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

Explore different genres of urban fiction; there's bound to be one that suits your taste.

After the meeting ended, everyone filed out, but Li Yitong was the last to come out.

She felt as if she were carrying a thousand-pound burden, and every step she took felt like walking on cotton, soft and yielding, leaving her powerless.

People were coming and going in the corridor, and the employees stopped in their tracks when they saw her.

"Hello, Mr. Li."

"Mr. Li."

"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Li."

She nodded, twitching the corners of her mouth, trying to return a smile, but couldn't. Her face seemed frozen, her muscles stiff and uncontrollable.

She simply gave up, nodded slightly, and continued walking forward, while whispers came from behind her.

"It looks like Mr. Li is crying..."

"Don't talk nonsense. I heard that Mr. Li is now the interim chairman..."

Li Yitong heard it, but she didn't turn around. She walked straight to the door of Shen Mo's office and pushed it open.

Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the large office chair, which was empty; no one was sitting there.

No one looked up and smiled when she pushed the door open, saying, "You're here?"

Li Yitong walked over step by step, went around the desk, sat down in the chair, kicked off her shoes, pulled her legs up, and curled up into a ball.

He hugged his knees with both hands, burying his entire face in them.

Ah Mo, if you can't get out...

Then I'll truly become a person.

"Click." The door lock turned gently, and someone walked in, pausing for a moment at the doorway. The footsteps were very light, as if afraid of disturbing something.

Then, a pair of hands reached out from behind and gently embraced her.

"Sister Xue," Tian Xiwei's voice was slightly nasal, "you still have me."

Li Yitong's body stiffened for a moment, then she slowly raised her head, and Tian Xiwei's face appeared before her.

"Why are you here?" Li Yitong's voice was hoarseer than usual. "Didn't I tell you to go back and stay there?"

A few strands of hair were still stuck to Li Yitong's face. Tian Xiwei looked at her somewhat bewildered and vulnerable appearance, and her eyes couldn't help but redden.

She shook her head, squeezed down next to Li Yitong, and then reached out to pull her into her arms.

"That's my brother Mo."

She pouted, her words filled with stubbornness.

"Besides, this whole thing started because of me, how can I go back and stay there in peace?"

Li Yitong was held in Tian Xiwei's arms. She froze for a few seconds, then slowly softened. She rested her face on Tian Xiwei's shoulder and closed her eyes.

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

On the set of "Ode to Joy," Bai Lu had just finished a scene and hadn't even had a chance to sit down and rest when her assistant, Hehe, rushed over with her phone in hand.

"Mengyan! Something's happened!"

Bai Lu quickly took the phone and then froze on the spot.

No wonder, no wonder she noticed the atmosphere on set suddenly changed during filming. It was much noisier around her, and many eyes were even on her.

The next second, she turned around and walked directly towards the director's area, where the monitors were located.

"Director Wang."

Wang Jun was watching the monitor playback when he heard Bai Lu's voice and looked up.

"Lulu? What's wrong?"

Bai Lu took a deep breath. "I'd like to ask for leave."

Wang Jun was taken aback. "Are you taking leave? Your scenes..."

However, seeing Bai Lu's anxious expression, he immediately realized what was going on.

"Lulu, I understand you're anxious, but going back now won't help President Shen at all."

"Wouldn't it be better for you to stay here, focus on filming, and do your job well?"

"I know," Bai Lu interrupted him, "but, Director Wang, I really can't calm down right now, or I won't be able to film it well."

She held out her palm in front of her, then slowly shook her head.

"Director Wang, you don't need to try to persuade me anymore."

His calm voice carried a hint of determination.

"Please note down the losses caused by my delayed filming. I will personally make up for them all later, so you don't need to ask the company for more budget."

Wang Jun looked at her and sighed, "You..."

He waved his hand, "Go ahead, go ahead."

Bai Lu bowed slightly to him, then turned and left.

She suddenly stopped at the entrance of the film set.

Li Qin was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, looking at her expressionlessly.

"Waiting for me?" Bai Lu raised an eyebrow.

Li Qin didn't speak, but simply raised her chin slightly and nodded towards the outside.

Bai Lu followed her gaze and saw that her car was already parked there.

She gave a soft snort. "Let's go."

The two walked out side by side. After turning the corner, Li Qin suddenly spoke.

"What did you say?"

"Just say it."

"Agreed."

"Hmm! And you?"

"Same."

Standing beside the car, Bai Lu paused for a moment, turning her head to look at her. Li Qin's face was expressionless, but Bai Lu could tell that her eyes were redder than usual.

"Has Sister Lin been crying?"

"no."

"Stubborn to the end."

Li Qin didn't reply, opened the car door and got in, and Bai Lu followed and sat next to her.

"Sister Han."

"Um?"

"Do you think Brother Mo will be alright?"

Li Qin paused for two seconds, then said, "Yes."

Bai Lu smiled brightly. "I think so too."

But a tear inadvertently flashed across the corner of her eye.

The car started and drove towards the Inkmark Building.

The car was quiet, so quiet that you could hear each other's heartbeats.

Bai Lu looked at the scenery rushing past the window and suddenly thought of that man.

She remembered him saying, "Now, you're mine," and the sound of his heartbeat echoed in her ears as he held her in his arms.

"I was picked up by you, you can't abandon me!"

She murmured these words to herself, then took a deep breath and forced back her tears.

You can't cry, if you cry you've lost.

He hasn't lost yet, and she can't lose either.

The road was smooth, and they arrived at the company building without any obstacles. Li Qin and Bai Lu walked into the elevator side by side without waiting for their assistants who were sitting in the next car.

There were only the two of them in the elevator. The floor numbers jumped up one by one. Bai Lu stared at the jumping numbers and suddenly spoke.

"Sister Han."

"Um?"

"Tell me, how many women does he actually have?"

Li Qin turned to look at her, but Bai Lu didn't turn around; she was still staring at the number. "I'm just curious."

Li Qin was silent for a few seconds, then said, "I don't know."

"Where are you ranked?"

Li Qin's lips twitched slightly, as if she were smiling, or perhaps sighing helplessly.

Does it matter?

Bai Lu finally turned her head to look at her. "It's not important, but I'm curious."

Li Qin met her gaze. "He's already inside. What's the point of thinking about this?"

"As for his ranking—" she paused, "ask him when he comes out!"

Bai Lu paused for a moment, then burst out laughing, "Sister Qin, you're so boring..."

Li Qin didn't speak, but the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

The elevator doors opened with a "ding," and the two walked out side by side.

The door to Shen Mo's office was ajar. Bai Lu was about to push the door open when Li Lin stopped her.

She put a finger to her lips and then gently pushed the door open a crack.

The two huddled together to look inside. On the large office chair, Li Yitong and Tian Xiwei were squeezed together.

Li Yitong nestled in Tian Xiwei's arms, her eyes closed, with tear stains still visible at the corners of her eyes.

Tian Xiwei held her close, resting her chin on the top of her head, remaining motionless.

Bai Lu stood there stunned; she had never seen Li Yitong like this before.

The ever-smiling, ever-gentle, ever-cheerful Sister Tong was as vulnerable as a child at this moment.

She suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

Li Qin gently pushed open the door. The sound of her footsteps startled Tian Xiwei. She looked up, saw who it was, and was stunned for a moment.

"Why are you here?"

Li Yitong opened her eyes and looked towards the doorway. Bai Lu and Li Lin were standing there, one with red eyes and the other expressionless. Seeing this scene, she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows.

You bastard, I have to help you deal with the company and also deal with your women!

Bai Lu spoke up, "We took leave, so I'll cover any extra expenses myself."

Li Yitong looked at her, remained silent for two seconds, and then smiled for the first time since the incident.

"You guys..."

Bai Lu walked over and squatted down in front of her. "Sister Tong."

Don't shoulder this burden alone.

Li Qin stood behind Bai Lu, quietly watching her. "We're all here."

Li Yitong's smile froze instantly, her eyes reddened again, she opened her mouth as if to say something, but after a few choked sobs, she ultimately couldn't utter a sound.

Bai Lu reached out and grasped Li Yitong's hand. It was very cold, much colder than her own. Then she gripped that hand even tighter.

Li Lin didn't speak, but simply reached out and gently placed her hand on the back of Li Yitong's hand, the three hands overlapping.

Tian Xi looked at them and suddenly laughed, "Hey, have you guys forgotten about me?"

As she spoke, she stretched out her hand and placed it on top.

Li Yitong looked at the four hands stacked together, then at the three faces in front of her.

Suddenly, she felt that the heavy burden didn't seem so heavy anymore.

"Thank you." Her voice was soft, but everyone heard it.

Bai Lu pouted, "What are you thanking me for? I didn't do this just for you."

Li Yitong smiled slightly, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Then who are you doing this for?"

Bai Lu turned her face away, gave a cold snort, and said nothing.

Li Qin unusually chimed in, "For that bastard."

Tian Xi turned her head slightly, looking left and right, but still couldn't understand. She simply added, "Yeah, yeah, yeah! That bastard!"

Li Yitong was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. As she laughed, tears started flowing again.

When Bai Lu saw her crying, she immediately panicked, "Hey, hey, why are you crying again? We didn't come here to make you cry!"

Li Yitong shook her head, reached out to wipe away her tears, "No, I'm happy."

"Happy yet crying?"

"Yes, you only cry when you're happy."

Bai Lu rolled her eyes. "You people are so weird."

Li Qin remarked quietly from the side, "You cried in the car just now too."

Bai Lu instantly bristled, "When did I cry?!"

Li Qin remained expressionless. "Your eyes were red when you were staring out the window."

"That was blown by the wind!"

There's no wind in the car.

"..."

Tian Xiwei laughed so hard she slapped her thigh, "Hahahaha! Bai Mengyan, you've finally met your match!"

Bai Lu turned and glared at her. "What are you laughing at! Your eyes are red too!"

"I'm sand too!"

"Where did the sand come from?"

"..."

This time, it was Li Lin's turn to smile.

Li Yitong leaned back in her chair, looking at the three faces in front of her, and suddenly thought of Shen Mo.

"He's the one in the wrong, not them."

She took a deep breath, sat up straight, and said, "Alright, enough fooling around, let's get down to business."

Bai Lu, Li Qin, and Tian Xiwei all looked at her at the same time.

"From now on, I need your help."

Her voice returned to calm, and her eyes sharpened once more.

"Mengyan, you used to be Shen Mo's assistant. You understand the personalities of the CEOs of various companies on different floors. If you can help me resolve this, then do so. As for your identity, please act as the chairman's assistant."

"Hey, go and bring Haocun and Churan back to keep an eye on them. Among Mohen's group of artists, only those two and Xiaotian are famous and uncontrollable."

"Xiaotian is doing well with me, so please help take care of the two of them."

She paused, looked at Xiaotian, and said, "You stay put and don't post anything on Weibo again."

Tian Xi pouted slightly, "Then what should I do?"

Li Yitong reached out and ruffled her hair. "Just stay with me."

Tian Xi paused for a moment, then grinned, "Okay!"

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

On the set of "Go Fighting!"

Dilraba, who had just finished recording a game segment, was sitting in the rest area waiting for the next scene.

In principle, new works will be released depending on my mood, and I'll be the first to update them across the entire internet!

Her assistant, Jia Yue, handed her a glass of water, which she took and sipped slowly, her eyes glued to the news on her phone.

Shen Mo was arrested.

When she first saw the news, those four words hit her like a blow to the head, making her dizzy and disoriented.

She frantically tried calling Shen Mo, but couldn't get through, and he didn't reply to her messages.

I called Yang Tianzhen, but she didn't answer; I called Li Yitong, but no one answered.

Just a few minutes ago, Yang Tianzhen, who had finished her meeting, called her back, telling her to record in peace.

But how could she possibly find peace?

In the previous round of games, she didn't participate at all, pretending to be a lively and cheerful Dilraba, with her eyes crinkling and her soft voice saying playful things.

However, the team members and director were able to understand her state of mind. Fortunately, this is a variety show, and it can be edited out later.

"Sister Reba." Jia Yue leaned closer, hesitant to speak.

"Hmm?" Dilraba looked up. Jia Yue didn't speak, but she instantly understood what she meant.

Because some people are too reckless.

A few meters away, several staff members were gathered together, laughing loudly without trying to quiet down.

"...Sigh, there's no smoke without fire. If there wasn't something really wrong, would the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) be coming to our door?"

"How many of these so-called capitalist tycoons are truly clean?"

"He's been arrested, so he'll just have to stick to his sewing machine from now on, hahaha..."

"Hey, do you think Inkmark is really finished? What about our show...?"

Dilraba's pupils contracted sharply, and she stood up.

Jia Yue tried to pull her back, but couldn't.

"Bang!"

Dilraba smashed the mineral water bottle in her hand to the ground, splashing water everywhere.

The staff members were startled and turned around in unison.

They saw Dilraba standing a few meters away, her eyes fixed on them, her eyes red-rimmed, and her chest heaving violently.

The surroundings fell silent instantly; everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look in their direction.

Dilraba lifted her foot and walked over step by step, her high heels clicking crisply on the floor.

"Da...da...da..."

Every step she took felt like stepping on the hearts of those three people. She walked up to the leader and stood still.

The man felt uneasy under her gaze and instinctively took a half-step back. "What...what are you doing?"

"Apologize!" Dilraba's voice was as cold as ice.

The man paused for a moment, then asked, "What should I apologize for?"

"What you just said," Dilraba stared at him, her eyes filled with fierce determination, "was slander, defamation, and defamation. Apologize!"

The man's expression changed, and he opened his mouth several times, but finally forced himself to speak.

"Where did I spread rumors? Isn't that what everyone's saying online? It's a fact that he was arrested, isn't it?"

"I'm cooperating with the investigation, not being arrested."

"Isn't it all the same?"

"no the same."

Dilraba took a step forward, and the man instinctively took a step back.

"Has the official conclusion been reached? Has the court issued a judgment? Has there been an online announcement?"

She asked three questions, each one more forceful than the last, and the man opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word.

"There's nothing there. You said he's unclean and wants to use a sewing machine."

Dilraba's voice began to tremble, whether from anger or suppressed emotion, it was hard to tell, "What right do you have?"

Another staff member tried to smooth things over, "Um... Ms. Dilraba, we were just chatting privately, nothing more..."

"No other meaning?" Dilraba turned to look at him. "Spreading rumors, stirring up trouble, and undermining public trust in government—you call that no other meaning?"

The man was instantly choked.

Wang Xun and Huang Bo were nearby and quickly came over. Wang Xun reached out to pull Dilireba.

"Dilraba, let it go, we're all colleagues, let's not hurt our relationship..."

Dilraba abruptly shook off his hand. "Amicable?"

She turned to look at Wang Xun, her eyes already misty, but her gaze remained fierce.

"Brother Xun, he's cooperating with the investigation, there's nothing I can do about it."

"However, I cannot tolerate anyone slandering him to my face!"

Wang Xun fell silent. Huang Bo wanted to say something, but Dilireba glared at him and shut him up.

Her gaze was so cold, so unlike the soft and gentle Dilraba they usually remembered.

The commotion alerted director Yan Min, along with Huang Lei, Sun Honglei, and Lu Han, who were discussing the recording of the show.

They walked over quickly and listened as the staff member beside them quietly explained the situation.

Lu Han didn't say anything, but simply moved to stand to the side behind Dilraba, stood there, and looked at the three staff members expressionlessly.

Without saying a word, Huang Lei stepped forward, grabbed Huang Bo's arm, and pulled him behind him.

Sun Honglei was even more direct, raising her hand and slapping Wang Xun on the back of the head, "Go to the back!"

Yan Min walked over and was about to speak when Dilraba spoke first.

"This variety show is a joint production of Mohen and Tomato TV."

Her voice regained its calmness, but the chill remained.

"Some people are gossiping behind the scenes, talking badly about the boss, and questioning the company's future."

Yan Min paused in his steps.

"Whose food are you eating?"

Yan Min knew that Dilraba's words were meant for those three people, but also for him.

The entire room fell silent. Yan Min stood there, his expression shifting several times.

He looked at Dilraba, and Dilraba turned to look at him, without flinching or backing down.

A few seconds later, Yan Min took a deep breath and turned to the three staff members.

"You three, go and settle your wages."

The leader's face turned deathly pale.

"Director Yan, we..."

"Then leave."

Yan Min ignored their explanation and turned to leave.

The three of them turned to look at the staff around them in despair, but almost everyone avoided their gaze, so they could only slink away.

The scene was revitalized and rearranged, but almost everyone subconsciously avoided Dilraba's vicinity.

Dilraba stood still, closed her eyes, raised her head, and took a deep breath.

She lowered her head, her clenched hands slowly loosening, revealing four deep nail marks on her palms.

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

On the set of "The Brilliant and Lonely God", filming wrapped up in the morning.

Meng Ziyi hadn't even changed out of her costume when she jogged back to the rest area and grabbed the phone from her assistant's hand.

This scene was reshot six times, taking half an hour, which was torture for someone like her who is "always on her phone and constantly checking trending topics."

The most agonizing thing was that she knew Shen Mo was in trouble.

She wanted to know if there was any new information, if there was any plot twist, and if he had come out.

However, the news and comments on the trending topics were almost identical to those she had seen an hour and a half earlier.

Her lips slowly pursed up, so high they could almost hang an oil bottle on them.

"What the heck..."

She muttered to herself, glancing left and right, before secretly opening the blog post page.

She wanted to post on Weibo, to speak up for Shen Mo, and to scold those who didn't understand the situation.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard.

"Snap!" The phone was snatched from her hand.

Meng Ziyi looked up abruptly and saw her executive agent, Han Meng, standing beside her, looking at her with a serious expression.

"Sister Han! What are you doing!" Meng Ziyi jumped up and reached out to grab it, "Give me back my phone!"

Han Meng put her hands behind her back, and with her 150-160 jin (75-80 kg) frame, she managed to bounce Meng Ziyi, who had jumped over, back.

"No posting on Weibo."

"Why?!"

"Why do you think that is?" Han Meng looked at her. "Your online reputation has only recently turned around, and it's not necessarily much better than Liu Haocun's and Tian Xiwei's."

Meng Ziyi was stunned.

Han Meng continued, "Back when 'Goodbye Mr. Loser' was released, the whole internet was criticizing you for selling sex appeal and calling you a 'pretty face,' have you forgotten? Now that you've finally managed to recover a little, do you want to jump back into the fire?"

"But……"

"But what?" Han Meng interrupted her.

"You post on Weibo now, speaking up for President Shen, and then what?"

"You will also be criticized, attacked, and have old grievances brought up."

Have you considered it?

Meng Ziyi opened her mouth, "Han Meng! I'm not that stupid, I'm using a secondary account! Do you want to open my Weibo page and take a look!"

Han Meng was taken aback, staring at her for a long while, "You don't think you're the only one who knew this was your alternate account, do you!"

She softened her tone, "Ziyi, I know you're anxious, but at this time, don't cause trouble for the company."

"Don't cause trouble for the company," these words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Meng Ziyi's head.

Yes, in other people's eyes, she is just an ordinary artist in Mohen. She has no right to care or concern for her; she would only cause trouble.

She slowly sat back down in her chair, head down, without saying a word.

Han Meng returned the phone to her.

"Think about it yourself."

Meng Ziyi took the phone and stared at the screen. The trending topic was still there, along with those abusive comments.

She slid down line by line, feeling increasingly suffocated.

Everything was fine a while ago, so why is it that things have been going wrong lately, with one problem after another at the company?

Suddenly, she stopped. There was a comment posted by someone named "Mo Ge's Little Fan Girl".

Shen Mo will be alright! I believe in him! The fans are all waiting for him!

Someone replied to her below: 【Don't be silly, he's already in there, what are you waiting for?】

[Exactly, you fans are all brain-dead. Did he pay you?]

Wake up, your brother is finished!

The "Little Fan of Brother Mo" posted another message: "Whether he gave me money or not is unimportant; what matters is that he gave me hope. I'm his fan, and I believe in him."

Meng Ziyi stared at the line of words, and her eyes suddenly reddened.

She was his artist, and she received far more than that fan.

She was still his woman, even though it hadn't come to the final step yet, she felt that she was.

She was still his woman, even though it hadn't come to the final step yet, she felt that she was.

What right does she have to complain?

She took a deep breath and placed her phone face down on the table.

Han Meng watched from the side without saying a word.

After a while, Meng Ziyi looked up and said, "Sister Han, you're right."

Meng Ziyi stood up and handed her the phone, saying, "Keep the phone for me; I'm not looking at it today."

Han Meng looked at her, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, "Really?"

"Really." Meng Ziyi pouted. "You keep it. I'm afraid I won't be able to resist."

Han Meng took the phone, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Okay, I'll keep it for you."

Meng Ziyi nodded, turned and walked towards the film set. After a few steps, she stopped again. "Sister Han, will the boss be alright?"

Han Meng paused for two seconds, then said, "Yes."

Meng Ziyi didn't turn around, but her shoulders trembled slightly. "I think so too."

After saying that, she strode towards the center of the set. Han Meng watched her back and sighed softly.

This girl has grown up.

During the afternoon shoot, Meng Ziyi was in exceptionally good form. She nailed the crying scene in one take, and the emotional outburst scene was also nailed in one take. The director repeatedly praised her, saying, "She's on fire today."

Only she knew for whom those tears were shed.

When she finished work, Meng Ziyi took her phone back from Han Meng, but there were still no new messages.

She bit her lip, opened WeChat, and found Shen Mo's profile picture.

The chat window still displayed the same message she sent that morning: "Brother Mo, are you alright?"

There has still been no reply.

She stared at the line of text for a long time, then started typing.

[Brother Mo, I really wanted to post on Weibo to speak up for you, but Han Meng scolded me, saying that posting on Weibo would only cause you trouble.]

[I thought about it, and she's right, so I won't post it.]

But you need to get out quickly!

I won't cause you any trouble; I'll finish filming this movie you arranged for me.

Then... I'll wait for you to come out.

[Hmph! I want to curse you again, you scumbag, why do you make me worry!]

I've already accepted that you're a jerk, you can't let me lose you right after I've accepted it!

[You scumbag, come out already, okay? I promise! If you come out soon, I'll never call you a scumbag again!]

After typing those words, she stared at the screen, her eyes reddening again. Then she held her phone to her chest, tilted her head back, and blinked hard.

Don't cry, he's not dead!