Chapter 744: Leave It to Fate

After these Hollywood stars had reached their climax, it was free lunch time—nothing but eating, drinking, and socializing on the side.

It's the same everywhere; eating and drinking together is socializing, and without socializing you simply can't get anything done.

Since Liu Tianxian could speak English and chat with anyone for a few lines, she took the chance to take a few photos with some famous stars.

Meanwhile, Fang Hong met with several investors and Producers from the Hollywood side.

It was really just chatting, no excessive socializing—these Hollywood people are all very open, one and all.

Next came the awards ceremony for the wind-vane prizes; no need to attend, since the films that won at other awards ceremonies were here to build momentum.

There were also events from other organizations, such as a roundtable forum for women creators and support programs for minority filmmakers.

You can't attend too many—these events all have political leanings. Even the Oscar luncheon doesn't talk about films, but about national policy, and then bashes it hard.

So Liu Tianxian and Fang Hong just needed to pick one or two to attend, like the AR or Virtual Production tech forum.

As long as she kept getting exposure during this period, with Liu Tianxian's personal updates constantly circulating on overseas internet—never mind whether foreign Wangyi liked watching them, they just had to be pushed to them. Money spent.

And photos of the two appearing at various Hollywood events were also carried back to China, with media tracking them the whole way like rolling coverage.

And those pictures were all just reposted, then paired with their own textual interpretations—that was it.

"Liu Tianxian appears at the Oscar luncheon, sharing the frame with Angelina Jolie—a feast for the eyes."

"Liu Tianxian poses with Nicole Kidman, Eastern beauty on full display."

"Oscar luncheon, Liu Tianxian stands at C-position, Oscar is a done deal."

This report completely ignored the Emma Stone standing beside her, only reporting on how Liu Tianxian looked.

Domestic Wangyi basically didn't recognize this person at all.

During this period, Liu Tianxian was attending all kinds of print and television interviews, making appearances everywhere, and trying on haute couture gowns for the Oscar red carpet—she was incredibly busy.

Oscar time drew closer and closer, and soon it was the opening day, February 26th.

Before afternoon even arrived, the red carpet area outside the Dolby Theatre was already packed with people—fans who had come from all over the world to chase stars, all staking out spots early.

If you came late, there wouldn't even be a spot left.

And these fans could only watch from the outside; they couldn't enter the awards ceremony venue. Entry required an invitation and wasn't open to the public.

Liu Tianxian had arrived a few hours early and settled into a suite at the Roosevelt Hotel near the Dolby Theatre, where a team did her makeup and got her dressed.

The Dolby Theatre also had private makeup rooms inside, but those were reserved for top Hollywood stars, so they didn't bother joining that scene.

The makeup took several hours. When Liu Tianxian came out, Fang Hong saw her wearing a soft, flowing nude gown, the Skin exposed was fair and translucent.

Her long hair had been curled into loose waves, giving her a gentle, girlish look.

Her lips were painted bright red, crystal-clear earrings hung from her earlobes, and on her hand she wore the Pink Heart diamond ring—altogether both wealthy and radiant.

"Tsk tsk tsk, she doesn't look like a mother at all—clearly some rich family's young miss who's come out to wreak havoc." Fang Hong circled around her, sizing her up.

"Hehe. You're the one wreaking havoc." Liu Tianxian lightly dabbed the corner of her eye—she'd been so tickled by the man that tears had come out.

This "wreak havoc" was of course a compliment, meaning good-looking.

"Oh, Miss Liu, you flatter me." Fang Hong laughed.

"Who's flattering you? You're a menace, a big menace." Liu Tianxian's tone was fierce.

"Who have I menaced? Menaced you?" Fang Hong said.

"Yes, menaced me." Liu Tianxian lifted her chin slightly, striking a tsundere pose.

"Then I'll menace you." Saying that, Fang Hong reached for her belly to tickle her.

"Ahaha hehehe."

Liu Tianxian hunched over, laughing as she dodged away: "Don't do that—I just changed into this gown and did my makeup, don't mess it up."

"Alright!" Fang Hong pulled his hand back.

Just as the two were chatting and amusing themselves, a white man in a sharp suit walked over—he was their temporary agent here, coordinating the Oscar work arrangements.

"Miss Liu, Mr. Fang, it's time. We can head to the red carpet." the white man said.

"Good, lead the way." Fang Hong gestured.

Then two makeup Assistants helped Liu Tianxian slip a dust cover over her gown to keep dust off it on the way, or anything from getting dirty, then helped lift her train as they followed.

Other makeup artists brought their gear—emergency sewing kits, makeup bags, and the like—just in case, and to do one final touch-up before stepping onto the red carpet.

Anyway, a female star stepping onto a red carpet is a huge hassle, requiring all-around care; for men it's much simpler.

The group filed out of the suite into the corridor, where the elevator had dedicated staff guarding it, providing direct access to the underground garage.

A high-end black business car was parked not far from the elevator entrance, arranged in advance.

Liu Tianxian and Fang Hong sat in the back row, the others in another car. The car moved off slowly—since it wasn't far, it would take 15 minutes, so they drove very slowly.

The Dolby Theatre had an underground service area that wasn't open to the public; the car followed directions and arrived there.

This was the final adjustment stage for red carpet stars. With the help of the makeup team, Liu Tianxian had the dust cover removed.

The hairstylist applied holding spray once more; the makeup artist pressed blotting paper and touched up the highlighter; the manicurist wiped the reflective layer off her nails.

The styling Assistant applied anti-static spray, and the agent from earlier did a final check and confirmation.

Every step was attended to in detail—if any step was skipped before stepping onto the red carpet, it could cause an accident.

Because the cameras outside were all high-definition; even the tiniest pores could be captured in perfect clarity.

One actress went straight onto the red carpet without touching up her makeup, and under the HD cameras was photographed with makeup sliding off her nose wings and an oily sheen—the "makeup disaster" topic got over 200 million reads that day.

So anyone who tried to cut corners and got caught looking bad on camera would have Wangyi going wild saying you'd gotten ugly.

Under the agent's guidance, Fang Hong took Liu Tianxian by the hand and stepped onto the red carpet.

The moment they stepped onto the red carpet, waves of cheers rose from both sides, along with the constant flashing of lights.

Bodyguards in black patrolled around the red carpet to prevent anyone from rushing in.

The broadcast also provided real-time commentary in eight languages; the scene was lively, like being in a bustling dream.

Liu Tianxian wore a smile, lifted her train, and walked slowly toward the front of the red carpet, striking poses every now and then for the photographers on site.

The reporters present were not only international entertainment journalists, but also domestic ones—Sina, Sohu, NetEase, Universal, and Phoenix Entertainment had all sent reporters.

It was only because Liu Tianxian was here; they could get firsthand material for their reports, as there were still many Liu Tianxian fans in China paying attention, though it was deep night in China now.

Various shouts reached Liu Tianxian's ears—some called her Chinese name, others her English name; fans from many countries were present.

Standing on the Oscar red carpet, she was the most prominent presence at this moment.

But she couldn't stay long—only one minute to walk through; this wasn't Cannes where you could linger, and if you didn't move, security would move you.

Amid flashing lights, Liu Tianxian walked to the main photo wall area, where she paused for fifteen seconds for official still photography.

Then she moved to the fashion media triangle zone, where Vogue, Elle, and Bazaar took photos—about ten seconds, each with strict time limits.

All were shot in profile and full-face, and they also took joint photos with Fang Hong, arms around each other's shoulders.

After that came the media interview zone: television media were limited to TNT and ABC, each allowed twenty seconds.

All had strict time limits; if one took too long, those behind would be squeezed—total red carpet time was strictly regulated.

"How do you feel as a Chinese person here?" asked the TV reporter.

"Today, Chinese descendants make up 2.3% of Hollywood professionals, but tonight we account for 7% of the red carpet—we'd rather be messengers of cinema," Liu Tianxian replied, knowing they'd ask about identity and having prepared a response in advance.

"Does your gown today showcase Eastern aesthetics?" asked the reporter.

"Beauty belongs to humanity, just as light and shadow belong to the lens," said Liu Tianxian.

"Do you wish to speak to your Chinese audience?" asked the reporter.

"Art needs no translator—I don't have to speak, and they'll still understand," said Liu Tianxian, avoiding such topics.

If she said anything, they'd mistranslate it; at such a grand event, with hundreds of millions watching globally, one wrong word would be a major problem.

Her answers today were all pre-written drafts—not how she normally answered questions, since she usually preferred speaking plainly.

Usually just a few questions, she passed through without incident, then entered the Dolby Theatre auditorium.

The entire hall resembled a circular structure with a dome, evoking the visual style of a European castle.

Seats were divided into three sections in stepped tiers; Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian followed directions to sit in the center, looking down toward the stage with an elevated perspective, in dark gold tones.

At this moment, the stage was covered by red curtains and not yet opened; it wasn't large, only exquisite.

Aside from China's award stages, which looked grand and imposing, award stages in other countries were never large—including Cannes—and gave a small, modest impression.

Even so, others' stages were authoritative!

This wasn't bias—China's major award stages were all grand and lavish, while those of other countries' award ceremonies gave a small, modest impression.

Since the ceremony hadn't begun, many foreigners in the hall were whispering among themselves.

Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian could only wait for the ceremony to open; Fang Hong held her hand and noticed it trembling: "Already nervous before it even starts?"

"A little—I'm afraid I won't win. How disappointing that would be—for fans, for family, and for you too!" said Liu Tianxian.

"Disappointed by what? So many people hope for a win and don't get it—if everyone got disappointed over that, who'd even live?"

Fang Hong spoke casually, adding: "If you don't win, you don't win—try harder next time."

"Mm." Liu Tianxian felt somewhat comforted.

She usually claimed not to care, as if it were a lofty philosophy, but when the moment came, she still cared deeply.

As they talked, Fang Long suddenly appeared beside their seats, smiling at them, wearing black-rimmed glasses.

"Hey, big brother, how'd you get here?" Liu Tianxian was surprised.

"I arrived last night. I wanted to notify you ahead of time, but figured you'd be busy, so I didn't disturb you," Fang Long said, shaking hands with both of them.

There seemed to be no lingering resentment from past grievances—he remained warm and friendly.

A man like this, if born in ancient chaos, would surely have been a regional warlord, even possibly an emperor—loyal, warm to everyone.

He had long understood women: he refused to acknowledge Wu Qili's daughter without a paternity test, showing clear principles and many admirable traits.

It's said that once, while filming in Africa, friends from Hong Kong gathered at a hotel to celebrate his birthday; when he heard, he called his Assistant and told him to settle the bill.

A man like this—wherever he went, he had friends—was no exaggeration.

Fang Long spoke again: "So, do you have confidence in winning?"

"How can we talk about confidence? It's hard to say," Liu Tianxian replied seriously.

Fang Hong remained silent beside them, listening.

"If you don't win, all your money was wasted," Fang Long knew the backstage rules and secrets.

"There's nothing we can do—we've done all we could. Let fate decide," Liu Tianxian said, sounding somewhat doubtful.

"True," Fang Long nodded.

"How's little Fang recently?" Liu Tianxian asked, concerned—after all, his son couldn't appear publicly, and her husband bore some responsibility.

"Sigh, what can you do but raise him? See if he can do something else—entertainment industry is off-limits."

Fang Long sighed, then added: "It's his own doing. A lesson is good—it'll make him a better man."

The way he spoke, he blamed no one but his son—Fang Hong felt somewhat relieved hearing it.

As they talked, Yu Xian suddenly appeared, looking at them.

"Hey, aren't you filming Aquaman?" Liu Tianxian was again surprised.

"Yes, but today we paused filming to come here for the Oscars and watch you win—if you win and no one cheers for you, wouldn't that be lonely?" Yu Xian smiled, shook hands with Fang Long as a greeting, then sat beside them.

"You're losing a lot of money by not filming today—aren't you afraid Warner's Lao Zha will fire you?" Liu Tianxian teased.

"Afraid of what? They have plenty of money—what's a little loss? Besides, I might finish shooting early, saving them a lot." Yu Xian said.

"What about your girlfriend? Is she here?" Liu Tianxian looked around but didn't see Guo Biting.

"She can't come—I had her watch at home. Watching TV is the same. Why should women show their faces? Their duty is to support their husband and raise children," Yu Xian said.

"You're quite traditional," Liu Tianxian said.

"I agree—he's right. Women should do what women should do, and not do what they shouldn't," Fang Long also agreed.

Both were traditional, both believing women should support their husbands and raise children.

(End of this chapter)