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sid_guardian2025-10-12 09:43 pm
trobadora) wrote in sid_guardian2025-10-12 09:43 pm
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Slo-Mo Rewatch: Guardian episode 3, part 2
Hi, welcome to this week's instalment of the Guardian drama Slo-Mo Rewatch! Watch half an episode a week, and then come and chat about it here in comments. Or you can just jump into the comments without rewatching, of course!
Here is last week's half-episode. On to the second half!
Episode 3, from 23:25
Summary: Zhao Yunlan goes to Shen Wei to confirm the identity of the third student involved in what happened to Zhang Ruonan. (Which involves gesturing with a letter opener, because Zhao Yunlan. :D) He arrives back just in time to find Wang Yike killing Liu Yidong. Oops. Zhang Ruonan physically tackles Zhao Yunlan and confesses to the murders herself to stop him from catching Wang Yike. Meanwhile Wang Yike has decided Shen Wei is suspicious (well ...), and the SID arrives just in time to intervene in her attack in him. Zhang Ruonan accidentally touches Wang Yike's bare hand and has most of her life energy drained. They have a tearful goodbye, and everyone is very affected. Afterwards, we discover that someone secretly neutralised Wang Yike's power, and that despite being taken away by the Envoy, Shen Wei nonetheless brought her to reunite with Zhang Ruonan.
And then we start a new case! There's a series of murders where the victims' faces are turned completely blank. Zhao Yunlan et al. are investigating. (Lin Jing and Zhu Hong both seem to be mostly complaining. :p) Meanwhile Shen Wei is searching for the Hallows, and encounters Zhu Jiu for the first time. Following screams, the SID finds a cowering woman, and ... Shen Wei.
Quote:
Let me just offer you two contrasting quotes, because damn, the range:
- "Professor Shen said a stolen life is hard to maintain, but a promise can remain constant for thousands of years. Chief says such a relationship is called 'Guarding'. It's even more passionate than love and greater than familial love. I hope I can stay at the SID and become someone who can guard everyone."
- "Ever seen a snake who likes to walk?"
Lin Jing's map when he's tracking Wang Yike's phone shows the location of the university within Dragon City, on the northern side of the river. This aligns with Zhu Hong saying in episode 4 that the university is in the north!
Questions:
What's your favourite moment in this part of the episode? Did anything stand out to you as coming from the novel?
What was Zhao Yunlan thinking, leaving Zhang Ruonan with Liu Yadong unguarded, when he already suspected Liu Yadong? Is this the first time Zhao Yunlan has sympathised with a Dixingren? How often does the Envoy secretly let people go? How did Zhang Ruonan know about Dixing? Do you ship Zhang Ruonan and Wang Yike? When did Shen Wei decide to move closer to Zhao Yunlan?
For the start of the next case, why are Shen Wei, Zhu Jiu and the SID all in the same area? And finally, have you ever seen a snake who likes to walk? *g*
(These are all just conversation starters - feel free to answer all, some, or none, and to say as much or as little as you like! You don't have to be keeping up with the rewatch to join in!)
And here is our schedule - please do sign up to host a post if you can!
no subject
Last episode, Wang Yike had run off, and Zhao Yunlan left Zhang Ruonan with Liu Yadong to go figure out who the third student involved was. This episode, once he confirms the name, we discover he already suspected Liu Yadong. ("Just as I thought", he says on seeing the name.) So what was he thinking?! Not enough, clearly! But I don't think he was entirely thoughtless about it.
One thing I particularly noticed this time is that Da Qing disappears after the scene with Zhang Ruonan and Liu Yadong, and later, Zhu Hong and Lin Jing, and then Chu Shuzhi, all turn out to be at the university, in very short order. So I think Zhao Yunlan sent Da Qing off to get the others while he confirmed the facts with info from Shen Wei. Perhaps he didn't think the murderer would strike again so quickly, and he clearly didn't think about what a bad idea it was to leave poor Zhang Ruonan with the guy he already suspected of being involved in what happened to her, but he had some sort of plan. (In retrospect, leaving Da Qing with Zhang Ruonan and Liu Yadong would have been better, but perhaps he didn't trust him after he fell asleep on the job? Ouch.)
Either way, this leads to the second student death on the SID's watch. No one seems to care much - not at first (see Liu Yadong's corpse lying around in the background) and not later (see Lin Jing mocking the three dead students at the end) - but I can't imagine either the university or the Inspectorate is very happy with the SID about it. Which probably adds to some of the tensions later.
I'm always like, "that's private!!!" when Zhao Yunlan goes and just tells Zhang Ruonan's story to Shen Wei. But I really love Shen Wei's reaction. Yes, he's shocked at the news, and feels for Zhang Ruonan, but then he asks a very important question: "How is this related to you being in my office?" :D :D :D
And from Zhao Yunlan's expression, he didn't see that question coming, hee! But there's this delightful exchange with the letter opener Zhao Yunlan has been fiddling with: when Zhao Yunlan asks Shen Wei about records for the students that failed Zhang Ruonan's class, he pointedly (heh) points the letter opener at Shen Wei. Shen Wei looks just as pointedly at the letter opener, and Zhao Yunlan puts it away, making the dorkiest "okay, okay, sheathing the suspicions, all right?" kind of expression. :D
Liu Yadong is slime. When he's apologising and begging Zhang Ruonan to spare him, he's simultaneously blaming the other two more than himself. Ugh.
When Zhao Yunlan walks in on Wang Yike killing Liu Yadong, there's really nothing he can do to stop her. Even without Zhang Ruonan physically tackling him - if he caught her, he'd have nothing to protect himself from her power, and no way to stop her otherwise.
Zhang Ruonan falsely confessing to the murders is the second false confession in three episodes! First Li Qian, then Zhang Ruonan. They're not made for the same reason (Li Qian is blaming herself for her grandma's death, Zhang Ruonan is trying to shield Wang Yike), but both come out of the same kind of protective love. These repeated motifs really add so much to the coherent feel of the drama!
And I do love Wang Yike and Zhang Ruonan each trying to protect the other by sacrificing themselves for them. Zhao Yunlan trying to get Zhang Ruonan to stop doing that is doomed from the start, but also, I wonder just how much he even understands that kind of mutual protection at this point.
Zhao Yunlan asks what their relationship is (because Wang Yike is seeking vengeance on Zhang Ruonan's behalf, and Zhang Ruonan is lying on Wang Yike's behalf), but he's doing it in an accusatory tone, and she doesn't reply. When Zhu Hong asks again later, she says they're 亲人 - which means close family, but can also mean beloved. Very nice. :D
Zhang Ruonan admits that she knew Wang Yike os from Dixing - specifically "from Dixing", not just that people with powers exist - and I always wonder about her own background, and how she found out.
I love the little flashbacks to Wang Yike's and Zhang Ruonan's relationship, and that it ends with the other half of the scene Zhao Yunlan and Da Qing walked into at the end of last week's episode half, with Wang Yike taking off her glove: Zhang Ruonan confronting Wang Yike about the murders and asking her to stop. But her grand plan is to turn herself in instead, so of course Wang Yike isn't going to go for that. And then Liu Yadong arrives ...
Zhang Ruonan saying their crime doesn't deserve death could perhaps be taken as support for the argument that they aren't the rapists, but it can also be simply her belief if they are, and I prefer that. Strong principles.
When Zhao Yunlan says Wang Yike has been here for so long and never hurt anyone before, I'm always like, how do you know??? Both how long she's been in Haixing, and that she hasn't hurt anyone.
When she's confronting Shen Wei, Wang Yike says he's so close to Zhang Ruonan, he must be planning something. She can't believe, won't even consider, that he might have good motives. Which ties in with what Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei were talking about, earlier in the episode - Zhao Yunlan's "there's no such thing as coincidences" suspicious-of-everything attitude vs. Shen Wei's giving everyone the benefit of doubt and assuming perhaps-too-much good faith. Wang Yike going after Shen Wei is the extreme of where too much suspicion can lead.
And if Shen Wei hadn't been who and what he is, that would have been another death on the SID's watch. Because they only arrive after Wang Yike has tried and failed to use her power on Shen Wei.
(I love that scene. Him standing there, calmly letting her try and kill him, totally unaffected. And then stepping forward ... But also, being so touched by Wang Yike talking about how much Zhang Ruonan means to her. "So long as I can protect her, my life has worth" - that kind of protectiveness really hits Shen Wei right where he's at home.)
Ooh, I just noticed that the las thing Wang Yike says before the SID arrives is, "Are you actually -" I wonder what exactly she suspects. Just that he's Dixingren, or something more?
Zhao Yunlan is so visibly worried about Shen Wei - and then horrified when Zhang Ruonan accidentally touches Wang Yike's bare hand. He's frantically telling her to return what she took, but of course it doesn't work that way and Wang Yike can't. What really strikes me here is that he's clearly already feeling for Wang Yike, and not blaming her - some of the suspect-the-worst-of-everyone has gone away in the face of Zhang Ruonan's and Wang Yike's mutual protectiveness.
And here's another bit that must be a leftover from a previous version of the script: Zhao Yunlan shouts at Guo Changcheng to call Wang Zheng, they have info on this! Guo Changcheng says he remembers seeing it. (And then he never calls Wang Zheng, but just leafs through his notebook - Zhao Yunlan shouts at him about it some time later.) I would love to know what that was originally about, and why it was changed. Was there actually something about reversing Dixing powers, and they decided it was better if the SID didn't have that knowledge? But I don't see how that would fit in with, like, anything in the rest of the drama ...
Wang Yike's and Zhang Ruonan's (what-they-think-is-)goodbye is so lovely and touching, and it gets under both Shen Wei's and Zhao Yunlan's skin so much. ♥ ♥ ♥ Zhao Yunlan ultimately has to turn away because he can't keep watching, and Shen Wei can't wait any longer to interfere.
And someone noticed! Not the SID (LOL @ Zhu Hong saying no one could have secretly saved her under their noses), but Zhu Jiu knows! Was he looking in the window, like Wang Ziqiang earlier in this episode? Or, more likely, did a Crow spy report it? Anyway, Shen Wei is now on Zhu Jiu's radar.
In the SID scene at the end of the case, along with everyone speculating over how Zhang Ruonan survived, and Lin Jing mocking the dead students ("spirits more fragile than crisps", LOL), Lin Jing also mentions Shen Wei being impressive for witnessing something like that and not batting an eyelash, reinforcing that element.
We don't get to see the Envoy taking Wang Yike away, only hear about it happening from the SID. So we don't know if the Envoy made a personal appearance at a) the university or b) the SID, or if Chu Shuzhi took Wang Yike to the Envoy instead. I always tend to assume it was Chu Shuzhi, maybe because I don't want the drama to have skipped over a personal encounter between Zhao Yunlan and the Envoy. *g*
And then we get Shen Wei making a phone call about acquiring a new place to live in a particular neighbourhood! Three episodes in, and he's already planning to move. And then the scene from the opening credits with the thank-you card! And he touches his pendant through his shirt!
And there's another callback to his conversation with Zhao Yunlan earlier: "It turns out I'm not the only one who doesn't understand." After Shen Wei gave a character reference for Liu Yadong, Zhao Yunlan said he clearly hadn't studied people, and Shen Wei asked him if that understanding would make things less painful and disappointing. I was never entirely clear on what he meant, but now I think it's perhaps that while he didn't see the bad (Liu Yadong's character), Zhao Yunlan wasn't prepared to see good (Wang Yike and Zhang Ruonan sacrificing for each other)?
When he reunites Wang Yike and Zhang Ruonan, it looks like they're on the university grounds, with people walking around in the background. Quite bold! What if it got back to the SID somehow? Wang Yike is supposed to be back in Dixing!
On to the next case, and Zhao Yunlan brining Shen Wei up twice within a single conversation with Lin Jing (once as the Envoy: "Hei-laoge wasn't lying, our turf is getting less peaceful"; once as Professor Shen: "This time it should have nothing to do with you.") Shen Wei is on his mind so much, and more than he even knows, hee!
Shen Wei (sans glasses! in Envoy mode, but not Envoy robes!) is searching with black energy - apparently for the Hallows. ("One (item) has appeared; the others are sure to follow.") He can't just be randomly walking the streets, surely? I wonder if this is near Li Qian's house, and that's why Zhu Jiu is also there?
I always wonder if Zhu Jiu and Shen Wei are actually talking to each other through black energy, or if they're each only talking to themselves - but from the way he opens his eyes, it seems to me that Shen Wei hears Zhu Jiu's words at least, if not vice versa, and his laughter. Does anyone have a theory how that works?
At this point I don't think Zhu Jiu knows who Shen Wei is yet. So he's setting up another Dixingren by trapping him and letting the SID find him - presumably hoping this will either take Shen Wei out of the equation, or otherwise force him to expose himself.
The transition from the screaming to Zhu Hong yawning is so good - it encapsulates in miniature one of the major motifs and themes of the drama, things not being as they appear. Because just for a moment it looks like she's the one screaming!
I always love that Shen Wei puts his glasses back on before he turns around to face Zhao Yunlan. But also the way Zhao Yunaln then drops his hand with the torch in exasperation! :D
no subject
I checked the name he stopped at with my brother. It's Wang Ziqiang:
So I think the "Just as I thought"/"As expected" is about the murder victims being the ones who failed, not him identifying Liu Yadong as one of them? That helps a bit with leaving Zhang Ruonan with Liu Yadong, right? (Honestly, I don't understand how a student fails a class and is still class rep. I can see why ZYL might not have seen that coming!!)
Zhao Yunlan trying to get Zhang Ruonan to stop doing that is doomed from the start, but also, I wonder just how much he even understands that kind of mutual protection at this point.
I think he definitely understands protectiveness -- it's his own raison d'etre. And I think he's really moved by these two, even if he's exasperated that they're so obviously covering for each other. (Would he feel the same if they were more competent at it? ;-p)
When Zhu Hong asks again later, she says they're 亲人 - which means close family, but can also mean beloved. Very nice. :D
Oh cool! Thanks for that!
Zhang Ruonan saying their crime doesn't deserve death could perhaps be taken as support for the argument that they aren't the rapists, but it can also be simply her belief if they are, and I prefer that. Strong principles.
Yes! Or she might be speaking legally?
When Zhao Yunlan says Wang Yike has been here for so long and never hurt anyone before, I'm always like, how do you know??? Both how long she's been in Haixing, and that she hasn't hurt anyone.
I presume he ran a background check on her and any possible related cases from their files?
Which ties in with what Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei were talking about, earlier in the episode - Zhao Yunlan's "there's no such thing as coincidences" suspicious-of-everything attitude
Oh, great point!
"So long as I can protect her, my life has worth" - that kind of protectiveness really hits Shen Wei right where he's at home.
Yessss! <3
I was never entirely clear on what he meant, but now I think it's perhaps that while he didn't see the bad (Liu Yadong's character), Zhao Yunlan wasn't prepared to see good (Wang Yike and Zhang Ruonan sacrificing for each other)?
I guess so. (I mean, Wang Yike is still a murderer...)
At this point I don't think Zhu Jiu knows who Shen Wei is yet. So he's setting up another Dixingren by trapping him and letting the SID find him - presumably hoping this will either take Shen Wei out of the equation, or otherwise force him to expose himself.
So do you think he's working with the face stealer couple or just opportunistically setting the trap? For some reason, I've always assumed it was them who anchored Shen Wei at the crime scene, but of course it makes more sense if it's Zhu Jiu.
(I'm going to come back tomorrow to do my own comment, because arms. *sigh*)
no subject
Huh, you're right, that's where his finger stops moving. He's looking for the third student, though, checking who else failed the class, and he already knew about Zhang Hao and Wang Ziqiang. And the names Zhang Hao and Liu Yadong are just above where he stops, so he's definitely seen all three now:
Honestly, I don't understand how a student fails a class and is still class rep. I can see why ZYL might not have seen that coming!!
That is pretty weird, yeah! I have no idea how that works.
I think he definitely understands protectiveness -- it's his own raison d'etre. And I think he's really moved by these two, even if he's exasperated that they're so obviously covering for each other. (Would he feel the same if they were more competent at it? ;-p)
I think he understands protectiveness entirely, but he's not prepared for it to be so mutual. And LOL about the lack of competence, hee!
Yes! Or she might be speaking legally?
Yes, that too!
I presume he ran a background check on her and any possible related cases from their files?
Yeah, true. But that just means she didn't get caught previously, not that she hasn't done anything.
I mean, Wang Yike is still a murderer...
Yes, but that doesn't negate the good in her, and I think Zhao Yunlan sees that. She's not a monster, she's not doing this for any reason but love, and he's not used to thinking of Dixingren that way.
So do you think he's working with the face stealer couple or just opportunistically setting the trap? For some reason, I've always assumed it was them who anchored Shen Wei at the crime scene, but of course it makes more sense if it's Zhu Jiu.
I think it's definitely Zhu Jiu who's trapping him - he does it again in episode 4, at the park. And he's just taking the opportunity as it presents itself here. But also, Zhu Jiu is working with the face stealers - it's in episode 4, not!Zhang Danni talks about a task Zhu Jiu set up for them. (IIRC it's where we learn his name?)
(I'm going to come back tomorrow to do my own comment, because arms. *sigh*)
*HUGS*
no subject
But that just means she didn't get caught previously, not that she hasn't done anything.
I think a suddenly dramatically aged murder victim would have been referred to the SID? Or at least they'd have been notified?
She's not a monster, she's not doing this for any reason but love, and he's not used to thinking of Dixingren that way.
That's true. Good point!
no subject
Absolutely no argument there, LOL.
I think a suddenly dramatically aged murder victim would have been referred to the SID? Or at least they'd have been notified?
Yeah, good point - her power is pretty distinctive, so ZYL can at least be pretty sure she hasn't used it to kill before.
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I'm actually posting a fic instead of sleeping lolol, so I'll just yeet my favorite scene here and come back tomorrow for the rest. :D :DThe Weilan embrace is SO TENDER?? ♡♡♡♡♡ Especially when Zhao Yunlan's hand is doing this:
(I once spent at least 5 minutes just staring at this gif. :D ♡_♡)
*MELTS* ♡♡♡
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And I love that scene, Zhao Yunlan rushing to Shen Wei and Zhang Ruonan rushing to Wang Yike, parallels and all. :D
Sleep well, and I'm looking forward to your comment tomorrow! ♥
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The fact that ZYL has his sleeve pushed up there is A GIFT!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
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But, since I'd really rather not focus on all the ways I disliked this part of the ep, let me mention how much I loved the 2 second interaction between Chu Shuzhi and Zhu Hong - such a perfect needling-the-coworker/brother-sister poking kind of back and forth. It was great.
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But never mind that, I totally agree about the Chu Shuzhi-Zhu Hong moment! That is lovely, and I really enjoyed Zhu Hong's griping too. These two don't get to interact nearly enough!
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- For some reason I'm a big fan of Shen Wei dramatically standing up in the scene that starts this half of the episode. :D Like, there's just the background, and then there's Shen Wei's beautiful frowny face, idek, it's nice. xD
- Zhao Yunlan waving around the letter opener, and Shen Wei's narrowed eyes! xD
- Zhao Yunlan's jacket being dramatically dragged off his shoulder (and the weird shirt is even more visible this way :P), and the folders flying at him - I just like how much is physically happening in such a short scene! And then obviously he plonks down on the table and stays there like the cat he is, lol.
- Why is Zhu Hong so unamused that Zhao Yunlan called her to help Zhang Ruonan? (When I was writing this comment I wondered if that was going to be one of the questions. ;D) The way she yeets her purse at him is kinda entertaining ngl, but I still don't know why she does that. :P Or is it all an act from the beginning, like Lin Jing pretending that he doesn't know what he's supposed to do there when he obviously knows?
- I may have taken a lot of screenshots of Zhao Yunlan crying and trying to hold back tears, idek.
And one of my favorite pictures of Shen Wei. ♡___♡ (Not exactly the picture in the post but close enough. :D)
- When Xiao Guo writes in his notebook about what Shen Wei said (which is also the quote in the post! :D), I'm wondering if they actually do talk to each other off-screen - I don't think Xiao Guo was around for the 'stolen life is hard to maintain' scene or any conversation about promises? (Ever since Zhao Yunlan said that Xiao Guo tells Shen Wei everything, I want their background friendship to be a thing, even when it's obviously not where Shen Wei knows all the things from. :D) And the conversation with Zhao Yunlan about Guarding very clearly also happened off-screen. :)
- Also I absolutely adore Xiao Guo, but what else is new. :D ♡
- Lin Jing dramatically grasping Zhao Yunlan's hand in defense of his own bonus! ;D
- More confusion from me that I didn't remember I had. xD Why did the bit of dark energy manage to stop Shen Wei? (Or it didn't really stop him, it only slowed him down, and he just stopped trying to get away at the same time because the SID has arrived?)
"What's your favourite moment in this part of the episode?"
As I've already said above, definitely the embrace. :D ♡♡♡ (Btw Shen Wei is wearing the same suit as in episode 26 when he covers Zhao Yunlan with his jacket - I immediately noticed because I just drew it. :D)
"Did anything stand out to you as coming from the novel?"
There's so little from the novel in this episode! I may be missing something obvious, but I think it's only the general themes (promises and protection and sacrifice, which obviously also come from the drama itself, not just the novel) - there's nothing more specific? Which makes me wonder if there's a connection between basically ignoring the novel during this storyline and making Wang Yike/Zhang Ruonan such an obvious Weilan parallel, but idk what exactly it would be/how to word it.
"What was Zhao Yunlan thinking, leaving Zhang Ruonan with Liu Yadong unguarded, when he already suspected Liu Yadong?"
I didn't catch that until you said it, so no theories, just yikes!
"Is this the first time Zhao Yunlan has sympathised with a Dixingren?"
I'd say no, because Chu Shuzhi exists. :D
"How often does the Envoy secretly let people go?"
Lol! Every time they don't actually deserve to be punished, which probably happens quite a lot?
"How did Zhang Ruonan know about Dixing?"
I've always assumed she knew from Wang Yike (like, she only found out about Dixing after they met), but also a lot of people at the university seem to know about it.
"Do you ship Zhang Ruonan and Wang Yike?"
Not ~actively~, but yes. :D
"When did Shen Wei decide to move closer to Zhao Yunlan?"
When he first saw him in the window? :D Or when he decided that Zhao Yunlan always hanging out in his office is not enough, because he can't hang out in his office when Shen Wei is not at work. :D
"For the start of the next case, why are Shen Wei, Zhu Jiu and the SID all in the same area?"
The SID is following the face stealer who is working with/for Zhu Jiu, but idk about Shen Wei who is looking for the Hallows, not for Zhu Jiu? Or is Zhu Jiu looking for Shen Wei?
"And finally, have you ever seen a snake who likes to walk? *g*"
Lolol! :D I love their banter in this scene, and also I just realized that this is a bit of a novel reference after all! Novel Zhu Hong has trouble walking after transforming, and Wang Zheng once says that Zhu Hong's feet are clumsy in general. I thought all of this went into the drama scene where she's struggling to walk in high heels, but some of it is clearly in this scene too. :D
no subject
It's a very good moment! :D
Why is Zhu Hong so unamused that Zhao Yunlan called her to help Zhang Ruonan?
I think it's like she says to Chu Shuzhi later, she's not a field agent and maybe hasn't been called out on a case like this before. Maybe she's feeling a bit out of her depth and covering for that with grumpiness?
Or is it all an act from the beginning, like Lin Jing pretending that he doesn't know what he's supposed to do there when he obviously knows?
I thought Lin Jing didn't know, actually - that Zhao Yunlan only told him after he arrived (in a small timeskip).
I may have taken a lot of screenshots of Zhao Yunlan crying and trying to hold back tears, idek.
:D :D :D
And one of my favorite pictures of Shen Wei. ♡___♡ (Not exactly the picture in the post but close enough. :D)
Yes! He looks amazing in that moment. It's part of why I chose that particular screencap, and yours really is very close. :D
I'm wondering if they actually do talk to each other off-screen - I don't think Xiao Guo was around for the 'stolen life is hard to maintain' scene or any conversation about promises?
Yeah, he only said the first half in Zhao Yunlan's presence, and the second half not at all on screen, so it has to be an offscreen conversation either with Xiao-Guo or in Xiao-Guo's presence. I totally agree, I want them to be talking in the background!
Why did the bit of dark energy manage to stop Shen Wei? (Or it didn't really stop him, it only slowed him down, and he just stopped trying to get away at the same time because the SID has arrived?)
It gripped his foot. He could have broken the hold - he does that when Zhu Jiu tries the same trick again next episode - but not in time to disappear before Zhao Yunlan arrived.
As I've already said above, definitely the embrace. :D ♡♡♡ (Btw Shen Wei is wearing the same suit as in episode 26 when he covers Zhao Yunlan with his jacket - I immediately noticed because I just drew it. :D)
Ohh, yes, that is such a lovely drawing! And yay for the same suit.
Which makes me wonder if there's a connection between basically ignoring the novel during this storyline and making Wang Yike/Zhang Ruonan such an obvious Weilan parallel, but idk what exactly it would be/how to word it.
Oh, yeah, I see what you mean. They built a Weilan parallel to mirror their main narrative, and managed to do it without using actual Weilan things for it, which is pretty impressive!
I'd say no, because Chu Shuzhi exists. :D
Huh, I never thought Zhao Yunlan actually sympathised with Chu Shuzhi, not pre-canon, not until he gets to know him better and changes his views on Dixingren over the course of the show. And I don't think he knows anything about Chu Shuzhi's background other than that he's a convicted criminal?
I've always assumed she knew from Wang Yike (like, she only found out about Dixing after they met), but also a lot of people at the university seem to know about it.
In the flashbacks, when she meets Wang Yike it looks to me like she already knows and understands. But it's not definite. And that's a good point about peopel at the university, yeah. I always wonder how much they all know (is it just the existence of mutants, is it the whole alien background, and/or the existence of Dixing as a place?) and where they know it from. It's so fascinating to think about, since it's all very much not public knowledge.
Or when he decided that Zhao Yunlan always hanging out in his office is not enough, because he can't hang out in his office when Shen Wei is not at work. :D
Haha, that is a compelling argument! :D
The SID is following the face stealer who is working with/for Zhu Jiu, but idk about Shen Wei who is looking for the Hallows, not for Zhu Jiu? Or is Zhu Jiu looking for Shen Wei?
Yeah, there are reasons for the SID and Zhu Jiu to be in the same place (both because of the face stealer), and for Zhu Jiu and Shen Wei (because Zhu Jiu wants to figure out what's up with Shen Wei after Shen Wei neutralised Wang Yike's power), but how those two intersect I'm not clear on. I guess it just so happens that the face stealer is in the same location where Shen Wei is looking for the Hallows ... another coincidence? *g*
and also I just realized that this is a bit of a novel reference after all! Novel Zhu Hong has trouble walking after transforming, and Wang Zheng once says that Zhu Hong's feet are clumsy in general. I thought all of this went into the drama scene where she's struggling to walk in high heels, but some of it is clearly in this scene too. :D
Ooh, that's a great catch! I didn't remember that at all, but you're totally right, it goes into both this moment and the high heels scene later. Very cool!
no subject
Agreed. I think he takes him completely for granted, at least until episode 4.
no subject
That makes sense, yeah. Everyone suddenly keeps wanting something from her. :P
"I thought Lin Jing didn't know, actually - that Zhao Yunlan only told him after he arrived (in a small timeskip)."
I was so sure that the tap and okay sign between Zhao Yunlan and Lin Jing mean that Zhang Ruonan doesn't know what they're doing, which means no one could have said it out loud. I guess they could tap so that they don't disturb the silence, but that's before the phone is picked up, so there's nothing to disturb yet. I rewatched it now and I don't see a space for a timeskip either because it's so seamless - the way the conversation itself flows, and everyone's faces, and what Zhu Hong is doing during the scene - her hands and the tissues? It looks so much like Lin Jing goes directly from 'not knowing what he's supposed to do' to doing it, together with a secret sign.
"Yeah, he only said the first half in Zhao Yunlan's presence, and the second half not at all on screen, so it has to be an offscreen conversation either with Xiao-Guo or in Xiao-Guo's presence. I totally agree, I want them to be talking in the background!"
It feels like when they took out all their conversations in the novel, except the drama was based on the original version of the novel that still had those scenes, and now I want them in the drama too. xD But I like it so much that there are at least some hints. :D
"It gripped his foot. He could have broken the hold - he does that when Zhu Jiu tries the same trick again next episode - but not in time to disappear before Zhao Yunlan arrived."
Oh yep, thanks, that's what I thought in the end - he stopped trying to break the hold even though he could do it.
"Ohh, yes, that is such a lovely drawing! And yay for the same suit."
♡♡♡!
"Oh, yeah, I see what you mean. They built a Weilan parallel to mirror their main narrative, and managed to do it without using actual Weilan things for it, which is pretty impressive!"
Yesss! Still hard to word it, but that's exactly what I was getting at! :D
"Huh, I never thought Zhao Yunlan actually sympathised with Chu Shuzhi, not pre-canon, not until he gets to know him better and changes his views on Dixingren over the course of the show. And I don't think he knows anything about Chu Shuzhi's background other than that he's a convicted criminal?"
This may be a word definition issue. :D I took 'sympathize' to mean 'be supportive of' (and Zhao Yunlan is super supportive of all his people), but if it means 'actively feel bad for', then this may also be the first time he has witnessed/heard of any Dixingren's tragic story from their POV so to speak? So he had no opportunity to sympathize before.
"And that's a good point about peopel at the university, yeah. I always wonder how much they all know (is it just the existence of mutants, is it the whole alien background, and/or the existence of Dixing as a place?) and where they know it from. It's so fascinating to think about, since it's all very much not public knowledge."
Professor Ouyang knows pretty much everything, doesn't he? (I'm not sure, I don't remember his storyline that well. Gonna pay more attention to this time, to find all the Shennong parallels. :D) And then I think everyone else probably has different levels of knowledge, and that's probably intentional? It is fascinating indeed!
"Yeah, there are reasons for the SID and Zhu Jiu to be in the same place (both because of the face stealer), and for Zhu Jiu and Shen Wei (because Zhu Jiu wants to figure out what's up with Shen Wei after Shen Wei neutralised Wang Yike's power), but how those two intersect I'm not clear on. I guess it just so happens that the face stealer is in the same location where Shen Wei is looking for the Hallows ... another coincidence? *g*"
Maybe Shen Wei is looking for the Hallows, Zhu Jiu is looking for Shen Wei, and the face stealer is there because Zhu Jiu is there?
"Ooh, that's a great catch! I didn't remember that at all, but you're totally right, it goes into both this moment and the high heels scene later. Very cool!"
One of the instances of novel Zhu Hong's legs being wobbly is her falling on her butt during the Emissary reveal. :D (Daqing doesn't even get this excuse, lol, but he has the excuse of being a cat. ;D)
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Yeah, that's a good argument, especially since as you say it's before Zhang Ruonan picks up. Maybe he did know then! But then I'm wondering why he's pretending to not know ...
if it means 'actively feel bad for', then this may also be the first time he has witnessed/heard of any Dixingren's tragic story from their POV so to speak? So he had no opportunity to sympathize before.
I don't know how much he witnessed or heard before, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time he's been really up close witnessing a tragedy involving a Dixingren. On the other hand, I don't think he was interested in finding out before; IMO he wouldn't have bothered to ask Chu Shuzhi about his background, or wanted to listen to the story of any Dixingren they previously arrested. He needs to see it all up close and personal to be jolted out of that.
Professor Ouyang knows pretty much everything, doesn't he?
Yes, but then he's also involved with the Inspectorate, which oversees the SID, and it's impossible to tell how much he already knew before he joined that lab. Like, obviously they all know mutants exist, and Professor Ouyang isn't at all surprised by Shen Wei knowing, but that doesn't necessarily mean knowing about Dixing. I always thought the existence of black energy powers was pretty much an open secret in the scientific community, but Dixing and its origins are a lot more hidden than that.
I agree that they're deliberately showing lots of people with different levels of knowledge! It's really neat, and makes for great worldbuilding. :D
Gonna pay more attention to this time, to find all the Shennong parallels. :D
Yes! That's an excellent thing to pay attention to. :D
One of the instances of novel Zhu Hong's legs being wobbly is her falling on her butt during the Emissary reveal. :D
LOLOLOL! Imagine if that had happened in the drama.
(Actually glad that it didn't; that kind of physical comedy is much less funny to me on screen than it is in text. :p)
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They didn't want to give ZRN a chance to tip WYK off?
IMO he wouldn't have bothered to ask Chu Shuzhi about his background, or wanted to listen to the story of any Dixingren they previously arrested. He needs to see it all up close and personal to be jolted out of that.
I think it cuts both ways? The SID's reputation means that no Dixingren, including CSZ, would think offering their circumstances would make any difference (cf Bao Laosan); consequently, ZYL has no opportunity to be callous. Idk, I think ZYL is basically decent -- otherwise he wouldn't be able to change so quickly. He just has a blindspot, and Shen Wei is the first one to challenge it, you know?
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Yes, absolutely true!
I do think ZYL is basically decent - faced with even a little bit of the reality of things, he overcomes his bigotry very quickly.
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I thought that was because he'd only called her because she's a girl, and he wants her to be all soft and kind and supportive. I don't think she feels ~seen~ at all. (Tbh, of the available options, Xiao-Guo would probably be a better choice for "kind, non-threatening, supportive person". ;-p)
Why did the bit of dark energy manage to stop Shen Wei? (Or it didn't really stop him, it only slowed him down, and he just stopped trying to get away at the same time because the SID has arrived?)
I think he couldn't break free without showing his power, so he chose to just roll with it.
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Oof, yeah, that's a great point, that definitely has to be part of it!
And agreed that Xiao-Guo might be a better choice usually, though given Zhang Ruonan was raped, it makes sense to call in a woman.
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Hear, hear! :D
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She's grumpy even before he explains why, but it's very true that she only gets grumpier after the explanation!
"(Tbh, of the available options, Xiao-Guo would probably be a better choice for "kind, non-threatening, supportive person". ;-p)"
100%! :D And Zhao Yunlan knows that too (he sent him to console Li Qian), but in this case he needed a chose a woman for a reason. I love the 'you're really not the first choice but Wang Zheng can't come' commentary, lol.
"I think he couldn't break free without showing his power, so he chose to just roll with it."
Oooh, I didn't even think of that, I only thought that he didn't have enough time.
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LOL indeed! Though now I wish we got to see Wang Zheng in that role. If they needed someone at night, she could come!
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This isn't the first time she's been called out of the office for SID duties, lately: she was at the hospital with ZYL when they were asking Li Qian about the Dial -- and there was an attacker on the loose then, too. (I had a feeling that when ZYL hired her, he promised Fourth Uncle to keep her safe, but I can't remember if that's canon-canon or headcanon.)
but in this case he needed a chose a woman for a reason. I love the 'you're really not the first choice but Wang Zheng can't come' commentary, lol.
I know, but she's such a bad choice for comforting anyone. So spiky! *hearts her*
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My arms aren't good, so just some scrappy notes today.
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♥ Shen Wei only has to look pointedly at the letter opener waving in his face. ♥
One of my favourite bits in this episode! :D
I think "I don't dare be your teacher" supports the reading that the murder victims are the rapists. Surely she wouldn't be afraid of them if they'd just played a prank?
Yeah, agreed entirely.
I love Wang Yike and find her super attractive. ♥ Also, her faaaace when she touches the gifted gloves to her cheek! (I made icons.)
She is gorgeous! And yeah, that moment with the gloves is really something. They're just heaping on the subtext as much as they possibly can. ♥ ♥ ♥
Also, yay icons! So pretty! Very lovely to revisit. :D
Ahh, ZYL asking "What's the relationship between you?" foreshadows all the times people ask that about him and Shen Wei. <3 <3 <3
Yeah, the phrasing isn't as suggestive in Chinese, but still! Everyone can tell there's something going on between them, and the drama wants to underline that A LOT. :D
Wang Yike and Shen Wei -- I think this shows Wang Yike has no trust left in her, just fury and protectiveness. (There are parallels here between Wang Yike and Ye Zun -- the vengefulness and the similarity of powers.)
Oh, yes, that's a great point - Wang Yike has parallels with Shen Wei and parallels with Ye Zun, and that's one of those thematic mirroring things that hold the drama together so well. ♥ ♥ ♥
Chu Shuzhi is just watching the denouement. He understands revenge. <3 Also, he's on alert because if Wang Yike gets out of hand, he needs to be ready to contain her.
That's spot on for Chu Shuzhi's POV, yes! :D
Wang Yike: isolated, feared; Zhang Ruonan offers a hand. This is so YOHE Weilan!!
And the outstretched hand, with Shen Wei and Ye Zun at the end! AHHHHH. This drama is so good with this stuff.
(Zhang Ruonan and Wang Yike, the Envoy and Zheng Yi, Shen Wei and Ye Zun - can you think of more mirroring for the hand thing?
Oh hey, there wasn't any more comedy sneezing in this half of the ep. I guess ZYL left the Dial in the lab?
Oh wow, I didn't even notice that it goes away! Either that is some amazingly effective medicine that he takes (LOL) or it's really just that it's been a while since he's touched the Sundial.
When did Shen Wei say a promise can remain unchanged for thousands of years? In what context would he have said that?? o.O
Idk, but possibly it was a metaphorical reference to the promise between Li Qian and her grandma, to take care of her all her life? That would make sense as something to talk to Xiao-Guo about.
ZYL is so drawn to SW -- like, respect, attraction, suspicion. He spends the whole episode wanting to share the case with him. I think it must at least partly be the fact that SW sees through ZYL's bullshit and still treats him with a modicum of respect. <3
Hee! I love how you put that. :D
I think ZYL is genuinely shocked and a bit heartbroken to find SW at the crime scene -- and not just there, but in the process of fleeing.
Idk if he's heartbroken - he doesn't look it to me? As a matter of fact I was thinking he looked like he really didn't believe Shen Wei was involved in the crime, no matter how highly suspicious the circumstances.
They're really not practised at in-progress crimes.
Yeah, the only one who's reasonably competent at that is Chu Shuzhi. No wonder he's so exasperated!
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Yeah, the phrasing isn't as suggestive in Korean, either, but giving it this context makes it suggestive by association when they use it later on. <3 <3 <3
Zhang Ruonan and Wang Yike, the Envoy and Zheng Yi, Shen Wei and Ye Zun - can you think of more mirroring for the hand thing?
ZYL offering Cong Bo the lollipop was his version of it, I think?
Either that is some amazingly effective medicine that he takes (LOL)
I suspect TCM is often super effective in dramas, in a patriotic kind of way?
Idk, but possibly it was a metaphorical reference to the promise between Li Qian and her grandma, to take care of her all her life? That would make sense as something to talk to Xiao-Guo about.
I suppose so. It sounds pretty suspicious to me, but I guess that's mostly because I have context. ;-p
Idk if he's heartbroken - he doesn't look it to me?
If not heartbroken, I think at least disappointed.
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Yes, and that's so clearly deliberate! All the kudos to the writers. :D
ZYL offering Cong Bo the lollipop was his version of it, I think?
Oh, yes, that's related!
I suspect TCM is often super effective in dramas, in a patriotic kind of way?
In historical dramas it's basically magic, but I'm not sure about modern-day ones.