The film and television city starts from the courtyard

Zhao Shucheng let Luo Shuquan and Zuo Yongbang tour the place while he continued with his work.

Seeing Zhao Shucheng constantly busy, discussing the filming content with the director, coordinating with the actors, and arranging props with the props team, etc.

Luo Shuquan couldn't help but ask, "Look, Xiaobai is working like a spinning top, is it worth it?"

Zuo Yongbang looked into the studio and felt a sense of absurdity. The scene on the screen was beautiful and exquisite, but in reality, it was a spacious and cluttered environment filled with wires, templates, and miscellaneous items.

Compared to the central area where the actors were rehearsing, the rest of the area looked like a garbage dump—it was like the difference between heaven and hell.

Zhao Shucheng finally had some time to rest, so he came over to Zuo Yongbang and the others and said, "Have you been waiting long?"

Luo Shuquan asked, "Is it worth it for you to go through all this trouble for a woman?"

Zhao Shucheng smiled and said, "Who told you that I did all this for Mo Xiaomin?"

"Isn't that right? If it weren't for her, would you have come here to suffer?"

Zhao Shucheng said, "Of course not. I did this to experience life and draw inspiration for my writing. The world is changing very fast, everyone is progressing, and thoughts are constantly changing, so we novelists also need to keep up with the times, which is why we need to constantly contact everything in the outside world."

Zuo Yongbang and Luo Shuquan exchanged a glance. Seeing Zhao Shucheng getting busy again, they had no choice but to leave.

On the way, Zuo Yongbang suddenly said, "He did the right thing."

Luo Shuquan looked at Zuo Yongbang with a blank expression and asked, "What?"

“I said, Xiaobai did the right thing. I haven’t told you before why I divorced Xiaoxiao’s mother. Actually, we got married a long time ago, right after graduating from university, and then we had Xiaoxiao. At that time, we really liked each other, and we were worried that there were too many temptations outside and that the world was too chaotic, so we got married right after graduation in order to bind each other together.”

Zuo Yongbang gripped the steering wheel, looking out the windshield, though he didn't really know what he was looking at, and said:

"But at that time, we had just graduated, and you can imagine what life would be like afterward. I was just an intern at a small company, earning only a few hundred yuan a month. At that time, I didn't think it was a big deal, since everyone was in the same boat. Even if I had Xiaoxiao, it would just be another mouth to feed."

Zuo Yongbang chuckled mockingly and continued, "Thinking back, I was really naive. When Xiaoxiao was four years old, her mother ran off with a rich man. He was their company's boss, and he took Xiaoxiao with him, saying he didn't want her to suffer with me. She cried then, saying that we live in a realistic world, and if she followed me, she would never be able to go anywhere."

After hearing this, Luo Shuquan remained silent for a moment, then asked, "So she doesn't love you anymore?"

"She loved me, which is why she was able to persevere for five years, but she can't keep going anymore."

"Then now..."

“Now, we are just friends, but I am very grateful to her. She showed me the truth of this world. Before I was even thirty, she showed me through her actions that a man must have his own career. Otherwise, I might still be a low-level employee in a small company. But she showed me through her actions that a man has no right to demand that the person he loves suffer with him.”

Zuo Yongbang glanced in the direction of the studio and said, "Xiaobai is smarter than all of us. He realized this early on, so he will lose less than us."

"Xiaobai probably didn't think that far ahead, right? Didn't he say he did it for his own sake?"

Zuo Yongbang shook his head and said, "Although he doesn't admit it's for the person he loves, he has always been trying to improve himself. Actually, he could have had a good career in the advertising company, and he might have achieved something great by now. But he has been working hard to improve, so he left the company to write novels and screenplays. Now he's even starting to direct. He's taking one step at a time and will only get better and better. He won't stand still or rely on his past achievements."

Luo Shuquan fell silent upon hearing this. He had indeed witnessed Gu Xiaobai's journey and suddenly felt that Gu Xiaobai seemed to have been making progress all along.

After graduating, he joined a software company, but he saw Gu Xiaobai writing novels, helping film crews write scripts, and blogging online. That's why he also found a part-time job at an educational institution, which is now becoming his main job.

Mo Xiaomin is currently attending a fashion party, wearing a low-cut dress, and chatting with Amy.

Amy looked at the men who kept greeting Mo Xiaomin and couldn't help but say, "It seems you're getting more and more popular."

"Of course, it's just that Gu Xiaobai doesn't know how to cherish me."

"How come he doesn't cherish you?"

Mo Xiaomin couldn't help but say with distress, "How long has it been since he contacted me or asked me out?"

"Didn't you already know that Gu Xiaobai went to the film crew for an internship? You even said you were going to visit him. He did all this for you."

"Do you really believe it yourself? If he truly cared about me, he wouldn't be so cold towards me. Why do I, who am already so outstanding, still have to fawn over him?"

"It wouldn't exactly be considered flattery, would it?"

Mo Xiaomin said, "But as you can see now, there are far more people pursuing me than before. I've already turned them all down for Gu Xiaobai. I've been good enough to him. What more do they want from me? Should I kneel on the ground and beg them not to leave me?"

Amy suddenly felt like she didn't recognize Mo Xiaomin anymore; she felt that the other person had changed a lot.

"Xiao Min, you're not going to break up with Xiao Bai, are you?"

"Of course not, why should I break up with you? To give up my place? But Gu Xiaobai, don't think you can make me forgive him so easily, unless he apologizes first."

Mo Xiaomin felt that she and Zhao Shucheng started too easily, which was why Zhao Shucheng didn't cherish her. It really proved the saying: "Those who are fortunate never cherish it, while those who are not fortunate chase after it desperately."

Amy couldn't help but sigh, feeling that if Mo Xiaomin continued to cause trouble like this, there would inevitably be problems between her and Zhao Shucheng sooner or later, and they might even break up.

"I hope you won't regret it."

"of course not."

That day, Mo Xiaomin's agent took her to a sitcom where she played a role as a rising model, a role that perfectly suited Mo Xiaomin's identity.

"Xiao Min, let me tell you, although this is just a cameo role for us, and it only lasts a few minutes, it's very important for you. It can broaden your horizons. If you can seize this opportunity, you can enter the film and television industry and not just be a simple advertising model anymore..."

Mo Xiaomin nodded, seemingly listening, but actually talking on the phone with Amy.

"Amy, yeah, I'm on my way to the set. He's still not up to anything, just the occasional text. He ignores me, why should I fawn over him? Okay, I understand. If I really see it, I'll..."

As they spoke, they arrived at a large photography studio in the suburbs. Mo Xiaomin was led into the studio by her agent and staff.

After Mo Xiaomin came in, her eyes were searching around.

In a corner of the film set, Zhao Shucheng was helping to move something for the props. It was a very heavy object, and he was covered in dust.

Zhao Shucheng suddenly felt someone staring at him. He thought it was a crew member, but the other person didn't look away. Zhao Shucheng turned his head curiously and was surprised to find that the person staring at him was Mo Xiaomin.

Seeing Zhao Shucheng like this, Mo Xiaomin suddenly felt a pang of sympathy and walked over to ask, "What are you doing here?"

"Amy didn't tell you I'm the assistant director on this set. And you, are you here to visit the set?"

Mo Xiaomin said, "My agency arranged for me to have a cameo role in a scene; I don't have many lines. I just received the script; did you write it?"

Zhao Shucheng said, "Didn't you see the screenwriter's name credited?"

Mo Xiaomin's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. Looking at Zhao Shucheng, she said, "Gu Xiaobai, I already know what happened during this time. Don't you have anything to say?"

"I don't think there's much to say. After all, I'm tired of being a freelancer and don't want to stay at home writing every day, so I came here to experience life. What's wrong with that? As for the fact that we've been in touch less, it just means we're both busy, and it also shows that things are getting better and better in our work province, right?"

"Xiaobai, do you think this is what I want? Don't you know what I really care about?"

Seeing that Zhao Shucheng didn't want to say anything, Mo Xiaomin directly grabbed Zhao Shucheng's hand and said, "If you're really scared and lack confidence, I can go back to the place where you first met me."

Zhao Shucheng shook his head and said, "Xiao Min, you might have misunderstood something. Why would you go back to selling cosmetics? What are you thinking? You're earning more in a day than you used to earn in a month, even more in a month than you used to earn in a year. Why give it up and go back to where you were?"

Mo Xiaomin, holding back her tears, said, "But I don't want you to work so hard, and I don't want you to suffer so much. Let's go back to where we started, and nothing will change."

Zhao Shucheng laughed and said, "Xiao Min, nothing in this world is static. The Book of Changes says, 'When things reach an extreme, they change; when they change, they become fluid; when they become fluid, they endure.' Society changes, life changes, and people change. Moreover, this change happens every moment, every second."

As he spoke, Zhao Shucheng glanced at Mo Xiaomin and continued:

"As for the place you mentioned where you first came from, you weren't with me at the beginning, but somewhere else, with other men. The fact that you came here from there is already a change. Nobody knows where you'll go in the future."

Seeing that Mo Xiaomin was anxious and wanted to say something, Zhao Shucheng waved his hand and said, "Don't say you won't change, and don't say you won't go anywhere. Even if I believe you, it's impossible for you to really do it."

Mo Xiaomin asked, "Do you lack confidence in me, or in yourself?"

Zhao Shucheng said, "Of course not. I believe you're sincere, and I'm confident in myself. But as I said before, people change; it's impossible to stay the same forever. You can continue selling cosmetics, and I can continue writing at home, but who can guarantee we won't regret it in the future?"

"I won't……"

"Xiao Min, no one can guarantee their future, and you shouldn't make any promises or guarantees lightly. You may not know how now, but what about a year or two later? When you're still earning a few thousand yuan a month, and you think back to giving up the bright path of earning thousands a day, won't you regret it at all?"

Mo Xiaomin said anxiously, "Xiaobai, believe me, I won't..."

"I told you, don't say no, because no one can guarantee it. Just like if I listen to you and go back to writing novels, it doesn't mean that one day I won't blame you for making me give up my chance to become famous, or blame you for ruining my future. These are all things that are unknown."

As he spoke, Zhao Shucheng hugged Mo Xiaomin tightly and said, "Xiaomin, we can't stand still, because the world is changing. If we don't change, we will be abandoned by the times. What we need to do is keep moving forward and make ourselves better and better. As long as we become good enough, we will never lose our charm. I also believe that our relationship can withstand the test of time."

Mo Xiaomin leaned quietly against Zhao Shucheng, letting her tears flow, and said, "Then why don't you contact me much?"

"I just got involved recently, and everything is starting from scratch, so it's been very busy. But once this period is over and everything is sorted out, we can go out shopping, eat out, and have long phone conversations like before."

As he spoke, Zhao Shucheng noticed that everyone else was watching them. He released Mo Xiaomin, patted her hair, and said:

"Alright, everyone else is waiting for us. You're just here for a cameo, so don't act like a big shot. Focus on filming. This is my hard work, and I can't let it be ruined by my girlfriend."

"Okay, I'll film it well, but it's agreed that you have to call me tonight, or we can video chat."

"No problem, I promise I'll do it."

Mo Xiaomin then burst into laughter through her tears and walked to the side to have the makeup artist touch up her makeup.

Zhao Shucheng walked over to the director, who looked at him and said, "Xiaobai, you're going to direct this scene."

Zhao Shucheng was taken aback for a moment and asked, "Director, you trust me so much? I've only been learning for less than a month."

"Get lost! You wrote this script, how could you not know it? Besides, what's the point of just looking at it? You have to get hands-on to improve."

Zhao Shucheng looked at the director and said, "You know?"

The director rolled his eyes and said, "Do you think I really know nothing but filming? You, a screenwriter, suddenly came to this set for an internship because you're not satisfied with just being a screenwriter and want to switch careers to directing. But remember this, I'm only giving you one chance. If you make a piece of crap, you'll be back where you came from." (End of Chapter)