Double surprise

Michael was indeed a cautious person. He was willing to talk to Hugo, but it didn't mean he wanted to engage in deep conversations with him. He didn't consider himself and Hugo to be friends, so when he heard Hugo's heavy and profound words, Michael's initial reaction was rejection. He was not accustomed to having such conversations with a stranger.

However, upon careful consideration, Michael didn't think Hugo's words were wrong. On the contrary, they reflected the truth. What made Michael think further was his special fondness for children. In his residence, the Dream Manor, he always kept an area free for children and regularly had kids come over to play, sometimes even staying for a while. Michael also enjoyed playing with the children. Naturally, the arrival of children meant the presence of parents, and Hugo's comments about parents touched Michael.

Nevertheless, Michael still didn't want to have that kind of conversation with Hugo. The discussion they had just had about the media was already a breakthrough for Michael, and he had no further intentions for today. So Michael paused for a moment and nodded slightly, "Yes, perhaps you are right."

Obviously, Michael's words were somewhat perfunctory, indicating his unwillingness to delve deeper into the matter. This made Hugo quite anxious. He had already said so much, and if it all went in vain, the events of this summer might be unstoppable. Just as Hugo was about to speak again, Joseph tugged at his sleeve once more, and in his anxious state, Hugo noticed Michael discreetly stepping back. It was just a small step, but it signified that Michael was not only creating emotional distance but also physical distance.

At this moment, Hugo's restless emotions were forced to calm down. He once again realized that he was not the savior, and he had done his best. Pushing harder, whether it would backfire or result in no progress, wouldn't yield any better results. The way things were now, making Michael slightly wary, might be the best outcome Hugo could achieve. The rest would depend on the future developments.

Having understood this, Hugo lowered his gaze slightly, allowing his emotions to gradually settle, and then lifted his eyes with a renewed smile as he looked at Michael. "Of course, that's life. There are always countless things that happen unexpectedly, don't you think?"

Michael remained motionless, but with Hugo's calm demeanor, he halted his footsteps and no longer continued stepping back. Then Michael looked at Hugo and smiled, saying, "It's like I never expected to learn so much and encounter unexpected surprises from watching Katharine's performance." Hugo looked at Michael candidly. At this moment in time, anyone who encountered Michael was considered lucky, and Hugo had no intention of hiding his true emotions.

Hugo's sincerity brought a slight smile to Michael's lips, but he didn't say much. Clearly, his guard had not been completely lifted, and he had no intention of continuing the deep conversation with Hugo.

Hugo could only express his helplessness. He didn't pause for long, glanced at the almost empty theater, and continued, "It seems like the show is almost over. I should leave now." The staff would soon come in to clean, and they couldn't linger here indefinitely. There were still performances to come.

After speaking, Hugo turned around and glanced at Joseph. Although Joseph had been in a daze since seeing Michael, Hugo's shocking and grand gesture had brought him back to his senses. Therefore, upon receiving Hugo's gaze, Joseph nodded and followed Hugo, preparing to leave.

Michael did not anticipate that Hugo would bid farewell so decisively. In fact, Michael's wariness earlier was merely a subconscious rejection of strangers. Strictly speaking, Hugo hadn't done anything wrong. Although the topic was a bit awkward, he hadn't crossed any boundaries. Moreover, Hugo had always been polite and his smile was not just on his lips; it could also be seen clearly in his eyes. Overall, Michael's impression of Hugo was quite favorable.

"Goodbye," Hugo smiled and nodded at Michael. He didn't attempt to shake hands or anything like that because he knew Michael would likely be averse to it. Although deep down he really wanted to bring his guitar from the hotel and have Michael sign it. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Jackson. I feel honored."

Joseph followed behind Hugo and smiled excitedly as he spoke for the first time, "Mr. Jackson, it's a pleasure to meet you. I wish you a wonderful day."

Michael simply nodded subconsciously and said, "Goodbye." He then watched Hugo and Joseph walk towards the stairs.

Standing in place, Michael thought carefully and hesitated for a moment. Afterward, he took a few steps toward the exit. However, the security guard stopped him and said in a low voice, "Mr. Jackson, there are still people downstairs who haven't left yet." Michael shook his head and walked to the hallway. He called out to Hugo, who was already going downstairs, "Hugo!"

Michael's voice wasn't very loud, whether out of concern for alarming others or to protect his voice in a non-stage setting. His first call didn't make Hugo stop, so he had to call out again, "Hugo."

This time, both Hugo and Joseph stopped, and the two of them faced each other. Hugo thought he might have been hallucinating, but then he saw Michael's figure approaching. Hugo stood on the stairs and looked up at Michael, only to hear him ask, "I'm going to visit Katharine later to congratulate her on the successful performance. Would you like to come along?"

Katharine? That naturally referred to Katharine Hepburn. Hugo was momentarily stunned, but then he quickly realized that the only reason Michael came today to watch "A Matter of Gravity" was because of Katharine. After the performance, Michael stayed to visit Katharine backstage, which was why he remained. Their conversation was merely incidental.

The friendship between Michael and Katharine was also a well-known story in the American entertainment industry. The two had met on the set of "On Golden Pond", which led to their becoming friends.

When Katharine's lifelong love, Spencer Tracy, passed away, Michael visited her in her apartment in the East Side of Manhattan and received authority over Spencer Tracy's personal belongings. As a gesture of gratitude, a few months later, Katharine attended Michael's concert. It was her first concert ever, and she sat by the stage at Madison Square Garden, watching the Jackson brothers' performance.

Worth mentioning is that when Michael swept eight awards at the 26th Grammy Awards with his album "Thriller", he took off the sunglasses that he had never removed throughout the entire album promotion period when he received the Album of the Year award. He shouted into the camera, "This is for you, Katharine!" It was because Katharine had told Michael, "The fans want to see your eyes, you're lying to them!"

From this, we can see the extent of the friendship between Michael and Katharine. When Hugo saw Michael up close just now, he was so excited that he forgot about this. Now that he remembered, everything made sense. No wonder Michael came specifically to support "A Matter of Gravity", and no wonder he didn't leave before the performance ended.

However, Hugo was somewhat surprised by Michael's invitation. He exchanged a glance with Joseph, and the ecstatic look in Joseph's eyes almost made him lose his composure. Although Hugo was also extremely happy at this moment, he didn't lose his composure this time, mainly because Michael's alertness had left a deep impression on him. It was like a squirrel jumping on thin ice. So when Michael was willing to extend an invitation, it was truly unexpected.

"We are strangers. Is it okay to suddenly visit Katharine's dressing room?" Hugo tried his best to speak in a calm tone, but his words inevitably revealed some nervousness and excitement.

Being a sensitive person, Michael naturally sensed Hugo's politeness and smiled and nodded. "I don't think she would mind. After all, a genuine fan of her plays is always welcome at any time, especially a promising young actor like you." In Michael's words, Hugo's ten-year acting career turned into that of a newcomer. Perhaps Michael was unaware of Hugo's long history of performances; perhaps in Michael's eyes, Hugo standing in front of Katharine was indeed a newcomer.

"Of course, this is great news for us." The joy between Hugo's brows was finally released, and he felt quite excited inside. Seeing Katharine's performance, talking to Michael up close, and now going to visit Katharine? Today's program was truly a bit too exciting.

Michael smiled gently and said, "But Katharine is a very direct person. Maybe she will make some harsh demands on your performance." The reason why Michael was willing to invite Hugo was partly because he believed that Hugo had such a professional perspective on acting. If he could have a conversation with Katharine, it might make her happy, as there weren't many people willing to discuss such professional matters with Katharine nowadays. On the other hand, he felt that Hugo was sincere enough and genuinely worth getting to know.

Hugo shook his head with a smile in response to Michael's concerns. "If Katharine is really willing to give me guidance, then it would be a wonderful thing. But I think you've overlooked a more important issue. Perhaps she hasn't even seen my performances?" Hugo wasn't overly worried; his current level of fame was far from top-notch, and the chances of Katharine having seen his work were close to zero.

Hugo's honesty and straightforwardness brought a hint of warmth to Michael, causing the smile on his lips to widen slightly. "Well then, let's go." Michael extended his right hand, signaling Hugo and Joseph to go downstairs first.

The surprises just kept coming today. The thought of being able to visit Katharine together with Michael made Hugo feel like his blood was starting to accelerate once again.