"Still nervous?" Joseph looked at Hugo, who was adjusting his breathing in front of him, and couldn't help but find it a bit funny. "This isn't your first movie, why are you so nervous?"For the past two weeks, Hugo had been in a state of anxiety, even being teased by Charlize as having "his period," a situation that Joseph found quite amusing."This is my first movie!" Hugo wanted to say that, but he couldn't, so he let out a long sigh. "If you had experienced the miserable failure of your last movie, then gone eight consecutive months without getting any work, and also found yourself mired in a whole heap of trouble, then you would be able to understand how I'm feeling right now."The smile on Joseph's face faded. He had been with Hugo through everything over the past year or so, and no one knew better than him exactly what Hugo had gone through.Moreover, over the past six months, Hugo had successfully kicked his drug addiction, and the withdrawal symptoms had completely disappeared. Watching Hugo take every step, Joseph knew just how difficult it had been for him."Sorry." Joseph couldn't ignore Hugo's mood and apologized in a low voice.Hugo pulled at the corners of his mouth, revealing a dry smile. "No need. If you have any energy to spare, just pray with me that the movie will be a success."Although after transmigrating, Hugo believed he had regained his opportunity, whether it was a mule or a horse, today, after taking it out for a spin, the truth would be revealed.This time, it wasn't just the film crew judging him, but hundreds and thousands of audience members, as well as the super difficult and picky film critics.Watching Hugo's smile, Joseph also relaxed. He raised his right hand, crossing his index and middle fingers, signaling that he had already started praying, which made Hugo chuckle.The rented black sedan stopped at the beginning of the red carpet in front of the Fox Theater. The side door was opened by a security guard responsible for maintaining order. Hugo took one last deep breath and then stepped out of the car.Although this was Hugo's second time coming to the Fox Theater to attend a premiere, his mindset and the atmosphere today were completely different from half a year ago for the last analysis.As soon as his feet touched the red carpet, Hugo felt the bright red color on the ground wrap around his soles like a scorching flame, then slowly rise up. The thumping sound of his heartbeat pounded against his eardrums, making Hugo feel as if the blood throughout his entire body was starting to speed up, and the muscles in his temples and back instantly tensed up.Hugo looked up at the crowd on both sides. It wasn't a large group, probably about a hundred people, but these people were looking at Hugo with anticipation and longing in their eyes. Those pairs of shining eyes instantly lit up the pitch-black night.Only then did Hugo realize: This was his own movie premiere! It wasn't someone else's; the protagonist was himself! The nervousness dissolved and disintegrated in that scorching light. The corners of Hugo's mouth lifted into a large arc, and his smile bloomed just like that."Hugo! Look here!", "Hey, hey, Hugo Lancaster!", "Here, here, here...", "Smile, give me a smile!", "Come over, come over!"... The reporters stood on the left side of the red carpet, constantly raising their voices, trying every method to attract Hugo's attention. Some even kept raising their hands and jumping in place, hoping in this way to make Hugo look toward their lenses to capture the perfect photo."Hugo! I love you!", "Hugo, you're the best!", "You're really outstanding!"... Although the gathered fans weren't numerous, and the screams and shouts weren't loud—"noisy" would be a more accurate description—at least, these people had all come specifically for Hugo. Regardless of Hugo's current situation, and regardless of whether their support for Hugo was because of his appearance or his acting skills, being able to show their support during Hugo's low point was especially rare.By this time, Joseph had also stepped down. Today was the premiere of Hugo's own movie, so Joseph had also earned the qualification to walk the red carpet. Joseph was not a public figure, so his mindset was clearly much calmer. Seeing Hugo standing still, Joseph patted Hugo on the shoulder, bringing him back to his senses.After hesitating for a moment, Hugo walked toward the fans on the right. He reached out his right hand, somewhat awkwardly and hesitantly. The few young people standing at the very front immediately reached out their hands and firmly grasped Hugo's right hand. The warm temperature of their palms made Hugo feel so real."Hugo, believe me, you will be successful, you definitely will! You are the best." The little girl standing in the very center was only five feet four inches (1.62 meters) tall, looking very petite. Everyone around her seemed to be crowding her in the center, as if they would swallow her up at any moment. But she stubbornly straightened her back, stood on tiptoes, and used those vibrant eyes to convey her determination to Hugo.Hugo's gaze involuntarily lingered on the girl, because her determination reminded him of Alex. Before leaving today, Alex had blessed Hugo with that same determined look; he even had more confidence than Hugo himself."Thank you." Hugo not only didn't withdraw his right hand, but instead took a step forward. Fortunately, he wasn't some top superstar yet, otherwise fans from all directions would have swarmed over. This action of Hugo's didn't cause much of a chain reaction; in fact, Hugo was even able to raise his voice and ask a question, "What's your name?""Meredith Morris." The little girl was immediately excited by Hugo's question and shouted her name excitedly. That sharp voice seemed a bit abrupt amidst the surrounding noise, but it made Hugo chuckle.Although Hugo knew that the other person supported him not because of his efforts, but because of his predecessor—the same as with Alex—knowing that someone in this world supported him so much felt really good. So, Hugo leaned forward and gave Meredith a hug. "I hope you like the movie."Meredith's body stiffened instantly. She could even see Hugo's handsome face approaching her bit by bit, breathing in the scent of the peppermint body wash on Hugo, causing Meredith's heart to freeze in that instant. By the time she came to her senses, Hugo had already turned and walked away toward the reporters. Watching Hugo's tall, slender figure, Meredith was a bit dazed.Today, Hugo didn't choose formal wear but a young person's casual look: a large plaid shirt in blue, red, and purple; black straight-leg jeans with the cuffs rolled up, revealing the cyan-blue lining inside; shoes were a pair of bright blue low-top canvas sneakers; and finally, he wore a light gray casual blazer.Such a Hugo had no sense of distance, looking just like a young man you might run into on the street at any time. But his handsome face and brilliant smile made Hugo exude the scent of sunshine; no one was willing to take their eyes off him. His broad shoulders combined with his perfectly curved chest, and his long, powerful legs flattered his well-proportioned figure. Whether standing or walking, he had an elegant, independent beauty in his lines. He didn't need any additional accessories to assist him; he was like a perfect sculpture, like a magnet, easily gathering all eyes upon himself.Meredith clenched her hand; the temperature of Hugo's palm still remained in hers, warm, making her heart pound like a little deer jumping around."Hugo, what do you have to say about the filming experience of this movie?" Standing in front of the reporters' microphones, Hugo was being interviewed. Such conventional topics were still quite common, especially given that Hugo hadn't had any news breaking recently, so the reporters were also relatively well-behaved."I must say this was a very pleasant and magical experience. Working with Martin was very smooth, and acting opposite Al, you know, I learned a lot, a lot of things. I really hope I'll have the chance to continue working with them." Hugo was speaking the truth; this was his genuine feeling during the filming of scent of a woman. However, to the reporters' ears, this was just polite, official, scripted talk, with not much information worth investigating."Then what are your expectations for the movie's prospects? This is the first work you've taken on since receiving the Golden Raspberry Awards; is there a lot of pressure on your shoulders?" This question was slightly sharp; in fact, it could also be considered a trap. If Hugo didn't answer well, it would imply dissatisfaction with the previous hudson hawk crew, which might trigger a potential war of words.However, Hugo, this newbie, naturally didn't think that much. He just answered matter-of-factly, "I am nervous, and I am also under a lot of pressure. After all, I don't know if I can represent the audience. I like this movie, so I hope the audience will like it too. Walk into the movie theater and enjoy the process of watching the movie."Hugo's answer wasn't conventional, but he didn't fall into the trap either. The reporters were keen to dig up some more gossip, but unfortunately, the interview on the red carpet was just too short. Soon, Hugo was pulled by Joseph into the Fox Theater.In fact, the premiere of scent of a woman wasn't very formal. Although the ceremony was held at the Fox Theater, because the movie was only being shown in twenty theaters during the first week, the scale of the release wasn't large to begin with. Compared to the promotional effect, the premiere ceremony was more like a ritual. After passing through this ceremony, the audience who were fortunate enough to be at the scene and enter the theater to watch the movie for the first time began to enter the interior of the theater one after another.Al, who came walking towards him, gave Hugo a hug directly, saying with a smile on his face, "I heard everything from Jack, your performance was outstanding."Hugo chuckled, his expression looking very pleased. Although it had been a few months since a few good men wrapped up, the feeling of exhilaration from the breakthrough in acting skills still hadn't completely disappeared. "I've always been working hard.""Rest assured, after our movie is released, everyone will see your performance." Al said quite affirmatively, but Hugo laughed. "Al, you are the one!" scent of a woman could be said to be the big stage for Al's acting explosion; the focus naturally wouldn't be on Hugo.Facing Hugo's compliment, Al didn't decline but laughed heartily and accepted this statement.The movie was about to begin. Compared to the version of scent of a woman in Hugo's memory, how would this version, now with Hugo joining the performance, turn out?
