Hugo and Uma stood side by side on the red carpet, Uma holding Hugo's arm, her gentle smile particularly striking.Her sharp attire reined in her alluring and enchanting aura, replacing it with a mysterious and composed elegance that the media had never seen from Uma before.The Uma Thurman before them greatly surprised the media reporters; they almost couldn't believe this was the Uma they knew.A trench coat perfectly accentuated Hugo's tall and elegant demeanor, and his simple yet stylish haircut fully showcased his handsome and clear-cut features.Although Hugo had chosen an outfit that surprised everyone, this casual yet languid style captivated every eye.Neither the scholarly air of "Dead Poets Society," the embarrassment of the Golden Raspberry Awards, nor the dashing charm of "Scent of a Woman" could compare to Hugo's presence today.The combination of the handsome man and beautiful woman instantly overshadowed the bustling red carpet; all the cheers and shouts, like proudly blooming epiphyllums, reached their peak in an instant, but only for Hugo and Uma.In the eyes of the media, the handsome and sunny Hugo was never short of gossip and scandals.From the time of "Dune," he was rumored to be romantically involved with his co-star Virginia Madsen, though at the time, neither of them was well-known, so it didn't attract much attention.Afterward, Hugo's intermittent scandals never ceased; last year, after "Hudson Hawk," the love-hate relationship between Hugo and the famous producer Tracy was definitely one of the most talked-about scandals in the industry.The problem was that Hugo had never truly acknowledged any of these rumors, so they remained just rumors and were never officially confirmed.However, today's situation seemed a bit different.Rumors about Hugo and Uma had been circulating wildly since the beginning of the year.Although neither party had admitted anything, no one had forgotten Uma's astonishing kiss at the premiere of "Final Analysis."And now, Hugo was attending the premiere of "A Few Good Men" with Uma, which was almost tantamount to admitting they were dating.Generally speaking, when a man brings a female companion to a premiere, she could be a co-star from the same movie, a family member, or a girlfriend he is currently dating.Clearly, Uma neither appeared in "A Few Good Men" nor was she Hugo's family, so the most likely possibility was that she was his dating partner."Hugo, Uma, are you two dating?"Reporters' shouts surged from all directions, calls rising and falling, mixed with the screams of fans on both sides, making it even harder to distinguish the source of the voices.However, even if they couldn't hear clearly, it didn't prevent reporters from expressing their meaning clearly; everyone's primary focus was this question.Hugo and Uma, who had only walked half the red carpet, were stopped by the escalating questions from reporters.If they gave an answer, it was likely the reporters wouldn't let them go.So, they stopped, exchanged a smile, and then Uma shook her head, "No, we are not a couple."Uma's answer noticeably slowed the frequency of camera flashes; everyone wanted to focus on their response immediately, but they hadn't expected Uma to deny the reporters' question.This… this felt a bit like talking nonsense with eyes wide open.Fortunately, Uma immediately followed up with an explanation, "Hugo and I are friends.Yes, we have indeed had dinner a few times and met privately a few times."As Uma spoke, she looked at Hugo, smiling and giving him an inquiring glance, as if seeking his approval.Indeed, she saw Hugo smile and nod."However, I am only here today at the premiere as a female friend, to show support for Hugo's new movie."At this point, Uma had shed her initial nervousness; having calmed down, the outline of her bold and resolute personality gradually emerged, skillfully managing the atmosphere of the scene.Upon hearing Uma's answer, the reporters generally grasped the gist but were still unsure.Since the parties involved were right there, they naturally didn't need to ponder much and directly turned their attention to Hugo, who stood beside her, hoping he could provide a clear answer.Hugo still had a smile on his face, but he didn't answer immediately.Instead, he pointed to the cameras in the reporters' hands, "Are you sure it's okay for me to stand here and answer questions?"This immediately brought all the noisy reporters to a halt.Taking photos and conducting interviews on the red carpet has its techniques, generally divided into two parts.The first half primarily focuses on documenting the red carpet, with reporters also conducting some impromptu interviews, but most of these are just casual chats to build rapport, or informal conversations like "How are you feeling today?"The main focus is still brief discussions that extend slightly from the red carpet itself.The second half has a dedicated photo area, typically with a backdrop provided by the organizers, featuring logos for film festivals or movie posters for premieres.After taking fixed-point photos in this area, reporters' interviews become more in-depth.During interviews conducted here, reporters will extend a large number of microphones forward; these are not live loudspeakers but microphones connected to cameras or recorders, allowing them to record the interview responses for use when writing their articles later.Of course, red carpets for major award ceremonies like the Oscars also feature red carpet hosts who conduct impromptu interviews with actors.However, these interviews are for television broadcast and are a separate segment, primarily focusing on topics such as guests' attire, mood, and expectations.Hugo and Uma were currently standing on the red carpet, in the first half of the event.Reporters had no audio recordings of their answers and could only rely on their memory.Moreover, once Hugo and Uma reached the photo area, they would inevitably have to answer the reporters' questions again.This is why Hugo asked, leaving the reporters stunned: everyone was too eager and had forgotten this detail.Hugo's words made Uma chuckle, and even other reporters nearby found it quite absurd, displaying embarrassed smiles.However, Hugo didn't let the situation continue and immediately added, "Yes, we are friends."Hugo glanced at Uma after speaking, and both couldn't help but burst into laughter.Hugo then explained, "Perhaps a bit more familiar than ordinary friends.Yes, that's it."The reporters immediately understood what Hugo and Uma meant.In fact, relationships between men and women are very complex, with many interpretations and definitions.Dating is one of them; in short, it means both parties have a mutual attraction and decide to give each other a chance, meet, go on dates, and then seek further development.If it works out, they become a couple; if they don't find a connection, they go their separate ways.And Hugo and Uma, clearly, were in this type of relationship.But then the questions immediately came again: How far had Hugo and Uma's relationship progressed?Did it start in March?How many times had they dated, and how did it go?Does attending the premiere together today mean they are just one step away from being a couple?If they were to ask, the questions would certainly come one after another.This was not only a professional habit of reporters but also the innate curiosity and gossip of ordinary people.However, they were constrained by the lack of recording equipment, and Hugo's earlier reminder was very valid.So, the reporters on both sides of the red carpet were literally stuck in place, brimming with questions they wanted to ask but couldn't voice.This feeling was truly excruciating.Then the reporters watched as Hugo and Uma, with smiles of "mission accomplished," resumed their walk towards the photo area at the end of the red carpet.Putting aside the tantalizing rumors, Hugo and Uma's styling today was absolutely captivating, perfectly fitting the film's theme and adding much vibrancy to the red carpet, making them the most striking sight of the evening.Therefore, the photo session lasted for quite a while.For a full three minutes, the photographers kept chanting, "Hugo, over here," "Uma, Uma," "Look here, look here," "Smile, smile…"Hugo felt his facial muscles were about to stiffen; he was still not very accustomed to such occasions, clearly not yet fully practiced.After the photoshoot finally ended, the reporters eagerly began asking questions.Hugo and Uma repeated their earlier statements from the first half of the red carpet.When faced with further questions from reporters, Uma took the lead, "So what do you all want to know?Although Hugo and I are very good friends, I don't think he, as the protagonist today, would be smiling if his focus was blurred."The subtext of her words was: We are friends, that relationship has been made clear enough, so please stop.It must be said that Uma's personality was still very tomboyish; her outspoken and decisive attitude made the media reporters smile wryly.Hugo, standing beside her, also very cooperatively put on an angry expression, "Don't you all feel that Jack, Rob, and the others are already getting angry?Today is the premiere of 'A Few Good Men,' and I think it's most important to keep the focus on the movie, otherwise, I'll be in a dilemma the next time I attend a premiere."Hugo even dragged Jack Nicholson and others standing nearby into it.However, the neglected Demi Moore and Bruce Willis clearly looked displeased.They were supposed to be the most prominent couple on the red carpet today, but who knew Hugo would show up with Uma?This exciting, rumored scandal easily captured the attention of all reporters.It was imaginable that tomorrow's front pages of various newspapers and magazines would definitely feature Hugo and Uma prominently.This certainly achieved Paramount Pictures' publicity goals, but it was not good news for Demi.Indeed, after hearing Hugo's words, the reporters' keen news instincts immediately caught a crucial piece of information.Nicholas McClaren from the "Los Angeles Times" immediately shouted, "Hugo, I heard that your relationship with Demi was always bad during filming.Is that really the case?You haven't interacted with Demi at all since you arrived today!"
