Entertainment Industry: I am a top-tier movie star

The two decided to eat at a hot pot restaurant hidden deep in an alley. The signboard was a bit old, but the aroma of hot pot could be smelled from afar.

The restaurant was quite crowded, mostly with students from the neighborhood. The noise mixed with the bubbling of the hot pot created a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Chen Nianbei and Nazha sat in the innermost part of the room. The red oil broth was already boiling, with chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns bubbling in the hot soup.

"Eat the meat first!"

His eyes lit up, and as he picked up a slice of fatty beef and put it in his mouth, he squinted his eyes in satisfaction.

"It's delicious! I've been eating boxed lunches every day during rehearsals, and I'm so craving it!"

Chen Nianbei also picked up her chopsticks, and the two of them buried their heads in their food for a few minutes before Nazha finally looked up, her cheeks slightly flushed from the steam.

"Senior Yang Mi... wants you to audition for 'Gu Jian Qi Tan'?"

She asked, her tone still carrying a hint of disbelief.

"Yes, the character Ling Yue."

Chen Nianbei picked up a piece of tripe, "She doesn't have many scenes, but her character is good."

"The character design is great!"

Naza put down his chopsticks. "Ling Yue is incredibly popular in the game! The calm and collected senior brother is handsome, strong, and tragic; if he plays the role well, he'll definitely gain a lot of fans!"

She was excited, her eyes sparkling.

"How come you know the game characters so well?" Chen Nianbei asked curiously.

"I've played it!"

Naza replied matter-of-factly, "Senior Brother Lingyue..."

She paused, then suddenly smiled, "You'd be perfect for the role; your temperament is just like it."

Chen Nianbei laughed too: "I haven't auditioned yet, maybe they won't even like me."

"impossible."

Naza was certain, "Senior Yang Mi definitely thinks you're suitable. Otherwise, why would she give you an audition opportunity?"

Chen Nianbei nodded, without refuting.

The soup in the pot boiled again, and Naza put a plate of bean curd sheets into it, then suddenly asked:

"So...you really don't regret it? Yang Mi Studio, so many people want to sign with them but can't."

Chen Nianbei cooked a slice of mutton in the hot pot, dipped it in the sauce, and slowly ate it before speaking:

"No regrets. Signing with a studio means I'll have to follow their lead when it comes to roles. I want to choose for myself."

"But we have resources."

Naza said, "Yang Mi is so popular now."

"Resources are a double-edged sword."

Chen Nianbei looked at her and said, "If I give you resources, you have to obey. I don't want to be tied down so early."

Naza nodded thoughtfully, and after a while, said softly:

"That's true. With your connections to Director Kong and your roles in Director Lu's films, you'll have plenty of opportunities."

"Opportunities exist, but whether you can seize them depends on yourself."

Chen Nianbei said, "I'll be joining the cast of 'Brotherhood of Blades' next week, so I need to focus on doing this role well first."

At this, Naza's eyes dimmed: "You're leaving next week..."

"Yes. Huairou, two months."

"I'll be leaving soon too."

Naza said, "Sister Li said that the casting for 'Police Story' is almost finalized, and we're going to go to Hong Kong."

The two remained silent for a while, the sound of the red oil bubbling in the pot being particularly clear.

"Chen Nianbei,"

Naza suddenly spoke up, "Will we... not see each other for a long time?"

Chen Nianbei looked at it.

The steam from the hot pot veiled her face with a thin layer of mist, her eyelashes were wet, her eyes were bright, and there was a hint of unease in them.

"It's only been two months," he said. "Filming goes by very quickly."

"And then what happens after filming?"

Naza pressed further, "After you finish filming 'Brotherhood of Blades,' you might go on to film 'Swords of Legends.'"

After I finish filming "Police Story", I may have other projects.

Will we... drift further and further apart?

This is a very real and serious issue.

Chen Nianbei put down his chopsticks and looked at her intently:

"Naza, in this industry, it's common to be apart most of the time. But some people don't drift apart just because of distance."

"Like us?" Naza's eyes lit up.

"Like us," Chen Nianbei nodded.

Naza smiled, picked up her chopsticks again, and put a plate of greens into the pot:

"Then it's settled. No matter how busy we are when we're apart, we'll stay in touch."

"it is good."

By the time the hot pot was almost over, Nazha was sweating from the spiciness, her lips were bright red, and she kept inhaling.

Chen Nianbei poured her a glass of iced soy milk, which she took and gulped down more than half of before letting out a long sigh of relief.

"That was great!" She wiped her mouth, her face flushed with satisfaction.

It was already late at night when I checked out and left.

The streetlights in the alley were dim, casting long shadows of the two people.

The early winter night was a bit chilly, so Naza wrapped her coat tighter around herself. Chen Nianbei naturally walked to her side to shield her from the wind.

"Back to the dorm?" Chen Nianbei asked.

"Um."

Naza nodded, took a few steps, and then said, "I don't want to go back so soon... how about we go for a walk on the playground?"

Chen Nianbei glanced at her.

"it is good."

The playground is on the east side of the campus, and there aren't many people there at this time.

The stands beside the track were empty, with only a few boys jogging on the basketball court in the distance, their footsteps particularly clear in the silence.

The two walked slowly along the track, neither of them speaking.

The night sky was clear, with few stars, but the moon was bright, its silvery light shining on the track like a thin layer of frost.

Naza walked a little ahead, then suddenly turned around, walked backwards, and faced Chen Nianbei.

"Chen Nianbei," she called him.

"Um?"

"You performed really well on stage today."

She said, "Especially in the last scene, seeing you kneeling there made me feel particularly sad."

"Are you getting into character?" Chen Nianbei asked.

"It's not just about getting into character."

Naza stopped, turned around, and walked alongside him.

"I feel like you are Zhou Ping, and Zhou Ping is you. That feeling... is magical."

Chen Nianbei smiled but didn't say anything.

The moonlight cast their shadows on the ground, very close together.

When they reached the lawn in the center of the playground, Naza suddenly said, "Let's sit down for a while."

The two sat down on the lawn, where the grass blades were already somewhat withered and yellow, and it was a bit prickly to sit on.

Naza hugged her knees, looking at the lights of the teaching building in the distance, and suddenly whispered, "Chen Nianbei, I'm a little scared."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid... of what will happen in the future."

Naza said, "I'm afraid I won't act well, I'm afraid the audience won't like me, I'm afraid I'll let Sister Li down, and I'm also afraid..."

She paused, then spoke even softer: "I'm afraid we'll really drift further and further apart in the future."

Chen Nianbei turned to look at her.

Under the moonlight, Naza's profile was soft, her eyelashes drooping, casting a small shadow on her cheek.

She looked more vulnerable than usual.

"Naza," he called her name.

Naza turned his head and looked at him.

You will act well.

Chen Nianbei said very seriously, "Everyone saw you on stage today, you performed very well."

Naza blinked, her eyes slightly moist.

"As for us..."

Chen Nianbei paused for a moment, then said, "There's still a long way to go. We have to take things one step at a time, and live each day as it comes. Thinking too far ahead is useless."

Naza laughed and said, "You always talk like that."

"To be honest," Chen Nianbei said.

The two remained silent for a while.

A night breeze blew by, carrying the chill of early winter.

Naza unconsciously moved closer to Chen Nianbei.

Her hair was soft and smelled of shampoo.

Naza looked at him, her eyes shining like two pools of spring water in the moonlight.

"Could you... kiss me?"

She leaned closer and spoke softly.

Chen Nianbei looked at her, at this young and brave girl.

He didn't say anything, but lowered his head and kissed her.

A very light kiss, it started with just their lips touching.

Naza's body stiffened for a moment, then went limp, her hand unconsciously gripping the hem of his clothes.

Then she tentatively stuck out the tip of her tongue and touched his lips.

Chen Nianbei's breathing became heavier.

He opened his mouth, took her lower lip into his mouth, and gently sucked on it.

Naza's breathing became rapid, and his hands loosened from the corner of his clothes, wrapping around his neck.

The kiss deepened.

Chen Nianbei's hands had somehow wrapped around her waist, and through her coat, he could feel the softness and warmth of her body.

It's unclear how much time passed before the two finally parted ways.

Naza's lips were slightly swollen, her eyes were watery, her chest was heaving, and her breathing had not yet calmed down.

Chen Nianbei looked at her and gently brushed his thumb across the corner of her lips.

Naza grabbed his hand, pressed it against her face, and stared at him intently.

"Chen Nianbei," she whispered, "I'll miss you when we're apart."

Naza leaned her head back on his shoulder, and the two of them sat there, looking at the night sky, neither of them speaking again.

In the distance, the last light in the teaching building went out.

The night was deep, but the moonlight was bright.