Shao Dong, who was watching from the side, had already understood the situation and knew why Mu Jingzhe had done this. He thus teased. “Is Xiao Wu afraid?”

  “Xiao Wu is a man, so he’s definitely not afraid. When the time comes, even if we don’t go, he’ll go by himself.” Shao Qihai teased him back, looking at Mu Jingzhe with a complicated gaze.

  He hadn’t expected Mu Jingzhe to help Xiao Wu in this way.

  Xiao Wu didn’t know how to respond to all that teasing. He couldn’t say that he wasn’t afraid because he kind of was. He didn’t want to say that he was afraid either, as he was curious. He was in a dilemma.

  “Alright, we’ll talk about whether or not we’ll watch the movie later. Check if you want to sign this first.”

  Mu Jingzhe pointed at the contract and told him another piece of good news. “This is a contract for writing music that’s depressing and scary. I’ve also recommended your other tunes that are more like an outburst of grief. Based on the sound of the music, there’s also interest in buying it. Xiao Wu, if you sign this, it’ll be hard work for you in the future.”

  “Really?” Xiao Wu didn’t mind hard work. He only cared to know if someone really needed it.

  “Of course. Why would I lie to you? The outburst of grief type of music is suitable for playing up emotions when there’s a tragedy or when a character turns to the dark side. It can be used when the plot reaches its climax. No matter the style you create, there will always be a use for it. At most, it won’t be so mainstream and you’ll just have to wait.”

  Xiao Wu didn’t understand why music could be used in such instances. The important thing was that the music could be accepted and used. He would give them whatever they wanted.

  Unlike his previous self, who would probe and ask questions whenever he heard something he didn’t understand, Xiao Wu merely confirmed this again. “Mommy, you’re really not lying to me, are you? All this music can be used, right?”

  “I’m really not lying to you. You’ll know in the future. Music of all styles has fans and certain uses. As long as it doesn’t harm anyone, it’s good music.”

  \r \r \r

  Xiao Wu heaved a sigh of relief. “Why would I harm anyone? I won’t harm anyone, but what if I scare them? What if they cry?”

  “As long as it’s not intentional, it’s fine even if it scares people. A horror movie is meant to scare people. The scarier it is, the better. It’s even better if they’re frightened to the point of tears. If the music makes people cry, it means it has resonated with the audience.”

  Mu Jingzhe emphasized not harming people on purpose. As long as Xiao Wu didn’t completely despair like in his previous life and had no intention of killing and destroying the world, it would be fine.

  “Great, then I’m not afraid anymore.” God only knew how scared Xiao Wu had been recently.

  “Don’t be afraid, Xiao Wu. Everyone has all sorts of emotions. The same applies to you, us, and everyone else. No one can only be happy every day. Your music reflects your mood, so there’s no rule that states that you must produce something that makes people happy and comfortable.

  “Regardless of whether you’re happy or not, you can bravely express yourself. If you’re unhappy, so be it.” If Xiao Wu could use music to express his emotions and vent, that would also be good for him.

  “Okay.” Mu Jingzhe’s words really reassured Xiao Wu and finally made him open his heart.

  From that moment on, Xiao Wu finally stopped trembling in fear. He accepted the contract without hesitation and really started to express himself.

  Mu Jingzhe took the drum and flute that Xiao Wu had hidden away and asked him to just stay at home and do whatever it was he wanted to do.

  After a few days of this, perhaps because he no longer put so much pressure on himself, the situation improved. Xiao Wu went to look for Ji Buwang and completed the mission with professional equipment. He really opened up a new world and felt that it was actually quite fun.

  However, there were also many times when he was happy. It was not quite the same kind of happiness as in the past but still kind of similar. Furthermore, because he had faced many things during this period, compared to before, he had improved and his emotions were even richer.

  He slowly started to have new ideas and explore other styles. When Mu Jingzhe came to pick Xiao Wu up from art school, she was a little moved when she heard his music. “I feel very comfortable hearing that. My heart feels warm, as if it’s been comforted.”

  Mu Jingzhe shared her feelings, and Ji Buwang nodded. “Mm, Xiao Wu is curing himself. His heart is very soft and pure, and he’s good at expressing his feelings through music, so he unconsciously uses music to cure himself. Those who listen will feel comforted too.”

  Mu Jingzhe’s eyes lit up. “This is a good sign, right?”

  “Of course.” Ji Buwang saw Shao Qihai enter and nodded at him. “What a coincidence, Qihai is here too. I’ll tell you guys my suggestions and thoughts.

  “It’s good that Xiao Wu’s condition is improving. His talent is really rare and can’t be wasted. However, his world is too small. He should explore music more and broaden his horizons. This would be good for his future.”

  Xiao Wu was the best age for this, and his talent shouldn’t be wasted.

  Shao Qihai and Mu Jingzhe’s expressions were a little somber when they heard that. Indeed, geniuses needed to be nurtured. This didn’t mean that geniuses could simply be left to their own devices. Instead, the more talented a genius was, the more they had to take this seriously.

  Mu Jingzhe really didn’t know much about music. Previously, she had bought some related books for Xiao Wu and given him some famous songs to listen to. Ji Buwang was also keeping up. Everything else aside, he had never even attended a real top-notch recital. He had only attended ordinary recitals in the city twice.

  Even then, those two times had been a delight for Xiao Wu. Mu Jingzhe still remembered how much Xiao Wu had enjoyed those two occasions.

  If other families had such talented children, they would take them to countless recitals and hire countless distinguished teachers. Even if they didn’t have such talent, they had their horizons expanded since they were young. However, despite having such talent, Xiao Wu didn’t have access to such resources. To put it bluntly, he was still trapped in a small county city.

  What Mu Jingzhe had done for the children was great and rare in the village and county, but their starting point was too low. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t catch up to other children.

  Mu Jingzhe finally understood the thought process of modern parents. It was reasonable that they would do their best to buy a house in a school district to give their children enrolment priority. Who wouldn’t want to give their children something better?

  She was upset, and Shao Qihai was even more upset. If it weren’t for Mu Jingzhe, Xiao Wu’s talent might not have been discovered, just like countless geniuses whose development might have been delayed.

  In the modern era, when Mu Jingzhe used to live, it had become a custom for children to attend interest classes. Every parent was willing to pay for their children to learn and check out those classes. If their children were talented in any way or had an interest in something, the parents would definitely take it very seriously. Because of this, the kids would have the chance to be discovered.

  However, it didn’t matter how talented kids who didn’t come from well-off families were, for their talents would remain buried.

  Xiao Wu had loved to hear the trumpets before he’d even known how to walk. Every time he heard the trumpets, he would lean over. Shao Qihai knew that, and everyone else in the village knew that, but… everyone only found him amusing. No one had taken it seriously.

  Even Shao Qihai hadn’t expected this. He had thought that Xiao Wu was still young, but when Mu Jingzhe had come, she had made a different choice, allowing each child to learn something if they were interested in it.