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

Filming for "Nirvana in Fire" is in its later stages.

Shen Mo, who plays Mei Changsu, stands under the corridor, his long robe fluttering in the morning breeze.

Li Lin, who plays Princess Nihuang, walks slowly, exuding both heroism and gentleness.

The moment the word "CUT" was uttered, the quiet scene instantly erupted into noise again.

"Your line just now was a bit rushed."

Shen Mo walked naturally to Li Lin's side, and then they walked side by side toward the lounge.

"You shouldn't have exploded like that; you need to hold it in."

"Hmm...I know."

"But when I think about the separation scene later on..."

Li Qin wrinkled her nose, her tone tinged with annoyance.

"That's a bit like empathizing too early."

Shedding the coldness and hardness of her acting roles, she now hangs her head like a pitiful child who has done something wrong.

Shen Mo reached out and adjusted the position of her slipping shoulder armor.

"That was the farewell between Mei Changsu and Nihuang."

His tone was indifferent. "They're not ours."

He paused after speaking, then added another sentence.

"Besides, you're getting too caught up in the role now, so it's too early for you to feel sorry for her."

Li Qin paused for a moment, then smiled.

The way you're saying that makes it sound like you're worried about me.

Shen Mo raised an eyebrow, pursed his lips, stepped into the lounge, and turned to look at her.

"Is that not allowed?"

"Or rather, does Sister Qin allow it?"

With a "click," the door to the lounge closed.

Li Lin stood by the door, her hand still on the doorknob.

Shen Mo stood a step away from her, looking down at her without saying a word.

Li Lin lightly lifted her foot, eliminating the last bit of distance between them.

She looked up at him, her eyes gentle.

"What you just said,"

That's an outrageous statement.

Shen Mo raised an eyebrow. "Which sentence?"

"That sentence," she paused, "wasn't ours."

"Did you do this on purpose?"

She looked up at him, her tone so soft it sounded like a complaint, or perhaps a test.

Shen Mo reached out and gently scraped her wrinkled nose.

"Deliberately what?"

"They deliberately made it difficult for me to distinguish between the play and reality."

Li Qin's lips curled slightly. He was clearly not really angry.

Shen Mo placed his hand on her wrist and gently held it.

"Can you tell the difference now?"

"No." Li Qin shook her head, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. "I don't want to make it clear."

She raised her hand and gently grabbed the collar of his costume, pulling it downwards.

Before Shen Mo could lower his head, Li Qin had already moved closer.

The moment our lips touched, it was a very light, brief touch that ended quickly.

Li Qin's breathing was a little erratic, but she couldn't help but laugh and mutter to herself.

"Look,"

"Now I'm even more into the role."

Shen Mo reached out and pulled him into her arms. Looking at her rosy cheeks, she couldn't help but pinch them.

"Then we'll slowly come out of character after we wrap up."

"OK."

Li Qin leaned against his chest, took a soft breath, and then broke free to sit in front of the vanity mirror.

Shen Mo reached out and turned the closed door open, leaving a crack, and then sat down on another dressing chair.

A few minutes later, Zhou Xueting walked in with a makeup artist.

The quiet lounge became noisy again.

-----------------

After a day of filming, in Shen Mo's room at the hotel where the crew was staying, a bedside lamp cast a warm yellow light in the night.

The air was still filled with the lingering heat and a lazy atmosphere.

Li Qin leaned on Shen Mo's shoulder, a few strands of hair stuck to the side of her neck with a thin layer of sweat, the blush on her face had not completely faded, and her cool and aloof eyes were also tinged with a unique charm.

She closed her eyes, seemingly still savoring the afterglow.

"Zhang Ruonan."

"That young girl you brought into the crew is quite interesting."

Her fingertips unconsciously traced circles on his chest.

"She's been secretly observing us."

Shen Mo's hand was idly stroking her long hair, but he paused slightly upon hearing this.

"Oh? You noticed?"

"How could we not have noticed?"

Li Lin opened her eyes, turned her head to look at him, and a sly glint flashed in her eyes.

"She hid her little schemes too well."

There was no displeasure in her tone, but rather amusement.

Shen Mo chuckled softly, "The new trainees recruited this year have a good foundation and are quick-witted."

He offered a concise assessment, his hand tracing an arc with a hint of reassurance.

"He's a promising talent."

Li Qin slightly propped herself up, cupped Shen Mo's cheeks in her hands, and forced him to look into her eyes.

The silk quilt slipped off her body, revealing her curves.

But she didn't care at all, she just stared intently into Shen Mo's eyes, where his silhouette was reflected.

With a hint of inquiry and a subtle, almost imperceptible intuition belonging to a woman.

"But from what I see in her, her feelings for you seem to go beyond the typical employee-boss or junior-senior relationship..."

She didn't say it outright, but her meaning was clear.

Zhang Ruonan's observations were tinged with curiosity and a sense of assessment.

There was even a hint of the same scrutiny and evaluation she had before the Hundred Flowers Awards.

The difference was that there seemed to be something else mixed in Zhang Ruonan's gaze.

As a young girl, she naturally attracts attention to outstanding men of the opposite sex her own age.

Shen Mo curled up the corners of his mouth, revealing an amused smile.

"Because she wants to improve."

He gently kissed Li Lin's palm and then told her about the scene that Zhang Ruonan had stopped him that day.

Li Lin raised an eyebrow. Stopping Shen Mo? Saying he wanted to improve?

Why is this feeling of déjà vu getting stronger and stronger?!

Li Qin listened quietly, her hands that had been cupping Shen Mo's cheeks slowly loosening and sliding down, as she leaned back into his arms.

"So, you gave her your WeChat?"

"I gave it to you," Shen Mo readily admitted.

"A newcomer who dares to come up to me like this and express his demands deserves a chance."

"Besides, I think she is indeed quite suitable for Qin Banruo."

He paused, then twirled a strand of her hair around his fingers.

"As for her paying attention to us, perhaps it's just out of curiosity."

"As long as she's smart, knows her limits, and performs her role well, let her do whatever she wants."

Li Qin remained silent for a moment, knowing that Shen Mo was telling the truth.

He has always been generous in giving opportunities and resources to promising artists, which is one of the reasons why Mohen was able to rise rapidly and produce many hit dramas.

Behind Zhang Ruonan's attention, are there other girlish thoughts...?

Li Qin smiled to herself.

She's not Li Yitong, so it's none of her business.

Her relationship with Shen Mo began with admiration, deepened with attraction, and was settled by an unspoken "film crew-limited" understanding between adults.

She was aware of her place and enjoyed the intimacy and specialness of the moment.

She was already mentally prepared for the other gazes surrounding Shen Mo.

As long as it doesn't affect her, she can even adopt an observer or even commentary attitude.

She closed her eyes again, snuggled closer to Shen Mo, and looked for a more comfortable position.

"I find it quite interesting, and I plan to observe her closely."

Shen Mo smiled slightly, hugged her tighter, gently rubbed his chin against the top of her head, and didn't continue the topic.

The room returned to silence, with only the sound of each other's steady breathing.

-----------------

A group scene had just been filmed, and the set needed to be rearranged.

Li Qin changed out of Princess Nihuang's heavy armor and into a simple, elegant everyday outfit.

Her gaze swept casually over the distance.

There, Zhang Ruonan sat alone on the stone steps, gazing absently at the ginkgo tree in the courtyard. The profile of her face appeared exceptionally soft and serene in the light and shadow.

Li Qin walked over slowly, holding a water glass in her hand.

"Ruo Nan".

Zhang Ruonan seemed startled and turned around to see Li Qin.

His signature smile immediately blossomed on his face.

With a sweet yet slightly shy demeanor, she quickly stood up.

"Sister Han."

"Sit down, no need to get up."

Li Qin sat down next to her.

"Did I disturb your script-working?"

"No, no, it's just a little stuck, I'm just letting my mind wander."

Zhang Ruonan readily agreed and sat down again.

Li Qin looked at the colorful script in her hand and nodded.

"Qin Banruo's later scenes involve many emotional shifts, which are indeed difficult to handle."

"Sister Qin, your acting is truly remarkable. You portray Princess Nihuang with such a complex mix of outward strength and inner gentleness, patriotism and personal feelings. Every time I watch you on the sidelines, I feel like I've learned so much."

Li Qin smiled but didn't accept her flattering compliment.

"I heard you just joined the company this year through auditions? Do you have any acting experience before?"

"I have no acting training."

Zhang Ruonan answered frankly.

"I worked as an e-commerce model for two years, and I was okay at posing in front of the camera, but I only started learning acting after joining Mohen."

"And he came here after only studying for a few days."

At this point, she lowered her eyes slightly, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"So I especially cherish this opportunity to join the 'Nirvana in Fire' cast and see Sister Qin, President Shen, and so many other teachers perform up close."

"I feel that I improve much faster than figuring it out on my own."

Li Qin continued speaking, his tone casual, as if he were sharing his experience.

"President Shen has high standards for acting, but you can definitely learn a lot from him."

As she spoke, she opened the cup in her hand, brought it to her lips, and took a sip.

Zhang Ruonan's gaze was indeed drawn to the thermos for a moment.

She recognized the style; it was the one Shen Mo often used.

She looked up and met Li Qin's gaze, smiled slightly, and did not look away.

I didn't see anything particularly special about it.

"Yes, Mr. Shen seems to be working very hard."

"However, I feel that President Shen and Sister Lin have a very good working relationship when they act together, unlike me, who always makes President Shen worry a lot."

Li Lin put down her cup and gave Zhang Ruonan a half-smile.

This girl reacted really quickly.

"That's because President Shen is so capable; he can get me into character so quickly."

"If you learn from him, you'll definitely improve rapidly in the future."

Zhang Ruonan nodded.

Li Qin's lips curled up slightly, as if asking casually.

"By the way, I heard you were quite bold during your interview?"

"They all went directly to General Manager Shen for his contact information?"

Zhang Ruonan felt a slight tightness in her heart, and a blush appeared on her face at the right moment.

"Sister Qin, you've heard about it too..."

"Actually, I learned it from you, Sister Qin."

Her tone sounded like she was blushing after being teased by her senior.

Li Qin was surprised by her answer.

"I?"

"Yes, after watching the Hundred Flowers Awards live, I was very impressed with Sister Qin."

"I'm determined to learn from you."

"We can't let this opportunity slip away."

"So at that moment, I just...actually acted impulsively."

She touched her cheek with the back of her hand, looking charmingly innocent.

"Looking back now, it was quite reckless. Luckily, President Shen didn't mind and even encouraged me."

Li Lin's fingers tightened slightly as she held the thermos.

The girl was more astute than she had expected.

"The Hundred Flowers Awards..."

Li Qin chuckled softly, a hint of distant感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection).

The girl was more astute than she had expected.

"The Hundred Flowers Awards..."

Li Qin chuckled softly, a hint of distant感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection).

"Back then, I was just driven by sheer willpower."

"Many people think that's risky, a gamble."

"But I know it's not."

She turned her gaze back to Zhang Ruonan's face.

"Because I've figured out what I really want."

"Therefore, Ruonan."

She leaned forward slightly, closing the distance a little.

"Have you figured out what you really want?"

The shyness on Zhang Ruonan's face gradually faded, and her eyes became more determined.

"Perhaps I couldn't see it clearly two years ago when I rejected ink marks."

"But Zhang Ruonan is very certain now."

Li Lin's lips curled into a very faint smile as his gaze swept over Zhang Ruonan's pure and innocent face.

"You have a certain energy about you, a bit like mine."

"But in the entertainment industry, energy alone is not enough."

Zhang Ruonan's heart suddenly skipped a few beats.

She felt she understood what Li Lin meant.

"Sister Han..." Zhang Ruonan took a deep breath.

Those eyes, which usually exude sweet innocence, now revealed a sharp and serious expression.

"Please, Sister Lin, take good care of me in the future."

A warm smile appeared on Li Qin's face.

"Oh, it's not like I'm giving you any pointers. Just come to me anytime if you have any questions."

After saying that, she stood up and patted Zhang Ruonan on the shoulder.

"The second to last room on the left in the lounge area is where I usually rest."

"If you have time, you are welcome to come and visit more often."

"Okay, Sister Lin!"

Zhang Ruonan also stood up and nodded vigorously.

Watching Li Lin's departing figure, Zhang Ruonan slowly sat back down on the stone steps.

There are rumors in the company that seem to be an open secret that Li Yitong is Shen Mo's girlfriend.

However, based on my observations within the crew, Li Lin and Shen Mo seem to have an unusually close relationship.

Li Yitong and Shen Mo seem to have collaborated on two dramas, "My Love from the Star" and "The Journey of Flower".

It seems that Li Lin also collaborated with Shen Mo on two dramas, "Brotherhood of Blades" and "Nirvana in Fire".

Therefore, the inside of the ink mark is not a solid block.

It seems there are underlying interpersonal networks and factionalisms.

And now, it seems that one of the mountains has extended an olive branch to me?

But what lies behind this? Is it simply a matter of valuing talent?

Does she need a new generation of controllable people from her own circle to solidify her position in Mohen?

Or is it a challenge to Li Yitong's "official" status?

Despite her conflicting thoughts, Zhang Ruonan's eyes grew increasingly clear.

She stood up, dusted off her costume, and looked in the direction Li Qin had left.

The second to last room on the left in the lounge area.

After a moment's thought, she turned and walked to the other side, where the common rest area for these minor characters was located.

She took out a palm-sized tin can from her canvas bag.

Inside was a special jasmine tea that she brought from her hometown.

She took out a few cakes and put them in a bag, then found a piece of sticky note and wrote them down in neat handwriting.

Sister Lin, here's some jasmine tea from my hometown. It'll soothe my throat during breaks from filming. (???)

She took the tea bag and the note, walked over to the recliner where Li Qin was, and quietly put it down.

He glanced back in the direction of the lounge, then quietly turned and left.