Chapter 154.2: Storm Roadshow (2)
Shen Xiu climbed into the gray car and, afraid the system might try to get him to change vehicles, didn’t hesitate for a moment—he started the engine and drove out of the garage.
While not quite as low-profile as the previous black one, the gray car was only a tiny bit more eye-catching. Still, compared to the brightly colored show-off mobiles in the garage, this one was definitely on the subtle side—by a billion percent.
He arrived at his destination at exactly the time he had calculated right after the accident—not a second late. In fact, he was three minutes early.
…
Jin Can, who had arrived five minutes early to wait in the parking lot, had been looking around expectantly—but the famous black luxury car, the one that had made it onto trending topics two days in a row after being driven only twice, was nowhere in sight.
Since Shen Xiu had driven that car twice in a row, Jin Can had assumed he must really like it, and that he’d be arriving in it again today.
But with the appointed time fast approaching—why hadn’t that car shown up yet?
Just as that thought crossed his mind, Jin Can spotted a top-tier luxury car driving in—its color and design practically screamed wealth and exclusivity.
“Holy crap!” Jin Can couldn’t help blurting out in awe. He quickly whipped out his phone and sneakily snapped a picture of the car logo.
But… why was that car pulling into the parking space that had been specially reserved for Shen Xiu by the mall?
Worried about not doing a good job welcoming Shen Xiu, Jin Can hurriedly tucked his phone away, gave up on taking more pictures, and quickly walked over to where the car was parking.
He mentally rehearsed his greeting, organizing the words with care—but the moment the door opened and he saw who stepped out, all the words caught in his throat. His eyes widened, jaw slightly slack:
“M-Mr. Shen?!”
Shen Xiu: “…It’s me.”
Did I change or something? Shen Xiu wondered. Why does Jin Can look like he barely recognizes me after just a short time apart?
That cool, familiar voice reached Jin Can’s ears and finally snapped him out of it.
Jin Can quickly stepped aside to make way, his surprised expression melting into the bright, welcoming smile Shen Xiu was used to.
“Mr. Shen, please follow me—I’ll take you to hair and makeup. The members of The Galaxy are already here…”
Later, after the early premiere screening at the cinema, all the cast members, along with the director and editor, would be doing a press event—answering questions from the media and the select audience who’d been invited for the advance screening.
Shen Xiu gave a slight nod: “Mm.”
As he walked ahead to lead the way, Jin Can couldn’t help sighing inwardly—how small-minded he had been!
This is Shen Xiu we’re talking about!
A man cool and indifferent by nature, someone completely unbothered by material possessions.
“Likes” and “preferences”? Utterly irrelevant.
The fact that Shen Xiu had driven that black luxury car twice in a row before? Clearly, it hadn’t meant even the slightest personal attachment.
Shen Xiu clearly didn’t even remember that he had already driven that other car twice.
After all… in his eyes, this gray luxury car in front of them was practically the same in price and value as the previous one.
“This is the place,” Jin Can said, leading Shen Xiu to a door. He raised his hand and gave it a few knocks before gently pushing it open.
“Please go in, Mr. Shen.”
“Thank you.” Shen Xiu politely thanked Jin Can for opening the door and stepped inside—
“Captain Xiu!”
“Captain Xiu’s here!”
“Captain, quick, tell me—do I look thinner? Is it a big difference compared to when we were filming?”
“Hahaha, Zhuang Yi, give it a rest. Even if you’re slimmer now, you were still fat in the movie. The script is original, so the audience will probably assume you gained weight for the role!”
“I did not—don’t make stuff up!”
“Captain Xiu, sit here!”
“Nice move, Nian Nian! You’ve changed—you snuck in and lured Captain Xiu over to sit by you while we were all talking!”
The ever-silent Shang Yu finally couldn’t take it anymore: “Xiang Yueting, stop misusing words. If someone hears you, a gossip account might say you’re illiterate.”
“Alright, alright…” Xiang Yueting muttered sheepishly.
Sitting beside Ning Sinian, Shen Xiu listened to the cheerful voices of his teammates. His posture relaxed, and an unmistakable sense of comfort and happiness settled over him.
Jin Can quietly shut the door, muffling the noise inside.
Now outside the room, Jin Can was no longer as restrained as he had been in front of Shen Xiu. He rushed over to his own group of friends.
“Guys, I’ve got something fresh for you—Shen Xiu drove a different car today. It’s still down in the basement garage!”
“Let’s go take a look while he’s not around!”
“Let’s go!”
—
An hour later, the early screening began.
As one of the main cast members, Shen Xiu sat in the front row along with Xuan Yushu, Lu Wen, and the others.
Behind them were a few invited film critics and media personnel, along with a majority of lucky audience members randomly selected.
Two hours later, the first screening of Storm ended.
When Shen Xiu acted in Immortal Path, he also watched the drama while it aired and had seen the character he played.
But back then, the place he stayed only had him and Lucky, so watching his own performance didn’t feel awkward.
Now, sitting among the audience and watching his own acting with a large crowd, Shen Xiu realized he didn’t feel as embarrassed as he had imagined—just a bit strange.
That strangeness came from unfamiliarity.
On the big screen ahead, the final credits faded, and only then did the excited murmurs of the audience fill the venue.
“Was this really their first time acting? Why was everyone’s performance above average?”
“Now I finally understand what a true visual feast looks like! Whether it was Amara, Yicheng, or Kaina Island, everything was so beautiful! And the people fit in so well, especially the snowy scenes—every single frame could be used as a screensaver!”
“Whether it was Han Fei’s cold smile or that single tear before he died, Boss Xiu’s acting was god-tier! As expected of Boss Xiu—whatever he does, wherever he is, he always strives for perfection!”
“Han Fei’s home was at Bosen Manor? Did I see that right? But according to rumors, the owner of Bosen Manor rarely appears in public, and the manor is never rented out. How did the Storm production team pull that off?”
“Not just Bosen Manor—if you look closely at the yacht scenes filmed at sea near Mangila, a lot of the yachts and cruise ships have the letters ‘SX’ on them. I seriously suspect Director Xuan deliberately left those continuity errors in the final cut. So… everything leaves a trace!”
“Damn, I think you’ve uncovered the truth!”
“What can I say—Xuan Yushu truly lives up to his reputation. His visual storytelling is insanely stylish. In just two hours, he showed off so many techniques that it completely shattered my perception of what a commercial film can be!”
“Ahhhh they’re sitting right there in the front row! Damn it, why am I so far away? I really want to run up to my darlings and see their expressions right now!”
“Even though the genre is super commercial… is there going to be a second film? Wait—more like parts two, three, four, five… N! If they can keep up this level of quality, I’ll pay for every single one!”
…
Up in the front row, the members of The Galaxy sat quietly in their seats, not moving since Director Xuan hadn’t called them up on stage. When the first screening of Storm ended, they all remained silent, ears perked, listening closely to the audience’s reactions behind them.
They heard everyone talking about everything—from Storm’s filming locations, settings, and cinematic techniques, to the acting… and even the accidental bloopers.
When the time was right, the big screen at the front switched to a poster of the film Storm, the stage lights came on, and the host walked out from behind the curtain to greet the audience.
After about a minute of interaction and cracking a few jokes about the movie, the host, following the program schedule, turned to look at the cast and crew of Storm sitting in the front row.
“Without further ado, let’s give a warm round of applause and welcome the Storm production team—Director Xuan Yushu, Head Screenwriter Lu Wen, and our nine lead actors, who are also the full members of The Galaxy, to the stage to share the story behind the making of Storm!”
Clap clap clap…
Amid enthusiastic applause from the audience, the Storm crew walked onto the stage.
Leading the way were Xuan Yushu and Lu Wen, followed by the members of The Galaxy.
As the leader of The Galaxy, Shen Xiu instinctively walked at the back of the group.
As they filed onto the stage, Shen Xiu didn’t even need to lift his head to glance around—he could already see the seating layout ahead.
Silently in his mind, Shen Xiu thought: at this pace, he should end up sitting on the edge.
Perfect!
To make sure the audience’s attention was fully focused on the Storm team, the crew had coordinated with the theater in advance. When the main cast stepped on stage, a soft beam of light would shine down from above, enveloping them all.
The moment that gentle spotlight bathed the center of the stage, Shen Xiu hadn’t even had time to claim his preferred edge seat before Xuan Yushu’s voice rang out.
“Shen Xiu, you and Shang Yu sit to my left and right.”
Although the script, originally written by Lu Wen for The Galaxy, gave all the members similar screen time, Shen Xiu’s Han Fei and Shang Yu’s Zhou Yanlin were still the core characters of Storm. Xuan Yushu believed the two of them should sit beside him.
Just moments ago, Shen Xiu had been pleased about trailing behind.
“…Okay,” he replied.
Too hasty!
Sure enough, one should never celebrate too soon!
Shen Xiu walked to the seat beside Xuan Yushu. Only after Xuan sat down did he follow and take his seat.
After sitting down, the host noticed that there was quite a bit of space between the seats, which could cause issues with lighting. In a low voice, the host said, “Can you adjust your seats a bit?”
The Storm crew had no problem with that. They quickly moved their own chairs and readjusted their positions.
Once everything was settled, Shen Xiu noticed that Mu Zhenchu was now sitting very close to him, and his mood instantly lifted.
Being close to his teammates—now that’s what you call a sense of security!
System: [ … ]
If it remembered correctly, Shen Xiu had been too nervous to get too close to them before. And now that they were sitting shoulder to shoulder, suddenly it was “a sense of security”?
Tch, fickle man!
After everyone was seated, the host chatted briefly with Director Xuan Yushu and Head Screenwriter Lu Wen, before turning to the lead actors.
With a smile on his face, the host glanced at the cue cards in his hand and looked over the cast one by one. Cheerfully, he said, “No need to be nervous—these are just some questions from netizens.”
“So… what did everyone feel while filming at Bosen Manor?”
Before anyone could answer, the host looked toward Shen Xiu. “Let’s start with Captain Xiu from The Galaxy.”
“Captain Xiu, how did you feel?”
