Guardian 镇魂 Body Language Highlights: Episode Fourteen

By: qikiqtarjuaq
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The Cong Bo case begins, as the SID deal with the aftermath of the Mind Control Case. Featuring: tea and propositions, singing in the car, a team welcome dinner, and Zhao Yunlan offering to be Shen Wei's late-night booty call.

Zhao Yunlan Faints and Shen Wei Changes Outfits

The episode opens with Zhao Yunlan touching the hallows and fainting. Again.

Zhao Yunlan is mumbling something in his sleep while everyone looks on and waits for him to wake up. Not sure if this ever gets followed up on, considering the Hallows are known to give him visions.

Waking up, he sees everyone around him, including... the Black-Cloaked Envoy. He immediately calls out to Shen Wei, asking him why he put that outfit back on when Shen Wei quickly interrupts him, calling him Zhao-xiong (Brother Zhao).

He's called Zhao Yunlan that before as the Envoy but not with the frequency in this conversation, I think.

Zhao Yunlan realizes: The time for secrets isn't over yet!

I love how quick Zhao Yunlan is here to play along with Shen Wei.

Shen Wei gets straight down to business. He has to take Zheng Yi away for her part in the mind control case. No one is happy about that, especially not Zhao Yunlan.

Shen Wei asks Zhao Yunlan if he has something to say.

Zhao Yunlan doesn't say anything, only that he wishes he knew what Shen Wei was thinking.

Zhao Yunlan final reaction to Shen Wei taking Zheng Yi away.

Thankfully, Shen Wei is a softie too, and has any time even passed at all before Zheng Yi is reunited with her big bro Tan Xiao?

Zhao Yunlan is happy to see them safe and free.

Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan Have Tea

In their first real private conversation since the identity reveal, Shen Wei is hilariously unable to meet Zhao Yunlan's eyes.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yunlan smugly sucks on a lollipop.

Zhao Yunlan: I knew you couldn't be that heartless, you big black-cloaked softie.

Shen Wei: I don't know what you're talking about.

Zhao Yunlan continues to be smug. "What are you gonna do, Shen Wei, wipe my memory?"

Troll!Shen Wei comes out in full force. "How do you know I can't?"

Troll!Shen Wei's attack is very effective, almost shocking the lollipop out of Zhao Yunlan's mouth.

Remembering that he is talking to the Black-Cloaked Envoy after all, Zhao Yunlan apologizes for how he's been disrespectful in the past. And then pulls the "But it's all water under the bridge because we're friends, right?" card.

Shen Wei, very intensely, with absolutely zero chill: We have always been friends.

Zhao Yunlan immediately latches onto the "always" part of Shen Wei's statement. Asks him when that is. This sends Shen Wei into flashback mode about Kunlun.

When Shen Wei finishes reminiscing about Kunlun, he blinks large doe eyes at Zhao Yunlan while telling him that he can't answer that question.

My headcanon for this scene is that Shen Wei for a moment reverted back to young Shen Wei mode thinking of Kunlun, and that's why he suddenly pulled out the big doe eyes.

Zhao Yunlan tries in vain to extract more information from Shen Wei, but fails. Letting things go for now, he instead tries to ask Shen Wei to join the SID again. Using that expression and that face.

If you took this out of context, it looks like Zhao Yunlan propositioning Shen Wei for something considerably less... plot-related.

That arm grab. Wow. Things just got intense.

Seeing that his flirting isn't working, Zhao Yunlan turns serious. And promises to fight side-by-side with Shen Wei for the same goals. In the end, that's what convinces Shen Wei to join.

Meeting Minister Gao

The next day, they get together to meet with Minister Gao, who requested to see them both.

Synchronized morning-after walking!

Zhao Yunlan is in a very good mood this morning, singing in the car.

They chat in the car about the Haixing Supervisory Department. And Shen Wei, out of habit, starts talking about how ordinary he is until Zhao Yunlan calls him on it.

Although there isn't much visually to this scene, since they're just talking in the car, there's some pretty interesting tidbits being dropped. Shen Wei mentions that people are afraid of the Envoy. Zhao Yunlan asks Shen Wei if he's had bad experiences up top, and Shen Wei is very circumspect about it. (My headcanon: Zhao Xinci, asshole extraordinare, and reason why the Black-Cloaked Envoy doesn't meet Zhao Yunlan until the first episode of the show.)

Zhao Yunlan also tries to dig into how special he is to Shen Wei, but Shen Wei continues to stonewall. Eventually, Zhao Yunlan just lets Shen Wei choose a topic instead.

Shen Wei: Can we talk about nothing?

Zhao Yunlan: (starts singing) Singing doesn't count as talking!

In sync, they walk towards Minister Gao's office.

Before Zhao Yunlan goes in, Shen Wei hands him the self-reflection wrote for him. Look at Shen Wei's pleased little smile when Zhao Yunlan thanks him for doing his homework for him.

They're both thrilled until Zhao Yunlan takes a closer look.

Shen Wei wrote the whole thing with his calligraphy brush. He's very apologetic, he apparently can't write long-form comfortably without his brush. Meanwhile, Zhao Yunlan figures that Minister Gao doesn't know him well enough to call bullshit on his sudden calligraphy skills.

Synchronized walk and turn!

Look at how proud Zhao Yunlan looks while Minister Gao compliments Shen Wei. And when he's asked how he got Shen Wei to join the SID, he puts all the credit on his own charisma.

This entire sequence is absolutely hysterical. Look at how Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan both look like two kids who are trying to get away with something while awaiting the verdict on Shen Wei's written self-reflection.

SHEN WEI you are a 10,000-year-old powerful ancient being from Dixing!

But Minister Gao is completely unaware of their tricks, and compliments Zhao Yunlan on the amazingly well-written self-reflection.

Look at Shen Wei's smile, and Zhao Yunlan patting his shoulder to give him his due credit.

Minister Gao then ruins the mood by bringing up Zhao Xinci. Both Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan have less-than-positive reactions.

Shen Wei notices that Zhao Yunlan is upset.

Look at Shen Wei's eyes dropping to Zhao Yunlan's hands. :(

Shen Wei immediately moves forward to change the topic. And Minister Gao gets on with business, telling them to watch out for Cong Bo, who plans to stalk the SID.

Dinner Time!

Finally time to go home! Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan walk out, bumping shoulders along the way because it was about time their relationship moved to the next level of synchronized walking: WITH EXTRA BODY CONTACT.

Guo Changcheng's uncle runs up to them and invites Zhao Yunlan to dinner. Zhao Yunlan turns and asks Shen Wei, who agrees to go with him. This is such a "Shen Wei is my other half" move.

There's a lot of shoulder touching in this scene.

They both attend the world's most awkward dinner with Guo Changcheng and his uncle, who is trying to convince them to transfer Guo Changcheng elsewhere. This is Zhao Yunlan's expression as he hears Xiao Guo's uncle shittalk the hazards of working at the SID.

Shen Wei isn't a fan of the "They have to work with monsters!" line.

Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan hightail it out of that dinner, leaving Guo Changcheng to hash out the future of his career with his uncle.

Shen Wei: Are you worried about Guo Changcheng?

Zhao Yunlan: No.

Shen Wei: Are you worried about how Guo Changcheng came to the SID?

And Zhao Yunlan just gives him this big grin that they're on the same wavelength. Then, he proceeds to invite Shen Wei to an actual dinner that doesn't suck, where he can introduce Shen Wei to the SID.

Welcome to the Family!

Shen Wei receives a warm welcome from all (except Zhu Hong) at the SID. Zhao Yunlan here is really treating Shen Wei as one of his own now. And it's interesting to me that it's only re-watch that I noticed how far ahead of time they've been setting up Zhu Hong's unrequited feelings for Zhao Yunlan and jealousy of Shen Wei, starting all the way from when Zhao Yunlan bought those old books to impress Shen Wei.

Here a really nice piece of meta on the significance of Zhao Yunlan inviting Shen Wei to such a casual dinner in Chinese culture, if you want to read more about this scene.

Home Sweet Home

The episode ends with Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan going home together. (You may interpret that as you will, especially in light of Zhao Yunlan's haircut next episode.)

Here, we see Zhao Yunlan leveling up his walking technique even more, closing in on Shen Wei's personal space while walking.

Zhao Yunlan: If you need me for anything, don't hesitate.

Shen Wei: What would I need you for?

Zhao Yunlan: You know, if you're too excited about joining the SID, and can't sleep.

Smooth.

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