Marilyn Monroe

After leaving Chinatown, Zhang Xuan, Steve, and Bucky wandered the streets for a while longer before heading toward the industrial park where the Stark Expo was being held. The expo was about to start.

To others, the Stark Expo was a vision of futuristic science fiction, but to Zhang Xuan, every piece of emerging technology was an antique so old it couldn't get any older, sparking no interest whatsoever.

Trailing behind the excited Steve and Bucky, Zhang Xuan's mind was full of what story he should tell when he saw Vivien Leigh later. He remembered plenty of good movies, but not many suited this era. The one that stood out most was Roman Holiday, yet he didn't want to bring it out—he wanted to save that film for the "angel fallen to earth," Audrey Hepburn.

After ruling out Roman Holiday, Zhang Xuan didn't have many movies left to choose from. Thinking it over, he settled on three films. As for which one to pick, he'd decide after meeting Vivien Leigh.

All three were classics in Hollywood film history. The first, Ghost, was an undeniable tearjerker of a love story, and he believed even being decades early wouldn't dim its luster. The second, The Shawshank Redemption, was the uncrowned king of the Oscars—that title alone proved its status. The third, Cinema Paradiso, was a pure dream about cinema itself, unquestionably a classic.

In fact, Zhang Xuan had prepared a fourth movie, Malèna, but thinking of its passionate scenes, he ultimately gave up on it. America in this era hadn't yet gone through the sexual revolution, and few could accept such explicit content on screen.

While replaying the plots of the three movies in his mind, Zhang Xuan's pace unconsciously slowed. Squeezed by the surging crowd, he quickly lost sight of Steve and Bucky ahead. By the time he snapped back to reality, the two were nowhere to be found—all he could see were heads of every color.

"Forget it, can't find them, can't find them." Not spotting the pair, Zhang Xuan didn't mind. He found a corner, sat down, and began organizing his thoughts. He'd seen the movies, but recounting their plots vividly and engagingly was a bit of a stretch for him. With no other choice, he had to prepare in advance.

"Hey, hello!"

Just as Zhang Xuan was lost in thought, a crisp female voice suddenly sounded beside him. Startled, he looked up and saw the girl before him. A flicker of admiration passed through his eyes as he replied, somewhat puzzled, "Hello?"

The girl looked only thirteen or fourteen, but her face showed no trace of immaturity, carrying an unprecedented worldliness. At such a young age, she already had a quality that could captivate all beings.

In both his past and present life, Zhang Xuan was a complete virgin. Aside from going out for "business," he spent all day cooped up in his room, and his interactions with women could be counted on one hand. Still, he'd seen plenty of beauties, including many pretty and cute little girls. But in his memory, few could compare to the girl before him.

"Hi, I'm Norma Jeane Baker." The little beauty sat down next to Zhang Xuan as if they were old friends, raising an eyebrow and introducing herself with a smile.

"Hello, I'm Alex Zhang." Zhang Xuan stole a glance at the girl's face beside him. Seeing her smile, his heart stirred, and he silently marveled, What a beautiful smile!

"Everyone's running around having fun, so why are you just sitting here daydreaming?" The little girl crossed her legs, turned her head, and looked at Zhang Xuan with a puzzled expression.

"I'm tired, just resting a bit," Zhang Xuan made up an excuse on the spot.

"I've been watching you for a while. You've been sitting here almost since you came in." The little girl unhesitatingly saw through Zhang Xuan's lie, leaning her small head close to his ear and speaking word by word.

"Why are you watching me?" Zhang Xuan didn't want to explain anything to a little girl, so he directly changed the subject, looking around and asking, "Where's your family? Why are you alone?"

The little girl's face immediately dimmed, and her voice dropped low. "I'm an orphan." Her beautiful eyes filled with tears, as if they might overflow at any moment.

"Another orphan." Hearing the girl's words, Zhang Xuan thought of himself, then of Steve and Bucky. The reason their bond was so strong was largely their shared background—orphans. Looking at the tearful little girl, a trace of sympathy welled up in him. He gently put his arm around her shoulder and said softly, "So where are you living now?"

"My foster father always hits me, so I ran away!" The little girl hid in Zhang Xuan's arms, trembling.

Zhang Xuan was furious. His tragic past life had made him hate parents who beat their children, and he'd punished such parents more than once. But countless results had taught him that this approach didn't work—the parents he disciplined only became worse, venting all their resentment on the children.

"Then you'll stay with me from now on." Zhang Xuan looked down at the crystal teardrops falling from the corner of the girl's eye and suddenly made a decision. Firmly, he said, "From now on, I'm your big brother."

The little girl poked her head out of Zhang Xuan's arms, looked up at him, her eyes full of gratitude. "Big brother, the first time I saw you, I knew you were a good person."

I just got a "good person" card? Zhang Xuan found it both amusing and exasperating.

Holding the little girl in silence for a while, Zhang Xuan suddenly thought of a very serious problem. He looked down at her and asked seriously, "Norma, how did you end up here?"

"I came to see Vivien Leigh!" The little girl suddenly got excited at this, struggling out of Zhang Xuan's embrace. She stood proudly before him and said smugly, "I'm going to be a big star like Vivien Leigh someday. I've even picked my stage name—Marilyn Monroe!"

"Marilyn Monroe?" Zhang Xuan frowned slightly, feeling a bit strange. Why does that name sound so familiar?

Right, isn't that the name of Hollywood's sex goddess? Zhang Xuan looked in astonishment at the proud little girl before him, vaguely catching a glimpse of the future Hollywood sex goddess in the making!

"Vivien Leigh's here! Vivien Leigh's here!"

Suddenly, shouts came from a distance. With that cry, everyone scattered around the expo surged in one direction.

The little girl—no, Little Monroe—upon hearing this, immediately grabbed Zhang Xuan and ran with the crowd toward the inside.

Vivien Leigh's here? Zhang Xuan snapped back to attention. He'd come to the Stark Expo specifically for Vivien Leigh.

In fact, it wasn't just Zhang Xuan and Little Monroe charging toward the central stage of the expo—everyone attending was flooding that way. The surging crowd instantly surrounded the ten-meter-wide stage. And at that moment, Zhang Xuan and Little Monroe were still blocked ten meters away!

At 1.7 meters, Zhang Xuan was considered decently tall among Chinese, but in front of Americans raised on beef (Steve Rogers was an exception), that height didn't amount to much. All he could see were the backs of heads and hats.

"What do we do? We can't squeeze in!" Little Monroe hadn't fully developed yet, barely reaching Zhang Xuan's chest. She couldn't see anything, even jumping gave her no view, and she was about to cry from frustration.

"Big brother, pick me up! I want to see Vivien Leigh!" Little Monroe turned to Zhang Xuan beside her, as if seeing hope, her eyes shining.

Zhang Xuan bent down, leaned close to Little Monroe's ear, and whispered, "Little Monroe, do you want to get up close with Vivien Leigh?"

Little Monroe looked at him doubtfully, then nodded after a moment. "Yes!"

"Alright, then no matter what happens, don't be surprised, and don't scream, okay?"

Little Monroe grew even more curious but finally nodded with a determined look.

"Little Monroe, let's go!" Zhang Xuan murmured. Teleportation activated instantly, and Zhang Xuan, along with Little Monroe in his arms, vanished from their spot. When they reappeared, they stood at the very front of the crowd, just one step away from the central stage.

No one around noticed the sudden appearance of the two; all attention was fixed on Vivien Leigh on the stage. Who would notice two extra people?

Little Monroe nestled in Zhang Xuan's arms, her small face full of shock. She opened her mouth to scream but, remembering Zhang Xuan's warning, quickly covered it with both hands. Her eyes blinked at him, as if asking, Big brother, is this magic?

"It's a secret," Zhang Xuan said with a slight smile, turning his gaze to the stage, where Hollywood's unparalleled beauty stood.

PS: Just noticed the text got bunched up again. When will Qidian fix this problem...