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

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We finished work a little earlier today than yesterday, but it was still past 8 o'clock.

After finishing work, Shen Mo did not go straight back to the hotel.

He remembered that Li Lin had invited him and Hao Cun to go for a walk by the lake yesterday, so he changed into some casual clothes and headed towards the small lake behind the base.

Sure enough, he saw two familiar figures in the pavilion on the lakeside corridor.

Li Lin was still wearing the same T-shirt she wore during the day, leaning against a pavilion pillar.

Liu Haocun sat opposite her, his hands supporting his chin, his eyes sparkling, listening to what Li Qin was saying, nodding occasionally.

Shen Mo deliberately increased the weight of his steps, making a "tap, tap" sound on the boardwalk leading to the pavilion.

The two people in the pavilion turned their heads at the same time upon hearing the sound.

"Oh, you two ladies have such refined tastes."

Shen Mo walked slowly into the pavilion with his hands in his pockets, a mischievous smile on his face.

"A dark and windy night, a secret rendezvous by the lake, and you didn't even invite me? That's so unfair of you."

As soon as Liu Haocun saw Shen Mo, he immediately jumped up from the bench and grinned broadly.

"Brother Mo! You're done work?"

Li Qin smiled slightly, "So early today?"

Shen Mo walked over and sat down next to Liu Haocun, leaning against the wooden railing of the pavilion.

"My acting is so good, I can get it all in one take, so speed is a given."

Liu Hao nodded frantically, like a chicken pecking at rice, "Mmm, Brother Mo is the best."

Li Lin glanced at him sideways, walked over and sat on the other side of Liu Haocun, reaching out to pinch her cheeks with both hands.

"You're just bragging about your brother Mo. No wonder he likes you so much and keeps you by his side."

"If I had a little fangirl who thinks I'm the best, I'd want to keep her by my side too."

Liu Haocun chuckled, secretly glancing at Shen Mo, his ear tips turning slightly red.

She turned her head and fell directly into Li Qin's arms, her little head closing her eyes and nuzzling against him.

"I like Sister Qin too. Her acting skills are amazing."

"I've learned so much from you these past two days."

Li Qin released her grip on Liu Haocun's face and gently wrapped her arms around Liu Haocun's neck.

"That's more like it."

"It's really comfortable here at night," Shen Mo said, looking around. "It's much better than being cooped up in my room."

Li Lin nodded and followed Shen Mo's gaze.

"It's so boring in the room, going out for a walk and getting some fresh air definitely makes me feel much better."

"However, I'm not very popular, and nobody pays attention to me."

"But you, aren't you afraid of being surrounded or having your secrets exposed when you come here at this time?"

Although there are not as many people here as in Hengdian, there are still quite a few film crews around.

Shen Mo looked up at a figure standing not far away.

"Look, Zheng Ge is over there."

"Besides, it's perfectly normal for me to be at the film and television base during filming."

"Besides..."

Shen Mo turned his head and looked into her eyes.

"Didn't you invite me here?"

These words made Li Qin's body stiffen slightly, and Liu Haocun in his arms clearly felt it.

Shen Mo looked at Liu Haocun, "Right? Haocun."

Liu Haocun smiled as he lay in Li Qin's arms, and nodded at Li Qin.

Li Qin rolled her eyes at Liu Haocun, then looked at the outline of the antique-style buildings by the lake.

"Haocun, let me tell you, look at these old houses over there, all dark and gloomy, don't they look like those...?"

"Doesn't it look like a haunted house from those ghost stories?" Shen Mo raised an eyebrow, deliberately lowering his voice as he continued the conversation.

Continuing in a ghost story-telling tone, he said, "I've heard that a lot of ghost story TV movies used to be filmed in Huairou."

"When we were filming, a lot of strange things happened, like the curtains suddenly billowing up, the candles suddenly going out, and footprints appearing out of nowhere..."

Liu Haocun was indeed intimidated. He subconsciously grabbed Li Qin's arm and leaned closer to her, his eyes wide open.

"Really?!"

Li Qin and Shen Mo exchanged a glance, and then laughed at the same time.

Li Lin pinched her cheek again and glared at Shen Mo with annoyance.

"Your brother Mo is just trying to scare you."

Shen Mo chuckled and pointed at her, "Hey, who started this?"

Li Lin remained silent, while Liu Haocun chuckled.

"Brother Mo's story was so realistic, it scared me."

Shen Mo chuckled, shook his head, reached out and rubbed her head vigorously a few times.

only!

Li Qin suddenly looked up, her eyes wide as she stared at Shen Mo.

Was he just rubbing Liu Haocun's head?

Liu Haocun's head was resting against his chest!

This feeling of being pressed down and swayed from side to side...

Li Lin stared at Shen Mo with an expression of disbelief. Was he doing it on purpose or unintentionally?

Looking at Shen Mo's doting gaze as he looked at Liu Haocun, who was grinning in his arms, Li Qin felt that he seemed not to have noticed this at all.

How could this person be like this?!

Why has Li Lin suddenly become so quiet?

A moment later, Shen Mo raised his head and looked at Li Lin, only to meet a pair of angry eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Li Qin took a deep breath, turned her head back, and shook her head slightly.

"It's nothing."

Shen Mo turned her gaze to Liu Haocun, but her eyes were also filled with confusion.

"Really nothing?" He looked at Li Lin, who was silent with her head down, but whose ears were turning red, and asked with a hint of casual curiosity.

Li Qin turned back, smiled slightly, and said, "It's really nothing."

"I just felt that you had a strong grip; you messed up Haocun's hair."

As she spoke, she reached out and tidied Liu Haocun's messy head, which had been ruffled.

Liu Haocun squinted comfortably, like a kitten being stroked.

"It's alright, Sister Qin, Brother Mo is massaging very gently."

Seeing her still foolishly speaking up for Shen Mo, Li Qin paused, then gently pinched her earlobe.

"You're so protective of your brother Mo, I'm worried that one day he'll sell you out and you'll still be counting the money for him."

Liu Haocun raised his chin and looked at Shen Mo.

"Brother Mo, how much can I sell it for?"

Shen Mo chuckled softly, "I'd never sell Haocun, no matter how much money you offer."

Liu Haocun turned his gaze back to Li Lin, his eyes full of smiles.

Seeing her smug expression, Li Qin felt inexplicably uncomfortable.

"Actually, I came to Huairou before when I was doing my internship at university and looking for a minor role in a film crew."

Shen Mo suddenly spoke, changing the subject.

"Back then, I liked to wander around aimlessly. Once, I stepped into the pool here and scared the director half to death."

"Really?"

Liu Haocun was immediately drawn to the attention and lifted his head from Li Qin's arms.

"I didn't understand back then," Shen Mo said with a smile.

"I saw the platform the crew had set up and thought it looked interesting, so I went up to try it out. But the platform was just a frame. As soon as I went up, it tilted and I fell straight into the water, getting completely soaked."

"Sigh, speaking of chicken, I haven't had dinner yet."

"Two beautiful ladies, would you like to have a meal with me?"

Liu Haocun said awkwardly, "Brother Mo, we thought you wouldn't finish work until after 11 o'clock. We already ate."

"Let's grab a late-night snack then. Let's go get some barbecue."

Liu Haocun's eyes were full of interest, but Li Qin rolled her eyes at him.

"Eating too much at night will cause water retention the next day."

Shen Mo reached out and pulled Liu Haocun up, then looked at Li Qin.

"It's okay, it'll go away after some morning exercise tomorrow. Do you want me to wake you up?"

Li Qin rolled her eyes at him and gave a soft "humph," but still got up.

Near the hotel on the outskirts of the base, on a slightly secluded street corner, there is a barbecue stall that stays open until late at night.

The boss was clearly used to the film crew finishing work late at night. He quickly set up a small table under the shed, and the charcoal fire began to rise.

Shen Mo, familiar with the place, ordered some grilled skewers, as well as beer and drinks.

Liu Haocun's eyes lit up as he looked at the sizzling, oily meat skewers, but he still restrained himself and only chose a few skewers of vegetables and a small amount of meat.

She remembered what Li Qin told her: female celebrities need to maintain a good figure.

Li Lin, on the other hand, only ordered a small bowl of clear soup wontons and two skewers of grilled mushrooms, mainly for companionship.

She didn't refuse the wine; Shen Mo poured her a glass.

"Come on, thank you two beautiful ladies for having a late-night snack with me."

Shen Mo raised the glass filled with drinks, and the three glasses gently clinked together in the air.

"Thank you, Brother Mo! Thank you, Sister Lin!" Liu Haocun said happily.

Li Lin didn't say anything, but simply drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.

Shen Mo looked at her and poured her another half cup.

"Drink slowly, don't turn bright red after just two glasses like last time."

Li Lin looked up at him, her eyes glistening with a hint of moisture under the lamplight.

"You underestimate me?"

Her tone was calm, but with a hint of defiance.

"I already told you, that wasn't my true alcohol tolerance last time."

Shen Mo smiled meaningfully and remained silent.

Li Qin gave a soft hum, but did not drink heavily again, instead sipping slowly.

The charcoal crackled and popped, and the aroma of food filled the air. .

Seeing that Liu Haocun was eating vegetables in small bites, Shen Mo directly stuffed a skewer of grilled chicken wings that was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside into her mouth.

"Try this, it's their signature dish, and it's not spicy."

Liu Haocun pouted and hesitated for a long time.

"Eat up, you're still young. Why are you trying to lose weight? You won't grow tall if you don't eat enough."

Liu Haocun's eyes lit up instantly, and he accepted the offer in a second. He opened his mouth and took a bite, his eyes squinting happily.

"tasty!"

"Right?"

Shen Mo, feeling smug, handed another string of them to Li Lin.

"You should eat some meat too. Try this, the meat is especially tender."

Li Lin stared at the string of chicken wings for a long time, then looked up at Shen Mo with a resentful expression.

"If I gain weight while filming a movie, it will be very noticeable on camera."

"It's just one skewer, it won't make you fat."

Shen Mo picked up the skewer of chicken wings and held it directly to her mouth.

"I'll take you out for morning exercise tomorrow. Eat up, it's okay."

The aroma of chicken wings wafted from Li Lin's mouth straight to her nose, an intense temptation that breached her defenses.

In the end, she couldn't hold back and slowly opened her mouth.

However, the moment the chicken wings entered her mouth, the dopamine rush was released instantly, and she felt that this was the most delicious taste she had experienced in the month since she joined the production team.

Shen Mo smiled slightly and continued to enjoy the pile of skewers in front of him.

The atmosphere gradually became more lively.

Li Lin picked up his wine glass and took a small sip.

Whether it was the effect of the smoke or the stimulation of the alcohol, a faint blush began to rise on her fair cheeks, adding a touch of beauty to her cool and aloof appearance.

She also started talking a little more than usual.

"Actually, I was pretty silly back then."

She suddenly spoke, her voice softer than usual.

"I had just finished filming 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' and before I could even enjoy my paycheck, I received a scam call."

"I believed it and transferred all the money I had."

As she spoke, she laughed first, then shook her head, as if mocking her past self.

"After I found out I had been scammed, I called the police, and they were speechless with disbelief."

"After all, these days, it's mostly the elderly who get scammed."

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.

"Four years of filming were completely wasted. Nothing was left; I was swindled out of everything."

Liu Haocun felt a pang of heartache upon hearing this and asked softly, "Was Sister Qin found later?"

Li Qin shook her head and patted her head, "Of course not!"

Do you know where the "Please do not send money to strangers" sign on ATMs came from?

Liu Haocun looked completely bewildered; why had the topic suddenly changed?

Shen Mo immediately realized what was going on, "It couldn't be because of this, could it?"

Li Lin nodded sheepishly.

"This incident was widely reported in the media at the time, and I became a negative example."

"Since then, this message has appeared on ATMs."

Shen Mo and Liu Haocun exchanged a glance, then forced their mouths open, almost bursting into laughter.

Li Qin could tell what they were thinking just by looking at their expressions, so he simply picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp.

"Laugh if you want, you're not the first people to laugh at me anyway."

Shen Mo and Liu Haocun burst into laughter like punctured balloons, attracting the attention of the barbecue restaurant owner a few meters away.

After a moment, Shen Mo stopped laughing and looked at her slightly flushed cheeks and smiling eyes, a slight stirring in his heart.

At this moment, Li Qin is real, vibrant, and has a vulnerable honesty that touches people more than her usual perfect but aloof self.

"Everyone has had embarrassing moments," he said, trying to smooth things over.

Then he picked up the bottle, about to pour her a third glass, but just as the bottle was about to touch the rim of the glass, he remembered something.

With a flick of his wrist, he poured her only a shallow amount, barely enough to fill the bottom of the glass. "Here, have a drink."

"May there be no more deception in the future."

Li Qin stared at the tiny amount of wine in the glass, paused for a moment, and then picked up the glass.

There was no deception.

She suddenly remembered that he had done the same thing in Hengdian last time, not letting her drink too much.

Back then, she was still somewhat unconvinced, but now, in front of this barbecue stall late at night in Huairou, the same scene is repeating itself, and a complex warmth wells up in her heart.

Li Qin lowered his eyes, looked at the beer in his glass that was less than a third full, smiled slightly, and poured it into his mouth.

Then, she picked up the kettle and poured herself a glass of warm water.

"I won't drink."

As she said this, she met Shen Mo's eyes and smiled slightly.

Her tone revealed no emotion, but her eyelashes trembled slightly.

Shen Mo smiled and then asked Liu Haocun about his plans for tomorrow.

As night deepened, we had almost finished our barbecue.

Shen Mo paid the bill, and the three of them got up and walked back.

Standing at the door of Liu Haocun's room again, Li Lin patted her on the back.

"Go to sleep, your eyes are almost closed."

Watching Liu Haocun enter the room and close the door, Shen Mo and Li Lin did not leave immediately.

"Thanks for today," Shen Mo said first, "for having a late-night snack with me."

"You treated us, so we should thank you," Li Qin said softly.

"That's different," Shen Mo looked at her, "Eating isn't important, what's important is people."

He paused, then added, "Also, you're in great shape tonight, much more relaxed than during the day."

Li Qin raised her head and looked directly into his eyes, her cheeks still slightly flushed, her eyes shining brightly under the lights at the hotel entrance.

"Because I am not Zhou Miaotong tonight."

Shen Mo smiled, "That's good, go back and get some rest."

Li Qin looked into his smiling eyes and nodded: "Mm."

Goodnight, Li Qin.

Goodnight, Shen Mo.

Shen Mo watched her turn and walk into the room before he stepped forward and opened his own door.

He took off his shirt and was about to go wash up when there was a sudden, urgent knocking at the door.

Shen Mo frowned slightly, picked up his shirt and covered his chest, then opened the door a crack.

Outside the door was the same face they had just parted ways with, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light.

Li Qin suddenly pushed open the door and strode in, closing the door with her left hand and grabbing Shen Mo's clothes with her right hand before throwing them aside.

Then she wrapped her arms around his neck, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him.