Hugo rubbed his eyes vigorously, yawned, and sat at the dining table in a daze. The craze for "Crimson Tide" had been intensifying recently, and his promotional schedule was becoming more packed.If the number of invitations for TV shows, radio programs, and magazine interviews indicated popularity, then Hugo felt his recent popularity must be off the charts.This was also the busiest period for Hugo in a year, even more tiring than during filming, and faint dark circles were already visible under his eyes."Move over." Charlize walked over in a hurry, patted Hugo's shoulder, motioning for him to sit up straight.Once Hugo straightened up, she went into the kitchen. "Hugo, can you spread butter on the bread for me? I'm going to be late." As she spoke, Charlize started pouring herself some coffee.Hugo watched the flustered Charlize, picked up the crusty bread from the table, tore it open, and began spreading butter inside. "Did your alarm go off too late?"Charlize had started working on the set of "Beverly Hills, 90210" this week, and her life immediately became busy, with all her time revolving around the production."No, I woke up, but I was so tired that I told myself I'd just sleep for five more minutes…" Charlize grumbled resentfully, as those five minutes in a half-asleep state in the morning often stretched beyond five minutes."When I woke up again, it was twenty minutes later.""You should be grateful you at least got up, and not an hour later." Hugo chuckled.He hadn't had a good night's sleep for two consecutive weeks, to the point where his body clock had adjusted.Yesterday, he recorded a late-night radio show and didn't get home until two in the morning, only to wake up promptly at six."I hate you." Charlize picked up a piece of crusty bread from the table and threw it directly at Hugo, making him snicker where he sat.She picked up the freshly poured coffee and took a sip, her entire face contorting. "Hugo Lancaster! You brewed Kilimanjaro again!"Hugo had recently found a type of coffee bean from the Kilimanjaro region at the Intellectual Coffee House.This coffee was a premium bean, with a rich aroma and prominent acidity, and especially after deep roasting, it produced a soft bitterness, making it very suitable for blending coffee.But the problem was that Hugo wasn't making a blend; he was making pure Kilimanjaro coffee, which made the coffee very acidic and astringent, sending a jolt through you with every sip."Didn't you see the sugar bowl, honey, and milk on the table?" Hugo wasn't a fan of black coffee either; he just liked the soft bitterness of Kilimanjaro coffee, which tasted very delicate when savored after adding honey."I told you, I need a pick-me-up recently. Without this cup of coffee, I'd probably fall asleep halfway through recording the show."Charlize took the buttered bread from Hugo's hand, took a big bite, and forced down the coffee in her mouth.She walked over to the dining table and added honey and cream to her cup, complaining, "But I don't have enough time!"Yet, she couldn't bear to pour out the coffee; as Hugo said, she also needed this coffee to perk her up, otherwise, filming without energy would be disastrous."Late, late, late!" Alex burst out of his room in one go, as if on fire wheels, rushing all the way to the kitchen."Coffee, coffee, coffee, God, where's the coffee? And bread, oh, for crying out loud, I haven't even brushed my teeth or washed my face! Breakfast, breakfast… Damn it, I'm going to be late!"Alex had no intention of waiting for an answer; he was just yelling to himself.Hugo watched Alex run over and do nothing, just buzzing around the dining room like a headless chicken."The coffee's in the kitchen, and I've prepared the bread for you." It was Hugo, usually the busiest, who was the most relaxed today."Charlize, put the coffee down, go wash up first, and remember, don't turn on the showerhead, you don't have time." Hugo looked at the two flustered people, already used to it, because he had been one of those frantic people himself a few days ago, so arranging things now was incredibly simple."Alex, go change your clothes first. Do you have an audition today?"Alex still hadn't found a job, but with Joseph and Carl, two agents, living upstairs, Alex's situation had clearly changed somewhat.Although Alex hadn't signed with Joseph or Carl yet, they would still introduce him to some audition opportunities.If an audition was successful, Alex would pay a five percent commission; otherwise, it was fine."Yes, yes, Burbank, a Fox TV series." Alex anxiously ran back towards his room, only to bump into Charlize, who was about to enter the bathroom.But they were both too used to it; they complained as they moved, one going left and the other right, disappearing down the hallway.Hugo let out a long breath, and his fatigue slowly dissipated amidst the aroma of coffee.He had no promotional schedule today, a rare day off, but watching Charlize and Alex's busyness, it presented a different kind of vibrant scene, at least better than all three of them waking up with nothing to do."Hugo, what should I wear? A suit, or jeans?" Alex ran out again wearing shorts, holding a black suit in his left hand and a plaid shirt with jeans in his right, asking."Uh… what show?" Hugo rubbed his forehead, trying to get his slightly sluggish brain to work."A sci-fi TV series, a three-million-dollar investment! The name is 'The X-Files'." Alex replied quickly.Hugo was stunned. He hadn't expected Alex's audition today to be for the classic sci-fi series "The X-Files."This was truly the first supernatural phenomenon series in American television history, creating a classic status that was almost insurmountable.Even in 2014, it was still a topic of discussion, with nine seasons filmed in total.If Alex could get a regular role in this series, that would be fantastic."Hey, Hugo!" Alex, not getting the answer he wanted, couldn't help but call out."What role are you auditioning for?" Hugo knew that this type of series, "The X-Files," should be divided into two categories.If it was an agent type, it was basically a fixed cast, and a suit was the standard attire; if it was a person involved in a case, then the types were diverse."I don't know." Alex spread his hands. "That's why I'm asking you.""A suit." Hugo said decisively. "Paired with a black tie."Alex directly threw the jeans towards the bed and started putting on the suit.Hugo scratched his head. "Hey, Alex, don't you have a black backpack with an alien print? Remember to bring it.""Bang," a muffled sound came from Alex's room.Although he didn't know what happened, Hugo felt pain because the sound was really loud, and his face involuntarily scrunched up."I'm fine, I'm fine." Alex quickly spoke up, followed by a rustling sound.Alex emerged with a black tie draped over his shoulder, fastening his pants belt quickly. "What did you say? Which backpack?"Hugo stood up and pointed to the buttered crusty bread on the table. "I'll look for it."Hugo walked into Alex's room. He remembered Alex had stuffed all those superhero items into a box on top of the cabinet.Standing on a stool, he found it as expected.Hugo rummaged out the black alien-print backpack he remembered. Actually, the craftsmanship was poor, and the quality didn't look great.It also clashed with Alex's suit, and Hugo wasn't sure if it would actually help.Although Hugo had achieved good results now, strictly speaking, he had only participated in three auditions, so his experience was not rich enough.However, Alex was auditioning for "The X-Files" today, and this backpack could at least get the interviewer and Alex to talk a few more words, which was a good thing.So Hugo came out with the backpack and waved it at Alex, who was tying his tie. "Remember to take it. You can talk to the interviewer about your views on aliens."Alex raised his chin to indicate he understood, and then Hugo shouted towards the bathroom, "Charlize, come out! You're over time!""Coming!" Charlize responded, and about twenty seconds later, she rushed out in a hurry and then walked straight to the dining room.Alex didn't need a reminder and ran towards the bathroom.When Charlize had changed her clothes and was about to leave, biting her crusty bread, Hugo stopped her. "You still have coffee stains at the corner of your mouth."Hugo pulled out two napkins, raised his hand to help Charlize clean the corner of her mouth, then handed her another napkin. "Remember to clean up after you finish the bread."Then he simply smoothed Charlize's messy hair with his fingers, waved his left hand, and said, "Go."At the same time, Alex was also mostly ready. He casually picked up the black backpack, then took a big gulp of coffee, grimacing from the bitterness, and grabbed two pieces of bread before running out.Hugo didn't even have time to check on Alex's situation, only shouting after him, "Remember to check the rearview mirror when you get in the car."Joseph walked through the front door and saw Charlize and Alex hurrying down the stairs one after the other, with Alex's echo of "Got it" still coming from the hallway.Hugo looked at Joseph and asked loudly, "Is Carl waiting downstairs?" Charlize and Alex were both going to Burbank today, and Carl would probably give them a ride.The biggest advantage of living here was its proximity to many studios, so even if they were late, there would be more leeway."He's waiting downstairs." Joseph nodded, looking at the chaotic dining table, with coffee stains everywhere, breadcrumbs scattered all over, a few tissues floating around, plus a comb, a hairdryer, and one of Alex's T-shirts.This dining table was truly spectacular. "What about you? Why are you up so early today?"Joseph also knew that Hugo had been severely sleep-deprived recently and thought Hugo would catch up on sleep.Hugo shook his head. "I just woke up when it was time."He looked back at the mess in the house. In fact, it had been like this every day recently; whoever stayed home was responsible for cleaning.Most of the time it had been Alex, but today it was Hugo's turn."Oh, by the way, let's go shopping today. A lot of things need to be replaced.""Like what?" Joseph hadn't realized.Hugo's lips curled into a wide smile; he had been looking forward to this day for a long time.
