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

The practice room was brightly lit, yet it felt unusually empty.

Wang Churan gently pushed open the door without making a sound.

In the corner of the mirrored wall, a slender figure was curled up, her arms tightly wrapped around her knees.

Liu Haocun's hair was soaked with sweat and clung haphazardly to his pale skin. He looked like a wilted blade of grass after a downpour, devoid of any vitality.

She looked up in surprise when she heard the door open.

Those eyes were now red and swollen, their gaze unfocused and empty, filled with bewilderment and fear, and a trace of unfathomable weariness.

Like a puppy abandoned on a cold, rainy winter night, it exudes a sense of brokenness.

When she saw who was at the door, she trembled violently and tried to stand up quickly.

However, because he had been squatting for too long, his legs and feet went numb, and he staggered, his knee hitting the floor with a dull thud.

She seemed to feel no pain; she just frantically raised her hand to wipe away the tears in her eyes, wiping harder and harder.

But tears still welled up like a burst dam, mixing with sweat and leaving a disheveled look on my face.

"Mo...Brother Mo..."

Her voice was choked in her throat, with a noticeable tremor.

Shen Mo didn't speak immediately; he simply stopped a few steps away and calmly looked at her.

There was no scrutiny or blame, but the concern in his eyes revealed endless heartache.

Then, he strode over.

The moment Liu Haocun slightly shrank back, he reached out and gently pulled her into his arms.

The movements were not forceful; in fact, the force was deliberately slowed down.

One hand gently supported the back of her head, the palm touching her slightly cool, sweaty hair, while the other hand rested lightly on her thin back, clearly feeling her uncontrollable trembling.

He lowered his head slightly, his voice low and soft as it fell into her ear.

"It's alright now."

"Just cry it out."

"There's no need to hold back in front of Brother Mo."

These words were like a key, instantly unlocking the last valve that Liu Haocun had been struggling to hold on to.

She visibly stiffened for a moment.

The next second, her fingers tightened suddenly, almost instinctively gripping his shirt, her knuckles turning white from the force.

She bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled, trying to stifle her sobs, but a suppressed whimper still escaped her throat.

The sound was very soft, and then, as if all her strength had been drained, she could no longer hold on. Her forehead pressed heavily against Shen Mo's shoulder, and her body, which had been taut to the extreme, suddenly relaxed.

Tears welled up uncontrollably.

It wasn't a loud wail, but a silent surge of tears, as if all the strength to cry had been exhausted.

Her shoulders heaved violently, her breathing erratic, the only sounds being broken gasps and the wet, hot touch of her tears flowing down, quickly soaking through his clothes.

Her face was buried there, and she was rambling incoherently, barely able to utter a complete sentence.

"I'm...I'm sorry...I couldn't help it..."

"I don't know what to do..."

"I want to help them, but..."

"That much money is needed... but my family really doesn't have it..."

"That little sister... she can never stand up again..."

"What will become of her in this life...?"

"I dream about her... I don't know how to face her..."

Her words were fragmented and illogical, yet they pieced together the despair she felt under the dual pressure of enormous debt and moral guilt.

She kept saying "I'm sorry," whether she was saying it to Shen Mo, to the injured girl, or to herself who was powerless to help.

Shen Mo didn't interrupt her, but tightened his arms around her, holding her firmly in his embrace, and gently patted her back.

His chin gently rested on the top of her head, letting her tears soak her shoulder.

After an unknown amount of time, the violent trembling gradually turned into soft sobs, and finally settled into a quiet exhaustion.

She didn't let go; instead, she snuggled even closer into that warm embrace.

Shen Mo could sense that her emotions had calmed down, so he relaxed a little, but still maintained a protective posture.

He looked down at her red, tear-stained face, his tone gentler than ever before.

"Have you cried enough?"

Liu Haocun sniffed and nodded slightly at his shoulder, his gesture full of dependence and embarrassment.

"Then sit down and talk slowly."

Shen Mo helped her to sit down on the sofa next to the practice room.

Liu Haocun lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of his clothes, tears still falling, but no longer out of control.

Shen Mo unscrewed a bottle of mineral water and handed it to her.

She hesitated before taking it, sipping it slowly. The cool water slid down her burning throat, clearing her chaotic thoughts slightly.

"Chu Ran is very worried about you."

Shen Mo's voice was very soft, "She said you haven't been acting quite right lately."

Why didn't you tell us?

Liu Haocun's fingers tightened suddenly, making a creaking sound as he gripped the mineral water bottle.

She didn't dare to look up, her voice barely a whisper: "I...I dare not say..."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid if I say it... I'll lose everything."

"I'm afraid of causing you trouble," her voice began to tremble.

"I'm afraid the company will think...that I'm a burden...and they'll fire me."

"I'm afraid people... will think my family... is a bad family..."

Her voice was trembling by the end.

Shen Mo remained silent for a moment.

The silence made Liu Haocun's heart sink little by little, and fear gripped her again.

However, the expected blame or alienation did not materialize.

Shen Mo suddenly sighed softly. There was no impatience in that sigh, but rather a sense of helplessness and heartache.

"Liu Haocun," he called her by her full name, but his voice was not stern.

"You call me 'Brother Mo' for nothing, don't you?"

Liu Haocun looked up in astonishment, his swollen eyes filled with confusion.

Shen Mo looked at her, a hint of helplessness even curving his lips.

"In your eyes, am I, and the company, really so untrustworthy?"

"Would we all judge a person so superficially?"

This joke is inappropriate.

But it was precisely this certainty that made Liu Haocun completely lose his composure.

She looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed, yet her gaze was painfully bright.

"Is it really possible...?"

At that moment, she felt like someone standing on the edge of a cliff; if he said "no," she would immediately retreat.

Shen Mo nodded. "Okay."

Without any embellishment or emotional enhancement, it's just a simple affirmation.

"Brother Mo..."

She murmured, tears welling up again, but this time it wasn't despair, but a complex emotion mixed with grievance and immense comfort.

She began to speak, slowly and in fragments, about her mother's training classes, the injured girl, the court summons, and her parents' late-night arguments in hushed tones.

When she spoke the word "compensation," her voice was almost inaudible.

"More than a million..."

"My family simply can't afford it."

She kept her head down, her fingernails unconsciously picking at the label on the mineral water bottle.

"My mom told me... not to worry about it and to just focus on practicing my dance."

"But how could I not care?"

Her shoulders began to tremble slightly again.

"I can't help but think about it whenever I stop practicing."

"I'm wondering how my parents will manage to scrape together this money."

"I wonder how much pain she must have felt when she got hurt."

"What will she do if we can't raise the money?"

"If others knew that my family ruined a little girl's life, would they think I'm a bad person?"

"I can still dance, even act, but she can only spend her whole life lying in bed."

"If only I could be a little more useful."

"That way, Mom won't have to run dance classes."

This time, Shen Mo didn't wait for her to finish crying. He reached out and gently covered her hand that was fiddling with the bottle.

"Hao Cun".

"Remember one thing."

"This isn't your fault!"

She slowly raised her head and looked into Shen Mo's eyes.

"But what's done is done, there's no escaping it, and no one can blame anyone else."

Shen Mo's voice pulled her out of her chaotic emotions, "What you need to think about now is not 'what to do,' but 'how to solve it.'"

He looked at her, his gaze clear and resolute.

"You are an artist I signed. Your affairs are Mohen's affairs. This is my promise to you."

Liu Haocun stared blankly at him. Something in those eyes, which were always filled with timidity and unease, shattered with a "crack".

Immediately afterwards, a feeling of near-exhaustion and profound relief, mixed with scalding tears, surged up.

Liu Haocun looked at him, and in his red and swollen eyes, fear and confusion were gradually replaced by a faint but clear light.

That light is called "hope," and it's called "the sense of security of being caught."

She didn't say "thank you," because any words would have seemed inadequate at that moment.

She simply nodded forcefully and heavily, then subconsciously moved a little closer to him.

Wang Churan, who had been leaning against the wall by the door and silently watching this scene, let out a soft breath and loosened his tightly clenched fist.

She turned her face away, quickly blinked away the slight moisture welling up in her eyes, secretly sniffed, and muttered softly.

"Really..."

"Who can withstand this?!"

It's unclear whether they're referring to Shen Mo or the two people inside.

But she quickly composed herself, took a clean, soft towel from the side, went inside, and shoved it into Liu Haocun's hand with a rather annoyed expression.

"Damn, it's horribly ugly." The tone was curt.

Liu Haocun took the towel, covered his eyes, and a muffled, nasal voice came from behind the towel.

"I'm sorry, Chu Ran..."

"Who needs your apology?"

Wang Churan crossed his arms, snorted, and raised his chin.

"From now on, you're not allowed to bottle things up. If I see you hiding away and crying again..."

She paused, seemingly searching for the most threatening words, "I'll post your unflattering photos on everyone I meet!"

Liu Haocun peeked out from behind the towel, his eyes glistening with tears. His lips curved slightly, a genuine and relaxed smile despite the tears.

Shen Mo stood up and checked the time.

"That's enough for today. Haocun, go back and get some sleep."

Liu Haocun instinctively wanted to retort, "I can..."

"This is an arrangement, not a discussion."

Shen Mo's tone was gentle, yet firm: "Tomorrow, I'll go home with you."

"I need to discuss this with your parents in person."

He looked into her eyes. "Leave the compensation to me. What you need to do is—"

He paused, then spoke clearly and distinctly, word by word.

"Dance well, and hone your acting skills."

Keep moving forward, don't look back.

"As for the rest, Brother Mo will cover for you."

Liu Haocun looked up at him, tears still glistening in his eyes, but his gaze was no longer unfocused.

She nodded vigorously, then asked a question softly and timidly.

"Brother Mo...so from now on...I...can I really...come to you whenever I need something?"

The question was asked in a humble yet so eager manner, revealing her deep-seated unease and dependence.

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo looked down at her for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand and, just as he had done to Wang Churan, ruffled her soft hair.

"How silly." His voice carried a hint of helpless laughter.

"You've already called me 'Brother Mo,' so what do you say?"

Liu Haocun stared blankly at the warm, dry touch on his head, and then, slowly, slowly, buried his face in the towel still stained with tears.

This time, there was no crying.