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

Bai Lu pinched Dilraba's cheek.

"Brother Mo will arrange a hit TV series for you sooner or later. Just relax and wait. After all, you are the first artist that Mohen signed."

Dilraba pouted, "It's more like Brother Mo is arranging things for you. You're the company's famous Assistant Bai."

"Look how popular 'A Little Reunion' is, I'm so envious."

"When will I get my own female lead created by the company...?"

She kept lightly touching the dots with her index fingers in front of her, her feigned whimpering voice full of resentment.

"Brother Mo, I'm talking to you!"

Bai Lu looked at Shen Mo, her smile full of teasing intent.

"Our sister Baba's resentment almost filled the whole room."

"Oh, really?" Shen Mo looked at Reba, his eyes filled with mischief.

"It's okay. People in their twenties are almost thirty, which is the age when they are most resentful."

"Brother Mo!"

Dilraba puffed up her cheeks angrily and glared at him fiercely.

"I'm only 20 this year, how am I almost 30!"

"Oh, so once you turn 20, you're almost 30, right?"

"Hahaha……"

Bai Lu, clutching her stomach, burst out laughing, pointing at Dilraba with one finger.

"Old woman!"

You're almost thirty!

"Hahaha……"

"Haku Mengken!"

Dilraba called out his full name, her face flushing red with embarrassment and anxiety.

"You're only two years younger than me!"

"You're almost thirty! I'm only almost twenty!"

Bai Lu stuck out her tongue and made a face at her, something she loved to do most to provoke Dilraba.

"hiss!"

Shen Mo took a deep breath and, mimicking Bai Lu's earlier action, reached out to touch his leg.

That little girl is ruthless!

Enraged, Dilraba abandoned all restraint and kicked him under the table, though she didn't control her strength this time.

Compared to the kick he gave Bai Lu earlier, this one was noticeably harder.

"ah!"

Noticing Shen Mo's actions, Bai Lu angrily slapped Dilireba's arm.

"Are you crazy?!"

As she spoke, she moved her chair, ran to Shen Mo's side, squatted down, and reached out to lift up his trouser leg.

Dilraba was stunned. She had forgotten how much force she had used, but it shouldn't have been that serious.

Shen Mo grabbed Bai Lu's hand. "Okay, okay, I was just kidding. How could she possibly be that good at kicking?"

Bai Mengyan was stunned, then looked up and rolled her eyes at Shen Mo.

"That scared me to death!"

"Yeah?"

"Looks like I acted pretty well."

"Of course!"

Although she didn't lift Shen Mo's trouser leg again, Bai Lu still reached out to rub his calf, where there was a clear shoe print.

"Our Brother Mo is a Hundred Flowers Award-winning actor. It would be strange if his acting skills couldn't even fool a novice like me."

Watching the incredibly familiar interaction between the two, one glared at the other, while the other chuckled to himself.

Why do I feel like I'm being excluded?

Could it be?

Dilraba seemed to understand something; her fingers tightened slightly as she gripped the water glass, her fingertips turning white.

She still had a smile on her face, and leaned over to help Shen Mo wipe away the footprints he had made.

"Brother Mo, I'm sorry. I knew you were joking, I'm just a little embarrassed..."

She spoke very naturally, but her gaze gently fell on Bai Lu's face, her eyes only seeing the man beside her, her face full of tenderness.

"Okay, it's nothing. If you guys keep doing this, I won't dare to joke around anymore."

With one hand on each arm, Shen Mo pulled the two women up and helped them back to their seats.

This time, Bai Lu sat directly to Shen Mo's left, instead of sitting opposite him.

The dishes were served one after another: the baked buns were golden and crispy, the Sichuan peppercorn chicken was glistening with red oil, and the braised mutton with flatbread was steaming hot, carrying a rich aroma of exotic spices.

Shen Mo first put a baked bun on Dilireba's plate.

"Try this, while it's hot."

"Thank you, Brother Mo."

Dilraba said softly, carefully picking it up with chopsticks, taking small bites, and a satisfied smile curving her eyes.

"Try this."

Seeing the baked buns in Dilraba's bowl, Bai Lu, who was feeling a bit uncomfortable, suddenly discovered that there was a piece of Sichuan peppercorn chicken in her bowl.

A big smile instantly bloomed on her face, and she stretched out her left hand towards Shen Mo.

"Sending love!"

"Thank you, Brother Mo!"

After saying that, he picked up the Sichuan peppercorn chicken and stuffed it into his mouth, but the chicken was so numb that he stuck out his tongue and fanned himself with his hand.

"It's so numb!"

Shen Mo laughed as he watched her grin, and naturally pushed the untouched glass of chilled yogurt in front of her.

"Drink this to relieve the spiciness."

Bai Lu took it and gulped down a big mouthful. The cool, sweet and sour taste suppressed the burning sensation on her tongue.

She sighed contentedly, and as she put down the cup, her fingertips inadvertently brushed against the back of Shen Mo's hand.

Both of them paused for a moment.

Bai Lu quickly withdrew her hand as if burned, picked up the yogurt cup and pretended to continue drinking, her eyes darting around. Shen Mo, on the other hand, calmly added a piece of braised pancake to his plate.

"Is Dilraba busy lately?"

"It's alright, I just finished my final rehearsals and paper," Dilraba replied softly.

She picked up a piece of chicken that looked very tender, hesitated for a moment, and then put it on the plate in front of Shen Mo.

"Brother Mo, try this one, it's not spicy."

"Oh, you're sharing food with each other, so polite?"

Bai Lu saw this and blurted out a sour remark.

After saying that, she paused for a moment, then quickly added, "What I meant was... Sister Baba, why didn't you give me some too?"

She chuckled twice, then picked up a piece of mutton and put it in Shen Mo's bowl.

Shen Mo looked at the chicken and mutton on the plate, then glanced at Bai Lu, whose ears were slightly red, and Reba, who was engrossed in eating, and shook his head with a smile.

"Alright, everyone eat your own food. Don't keep putting food on my plate. I'm not a child who needs you to take care of me."

"You can serve me food when I'm younger!"

"Pfft—"

Hearing his nonsensical words, Bai Lu and Dilraba both burst out laughing.

Shen Mo picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth, his gaze lingering on Bai Lu and Dilraba's faces for a moment.

Speaking of age.

He spoke, and the two girls unconsciously stopped eating and looked over.

"Zhang Wei and her team at the company's content center just finished a script, which I find quite interesting."

Bai Lu's eyes lit up, and she leaned forward slightly.

"A new project? A movie or a TV series?"

She always has an instinctive sensitivity to and interest in the company's project developments.

Dilraba put down her water glass, her eyes beneath her long eyelashes gazing quietly at Shen Mo with a questioning look.

"drama."

"This is the third piece of the 'small' series puzzle."

"A mini-series?"

Bai Lu reacted quickly.

"A Little Reunion is about junior high school, and A Little Joy is about high school... Could it be?"

"Yes," Shen Mo replied, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"This time, 'Twenty Your Life On' is about college, or more precisely, senior year."

"Standing on the threshold between campus and society, girls who are a little confused and a little hopeful have to face realistic choices."

As he spoke, his gaze moved between the two women, as if measuring the distance between them and their characters.

"The script focuses on the interactions and growth of several girls with different personalities and backgrounds at the special juncture of graduation season."

"Friendship, love, stumbles in the early stages of one's career, anxiety and courage about the future... it's all there."

Bai Lu suddenly thought of something and looked at Dilraba.

Dilraba's heart suddenly skipped a beat. She vaguely caught the deeper meaning in Shen Mo's words, after all, there were only three of them at the table.

Shen Mo's gaze fell on her face, and he nodded with a smile.

"I plan for you guys to take charge of this project."

"us?"

Bai Lu and Dilraba spoke almost in unison.

"Yes," Shen Mo replied confidently.

"Reba, Mengyan, and Ziyi, and then Xiaotian from 'A Little Reunion' and the others will make cameo appearances."

He paused, then slowly revealed his deeper intentions.

"In that case, we've filmed the 'Little' series from junior high to university, starting with 'A Little Reunion' in junior high, then 'A Little Joy' in high school, and finally 'Twenty Your Life On' in university."

"With you all continuing this journey, it will create a wonderful sense of companionship for this generation of viewers."

"Watching the girls in the show grow up is, in a way, watching you all grow up too."

"I want to etch this mark of growth, along with the images of you all, into the collective memory of this generation of viewers."

"In this way, in a few years, you guys will be the white moonlight of this generation of viewers."

"Maybe a few years later, we can make a TV series to connect the first three parts, just like 'iPartment'."

"Several characters who grew up in 'A Little Reunion,' 'A Little Joy,' and 'Twenty Your Life On' moved into an apartment and some stories unfolded."

"If it works well, maybe you'll all be grown up in a few years."

"Let's learn from the Legend of Sword and Fairy and make a five-year or ten-year promise, bring together the main characters from the previous installments, and make a movie called 'Thirty and Standing'."

"Those who can star will star, and those who can't will make cameo appearances."

"I believe the hype will explode."

"In that case, we have created a 'small series, large universe' that belongs to you."

The private room fell silent for a moment, with only the soft simmering sound of mutton stewed with flatbread over a low flame.

Bai Lu digested the information first, and a huge sense of excitement and responsibility welled up in her heart at the same time.

Together with Dilraba and Ziyi? Continuing the "Little" series?

This is not only an important resource, but also a kind of recognition and expectation that is almost "bound" to us.

She couldn't help but look at Dilraba beside her.

Dilraba's chest rose and fell slightly; she understood the weight in Shen Mo's words.

This is not only an opportunity for a leading lady, but also a long-term plan with strategic significance.

If all goes well, she will become the representative of this "series," accompanying a generation from their youth to maturity.

This has a far deeper meaning than that of a single hit drama series.

And she, too, has begun to be incorporated into this core blueprint.

"Brother Mo..."

She spoke, her voice tight, filled with disbelief, excitement, and a hint of fear.

"Thank you! I will definitely do my best."

"So, here's what you need to do during this time," Shen Mo said encouragingly.

"I just wanted to try my best to experience the life and feelings of graduating seniors."

"The fear of job hunting, the anxiety of not finding a job, the sadness of parting, the confusion of the unknown, and so on."

Bai Lu nodded vigorously upon hearing this, her face full of excitement.

"I'm going back to find some of my college classmates and I'll stay in their dorms for a few months."

"Does Barbie want to come along?"

Dilraba was touched by her reaction, but still shook her head, "Never mind, I'll go find my classmate."

"If we're from the same school, it's not good if the experiences we have are too similar."

She looked at Shen Mo and saw the clear trust and expectation in his eyes, then looked at Bai Lu beside her, who always liked to bicker with her.

The feeling of being excluded by them gradually faded, the awkwardness dissipated, and my slightly tense shoulders slowly relaxed.

"I will try my best, Brother Mo. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."

"What are you saying!" Bai Lu nudged her shoulder, grinning. "You're our company's first artist, Brother Mo will definitely give you a chance, right? Brother Mo!"

Shen Mo smiled and nodded.

"Don't overthink it. We have a plan for you. We put you in the role of Anarhan for your own good, not to throw you out."

He raised his teacup. "Now, let's toast to 'Twenty Years of No Confusion'! Cheers! Go for it!"

Bai Lu immediately picked up her iced yogurt cup, and Dilraba also picked up her teacup. The three cups gently clinked together in the air.

"come on!"