"Coffee." Charlize lightly tapped her slender finger on the paper coffee cup in front of Hugo, a bright smile hanging on the corner of her mouth. "Is it possible to dine here?" Charlize's words embarrassed Hugo once again, and as their eyes met, they couldn't help but laugh.Hugo had forgotten that it was only 1992. Although Starbucks was founded in 1971, it wasn't until 1987 that it was acquired by Howard Schultz, beginning its global chain dynasty. The Starbucks of today was nowhere near as massive as it would be over a decade later; it could only be considered a rapidly rising coffee chain within the United States. Therefore, Charlize's assessment of Starbucks was quite accurate.Although Hugo had made a series of blunders just now, he quickly recovered, letting all the awkwardness and embarrassment quietly dissolve into the smile at the corner of his mouth. He gently bit his lower lip. "Of course, coffee." Nodding slightly, Hugo raised his eyes and looked directly at Charlize. "I wonder if I might buy you a cup of coffee?"Charlize looked at Hugo's eyes, which were as clear as lake water. The smile on her lips paused for a moment before blooming even more brilliantly. "Sure. Mamba, no sugar, thank you.""Mamba? Excellent choice." Hugo stood up with a smile, gave Charlize a slight nod, and then walked toward the interior of the shop. Mamba coffee (Mandheling Brazil) is a blend of Mandheling and Brazil coffee. It is fragrant and pleasant to the palate, yet strong and flavorful. Since Charlize took it without sugar, one could see a bit of her personality from this choice.After Hugo walked into the shop, he first stood at the door and took a long breath to calm his mind. Hugo realized that whether it was seeing Brad during the last audition or today's chance encounter with Charlize, who was still struggling in the modeling industry, he was acting a bit too starstruck, completely like a crazy fan.While Hugo knew this was inevitable—after all, just a few days ago he was still knocking about in the domestic underground Rock music scene, and today he was seeing people one after another who he previously could only see on a screen—it was truly difficult to adjust. However, Hugo also knew he had to adapt because he was now working in this industry and would see many more legendary figures in the future. If he got startled every time he saw a big star, he probably wouldn't be able to stand it himself.Setting off again, Hugo walked to the counter and ordered a cup of Mamba coffee for Charlize. After thinking about it, he decided to wait by the side instead of going back out. It wasn't until the clerk had brewed the coffee and put it in a paper cup that Hugo took the coffee and walked out.Pushing open the tinted glass door, Hugo immediately saw Charlize sitting by the coffee table. At this moment, Charlize was propping up her chin with her right hand, her long blonde hair sliding smoothly down her shoulders. Dense ivy climbed the neatly arranged palm trees along the boulevard, and sunlight filtered through the lush foliage, casting patches of light like crushed gold over Charlize like a thin golden veil. The Charlize before him looked like an elven maiden resting quietly in the forest, ethereal and beautiful.Hugo could even clearly see Charlize's long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings in the sunlight. The shadows from her hair, eyelashes, and the bridge of her nose made her features appear more three-dimensional. Suddenly, she seemed to sense something and looked up. Turning her head, she saw Hugo standing at the entrance of Starbucks. Her eyelashes swept up, and the laziness between her brows rippled with a halo of light in the sun. The smile that curled at the corner of her mouth made one suddenly hold their breath.In fact, Charlize was only seventeen years old now, not the stunningly beautiful goddess of Hugo's memory. The current Charlize was still quite green, and her youthful temperament made her seem more down-to-earth. However, her features had basically matured by now, and the charm in her eyes already held a bit of electricity. Under the reflection of the golden light, she was indeed exceptionally beautiful.No wonder Earl insisted on giving his business card to Charlize! Hugo marveled once again.This time, however, Hugo's reaction did not falter. Seeing Charlize's smile, he returned one of his own, then slightly raised the coffee in his hand and walked toward the seat.Charlize looked at the Hugo before her—his tall stature, relaxed muscles, and handsome face were almost impossible to look at directly under the shroud of dazzling sunlight. Those amber eyes were like two pools of crystal-clear lake water shining brightly in the unobstructed sunlight. When that smile curled on his lips, a heart-warming brilliance blossomed. Charlize couldn't help but be momentarily dazed."Hey, your coffee." Seeing Charlize's dazed expression, Hugo placed the coffee in front of her, called out with a chuckle, and then sat down across from her.Charlize's gaze followed Hugo as he sat. "Has anyone ever told you that you're very charming?""You're the first one today." Hugo's reply made Charlize double over with laughter, looking like a blooming lily.Charlize picked up the coffee and took a light sip. The sour and bitter sensation of the Mamba coffee bloomed on the tip of her tongue. She couldn't help but lower her eyes to savor it for a moment before looking back at the handsome man across from her with satisfaction. "So, are you an Actor?" After asking, Charlize realized her rudeness and quickly added, "I haven't been in Los Angeles long. To be precise, I haven't been in America very long, so I don't know much about these things. I heard Earl say your name just now, so..."Although Hugo didn't know much about English, he could still tell that Charlize's English was slightly different from the accents he had heard recently. Thinking carefully, Charlize was South African; English was her second language, while Afrikaans was her mother tongue, so Charlize's explanation wasn't surprising."It's okay, it's okay." Hugo gave a faint smile, the tenderness in his eyes shimmering like starlight under the sun. "Yes, I am an Actor, but my current results aren't great. Even if you had been here longer, you probably still wouldn't know me." This was also the first time since Hugo had transmigrated that no one had mentioned the Golden Raspberry Awards in front of him, which was truly wonderful. "By the way, my name is Hugo Lancaster.""Charlize Theron." Looking at Hugo's warm smile, the young girl's own smile softened a bit. "I only came to America a year ago. I originally wanted to be a ballet dancer in New York, but unfortunately, I injured my knee. My mother told me to come to Los Angeles to try my luck. I'm currently working as a model."Though it was only a few words, Hugo could hear the hardships of Charlize's life in America. This was also the greatest feeling Hugo had in the short time since he transmigrated. Don't just look at how glamorous stars are on the big screen; setting aside how much effort these Actors have to put in to get under the spotlights, just knowing that there are tens of thousands of Actors in the city of Los Angeles struggling just to appear in a single work shows how cruel this industry is. Modeling is even harder than acting."Trust me, I'm not a bad guy. You can tell me everything about yourself. Trust me." Hugo's joking remark caused the heaviness in Charlize's words to vanish instantly, and both of them laughed softly."So, do you know that agent from before?" Charlize also realized that she and Hugo had met less than ten minutes ago, and her self-introduction just now had indeed revealed too much information, so she immediately changed the subject."Oh, yes, I know him. His name is Carl Earl, he's an agent," Hugo said, acting profound. Charlize showed an expectant expression, waiting for more, but Hugo just shrugged. "Isn't that enough?" It turned out he knew nothing about Carl either. Charlize realized she had been teased by Hugo and bit her lower lip in a mix of annoyance and amusement, looking unwilling to concede, which made Hugo utterly delighted."That was just a joke," Hugo said quickly. He took Carl's business card out of his pocket and read it seriously. "Oh, he's an agent under International Creative Management. That's great, I'm with that company too. If you need, I can help you ask around and verify his identity."Charlize also looked at Carl's business card in her hand and nodded, saying, "Really? That would be wonderful." Then she looked back up at Hugo. "I mean, since I can't be a ballet dancer in real life, maybe I can achieve it on the big screen, right?"Hugo pursed his lips. "I doubt it." This made Charlize freeze, showing a look of bewilderment. Hugo then laughed. "Unless you're willing to use a stunt double, right? So I think you should work hard to become an excellent Actor; that's more practical."Charlize immediately understood Hugo's meaning. Even for a ballet dancer on the big screen, her injured knee would still be a problem. Rather than clinging to such an unrealistic dream, it was better to see reality clearly and redefine her goals in life; that would be more realistic.After understanding this point, the way Charlize looked at Hugo changed. she couldn't help but look deeply at the handsome man before her. Hugo felt a bit unusual being stared at and looked down at his shirt. "I didn't drip coffee on my clothes, did I?"Charlize laughed again and shook her head. "No, you didn't. You're fine." After laughing, Charlize continued, "It's just that you're different from most men." Other men, when discussing these issues, would only offer blind flattery and wouldn't truly think about them because their lower halves took over their brains. But Hugo was different; he had been very serious throughout the conversation, especially those gentle eyes."That's a good thing, right?" Hugo deliberately put on a worried expression. "You know, I made a fool of myself when we first met. If the impression hasn't changed after talking, that would be a very bad thing."This sentence made Charlize laugh again; she could no longer remember how many times she had laughed during their conversation. "Who knows? I wouldn't dare guarantee it."Hugo put on a look of frustration, but his next words were completely unrelated. "Then it'll have to be like this: give me your phone number. After I finish asking about Carl's business, I'll give you a call."Charlize looked at the Hugo before her, her smile blooming more and more brilliantly.
