Chapter 64: To Xiang Budeng

Early morning, before the gates of the Xiang family mansion.

"A-Fei, are you ready?" Xiang Yan stood beside the car, having for once changed into a crisp Zhongshan suit, even his sideburns combed neatly without a hair out of place.

Xiang Fei—once Xiang Qian—adjusted his cuffs, a little nervous: "Grandpa... he really knows I'm coming?"

"We notified the old man last night." Xiang Qiang said with a cigarette dangling from his lips, smiling. He was Xiang Yan's younger brother, Xiang Fei's uncle. "The old man was so happy he didn't sleep all night, and before dawn he was already urging the servants to sweep the courtyard."

Xiang Sheng—Xiang Fei's younger uncle—patted his shoulder: "Don't be nervous. The old man's been talking about you for ten years."

Wu's father and Wu's mother sat in another car, their expressions both relieved and uneasy. Wu's mother asked her husband in a low voice: "Will the old man look down on us..."

"Don't overthink it." Wu's father patted her hand. "The Xiangs aren't that kind of people."

The motorcade slowly drove toward the old mansion on the hilltop.

The Xiang family old mansion sat halfway up the mountain, its green bricks and grey tiles radiating the depth of a century-old clan.

The old patriarch Xiang Budeng stood in the courtyard leaning on a rosewood cane, appearing calm, but the back of the hand gripping the cane already had bulging veins. The butler came over for the fifth time to urge him inside to wait, and each time was glared back.

"They're here!" the servant standing at the gate suddenly shouted.

The motorcade slowly drove into the compound. The moment Xiang Fei stepped out of the car, he saw a white-haired old man standing beneath a ginkgo tree, staring at him with eyes like torches.

"Dad, we've brought A-Fei back." Xiang Yan's voice trembled.

Xiang Budeng said nothing, just stared fixedly at Xiang Fei, his eye sockets gradually reddening.

Xiang Fei stepped forward two paces, then suddenly knelt and kowtowed: "Grandpa, your grandson has returned."

"Good... good..." The old man's cane clattered to the ground with a "clang" as he tremblingly helped his grandson up. "Coming back is all that matters..."

A rough palm brushed across Xiang Fei's face, and the old man suddenly burst into tears: "He looks... too much like A-Yan when he was young..."

In the main hall, Xiang Budeng personally poured tea for Wu's father and Wu's mother: "The great kindness the two of you have shown my Xiang family, this old man will never forget as long as he lives."

Wu's father hurriedly rose: "Old patriarch, you speak too seriously. We only..."

"Sit, sit, sit." Xiang Budeng pressed him down. "From now on, you are A-Fei's parents, and also my Xiang family's benefactors."

The butler brought over a rosewood box. The old man opened it; inside was a pair of jadeite pendants: "A small token of my regard, you must accept it."

Wu's mother waved her hands repeatedly: "This is far too valuable..."

"Please accept it." Xiang Fei said softly. "Dad, Mom, this is Grandpa's regard."

Hearing the words "Grandpa," the old man smiled so wide the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out: "A-Fei is right! Come, try this Pu'er, it's..."

Just as three generations of grandfather and grandchildren were enjoying a happy reunion, Xiang Fei's phone suddenly vibrated frantically.

"Sorry, I need to take a call." Xiang Fei walked to the corridor.

"Director Wu! Have you lost your mind?" The voice on the other end was the editor-in-chief of Sing Tao Daily. "Shaw Brothers just issued a statement saying you breached your contract and jumped ship. Now every media outlet in Hong Kong is looking for you!"

Immediately after, Zhou Huimin's call came through: "Qian-zi, the company called me in for questioning. They said someone paid my breach-of-contract penalty for me?"

The third call was from Wang Jing: "Holy shit! Qian-zi, where are you? Shaw Brothers are going to blacklist you"

Xiang Fei frowned and returned to the hall, where he found Xiang Qiang also on the phone: "... Yes, Wu Xiang Qian, that is, Xiang Fei, is our nephew. Any problem with that?"

Xiang Budeng rapped the table: "What's happened?"

Xiang Sheng put down his phone and sneered: "Shaw Brothers can't sit still. They're blacklisting A-Fei across all of Hong Kong."

"That bastard Li Guoming!" Xiang Qiang slammed down his teacup. "He clearly took the breach penalty, and still dares to play dirty!"

Xiang Sheng flipped through the newspaper: "Shaw Brothers just sent a letter to the Performing Artistes Association, demanding the blacklisting of 'breaching artiste Wu Xiang Qian.'"

Xiang Fei said calmly: "They're killing the chicken to scare the monkey, afraid Wang Jing and the others will follow suit."

"Crack!" Xiang Budeng's cane slammed heavily against the floor. "Do they take my Xiang family for pushovers?"

At a single glance from the old man, the butler immediately brought over an antique telephone. Xiang Zhennan dialed a number: "Old Li, it's me, Xiang Budeng..."

The whole house instantly fell silent.

"... That little Li of yours has been very cocky lately." The old man's tone carried a smile, yet sent a chill down the spine. "My grandson paid up according to the contract, and now you're pulling this blacklist... you won't give this old man face?"

From the other end of the line came Old Li's flustered explanation, faintly audible.

"How about this," Xiang Zhennan said unhurriedly. "By tomorrow morning, I want to see Shaw Brothers withdraw every statement... otherwise, the title deeds to those few cinemas in Causeway Bay may need to be renegotiated."

After hanging up, the old man patted Xiang Fei's shoulder: "Good grandson, keep eating."

Sure enough, in less than two hours, Shaw Brothers' official website quietly took down the statement. But the media had already exploded:

"Shock! Newly crowned Palme d'Or director is actually the Xiang family's direct grandson!"

"Wealthy family reunion! Xiang Group confirms Wu Xiang Qian's real name is Xiang Shifei"

"Shaw Brothers hastily withdraws statement, suspected pressure from a big shot"

Zhou Huimin sent a text: "I was just personally seen out the door by Director Li. He asked me to pass along his regards to Old Patriarch Xiang..."

Wang Jing called directly on video: "Holy shit! Qian-zi, you hid it way too deep, didn't you? No wonder you dared to go head-to-head with Shaw Brothers!"

Xiang Fei looked helplessly at the family members gathered around him: "Now everyone in Hong Kong knows who I am."

Xiang Budeng stroked his beard proudly: "Good! Just the thing to build momentum for your new company!"

Night fell. Xiang Fei stood on the old mansion's terrace, gazing out over Victoria Harbour.

Xiang Yan walked over and handed him a glass of wine: "Regret coming home to your roots?"

Xiang Fei shook his head: "I just didn't expect... it would be revealed in this way."

"A-Fei." Xiang Yan said seriously, "The Xiang family won't interfere with your career, but the family will always be your backbone."

At the clink of glasses, father and son exchanged a smile.