Chapter 136: It

At the capital airport, the roar of the airplane engines echoed in his ears as Xiang Fei saw off Zeng Zhiwei and Wu Mengda back to Xiangjiang.

Zeng Zhiwei lowered his voice: "Ah Fei, ah... 'It' is leaving soon."

Xiang Fei's fingers paused, and he turned to look at him. Wu Mengda sat beside him, the wrinkles on his face appearing especially deep under the dim cabin lights.

"After returning to Xiangjiang, you must go back and take a look," Wu Mengda added, his tone carrying the familiar Hong Kong accent.

Xiang Fei did not answer immediately.

"Xing Zai and Rong Zai are very popular now," Zeng Zhiwei leaned forward, lowering his voice, "Cheng Long asked me yesterday, 'When will Ah Fei return to film?' Hong Jinbao that kid is even more exaggerated, mentioning you every day on the set."

Wu Mengda shook his head with a smile, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes piling up: "Ah Mei and Zhang Guorong are the same; they ask about you at every gathering."

Xiang Fei felt his throat tighten. He set down his wine glass, his fingertips lightly tracing the rim. Those familiar names were like a key, instantly opening the floodgates of memory. The neon lights of Xiangjiang, the lights of the film set, the smoky atmosphere of late-night food stalls... these images flashed through his mind, causing a warmth to rise in his chest.

"Yong Sheng is developing very well now," Zeng Zhiwei suddenly became serious, his tone turning earnest, "Brother Qiang asked us two to bring a message—do not worry about home."

This sentence was like a fine needle, pricking the heart lightly. Xiang Fei lowered his head, his knuckles unconsciously tightening.

"Brother Da, we should go," Zeng Zhiwei patted Wu Mengda's shoulder.

Wu Mengda stood up and straightened his slightly wrinkled shirt: "Ah Fei, find us for the next film!"

"Definitely." Xiang Fei heard his own voice was somewhat hoarse.

Zeng Zhiwei patted his shoulder one last time, the force heavy, as if trying to press some emotion into it: "Take care, Ah Fei."

Watching the two figures disappear at the cabin door, Xiang Fei let out a long sigh.

After returning to Feimin Entertainment, he immediately ran to the editing room, the blue light of the monitor casting shifting shadows on Xiang Fei's face. He had not left this room for three days; the table was piled high with empty coffee cups and half-eaten boxed meals.

"Chairman Xiang, you should rest," Assistant Xiao Zhang pushed the door open, holding a freshly brewed cup of coffee in his hand.

"Wait a bit longer." Xiang Fei's eyes did not leave the screen. On the display, Tang Ren was winking and making faces at the camera, his demeanor looking exactly like the young Wu Mengda.

Xiao Zhang hesitated to speak, but finally quietly retreated.

Time passed second by second. When the words "Final Render Complete" popped up, Xiang Fei rubbed his sore cervical spine. He picked up the hard drive and said to Xiao Zhang: "Prepare the car, go to the Beijing Film Studio."

At the Beijing Film Studio, in Han Shanping's office, Han Shanping was reviewing documents. Seeing Xiang Fei push the door open, he looked up and smiled: "I heard you haven't slept for three days?"

Xiang Fei placed the hard drive on the table, his voice somewhat raspy: "Finished editing."

Han Shanping raised an eyebrow, took the hard drive, and inserted it into the computer. On the screen, Tang Ren's cunning, Qin Feng's youthfulness, Ah Xiang's charm, Kun Tai's slickness, and Mr. Yan's ruthlessness—all the characters leaped vividly in the images.

Han Shanping watched silently for ten minutes, then suddenly smiled: "This film... can be a blockbuster."

Xiang Fei leaned back on the sofa, closing his eyes for a moment: "Let's hope so."

"What did Zeng Zhiwei and Wu Mengda say to you before they left?" Han Shanping asked as if casually, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

Xiang Fei opened his eyes, his gaze somewhat wandering: "They said... 'It' is leaving soon."

Han Shanping's fingers paused, and he sighed: "Yes, it is returning."

The two fell into a brief silence. The antique clock in the office emitted a regular ticking sound; outside the window, the night in Beijing was deep.

"Cheng Long asked me a few days ago," Han Shanping suddenly broke the silence, "'Ah Fei, when do you plan to return to Xiangjiang?'"

Xiang Fei tugged at the corner of his mouth: "After '97, probably."

On the way back, the night wind messed up his hair. After arriving at the residential compound, Xiang Fei took a deep breath and turned to walk toward the elevator. Tomorrow he still had to meet with the distribution department, still had to finalize the promotion plan, still had to...

But at this moment, a decision had already been made in his heart.