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

In July, the heat wave began to emerge in the capital city.

Shen Mo was listening to Zhao Feng report on the investment portfolio returns of the Ink Trace Fund; this month was the annual dividend distribution date.

The office door was suddenly flung open with a bang, followed by a crisp cheer that rang out from the doorway.

"Brother Mo! I'm free!!!"

Tian Xiwei was wearing an oversized white T-shirt, denim shorts, and distressed canvas shoes. Her ponytail was tied high, and a few strands of her hair, damp with sweat, clung to her cheeks.

Upon hearing that Shen Mo had finished filming "My Sunshine" and returned to the company, she flew over from Chongqing immediately. As soon as she entered the door, she threw her suitcase aside and rushed towards Shen Mo.

Zhao Feng, with great insight, closed the folder and nodded to Shen Mo.

"Mr. Shen, I've finished my report, I'll be leaving now."

After saying that, he turned around and took a step, not forgetting to add a sentence with a smile as he passed by Tian Xiwei.

"Congratulations on your liberation, Oda-kun!"

"Thank you, Brother Feng!"

Tian Xi looked up and chuckled, a faint dimple appearing on her right cheek, before quickly turning her gaze back to Shen Mo.

The moment the door closed, she was already sitting in the chair in front of Shen Mo's desk.

Then he slumped onto the desk, resting his chin on his crossed arms, tilting his head back, his eyes shining like twinkling stars.

"How did the exam go?"

Shen Mo put down his pen and imitated her movements, leaning over the desk and gazing at the small face in front of him that was increasingly similar to the one in his memory. A slight smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

"have no idea!"

Tian Xiwei spoke with righteous indignation.

"Anyway, it's full! The essay is eight hundred words long!"

"I even drew three auxiliary lines for the last big math problem!"

She paused, then blinked.

"Whether it's right or wrong, I've filled it up anyway."

Shen Mo chuckled softly.

"Our little Tian'er is really amazing!"

"Absolutely!"

Tian Xi closed her eyes with a touch of arrogance and tilted her head to the side.

Then she quickly turned back, continuing to look at her brother Mo's face, even moving closer until Shen Mo could feel her breath on his arm.

"Brother Mo! I've finished my exams!"

"Hmm, so what?"

"I don't have to do the 53 practice test anymore!!"

"Then let's not do it!"

Shen Mo looked at her, a barely perceptible gentleness flashing in his eyes.

"Then--"

Tian Xi drew out the last syllable of her name, her eyes darting around as if she were plotting some wicked scheme.

The next second, she pushed her head forward again, pressing her forehead directly against Shen Mo's forehead, making them stick together tightly.

Her big eyes blinked incessantly, and the wide grin at the corners of her mouth almost filled her already small face.

"Brother Mo, when is your next drama coming out? Can you include me in the cast?"

Shen Mo reached out and tapped her on the head.

"Your brother Mo just finished filming, can't you let me rest for a bit?"

Tian Xi gave a soft snort, got up and walked around the desk, unceremoniously squeezing out a spot on the armrest of Shen Mo's chair, half-sitting and half-leaning against him, and declared with righteous indignation.

"I don't care! If you don't take me to film, I'll come to the company and bother you every day!"

Shen Mo turned his head to look at her, his gaze sweeping over her sunburnt cheeks, which looked thinner than when they met a few months ago.

It seems this girl has been studying hard lately!

He casually picked up an unopened box of chocolate milk from the corner of the table, inserted a straw, and handed it to her.

Tian Xi paused for a moment, then smiled and took the milk carton, gulping down a big mouthful before letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Brother Mo, let me tell you something."

She held the milk carton and began to chatter on and on.

"My mom made me soup every day during the exam period, and I even gained weight!"

"Besides, who drinks chicken soup for the college entrance exam? It's not like physical education is on the test!"

Shen Mo listened quietly, his gaze falling on the corner of her mouth, which had a little milk stain on it, and subconsciously reached out to wipe it away for her.

Sensing Shen Mo's action, Tian Xi's lips twitched slightly, her joy overflowing.

"...On the day of the exam, before I entered the exam hall, I ran into the grade head who was there to see students off. He actually remembered you!"

When Tian Xiwei got excited, she turned around to face him. Perhaps because she felt the armrest of the chair was uncomfortable, she simply slid down and sat directly on Shen Mo's lap.

He said, "Hey, wasn't that Shen Mo who helped you with your problems back then?"

"He said he never expected that our Tongzhong High School would produce such a big star."

"Brother Mo, let me tell you, I behaved really well back then. The director praised me for ages, and I was actually really happy, especially since he also complimented you, saying you're really handsome!"

"I was thinking to myself, of course! My brother Mo is the most handsome man in the world!"

Her tone revealed an undisguised pride and joy.

The smile on Shen Mo's lips never faded as Tian Xiwei described it.

"Does he still remember you?"

"Of course!"

Tian Xi raised her chin arrogantly, "I'm the only big star in our Tongzhong High School."

She chuckled, "He said he still remembers the way you handed out your business card back then; it was so impressive."

She spoke, then suddenly fell silent.

Looking down at the cartoon cow on the box, her voice softened.

"Brother Mo... that day in the alley, when you helped me, you shouted at them, 'What are you doing?'..."

She looked up and mimicked his tone perfectly.

"I thought to myself, 'This guy's dialect is hilarious, but he's so handsome!'"

She looked at Shen Mo with a clean and sincere gaze.

"Sometimes I think, what if I hadn't taken the day off, hadn't walked through that alley, or hadn't happened to be passing by..."

"Will I never meet someone as good to me as you?"

Shen Mo didn't reply. "You'll meet me no matter where you are."

The office was quiet for a moment, then Tian Xiwei suddenly smiled again, her eyes crinkling.

She precisely tossed the empty milk carton into the trash can two meters away, then turned to look at Shen Mo.

"Brother Mo, thank you for passing by that alley back then."

Shen Mo raised his hand and flicked her forehead lightly.

"Okay, I'll take it."

"oops!"

Tian Xi covered her forehead and leaned back exaggeratedly.

"My brilliant mind! You'll have to pay for it if I break it!"

"A top student?" Shen Mo raised an eyebrow. "Who was it that just said it didn't matter whether they were right or wrong?"

"That's just modesty!" Tian Xi's eyes widened slightly, her cheeks flushed. "You'll see when my results come out."

Shen Mo nodded seriously, "Okay! Then I'll put up a banner at the company to celebrate!"

The banner read: "Warmly celebrate Tian Xiwei's breakthrough of 50 points in math!"

"Shen! Mo!"

Tian Xiwei pretended to raise her hand to hit him, but Shen Mo pretended to dodge by turning to the side.

She didn't actually hit Shen Mo's face; instead, she punched his chest with her little fists and then leaned against him.

From an angle that Shen Mo couldn't see, her cheeks were flushed, and a smug, mischievous smile played on her lips.

"Hmph! All you do is bully me!"

She leaned back for a moment, then sat up straight, her ponytail whipping out in an arc. Set as homepage to get daily updates on works like "The Shura Field of Chinese Entertainment: Young Actresses All Want to Climb to the Top."

The blush on her face hadn't faded yet, but she had already raised her chin and glared at him fiercely.

"You just wait. When the results come out, I'll show you what a top student really is! Then, I'll make you write the banner for me yourself!"

"Okay," Shen Mo replied readily, a smile in his eyes. "I'll be waiting."

Looking at him like this, Tian Xiwei's rebellious spirit suddenly softened, and the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile that she couldn't suppress.

She leaned back against Shen Mo's chest and stopped making a fuss.

"Brother Mo."

"Um."

"Summer vacation," her voice was languid, tinged with a satisfied weariness, "Can I really come every day?"

Shen Mo lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on her tired face.

"You can come," he said, "but don't disturb other people's work."

"I won't!" Tian Xiwei immediately retorted.

"I'm very self-disciplined. When you're in a meeting, I go to the break room to eat. When you're busy, I play by myself. I think Sister Xue used to do the same thing."

Her tone when mentioning Li Yitong was frank and affectionate, without any hint of anything unusual.

"But you won't be able to play for many more days. In a few days, the new variety show I've arranged for you will start filming."

Shen Mo took a document from the pile of files on his desk and handed it to her.

Tian Xiwei took the book, flipped through a few pages, and then tossed it onto the table.

She pouted. "There are too many words. It's tiring to read."

Shen Mo shook his head speechlessly.

"It's a program about rural life. The regular guests are Huang Lei and He Jiong, and you and Peng Yuchang."

Tian Xiwei yawned, her eyelids drooping, and she knew it wouldn't be interesting.

"You can fully unleash your energy; you can climb trees to catch cicadas or swim in the water to catch fish and shrimp."

"Oh……"

It sounded alright, but she didn't take it to heart at all; the fatigue from the long flight was now taking hold.

Nestled in Shen Mo's arms, the comforting scent enveloped her, and an overwhelming drowsiness washed over her. She wriggled a few times, rubbed her head, found a comfortable spot, and closed her eyes.

"Just for a little while," she mumbled with her eyes closed.

"Ten minutes... just ten minutes... then I'll go play by myself..."

His voice gradually faded, and his breathing became long and even.

Shen Mo slowly reached out and put his arm around her, leaning back in his chair and maintaining the position.

The weight on my chest was light, but the memories spanning two lifetimes weighed heavily on me.

[We'll get married after we finish filming this movie.]

That was a promise he never kept, and a moment he never forgot.

The cicadas outside the window stopped chirping sometime ago.

Only the soft breathing of the two people remained in the office, mingling together, slow and peaceful.

After a long while, Shen Mo raised his hand and tucked a stray strand of hair from her forehead behind her ear.

When my fingertips touched her warm skin, she unconsciously rubbed against me, like a cat instinctively responding to a familiar touch.

He withdrew his hand and gazed quietly at her sleeping figure.

-----------------

The following day, the premiere of "Goodbye Mr. Loser" was held in Beijing.

This drama is a joint production of Mohen and Guangxian, with Shen Teng playing the male lead, and Bai Lu and Meng Ziyi playing Ma Dongmei and Qiu Ya respectively.

Before Shen Mo even finished filming, the show had already been promoted for nearly a month.

As producers, Shen Mo and Wang Changtian sat in the first row of the theater.

She chased after Xia Luo, fought for him, and after he achieved fame and success, she sat alone in a dilapidated rented room eating instant noodles.

The theater was sometimes filled with laughter, and sometimes fell into a stifling silence.

Although the protagonist of the movie is Xia Luo, played by Shen Teng, Shen Mo's gaze remained fixed on the girl on the screen who was trying her best to love.

She acted very well; she poured her entire soul into the role.

Ma Dongmei's humility, persistence, and forbearance after being betrayed—every glance and every sigh—precisely pierced the hearts of the audience.

Shen Mo recalled the girl who had been crouching in a corner, crying and trembling, two years ago in the snow on the streets of Seoul.

Back then, all she lost was a fleeting opportunity to debut, but now, she stands in the center of the screen, making countless people shed tears for her.

Wang Changtian, who was sitting next to him, leaned over and whispered something.

"Assistant Bai's acting skills have improved significantly since then."

"This movie is going to be a hit!"

Shen Mo nodded, saying nothing more, but lowered his eyes, concealing the complex emotions within them.

During the media interview session after the premiere, reporters preferred to interview Bai Lu, who was already a big star, rather than the relatively unknown Shen Teng.

She wore a simple white dress today, with her long hair down, looking completely different from the rustic Ma Dongmei on screen.

Faced with a barrage of questions from reporters, she answered with grace and poise, occasionally cracking a joke that drew laughter from the audience.

"Bai Lu, how does it feel to play the leading role on the big screen for the first time?"

"I'm nervous," Bai Lu said with a smile that made her eyes crinkle.

"Before the premiere, I was so nervous that I didn't sleep well for three days, afraid that I would mess up the performance. Later, Mr. Shen told me, 'It's okay, if you mess up the performance, you can go back to be his assistant. Anyway, the work position is still available.'"

The reporters laughed along with them.

"So, do you feel like you messed up your performance now?"

Bai Lu blinked, turned her head to look at Shen Mo standing at the edge of the crowd, and asked a question.

"Brother Mo, did I mess up my performance?"

Shen Mo raised a thumbs up from afar.

Bai Lu immediately turned around and announced to the reporter with a confident and assertive tone.

"See? The boss said it wasn't smashed! So I think I did a pretty good job!"

Another burst of laughter erupted from the audience.

After the interview, Bai Lu walked through the crowd, ran to Shen Mo's side, looked up at him with bright eyes.

"Brother Mo, how did I do just now?"

"very good."

Shen Mo looked down at her, his gaze falling on her cheeks, which were flushed by the light.

"You're getting more and more adept at dealing with reporters."

"Of course," Bai Lu said, raising her chin proudly.

"I used to be President Shen's assistant, what kind of situation haven't I seen?"

As she spoke, she suddenly took a step closer and lowered her voice.

"Brother Mo, I secretly watched you while we were watching the movie."

Shen Mo raised an eyebrow.

"Let's see if you've cried or laughed," Bai Lu said with a sly smile.

"You remained expressionless the entire time; that's incredibly cold-blooded!"

Shen Mo didn't answer, but simply raised his hand and lightly flicked her forehead.

"Ouch!"

Bai Lu covered her forehead, her eyes wide.

"You'll have to pay for it if you break it! I'm the leading lady now!"

"The female lead is mine too."

Bai Lu hummed twice, wrinkled her nose, and leaned close to his ear, "If I break the piano, you'll have to take care of me."

Shen Mo smiled slightly, about to reply, when he caught a glimpse of a figure walking towards them out of the corner of his eye.

Bai Lu smiled and quietly moved closer to Shen Mo, then looked up at the newcomer.