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

The door to the private room closed gently, shutting out the polite farewells of the Wang Zhongjun brothers.

The air in the tea room seemed to suddenly relax, leaving only the lingering aroma of tea and the unspoken understanding between the two.

Li Yitong did not immediately tidy up the tea set. Instead, she relaxed her upright posture, leaned back gently in her chair, and rubbed her neck, which was a little sore from maintaining an elegant posture.

She turned her head to look at Shen Mo beside her, and a familiar light returned to her crescent-shaped eyes.

"Tsk, look at Wang Zhonglei's eyes. When he clinked glasses with you, he was probably grinding his teeth to dust, wasn't he?"

She pursed her lips, her tone unabashedly sarcastic.

"They even said things like 'show sincerity' and 'make up for misunderstandings'... as if it were the truth."

"They're probably cursing us in their hearts."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo chuckled softly, relaxed his body, stretched out his long arm, and naturally pulled Li Yitong closer, letting her lean on his shoulder.

His fingertips unconsciously twirled a stray strand of her hair, but his gaze remained fixed on the spot where Wang Zhongjun had just sat.

"Even if you have to chew it up, you have to swallow it."

Shen Mo's voice was calm, "However, the fact that they came today and said these words is already the biggest concession they can make."

"You have to let people say nice things to save face."

"That's true."

Li Yitong snuggled comfortably against his shoulder. "Seriously, are you really planning to get them involved in the marketing of 'The Journey of Flower'?"

"Aren't you afraid they'll sabotage you behind your back?"

"Involving them is an opportunity for them to show their sincerity."

Shen Mo's fingers left her hair, and he picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Besides, whether or not they help with marketing doesn't affect our own efforts; it's just icing on the cake."

"However, with their help, we can indeed push the popularity of 'The Journey of Flower' to its peak."

"As for causing trouble... they wouldn't dare at this critical juncture."

He paused, a slightly cold smile curving his lips.

"If the hype fizzles out, they'll be worried I'll use their shares to sabotage things."

"After all, a bond of shared interests is the strongest shackle."

Li Yitong listened carefully, her crescent-shaped eyes slowly curving upwards.

"I knew you weren't up to any good."

She stretched out her index finger and gently poked Shen Mo's chest.

"What about the board seats? You're really not going to interfere? That's not like you, Mr. Shen."

Shen Mo caught her mischievous fingers and held them in his palm. Looking at her well-defined fingers.

One seat is enough.

"We don't need to, and have no need to, fight for control of Huayi."

"Their internal structure is deeply entrenched, and forcibly intervening will only backfire and distract us."

"What we want is the right to know. As long as we sit there, they won't choose to maliciously target Mohen."

"A nail that fits perfectly is more useful than a bunch of hammers that are used haphazardly."

"What about Running Man?" She recalled Wang Zhonglei's slightly anxious yet forcedly calm demeanor when he last mentioned it.

"Are you really planning to take them along?"

Why not?

Shen Mo laughed. "Didn't you say you'd try to keep the original cast?"

"Most of these original personnel are from Huayi."

"I originally wanted to use the guests from Running Man to exchange some resources with other agencies."

Li Yitong sat up and looked him straight in the eyes.

"That's exactly right!"

"Since we've seen the results with the original cast, as long as we can maintain the core elements, the chances of the show being successful are very high."

"However, once it is changed, there will inevitably be unpredictable risks."

"Therefore, keeping things as they are within a controllable range is the best option."

"After all, if the show becomes a hit, what we gain from it will be far more valuable than the resources we exchange."

"Besides, didn't Xiaobai get involved beforehand?"

"We can make money and promote our own people. That's enough, Boss Shen. Don't be too greedy."

He grasped Li Yitong's hand and nodded.

"Don't be greedy. In the finance and investment industry, the most taboo thing is greed."

"We have the control and the copyright. We still have the final say in the core game design and process control."

That's enough.

"As long as the first few seasons are popular, even if all the people at Huayi are replaced later, there will still be plenty of people paying attention."

"This deal is a good one."

Li Yitong burst out laughing after hearing this, and leaned into his arms.

"Ah Mo, Ah Mo," she sighed with a smile, her voice full of emotion.

"Now I understand what it means to be 'sold out and still help them count the money.'"

Shen Mo let her laugh and joke, his arm firmly around her, his chin gently brushing against the top of her head.

"It's still early to count the money, but we can certainly get quite a bit out of them."

"They've become too ambitious with their movies; in recent years they've been getting into mobile games, real estate, and movie town concepts."

"The market value could reach 70 to 80 billion."

"That's why I took advantage of the poor box office performance of '1942' and the resulting sharp drop in their stock price to acquire a stake."

"When the time comes, they'll take the lead in cashing out, and we'll follow suit and leave."

"Just make sure the game of musical chairs doesn't fall into our hands."

"Let them bear the blame for exploiting others; we'll just quietly pick up the money."

Li Yitong looked up into his deep eyes, leaned in, and quickly pecked him on the lips.

"Let them bear the blame for exploiting others; we'll just quietly pick up the money."

Li Yitong looked up into his deep eyes, leaned in, and quickly pecked him on the lips.

"Yes, yes, our CEO Shen is truly farsighted."

She drawled, her eyes sparkling, "I love you just the way you are. Ah Mo, you're so attractive right now."

Shen Mo smiled slightly, cupped her cheeks in his hands, and gently pecked her pink lips.

"However, it wasn't all scheming on my part."

"At least, if they can truly put aside their prejudices, we can still cooperate sincerely during this period."

"It depends on their choice."

Li Yitong reached out and wrapped her arms around Shen Mo's neck, then pressed her lips to his.

He was willing to chat with her about work for a while, which made her happy, but after a while, she didn't want to listen anymore.

My ears are tired.

Shen Mo sensed the emotion between her brows, his heart softened, and he lowered his head to deepen the kiss.

After a long while, they separated slightly, their foreheads touching, their breaths mingling.

"Let Zhixi and the others deal with Huayi's issues. Now..."

He glanced at the deepening night outside the window, then looked away and his gaze fell on her blushing, delicate face, his tone tender and affectionate.

"Now, I'm going to enjoy...our time together!"

Li Yitong's ears burned, but she didn't dodge. She just wrinkled her nose and snorted.

"I thought you only knew how to outsmart those two old men, but it turns out you also knew that the original plan was for you to spend some alone time with me today?"

Even so, she quickly clenched her fist and then snuggled closer to him.

She reached for the tea on the table, but as soon as her fingertips touched the cool cup, Shen Mo grabbed her wrist.

"It's cold, don't drink it."

He took the cup, casually put it aside, and then naturally wrapped his palm around her slightly cool fingers, gently kneading them.

"Let me brew you another pot!"

"This is a good opportunity to show Boss Li my skills."

Li Yitong let him hold her hand, looked up at him, and deliberately dragged out her voice.

"never mind!"

"Mr. Shen is being considerate now, huh?"

"You were only focused on business and didn't even look in my direction. You didn't ask me if the tea was cold then."

She didn't feel neglected, and she even came to keep him company on her own initiative.

She just wanted to throw a tantrum.

Shen Mo raised an eyebrow, but did not refute her. Instead, he went along with her words and lowered his head to rub his nose against her cheek.

"It's my fault, I neglected our boss, Mr. Li."

"Now, let's make amends and let Boss Li do whatever he wants, okay?"

His doting and indulgent tone was almost overflowing, making Li Yitong's ears burn. Her deliberately feigned "interrogation" posture instantly crumbled, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up.

She wrinkled her nose and gave a soft snort.

"Then you'll be punished. You have to make me braised pork belly tonight. I want to eat braised pork belly."

Shen Mo nodded, gently stroking her long hair, his fingertips occasionally brushing against her earlobe, the smooth and tender touch was wonderful.

Neither of them spoke again, enjoying this rare moment of quiet embrace.

After a while, Li Yitong suddenly spoke softly, her voice muffled and tinged with emotion.

"Sometimes when I think about it, it feels like a dream."

"This 'Snow Hut,' and... everything now."

She raised her hand and unconsciously traced the lines of Shen Mo's shirt collar with her fingers.

"If you hadn't been reborn, would you still remember that vague dream of mine?"

Shen Mo's hand, which was stroking her hair, paused slightly, then became even gentler.

There is no "if".

"You're back, and so am I."

"The Snow Lodge is right here, and there will be more in the future."

"Your dreams will all come true."

Li Yitong raised her face, her eyes slightly hot, but her smile was incredibly bright, her crescent-shaped eyes curving into the sweetest arc.

She stretched out her arms, wrapped them around his neck, pulled him down, and kissed his lips.

Shen Mo held her head firmly with one hand, while gently stroking her back with the other, responding to her burning love.

The air grew increasingly hot, and the warmth in the air quietly fermented, taking on a touching and tender quality.

For a long time, the lips are divided.

Li Yitong's breathing was slightly disordered, her cheeks were flushed, but her eyes were surprisingly bright.

She looked at Shen Mo, who was so close to her.

"Shen Mo," she called his name, her voice a little hoarse, but unusually earnest.

"Thank you."

Thank you for remembering me, thank you for protecting me, thank you for being my strongest support and warmest refuge in this second chance at life.

Shen Mo understood her unspoken words, and he didn't say anything like "You're welcome."

He kissed her forehead again, then her eyes, and finally lingered on her glistening lips, caressing them tenderly, letting his actions speak for themselves.

After a while of being affectionate, Shen Mo stepped back slightly and gently brushed his fingers across her slightly swollen lips.

"Have you been tired lately?"

"I see you spending all your time in the content center, working on scripts with Zhang Wei and the others."

Li Yitong nestled in his arms, not wanting to move, and nodded softly.

"We really need to get those scripts out as soon as possible, because the further we go, the fewer prophets we'll have."

"Moreover, I get really excited thinking about the fact that we'll be producing those hugely popular TV shows and movies."

Shen Mo raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

"Then why don't you make some songs? That would be much easier to become a hit."

"Or is it that our 'DaDa Sister' has been reborn, but still can't remember the lyrics?"

Li Yitong suddenly opened her eyes and held up a finger, pressing it against Shen Mo's nose.

"Who told you that?"

"Zhang Yifan?"

"No, you and Zhang Yifan aren't that close."

"Little Old Tian?"

"Hmph! She has the nerve to talk back to me; she can't even remember song lyrics as well as I can!"

"DaDa Sister" was her famous nickname in the female-promoted travel variety show in her previous life, because she only remembered one or two lines of lyrics when singing, and then relied on "da da da" for the rest.

"We don't really want to make songs, we don't have the talent pool for that, and there aren't any corresponding stage opportunities in China."

"Besides, it's exhausting to create too many personas for yourself."

More than singing, she craved the comfort and tranquility of nestling in his arms.

"By the way, didn't you promise to join the entertainment industry to be with me?"

"As a result, you don't participate in any activities and just stay in your office all day. Aren't you afraid of overworking yourself?"

Shen Mo ruffled Li Yitong's hair. "Isn't it because I'm busy at the company?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yitong immediately stood up, hands on her hips, looking quite aggressive.

"There's nothing to be busy about, you just can't stay still."

"You taught me before that I should learn to delegate and leave professional tasks to professionals."

"On the talent agency side, there's Tianzhen; on the film industry side, there's Zhixi; on the finance side, there's Zhao Feng; and on the investment side, there's Chen Jun."

"You've given them the direction, so can't you just leave the rest to them?"

Shen Mo took her hand and kissed it.

"It can't be that simple!"

Li Yitong looked deeply into his eyes and said, "I don't want you to be too tired either."

"You know what? The longer you work, the more you look like a little old man now."

"You're only 22!"

"36!"

"I don't care, there's only 22, we're all 22!"

"Okay, okay, okay! 22."

Li Yitong cupped Shen Mo's face in her hands, her expression sincere.

"Anyway, you have to live like a young person."

"I hope you participate in more variety shows, film TV dramas and movies, just like traveling and having fun."

"We need to integrate into the entertainment industry and connect with young people."

"Instead of spending all day going to work, strategizing, planning, and holding meetings, what's so good about scheming against those old men?"

"We have enough capital now to live a very comfortable life."

Shen Mo didn't speak again, but simply gazed quietly into her dark, bright eyes, in which his own image was reflected.

He pulled Li Yitong into his arms, and her previous feigned fierceness melted away in that embrace.

"you're right."

He admitted it so readily that Li Yitong was slightly taken aback and looked up at him.

"It's a bit...too tense." .

He spoke slowly, his fingers stroking her long hair.

"I always thought that now that I'm back and know so much, I should seize the time to lay out all the necessary plans and take advantage of all the opportunities."

"I'm afraid that if I'm slow in one step, I'll be slow in every step, and I'm afraid that something unexpected might happen."

His gaze was fixed on her face, focused and earnest.

"I'm afraid... I won't be able to protect the people I want to protect, and I won't be able to fulfill the promises I made."

"Fool."

She muttered softly, her eyes welling up with tears, and reached out to cup his face in her hands.

"Who asked you to carry so much all by yourself?"

"You forgot? You're great at capital, but I can handle things on my own in the entertainment industry now."

"When I create those hit videos in the future, I'll only be even more amazing... Even if there are problems, we can face them together."

She leaned closer, her forehead touching his, their noses brushing together, their breaths mingling.

"Besides, Shen Mo, we're not going to be reborn as work machines, right?"

"If we don't make up for our regrets, if we don't live our lives well... then what's the point of coming back?"

Shen Mo gazed into those eyes so close to his own, eyes brimming with undisguised concern and trust. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he let out a soft "hmm."

"Then, do you have any suitable scripts that you can help me screen?"

"Also, isn't Running Man about to start?"

A smile played on Shen Mo's lips, carrying a hint of the cunning she was familiar with.

"I'll go have some fun when I have time."

She excitedly hugged his neck, "Then it's a deal! You can't go back on your word!"

"And another thing," Shen Mo pinched her cheek, his tone filled with longing.

"Once this busy period is over, we'll get several key projects on track."

"Let's go on a trip! Haven't you always been saying you wanted to see the Northern Lights in Iceland and go skydiving in New Zealand?"

"Perhaps we can find an opportunity to go and have some fun."

Li Yitong was stunned, then a huge surprise welled up in her heart, and her eyes widened.

"Really...really?"

"When have I ever lied to you?" Shen Mo raised an eyebrow.

"Great!" she cheered, nuzzling her head against his neck.

"Shen Mo, you're the best! It's a promise then! Pinky promise!"

She childishly stuck out her little finger.

Shen Mo's eyes were filled with indulgent smiles, and he extended his little finger, hooking it with hers earnestly.