Chapter 313: The Perfect Girlfriend

On the last weekend of July, as the sun began its descent in the west, Matthew drove to the Wilton Theater in Los Angeles, where the 2004 Teen Hollywood Awards ceremony was taking place. Based on the arrangements made by Helen Herman with the organizers, he was among the stars set to walk the red carpet early on.

Like most red carpet events, those who walk first or last often hold a higher status.

This purely commercialized youth award didn't feature any superstars, but as a rising star, Matthew fit right into the category of major celebrities at the ceremony.

Furthermore, as one of the most prominent attendees, the organizers had promised him a significant award in exchange for his participation.

Unlike the Oscars, this award, established in the 1990s, relied on celebrity fame and appeal to enhance its own prestige.

As the red carpet event began, Matthew was the third to step onto the red carpet at the Wilton Theater. Like at a movie premiere, he struck his best and coolest poses for the press, interacted with fans along the carpet, and then headed to the interview area at the end of the carpet.

Since most media were busy interviewing Anne Hathaway, who had walked the carpet before him, the crowd interviewing Matthew was smaller.

Matthew glanced at Anne Hathaway's section, remembering seeing a large poster for her upcoming movie "Princess Diaries 2" on a billboard during his drive over.

Standing in the interview area, Matthew routinely answered questions about the sequels to "Pirates of the Caribbean," "National Treasure," and the ongoing production of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." Following this, he was guided by a staff member to a special area for young reporters.

Since it was the Teen Hollywood Awards, young boys and girls were naturally the main audience.

Matthew soon spotted Lily Collins among the young reporters, waving at him. He directly requested the staff to let her interview him.

Lily Collins approached Matthew, visibly excited. "Matthew, I've prepared lots of questions!"

"Don't grill me too hard," Matthew joked, "I'd be embarrassed if I can't answer."

Cheers erupted from the red carpet, drawing Matthew's attention to three blonde girls making their entrance. The older two looked very similar, likely twins.

Lily glanced over and said, "The twins are the Olsen sisters, and the younger one is their sister, Elizabeth Olsen."

Matthew nodded. While he wasn't familiar with the Olsens, he knew of their fame as one of North America's most renowned sets of twins.

"Let's start," Lily said, turning her attention away from the red carpet and back to her notebook. "So, Matthew, how old were you when you had your first love?"

Matthew was surprised by the gossip-driven question, but considering Lily was under sixteen, it made sense—such ages are rife with curiosity.

"Let me think," Matthew pondered, holding his chin. "I guess I was nineteen."

"Nineteen?" Lily was shocked. "Really? Nineteen and first love, that means..."

Matthew tilted his head, looking at her curiously. "Is it strange to have a first love at nineteen? Lily, have you been in love?"

"Um..." Lily scratched her head, thrown off by the question. "Not yet, I'm just curious."

She then protested, "I'm interviewing you, why are you asking about me!"

Seeing that Lily wasn't quite skilled in interviewing, Matthew encouraged, "Go ahead with your questions."

"There are many rumors about you in the media; are they all true?" Lily asked.

"Some are true," Matthew replied casually, "and some are not."

"So, you've had several girlfriends?" Lily looked up at him.

"Yes," Matthew nodded.

"What would your ideal girlfriend be like?" Lily continued.

How to answer such a question? What defines a perfect girlfriend? Matthew didn't have a clear idea himself.

He glanced at Lily and playfully described, "She should have long brown hair like mine, a delicate and enduring face, and a look that's pure and sweet…"

Lily wrote down his words, feeling strangely familiar with the description.

Matthew emphasized one last trait, "And she should have thick, beautiful eyebrows."

After this, he nodded to Lily, "That's it for today, Lily."

Lily touched her eyebrows subconsciously, "Oh... alright, Matthew, I'll send the rest of the questions to your email."

Matthew smiled and turned towards the theater.

Watching him walk away, Lily blinked, touching her thick and pretty eyebrows, and couldn't help but smile.

Looking down at her notes, she realized she had plenty of material for her column in "Elle Girl."

Matthew entered the theater, finding himself with some time before the red carpet event concluded, and followed a staff member to a VIP lounge on the second floor, where numerous celebrities had gathered.

Notable attendees included Anne Hathaway, the three Olsen sisters, and Hayden Christensen, known

 for his role as Anakin Skywalker.

In this setting, all stars shared a common trait: they were very young, and most were typical youth idols. As someone who had bypassed the youth idol phase and jumped directly into adult roles, Matthew was somewhat unique here.

Hayden Christensen might be considered another exception, though his career was heavily tied to his role in "Star Wars," a role that brought him fame but also intense scrutiny.

Matthew's opinion of Hayden was somewhat different. Having seen "Attack of the Clones" in theaters, he felt Hayden was well-suited for the role of Anakin Skywalker, where appearance was often more critical than acting skill in such a massive franchise.

Acknowledging this, Matthew approached Hayden to greet him, knowing that their paths might not cross again in such settings after the "Star Wars" prequels concluded.

Hayden had also once ventured to work with Nicolas Cage in an unusual film about a ghostly escape, adding to his eclectic career choices.

As more people entered the VIP room, Matthew found himself among celebrities whose names he knew but did not recognize in person.

"Hi, Matthew!"

The greeting came from the left; turning, Matthew saw Rachel McAdams and promptly went over to embrace her lightly. "Hello, Rachel."

After they parted, Matthew apologized, "Sorry I couldn't make it to your premiere."

"That's okay," Rachel smiled, her dimples showing. "You were busy."

As they chatted, another girl approached. "Aren't you going to introduce me, Rachel?"

This girl was slightly shorter than Rachel, with shiny blonde hair.

"This is Amanda," Rachel introduced. "Amanda Seyfried, a friend I met on the set of 'Mean Girls'. Amanda, this is Matthew, Matthew Horner, a good friend of mine."

Matthew extended his hand to Amanda, "Nice to meet you, Amanda."

Being part of the same industry, Amanda replied with ease, "Hello, Matthew. Rachel has told me about you; you're a big star."

Matthew chuckled, "You're the stars. Haven't you noticed? Many people are watching you."

After chatting for a while, Rachel and Amanda moved on to another group. After greeting Anne Hathaway, Amanda returned to Matthew.

"What's up, Amanda?" Matthew asked curiously.

Leaning in, Amanda whispered, "I just wanted to tell you personally, you're a very charming man."

Matthew laughed, "And you, Amanda, are a very beautiful and sexy woman."

As it was time for the ceremony to begin, a staff member ushered them toward the auditorium.

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