Mao !

This scene was special to me because while we could say a lot about Jinshi blushing because he’s startled or MaoMao’s purely clinical concern for his health, I think there’s also an interesting dual perspective going on here.

When MaoMao strips to keep from catching cold she says that she’ll keep her undergarments on cause even though it’s “just a set of skinny ribs” she’d like to conceal what she can. To me, even though it’s a small comment, that came across like she finds herself so unappealing and thin. Switch to when she’s checking Jinshi for fever.

He blushes and looks at her. We then get this image of her from his eyes and it’s not an impression of a young woman who’s frail with skinny ribs, to him she’s beautiful. Slight but pretty. We’re meant to know he’s taken with her. All this is about how the other perceives themselves. MaoMao sees herself as thin from being a working class girl but Jinshi perceives her as lovely. Jinshi sees his beauty as a tool but MaoMao, while acknowledging it, moves past it to the man underneath who needs her care and concern.