*nodnod* I thought his defence of the rapist student was also partly a(n unfortunately misjudged) dig at ZYL for being so suspicious of everyone, including Shen Wei.

But yes, he's not always the best judge of character -- see also his on-going communication with the Zheng Yi's abusive stepfather. It's understandable (they probably only ever talked about their research, and Shen Wei would have no reason to suspect), but especially in TV land, it speaks to Shen Wei's being not the most discerning.