[ Episode Twenty-One ] [ Masterpost ] [ Episode Twenty-Three ]
Share: Twitter Thread | Tumblr Post
The blindness arc continues. Featuring kneeling in the rain, soulbonding, and more domesticity.
Doctor's Visit, Take One
After the discussion with Prof. Ouyang, Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan decide to give the miracle doctor a try after all. The miracle doctor is very supercilious about them coming back to him.
We only see the tiniest twitch there but yet it is completely obvious how 500% done Shen Wei is with this miracle doctor's ego.
I like the contrast in Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan's reactions here. Shen Wei suppressing his anger and putting on a neutral facade, while Zhao Yunlan falls back to using humor and nonchalance as a facade.
A comforting shoulder pat from Shen Wei before he leaves Zhao Yunlan with the doctor.
Then, while the doctor is treating Zhao Yunlan, Da Qing spies on him and sees him using dark energy. He reports this to Shen Wei.
Shen Wei decides to let the doctor go, as long as he is healing people.
Unfortunately, Da Qing got caught spying (because for whatever reason, he decided his human form was stealthy enough), so the group is kicked out of the doctor's office.
Back at the SID
Back at the SID, Zhao Yunlan continues to be the only person not upset about this turn of events.
Shen Wei: Conceal, don't feel~
It's interesting that Shen Wei turns away at the end here when Zhao Yunlan goes to face him, even though Zhao Yunlan can't see. Is he unable to look at Zhao Yunlan's grin or is it just instinctual eye contact avoidance when he's trying to hide his emotions?
Shen Wei Seeks Miracle Doctor Again
Unable to stand it anymore, Shen wei goes back to the miracle doctor alone.
He very respectfully says he'll agree to any condition as long as the doctor will cure Zhao Yunlan.
Shen Wei's initial reaction when the doctor asks him to kneel.
Shen Wei likely contemplating all the different ways he could destroy this doctor.
Before talking himself down for the sake of Zhao Yunlan.
His hands in this scene especially kill me. He was so angry and it took so much strength at the end to unclench those fists. For 10,000+ years, he has been the Black-Cloaked Envoy, a legendary figure who people feared and respected. And here is this random Dixingren swaggering around, straight up demanding that the Black-Cloaked Envoy submit/kneel.
It blows my mind that Shen Wei, who's probably never suffered a humiliation like this before, had the presence of mind to hold himself back and agree. All because Zhao Yunlan is that important to him.
And here, the doctor continues to push his luck, telling Shen Wei to kneel outside, presumably to make this as public as possible. Shen Wei has the temper of a saint to continue keeping his cool here.
He kneels down outside.
Time passes. Shen Wei continues to kneel.
It's night. And it's raining. Shen Wei is still kneeling.
Fun Fact: To supply the rain for this scene, they used the tears of all the Guardian fans.
Finally, the doctor comes out to see that Shen Wei is still there.
The doctor finally agrees to see Zhao Yunlan the next day. Shen Wei is wet, miserable and in the dark, but he looks like he just saw the sunrise.
He's not thinking of his own discomfort or suffering. Only that there is hope for Zhao Yunlan's eyes. Look at that smile.
Doctor's Visit, Take Two
This time, Zhao Yunlan successfully gets his eyes healed!
Look at Shen Wei's complete lack of chill as he rushes into the room.
And now for the most heart-warming exchange of smiles in this episode. D'awwwwww.
The Case of Premature Aging
Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan don't have much time to celebrate before a new case pops up for the SID.
Apparently, a bunch of people have started where people are prematurely aging. Speculation and analysis occur.
I love how the minute Zhao Yunlan regains his sight, he's right back to staring (and admiring) Shen Wei whenever he gets the chance. I mean, yes, he's obviously also paying attention to Shen Wei's words, but those elevator eyes didn't slip by my notice!
Synchronized paper flipping...
Finally, the team puts it together. It turns out the aging cases are all related to when the miracle doctor is doing his work.
Doctor's Visit, Take Three
This time, Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan aren't there to fix someone's eyesight.
They show the doctor their analysis of the pre-mature aging victims.
Zhao Yunlan sits on the table (of course) while Shen Wei settles down primly in a chair.
They convince the doctor that his healings are responsible for these cases, at which point, they discover that the doctor only awakened his powers because someone lent him the Merit Brush.
The one thing I missed a lot during Zhao Yunlan's blindness is how often they made eye contact. While they frequently turned to each other, it doesn't have the same connection. And you really begin to notice how often they do it casually during all their conversations after Zhao Yunlan's sight is restored.
Now that they know the price of those miracle healings, they have to restore the victims.
Shen Wei immediately knows what Zhao Yunlan is planning to do and his first instinct is to stop him from giving up his sight again.
Then Zhao Yunlan smiles (this is apparently the episode where every single smile makes me cry), takes a very long, good (last?) look at Shen Wei, and pats his shoulder.
Shen Wei understands the kind of person Zhao Yunlan is, and he relents.
Finding the Cure Again
They return to the SID with Zhao Yunlan's sight gone again.
I swear Shen Wei looks like he wants to cry here.
Guo Changcheng temporarily takes their mind off the issue of Zhao Yunlan's eyesight with the Merit Brush holder's threatening letter.
At the same time, they receive an anonymous e-mail with information on how to use the Longevity Dial to cure Zhao Yunlan!
Shen Wei is immediately interested.
Things sound promising.
Shen Wei smiles.
The Soulbond Ceremony
We begin the soulbond ceremony healing process with hand-holding by proxy.
The energy exchange begins.
The longevity dial activates!
Shen Wei desperately tries to hold it together while waiting to see the results. Zhao Yunlan just shakes his head and says nevermind...
Shen Wei insists on continuing when he discovers that Zhao Yunlan is a little shit who was pranking him. Poor exasperated Shen Wei.
Happy smiles again!
Immediately ruined by the Longevity Dial acting up and causing Shen Wei a great deal of trouble. The next smile he forces onto his face is possibly the fakest smile that ever faked.
The moment of weakness doesn't last long, and Shen Wei has recovered by the time Zhao Yunlan walks over to thank him with a giant grin.
And here's Shen Wei's patented "duck his head to smile shyly" move. You can practically hear his heart going dokidoki in this scene.
Dinner Date
After curing Zhao Yunlan, they return to Zhao Yunlan's apartment for dinner. The food looks amazing.
Zhao Yunlan jokes that he's almost disappointed he's no longer blind because he'll miss Shen Wei spoiling him and taking care of him. Like Shen Wei wouldn't do that for him anyway.
Shen Wei scolds him for joking around with his health.
The conversation turns to the Merit Brush holder. Shen Wei suggests he might be able to find a clue in Dixing. Zhao Yunlan immediately plans to tag along.
Shen Wei, of course, nixes that idea. Zhao Yunlan isn't happy about that.
Zhao Yunlan then proceeds to whine about being left behind as though he didn't spend his entire last journey pissing everyone off before getting stabbed.
Fortunately for Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei is weak to his puppy eyes and gives in.
Back to Dixing
Synchronized walking again, this time to the Dixing portal.
Just as Shen Wei opens the portal, Da Qing crashes into the scene.
Apparently, Da Qing experienced this vision of his lost memories during hypnosis. And now he's worried Shen Wei will hurt Zhao Yunlan.
Zhao Yunlan tries to tell Da Qing to stay back, but he jumps in after them. This results in the group being split up, with Zhao Yunlan and Da Qing falling into a bar while Shen Wei lands elsewhere.
Shen Wei hears a rumor of people dropping out of thin air and immediately goes chasing after Zhao Yunlan and Da Qing.
Shen Wei shouldn't have worried. Zhao Yunlan is sitting comfortably getting a shoulder massage from the bartender while chatting about Da Qing.
I love how his relieved and exasperated smile at the end here.
Next step: The Dixing Palace, where Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan have to put up with the Regent's bullshit again. Apparently, everything is shut down until they inaugurate a new King of Dixing.
The episode ends with Zhao Yunlan agreeing to stay until the inauguration ceremony is over while Da Qing tries to sneak off but is stopped by a palace guard.
[ Episode Twenty-One ] [ Masterpost ] [ Episode Twenty-Three ]
Share: Twitter Thread | Tumblr Post