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

Five days have passed since the Beijing Film Academy's freshman orientation, and the autumn colors are gradually deepening in the capital city in September.

Bai Mengyan and Meng Ziyi finished their afternoon training session. Although their bodies ached, their faces were still filled with excitement and anticipation.

I went to the set of "A Little Reunion" to pick up the three girls who were finishing filming, and we chattered away as we took a taxi straight to Xue Lu.

"Hurry up, hurry up, don't keep Sister Tong waiting!"

After getting off the car, Tian Xi ran ahead, her hair in a ponytail, full of energy and showing no signs of fatigue from a whole day of filming.

She carefully held a beautifully packaged square gift box in her hands, and the dimple on her right cheek was faintly visible because of her smile.

"Okay, okay! My legs feel like they don't even belong to me anymore..."

Bai Mengyan complained, but her steps were not slow at all. She was carrying a rather heavy paper bag, which contained special snacks that she had specially asked her family to send.

As Meng Ziyi walked, she adjusted her bangs while looking at her phone screen, holding a small, stylish jewelry bag in her hand.

"Hey, do you think Sister Tong will like the earrings I chose? I think they suit her style perfectly!"

Liu Haocun followed quietly behind, clutching a felt doll tightly in his arms, and whispered in agreement.

"Sister Tong is such a nice person, she'll definitely like it."

Even the usually aloof Wang Churan had a faint smile on his lips as he held a high-quality-looking doll-shaped phone charm in his hand.

She wanted to laugh just thinking about what she was going to do later.

After the interview during the last audition, she has been trying to gradually open herself up during the filming process.

The air in Xue Lu was filled with a faint aroma of tea and sandalwood.

They walked through the courtyard with practiced ease and arrived at the innermost tea room, which was not open to the public and was a private space belonging only to Shen Mo and Li Yitong.

Tian Xiwei gently knocked on the door, and before anyone could respond, she cheerfully pushed open the slightly ajar door.

Happy birthday, Sister Tong!

In the warm and cozy tea room, Li Yitong was sitting cross-legged on a soft couch by the window, with several scripts and documents spread out on the small table in front of her, and a cup of tea steaming gently.

She seemed to have just finished a busy period and was gazing absently at the ginkgo tree outside the window that was beginning to turn yellow.

Hearing the noise, she turned around.

She wore a loose, off-white knit sweater today, with no makeup, which made her skin appear even whiter and her eyes even more gentle.

When she saw the five girls rushing in, she was stunned for a moment, then a surprised smile bloomed on her face, and her crescent-shaped eyes instantly curved into a beautiful arc.

"Why are you here?"

She quickly put down her pen and got up to greet him.

"No matter how tired we are, we have to come and celebrate Tongjie's birthday!"

Bai Mengyan was the first to hand over the gift, speaking in a carefree manner.

"Happy birthday, Sister Tong! This is a local specialty from our hometown, it's delicious, you should try it!"

"Thank you, Xiaobai."

Li Yitong took the paper bag, smelled the sweet aroma emanating from it, and her smile deepened.

"Sister Tong, this is mine!"

Tian Xiwei presented her gift box as if it were a treasure.

"It's a silk scarf, and I think this color suits you perfectly!"

"Happy birthday, Tong-jie. I made this myself, it might not look very nice..."

Liu Haocun timidly handed over the felt doll, a small figure that vaguely resembled Li Yitong dancing.

Li Yitong took it, examined it carefully, a hint of emotion flashing in her eyes, and gently patted Liu Haocun's head.

"Hao Cun is so skillful, I really like him."

Meng Ziyi quickly offered her own earrings, and after receiving praise from Li Yitong, she smiled happily with her eyes crinkling.

Wang Churan was the last to step forward and handed over the doll phone charm.

Happy birthday, Tong-jie. I heard you often lose your phone; you can use this phone charm to keep it safe.

A burst of laughter erupted around them, as no one expected Wang Churan to "provoke" Li Yitong in this way.

Li Yitong took the bracelet, reached out and covered Wang Churan's face, rubbing it vigorously, her eyes wide and her teeth clenched.

"Thank you so much, Chu Ran! This is a very useful item; I really need it!"

Wang Churan pouted as she was being rubbed, and quickly took a step back to hide behind Bai Mengyan, peeking out half her head and grinning at Li Yitong.

Looking at Wang Churan, whose personality had clearly changed, Li Yitong couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

The sincere blessings on their faces, and their slightly tired yet still bright eyes, warmed Li Yitong's heart.

"You guys..."

Her voice was a little choked up, and she quickly tried to cover it up by greeting everyone.

"Please sit down, please sit down. Don't stand. What kind of tea would you like? I'll have the tea master bring it in."

The girls cheered and scrambled to find places to sit, chattering and laughing around Li Yitong.

The tea room was instantly filled with youthful energy, and the previous tranquility was replaced by a warm and lively atmosphere.

Li Yitong watched them making a ruckus, a gentle smile always on her lips.

She glanced subconsciously at her phone, which lay quietly on the tatami mat. The screen was black, with no new message notifications.

Today is her birthday, but the person who should be there for her hasn't sent a single text message since this morning.

What is he busy with?

A barely perceptible hint of disappointment was well concealed beneath her bright smile.

About half an hour later, the tea room was at its liveliest.

Tian Xiwei couldn't wait to tear open the packaging of the custom-made cake and clamored that they should cut the cake first.

"I want to eat this fruit!"

"Tian Xiwei, slow down! The cream is getting on your sleeve!"

Bai Mengyan frantically tried to stop him, saying, "The main character hasn't even appeared yet, what are you trying to do...?"

Surrounded by them, Li Yitong smiled warmly, letting them play around as they pleased. She knew that Tian Xiwei wasn't the kind of person who would act recklessly.

But her eyes still kept glancing at the doorway, and a subtle sense of loss kept rising in her heart.

Just then, the wooden door of the tea room was gently pushed open, making a soft creaking sound.

The noise stopped abruptly, and everyone's eyes turned to the doorway.

It's Shen Mo.

He seemed to have rushed over; his bangs were slightly disheveled, but his eyes remained calm.

What made Li Yitong's pupils shrink and her breath catch in her throat was what he was holding in his arms.

It was a small Maltese dog, pure white, with long, smooth fur.

It nestled obediently in Shen Mo's arms, its black pearl-like eyes timidly yet curiously observing the people in the room, its little nose twitching slightly.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Li Yitong's smile froze instantly, her gaze fixed on the little dog.

"Meat?"

Her voice was extremely soft, trembling with disbelief, almost a breathy sound escaping from her throat.

Her eyes instantly reddened, and a layer of misty moisture quickly spread through them.

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She seemed to see another time and space, another version of herself, through this little dog.

During those days when Shen Mo was not by my side, I struggled alone in the entertainment industry, shrouded in loneliness and confusion.

This tiny Maltese, curled up on her cold apartment sofa, warmed countless nights for her.

It would rub its wet nose against her palm, and would quietly snuggle in her arms when she secretly cried...

That was her "Li Rou Rou," the only faint light that never left her during the dark times of her past life.

Shen Mo, holding the puppy, walked towards her step by step.

He walked up to her and gently moved the puppy in his arms forward.

Happy birthday, Yukiko.

His voice was deep and gentle, carrying a profound meaning that only the two of them could understand.

"Rourou is back."

He spent a great deal of effort searching for this puppy.

He visited dozens of pet stores in the capital. He wanted more than just the same breed; he wanted the same size, coat color, and even the same eyes and the same timid yet dependent personality.

She wanted to get as close as possible to "Li Rou Rou," who had accompanied her in her previous life.

Li Yitong reached out her hand tremblingly, carefully, as if touching a fragile dream, and gently stroked the puppy's head.

The puppy seemed to sense her emotions. Instead of flinching, it tilted its head and licked her fingers with its warm little tongue.

In that instant, the warm, moist touch from her icy fingertips acted like a switch, completely shattering Li Yitong's psychological defenses.

The tears that had been building up in her eyes finally gave way and rolled down in large drops.

She didn't make a sound, only silently shed tears, her gaze lingering longingly on the puppy, then she looked up and gazed deeply into Shen Mo's eyes.

He remembers.

He not only remembered everything between them, but he even remembered her only mention of regret about "Meatball" once.

This gift was more profound and touched her soul than any diamond jewelry, mansion, or luxury car.

Tian Xiwei and the others had already quieted down. Although they didn't fully understand what had happened, they could all feel Li Yitong's surging emotions.

The girls looked at each other, and each saw emotion in the other's eyes.

Shen Mo freed one hand and gently wiped away the tears on Li Yitong's face.

"Don't cry," he said, his voice softening. "From now on, we'll always be here for you."

Li Yitong nodded vigorously, but her tears flowed even more fiercely. Her emotions were like a flood that had burst its banks, and she could not control them for a moment.

She reached out and hugged the "fleshy" creature tightly, burying her face in its soft, warm fur, her shoulders trembling slightly.

It was as if all the loneliness and longing accumulated in past lives were being poured out at this moment.

The puppy whimpered softly in her arms, stuck out its little tongue, gently licked her wrist, and then obediently remained still.

Everyone else in the tea room held their breath, not daring to disturb them.

It took Li Yitong a while to calm down.

She raised her head, her eyes and the tip of her nose red, like a wronged little rabbit, but she tried her best to turn her lips up, giving Shen Mo a tearful smile.

"Thanks!"

Her voice still had a heavy nasal tone, "Thank you, Shen Mo."

That simple "thank you" contained so much meaning that only the two of them could understand.

Shen Mo raised his hand and gently wiped away the remaining tear stains from the corner of her eyes, his movements extremely gentle.

"If you like it, that's good."

"I love it! I really love it!"

Li Yitong nodded vigorously, hugged the puppy in her arms even tighter, lowered her head and rubbed her cheek against its little head, murmuring something.

"From now on, your name will be Rou Rou, Li Rou Rou, okay?"

The puppy seemed to understand, barking softly and gently, its tail tip wagging slightly.

This interaction instantly broke the somber atmosphere in the room.

"Wow--!"

Tian Xiwei was the first to cheer.

"It's so well-behaved! Sister Tong, it seems like it can understand you!"

"Brother Mo, where did you find her? You have such good taste!"

Bai Mengyan and the other girls also came over, looking curious but hesitant to touch it.

Shen Mo looked at Li Yitong, who was surrounded by girls, and the chubby baby in her arms, and saw the smile that had returned to her face.

The last bit of uncertainty in my heart vanished, and I was relieved that my trip to the pet store these past few days hadn't been in vain.

He knew he had given the right gift.

"Alright, stop crowding around, you're scaring Rou Rou."

Li Yitong held the puppy protectively, her face showing the precious joy of having it back after being lost.

"It's new here and a little shy."

"Yes, yes, let's cut the cake!"

Tian Xiwei finally remembered her business and picked up the plastic knife again.

"Today is Tong-jie's birthday, so have a happy day!"

"3, 2, 1! Happy birthday!"

As the birthday song played, the atmosphere became relaxed and lively again.

After making a wish, the cake was cut open, and the sweet aroma of tea mixed with the rich sweetness of cream filled the tea room.

The girls ate cake, teased the little meatball that Li Yitong had carefully placed on the soft couch, and chattered and laughed as it curiously sniffed the surrounding air.

Shen Mo sat next to Li Yitong, watching her eat cake in small bites while keeping a close eye on Rou Rou's movements, his eyes overflowing with tenderness.

"How did you find it?"

Taking advantage of the break, Li Yitong turned her head and asked him in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

She was very curious; finding a puppy that looked almost exactly like "Rou Rou" from her previous life must have taken a lot of effort.

Shen Mo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and gave Li Yitong a mysterious smile.

"If you want to find it, you can always find it."

He didn't go into detail about the tedious process of visiting dozens of pet stores, carrying and feeding dogs, and interacting with nearly a hundred dogs; those things weren't important.

Li Yitong could imagine the hardships behind it all, and her heart felt as if it had been gently brushed by a feather, both warm and bittersweet.

Where the other girls weren't looking, she quietly took his hand.

Shen Mo turned around and tightly wrapped her cold hand in his warm palm.

Rou Rou seems to have adapted to the new environment and has begun to explore boldly, sniffing around on the soft couch with her short legs.

Finally, it snuggled up to Li Yitong's legs, found a comfortable position, and lay down, its dark eyes looking at her with dependence.

Sunshine, the aroma of tea, the sweetness of cake, the laughter of friends, the companionship that was lost and found again, and the steadfast warmth of a lover's hand.

Looking at everything before her, Li Yitong felt her heart filled with an unprecedented, overwhelming sense of happiness.

Reborn, she achieved new heights in her career, regained her lost love, and gained several close sisters.

Now, even her former emotional support has returned to her in another form.

It seems I have no regrets about my 22nd birthday.