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

With a hint of relief after wrapping up filming and the usual calm as he was about to start a new job, Shen Mo opened the car door parked in front of the film set.

A fragrant figure suddenly rushed over, opened her arms, and gave him a tight hug.

"Clang! Clang! Surprise!" Li Yitong lifted her face from his arms, smiling so wide that her eyes disappeared, her two crescent moons almost overflowing with joy.

Shen Mo was indeed startled by this sudden "attack." His body stiffened at first, but when he saw that it was her, his cold and stern face instantly melted like spring snow, revealing an undisguised surprise and tenderness.

He naturally put his arm around her, his voice tinged with laughter: "Why did you come all this way? You didn't even tell me beforehand."

"Our big star has come to pick us up after filming wrapped!"

Li Yitong released him, wrinkled her nose triumphantly, sat back in her seat, and fastened her seatbelt in one smooth motion.

"What, you're not welcome?"

"Welcome, of course you're welcome."

Shen Mo got in, closed the car door, shutting out the outside world. The driver, understanding the situation, lowered the partition between the front and rear seats and slowly started the vehicle.

He turned his head to look at her, his gaze carefully tracing her features, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

Li Yitong didn't notice his scrutiny and excitedly continued talking to herself.

"To thank Mr. Shen for taking me in, for taking in a poor person like me who was unemployed immediately after graduation, and for paying me such a... high salary!"

She exaggeratedly drew out her words and made a large hand gesture.

"So, the first thing I'll do after getting my salary for these two months is wait for you to finish filming, and then! I'll treat you to a good time!"

"Whatever you want to eat, whatever you want to do, it's all on Boss Li today, all you can eat!"

She spoke with great enthusiasm, but Shen Mo caught a hint of fatigue beneath her smile, and... a clearer facial contour.

He reached out and gently brushed his fingertips across her cheek, the movement natural yet carrying an unmistakable tenderness.

"Let's put the dinner invitation on hold for now."

His voice lowered, "Why do I feel... you've lost weight? Your chin is so sharp."

His gaze swept over her makeup, which was noticeably more refined, and the youthful student vibe she once exuded had faded considerably.

The charm in her eyebrows and eyes is gradually resembling the mature and radiant image she remembers.

"I remember you were still in school not long ago, your face was a little chubby. What's wrong? Is work stressing you a lot?"

Li Yitong's heart skipped a beat at his sudden touch and serious gaze. She then slapped his hand away and gave him a standard eye roll.

"Shen Mo, you're such a straight man! When a girl loses weight or becomes prettier, your first reaction should be to praise her! Why are you saying she used to be chubby!"

She turned her face away angrily, thinking to herself that she knew she shouldn't have too many expectations of him.

Shen Mo was amused by her and shook his head helplessly.

"That's not what I meant. I just think that since you don't plan to return to the entertainment industry right away, there's no need to start strictly controlling your figure so early, especially since you love to eat so much."

His tone was clearly teasing, "To be honest, she has a bit of baby fat, which is quite cute."

"What's the use of being cute?"

Li Yitong turned around, her expression becoming serious, with a hint of "professional awareness" from her past life.

"What looks best on me and what kind of makeup and styling suits me has all been rigorously tested by the market! I don't want to leave any 'dark history' too early."

As she spoke, she seemed to recall some unpleasant memory, and her tone became indignant.

"You have no idea, because I was a little chubby when I went to record that dating show in 2012 in my previous life, wow, that became my 'dirt'!"

"For years afterward, people would use that picture online and say I'd had plastic surgery, it infuriated me!"

"This time, I must pay attention to my image management from the very beginning, and I absolutely cannot give anyone anything to criticize me for!"

She clenched her fists, looking ready to fight her "dark history" to the end.

Shen Mo found it inexplicably amusing to look at her precarious yet spirited demeanor.

A sly glint flashed in his eyes as he deliberately dragged out his words.

"So, does that mean I'm going to become your biggest hater from now on?"

He waved his phone, a knowing smile on his face.

"I have quite a few 'precious images' of someone eating and drinking to their heart's content in the school cafeteria, with their cheeks bulging and round."

"Shen Mo! You're asking for it!"

Li Yitong instantly bristled, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

She pouted, her brows furrowed, and lunged forward without a care in the world, reaching out to snatch the phone he was holding high.

"Delete them! Now! Right now! Delete them all!"

Shen Mo had expected this, and laughed loudly.

He casually wrapped one arm around her shoulder as she lunged at him, giving her a hug that wouldn't hurt her but was strong enough, gently pulling her close to him.

With his other hand, he held the phone even higher and deliberately swayed it from side to side so that she couldn't reach it.

"No, this is my prized collection."

Looking at the girl struggling in vain in his arms, Shen Mo's laughter was full of triumphant pleasure.

I tried several times but to no avail; the phone screen was swaying back and forth above my head like a cat toy.

Li Yitong was slightly out of breath from exhaustion. She raised her head, glared at him fiercely, and bared her teeth in a menacing expression.

Her bluffing act made Shen Mo laugh even harder.

Seeing his undisguised smile, Li Yitong's cheeks suddenly flushed red.

Out of embarrassment and anger, she simply abandoned her main target, the phone, turned her head, and bit the arm that was wrapped around her shoulder.

"Hey! Are you a dog or something?!" Shen Mo exclaimed in a low voice.

Li Yitong let out a "humph" from her nose, biting his arm and shaking it violently from side to side a few times. It looked like she was using force, but in reality, the force of her teeth hitting him was as gentle as grinding her teeth.

That slight pain was less of a punishment and more of a playful, affectionate gesture.

Shen Mo immediately cooperated by releasing his arms from hers, and pretended to wince in pain as he rubbed the non-existent teeth marks on his arm.

"Alright, alright, I give up."

Having succeeded in her attack, Li Yitong sat back down contentedly, like a victorious queen.

She slightly raised her chin, reached out to tidy her messy hair and collar, and let out a haughty snort from her nose.

"Hmph! You're smart to know what's good for you!"

Looking at her with her chin held high and her eyes and brows radiating "I won," Shen Mo's smile deepened.

He swiftly unlocked his phone again, and before Li Yitong could fully recover from her triumphant moment, he quickly aimed at her.

With a "click," this vibrant and lively scene of pride was captured in an instant.

"Hmm, this one is better!"

He looked at his phone screen and commented with great seriousness, "The expression is spot-on, and the posture is expressive."

"Hey! Shen Mo, you're here again!"

Li Yitong realized what was happening and reached out to snatch it, but he nimbly dodged it.

Shen Mo smiled and stretched out the arm that she had just "bitten" in front of her, pointing to the wrist where there was actually no visible mark, and solemnly "accused" her.

"Look, look! Such a deep 'work injury', it would be hard to soothe the double wounds of my mind and body without a three-Michelin-starred meal."

He frowned, his expression exaggerated, as if he had truly suffered a great injustice.

Li Yitong was amused by his shameless act of turning the tables on him. She gave him a disdainful look, her delicate eyebrows furrowed tightly, and her lips pursed.

"Eat, eat, eat," she muttered irritably, her voice full of disdain yet carrying a hint of barely perceptible indulgence. "All you do is eat! You might as well stuff yourself to death!"

Despite saying that, her eyes involuntarily drifted to his "injured" wrist. Seeing that there wasn't even a red mark on it, she turned her head back to look out the window, relieved.

But her slightly puffed-out cheeks and subtly upturned lips betrayed her true feelings.