Chapter 140: Leisurely Moments Together
The released GIFs showed scenes like Shang Yu, pale-faced and leaning against the bars of a cage; the entire group standing in front of Xuan Yushu listening to him explain the scene; Shen Xiu, Song Chengwang, and Mu Zhenchu fleeing and getting injured amidst explosions and flames…
Of course, there was also the back view of Xiang Yueting running in a panic, arms and legs moving in sync.
Ever since Storm officially announced the full participation of The Galaxy, fans of the nine members and the group as a whole flocked to like and follow. The official Storm account saw a huge spike in followers, and as soon as the post went up, fans swarmed to the comments section.
— What is this? New pics of our babies? Let me take a bite!
— Routine question: When is it premiering?
— Help! What is Storm even about? Why does everyone look so miserable? Either their abdomens are covered in blood, or they’re lying pitifully in a cage, or bleeding from their foreheads and legs—waaah, my poor babies, pat pat!
— Among all the tragic behind-the-scenes clips, what is this husky doing… no wait, they’re all huskies, so I guess it’s not that weird for one of them to do something strange? Just out of sync, no big deal haha
— Although… I didn’t want to say this, but… why do I feel so excited seeing Boss Xiu look this pitiful?! I admit it, I’m a total perv (pushes up glasses)
— They’re in the same frame, sisters! Waaah, it’s been so long since we saw them all together—full group fans are finally fulfilled! But still… just a few GIFs and that’s it? Not even a proper video? Do you look down on us? @StormOfficial
— Waaah even though it’s just a few leaked GIFs, I’ve already imagined a dozen angsty, dramatic scenes in my head. The babies are in Yicheng right now, and it’s snowing there—if you round up, doesn’t that mean we’ll get snow scenes?!
— I don’t know why, but I can smell the scent of knives from these pictures…
“Storm” is an original script. Without any knowledge of the plot, netizens—after admiring the newly released images—began enthusiastically speculating about the story based on the GIFs posted by the official account. The discussion level soared.
Without a doubt, Storm was already a hit before airing.
Within the industry, directors, producers, and screenwriters who witnessed this buzz finally understood what it meant to have all members of The Galaxy together: with that lineup, box office worries simply don’t exist.
—
At the same time, inside the hotel room.
Shen Xiu had just finished unpacking when he heard the doorbell ring.
Being in an unfamiliar place, his first instinct was that it must be one of his The Galaxy teammates dropping by.
But before opening the door—his hand already resting on the doorknob—Shen Xiu instinctively glanced through the peephole.
Shen Xiu: “?”
Did they knock on the wrong door?
Standing outside was a stranger he had never seen before. Shen Xiu’s grip on the doorknob unconsciously tightened.
He remembered what the hotel staff uniforms looked like when they checked in—and the person outside definitely wasn’t wearing one.
Unfamiliar location. Not a hotel employee. A stranger he had never seen. That’s a full stack of red flags.
Shen Xiu quietly moved his hand away from the doorknob and began seriously considering whether pretending not to be in the room was a viable strategy.
Ding-dong…
He saw the stranger press the doorbell again through the peephole.
Shen Xiu’s heart skipped a beat at the sudden chime: “…”
Could he really pretend he wasn’t in?
Ding-dong…
The bell rang again.
Shen Xiu: …This stranger is really persistent. Looks like pretending not to be here won’t work.
When the bell rang for the third time, Shen Xiu took a deep breath, resigned to his fate, gripped the doorknob, and opened the door.
As soon as the door opened and the hotel manager saw Shen Xiu, a bright smile spread across his face and he greeted him warmly, “Good afternoon, Mr. Shen. I’m Bai Zhiwen, the manager of Jujin Hotel.”
Faced with the overly enthusiastic Manager Bai, Shen Xiu inwardly sighed again—What a terrifying level of social skill!
But… what would a hotel manager want with him? Was there some issue with the check-in?
“…Hello, Manager Bai.”
Shen Xiu heard his own stiff voice echo in his ears. “May I ask, is there a problem?”
Hearing Shen Xiu’s chilly tone, Bai Zhiwen braced himself, forcing a smile as he met Shen Xiu’s eyes.
“It’s like this, Mr. Shen. I’m very sorry—we only just realized that you checked into the hotel. First of all, I sincerely apologize for our negligence.”
As he spoke, Bai Zhiwen gave Shen Xiu a bow. “My deepest apologies.”
Already confused to begin with, Shen Xiu now had a head full of question marks: “?”
After the apology, Bai Zhiwen looked up with a cheerful smile and continued, “Mr. Shen, would you like to change rooms? If you do, I can move your things right away.”
Thinking about how he had just finished unpacking, Shen Xiu responded quietly, “Can’t I stay in this room?”
Bai Zhiwen didn’t quite understand why Shen Xiu would ask that. He paused for a second, then nodded. “Of course you can.”
Shen Xiu felt even more confused. “Was there an issue with the check-in the production team arranged for me?”
Otherwise, he couldn’t figure out why someone would suddenly show up and suggest he move rooms.
Bai Zhiwen shook his head again. “No, everything’s in order.”
Shen Xiu couldn’t make sense of this man’s logic and started to wonder if he really was the hotel manager. Feeling cautious about being scammed in a foreign country, Shen Xiu spoke politely but firmly: “Thank you, but there’s no need.”
Hearing Shen Xiu’s cold response, Bai Zhiwen grew even more confused. He hesitated for a few seconds, opened his mouth, then still spoke up: “Mr. Shen, the other room reserved for you has a better environment than this one.”
Bai Zhiwen honestly didn’t understand how rich people thought. Who leaves a permanently reserved presidential suite empty just to stay in a VIP room instead?
Sure, the VIP suite was excellent too—but it was nothing compared to the presidential suite that had been exclusively prepared for Shen Xiu.
Upon hearing this, Shen Xiu became even more convinced that the man in front of him was a scammer, probably even using a fake name.
He tightened his grip on the doorknob slightly. “Thank you. This room is just fine.”
“Is there anything else? If not, I need to get back to work.”
With those words, Shen Xiu stared warily at the man claiming to be the hotel manager, already making up his mind: if this guy tried to barge into the room, he’d slam the door shut without hesitation.
Bai Zhiwen seemed like he still wanted to say more, but hearing the noticeably colder tone in Shen Xiu’s voice, he awkwardly shook his head. “N-No, that’s all.”
“Then I won’t bother you further. Goodbye.”
Hearing the man say goodbye, Shen Xiu finally exhaled in relief. “Goodbye.”
Only after watching Bai Zhiwen’s back disappear from view did Shen Xiu allow himself to relax.
He carefully closed the door and locked it from the inside. Then, he quickly walked to the bedside table, leaned over, grabbed his phone that was charging, and opened his browser. He typed in the name of the hotel and the words “Bai Zhiwen” to begin his search.
Seconds later, the search results loaded. Shen Xiu stared at the screen, at the introduction and photo of Bai Zhiwen—and fell silent.
The name and image matched the man outside the door exactly.
Realizing he had just assumed Bai Zhiwen was a con artist, a wave of guilt surged through Shen Xiu.
Ding-dong…
Before the phone screen could even dim, the doorbell rang again.
Manager Bai is back again?
Shen Xiu set down his phone and quickly walked toward the door.
Even though he assumed it was Bai Zhiwen at the door again, Shen Xiu still couldn’t help but check the peephole before opening it.
But when he saw who was standing outside, a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes—and he opened the door without hesitation.
As the door opened, Shen Xiu called out, “Shang Yu.”
Then he stepped aside and asked, “Want to come in?”
Shang Yu looked at him but made no move to enter. Standing just outside the doorway, he shook his head. “No, I just came to ask you something.”
Shen Xiu asked in confusion, “Ask what?”
Shang Yu said, “Did Manager Bai come to your room just now? Are you switching rooms?”
At the mention of Manager Bai, a wave of guilt washed over Shen Xiu. He nodded slightly. “He came. I’m not switching.”
Hearing this, Shang Yu nodded. “Alright. Then I won’t switch either.”
Without waiting for Shen Xiu to respond, Shang Yu muttered to himself, “It really is a hassle moving rooms. And being farther away from everyone isn’t convenient either—staying close is better.”
“I’ll go let Song Chengwang know so he doesn’t switch either. See you later.”
Having gotten his answer, Shang Yu waved goodbye and turned to leave.
Shen Xiu: “…See you.”
So it turns out he wasn’t the only one Bai Zhiwen approached. And he wasn’t the only one who refused to change rooms!
With that realization, Shen Xiu finally felt at ease.
—
After being rejected by three people in a row—Shen Xiu, Shang Yu, and Song Chengwang—Bai Zhiwen returned to his office, scratching his head in frustration. He turned to his assistant and asked:
“Xiao Qi, explain this to me—why would someone go to the trouble of reserving a whole suite and then not stay in it?”
And it wasn’t just one of them—three people rejected him outright. Bai Zhiwen truly couldn’t understand.
Xiao Qi wasn’t surprised by the outcome at all.
“Manager Bai, The Galaxy is a group. There are rumors their internal relationships are very close—of course they’d want to stay together. What’s strange about that? What would be strange is if one of them left the team to go live in the best suite alone.”
After that, Xiao Qi sighed again.
“And yet people still say The Galaxy’s bond is all for show. Please! Who fakes brotherhood by doing group trips and filming a whole movie together?”
Bai Zhiwen: “…”
He really didn’t understand the logic of young people.
—
The next day was a rest day. As usual, Shen Xiu woke up early. After washing up and getting dressed, he pulled open the floor-length curtains and saw a vast expanse of white outside.
Only then did it finally hit him—he was in a foreign country now. If he went out for a morning run, he’d probably get lost.
Not wanting to lose his way, and lacking the courage to ask the front desk where the hotel’s gym was, Shen Xiu quietly opened the wardrobe and changed out of his workout clothes.
Bzzzz bzzz bzzz…
Just as he pulled off his top, the phone on the bedside table started to vibrate.
Every time he heard that sound, Shen Xiu got a faint tingle on his scalp. He hesitated for a second, then walked over. His slender fingers curled around the phone, picking it up.
The heater was on in the hotel room, so it wasn’t cold at all.
Seeing the caller ID, Shen Xiu let out a breath of relief and answered the call. “Hello?”
“Captain Xiu, are you up?”
“Want to get hot pot together?”
“This kind of freezing weather is perfect for hot pot, don’t you think?”
After listening to Xiang Yueting rattle off three questions in a row, Shen Xiu finally got the chance to reply to each one.
“I’m up.”
“Sure.”
Still holding the phone to his ear, Shen Xiu subconsciously walked to the window. Lowering his gaze to the snowy scene outside, even through the glass, he could almost feel the chill in the air.
Xiang Yueting was absolutely right—weather like this really was perfect for a big group hot pot meal.
When Xiang Yueting didn’t hear Shen Xiu respond, his anxious voice came through the phone speaker:
“Captain Xiu?”
“You don’t want to go?”
“I already—”
Hearing that Xiang Yueting had misunderstood, Shen Xiu cut in: “I didn’t say I didn’t want to go.”
Gazing at the snowflakes drifting outside the window, Shen Xiu added softly, “It really is perfect weather for hot pot.”
Hearing Shen Xiu’s answer, Xiang Yueting’s voice grew excited: “I’m coming over right now!”
Beep—beep—beep…
Staring at the call screen that had just been hung up, Shen Xiu let out a small sigh of relief.
Compared to hanging up on others, he much preferred it when people hung up first—it saved him the awkwardness.
Remembering that Xiang Yueting said he was coming right over, Shen Xiu didn’t dare waste any more time. He set down the phone, walked to the wardrobe, and his fingers skimmed over the clothes he’d brought, quickly selecting a few.
After getting dressed, Shen Xiu picked up his phone and opened the door.
The moment the door opened, he was greeted by Xiang Yueting’s raised hand, mid-knock—especially striking in his all-white outfit, standing directly in front of him. Shen Xiu nearly had a heart attack from the shock.
Xiang Yueting had raised his hand to knock but hadn’t even gotten the chance before the door opened from the inside.
When he looked up and met Shen Xiu’s expressionless face, Xiang Yueting didn’t even blink—he was used to it by now. Smiling, he greeted, “Morning, Captain Xiu!”
Shen Xiu, still recovering from the scare, took a moment to regain his composure. He gave Xiang Yueting’s white puffer coat a glance before muttering, “…Good morning.”
As he spoke, he unconsciously lifted a hand and lightly touched his chest, right over his heart.
Seeing this, Xiang Yueting blinked, confused.
“Captain Xiu, why are you touching your chest? Is your heart feeling off?”
Reminded by Xiang Yueting’s question, Shen Xiu belatedly looked down and noticed his own hand resting over his heart. His expression stiffened for a split second before he quickly dropped his hand.
“…It’s nothing.”
If he told Xiang Yueting he thought a ghost was at the door and got scared, the guy would probably feel guilty for days.
Changing the subject, Shen Xiu looked past Xiang Yueting, puzzled.
“Where are the others?”
Hadn’t Xiang Yueting said on the phone, ‘let’s all go’?
Catching the question, Xiang Yueting dropped the matter about Shen Xiu’s chest and scratched his head a little sheepishly.
“Captain Xiu, you’re the only one who picked up. I figured we could just go around and wake everyone up together.”
It was their first time in Yicheng, and Xiang Yueting had been so excited the night before he barely slept. He’d woken up at the crack of dawn, and even though he was sleep-deprived, his energy levels were off the charts.
Shen Xiu: “…Alright, let’s go.”
He turned to shut the door and was just about to head for Zhuang Yi’s room—the closest one—when—
“Wait…” Xiang Yueting called out.
Shen Xiu paused and turned back. “What is it?”
Xiang Yueting’s gaze swept up and down over Shen Xiu. Just as Shen Xiu began to tense under the scrutiny, wondering if there was something wrong with his outfit, he heard:
“Captain Xiu, aren’t you cold?”
Shen Xiu was dressed in a grey turtleneck sweater and matching pants, with just a black cashmere coat over it—no scarf, no hat, not even gloves. Xiang Yueting felt cold just looking at him.
Shen Xiu answered truthfully: “I’m not cold. Actually, I’m a little warm.”
The hallway had heating, and if it weren’t for the fact that carrying his coat around on his arm would’ve looked strange, Shen Xiu would’ve taken it off already.
Xiang Yueting glanced down at his own outfit—wrapped in so many layers he resembled a puffy marshmallow—then looked back up at Shen Xiu with a faintly aggrieved expression: “…We are not the same.”
While Shen Xiu was debating whether he should go back and change clothes to better blend in with the group, Xiang Yueting spoke up: “Let’s go, let’s get Old Mu.”
“…Alright.” Shen Xiu closed the door and followed behind Xiang Yueting.
Xiang Yueting walked up to Mu Zhenchu’s door, raised his hand, and knocked while calling out, “Hot pot, Old Mu, want some?”
Shen Xiu: “…”
Silently, Shen Xiu reached out and pressed the doorbell beside him.
The bell hadn’t rung for more than five seconds before the door opened.
Mu Zhenchu opened the door and froze for a second when he saw Shen Xiu and Xiang Yueting standing outside.
“Wh-what’s going on?”
He could’ve sworn today was a rest day and filming started tomorrow. Did he get the schedule wrong?
Before Shen Xiu could decide how to phrase things, Xiang Yueting’s excited voice rang out:
“Hot pot!”
Shen Xiu: “…”
Alright then. With Xiang Yueting around, he didn’t even need to think about how to talk to people—because Xiang Yueting didn’t need him at all!
“Give me three minutes!” Mu Zhenchu didn’t even bother to close the door before turning around to change.
Shen Xiu looked at the wide-open door and silently reached out to close it for him.
“Captain Xiu, let’s go! Next is Old Song!” Xiang Yueting called out without even looking back.
“Mm.” Shen Xiu responded and followed behind him.
For the next ten or so minutes, Shen Xiu quietly stood behind Xiang Yueting, basically acting as a mascot, watching in admiration as Xiang Yueting single-handedly called up everyone.
What impressed Shen Xiu even more was that, despite Xiang Yueting’s spontaneous plan, not a single person was annoyed. Everyone he called responded positively.
Shen Xiu sighed inwardly.
When would he ever be as brave as Xiang Yueting—fearless of rejection, effortlessly warm?
Ten minutes later, all nine of them, fully dressed, met up downstairs.
Xia Wenhao had stayed up late gaming the night before and let out a yawn. Since it was Xiang Yueting who had initiated the gathering, he asked him, “Where are we eating?”
Only then did Xiang Yueting blink, as if suddenly realizing something, and muttered, “Oh right… where are we eating?”
Shen Xiu: “…”
Xiang Yueting had sounded so confident this morning—Shen Xiu had assumed he already had a place in mind!
Having accompanied Xiang Yueting the entire time as he called everyone, and as the captain of The Galaxy, Shen Xiu now felt so embarrassed he wished he could find a hole to crawl into.
Zhuang Yi: “…As expected of you.”
Jiang Yanxi: “Old Xiang, in a way, you never disappoint.”
Shen Xiu: “…”
How humiliating!
Even though everyone seemed to be talking about Xiang Yueting, Shen Xiu couldn’t shake the feeling that they were actually throwing shade at him too.
Standing at the hotel entrance, Shang Yu looked out at the empty street and spoke up: “Also… how are we even getting there?”
Xiang Yueting: “…Sorry, I think I forgot to call a car too.”
Song Chengwang snorted, “Old Xiang, come on, be confident. You didn’t forget to call a car—you just never planned to. No wait, if Shang Yu hadn’t brought it up, you probably wouldn’t have even thought about needing a car!”
Xiang Yueting clutched his chest. “Don’t state the painful truths, okay?”
Despite his words, Xiang Yueting still looked apologetically at the group.
“Sorry, I really didn’t think it through. I just thought it’d be nice if we all had hot pot together. I forgot this isn’t like back home where I can just walk downstairs and pick a nearby place.”
Ning Sinian raised his hand and cautiously added, “Um… I just remembered something—are we really having hot pot this early in the morning?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, a deafening silence fell over the group.
A few seconds later, it erupted into laughter.
“Hahaha, are our brains fried or what?!”
“So many of us, and no one questioned it when Xiang Yueting called us out—this is killing me!”
“I think the snow here must’ve frozen our brains.”
…
Shen Xiu stood silently at the back, observing everyone’s expressions. He noticed that although they were teasing each other, everyone’s faces carried smiles—no one was actually upset.
As one of Xiang Yueting’s “accomplices” and a main culprit, Shen Xiu felt the tension in his body gradually ease as he realized his teammates weren’t angry.
He spoke up:
“Sorry, that was my oversight. Give me a few minutes—I’ll go ask around.”
As the team leader and one of the masterminds behind this, how could he let his teammates miss out on hot pot?
In that moment, a surge of courage rose in Shen Xiu’s heart. He turned and walked with determination toward the hotel front desk.
After just a few steps, he saw the receptionist smiling at him—and all that courage deflated like a popped balloon.
In front of him was a smiling stranger at the front desk; behind him were his teammates waiting expectantly. It felt like being caught between a rock and a hard place.
Shen Xiu froze for a second, then silently repeated to himself, ‘There’s no turning back now.’ Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to keep walking forward.
The moment the receptionist saw Shen Xiu approaching, their heart practically leapt to their throat. Suppressing the panic, they greeted him:
“Good morning, Mr. Shen. Is there anything I can help you with?”
After saying that, the receptionist silently thanked their past self for practicing that line so often. Otherwise, under Shen Xiu’s chilly gaze, they would’ve definitely stammered.
They deeply regretted not taking Manager Bai’s warning seriously during the shift change—thinking they’d never actually have to speak to Shen Xiu.
Hearing the staff take the initiative to ask, Shen Xiu let out a sigh of relief and took the opportunity to inquire, “Excuse me, do you know where I can find a hot pot restaurant nearby?”
Receptionist: “?”
That’s it?
Wait, who eats hot pot this early in the morning?
Though confused, the receptionist’s hands moved faster than their brain. They quickly pulled out a brochure from under the desk. Due to nerves, their mouth moved before their brain could catch up as they began explaining, “Yes, Mr. Shen, look—this hot pot place is the closest to our hotel, though the distance is…”
Before they could finish, their brain finally caught up. Panicking slightly, they quickly corrected themselves: “Mr. Shen, would you need a car? If so, I can arrange a driver for you right away.”
Shen Xiu: “…”
Is hotel service always this thorough?
Hmm