Zhao Yunlan in Episode 3

[mecurtin]

Having just re-watched Episode 3, I can't figure out what's up with Zhao Yunlan.



1. Cake-snarfing:

What do you-all think is going through his head when he eats Shen Wei's cake? Why would someone do that?

But also: why is this in the narrative? Is it in the novel? Novel!ZYL pursues Shen Wei *hard*, after all.

Or is "eating someone's cake" a Chinese idiom? nudge nudge wink wink

2. Sneezing:

I checked Episode 4, and he doesn't still have a cold then. So what is it doing in the narrative here? Is it another thing from the novel, or is it here to show us how sloppy, inconsiderate (omg germs EVERYWHERE), and neglectful of bodily needs Zhao Yunlan can be?

Comments

[qikiqtarjuaq]

Eating someone's tofu is an idiom, but I think the cake thing and the sneezing is just to demonstrate Zhao Yunlan's complete lack of boundaries.

[mecurtin]

What is eating tofu an idiom for?

[qikiqtarjuaq]

To take advantage of someone, like say Zhao Yunlan kissing Shen Wei under the pretext of blending in at a night club. It can also mean a kind of harassment with unwanted touches, like someone pinching a flight attendant as they walk by.

[mecurtin]

Zhao Yunlan kissing Shen Wei under the pretext of blending in at a night club

Tell me more! ;D

OK, so it's not the equivalent of "eat someone's lunch". Nor is it a vulgar euphemism, alas.

[trobadora]

Zhao Yunlan is pushing boundaries and stepping over all kinds of lines because that's how he works - remember how he acted with Xiao-Guo at the start of episode 1? And he's specifically provoking Shen Wei in the hopes of triggering a reaction, because he knows something's up with him and wants to figure him out.

[mecurtin]

And the thing is, Shen Wei's LACK of reaction is itself a useful datum, from Zhao Yunlan's POV. Also he gets to eat cake.

[trobadora]

Exactly! Win, win. :D

[melannen]

Yeah, I definitely read the cake as Zhao Yunlan already noticing that Shen Wei is letting him get away with things that he shouldn't get away with (and that other people wouldn't get away with around Shen Wei) and pushing it just to see what happens.

I think it may also have been specifically a demonstration that Shen Wei is much more comfortable with Zhao Yunlan's flirting that with cute undergrad girls' flirting, though! It doesn't really have to be an established cultural metaphor for "I get to eat your cake and they don't" to be... less than subtle.

[trobadora]

Oh yeah, good point on your second paragraph!

[jo_lasalle]

He has weird boundaries, but he's also trying to unsettle Shen Wei and throw him off stride. Is how I take the cake eating.

The cold, I think, got him to the hospital to meet Wang Yike.

[mecurtin]

Also I think he really likes sweets.

aha, that's right, that's how he ran into her.

[extrapenguin]

His cold is cured between episode 3's main case and the face-stealer case – he doesn't have a cold in the final scenes of episode 3, either.

ETA: And as mentioned, the cold is there to get him to a place where he can meet Wang Yike.

[lynndyre]

I was worried about that cake! It was from the rapist class, I was expecting it to be poisoned or something, tbh.

But yeah, ZYL has no manners on purpose -- I also love that we eventually do progress to the point where Shen Wei will just come at his face with a handkerchief (not for sneezing but still)

[trobadora]

Hee! The aggressive nose-wiping is one of my favourite scenes. :D

[lynndyre]

Perfect icon is perfect XD

[mecurtin]

I also expected the cake to be poisoned!

PS I love your icon

[lynndyre]

I'm glad it wasn't just me!

(heee, thank you!)

[mecurtin]

I think ZYL really needs his own version of that icon, don't you? Convicted cake-stealer that he is.

[lynndyre]

^.^

[mecurtin]

PERFECT! thank you so much.

He looks even less repentant than Lex Luthor!

[trobadora]

OMG! This is awesome. Is this snaggable?

[lynndyre]

Thank you! XD Snag away~

[trobadora]

\o/

(Any chance you might make a version where the "tens" is fully readable? Because on second thought, that would be even better. I'll totally snag it as-is, though! No worries if not. ♥)

[lynndyre]

I didn't write down the fonts, sorry, so it's a little different, but pretty close?

[trobadora]

Aw, sorry! I didn't mean to make you recreate the whole thing. /o\

Would you be very mad if I said I like the original version better? Seriously, SO SORRY. :(

[lynndyre]

No, it's okay! I don't know what I clicked last night, I'll have to make notes. No worries!

[trobadora]

♥ ♥ ♥

[bocje_ce_ustu]

I've been thinking about Zhao Yunlan's coming and going cold too and yes, I believe in this episode the plot needs him to have a cold to *casually* find out about Wang Yike's prescription, other than showing his (calculated) bad manners and terrible health management.
But what I found peculiar is that the mysterious cold resurfaces in episode 9, when Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei share a car ride on their trip to the Hanga Tribe village site. Now I could be reaching, but I can't help thinking that's yet another nudge to novel!Shen Wei absorbing Zhao Yunlan's energies and weakening him, because there's a line (between sneezes) where Zhao Yunlan complains that he was well until that moment (and then he proceeds to nap on Shen Wei's shoulder). Thoughts?

[trobadora]

Hmmm, maybe a nod to the novel, but the first time the cold doesn't have anything to do with getting close to Shen Wei. My theory was that it's connected to ZYL touching the Hallows - Shen Wei keeps warning him that it'll corrupt his body ...

[lynndyre]

That would make sense, he's carrying the dial on him in ep9, isn't he?

[mecurtin]

Good theory, trobadora! I had the feeling it wasn't just a plot excuse.

I don't quite get the "corrupt his body" thing. Is it because the Dial is full of Dixing energies? or does it drag life force out of him?

[trobadora]

I assume it's because all the Hallows use a person's life energy in some way, and ZYL has a specific affinity for them, as they tend to light up for him when they don't for others.

[bocje_ce_ustu]

Yeah, that would make more sense!

[china_shop]

My theory was that it's connected to ZYL touching the Hallows

There's a scene earlier where Lin Jing sneezes while working on the Hallows, too. /supporting evidence