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

The filming of "Brotherhood of Blades" has entered a relatively stable phase.

Shen Mo had just finished filming a dialogue scene and walked to the rest area when she saw Li Qin sitting in her usual corner.

She wasn't holding a script; instead, she was holding a small box of washed cherry tomatoes, slowly eating them one by one, her gaze unfocused, lost in thought.

Shen Mo walked over and sat down in the empty chair next to her.

The chair is made of plastic and makes a slight creaking sound.

Hearing the sound, Li Qin turned around and naturally handed the small plastic box in her hand to him.

"Want some? It's quite sweet."

Shen Mo didn't stand on ceremony and picked one up, popping it into his mouth.

"It is quite sweet, where did it come from?"

"Haocun brought this this morning."

As Li Lin spoke, he picked up another one, but didn't eat it right away. He just held it up to the light with his fingertips.

The bright red fruit stood out vividly against her fair fingertips.

Shen Mo found her actions amusing and reached out to snatch the fruit from her fingertips.

"What's so interesting about this?" he joked casually. "But why didn't Haocun bring it for me?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qin glanced at him sideways and said, "Do you look like someone who likes to eat these things?"

"Why don't you like it anymore?" Shen Mo laughed, leaning back in his chair. "That's a stereotype."

Li Qin raised an eyebrow: "Oh? I still have some left. Do you want some more?"

"Forget it," Shen Mo shook his head seriously, "It's too low-class. If you're going to treat me to food, it has to be at least a Michelin three-star level."

Li Lin's lips curled slightly, and he made a "tsk" sound.

But she quickly suppressed it, only a faint smile appearing in her eyes.

"Shen Mo, you still have something to say? Before filming 'The Journey of Flower,' you said you'd treat me to drinks after filming wrapped, but you've been putting it off until now without ever bringing it up."

"Oh? Really? There's such a thing." Shen Mo didn't even turn his head, and there wasn't a hint of surprise in his voice.

Li Qin pouted and slapped his arm. "Now that we're more familiar, is your perfunctory attitude so obvious?"

"Of course, there's no need to put on airs in front of acquaintances, is there?" Shen Mo smiled and turned to look at her.

"Besides, you can only drink three cups before you're done."

He paused here, his eyes scanning her up and down.

"Can we even have a drink together?"

"You're probably already exhausted after just getting started!"

Li Qin rolled up his sleeves, hands on his hips, and said defiantly, "Looks like I really have to teach you a lesson and show you that my drinking capacity is no joke."

"Those few drinks last time were just from drinking too fast, and they made my face flush."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo immediately sat up and waved his thumb outside.

"What do you mean? Should we have someone buy two cases and we'll give it a try?"

Li Qin looked in the direction he was pointing and saw that he was surrounded by staff members, and his imposing manner instantly vanished.

After all, she wouldn't have gone so far as to start drinking with Shen Mo on set.

Shen Mo smiled when he saw her expression, then lay back down in the chair.

The air was quiet for a while. Suddenly, he remembered something, reached into his pocket, took out a small object, and handed it to Li Lin.

"Here, an apology gift. Don't be angry, I was just kidding."

Li Qin looked down and saw a candy wrapped in colored cellophane lying in his palm, reflecting colorful light in the sunlight.

"Where did it come from?"

She didn't answer, somewhat curious.

This doesn't seem like something Shen Mo would carry with him.

"Hao Cun stuffed it into my pocket, saying she was worried I'd have low blood sugar while filming."

Shen Mo explained, shaking his palm.

"It's orange flavored, want some?"

Li Qin looked at the candy, then at Shen Mo's smiling eyes, and asked suspiciously.

"You're not trying to tease me again, are you?"

As she spoke, she reached out her hand with lightning speed.

Just as his fingers touched the candy, Shen Mo closed his hand.

He happened to be able to hold her hand that was holding the candy in his palm.

"Hey you..."

"I didn't mean to tease you." Shen Mo looked at her innocently and shrugged.

"But since you've put it that way, I feel like I'd be missing out if I didn't do it."

Li Qin looked at him with a smile, "Is my hand nice to touch?"

Shen Mo raised an eyebrow. "Not bad, quite young."

"You really dare to answer."

Li Qin abruptly pulled her hand back, withdrawing it to her front, and then used her other hand to knead it a few times.

Shen Mo smiled, opened his hand again, and the candy was still in his palm.

"Take it, I'm just kidding."

Li Qin rolled her eyes at him. "Do you think I'm that easy to fool?"

"Aren't you easy to fool? I heard that the entire paycheck for the filming of 'Dream of the Red Chamber' was swindled away."

"Shut up!" Li Qin was furious at the sight of Shen Mo's wicked grin.

Shen Mo cleared his throat and, looking at Li Qin's expression, felt that he should stop now.

"Alright, I'm not kidding anymore, here you go."

"Do you expect me to peel it open and feed it to you?"

Li Qin sat back down, glanced at him sideways, and didn't even turn her head.

Shen Mo withdrew his hand holding the candy, just as Li Qin thought he was going to put it back in his pocket.

Then I heard the sound of a glass candy wrapper being peeled off, and then a red candy was stuffed into my lips.

"Open your mouth, ah..."

Shen Mo looked at her teasingly, "You're not going to expect me to manually open your mouth for you, are you?"

Li Lin finally opened his mouth and put the candy into his mouth between his fingers.

Shen Mo withdrew his hand, his gaze sweeping over her lips; the touch of his fingertips had been warm.

Li Qin, with a candy in her mouth, slowly closed her eyes.

Seeing her satisfied expression, Shen Mo lay back down on his own recliner.

He changed the subject: "By the way, I heard you went to that little lake behind the base after work last night? Weren't you afraid of the dark?"

Li Qin tilted her head, a candy still in her mouth.

"What's there to be afraid of? The moonlight is beautiful, and the lake is calm. It's better than staying in your room daydreaming."

She paused, then looked at Shen Mo.

"How did you know? Were you following me?"

"I don't have that kind of free time."

Shen Mo chuckled, "Zhou Xueting came back and told me that she saw you going to the lake alone."

"I'm just going to get some fresh air and think about the play."

She winked mischievously, "This is my first time in Huairou. I used to film in Hengdian."

"I just wanted to wander around and see what it was like."

"Aren't you afraid of any dangers late at night?"

"What's there to be afraid of? I'm practically invisible now; hardly anyone knows me."

The two chatted casually, their topics ranging from random to completely different.

It wasn't until the production assistant came to inform him that the next scene was about to begin that Shen Mo stood up, straightened his clothes, and resumed his work.

Li Qin also suppressed her smile, but her gaze still unconsciously followed the departing figure.

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When Lu Yang shouted, "That's a wrap! That's it!" it was already past 11 p.m.

Shen Mo's scene tonight was a rain scene, and it took several takes to get it right.

After removing the heavy, soaking wet costume and changing back into his everyday clothes, Shen Mo felt utterly exhausted.

Rubbing his stiff neck, he was about to leave the film set.

But in the corner of the entrance to the crew's dressing room, a figure was spotted.

Liu Haocun sat on a small stool, his elbows resting on his knees, his chin resting on his hands, his eyes closed, and his head nodding slowly.

She wasn't sitting very steadily, and her body was swaying slightly. Shen Mo was worried that she would fall to the ground at any moment.

Shen Mo frowned and walked over quietly.

As you get closer, you can hear her soft, even breathing. The novel, "The Shura Field of Chinese Entertainment: Young Actresses All Want to Climb to the Top," is currently generating a reading frenzy. Haven't you read it yet?

Her small face looked especially childlike in the dim light, her lips slightly pursed, twitching occasionally.

Shen Mo's heart softened suddenly, and the restlessness and fatigue he felt after filming subsided strangely.

He bent down, reached out, and gently patted her shoulder.

"Hao Cun?"

There was no reaction, but her little head tilted down a little more.

Shen Mo increased the force slightly and called out again.

"Haocun, wake up."

"Well……"

Liu Haocun groaned in a daze, struggling to open his eyes a crack, his gaze unfocused and vacant.

She instinctively hugged the cloth bag in her arms tighter and asked vaguely.

"Brother Mo? We're done work?"

Her voice was soft and indistinct, filled with a deep sleepiness.

"Okay, that's a wrap."

Shen Mo's voice unconsciously became gentler than usual.

"Why are you asleep here? Didn't I tell you to go back to your room and rest earlier?"

Liu Haocun tried to stand up, but his legs went numb from sitting for too long, and he swayed.

Shen Mo quickly grabbed her arm.

"careful."

"I'm so sorry, Brother Mo!"

Liu Haocun leaned against Shen Mo, his face flushed red, so embarrassed he wanted to disappear into the ground.

"I... I just wanted to wait until you finished work so I could give this to you..."

She quickly handed over the thermos that was placed to the side, her voice growing softer and softer.

"Rain scenes can easily cause chills, so I brewed some ginger and jujube tea. Brother Mo, drinking some will help warm you up..."

Shen Mo was stunned.

He took the thermos, unscrewed it a crack, and the rich aroma of red dates and ginger, mixed with the steam, immediately escaped.

He looked up at Liu Haocun.

The little girl's hair was a bit messy from sleeping, with a few stray hairs sticking up. Her cheeks were still flushed from just waking up, and she looked at him with a mixture of trepidation and anticipation.

"Have you been waiting a long time?"

"Not long after..."

Liu Haocun instinctively tried to lie, but he was clearly not good at it; his eyes darted around for a moment.

"Just... a little while."

Shen Mo glanced at his watch, then at her sleepy, still slightly watery eyes, and knew that this "short while" would definitely be quite long.

He didn't expose him, but simply nodded and took a sip from the rim of the cup.

The temperature was just right; the spiciness of the ginger was neutralized by the sweetness of the red dates, and a warm current slid down my throat, instantly spreading to my limbs.

"It's delicious," he said earnestly, covering the glass with the lid.

"Thank you, Haocun."

Upon receiving affirmation, Liu Haocun's eyes lit up instantly, and the trepidation on his face was replaced by joy, along with a touch of embarrassment.

"I'm glad you like it, Brother Mo."

"Let's go back."

Shen Mo closed the thermos and held it in his hand, while his other hand naturally supported her back.

"Don't wait like this next time, just leave it at my room door or give it to Xueting."

"Staying up late is bad for your health; you're still growing."

"Hmm...I understand."

Liu Haocun obediently agreed and followed him toward the hotel.

After taking a couple of steps, she suddenly added in a low voice.

"But I want to see you drink it with my own eyes. Otherwise, I won't feel at ease."

Shen Mo paused slightly, glanced at her, and reached out to rub the top of her head.

As they entered the hotel lobby, another figure at the elevator entrance startled them both.

It's Li Lin.

She had obviously just returned from outside, and when she saw Shen Mo and Liu Haocun walk in together, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"Li Qin, you haven't rested yet either?"

Shen Mo was the first to greet them.

"Yeah, I just went out for a walk."

Li Qin responded indifferently, her gaze falling on Liu Haocun.

"Haocun, what is this...?"

"She waited for me to finish work and then brought me this."

Shen Mo shook the thermos in his hand, a gentle smile in his eyes.

"Ginger and jujube tea, to dispel cold."

Li Qin looked at Liu Haocun, and the little girl looked up at her shyly and smiled.

The elevator arrived, and the three of them went inside.

"Went to stroll around the lake again?" Shen Mo asked casually.

"Yeah, I took a walk by the lake. The Huairou base is quite big; I could explore it for a few days."

Li Qin answered, paused, and looked at Liu Haocun.

"If you and Haocun are interested, you can go together tomorrow night if you're free."

Liu Haocun was surprised that Li Qin would take the initiative to invite him, and he quickly nodded.

"Okay! Okay! Thank you, Sister Lin!"

"I have a night shoot tomorrow night, so I'm afraid I won't be able to go."

Shen Mo spoke up, "Safety first. If you're going, someone should go with you. Let Wang Zheng accompany you tomorrow."

Li Qin nodded without saying anything.

The elevator arrived at their floor. Shen Mo's room was at the very back, while Li Qin and Liu Haocun's rooms were next to each other in the middle.

Shen Mo stopped at the door of Liu Haocun's room.

"Haocun, get some rest early. Not sleeping well will affect your development."

"Okay! Brother Mo, you should get some rest too!" Liu Haocun nodded vigorously.

"Brother Hao, I can't go to the film set tomorrow. There are no scenes for me to film during the day. I need to catch up on my summer homework at the hotel. School starts in a week."

Shen Mo nodded, then looked at Li Qin.

"Li Lin, you too, get some rest, goodnight."

After watching Liu Haocun swipe his card and enter the room, Li Qin whispered something to Shen Mo.

"Good night."

"Ginger tea, drink it while it's hot."

Then he opened his room door and went inside.

Shen Mo smiled and walked towards his room.

The corridor returned to silence.

Liu Haocun collapsed onto the bed, rolling around while clutching his pillow.

Mo Ge drank the tea she brewed, praised her for being thoughtful, and patted her head.

For a moment, Liu Haocun felt so sweet that he was wide awake.

Li Qin leaned against the door, listening to Shen Mo's receding footsteps outside, recalling the scene she had just witnessed.

She lowered her eyes, her emotions suddenly becoming complicated and hard to describe.

She thought of the handshake during the day, his hug during today's scene, and the feel of his fingers on her lips.

Li Lin, even a young girl knows to prepare a cup of ginger tea to keep you company, but what about you?

Do you only dare to gaze at this side from afar across the lake?

However, the image of Shen Mo and Li Yitong standing side by side in the elevator resurfaced in her mind.

A bitter feeling welled up in my heart.

If only he and Li Yitong weren't a couple.

Shen Mo returned to his room, washed up, and slowly finished the ginger and jujube tea in his thermos.

The warm liquid dispelled the chill of the night and calmed his chaotic thoughts.

Looking at the cup of ginger tea that Liu Haocun brought, the image of her pecking at rice like a sleepy chick lingered in his mind.

Those eyes, always carrying a hint of timidity yet exceptionally persistent and clear, let down all their defenses when they were drowsy, leaving only pure dependence and waiting.

Shen Mo knew clearly that this dependence and closeness contained a lot of gratitude and admiration, and perhaps even a trace of girlish feelings that she herself was not clear about.

This girl... is so innocent it's heartbreaking, and so sincere it's impossible to easily betray her.

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[I hadn't originally planned to add an extra chapter, but!]

[Yesterday's subscription numbers suddenly doubled and surpassed 1,000!]

[This deserves an extra chapter, I'm so happy!]

[Hopefully this isn't just a flash in the pan, thank you everyone for supporting this little nobody!!!]