When the guitar strings in Hugo's hands stopped, he realized that quite a few people had gathered around.Everyone had their eyes locked on Hugo, filled with inquiry and curiosity.Hugo couldn't help but laugh, "Did I disturb everyone's meal?""Oh, no, Hugo, we're all just enjoying our own high school prom."The person speaking was the assistant director, Frank Capra. His face was beaming with a hearty smile, and he winked at Hugo, "It's just a pity that it was so short. No follow-up song?"Teased like this, Hugo couldn't help but chuckle, "Did the parents show up together for the prom today?"Such a remark from Hugo clearly had a lot of hidden meaning.Hugo was implying that the Staff Members watching were like parents supervising their children; to put it bluntly, he was saying, "You third wheels can leave now."Hugo's remark wasn't hard to understand.The Staff Members immediately burst into laughter, not giving Hugo any face at all.Clearly, after adjusting their attitude toward Hugo, the Staff Members' interactions with him had become much more relaxed and casual.They not only gathered around to watch but also examined Hugo with curious and playful gazes.After Hugo's joke, they didn't hesitate to start jeering.This harmonious and comfortable atmosphere was something that definitely couldn't have been seen two weeks ago."Hugo, encore, encore!"A few Staff Members who were on good terms with Hugo started causing trouble directly.Hugo didn't speak but instead raised his right hand and rubbed his thumb against his index and middle fingers in the air.The subtext was: This isn't a concert; if you want an encore, please pay up.Seeing this gesture from Hugo, someone shouted directly, "Fifty cents."Before the laughter could rise, Hugo raised his voice and replied, "One thousand of them?" suppressing all the teasing immediately.Frank also took the opportunity to say, "Everyone, go get ready. Filming is about to start."The crowd immediately dispersed.Frank winked at Hugo and then walked away quickly.After this brief moment of joy, Hugo withdrew his gaze and looked back at Uma, who was sitting opposite him, "How about it? Are you satisfied with this return gift?"Although Uma's face still held a smile, she reined it in, raised an eyebrow, and pursed her lips, appearing seemingly dismissive, "Uh, it's alright, I suppose."But after she finished speaking, the smile in her eyes spilled out, and her whole face lit up, "Of course I'm satisfied. Do I even need to say it? God, you really are a superb guitar player. That song just now almost made me cry."Uma's exaggerated performance made Hugo laugh."Did you write this song yourself?" The look in Uma's eyes as she gazed at Hugo was clearly one of extreme interest.Hugo quickly raised his hands, "If Little Parker heard that, he would be angry."Uma understood immediately.Her distinct, bright eyes lifted slightly, and her fresh, charming gaze instantly became flirtatious, "Then I'm relieved. I was worried that you had written it specifically for me; that would have been troublesome."At this moment, Uma had completely relaxed.She rested her head on her right hand, which was propped on the makeup table, and her ponytail hung down, adding a touch of feminine charm to the youthful and vibrant Uma.Hugo looked at his reflection in Uma's eyes and couldn't help but laugh, "That depends on whether you have a guilty conscience."This ambiguous tease made the smile at the corners of Uma's mouth bloom suddenly.The flirtation in her expression made Hugo suddenly recall that hot night.How could Hugo not understand such an obvious hint?However, at this moment, Uma suddenly withdrew her gaze, as if everything that had just happened didn't exist, "Then let's look forward to our next meeting and see what that will be like."The song Hugo had just sung was called "Next Time You See Me, Things Won't Be the Same," so Uma took the opportunity to say this, which seemed meaningful.After saying this, Uma sat up straight, "I see the crew is about to start working, so let's end it here for today."Uma stood up, but her gaze remained locked on Hugo.She watched as Hugo slowly stood up, shifting from looking down at him to looking up, gazing at the tall, slender man before her.The smile at the corners of her mouth was mysterious and profound, "Spending time together today was very pleasant, and I even had an unexpected surprise. I think I'm already looking forward to our next meeting."Hugo thought for a moment and extended his right hand, "Today was a wonderful experience for me too. At least I found a beautiful listener."Although Hugo didn't say it, Uma was the first friend to visit him on set since he started filming, and this experience would surely become a special memory in his Actor career.Uma took Hugo's right hand but didn't shake it.Instead, she gave it a firm tug, as if she wanted to pull Hugo into her embrace.However, Hugo's large frame wasn't something Uma could move, so instead, Uma leaned forward and bumped right into Hugo's arms.But Uma didn't mind; she took the opportunity to give him a hug, "Handshakes are too gentlemanly and too ladylike. I don't think they suit you and me."Uma's bold and direct words made Hugo chuckle, "As long as you don't mind..."After Hugo escorted Uma off the set, a few Staff Members who were on good terms with Hugo immediately surrounded him gossiping, "Hugo, are you really dating Uma?"The premiere of "the last analysis" was not long ago, and people had not yet forgotten the scandal brought about by that earth-shattering kiss between Hugo and Uma.These chattering voices left Hugo unable to laugh or cry.Fortunately, Rob appeared in time to rescue Hugo, "Hurry up and get ready, filming is about to start!"The crowd surrounding Hugo immediately scattered like birds and beasts.After watching everyone leave, Rob walked to Hugo's side with a beaming smile and walked shoulder-to-shoulder with him, "What was the name of the song you just performed?""Little Parker's 'Next Time You See Me'."Hugo answered casually without thinking much, "Just singing for fun.""I didn't expect you to have such outstanding singing talent. It captivated quite a few of our female Staff Members," Rob paused after saying this, "and males too."This made Hugo laugh immediately, "You were just singing for fun, and the performance was so outstanding. This is even more surprising than your acting skills."Hugo waved his hands repeatedly, "Rob, the song just now was jazz. My guitar performance didn't capture the essence of the original. You really should listen to Little Parker's original version."In fact, Hugo couldn't say it was humility; it was more a lack of confidence.Previously, in Glory to Death, he was only a guitarist, not a lead singer, so he was full of confidence when it came to playing, but he lacked a bit of confidence when it came to singing.Rob didn't know the ins and outs of this and just thought Hugo was being modest, "Haha, Hugo, I don't need to listen to the original version. What I need is the version you performed. Youthful, vibrant, moving, lingering—that's enough."Rob's words made Hugo not know how to respond.Hugo sensed that Rob didn't seem to be just chatting with him simply."Rob, you've got me confused." Hugo spoke directly, his brows slightly furrowed, filled with confusion and questions, "Are you appreciating my performance just now, or is there something else?"Rob looked at Hugo and didn't beat around the bush anymore, "It's like this. A few days ago, the film composer we are working with, Marc Shaiman, finished his work on'Sister Act.' He watched the two-thirds of the film we've finished shooting and started the preliminary scoring work. But he hasn't had any good inspiration for the theme song, which is quite a headache."Film score? Hugo really hadn't expected Rob to bring this up."Hearing your singing just now, that retro jazz style, while also being infused with youthful vitality—it's really rare. I was wondering if you could re-produce and perform this song in your own way, then give it to Marc to see if it could become the film's theme song."Rob didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly.Hugo thought carefully, "But, firstly, I'm not a professional; I'm not sure if I have the ability. Secondly, the style of the song just now doesn't quite fit our movie, does it? I thought you would choose more grand, imposing music as the theme song, and the lyrics of this song... they can't really align with the theme."Rob chuckled, "That's why I said, you produce it, I'll give it to Marc, and we'll see if it's suitable. If it's not suitable, then it can't be helped; but if it turns out well, you could also try some brand-new fields."Watching Hugo's thoughtful expression, Rob explained, "I intend to place the theme song at the end of the movie. After the impassioned music, I want to use a meaningful melody to settle the emotions. The lyrics of the song just now are actually just right, and I'm very satisfied with the style."Actually, for Hugo himself, this opportunity that arrived out of nowhere was naturally something he couldn't ask for more.Before this, Hugo had never rashly wanted to try the music field because he hadn't achieved success in his position as an Actor.Although his acting skills had broken through, until the movie was released and achieved success, everything was still unknown.In this situation, rashly stepping into music was simply unrealistic.But today, the opportunity appeared without warning, and in a way Hugo had never expected. This could truly be called a surprise.Hugo's pursuit of music had never changed from beginning to end, so how could he be willing to miss such an opportunity?As Rob said, he didn't know if it was suitable yet; he would only know after trying, right?Giving up before trying was not Hugo's style.So, Hugo quickly gave his reply, "Why not? I'm very willing to try. But I must state, don't hold high expectations; I can't guarantee the quality of the finished product.""As long as you can present it." Rob's witty retort left Hugo stunned for a moment, and then he laughed heartily.
