Matthew arrived at the entrance of the Hollywood Chinese Grand Theatre, walking the red carpet quickly since he wasn't starring in this particular film. He declined interviews from the reporters, aware that any comments could be misconstrued given the film's troubled past.
By now, Matthew was well-acquainted with the sensationalism of entertainment media.
Entertainment media would rather err on the side of scandal than let a potentially eye-catching story slip through, even fabricating errors where there were none.
However, the media's attention wasn't focused on him. The main stars of the film, Orlando Bloom and Kate Beckinsale, hadn't arrived yet, but there were plenty of A-list celebrities present.
Before him, the renowned Rachel and America's sweetheart, Jennifer Aniston, had entered the theatre. As Matthew reached the entrance, Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow had just stepped into the interview area.
Feeling oddly sandwiched between these two subtly connected women, Matthew didn't ponder it much and proceeded directly inside the theatre, guided by the crew to the VIP lounge.
Upon entering, he recognized a familiar face and hurried over to greet her.
"Hi, Rachel," Matthew approached Rachel Weisz, dressed in a red evening gown. She greeted him with a radiant smile, "Hi, Matthew."
They exchanged a polite hug.
"It's only been two years, and you're already a big star," Rachel remarked as she took a step back to appraise him from head to toe, "You look even handsomer and more charismatic."
"You've become even more beautiful yourself," Matthew replied, matching her compliment, "and even sexier."
Rachel stared at him, her smile growing wider, then whispered, "With all these compliments, I hope you're not harboring any ulterior motives?"
"Of course not," Matthew responded straightforwardly, "We're friends, aren't we?"
He remembered that Rachel was now engaged, although being engaged or married hardly stopped stars from misbehaving. Still, he had no particular intentions toward Rachel; interactions with single celebrities might be gossip-worthy, but engaging with those who were engaged or married could invite negative press.
To put it simply, they were just joking around before swiftly changing the topic.
"You've really risen fast these past two years," Rachel recalled the Matthew she knew from the set, then still an obscure actor, "Now you're even more famous than me."
Matthew remained modest, "Not at all, mine is just a hyped-up reputation," he chuckled, "Unlike you, working hard on your acting skills, aiming for an Oscar. Once you win Best Actress, you'll be a true superstar."
Rachel sighed, "Winning an Oscar for Best Actress isn't as easy as you make it sound."
The sound of high heels clicking on the floor drew Matthew's attention. Jennifer Aniston was passing by, only a few feet away from him and Rachel. Just as he was about to look away, he noticed Gwyneth Paltrow, who had just entered, walking towards Jennifer.
Known for her diva attitude within the Hollywood circle, Gwyneth quickened her pace towards the back of Jennifer.
Unperturbed, Matthew continued his conversation with Rachel, keeping an eye on the situation from the corner of his eye.
Soon, Gwyneth caught up to Jennifer, whispering something that made Jennifer shake her head and turn to leave.
Matthew was a bit disappointed; perhaps it was due to her nature, or maybe Hollywood simply offered fewer opportunities for women, making conflicts between female stars more intense than among their male counterparts. Public confrontations were hardly news.
"Just like that?" Matthew was about to look away.
But just as he thought this, he saw Jennifer turn around, about to leave, when Gwyneth stepped on the train of her floor-length gown. The fabric, made of delicate tulle and looking quite beautiful, was not very sturdy.
Rip—
Matthew distinctly heard the sound of fabric tearing.
These events, women stars wearing towering heels, were not uncommon. Jennifer's gown being torn made her momentarily unstable, leaning to one side.
Given Jennifer's proximity, Matthew quickly stepped forward and steadied her.
"Careful!" he asked Jennifer, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, thank you," Jennifer politely responded, leaning on Matthew's arm to steady herself, then turning back to look behind her.
Before she could speak, Gwyneth hastily apologized, "Sorry, I accidentally stepped on your gown."
Gwyneth held her chest, her face full of regret and apology, "It's all my fault! All my fault!"
Onlookers turned their attention towards them, Jennifer's gown now sported a large tear, quite unsightly.
Matthew had already let go of Jennifer and stepped back to his previous spot.
"Gwyneth, maybe..." It seemed like an honest mistake.
Jennifer glanced at Gwyneth, shook her head slightly, took a deep breath, and managed a small smile, "It's alright, I
'll just go change into another."
Matthew was surprised by her response; there were no fans or reporters here, just industry insiders. Usually, female stars would openly confront such situations.
Was Jennifer concerned about maintaining her sweetheart image? But such reputations were more for the public's consumption; everyone in the industry knew each other well.
Being stepped on and not retaliating could invite more trouble in the future.
Gwyneth exchanged a few more polite words with Jennifer, seeing that she genuinely didn't seem to hold a grudge, then turned to leave.
But just as Gwyneth turned around, Jennifer stepped forward, stepping on the train of Gwyneth's fishtail evening gown, also a floor-length design.
Rip—
The sound of fabric tearing echoed again.
Ah—
Gwyneth, taken completely by surprise, nearly fell. Thankfully, her balance was good enough to stabilize herself after a few wobbles.
Once steady, Gwyneth turned around, glaring at Jennifer. Before she could speak, Jennifer, with a face full of apology, said, "I'm so sorry, Gwyneth, I accidentally stepped on your gown."
Gwyneth pointed a finger at Jennifer, "You..."
"It's all my fault!" Jennifer's tone was peculiar, much like Gwyneth's earlier, "It's all my fault, Gwyneth, shall I go with you to change?"
Gwyneth clenched her teeth for a long time before finally spitting out, "No need!"
She dared not turn her back on Jennifer again, cautiously moving towards the door, and soon left.
Jennifer looked back at her own gown, seeing the damage wasn't too severe, walked over to Matthew, saying, "Thanks for earlier."
"Don't mention it, Miss Aniston," Matthew replied graciously.
"Call me Jen," Jennifer added, "If it weren't for your help, I would have really been embarrassed."
"It's nothing, don't worry about it," Matthew said nonchalantly, ignoring the surrounding glances and lowering his voice slightly, "Jen, you're my idol, I've always loved 'Friends' and Rachel."
Jennifer, not a naive young girl, couldn't guess why Matthew said this, but knew he was currently a very popular star, and such idol talk was probably just politeness.
"My dress had a mishap, I need to go back now," Jennifer delicately excused herself, opening her purse and pulling out a card, "If you need any help, you can call this number."
After speaking, she nodded to Matthew and carefully walked out of the VIP lounge.
Matthew looked at the card, which bore only a set of numbers, and put it away, understanding that Jennifer didn't want to owe him a favor.
"Saving the damsel in distress, huh?" Rachel suddenly chimed in.
"It was just a reflex," Matthew replied casually, "If it were you, I'd have thrown Gwyneth out."
Rachel didn't respond to Matthew's comment, instead shaking her head towards the lounge door, "Is it worth it for a man? Especially since that man isn't even worth it."
Curious, Matthew asked, "Have you been in Hollywood long enough to know if Jennifer took Brad Pitt from Gwyneth?"
"I'm not sure," Rachel pointed at Matthew's pocket, "Don't you have Aniston's number? Just call and ask."
How could he ask such a thing? Matthew wasn't that foolish; Jennifer gave him the card because she didn't want to owe him, and it might come in handy sometime.
"Time's nearly up, should we head to the screening room?" Rachel suggested.
Just as she finished speaking, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the door, led by Stephen Sommers, Orlando Bloom, and Kate Beckinsale, the film's lead creative team.
"Let's greet Stephen first," Matthew suggested to Rachel, moving forward to meet them.
He first exchanged pleasantries with Stephen Sommers, then approached Orlando Bloom.
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