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

The university campus where "My Sunshine" was filmed.

The golden afterglow filtered through the sycamore leaves, casting shimmering spots of light on the road.

"Alright, all departments, get ready! Actors, take your positions!"

Director Liu Junjie's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

Shen Mo and Dilraba Dilmurat were already standing at the designated starting position, both dressed in retro-style college outfits.

Shen Mo wore a simple white shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows, dark jeans, and clean sneakers, with a slightly worn canvas shoulder bag slung over his shoulder.

His hair was styled to be more voluminous, with wispy strands falling naturally down his forehead. His face had the clear and bright look of a law student, along with a touch of youthful arrogance.

Dilraba tied her hair up in a neat high ponytail, revealing her smooth forehead and beautiful neckline.

She was wearing a light blue dress that reached above her knees, and white canvas shoes.

Her makeup was extremely light, and her youthful, radiant skin was full of collagen.

Those already large eyes were now even rounder, brimming with the impetuousness, sincerity, and admiration that Zhao Mosheng possessed at this stage.

The two of them standing there were undoubtedly the most eye-catching couple on the university campus.

"My Sunshine, the first scene of the fifth episode."

"A!"

The clapperboard fell.

The camera zooms in from a distance.

Under the shade of the trees, Shen Mo walked at a leisurely pace, carrying a shoulder bag.

"He Yichen!"

A clear, slightly breathless sound broke the tranquility of dusk, coming from outside the frame.

Shen Mo stopped and turned around.

Dilraba came running out of a path, panting, her ponytail still bouncing behind her head, her face full of urgency and panic.

She stopped in front of him, bent over slightly to catch her breath, and then straightened up, looking up at him.

His eyes were strikingly bright, filled with an eagerness to defend himself.

"I've finally found you!"

She took a breath and then explained at a rapid pace.

"I didn't spread that rumor, it's true!"

She subconsciously took another small step forward, her sincere eyes shining.

You have to believe me!

Shen Mo listened quietly to her finish speaking, remaining silent for a moment, as if confirming every trace of her emotions.

Then he clearly uttered three words.

"I know."

Dilraba's expression froze, her eyes widening in disbelief.

How...did you know?

Shen Mo focused intently on her eyes, taking a slight breath as if making an important decision.

"Because I was the one who spread it."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Dilraba's expression instantly changed from surprise to utter bewilderment and disbelief; her lips parted slightly as she stared blankly at him.

It seemed like I didn't understand, or perhaps I was too overwhelmed by the implications of those words to process them.

She stammered, "You said, you..."

Just then, Shen Mo's aura seemed to undergo a subtle change, and the deliberately maintained sense of distance instantly crumbled.

A serious and earnest look appeared on his face as he took a small half-step forward.

The distance between them suddenly shortened, and his gaze was fixed on her, not allowing her to look away in the slightest.

Then, he uttered the classic confession from the drama.

"I've thought about it."

He spoke slowly, but with a gentleness that was almost domineering.

"If, three years from now, you're destined to be my girlfriend..."

He paused, his eyes burning, and a faint smile even appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Why don't I exercise my rights sooner?"

As soon as he finished speaking, even the evening breeze seemed to stand still.

The camera zooms in for a close-up, capturing the instant blush that bursts onto Dilraba's face.

In those wide eyes, shock, bewilderment, shyness, and uncontrollable ecstasy intertwined and surged, ultimately transforming into a captivating shimmer of tears.

She stared blankly at the handsome face so close to hers, forgetting to breathe and forgetting the scene around her.

The certainty and expectation in Shen Mo's eyes, as well as the burning and direct possessiveness of a young man after confessing his love, all fell into Dilraba's eyes and were etched into her heart.

"Cut! Excellent!"

Director Liu Junjie's voice rang out with satisfaction.

"Perfect! The emotions were spot-on! One take!"

Shen Mo took a half step back almost instantly, pulling himself out of He Yichen's state, his face returning to its usual calm, though a trace of a lingering smile remained in his eyes.

Dilraba, however, remained rooted to the spot, her cheeks flushed, staring straight at Shen Mo.

She really wanted the movie to be filmed for a longer period of time.

The noise at the scene pulled her out of her emotions again, and she slowly walked towards her own designated rest chair.

It wasn't until she was completely seated and drinking the bottled water her assistant handed her that she realized it really had just been a photoshoot.

His eyes, his scent, his confession...

The images flashed through her mind, frame by frame. She covered her face with her hands, overwhelmed by immense embarrassment, her face turning even redder than when she was acting.

Not far away, Zhu Xudan covered her mouth with her script and exchanged a smile with Jin Daxi.

"The way Dilraba looks at Shen Mo is even more like Zhao Mosheng than Zhao Mosheng herself!"

Jin Daxi suddenly leaned his head closer, his face full of surprise, as if he had found a kindred spirit.

"Right, right, you think so too, don't you!"

"I noticed something was off about her eyes from the very first script reading."

Zhu Xudan smiled and nodded slowly.

"What a great boss! He's capable, rich, and handsome too!"

Jin Daxi gave him a wry look.

"Don't tell me you've got your eye on him too."

Zhu Xudan narrowed her eyes meaningfully.

"Who wouldn't be addicted!"

"I just want him to give me a hug, and then I can lean against his chest and breathe in the masculine scent emanating from his white shirt."

The scene she described flashed through Jin Daxi's mind, but then a figure flashed through her mind.

"Forget it, I'm afraid someone will beat me up."

"You mean Li Yitong, right?"

Jin Daxi was stunned for a moment, then looked at Zhu Xudan.

"You knew too?"

Zhu Xudan shook her head. "I don't know."

"But Sister Mi mentioned to me before she came that she only let me in because of Li Yitong."

Jin Daxi turned his head and focused his gaze on the figure in the middle of the camera lens.

"You're telling me, she works in the same company as Yitong, isn't she afraid?"

"That's probably why she's never dared to show it openly."

In fact, Zhu Yilong felt this even more deeply. He was one of Mohen's own people and had seen Dilraba several times at company events and meetings. He had seen that look in her eyes far too many times.

Dilraba's admiration for Shen Mo, and even her deep affection for him, has led many to bet on when she will launch her attack.

Book lovers are hotly debating: What exactly happened? Join the discussion!

After all, there's a legitimate wife guarding the throne, and it's uncertain whether Dilraba dares to step forward. They've been waiting to see a good show for a long time.

Jin Daxi grinned and approached Dilraba, who was touching up her makeup.

"Hey, Mo Sheng, oh no, Dilraba, acting opposite our great lawyer He must have been incredibly exhausting, right? Exciting, isn't it?"

Dilraba took the nuts offered to her and smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Sister Da Xi. It's alright. I was just worried about holding Brother Mo back."

"Is that so..."

Jin Daxi drawled out his words, deliberately leaning closer and lowering his voice, glancing at Shen Mo, who was listening to the director explain the next scene's blocking not far away.

"The way some people looked at me just now, tsk tsk, it was practically drooling."

"Mo Sheng acted so well..."

Dilraba's face flushed red instantly, and even her neck turned crimson.

"Sister Da Xi! You...you mustn't be talking nonsense! I was just filming!"

She hurriedly tried to explain, but her voice was weak and her eyes darted around nervously.

"Oh my, getting impatient!"

Jin laughed even harder and nudged her lightly with his elbow.

"I've been there, I know!"

"However," she said, her expression turning slightly more serious, but her eyes still held a hint of amusement.

"You should be more discreet in private."

"There are many extras and staff coming and going, so be careful of what others say."

Jin Daxi's words contained a hint of goodwill amidst the teasing.

Dilraba was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into the ground. Her heart was pounding because she had been exposed, so she could only lower her head and drink water, not daring to say another word.

After a short break, a heated argument resumed.

As soon as the director yelled "Cut," the atmosphere on set instantly broke from its serious and tense tone and became noisy.

Shen Mo immediately went to the director's side and looked back at the footage on the monitor.

In the middle of the venue, only Dilraba remained standing, her chest rising and falling slightly, as if she hadn't fully recovered from her lines.

She stared blankly at Shen Mo's tall, straight back, her eyes filled with a mixture of emotions, whether it was Zhao Mosheng's or her own, Dilraba's, grievances.

She only snapped out of her daze when her assistant jogged over, but her gaze unconsciously followed the assistant's movements.

Before Dilraba could even sit down in her chair in the rest area, a steaming cup of ginger tea was already on her face.

She looked up and saw a familiar face.

They've been filming day and night these past few days, right at the turn of spring and summer, with extreme temperature differences. He's noticed that Dilraba has been coughing many times.

"You just finished arguing, drink something warm to soothe your throat, don't really shout yourself hoarse."

"There's still a long monologue in the next scene, Zhao Mosheng."

Dilraba held the warm cup in her hands, and the warmth from her fingertips spread all the way to her heart.

She looked down at the rising steam in the cup, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.

"Thank you, Brother Mo."

The tips of her ears began to turn red again.

"What are you thanking me for?" Shen Mo leaned against the prop cabinet next to him, his gaze falling on the top of her head, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

"I was worried that if you caught a cold, it would slow down the progress."

"Our teacher Dilraba is incredibly busy right now. 'Diamond Lover' is trending every day. If word got out that she was being mistreated by the crew and was still filming even with a cold, wouldn't the fans come and tear our production apart?"

His tone was full of mockery.

Dilraba was even more embarrassed by his teasing. She looked up and quickly glanced at him with her big, watery eyes.

"Brother Mo, you're just making fun of me. My fans are never this unreasonable."

"Making fun of me?" Shen Mo raised an eyebrow and gently flicked the paper cup in her hand, causing ripples to spread across the ginger tea inside.

"Drink it all."

Seeing Dilraba's soft and gentle demeanor in private, so different from how she appears on camera, he couldn't help but tease and joke with her.

"oh."

Dilraba obediently agreed and took a small sip with both hands.

The warmth of the ginger tea slid down her throat, and her racing heartbeat gradually calmed down.

Shen Mo didn't leave either, just casually leaning there, watching her drink.

Sunlight shone from his side and behind, casting a soft glow on his profile.

"How's the temperature? Is it too hot?"

"It's okay, it's warm and comfortable."

Dilraba looked up and gave him a silly smile.

"As long as you're comfortable."

Shen Mo nodded, straightened up, and prepared to leave.

But before leaving, he seemed to remember something, turned around, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, with a hint of mischief.

"However, Dilraba, next time you act together, try to tone down the love in your eyes a little. Zhao Mosheng's feelings for He Yichen aren't so overt at this stage."

"If you act like this, Director Liu will probably think we've changed the script without our permission."

After saying that, he didn't even look at her face, which had instantly turned bright red, and her eyes, and turned to walk towards the director.

Dilraba stood frozen in place, almost spilling the ginger tea in her hand.

He...he figured it out!

And to say it so directly!

Shame and sweetness intertwined, forming a wave of heat that rushed straight to the top of my head.

She abruptly lowered her head, burying her burning cheeks in the rising steam from the cup. Her heart pounded wildly, and his teasing remark kept replaying in her mind.

Shen Mo certainly saw it, or rather, he had seen it long ago.

He's not blind, and besides, she didn't try to hide it at all.

However, if he can see it, then Li Yitong can naturally see it too.

He was optimistic about Dilraba's future, so he arranged for her to star in "My Love from the Star," "Swords of Legends," "Diamond Lover," and even this current drama, "Why Me."

He also admitted that Dilraba's exotic beauty, her strong will beneath her gentle personality, her occasional mischievousness, and her undisguised admiration and dependence on him were all attractive to him.

He could sense Dilraba's feelings for him, that pure and ardent admiration and love.

He didn't reject her intimacy and flirtation, and he accepted her affection.

But to be honest, it hasn't yet reached the level of a bond comparable to that of Li Yitong, Tian Xiwei, or even Bai Lu and Li Lin.

Moreover, with Tian Xiwei possibly returning, he didn't want to cause any more trouble for the time being.

Meanwhile, "Wolf Warrior" finished its run, with a total box office of 11.2 billion yuan.

Li Yitong has officially become the third actress to achieve a box office of over 1 billion yuan, following Tian Xiwei and Wang Churan.

At the celebration banquet, Li Yitong gave Wu Jing a large red envelope on Shen Mo's behalf.

After all, while Mohen's investment saved him from the risk of mortgaging his property and investing all his wealth, it also cost him the opportunity to see his net worth skyrocket.

However, from another perspective, the marketing of Mohen and Li Yitong's current popularity have also caused the box office of this movie to double compared to the previous life.

Wu Jing's 10% share of the box office, calculated from the director's and lead actor's salaries, was enough to make him happy.

What's more, Li Yitong even gave him a huge red envelope. Looking at the amount on the check inside, he was overjoyed. That very night, his wife carried him home.

As for "Wolf Warrior 2", Li Yitong and Wu Jing started working on it as soon as the box office results for the first week of "Wolf Warrior" came out.

This time, however, he hopes to increase his investment share.