Chapter 155: Roadshow Complete
Shen Xiu: “?”
Caught off guard by a question that had only about one percent to do with Storm, Shen Xiu was a little stunned.
Wasn’t this different from the movie roadshows he’d seen online?
Weren’t roadshows supposed to be about explaining the film’s content, its message, and the emotions it aimed to convey?
Why were they asking how he felt about the filming location?
Shen Xiu didn’t understand, but after spacing out for three seconds, he’d already organized his response internally and answered, “Very warm.”
Even the housekeeper at the Bosen Manor, a complete stranger when they first met, had cared about where he would be spending the New Year. Shen Xiu was touched!
Host: “……”
So it was true—those online rumors had merit. The Bosen Manor had indeed made an exception and allowed the Storm crew to film there because of Shen Xiu. No wonder the production team never refuted the comments online suggesting that “Bosen Manor is Shen Xiu’s home.”
Not only did they not refute it, the official account even liked those comments.
Now, combined with Shen Xiu’s answer, it basically confirmed it—he was practically doing a handstand and shampooing his hair at this point in terms of denial!
Storm’s core creative team: “……”
Well, that confirms it. It must be one of Shen Xiu’s homes.
After all—when someone mentions the word “warm,” any normal person would instinctively think of “home”!
Down below, the audience reacted just like the host and the Storm team on stage, whispering excitedly among themselves.
“Even though Xiu-baby didn’t explicitly admit it, how is this any different from admitting it? When most people hear the word ‘warm,’ the first thing they think of is home, right?”
“Say, those well-trained, sharp-looking bodyguards constantly patrolling the Bosen Manor, and the maids in matching uniforms—could they really be actual staff from the estate?”
“This… well, it’s not entirely impossible. After all, there’s always been a rumor about the Storm crew saying the Bosen Manor didn’t charge a single cent, and even threw in the man himself for filming. Sounds about right, doesn’t it?”
System: [……]
Is it possible that… Shen Xiu just isn’t a normal person?
The host finally recovered from the realization that “Bosen Manor is just one of Shen Xiu’s many properties,” and continued speaking with a smile:
“Hahaha, alright. I’m sure that once this interview airs, those netizens who’ve been curious about this will finally know—during the cold winter in Yicheng, returning to the Bosen Manor felt very warm for Captain Xiu.”
Shen Xiu: “……”
The things netizens are curious about are truly baffling.
Shen Xiu didn’t understand, but gave a respectful nod. “Mm.”
Host: “Second question—netizens are also wondering about this, Captain Xiu. Is it true that all the vehicles used during filming in Yicheng were provided by the Bosen Manor, free of charge?”
This was common knowledge within the production team, so naturally Shen Xiu knew about it too. He responded: “Mm.”
Hearing his reply, the audience below couldn’t help but murmur amongst themselves again.
“From the movie clips just now, Shen Xiu really seems to favor black cars. Gotta say though, that look suits his bossy vibe perfectly.”
“Still the same question—Captain Xiu has so many cars parked at the Bosen Manor, probably owns plenty here in the city too. So why does he always drive just that one black one?”
“Maybe… Big Boss Xiu just likes that car?”
“Uh, seriously? You’re looking at Shen Xiu’s face and you think he’d have something as ordinary as a ‘preference’?”
“Third question.”
The host nervously pinched the colorful question cards and braced herself, meeting Shen Xiu’s gaze:
“Captain Xiu, would you be willing to answer whether the ‘SX’ initials seen on the yacht and cruise ship in the movie’s Mangila scenes… are in fact the initials of your name?”
Hearing the host’s question, the audience collectively gasped.
They were all thinking—this host is seriously brave. Isn’t she afraid Shen Xiu might just not answer?
Everyone knew that ever since Shen Xiu debuted, he had always kept a low profile. Unlike some other second-generation rich kids who scrambled to create a “wealthy heir” persona the moment their families showed even a hint of wealth—some even had wealthy parents who’d rather default on debts to ordinary people just to keep up appearances.
But Shen Xiu wasn’t like that. He couldn’t even be bothered to show off. Everything about him—his lifestyle, his background—was dug up by paparazzi or gossiping netizens who stumbled upon him by chance.
And truthfully, given the level of fame and attention Shen Xiu had earned purely by his own merit, he really didn’t need to use his family background for clout.
Still, the host was worried Shen Xiu might not respond, so she quickly pulled the netizens in as a shield:
“Everyone online is really curious about this.”
Shen Xiu: “…Yes.”
As soon as he said that, not waiting for the host to say anything else, he quickly added, afraid they might misunderstand:
“My friend wasn’t in a convenient position, so… it was bought under my name.”
Host: “……”
Bought under Shen Xiu’s name… and even engraved with his initials as a personal emblem?
Ha. Classic Xiu-style deadpan humor. Ice cold, as expected.
The host sighed wistfully: “I really wish I had a friend like that…”
Shen Xiu thought of the system. In all these years, he’d only encountered one—and that was after dying once. He probably used up all his lifetime’s luck just to meet it. So he answered seriously, “It’s a bit difficult.”
Xuan Yushu: “…Hahaha.”
Lu Wen: “Cough cough cough…”
Xiang Yueting, one of the main cast, was sitting on Shang Yu’s side and looked across a few people at Shen Xiu with admiration in his eyes:
“Captain Xiu is so straightforward…”
Separated from Shen Xiu by Xuan Yushu and Lu Wen, Shang Yu couldn’t help the faint smile that tugged at the corners of his lips when he heard that.
Song Chengwang let out a low whistle:
“As expected of Captain Xiu!”
On Shang Yu’s side, Xia Wenhao was thoroughly pleased:
“As expected of Boss Xiu.” Even up there on stage, with so many people watching, he still didn’t give the host a shred of face.
The audience below, unable to hold it in any longer, burst out in warm laughter.
“Help, the movie was too serious—I’ve been holding it in forever! Sharp-tongued Xiu is still as blunt as ever, hahaha.”
“Can’t hold it back anymore, not at all!”
“Boss Xiu staring at the host with a straight face: ‘It’s a bit difficult.’”
“No wait, is that really the point? The point is—Captain Xiu actually admitted those were his initials!”
“Oh no, I almost got sidetracked by Captain Xiu’s deadpan humor! Classic Xiu—tells a cold joke to misdirect us so we don’t notice he literally admitted the yacht and cruise ship are his!”
“Shen Xiu really does want to keep a low profile—but his ability just won’t allow it!”
After answering the host’s question, Shen Xiu couldn’t hear exactly what the audience was saying, but he could clearly see the amused expressions on their faces.
And it wasn’t just the people below—even up on stage, Xuan Yushu and the others were all laughing.
After awkwardly waiting about thirty seconds for the laughter to settle, Shen Xiu finally summoned the courage to ask:
“…What are you all laughing at?”
Xuan Yushu, still laughing, waved his hand:
“It’s nothing, nothing at all, hahaha…”
With Xuan Yushu saying that, the others followed suit.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s nothing.”
“Captain Xiu, you’re adorable!”
“Hahaha, exactly!”
The host, who had just gotten the explosive answers about Shen Xiu, could already imagine how viral this interview would be once posted online. And thanks to Shen Xiu’s brutally honest responses, the smile that had briefly disappeared from her face now returned with renewed brightness.
“Thank you for your answers, Captain Xiu. I’m sure the netizens will be very happy to hear them!”
What was there to be so happy about?
Wasn’t this just an ordinary Q&A session, with only the faintest connection to Storm?
Shen Xiu: “…As long as everyone’s happy.”
Whether or not he could get on the same wavelength as netizens—that didn’t matter!
After finishing her questions for Shen Xiu, the host turned to Shang Yu.
Host: “Shang Yu, it’s your turn now. Are you ready to take on the netizens’ questions?”
Shang Yu nodded with a calm smile. “I’m ready. Please go ahead.”
Host: “This was your first time acting—how did it feel? Were you nervous? And how did you manage to perform so well?”
Shang Yu gave a small nod. “To be honest, I was both nervous and excited. As for why the performance went well, part of the credit goes to Director Xuan and Screenwriter Lu for their great guidance, and to my fellow The Galaxy members for the strong teamwork. Also, the role of Zhou Yanlin, written by Screenwriter Lu, fits me very well.”
Shen Xiu: “!”
As expected of Shang Yu—just a few words, and he managed to compliment everyone. Taking notes!
Host: “Shang Yu, there’s a rumor among netizens that you’ll be going home soon to take over the family business. Is that true?”
Shang Yu instinctively glanced at Shen Xiu before nodding. “It’s true.”
Shen Xiu had said before that The Galaxy wouldn’t disband. He had his own responsibilities, his own goals and dreams to pursue.
And so did they.
As long as The Galaxy stayed together, it was perfectly normal for them to follow their own paths too—at least, that’s how Shang Yu saw it.
Host: “!”
The host instinctively glanced over at the other members of The Galaxy, only to find that none of them looked the least bit surprised by Shang Yu’s answer.
Since the topic was already raised, the host continued: “Does this mean… that The Galaxy may face disbandment in the future?”
The members of The Galaxy all seemed so calm—surely, they must’ve already discussed disbanding in private.
After all, everyone was heading off in different directions. Keeping the group together might seem pointless now.
But Shang Yu shook his head without the slightest hesitation: “Of course not. The Galaxy is doing just fine.”
“Mm!”
“That each of us has our own path is a good thing—it doesn’t mean we’re disbanding.”
“That’s right!”
…
The rest of The Galaxy quickly chimed in with agreement.
The host let out an awkward cough and moved on to the next person.
“Nian Nian, you…”
…
As the interviews continued, Shen Xiu noticed something surprising—not just Shang Yu, but every one of the remaining seven Galaxy members responded to the host’s questions with relaxed smiles and natural poise.
They all held their microphones gracefully, praised others with subtle elegance, and kept the conversation flowing with ease.
All in all, when you round things up—it was just him who came off stiff and awkward.
Now that the questions directed at him had wrapped up for the moment, Shen Xiu found himself a little bitter.
He had stayed up late the night before, preparing a detailed script… and now, not a single part of it had been used.
Unwilling to let it go to waste, Shen Xiu did something rare—he took the initiative and asked the host:
“That’s it?”
Host: “Hahaha, of course not.”
“The next section is for the leads to share their personal interpretations of their characters. We’ll start with Shang Yu. Each of you will have five minutes.”
“Shang Yu, how do you interpret the character of Zhou Yanlin?”
Shang Yu paused for a few seconds in thoughtful silence, then held the mic steadily and turned to face the audience.
“He’s a man full of contradictions.
First of all, Zhou Yanlin has a classic ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ personality—he’s skilled at pretending. In front of others, he acts naive and innocent, but in truth, he sees everything with absolute clarity.
Secondly, Zhou Yanlin is a kind person. Because he once experienced warmth as a child, he magnified that warmth countless times over and refused to rely solely on his own judgment, giving Zhou Yanxun chance after chance.
Finally, his biggest contradiction lies in this: on one hand, he keeps giving Zhou Yanxun opportunities; on the other, he’s secretly always prepared to eliminate him.
In short, as Zhou Yanlin’s friend, as long as you never betray him, he will protect you for life.”
Host: “Wow, no wonder you acted so well! As expected, great acting always stems from a deep understanding of the character…”
While Shen Xiu was still diligently taking mental notes on how Shang Yu handled chatting with the host so effortlessly, he suddenly heard his own name being called.
Host: “Shen Xiu, may I ask—how do you see Han Fei as a person?”
Hearing a question that actually aligned with what he had prepared, Shen Xiu was so moved he almost teared up.
But—
Wait a minute, wasn’t each person supposed to get five minutes? Shang Yu only used two minutes and forty-five seconds!
…Forget it. Time to focus on his own moment.
With his heart pounding, Shen Xiu fixed his eyes on the host, and solemnly began reciting the speech he had prepared the night before.
“First of all, Han Fei is evil by nature.
It’s true that his tragic childhood helped shape the unpredictable, brutal, and ruthless methods of his adult self.
But what truly led Han Fei down the path of evil wasn’t his past—it was his own choices.
He was born with a fiercely independent will. As long as he doesn’t want to do something, not even the slightest bit, no one can force him…”
Four minutes later, Shen Xiu had finished reciting the full analysis he’d written the night before, having purposefully left a minute spare—just in case of emergencies.
After Shen Xiu finished reciting his prepared monologue, the venue fell into a silence so deep you could probably hear a pin drop.
Shen Xiu turned to the host, who stood there with her mouth slightly open, and asked seriously:
“May I ask… is there anything else you’d like to know?”
Host: “!!!”
That—that much content?! Even this had to be competitive?!
The host lifted a hand to gently push her dropped jaw back into place, finally recovering from Shen Xiu’s intense, layered analysis of Han Fei. She managed to speak again:
“If, in real life, you came across someone like Han Fei—or happened to witness him committing a crime—what would you do, as Shen Xiu?”
Shen Xiu thought back to Han Fei’s every move in the film—if he wasn’t already committing a crime, he was well on his way there. Without a moment’s hesitation, he answered:
“Run. Call the police.”
First, ensure his own safety. Then turn Han Fei in. A perfect win-win!
Host: “……”
What a responsibly wholesome answer!
But still…
Host: “Wouldn’t you try… talking him out of it?”
Shen Xiu: “…No.”
Han Fei’s unpredictable moods and how fast he could flip from calm to chaos—faster than Shen Xiu could flip a page—meant he might not even get a word out before Han Fei did what he did to Zhou Yanlin the first time they met:
No warning, no conversation—just decided he didn’t like the guy and boom.
Zhou Yanlin was literally just minding his own business in a cell, hadn’t even done anything to him!
Life is precious. Shen Xiu admitted—he couldn’t take that gamble.
…
Audience reactions flooded in immediately:
“Hahahaha, Xiu-baby’s answer is so adorable!”
“I’m crying—‘try to talk him out of it’? Please, you wouldn’t even get your mouth open before you’re gone.”
“Can we talk about that four-minute speech Shen Xiu gave about Han Fei earlier? Now that’s what I call insightful analysis!”
“Listen, I love Han Fei’s ruthless and dominant character in Storm—in fiction, I’m here for all the morally gray faves—but in the real world? I’m 100% with Xiu-baby. Run first, call the cops, let Officer Uncle deal with the psycho!”
Host: “Hahaha, Captain Xiu is right. When faced with this kind of criminal force, calling the police and having them arrested is definitely the right move!”
Shen Xiu nodded: “Mm.”
After Shen Xiu finished answering the question, the host turned to Song Chengwang…
—
At midnight, the first roadshow event for Storm came to an end.
The main creative team of Storm said goodbye to the audience and then to the cinema staff before heading to the underground parking garage arranged by the theater, preparing to leave.
There weren’t many people from the production team this time, but they still split into three elevators to go down to the underground garage.
The staff of the Storm crew were thoughtful and let the nine members of The Galaxy take one elevator down by themselves first.
Most of The Galaxy members had driven themselves, except for Jiang Yanxi, Ning Sinian, and Zhuang Yi, who came in a vehicle arranged by the show’s crew.
When the elevator doors opened, Xiang Yueting was the first to rush out.
He looked around the garage but didn’t see the car that had previously trended online, and asked Shen Xiu—who was the last one out of the elevator—confusedly:
“Captain Xiu, where’s your car? Where did you park it? I don’t see it! No way… did someone drive off with it?”
Shen Xiu was already used to Xiang Yueting’s barrage of questions. He waited for him to finish, then raised a hand and pointed in a direction:
“Over there. It hasn’t been driven away.”
Following the direction of Shen Xiu’s long fingers, the group saw a car that Shen Xiu had never driven before—but which wasn’t unfamiliar to most of them.
Shang Yu, Song Chengwang, Xia Wenhao, Xiang Yueting and the others were all car enthusiasts with their own collections. At first glance, they recognized it.
Song Chengwang exclaimed on the spot: “Holy crap! So this is where that car ended up!”
Shen Xiu glanced at the car parked in the spot and thought, ‘If it’s not here, then where would it be?’ He clearly remembered locking it when he got out earlier. There was no way it had been driven away, like Xiang Yueting’s wild imagination suggested.
Shen Xiu nodded: “Mm, it’s here.”
Xia Wenhao stroked his chin: “No wonder the previous car isn’t here—turns out he changed cars today.”
Xiang Yueting had already circled around the car, snapping photos. As he put his phone away, he cast a resentful glance at his own vehicle and grumbled in frustration:
“Damn it, why did I drive today? If I hadn’t, I could’ve hitched a ride with Captain Xiu!”
He couldn’t afford one like it, but hitching a ride was still an option!
Ding…
The elevator doors opened again, and the Storm crew members began stepping out one after another.
After The Galaxy group left, Jin Can excitedly told the crew all about Shen Xiu driving a new car today.
So as they exited the elevator, everyone couldn’t help but glance over at the spot where Shen Xiu’s car was parked.
Shen Xiu wasn’t surprised by this at all.
When it’s something new, even I can’t help sneaking a few extra glances the first time I see it.
It was already getting late. Xuan Yushu turned to Jiang Yanxi and the others who came with the crew:
“Yanxi, Sinian, Zhuang Yi, are you heading back with us?”
Since the other Galaxy members were all there, there was no way they’d let their teammates leave in the crew vehicle.
Before the three could even respond, those who had driven quickly jumped in:
“No need, Director Xuan, you all go ahead.”
“Yeah, Director, we’ll take care of it.”
“Exactly.” Song Chengwang patted Zhuang Yi’s shoulder. “Zhuang Yi and I are headed the same way. I’ll take him.”
Xia Wenhao chimed in too: “Sinian and I are going the same direction. I’ll drive him back.”
Shen Xiu, remembering the temporary lodging location everyone had mentioned in the group chat, added, “I’m headed the same way as Yanxi, I’ll drive him.”
In an instant, all three of those who hadn’t driven themselves had a ride arranged. Xuan Yushu smiled and nodded, “Alright, alright, then we’ll head off first. We won’t get in the way of you young folks.”
“Okay, Director Xuan.”
“Goodbye, Director Xuan.”
“Goodbye, everyone.”
…
The Storm crew soon departed, and the nine members of The Galaxy said their goodbyes to each other before getting into their respective cars and driving off.
Jiang Yanxi got into the passenger seat of Shen Xiu’s car. Although he’d known Shen Xiu for a long time and was well aware that Shen Xiu cared about them—that he wasn’t actually as cold and indifferent as he appeared—still, every time he was alone with Shen Xiu, Jiang Yanxi couldn’t help feeling nervous and on edge.
That invisible pressure that naturally radiated from Shen Xiu became even more pronounced once Shen Xiu got into the car.
As Shen Xiu fastened his seatbelt, he noticed Jiang Yanxi raise a hand to wipe his forehead. He asked, guessing the reason, “Yanxi, are you hot?”
It was summer, so feeling hot made sense.
Jiang Yanxi froze mid-motion, his hand pausing awkwardly in midair. His brain hadn’t caught up yet, but his mouth responded faster, nodding: “Mm, a bit…”
Jiang Yanxi was the one who felt hot—not Shen Xiu. Shen Xiu asked for his preference, “Air conditioning or windows down?”
Turning on the A/C meant the windows would be closed, sealing them in a relatively tight space together. That would only intensify the pressure Jiang Yanxi felt, making it harder to breathe.
If the windows were down, the night breeze hitting his face might help clear his mind and ease his nerves.
Jiang Yanxi didn’t hesitate: “Windows down!”
Shen Xiu nodded, “Alright.”
He didn’t care much about hot or cold—either way was fine for him. Seeing that Jiang Yanxi had rolled down his side of the window, Shen Xiu, worried it might not be enough, quietly rolled his own window down halfway as well.
With the windows down, Shen Xiu started the car and drove out of the underground garage.
—
Outside the cinema.
As the gray car disappeared into the distance, the invited audience members who had just attended the first screening of Storm suddenly realized what they had seen moments ago—through the half-open windows on both the driver’s and passenger’s sides.
“Just now… that was Shen Xiu, right?!”
“It definitely was! Jiang Yanxi was in the passenger seat, and Shen Xiu was driving!”
“Shen Xiu changed cars!”
Now with their phones back in hand, the audience members quickly turned them on and hurriedly snapped photos of the car’s silhouette, then excitedly posted them to their personal social media accounts.
Meanwhile, Jian Jiayu, having seen Shen Xiu’s new car—and recalling the photo he had taken earlier in the day at a crossroad—decided to send the photo along with a fabricated story anonymously to a gossip account:
“Shen Xiu was in a car accident, and after the crash, he drove away in a luxury car without checking on the scene.”
