[ Episode Twenty ] [ Masterpost ] [ Episode Twenty-Two ]
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The world's best hurt/comfort arc begins! Featuring concerned!Shen Wei, distracted-by-concerns!Professor Shen, distracted-by-being-called-Xiao-Wei!Envoy, and so much touching oh my god.
Zhao Yunlan's Return
The episode opens with Zhao Yunlan cheerfully giving the team some time off while everyone looks on uncomfortably without the mentioning the elephant in the room.
Zhao Yunlan: *patpat* Time to go home!
1) Am I the only one who thought Shen Wei was straight up going to take Zhao Yunlan into his arms at the start of this gif?
2) Zhao Yunlan holding onto Shen Wei's arm (and so close to Shen Wei's sleeve garters) is a very nice visual
A Doctor's Appointment
Next, we see Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan visit Shen Wei's university friend, Dr. Cheng.
Shen Wei anxiously awaits the diagnosis.
More of Shen Wei being an anchor for Zhao Yunlan, helping him sit down before Dr. Cheng gives them her analysis.
What follows is a progressive sequence of Shen Wei going from worried to disappointed to slowly having an internal meltdown while Zhao Yunlan tries to put up a brave front.
Look at that last gif especially. That little swallowing motion, the faster blinking, he looks like he's having trouble breathing.
In the middle of the conversation, Zhao Yunlan's alarm goes off, reminding him that it's time for Shen Wei's lectures. Which is so Extra(TM).
Meanwhile, Shen Wei had completely forgotten about his upcoming class.
Shen Wei thinks it might be better if he takes some time off, but Zhao Yunlan manages to persuade him to leave.
Special props to Dr. Cheng for her knowing smiles through this whole scene. Shen Wei is smitten, and it is so obvious to her.
Distracted Professor Shen
Shen Wei goes to class, but he's having trouble focusing. He makes yet another mistake that he has to correct.
While he's re-writing on the blackboard, he hears his student discussing his uncharacteristic behavior, then proceeds to emote until he breaks my heart.
He's about to hit the next topic of his lecture when the bell rings. He just books it out of there.
Zhao Xinci Visits
Meanwhile, Zhao Xinci picks up Zhao Yunlan from the hospital, and warns him against becoming too friendly with Shen Wei.
Zhao Yunlan is having none of that shit. Shen Wei treats him well and treats him sincerely, and he trusts Shen Wei to have his back.
And when Zhao Xinci tells him that he's not seeing things clearly, Zhao Yunlan makes a joke about being blind to piss his dad off even more.
Shen Wei Manhandles Zhao Yunlan
Just as Zhao Yunlan is ready to go home, he gets a vision of his dad in a car accident. So despite being blind, he decides to walk out into the road...
Shen Wei pulls Zhao Yunlan out of danger in the nick of time. There's a lot to love about this scene, including:
1) Zhao Yunlan almost being lifted off his feet by Shen Wei's strength
2) Them holding/steadying each other at the end.
Shen Wei is Not Amused.
I've never seen anyone more terrified and angry than Shen Wei at this moment.
Finally, Shen Wei drags Zhao Yunlan home.
@kimboo-york on Twitter said: Shen Wei's love language is manhandling Zhao Yunlan like a recalcitrant puppy.
And it is so so accurate.
More Domesticity
Back home, Shen Wei leads Zhao Yunlan to bed while he goes to cook.
That soft trailing touch on Shen Wei's wrist as Zhao Yunlan lets go is a lot.
Because Zhao Yunlan can't sit still, Shen Wei comes back and this time not-so-gently manhandles Zhao Yunlan back into bed.
Shen Wei begins yet another safety lecture when he accidentally lets slip: "Back then--" and Zhao Yunlan rightly catches on that this should have been way before he met Shen Wei.
This scene is hilarious to me on multiple levels because:
1) Shen Wei pulling out something that happened 10,000 years ago in a couples fight is amazing. And you thought your significant other had a long memory for your fuck-ups!
2) Shen Wei's secrets are like the layers of an onion. I sometimes wonder if Zhao Yunlan is just like: Seriously, after the whole heipao reveal, there's more?!
Zhao Yunlan: You're hiding something from me.
Shen Wei, not even trying to lie or pretend: I'm going to make you food.
Zhao Yunlan: So, what's up with that Kunlun dude?
In response, Shen Wei's face goes through so many emotions, it's honestly a shame Zhao Yunlan isn't able to see it.
Shen Wei grabs the audio recorder/player and deletes the recording. (Or at least attempts to. For a technophobe like him, it's probably easier to just nuke the whole thing with dark energy.)
While they're arguing, Zhao Yunlan receives a phone call. Shen Wei takes this opportunity to yoink the recorder.
Zhao Yunlan is being called about the Yashou Market, and Shen Wei gets an idea.
He immediately moves over and tells Zhao Yunlan that they should go, in case the Yashou might have a cure for his eyes.
Look at Shen Wei's eager, hopeful eyes.
If you squint, it almost looks like they're holding hands.
The Yashou Market
Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan walk in sync to the completely deserted Yashou Market.
(And I appreciate that they tried to hand-wave the budget issues here by claiming that some years it's busy and some years barely anyone shows up in the later dialogue, but guys. There's like, not even a single stall here. Is the real Yashou Market the friends we made along the way?)
I love this spinning shot of Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan moving back-to-back. It's a very iconic defensive battle couple pose, and it also echoes Zhao Yunlan's earlier words to his father very nicely, about Shen Wei always having his back.
And here we have Shen Wei unable to take his eyes off Zhao Yunlan.
Shen Wei answers some questions about the Yashou Market to a curious Zhao Yunlan.
Zhao Yunlan is super amused (and smug) about having the Black-Cloaked Envoy be his tour guide.
Shen Wei: *le sigh*
Confronting Ya Qing
While Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan are chatting with Ying Chun, they suddenly hear sounds of a fight and rush over to see Ya Qing attacking Zhu Hong.
Shen Wei quickly subdues Ya Qing, and is ready to go into full lethal Black-Cloaked Envoy mode.
Now watch Shen Wei go from murder mode to doki doki mode when Zhao Yunlan calls him "Xiao Wei."
I firmly believe Zhao Yunlan would not have called Shen Wei anything else but Xiao Wei for the rest of their lives if he had been able to see Shen Wei's face in this moment. And I will never get over the missed opportunity here.
Seeing that the situation de-escalated, Zhao Yunlan stumbles into Shen Wei's arms, and then begins trying to talk to Ya Qing.
Okay, so Zhao Yunlan is doing his charming negotiator thing, but can we talk about SHEN WEI'S FACE.
In this gif and in the previous gif, he's just been staring at Zhao YUnlan. Oh my god, he is not listening or paying attention to anything else in this scene except Zhao Yunlan and the echoes of the words "Xiao Wei."
The Miracle Doctor
After the disappointing mess at the Yashou Market, the next time we see Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan, they are making an epic couples entrance to the SID.
Except hmm. Why is the SID acting strange?
Zhu Hong totally spilled the beans on Shen Wei's actual identity. Zhao Yunlan finds his team's penchant for gossip hilarious.
Shen Wei asks them to treat him as they used to do. Everyone settles down, Shen Wei apologies to Chu Shuzhi for not telling him beforehand, and then Xiao Guo rushes in with news about a miracle doctor.
The team is initially skeptical, until Cong Bo also calls in about the same guy.
This episode ends on the team's first meeting with the doctor, which unfortunately doesn't go too well. The doctor dislikes their skepticism and has too much of an ego to handle their questioning.
They leave quite dissatisfied. And it's only after seeing Professor Ouyang go in to see the same doctor that Shen Wei has second thoughts.
[ Episode Twenty ] [ Masterpost ] [ Episode Twenty-Two ]
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