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

The studio was busier than ever today.

Because today's shoot is of the most emotionally intense scene in the movie "Brotherhood of Blades".

Shen Mo arrived earlier than usual, as he needed time for Shen Lian to fully settle down.

The makeup artist began to work on the special makeup for the "gunshot" on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and peeled away the traces of Shen Mo little by little, allowing Shen Lian to gradually take over this body.

Li Lin arrived a little later.

She was wearing a simple white T-shirt, with no makeup, and her hair was loosely tied back.

She seemed quieter than usual, even a little too quiet.

Instead of immediately putting on makeup as usual, she went to the main set she would be using today.

She stood quietly at the door of the room that had been decorated to resemble Zhou Miaotong's room in the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution) for a while.

When Shen Mo came out after finishing her makeup, she saw that she was still standing there, her back view looking somewhat thin.

He walked over, his steps very light.

"nervous?"

Li Lin turned around and saw that he was already dressed in a dark red flying fish robe with an embroidered spring knife at his waist. However, the expression in his eyes showed that he had not yet sunk into the refining state.

She shook her head, then nodded.

"A little."

"This scene... was too emotionally charged."

"I'm afraid of not being able to control it, and I'm also afraid of not giving it enough."

"Those levels you mentioned when you discussed it with me before."

Shen Mo leaned against the door frame, looking at her calmly.

"Shock, guilt, confusion, unbearable..."

"That's good, but overthinking can lead to confusion."

"Focus on the most essential aspects."

Li Qin looked up at him: "What is the most crucial thing?"

"Zhou Miaotong has nowhere to go, that's the crux of the matter."

Shen Mo's voice was very soft, with a hint of guidance.

"Young Master Yan is dead, killed by Shen Lian."

"Her last remaining illusions about a normal life were shattered completely."

"Her feelings for Shen Lian were complex: hatred, fear, dependence, and perhaps even a hint of emotion that she herself dared not admit."

"But most importantly, she had no choice."

"Shen Lian is the only, and cruelly realistic, choice she faces."

He paused, looking into Li Qin's eyes.

"So you don't need to think about so many layers in your performance."

"Think of it this way: a drowning person grabs onto a piece of driftwood with sharp edges, their hand is pricked and it hurts, but they dare not let go."

Li Qin listened quietly, her gaze gradually focusing.

Shen Mo continued.

"I'll give you a really strong thrill during the part where you shield someone with a gun later."

"Remember, when you see the spear tip coming at you and Shen Lian lunges forward, your first reaction shouldn't be, 'He's taking the bullet for me.'"

"It's more like, 'Am I going to die?'"

"After you truly realize that he was the one blocking your way, blood splattered out."

"Let out all those complicated emotions of yours."

Li Qin took a deep breath and nodded.

She felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her heart.

"I see."

"Go put on your makeup."

Shen Mo patted her shoulder, "Just like you taught Haocun, immerse yourself in Zhou Miaotong's identity."

"Don't worry, I'll take over your role."

Li Lin looked up at him.

At this moment, Shen Mo's eyes were serious and focused.

"Um."

She responded and turned to walk towards the dressing room.

By the time he had styled his hair and appeared on set in that red outfit, all the preparations were almost complete.

"Scene 78 of 'Brotherhood of Blades' - Three shots in one take, A!"

The wooden door was pushed open, and Shen Lian, covered in dust, stepped into the room, the hem of his flying fish robe stained with dark, still-damp stains.

Zhou Miaotong sat in front of the dressing table, turned around at the sound, her eyes filled with apprehension and a glimmer of hope.

"Why aren't you packing your things yet?" Shen Lian's voice was hoarse and tired.

Zhou Miaotong stood up and approached him with slightly unsteady steps.

Her eyes were already red-rimmed, and her voice held a cautious, expectant tone: "Young Master Yan... how is he?"

Shen Lian's eyes paused slightly. He turned around and said, "Pack your things, we have to go."

Zhou Miaotong reached out and gently pulled his arm.

This action carries a sense of dependence and pleading.

Her eyes were fixed on his profile, tears welling up in her eyes, and her voice trembled even more violently.

"Young Master Yan... what's wrong with him?"

Shen Lian finally turned around.

He forced a smile, trying to change the subject in a relaxed tone: "I've already redeemed you, Miaotong. We need to leave now, get out of here."

But the smile was still too forced and too deliberate.

Zhou Miaotong shook her head, tears finally welling up and sliding down her pale cheeks, but her voice still carried a final stubbornness.

"Tell me... what happened to Young Master Yan?!"

The smile on Shen Lian's face gradually disappeared.

He looked at the woman in front of him, her face streaked with tears and her body trembling, and remained silent for two seconds.

In those two seconds, Lu Yang, behind the monitor, held his breath, and the sound engineer gripped the microphone boom tightly, afraid that even the slightest movement of his would affect the unfolding of the scene.

On the monitor, Shen Mo's eyes changed, settling into an almost cruel calm.

"You don't need to wait for him."

Shen Lian's voice was soft, but it struck Zhou Miaotong's heart like a heavy hammer: "He is dead."

Zhou Miaotong suddenly took a step back, shook her head, tears streaming down her face, but her tone was resolute.

"I don't believe it!"

Shen Lian stepped forward, placed his hand on her trembling shoulder, and forced her to look into his eyes.

His eyes were filled with pain, self-blame, and a coldness that he had no choice but to endure.

"I killed him."

Zhou Miaotong's every movement, sound, and expression froze in that instant.

She looked at Shen Lian, her eyes revealing extreme grief and disbelief, which then quickly collapsed into a deathly silence.

Two lines of clear tears flowed silently down her cheeks. She stood there, as if her soul had been ripped away.

After a few seconds of stillness.

"Miaotong," Shen Lian's voice softened, tinged with bitterness.

He patted her arm and tried to take her hand. "Let's go."

Zhou Miaotong was pulled along by him, her steps faltering, but she did not take a step.

Her voice was weak and lifeless as she opened her mouth.

"When I was 12, the Embroidered Uniform Guard confiscated my house and sent me to the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment district).

"I was afraid of you the first time I saw you."

"I hate your flying fish robe and that embroidered spring knife."

Shen Lian froze, his hand still holding hers.

"You think I like you?"

Zhou Miaotong looked at him through her teary eyes, a smile that looked even more like a grimace than tears.

"I'm afraid of you."

Her voice began to tremble, a mixture of years of suppressed fear, resentment, humiliation, and a trace of affection for the warmth Shen Lian had shown her—an affection she herself hated.

I know you're very good to me.

"But I can't forget it, your face is so clear."

"I don't know whether I should be grateful to you or hate you..."

She took a deep breath and, with all her might, uttered a heart-wrenching question.

"Are you still going to take me with you, Lord Shen?"

The three words "Lord Shen" carried a sense of sarcasm, despair, and a chilling sense of distancing oneself.

The moment the words fell.

"Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh!"

Several crossbow bolts shot in through the window without warning!

"Be careful!"

Shen Lian's expression changed drastically, and he abruptly pulled Zhou Miaotong away!

At the same time, with a "clang," the Embroidered Spring Blade was drawn, its cold light drawing a sharp arc in the dim room, slicing through several arrows!

But the arrows were too dense!

Zhou Miaotong was pulled and staggered. Before she could regain her balance, a stray arrow was already at her!

"Thud!" The sound of the arrowhead piercing her back was dull yet clear.

Zhou Miaotong's body trembled, her pupils suddenly contracted, and her face instantly lost all color.

She didn't even have time to cry out in pain before she collapsed softly to the ground.

She gazed unfocusedly in Shen Lian's direction, then very slowly looked away.

"Bang!" The door was violently kicked open!

Nie Yuan plays Zhao Jingzhong, the head of the Eastern Depot, who storms in with a murderous aura, wielding a fine iron spear!

Without saying a word, he stabbed straight at Shen Lian's heart!

Shen Lian parried with his sword, and sparks flew as the blades clashed! The narrow room instantly transformed into a battlefield of life and death!

After a few rounds, Zhao Jingzhong feinted with his spear, then suddenly turned the spearhead and thrust it at Zhou Miaotong on the ground!

In the blink of an eye, Shen Lian acted without any hesitation!

He suddenly turned to the side, completely abandoning defense and evasion, and used his body to forcefully block Zhou Miaotong!

"puff--!"

The iron spearhead pierced through the flying fish robe, through the skin and flesh, and entered from below Shen Lian's right shoulder blade, leaving a spray of blood that peeked out an inch from his back!

Blood dripped from the cold tip of the gun, one drop at a time, onto the ground beside Zhou Miaotong's face.

Highly recommend "The Shura Field of Chinese Entertainment: All the Young Actresses Want to Climb to the Top!" Go directly to the exciting parts.

Time seemed to stretch out endlessly at that moment, the camera locked onto Zhou Miaotong's face.

Li Lin's performance reached an astonishing level at this moment.

The moment the gun tip struck, her pupils began to dilate, revealing an instinctive fear of death.

However, the moment Shen Lian's figure blocked her way, her pupils dilated sharply.

Shen Lian actually took a bullet for her! That was a shock Zhou Miaotong had never experienced before.

Her gaze swept past the tip of the gun and returned to Shen Lian's back, which was tense from the pain but still stood firmly in front of her.

Her eyes became extremely complicated, blank and at a loss.

The slight affection she felt for him, born from the warmth he had once given her, was amplified at this moment, and a trace of reluctance and distress appeared on her face.

Blood dripped down, splashing up a little dust. Her gaze unconsciously fell on the jade hairpin on the ground, a trace of guilt flashing in her eyes. It was a gift from Young Master Yan.

All of this happened in just a few seconds, but it was so complex it was breathtaking.

"ah--!"

Shen Lian let out a low growl like a wild beast, and with his left hand he grabbed the gun barrel in front of his shoulder and pulled it off with force!

Then she lunged forward and grabbed Zhao Jingzhong's waist, using all her strength to slam him backward with a desperate, suicidal momentum!

Zhao Jingzhong was pushed and crashed through the railing, tumbling down the stairs and lying motionless on the first floor!

One step, another step.

Shen Lian moved over with heavy, dragging footsteps, supporting himself against the wall.

Blood continued to flow from the pierced area in his shoulder, trembling slightly with his movements, staining half of his body red.

His face was ashen, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, his lips were tightly pursed, but his eyes were stubbornly fixed on the figure curled up on the ground.

When he finally moved to Zhou Miaotong's side, he was breathing heavily. He reached out his uninjured left hand, trembling, and gently touched her face, his fingertips stained with her tears and blood.

Zhou Miaotong's eyes were already somewhat unfocused, but when she saw the battered and bruised Shen Lian, the complex emotions within them surged again, eventually turning into a hazy, watery light.

Shen Lian gritted his teeth and used the last of his strength to carefully lift her up and carry her on his back.

Zhou Miaotong lay on his back, her breath also faint.

She fumbled for a handkerchief, and gently pressed it, trembling slightly, onto the terrible, still-bleeding wound on Shen Lian's shoulder.

Her face was pressed against his cold flying fish robe, her voice so soft it sounded like a sigh, filled with endless weariness and a trace of inexplicable sorrow.

"If it weren't for me... you might not be the way you are today..."

Shen Lian carried her on his back, straightened up, and without answering, simply started walking, step by step, towards the door.

"Cut!!!"

Lu Yang's voice trembled with excitement as he abruptly stood up from behind the monitor. "Perfect! Fantastic!"

The room was silent for a few seconds before erupting into enthusiastic applause and exclamations of admiration.

The tension of the scene just now had all the onlookers holding their breath, and only now did they dare to breathe deeply.

At this moment, the sound engineer, who had been holding the microphone for a long time, finally lowered the microphone stick with trembling hands. Fortunately, this long shot did not need to be filmed a second time.

Shen Mo remained in the position of carrying Li Qin on his back. Only after hearing Lu Yang's voice did he extricate himself from his emotions and carefully put Li Qin down. The assistant next to him immediately rushed over to support the two of them.

Li Qin's legs went weak, and she almost lost her balance.

Her face still bore traces of tears, and her eyes were somewhat dazed, clearly indicating that she had not yet fully detached herself from Zhou Miaotong's emotions.

Shen Mo was also surrounded by staff who treated his "wounds".

But his gaze passed over the crowd and landed on Li Lin.

Li Qin seemed to sense something and also raised her eyes.

Across the bustling crowd, their eyes met again in mid-air.

Shen Mo pursed his lips and nodded slightly to her.

Li Qin looked at him, a stiff smile tugging at her pale face.

Lu Yang walked over, looked at the two of them, and his face was full of admiration.

"You guys acted so well."

"No wonder he won the Best Actor award at the Hundred Flowers Awards."

"Now that this big show is over, things will be much easier for us."

"Please wait a moment, we need to install the props and do a few more shots."

He pointed to Shen Mo's shoulder and Li Lin's back, since it was impossible to actually pierce them with arrows and spears when filming that long shot.

Once Shen Mo and Li Lin nodded, the props crew quickly stepped forward to attach gun tips and arrows to their shoulders and backs.

After reshooting the close-up shots of the wound, the cold, fake spearhead was finally removed from the body.

Shen Mo stretched his stiff shoulders, took the warm towel Zhou Xueting handed him, and wiped away the remaining "bloodstains" and sweat from his face.

Almost within seconds of the towel covering his face, the aura that belonged to Shen Lian around him receded as quickly as the tide.

When he put the towel down again, his eyes had regained their usual clarity and composure.

However, there was still a hint of fatigue in his eyes and brows from the intense performance.

He walked towards the rest area, habitually wanting to pick up the script to see the next steps, but his gaze first fell on Li Qin, who was sitting alone not far away.

She hadn't changed out of her costume yet, and was curled up in her usual folding chair.

He hugged his knees with both hands, rested his chin in the crook of his arms, and stared blankly at a point on the ground, his eyes unfocused.

Clearly, she is still caught in the emotional vortex of the scene she just witnessed and hasn't fully emerged from it.

The tear stains on her clean face had dried, but her eyes were still a little red and swollen, and her lips were pale, making her look somewhat... fragile.

Shen Mo paused for a moment, then changed direction and walked towards her.

He walked to the empty seat next to her, sat down gently, and the recliner made a slight sound.

Li Qin seemed startled by the sound; her eyelashes trembled, and she slowly turned her head.

Upon seeing that it was Shen Mo, her eyes flickered, still holding the complex emotions that Zhou Miaotong possessed.

She didn't speak, she just looked at him quietly.

Shen Mo met her gaze without saying anything, simply sitting quietly beside her.

A moment later, he reached for a bottle of water, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her.

"Drink some water."

"It's cool, just right, let it cool down a bit."

Li Qin's gaze fell on the bottle of water, then slowly moved to Shen Mo's hand holding the cup.

The fingers were long and slender with distinct knuckles. She remembered those hands trembling as they touched her face.

She blinked, reached out, and took the bottled water, accidentally touching Shen Mo's fingertips.

Shen Mo's fingertips were warm, creating a stark contrast with the icy coldness of hers.

She held the mineral water bottle for a long while before speaking softly, her voice still nasal from the tears she had just shed.

"Just now...your performance..."

She paused, as if searching for the right words to describe the feeling.

Shen Mo didn't urge him, he just hummed in response.

"...I really thought you were going to die in front of me, taking a bullet for me."

Li Lin's voice was very soft. She finally raised her eyes and looked at Shen Mo, with a trace of lingering fear in her eyes.

"The moment you lunged at me was so fast, so real."

"Too decisive..."

Shen Mo nodded in understanding.

The terrifying and precious aspect of the method acting approach lies in this: the actors are almost completely immersed in the role, believing that they are in that environment facing that situation, and all their physiological and psychological reactions are almost real.

The process of breaking out of character is like peeling a part of her soul away from her body, which inevitably takes time and will definitely leave traces.

"Do you think it's Shen Mo blocking the way, or Shen Lian?"

Shen Mo's tone was slightly relaxed and teasing, trying to divert her attention and pull her out of the situation.

Li Qin slowly raised her head and stared into his eyes.

Shen Mo could see that although her eyes were red at the moment, they were still so deep and sincere.

"It is Shen Lian, and it is also Shen Mo."

She paused, turned her head back, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, trying to expel the heavy, sluggish feeling in her chest.

"Sorry... I'm a little caught off guard."

"Zhou Miaotong is suffering too much; it's making me feel a little suffocated."

As she spoke, a faint smile slowly curved the corners of her lips.

"For a second, I was thinking, 'Shen Mo also took a bullet for me, Li Lin? That's great!'"

"Otherwise, I might not have been able to express Zhou Miaotong's slight affection for Shen Lian in that emotional state."

Shen Mo looked at her profile and sensed that she was deliberately avoiding his gaze.

He reached into his pocket and took out a milk candy, the same kind as yesterday.

I unwrapped the candy and held it to her lips.

"Have something sweet."

"Let Zhou Miaotong's suffering remain in the play."

"You're Li Lin, filming's finished, time for something sweet."

Li Qin turned her head to meet his gaze, felt the touch of the candy on her lips, and thought of her almost blunt words just now, her cheeks slowly turning red.

She opened her cherry-like mouth, put the fructose in her mouth, and then slowly turned her head away again.

She had a candy in her mouth, a small puff forming on her cheek, and chewed slowly.

Whether it was the sweetness of the sugar that had a magical effect, or the effect of his conversation, her tense nerves and immersed emotions gradually relaxed.

Li Qin leaned back in her chair and slowly closed her eyes.

Shen Mo didn't say anything more, but just sat quietly with her.

The others on set were still busy, packing up props, adjusting lights, and discussing blocking for the next scene.

The various sounds mingled together, yet strangely, they became the background noise in the quiet space between them.