Chapter 31: Wrap

Outside Kowloon, on the set of "Mr. Vampire."

The moment Xiang Qian and Zhou Huimin stepped out of the car, they were stunned by the sight before them—the entire set had been dressed up as a Republic-era mortuary, eerie yet tinged with a touch of the absurd.

"Qian-zi, A-Min, over here!" Lin Zhengying waved from afar.

The two hurried over with quick steps, and Xiang Qian bowed first: "Hello, Brother Lin! Hello, everyone!"

Zhou Huimin bowed as well: "Hello, everyone. I'm Zhou Huimin. Please take care of me."

Wang Xiaofeng beamed as she sized the two of them up: "Oh, so these are our Qiusheng and Ren Tingting? What a perfect match!"

Yuen Wah walked over with a cigarette dangling from his lips: "Kid, I heard you know real kung fu? Don't you cry when the Zombie King here scares you later!"

Xiang Qian laughed and cupped his fist: "Brother Wah, please guide me."

On the first day of shooting, it was already a scene between Xiang Qian and Yuen Wah.

"Action!"

Xiang Qian, peachwood sword in hand, dodged Yuen Wah's pounce with a side flip and followed up with three clean, crisp kicks.

"Cut! Perfect!" Liu Guanwei clapped excitedly. "Qian-zi, your moves are even prettier than Jackie Chan's!"

Yuen Wah rubbed his kicked shoulder with a wry grin: "Brat, you hit pretty hard."

Xiang Qian hurried forward: "Brother Wah, I'm sorry, I..."

"I'm fine!" Yuen Wah laughed heartily and slapped his back. "That's what makes it exciting!"

During the lunch break, Xiang Qian carried a boxed meal over to Lin Zhengying, who was smoking alone.

"Brother Lin, why aren't you eating with everyone?"

Lin Zhengying blew out a smoke ring: "Getting old, I prefer the quiet."

Xiang Qian hesitated a moment: "Brother Lin... I have a favor to ask."

"Hmm?"

"Would you... maybe go for a full physical checkup?"

Lin Zhengying froze, then laughed helplessly: "What, you think these old bones of mine are useless?"

"No!" Xiang Qian rushed to explain. "It's just... you've been coughing a lot lately..."

Lin Zhengying's eyes softened: "You kid... alright, I'll listen to you. I'll go after we wrap this film."

By the second month of shooting, a fierce argument suddenly erupted on set.

"Director Liu! You said I'd be the male lead! Now my screen time is less than this newcomer's!" Shek Kin hurled the script down and roared.

Liu Guanwei's face went cold: "Script adjustments are normal. You have a very significant role."

"Significant?" Shek Kin jabbed a finger at Xiang Qian. "His action scenes are three times more than mine!"

Xiang Qian stood awkwardly in place; Zhou Huimin quietly tugged at his sleeve.

Liu Guanwei suddenly slammed the table: "If you want to film, film. If not, get lost!"

The whole set fell silent. Shek Kin's face turned ashen, and he finally gritted his teeth: "... I'll film."

"Cut! A-Min, look more terrified!"

Zhou Huimin, playing Ren Tingting, was being chased by a zombie, but she kept falling just short of the right feeling.

Xiang Qian walked over and coached her in a low voice: "Imagine you're seeing a durian you hate."

Zhou Huimin burst out laughing: "Who teaches like that!"

"Just try it."

When shooting resumed, Zhou Huimin's scream rang across the entire set: "Ah——!!!"

"Perfect!" Liu Guanwei gave a thumbs-up.

Wang Xiaofeng teased: "Qian-zi, what love potion did you slip A-Min?"

Xiang Qian smiled without a word; Zhou Huimin blushed and ducked aside.

Two months later, the film finally wrapped.

At the celebration banquet, glasses clinked all around. Liu Guanwei, thoroughly drunk, came over clutching a bottle.

"Qian-zi!" He threw an arm around Xiang Qian. "You kid... *hic*... you have to record an insert song for me!"

Xiang Qian politely declined: "Director Liu, that's..."

"Not gonna do it?" Liu Guanwei poured himself a full glass of baijiu on the spot. "Then I'll drink first as a sign of respect!"

He tipped his head back and downed it in one gulp, then thrust the empty glass in front of Xiang Qian.

Zhou Huimin watched Xiang Qian with worry.

Xiang Qian stood up helplessly: "Fine, I'll sing. But it needs Sister Xiaofeng to go along."

Wang Xiaofeng laughed and walked over.

Xiang Qian stood on the table, pointed his sword at the sky, and began singing "Ghost Bride" a cappella: "Her eyes, her eyes, are like the twinkling of the stars..."

Liu Guanwei excitedly slapped the table: "That's it! It'll be the insert song!"

After the banquet broke up, Xiang Qian and Zhou Huimin walked side by side on the road back to the hotel.

"Qian-zi," Zhou Huimin suddenly asked, "why do you care so much about Brother Lin?"

Xiang Qian gazed at the starry sky: "He's... a good man."

Zhou Huimin keenly sensed there was more behind his words: "Do you know something?"

Xiang Qian was silent for a long while: "I once had a dream... I dreamed that he..."

"Dreamed what?"

"Back at the hotel, Xiang Qian found someone standing at the door—Shek Kin.

"Brother Kin?"

Shek Kin handed him an envelope: "This is for you."

Xiang Qian opened it and saw a handwritten lyric sheet.

"It's the theme song I wrote," Samuel Hui said awkwardly, "but... it would be better if you sang it."

Xiang Qian was surprised to find the lyrics quite outstanding: "Brother Ying, this..."

"Don't misunderstand!" Samuel Hui turned and left, "I just... didn't want to waste a good work!"

Watching Samuel Hui's retreating figure, Xiang Qian fell into thought.

The next morning, the film crew officially disbanded.

Before leaving, Mr. Lin Zhengying specifically found Xiang Qian: "Qian Zai, I've booked a medical checkup."

Xiang Qian breathed a sigh of relief: "That's great!"

"Also," Mr. Lin Zhengying winked mysteriously, "I think you and A Min are a perfect match."

Xiang Qian's ears turned red: "Brother Lin!"

Amidst everyone's laughter, the filming of "Mr. Vampire" came to a perfect conclusion.