Cleansing the soul

"Starting, pushing off, leaping, spreading wings... Although Hugo's movements were somewhat clumsy, and due to the influence of alcohol, they were not quite standard. He couldn't achieve his goal as he intended. However, these flowing movements were so beautiful, as if Hugo opened his chest to embrace the tranquil lake before him.

The sound of a splash echoed, splashing a large spray of water. However, since Hugo's jump was quite far, it didn't reach the shore. Instead, it affected the others who were already in the water. Voices like "Hey, Hugo!" and curses filled the air.

Hugo sank beneath the water's surface, opened his eyes, and looked at the serene blue lake. The lingering sadness in his heart silently dissolved in the water, replaced by the cold lake that slowly numbed and healed his wounds. A smile gradually curved on the corners of his mouth. Hugo tried to move his limbs and swim upstream, only to realize that the impact of landing directly on the water's surface caused pain in his limbs, and the winter lake was chilling, making his muscles stiff.

Hugo quickly moved his limbs, swimming upstream. Fortunately, he had only jumped from the water's surface, and gravity played only a minor role, pulling him downward. Therefore, Hugo didn't exert too much effort and easily emerged from the water. With a "plop", he broke through the water's surface like bursting a bubble, appearing above the water. The fresh air swiftly surrounded him, and the stars above seemed to shower down like rain, captivating his eyes. The magnificent view and wonderful experience compelled Hugo to burst into laughter.

In that instant, Hugo felt as if he had finally freed himself from the past. Breaking through the water's surface was like experiencing rebirth. The feeling of renewal, from the mind to the soul, from the heart to the body, was invigorating, making him unable to suppress the urge to raise his head and howl. And so, Hugo did just that.

"How was it, Hugo?" someone shouted from the balcony.

"Awesome!" Hugo loudly replied, followed by a series of hearty laughter. The laughter echoed across the serene lake, awakening the nightmares and unicorns that slept in the darkness of the night. The moonlight rippled in circles, indescribably beautiful.

Seeing Hugo's joyful posture, everyone couldn't help but feel an itch to join in. Before anyone else had a chance to jump, Joseph began his run-up and plunged into the water. Due to Joseph's size, he created a large splash, spraying water onto the balcony, causing exclamations. Those who were already in the water burst into laughter.

Unfortunately, Hugo was not far from where Joseph landed. A wave directly hit his head, instantly filling his already less-than-clear mind with stars.

"Hugo Lancaster! You're talking nonsense! Oh, God, it's freezing! Damn Jesus Christ!" Joseph frantically slapped the water surface, venting his inner frustration. Then, in a wretched manner, he doggy-paddled towards Hugo. "God, you call this awesome? Shit! Damn it!" Clearly, no amount of profanity could express Joseph's current annoyance."

"Hey, Joe, you shouldn't complain. At least you have more fat than all of us," Hugo shouted loudly, causing everyone around to burst into laughter. In the midst of the conversation, someone shouted from the balcony, "Joseph, Hugo, move aside!" Before the voice could even fade, the sound of footsteps echoed, and someone else jumped into the water.

Joseph and Hugo, caught off guard, were hit by a wave. They faced each other, their hair hanging on their cheeks like water plants. Their appearance was so comical that they couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Oh, God, I must be crazy to believe your words!" Joseph angrily shouted. After swimming near Hugo, he vented his inner complaints. "Do you know it's winter? The water temperature is below freezing. We're not Olympic athletes. We didn't prepare at all before jumping into the water. Jesus! If my heart gets paralyzed, you're to blame."

"Are you suggesting that I carry you ashore? It would indeed be a daunting task," Hugo joked, not forgetting to swim to the side. "Joe, are you sure you're not coming over? Otherwise, someone..." Plunk! Joseph was engulfed by another wave. Hugo paused for a moment, then completed his sentence, "...will jump in. Hahaha." When Hugo saw the expression of resentment on Joseph's face, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Are you sober now?" Joseph finally swam over, trembling and his teeth chattering. He continued to complain.

In fact, the reason Joseph jumped in was not because of Hugo's instigation but because he was genuinely worried about Hugo. After all, Hugo had been acting strangely before tonight, getting too immersed in his character. So Joseph didn't stop Hugo from drinking, including the whiskey Earl had handed him. And he didn't prevent Hugo from joining everyone in diving, even jumping in himself. The complaints just now were Joseph's way of trying to make Hugo lively.

As Hugo looked at Joseph's disheveled appearance, his smile became even brighter. "That's enough, and more importantly..." At first, Hugo didn't think much of it, but seeing Joseph's uncharacteristic frustration and consecutive complaints, he knew that Joseph didn't actually want to jump. The only reason he did was that they were brothers. So Hugo's mood became even lighter, and he pointed to his own head. "This is clear now."

Seeing Hugo's radiant and cheerful smile, Joseph finally breathed a sigh of relief and coughed lightly. "It seems the icy lake water served some purpose. Your head is finally clear."

Hugo didn't argue with Joseph but simply chuckled, "I think it's better if we get ashore quickly. Otherwise, before the water monster emerges and devours us, we might drown directly due to our limbs being frozen stiff."

Just now, there was no sensation, but now I feel as if countless fine needles have penetrated every pore of my body. It was initially cool, but now it feels a bit stingy. My energy is slowly dissipating in this icy lake water. No wonder people say that you must be well-prepared before winter swimming. Hugo and his group didn't have any preparations. They're relying solely on their physical resilience. If they continue to stay here, no one knows if a joke will turn into an accident.

"Water monster... This isn't Loch Ness," Joseph complained as he watched Hugo swimming ahead. However, he finally let go of the heavy burden in his heart. He knew that after tonight's complete outburst, Hugo's negative emotions were finally released. However, this method didn't suit Joseph at all, and he strongly expressed his dissatisfaction!

The others who jumped in earlier have already climbed ashore. Winter swimming is not a simple matter. Although everyone impulsively jumped into the water under the influence of alcohol, if they're not careful, it's easy to encounter safety issues. There are still people continuously challenging the excitement of diving. With Hugo's diving example just now, those who choose to dive are bold individuals. Everyone is diving in various strange postures, and their antics constantly elicit laughter from the spectators on the shore, disturbing the tranquility of Lake Washington tonight.

Hugo's distance from the water's edge was a bit far, and at this moment, his limbs were inevitably stiff. So it took him and Joseph quite some effort to swim to the edge of the balcony. With the help of the staff, they were pulled up onto the balcony with their limbs still stiff. The staff on the balcony had already brought out all the blankets and coats from indoors. As soon as someone reached the shore, they quickly used these clothes to keep them warm. Otherwise, if there were injuries and colds among the crew afterward, it would affect the entire shooting.

After emerging from the water, Hugo felt his teeth starting to chatter, and the muscles all over his body trembled uncontrollably. However, his left knee, which had an old injury, didn't feel any pain—more accurately, it felt numb. It was estimated that once he regained his senses or when the temperature rose, the pain would come rushing in. This made Hugo smile wryly. He had indeed brought this upon himself. If Joseph found out, he would probably say, "Serves you right."

However, Hugo had no regrets. This dive was indeed thrilling, and although he was trembling all over now, his inner restlessness, sadness, frustration, doubt, and other negative emotions had all been completely calmed. He could face whatever might happen in the future confidently and calmly. No wonder people say that nature always has the power to cleanse the heart. Today, Hugo experienced it firsthand.

The staff beside him were chattering excitedly about the excitement of winter swimming. They seemed thrilled. Seeing their eager faces, Hugo made an effort to put on a bright smile, as if his already blue lips had no issues at all. "What about you? Aren't you all going to give it a try? It's really exciting."

Hugo's words caused more than half of the staff to roll their eyes. "I'm not as easily fooled as they are. Jumping into the water in such cold weather? I might as well go skydiving or skiing." These people still haven't gone for a swim; obviously, they were just curious and stopped there. It was absolutely impossible for them to jump in.

"Great idea!" Hugo chuckled. "Maybe I'll really try skydiving. It sounds really fun." The thrilling sensation of leaping from a high altitude was still vivid in his mind, which made Hugo begin to understand the meaning of extreme sports. "Or maybe bungee jumping, at least I don't have to worry about water monsters."

"This isn't Loch Ness!"