Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

Zhang Dabiao considered canceling the song, but seeing Mu Wanqing's happy expression...

The song "The Song of Changle" was changed from a solo to a chorus, and the school even submitted it to a competition, where the singer wasn't Wanqing...

[The song "Do You Know" is best sung privately and is not suitable for performances in large competitions or similar occasions.]

If I were to suggest canceling this song, "Towards the Clouds"—no, "Towards the Distance"—or having someone else sing it...

Will Wanqing be particularly disappointed?

Seeing Mu Wanqing happily practicing with the sheet music, Zhang Dabiao sighed.

[Whatever, as long as she's happy.]

[Let anyone who listens to this song go to the countryside! Better to die than see me suffer!]

What can I do if you guys have such vivid imaginations?

I can't exactly change it to "towards that side," can I? Wouldn't that be interpreted as "towards the other side of the strait"?

Zhang Dabiao didn't care anymore. Anyway, you couldn't stop him from going to the countryside. As long as he could protect his wife, that was enough. As for accidentally hurting others?

I don't care! I love it to death!

Holding the sheet music, Mu Wanqing felt as if she had a little sun shining in her heart, making her feel warm and cozy.

This piece, "Towards the Distance," not only received praise from Ms. Chen, who teaches composition, but also was given the high expectation of being "promoted in the school," which made her feel more excited than any reward. She has been humming the tune to school almost every day for the past few days, and is in a very good mood.

------------

However, this good mood did not last long.

As she walked into the corridor of the Music Performance Department, she saw a small group of people blocking the doorway to the department head, Old Zhou's, office. Leading the group was none other than Gao Feng, the talented second-year student.

He stood ramrod straight, his face serious, holding several sheets of paper in his hand, which looked like a petition or a letter of denunciation. Beside him were several equally indignant upperclassmen, each with the words "defend the truth" written all over their faces.

Zhao Weiguo and Liu Yuanchao were also on the periphery of the crowd, but they did not approach. They just watched from a distance with somewhat amused expressions.

It's a bit awkward—things have gotten out of control!

Mu Wanqing's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously slowed her pace.

Gao Feng spoke in a clear, resonant voice, not loud, but each word distinct and filled with undeniable righteousness: "Director Zhou, we are not here today to target any particular student, but to uphold the academic atmosphere and creative direction of our music academy! Artistic creation should be based on grand narratives and imbued with the spirit of the times! It should reflect the vibrant construction of our nation and celebrate the indomitable spirit of our people!"

He paused, then handed over the paper: "But now, a bad trend has emerged in our department! Some people are ignoring such a serious matter as the national textbook selection, indulging in creating those sentimental, low-brow 'decadent tunes'! Even worse, someone was pre-selected and directly recommended by Professor Chen based solely on a little tune with lyrics that sound rather frivolous! We want to ask, is this in accordance with regulations? Is this fair?"

He then shifted his focus, directly targeting Professor Chen: "Professor Chen is a respected senior professor. However, in this call for submissions, he acted out of personal preference, showing favoritism towards certain students, which seriously violated the principle of fairness in the selection process! We believe this behavior is irresponsible towards art and extremely unfair to other students who created their works diligently! We strongly demand that the department disqualify Mu Wanqing from the competition and investigate Professor Chen's misconduct!"

"Yes! Disqualify them!"

"An investigation is necessary!"

The people behind him immediately echoed his sentiments, creating a powerful and enthusiastic atmosphere.

The office door was flung open with a bang. Teacher Chen, her face flushed with anger, pointed at Gao Feng, her hand trembling. "You...you...you're spouting nonsense! What do you mean by 'decadent music'? What do you mean by 'low taste'? Have you even heard that song?! A bunch of greenhorns who haven't even heard of any of the works are here making a mountain out of a molehill, trying to criticize me?! I've taught my whole life, don't I know what constitutes good work?!"

The professor has dedicated his life to academia; he has never suffered such humiliation in public, especially from his own student. This is no longer an academic discussion; it's a blatant personal attack, an attempt to brand him with shame for his conduct!

"Professor Chen, please don't get agitated." Gao Feng's tone remained calm, yet carried a condescending scrutiny. "It's precisely because we respect you that we don't want you to be misled by some 'unorthodox' creative approaches. If we don't occupy the artistic territory, it will be occupied by erroneous ideas! This is a matter of principle!"

"You..." Teacher Chen was so angry that she almost couldn't catch her breath, clutching her chest, her lips turning white.

"Shut up, all of you!" A sharp shout came from the office. Department Head Zhou walked out with a stern face. He first helped Teacher Chen back inside to sit down, and then turned to Gao Feng and the others.

His gaze was cold, sweeping over everyone before finally settling on Gao Feng's face: "Gao Feng, I heard everything you just said. What you said was quite insightful and 'thoughtful.' But I want to ask you, is what you're saying based on your own observations, or is it just hearsay?"

Gao Feng hesitated for a moment, but still answered defiantly, "It was based on the opinions of many classmates; the facts are clear and the evidence is conclusive!"

"Evidence?" Old Zhou picked up the papers, placed them on the table without even glancing at them, and said, "Tomorrow is the departmental selection competition. All the entries will be performed on stage in front of the entire department's faculty and students, and the judges will score them live. Whether that song you mentioned is decadent or not, whether it qualifies or not, we'll find out tomorrow, won't we?"

His tone softened, taking on a more earnest tone: "Students, having creative enthusiasm is a good thing, and having a critical spirit is also a good thing. But we are engaged in art, not a movement. Everything should be let the works speak for themselves."

"We must be realistic and pragmatic. You have no right to speak without investigation. Don't you understand that?"

He glanced at Mu Wanqing, who was standing not far away with a pale face, and added, "It's not like we're all new to know about Mu Wanqing's creative abilities. 'The Song of Changle' is still a required piece in our department. Is that song also considered 'decadent music'? As for the songs she sings in private, that's her personal preference. As long as it doesn't violate any principles, the school has no right to interfere."

"For this call for submissions, we will only consider the works she submits."

"Moreover, thanks to the impetus from this year's New Overseas Chinese Conference, the 'Eight Articles on Literature and Art' and the 'Thirty-Two Articles on Film Work' were successively promulgated. Everyone is aware of these, right?"

"As mentioned above, the goal is to create a pleasant and lively atmosphere for everyone. So, when you're creating, be bold and don't be afraid to make mistakes."

"Don't believe everything you hear, and definitely don't try to coordinate or put pressure on others. If you have any questions, raise them honestly and openly in tomorrow's selection competition, using your own works, and compete on the stage of art."

"If Mu Wanqing's work is truly subpar, our judging panel will eliminate her immediately without you even needing to say anything!"