The chilling night

Hugo sank into sleep, drowsy and heavy. In his dream, a jumble of thoughts tumbled incessantly. How did things come to this point? Why didn't he notice anything unusual? Were those moments of happiness all illusions? Did he do something wrong? Or was this relationship already problematic long ago? Perhaps, even in the glamorous world of Hollywood, relationships could become stepping stones... Various tangled thoughts in his dream resembled clusters of intertwined threads, entangled in the darkness. It was like numerous balls of yarn unraveled and twisted together, turning Hugo's dream into a chaotic mess. He could only see countless tangled threads, unable to find a beginning or untie these knots.

"Huff..." Hugo suddenly woke up from his bed, feeling a sharp soreness in his left knee. It was a recurring pain from a car accident. Hugo sat up, bending his knee and using his hands to massage it, hoping the warmth from his palms would alleviate the pain. He turned his head to look outside the window, and indeed, the sky had already turned completely dark. The drizzling rain splattered against the glass, explaining the reaction in his knee.

The soreness in his left knee was not intense but persistent, lingering like the faint scent of perfume below the nostrils. Hugo glanced at the pillow on his left side, which still retained the fragrance of perfume Uma used to wear. It was a mysterious thing. Uma hadn't stayed here for a week since the Golden Globe Awards, yet Hugo still felt the scent was as vivid as ever. He just didn't know if it was a physical presence or his own mind playing tricks on him.

Shaking his head, Hugo got off the bed and limped out of the room. The quiet hallway was illuminated by moonlight, devoid of any human presence. Hugo entered the bathroom, turned on the showerhead, and let the warm water rinse his left knee. The comforting temperature provided some relief to the persistent pain.

Hugo sat by the edge of the bathtub, relying on it while watching water droplets continuously beat against his knee. However, he knew this wouldn't solve the underlying problem. After easing the pain, Hugo dried his knee with a towel and returned to the room. He rummaged through his belongings and found the medicated oil he purchased from Chinatown, vigorously rubbing it on his knee before putting on a thick knee brace. Finally, he returned to the hallway.

Rubbing his empty stomach, he searched the refrigerator for something to eat. When he saw fresh octopus inside, Hugo was momentarily startled, then closed the refrigerator door. He rummaged through the cupboard and found a box of biscuits. Holding it, he walked to the sofa in the living room, wrapping his feet in a blanket. He turned on the TV, lowered the volume, and quietly watched.

The TV was playing the classic film "The Star Wars". Hugo stared at the screen absentmindedly, recalling the scenes of watching midnight movies with Uma. He had hoped to watch something that could lift his spirits, but Uma insisted on watching romantic comedy. In the end, Hugo compromised, and they watched Woody Allen's classic masterpiece "Annie Hall".

Hugo and Uma had discussed Woody Allen's love story with his adoptive daughter, Soon-Yi, which resulted in Woody's family breaking apart. Mia Farrow, who had been with Woody for eleven years, ultimately chose to break up with him and took him to court to fight for custody of their shared child. Woody's "romantic" relationship with his adoptive daughter caused all of his children to distance themselves from him, and the "sister" whom Ronan had grown up with became his "stepmother". It was difficult for many people to accept such a situation.

In Uma's eyes, love was the focal point, and Woody's unconventional relationship and societal taboos were the focus. Although she couldn't understand why Woody and his adoptive daughter had feelings for each other, she was even more astonished by their age difference. Such a love seemed unimaginable. However, in Hugo's eyes, the turmoil caused by the father-daughter relationship was something he couldn't accept, and Soon-Yi's appearance further perplexed him. As a result, they had an argument, only to realize later that it was none of their business. It was Allen's family life, which had nothing to do with them. Discussing other people's gossip was not a good thing to do.

After coming back to his senses, Hugo realized that he had started to overthink again. The persistent pain in his knee made his temples throb. He glanced at the clock on the wall, thinking that a long time had passed, but in reality, only fifteen minutes had gone by, and there were still three hours until sunrise. The night felt so long as if dawn would never come.

In the middle of the night, Charlize got up to drink some water. She was extremely thirsty and when she walked out of her room, she saw Hugo sitting quietly on the sofa. Her footsteps involuntarily halted at the doorway. Hugo's back was the only thing visible to her, and she couldn't make out his expression. He sat motionless, staring at the TV screen as if he were asleep. The figure, surrounded by the darkness and moonlight, appeared so lonely. His broad and sturdy back, which usually exuded strength, now seemed frail and weak, almost as if the pitch-black night would crush his shoulders. The gentle rain and strong wind outside made the empty hallway seem eerily quiet. The night was chilling, causing Charlize to shiver involuntarily.

After standing there for a moment, Charlize turned around and went back to her room to fetch a blanket. She walked over to the sofa and realized that Hugo wasn't asleep; his eyes were clearly open. However, they lacked any awareness, appearing empty as he stared ahead, like an abyss without a bottom. Seeing Hugo like this, Charlize couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. She lowered her gaze, adjusted her emotions, and then placed the blanket she had in her hands over Hugo.

Hugo noticed the movement, raised his head, and saw Charlize standing in the moonlight with a faint smile on her face. He pulled his feet back from the sofa and removed the two layers of blankets from his body, gesturing for Charlize to sit down. "Why are you awake at this time?"

Charlize sat down on the other end of the sofa, curling her feet up inside the blanket and leaning against a cushion. "I'm thirsty."

Hugo nodded. "Forgot to drink water before going to bed?" He seemed to be aware of Charlize's habits.

As expected, Charlize confirmed his assumption, "We had fried chicken for dinner, and Alex accidentally spilled the entire bag of salt and pepper into the box." Hugo pursed his lips, although he wasn't present at the scene, he could imagine the disastrous outcome. "What about you? When did you wake up?"

Hugo pointed to the drizzling rain outside, and Charlize immediately understood. "Did your knee pain wake you up? Hasn't it been a while since it last hurt? Is it serious?"

"It's not too bad." Hugo's expression seemed somewhat languid, whether it was due to fatigue from waking up in the middle of the night or a sense of emotional low. His whole being exuded a sense of low pressure. "I think it's because I've been sweating a lot in my sleep. Maybe I caught a slight chill."

"Another nightmare?" Charlize sighed softly. Although it was a question, her tone was affirmative. In the past few days, Hugo had been sleeping poorly due to recurring nightmares. Charlize looked at the dark circles concealing Hugo's bright eyes, and she noticed his slender fingers continuously massaging his temples. Moonlight filtered through his sparse hair and the gaps between his fingers, casting a light on his pale face. "Are you still thinking about Uma?"

Charlize didn't avoid this question because she knew it was impossible to avoid. Hearing Charlize's straightforward words, Hugo's lips gently twitched, forming a faint smile in the soft moonlight. He replied with a hint of reproach, "You hurt me."

Charlize rolled her eyes playfully in response and chuckled. "Is it really that painful? You and her, you've only been officially dating for a few months."

Upon careful consideration, when Charlize moved in last year, Hugo and Uma had their first night together, but they hadn't entered the dating stage yet. The actual start of their relationship should have been in the second half of the year. Judging accurately, Halloween was a turning point, which meant they had been dating for less than three months.

Hugo stared at Charlize, a bit puzzled. "Time shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"I admit." Charlize raised her hand in surrender and laughed. As a woman, she was well aware of this. Some people fall in love at first sight within a day, while others take ten years to gradually discover the charm of their partner. In the world of love, time is never the issue. "I just want to ask, do you truly love her? Or is it just a liking?"

This question caught Hugo off guard. His mixed-up mind was like a rusty gear, struggling to turn quickly. "I don't know. I think I should love her..."

Hugo's own tone was filled with uncertainty, which raised Charlize's eyebrow. "You've never told her you love her?" Hugo shook his head. Deep down, he hadn't fully adapted to Western culture. In this culture, people casually say "I love you" even between parents and children, siblings, or close friends. It's a way of expressing emotions. But Hugo wasn't like that. He wasn't accustomed to saying those words, not even the habit of hugging others, which took him a long time to adapt to.

Hugo could adapt to the fast-paced progression of emotions like a modern person from the 21st century. Starting from a date, if it's a good match, they enter a committed relationship. If not, they become friends or never see each other again. That's not a problem for him. But the phrase "I love you" was something Hugo couldn't easily say.

Hugo remembered New Year's Eve. He had the opportunity to say those words under the mistletoe, but he didn't. And then, he missed the chance.

Looking at Hugo's dazed expression, Charlize shook her head with a smile. "If it's just a liking, why exaggerate it as love? And if you don't love her, if you only like her, why are you so heartbroken? Are you grieving the end of this relationship, or are you saddened by the fact that she's not willing to fight for it? Or maybe you're hurt by the fact that she's taking advantage of you or betraying your trust?"