"Joseph, don't you think all of this is just too incredible?" Hugo looked at the group of fans behind the car who kept screaming at him. After the radio recording ended, these fans were still waiting at the door, surrounding Hugo and Joseph once again.This time, Hugo didn't sign any autographs; instead, he hugged every single person present—truly every single person, including the four security guards who had been working hard—before leaving with a joyful mood.Although time travel was the most bizarre event of all, and over the past half-year Hugo had experienced many magical events, such as acting opposite Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson, appearing on the big screen as part of scent of a woman, and having the song he adapted become the movie theme for a few good men...Every one of these things made Hugo feel like he was in a dream. In the middle of the night, he would still have a big question mark, asking himself if it was all real. But today's events still left Hugo dumbfounded.Imagine having a group of fans swarming you, screaming and shouting at you. This kind of scene was something the Glory to Death Band had once fantasized about, but after ten years of effort, they had never been able to achieve it. And since arriving in Los Angeles in January 1992, Hugo had never experienced it either.But overnight, everything suddenly came rushing at him. Hugo didn't seem to be mentally prepared enough and was hit by this kind of madness.Watching the joy on Hugo's face sparkling like sunlight dancing on the crest of a wave, Joseph's mood couldn't help but brighten—Hugo seemed to have that ability to infect others with his smile. "No, I don't think so.""Why, why?" Hugo, sitting in the passenger seat, was so excited he wanted to stand up, but was immediately pulled back to his seat by the tension of the seatbelt. Only then did he realize he was restrained by it. "Didn't you see it just now? So many people were screaming for me, cheering for me. This, this is just too amazing."Hugo couldn't help but wave his hands, as if holding a beloved lollipop, dancing around like a three-year-old child.This experience was different from the feeling of meeting idols on set. The joy of participating in scent of a woman and a few good men, or the excitement of seeing Al and Jack—the cheers from the fans made Hugo truly feel what so-called popularity was. It was a different experience from box office numbers or reviews. Hugo could even clearly feel his skin heating up slightly from the surrounding shouts.Watching the childlike Hugo, the smile on Joseph's face could no longer be suppressed and bloomed as well. "I don't think so, that's because this is nothing at all. This is just the beginning."To be honest, having thirty fans swarming him was not much of a scale at all. For every recording session of a real A-list star, if there weren't hundreds of people, the agent would be embarrassed to send out a press release."Joseph, don't be too greedy." Hugo laughed heartily, the smile between his brows like specks of starlight scattered in his eyes and at the corners of his mouth.Hugo, of course, knew that this was just the beginning. A few fans might be nothing to others, but for Hugo, it was the first step he had dreamed of.He had waited for this support for too long, so long that he couldn't control the joy in his heart, which erupted like a volcano. However, he had to enjoy this joy alone; his partners from the Glory to Death Band were no longer around.Thinking of this, Hugo's smile couldn't help but fade, and he looked out the window at the still-unfamiliar city landscape, quietening down.Joseph quickly noticed Hugo's anomaly. He thought he had dampened Hugo's enthusiasm, so he coughed lightly and quickly explained, "I mean, there is still a long road ahead, and we must continue to work hard."Hugo was drawn by Joseph's voice, looking at his agent who was focused on driving, though Joseph's peripheral vision was still focused on him.Hugo realized that although his partners from the Glory to Death Band were not by his side to share this joy, he now had Joseph accompanying him along the way. This was the starting point of a brand-new life, and he didn't need to keep clinging to the past.So Hugo smiled again, "Yes, there is still a very, very long road ahead."Joseph soon drove back to Sunset Plaza. Hugo pointed to the vegetable shop not far away, "Drop me off at David's; I'm going to buy some ingredients for dinner.""I'm going to get gas," Joseph said casually. Seeing Hugo open the car door and get out, Joseph suddenly remembered something and called out, "Did you bring your wallet?"Hugo leaned against the passenger door, lowered his head, and while patting his pockets, said, "Of course..." But halfway through his sentence, he realized his pockets were empty, mainly because he had left his wallet with Joseph for the recording of the show. "Oh, I forgot."Joseph was already used to Hugo's forgetfulness. He pointed to the back seat, indicating that Hugo's wallet was in the back.Hugo closed the passenger door, went to the back seat, opened the door, rummaged around, and after finding his wallet, said with a chuckle, "Here it is." Then he left the car, closed the door, patted the roof, and said, "Off you go!"After watching Joseph drive away, Hugo walked toward Charles's Vegetable Shop, stood in front of the shelves at the entrance, and began to pick out items, calling out, "David, what vegetables are fresh today?"The owner of this shop was David Charles. Hugo had lived here for a few months and was gradually getting familiar with the surrounding environment."Oh, Hugo, Hugo... what a lovely, handsome young man." An enthusiastic middle-aged woman walked over and gave Hugo a big hug. Hugo recognized this lady; she was a housewife who lived on the opposite block. Usually, they would just nod and smile when they met, but today she was clearly much more enthusiastic."Mrs. Berman, your enthusiasm has scared Hugo." David, sporting a large beer belly, strolled out, saying with a beaming smile. Hugo immediately cast a puzzled look at David. David chuckled out loud, "Mrs. Berman went to see a movie at the cinema yesterday."Although he didn't say what movie it was, it was clearly scent of a woman.Sure enough, Mrs. Berman immediately chuckled, "Good boy, your performance in the movie was truly wonderful, it even made my heart flutter."Mrs. Berman reached out and gently patted Hugo's cheek, which made Hugo a bit embarrassed. He didn't know if he should dodge, because Mrs. Berman looked to be in her forties, not yet old enough to be a mother figure, and this way of interacting was truly a bit strange. "Look at those moving eyes; if I were a few years younger, I would have fallen for you too."This was the most common compliment Hugo had heard today. Many people expressed that Hugo's clear eyes were very charming, especially in that confrontation scene with Al, where they were even more soul-stirring."Haha, it is my honor that you like this movie. At least it shows that my work on set was not in vain." Hugo responded with a chuckle."Mrs. Berman, I think you should go home; look at how you've scared Hugo." David seemed very familiar with Mrs. Berman and teased her with a chuckle.This immediately made Mrs. Berman look surprised, but she immediately laughed, "This is exactly like Charlie." After saying that, she picked up a bag of vegetables and prepared to leave, but just before leaving, she actually patted Hugo's butt, which immediately gave Hugo a fright. Seeing Hugo's shocked expression, both Mrs. Berman and David laughed uncharitably."There have been quite a few people asking about you in the shop these past two days." David walked out and stood beside Hugo. "How come I didn't realize you were an Actor before?" This sentence immediately stunned Hugo, but David then laughed heartily, "Now you look like an Actor."Hugo immediately understood that David was joking with him, but it was also a fact. From hudson hawk to scent of a woman, over this long period, Hugo indeed didn't look like an Actor, but rather like an idler wandering around with nothing to do."Today's tomatoes are very good, and the lettuce is also very fresh." David picked out fresh vegetables from the shelf, answering Hugo's initial question and introducing today's vegetables to him. "What are you planning to make for dinner?"Hugo shook his head, "I forgot to check the fridge." Hugo picked up a tomato, put it under his nose, and smelled it; a fresh scent hit him. "Then give me four tomatoes, and a head of lettuce. Oh, right, give me five lemons too.""The lemons aren't very fresh today; how about you take oranges instead?" David picked up a paper bag and began to pack the vegetables according to Hugo's instructions."Sure, oranges it is." Hugo nodded, his eyes still wandering over the nearby vegetables to see if there was anything else to buy."Hey, Ernst, need any help?" David's voice made Hugo look up. He saw someone walking out of the shop. Before he even saw the person, he saw a huge, dark brown paper bag bulging and stuffed with things. Then he saw an elderly man over seventy walking out with steady, solid steps. However, there were so many things in the paper bag that they almost blocked the old man's view. The old man was clearly struggling to carry such a heavy paper bag.Hugo patted David on the shoulder, signaling him to let him handle it, and then walked up. "Ernst, out shopping today? I happen to be on my way home, so I can be your free labor." This old man was a tenant living on the second floor of Hugo's building and could be considered a familiar neighbor.However, it was clear that the old man had a very stubborn temper. "Don't! I'm not so old that I can't even carry a bag of potatoes." The old man didn't even look at Hugo and David, walking straight ahead. "I can do it myself. You shouldn't always look at me with strange eyes; that's not a good habit. People these days really have no sense..." He grumbled and left without looking back, leaving Hugo and David standing there, looking at each other.
