Calling father

Hugo looked at the small piece of paper he had tucked inside the "Dead Poets Society" script. He stared at the string of phone numbers and his mind remained unresponsive. If it weren't for the name "Adam Lancaster" written next to them, Hugo would have thought it was some lottery ticket numbers. It was evident that even his past self was unfamiliar with this phone number. He probably hadn't made many calls after getting the number.

Today was already Tuesday, and the day after tomorrow was Thanksgiving. If Hugo didn't make the call soon, he would likely miss the opportunity. Subconsciously, Hugo was avoiding this task and had been procrastinating until now. If it weren't for Joseph mentioning it, he probably wouldn't have "remembered" until Thanksgiving Day.

Even before the time travel, Hugo's relationship with his father hadn't improved. Although Hugo had spoken to his mother through numerous phone calls, he had never had a real conversation with his father. This remained the biggest regret deep within Hugo's heart. Hugo knew he should call his parents with this new body of his because he was now Hugo Adam Lancaster, and Chen Yuguo's regrets shouldn't carry over to Hugo Lancaster. However, Hugo seemed to have forgotten how to communicate with his father, leaving him hesitant and timid.

After taking a few deep breaths in succession, Hugo knew that avoiding the call was not the solution. Unless he wanted to ignore Thanksgiving altogether, making this call was inevitable. Moreover, it had been ten months since Hugo traveled here, and he hadn't contacted his parents at all during that time. That was unacceptable. So, finally, Hugo picked up the receiver of the landline phone and, with determination, dialed the phone number.

The phone only rang twice before it was answered, surprising Hugo with the speed. A rough, deep voice came from the other end, cutting through like a sharp blade. It made the receiver tremble. "Adam Lancaster, speak."

"Hey, Dad," Hugo hesitated for a moment and called out. Although calling a "stranger" Dad felt strange, miraculously, it didn't make Hugo feel repulsed. Instead, he could sense a resonance in his blood. Hugo wasn't sure if it was because the other person resembled his father or if it was because this body of his could feel the bond of kinship.

"Hugo?" Adam's voice on the other end was filled with confusion. "It's not Thanksgiving or Christmas today." It seemed that Adam was very surprised by Hugo's call at this time.

"Yes, Thanksgiving is in two days," Hugo felt a bit embarrassed being questioned by his father. It seemed that Adam didn't welcome this call.

"Yes, I know. That's why I'm confused. Isn't there still two days?" Adam said in a gruff voice, even showing a hint of impatience. "So, why did you call today? Is there something you need?" Adam didn't beat around the bush and directly asked.

"Oh, no..." Hugo already found it difficult to make this call, and now facing such resistance, he felt even more helpless. "I just wanted to ask about your plans for Thanksgiving."

"Well, it's not to have dinner with you," Adam's words stunned Hugo, leaving him unsure how to respond. "Or do you need money? How long has it been since you last got a job? For God's sake, if you need money, just say so directly. Don't beat around the bush like a damn sissy."

"Dad!" Hugo was angered by Adam's rough tone. He simply wanted to communicate with his father, but instead, his father twisted his intentions. In fact, his father didn't even give him a chance to explain. This reminded Hugo of his father before he time-traveled; he was the same. "I'm not asking you for money, I have a job..."

"You mean acting? Hmph." Adam's voice was filled with disdain, even a hint of contempt as he curled his lips. Hugo understood why they had never been in contact because Adam didn't support Hugo becoming an actor, he even rejected it. As a result, their father-son relationship had become strained. Hugo had experienced this before, and now he was experiencing it again.

"Yes, acting." Hugo's voice unintentionally became louder, not only because he was provoked by his father, but also because of his father's scornful tone. "Let me tell you, my acting career is going very well..."

"That's good, it's your business. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up." Adam didn't even wait for Hugo to continue speaking. "Click," and he abruptly ended the call.

Hugo stared at the phone receiver emitting a busy tone, dumbfounded. This was definitely not the outcome he had expected. But a stubbornness suddenly welled up within him. He looked at the phone number on the table and dialed it again.

When the call was answered, Hugo didn't wait for his father to speak, and directly said with determination, "I called you to ask if you're willing to come to Los Angeles with me for Thanksgiving. You know it's been a long time since we've seen each other. If you don't want to, then tell me there's no need to criticize my work..."

"I also want to tell you that not only do I have a job, but I'm doing very well. My movie "Scent of a Woman" just premiered, and another one, "A Few Good Men" is releasing next month. I'm also preparing for auditions for other projects. I'm doing great, really great. I'm not short of money. On the contrary, I've achieved a lot in my work, and many people have praised me. So, if you can show respect for my work, that would be more than enough."

Hugo rattled off a long list in one breath, gasping for air when he finished.

"Are you done talking?" Adam's voice remained indifferent, and after Hugo finished, he even made a disdainful sound, as if he didn't care about Hugo's long speech at all. "So, what do you want? Do you want me to praise you? You're an adult now, not a Taylor family pet. You don't need that kind of praise, and I won't give it. I've told you before, I don't care about your work. If you're short of money, I'm your father, I won't let you starve, but other than that, don't try to persuade me." As he spoke, Adam's voice became more forceful, like a sharp knife that mercilessly flew towards the side of Hugo's face, hitting it precisely.

"As for Thanksgiving, I'm busy." Adam took a breath and simply said, "There's no need to meet. I already know what you look like; there's no need to meet."

Adam's words directly blocked Hugo. He couldn't continue speaking for a moment. "What do you mean by there's no need to meet? You're my father, I'm your son, isn't it normal for me to want to see you?"

"But do you want to?" Adam's rhetorical question left Hugo speechless. The word "yes" got stuck in his throat and couldn't come out, and by missing the first opportunity, Adam didn't give Hugo a chance to react further. "Anything else? If not..."

Realizing that his father was about to hang up, Hugo quickly interrupted him, "What about mom? Do you have any news about her?" Hugo had carefully examined every detail of the "Dead Poets Society" script, but there was no information about his mother—no phone number, address, or even a photograph. If Hugo hadn't been certain that his mother, Lena, in this body, hadn't experienced any accidents, he would have doubted whether she was still alive.

Hugo's question immediately silenced Adam, and then he suddenly became irritable, angrily gritting his teeth. "I've told you not to mention her in front of me. You better remember this point." Adam's resolute tone made Hugo furrow his brow, and he wanted to say something more, but his voice was abruptly suppressed by Adam's brusque interruption. "There are customers in the store. I'm hanging up." After a brief pause of about half a second, Adam continued in a rough voice, "Also, since you've already called today, don't call back on Thanksgiving." With that said, he decisively hung up the phone.

Hugo stared at the receiver in his hand, unsure of how to react, just standing in place.

It seemed that Hugo's relationship with his parents was even worse than he had imagined. Regardless of what had happened between Adam and Lena, at the very least, Lena hadn't proactively contacted Hugo, and he hadn't found any signs of communication between the previous occupant of this body and his mother. This meant that Hugo's relationship with both his father and mother was far from good. It could even be said that his connection with his father was even more strained.

In this way, it explained why there had been no contact or abnormalities between Hugo and his parents for nearly a year.

Hugo couldn't help but rub his ears. Adam's angry shouts had left his ears ringing, which was an unpleasant feeling. He had initially thought about proactively contacting his family during Thanksgiving and was worried about how to handle the situation. Although he could deceive his friends with his soul that had traveled here, deceiving his family was not so simple. However, all of Hugo's worries turned out to be in vain. Now it seemed that even if Hugo took the initiative to contact his father and build a relationship, it would probably end in disappointment. He could only be grateful if he wasn't kicked out of the house.

Was this supposed to be good news? At least he didn't have to deal with family relationships anymore, as Hugo had no real emotional attachment to Adam and Lena. But why did he still feel an emptiness in his heart? Was it because of the relationship of the previous occupant of this body or the regrets of his previous family?

Although Hugo could see a glimmer of hope in his career development, there were still plenty of problems surrounding him, and none of them were easy to solve. Looking back now, even the most severe problem of drug addiction seemed to be the simplest, as Hugo had overcome it with his own willpower. The hardships, pain, and torment he experienced during withdrawal seemed less difficult now, in retrospect.