Big Shot Ch.143.1

Chapter 143.1: Storm Filming (3)

Shen Xiu: Is this… awkward small talk?

It must be! Otherwise, why would a stranger suddenly ask someone where they’re spending the New Year? This had to be something said when nerves overwhelmed the brain and the mouth acted on its own.

Once he figured that out, Shen Xiu calmed down and awkwardly responded to the butler, “No, I have to go back.”

Before the butler could reply, Shen Xiu felt his answer was too short and didn’t sound very sincere, so he quickly added, “Lucky is waiting for me at home.”

This time, he included family in his response—much more genuine-sounding than the first line!

The butler thought of the little “coal ball” that netizens talked about, and his lips moved as if to speak. But upon seeing Shen Xiu’s expression—so cold and firm it brooked no argument—whatever he wanted to say got stuck in his throat. When he finally spoke, it was only: “Alright, I understand.”

Shen Xiu had only ever spent one New Year in Yicheng, and even then, he stayed just a day before leaving. Expecting him to stay this time was clearly unrealistic.

After all, there was never anything that could tie Shen Xiu down or change his mind.

Seeing the butler nod, Shen Xiu gave a soft “Mm” in reply.

After responding, Shen Xiu remembered that even if it was awkward small talk, he should still be polite and return the question.

His throat moved slightly as he asked out of social etiquette, “And you, Butler Shen?”

Hearing that Shen Xiu was showing concern for him, the butler’s earlier disappointment instantly lifted. Smiling, he shared his New Year’s plans: “I’m getting old, my legs aren’t what they used to be. I’m skipping Mangila this year and staying in Yicheng.”

Shen Xiu knew about Mangila—it was an island country with a spring-like climate all year round. Based on his guess about the filming schedule, it might even be their next stop after returning from the holiday break.

Spending New Year’s in the warm, spring-like Mangila was indeed a better option than enduring the frozen winter of Yicheng—especially for an elderly person afraid of the cold. But with age, traveling became inconvenient. Staying put in a warm room was, in fact, a decent alternative.

But… that wasn’t the point.

The point was—this New Year conversation had reached its natural end. So what was he supposed to say next?

Shen Xiu felt a quiet sense of panic rising inside.

“Boss X—” Jin Can stepped out of the elevator and saw Shen Xiu standing with the butler. He instinctively called out.

But he realized almost immediately that he had nearly said the wrong name. Coughing awkwardly, he quickly corrected himself.

“Ahem, Mr. Shen, you’re here. Director Xuan is looking for you—the little actor playing your younger brother has arrived. The director wants you to meet him before filming starts.”

Since the role was just a cameo, there hadn’t been any need for the child actor to join the full production earlier, so he and Shen Xiu hadn’t met yet.

Director Xuan was worried the kid might cry if he got too scared of Shen Xiu on set, so he thought they should meet beforehand to ease things a little.

Jin Can’s arrival was like music to Shen Xiu’s ears. He responded instantly, without a second of hesitation: “Alright.”

Finally—an excuse to escape this suffocating atmosphere. Shen Xiu turned to the butler, doing his best to suppress the joy bubbling up inside him. Keeping his tone steady, he said, “Goodbye.”

The butler nodded. “Goodbye.”

Receiving the farewell, Shen Xiu turned and walked toward Jin Can.

Worried about being in the elevator with Shen Xiu, Jin Can quickly said, “I still need to go gather the others. Mr. Shen, you go ahead.”

Shen Xiu: “!”

Jin Can really was a good person. After taking hit after hit in this awkward social exchange, Shen Xiu desperately needed some space and time to be alone.

Even if… that “alone time” was just a ride in the elevator lasting less than fifteen seconds.

But it didn’t matter. Without contrast, there would be no pain. After being repeatedly denied even a moment to catch his breath, Shen Xiu felt genuinely satisfied just to have a private moment and space to breathe.

“Alright,” Shen Xiu replied, stepping alone into the elevator.

As the doors fully closed, Shen Xiu looked at the empty elevator and let out a long, deep sigh of relief.

With Shen Xiu gone, only Jin Can and the butler remained in the hallway, staring at each other.

Realizing the man before him was the house’s butler, Jin Can tensed up. “M-Mr. Shen, hello!”

The butler responded with a friendly smile, “Hello. You go ahead with your work—I still have something to take care of, so I’ll be off.”

“Alright, alright. Goodbye!”

“Goodbye.”

…Wait a minute.

Just now… could it be that Shen Xiu and the butler were having some kind of secret conversation?

And had he… interrupted it without even realizing?

After they exchanged their farewells and the butler’s figure disappeared down the corridor, Jin Can suddenly realized—had he just walked in on a secret meeting?

Jin Can: “…”

If his eyes couldn’t tell the situation, maybe he really should donate them.

Letting out a sigh, Jin Can went to the makeup room to deliver the message.

After completing the task, he excitedly ran to find his closest work buddy and recounted everything that had just happened.

When he finished, Jin Can sighed with conviction, “Even though I didn’t hear what they said, the fact that they met in private is strong evidence for our earlier suspicions!”

His friend wholeheartedly agreed. “You’re absolutely right!”

Not fully reassured, Jin Can reminded, “I only told you about this, okay? Don’t go spreading it.”

“Relax, this is our little secret—just between you and me. Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know!”

And yet…

Barely ten minutes later, news that Shen Xiu and the butler had met privately had quietly spread throughout Storm’s odd-jobs crew.

—

Downstairs.

The original facilities of the manor were already filled with an air of luxury. The production team didn’t need to make extensive modifications—just a few simple touches to turn the setting into a banquet scene sufficed.

Standing inside a manor that didn’t rely on fabricated sets but naturally exuded grandeur and opulence, combined with the Storm script—which had been deliberately written by the scriptwriter Lu Wen to use real-world place names to tell a fictional story—it all gave off a surreal yet oddly realistic feeling.

Even though filming hadn’t started yet, everyone already felt a strange illusion, as if everything in Storm was truly happening in real life.

And the one who made it all feel even more real—was Shen Xiu.

His exceptional eloquence and striking appearance, the innate air of dominance and sharp presence he carried, along with his cold and detached way of handling things—everything about him screamed that he was someone extraordinary.

Thinking about what Jin Can had said earlier, about seeing Shen Xiu and the butler meeting privately, everyone couldn’t help but shift their gaze toward Shen Xiu.

Perhaps Shen Xiu’s world was far more awe-inspiring and unimaginable than anything their limited imaginations could conjure.

Having just finished listening to Director Xuan’s instructions with the rest of the cast, Shen Xiu suddenly noticed that some crew members were stealing glances at him from time to time.

Shen Xiu: “?”

Did something happen while he wasn’t aware?

“All right, all right—everyone get into position and stay out of the camera frame,” Xuan Yushu said through a small megaphone as the set was finalized.

“Han Fei, Xie Yi, Ba Ze, Yi Chen…”

Hearing Xuan Yushu call out, Shen Xiu shifted his attention away from the curious glances and pushed the matter from his mind, refocusing completely on the upcoming shoot.

During this time on set, everyone had grown used to how once filming began, Director Xuan rarely used their real names, opting instead to call them by their characters’ names.

“When your name is called, come with me. The rest of you, stay inside and stand in your assigned positions. I’ve already explained everything three times before we start shooting, so I expect this to be done in one take. Understood?”

“Yes, Director Xuan!”

“Got it!”

…

Everyone who heard their name called responded and followed behind Xuan Yushu. The extras whose names were also called trailed along. Those who weren’t called stayed in the room.

Both the outdoor and indoor sets had been fully arranged. Everyone stood in their designated positions, anxiously awaiting the start of filming.

Most of the Storm crew and extras had worked with Xuan Yushu on multiple projects before. Just seeing the way he operated, they could already tell—Xuan Yushu was about to show off his skills again with a long, continuous one-take shot.

Inside the banquet hall, Shang Yu took the chance—since filming hadn’t officially begun yet—to tug at the top button of his collar, which felt too tight around his neck.

Xiang Yueting glanced at the camera setup and craned his neck toward the outside. “Shen Xiu’s outfit looks so expensive, so expensive, so expensive—I really want to sneak a peek at his entrance.”

Hearing the repetitive and rather limited vocabulary of “so expensive,” Shang Yu lowered the hand that had been pulling at his collar and gave Xiang Yueting a helpless look. “What you mean is regal.”

Xiang Yueting: “Same difference.”

Then, in a quieter mutter, he added, “I wonder if, after we’re done filming the interior shots, when the camera turns outward, I could silently slip into the filming group and pretend to be one of the guests—just so I can see Shen Xiu’s entrance.”

Zhuang Yi, worried that Xiang Yueting might actually try this and get scolded, quickly warned him, “Better not. You stand out too much. Even if you try to blend in among the extras as a guest, you’ll be way too noticeable.”

Xia Wenhao let out a cold snort. “If you go, the guests—who are supposed to convey feelings of shock and disbelief to the audience—will probably end up passing on a goofy vibe instead the moment they see you.”

Ning Sinian nodded. “Makes sense. Captain Xiu gives off that powerful boss energy, while Lao Xiang gives off… the uncontainable goofball energy.”

Xiang Yueting: “?”

“Is that polite of you two?!”

Completely baffled, Xiang Yueting instantly gave up the idea of sneaking outside to pose as an extra among the guests.

This long scene being filmed was about Han Fei getting shot—right when the Han family was hosting a banquet. The injured Han Fei had returned from Amara to Yicheng and rushed back home on the very day of the banquet. On his first day back, in front of the many guests attending the event, he poisons and kills his father.

Storm didn’t have a huge team, so Director Xuan had initially planned to hire local extras and rent vehicles needed for the scene.

But once Butler Shen learned of this, he immediately offered the manor’s vehicles and staff for the production’s use.

As a result, the Storm crew saved a significant amount of money.

Following Director Xuan’s instructions, Shen Xiu temporarily left the manor, seated in a chauffeur-driven car.

As the chief director, Xuan Yushu needed to coordinate the shoot via walkie-talkie. Holding the device in his hand, he monitored the process from a spot that the camera couldn’t catch.

Seeing everything inside was ready, Xuan Yushu finally raised his hand and signaled for the shoot to begin.

“Action!”

In the banquet hall, filled with clinking glasses and murmuring conversations, a figure hurriedly approached Father Han, who was smiling and chatting quietly with guests. The figure leaned in and whispered a few words in his ear.

Upon hearing the butler’s words, Father Han’s expression instantly changed. The hand holding his wine glass trembled slightly.

“Chairman Han, is something wrong?”

Hearing the question from his business partner, Father Han immediately put on a smile again, turning his head and grinning at his associate. “Haha, no, nothing at all. Just a small matter.”

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“Of course, take your time.”

Father Han gave a polite smile, then turned and, supported by the butler, strode quickly toward the door.

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