First time on the red carpet

"Renly, are you listening?" Renly, bathed in the radiant orange sunlight streaming through the window, appeared lost in thought. Andy had to momentarily pause his words and speak up to ask.

Renly lowered his eyelids and chuckled, tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Yes, I'm listening. You were saying, don't have too high hopes for tonight, relax, enjoy the party, and have a great time." Renly turned his head to glance at Andy, a seeking look in his eyes for confirmation.

Andy nodded, providing an affirming response. "What are you looking at so intently?"

"The sunlight. The Los Angeles sunset has a unique shade of orange, quite unlike New York." Renly's gaze once again turned toward the window. The afternoon sun lazily burned on the horizon, casting a bright and warm orange hue over the sky, giving it a peculiar color for the entire day. At this moment, New York's night had already completely enveloped the city, and in his mind's eye, he could imagine the navy-blue night sky descending slowly.

The three-hour time difference had resulted in drastically different appearances for these two cities on the opposite sides of the country. This was also why every nationwide live broadcast award ceremony seemed so intriguing.

Usually, the red carpet began on the East Coast around 8 PM, or even earlier. After the four-hour award ceremony concluded, it would be past midnight, a significant reason why the Oscars were annually criticized for being overly lengthy. On the other hand, on the West Coast, the awards ceremony would start around 5 PM in the afternoon. By the time the event ended, the stars' night had just begun, and victory parties and celebrations would unfold beneath the cover of the night.

Tonight, the 62nd Emmy Awards had kicked off at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. Renly and Andy had arrived in the City of Angels two days ago, specifically to attend Renly's first-ever award ceremony in his acting career.

"Don't you find it fascinating? When New York is starting to have dinner, the awards ceremony is already underway here in Los Angeles." A gentle smile played at the corners of Renly's lips. "I'm starting to worry now. What if I get hungry halfway through the ceremony? What do I do?" According to custom, the awards ceremony generally ended around 9 PM Los Angeles time, by which time most people had already had dinner.

Andy couldn't help but grin. Sometimes, Renly displayed a mature and worldly-wise demeanor, as if he'd seen much in life. Yet at other times, he seemed like a rookie stepping onto the stage for the first time, maintaining boundless curiosity and vitality. Just when Andy thought he was getting to know Renly better, he was always in for a new surprise.

"After we enter the venue, you'll see a buffet table backstage. Although it only offers some desserts, bread, salads, and the like, if you start feeling unwell, you can pick some snacks to ease your hunger." Andy kindly explained, "The best choice is to grab a piece of dark chocolate before entering. It can provide a quick energy boost without making you look too awkward."

"Ah, I see." Renly lightly lifted his jaw, indicating understanding. "I thought everyone would satisfy their hunger with whiskey or brandy." That's how noble banquets worked.

Andy found it a bit amusing and chuckled. Looking at the soft sunlight sprinkling over Renly's shoulder, his features blurred in the halo, he couldn't clearly make out the details. He could only vaguely see the lines of a chin and a shoulder. The well-fitted shirt and tasteful suit carved out an elegance that had been nurtured by time. Though he knew very little about suits and fashion, he couldn't help but admit that the suit seemed tailored specifically for Renly. Andy couldn't help but recall his visit to Melvin Blades last week.

In comparison to Melvin, who had fled to the second floor to hide, Renly maintained his gentlemanly demeanor until the very end. The biting irony cut deep once again. Although Melvin couldn't see it anymore, the golden-haired hostess bidding farewell was clearly filled with undisguised embarrassment and panic. Andy could easily imagine Melvin's shamefaced expression. It was undeniably quite amusing.

On that day, they didn't seek out another stylist. Instead, they returned to Fifth Avenue and purchased a suit at the Burberry flagship store. Renly made the choice himself.

"Do you have a deep understanding of suits?" Andy asked curiously.

Renly smiled and replied, "Just the basics." That was the truth; handmade tailored suits were crafted by professional tailors. He was merely responsible for wearing them and couldn't be considered knowledgeable or professional.

Andy found this quite interesting. Usually, Renly's attire leaned towards casual and laid-back, even having some street style elements. But after changing into the suit, Renly's entire demeanor and aura transformed, as if this was the true Renly, effortlessly complete in every way.

It was clear that there was much more to discover about Renly. Perhaps tonight would be an excellent platform for this rookie's first appearance at such a grand event as the Emmy Awards. His first time truly basking in the spotlight, becoming the focal point of journalists' lenses. This was worlds apart from the premiere of "The Pacific". Andy wondered how Renly would perform.

Andy couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.

Just a few blocks away, they could see the Staples Center, and Andy knew they were nearing the Nokia Theatre. "No need to be too nervous," he reassured. "This is just the first half of the red carpet. There won't be any major celebrities arriving at this point. Plus, the cast of TV shows tonight is quite extensive. The focus won't linger on one person for too long. So, just try to relax as much as possible."

Due to the massive number of people involved in the TV industry, the Emmy Awards had the highest attendance among the four major award ceremonies. That's why they chose the Nokia Theatre as the venue; it could accommodate 6,500 people, twice as many seats as the Kodak Theatre.

Combined with the vast number of supporting roles in TV shows, there were many well-known actors and even more unknown ones. Thus, the entire red carpet would be bustling.

"Is there a specific timing for arriving on the red carpet?" Renly inquired curiously. At the premiere of "The Pacific", he didn't have a manager, and he attended whenever he pleased. But now, it seemed that the timing for walking the red carpet wasn't so straightforward. Did they have a specific time slot for their appearance today too?

Andy chuckled, seemingly amused by the question. "Of course, there's a strategy to it. Truly prominent figures generally attend in the middle to later part of the second half, as that's when the viewership peaks, and it's not considered a less favorable time slot. Moreover, at events like these with so many big names, no one wants to clash or steal the spotlight. So, managers communicate with each other, and the organizers also coordinate to spread out the arrival times as much as possible."

Renly pondered for a moment and proposed a speculation, "Could it be that some people intentionally arrange to appear at the same time to counter each other's momentum?"

Andy smiled but didn't say anything, neither confirming nor denying. Instead, he pointed straight ahead. "We're here."

Turning his head, they could see a building adorned with glass walls. The exterior design didn't exhibit many distinctive features, maintaining the clean and sleek lines of Nordic minimalism. If driving by, one might not pay it much attention. The sky-blue "Nokia" sign atop emphasized the building's style.

At this moment, the entrance of the theater was brightly illuminated. The pale yellow lights intermingled with the reddish-orange sunset, making the whole world overly bright. The bustling crowd extended all the way to the road, and the main street was now blocked, packed with people. The multitude surged towards the direction covered by the lights, cheering, shouting, and screaming incessantly. The surging waves, beneath the burning sun, seemed to be the origin of the vast flames that covered the sky and land, as if setting the heavens ablaze. The immense heatwave came rushing, awakening the scorching heat of midsummer. Even the air seemed to be boiling.

The roar pierced through the car window, heavily striking their eardrums. Blood couldn't help but quicken its pace, each heartbeat robust, and the adrenaline rush left the throat somewhat parched.

Renly had to adjust his breathing. This time was evidently quite different. If the premiere of "The Pacific" was marked by innocence and confusion, characterized by Alice's curious and explorative wanderings in Wonderland, then this time he could truly sense the fervor and boiling of the celebrity scene. A sense of tension surged uncontrollably, his blood seemed to have turned into gasoline, requiring just a spark to ignite.

It was only now that reality hit Renly's chest forcefully: This was the Emmy Awards. He was about to attend the Emmy Awards ceremony as a nominee. The idea, which had been amplified countless times from the moment Fisher Morgan informed him of this news until now, finally assaulted him sharply and fiercely.

Tonight, he would be competing on the same stage with Al Pacino, Jeff Bridges, Ian McKellen, and others.

Wasn't this truly a surprise?

The smile at the corner of his mouth couldn't help but curl up gently. Standing tall, he was prepared, ready to step into this sea of scorching spotlights.

"Renly, if you have any questions, you can ask Rose Byrne. She's also one of my actors and will be attending the ceremony tonight." Andy provided the final instructions loudly into Renly's ear, then patted his shoulder and gave him a thumbs-up. "Buddy, go conquer Hollywood!"

A smile blossomed on Renly's lips, without any hesitation. He directly pushed open the car door.