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

After getting off the large bed in the hotel, Bai Lu and Li Lin left almost as if fleeing, as if staying even a second longer would make the awkwardness more tangible.

Shen Mo returned to Mohen Capital. The important work at the end of the year had already been dealt with a few days ago, and he was now enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

He sat in his large office chair, the fragments of light and shadow from last night and the subtle confrontation this morning still swirling in his mind, until finally a faint smile appeared on his lips.

He simply got up and decided to go home.

As I opened the door, warmth and a familiar, delicate fragrance wafted towards me.

In the living room, Li Yitong was curled up in a corner of the sofa, with a soft cashmere blanket covering her legs and a book in her hands. She looked up when she heard the sound.

Her gaze fell on him, and her crescent-shaped eyes instantly filled with undisguised curiosity and inquiry.

Shen Mo took off his coat, hung it up, and calmly walked over and sat down next to her.

As soon as she sat down on the sofa, Li Yitong put down her book and came over like a kitten.

Her nose pressed unabashedly against his neck and sleeves, sniffing him carefully from left to right.

Her movements were natural and intimate, her eyes revealing a hint of cunning and playfulness, but Shen Mo could sense the underlying scrutiny.

He relaxed his body and let her examine him, a helpless yet indulgent smile playing on his lips.

He knew perfectly well what she was "checking" about, where he was last night, and who he was with.

After the two women left, he made a point of thoroughly washing up at the hotel and then changing into a clean spare shirt at the company.

He even sprayed some perfume that Li Yitong had bought for him, so there couldn't possibly be any other scent or smell on him at that moment.

Li Yitong sniffed around and nodded in satisfaction.

The feigned seriousness on her face finally crumbled, and a bright and triumphant crescent-shaped smile blossomed on her face, her eyes sparkling as she looked into his.

"Does it smell good?"

Shen Mo reached out and gently brushed the stray strands of hair from her cheek with his fingertips, his tone teasing and seemingly seeking praise.

"Smells good."

Li Yitong nodded vigorously, her smile deepening, her eyes filled with tenderness.

She suddenly pulled up her collar, revealing a section of her fair and beautiful neck and collarbone, and leaned close to him.

"Smell mine too." Her tone was full of coquettish allure.

Shen Mo raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and said deliberately.

"I don't care if you sleep with Yang Mi, I don't care."

"Smell it!"

Li Yitong wouldn't have it, so she twisted her body and snuggled into his arms, grabbed his hand and shook it, drawing out the last syllable of her voice in a coquettish tone, her crescent-shaped eyes blinking, making it hard for anyone to refuse.

Shen Mo reluctantly cooperated, lowering his head to follow her force, his nose close to the collar she had pulled open.

Her skin was warm and exuded a comforting, faint fragrance.

However, just as the tip of his nose touched her collar...

A warm, soft touch came from my forehead.

Shen Mo paused, slightly taken aback.

Taking advantage of the moment he leaned in, Li Yitong quickly raised her face and gave him a loud "kiss" on the forehead.

Having successfully ambushed him, she immediately pulled her head back, cupped his face in her hands, and chuckled as she looked at his unusually stunned expression.

Like a mischievous little fox who has successfully pulled off a wicked trick, her crescent-shaped eyes curved into a cunning arc.

"When did you learn this trick?" Shen Mo came back to his senses, a genuine smile spreading across his eyes.

His arms swiftly encircled her waist, and with a slight effort, he lifted her up from the sofa, placing her face-to-face on his lap.

"You're actually trying to outsmart me?"

The sudden suspension and close proximity made Li Yitong gasp softly. Her hands were still cupping his face, and her fingertips playfully poked his cheek.

Do you like it?

Her eyes sparkled with admiration, and before he could answer, she leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"I like it," Shen Mo said, holding her steadily with a wide smile.

He looked at her face, which was so close to his, and suddenly paused.

"However," he tightened his arms instantly, pulling her completely into his embrace.

"That's not enough."

Before he could finish speaking, he lowered his head and precisely pressed his lips to hers.

It was no longer her gentle peck, but a direct prying open of her teeth, with a hint of aggression and possession, seizing her breath, passionate and deep.

Li Yitong's eyes widened slightly at his sudden attack, and she was instantly captivated, wrapping her arms around his neck and responding passionately.

The morning sunlight streamed through the window and fell on the two people embracing, and the air was filled with soft, intimate whispers.

Until Li Yitong felt the air in her lungs was about to be sucked out, her cheeks flushed and her breathing unsteady, she gently pushed away his chest.

Shen Mocai pulled away slightly, still wanting more, but his forehead remained pressed against hers, their rapid and hot breaths mingling.

"In broad daylight..."

Li Yitong was panting, her eyes glazed over, and she glared at him with seductive eyes, but her gaze had no power; instead, it carried a hint of coquettishness.

"Don't do anything strange."

Shen Mo chuckled softly, adjusted his position, and held her more comfortably in his arms, nuzzling his chin against the top of her head.

Li Yitong leaned against his shoulder, calming her breathing, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the top button of his shirt.

Suddenly, she turned her head slightly, her gaze inadvertently slipping inside his shirt collar.

The morning light illuminated a small patch of skin below his collarbone, revealing a clearly defined tooth mark on it.

Her fingers, which were fiddling with the button, suddenly stopped.

She slowly raised her head, and the curve of her crescent-shaped eyes faded considerably.

Her cheeks puffed up unconsciously, like a cat angrily discovering its territory has been invaded.

Shen Mo noticed her sudden change, lowered his eyes to look at her, his face still showing a hint of laziness and confusion.

"What's wrong?"

Li Yitong didn't say anything, but simply reached out her slightly cool hand, slipped it inside his collar, and gently touched his shoulder.

Then, following the outline of that tooth mark, he drew a circle almost imperceptibly.

Her movements were very light, but her eyes were fixed on his without blinking.

The icy touch and her silent gaze made Shen Mo understand instantly.

"Tsk..."

Li Yitong finally spoke, drawing out her words with a deliberately exaggerated sense of regret and heartache.

"Who did it?"

Her tone sounded like she was teasing, but Shen Mo could clearly feel the increased pressure on her fingertips and the fleeting bitterness and dissatisfaction in her crescent-shaped eyes.

"That force, that brutal..."

"You were born in the Year of the Dog, right?"

"I..." She paused, sighed, and revealed genuine heartache.

"I can't bear to part with them..."

Shen Mo was speechless for a moment. Should he answer, "It was Li Lin who bit him?"

That would be adding fuel to the fire.

However, seeing her pretending to be relaxed and teasing when she was clearly angry, he felt a deep sense of guilt and heartache.

He took her hand, which was wandering inside his collar, and gently pulled it out, enveloping it in his warm palm.

Are you jealous?

He asked in a low voice, without trying to explain, but directly pointed out her emotions, looking at her with a deep gaze that carried a sense of comfort and apology.

"Jealous?"

Li Yitong seemed to have heard something funny, and her crescent-shaped eyes curved up again, though the curve was a little stiff.

Why would I be jealous?

She tried to pull her hand away; if she could only read one urban novel in her life, it would probably be "The Shura Field of Chinese Entertainment: All the Young Actresses Want to Climb to the Top." She didn't pull away, letting him hold her hand.

"Besides me, who else can stand openly by your side?"

She reached out her other hand and poked his heart.

"The one who should be jealous is someone else!"

"Also, tell me who it is, I'm going to teach her a lesson."

She glared at Shen Mo, gritting her teeth.

"Good things should be cherished."

She expressed her concerns, her dissatisfaction, and her sense of sovereignty to the fullest extent.

Shen Mo knew that any weak explanation would be futile at this moment.

He suddenly released her hand and, to Li Yitong's slightly surprised look, cupped her face in his hands.

"sorry."

His voice was soft, yet exceptionally clear.

"It was my fault."

There was no shirking of responsibility, nor any excuse.

Li Yitong was taken aback by his direct apology, and the more angry words she had prepared were choked back in her throat.

She looked into his apologetic eyes, which reflected her own puffed-up face.

The anger in my heart suddenly dissipated by half.

She couldn't resist his candid tenderness.

"What's the use of just apologizing... it won't erase the truth."

She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering a few times, and when she raised them again, the sharp thorns in her eyes disappeared.

She pursed her lips and muttered under her breath.

"It's all my fault for watching the show and throwing you out there."

Her tone softened in the end, though it still carried a hint of grievance.

Shen Mo released her face, then took her hand and placed it back on his heart.

"Here," he said, looking at her with unwavering certainty.

"Your stamp is the deepest."

This statement is more powerful than any explanation.

He did not deny the existence of other traces, but he clearly gave her the most important place.

Li Yitong felt his strong heartbeat in her palm, one beat after another, as if confirming his words.

She stared at him intently for several seconds.

Then, she suddenly pulled her hand back and, using both hands, ripped open the buttons on his collar!

Shen Mo was caught off guard, and her shirt was ripped open.

Li Yitong wrinkled her delicate nose, like a hungry cat pouncing on its prey, and fiercely pressed her mouth against the base of his neck.

In the end, she still couldn't bear to bite it.

But she also wanted to leave her mark!

She gripped the skin of his neck and sucked hard and forcefully.

With a "pop," a bright red strawberry appeared at the base of his neck.

As Li Yitong's warm breath left, she looked at her "masterpiece" with satisfaction.

She raised her head and looked at Shen Mo again. Her crescent-shaped eyes finally regained their usual liveliness and cunning, but her eyes were slightly red.

Shen Mo was both amused and exasperated by her actions, but the heavy weight in his heart finally lifted, replaced by a warm and tender feeling.

He reached out and cupped her cheeks, rubbing them vigorously, before kissing her lips hard.

After a while, the tranquility of the two cuddling together was broken by a sudden ringtone of a cell phone.

It was Yang Tianzhen calling, her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement and urgency.

"President Shen! Great news! Incredibly great news!"

"The CCTV Spring Festival Gala directing team has just officially invited you two to perform together in a program! The specific format can be discussed."

After hanging up the phone, Shen Mo and Li Yitong exchanged a smile.

At this moment, the brilliance and clamor of Weibo Night are at their peak, and this more significant invitation has been delivered to Shen Mo and Li Yitong.

The timing of this invitation to the Spring Festival Gala was extremely clever, coming just after the two had been crowned Weibo KING and QUEEN.

But the invitation to the Spring Festival Gala is, after all, the highest affirmation of their popularity, reputation and social influence over the past year.

"Tsk, this is CCTV's job."

Li Yitong straightened up from Shen Mo's embrace, her languid expression quickly replaced by excitement.

"This is a rare opportunity."

In her past life, the closest she ever came to that stage was in 2023.

After going through rounds of selection and surviving two rehearsals, he was ultimately eliminated.

This became one of her biggest regrets.

She looked up at Shen Mo beside her, her eyes sparkling with eager anticipation.

"Sing? Dance? Or...?"

She paused deliberately, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"You hit, I jump?"

Shen Mo rolled his eyes at her speechlessly and reached out to pinch the tip of her nose.

"You want me to hit you and then jump up and hit you back? If I dared to hit you, wouldn't you jump up and hit me back?"

His tone was disdainful, but his eyes held a knowing smile.

Li Yitong chuckled without offering an explanation, knowing that Shen Mo would understand what she meant.

The tacit understanding needs no further explanation.

"Singing is a safe choice."

Shen Mo pondered for a moment, his thoughts beginning to race.

"How about 'Rings of Time'? It's the most popular song from our 'The Journey of Flower' series."

At the time, the song was produced and sung by Wang Sulong. As a good friend of Wang Sulong, Li Yitong naturally did not invite another "sole original singer".

"sure."

Li Yitong nodded in agreement; "The Years" was indeed a good choice.

But Shen Mo's next words stunned her instantly.

"I have an even bolder idea."

In her previous life, Li Yitong had to give up dancing due to a bone fracture.

However, in this life, her body has been reborn, repaired, and strengthened, and is in its peak condition.

"How about you do a solo dance before we sing 'Rings of Time' together?"

He paused, then clearly described the dance that he remembered so vividly.

"Let's dance your part of 'The Drunken Beauty'."

Li Yitong's breathing visibly faltered, and then her eyes burst forth with an astonishing light.

Shen Mo continued to describe his idea.

"We combined the two performances."

"At the beginning, you used dance to portray the drunken state and elegance of the imperial concubine. As the dance neared its end, the music naturally transitioned, and I appeared on stage to join you in singing 'Rings of Time'."

"However, the arrangements for both performances need to be rearranged, and the total duration should be kept within the performance time of one song as much as possible."

Li Yitong's eyes were completely ignited the moment he finished speaking.

The light was a hundred times more intense than when I heard the invitation to the Spring Festival Gala.

Dance is her deepest love, ingrained in her very being, and a pursuit she has relentlessly pursued since childhood.

If she didn't love him deeply, why would she have danced all the way from elementary school to the Beijing Dance Academy?

The light that was forced to be suppressed due to injury in the previous life has the opportunity to shine brightly again in this life, and on the world-renowned stage of the Spring Festival Gala!

"Really...is it okay?"

Her voice trembled slightly, overwhelmed by the immense surprise.

She gripped Shen Mo's hand tightly, her fingertips exerting a slight pressure.

"Why not?"

Shen Mo grasped her hand in return, his tone resolute.

"Your abilities are more than enough to support such a performance."

"What we need to do now is turn ideas into reality."

"You'll be in charge of the choreography, but I'll find the best team to work with you on the music, costumes, stage design, and more."

Li Yitong looked at him, and a thin layer of mist quickly gathered in her crescent-shaped eyes, but it was soon replaced by a more determined light.

She nodded emphatically, all her excitement condensed into a single word.

"good!"

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