The roads in Los Angeles were very clear late at night, which reminded Hugo of his days filming in New York.New York was a city that never slept; even in the dead of night, there were still many vehicles on the roads.However, Los Angeles seemed to gradually quiet down after eight o'clock, and except for a few of the busiest areas, darkness meant the city also went to sleep.Of course, the nightlife in Los Angeles was just as rich and colorful; even without bright lights, there were still hidden forms of entertainment in the dark.Hugo quickly arrived at Sunset Plaza.After exchanging contact information with Pedro and Neil, he got out of the car first.Walking back home up a small hill, Hugo looked at the lights in his house and found it very strange that the lights on the third floor were off, while the lights on the fourth floor were on.Could it be that only Joseph was home, and Alex, Uma, and Carl were still at work?Uma and Carl were understandable, but Alex only went for an interview, so why hadn't he returned so late, or had Alex also gone out to enjoy the nightlife?Hugo walked towards his home, his mind racing with wild thoughts.Since Ernst on the second floor went to bed very early, Hugo had to lighten his steps to avoid the huge echo in the hallway from making the old man irritable again.He remembered one time Ernst got out of bed in a rage because Alex came home late with heavy footsteps, and he furiously knocked on the third-floor door, giving Hugo and Alex a good scolding.Actually, no matter how loud the sound in the hallway was, it shouldn't have affected sleep.Hugo speculated that Ernst probably had insomnia and needed to vent his emotions.After all, older people's tempers were indeed unpredictable, and he could only blame Alex for stepping on a landmine at just the wrong time.Arriving on the third floor, Hugo took out his key from his pocket, opened the door, closed it casually, skillfully placed the key in the glass bowl by the door, and then wondered where to throw his belt.His right hand subconsciously reached for the light switch in the living room, but a voice came from the direction of the dining room, "Don't turn on the light."Hugo's hand paused.Someone was home?The voice sounded familiar..."Uma?" Hugo asked tentatively, looking around the room by the moonlight.In the darkness, a candle was lit, its creamy yellow glow gently flickering in the deep blue moonlight.Another candle, and soon a candelabra was lit, and behind its halo, Hugo saw Uma's mysterious and charming face."Uma, what are you doing here?" Hugo truly hadn't expected it, as there had been no signs whatsoever before.Although Hugo had the day off today and no schedule, he had planned to go shopping early, so he hadn't made plans with Uma.He hadn't expected the shopping to finish in the morning, and then Hugo decided to go to Rock Night, only just returning now.Uma stood in front of the dining table, her smile slowly blossoming like jasmine in the candlelight."This isn't the conversation I was expecting."Hugo then noticed Uma's attire: a white V-neck evening gown that perfectly showcased her beautiful collarbones and graceful bustline.A wide, diamond-studded belt cinched her waist tightly, revealing a clearly slender, graspable waist.Her soft blonde hair was casually and languidly draped over her shoulders, like a kitten that had just woken up, possessing a hazy yet sensual allure.Then Hugo saw the neatly arranged cutlery on the dining table, with prepared dishes on it.From a distance, it looked like seafood pasta.Clearly, Uma had specifically waited for Hugo at home and had even specially arranged this candlelight dinner.But unfortunately, Hugo had gone to Rock Night, leaving Uma to wait all evening.A wave of guilt immediately surged through him."Oh, I'm sorry, I... I really didn't know... I'm sorry, truly sorry." Hugo quickly walked over, profusely apologizing.Uma glanced at Hugo from the corner of her eye.Emotions of resentment, pity, and loneliness swept across her shallow gaze like a wisp of smoke, then receded completely.She turned to look at Hugo, who had walked up to her, and gently shook her head."No, it's my fault.I didn't investigate the situation beforehand when planning a surprise.You can't be blamed for this.At least, I should have asked Joseph in advance."Hugo gently wrapped his arm around Uma's waist, looking deeply into her eyes.Her face, bathed in the creamy yellow candlelight, appeared even softer, with a charm that stretched from her eyebrows to the corners of her eyes, stirring something in his heart.Seeing Hugo open his mouth to say something, Uma quickly stopped him."Actually, when I came over this afternoon, Joseph told me you had gone to Rock Night."Uma spoke of her plans for the day."I originally wanted to give you a surprise, make you a dinner, and comfort you for your hard work promoting the movie recently.Unfortunately, I missed it.But I thought you'd always come back for dinner, so I temporarily changed my plan, begged Alex to go rest on the fourth floor, and then waited here for you to come back so we could enjoy a candlelight dinner together.It's just...""It's just that you didn't expect me to come back so late, right?" Hugo chuckled, taking over the conversation, then gently pinched Uma's nose with his right hand."Silly goose, since it's a party, I naturally wouldn't come back early.It's even possible I wouldn't return until two or three in the morning.Why didn't you call me?Joseph didn't tell you I bought a cell phone."Uma slightly lifted her chin, freed herself from Hugo's fingers, then gently bit Hugo's right index finger, applied a little pressure, and then released it, whispering, "You didn't take it with you."Hugo couldn't help but laugh.He still wasn't used to taking his cell phone with him when he went out today.It seemed that his habits had gradually formed over the past year, unlike before his transmigration when he had to check for his phone and keys before leaving."I wonder who the silly goose is," Uma said resentfully, biting Hugo's finger again.Hugo didn't cry out in pain, just chuckled as he looked at Uma.Only after Uma had finished venting and released his finger did Hugo look at his index finger, which bore tooth marks, with tiny beads of blood seeping around them.Actually, Uma hadn't used much force at first, but when she saw Hugo's calm expression and thought of her long wait that evening, she pressed harder and harder.As a result, she couldn't control her strength, and it ended up like this.Uma followed Hugo's gaze to the blood-beaded index finger, then raised her eyes and met Hugo's gaze without backing down.Looking at Uma before him, her emerald-like eyes fixed on him motionlessly, her originally somewhat sharp facial features softened by the creamy yellow candlelight.The focus and depth in her eyes tightly gripped Hugo's heart.His heartbeat, a thumping rhythm, gradually began to quicken, and the pain in his index finger further reminded Hugo of the reality of it all.This was the first time Hugo confirmed that his heart beat for Uma.Regardless of whether his previous self had left any influence, Hugo could now be very certain that he had fallen for Uma.Not just because of tonight's dinner, but also because of Uma's willingness to wait for him, her intention to cook for him, and her fiery, straightforward personality, as well as the comfort they shared when together.Love can have many, many reasons, but it can also have no reason at all, and tonight, Hugo's heart was stirred.Hugo slowly lowered his head and kissed Uma's lips.Her dry lips, moistened by saliva, immediately softened.Their lips and tongues explored each other, the air in their chests gradually squeezed out until there was almost none left.Only then did they separate, looking at each other through the hazy glow, their eyes fixed on each other, trying to find their own reflection in the other's pupils, and then through the pupils, enter that unfathomable inner world.The sound of their heartbeats suddenly amplified, the "thump thump thump" causing a strange dryness in their mouths.Uma read desire in Hugo's eyes, but she still retained a shred of rationality."Your hand..." Although she had stubbornly refused to admit it just now, Uma knew she had used too much force.An internal pang reminded her: this man wasn't worried about himself, so she had to worry about his wound."It's fine," Hugo's rich voice rumbled softly, like the sound of a cello, or the aroma of aged red wine, intoxicating.But this deep voice was also mixed with a hint of hoarseness, and that faint desire began to slowly emerge in the trailing notes.Uma felt her breathing quicken, and the scorching heat made her blush.Several times her gaze tried to escape Hugo's burning eyes, but after struggling and hesitating, she ultimately refused to surrender and refused to look away.She could only barely manage to hold on, "Then... then dinner...I prepared for a long time tonight..."Hugo's lips, however, curved into an arc, unlike his usual sunny brightness, and unlike his consistent gentleness and warmth.Instead, it was like a king of the night, full of wicked charm.Perhaps every man has a wolf dwelling within him, a lone wolf king of the darkness, who awakens at the appropriate moment to display his dominance.Hugo slowly leaned closer to Uma's face.His forehead lightly touched Uma's forehead, the scorching temperature making both of them tremble slightly.Then Hugo gently brushed past, leaning close to Uma's ear, his hot breath fanning her shoulder, causing her body temperature to steadily rise.Then Uma heard Hugo's seductive voice say, "Dinner, no rush..." Just two phrases, and Uma's heart instantly stopped.Suddenly, Uma felt herself lifted into the air.It was Hugo who had picked her up by the waist.Uma instinctively wrapped her arms around Hugo's neck, feeling the strength of the man's chest and arms completely envelop her.Moonlight spilled across the ground, candlelight flickered gently, and the night was so enchanting.
