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

Ten minutes later, three people, fully armed, appeared at the entrance of the residential area.

Shen Mo wore a black coat, a scarf wrapped tightly around his neck, sunglasses perched on his nose, a hat pulled low, and a mask that almost covered half of his face.

Li Yitong and Bai Lu were also wearing sunglasses and masks, but this outfit isn't particularly strange in winter.

"Let's go."

Shen Mo took the lead, Li Yitong followed on his left and took his arm, while Bai Lu hesitated for a moment before following on his right.

The three walked side by side on the old street of Jinan. The shops on both sides were decorated with red Spring Festival couplets and the character "福" (good fortune), and some doors had lanterns hanging at the entrance, swaying gently in the wind.

There were quite a few people on the street. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, there were more people out visiting the temple fair than expected. Most of them were families, with the elderly holding children's hands and young people embracing their partners. Everyone had a special smile on their face.

The temple fair was held in Baotu Spring Park. Before even reaching the entrance, one could hear the distant sound of gongs and drums, clanging and resounding with a cheerful and lively rhythm.

Wow, it's so lively!

Bai Lu tiptoed and looked ahead, only to see a sea of ​​dark heads.

"Of course." Li Yitong's tone carried a hint of local pride. She released Shen Mo's arm and took Bai Lu's arm. "The Spring Festival temple fair at the First Spring Under Heaven is no joke."

Shen Mo slowed his pace slightly and subconsciously shielded the two people in front of him, since there were just too many people here.

"Brother Mo, what's that?" Bai Lu pointed to a small stall where the stall owner was drawing on a stone slab with syrup. With a flick of his wrist, the outline of a butterfly appeared.

"Sugar paintings," Shen Mo said. "I used to buy them every time I went to a temple fair when I was a kid. I'd draw whatever the spinning wheel landed on."

"I want to play too." Bai Lu's voice was filled with excitement.

"Let's go!" Li Yitong said with a smile, pulling her towards the stall.

The stall owner was a man in his fifties with very steady hands. When he painted sugar paintings, it was as if he were writing, and he was very careful with every stroke. There was a turntable in front of him, on which various patterns were painted, such as dragons, phoenixes, butterflies, peaches, and Sun Wukong. Wherever the pointer stopped, that was what was painted.

Bai Lu spun the wheel, and the pointer wobbled around several times before finally stopping...

"Sigh, little dog." The stall owner glanced at it and smiled helplessly. "Little girl, would you like to get another one? It'll be for the first day of the Lunar New Year. I'll give you a second chance."

Bai Lu was stunned for a moment, then a big smile spread across her face.

"No, I want a puppy. I was born in the Year of the Dog!"

As she spoke, she turned around and whimpered twice at Shen Mo and Li Yitong, then imitated a "woof woof." Shen Mo and Li Yitong couldn't hold back their laughter and burst out laughing.

The vendor's sugar spoon moved swiftly across the stone slab, and in just two minutes, a lifelike little dog appeared on the slab. He gently scooped it up with a shovel and handed the sugar painting to Bai Lu.

Bai Lu took it, held it up to the light, and examined it. The sugar painting was amber in the sunlight, like a luminous gem.

"So beautiful."

Li Yitong leaned over for a look, then turned to the stall owner and said, "Uncle, I'm not spinning anymore, can you draw my zodiac animal instead?"

"Okay! What should we draw?"

Li Yitong thought for a moment, then smiled slightly: "Draw a horse!"

The stall owner paused for a moment, then said, "Okay, and you? Young man."

Shen Mo chuckled softly, his eyes darting around, "Draw me a pig!"

The stall owner raised his eyebrows. He assumed Shen Mo was born in the Year of the Pig, so he did as he was told. He spun the sugar spoon around on the stone slab a few times, and a majestic horse and a round little pig appeared.

Li Yitong took the sugar painting and casually handed Shen Mo's "pig" to him, asking, "Why did you draw a pig?"

"Don't you think it looks a lot like you? A chubby little pig?"

Bai Lu looked at the little pig, then at Li Yitong, moved her mouth several times behind her mask, and then bent over and burst out laughing.

"Gou Mo, you're asking for it!"

Before Li Yitong could even raise her hand to strike, Shen Mo had already run far away. Li Yitong stomped her foot angrily and chased after him.

"well……"

Bai Lu straightened up and looked up, only to see the two of them had already run far away. "You guys! You haven't paid yet!"

She watched the two bickering in the distance speechlessly, took out her phone to scan the QR code and pay, and then chased after them.

The two, who had stopped fooling around, were now standing in front of a ring toss game stall.

Li Yitong held up a bamboo hoop, squinting as she aimed, while Shen Mo stood beside her with his hands in his pockets.

"Are you even capable?" Shen Mo's tone was incredibly irritating.

Li Yitong ignored him, flicked her wrist, and the bamboo hoop flew out, drawing an arc in the air above the target, perfectly missing all the prizes. It bounced twice on the ground and rolled to the very back of the stall.

"Tch—" Li Yitong pouted, "It's all your fault for bothering me!"

Shen Mo chuckled, bent down to pick up a bamboo ring, and casually tossed it. The ring spun twice in the air before landing squarely around the neck of the furry monkey furry in the farthest distance.

The stall owner's face twitched, but he still smiled and handed the monkey over.

Shen Mo took the monkey, turned around and put it in Li Yitong's arms, "It's for you."

Li Yitong, holding the monkey, paused for a moment, then her eyes crinkled into crescent moons. "You think you can just get rid of a broken monkey?"

"Then what else do you want?"

"I want the biggest one."

Li Yitong pointed to the half-person-high plush rabbit at the top of the stall. It was pink, with long ears, and could cover half a person when you hugged it.

Shen Mo glanced at the rabbit, then at the stall owner, whose eyes were full of pleading. "Just opened for business, brother, please give me a break!"

Shen Mo smiled, took out his wallet from his pocket, and put two hundred-yuan bills on the stall.

"I'm not going to use a condom, I'll just buy it directly."

The stall owner paused for a moment, then beamed and took the rabbit down, handing it over with both hands.

Li Yitong took the huge pink rabbit, which completely blocked her view, leaving only the top of her head visible.

She lifted the rabbit a little higher, revealing a pair of crescent-shaped eyes peeking out from behind its ears, and called out to Bai Lu, "Mengyan, isn't it cute?"

Bai Lu couldn't help but laugh when she saw Li Yitong surrounded by rabbits. "So cute! The rabbits are cute, but Sister Tong is even cuter!"

"Such a sweet talker?" Li Yitong reached out from behind the rabbit and pinched Bai Lu's cheek. "Did you eat candy?"

"I won't give you any candy even if you eat it! What do you want? I'll have your brother Mo put one on for you."

Bai Lu raised an eyebrow and widened her eyes. "Brother Mo is that amazing? He managed to win such a big gift?"

Shen Mo was taken aback, then raised his chin. "Of course! Don't you know who your brother Mo is?"

"Mmm! Of course Brother Mo is amazing." Bai Lu clasped her hands together, making an admiring expression. "But I won't use a slip, otherwise Brother Mo won't be able to take it off."

"Hmm?" Shen Mo frowned. "What do you mean I can't take any more?"

"Because..." Bai Lu suddenly snatched the rabbit doll from Li Yitong's hand and stuffed it into Shen Mo's arms, then laughed loudly and pulled Li Yitong away.

"You have to help Tongjie carry these, she needs to keep shopping with me!"

Shen Mo paused for a moment, then realized what was happening, shook his head, turned around and beckoned to Wang Zheng, who was not far away, and handed the doll to him. Then, suppressing a laugh, he patted Wang Zheng's shoulder.

"Thanks a lot."

After saying that, he walked quickly toward the two women.

The three continued walking, passing through the bustling crowd. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of roasted chestnuts, the smoky scent of roasted sweet potatoes, and the gunpowder smell of firecrackers, creating a joyful and peaceful atmosphere for the New Year.

When we got to the spring, the crowd had grown larger again.

The water in Baotu Spring was gushing upwards, shimmering with a silvery-white light under the winter sun.

Several lotus lanterns floated on the water; they were released by tourists.

Li Yitong leaned against the railing, looking at the lotus lanterns, and suddenly said, "Make a wish."

Bai Lu stood beside her, holding the candy dog ​​picture in front of her, closed her eyes, and moved her lips a few times, as if saying something.

Shen Mo stood on the other side, not closing his eyes to make a wish. Li Yitong opened her eyes, turned her head to look at him, and asked, "Aren't you going to make a wish?"

Shen Mo shook his head.

Why?

"Because my wish has come true."

Li Yitong was stunned for a moment, then her crescent-shaped eyes curved into smiles. She reached out and pinched his arm, saying, "You smooth talker."

Shen Mo didn't dodge, but smiled at the two of them, "Instead of making a wish here, why don't you make a wish to me? I might be more likely to grant it."

Li Yitong rolled her eyes at him and reached out to link arms with Bai Lu.

Bai Lu opened her eyes upon hearing this, looked sweetly at Shen Mo, and couldn't help but smile.

She held up the candy drawing of a puppy and squinted one eye in the sunlight.

That's great, my wish has come true!

"Let's go," Shen Mo's voice came from ahead. "Let's go over there and see if there are any riddles to solve."

Bai Lu carefully put the sugar painting away and followed after him.

After returning home from the temple fair, dinner was already on the table.

Li's mother's cooking skills have always been solid. Braised pork ribs, steamed sea bass, sweet and sour pork, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, plus a pot of steaming chicken soup, filled the whole table.

Bai Lu sat next to Li Yitong, opposite Shen Mo, and further past Shen's parents.

She remained extremely restrained throughout, only speaking to Li's mother and Shen's mother. Her gaze never even swept over Shen Mo's face, and there wasn't even a chance eye contact.

She poured all her acting skills into this meal, playing the role of a good best friend who traveled a long way to pay New Year's greetings on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Mr. and Mrs. Shen did not notice anything unusual, or rather, they did not pay attention.

Li's mother glanced at Bai Lu a few more times and noticed that the girl was quieter tonight than during the day, but she assumed that she was just tired from shopping at the temple fair and gave her two more pieces of pork ribs.

Bai Lu smiled and took the rice, then lowered her head to eat, not looking up again. She had finally managed to fool both sets of parents.

That night, Bai Lu and Li Yitong lay in the same bed.

Bai Lu and Li Yitong were less than a fist's width apart, the warm, thick blankets pressing down on them.

But Bai Lu couldn't sleep. This feeling, both familiar and strange, kept her brain in a state of subtle excitement.

She turned over, facing Li Yitong, and said, "Sister Tong, thank you."

Li Yitong also turned over, facing Bai Lu sideways. In the darkness, only her expression could be vaguely seen.

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you for letting me stay, thank you for not holding it against me."

Bai Lu's voice was very soft, with a hint of caution.

Li Yitong was silent for a moment, then laughed, "Why should I argue with you? You didn't do anything wrong."

She paused, her tone becoming more serious, "The one who's in the wrong is your brother Mo. If I'm going to hold a grudge, it'll be against him."

Bai Lu's eyelashes trembled. She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Before Shen Mo's accident, she always thought she had hidden it well, that Li Yitong didn't know, and that no one knew.

However, her interactions over those few days told her that Li Yitong had always known, but simply hadn't brought it up.

From then on, she tried her best to avoid Li Yitong, and Li Yitong did not cause her any trouble.

Until recently, Tian Xiwei's situation made her feel that something was different. Tian Xiwei seemed to have developed a deep bond with Shen Mo for no apparent reason.

She suddenly panicked, so she instinctively protected Shen Mo, whom Tian Xiwei was targeting, and instinctively sought out Li Yitong to visit her during the Chinese New Year.

Lying together now, she actually felt calmer.

"Sister Tong, you're so kind."

As Bai Lu spoke, her hand trembled slightly as she reached out and wrapped her arms around Li Yitong's slender waist in the blankets. Then she pressed her entire body against Li Yitong's shoulder and buried her face in the crook of her shoulder.

Li Yitong was caught off guard by her embrace, her body stiffened for a moment, and then slowly relaxed.

"Don't touch me like that," she said, her tone a mix of teasing and warning. "I'm ticklish."

Bai Lu chuckled and lightly touched Li Yitong's waist with her fingertips. The barely perceptible touch sent shivers down Li Yitong's spine.

"Hey! Bai Mengyan!"

She turned over and grabbed Bai Lu's hand, but Bai Lu was prepared and curled up into a ball, laughing so hard she was shaking.

Li Yitong persisted, reaching out to tickle Bai Lu's waist. Bai Lu writhed in the blankets like an eel, her laughter muffled by the covers, turning into low "woo woo woo" sounds.

"Sister Tong, how come you're so strong!"

"I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong! Sister Tong, I was wrong!"

"Too late!"

Li Yitong grabbed her wrist and tickled her waist several times with her other hand. Bai Lu laughed so hard she could hardly breathe, tears welling up in her eyes, and she kept rolling and wriggling in the blanket.

After a long while, both of them were exhausted and lay there side by side, panting heavily.

The bed was a mess, with the sheets crumpled and piled in the middle, and the pillow tilted to one side.

Bai Lu's hair was disheveled and spread messily on the pillow, while Li Yitong's pajamas were askew, revealing a section of her collarbone.

Bai Lu pulled the blanket up tighter and rested her head on Li Yitong's shoulder. Li Yitong didn't push her away; in fact, she adjusted her position to make her more comfortable.

Inside the blankets, the awkwardness and unfamiliarity between the two had vanished, as if a thin layer of ice had shattered during their playful fight.

After a moment of silence, Bai Lu's muffled voice came from Li Yitong's shoulder.

"Sister Tong, what happened to Tian'er?"

Li Yitong's fingers paused for a moment.

"She seems like a completely different person. The soft and gentle Xiaotian from before has suddenly become... hard."

She paused for a long time before finding a suitable adjective: "Hard to speak, hard to act, even the way he looks at people is hard."

Li Yitong was silent for a few seconds, then slowly ran her fingers through Bai Lu's hair.

"She did have some unspeakable disputes with your brother Mo, but I know the details, so you don't need to worry too much."

Bai Lu frowned slightly. She looked up, trying to make out Li Yitong's expression in the darkness.

"No way? Could it be that Brother Mo—"

"What are you thinking about?"

Li Yitong removed her hand from her hair and gave her a precise pinch on the buttocks. "Your brother Mo isn't that much of a beast."

Bai Lu hissed and blushed. Luckily, it was nighttime, so it wasn't noticeable. She shrank back and buried her face in Li Yitong's shoulder again, not daring to look up.

Li Yitong's voice came from above her head, "It's a normal dispute, and your brother Mo is in the wrong."

"However, Tian'er wants to go out and work on her own. On the one hand, she's angry with you, Brother Mo, and on the other hand, it's also part of our business strategy."

"So—" she paused, "don't blame Tian'er, and don't hold a grudge against her."

Bai Lu's body stiffened slightly. She recalled the backstage area of ​​the "Monkey King" premiere, where she and Meng Ziyi had been sarcastically teasing Tian Xiwei.

I felt relieved when I said those words, and I didn't actually confront Tian Xiwei, but now when I think back on them, I still feel uneasy.

Furthermore, I wonder if Shen Mo and Li Yitong heard it at the time? And how much did they hear?

Bai Lu's fingers unconsciously clenched the corner of the blanket. "Sister Tong."

Bai Lu's fingers unconsciously clenched the corner of the blanket. "Sister Tong."

"That day backstage at the premiere..."

Li Yitong reached out and gently patted Bai Lu's back twice. "Don't worry, we don't blame you. After all, you were just doing it for Mo Ge's sake, standing up for him. We understand."

Bai Lu felt a sense of relief, but it was only half-hearted.

"but!"

"Don't do that again."

Li Yitong's tone was not heavy, it could even be described as very light, but it was precisely this lightness that made Bai Lu sense the weight behind it.

Bai Lu buried her face even deeper and gave a muffled "hmm".

The bed fell silent, and a long time passed, so long that Li Yitong thought Bai Lu had fallen asleep.

Bai Lu's voice rang out again, even softer than before, so soft it sounded like she was talking to herself.

"Sister Tong, do you think I'm being childish?"

Li Yitong thought for a moment, then smiled slightly. "A little."

Bai Lu choked for a moment, not expecting her to admit it so readily.

"But being naive isn't a bad thing," Li Yitong continued. "At least what's in your heart is written all over your face."

"No need to guess, no need to be on guard, being with you is never tiring."

She paused, her tone tinged with emotion.

"There aren't many people in this industry who aren't exhausted."

"Moreover, your carefree, lively, and cheerful personality is really quite likable."

Bai Lu didn't say anything, but simply hugged Li Yitong's waist even tighter.

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