Chapter 149: End of Storm Filming
Xuan Yushu: “……”
He could die of embarrassment!
He hadn’t even figured out how to explain things to Shen Xiu before, but now Xuan Yushu quickly said, “Shen Xiu, don’t worry. This is our production team’s responsibility. We’ll definitely restore it to its original state!”
Xuan Yushu was still speaking into the mic. Meanwhile, Shi Yu had already assessed the scene, taken photos, and sent them to the relevant personnel to start checking repair estimates.
When Shi Yu received the quote, he gasped sharply, patted Xuan Yushu’s arm, and showed him the chat record.
Seeing the price, Xuan Yushu was indeed shocked, but he didn’t say much.
No matter how much it cost, their production team had to repair it.
Throughout filming, although Shen Xiu had never said it outright, he had indirectly helped them a lot. Shen Xiu didn’t need them to cover that bit of repair cost, but still, right was right—they couldn’t just damage something Shen Xiu had kindly lent them and expect him to quietly take the loss.
It wasn’t even something he owned; it merely had his name on it. Shen Xiu asked the system silently in his mind: [What do you think?]
The system replied with a guilty conscience: [Well… there’s no need to ask me about such a small matter. You can decide for yourself.]
Even though he was facing an idol, Shen Xiu believed that if you broke someone else’s property, you should take full responsibility.
After Xuan Yushu finished speaking and didn’t hear Shen Xiu respond, he became uneasy, thinking Shen Xiu’s silence meant he was displeased.
Not only did Xuan Yushu think so—everyone on both Shen Xiu’s and Xuan Yushu’s sides witnessing this scene thought the same. After all, Shen Xiu had remained silent with a cold expression after Xuan Yushu spoke.
Just as everyone was holding their breath, Shen Xiu’s voice came:
“Alright.”
After speaking, Shen Xiu asked the system: [Is this the right way to handle it?]
System: [No problem!]
In certain ways, Shen Xiu was still the same Shen Xiu—intermittently but firmly principled.
Xuan Yushu let out a huge sigh of relief. “Thank you. Do you want to come over and take a look?”
Shen Xiu thought about how there were definitely more people on the cruise ship than on their yacht, and refused without hesitation: “No.”
After replying to Xuan Yushu, Shen Xiu sheepishly said to the system: [You can access the surveillance yourself. I won’t go over.]
Since it was the system’s property, it didn’t make sense for him to inspect it—only the system, as the actual owner, needed to check.
Then, realizing that the system wasn’t a person and might find it inconvenient, Shen Xiu added: [If they don’t fix it properly, let me know and I’ll follow up with them.]
System: […Alright.]
Those things had originally been bought just to complete missions—Shen Xiu never really cared about them. Even if something got damaged, he might not notice for years.
Xuan Yushu: “……”
Everyone: “……”
As expected from the man who owned rows upon rows of yachts and cruise ships—he couldn’t even be bothered to spare a glance at a single damaged one.
Having the production team take responsibility for the repairs was probably just his way of saving everyone’s face.
After listening to the system and realizing that Xuan Yushu still hadn’t replied, Shen Xiu didn’t dare end the call without a proper goodbye.
Since Xuan Yushu remained silent, Shen Xiu had to awkwardly ask, “Director Xuan, is there anything else?”
Shen Xiu’s calm voice came through the radio. Although his face couldn’t be seen at that moment, Xuan Yushu could easily imagine him standing on the deck, wearing that indifferent expression like he couldn’t care less whether the cruise ship was broken or not.
Xuan Yushu finally spoke in a faint tone, “No.”
Such an expensive yacht had been damaged, and Shen Xiu couldn’t even be bothered to glance at it—what important matter could possibly be worth his time now?
Wanting to end the awkward conversation as soon as possible, Shen Xiu seized the moment and wrapped it up. “Then, Director Xuan, goodbye?”
Xuan Yushu: “Goodbye…”
The moment Shen Xiu heard the signal to end the conversation, he didn’t waste even a second. He immediately returned the walkie-talkie that the stage crew had handed him earlier. “Thank you.”
The crew member took the device. “…You’re welcome.”
Shen Xiu, eager to get rid of the hot potato that was the walkie-talkie, strode back toward his group of teammates, letting them help absorb the baffled gazes of the production crew that had somehow been directed at him.
Mu Zhenchu quietly asked Shen Xiu, “You’re really not going to take a look?”
Shen Xiu shook his head. “No.”
Then, as if remembering something, Shen Xiu glanced at Mu Zhenchu, thinking he might be curious about the damage and gossiping a bit. “Do you want to see it? If you do, we can go together.”
Mu Zhenchu: “!”
Captain Xiu is actually willing to do something so boring just for him!
Utterly touched, Mu Zhenchu immediately shook his head. “No, I’m not curious—I don’t want to see it!”
How could he waste Captain Xiu’s time like that? Just knowing that Captain Xiu cared enough to offer was enough for him.
Shen Xiu didn’t doubt Mu Zhenchu’s words and nodded. “Alright.”
While they were speaking, the massive cruise ship and the other yachts used for filming had already started heading back.
Once the yachts and the cruise ship were docked in their original positions, the Storm crew disembarked one after another and, following the pre-arranged filming schedule, boarded transport to the next shooting location—leaving only producer Shi Yu behind to discuss repairs to the cruise ship’s deck with Manager Qian.
After finishing his discussion with Manager Qian, Shi Yu saw the message from Xuan Yushu on his phone. He sighed toward the sea and raised a hand to rub his thinning hair. “Next time anyone says the producer is the big boss of a production crew, I’m going to lose it!”
The assistant nearby heard this and secretly thought:
‘Well, in other productions, the producer is the big boss. But our Storm crew is… special.’
The chief director is a renowned filmmaker with awards flooding in. The male lead is the second young master of the Shang family. The villainous second male lead’s background is even more mysterious. Supporting actor Song Chengwang is the pampered young master of the Song family. As for the rest—even if they don’t have notable family backgrounds, they’re all members of The Galaxy.
In today’s entertainment industry, who doesn’t know? Shen Xiu, as the captain of The Galaxy, is famously biased toward his group members, valuing their bond from debut days immensely.
After sighing, Shi Yu realized no one was paying attention to him. He grumbled, “Truly, ‘strangers cost you half your life; familiar faces take the whole jackpot.’ If my senior brother asks me again next time and I say yes, I’m a dog.”
Assistant: “…”
He didn’t even have the heart to remind Shi Yu that… he said the exact same thing last time.
—
On the way to the next filming location—Kaina Island, a well-known small island near Mangila—the crew once again arranged for all The Galaxy members to ride in the same vehicle. But unlike the earlier sea shoot, this time Director Xuan Yushu was sitting in the front passenger seat, the one usually occupied by Jin Can.
As the driver, having the chief director in the front seat and the red-hot The Galaxy members in the back—all of whom had hidden depths and powerful backgrounds—he was under immense pressure!
Sitting in the front passenger seat, Xuan Yushu kept glancing at Shen Xiu, who was seated at the very back, through the rearview mirror.
Shen Xiu: “……”
‘Help… Why does my idol keep glancing at me? Did I say something wrong earlier?’
Shen Xiu pretended not to notice Xuan Yushu sneaking looks at him. He sat up rigidly, posture stiff, silently replaying their conversation on the yacht over and over in his mind.
…
Half an hour later, the vehicle stopped. The Storm production team disembarked and boarded a boat headed for Kaina Island.
After analyzing the situation the entire ride, Shen Xiu still couldn’t find anything wrong with what he’d said to Xuan Yushu earlier.
Shen Xiu: “……”
Maybe I should just give up on figuring it out. It’s not like it’s my first time being unable to understand what others are thinking anyway.
With that thought, Shen Xiu decided to just let it go.
Meanwhile, after carefully observing Shen Xiu the entire trip, Xuan Yushu finally confirmed from that utterly unreadable face—Shen Xiu really hadn’t taken the damaged yacht deck to heart.
After all—Shen Xiu being calm as ever was the best proof.
While the boat chartered by the Storm crew made its way to Kaina Island, everyone—crew and cast alike—who had been too busy to eat lunch earlier, finally sat down on the boat to eat their now-very-late meal.
The earlier ocean scenes had been shot from morning until afternoon, and by the time the group arrived at Kaina Island, it was already 6 PM.
Since the scenes set on Kaina Island couldn’t be completed in a single day, the directing team decided to set up base on the island: night scenes would be filmed first, followed by daytime shoots over the next few days.
As for Shen Xiu, who played Han Fei, he didn’t have many scenes scheduled on Kaina Island. Most of the action focused on Zhou Yanlin (played by Shang Yu) and his friends escaping through the island.
According to Lu Wen’s script, Kaina Island was set as a remote tropical jungle island where the protagonists washed ashore after a mysterious attack at sea.
It was also here on Kaina Island that Ba Ze, played by Mu Zhenchu, while carrying out Han Fei’s orders to hunt down the main cast through the tropical rainforest, accidentally caught sight of a birthmark on Zhong Cheng’an’s backside—recognizing it as the same one his long-lost younger brother had.
In that moment, amidst the deadly chase, Ba Ze’s conscience stirred. For the first time, he betrayed his master, Han Fei, and secretly helped the protagonists escape from the villain group.
Due to the nature of location shooting, the entire cast and crew had to stay together. However, the Storm production team didn’t bring a large entourage. The extras had already left after completing the ocean scenes, so only the core team made it to Kaina Island.
With limited manpower, everyone had to multitask during filming—there simply weren’t enough hands to spare for setting up camp in advance.
So, that night, after finishing the night shoot and eating food delivered by the chartered boat, the Storm crew rolled up their sleeves and pitched their own tents on Kaina Island.
As actors, especially those from The Galaxy, they typically wouldn’t be expected to do physical labor like pitching tents—by traditional industry norms, they were supposed to be “waited on.”
But since debuting as a group, The Galaxy members—regardless of their backgrounds—never had a diva attitude. They all joined in willingly.
“It feels more rewarding to sleep in a tent you set up yourself!”
“Director Xuan, when we pack up at the end, can we get our phones back a little early to snap some pics for social media?”
“Let’s exchange numbers too!”
“Director, we’re begging you!”
…
Xuan Yushu, busy with his own tent, waved a hand boldly and said, “No problem!”
“Director Xuan, you’re the best!”
“Love you, Director!”
“Then… mwah~?”
“Hahaha, Xiang Yueting, shut up already! You’re gonna gross Director Xuan out so much he takes it back!”
“Come on, Director Xuan’s too generous to hold it against me~”
Hearing the members of The Galaxy chatting and teasing each other non-stop under the floodlights while pitching their tents, everyone around them finally felt assured—these guys truly weren’t upset about having to set up their own tents.
Shen Xiu, just like how he usually lurked silently in their group chats, quietly listened to his teammates talk while his hands moved quickly, setting up his tent. He kept trying to find the right moment to casually join in on their conversation.
Unfortunately, by the time Shen Xiu finished pitching his tent, he still hadn’t found a good chance or topic to jump in.
After finishing, he looked around and realized—he was the only one already done.
Shen Xiu: “……”
Crap. He’d gotten too absorbed in listening and ended up working too fast… again. Now he looked out of place for being ahead of everyone else.
But the tent was already up—no chance for a do-over.
“Whoa, Captain Xiu’s so fast…”
“You’re only realizing now? I’ve been sneaking glances—his speed was insane. I swear he could apply for a Guinness World Record in tent-pitching.”
“Uh… is that even a category?”
“It… probably is?”
“Damn, Shang Yu’s fast too! Did they both eat chocolate or something? So smooth and efficient…”
“Not gonna lie, I’m starting to think they’ve had some kind of special training. I mean… we are talking about the mysterious Boss Xiu and a guy from the Shang family.”
Noticing that people had started looking at him, Shen Xiu didn’t want to appear idle while everyone else was still busy, so he walked over to Xiang Yueting’s mess of a tent setup.
Shen Xiu: “Let me help.”
Xiang Yueting had been camping many times before, but he’d never liked pitching tents—he preferred cooking. As a result, even after working on it for a while, he’d only made partial progress on his first-ever solo tent.
Hearing Shen Xiu’s offer, Xiang Yueting looked at him like he was a savior.
“Captain Xiu, you’re a lifesaver!”
Xiang Yueting’s voice was a bit loud, causing the people around them to pause and turn their eyes toward him and Shen Xiu.
Shen Xiu: “……”
If he had known, he would’ve just quietly helped without saying a word!
Now Shen Xiu felt so embarrassed, he didn’t even know how to respond—he lowered his head awkwardly and focused on the tent.
Shang Yu, on the other hand, wasn’t the least bit surprised by Shen Xiu’s speed. After all… this was just a tiny part of their training—nothing worth being shocked about.
Shang Yu walked over to Ning Sinian, who also didn’t know how to pitch a tent.
“I’ll help you.”
Ning Sinian: “Thanks!”
—
In the next few days of filming, everyone noticed that not only was Shen Xiu impressively smooth at pitching tents, but he was also extremely smooth during the daytime jungle combat scenes.
While waiting for the next scene to start, the makeup artist was touching up Shen Xiu’s makeup and styling. Meanwhile, the lead screenwriter Lu Wen, who had been following the crew the entire time, came over to stand next to Xuan Yushu and watch the playback of the previous scene.
Watching Shen Xiu move effortlessly through the tropical rainforest on screen, Lu Wen couldn’t help but murmur, “Shen Xiu in this state reminds me of that smile of his from the past…”
Before Xuan Yushu could respond, Shi Yu leaned in next to Lu Wen and spoke up.
“I get you! It’s like—even though we know this is just a film, and this kind of frantic escape and deadly pursuit is all fake, with fake guns, bullets, explosives, daggers, and whatnot—Shen Xiu’s performance makes it feel so real, like it’s actually his life. It gives you chills.”
After Shi Yu finished, Xuan Yushu added with a sigh, “It’s not just you two. Even I can’t tell at times—whether Shen Xiu’s acting is just that good, his control of the scene so strong that it immerses the audience completely, or whether all of this actually comes from his real past, and that’s why his performance feels so authentic.”
As the three of them whispered, at some point their gaze had shifted from the monitor to Shen Xiu in the distance.
Noticing the director, editor, and producer looking at him while the makeup artist was working, Shen Xiu subtly turned away, taking a step to show his back.
Shen Xiu: “…” Damn it. It must’ve been that scene where his character, Han Fei, discovered Ba Ze’s betrayal and killed him with his own hands—it was way too bloody and brutal. That’s why they were giving him such strange looks.
He couldn’t blame them for thinking the villain squad was twisted. Even while playing Han Fei himself, Shen Xiu felt that Han Fei’s ruthless, ends-justify-the-means approach—killing, arson, the whole dark ensemble—was downright terrifying.
But… as long as he turned his back and couldn’t see them, he could pretend he wasn’t being watched!
—
After a week of filming, the Storm crew wrapped up all shooting in Mangila, marking Shen Xiu’s completion of filming.
On the day of his wrap, Shen Xiu received flowers and a red envelope from the production team.
Whenever an actor wraps filming, Storm’s official account posts a wrap-up post that same day.
That day, the Storm team posted Shen Xiu’s wrap-up announcement and previewed a livestream featuring him that would take place the next day at a hotel in Yicheng.
@StormOfficial: Congratulations on wrapping! This Tuesday, Yicheng Hotel, 9:00 a.m.—let’s look forward to @ShenXiu’s solo livestream together! [6 photos]
— Wait, Xiu-baby finished filming already?! A live interview? Ahhh finally, I get to see Xiu-baby’s livestream—I’m slapping my anticipation down hard!
— Ugh, is this a tragedy drama? Why does Xiu-baby’s wrap-up photo look so miserable—lying on the ground, completely drenched in heavy rain… sobbing… please, let him be even more soaked, I can take it (dog-head emoji)
— Han Fei? Doesn’t anyone think the character name Boss Xiu plays sounds super cool?!
— @StormOfficial so… when is the release date?!
— For TG’s precious ones, I’ll buy out the entire box office!
— Hehe, saw Xiu-baby’s tent on Nian Nian Baby’s account—who can relate? Xiu-baby actually picked a tent with an adorable cat face on it!
When the Storm official blog posted Shen Xiu’s wrap-up, Shen Xiu was still on the plane to Yicheng with the production team and didn’t have time to check his phone.
The next day, upon arriving in Yicheng, the main cast—including Shang Yu and Xiang Yueting—continued filming with the crew, departing from the hotel to the new shooting location. The first actor to wrap, Mu Zhenchu, had already left the crew after finishing his scenes and was attending other events as scheduled.
As a result, only Shen Xiu—being the second to wrap—remained at the hotel, waiting with Jin Can for the arrival of the livestream interview host.
When Jin Can received a call and had to go out to greet the guest, Shen Xiu stood up and followed behind him.
Jin Can turned his head in surprise, looking at Shen Xiu in astonishment.
Although Shen Xiu didn’t feel like he had done anything wrong, being stared at like that made him a little nervous.
“What’s wrong?” he asked in his usual calm voice.
Hearing that, Jin Can shook his head. “…Nothing.”
Shen Xiu, relieved by the response, noticed Jin Can wasn’t moving and gently reminded him, not used to making others wait: “Let’s go. We should go greet them.”
Jin Can: “…Okay.”
Although he already knew that the entire cast of The Galaxy was different from the diva-like celebrities he had encountered in the past, Jin Can—after years of being burned—was still shocked by Shen Xiu’s polite yet reserved demeanor and actions.
After all, for a top-tier, high-traffic star like Shen Xiu, it was unheard of for them to get up and go personally greet an interviewer. Most of the time, even when the host walked in, the celebrity wouldn’t bother getting up from their chair, maintaining an air of superiority.
—
When the elevator doors opened and Shen Xiu saw a familiar face, he let out a huge sigh of relief. His previously tense posture instantly relaxed. He stepped aside and, sticking to the social script he had mentally prepared the night before, greeted her: “Sister Yu, long time no see.”
Yu Xiangwan hadn’t expected Shen Xiu to come meet her. Although his voice was as calm as ever and his expression remained reserved, his manners were more than adequate.
Everyone likes to feel valued, and Yu Xiangwan’s face lit up with a smile. “Shen Xiu, long time no see!”
Knowing that Shen Xiu didn’t like physical contact, she didn’t reach out for a handshake.
As she and her assistant stepped out of the elevator, Yu Xiangwan introduced, “This is my assistant, Xiao Qi.”
Yu Xiangwan took the initiative to introduce her assistant, so Shen Xiu didn’t need to ask and naturally responded, “Hello.”
“Hello, hello!” Xiao Qi quickly replied.
Following Yu Xiangwan’s lead, Shen Xiu introduced Jin Can to her: “This is Jin Can from our production crew.”
Jin Can quickly said, “Hello, Sister Yu!”
“And hello to you too, Assistant Qi!”
From the elevator to the hotel room, the short walk was just enough time for all the introductions and small talk to be exchanged.
As the temporary host of the suite, Shen Xiu took the lead, walking ahead to open the door and welcome the guests inside.
“Is it alright to conduct the interview here?” he asked Yu Xiangwan once they reached the sitting area in the hotel suite.
Yu Xiangwan glanced around at the understated yet elegant decor that matched Shen Xiu’s temperament perfectly. Smiling, she nodded, “Of course.”
Jin Can noticed that with Shen Xiu present, everyone’s attention was focused solely on him. There was nothing left for him to do. What was the point of staying?
Feeling useless, Jin Can decided to make himself useful. Seeing Shen Xiu about to pour drinks, he immediately stepped in. “Mr. Shen, let me do it!”
Shen Xiu, watching Jin Can’s retreating figure, quickly said, “Thank you.”
With Jin Can taking over the task of pouring drinks, Shen Xiu had no choice but to sit on the sofa and chat with Yu Xiangwan while Assistant Qi began setting up the livestream equipment.
“Shen Xiu, I need to let you know in advance: according to our livestream interview policy, we don’t reveal the interview questions beforehand. I need to confirm if that’s okay with you?”
Shen Xiu nodded. “That’s fine.”
Once everything was set up, Assistant Qi gave Yu Xiangwan, who was seated on the sofa, an “OK” hand signal.
After receiving Shen Xiu’s confirmation and seeing the signal from her assistant, Yu Xiangwan glanced at the time on her wristwatch. A few seconds later, she looked up and said to her assistant, “It’s time. Start the livestream.”
Thanks to the Storm production team’s earlier wrap-up teaser, Shen Xiu’s fans had already been waiting in the livestream room well in advance. The moment the stream went live, fans and curious netizens flooded in.
[Boss Xiu is still ridiculously handsome today!]
[+11111. How does Boss Xiu even exist?! How can someone’s looks and aura both hit my exact taste so perfectly? He’s literally the definition of a 3D model brought to life… Wait no, the Boss Xiu I created in character modeling software doesn’t even have one-tenth of his actual charm and good looks!]
[Aaaah it’s our familiar old friend, Sister Yu! Seeing her instantly reminds me of that training camp interview with Xiu-baby—when he coldly and ruthlessly answered her questions, hahaha… So, what kind of questions will Sister Yu ask Xiu-baby today?!]
