Hugo opened his eyes and sat up, rubbing his aching head. He had gone to bed last night without drying his hair properly, and naturally woke up with a headache. But looking at the alluring figure on his right-hand side, Hugo felt even more of a headache.
Everything from last night was still vivid in his mind. Hugo still couldn't tell clearly whether it was his predecessor's emotions acting up or if his own true feelings were stirring deep inside. But regardless of the reason, what happened had already happened.
Once Uma woke up, how should he face her? Should he act as if nothing happened and offer a smile while saying, "Good morning"? Or should he be like most male leads in American dramas, handling it with suave nonchalance? After all, they were both single, and it was just a night of passion not something to make a big deal out of.
Looking at the bright sunshine outside the window, Hugo rubbed his hair hard and let out a long sigh. Just then, a knock sounded from the hall, followed by Kal's clear voice, "Hugo, Alex, open the door, it's me!" Hugo quickly lifted the blanket and went to the wardrobe, pulling out a pair of jeans and putting them on.
The noise had also awakened Uma. She raised her upper body, causing the blanket to slide down, revealing her petite yet full curves. "Good morning," Uma's voice carried a lazy and husky charm that was uniquely enchanting.
"Good morning," Hugo smiled at Uma while fastening the button of his jeans. "Sorry, did I wake you?"
Uma chuckled softly, also lifting the blanket and stepping off the bed. She stood on her toes, searching the floor for her scattered clothes. She replied, "It's fine. I slept very well." While saying this, she glanced at Hugo, her eyes filled with ease and a hint of teasing, making Hugo smile involuntarily.
Uma's casual demeanor helped Hugo relax a bit. He took a deep breath and said, "I'll go open the door." Then he quickly walked out of the room. With his long legs, it only took a few steps to reach the front door. As he opened it, he said, "What's up so early? I should've given Joseph a key already..."
As soon as the door opened, Kal staggered in with two huge suitcases, leaving Hugo puzzled. "What's all this?" Kal lived upstairs with Joseph, so why was he bringing luggage over here?
But Hugo's remaining words got stuck in his throat, because standing behind Carl was a charming figure—Charlize.
"Oh, Charlize, uh..." Hugo looked at Kal, then at Charlize again, clearly flustered. He obviously hadn't expected to see Charlize again at this moment. His thoughts were momentarily frozen. "Long time no see."
Seeing Hugo's flustered and slightly embarrassed expression, Charlize's smile blossomed. Kal's voice came from inside the house, "Charlize, come in. Don't just stand outside."
Only then did Hugo realize that Charlize was still standing at the doorway. He looked down and saw three large suitcases at her feet. "Uh, are all these coming in?" he asked, turning back to look at Kal, still confused.
Kal raised his voice, "Yes, Hugo, could you help out a bit?" He walked back over, passed Hugo and Charlize, and picked up one of the suitcases. "These are all coming in." Hugo quickly tore his gaze away from Charlize, stepped over to the luggage, picked one up, and carried it into the house, placing it in the empty space behind the sofa in the living room.
After Kal brought in the last suitcase, Charlize finally stepped inside, looking at Hugo a bit nervously. She hadn't expected to meet Hugo again under such circumstances. It seemed like they hadn't been in touch for a very long time. A month ago, during New York Fashion Week, she and Tyra had gone to New York to seek opportunities. After fashion week ended, she had landed a small magazine shoot and stayed in Miami for a week before returning to Los Angeles just last week.
During that time, Charlize had seen Hugo's name in the newspapers a few times but hadn't heard from him. She'd thought there was nothing more between them after all, he had left without a word after that night, and the next day's phone call was just an apology, offering nothing more. And with nearly two months of silence Tyra had returned to Los Angeles after fashion week and said she never received any call or message from Hugo Charlize was certain that night was just a fleeting illusion, completely meaningless.
She had once mocked herself for being foolish, thinking Hugo genuinely liked her. In the end, he was no different from other men. She had resisted so long in the dance and modeling circles, yet still fell for sweet talk.
Just when Charlize thought she had forgotten Hugo, fate brought them face-to-face again today. Life's coincidences and destiny were truly uncanny, leaving her caught off guard.
As she watched Hugo and Kal busily moving things, Charlize felt her heart race uncontrollably. Her gaze couldn't leave Hugo. Even though he was only wearing jeans, with no shirt or shoes, his simplest and most natural state still made it hard to look away. Those broad shoulders made people want to lean on them for warmth.
Charlize silently told herself, "I don't still have feelings for Hugo. I just want to ask what happened that night that made him walk away the next morning. I just want an answer." But immediately after, she scolded herself harshly, "Stupid." What answer could there be for someone who left without saying goodbye? And even if she got an answer, what would change? Didn't these two months of silence already serve as a lesson?
Thinking this, Charlize took a deep breath and calmed her emotions. Looking at Hugo, who had appeared before her again, she finally spoke for the first time, "Long time no see." A graceful and serene smile curved on her face, as if the two-month blank space never existed, as if the night they shared had never happened. This left Hugo at a loss for words.
Charlize also noticed the stiffness in Hugo's smile and instinctively looked away. Her gaze fell on a plastic bag on the floor by the door, and a puzzled expression appeared on her face.
Hugo followed her gaze down and saw the fried chicken plastic bag on the floor. His eyes immediately shut tight. A bad feeling rose in his chest. Seeing Charlize had been such a surprise that he completely forgot about Uma, who was still in the room. Things had just gotten complicated.
He bent down to pick up the plastic bag, trying to sound relaxed as he said, "Good thing no one stepped on this just now. That would've been a mess." But before he could say more, the sound of footsteps came from the room distinct clicks of high heels, unmistakably clear. Even Kal, who was now drinking water in the dining room, heard it and looked over. Well, that saved Hugo the trouble of explaining.
Uma came out holding her jacket, fully dressed. As soon as she stepped out, she saw Kal standing in the living room, then noticed Charlize at the doorway. Her gaze then landed on the luggage all around. She paused slightly before smiling and saying, "Good morning," greeting both Kal and Charlize.
Then Uma continued walking toward Hugo, placed a hand on his shoulder, gave him a polite kiss on the cheek, and smiled as she said, "Hope you have a wonderful day." After that, Uma didn't linger at all and walked straight out of the house, disappearing from everyone's sight.
The hall instantly fell silent; no one spoke. Hugo couldn't help but let out a breath. At this moment, he really didn't know what to say, should he change the subject, or directly respond to what had just happened?
"Hugo, who was that?" Kal broke the silence in the hall. "That was Uma, right? After you two met yesterday, did something else happen?" Kal immediately recognized her as the one who had such a pleasant conversation with Hugo yesterday and got excited. Yesterday, Hugo had insisted there was nothing between them, but today's scene clearly suggested otherwise, which naturally added a teasing tone to Kal's voice.
Hugo let out a long breath. "We… are friends." That was the most accurate definition. He and Uma were indeed friends. Everything that happened last night had come too quickly, and it didn't necessarily mean anything.
Charlize's gaze dimmed slightly. Although she didn't want to admit it, her true feelings still leaked through those beautiful eyes. But Charlize quickly pulled herself together. The past two months had given her enough time to prepare.
Two people who are truly suitable for each other must meet at the right time and in the right place. Maybe they were in the right place; maybe they were the right people; but the time they met wasn't right. Of course, it was also possible that neither the place nor the people were right.
Charlize took another deep breath and pulled up a faint smile. "Kal, why didn't you tell me that my new house is a shared rental with Hugo?" Especially now that she thought about how they would be living under the same roof from now on, Charlize gave herself an even sterner warning: control your heart, or you'll be the one who gets hurt. So the expression on Charlize's face became increasingly calm and indifferent.
But Hugo looked shocked when he heard that. "Shared rental?"
...
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