SID Guardian

Hi, all! Sign-ups are open for the coming round of the Guardian readalong (the start of volume 2).

Welcome to this week's installment - the end of volume 1! If you’re just joining us or need to catch up, here are last week’s chapters, and you can find previous discussions on the schedule post or via the !readalong tag.

This week we're looking at:

Chapter 27: Return to the city. Drinking with Lang-ge. A drunken Shen Wei kisses Zhao Yunlan violently and slashes his shirt open. When Zhao Yunlan protests, Shen Wei's body shuts down completely. Zhao Yunlan calls an ambulance. Doctors try to resuscitate Shen Wei, and Zhao Yunlan lights talismans. Shen Wei wakes up the next day in the hospital, and Zhao Yunlan calls him "my lord Emissary".
Chapter 28: Shen Wei confirms his identity. Zhao Yunlan is excruciatingly embarrassed about his behaviour over the last six months. Back in Dragon City, the SID team corners Zhao Yunlan into driving Shen Wei home. Zhao Yunlan invites himself in, and they talk about the Hallows and Ghost Face. Zhao Yunlan goes home and asked Daqing about his past incarnations.

ETA: Official translation chapter 27 corresponds to a little after the start of chapter 42 up to the end of chapter 43 in JJWXC, and chapter 28 corresponds with the start of chapter 44 up to the end of chapter 45.

Excerpts
( 1) Lang-ge is honoured by Shen Wei's toast )
( 2) Drunk, Shen Wei pushes Zhao Yunlan against a wall and kisses him )
( 3) Zhao Yunlan puts the brakes on )
( 4) Shen Wei confirms his identity )
( 5) Zhao Yunlan reluctantly offers to drive Shen Wei home )
( 6) Zhao Yunlan leaves Shen Wei's apartment )
( 7) Daqing says he looked for Zhao Yunlan for five hundred years )

Questions
- If you're familiar with the drama, how do you feel about the differences between the novel's identity reveal and the one in the drama? What about other differences in these chapters?
- Which "Zhao Yunlan & team member" moment is your favourite in these chapters? Zhu Hong's wordless understanding and helping Wang Zheng and Sang Zan out of Clarity? Lin Jing giving Zhao Yunlan a terrible neck rub? The conversation with Daqing at the end? Something else?
- If you're reading the official translation, do you have any thoughts about the Appendices: the character and name guide, the terminology, etc?

(As usual, these are just conversation starters - feel free to answer all, some, or none, and to say as much or as little as you like!)

Our schedule starting from next weekend (and please do sign up to host a post if you can!)

Some discussion on the novel readalong post made me think about the Longevity Dial arc in the drama, how determined Shen Wei is to catch Zhao Yunlan's attention... and how much he inadvertently keeps arousing Zhao Yunlan's, er, investigative instincts. :D So... a poll!

Here's the scene from the book (vol. 2, ch 12-13).

At the words “Crow tribe,” Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei both stopped dead in their tracks.

At the same moment, a painfully hoarse voice rang out and interrupted Fourth Uncle. “Hold it!” Some note in that voice sounded inexplicably ominous.

Shen Wei pulled Zhao Yunlan behind him, gaze growing cold. A line of short, unremarkable-looking people in black robes stood in a neat row across the entrance to the Yao Market. Every one of them had pitch-black wings on their backs.

The Crow tribe had arrived.

Chapter 13
“SHEN WEI!” Zhao Yunlan grabbed Shen Wei’s wrist. Even blind, there was no missing the piercing-cold killing intent that was suddenly radiating from him.

When Shen Wei spoke, his voice held no trace of his usual refinement. Instead, it was dark and ominous. “How dare the Crow tribe harm you? Wretched, ungrateful things! Even death by a thousand cuts or their total extinction could never make up for—”

Every syllable dripped with bloodlust, but his seething was broken off when Zhao Yunlan wrapped both arms around him. Instinctively, Shen Wei began to struggle fiercely, but then inspiration struck Zhao Yunlan.

“Xiao-Wei!” he exclaimed. Shen Wei went utterly still in his arms.

After a moment, Shen Wei turned and gave Zhao Yunlan a disbelieving look. Voice trembling, he said, “Wh-what did you call me…?”

“Shhh. Listen to me. Don’t move.” Zhao Yunlan closed his eyes and opened his Heavenly Eye. His perception through it had become a bit blurry, overwhelmed by the Yao Market surrounding them. He tugged Shen Wei slightly back, and the two of them blended into the crowd of yao.

( Context. )

I think this scene is a fascinating illustration of the differences between the Weilan relationships in the novel and the drama. (I'm only halfway through the novel, so please do feel free to correct my takes! And for the drama, too, of course.)

My reading of the novel version is that, when faced with the Crow that caused Zhao Yunlan's blindness, Shen Wei is overwhelmed with rage and darkness. This could be read as losing control and his "true" or base nature rising to the fore. His "bloodlust" rises, and he's going to commit murder out of vengeance.

Compare this to the drama, where Shen Wei is furious, sure, but mostly because Ya Qing is working with Ye Zun to threaten the peace. He uses his energy to fling Zhu Hong across the clearing, trusting Zhao Yunlan, even while blind, to catch her. And then he explicitly passes judgement on Ya Qing as the stern Envoy (despite Ya Qing being outside his jurisdiction), not personally. He's protecting Zhu Hong (a proxy for the SID?) and the world, rather than Zhao Yunlan explicitly.

( Continued... )

Thoughts? Preferences? What have I misinterpreted? How do you feel about the drama adaptation of this scene? (Does it come down to "prefers politics" vs "prefers violently protective relationships"? *g*)


Note: I also posted a few scrappy quotes and notes from the Li Qian case in the novel.

I usually think of the failed book con in episode 8 from Zhao Yunlan’s pov; it’s shot that way, after all. But I wanted to take a look at it and its flow-on effects from Shen Wei’s pov. In particular, I'm interested in the pov of a Shen Wei who is aware that Zhao Yunlan will one day be Kunlun.

Note that I’ve posted before about the book con, melinoel616 posted about the taxi scene, marycrawford did Shen Wei tucking Zhao Yunlan into bed and dealing with his disaster apartment, and trobadora did the morning after. I strongly recommend checking out these posts, if you haven't. They’re all fantastic!

( Read more... )

Thoughts & questions

1. My point in talking about the morning-after scene, despite trobadora already having covered this ground so awesomely a few years ago, is that I think it’s key that Shen Wei sticks around for it, and the reason it matters is that the gastritis sequence is kind of maybe a do-over for the failed book con. Like the book con, it starts in public with Zhao Yunlan crouched/sitting, and Shen Wei standing. Like the book con, Shen Wei crouches to speak to him. But this time, Zhao Yunlan is literally incapable of putting up a front. He tries to wave Shen Wei off, but he can’t summon any jokes or stupid lies. And when his disaster self is exposed, both in the street and at the flat, this time Shen Wei doesn’t walk away. He literally rolls up his sleeves and gets to work cleaning. In fact, he stays right up until Zhao Yunlan makes a hasty exit of his own.


2. Actually, perhaps part of Shen Wei's journey in the taxi ride is accepting that Zhao Yunlan isn't Kunlun yet. That he's young and does stupid things, and he's vulnerable. Is that where Shen Wei shifts focus from the past to the present?


3. Zhao Yunlan lost so much face with the book con, what would have been the state of their relationship going forward if Shen Wei hadn’t stayed at the flat after cleaning? The Envoy turning up at the SID to find Zhao Yunlan absent feels like a pre-emptive answer to that question, a vivid illustration — particularly since they don’t find Ding Dun until it's too late, ie, the outcome of Zhao Yunlan's absence is failure.


4. Complete aside: Lao Chu receives Ding Dun’s "wanted" photo on his phone. Where did the photo come from? Does the Dixing prisoner processing office have cameras?


5. What does it mean to Shen Wei that Zhao Yunlan, suspecting Shen Wei of being Dixingren to the point that he’s actually queried the Dixing archives on the subject (but not informed the Envoy), is still trying to recruit him? Is this a hint of his intrinsic Kunlun-ness? Are they having a second, unspoken conversation that goes, “Let me officially take you under my wing; I can protect you.” “I won’t accept your protection.”?


6. Does Shen Wei have any other reactions to the Dixing archive query? Does it make him resolve to guard his secrets more closely, or prompt him to open up more? Does it change how he feels about Zhao Yunlan and/or the attempted gift of the books? What does he think tipped Zhao Yunlan off?
   
   Aside: The reply from the archives is also a reminder that the Regent can’t be trusted to be discreet, which is presumably part of why Shen Wei crackles with anger in episode 15.


7. Poll #31774 Leaving and Staying

   Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 8

   
   

   View Respondents

   
   

   What do you think Shen Wei feels as he walks away from the failed book con? (Tick all that apply.)

   View Answers
   

   disappointed
   7 (87.5%)

   exasperated / impatient with Zhao Yunlan’s nonsense
   6 (75.0%)

   offended / affronted
   1 (12.5%)

   hurt/stung that Zhao Yunlan would lie like that
   2 (25.0%)

   desperate to see the "real" Kunlun again
   5 (62.5%)

   merciful (ie, at least he's not staying to witness Zhao Yunlan's humiliation)
   1 (12.5%)

   "can this really be Kunlun?"
   2 (25.0%)

   disapproving / "this is unworthy of both of us"
   6 (75.0%)

   "oh my god, he's so young; he's behaving like a failing student"
   3 (37.5%)

   other.
   0 (0.0%)

   Why does Shen Wei stay till morning? (Tick all that apply.)

   View Answers
   

   to see how Zhao Yunlan reacts to the cleaning
   0 (0.0%)

   to justify the cleaning
   2 (25.0%)

   to make sure Zhao Yunlan eats his breakfast
   8 (100.0%)

   to tease Zhao Yunlan
   3 (37.5%)

   to make sure Zhao Yunlan knows Shen Wei still likes him
   6 (75.0%)

   to warn Zhao Yunlan not to leave the city
   4 (50.0%)

   to watch Zhao Yunlan sleep
   7 (87.5%)

   he got caught up in a good book
   0 (0.0%)

   he was chatting with the goldfish (Yashou) and lost track of time
   1 (12.5%)

   other
   0 (0.0%)

( More pics. )

What are some of your favourite pieces of worldbuilding about the SID, from canon, or your own or someone else's fanworks? In particular, any thoughts about the raptor (eagle? hawk?) in the SID's crest, the wall of clocks, why it seemed like a good idea to keep motorbikes on a plinth, etc.?

Some of my favourite headcanons are:

1. The iguana is the second SID chief, who was transformed into lizard form by a Dixing power.


2. The SID is located in an unfashionable part of town, so that any "incidents" won't affect the higher ups or respectable businesses. That's why Zhao Yunlan is always trying to get new premises.


3. Zhao Yunlan went to the Yashou tribes looking for field agents, but the only one willing to join the SID was Zhu Hong.

I posted a draft pre-canon timeline of Zhao Xinci-related flashbacks. Have an opinion on Zhao Yunlan's missing puppy? Or how long ago Sha Ya's friend was killed?

Please come and weigh in on Zhao Xinci, and when different flashbacks happened relative to each other. :-)

I was thinking about how the hi-tech ear plug in ep 13 work, and that led to an inventory of Lin Jing's other inventions, starting with the scene where he gives Zhao Xinci a tour of his lab in ep 16 (2:09 to 3:23).

( The scene )

( More of Lin Jing's inventions )

Any thoughts? Did I miss any?

I've been listening to a lot of writing and narrative meta lately (mostly Writing Excuses podcast), and one of the things they discussed is what the middles of stories can do in terms of narratives. (Note: they generally focus on plotty stories.) So this is kind of a hybrid of their theory and what I came up with.

Among many other things, middles can:

• raise the stakes and make the stakes ever more personal, to show why it's the protagonist who has to be the one to take action


• have other, less costly strategies fail, to show why the protagonist has to take their final (costly) decisive action


• show why the protagonist is reluctant to take that action, ie, the reasons they don't just go out and resolve the problem straight away.

It's all about building tension so the climax feels climactic and earned.

All roads lead to the Guardian drama, for me, and thinking about Guardian through the lens above made my brain light up. The show does all three of those things so well, using those strategies to ratchet up tension in a way I find super satisfying. And since one of the exercises they talk about in the podcast is looking at existing works and reverse-engineering outlines, I thought I'd analyse Shen Wei's choices leading up to and during the finale, in those terms, for A and B.

( Rambling, and a tragic absence of screencaps )