Chapter 161: Comeback Failure

At the Macau casino filming location, Wang Jing was directing Zhou Xingxing and Liu Furong through a scene of opposing characters.

"Cut!" Wang Jing shouted. "Rong-zai, remember you're the God of Gamblers, not a nice guy!"

Liu Furong wiped his sweat: "Director, this is already take eighteen..."

Zhou Xingxing made a face beside them: "Want me to demonstrate for you?"

Just then, the set suddenly went quiet. Everyone turned to look at the entrance—Xiang Fei walked in wearing a casual suit, hands in his pockets.

"Fei-ge!" Wang Jing scampered over. "I just had an idea—for the later scene where Gao Jin appears, how about you act it yourself?"

Xiang Fei raised an eyebrow: "God of Gamblers?"

"Just a three-minute cameo!" Wang Jing rubbed his hands together. "After all, their master is Gao Jin. The audience will go absolutely wild seeing you appear!"

Xiang Fei laughed helplessly: "Fine, but I'll have to finish writing the song first."

At the Shallow Water Bay villa, Xiang Fei pushed open the door and found Zhou Huimin sitting at the piano in a daze, so lost in thought she didn't even notice him come back.

"Ah Min?" Xiang Fei walked over. "What's wrong?"

Zhou Huimin forced a smile: "Nothing, just a bit tired."

Xiang Fei frowned, reached out and felt her forehead: "Not feeling well?"

"No..." Zhou Huimin started to say something, then stopped, finally shaking her head. "I'm going to check on Yangyang."

Xiang Fei watched her back as she went upstairs, pulled out his phone and called Sun Li: "Li-jie, what's happened with Ah Min recently?"

The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds: "She didn't tell you? The comeback single's sales... aren't great."

"How much?"

"... Less than five thousand copies in the first week."

Three in the morning, the study light was still on.

Zhou Huimin pushed open the door and found sheet music spread all over the desk in front of Xiang Fei, the ashtray piled high with cigarette butts.

"Ah Fei?" She walked over, heart aching. "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Xiang Fei looked up, his eyes bright: "I wrote you a song."

He pressed the recorder, and a piano intro flowed out slowly.

"Is leaving really that cruel,

or is tenderness the shameful thing..."

Zhou Huimin's eyes went wide: "This is..."

"'Sad Pacific.'" Xiang Fei pulled her to sit down. "There are six more, have a listen."

Over the next two hours, Zhou Huimin felt as if she were dreaming, hearing the lingering sweetness of "Heart Too Soft," the dreamlike quality of "Mermaid," the playfulness of "Half a Heart," the ethereal beauty of "Under Mount Fuji," the depth of "Love Transfer," and the warmth of "Bicycle."

"These... are all written by you?" Her voice trembled.

Xiang Fei smiled and nodded: "The 'Comeback' album, seven songs, all for you."

The next day, at the Yongsheng recording studio, Sun Li finished listening to the demo and threw down her headphones: "Xiang Fei! How many good songs have you been hiding?!"

Zhou Huimin did a test vocal of "Heart Too Soft" at the microphone, and the sound engineer was so excited his hands shook: "Perfect! An absolute hit!"

Xiang Fei sat at the mixing console: "The arrangement needs to be redone—add more strings to 'Under Mount Fuji'..."

Wang Jing suddenly pushed the door open: "Fei-ge! You promised to do the cameo! The whole crew is waiting!"

Xiang Fei didn't even look up: "Let them wait."

"But..."

"Can't you see I'm making an album?" Xiang Fei shot him a look. "The God of Gamblers' appearance is moved to tomorrow."

Wang Jing shrank his neck and muttered under his breath: "Putting romance before friendship..."

On the way home late at night, Zhou Huimin kept staring out the car window.

"Still thinking about the comeback?" Xiang Fei held her hand.

She sighed softly: "All these years... have I become passé?"

"No." Xiang Fei pinched her cheek. "These seven songs will make all of Asia see Zhou Huimin anew."

Zhou Huimin's eyes reddened: "What if..."

"There is no 'what if.'" Xiang Fei turned on the car radio, which happened to be playing her early hit song. "Hear that? This voice will never go out of style."