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

After reading the long film review, Meng Ziyi's heart skipped a beat.

She recalled what the director had said to her during filming.

"Ziyi, many people would portray Qiuya as just a pretty face. But she's not like that. You have to bring out the essence of her character, her dignity."

She was actually quite nervous when filming the wedding scene that day.

She stood there surrounded by people, watching Charlotte act drunk and outrageous, and she still had to keep smiling and act naturally.

After taking seven or eight takes, she felt her face was about to freeze from smiling.

In the final scene of the movie, everyone is surrounding Xia Luo and Ma Dongmei, but the camera doesn't actually give her many close-ups.

She simply stood in the crowd, watching the two embrace, then clapping and smiling with relief.

Actually, when she received the script, she had wondered why Qiu Ya didn't marry Yuan Hua. Yuan Hua was handsome, talented, from a good family, and liked her.

In the end, she married a "pig"—well, that's not the best way to put it, but she genuinely thought her character was a gold digger who married a rich man.

She even complained to Shen Mo at the time: "Did the screenwriter do this on purpose to highlight Qiu Ya's materialistic personality?"

Shen Mo replied to her: Not necessarily.

Later, she realized that the real Qiuya was not so superficial or materialistic.

Actually, compared to the materialistic and superficial Qiu Ya in the dream world, she preferred the real and dignified Qiu Ya, even though her role was short.

Meng Ziyi's tears slowly fell down.

It wasn't just because someone spoke up for her, but also because someone finally understood that Qiuya wasn't a bad person.

Qiuya's materialism is only what most people see on the surface.

The dignified Qiuya is the real her.

Meng Ziyi opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say for a moment. She just subconsciously scrolled through the other comments below the long article in the trending search terms.

Finally, someone praised Meng Ziyi! I stared at Qiu Ya the whole time; her gaze was priceless!

This comment was pushed to the top.

A string of replies followed.

Seriously!!! I watched it twice, and I focused specifically on her; she was captivating in every single scene!

[In the wedding scene, when Xia Luo was drunk and acting crazy, the look Qiu Ya gave her husband was like a reassuring "Don't mind him being drunk." In just one second, I completely broke down.]

[Yes, yes, yes! And when Dongmei called out "Uncle," Qiuya's pursed lips—she clearly wanted to laugh but held it back—it was so real!]

It's that "I know my husband looks older than he is, but can you please not make it so obvious?" feeling, hahaha!

Therefore, Qiuya is the truly dignified person! Dignified from beginning to end!

She continued scrolling down and saw a comment praising her acting skills.

Meng Ziyi's portrayal of Qiu Ya truly amazed me. Her performance was so nuanced—from the innocence of her middle school days, to the materialistic and superficial nature of her dreamlike character, and finally, the dignity and gentleness of her wedding in reality!

A bunch of replies followed.

[I saw in the behind-the-scenes footage that the director asked her to write a character biography for Qiu Ya, and she wrote more than a thousand words, including when Qiu Ya had feelings for Yuan Hua, when she let go of him, and why she ultimately chose her current husband...]

Holy crap, are they serious?

[Otherwise what? Where do you think those details came from? They were all come up with by the actors themselves.]

Meng Ziyi: I'm not just a pretty face!

The comment that got the most likes was: "Qiuya is not a bad woman!"

[That's exactly right! The gold-digging woman in Xia Luo's dream was just something Xia Luo imagined; the real Qiu Ya never did anything outrageous from beginning to end.]

Even when Xia Luo caused such a scene at the wedding, Qiu Ya didn't get angry; instead, she organized her classmates to go find him!

If it were me, I would have kicked him out long ago.

So Qiuya is the true white moonlight!

[Charlotte is not good enough for Qiuya!]

[Charlotte: What did I do wrong? I'm just a dreamer!]

Of course, Meng Ziyi still saw the comment that made her so controversial.

Meng Ziyi's figure is absolutely stunning!

This uniquely styled comment actually garnered quite a few likes.

The comment section was filled with "???" and "hahahaha".

"You've been staring at the pool, haven't you?!"

【Although, it really is!】

[Meng Ziyi: I acted for thirty minutes, and you only remember those three seconds, right?]

Those three seconds are worth savoring repeatedly.

[Hilarious! This comment is completely different from the ones above!]

[But to be fair, I show more skin at the pool than she does in the movies!]

[Exactly, if this scene is just for selling sex appeal, then there would be butcher shops on the beach.]

Meng Ziyi stared blankly at her phone screen, her eyes reddening again.

While the group was having dinner together, the online public opinion had already shifted, with one marketing article and video analysis after another appearing.

[Through Qiu Ya's perspective, we can see the hidden storyline in "Goodbye Mr. Loser": The truly dignified woman]

[In-depth analysis: Why Meng Ziyi's portrayal of Qiu Ya is considered an underrated acting talent]

[Meng Ziyi and Bai Lu, the campus heartthrob and the wife who shared hardship—there's no need to compare them, they're both good!]

Bai Lu in "Goodbye Mr. Loser" is outgoing and explosive, while Meng Ziyi is reserved and delicate.

[No matter what you say, Mohen has definitely won this round!]

[Two more actresses with box office earnings exceeding one billion!]

Meanwhile, more long reviews from film critics appeared on Douban.

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Yesterday someone said that Meng Ziyi's "Qiuya" is worth watching closely. Today, after watching it for the second time, I would like to share my thoughts from the bottom of my heart.

I want to say, it's really worth watching closely; she really delivered a compelling performance.

Many actors portray gentleness with a blank expression and dignifiedness with a stiff smile.

But Meng Ziyi was not.

Her gentleness is warm, and her dignity is layered.

In the wedding scene, the camera didn't focus on her very often, but she clearly handled the emotional progression very well.

When Charlotte went on a drunken rampage, she frowned slightly—not to appear angry, but to appear worried instead.

She patted her husband's hand, a tiny smile playing on her lips—it gave off the feeling of an old married couple, making me subconsciously overlook her acting skills.

When Dongmei called out "Uncle," she paused for a moment, then pursed her lips—wanting to laugh but holding back her expression, and the helplessness of knowing it was her husband after all. I only noticed Dongmei's words at the time, and only noticed her expression on the second viewing.

Finally, she leaned against her husband, clapping with joy at the reconciliation of Xia Luo and his wife, her eyes filled with a sense of peaceful contentment.

Four layers of emotions, without a single line of dialogue, yet they feel natural and allow the viewer to fully immerse themselves in the story, even subconsciously believing that this is exactly how she is.

That's what makes a good actor.

Those who call her a "pretty face" can't even understand movies, including myself in the past.

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

Below this long post, someone replied:

Those who criticize her are actually criticizing themselves, because they didn't even read the article carefully!

[He clicked it, and what he saw was only what he could see!]

[Meng Ziyi: I acted it out, but you didn't see it, is that my fault?]

……

On the other side, Meng Ziyi's fan page was also filled with cheers and excitement.

Sisters!!! It's a reversal!!!

[I told you Ziyi isn't selling sex appeal! Look! Finally, someone understands!]

[I'm so heartbroken! I was attacked so badly those days, but now I'm finally cleared of all charges!]

[Ziyi will be so happy to see these comments!]

She's probably crying secretly!

My persistence was not wrong! Meng Ziyi deserves it!

No matter what, if anyone insults Ziyi again, I will still protect her and fight back!

Sisters, let's spread these well-written articles and let more people know about them!

The meal lasted almost two hours. By the time Shen Mo and the others finished, #QiuYaIsNotABadWoman# had already climbed into the top ten trending topics, and #MengZiYiIsSoBeautiful# had climbed into the top five trending topics.

The total number of comments in the comment section has exceeded 50,000, and the number of views has exceeded 40 million.

"Sister Ziyi, you wait! I'll get back and help you control the comments!" Tian Xi waved her little fist.

"What are you trying to control?" Wang Churan scoffed. "You're practically ready to start a war of words on Weibo."

"How could I possibly tolerate what those people said? Of course I had to refute them!"

"What are you refuting? Have you forgotten who you are now?"

"No matter my status, it can't stop me from speaking!"

"With your level of comment control, you should probably give up. I'm afraid Ziyi will be led astray by your ally."

The two bickered as Liu Haocun pulled them out, one on each side.

Meng Ziyi glanced at Bai Lu, then at Shen Mo, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.

"Mengyan, thank you for taking them back."

"I have something I'd like to discuss with Brother Mo!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Lu stared at her intently for a long while, then turned to glance at Shen Mo, pursed her lips, smiled, and nodded.

Meng Ziyi blushed under Bai Lu's gaze and wanted to explain something, but Bai Lu had already run out quickly, waved, and left.

Only she and Shen Mo remained in the private restaurant.

"Should we say it here?"

Meng Ziyi shook her head, tossing the stray hairs on her shoulders so they fluttered wildly.

Shen Mo glanced at her, raised an eyebrow, and then walked outside.

"Then let's go too."

Meng Ziyi paused for a moment, then silently followed, step by step.

As she walked, she glanced down at his shadow and suddenly felt playful.

She took large strides, trying to step on his shadow.

One step, two steps, just a hair's breadth away.

She quickened her pace, this time aiming at the shadow's head.

"Bang."

Meng Ziyi bumped into Shen Mo's back, who had suddenly stopped.

Shen Mo stumbled forward from the bump, then smiled helplessly and turned to look at her.

"How old are you, still playing this?"

Meng Ziyi covered her forehead, looked up at him with a silly grin, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

"Hehe, this is fun."

Shen Mo's smile deepened as he looked at her self-righteous demeanor.

"Does it hurt?"

"It hurts," Meng Ziyi blinked, "but I'm happy."

Shen Mo shook his head.

Without saying anything more, he turned around and continued walking forward.

Meng Ziyi stood there stunned for two seconds, then quickly caught up with him, this time not stepping on his shadow, and obediently walked beside him.

Wang Zheng had already parked the car on the side of the road. Seeing the two of them walking over, he deftly opened the car door.

Shen Mo stepped aside to let Meng Ziyi go first, and then sat down himself.

After Meng Ziyi sat down, her eyes were fixed on Shen Mo's face.

She suddenly felt that the emotions that had been bottled up inside her all day had finally found an outlet.

She didn't know what she was thinking, or rather, she wasn't thinking about anything at all.

The body just reacted before the brain.

As soon as Shen Mo sat down, she pounced on him, throwing herself into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, and burying her face in his chest.

Shen Mo was slightly taken aback by her sudden action, but he immediately reached out and put his arm around her waist.

The front panel of the car quietly closed, and then it slowly started moving.

Meng Ziyi closed her eyes at that moment, greedily inhaling his familiar scent, a scent that brought her peace of mind.

"Brother Mo."

Her muffled voice came from his chest.

"Um?"

"Thank you."

Shen Mo didn't speak, but simply tightened his grip on her arm.

Meng Ziyi knew that he didn't like to say such polite things.

But she didn't need him to say anything; she just wanted to say those words.

Today, the internet is flooded with praise, trending topics with unexpected twists, and countless comments and lengthy articles analyzing her acting skills.

She is not a fool.

Where do so many viewers suddenly watch it two or three times overnight and suddenly notice the details in her eyes?

Where did so many marketing accounts suddenly turn against her, from criticizing her as just a pretty face to praising her acting skills?

Last night she cried so hard in his arms, looking as wronged as a bullied child.

Today, he stood up for her!

Meng Ziyi rubbed her face against his chest and tightened her grip on his waist.

"I knew it was you."

Shen Mo looked down at her.

From his angle, he could only see the top of her head.

He raised his hand and gently placed it on the back of her head.

"It wasn't me."

Meng Ziyi was taken aback and looked up at him.

Shen Mo looked down to meet her gaze, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips.

"It was Sister Meng who acted so well."

Meng Ziyi stared at him for three seconds, then burst out laughing.

"Why are you like this?"

As she smiled, her eyes reddened again.

"Would it kill you to admit it?"

Shen Mo didn't say anything, but gently pulled her back into his arms.

Meng Ziyi pouted and angrily rubbed against his chest.

She understands.

Some things don't need to be said.

He did these things not so that she would thank him.

But that's precisely why she needs to remember it.

"Shen Mo".

"Um?"

"From now on, if anyone calls you a scumbag, I'll get angry with them."

Shen Mo smiled slightly, a slight curve to his lips.

"Weren't you the only one who said that?"

Meng Ziyi choked and silently rolled her eyes at him.

Are all the others blind?

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo paused, and instantly raised the hand that was holding her.

"Snap—"

"Ouch! That hurts! What are you doing?"

Meng Ziyi stretched out one hand to rub her bottom, raised her chin, and pouted her little mouth high.

"You just insulted me again!"

"Where is that! Isn't that the truth?"

Shen Mo pretended to raise his hand again, and Meng Ziyi was so frightened that she quickly grabbed it, her almond-shaped eyes wide open, filled with pleading and flattery.

"I was wrong~~"

Her lips were pouting so high, she looked just like a kitten trying to get away with being cute.

"What's wrong with it?"

Meng Ziyi blinked, her mind racing.

"The mistake was...the mistake was..."

She hesitated for a long time, then suddenly her eyes lit up.

"It was wrong of me to call you a jerk!"

"Hmm?" Shen Mo raised an eyebrow.

"Uh...no, you're not a jerk!"

"My mistake was saying they were blind."

Meng Ziyi's voice grew softer and softer, increasingly lacking confidence.

"I must be blind..."

She got stuck.

Looking at her like this, Shen Mo couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.

"What is it?"

Meng Ziyi's face turned red with anger, and in the end, she gave up and did nothing more.

"I'm blind! I have no taste!"

"Such a handsome boss, such a rich boss, such a good boss, and I actually cursed at him! That's outrageous!"

Shen Mo finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Meng Ziyi was so embarrassed and angry by his laughter that she let go of his hand and punched him in the chest.

"You're still laughing! Is it really that funny?!"

Meng Ziyi puffed out her cheeks and glared at him angrily for three seconds before suddenly deflated, falling back into his arms and muttering to herself.

"Anyway, I regret it, okay!"

Shen Mo looked down at the fluffy head in his arms, his smile deepening.

He raised his hand and gently rubbed the back of her head.

"OK."

Meng Ziyi buried herself in his arms and let out a muffled "humph".

After a few seconds of silence, she spoke again.

"Shen Mo".

"Um?"

"You're really not a jerk."

Shen Mo paused in rubbing the back of her head.

Even if you scumbag me, I'm still sticking with you.

Meng Ziyi snuggled against him, a slight smile playing on her lips.

She suddenly spoke again, her tone regaining its self-assuredness.

"From now on, anyone who calls you a scumbag is insulting me. Just wait and see what happens!"

Shen Mo laughed.

"Didn't you just say someone else was blind?"

"That's different!"

Meng Ziyi suddenly raised her head and looked at him intently.

"I can curse, but others can't!"

"Why can you?"

"because……"

Meng Ziyi blinked. "Why?" "Yes, why?"

Shen Mo looked at her suddenly stunned expression and the corners of his mouth slightly lifted.

Meng Ziyi suddenly looked up, grabbed Shen Mo's face and pressed her lips against his, silencing his teasing words.

She tried to apply the pressure for a long time without success, so Shen Mo simply opened his mouth and bit her lower lip, then gently shook it, and Meng Ziyi finally stepped back and let go.

"Are you trying to suffocate me? You're blocking me so tightly!"

Her pretty face flushed red, and she rolled her eyes.

"Who told you to laugh at me?"

Shen Mo smiled slightly and lifted her chin.

"If you want to test my breath-holding ability next time, try blocking me somewhere else. If you use your mouth, I'm afraid you'll suffocate first."

Meng Ziyi stared blankly into his eyes. "Change places? Where?"

Suddenly, she followed Shen Mo's gaze and lowered her head, her face instantly turning bright red.

"Hey! Shen Mo, you're such a scumbag, and a total scoundrel!"

Shen Mo couldn't help but burst into laughter, while Meng Ziyi was so embarrassed that she covered her chest with her hands.

After a long while, she finally raised her blushing face and stared at him intently.

"You really want to?"

Shen Mo was taken aback by the question, and his laughter stopped abruptly.

"You're really going to give it to me?"

"It's not entirely impossible!"

After Meng Ziyi finished speaking, she let go of his hand, happily reached out and hugged him, snuggling in his arms, but her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to jump out of her throat.

A surge of heat rushed to Shen Mo's head, but he quickly suppressed it; this place wasn't suitable.

He lowered his hand to her waist, and with a slight pull, lifted her onto his lap.

"There's no rush right now."

Meng Ziyi nodded, rubbing against his clothes.

"Brother Mo."

"Um?"

"It's so kind of you."

"Why are you suddenly giving me the 'friend zone' card?"

"It's really good!"

"That's good for you too!"

Meng Ziyi was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"What kind of reply is that? Are you a primary school student?"

Shen Mo raised an eyebrow: "What's wrong with elementary school students? Do you look down on them?"

Meng Ziyi smiled so hard her eyes curved into crescent moons, and she trembled in his arms.

"Brother Mo, do you know, you look just like that kind of person."

"That kind of...?"

Shen Mo watched her calmly, waiting for her to continue.

Meng Ziyi held back her laughter for a long time. "Like those straight men who get praised, feel embarrassed, and then force themselves to praise back!"

Shen Mo: "..."

"So, you're calling me a straight man?"

"No, no, no!"

Meng Ziyi waved her hands repeatedly, blinking her big, watery eyes, "I'm praising your honesty!"

Looking at her sly expression, Shen Mo couldn't help but reach out and pinch her cheek.

"Sister Meng, has anyone ever told you that if you can't speak, you don't have to speak?"

Meng Ziyi's face was distorted from his pinching, but she still stubbornly mumbled, "I...don't...know..."

"Sister Meng, what did you say?"

"I said...you won..."

Shen Mo released his grip, looked at the red marks on her face from being pinched, and couldn't help but smile and rub them.

Meng Ziyi let him rub her, her eyes crinkling with laughter. It looked like he had pinched her until she left red marks, but it didn't hurt at all. On the contrary, he found it very comfortable to rub her.

"Brother Mo."

"Um?"

"I love you!"