The Entertainment Industry in Turmoil: Young Actresses All Want to Rise to the Top

Chapter 113 Wang Churan: You dislike me too?

The soft click of the conference room door closing was like a signal.

The tension that Wang Churan had been holding so tightly, trying to maintain his composure, suddenly loosened a little.

She stood there, her hands clenched tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Looking up at Shen Mo, her reddened eyes were almost overflowing with grievance and resentment.

"President Shen," she said, her voice choked with suppressed emotion, getting straight to the point with her usual frankness, even a hint of impulsiveness.

"I don't understand! Why Zhang Yueyue?"

"A minor, unlikable third female lead?"

"Was there something I didn't do well enough? Or do you think—I'm only fit to play this kind of role?"

Her words were barbed.

Shen Mo did not answer immediately, but walked to the window and remained silent for a moment with his back to her.

Then he turned around and looked at her calmly.

"Wang Churan, what do you think is the most important thing for an actor?"

Instead of answering her question, he posed a question.

Wang Churan was taken aback, and answered subconsciously.

"Acting skills, and suitable roles."

"Yes, it suits you."

Shen Mo took a few steps closer and stopped at a distance that was neither too close nor too far from her.

"Tian Xiwei's Fang Duoduo is lively and layered; Liu Haocun's Jin Qinqin is sensitive and fragile, which is her true nature at this moment, making her easier to guide."

"And your Zhang Yueyue," he paused, reluctantly but still said it.

"That sense of superiority you exude, and the occasional hint of meanness in your expression—if used properly, these are the very external labels this character needs."

"It's not about belittling you, but about highlighting your strengths in the most suitable position."

Wang Churan bit her lower lip tightly, her eyes filled with resentment as she looked at Shen Mo.

Shen Mo abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming sharper and directly piercing through her long-standing pretense.

"Wang Churan, do you know what your problem is?"

"Your problem isn't your acting skills, it's your personality."

"You're too arrogant. You always act like you look down on this and that, keeping yourself completely hidden."

"You think this is cool, powerful?"

Wang Churan's face turned pale from his blunt words, and she instinctively wanted to retort.

Shen Mo didn't give her a chance and continued.

"But what's the reality?"

"You crave recognition, you crave belonging, you crave friends more than anyone else, right?"

"You're just afraid; you're afraid that if you let go of your pride, you'll get hurt."

"So you first arm yourself by looking down on others, turning yourself into a hedgehog."

"You're talking nonsense!"

Wang Churan finally couldn't hold back any longer, and her voice suddenly rose.

Filled with panic and anger at having her secret exposed, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"You know absolutely nothing! What gives you the right to say that to me!"

"You dislike me too, don't you? You think I have a bad personality and am hard to get along with!"

She was like a small animal driven to the brink of despair, all her defenses crumbling, and she roared with a sob in her voice.

"Yes! I am Ao!"

"What can I do if I'm not arrogant?"

"After my parents divorced, only my mother lived with me!"

"How many people, both inside and outside the school, are laughing at me?"

"If I don't act tough and fierce, they'll bully me!"

"I want to be like them too—"

"I still have friends I can laugh and joke with!"

"But I didn't!"

"I wouldn't dare!"

After she finished yelling, as if she had exhausted all her strength, she lowered her head, her shoulders trembling violently, and she burst into tears.

This was the first time she had so nakedly revealed her inner self in front of others.

It reveals the sensitive, fragile little girl inside, who longs for warmth yet is filled with immense fear.

Shen Mo looked at her, and his cold gaze finally softened a little.

He didn't offer any words of comfort, but waited quietly until her crying subsided before speaking in a gentle tone.

"Now, do you dare?"

Wang Churan raised her tear-filled face and looked at him in confusion.

"In Inkmark, no one will bully you just because you're not strong."

Shen Mo's voice was steady, carrying a reassuring power.

"Tian Xiwei and Bai Mengyan are not as complicated as you think."

"It was you who first used your thorns to push everyone away."

He walked up to her and handed her a tissue.

"The role of Zhang Yueyue is an opportunity for you."

"It's not about making you play a bad guy, but about letting you experience what it's like to be someone who uses outward ostentation to hide their inner self."

"If you play her well, perhaps you can also see yourself more clearly."

"Learn to slowly retract your thorns a little."

Wang Churan took the tissue blankly and looked at Shen Mo.

His usually deep and calm eyes held no mockery or disdain at this moment.

She roughly wiped the tears from her face with a tissue, as if trying to erase her disheveled state and her long-standing pretense along with them.

Shen Mo didn't urge her, and walked back to the window, giving her space to process and sort out her emotions.

Wang Churan slowly raised his head, looking at him, whose body was outlined with gold in the sunlight, and who seemed inexplicably reliable at this moment.

After a long while, Wang Churan sniffed, his voice still heavy with nasal sounds.

"—Do you really think I can play Zhang Yueyue well?"

"Won't it be annoying?"

She was asking about the role, but it seemed she was also asking about herself.

Shen Mo turned around, his gaze falling on her still red but bewildered eyes.

"An actor's responsibility is to create characters, not to please people."

"Zhang Yueyue has her own dramatic logic and background for existence. What you need to do is understand her, not judge her."

"As for whether it will make people dislike it even more—"

He paused, his tone carrying a barely perceptible hint of guidance.

"It depends on whether you're simply portraying her as a stereotypical bad girl."

"Still, we should portray why she is bad, even if the motivation is childish, ridiculous, or even pathetic."

"If you give her a three-dimensional look, no one will simply dislike her."

He walked to the conference table, picked up the folder containing "A Little Reunion," and gently pushed it to the other end of the table, facing Wang Churan.

"The choice is yours."

Wang Churan looked at the folder, then looked up at Shen Mo.

His eyes were calm and deep, conveying not coercion, but anticipation.

She took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, stepped forward, reached out and picked up the folder, holding it tightly to her chest.

This was her answer.

"Thank you, Mr. Shen."

She paused for a moment, then spoke in a very soft voice, as if talking to herself, or perhaps making a promise.

"I will try my best to portray her well."

"If you don't let her have it, she'll be so annoying."

She didn't say anything more and turned to walk towards the door.

The moment his hand touched the doorknob, Shen Mo's voice came from behind him, tinged with inquiry.

"After I agreed to your request that day, they all called me brother." Why do you still keep calling me President Shen?

""

Wang Churan's hand, which was resting on the cold metal doorknob, suddenly tightened, and his body visibly stiffened.

She maintained her posture with her back to him, and silence lingered in the air for a few seconds.

"----no the same."

She finally spoke, her voice a little strained, and she still didn't turn around.

"What's different?" Shen Mo pressed, his tone calm but relentlessly pressing.

Wang Churan took a deep breath, as if gathering her courage.

She slowly turned around, raised her head, and met Shen Mo's gaze.

Those eyes, which had been brimming with tears not long ago, were now slightly red and swollen, showing stubbornness, unease, and a hint of dishevelment.

"They—they can be called that."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a clear sense of demarcation.

"They are outgoing, love to act cute, and are carefree."

She paused, her tone carrying a self-deprecating clarity.

"But I can't bring myself to say it."

She stared directly at Shen Mo, as if trying to prove something, or perhaps defending her last vestige of territory.

"I'm used to calling you that, and I think it's fine this way."

What she didn't say was that she was afraid it was just a polite reply from Shen Mo, and she was also afraid that calling him that would make her feel closer but then she would be ignored.

Maintaining a safe distance makes her feel comfortable, so she won't easily develop an inappropriate dependence, and she won't look too bad if she might be pushed away.

She was used to building walls with "respect".

Shen Mo looked at her quietly, without showing any displeasure. Instead, a hint of understanding flashed deep in his eyes.

He saw through the vulnerability she was trying to hide.

Then he took a step forward, entering Wang Churan's safe distance.

Shen Mo suddenly lunged forward, his shadow enveloping Wang Churan. Wang Churan instinctively tried to back away, but ended up pressed against the door.

Shen Mo smiled and reached out to ruffle Wang Churan's hair, making it messy.

"You're just overthinking things. Relax a little and you'll feel more comfortable."

"However, you can call me whatever you like."

After saying that, he opened the door behind her and walked out.

The door closed gently, shutting out the sounds from outside the corridor. The conference room fell silent again, leaving only Wang Churan alone.

She leaned stiffly against the door, remaining motionless for several seconds.

My heart pounded wildly in my chest, a mixture of offended embarrassment and bewilderment at the sudden breaking of our safe distance.

And, a hint of warmth from the brief contact that she herself was unwilling to admit.

"asshole----"

She muttered a curse under her breath, barely audible.

I don't know if I'm cursing Shen's abrupt behavior or cursing my own heartbeat that's beating so badly right now.

She raised her slightly trembling hand and began to tidy her hair, which he had ruffled.

At first, she acted somewhat frantically, eager to erase his traces and restore her impeccable dignity.

But as his fingertips moved through his hair, his anger gradually dissipated, and his movements unconsciously slowed down.

The scene from just now kept replaying in my mind uncontrollably.

The suddenly approaching figure completely enveloped her, bringing not oppression, but a strange sense of protection, as if she were being completely wrapped up.

The warmth of his palm on her head, rough yet comforting, carried an undeniable intimacy that forcefully soothed the wrinkles in her heart.

The sense of distance she had long used to protect herself was rudely intruded upon, and she instinctively resisted.

But why is it that, besides panic, there is also a sense of security that I haven't felt in a long time, a sense of security that makes my eyes water?

She shook her head, trying to dispel the unfamiliar emotions, her gaze falling on the folder she was tightly clutching in her arms.

The name "Zhang Yueyue" seemed to be reminding her of something.

She straightened up, took a deep breath, and tried to calm her still somewhat disordered breathing.

The act of tidying one's hair becomes delicate and slow, as if using it to tidy up one's equally chaotic inner world.

Only when her hair returned to its smooth state did she seem to finally regain her usual self, though a faint blush still lingered behind her ears.

Holding the folder, she opened the meeting room door and walked out.

The corridor was brighter, and the sounds of Tian Xiwei and her friends laughing could be faintly heard in the distance.

After taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped.

Looking around and seeing no one, she seemed to have finally let down her guard, lowered her head slightly, and spoke in a whisper that was almost audible only to herself.

With extreme awkwardness and hesitation, he uttered those two words that had been lingering between his lips for so long.

"President Shen—Brother—Brother—"

The voice was as soft as a feather, carrying immense uncertainty and a hint of secret shyness.

The moment I uttered the words, my heart felt as if it had been gently scalded by something.

She immediately pursed her lips, as if afraid of being overheard, and quickened her pace, almost hastily fleeing the scene.