Chapter 130: First Time Driving at Night
System: […Hmm.]
He chose correctly. Shen Xiu finally let out a breath of relief.
As expected, there was no color more low-key than black.
“Where’s the key?” Shen Xiu asked the system.
When he came downstairs, the system hadn’t instructed him to look for the car key in the room.
System: [In the box on the roof of the car.]
Hearing this, Shen Xiu’s gaze swept across the tops of all the cars on the B2 parking level.
“…”
When Shen Xiu stepped out of the elevator, he had already noticed a small black box placed on the roof of every car. What he hadn’t expected was that these boxes actually contained the car keys.
Instead of being kept at home, the car keys were placed on top of the cars in the garage—was this some kind of unspoken custom among the car owners here?
Shen Xiu muttered in surprise, “Everyone’s so casual about this.”
The system agreed: [Yes, very casual.]
If you don’t mind rounding off numbers, isn’t that pretty casual?
Shen Xiu reached up, took down the box from the car roof, opened it, retrieved the car key from inside, and then placed the box down on the ground next to the parking spot.
He pressed the key; the car doors unlocked, and Shen Xiu got in.
It was his first time driving a car outside of driving school, so Shen Xiu was a bit nervous. He carefully inspected the steering wheel, brakes, and other controls one by one. After taking a deep breath, he opened the navigation system, started the engine, and cautiously drove out of the underground garage.
The entire Yulin Banxia residential complex had only one B2 level. The security guard sat in the booth, watching the surveillance feed. When he saw a car coming out from the B2 to B1 exit, he was so surprised he slapped his colleague on the arm.
“Hey, hey, hey! A car just came out of B2!”
“You must’ve seen it wrong. We’ve been here so long and never seen a car…” Before he could finish the sentence, the colleague leaned in toward the computer screen and the rest of his words got stuck in his throat.
“Holy crap, it really is!”
As the two security guards talked, the neighborhood’s exit barrier lifted, and the black car drove out of the complex.
“…Who is that?”
“No idea. Our captain never said who owns the B2 level, just mentioned it’s a resident from Area A.”
After their brief chat, the two kept curiously staring at the car that had just driven away.
At night, the area around the neighborhood entrance was brightly lit. The buildings weren’t too far apart, so visibility was quite good.
However, the car windows were one-way—people inside could see out, but those outside couldn’t see in—which only made the two guards more curious.
Just then, Xuan Ji had his head down, messaging his parents. After sending the messages, he arrived at the neighborhood gate, looked up, and saw the security guards whispering to each other. Smelling gossip in the air, he dropped his suitcase off to the side and eagerly approached them, puzzled.
“What are you guys talking about?”
Hearing the voice, the guards turned to see someone wearing a mask and a baseball cap, standing in front of the security booth with two suitcases behind him. One of them answered, “A car.”
“What’s there to talk about? The streets are full of cars,” Xuan Ji said, confused.
“Here, over there. Take a look for yourself.”
Shen Xiu hadn’t called him yet, so Xuan Ji took the chance to join in the fun. He followed the guards’ line of sight, and the moment he saw it, he gasped, “Holy crap, that’s hot!”
His family had given him several luxury cars, but he’d never seen this particular model before. Despite the car’s minimalist design, its sleek, understated shape made it impossible to look away.
Xuan Ji quickly pulled out his phone, took a picture of the car, and used image search to look up the model online.
…
Meanwhile, Shen Xiu parked the car in a spot not far from the complex. He glanced at the time on his phone’s navigation screen—it read 7:57 p.m.
Seeing that he wasn’t late, Shen Xiu felt a small wave of relief wash over his nerves. He lowered his phone, found Xuan Ji’s contact, and made the call…
Xuan Ji was still using image search and hadn’t found results yet when Shen Xiu’s call came in.
“Hello, Shen Xiu? I’m at the security booth by the neighborhood entrance.”
As soon as the call connected, Shen Xiu heard Xuan Ji’s clearly cheerful voice and replied, “I’m parked in the temporary parking spot on the left side of the entrance.”
“Left side?” Xuan Ji glanced left and right, and only then did his gaze belatedly land on the parking spot where he’d taken the photo earlier.
There was only one car parked there now. Xuan Ji was in disbelief: “You… sure?”
Recalling how carefully he had identified left and right while exiting the neighborhood, Shen Xiu answered with certainty, “I’m sure.”
Xuan Ji: “…I’ll be right there!”
He hung up and started striding toward the left. After a couple of steps, he suddenly remembered something and turned back: “That car belongs to my friend!”
With that, Xuan Ji dragged his suitcase and hurried off.
“For real?”
“Well, he’s walking over there. We’ll know if he gets in.”
Shen Xiu ended the call and got out of the car.
Seeing Xuan Ji approaching with two suitcases, Shen Xiu walked over to the trunk and opened it.
As soon as it popped open, Xuan Ji excitedly dragged his luggage over. “I didn’t think it was really you!”
Shen Xiu’s hand paused mid-lift as he was about to help with the suitcase. “…It’s me.”
Who else could it be? Shen Xiu didn’t quite understand Xuan Ji’s line of thinking.
Shen Xiu’s cool tone took the edge off Xuan Ji’s excitement, and his racing heart slowly settled.
He placed the second suitcase into the trunk as well and, feeling a bit embarrassed, chuckled awkwardly. “Haha, I guess I overreacted.”
Shen Xiu must think he was way too dramatic.
Shen Xiu: “……”
Why did Xuan Ji suddenly say he was the one overreacting? Where was the logic in that?
“Anyway, let’s get in the car,” Xuan Ji said.
Just as Shen Xiu was still trying to figure it out, unsure how to respond, Xuan Ji jumped topics again. Shen Xiu closed the trunk, the tension in his body finally easing a little, and replied, “Okay.”
If they kept having awkward conversations like this, who knew how many more puzzling things Xuan Ji might blurt out.
Watching the car drive away, one of the security guards spoke in surprise, “He wasn’t lying—turns out it really was his friend!”
“That’s not the point!” the other one exclaimed. “The real point is—did you see who got out of the car? That was Shen Xiu! Even with the mask on, that figure, that aura, that silhouette—there’s no mistaking him!”
Shen Xiu had been living here for quite a while. Even though he always wore a mask when entering or leaving the neighborhood and they hadn’t recognized him at first, after some online comparisons, they had pretty much pieced it together.
“Wasn’t Shen Xiu always walking or taking the bus before? He’s never driven before—why the sudden change?”
“Probably to drop his friend off. That guy had two huge suitcases—Shen Xiu’s probably driving him to the airport or something.”
After that, the two exchanged a meaningful look.
One said, “Wait—that’s not the point either.”
The other nodded, “The point is—Shen Xiu is the one who owns the entire B2 level in Area A!”
With that realization, both of them grew even more puzzled.
“I just don’t get it… what kind of self-restraint must it take for someone like Shen Xiu to resist driving a different car every single day?”
“Maybe… he just wants to keep a low profile?”
“Well, that ship has sailed. Someone already filmed it and posted the video online…”
—
Inside the car.
Xuan Ji sat in the front passenger seat. After admiring the interior of the car, his gaze kept drifting toward Shen Xiu as he drove.
Whether it was the long, slender fingers casually resting on the steering wheel, or the sharp, refined lines of his profile—
The more he looked, the more envious Xuan Ji became.
He wondered if, after going off to study, he could ever develop the same noble, composed air Shen Xiu had.
Driving at night, Shen Xiu was being extra cautious—eyes scanning constantly, ears alert for every sound. He soon noticed Xuan Ji’s frequent glances and instinctively sat up even straighter, his grip on the steering wheel tightening ever so slightly.
As expected—this was his first time driving, and also his first time driving at night. He was nervous, and clearly, Xuan Ji, riding with him, was nervous too.
After silently admiring Shen Xiu for over ten minutes, Xuan Ji finally remembered he hadn’t checked his phone yet.
He pulled it out and tapped the screen, only to see that the result from his earlier image search had finally loaded.
After reading it, a look of surprise crossed his face. He turned to glance at Shen Xiu, hesitated for a few seconds, then cautiously asked, “This car… is really expensive, right?”
Though Xuan Ji had never lacked for anything growing up—he knew he was a spoiled rich kid, spending money like water and never caring about price tags—
Seeing the result for this car was the first time he truly felt the stark difference between himself and Shen Xiu.
It wasn’t just a difference in knowledge or ability—the gap in background was even wider.
What shocked Xuan Ji even more was that Shen Xiu clearly could have coasted through life in comfort, and yet he still worked so hard. After the shock faded, all Xuan Ji felt was shame.
After asking, he didn’t even dare to look at Shen Xiu again. Sitting in the passenger seat, he suddenly felt like he didn’t deserve to be there.
Shen Xiu replied, “Not expensive.”
The system had said the money in the card was enough to support both him and Lucky, so the car probably wasn’t as expensive as Xuan Ji made it out to be.
Xuan Ji glanced down at the search results again. Staring at the number displayed on the screen, he silently backed out of the page and turned off his phone.
“……”
Got it—his worldview still wasn’t broad enough.
…
At 9 PM, the airport was crowded, and quite a few people caught footage of Shen Xiu dropping Xuan Ji off for his departure.
By 10 PM, Shen Xiu was back home. With the exam week of the semester approaching, he immediately opened his books and started reviewing.
While Shen Xiu was deeply absorbed in studying, photos and videos of him driving Xuan Ji to the airport started popping up all over the internet.
At first, the person who recorded and uploaded the video wasn’t even a fan. They had no idea the person driving was Shen Xiu—they had just happened to pass by, noticed the jaw-droppingly expensive car parked by the roadside, and couldn’t resist filming it to share on their Moments.
A friend from their Moments saved the video and posted it to a public social media account, where netizens quickly recognized Shen Xiu.
— This car… damn, I finally saw in real life what a billion-yuan luxury car looks like. It’s seriously eye-catching. Black really is the ultimate low-key luxury. So fitting for our elite Shen Xiu and his noble aura.
— Even with the mask on—those long legs, that silhouette, and those icy eyes that radiate coldness through the screen—if that’s not Shen Xiu, I’ll wash my hair upside-down!
— How did Xuan Ji get so lucky? Ugh, I’m literally a lemon right now! 😭😭 Still, I need to look on the bright side. Even if Xuan Ji didn’t deserve it, at least we got to see Shen Xiu driving for the first time—and it’s just as stunning as I imagined. I can’t breathe!
— Sister, get a grip! (vigorously shakes her) We only saw Shen Xiu getting in and out of the car—we didn’t actually see him driving! I don’t care, if Shen Xiu’s next drama doesn’t have a driving scene, I’m gonna cry!
— It’s been hours since Shen Xiu and his car were trending, and he still hasn’t responded. Xiuologists, aren’t you even going to ask?
— What’s there to ask? Isn’t it obvious? If our Xiu-baby hasn’t responded, it must be because he doesn’t think it’s necessary. It’s just a car, not some new skill. Knowing how driven our Shen Xiu is, this whole thing simply doesn’t merit a response!
Just driving a car—without even showing his face—was enough to land Shen Xiu repeatedly on the hot search all night long, making everyone in the entertainment industry green with envy over his effortless popularity.
If it had been someone else, maybe the media could’ve tried to dig up some dirt. But this was Shen Xiu—he was squeaky clean, not a single flaw to criticize. All they could do was secretly grit their teeth in frustration.
—
A week later, finals week came to an end.
With exams behind him, Shen Xiu no longer needed to think about studying. He took Lucky to visit his parents’ graves and didn’t leave the cemetery until the afternoon.
Back home, Shen Xiu asked the system, now acting as his agent, “Have any scripts come in for me lately?”
The upcoming break was nearly three months long. Unlike when he was filming Immortal Path and had to squeeze time out of his schedule, Shen Xiu figured he could take on a short project.
System: [Of course there are.]
System: [I’ve scanned all the scripts you were offered and placed them on the desktop of your study’s computer.]
The system only handled account operations. As for scripts and novels—things that involved the subtleties of human emotion—it didn’t really understand them.
It had no idea what kind of role Shen Xiu wanted to play. All it could do was collect and organize the scripts sent his way and let him choose for himself.
“Thanks,” Shen Xiu said, gently settling a tired Lucky into bed before entering the study.
Looking at the desktop almost completely covered with file icons, Shen Xiu was stunned.
“So many scripts want me?!”
Although Immortal Path had already been confirmed for a summer release, the summer season had only just begun. The show hadn’t even aired yet, and directors and screenwriters still hadn’t seen his acting. Yet they were already reaching out to him blindly—Shen Xiu felt flattered and overwhelmed.
System: [Of course. You’re famous, trending, and you take acting seriously. Naturally, people are optimistic about you.]
Unable to analyze acting ability itself, the system could only rely on tangible data to deduce why so many were seeking out Shen Xiu.
“…It still feels kind of blind,” Shen Xiu muttered.
To him, acting—regardless of fame, popularity, or attitude—ultimately came down to skill. That should be the core.
But at this moment, he didn’t feel qualified to say much about it. With that thought, Shen Xiu set those doubts aside and began opening the scripts on his desktop.
There were far too many. Staring at a screen for too long wasn’t ideal, so Shen Xiu decided to print them all out.
Looking at the towering stack of scripts—nearly half his height—Shen Xiu made a decision: for the next week, he wouldn’t leave the house and would focus entirely on reading through them.
The system, meanwhile, flipped through the brand invitations.
System: [A lot of fashion brands are inviting you to attend their runway shows wearing their clothes. You’re not interested?]
Shen Xiu asked, “Did you accept any of them?”
If the system had already accepted, he would go.
System: [No, I didn’t.]
One brand in particular, called Pall, stood out in the system’s memory. Even before it received a confirmation, the brand went ahead and replied to fans in the comment section under its own posts, strongly hinting that Shen Xiu would attend. The move was so presumptive that it left an impression.
As Shen Xiu’s agent, the system hadn’t ignored the invitation. It had responded that Shen Xiu was currently in the middle of finals, and that they would wait until he finished before giving a reply.
Who would’ve thought—while Shen Xiu was still in the middle of his exams, that brand had already hinted online that he would be attending their show in their clothing.
Shen Xiu: “Then I’m not going.”
Having previously attended VG’s offline fashion show event, Shen Xiu had learned his lesson: he didn’t understand fashion shows, couldn’t enjoy them, and found them a waste of time. He’d rather stay home and read something he could actually understand.
System: [Understood.]
With Shen Xiu’s decision made, the system mass-messaged all the brand contacts who had previously reached out.
Upon receiving the rejection, Pall’s team quickly screenshotted the reply and shared it in their group chat. A crisis meeting was immediately called.
“Shen Xiu rejected us. What do we do now?”
“We can invite any of the other eight members of The Galaxy. When we hinted in the comment section before, we never explicitly said it was Shen Xiu. It was the fans who assumed it. So inviting someone else could still work.”
“Exactly. As long as the person attending is part of The Galaxy, the story holds. Shen Xiu’s fans wouldn’t blame the teammate for attending in his place, given that they’re from the same group.”
“Uh… are you sure about that? What if one of the members screenshots everything and shows the others? Wouldn’t we be exposed then?”
“They haven’t appeared together in public for ages. Everyone’s doing their own thing. Didn’t Mu Zhenchu just join a film crew? He hasn’t even interacted with the other members on social media lately. I’d bet all that ‘good team dynamic’ is just for show. Each one probably has their own agenda—they’re unlikely to tell each other anything.”
In the domestic entertainment industry, with limited stages and opportunities, many idol groups formed through talent shows were short-lived. Most were “limited-time groups” destined to disband before long.
Conflict between idol group members onstage acting united while tearing each other apart offstage was the norm. Most people didn’t believe the members of The Galaxy genuinely got along.
This plan received unanimous approval from the meeting attendees, and staff began reaching out to The Galaxy members one by one.
As the first member to be contacted, Shang Yu told his agent to decline the offer. Then, he took the WeChat screenshot his agent had sent him and forwarded it to The Galaxy’s group chat.
[Group Chat]
Shang Yu: According to what Pall originally said, weren’t they inviting Shen Xiu?
So why are they asking me now?
I remember Pall only had one invitation slot for the show. [screenshot]
