Question about Zhu Hong's dream (ep 31)

[china_shop]

In Zhu Hong's dream (episode 31), Zhao Yunlan seems younger, with less of the aggressively "bad boy" persona he adopts early in canon. He wears a button-down denim shirt untucked and rolled up at the sleeves. His trousers are short enough that they leave an inch or two of bare ankle.

Also, for some reason, Zhu Hong is out doing fieldwork in a dress and high heels. They chase someone (notably, not in a black hoodie), who attacks and then runs off. Then they bicker about Zhu Hong's shoes, and she tells him to head back to the SID first. Which he does, even though their suspect could still be lurking around.

My question: do you think this actually happened? Is this how Zhao Yunlan dressed a couple of years ago? Did Zhu Hong do fieldwork? Or is it a composite fantasy made by the Nightmare Master out of Zhu Hong's various memories -- an action-scene excuse for Zhao Yunlan to hold Zhu Hong and protect her?

Comments

[china_shop]

That all makes logical and coherent sense, but I don't think it's the only possible interpretation.

For one, despite the tensions between them he was on good enough terms with his father that his father recommended him for his job, which wouldn't have happened with ZYL at maximum rebelliousness

There are so many ways this could have gone, imo. Shen Wei doesn't know, when he says that, and neither does Zhao Yunlan necessarily. It could have been Zhao Xinci trying to engineer Zhao Yunlan into a leadership position (in a very minor agency, since there are so few cases; and it's not like he thinks Zhao Yunlan is wholly incompetent) for the good of his career advancement. ("Some responsibility will make him pull his socks up!") It could have been Zhao Yunlan applying for the role despite Zhao Xinci's wishes, and Zhao Xinci reluctantly supporting him to promote an appearance of familial harmony (at that stage, Zhao Xinci was still advancing his own career and probably pretty concerned about seeming respectable, especially given Zhang Shi). Or Zhang Shi could have recommended Zhao Yunlan, either out of paternal feeling or to set up the end game. I'm sure there are other possibilities, too. Personally, I find it harder to believe Zhao Yunlan has ever been on good terms with his father, from Zhao Yunlan's end, even if Zhao Xinci might have overcome his pride to make occasional rare efforts to reconcile. But obviously, YMMV!

I don't think he just switched to his present-day style from one day to the next as soon as he was appointed. *g*

I think he could have? It depends how much any attempts at tidying himself up were in tension with how he wanted to dress and how he saw himself. Once he's chief of the SID, he's mostly out of sight from the higher ups, and can slouch around wearing whatever he wants. Who's going to stop him -- Da Qing? Lao Chu? And if his father told him he'd have to smarten up for the role, I can easily imagine him deliberately doing the opposite.

But like I said, your interpretation works, too. That might have been how it went.

[trobadora]

I mean, obviously there are always multiple plausible explanations. I was just explaining how I arrived at mine.

I agree that ZYL was never actually on good terms with his father, but it would make sense to me that he'd held back on active hostilities while trying to be promoted into his father's former position, and that Zhao Xinci might have interpreted that as "the boy's finally starting to shape up". And I don't think Zhao Xinci considers the SID a minor agency, even if in practice it was at that time.

And if his father told him he'd have to smarten up for the role, I can easily imagine him deliberately doing the opposite.

LOL, yeah, that would do it no matter when it happened. Could easily have been after ZYL becase SID chief, too!

[china_shop]

And I don't think Zhao Xinci considers the SID a minor agency, even if in practice it was at that time.

I think if there were next to no cases and no incidents involving Dixingren, he might see it as having fallen from its former glory/status? Especially if the second chief was a kind of ineffectual type, basically a caretaker, and nothing went wrong. Idk.

[trobadora]

Fallen from its former glory, yeah. But I think he's too paranoid about Dixing, in part due to the effects of Zhang Shi's presence on him, and so always low-key expecting a resurgence.

(I wish we knew literally anything about the second chief!)

[china_shop]

Fallen from its former glory, yeah. But I think he's too paranoid about Dixing, in part due to the effects of Zhang Shi's presence on him, and so always low-key expecting a resurgence.

Yeah, that's true. Especially after Shen Xi, too.

Hm, now I'm wondering whether he volunteered a recommendation, or whether the minister at the time approached him after Zhao Yunlan applied.

[china_shop]

P.S. Hey, sorry that my initial impulse was to come up with a list of counter-possibilities! /o\ (I had fun thinking of them, but I'm sorry to have trodden all over your opinion like that. /o\)

If this was Zhao Yunlan's clothing style to start with, when and why do you think it changed? Gradual drift?

In Lao Li's memories as he dies (beginning of ep 37), we only get a head-and-shoulders shot of Zhao Yunlan; he's wearing a white t-shirt and a dark jacket that I think we see at other times too(?). Afaicr, that's the only shot of ZYL from back then.

[trobadora]

No worries! ♥

Gradual drift would have been my guess. But that's an excellent point that we do have another reference for Zhao Yunlan in the early days - I had forgotten about that. It does seem to be the same jacket he's also wearing in episode 1, so he hasn't completely changed over his entire wardrobe. It's also far from his scruffiest outfit, despite the way he lounges on his motorcycle while wearing it. *g* So it could be that his style hasn't changed at all, or perhaps it's shifted towards the scruffier but still has overlap in the middle. (I prefer the latter interpretation myself, but either is reasonable!)

[china_shop]

Yeah, I don't mind either interpretation. I just don't like the idea of his having made nice with his father. I feel like that goes against what we know about his character. But again, YMMV!

[trobadora]

I didn't think I was suggesting he'd made nice with his father, just that earlier in his career he had less leeway to be openly rebellious and hostile, and that he's perfectly capable of gritting his teeth and holding more of it in for something he wants. And he must have wanted the SID job, or no one - least of all his father - could have made him take it.

[china_shop]

I think even when Zhao Yunlan is holding it in around his father, he's so transparent about his antagonism that Zhao Xinci would be in no doubt. But maybe Zhao Xinci wouldn't care so long as Zhao Yunlan was going through the motions. Idk.

[trobadora]

Hmmm, yeah, I think Zhao Xinci's main concern would be keeping up appearances in front of others, more than anything else. And the only person I can remember who knows them both (or thinks he does) - Minister Gao - does think they're on good terms. In that scene in episode 14, ZYL's reaction is very visible to the viewer and to Shen Wei, and no doubt would have been to Zhao Xinci, but Minister Gao doesn't notice at all ...

[china_shop]

Yeah. And given Zhao Yunlan doesn't know Gao Jingfeng knows Zhao Xinci, I don't think Minister Gao would have had a chance to see that reaction earlier anyway.

Idk how I feel about relationship tag: "Zhao Xinci & keeping up appearances (Guardian TV)". I definitely think there's something there, but I'm not sure where I think the line is. The fact that Gao Jingfeng doesn't know there's tension between father and son says something, you're right. And Zhao Xinci is ambitious and wouldn't have wanted any scandal on either of their behalves. But he's also extremely stubborn, kind of autocratic, and bulldozery. Hm, will have to ponder this further.