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

October 14th, 12:10 AM.

【Ink Trace Five Beauties Group】

[Bai Mengyan: Happy Birthday, Tian'er!]

[Meng Ziyi: Congratulations to Xiaotian on growing another year older! Happy birthday!]

[Wang Churan: Happy 17th birthday, Tian Xiwei!]

[Liu Haocun: Happy Birthday, Sister Xiaotian!]

[Tian Xiwei: Thank you, sisters, I love you all!]

After chatting with her friends in the group chat for a while, Tian Xiwei turned off her phone screen, snuggled back into bed, and slowly closed her eyes.

Because it's Tuesday, she still has to go to school.

What surprise will Brother Mo have for me after class?

With a sense of anticipation, she gradually drifted off to sleep.

……

[Tian'er, over here!]

In a KTV room with its interplay of light and shadow, Li Yitong's voice, tinged with excitement, rang out.

[Tian Xiwei, my good friend!]

Li Yitong led her to Shen Mo, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

[Shen Mo, my childhood friend!]

Tian Xiwei smiled brightly and curiously, and generously extended her hand.

Hello, Shen Mo!

Shen Mo's lips curled into a polite smile as he stood up and returned the handshake.

Hello, Tian Xiwei!

[I've heard Xuezi mention you many times.]

[Really? What bad things did she say about me?]

[I'm only praising you! Praising your beauty, praising your humor, praising you...]

[She said that if she were a man, she would marry you.]

[Snow……]

……

The dream began to blur from here, the sounds gradually faded away, and the colorful lights and shadows of the KTV merged into a warm color.

All that remains is the warmth of our hands when they first clasped hands.

The words "Hello, Tian Xiwei" echoed with exceptional clarity in the depths of my dream.

In her sleep, Tian Xiwei's lips unconsciously curved upwards into a sweet smile.

In the dead of night, in another room in the capital city.

Shen Moping lay on the bed with his eyes closed, but he was not sleepy at all.

Li Yitong's even breathing came from beside him; she had fallen into a deep sleep, her slender fingers still resting on his chest.

In the darkness, his consciousness gradually sank into the depths of his memories.

In the dimly lit KTV room, the air was filled with the sweet scent of fruit platters and the slightly tipsy aroma of alcohol.

Li Yitong said that a good friend came all the way to celebrate her birthday. It wouldn't be fun if there were too few people, but it wasn't appropriate to invite strangers, so she forcibly dragged him over.

Then, Li Yitong, like a ray of light, pulled someone in.

[Shen Mo, my childhood friend!]

[Tian'er, this is Shen Mo!]

He looked up and saw the girl next to Li Yitong.

Tian Xiwei.

She stood there, wearing a simple sweatshirt, her long hair tied back, exuding less of the mature, sophisticated aura of the future superstar and more of a sweet charm.

The rotating colored lights in the KTV glided across her cheeks, illuminating the curiosity in her eyes.

Li Yitong mentioned her not only in front of him, but also in front of her.

She had long been curious about who this "childhood friend" that Sister Xue mentioned almost every day was.

Tian Xiwei showed no sign of unease, her smile was generous, and her dimple on the right side was faintly visible.

She stepped forward and extended her hand.

Hello, Shen Mo!

At that moment, the surrounding noise seemed to disappear instantly, and all that remained in his vision was this girl with burning eyes.

Her smile was bright and radiant, and her outstretched hand was fair and slender, easily breaking through the aloof barrier he habitually maintained.

He remembered that he seemed to be stunned for a fraction of a second before putting down his wine glass, standing up, and taking her hand.

I vaguely remember that her palms were slightly cool, but her handshake was firm and not weak; she was a girl with personality.

Hello, Tian Xiwei!

Looking back now, I realize that my voice seemed to have a gentler quality than usual, a quality I hadn't noticed at the time.

[She said that if she were a man, she would marry you.]

[Snow……]

The moment his almond-shaped eyes, which couldn't hide any expression, met those cunning crescent-shaped eyes, a smile involuntarily crept onto his face.

Li Yitong chattered on, adding to the introduction, but for some reason, most of his attention was drawn to the girl he was meeting for the first time.

It wasn't the intense passion of love at first sight, but rather a comfortable feeling of mutual affinity.

We talked about some trivial things later, and my memory of it is a bit hazy.

I only remember that she quickly got into the mood, and although she sang a little off-key, she didn't care at all.

She loves to laugh, play, and joke around, and is always beaming with energy when bickering with Yitong.

After that night, she naturally appeared in his WeChat Moments, gradually changing from "Xuezi's good friend" to "Tian Xiwei" and then to "Xiao Tian'er".

Her radiant openness, free of any gloom, and her courage to express herself frankly, were like a refreshing and sweet breeze that dispelled the silence around him.

The images of the past have faded, but the subtle flutter of that first encounter, across the vast expanse of time, still radiates a warm yet piercing light.

At that time, he had no idea what a profound mark this smiling girl would leave on his life.

Suddenly, an image flashed through my mind.

"Let's get married!"

Her words on her 28th birthday in his past life struck him like a thunderbolt, crashing into his memories at this moment.

Shen Mo's eyelashes trembled in the darkness, and he slowly opened his eyes.

It's October 14th again!

Today is Tian Xiwei's birthday.

At 5:30 pm, at the entrance of the High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University.

Shen Mo's black sedan was parked quietly under the shade of trees not far away.

Inside the car, Li Yitong sat in the passenger seat, looking down at her phone, occasionally glancing up in the direction of the school gate.

Today she wore a beige knitted cardigan over a simple white T-shirt and jeans, with her long hair loosely tied in a ponytail, looking fresh and gentle.

"They should be out soon."

Li Yitong glanced at the time, her tone filled with anticipation.

"I wonder what kind of expression Xiaotian will have when she sees us."

Shen Mo rested one hand on the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the school gate.

He was dressed casually today as well, in a dark gray T-shirt and black trousers.

He nodded slightly upon hearing Li Yitong's words.

"She thought we weren't coming back."

Li Yitong smiled, her eyes crinkling.

"That's quite a surprise."

As they were talking, a wave of students poured out of the school gate.

A figure with a high ponytail and a pink backpack stood out in the crowd.

Li Yitong's eyes lit up, she rolled down the car window and waved.

"Little Tian!"

Tian Xi looked up at the sound and was clearly stunned when she saw Li Yitong. Then her eyes widened in surprise, and she ran over to her.

"Sister Tongtong! What brings you here?"

She ran to the car, slightly out of breath, her cheeks flushed from running.

"Ah! Brother Mo is here too!"

"What, you're not welcoming me?"

Li Yitong deliberately put on a stern face.

"How could that be!"

Tian Xiwei quickly shook her head, her almond-shaped eyes full of smiles.

"I'm overjoyed!"

"It's a bit of a surprise. Weren't you guys said you were busy filming?"

"I thought you weren't coming."

As she said this, she pouted.

"You lied to me!"

"Get in the car first."

Shen Mo leaned over from the driver's seat with a smile.

Tian Xi nodded heavily, quickly opened the car door, and got in.

Li Yitong turned around and leaned on the back of the chair to look at her.

Happy birthday, Xiaotian!

Tian Xi blinked slightly and chuckled.

"Thank you, Sister Xue."

Then she looked at Shen Mo.

Happy birthday, Mo Ge!

Shen Mo glanced at Tian Xiwei in the rearview mirror, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The car smoothly entered the traffic flow.

Tian Xiwei was clearly in a great mood, chattering away about the interesting things that happened at school the whole way.

Li Yitong chimed in from time to time, and the two chatted enthusiastically.

Upon arriving at the Japanese restaurant, we entered the private room we had reserved in advance.

The private room was elegantly decorated with bamboo curtains, tatami mats, and a low Japanese-style table. In the corner, there was already a box containing the birthday cake that Li Yitong had ordered.

"Wow, this place is so nice!"

Tian Xi looked around curiously.

The three sat down around the table, and the waiters served the dishes one after another.

Sashimi platter, grilled eel, tempura, sushi rolls... these are all foods that Tian Xiwei loves to eat.

Li Yitong also specially ordered a bottle of non-alcoholic sparkling wine and poured a glass for each of the three of them.

"Come on, let's wish our little birthday star a happy 17th birthday!"

Li Yitong raised her glass, her smile radiant.

Happy 24th birthday to our dearest star!

Shen Mo also raised his glass and looked at Tian Xiwei.

"Happy birthday."

Tian Xiwei's eyes sparkled as she held the cup in both hands, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Thank you, Sister Tongtong! Thank you, Brother Mo! Happy birthday, Brother Mo too!"

The three clinked glasses, took a small sip, and Tian Xi squinted her eyes with a satisfied look.

During the meal, the conversation naturally returned to Tian Xiwei's school life.

When Li Yitong asked about her recent studies, Tian Xi sighed slightly.

"Mathematics is so hard, especially geometry. I just can't figure out where to add those auxiliary lines..."

Do you need tutoring?

Shen Mo naturally replied, "I can help you find a teacher."

"No, no!"

Tian Xiwei quickly waved her hand.

"I'll try harder myself. Besides, Sister Tongtong said that we need to balance work and rest, and not just study all the time."

Li Yitong rolled her eyes at her with a smile: "Using me as a shield again?"

Tian Xi chuckled, picked up a piece of grilled eel, put it in her mouth, and chewed it with satisfaction.

As she was eating, Tian Xiwei suddenly remembered something, and her eyes lit up.

"Oh, right, Brother Mo and Sister Xue, I have to tell you, I had a really strange dream last night!"

"What kind of dream?"

Li Yitong asked with great interest.

Tian Xiwei put down her chopsticks and began to describe it with great enthusiasm.

"I dreamt that the three of us went to a karaoke bar!"

"But in my dream I seemed a little older than I am now."

"Tongtong, you're wearing a long-sleeved shirt and wide-leg jeans, hehe, do you know why I remember?"

"Because there's a very obvious heart and two English letters on it."

"Hmm... Brother Mo is wearing a dark blue shirt, and the sleeves are rolled up."

Li Yitong paused almost imperceptibly in the hand holding the chopsticks.

She subconsciously looked at Shen Mo, only to find that Shen Mo's brows were already slightly furrowed.

But Tian Xiwei was completely oblivious to the strange behavior between the two and continued talking excitedly.

"The funniest thing is, in my dream, Brother Mo and I didn't even know each other!"

"Sister Tongtong even introduced us to each other."

As she spoke, she even imitated that tone of voice.

"This is Shen Mo, my childhood friend; this is Tian Xiwei, my good friend."

"Then I shook hands with Brother Mo in a very formal manner."

"Why does he say 'Hello, Shen Mo!' while Brother Mo says 'Hello, Tian Xiwei!'?"

She mimicked the handshake gesture from her dream and burst out laughing first.

"Isn't it hilarious?"

"We're already so close, why did I have to introduce myself in my dream!"

"It's just that Brother Mo looks a bit... well, a bit aloof, not like he is now at all."

Li Yitong felt her breath catch for a moment.

This scene of introducing themselves to each other...

This was clearly the scene from her memory when she first brought Tian Xiwei to meet Shen Mo in her previous life!

Those jeans with hearts on them were ones I bought specifically when Shen Mo and I were shopping that day!

She forced a smile, but her voice was strained.

"Really...and then what happened?"

"And then..."

Tian Xiwei took a sip of sparkling wine, completely immersed in the excitement of recalling her dream.

"Then we started singing."

"Let me think, what did we sing again?"

"Oh, by the way, you requested 'Red Sun,' and you sang it with such gusto!"

"When you sang 'Even if fate is turbulent and unpredictable,' you even pulled me to wave!"

"Sister Xue, your Cantonese is so accurate!"

Tian Xiwei ate as she spoke, her mouth already stuffed full of small bulges.

Li Yitong's hands trembled slightly, and she had to put them under the table and clench her fists.

"So what did you sing?"

Shen Mo suddenly spoke, his voice still calm, but Li Yitong noticed out of the corner of her eye that his expression had become more serious and tense.

Tian Xi tilted her head slightly and thought for a moment.

"Me? I sang 'Super Star'!"

"I even sang off-key, but it seems like I didn't care at all in my dream, and I sang really loudly!"

As she spoke, she laughed again.

"I sang it so enthusiastically in my dream!"

Tian Xiwei was completely unaware that the air in the private room seemed to have frozen, and she continued talking to herself.

Li Yitong took a deep breath and tried to continue the conversation in a relaxed tone.

"Is there anything else?"

"Oh, and there's more!"

Tian Xi smiled slightly.

"In my dream, Brother Mo said, 'Sister Tong, tell him that if you were a man, you would marry me.'"

She mimicked Li Yitong's tone, "Tian Xiwei, I want to marry you! You're my girlfriend!"

I laughed so hard I almost couldn't catch my breath.

"Sister Tongtong, you have to marry me! Hahaha, why are you so funny in my dream!"

"Click".

Li Yitong dropped her chopsticks on the table.

Her face turned pale instantly, her lips parted slightly, but she couldn't make a sound.

Why would Tian Xiwei dream about this?

How could I have dreamt about it so vividly?

Shen Mo's hand was clenched into a fist, his knuckles turning white.

Is it Tian Xiwei who's back?

His gaze sharpened as he looked at Tian Xiwei, trying to find any trace of pretense in her innocent smile.

But no, Tian Xiwei's eyes were pure and bright.

It seems she genuinely found the dream amusing and couldn't wait to share it with her two closest friends and family.

"Sister Tongtong? What's wrong?"

Tian Xiwei finally noticed Li Yitong's unusual behavior and asked in confusion.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Li Yitong snapped out of her daze, quickly picked up her chopsticks, and forced a somewhat stiff smile.

"N-nothing, it's just that my hand slipped."

She tried to make her voice sound normal.

"This dream... is indeed quite interesting."

"Right!"

Tian Xiwei was happy to receive affirmation.

"I remember it so clearly when I woke up, especially the scene where Brother Mo shook hands with me, it felt so real!"

"It's as if it really happened."

As she spoke, she stretched out her hand and looked at Shen Mo with a grin.

"Brother Mo, let's try shaking hands. I want to see if it feels the same!"

Shen Mo remained silent for a few seconds, pursed his lips, and slowly reached out to shake hands.

a long time.

"Hello, Tian Xiwei!"

Shen Mo stared into her eyes.

"Hello, Shen Mo!"

Tian Xiwei's eyes slowly narrowed, a glint of light flashing in her half-closed almond-shaped eyes.

……

Currently reading: Chapter 222 Hello Tian Xiwei! Hello Shen Mo!, latest chapters available here.