Accidental discovery

When the guitar strings in Hugo's hands stopped, he suddenly realized that quite a few people had gathered around. Everyone's gaze was locked onto Hugo, filled with curiosity and inquiry. Hugo couldn't help but smile and said, "Did I disturb everyone's meal?"

"Oh, no, Hugo. We're all enjoying our high school dance," replied Frank Capra, the assistant director of the crew. His face was filled with a hearty smile, and he winked at Hugo. "It's just a pity that it was too short. Is there no encore?"

Teased like this, Hugo chuckled, "Are your parents attending the dance today?" Hugo's words clearly carried a lot of meaningful implications. Hugo was implying that the surrounding onlookers were all parents supervising their children, in other words, saying, "You light bulbs can leave."

Hugo's words were not difficult to understand, and the staff burst into laughter, not giving Hugo any face. Obviously, after adjusting their attitude towards Hugo, the staff became much more relaxed and casual in their interaction with him. They not only gathered around but also looked at Hugo with curiosity and banter. After Hugo's playful words came out, they didn't hesitate to start teasing. This harmonious and relaxed atmosphere was definitely not seen two weeks ago.

"Hugo, encore, encore!" a few staff members who had a good relationship with Hugo started to cause trouble directly.

Hugo didn't say anything but raised his right hand and rubbed his index and middle fingers together in the air, implying: "This is not a concert. If you want an encore, pay up."

Seeing Hugo's gesture, someone immediately shouted, "Fifty cents." Before the laughter could even start, Hugo raised his voice and replied, "A thousand buck?" instantly suppressing all the teasing. Frank took the opportunity to say, "Everyone, get ready, shooting is about to start." The crowd dispersed in an uproar, and Frank winked at Hugo before quickly walking away.

After this short moment of joy, Hugo retracted his gaze and looked back at Uma, who was sitting across from him. "So, are you satisfied with this return gift?"

Uma's face still had a smile, but she restrained it, raised an eyebrow, pursed her lips, with a seemingly disdainful expression. "Hmm, it's alright, I guess." But after saying those words, a bright smile spread across her face, making her whole face light up. "Of course, I'm satisfied. Do I need to say more? My goodness, you're truly an exceptional guitar player. That song almost brought me to tears." Uma exaggerated her expression, causing Hugo to laugh.

"Did you compose this song yourself?" Uma's gaze toward Hugo clearly showed a heightened interest.

Hugo quickly raised both hands and said, "Junior Parker would be angry if he heard that."

Uma immediately understood, her distinctively colored eyes slightly raised, and her lovely eyes instantly filled with charm. "Well, then I can rest assured. I was worried that you composed it specifically for me, which wouldn't be good." At this moment, Uma had completely relaxed. Her right hand rested on the dressing table, supporting her head, and her tied-up ponytail cascaded down, adding a touch of femininity to the youthful and vibrant Uma.

As Hugo looked at his reflection in Uma's eyes, he couldn't help but smile and said, "Well, it depends on whether you have any ghosts in your heart." This ambiguous remark caused Uma's smile to blossom, and the teasing between their brows reminded Hugo of that passionate night. With such a clear hint, how could Hugo not understand?

However, at that moment, Uma suddenly withdrew her gaze, as if everything that had just happened didn't exist. She said, "Let's look forward to the next meeting and see what kind of scene it will be." The song Hugo sang earlier was called "Next Time You See Me", so Uma's words were fittingly meaningful.

After speaking, Uma sat up straight and said, "I think the crew is about to start working. Let's end it here for today." Uma stood up, but her gaze remained locked on Hugo, watching as he slowly stood up, going from looking down to looking up, raising his head to gaze at the tall, slender man in front of her. The smile on her lips was mysterious and profound. "It was a very pleasant time together today, and I also had an unexpected surprise. I think I'm already looking forward to the next meeting."

Hugo thought for a moment and extended his right hand. "Today was also a wonderful experience for me. At least I found a beautiful audience." Although Hugo didn't say it, Uma was his first visitor on set since he started filming, and this experience would undoubtedly become a special memory in his acting career.

Uma held Hugo's right hand, but instead of shaking it, she gave it a firm tug, as if she wanted to pull Hugo into her embrace. However, Hugo was too big for Uma to move, so instead, Uma leaned forward, directly bumping into Hugo's arms. But Uma didn't mind, she took the opportunity to give Hugo a hug. "Shaking hands is too proper and ladylike. I don't think it suits us."

Uma's bold and straightforward words made Hugo chuckle. "As long as you don't mind..."

After escorting Uma away from the set, a few of the staff members who were on good terms with Hugo immediately gathered around gossiping, "Hugo, are you really dating Uma?" "The Last Analysis" premiere wasn't too long ago, and people hadn't forgotten the rumors sparked by Hugo and Uma's earth-shattering kiss.

The chatter from the crowd left Hugo feeling both amused and helpless, but fortunately, Rob appeared in time to save him from the crowd. "Get ready, the shoot is about to start!" The crowd surrounding Hugo scattered immediately. After watching everyone leave, Rob walked over to Hugo with a smile on his face and walked alongside him. "What's the name of the song you performed just now?"

"It's "Next Time You See Me" by Junior Parker," Hugo replied casually, without thinking too much about it. "I was just playing around."

"I never expected you to have such excellent singing talent. You've won over quite a few female crew members," Rob paused for a moment, "and male ones too." This made Hugo burst into laughter. "You're so impressive even when you're just playing around. It's more surprising than your acting skills."

Hugo waved his hands repeatedly. "Rob, the song I just sang was a jazz piece. My guitar rendition didn't capture the essence of the original. You should really listen to the original version by Junior Parker." In truth, Hugo's lack of confidence in singing stemmed not from modesty but rather from a lack of assurance. In Death or Glory, he was just a guitarist, not a lead vocalist. He was confident in his playing skills, but when it came to singing, he lacked a bit of confidence.

Rob didn't know the intricacies behind it and thought Hugo was being humble. "Hehe, Hugo, I don't need to listen to the original version. I want your interpretation. Youthful, energetic, touching, and captivating. That's enough." Rob's words left Hugo unsure of how to respond. He sensed that Rob's conversation with him was not as simple as a casual chat.

"Rob, you've puzzled me," Hugo spoke directly, with a slight frown on his face, filled with confusion and questioning. "Were you enjoying my performance just now, or is there something else?"

Rob looked at Hugo and didn't beat around the bush. "Here's the thing. A few days ago, Marc Shaiman, the composer we worked with on the film's score, finished the music for "Sister Act". He has watched two-thirds of the film we've completed shooting and has started working on the preliminary score. But he's been struggling with inspiration for the theme song, and it's been quite a headache."

Film score? Hugo didn't expect Robert to bring up this matter.

"I heard your singing just now, that retro jazz style infused with youthful energy. It's truly rare. I was thinking, could you rearrange and interpret this song in your own way and give it to Marc to see if it could become the film's theme song?" Rob also spoke directly without beating around the bush.

Hugo thought carefully for a moment. "But firstly, I'm not a professional, and I'm not sure if I have the ability. Secondly, the style of the song just now doesn't quite match our film, in my opinion. I thought you would choose a more uplifting music as the theme song, and the lyrics of this song... don't seem to align with the theme."

Rob chuckled. "That's why I said you should create it, and I'll give it to Marc to see if it fits. If it doesn't, then there's nothing we can do. But if it turns out to be good, you might also venture into some new territories." Watching Hugo's pensive expression, Rob explained, "I plan to place the theme song at the end of the film, after the exciting music, using a meaningful melody to settle the emotions. The lyrics of the song you just sang actually fit well, and the style is also very satisfying to me."

For Hugo himself, this unexpectedly arrived opportunity was undoubtedly something he desired. Until now, Hugo had never dared to venture into the field of music, as he hadn't achieved success even in his acting career. Although he had a breakthrough in his acting skills now, everything was still unknown until the film was released and achieved success. In such a situation, it was unrealistic to suddenly claim involvement in music.

But today, the opportunity arrived without any warning, and in a way that Hugo never expected. It was truly a pleasant surprise.

Hugo's pursuit of music had never wavered, so how could he willingly let go of such an opportunity? As Rob said, we don't know yet if it's suitable, we can only find out after trying, right?

Giving up before even trying wasn't Hugo's style, so he quickly gave his reply. "Why not? I'm willing to give it a try. But I must say, don't have too high expectations. I can't guarantee the quality of the final product."

"As long as you're proud of it yourself," Rob countered cleverly, leaving Hugo momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter.