Hugo did not miss the glance Uma gave him before leaving. The subtle allure in her eyes wasn't deliberate; it was more like ripples from the depths of her heart inadvertently revealed under the sunlight, making Hugo smile involuntarily. After the kiss at the last premiere and Uma's hints during their conversation today, if Hugo still didn't understand what was happening, he would be a blockhead.Hugo could feel his heart fluttering slightly. The intense physical desire made him somewhat uncomfortable. His two meetings with Uma had been unusual: the first unexpected kiss caught him off guard, and today they merely chatted briefly in such a messy situation. How could he suddenly develop feelings for her?Could it be because of his predecessor? After all, before Hugo crossed over, his predecessor had been passionately pursuing Uma. It was only his own arrival that interrupted this budding relationship. Intrigued by Hugo's sudden change in behavior, Uma seemed interested. Although she had'seen through' his supposed playing-hard-to-get tactic during their first meeting, it was clear she had feelings for his predecessor too. Otherwise, after that first unexpected encounter, she wouldn't have been so candid about her interest in him today.Hugo touched his chest. Could he still sense the genuine emotions of his predecessor? That seemed to be the only logical explanation. Subconsciously, he shook his head, trying to shake off the tingling, restless feelings in his mind. He took several deep breaths to calm his agitated heart."Hey, buddy, what's on your mind?" A voice from the left front interrupted Hugo's thoughts. Looking up toward the sunlight, he saw Carl walking straight toward him. "Was that beauty just now Uma Thurman?" Carl wore a suggestive smile, clearly hinting at the intriguing relationship between Hugo and Uma.Hugo couldn't help but laugh. "Friends, just friends.""Are you sure?" Carl's smile widened. "I was watching your conversation from over there. It didn't look like just any ordinary friendship." Though Carl didn't spell it out, his meaning was clear enough. Standing nearby, he had observed the relaxed conversation between Hugo and Uma, along with the subtle harmony surrounding them. Even as a bystander, he could see sparks flying between them.Hugo chuckled lightly, not responding to Carl's remark. Then Carl continued, "Anyway, you're single now. There's no harm in being brave and giving it a try. You and Uma seem to get along well. Or do you already have someone?" Carl asked uncertainly, "I heard from Joseph that you don't..."Carl's words made Hugo feel both amused and exasperated. Though his heart seemed to beat a little faster upon hearing them, Hugo firmly believed it was the influence of his predecessor. So, Hugo simply picked up the record player and stood up. "We can't park here. Hurry up. If you don't want a ticket, we should leave now."Carl didn't tease him further. After all, his relationship with Hugo was still casual, not close enough for unrestricted joking. In his mind, Carl replayed the scene of Hugo and Uma together and couldn't help but chuckle. He believed there was definitely something between them, but since it wasn't official yet, Hugo had brushed it off as "just friends." Carl quickly walked to the roadside, picked up the two table lamps, and headed toward the pickup truck parked not far away.Hugo and Carl worked together to load the furniture onto the pickup truck and drove home. From a distance, they saw Joseph and Alex standing at the entrance, arguing with an elderly man. Though it was called an argument, it was mostly the old man, red-faced, complaining loudly while Joseph and Alex stood there calmly without much reaction.As Hugo and Carl approached, the old man angrily strode into the building. "What happened?" Carl leaned out from the driver's seat to ask."Nothing. He said we were blocking the hallway and causing inconvenience," Joseph replied simply.Alex, standing nearby, also looked helpless. "He's an elderly man living on the second floor. Seems to live alone and always has a lot to complain about.""We have to let him voice his opinions. Besides, we were indeed blocking the hallway," Hugo said without overthinking it, smiling cheerfully. "I was wondering why you guys took so long to come over. Anyway, let's help out!"After unloading the furniture from the truck, the four of them made another trip, filling the truck with scattered items before finally wrapping up their shopping for the day.By the time they had arranged all the furniture and done a quick cleanup, it was almost 10 p.m. The pizza delivery arrived quickly, and in less than fifteen minutes, the four of them were sitting in the third-floor living room enjoying dinner.The living room was no longer so empty. Two connected shoe cabinets had been added near the entrance. Since there was only one sofa set before, several additional ottomans were now scattered around, filling up the living space. A storage cabinet was placed next to the low cabinet, tidying away items used in the living room, with the record player resting on top. Three high stools were added beside the dining table, and the kitchen was replenished with a microwave, frying pan, and other essentials. The place finally felt a bit more like home. Though the overall decor remained simple, as they spent more time living here, decorations would gradually accumulate, and the homely atmosphere would grow stronger. After all, this was only the first day.Of course, the most important addition was the television in the living room."Are you sure you want to keep the TV on?" Joseph asked helplessly, looking at Hugo. Since Alex hadn't paid the cable TV bill, the service had been suspended, and nothing could be watched. Even if the TV was on, it only showed static. Yet Hugo insisted on keeping it on.Hugo took a big bite of pizza, his mouth full of delicious dough, and smiled contentedly. "Of course. Don't you think having the TV on at least adds some sound to the room? If all four of us fall silent, the living room won't feel so awkward. Try it—let's all stop talking now."After Hugo's words, the four men glanced at each other while the monotonous static from the TV continued to buzz. The atmosphere, which hadn't been awkward before, suddenly turned comical as Hugo deliberately emphasized it. Alex was the first to lose his composure, bursting into laughter, followed by Hugo, then Carl, and finally Joseph, who looked both amused and exasperated."If we had some vinyl records, playing music would be nice too," Alex said, having been enamored with the record player Hugo brought back. Occasionally listening to vinyl records at home was indeed a delightful luxury."Next time you bring a woman home for a date, I'll prepare some romantic records for you," Hugo said with a grin. It was just a joke, though. Before crossing over, Hugo had little exposure to vinyl records and knew nothing about record players. If he wanted to learn, he'd have to start from scratch.But Alex immediately broke into a satisfied smile, nodding repeatedly. "Then I'll look forward to it.""Didn't the 'a few good men' crew call you today?" Carl asked Joseph curiously.Joseph shook his head. Carl frowned. "Could it be that you missed the call because we were out all day?" They had been running around almost nonstop, and even when they were home, they were too busy to notice the phone ringing, which was perfectly normal."No," Joseph replied more calmly, mainly because he had experienced more over the past two months. He knew that worrying wouldn't help and it was better to stay composed. "Rob and the others know the office number. Even if they couldn't reach me, they'd leave a message at the office."In an era before mobile phones were widespread, the reception desk at the office served as an important hub. Even if Joseph was away all day, it helped avoid missed calls. Of course, this was only the case for small-time employees like Joseph. If Ron was out on business, his assistant Gary would record all messages for his boss."No need to rush. The audition was only yesterday. Getting news today would be too fast," Hugo said, not too anxious either. He knew that the initiative in this matter didn't lie with him or Rob but with Tom. As long as Tom was willing to take on the script, everything would be resolved without issue.Carl looked at Hugo, then at Joseph. "You don't know that Columbia Pictures is planning to drop Tom Cruise?" This was why Carl had brought up the topic so urgently. Sure enough, the news left both Joseph and Hugo stunned. Carl realized they hadn't heard about it yet. "I went to the company this morning and heard that Tom refused to shave his head and wouldn't lower his salary, so Columbia Pictures is looking for a replacement—partly as a backup plan and partly to pressure Tom."Carl held his pizza, salivating at the aroma, but he didn't dare take a bite because the three of them were staring at him expectantly. He quickly continued, "This morning, news came that Tom firmly refused to cut his hair, saying it would affect his image, so negotiations broke down. I thought Rob would make a decision this afternoon. Weren't we told the crew was set to start filming in ten days? There's not much time left."In "a few good men," the male lead Daniel is a Navy officer. Though he wasn't part of a combat unit requiring a buzz cut, shorter hair was still necessary. At the peak of his career, Tom had the leverage to challenge the producers. The question was whether the producers would stand firm.But Hugo knew from his memories that the producers had ultimately compromised, as Tom starred in "a few good men" with his charming, stylish hairstyle intact. However, whether things would change this time remained unknown.After finishing his explanation in one breath, Carl took a big bite of pizza, his face lighting up with satisfaction. Hugo smiled at Carl's expression, but Joseph frowned slightly, looking at Hugo with concern.Hugo smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry too much. Even if a decision needs to be made, it won't happen that quickly. Whether it's me or Brad replacing Tom, it's a significant decision.""At least you're much taller than Tom or Brad, giving you a commanding presence," Alex chimed in, causing Carl, who was enjoying his pizza, to nearly choke and cough repeatedly. Height was Tom's absolute weakness, and Brad wasn't much better.
