Chapter 146: The Birth of an Undertaker

The warm yellow bedside lamp illuminated Zhou Huimin's round pregnant belly; Xiang Fei lay on his side, his palm gently resting on it, feeling the occasional faint fetal movement.

"Staring into space again?" Zhou Huimin rolled over, facing him.

Xiang Fei came back to his senses, his fingers unconsciously drawing circles on her belly: "It's just that... it feels wonderful."

Zhou Huimin suddenly blushed and curled up into the quilt: "The doctor said... it's okay after the baby is born."

"Huh?" Xiang Fei paused, then laughed, "What are you thinking?"

"Not that?" Zhou Huimin's ears burned; she grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, "Then why were you touching it!"

Xiang Fei caught the pillow, laughing as he pulled her, quilt and all, into his arms: "I meant life is wonderful." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "When one life departs, another new life quietly arrives."

The moment the words fell, Xiang Fei suddenly froze.

Zhou Huimin sensed something was wrong: "What's the matter?"

"Wait..." Xiang Fei sat up abruptly, "What did you just say?"

"I said... after the baby is born..."

"No! The sentence after that!"

Startled by his agitation, Zhou Huimin hesitated: "When one life departs, a new life..."

"That's it!" Xiang Fei suddenly cupped her face and kissed her heavily. "Huimin! You're a genius!"

Before Zhou Huimin could react, Xiang Fei had jumped out of bed and, barefoot, ran toward the study.

"Hey! Where are you going!"

"Writing a script!" Xiang Fei's voice came from the hallway, "You sleep first!"

The blue light of the computer screen illuminated Xiang Fei's focused face. He quickly typed three characters: "The Undertaker".

The sound of the keyboard rose like a sudden storm, and the text in the document rapidly increased.

Xiang Fei was completely immersed in his creation, not even noticing the study door being gently pushed open.

"It's already two in the morning..." Zhou Huimin walked in holding a cup of hot milk, "What story has you so captivated?"

Xiang Fei's eyes sparkled; he pulled her over to sit on his lap: "A story about life and death." He pointed at the screen, "The protagonist is a cellist who, after losing his job, accidentally becomes an undertaker."

Looking at the warm words in the document, Zhou Huimin asked: "So... it's because of my offhand remark?"

"That sentence is the soul of this film!" Xiang Fei said excitedly, "The cycle of life and death, endless renewal—that is the most moving theme of all."

Leaning on his shoulder, Zhou Huimin suddenly noticed a detail: "Are you planning to use Leslie Cheung for the male lead?"

"Yes!" Xiang Fei nodded excitedly, "Brother Rong's temperament is perfect for this role. That quality of elegance tinged with melancholy perfectly interprets an artist's inner struggle facing death."

"What about the president role? I saw you wrote 'Chen Kaige'?"

"Exactly!" Xiang Fei slapped the table, "Director Kaige is the perfect fit to play the president. His aura of authority without anger perfectly conveys the weathered sense of one who sees through life and death as the president of the Undertaking Society."

Zhou Huimin pondered: "But will Director Chen agree to act?"

"I'll call him tomorrow!" Xiang Fei said with full confidence, "He will definitely be interested in this film."

When Zhou Huimin woke up, she found no one beside her. Light still shone through the crack under the study door.

She pushed the door open and saw Xiang Fei still sitting at the computer, with several hand-drawn storyboard sheets scattered on the desk.

"You didn't..."

"Finished!" Xiang Fei turned around, dark circles under his eyes but unable to hide his excitement, "The first draft is done!"

Zhou Huimin walked over and saw the document displayed the page count: 87 pages.

"Inspiration cannot be stopped when it comes." Xiang Fei stretched, then suddenly remembered something, "Right, I need to call Brother Rong first."

Zhou Huimin held his hand: "It's only six o'clock! Let people sleep a bit longer."

"Right, right, right," Xiang Fei scratched his head, "Then I'll contact Director Kaige first?"

"Take care of your stomach first!" Zhou Huimin shoved a bowl of hot porridge into his hands, "Auntie Liu's porridge is getting cold."

Xiang Fei took two sips of the porridge, then suddenly looked up: "Huimin, thank you."

"Thank me for what?"

"Thank you for the inspiration you gave me." Xiang Fei gently touched her belly, "This will surely be a great film."

Morning light streamed through the curtains, shining on the two of them. Zhou Huimin suddenly felt that something wonderful was happening this New Year.