Surprise dinner

The late-night roads of Los Angeles were remarkably smooth, which reminded Hugo of his days filming in New York. New York was truly the city that never slept, even in the late hours of the night, the streets remained bustling with vehicles. However, in Los Angeles, it seemed to gradually quiet down after eight o'clock, except for a few lively areas. The darkness signaled that the city had entered its slumber. Of course, Los Angeles had its own vibrant nightlife. Even without the bright lights, there were still hidden forms of entertainment lurking in the darkness.

Hugo soon arrived at Sunset Plaza. After exchanging contact information with Pepe and Neil, he was the first to get off the car. Walking up the small hill road towards home, Hugo looked at the lights in his house. It was quite strange that the lights on the third floor were off, but the ones on the fourth floor were on.

Could it be that only Joseph was at home, while Alex, Charlize, and Karl were still at work? It was understandable for Charlize and Karl, but why hadn't Alex returned yet, especially since he had only gone for an interview? Or perhaps Alex was also out enjoying the nightlife?

As Hugo contemplated in his mind, he continued walking towards his home. Since Ernest, who lived on the second floor, had gone to bed early, Hugo had to tread lightly, avoiding creating echoes in the corridor that would agitate the old man.

Hugo recalled a time when Ernest became angry because of Alex's loud footsteps when he returned home at night. Ernest had angrily knocked on the door of the third floor, interrupting Hugo and Alex, and scolded them. In reality, the sounds in the corridor wouldn't have disturbed anyone's sleep. Hugo speculated that Ernest probably suffered from insomnia and needed to vent his emotions. After all, the temper of older people was indeed unpredictable. They could only blame Alex for stepping on a landmine.

Arriving on the third floor, Hugo took out his keys from his pocket, opened the door to his room, casually closed the door behind him, and skillfully placed the keys in the glass bowl by the entrance. Then, as he contemplated where to toss his belt, his right hand instinctively reached for the light switch in the hallway. However, a voice came from the direction of the dining room, "Don't turn on the lights."

Hugo's hand paused involuntarily. Was there someone in the house? The voice sounded somewhat familiar... "Uma?" Hugo tentatively inquired, looking over with the moonlight filling the room. A candle was lit in the darkness, emitting a soft golden glow amidst the blue moonlight. Soon, another candle was lit, and a candelabrum was quickly illuminated. Within that halo of light, Hugo saw Uma's face, which was both mysterious and enchanting.

"Uma, what are you doing here?" Hugo truly hadn't expected this, as there had been no signs beforehand. Although Hugo had a day off today with no scheduled activities, he had planned to go shopping and hadn't made any arrangements with Uma. Unexpectedly, his shopping ended in the morning, and then Hugo decided to attend Rock Night, only returning just now.

Uma stood in front of the dining table, and her smile blossomed like jasmine amidst the candlelight. "This is not the conversation I anticipated."

Only then did Hugo notice Uma's attire—a white V-neck evening gown that perfectly showcased her beautiful collarbone and graceful neckline. A diamond-studded wide belt tightly accentuated her slim waist, which fit snugly in his gaze. Her silky golden hair cascaded casually and lazily on her shoulders, like a just-awakened kitten, exuding a hazy yet captivating allure.

Next, Hugo saw the neatly arranged cutlery on the dining table, with a prepared dish placed on top, appearing to be seafood spaghetti. Clearly, Uma had been waiting for Hugo at home, and she had even specially arranged this candlelit dinner. Unfortunately, Hugo went off to attend Rock Night, leaving Uma waiting alone for the entire evening.

Hugo's heart was immediately filled with guilt. "Oh, sorry, I... I really didn't know... I'm sorry, truly sorry." Hugo hurriedly approached, his mouth busy expressing his apologies.

Uma glanced at Hugo from the corner of her eye, and a sense of resentment, pity, and loneliness flickered in her shallow gaze like a wisp of smoke. It passed through Uma's eyes and then disappeared. She turned her head to look at Hugo, who had come before her, and gently shook her head. "No, it's my fault. I didn't investigate the situation before arranging the surprise. It's not your fault. At the very least, I should have asked Joseph beforehand."

Hugo gently embraced Uma's waist and looked deeply into her eyes. The golden glow from the candles cast a soft halo on his face, making his expression appear even gentler. The charm between his eyebrows and eyes stirred something in the depths of Uma's heart.

Seeing that Hugo was about to say something, Uma quickly stopped him. "Actually, when I came in the afternoon, Joseph told me that you went to the Rock Night." Uma spoke about her plans for the day. "I originally wanted to surprise you, make a dinner for you, and comfort you after your hard work promoting the movie. Unfortunately, I missed it. But I thought you would come back for dinner anyway, so I changed the plan last minute and begged Alex to go to the fourth floor to rest, and then I waited here for you to come back so we could enjoy a candlelit dinner together. It's just..."

"Just that you didn't expect me to come back so late, right?" Hugo interjected with a smile. He then gently pinched Uma's nose with his right hand. "Silly, since it's a party, I naturally wouldn't come back early. I might even come back around two or three in the morning. Why didn't you call me? Joseph didn't tell you that I bought a mobile phone."

Uma raised her chin slightly, freeing herself from Hugo's grip on her nose. She then lightly bit down on Hugo's index finger and exerted a bit of force before letting go. She whispered, "You didn't take it with you." Hugo chuckled helplessly. He still hadn't gotten used to carrying a mobile phone when he went out today. It seemed that his habits had gradually formed over the past year, unlike before when he had to check for his phone and keys before leaving. "I wonder who the silly one is," Uma said bitterly, biting Hugo's finger again.

Hugo didn't cry out in pain but continued to smile as he looked at Uma. He waited until Uma had vented her frustration and released his finger. Then he looked at his index finger, marked with teeth imprints, and small beads of blood were oozing out. In fact, Uma hadn't applied much force at the beginning, but seeing Hugo's calm expression and thinking about her long wait tonight, she had exerted more force, resulting in this.

Uma followed Hugo's gaze and looked at the finger with blood droplets. She then raised her eyes and met Hugo's gaze without flinching.

Looking at Uma before him, her emerald-like eyes staring unwaveringly at him, the slightly sharp lines of her face softened by the creamy candlelight, the concentration and depth in her eyes tightly gripping Hugo's heart. The heartbeat began to gradually quicken, and the pain in his finger 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 past self had left any influence, Hugo could now be certain that he had developed feelings for Uma. Not just because of tonight's dinner, but also because Uma was willing to wait for him, willing to wash her hands and make a soup for him. It was also because of Uma's spirited and straightforward personality, and, of course, the comfort they found in each other's presence. There could be many reasons to like someone, or there could be no reason at all, and tonight, Hugo was moved.

Hugo slowly lowered his head and kissed Uma's lips. The dry lips received moisture and immediately softened. Their lips and tongues explored each other, the air in their chests gradually squeezed until there was almost none left, and they separated, looking at each other through the hazy halo. Their eyes locked onto each other, motionless, as they tried to find their own reflection in each other's eyes and penetrate into the unfathomable depths of their hearts.

The sound of their heartbeats suddenly amplified, the pounding sound causing an inexplicable dryness in their mouths.

Uma saw desire in Hugo's eyes, but she still retained a trace of rationality. "Your hand..." Although she stubbornly refused to admit it just now, Uma knew that she had applied too much force. The convulsions in her heart reminded her that if this man didn't worry about himself, she must worry about his wounds.

"It's okay." Hugo's deep voice murmured, like the sound of a cello, as intoxicating as the aroma of aged wine. Yet, within that deep voice, there was also a hint of hoarseness, and the shallow desire began to spray in the trailing notes.

Uma felt her breathing becoming rapid, and the scorching temperature made her blush. Several times, her gaze tried to avoid Hugo's fiery eyes, but after struggling and hesitating, she ultimately refused to surrender and refused to look away. She could only reluctantly hold on. "That... that dinner... I prepared it for tonight for a long time..."

However, the corners of Hugo's mouth curved into an arc, different from his usual sunny and gentle demeanor. It was full of allure, like a dark emperor. Perhaps every man harbored a wolf in his heart, a wolf king belonging to the darkness, which awakened at the right moment to display his dominance.

Hugo slowly approached Uma's face, his forehead lightly touching hers, and the scorching temperature made both of them tremble slightly. Then, Hugo gently brushed past her, leaning closer to Uma's ear. The hot breath sprayed into the hollow of her shoulder, causing her body temperature to continuously rise. Then Uma heard Hugo's seductive voice saying, "Dinner can wait..." Just two simple words made Uma's heart abruptly stop beating.

Suddenly, Uma felt herself lifted off the ground. It turned out that Hugo had lifted her up in his arms. Uma instinctively hooked her arms around Hugo's neck, feeling the strength of his chest and arms completely enveloping her.

Moonlight poured down, candlelight swayed gently. Tonight was so enchanting.