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

Filming for "Take My Brother Away" has officially wrapped up in the sea breeze of Xiamen.

After the noisy and lively wrap party, the crew quickly disbanded and went their separate ways.

Tian Xiwei and Wang Churan barely rested before they picked up their backpacks again and returned to their familiar campus.

After a short rest, Shen Mo traveled to Jinling.

The crew of "Wolf Warrior," starring Li Yitong, is currently filming on location there.

When we arrived in Nanjing, it was a clear and crisp autumn day.

The film crew was stationed in Liuhe Pingshan Forest Park, where they built a huge outdoor set simulating a battlefield.

The air seemed to be filled with the smell of dust and steel, a stark contrast to the sunny beaches of Xiamen not long ago.

Shen Mo's arrival attracted considerable attention from the crew.

After all, he was not only an investor in the film, but also the head of Mohen, who "shared" Huayi's assets.

Director and lead actor Wu Jing personally came out to greet them.

This man, known for his tough-guy image, had tanned skin and his training uniform was covered in dust.

But at this moment, he had a hearty and enthusiastic smile on his face and reached out his hand from afar.

"Mr. Shen! Welcome, welcome! You must be tired from your journey!"

"You're too kind, Brother Jing."

Shen Mo responded with a smile, showing no arrogance befitting someone in a superior position.

"I've wanted to come and see this for a long time, but I haven't had the time."

"How's the filming going?"

"Thanks to you, things went relatively smoothly!"

Wu Jing led him inside.

"Mr. Shen, thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"To be honest, if you hadn't agreed to invest in this film, I probably would have mortgaged my house and car by now, and I would have had no way out."

As he said this, his eyes held not only gratitude, but also a hint of barely perceptible lingering fear and relief.

He has a deep understanding of the hardships involved in attracting investment in military-themed projects, which involve large investments and high risks.

Before finding Mohen, he had actually contacted more than twenty production companies, but without exception, he was rejected by all of them.

Shen Mo's decisive support was undoubtedly a timely help for him.

Shen Mo waved his hand, "Brother Jing, you flatter me."

"I have faith in this project, and I also have faith in your abilities."

"Investment is about mutual benefit; there's no need to be overly polite."

His words made Wu Jing feel a bit more favorably toward him.

He had heard rumors in the entertainment industry that Shen Mo was young, impetuous, and ruthless.

I was initially worried that the other party might be arrogant and interfere too much with the filming.

I didn't expect the person to be so calm and humble; communication with them was very smooth.

"Haha, great! Mr. Shen, you're so straightforward! Then I won't stand on ceremony with you!"

Wu Jing's smile widened as she walked around, introducing the set design and filming process, her tone becoming much more relaxed.

Soon, they arrived at the filming location, a ruined area.

Li Yitong, dressed in a combat uniform stained with dirt and with tactical makeup on her face, was crouching behind cover with several actors playing her comrades.

She looked thinner and tanned than before, but her eyes were bright and focused, and she exuded a different kind of competence and resilience than before.

Shen Mo didn't disturb them, but simply stood not far behind the monitor and watched quietly.

Wu Jing explained in a low voice from the side.

"Yi Tong is very hardworking. She insists on doing many of the action scenes herself, never complains during training, and is quick to learn and improves very fast."

Shen Mo nodded, his gaze remaining fixed on Li Yitong.

Watch her listen attentively, watch her whisper with her comrades, watch the intense focus she has when she gets into filming mode.

This version of Li Yitong is somewhat unfamiliar, yet she exudes a unique charm.

In her previous life, she had filmed many soldiers and police officers, but most of them didn't have any intense battle scenes.

This was the first time he had seen her like this.

After one take, the assistant director yelled "Cut!"

Li Yitong breathed a sigh of relief, chatted and laughed with her comrades for a bit, and when she looked up, her eyes met Shen Mo's gaze.

She was clearly stunned for a moment, and then her eyes instantly curved into familiar crescent moons.

She quickly said something to the person next to her and then jogged over.

"Why are you here? You didn't even tell me beforehand!"

She ran up to him, slightly out of breath, and looked up at him with undisguised joy in her eyes.

"Let's see how our General Manager Li charges into battle."

Shen Mo looked at the fine beads of sweat on her nose and the dirt on her cheeks, his tone teasing but his eyes gentle.

"screw you!"

Li Yitong smiled and lightly punched him before noticing Wu Jing beside her, and quickly greeted him.

"Brother Jing."

Wu Jing watched the two interact with a smile and tactfully teased them.

"You guys continue, I didn't see anything."

After saying that, he went to attend to his own business.

Li Yitong pulled Shen Mo to a relatively quiet rest area.

"When did you arrive? Have you eaten?"

She asked him a series of questions, then casually picked up a bottle of water, unscrewed it, and handed it to him.

"I just arrived, and I've already eaten."

Shen Mo took the water and gestured for her to sit down.

"How's it going? Are you getting used to filming this kind of scene?"

Li Yitong sat down on the chair next to him, took off her somewhat heavy tactical helmet, smoothed her sweaty hair, and let out a long sigh.

"It's really tiring. We're constantly crawling and rolling around, and it's common to have bruises all over our bodies."

As she spoke, her eyes sparkled.

"But it was so much fun!"

"It's a completely different experience from filming before."

Shen Mo nodded.

"Be careful and act within your capabilities."

"Okay, Teacher Shen!"

Li Yitong drawled out her words, with a hint of coquetry, and then asked curiously.

"What about you? Have you finished filming 'Take My Brother Away'?"

"Okay, we're done filming."

The two chatted for a while about their recent situations. Li Yitong talked about the interesting things that happened on her film set, and Shen Mo shared with her about the mischievousness of Tian Xiwei on his film set.

The short break passed quickly, and the stagehands began to call for preparations.

Li Yitong put her helmet back on, stood up, stretched her shoulders, and said to Shen Mo.

"I'll shoot two more takes. Wait for me to have dinner together after we finish work tonight?"

"it is good."

Shen Mo also stood up.

"I'll just stay here and look around, don't worry about me."

Li Yitong nodded, turned around, and jogged back to the filming area.

Shen Mo sat back down in his chair, his gaze following her figure.

That's wonderful. His girl is striving to shine, transforming into someone completely different from her previous life.

Wu Jing walked over again at some point, looked at the filming location, and sighed.

"President Shen, to be honest, I was quite surprised and puzzled when Yitong was cast as the female lead, since she doesn't seem like a soldier."

"But considering that the investors have already paid for it, and they're only giving her a minor role, it won't affect the plot much."

"But after filming for so long, I've realized that she has a certain drive, she's willing to endure hardship, she's not pretentious, and she's a good prospect."

"At least, my previous worries about whether I would hold them back now seem completely unnecessary."

Shen Mo smiled but didn't reply. He just looked at Li Yitong, who had already gotten back into the zone, in the distance.

The film crew was located in a somewhat remote area, and it took Shen Moguang more than an hour to get there from the city.

Going back to the city for dinner is quite a hassle, and Shen Mo didn't want Li Yitong, who was already exhausted after a long day, to suffer the same pain.

So, while Li Yitong was still filming, he had Zhou Xueting and Wang Zheng drive to the city.

They carefully selected several time-honored restaurants, packed a table full of Li Yitong's favorite foods, and rushed back on time.

Having finally finished a day of filming, Li Yitong dragged her slightly heavy steps and followed Shen Mo to the door of her room.

She muttered to herself as she took out her room key.

"I'm exhausted. Let me wash up first, then we'll go out to eat together."

"Click".

Shen Mo swiped the spare room card to open the door first, then stepped aside to gesture for her to go in first.

Li Yitong, without suspecting anything, pushed open the door and entered.

Then his feet froze on the spot.

The small coffee table in the living room was moved to the center, and a simple, off-white tablecloth was laid on it.

Several exquisite lunch boxes were arranged neatly on the tablecloth. The fragrance was faintly wafting through the air.

What made her eyes widen and her mouth fall shut the momentarily was the dozen or so warm yellow scented candles burning quietly around the food.

The candlelight was dim, yet enough to imbue the space with a romantic atmosphere.

"Wow--!!!"

Li Yitong was stunned for a full three seconds before letting out a gasp of surprise.

Her bright, crescent-shaped eyes were now reflecting the flickering candlelight, sparkling brightly.

Her fatigue from the whole day evaporated instantly in the warm candlelight, and a sweet warmth welled up in her heart.

She turned around abruptly, looking at Shen Mo behind her with a smile on his lips, her voice trembling slightly.

"When...when did you do this?"

Shen Mo walked in, closed the door, blocking out the light from the corridor and making the candlelight inside even more conspicuous.

He walked over to her, took her hand, and led her towards the coffee table.

"I thought you must be tired after work, and it would be too much trouble for you to run around like this."

He pulled her to sit on the sofa next to the coffee table and reached out to brush a strand of hair stuck to her cheek with sweat.

"See if it suits your taste? It was all bought according to your preferences."

Li Yitong's gaze swept across the coffee table.

She wanted to try Nanjing's signature salted duck and braised duck with vermicelli.

And there's also the braised pork and braised pork belly that she's been longing for.

There's also a refreshing stir-fried asparagus with dried tofu.

There was even a small box of chestnut cake.

There was also a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses next to it.

A wave of emotion washed over her, and her nose even felt a little sore.

On set, she faced intense filming every day and hadn't felt this kind of tender care in a long time.

"Shen Mo..."

She called out, her voice slightly choked, then suddenly stepped forward, reached out and hugged his waist tightly, burying her face in his chest.

"Why are you being so romantic? I'm almost crying..."

Shen Mo hugged her back, gently stroking her back with his hand. He chuckled softly.

"Are you so easily moved now? Just a moment ago on set you were a tough, strong woman!"

"That's different!"

Li Yitong mumbled a rebuttal in his arms, raising her head, her eyes slightly red. But the corners of his mouth were still turned up high.

"The film set is the film set, and this place is this place!"

"Shen Mo, thank you."

"Go take a hot shower, change into some comfortable clothes, and then eat."

Shen Mo patted her.

"Hurry up and wash, the candle won't burn for too long."

"Yes, sir!"

Li Yitong then let go of him and flew into the bathroom like a happy little bird.

Soon, the sound of rushing water and her off-key humming could be heard from inside.

Shen Mo smiled, walked to the window, drew the curtains tightly, and temporarily blew out the candles.

Then sit down and wait quietly.

About twenty minutes later, seeing that Li Yitong was about to finish washing and come out, Shen Mo relit the candle.

She changed into comfortable cotton pajamas, her hair still wet and wrapped in a towel.

Her bare face was clean and radiant, and the steam from the hot water made it look soft and fresh.

She took a deep breath, and the warm aroma mingled with the scent of food and candlelight made her sigh with satisfaction.

"Ah... I'm alive!"

The two sat down facing each other at a small tea table where the candlelight flickered.

The space was a bit cramped, and their knees were almost touching, but neither of them moved away, because such intimacy was more endearing.

Shen Mo poured a little red wine into two wine glasses and handed them to her.

Li Yitong took it and put it aside, then eagerly picked up a piece of salted duck and stuffed it into her mouth, squinting her eyes in satisfaction.

"Mmm! Delicious! How did you find it?"

"Xueting inquired about it."

Shen Mo also picked up his chopsticks and put the duck blood from the vermicelli casserole into her bowl.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

"Hungry!"

With her cheeks puffed out, Li Yitong, in this warm environment, completely reverted to her private self in front of him, and became much more talkative.

"Our explosion scenes often required multiple takes; Brother Jing's standards are just too high..."

"But the results should be fantastic..."

She chattered on about the hardships and fun on set, the candlelight flickering between her eyebrows and eyes, turning the fine downy hairs on her cheeks golden.

Seeing her eat with satisfaction and talk happily, Shen Mo felt that the trip was worthwhile.

In fact, we should have come sooner.

"How about you? How's the post-production for 'Take My Brother Away' going?"

"Have Xiaotian and the others gone back to school?"

Li Yitong took a sip of red wine, a faint blush rising to her cheeks, and began to ask him about his affairs.

"Post-production has just begun, the cycle won't be too long, and the release date is likely to be next summer."

"Xiao Tian'er and Chu Ran are in good shape, and the filming went very well."

"They even wanted me to help them ask for leave, saying they'd been filming all summer and hadn't had a proper vacation."

"I refused and personally took them to school."

"After all, Xiaotian will be a senior in high school this semester, and she will have to take the college entrance exam next year. There won't be any time for her to play."

"That girl cried her eyes out on the day filming wrapped up, she almost soaked my clothes with her tears."

Li Yitong chuckled, her crescent-shaped eyes crinkling.

"She's capable of doing it, but I think what might be more upsetting for her is that her vacation is over."

Shen Mo smiled slightly and poured a little more wine into her glass.

Have you considered where she should go to university?

"Is it still the Shanghai Theatre Academy?"

"Or Beijing Film Academy? Central Academy of Drama?"

Shen Mo pursed his lips and shook his head.

"Forget about the Shanghai Theatre Academy. Our base is basically in Beijing now, it's too far away."

"My thought is to go to Beijing Film Academy. After all, it's my alma mater, and it's easier to ask if there's anything I can help with."

Li Yitong nodded, her eyes appearing somewhat unfocused in the candlelight.

"Actually... I'm quite envious of her."

"To relive a different kind of college life, and to be able to hang on to you without any restraint while filming."

"Didn't we film that too?"

"That's different!"

Li Yitong rolled her eyes at her, her coquettish tone tinged with a hint of jealousy.

Shen Mo understood, so he put down his chopsticks and looked at her through the warm candlelight.

"Didn't we film two movies together?"

"Besides, she clings to me because everyone treats her like my little sister."

"And you, my snow! Do you only want to be a little sister?"

Li Yitong pointed to the stem of the wine glass, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"So you only see her as a younger sister?"

The atmosphere suddenly froze.

Shen Mo reached out, across the flickering candlelight, and grasped her hand, which was resting on the table, completely enveloping it.

He held her hand and gently stroked her nose.

"When did Yukiko become so insecure about herself?"

"Who told you to start finding triplets to stand in for me!"

Li Yitong was fearless towards others; as long as she knew, that was enough. She wasn't worried that Shen Mo would abandon her for someone else.

As for Tian Xiwei, she couldn't be fearless, because her childhood sweetheart had once been defeated by that unexpected person.

The candlelight gradually dimmed, and dinner was drawing to a close.

The sweetness of the chestnut cake melts in your mouth, while the red wine brings a slightly intoxicating warmth.

Li Yitong also moved over from the opposite side and snuggled into Shen Mo's arms.

Read Chapter 217, "Candlelight Dinner," now to begin your exciting day.