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

On September 23, just after the Autumn Equinox, the air in the capital city was already starting to feel cool.

But for Bai Mengyan, this special day, which should have been full of ritual, felt rather cold and lonely.

The ceremony of turning eighteen.

She sat on the sofa in the company's break room, swinging her long legs, looking out at the bustling traffic, feeling empty inside.

The other "little turtle," Dilraba, is far away in Shanghai, busy with her classes at the Shanghai Theatre Academy. She could only send a long voice message of blessing via WeChat, her soft voice full of apology.

After Li Yitong's birthday celebration, she was taken out by her agent Zhao Xiaoyu for several weeks.

She's incredibly popular right now and has a ton of business deals, which makes up for the top-tier treatment she never experienced in her previous life.

Therefore, Bai Mengyan only received a red envelope and "Happy Birthday" wishes from her that morning.

Tian Xiwei, Wang Churan, and Liu Haocun were even more miserable.

According to them, the director of "A Little Reunion" has gone crazy these past few days, working like a clockwork to meet deadlines.

I heard they've been working non-stop for several days, and tonight is another long night shoot.

In their small group chat of five, cries of pain rose and fell, and even birthday wishes were tinged with the weakness of someone who had stayed up all night.

The lively party I had imagined, surrounded by friends, a cake fight...

It all came to nothing.

Now, the only person who can stay by her side is Meng Ziyi, who also has no acting roles and is preparing for her role in "A Little Reunion" in her spare time.

Happy birthday, Mengyan!

Meng Ziyi was very accommodating, dressing up beautifully and presenting a beautifully wrapped gift.

"See how good I am? I made time for you today!"

Bai Mengyan accepted the gift and forced a smile.

"Thanks, Sister Meng." There was a hint of forced smile in her voice.

Meng Ziyi leaned over and bumped her shoulder.

"Hey, don't look at me like that! You're an adult now, it's a great time! How about we go out for a big meal? My treat!"

Bai Mengyan shook her head, not particularly interested.

Actually, there's another person in the capital, her brother Mo.

But as his personal assistant, she knew that he was incredibly busy with Mohen Capital, Mohen Media, and his own acting career—a multitude of things to manage.

Every day there are endless meetings, countless documents to read, and a multitude of investment decisions to make.

Moreover, he went out at noon, supposedly to meet a business partner.

How could he remember her birthday?

Although she was around him almost every day, and although he would tacitly allow her clumsy care, and even occasionally indulge her a little bit.

But perhaps it was just because he was well-mannered, or because he couldn't bear to dampen her enthusiasm.

She didn't expect him to remember at all.

Perhaps, in his eyes, she was always just one of the many trainees in the company who needed to be trained.

"Never mind, Sister Meng."

Bai Mengyan took a deep breath and tried to cheer herself up.

"Let's just grab something to eat near the office, and then go back to rest?"

Even Meng Ziyi could hear the disappointment in his tone.

Meng Ziyi opened her mouth, wanting to say something comforting, but didn't know what to say.

Although she came from a wealthy family and had an outgoing personality, she understood that in times like these, the comfort offered by others was somewhat inadequate.

"How about we go sing karaoke?"

Bai Mengyan suddenly turned her head and looked at Meng Ziyi, who was staring at her with wide, bright eyes. She quickly shook her head.

"No, no, Sister Meng, let's get some rest. We have training tomorrow!"

Bai Mengyan still remembers the first time the five of them went to a karaoke bar together. Meng Jie's "pleasant" singing voice, despite her poor skills and love of fun, remains fresh in her memory to this day.

Just then, Bai Mengyan's phone suddenly rang, and the name that appeared on the screen made her heart skip a beat.

She quickly picked up her phone, her fingers trembling slightly as she pressed the answer button, her voice filled with a nervousness and anticipation she herself was unaware of.

"Hey, Brother Mo?"

Shen Mo's voice came from the other end of the phone. The background seemed a bit noisy, but it quickly quieted down.

"At the company?"

"Ah? Yes, in the rest area," Bai Mengyan answered honestly, her heart pounding like a drum.

"Come down to the basement. Something's come up." His tone remained concise, revealing no emotion.

"Oh, okay, sure! Coming right away!" Bai Mengyan hung up the phone, still a little dazed.

Meng Ziyi leaned closer curiously: "Who is it? Brother Mo? He's looking for you? What's up?"

Bai Mengyan shook her head, but a blush and a hint of panic involuntarily rose to her face.

"I don't know, he told me to go to the garage."

"garage?"

Meng Ziyi's eyes lit up, and she instantly imagined a lot of things.

"Wow! Is there some kind of birthday surprise for you? A drive for a spin? Or...?"

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Bai Mengyan quickly interrupted her, but the little bit of dead expectation in her heart rekindled against her will, and then she shook her head again.

She stood up and straightened her clothes and hair.

"Who gave us a surprise in the basement? It must be something work-related, since I'm Brother Mo's assistant. I'll go check it out."

With mixed feelings of anticipation and fear of disappointment, Bai Mengyan took the elevator down to the parking garage.

A cool breeze swept over her, and she immediately spotted the familiar black sedan and the tall figure leaning against it.

Shen Mo was dressed casually today, in a simple dark jacket and trousers, which made him look less sharp and more approachable than usual.

He didn't seem to be holding anything in his hand.

He straightened up when he saw Bai Mengyan coming over.

"Brother Mo."

Bai Mengyan jogged over, trying her best to make her voice sound normal.

"You were looking for me?"

Shen Mo looked at her cheeks, which were slightly flushed from jogging, and lingered on her for a few seconds.

"Okay. Get in the car."

He opened the back door and got in, without explaining where he was going or mentioning anything about his birthday.

Bai Mengyan's little flame flickered for a moment, but she still obediently followed him inside.

She stole a glance at Shen Mo's profile, but couldn't discern any expression on his face.

The carriage was quiet, with only soothing music playing.

Bai Mengyan's heart, however, could not find peace.

Where exactly is he taking her?

Yes, what is it?

The vehicle smoothly merged into the evening rush hour traffic. Shen Mo stared intently ahead, still not intending to speak.

Bai Mengyan's initial expectation gradually sank as the street scene outside the window receded into the distance.

Perhaps they need her, their personal assistant, to accompany them to do something.

She lowered her head, picking at her fingers, trying hard not to show her disappointment.

The car eventually turned into a relatively quiet alley and stopped in front of a seemingly unremarkable private restaurant.

"get off."

Bai Mengyan followed him into the restaurant, still somewhat bewildered.

The interior is quiet, with only a few tables of guests, and the air is filled with the warm aroma of food.

Shen Mo led her into a private room, which was decorated very warmly, and the dishes that had just been served were already laid out on the table.

"Sit down," Shen Mo gestured for her.

Bai Mengyan sat down as instructed, her mind filled with even more doubt.

Is this... to discuss work? Or...?

Shen Mo sat down opposite her. Bai Mengyan looked up at him, and the corners of his lips formed a beautiful curve.

Today is your birthday.

He spoke calmly, but Bai Mengyan's heart pounded as if it had been struck by something.

Does he really remember?

"Being an adult is a big deal."

Shen Mo continued, picking up the teapot on the table and pouring steaming hot tea into the teacup in front of her.

"They're all not here, we can't leave you alone."

Simple words instantly dispelled all the grievances and loneliness in Bai Mengyan's heart.

Her nose tingled, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears. She quickly lowered her head, afraid that he would see her pathetic state.

"Thank you, Brother Mo."

Her voice was choked with emotion.

Shen Mo seemed unaware of her unusual behavior, or rather, he considerately pretended not to notice.

He pushed the menu in front of her, "Take a look and see what you'd like to eat. The chef here is quite skilled."

The dinner was eaten quietly but without any awkwardness.

Shen Mo didn't talk much, but he would occasionally put food on her plate and comment on the characteristics of a certain dish.

Bai Mengyan gradually relaxed from her initial restraint, her heart filled with an unreal sense of happiness.

He actually remembered her birthday.

He actually canceled his busy work schedule to bring her out for dinner.

He was actually accompanying her through this almost forgotten ceremony.

After the meal, the waiter cleared away the cutlery and served a fruit platter.

Shen Mo took out a flat, unpretentious box from his briefcase and handed it to her.

"Gift."

"Huh?" Bai Mengyan hadn't fully recovered from the emotion she had just felt.

Her heart started pounding again. She carefully took the box and, under Shen Mo's tacit approval, slowly opened it.

It doesn't contain any expensive jewelry, nor does it have luxury packaging.

It was a leather-covered notebook, and a USB flash drive.

She picked up the notebook with a puzzled look and opened it.

Inside were handwritten notes, densely packed with writing, recording various ideas, segment settings, character positioning analyses, and even some seemingly whimsical and funny thoughts about "Running Man".

Her fingers trembled slightly when she turned to the page with her name on it.

The text provides a detailed analysis of her personality traits, variety show potential, strengths and weaknesses, and even accurately predicts the effects she might produce.

"This..." Bai Mengyan raised her head, looking at Shen Mo in shock.

"The core planning notes for the program," Shen Mo explained calmly.

"I wrote it on and off after I got the copyright."

"The USB drive contains some classic program videos and analysis reports."

He paused, looking at her with a deep gaze.

"The day we bought 'Running Man', we signed you."

"Perhaps this is fate, so I decided to give it to you as a gift."

He pointed to the pages in the notebook about her.

"Today you are an adult! Coming of age should not just be a celebration, but the beginning of a new journey."

"When I brought you back, I promised you that I would lead you down a path to superstardom that is different from SM Entertainment."

"I think we can start with this gift."

The notebook suddenly became scalding hot in her hands.

As a former K-pop fan, she knows all too well the significance of Running Man, a top-tier variety show.

At this moment, Shen Mo entrusted her with his core plan, a trust more precious than any luxury item.

Tears finally welled up uncontrollably, and this time, she did not avoid his gaze.

"Brother Mo, I..." she choked, unable to utter a complete sentence.

Looking into her eyes, which were both tear-streaked and surprisingly bright, Shen Mo leaned forward slightly, took out a tissue, and gently wiped away her tears, his tone unusually gentle.

Happy 18th birthday, Bai Mengyan.

The online sensation "The Shura Field of Chinese Entertainment: All the Young Actresses Want to Climb to the Top" is a work written by the author based on their mood and passion.