Back to 17, My Brother is the Cult Leader

Fang Yuan arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on the afternoon of March 26, Los Angeles time.

The flight took nearly twenty hours, including the flight time and layover in Beijing, with a transfer in Tokyo.

The first-class seats could be reclined, and he slept on and off for seven or eight hours, feeling relatively well when he landed.

My phone rang while I was collecting my luggage. It was Ellie calling.

"Someone will be waiting for you at the exit with a sign; it's a Focus Company car. I'll be waiting for you at the hotel."

Fang Yuan dragged his suitcase out of the arrival hall and saw a white driver in a dark suit holding up a piece of white paper with "Fang Yuan" written on it.

He walked over, and after the driver verified his identity, he took his luggage and led him to a black Lincoln sedan.

There were two bottles of mineral water and a copy of the Los Angeles Times in the car, with a front-page report about tonight's Oscars.

The car drove out of the airport and headed towards Beverly Hills along Highway 405.

It was already quite warm in Los Angeles at the end of March, and the sunlight streaming through the car windows shone on the leather seats, giving them a touch of warmth.

Palm trees swept past the window one after another, the distant hills were pale yellow, and the lawns had not yet turned green.

The hotel was the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, and Focus Hotels booked a suite.

When Fang Yuan went to the front desk to give his name, Ellie stood up from the sofa in the lobby.

She was wearing a dark gray suit dress, looking very professional.

Chen Xia was standing next to her.

"Fang," Ellie walked over and shook hands. "Was the journey smooth?"

"smoothly."

Chen Xia stood next to Ellie, wearing a black women's suit with a white shirt underneath.

She was a little thinner than before, her hair was tied in a low ponytail, and she wore very light makeup.

"The room has been checked in," Chen Xia said.

"Your luggage will be taken upstairs. A car will pick you up at 6 p.m. to take you to the venue; your dress is already hung up in your room."

"it is good."

The three people walked towards the elevator.

The hallway was carpeted thickly, completely absorbing the sound of footsteps. There were only the three of them in the elevator.

"The nominee's seat is in the third row," Ellie pressed the floor button.

"Focus Interactive will be waiting for you at the red carpet entrance. They've arranged for an accompanying translator, but I don't think you'll need one."

"It's really not necessary."

The elevator has arrived at the floor.

Fang Yuan's room was a suite. On the coffee table in the living room was a basket of fruit and a card with "Good Luck" printed by Focus Company.

A black tuxedo hung on the clothes rack, accompanied by a white shirt, black bow tie, and leather shoes.

Fang Yuan took a shower, changed into casual clothes, and sat on the sofa in the living room.

Beverly Hills outside the window appeared quiet in the afternoon sun, with white houses and palm trees interspersed, and the surface of the swimming pool reflecting the sunlight.

Someone knocked on the door.

He went to open the door. Chen Xia stood in the doorway, holding a bottle of red wine.

"I brought this for you. It's not anything fancy."

Fang Yuan took it, glanced at the label, and stepped aside to let her in.

Chen Xia entered the room and sat down on the sofa.

Fang Yuan closed the door, placed the wine on the coffee table, and sat down opposite her.

There was a coffee table between the two people.

"You'll be starting your internship next semester. What are your plans?" Fang Yuan asked.

"Congratulations on having the opportunity to win this award," Chen Xia said. "The internship plan is still undecided."

"However, she will most likely go to a law firm."

Half a minute of silence.

Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a bright area on the carpet.

"I'll be walking the red carpet tonight," Chen Xia said.

"I looked at the list of Chinese attendees this year, and there aren't many."

Taiwan sent a copy of "Tianma Tea House," but it wasn't nominated.

Hong Kong's Ann Hui's "Ordinary Heroes" wasn't nominated either. The mainland's nominee is "Lover's Knot," directed by Feng Xiaoning.

Fang Yuan nodded. All three Chinese-language films were submitted for Best Foreign Language Film, but none of them were nominated.

The Oscars still have a high bar for Chinese-language films.

"Jackie Chan is here," Chen Xia said. "He's a presenter. I heard he's presenting the award for Best Sound Editing."

"At least there's a Chinese face on the red carpet tonight."

Silence fell again. Fang Yuan stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Chen Xia.

"Why did you choose me as your assistant?" Chen Xia asked.

Fang Yuan didn't turn around. He stood there for a moment before speaking: "Because I wanted to see you."

Chen Xia did not speak.

"Personal assistant is just a title," Fang Yuan said, turning around.

"You'll sit with Ellie at the ceremony."

Chen Xia lowered her head, lightly traced her fingers on her knee, and her expression remained unchanged when she looked up.

"See you tonight." Chen Xia stood up.

"Thank you for helping me choose the dress."

Chen Xia walked to the door, turned around with a smile, opened the door, and went out.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Ellie knocked on the door.

Fang Yuan changed into his formal attire and looked at himself in the mirror. Black suit, white shirt, black bow tie.

Ellie checked the angle of his bow tie and said, "It's fine."

Chen Xia was already waiting in the corridor.

She changed into a dark blue women's suit, which was more formal than the one she wore in the afternoon. The shoulders were straight and the waist was well-fitted.

She wore a very small silver brooch on her chest, which was barely noticeable unless you looked closely.

She wore light to heavy makeup, her eyelashes were longer than during the day, and her lips had a bit more color.

Ellie wore a black suit dress with a light gray light jacket over it.

The two people standing together looked like Fang Yuan's business team.

The three people took the elevator downstairs.

There were already quite a few people dressed in formal attire walking around in the hotel lobby.

As he walked through the lobby, he caught a glimpse of someone looking at him out of the corner of his eye—two women in business attire standing out in an event filled with evening gowns.

A car sent by Focus Company was parked in front of the hotel; it was a black extended sedan.

Fang Yuan asked the ladies to sit down first and get on the bus last.

The car was quiet. Fang Yuan leaned back in his seat and glanced at Chen Xia.

Chen Xia was looking down at her phone when she felt his gaze, so she looked up and glanced at him.

Fang Yuan turned his gaze away.

Outside the car window, the streetlights on Hollywood Boulevard were already on.

In March, darkness falls in Los Angeles at a moderate pace; the sky is still a deep blue, with the last glimmer of light.

The car was parked at the entrance to the red carpet.

Jessica, the public relations representative from Focus Features, approached Fang Yuan. She was short, in her thirties, and wore glasses. She led Fang Yuan through a restricted area to the starting point of the red carpet.

A long red carpet stretched from the sidewalk all the way to the theater entrance, flanked by trapezoidal stands packed with audience members and photographers. Flashes of light mingled, like countless suns shining simultaneously.

"Walk slower," Jessica whispered.

"Look at the cameras on both sides, but don't stay there for too long."

Fang Yuan stepped onto the red carpet.

Chen Xia and Ai Li followed half a step behind him, walking on the black ground at the edge of the red carpet.

When the flash went off, some people shouted "This way!" and others shouted "Look here!"

Fang Yuan walked slowly, his gaze sweeping over the stands on both sides.

The crowd on the red carpet was dense yet orderly, with Russell Crowe from "Gladiator" in front and Hilary Swank from "Boys Don't Cry" behind.

Fang Yuan walked down the glittering red carpet, but no one called his name. At that moment, a thought crossed his mind: he'd seen many domestic celebrities trying to gain attention on the red carpet before, waving and smiling as if they were very popular. Didn't they feel awkward?