On Thanksgiving Day, Hugo was woken up by Charlize in the morning and stumbled up to the fourth floor, waking Karl up as well. "Charlize said the turkey needs at least seven hours to cook, so we have to start preparing it this morning." So the two boys were essentially kitchen helpers. Hugo called out to Karl while observing the decor on the fourth floor.The decoration on the fourth floor was even simpler than on the third floor, not only because Joseph and Karl spent most of their time on the third floor, so many of the furniture they bought were placed there; but also because there was Charlize, a girl, on the third floor—although everyone usually treated her like a man, there was still a difference. However, in the corner of the fourth floor near the dining room, there was a guitar, an electronic keyboard, and a drum set, which showed some differences."Your roommate is still not here. I strongly suspect you two are filming 'Ghost'!" Hugo looked at the drum set, which was very clean, indicating that the owner often maintained it. The drumheads were covered with various graffiti, and Hugo could see skulls, totems, and other patterns, showcasing the owner's personality.Not only the drum set, but also the guitar and electronic keyboard were painted with many patterns. The most striking one was a whole red Western dragon on the side of the guitar, baring its fangs and claws, biting the nut, which was very eye-catching. It was just unknown whether these patterns were drawn by the owner himself or by a professional.From these instruments alone, the owner's presence could be felt, at least indicating that this person truly existed. But this made it even stranger that Hugo had not seen this legendary roommate in over half a year since he moved in, and neither had Charlize. Only Alex had seen him a few times, which was truly bizarre."His schedule is the opposite of ours, so it's normal that you don't see him," Karl said, not at all surprised. "Even when we're home, we don't often see him; we can only tell from the increase and decrease of food in the fridge. I talked to him once, and he said he performs at night, sometimes even traveling for performances, so he's not often at home. Besides, people who study music are not in our circle."It was precisely because this roommate was a music student that Hugo was full of curiosity; otherwise, if it were just another man, Hugo wouldn't be interested in investigating even if he didn't see him."He disappeared again yesterday, and it seems he hasn't returned yet. I don't know if he stayed out overnight or went home for Thanksgiving," Karl didn't know much about this roommate, indicating that they rarely communicated. "Let's go, let's go downstairs to help, otherwise Charlize will be calling us again."Hugo withdrew his gaze from the instruments and turned to go downstairs with Karl to help.The roasted turkey enjoyed on Thanksgiving is very troublesome to make. The initial steps, from thawing to marinating, take over twelve hours. Charlize had already taken out the turkey to thaw before going to bed last night. After waking up this morning, she started preparing the sauce, and then spent a long time basting and marinating the turkey. By the time these steps were completed, it was already 10:30 AM, and this was just the beginning.However, with three young people gathered together, chatting and preparing dinner, the atmosphere remained relaxed and lively. Compared to the awkward family gatherings on Thanksgiving, this kind of festive atmosphere was actually more enjoyable. Today, the three of them agreed that each person would make one dish, and then they would enjoy the feast together.This agreement was originally a very good idea, and Hugo fully supported it, but soon Hugo started to worry. In fact, if he were to cook Chinese cuisine, he could show off a bit, at least he wouldn't be at a loss, but when it came to Western food, he had a headache, as these were two completely different culinary systems.What was even more depressing was that this wasn't the age of the internet, where you could just search for any recipe if you didn't know it. Although Hugo had gradually gotten used to life without a phone or internet over the past six months, at this moment, he still couldn't help but grit his teeth.In desperation, Hugo chose the simplest dessert, cheesy baked mashed potatoes. There weren't too many steps; he just needed to control the oven temperature and time. As long as it didn't burn, it would be difficult to fail. Although Hugo's dish was a bit too simple compared to Charlize's roasted turkey and Karl's red wine braised lamb chops, it at least saved Hugo a lot of trouble.The sunset outside the window gradually sank, and the aroma of cooking in the dining room began to waft under their noses. Hugo cut a small portion of the roasted turkey he had made, then took some of his mashed potatoes, put them on a plate, and prepared to go downstairs. Charlize and Karl stood behind him, both looking worried. "Hugo, are you sure you want to take that down to that old man? You know, he'll absolutely not appreciate it…""Why not?" Hugo didn't think that much, his face serene. "Today is Thanksgiving, and gathering together creates a festive atmosphere. Although it's a bit impossible to invite Ernst to join us, and if he really did, Uma would probably panic," Hugo even laughed at himself, which made Charlize and Karl helpless. "But what's wrong with sharing the food we made with Ernst?" Hugo finished speaking, and as he was about to turn around, he added, "If your ghost roommate were here, I wouldn't mind him joining us either.""He's not a ghost! He's real!" Karl yelled in frustration, but Hugo had no intention of responding and simply opened the door and walked out. Karl only saw Hugo's back and muttered in annoyance, "Next time, I'll definitely make them meet."In Hugo's opinion, Ernst on the second floor was very likely celebrating Thanksgiving alone, which would be too lonely. No one likes to be lonely, especially during holidays, and especially an old man like Ernst. So, as a neighbor, merely sharing a little bit of the feast and the festive spirit was nothing. As for Ernst's terrible temper, Hugo believed a large part of it probably stemmed from the loneliness of living alone, and there was nothing to be afraid of.Hugo carried the plate to the second floor and knocked on Ernst's door. The muffled sound echoed in the hallway, but the only response was silence. After about thirty seconds, no one answered, so Hugo knocked again. However, before his hand even left the door, he heard an angry roar from inside, "Who!" It seemed Ernst was home and in good spirits, full of vigor, but just didn't want to deal with anyone."Hugo from the third floor," Hugo said, but this time it was like a stone sinking into the sea. Clearly, Ernst had no intention of responding to him, so Hugo could only continue to talk to himself, "Today is Thanksgiving, and we made some turkey. Although my cooking skills aren't great, and I'm not sure if it tastes good, I still hope we can share it, so I brought you some…""Get lost!" Ernst's temper was still volatile. He didn't even bother to open the door, just roared through it, completely rejecting Hugo's goodwill.Hugo could only sigh at the old man's bad temper, but he was clearly well-prepared mentally. "I'm just showing some neighborly goodwill…""I don't need it!" Ernst interrupted Hugo again, shouting roughly, as if speaking another word to Hugo would cause him unbearable pain. "Get out! Get out of my house, stay away from me!"Hugo, treated like a plague, was helpless. This situation was not unexpected, so Hugo did not insist further. He placed the plate at the door and said, "Alright, I understand. Anyway, sir, Happy Thanksgiving!" After saying that, Hugo turned and went back to the third floor.It wasn't until the sound of the third-floor door closing had faded in the hallway, and a good while after that, that the second-floor door finally opened. Ernst's pale head emerged from the crack in the door, looking at the steaming turkey and baked mashed potatoes on the floor by the door. He hesitated for a long time, but finally opened the door, picked up the plate, and then slowly closed the door.Back on the third floor, Hugo walked into the living room and was met with questioning glances from Charlize and Karl. Hugo shrugged, "He didn't open the door, so I left the plate outside."Charlize and Karl both gave him an "I told you so" look, which made Hugo chuckle softly and say nothing more, changing the subject. "Now it's our turn, Thanksgiving feast!" Hugo rubbed his hands together, looking at the table full of dishes, his eyes full of anticipation. "Joseph and Alex really should see this, they'd definitely regret it." Hugo showed a satisfied smile.Karl picked up a special carving knife and began to carve the turkey, then placed a large piece on the plate in front of Hugo, and filled Charlize's and his own plates. Hugo eagerly cut a small piece and put it in his mouth, chewing it carefully. This was Hugo's first proper American family holiday since he transmigrated, so he was naturally exceptionally excited.Charlize looked at Hugo expectantly, asking repeatedly, "How is it, how is it? This is my first time trying, I shouldn't have made any mistakes, right?"Hugo cleared his throat lightly, as if savoring whether the turkey was flavorful enough. "Hmm…" Hugo drew out the end of his sentence, "I think it's very good. You and Karl should try it too. It really tastes different when you make it yourself." He even showed an expression of enjoyment and continued to chew.Seeing Hugo's enjoyment, Karl and Charlize quickly stuffed turkey into their mouths, but after only two bites, Charlize couldn't hold back and spat it out directly, while Karl next to her immediately followed, coughing violently.After confirming that two more victims had been added, Hugo quickly picked up the water glass next to him and drank a large glass of water to relieve himself. His handsome eyebrows were tightly knitted together. "Charlize, did you knock over the black pepper shaker?""It's a good thing Ernst downstairs didn't eat it…" Hugo lamented.
