Looking at the long string of zeros on his bankbook, Hugo sighed, realizing he was a millionaire. It all seemed too easy, and a million dollars didn't quite feel real just looking at the number; perhaps it would feel real if he withdrew it all and piled it up at home. But Hugo wouldn't have that chance, as he quickly transferred the money to Joseph's account, leaving Hugo with less than two hundred thousand dollars in his own account."Oh!" Hugo let out an exaggerated cry to express his heartache. He had agreed to help Joseph quickly enough, but only now did he realize that this was truly a very, very large sum of money.Although he didn't know exactly what had happened with Joseph's family, he could tell Joseph was anxious. Thinking about his own family's situation, Hugo felt a sense of relief. At least the Lancaster family had been peaceful over the past year—not exactly warm, but not worsening either.Thanksgiving in American movies and TV shows is basically synonymous with family trouble, and art is derived from life. American families gathering on Thanksgiving always seem to have all sorts of conflicts erupt. Even so, Thanksgiving remains a time for family gatherings. Whether you like it or care about it, at least your family members are still living healthily, which is something to be grateful for.Watching Joseph fret and run around for his family's affairs, Hugo felt Joseph's attachment to his family. This brought a touch of warmth to Hugo, and his mood, which had been low because of his father, gradually brightened along with the sunny weather in Los Angeles.The problem might not be solvable in the short term, but that didn't mean it would never be solved.Back home, Hugo surveyed the empty living room and placed his keys in the glass bowl by the door. "Alex? Charlize? Carl? Is anyone home?" Everyone had been there when he left just a moment ago; how could they all be gone after one trip to the bank?"I'm here." Charlize's voice came muffled from inside the room. "You're back?" The door to Charlize's room was tightly shut. Hugo could imagine her standing inside, shouting, which made him chuckle. This woman was really nothing like a typical woman.Before Hugo could even sit down, the door swung wide open. Charlize walked out with her head down, tidying her clothes, and asked, "Did you have an emergency when you rushed out earlier? I wanted you to buy some milk, but you just left."Hugo didn't answer immediately, staring dumbfounded at Charlize. She had blackened her cheeks, and quite evenly at that, creating a dirty effect over a light gray base. She was wearing khaki cargo pants and a white T-shirt, but the problem was that the clothes looked as if they had been rolled in dirt several times. She looked exactly like a homeless person on the street.When she didn't get an answer, Charlize naturally looked up and immediately saw Hugo's surprised expression. "What's wrong?""Did you just go rummaging through a dumpster for dinner?" Hugo finally regained his senses and blurted out.Charlize rolled her eyes at him directly. "Yes, specifically for you." She straightened her clothes a bit and looked up at Hugo. "How is it? Are there any flaws? I need to play a homeless person."Hugo finally understood. He looked her up and down, then pointed to her collarbone area. "The color here still has a discrepancy with your neck." He then pointed to her palms and wrists. "Also, a homeless person's fingernails would be darker, with a lot of grime, and the black on the wrists should be more uneven."Role-playing is a very important part of acting training. Although there are professional makeup artists on set, during the learning process, one must have more control over details like makeup and costumes. An excellent Actor must have enough knowledge of these aspects; even if there are professionals to provide services on set, the Actor can still have an accurate grasp of the role from these details.Although Hugo wasn't professionally trained, in the ten years before his transmigration, he had studied countless movies. Plus, in the last six months, he had been studying acting with Charlize and Alex, beginning to systematically learn professional acting knowledge. Not to mention he had already filmed two high-level movies, so Hugo's eye had indeed improved significantly.Charlize looked at her hands. Her fingernails did indeed look too clean. She looked at her hands again and muttered gloomily, "I've been applying this for an hour, and it's still not quite right." Saying that, she turned and went back into her room to continue her makeup work.Hugo followed her to the doorway and leaned against the doorframe. "Need help?""No, the teacher said it's best to do it yourself, as makeup is also a very important part." Charlize stood in front of the full-length mirror, checking her collarbone. She pulled her T-shirt down a bit to reveal her firm, smooth skin, then unhesitatingly smeared some black powder onto this canvas."Is this for the acting assignment?" This was Hugo's only thought; otherwise, he couldn't find a reason for Charlize to be dressed as a homeless person at this moment.Charlize only spoke after she had evenly applied the color to her collarbone. "Yes. The teacher told us to choose a character and go out to the street to perform.""...You chose a homeless person?" He wasn't unfamiliar with this assignment. It was actually to cultivate an Actor's courage in front of strangers. Street performances are rich and varied; even if you just stand there doing performance art, you have to endure the gazes of passersby—attention, indifference, or even disdain. The pressure is definitely no less than being in front of a camera. Moreover, the performance presented in front of the camera in the future will have to be scrutinized by the audience. So, the street performance assignment is not uncommon in acting classes. It's just that Charlize would actually choose a homeless person was completely unexpected.Charlize nodded decisively. "Yes." Then she began to apply color to her fingers. The lines on the fingers are numerous and fine, so it's not easy to create that uneven, dirty effect of a homeless person. "I originally wanted to paint a mask, but I found I didn't have that skill. I just want to cover my face and let people focus on my body language."Charlize's appearance was simply too outstanding, often unintentionally attracting unnecessary attention, and even the acting teacher could easily get distracted. This was a huge disadvantage. In fact, Hugo had encountered this situation during the filming of "scent of a woman" and "a few good men", but Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson were experienced enough to handle it and drive Hugo's performance, thereby masking this point. No wonder they say the road to an oscar statuette for handsome men and beautiful women is full of hardships.Hearing Charlize's words, Hugo revealed a faint smile and teased, "Are you complimenting yourself on your appearance?"Charlize paused in her movements, then looked at Hugo and laughed. "Yes." She answered confidently.Hugo raised his right index finger and shook it. "Remember, don't smile." Charlize's smile immediately turned into confusion. "Your teeth." Hugo's words woke her up. Makeup is indeed not an easy task.However, a homeless person's teeth are generally yellow, and might even need some stains, but that wasn't an effect they, as amateur makeup artists, could create. So, avoiding smiling was the simplest method.Charlize restrained her smile and continued to apply color to her hands. "What about you? What are your plans for the afternoon?" In the last two days, the promotion for "scent of a woman" had neared its end, and Hugo had gradually become freer, with much more time to rest at home.Hugo hadn't originally had any plans. Looking at Charlize's appearance, he suddenly had an idea. "I can go perform on the street with you."Charlize turned her head to look Hugo up and down and curled her lip. "In that outfit? What do you want to play, a prince giving alms to a homeless person?"Although it was also makeup, this wasn't like a Halloween costume; it required a full set of equipment and matching makeup, which was obviously much more complicated. Charlize hadn't even finished in an hour, and Hugo wanted to go together on the spur of the moment; obviously, there wasn't enough time to get ready.Hugo also knew his appearance was too different from Charlize's, so he thought about it carefully and then smiled. "I have an idea. I think we can perform a short scene." Since it was street performance, some simple drama wouldn't hurt; on the contrary, it would be very helpful for acting studies."Drama?" Charlize looked at Hugo, surprised, and pondered. "Actually, I didn't have a detailed plan originally. I just wanted to go to the street to beg, weaving a miserable backstory to see how many passersby would be willing to believe it. But do you have a better plan?"Hugo nodded repeatedly. "My plan won't conflict with yours." Although this impromptu drama wasn't perfect, the essence of street performance isn't about passing for real, but about full immersion. Even if the audience knows it's just a performance, it doesn't matter; the key is to get the audience involved in their performance. So, a little exaggeration is perfectly fine.Then Hugo whispered his plan to Charlize. After listening, Charlize frowned and said, "Is this feasible?""Why not? We were planning to practice acting anyway, and incorporating some plot helps with emotional outbursts." Hugo thought his idea was quite good. "Besides, having some interaction is much more effective than you just sitting there crying alone."Charlize didn't overthink it. "It's an acting exercise anyway; it's great that you're willing to help. Let's give it a try." She paused. "Do we need to practice beforehand?"Hugo curled his lip. "Let's improvise on the spot. Isn't our story supposed to be an accident anyway? Maybe there will be some unexpected surprises."
