poor Lin Jing.
He looks pleased, zero regrets.
Then he wakes up and remembers his dream.
Discussion starters:
- What's your favourite scene in this episode? Favourite line of dialogue?
- In earlier episodes we've seen Nianzhi say, "I wish that everyone can be happy. That way, I'd be happy too." (ep 6) and heard that he was timid (Chu Shuzhi tells Changcheng, "You are such a scaredy-cat. More timid than my brother." in ep 8). How does that mesh with what we see in Chu Shuzhi's dreams, especially with him aspiring to work at the palace and asking Chu Shuzhi not to use his puppet power? For that matter, what kind of job do you think Nianzhi was going for at the palace? He doesn't seem like your typical guard -- though the palace guard does seem to have had a good reputation in the past, despite working for the Regent; Zhu Jiu joined up in his idealistic phase.
- Do you think 100 years is a typical sentence for murder in Dixing, or was Chu Shuzhi targeted, or is his crime special in some way -- maybe because he used his power to commit the murder?
- When and why did Chu Shuzhi start to suspect fake Changcheng wasn't really Changcheng?
- Any theories on Chu Shuzhi's puppet and the Nianzhi puppet? I've always thought he treated his Haixing puppet so well and protectively because it was Nianzhi, but now it seems that Nianzhi was left behind in Dixing?
- How much of the Regent's enmity towards the Envoy is because Shen Wei keeps petitioning on prisoners' behalf, thereby implicitly criticising the Regent's sentencing practices?
- The Shadow Man, Sha Ya and Hua Yuzhu all sacrificed themselves to protect Shen Wei because they care about the fate of Dixing and they believe in the Envoy. Do you think they're unusual, or are there a lot of others who are counting on the Envoy to save the day?
- How much do you love the Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan reunion in this episode, especially the bench scene? I remember my first time watching the show, I was waiting and waiting for Shen Wei to come back from Dixing (much like Zhao Yunlan *g*), and all that anticipation and impatience could have made their reunion anticlimactic, but it wasn't AT ALL. So wonderful!
- Do you think there's a cost to the Chu Shuzhi/Guo Changcheng Dial exchange? Does Chu Shuzhi get infected with light energy, too, and if so, how does it affect him?
- In Lin Jing's flashback, he'd heard of the SID but didn't know its role. Out of those who know of it, what do most people think the SID is for? Also, does Lin Jing really think the SID team blame him for spying? *cries*
Let’s talk about episode 33!
Come and talk about this episode – anything from favourite scenes or lines of dialogue to notes/questions about continuity or translation, most gorgeous (or angsty) smile, or anything else that strikes your fancy! And share links to your own and/or others’ episode-related meta, picspams, and fanworks, new or old!
Links to episode 33 fanworks and meta go here!
- any other episode reactions or related meta
- fanworks, picspams, squee, etc, relating to episode 33 generally or to specific scenes, characters, or events in this episode
Link to your own works and/or others'. Help us build as comprehensive a collection of links as possible!Re: Links to episode 33 fanworks and meta go here!
Zhao Yunlan rescuing Shen Wei by
Chu Shuzhi uses the Longevity Dial to save Guo Changcheng by
My fic:
Survivor - Chu Shuzhi & Chu Nianzhi, Chu Shuzhi/Guo Changcheng (linking for Nianzhi, who is still dead in this fic)
with courage as our shield - Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan, post-rescue
Re: Links to episode 33 fanworks and meta go here!
How We Save Each Other (5316 words) [Teen And Up]
Relationship/Characters: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan
Content Tags: Episode Related, episode 33, Missing Scenes, Rescue, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Shen Wei, mutual comfort, Getting Together, Dixing Worldbuilding
Summary: Zhao Yunlan has rescued Shen Wei from the chains of the Heavenly Pillar, but Shen Wei is badly wounded, and getting back to Haixing is not as simple as they'd like.
In the Sun (929 words) [Teen And Up]
Relationship/Characters: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan
Content Tags: First Kiss, Angst, bench scene, Episode Related, episode 33, time loops, Kunlun memories
Summary: Shen Wei almost doesn't return the kiss.
Re: Links to episode 33 fanworks and meta go here!
Re: Links to episode 33 fanworks and meta go here!
Respect the Deputy
Relationship/Characters: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan, Da Qing, Chu Shuzhi/Guo Changcheng (background)
Content Tags: Episode Tag, Episode 33, WeiLan and Their Cat, Fish, Fluff and Humor, Pentadrabble, Cat Tribe Best Tribe
Summary: Da Qing seeks out WeiLan to complain that Chu Shuzhi disobeyed him.
Re: Links to episode 33 fanworks and meta go here!
Re: Links to episode 33 fanworks and meta go here!
Re: Links to episode 33 fanworks and meta go here!
constant tides by hesselives
Relationship/Characters: Chu Shuzhi/Guo Changcheng
Content tags: Post-Canon, show verse, Established Relationship, emotional navel-gazing, References to canonical character deaths, Accidental Acquisition of Children, chuguo being anxious and startled dads, Chu Shuzhi POV, a bit of angst, more fluff than anticipated, Domesticity
Summary: Chu Shuzhi tries to figure out life after SID.
Comment: I love this entire fic! Chapters 7 and 8 deal with the effects of the Longevity Dial. Guo Changcheng's reaction is pure gold. ♥
To Awake as Living Flame by Dorinda
Relationships/Characters: Chu Shuzhi/Guo Changcheng, Shen Wei, Zhao Yunlan, Da Qing
Content Tags: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, handwavy post-canon, Minor Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan, Self-Sacrifice, Rescue, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Not Really Character Death, Getting Together
Summary:
Guo Changcheng stared at his phone, rubbing the back of his neck. Chu-ge was fine, surely. He'd been SID's only field agent since well before any such person as Guo Changcheng had ever been foisted upon him. He didn't need more worried little texts.
Okay, maybe one more. His thumbs flickered over the screen.
ur ok right
Comment: The poetry of Dorinda's writing makes even the most painful scenes a joy to read: They were both in the lab memory for one more moment, terror and love roaring in the very air, the Dial setting all to rights by knitting Changcheng alive again with strips of Chu Shuzhi's desperate heart.
Re: Links to episode 33 fanworks and meta go here!
By Any Other Name by trascendenza - Changcheng meets Chu-ge's brother in canon divergence fic where Nianzi is alive
Re: Links to episode 33 fanworks and meta go here!
Re: Links to episode 33 fanworks and meta go here!
Re: Links to episode 33 fanworks and meta go here!
Re: Links to episode 33 fanworks and meta go here!
Re: Links to episode 33 fanworks and meta go here!
Re: Links to episode 33 fanworks and meta go here!
Re: Links to episode 33 fanworks and meta go here!
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In the previous version of the past (ep 32), they say:
Nianzhi: Brother, you sure you want to work in the palace?
Shuzhi: Yes. It's very chaotic out here. It will be safer there.
Nianzhi: But your special power will be useless there. That's such a waste.
Shuzhi: Nianzhi, don't mention it anymore.
But when Chu Shuzhi wakes up in the SID library, he says one of his dreams was a switch, and I think it's that one, and that it was Chu Shuzhi who wanted to go to Haixing and be a hero, and Nianzhi who wanted a quiet life at the palace.
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Lin Jing's immediate assumption is that he's being transferred due to his "lazy personality" and tendency to build gadgets. He views these things as qualities that other people view negatively enough that it could be grounds for firing him, essentially. How did he come to have that view? Is this something he's been told, or did he just gather it from the reactions of people around him?
Professor Oyang not only has no problem with it, he also calls Lin Jing his favorite student, praising him. The real SID does seem to appreciate his inventions, even if they tease him about them being unreliable. But seeing that part of himself as undesirable is deeprooted enough it invades his nightmare. Where did it come from?
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Ooh, awesome! *cheers you on*
And that's such a good point! The only explanation I can come up with is there might have been a lot of pressure on him at university to be a theoretician and focus on his studies, rather than getting distracted making things. Or maybe, at the lab, Professor Zhou keeps lauding Shen Wei, who for all his occasional talk of lab experiments, seems to be mostly focused on theory. Do you have any other thoughts?
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(I would totally love a whole meta post about this, or Lin Jing in general!)
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Interesting that he goes for a (cutesy?) gege. If I remember correctly flashback/hallucination Chu Nianzhi actually calls him ge.
Dream!Changcheng says they need the Hallows, and they go to get them from the SID; dream!Changcheng tells Chu Shuzhi to destroy the security shield.
Xiao-Guo’s actor is doing a really good job here. His mannerisms and expressions are just different enough that it’s clearly Not Guo, starting out subtle but getting more obvious over time.
Chu Shuzhi wakes up on the SID couch, holding his doll; he and Zhao Yunlan are both super upset about Changcheng.
I like that Zhao Yunlan is so passive in this scene, and the contrast it provides to Lao-Chu. Chu Shuzhi is having a noisy breakdown right next to him, but Zhao Yunlan is just… sitting there. He has nothing to give. There’s nothing he can do or say to make it better, and he doesn’t bother to pretend there is.
What's your favourite scene in this episode? Favourite line of dialogue?
When Zhao Yunlan comes to rescue Shen Wei ❤
I love the urgency in this scene from Zhao Yunlan
, and the uniform.In the last episodes we saw him increasingly worried, and now that he found Shen Wei he’s had enough - he needs to save him right the fuck now. So he doesn’t listen to Shen Wei’s warnings and hammers away at the chains with no regard for safety, fuelled by all the anger and frustration we already saw last episode and earlier in this one.
My favourite line is Shen Wei’s breathless little “Zhao Yunlan” when he sees who’s come to save him!
I also have the most random side note ever: The sword bouncing off the chains looks exactly like the animation of hitting a stone in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Now that I noticed I can’t unsee it help
When and why did Chu Shuzhi start to suspect fake Changcheng wasn't really Changcheng?
Fake-Guo messes up pretty early on, when he knows Chu Nianzhi’s death was related to the Regent, and Chu Shuzhi does call him on it. I think Chu knows something is up something from then on - but he doesn’t want it to be true, so he ignores it until he no longer can.
The Shadow Man, Sha Ya and Hua Yuzhu all sacrificed themselves to protect Shen Wei because they care about the fate of Dixing and they believe in the Envoy. Do you think they're unusual, or are there a lot of others who are counting on the Envoy to save the day?
Three makes a crowd! In combination with the Envoy being called a hero and other such things, I think he is indeed held in high regard by the common people.
How much do you love the Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan reunion in this episode, especially the bench scene?
hhhngggrzzzhhhhhh
It’s so good!
The smiling! The suit! Zhao Yunlan supporting his
spousegood friend! The fact that it’s Shen Wei who suggests they sit!❤❤❤
Do you think there's a cost to the Chu Shuzhi/Guo Changcheng Dial exchange? Does Chu Shuzhi get infected with light energy, too, and if so, how does it affect him?
This is never brought up again, right? Maybe he just completely failed at using the sundial, it did nothing to either Xiao-Guo or himself, and Guo would have been fine anyway (aka the boring answer lol).
He really should have asked Shen Wei for some guidance before messing with a hallow, though.
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IIRC, Ye Zun uses both at different times (I might be wrong, though). Could gege be reserved for significant moments?
Xiao-Guo’s actor is doing a really good job here. His mannerisms and expressions are just different enough that it’s clearly Not Guo, starting out subtle but getting more obvious over time.
Yes, I love how clearly not-himself he transitions into being.
I like that Zhao Yunlan is so passive in this scene, and the contrast it provides to Lao-Chu. Chu Shuzhi is having a noisy breakdown right next to him, but Zhao Yunlan is just… sitting there. He has nothing to give. There’s nothing he can do or say to make it better, and he doesn’t bother to pretend there is.
Ouch, yeah. That's a great way to put it. *pets them both*
When Zhao Yunlan comes to rescue Shen Wei ❤
SUCH A GREAT SCENE!
My favourite line is Shen Wei’s breathless little “Zhao Yunlan” when he sees who’s come to save him!
<3 <3 <3
I also have the most random side note ever: The sword bouncing off the chains looks exactly like the animation of hitting a stone in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Now that I noticed I can’t unsee it help
Haha, I don't know The Legend of Zelda, but I definitely know how those kinds of associations can stick. *g*
I think Chu knows something is up something from then on - but he doesn’t want it to be true, so he ignores it until he no longer can.
That makes sense. He's complicit in staying in the dream -- that's part of how the Nightmare Master works. It's like Zhu Hong, who didn't want to leave her dream, either.
In combination with the Envoy being called a hero and other such things, I think he is indeed held in high regard by the common people.
Yes -- to the point where they're willing to lay down their lives for him!
The fact that it’s Shen Wei who suggests they sit!
Yesssss, asking for what he wants, purely for self-indulgent reasons. <333333333
This is never brought up again, right?
I actually can't remember. I'll have to keep an eye out. LOL, it certainly looked like it was doing something. :D
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Right? The creepiness keeps creeping in more and more!
I like that Zhao Yunlan is so passive in this scene, and the contrast it provides to Lao-Chu. Chu Shuzhi is having a noisy breakdown right next to him, but Zhao Yunlan is just… sitting there. He has nothing to give. There’s nothing he can do or say to make it better, and he doesn’t bother to pretend there is.
♥ ♥ ♥
In the last episodes we saw him increasingly worried, and now that he found Shen Wei he’s had enough - he needs to save him right the fuck now. So he doesn’t listen to Shen Wei’s warnings and hammers away at the chains with no regard for safety, fuelled by all the anger and frustration we already saw last episode and earlier in this one.
Yes! That's an excellent point, Zhao Yunlan's been holding himself back for so long, and now that he's finally letting himself act, he can't stop any more, it's all NOW NOW NOW, and all that pent-up frustration and worry gets poured into his single-minded focus on freeing Shen Wei RIGHT NOW, no matter the cost. ♥
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Ye Zun eats a random passerby, and the soundtrack music is alarming.
Oh, is that what's happening? I guess that makes sense! Black energy cloud Ye Zun still confuses me a lot, and also An Bai's friends have emerged from such a cloud before. (Did Ye Zun eat them and spit them out again? I mean, he can, so why not.)
and the part where they pretend to be each other sets us up for Ye Zun disguising himself as Shen Wei in the next ep
Yes! This is such great foreshadowing! :D
(Or is he referring to his current dream, the one he's in, where Changcheng is alive? How much is he willingly going along with it?)
Honestly, this time round I'm pretty sure that he's on some level aware this isn't real, and is willingly going along with it. And he's so subdued in the scene by the river (and looks like he's going to burst into tears any minute!) not only because of his Nianzhi dreams-within-a-dream, but because he still believes real!Guo Changcheng is dead. And he can't face it, so he goes along with the dream - much like Zhu Hong, unwilling to wake up. And he lets himself have that little fantasy of a happy ending in Dixing, ignoring all the reasons why it never would go like that. I think he believes the dream is trying to trap him, and he's willing to go along with it.
There are multiple moments when Chu Shuzhi seems to come out of his daze a bit, unable to look away from the OOCness of dream!Guo Changcheng not aligning with Chu Shuzhi's conception of him - when "Guo Changcheng" offers to call him gege, when "Guo Changcheng" knows about the Regent's involvement in Nianzhi's death. When "Guo Changcheng" suggests he can bring Nianzhi back. But each time he lets himself be distracted, lets himself go along with the "dream logic", and it's not until the very end that he realises he's not just being trapped in a dream, the Nightmare Master is actively trying to use him against the dream. And that's when he stops going with the flow.
Which strikes me as Nightmare Guy getting Changcheng's characterisation wrong. Real!Changcheng would be more focused on him and Chu Shuzhi protecting each other, imo. ;-p
100% agreed!
And Guo Changcheng gets progressively more OOC and more deliberately manipulative and more creepy as the Nightmare Master nudges things in the direction he wants. Particularly evil: telling Chu Shuzhi who's not jumping at the chance of reviving Nianzhi that he's just afraid Nianzhi will blame him for everything that happened, and then Chu Shuzhi genuinely loses it for a bit, totally lost in his own emotions.
I'm sad we don't get to see the inside of a Dixing house, but I do love how relaxed and laid back Chu Shuzhi seems here.
Yes! More normal Dixing would have been great, but this is also very good. :D
I do love that living a simple, happy life with Guo Changcheng in Dixing is Chu Shuzhi's fantasy - like you said the other day, Chu Shuzhi is one of the few Dixingren who can openly live in Haixing, and he has very conflicted feelings about Dixing and obviously hates the Regent and everything to do with him, but it's still Dixing where this happy ending is set; it's still home for him. ♥ ♥ ♥
the puppet Chu Shuzhi gives Nianzhi when they're young, and the puppet Zhao Yunlan puts in Chu Shuzhi's hand in the SID library. They look like the same puppet to me
Yep, to me as well. But when young!Shuzhi gives the original puppet to Nianzhi, he says he made it, doesn't he? So he could easily have made a replica as a memento, since he wasn't allowed to keep the original.
Wow, Nightmare Guy is a dick.
You can say that again! And he's very good at homing in on someone's weakest spot, because this is definitely Chu Shuzhi's. He's not able to be rational about this, in the moment. (See also: him letting himself fall for Ye Zun's not even particularly good Nianzhi impression previously!)
Chu Shuzhi pours blue energy at the door of the SID. (If it's that easy to break, why hasn't someone else done it? Or is it only vulnerable to SID members?)
I don't think he's actually putting any effort into trying to break the shield. On some level he wants very badly to believe in this, but at the same time I don't think he ever does, not truly. He's going along it mostly in a daze, because he thinks this is a dream, and if he goes with the flow, maybe he'll get to see a dream version of Nianzhi again. But when he realises there's a real component here - that he's not just dreaming about what he wishes were true, he's being manipulated into something their enemies want - then, he stops playing along. Just like he wasn't willing to sacrifice Guo Changcheng for Nianzhi when Ye Zun demanded it, he's not willing to destroy the SID's shield for it either.
Regarding the "necessity" to destroy the shield in order to be able to take Nianzhi inside, I always thought that an authorised person could take others inside. (And they must, because how else did e.g. Wu Tian'en and Wu Xiaojun get inside, or Zhu Jiu when he was arrested.) Do you think our villains actually haven't figured that out? Because apart from Zheng Yi, IIRC they never try to force anyone to take them inside.
I'm not sure whether or not "I don't want to be like you and waste that kind of talent" implies he's talking about his own talent or Nianzhi's.
I read it as Nianzhi having the same power as Shuzhi, but not wanting to use it, and disapproving of what Shuzhi does with his, whereas Shuzhi considers it a waste not to use that power. But Nianzhi wants a peaceful life, whereas Shuzhi wants to be a hero (or what a kid thinks is a hero, anyway).
Zhao Yunlan is there, sitting very controlled and upright, with his legs tightly crossed.
Yes, very still and almost blank, which is extremely remarkable for Zhao Yunlan.
Chu Shuzhi is mad with grief and can't even stand; Zhu Yunlan cries too, puts the doll in Chu Shuzhi's hands and leaves him curled on the floor in the fetal position. *weeps*
We get to see Chu Shuzhi having to face reality, all those truths he hasn't been able or willing to look in the face. There's a tear running down his face even before he fully breaks down, and he grabs Zhao Yunlan's arm in despair - and Zhao Yunlan doesn't even say anything, just looks at him ...
I love the little pat on the shoulder Zhao Yunlan gives Chu Shuzhi bevore he leaves. ♥
The version of the opening song that played over Zheng Yi and Tan Xiao's montage plays again here -- that at least is a hopeful sign, I think? (Is it the same lyrics?)
It's Chu xin both times, yeah - same lyrics.
Shen Wei laughs to himself. Nightmare Guy is going for third time lucky. He leaves, and Shen Wei eulogises the SID to Ye Zun: "Their willpower is strong. They each have their own worries, but they still have the power of their convictions. Reality may be cruel, but they can feel real joy and sorrow and meet real friends and relatives. That's why you won't win." Awww!
I love Shen Wei's attitude in this scene! And Ye Zun tortures him, but Shen Wei still laughs. ♥
Seriously, if anything happens to him, then if you don't hit him, I will!
I looked at the Chinese here because it didn't seem to quite align with the subs, and what he says is more like, "if something really did happen to him, then even if you don't hit him, I still won't be able to forgive him." ♥ ♥ ♥
Also, I love that Da Qing is surprised Zhao Yunlan wasn't harder on Chu Shuzhi, but then Da Qing hasn't seen Chu Shuzhi's breakdown happen in front of him, and heaping more blame on him wouldn't have done any good - Chu Shuzhi is already fully aware of his own responsibility for what happened. (I wonder how Da Qing would have reacted if he'd been there!)
Da Qing has changed his tune since episode 6, when they were interviewing Mirror Girl's fiancé, and Da Qing said, "Why are you humans so sensitive? Life and death are natural phenomena, no?"
LOL! Good point!
And Zhao Yunlan doesn't really sound like someone who was just crying in the library, so I wonder how much his tears were sympathy for Chu Shuzhi.
Yeah, the contrast between how Zhao Yunlan is with Chu Shuzhi (somber, almost grim, with tears falling as Chu Shuzhi rambles about saving his brother), and how he is with Da Qing (still somber, but determinedly hopeful) is striking! I wonder if it's at least in part that Da Qing brings out a different side in him - and also, that it's easier to hold on to hope when faced with Da Qing's complaining than when faced with Chu Shuzhi's despair.
Anyway, interestingly, they don't talk about going to Dixing to save Changcheng, but Da Qing does ask if Zhao Yunlan is going to save Shen Wei. Zhao Yunlan says he's waiting, and then FINALLY the letter arrives.
On discord,
He gives Da Qing his lollipop and tells him to keep an eye on Chu Shuzhi.
More than that, he hands his half-eaten lollipop to Da Qing, who promptly puts it into his own mouth! :D :D :D
And then he goes to Dixing with zero back up, sneaks around, knocks out a guard and steals his uniform, and goes into the conveniently deserted palace
Right? He's so lucky during this entire trip. The palace is conveniently empty, so he's not attacked or arrested or killed immediately when he rushes down the stairs into the palace hall, and later at the pillar Ye Zun is also conveniently absent, so the rescue can proceed without problem. (Zhao Yunlan even brings Guo Changcheng back to the pillar when Shen Wei had made such an effort to send him away from it - imagine if Ye Zun had been there, and Zhao Yunlan had delivered Guo Changcheng right back to him! It could so easily have happened!)
Also, it's so interesting the show never answers how Zhao Yunlan, a Haixingren on his own, actually manages to get to Dixing! He can't exactly open the passage himself. Not that it answers the question of how Chu Shuzhi can open the passage either, since we're told only the Envoy and the Regent have permission! But presumably they can authorise others to open the passage. I don't remember who originally came up with the theory that Shen Wei's letter to Zhao Yunlan serves as a token to open the passage, but it's been my headcanon for a while, and I used it (and the concept of tokens to open the passage) in my own escape-from-Dixing fic.
Anyway, at the palace, Guo Changcheng is semi-conscious and looking very pale, but points Shen Wei's dao out to Zhao Yunlan, and I'm not sure why ... Any thoughts?
He promises to rescue Changcheng and Shen Wei, but then, oh no, the Shadow Man from ep 1 finds them!! Dun dun DUN!
Yeah, and then we immediately get the fake-out at the pillar where the Shadow Man appears with the dao, and Shen Wei thinks his gambit has failed - so we skip over the very important scene that must have happened in between, and I really REALLY want to know how that went! How did the Shadow Man convince Zhao Yunlan not just to trust him, but trust him enough to hand over Shen Wei's dao?!
He explains about the Regent's siege squad (he survived by hiding in a shadow, hee!)
Yeah, and given that the Regent's idea of a siege squad was apparently conscripting prisoners, you have to wonder if the whole thing really never had a chance, or if it could have gone very differently if the Regent had gone differently about it ...
We flashback to Shen Wei using his power to send Changcheng and the blade away, saying, "Take my blade and hold on until he finds you."
It's really interesting to me that Shen Wei, while he clearly can't break free from the pillar or heal himself fully, still can use some of his powers - his blade, sending Guo Changcheng away, sending the message to Zhao Yunlan ...
Now, Shen Wei shouts at the Shadow Man, asking why he has the blade. The Shadow Man shrugs, lol, and completely fails to explain. Shen Wei thinks hope is lost. He bows his head and says, "Just do it."
Yeah, I really have to wonder what the Shadow Man thinks he's doing there! He doesn't seem to hold a grudge against the Envoy, and he must see how upset Shen Wei is, but that shrug ... I don't even know. *g*
Anyway, Shen Wei thinks this is how it's going to end. I don't think he worries about his endgame; I think he's very sure Ye Zun won't let him die by someone else's hand; if he's dying, Ye Zun will still come and eat him at the last moment. But IMO his reaction at this moment, when he essentially gives up, also shows clearly that until this moment, he hadn't actually expected to die just yet. Planned for it, but not entirely given up on some other solution, I don't think.
Shen Wei's face is an emotional journey.
RIGHT??? That long stare!!!!!
and they have this MOMENT of "you're here and you're still alive!" drinking each other in until the Shadow Man, who can't read a room, butts in
♥ ♥ ♥
He even falls to the ground, clutching his heart, but won't give up -- until the Shadow Man confiscates the blade and does it himself, at cost to his own life. And Shen Wei is too weak and injured to heal him, oh no!
Zhao Yunlan goes through an entire journey with the chains, too - at first he seems pretty baffled at first that the dao can't cut the chains! (If it were that easy I'm sure Shen Wei would be free already.)
And Shen Wei, finally freed, can only stumble down the stairs with Zhao Yunlan's help. His hand shakes when he tries to reach out to the dying Shadow Man; then he clutches his side, and Zhao Yunlan helps him up. He's clearly not doing well. And Zhao Yunlan's lips are moving, shaking in anger. ♥ ♥ ♥
Zhao Yunlan tells Zhu Hong he's taking Shen Wei home and she's in charge.
I was confused over this because Da Qing is deputy, and he's there, so why would Zhao Yunlan put Zhu Hong in charge? But in Chinese what he says is 这儿交给你们, essentially "handing this place over to you (plural)".
Also, Shen Wei says he's fine, he can go back on his own, and he no doubt can - he walked into the SID on his own, too. He's injured, but not out of commission! But Zhao Yunlan is not having it, and insists on helping. Because just because he can do it alone, doesn't mean he has to. ♥
(Also, I always wonder how they got from the locust tree to the SID, and why they didn't take Guo Changcheng to the hospital. Even if taking Shen Wei there wasn't an option.)
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Yes! It's delightful! Some little details I particularly enjoyed this time round:
Shen Wei is holding his side - he's clearly injured, but just as clearly Zhao Yunlan's physical support isn't doing anything meaningful. Shen Wei even looks at Zhao Yunlan holding his arm with bemusement, and laughs. ♥
The way they cross their legs in perfect synch. I love it.
The way Zhao Yunlan keeps tapping his thumbs together.
Shen Wei promptly calling Zhao Yunlan out on it when Zhao Yunlan, in response to Shen Wei's question about the general situation, claims everything's going smoothly.
Zhao Yunlan's monosyllabic responses when Shen Wei keeps asking about what's going on. Shen Wei has to do all the work in this briefing, LOL, but that's not what Zhao Yunlan wants to be doing right now!
The pouty/flirty way Zhao Yunlan eventually asks Shen Wei if they can rest. "Just let me die of exhaustion here."
Their shared laughter.
In conclusion, SO MUCH LOVE OMG.
He remembers Da Qing saying, "Chief Zhao said when Xiao Guo was attacked by Ye Zun, Hei Pao Shi saved him. He used up his last reserve of strength to protect Xiao Guo. But Xiao Guo is seriously hurt. [...] You can take care of him inside the lab, but don't touch the Hallows." So Chu Shuzhi goes and gets the Longevity Dial, of course he does. Whyyy would you plant that seed?? (Or re-plant it, I guess. Dream!Changcheng planted it earlier, talking about reviving Nianzhi.)
The Da Qing flashback makes me wonder. Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan came in with Guo Changcheng and then immediately left again, so if Da Qing knows more about what happened, I guess Zhao Yunlan called him and told him on the phone after they arrived back in Haixing?
Also, was Da Qing genuinely warning him away from the Hallows, or was he giving a hint? I don't think anyone other than Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan knows about the price Shen Wei paid for healing Zhao Yunlan, so it makes sense Da Qing might think of it as a viable option ...
Also also, when Chu Shuzhi takes the Sundial from its stand, the top moves a bit, so you can see it actually opens, even if they never do open it on screen!
In the SID lab, Chu Shuzhi does a Dial Exchange with unconscious!Changcheng. It looks like it hurts a lot.
Yeah, it actually looks similar to the last time Zhao Yunlan tried using it (alone, not with anyone) and he collapsed!
Lin Jing answers the phone "SID, Lin Jing--" then catches and corrects himself.
I love that so much!
Also, his flashback is fascinating. Despite Professor Ouyang being so proud of him, Lin Jing seems worried at first that he's being sent away. And then, when Professor Ouyang claims he totally doesn't want Lin Jing to be a spy, he just wants him to regularly supply him with Dixingren data and materials, Lin Jing makes a point of saying he won't do anything unethical. So I wonder what he actually did give his mentor over the years, and where he drew the line ...
(Stolen Dixingren genetic material as the base of their serum research isn't exactly a surprise, but I hope it didn't all come from Lin Jing anyway.)
He dreams he's at the SID and everyone is calling him a traitor and dissing his inventions, lol. (Da Qing dismisses the popcorn maker, "Who cares?")
Hee! Yeah, and I love that when Lin Jing lists his accomplishments, the popcorn maker features prominently! (He mentions the popcorn maker, the fear stick, Zhu Hong's tracker bracelet, and finally the SID's shield, only for all of them to be dismissed as useless!)
"Gege, wait for me."
Would you have expected Ye Zun to be more angry to see Shen Wei gone? I would have.
What's your favourite scene in this episode? Favourite line of dialogue?
THE BENCH SCENE. Every moment of it. Every line. ♥ ♥ ♥
In earlier episodes we've seen Nianzhi say, "I wish that everyone can be happy. That way, I'd be happy too." (ep 6) and heard that he was timid (Chu Shuzhi tells Changcheng, "You are such a scaredy-cat. More timid than my brother." in ep 8). How does that mesh with what we see in Chu Shuzhi's dreams, especially with him aspiring to work at the palace and asking Chu Shuzhi not to use his puppet power? For that matter, what kind of job do you think Nianzhi was going for at the palace?
I figure Chu Shuzhi interpreted his brother's reluctance to use an aggressive power as timid behaviour, even if it wasn't actually. And Nianzhi might not have been aiming to become a palace guard, but a palace clerk instead?
Do you think 100 years is a typical sentence for murder in Dixing, or was Chu Shuzhi targeted, or is his crime special in some way -- maybe because he used his power to commit the murder?
The way people talk about it, his crime does seem to be considered particularly heinous, so I think it's not a typical sentence either.
When and why did Chu Shuzhi start to suspect fake Changcheng wasn't really Changcheng?
I think he always knew, much like Zhu Hong knew she was in a dream and dream!Zhao Yunlan wasn't real, but she still wanted to stay in a world where it was just the two of them.
Any theories on Chu Shuzhi's puppet and the Nianzhi puppet? I've always thought he treated his Haixing puppet so well and protectively because it was Nianzhi, but now it seems that Nianzhi was left behind in Dixing?
My current theory is that the Nianzhi puppet was left behind, but the Haixing puppet is a replica, and he's treating it as a stand-in for what he no longer has.
How much of the Regent's enmity towards the Envoy is because Shen Wei keeps petitioning on prisoners' behalf, thereby implicitly criticising the Regent's sentencing practices?
I think it can't help! Anything the Envoy does or wants to do that doesn't fall in line with the Regent's plan increases the Regent's enmity, I guess, but I think on a fundamental level the Regent really resents the Envoy's very existence in the present - he wishes he'd remained firmly in the realm of history and legend. *g*
The Shadow Man, Sha Ya and Hua Yuzhu all sacrificed themselves to protect Shen Wei because they care about the fate of Dixing and they believe in the Envoy. Do you think they're unusual, or are there a lot of others who are counting on the Envoy to save the day?
The Envoy seems to be highly respected by many in Dixing, so I expect there are a lot of people who count on him!
Do you think there's a cost to the Chu Shuzhi/Guo Changcheng Dial exchange? Does Chu Shuzhi get infected with light energy, too, and if so, how does it affect him?
There was some discussion about this on discord! Maybe he does get white energy poisoning as well, but Chu Shuzhi can bleed it off - Shen Wei intentionally bleeds off black energy and hoards the white for his bomb plan, but perhaps he could have done it the other way round too. (That's my own theory, btw.) Or perhaps the light energy would have flushed itself out eventually on its own. Alternatively, maybe Guo Changcheng actually woke up on his own, and the Sundial did nothing to actually share their energies - it did activate, but it also activated in Zhao Yunlan's hand when he was on his own, and hurt him in a very similar way to how it hurt Chu Shuzhi here. Or,
In Lin Jing's flashback, he'd heard of the SID but didn't know its role. Out of those who know of it, what do most people think the SID is for? Also, does Lin Jing really think the SID team blame him for spying? *cries*
Going by the policeman in episode 1, the SID is for "weird" cases. So, X-Files stuff? *g*
I think he feels guilty for the spying, and he's projecting that on the others. *pets him*
One other thing I wanted to bring up - I remember I originally thought Lin Jing shutting down the shield in his dream had somehow shut it down in reality as well, but this time round, I'm thinking that neither Chu Shuzhi in his dream (if he'd done what the Nightmare Master wanted) nor Lin Jing would actually have done anything to the shield, but instead how they took it down in their dreams would have shown the Nightmare Master how to shut it down in reality.
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> > Oh, is that what's happening? I guess that makes sense! Black energy cloud Ye Zun still confuses me a lot, and also An Bai's friends have emerged from such a cloud before. (Did Ye Zun eat them and spit them out again? I mean, he can, so why not.)
I'm guessing?
I think he believes the dream is trying to trap him, and he's willing to go along with it.
Yeah, agreed. It's the ultimate temptation, because he gets to experience it so vividly.
Particularly evil: telling Chu Shuzhi who's not jumping at the chance of reviving Nianzhi that he's just afraid Nianzhi will blame him for everything that happened, and then Chu Shuzhi genuinely loses it for a bit, totally lost in his own emotions.
Yesss, that's so brutal (and so un-Changcheng-like!). Poor Chu Shuzhi! /o\
But when young!Shuzhi gives the original puppet to Nianzhi, he says he made it, doesn't he? So he could easily have made a replica as a memento, since he wasn't allowed to keep the original.
True, good point. And I guess that would explain his protectiveness of the replica, to some degree.
I don't think he's actually putting any effort into trying to break the shield. On some level he wants very badly to believe in this, but at the same time I don't think he ever does, not truly. He's going along it mostly in a daze, because he thinks this is a dream, and if he goes with the flow, maybe he'll get to see a dream version of Nianzhi again. But when he realises there's a real component here - that he's not just dreaming about what he wishes were true, he's being manipulated into something their enemies want - then, he stops playing along. Just like he wasn't willing to sacrifice Guo Changcheng for Nianzhi when Ye Zun demanded it, he's not willing to destroy the SID's shield for it either.
*nodnod* That's a good point. However much he wants what Nightmare Guy is offering, he just can't go against his "protect the SID" instincts. *hearts him*
Regarding the "necessity" to destroy the shield in order to be able to take Nianzhi inside, I always thought that an authorised person could take others inside. (And they must, because how else did e.g. Wu Tian'en and Wu Xiaojun get inside, or Zhu Jiu when he was arrested.) Do you think our villains actually haven't figured that out?
I guess they haven't figured that out -- which is weird, because the SID takes Sha Ya inside, too. Maybe she didn't pass on the details of that?
I read it as Nianzhi having the same power as Shuzhi, but not wanting to use it, and disapproving of what Shuzhi does with his, whereas Shuzhi considers it a waste not to use that power.
In the next ep, Chu Shuzhi says Nianzhi only used his power once, to put himself inside the doll. So I assumed he didn't have a power at this stage, but maybe he had it and just never used it... (I have thoughts/questions about Nianzhi's power, but I'll save them for the ep 34 post.)
We get to see Chu Shuzhi having to face reality, all those truths he hasn't been able or willing to look in the face. There's a tear running down his face even before he fully breaks down, and he grabs Zhao Yunlan's arm in despair - and Zhao Yunlan doesn't even say anything, just looks at him ...
Zhao Yunlan and Chu Shuzhi are both responsible for what happened -- for sending and taking Changcheng to Dixing, respectively. I think Zhao Yunlan is really feeling both sides of that: he can't blame Chu Shuzhi too much because he himself was the one who told Changcheng to follow Chu Shuzhi no matter what, knowing what Chu Shuzhi was likely to do.
But he also did tell Chu Shuzhi not to go to Dixing, and technically they still haven't completely resolved their fight/tussle, I think? (Da Qing interrupted them the first time, and then in the second scene in ZYL's office, Zhao Yunlan is more in leadership mode, but Chu Shuzhi is starting to lose control, with his crazed laughter and outrage about the info leak.) I wonder if that lack of accord is feeding into Zhao Yunlan's attitude and his comfort here being a bit limited and understated?
I love the little pat on the shoulder Zhao Yunlan gives Chu Shuzhi bevore he leaves. ♥
*sniffles*
It's Chu xin both times, yeah - same lyrics.
Oh cool -- thanks!
I looked at the Chinese here because it didn't seem to quite align with the subs, and what he says is more like, "if something really did happen to him, then even if you don't hit him, I still won't be able to forgive him." ♥ ♥ ♥
Aww!
Yeah, the contrast between how Zhao Yunlan is with Chu Shuzhi (somber, almost grim, with tears falling as Chu Shuzhi rambles about saving his brother), and how he is with Da Qing (still somber, but determinedly hopeful) is striking! I wonder if it's at least in part that Da Qing brings out a different side in him - and also, that it's easier to hold on to hope when faced with Da Qing's complaining than when faced with Chu Shuzhi's despair.
Chu Shuzhi's despair is so visceral, that would make sense. (It makes me wonder how much of Zhao Yunlan's crying is empathy for what Chu Shuzhi is going through.)
On discord, amedia pointed out that the letter comes in right above the fax machine, LOL!
Hee! Awesome!
More than that, he hands his half-eaten lollipop to Da Qing, who promptly puts it into his own mouth! :D :D :D
They're so casual with each other! *hearts* And it's such a different vibe from Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei! <333
Not that it answers the question of how Chu Shuzhi can open the passage either, since we're told only the Envoy and the Regent have permission!
Maybe Chu Shuzhi has the Envoy's proxy (unofficially, so Shen Wei didn't want to mention it in front of the Regent in ep 16), so he can deliver criminals to the palace when the Envoy is unavailable?
I don't remember who originally came up with the theory that Shen Wei's letter to Zhao Yunlan serves as a token to open the passage, but it's been my headcanon for a while, and I used it (and the concept of tokens to open the passage) in my own escape-from-Dixing fic.
*checks email* I said re the beta on that fic, "I think there was a discussion at some point, like, two years ago that said that, and I took it as canon, so I can't take credit for it." I wonder where it happened...
Anyway, at the palace, Guo Changcheng is semi-conscious and looking very pale, but points Shen Wei's dao out to Zhao Yunlan, and I'm not sure why ... Any thoughts?
Giving credit for Shen Wei saving him, and not wanting the dao to be left behind, I think?
Yeah, and then we immediately get the fake-out at the pillar where the Shadow Man appears with the dao, and Shen Wei thinks his gambit has failed - so we skip over the very important scene that must have happened in between, and I really REALLY want to know how that went! How did the Shadow Man convince Zhao Yunlan not just to trust him, but trust him enough to hand over Shen Wei's dao?!
I'm not sure it would have been that hard? Zhao Yunlan is a pretty good judge of character, and he's got fairly limited options at that point. And the fact that the Shadow Man isn't attacking them has to count for something.
Yeah, and given that the Regent's idea of a siege squad was apparently conscripting prisoners, you have to wonder if the whole thing really never had a chance, or if it could have gone very differently if the Regent had gone differently about it ...
It's not clear he even put anyone in charge! /o\ (Presumably a lot of those prisoners had powers, which Ye Zun would have hoovered up like Smarties. /o\)
Yeah, I really have to wonder what the Shadow Man thinks he's doing there! He doesn't seem to hold a grudge against the Envoy, and he must see how upset Shen Wei is, but that shrug ... I don't even know. *g*
Maybe he thinks Shen Wei wouldn't believe him anyway. Or maybe Zhao Yunlan said, "You go ahead; I'll explain when I get there," without thinking about how that might appear to Shen Wei (or assuming he'd keep up, when in fact he couldn't?)? *g*
But IMO his reaction at this moment, when he essentially gives up, also shows clearly that until this moment, he hadn't actually expected to die just yet. Planned for it, but not entirely given up on some other solution, I don't think.
Great point, yeah.
I was confused over this because Da Qing is deputy, and he's there, so why would Zhao Yunlan put Zhu Hong in charge? But in Chinese what he says is 这儿交给你们, essentially "handing this place over to you (plural)".
Oh, cool. Thanks!
Also, Shen Wei says he's fine, he can go back on his own, and he no doubt can - he walked into the SID on his own, too.
Idk, he might be reaching the end of his reserves by this stage. I could go either way on this. (But I do love Because just because he can do it alone, doesn't mean he has to. ♥ -- yes, that too.)
(Also, I always wonder how they got from the locust tree to the SID, and why they didn't take Guo Changcheng to the hospital. Even if taking Shen Wei there wasn't an option.)
I'd guess they drove in Zhao Yunlan's car from the locust tree? He wants to drive home once they've dropped Changcheng off ("Enough. Just quickly get in the car."), but Shen Wei chooses to sit on the bench. (I wonder if, as well as craving sunlight, it's partly that he's feeling nauseated and ZYL's driving makes it worse. ;-p)
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Wow, so much happens in this episode!! - Isn’t this the truth! I feel like from episode 30 and onward it’s a speed run until the last episode XD
(Or is he referring to his current dream, the one he's in, where Changcheng is alive? How much is he willingly going along with it?) - Oh this is such an interesting thought, but I feel like there’s some truth to it. Like deep down Chu Shuzhi knows this isn’t right, per se, but there’s Changcheng, whole and healthy, so he’s going to run with it.
*stabs Nightmare Guy* - *helps you stab!!!*
Changcheng says, "I'm a good-for-nothing to begin with. Whether it's safe or not anywhere, it has nothing to do with me." (Which strikes me as Nightmare Guy getting Changcheng's characterisation wrong. Real!Changcheng would be more focused on him and Chu Shuzhi protecting each other, imo. ;-p) - I agree!! I think Nightmare Guy is just like: We have to goooo, let’s mooove, so he’s saying what he thinks will get Chu Shuzhi to go quicker XD
(I'm sad we don't get to see the inside of a Dixing house, but I do love how relaxed and laid back Chu Shuzhi seems here.) - Such relaxed pose for Chu Shuzhi. And it would have been so awesome to see the inside of a Dixing house for sure!
Click through for screencaps of the puppet Chu Shuzhi gives Nianzhi when they're young, and the puppet Zhao Yunlan puts in Chu Shuzhi's hand in the SID library. They look like the same puppet to me - I agree! I think that’s where I keep getting confused with the whole which puppet was Nianzhi in!
GCC: (cont.) What are you afraid of? Is he not your dearest brother? Are you afraid of his revival? - *whispers fiercely* GCC would never say that to Chu-ge! Never!
Wow, Nightmare Guy is a dick. He says he wants to use the Hallows to bring Nianzhi back. - He is definitely a master manipulator for sure and knows just how to hit it so Chu Shuzhi (and others) struggle to realize something isn’t right!
Outside the SID, Chu Shuzhi hesitates. Nightmare Guy's "Changcheng" disguise is growing ever thinner -- I really love how badly he's hiding his greed and impatience, while trying to maintain the pretence, and how you can see him spinning dream-logic justifications for what he wants. "Chu-ge, there is a shield in the SID, right? Nianzhi is a Dixingren. He can't enter. We'd better destroy the shield first." - I too love how Nightmare Guy really does just drop all the pretense. He’s like: I’m out, just give me the Hallows, thanks! I also love the four pictures you included because you can see Chu Shuzhi’s suspicions just getting louder and bigger to where he can’t necessarily ignore it anymore.
And Chu Shuzhi knows it's a lie. He turns his power on "Changcheng", and the whole dream shatters. - I am always a sucker for the trope of using inside knowledge of a person to smoke out the disguised bad guy :D :D :D :D :D :D
So interesting that Shuzhi associates going to Haixing with being a hero. - That is an interesting thought. Perhaps because HPS and everyone fought above ground to save everyone and so Haixing and above ground is seen as where heroic deeds have happened, and when you’re young it just makes it seem like if they go up there then they too can be a hero :D
"Chu Shuzhi committed a crime. Chu Nianzhi got mistaken for Chu Shuzhi. Chu Nianzhi was then killed by the victim for it. Are you satisfied with this reality?" - I definitely think this is how the true scene played out, but also, how cruel Nightmare Master how cruel!
Chu Shuzhi is mad with grief and can't even stand; Zhu Yunlan cries too, puts the doll in Chu Shuzhi's hands and leaves him curled on the floor in the fetal position. - Such a heart breaking scene and to see both of them feeling the feels is very *oh my heart!*
Da Qing has changed his tune since episode 6, when they were interviewing Mirror Girl's fiancé, and Da Qing said, "Why are you humans so sensitive? Life and death are natural phenomena, no?" - He has! I think because he genuinely cares for Guo Changcheng now. He’s no longer the newbie/new kid, but part of the team and family! *sobsobsobsob* Also I love how ZYL defends Chu Shuzhi from Da Qing’s ire.
We flashback to Shen Wei using his power to send Changcheng and the blade away, saying, "Take my blade and hold on until he finds you." - I don’t know why but this flashback always makes me go my heart. That Shen Wei entrusted GCC with his blade, while also protecting/saving GCC. *sobsobsobsob*
MOMENT of "you're here and you're still alive!" - SUCH an EXCELLENT moment! :D All the expressions, both large and small, I love it!
Chu Shuzhi runs up with a shout and princess-carries Changcheng off to the lab - I mean can I just say the ease with how Chu Shuzhi just swings Guo Changcheng into his arms. Like he weighs nothing!! Stronk Chu-ge!!
I love that they (and we) get this chance to revel in their reunion. - Such an excellent scene. I also love how their posture mirrors each other as well. They are completely in sync!
What's your favourite scene in this episode? Favourite line of dialogue? - Such a hard decision! I would have to say the whole freeing Shen Wei from the chains. I just love that scene so much!
How does that mesh with what we see in Chu Shuzhi's dreams, especially with him aspiring to work at the palace and asking Chu Shuzhi not to use his puppet power? For that matter, what kind of job do you think Nianzhi was going for at the palace? - I always wondered what sort of job he was aspiring to have at the palace? Was it a guard role? Or possibly something else like a general staff position. As for his timidity in the dreams it definitely does read like GCC’s sort of nervousness XD At least, not to my brain, but I’ve also had the thought that CSZ is very physical and perhaps for all the people who aren’t necessarily physical they’re timid :D
Do you think 100 years is a typical sentence for murder in Dixing, or was Chu Shuzhi targeted, or is his crime special in some way -- maybe because he used his power to commit the murder? - Hmmm, I’m not sure. My brain always put it in the normal column, but I can’t say why?!
When and why did Chu Shuzhi start to suspect fake Changcheng wasn't really Changcheng? - I think it was at the beginning of this episode where Dream!Changcheng says I’ll call you brother for him. I know in the end CSZ smiles and laughs and hugs Guo Changcheng, but the way he pauses and turns around, reads as surprised to my brain, but when GCC says if it’s not okay, ignore what I say, it’s so much like GCC that CSZ sets aside that little thread of doubt.
Any theories on Chu Shuzhi's puppet and the Nianzhi puppet? I've always thought he treated his Haixing puppet so well and protectively because it was Nianzhi, but now it seems that Nianzhi was left behind in Dixing? - My theories are all over the place since I rewatched everything XD Because I sure did think the big puppet held Nianzhi within it!
The Shadow Man, Sha Ya and Hua Yuzhu all sacrificed themselves to protect Shen Wei because they care about the fate of Dixing and they believe in the Envoy. Do you think they're unusual, or are there a lot of others who are counting on the Envoy to save the day? - I do think Dixing people in general are hoping HPS will be there to safe them.
Do you think there's a cost to the Chu Shuzhi/Guo Changcheng Dial exchange? Does Chu Shuzhi get infected with light energy, too, and if so, how does it affect him? - I honestly forgot about their dial exchange until the rewatch and now I’m like: yes there should be some sort of cost! Yes yes XD With a happy ending of course, but yes! Something to ponder about for sure!
This was such an awesome write-up and rewatch! Thank you so much for putting it all together and everything!! :D
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Oh, I love that thought! Haixing is the place where all these legendary events went down, and when it's a faraway place you can't easily reach, that only makes it more so. I wonder how many Dixingren had similar feelings, and what they thought when confronted with the not-very-heroic reality of modern-day Haixing. *g*
but I’ve also had the thought that CSZ is very physical and perhaps for all the people who aren’t necessarily physical they’re timid
That makes a lot of sense to me!
I honestly forgot about their dial exchange until the rewatch and now I’m like: yes there should be some sort of cost! Yes yes XD With a happy ending of course, but yes!
Yeah, agreed! I wish there had been something about that on screen ...
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Ahh, thank you so much -- and for your lovely comment, too! <3 <3 <3
Like deep down Chu Shuzhi knows this isn’t right, per se, but there’s Changcheng, whole and healthy, so he’s going to run with it.
Yes, exactly! How can he bear to wake up if it means waking to a world where he got Changcheng killed??? Noooo!
I think Nightmare Guy is just like: We have to goooo, let’s mooove, so he’s saying what he thinks will get Chu Shuzhi to go quicker XD
Haha, true. *hates him*
I agree! I think that’s where I keep getting confused with the whole which puppet was Nianzhi in!
Right? Especially because I don't think we ever find out what happens to the Nianzhi puppet, and Chu Shuzhi says things about his puppet like telling Changcheng, "He'll protect you."
GCC: (cont.) What are you afraid of? Is he not your dearest brother? Are you afraid of his revival? - *whispers fiercely* GCC would never say that to Chu-ge! Never!
NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER!!
I am always a sucker for the trope of using inside knowledge of a person to smoke out the disguised bad guy :D :D :D :D :D :D
It's so good (plus it plays into Chu Shuzhi's awareness of one of Changcheng's strengths: observing and knowing details, especially about him)! :D :D :D
That is an interesting thought. Perhaps because HPS and everyone fought above ground to save everyone and so Haixing and above ground is seen as where heroic deeds have happened, and when you’re young it just makes it seem like if they go up there then they too can be a hero :D
Oh, yes! I love that!
Such a heart breaking scene and to see both of them feeling the feels is very *oh my heart!*
*sniffles all over again*
He has! I think because he genuinely cares for Guo Changcheng now. He’s no longer the newbie/new kid, but part of the team and family! *sobsobsobsob* Also I love how ZYL defends Chu Shuzhi from Da Qing’s ire.
Yesss, they're so TEAM by now! Which is really important as the world tries to tear them apart. *smishes them all*
I don’t know why but this flashback always makes me go my heart. That Shen Wei entrusted GCC with his blade, while also protecting/saving GCC. *sobsobsobsob*
<3333333333333
I mean can I just say the ease with how Chu Shuzhi just swings Guo Changcheng into his arms. Like he weighs nothing!! Stronk Chu-ge!!
Haha, right? It's so good.
Such a hard decision! I would have to say the whole freeing Shen Wei from the chains. I just love that scene so much!
Everything about their whole reunion. (But srsly, this whole episode is gold.)
Or possibly something else like a general staff position. As for his timidity in the dreams it definitely does read like GCC’s sort of nervousness XD At least, not to my brain, but I’ve also had the thought that CSZ is very physical and perhaps for all the people who aren’t necessarily physical they’re timid :D
Maybe an archivist (or even the deacon-type role)? And that's a great point about Chu Shuzhi's perspective. I think he learns a lot over the course of the show from seeing GCC's courage and determination, you know? Maybe it helps him understand Nianzhi better, even? *sniffles* *wants fix-its*
I think it was at the beginning of this episode where Dream!Changcheng says I’ll call you brother for him. I know in the end CSZ smiles and laughs and hugs Guo Changcheng, but the way he pauses and turns around, reads as surprised to my brain
Yeah, I think that's a great point. *pets CSZ's poor denial brain*
I've always thought he treated his Haixing puppet so well and protectively because it was Nianzhi, but now it seems that Nianzhi was left behind in Dixing? - My theories are all over the place since I rewatched everything XD Because I sure did think the big puppet held Nianzhi within it!
SAME!! I'm so discombobulated about it now!
I do think Dixing people in general are hoping HPS will be there to safe them.
And in the end, their faith is proven justified. <333
I honestly forgot about their dial exchange until the rewatch and now I’m like: yes there should be some sort of cost! Yes yes XD With a happy ending of course, but yes! Something to ponder about for sure!
Yes, exactly! :D :D :D (I think Dorinda's fic is partly about that, isn't it?)
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
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