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

The entertainment industry at the end of the year is always filled with the noise and star power of various ceremonies.

As one of the most influential ceremonies with the greatest ability to generate buzz, Weibo Night has always been a grand feast for the entertainment industry's fame and fortune.

Over the past two years, Weibo has extended invitations to Shen Mo and Li Yitong, who are currently enjoying great popularity.

However, at that time, both of them were either focused on filming on set or busy with key moments in capital planning, and they both politely declined.

However, this year, the situation is completely different.

The public awareness and industry significance of the name Shen Mo have soared to a new level.

Not only is he a former Hundred Flowers Award winner, but he also has the support of many hit dramas.

In addition, his success in the field of business investment has also made him a top trending topic on Weibo countless times throughout the year.

Most importantly, the takedown of Huayi at the beginning of the year and the group photo at the Wuzhen dinner party at the end of the year both generated a significant cross-circle effect.

The top management of Weibo clearly grasped this point.

Therefore, for this year's Weibo Night, they plan to spare no expense to invite this "big shot" to the event.

That day, the invitation call was made directly to Shen Mo's personal cell phone.

On the other end of the line was a core vice president from Weibo, whose attitude was extremely sincere, even bordering on pleading.

"Mr. Shen, we know you are very busy, and ordinary awards and media exposure may not be of much interest to you."

"But we really have some surprises in store for you this year."

"Please do me the honor of coming; I guarantee you will find it worthwhile."

"surprise?"

Shen Mo held the phone, a playful smile curving his lips.

He certainly understands the power and intentions of Weibo. He gives you an award and then takes advantage of your popularity—a win-win situation.

But the other party's confident statement of "surprise" successfully piqued his curiosity.

He wanted to see what tricks the other party could pull and how much "sincerity" they could offer.

"Okay, send the time and location to my assistant."

Shen Mo finally agreed.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Shen! We will definitely make all the arrangements!"

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded relieved yet excited.

The same applies to Li Yitong on the other side.

After starring in two hugely popular dramas, "My Love from the Star" and "The Journey of Flower," she transitioned to "Silent Witness" and won the Best Supporting Actress award at the Hundred Flowers Awards. Not to mention, her previous donation to the Beijing Dance Academy also dominated Weibo's trending topics.

She also received the invitation to Weibo Night immediately, and accepted it without objection.

She reacted calmly, having long been accustomed to various grand events, treating them merely as a work appearance.

At the same time, Bai Lu and Li Qin also received invitations to Weibo Night.

They had no intention of refusing; how could they not look forward to participating in such a year-end event?

Moreover, they had also heard that Shen Mo seemed to be participating this year.

In that case, I'm even more excited.

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On the night of Weibo Night, the Avenue of Stars outside the China World Trade Center was already packed with media and fans.

Despite the biting cold wind, it did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm on both sides of the red carpet.

Backstage at the Weibo Night event, there were several VIP waiting rooms on both sides of the corridor, brightly lit and well-heated, temporarily isolating the outside world from chatter and noise.

Bai Lu was the first to arrive at the private waiting room prepared for Mohen by the organizers of Weibo.

Although she was wearing a formal dress, she was lounging unkempt in a single sofa.

My fingers flew across the phone screen, and I occasionally grinned at the lit screen.

There was a gentle knock on the door, then it was pushed open, revealing Li Lin.

"Sister Han!"

Bai Lu looked up, her eyes lit up, and she immediately sat up straighter on the sofa.

"You're in this room too? That's great! I was worried I'd be bored being alone."

Li Lin's gaze swept across the room, meeting Bai Lu's bright smile, and he also slightly curved his lips.

"Lulu, you're here too."

Although her voice was slightly cold, Bai Lu still noticed the curve of her lips.

"What a coincidence! It seems Weibo has made very thoughtful arrangements."

There was a hint of amusement in her tone, but Bai Lu, absorbed in her excitement, didn't notice.

"Yeah, yeah!"

Bai Lu nodded vigorously, her body leaning forward unconsciously, and pulled Li Qin to sit on the sofa together.

"I heard Brother Mo is coming later!"

"Sister Lin, do you know?"

When she mentioned Shen Mo, her speech quickened unconsciously, and the light in her eyes became even more dazzling, almost overflowing with pure joy and anticipation.

Li Qin was gently adjusting her skirt when she heard this, and her movements faltered slightly.

She raised her eyes and looked closely at Bai Lu's face, which was full of joy.

Bai Lu's expression gently touched a sensitive chord in her heart.

It seems my guess was right.

She had seen too many expressions on people's faces when they mentioned Shen Mo: awe, fawning, envy, formulaic...

But Bai Lu's expression at this moment was clearly mixed with something else, somewhat like admiration.

"Yes, I've heard about it."

Li Lin looked away, picked up the thermos she had brought in, and took a sip.

"President Shen is currently a Weibo annual VIP, having dominated dozens of trending topics, so Weibo naturally wanted to invite him."

"President Shen is currently a Weibo annual VIP, having dominated dozens of trending topics, so Weibo naturally wanted to invite him."

"What Mr. Shen?"

Bai Lu corrected her with a smile, a hint of smugness in her expression.

"Sister Lin, you can call him Brother Mo like I do, that's what we all call him."

He is a very approachable person.

She seemed completely unaware of the slight boasting and possessiveness in her tone; perhaps, in her view, she was simply stating a fact.

Li Qin smiled faintly and took Bai Lu's hand in hers.

"Your brother Mo has to call me sister."

"I'm 17 days older than him."

Li Lin remembered the number 17 days very clearly.

Besides, at times, she preferred him to call her "sister".

Li Qin's smile deepened slightly as she asked, seemingly casually.

"Lulu, you and your brother Mo... are you quite close in private?"

Bai Lu was completely unprepared, or rather, she never even considered being on guard.

"Yeah, that's right!"

She answered crisply and decisively.

"I'm Brother Mo's..."

She almost said it, but stopped herself.

"Life assistant".

She blinked and added two words.

"once."

However, that momentary pause and transition, as well as the natural familiarity that followed, largely confirmed Li Qin's suspicions.

Li Qin didn't press further, but simply said "Oh" softly and nodded.

Looking at Bai Lu's expectant expression, the slight ripples in her heart caused by her guess gradually subsided.

A bittersweet and complex feeling, which she could hardly discern herself, rose in her heart.

What grounds does she have to investigate or feel uncomfortable about it?

Isn't she the same way...?

He didn't even dare to show Bai Lu any open and aboveboard intimacy.

"That's good."

Li Qin's tone returned to its usual coldness, making it seem as if she didn't care.

Bai Lu, on the other hand, seemed to have been opened up and started talking.

She started chattering about some little things about Shen Mo from when she was his personal assistant, her tone full of affection.

Li Qin's gaze would sometimes fall on Bai Lu's radiant face, and sometimes drift toward the door, his thoughts subtle and difficult to discern.

Until the faint sound of footsteps and the respectful guidance of staff could be heard outside the door.

When Bai Lu heard the familiar voice at the door thanking the staff who had shown her the way, her ears immediately perked up.

The moment the door opened, an undisguised look of surprise flashed across her face.

Li Qin smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt, and a smile returned to her face.

Pushing open the door, the scene inside made Shen Mo pause involuntarily, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Brother Mo!"

Before he could react, a clear and cheerful call rang out, filled with undisguised elation.

Bai Lu suddenly sprang up from the sofa, a bright smile on her face, her eyes sparkling, and she was about to pounce on him as usual.

Shen Mo quickly frowned and gave her a stern look, forcefully stopping her actions.

"Bai Mengyan, mind your goddess image. You're still wearing a formal dress. What kind of behavior is this, running and jumping around like that?"

His words made Bai Lu pause, her outstretched arms momentarily frozen in shock.

Just as she slightly pouted, and the starlight in her eyes dimmed slightly.

Shen Mo reached out and placed his hand on her head, gently rubbing it.

A bright smile instantly bloomed on her face, and she reached out and grabbed Shen Mo's arm.

Li Qin slowly got up from the sofa behind her.

Unlike Bai Lu, who was outgoing, she simply stood there quietly, a faint smile on her lips.

Her gaze first fell on Shen Mo's face, lingered for a moment, then slid over Bai Lu, and finally returned to Shen Mo's eyes.

His eyes seemed calm, but Shen Mo could detect a hint of mockery.

The scene in the waiting room truly made Shen Mo's heart tremble.

With countless company affairs to handle at the end of the year, after accepting the invitation to Weibo Night, he handed over all the follow-up work to his assistant and did not pay much attention to it.

But to everyone's surprise, Weibo really delivered a huge "surprise"!

In the past year or two, I have hardly allowed the three of them to meet in pairs.

Well, that's great, he's already collected all the money for Weibo.

Is this some kind of self-inflicted carnage?!

However, before he could think further, he felt a finger poking at his back.

He frowned slightly, then shifted his body to the side.

Li Yitong, who was following behind him, was then revealed to the two of them.

Li Yitong still has those signature crescent-shaped eyes, and her smile is bright and generous.

Bai Lu instantly met Li Yitong's gaze, and then released Shen Mo's arm with the fastest speed she had ever done.

Her heart skipped a beat when she thought about what she had just done.

She immediately flashed a bright smile, quickly walked to Li Yitong's side, and grabbed her arm.

"Sister Tongtong! I missed you so much!"

"Hello Mengyan! You look so beautiful today."

Despite Li Yitong's praise, the corners of her mouth remained upturned, and she tightened her grip on her arm.

She subconsciously tilted her head and nuzzled against him, her lowered eyes revealing a hint of unconscious guilt, as well as a mixture of affection and fear in her obedient demeanor.

Li Qin nodded slightly, her smile deepening, and waved to Li Yitong.

"Shen Mo, Tong Tong, it's been a long time."

Her gaze met Li Yitong's, her expression open and clear, revealing no sign of anything amiss.

Li Yitong's tone was equally familiar.

"Hmm, long time no see, this color really suits you."

As she spoke, she took two steps forward and stood slightly in front of Shen Mo.

She didn't look at Shen Mo, but instead smiled and looked around at the room's furnishings, as if asking a question casually.

"Weibo is quite thoughtful; they arranged for all of us from the same company to be grouped together in such a large room."

"By the way, what time did you two arrive? Was there traffic?"

"We just arrived not long ago, and we've only been chatting for a few minutes."

Li Lin naturally responded, treating it as a casual chat between friends.

Her gaze swept subtly between Li Yitong and Shen Mo, finally settling on Li Yitong's smiling face.

Are we the only ones in this room?

Li Yitong's eyes were still curved in a smile as she patted Bai Lu, who was clinging to her arm.

"I just asked the staff, and that's how it is. Looks like Ink Trace has quite a bit of influence this year, right, Mengyan?"

Feeling guilty, Bai Lu immediately nodded, tightened her grip on Li Yitong's arm, and spoke in a sweet voice.

"Of course, Sister Tongtong and Brother Mo... uh, President Shen."

The moment she said it, she immediately changed her mind, stole a glance at Shen Mo, and then quickly looked away, fixing her gaze on Li Yitong.

"Given your current status, Weibo definitely has to give you the highest level of recognition! We're just benefiting from it!"

She wanted to distance herself from Shen Mo in front of Li Yitong, and act like a purely proud employee who benefited from the situation.

Li Qin slowly raised her hand to half-cover her mouth, blocking the slight curve of her lips.

Weren't you just calling out "Brother Mo, Brother Mo" so enthusiastically?

Why aren't you barking anymore?

Shen Mo, standing slightly behind Li Yitong, chuckled softly upon hearing this.

He walked to the dressing table, picked up a bottle of mineral water, and unscrewed it.

"What do you mean by 'highest standard'? Don't listen to other people's nonsense."

"They probably think that cramming all our company's employees into one room would save more space."

Li Yitong glanced at him sideways, her eyes darting around, carrying a hint of reproach.

She pulled Bai Lu back to sit on the sofa, and Li Lin followed suit, sitting back on the single sofa next to her.

Shen Mo glanced around and then walked to the chair in front of the dressing table and sat down.

On the sofa, Li Yitong leaned back comfortably.

"But it's good that we're all together. It's better than staring at each other blankly with strangers."

"Hey, are you on vacation lately? You look great."

Li Qin smiled slightly and gently brushed away the stray hairs at her temples.

"Yeah, I'm resting recently. I'll be joining a project after the New Year, two projects in a row, so I guess it'll be a long time before I can rest again."

As she spoke, her gaze drifted almost imperceptibly to Shen Mo, noticing that he was perking up his ears and pretending to look down at his phone, which made her feel a little resentful.

During my rest period, he didn't even bother to come and see me.

Can I really just openly go to your company to find you?

Thinking of this, her tone became somewhat wistful, and she spoke with a hint of teasing.

"Tongtong, you guys are the really busy ones."

"I recently won the Hundred Flowers Award, and then I made an appearance at the Beijing Dance Academy."

"And Mr. Shen, everyone on my WeChat Moments is talking about that group photo from the Wuzhen dinner."

"I'm afraid it'll be difficult to get an appointment to have dinner with you guys now, right?"

Shen Mo awkwardly looked up from his phone screen, meeting Li Qin's gaze, which held a formulaic smile.

He shrugged helplessly.

"Others will definitely have to wait in line, but if you want to make an appointment, you can do it anytime."

Li Qin's smile deepened, and she replied casually.

"I'll remember that, Mr. Shen."

Just after answering Li Qin's question, Shen Mo suddenly felt his face burning.

Out of the corner of his eye, he met Li Yitong's crescent-shaped eyes, and he immediately and subconsciously continued speaking.

"When the time comes, Yitong, let's find a good location, preferably a Jiangzhe local cuisine restaurant, since Bai Lu and Li Lin are both from scattered provinces."

Noticing that Li Yitong's gaze had shifted, he slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, I reacted quickly enough.

Li Lin didn't react to Shen Mo's answer; instead, her gaze immediately turned back to Li Yitong.

It was as if he had just mentioned it casually.

"Tongtong, I tried the yoga studio you recommended before, and the teacher was really good."

"Really? I told you it suited you..."

Li Yitong happily started chatting with Li Lin about fitness and skincare.

Bai Lu listened obediently from the side, but her eyes kept glancing towards Shen Mo.

But she never let go of Li Yitong's hand, as if only in this way could she make herself seem less guilty.

After a while, there was a knock on the door, and the staff informed us that it was time for the red carpet to begin.