while this particular moment of Dr. Chen’s grief is interrupted by playing for an audience laugh.

There is that. To be perfectly honest, if that scene was not in the show, I wouldn't miss it. >.< I really don't point to it for "Shen Wei's awkwardness" because I'm overly fond of it; I think it is written to be funny, in a totally off-key moment. I found the shoving of Zhao Yunlan cute the first time when I was hyperfixated on them, and then cringed every other time I watched it. (I do think it speaks to a part of Shen Wei's characterisation, though, so I don't think it should be disregarded as 'that one weird off-key scene that's just there for the lulz', so, I'm stuck with it.)