Chapter 141.1: Bosen Manor
“Thank you!” Shen Xiu hadn’t expected the hotel arranged by the production team to have such good service. Not only did they help him find a hotpot restaurant, they even offered a pick-up and drop-off service. Shen Xiu was so delighted that he couldn’t help but sound more enthusiastic.
“Mr. Shen, you’re too polite—this is all part of our job.” Although Shen Xiu’s expression was indifferent and distant, his polite coldness was still far better than arrogance. The front desk clerk’s smile deepened.
“Mr. Shen, please wait a moment while I contact the driver for you.”
Grateful, Shen Xiu responded, “Okay.”
After speaking, he suddenly remembered that he’d have to face eight teammates’ questions alone later. Glancing at the booklet placed on the desk, he thickened his skin and asked, “Could I borrow this?”
The front desk clerk nodded without hesitation. “Of course. This is a compilation of nearby restaurants that our hotel has put together, specifically for guests who inquire.”
Being a five-star hotel, it wasn’t uncommon for them to have some special guests. While not a daily occurrence, it wasn’t rare either. The front desk was experienced in handling such situations.
Shen Xiu thanked her and took the booklet in hand.
To avoid making the receptionist feel awkward while making the call with him standing nearby, Shen Xiu lowered his head and pretended to read through the booklet.
Within ten seconds, the front desk ended the call and looked at Shen Xiu with a smile. “Mr. Shen, please wait outside with your friends for a moment. The car will arrive shortly.”
“Wishing you and your friends a pleasant meal.”
Hearing that, Shen Xiu let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Thank you. Goodbye.”
“You’re very welcome~”
—
Standing at the hotel entrance, a few people saw Shen Xiu approaching them with a cold expression and a chilly, commanding aura. They couldn’t help but whisper to each other.
“Even though I already think I’m pretty handsome, just looking at Captain Xiu’s outfit alone—if you cover his face—I’d still say he looks insanely cool!”
“Ugh, it’s so frustrating! It’s just a simple outfit, so why does it look completely different on Captain Xiu than on anyone else?”
“It’s that natural boss aura he gives off—you can’t not look cool with that going on.”
“Now that you mention it, it’s true. The clothes are the same, but the vibe isn’t. Shang Yu is wearing the same kind of cashmere coat and turtleneck sweater, but with that smiling face of his, he just looks so gentle.”
Shang Yu hadn’t expected the topic to suddenly shift to him. He shot a deadpan look at Song Chengwang, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. “Has no one ever told you it’s rude to talk about people right in front of them?”
Song Chengwang shrugged. “What a coincidence. I prefer doing it face to face.”
Xiang Yueting, already rubbing his hands together in anticipation, stared at Shen Xiu. He didn’t quite get why everyone was so hung up on what people were wearing and tried to drag the conversation back on track.
“Does it even matter what anyone’s wearing? Is being handsome more important than eating? What really matters is that Captain Xiu got the booklet, which means the hotpot place is settled. I’m getting the extra spicy!”
Zhuang Yi, recalling how long Shen Xiu had been at the front desk, muttered in confusion, “Still, did it really need to take that long just to grab a booklet?”
Xiang Yueting heard Zhuang Yi’s comment and quickly jumped in, “Yeah, it was kind of long. What was Captain Xiu doing over there?”
Xia Wenhao gave Xiang Yueting an exasperated side-eye and tightened the scarf around his neck. “Isn’t it obvious? Captain Xiu must’ve asked something else too. You think he’s like you—rushing into things on impulse, calling us over without thinking anything through? If I hadn’t seen Captain Xiu standing behind you, I swear I’d have dragged you back to your room for a one-on-one.”
“Tch.” Song Chengwang turned to Xia Wenhao. “Shouldn’t we just skip the formalities, throw a sack over him, and start swinging?”
Xia Wenhao nodded sincerely. “Good idea. I’ll try that next time.”
Xiang Yueting: “???”
“Does anyone care whether I live or die?”
“Nope.”
“Not at all, hahaha.”
“Poor kid~”
…
Through the glass, Shen Xiu saw the joyful expressions on everyone’s faces and heard their cheerful laughter. His footsteps paused for a moment, then quickened as he walked toward the door.
Even though he didn’t know what had made them suddenly burst into laughter, it didn’t matter.
What mattered was that, after spending so much time together, he’d come to realize that standing among them didn’t dampen their happiness.
When Shen Xiu was just a few steps away, he already heard their curious questions.
“How did it go?”
“Any good places nearby?”
…
Shang Yu and Song Chengwang asked too. Though it wasn’t their first time in Yicheng, they were always accompanied by assistants. Whatever they needed was handled for them—they never had to think for themselves.
Xia Wenhao and Jiang Yanxi had visited Yicheng a few times as well, but they’d never stayed at this particular five-star hotel, so they truly had no idea where the good food, drinks, or fun spots were.
Shen Xiu patiently waited for everyone to finish speaking before he answered, “There are a few hotpot places listed. I’m not sure which kind you prefer, so you can take a look and choose. The hotel is offering us a shuttle service.”
Xiang Yueting had just taken the booklet from Shen Xiu when he heard the last sentence and exclaimed in shock, “A free shuttle service?! This hotel’s service is incredible!”
Hearing Shen Xiu’s reply, everyone except the still-clueless Xiang Yueting exchanged glances but tactfully didn’t ask further.
Shen Xiu agreed with Xiang Yueting’s comment and nodded. “Yes, it’s very good.”
The other seven: …Captain Xiu is way too soft on Xiang Yueting. Even when he says something silly, Captain Xiu doesn’t correct him—he just goes along with it.
No wonder they say: Fools have their own kind of luck!
Just as Shen Xiu finished speaking, a long black limousine pulled up not far from where they stood.
A man in a suit and gloves stepped out from the front passenger seat and jogged toward them.
With a pleasant smile, Wu Heng approached the group. “Hello everyone, I’ll be in charge of your transportation today. You can just call me Wu Heng.”
Then he turned to Shen Xiu and asked in a lower voice, “Mr. Shen, the car is ready. Shall we get in now?”
At the moment, only a few sparse snowflakes were falling. They melted instantly upon touching people or the ground. But according to the weather forecast, heavy snow was expected soon. Wu Heng figured it would be better for them to get going sooner rather than later.
Everyone clearly noticed Wu Heng’s different attitude toward Shen Xiu and instinctively turned to look at him.
Having been the one to handle the arrangements earlier, Shen Xiu naturally saw himself as the one responsible for this outing. So when Wu Heng asked him and the others looked to him, it didn’t strike him as strange.
He responded, “Yes, let’s get in. Thank you.”
Wu Heng smiled. “Not at all—it’s my pleasure. This way, please.”
With that, he led the group toward the car.
As the team leader and the one who handled the inquiry, Shen Xiu made himself walk directly behind Wu Heng.
Ning Sinian and the others followed behind Shen Xiu, watching his calm demeanor as he spoke to Wu Heng. The way he handled everything only deepened their earlier suspicions.
Xiang Yueting trailed behind Shen Xiu, flipping open the booklet as he walked. “Whoa… I didn’t realize this until now, but there are actually five hotpot restaurants. Which one do we go to?”
“Tch, being an adult means I can’t have them all? Unacceptable!”
“Why can’t I use Shadow Clone Jutsu so I can eat at all five places at once?”
Listening to Xiang Yueting’s endless muttering, the tension in Shen Xiu’s posture gradually eased.
The other seven who overheard him: “…”
Xiang Yueting, seriously—how are they supposed to react to that? All they could do was silently cry inside.
Just now, the car had been parked a little distance from the hotel entrance. But now that it had pulled up closer, everyone finally got a good look at what kind of vehicle was picking them up.
At the sight of the car, Shang Yu and Song Chengwang exchanged a look, silently confirming what they both suspected—Shen Xiu was clearly a VIP level even above theirs.
After all, when they’d needed a shuttle in the past, the cars they got weren’t anything like this.
Xiang Yueting finally tore his gaze away from the booklet and stared at the logo on the front of the car, questioning reality itself. A meme slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it: “Is this fr fr?!”
Zhuang Yi: “…”
Honestly, he often found himself envious of Xiang Yueting—having just a little less going on in your head really did make life a lot more carefree.
Xia Wenhao’s mouth twitched as he glanced at Xiang Yueting. “What else would it be if not real?”
Xiang Yueting turned to him solemnly. “If even Old Xia says so, then it must be true.”
Then, looking at the rest of his teammates with a serious expression, he said, “Next time we film in Yicheng, you have to request this hotel through the production team!”
It was already a win to stay at such a place on the production’s dime, but getting a ride in a car with that kind of logo? To Xiang Yueting, this was a no-loss, all-win situation.
Shen Xiu fully agreed. “Mm. Got it.”
Upon hearing Shen Xiu’s response, Shang Yu took a deep breath and reached out to rest a hand on Mu Zhenchu’s arm. “Support me—I’m losing oxygen to the brain.”
Shang Yu swore he’d never seen someone with as little awareness as Xiang Yueting in his entire life!
Xiang Yueting looked over in alarm. “Do we need to go to the hospital?”
He’d asked the exact question Shen Xiu had been about to say, so Shen Xiu simply turned and looked at Shang Yu in silence.
Shang Yu: “……”
Everyone: “……”
Ahem. Zhuang Yi stifled a laugh. “I think… as long as you stop talking, Shang Yu won’t need to go.”
Xia Wenhao, on the other hand, wasn’t nearly as polite: “I’m begging you, Xiang Yueting—just shut up and get in the car. Let’s go eat hotpot.”
Honestly, food was probably the only thing that could shut Xiang Yueting up.
Shang Yu let go of Mu Zhenchu’s arm and turned to Xiang Yueting. “I’m fine.”
Hearing that, Shen Xiu finally relaxed.
Looking at the snowflakes falling and melting on everyone’s shoulders, Shen Xiu figured maybe Shang Yu really was getting too cold to stand for long. He reminded them gently, “Let’s get in the car.”
It would be warm inside.
Hmm