Black pepper bottle

On the morning of Thanksgiving, Hugo was awakened by Charlize and stumbled his way up to the fourth floor, where he also called Karl to join them. "Charlize said she's making roast turkey today, and it will take at least seven hours. We need to start preparing in the morning." So the two guys became kitchen helpers. Hugo called for Karl while surveying the arrangements on the fourth floor.

The decoration on the fourth floor was even simpler than the third floor, partly because Joseph and Karl spent most of their time on the third floor, so many of the purchased furniture items were placed there. It was also because the third floor had Charlize, the "girl" among them, although she was usually regarded as a man. However, in a corner close to the dining room on the fourth floor, there were a guitar, an electronic keyboard, and a set of drums, indicating some differences in taste.

"Your roommate is still not here. I strongly suspect you guys are shooting "Ghost"!" Hugo looked at the drum set, which was well-maintained and had various graffiti on the drumhead, such as skull heads and totem patterns, reflecting the owner's personality.

Not only the drums but also the guitar and electronic keyboard were adorned with many designs. Among them, the most eye-catching was a whole red Western dragon on the side of the guitar, biting the headstock fiercely. It was very captivating. However, it was unclear whether the owner had drawn these designs themselves or had them done by professionals.

Just from these musical instruments, one could sense the owner's presence. It at least indicated that this person actually existed. However, this made it even more strange. Hugo had been living here for over half a year and had never seen this legendary roommate. Charlize hadn't seen them either, except for a few times when Alex had encountered them. It was truly bizarre.

"His schedule is the opposite of ours, so you won't see him around during regular hours." Karl wasn't surprised at all. "Even when we're at home, we rarely see him. We can only judge by the increase or decrease of food in the refrigerator. I spoke with him once, and he said he performs at night and sometimes travels for performances, so he isn't home often. Besides, musicians and us are not in the same circle..."

It was because this roommate was a music student that Hugo was filled with curiosity. Otherwise, just a man—whether Hugo could see them or not, he wouldn't be interested in investigating.

"He disappeared again yesterday and doesn't seem to have come back yet. I don't know if he spent the night elsewhere or came home for Thanksgiving." Karl didn't know much about this roommate either and could tell that they rarely interacted. "Let's go downstairs and help; otherwise, Charlize will be calling us from downstairs again."

Hugo shifted his gaze away from the musical instruments, turned around, and went downstairs with Karl to assist.

Making roast turkey for Thanksgiving was quite a hassle. Starting from thawing to marinating, it would take more than twelve hours. Yesterday evening, before going to bed, Charlize had taken out the turkey to thaw. After waking up this morning, she began preparing the sauce and then spent a long time rubbing and marinating the turkey. By the time they finished these steps, it was already half past ten, and this was just the beginning.

However, the atmosphere remained relaxed and lively as the three young people gathered together, chatting and preparing dinner. Compared to the awkwardness and endless formalities of family gatherings on Thanksgiving, this kind of festive ambiance was more enjoyable. Today, the three of them had made a pact to each prepare a dish and then enjoy the feast together.

At first, this agreement seemed like a great idea, and Hugo fully supported it. However, soon he began to worry. If he had to cook Chinese cuisine, he could show off his skills a bit and not feel completely helpless. But with Western cuisine, he was at a loss. These were two completely different culinary systems.

What was even more frustrating was that it was not the Internet era now. If you didn't know how to cook something, you couldn't just search for the recipe. Although Hugo had gradually gotten used to a life without a phone or internet in the past six months, at this moment, he couldn't help but grind his teeth in frustration.

In helplessness, Hugo could only choose the simplest dessert, cheesy baked mashed potatoes. It didn't require many steps, just maintaining the right temperature and time in the oven. As long as it didn't get burnt, it would be difficult to fail. Although compared to Charlize's roast chicken and Karl's red wine-braised lamb chops, Hugo's dish was much simpler, it at least saved him a lot of trouble.

The setting sun outside the window gradually sank, and the aroma of the dishes in the dining room began to waft under their noses. Hugo cut a small portion of the roasted "chicken" and took some of his own mashed potatoes, arranging them on a plate. He was ready to go downstairs when Charlize and Karl stood behind him with worried expressions.

"Hugo, are you sure you want to take it downstairs to that old man? You know, he won't appreciate it at all..." Charlize and Karl expressed their concerns.

"Why not?" Hugo didn't think too much about it and responded calmly. "Today is Thanksgiving, and the festive atmosphere comes from gathering together. Although inviting Ernst to join us might be impossible, and if he really did, it would probably make Uma anxious," Hugo chuckled self-deprecatingly, causing Charlize and Carl to feel helpless. "But what's the problem with sharing our cooked dishes with Ernest? If your ghost roommate is here, I wouldn't mind if he joins us too."

"He's not a ghost! He really exists!" Karl exclaimed in frustration, but Hugo had no intention of responding and simply opened the "door" and walked out. Karl only saw Hugo's back figure and muttered in frustration, "Next time, they must meet face to face."

In Hugo's view, Ernest on the second floor was most likely spending Thanksgiving alone, which would be too lonely. Nobody likes loneliness, especially during holidays, and especially for an old man like Ernest. So as neighbors, simply sharing a bit of a feast and sharing the festive mood together was nothing. As for Ernest's terrible temper, Hugo believed that a large part of it probably stemmed from the loneliness of living alone, which wasn't something to be afraid of.

Hugo carried the plate and arrived on the second floor, knocking on Ernst's door. The muffled sound echoed in the hallway, but there was only silence in response. After about thirty seconds passed without anyone answering, Hugo knocked again, but this time, before his hand could leave the door, he heard a furious shout from inside, "Who is it!" It seemed that Ernest was at home and in good spirits; he just didn't want to pay attention to anyone.

"It's Hugo from the third floor," Hugo spoke, but once again, his words fell on deaf ears. It was evident that Ernest had no intention of responding to him. Hugo continued to speak to himself, "Today is Thanksgiving, and we made a bit of roast chicken. Although my cooking skills aren't great and I'm not sure if it tastes good or not, I still hope we can share it together. So, I brought you some..."

"Get lost!" Ernest's temper remained irritable. He didn't even want to open the door, shouting through the closed door, rejecting Hugo's goodwill outright.

Hugo could only sigh in response to the old man's bad temper. However, he had already prepared himself mentally. "I'm just showing some neighborly kindness..."

"I don't need it!" Ernest interrupted Hugo's words once again, rudely yelling as if speaking another word to Hugo would cause him unbearable pain. "Get lost! Stay away from my house!"

Hugo, who was regarded as a plague, was also at a loss. Such a situation was not unexpected, so Hugo did not continue to insist. He placed the plate at the "door" and spoke, "Well, I understand. Anyway, sir, happy Thanksgiving!" After saying this, Hugo turned around and went back to the third floor.

After waiting until the sound of the third-floor door closing had dissipated in the hallway, and after a while, the door on the second floor finally opened. Ernest's pale head peeped out from the crack of the door and looked at the hot and fragrant roasted chicken and cheesy baked mashed potatoes on the floor at the door. After hesitating for a while, he finally opened the door and picked up the plate, then slowly closed the room door.

Back on the third floor, Hugo entered the living room and was greeted by questioning looks from Charlize and Karl. Hugo shrugged and said, "He didn't open the door, so I left the plate in front of it."

Charlize and Karl both had expressions that seemed to say "I told you so", making Hugo smile lightly and not say much. He changed the subject and said, "Next is our turn, the Thanksgiving feast!" Hugo looked eagerly at the table full of dishes, his eyes filled with anticipation. "We should really let Joseph and Alex see this. They would definitely regret it." Hugo revealed a satisfied smile.

Karl picked up a specialized carving knife and began to slice the roasted chicken. He then took a large piece and put it on a plate in front of Hugo, filling Charlize and his own plates as well. Hugo couldn't wait and cut a small piece, put it in his mouth, and savored it carefully. This was Hugo's first proper American family holiday since he traveled through time, so naturally, he had high expectations.

Charlize looked at Hugo with anticipation and kept asking, "How is it? How is it? This is my first attempt. I hope it turned out well."

Hugo cleared his throat lightly, as if savoring whether the roasted chicken was good enough. "Hmm..." Hugo drew out the sound, "I think it's very good. You and Karl should also try it. It really tastes different when you make it yourself." A look of enjoyment appeared on his face as he continued chewing.

Seeing Hugo's face of enjoyment, Karl and Charlize quickly put the roasted chicken into their mouths as well. However, after taking a few bites, Charlize couldn't hold it in and spit it out, followed by Karl next to her, coughing violently.

After confirming the victims and adding two more, Hugo quickly grabbed a glass of water from the side and drank a large gulp to alleviate the situation. His handsome eyebrows knitted together tightly. "Charlize, did you spill the black pepper bottle?"

"Fortunately, Ernest downstairs didn't eat..." Hugo sighed with such a remark.