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

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At 11 p.m., Shen Mo's door was suddenly opened.

With a "click," the door was pushed open instantly, and a figure darted in, completing the entire sequence in one smooth motion.

Shen Mo had just finished washing up and was wearing a bathrobe. The steaming heat left a small dark water stain at the collar.

He stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a glass of red wine, admiring the city's night view.

The sudden noise of the door startled him, and he instinctively turned around. An unexpected yet predictable figure appeared in the doorway.

Bai Lu was wearing a black down jacket, and the tip of her nose was red from the cold.

Upon seeing Shen Mo's attire, her eyes instantly brightened several degrees, and she quickly took off her down jacket and tossed it onto the coat rack by the door.

Then, like a cannonball being launched, she rushed straight towards him, bent her legs, jumped, and hung on Shen Mo's body.

Her arms were wrapped around his neck, her legs were tightly wrapped around his back, and she clung to him like a koala.

Then she buried her red, frostbitten face in Shen Mo's neck, her nose pressed against his still-wet skin after his shower, and took a deep breath of the warm scent of his shower gel.

"hiss--!"

Shen Mo was knocked back several steps by her, but he managed to regain his balance. Just as he stood up, he felt a cold, tingling sensation on his neck.

"Brother Mo, I miss you."

Bai Lu's voice was muffled, and soft, sweet words came from the crook of his neck.

Shen Mo reached out and supported her bottom to prevent her from slipping down. She smelled nice, so it was clear that she had just taken a shower before coming here.

"We live so close, I can't bear to see you alone in your room!"

Bai Lu lifted her head from the crook of his neck, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him, and added confidently.

Shen Mo looked down at her, a slow smile curving his lips into a helpless expression. "How did you get my room key?"

Bai Lu chuckled, her eyes narrowing into two crescent moons, and spoke with a hint of smugness.

"I asked Zheng Ge to go downstairs and get me a spare card beforehand."

Shen Mo raised an eyebrow. "You're out so late? Don't your parents say anything?"

Bai Lu tilted her head and smiled like a cat that had stolen a fish. "I had already finished washing up and was lying in bed. I only sneaked out after they fell asleep."

"Then don't go back!"

"I don't want to go home tonight!"

The two spoke almost simultaneously. Bai Lu paused for a second, then a bright smile spread across her face.

Shen Mo smiled and kissed her directly. Bai Lu wrapped her arms around Shen Mo's neck and they intertwined.

When they parted, Bai Lu's face turned bright red, burning from the base of her neck all the way to the tips of her ears.

The body in his arms, which had been chilly just moments before, was now burning hot; Shen Mo could clearly feel her body temperature rise several degrees.

"Brother Mo," Bai Lu stared directly into Shen Mo's eyes, "your heart is beating so fast."

Shen Mo smiled slightly. "Oh? And you?"

Bai Lu's eyes darted around, and she reached out and grabbed Shen Mo's hand, gently placing it in front of her.

"Why don't you, Brother Mo, feel my heartbeat for yourself?"

Shen Mo looked at her, and a meaningful smile slowly appeared on his lips.

"You've lost weight."

"Ah!" Bai Lu exclaimed, her eyelashes trembling slightly as a tingling sensation suddenly swept over her as the buttons on her chest were undone.

She wrapped her arms around his neck again, leaned close to his ear, and whispered softly.

"Brother Mo, it's time for your midnight snack."

Shen Mo placed his hand on her waist, pulling her closer to him, and pressed his lips against her earlobe.

"I really like this late-night snack."

Shen Mo supported her body and moved her from the living room towards the bedroom.

Bai Lu clung to him, her face buried in his shoulder, her breath rapid and hot, pressing against his skin.

Only the bedside lamp was on in the bedroom, its light seeping through the crack in the bedroom door, spreading a warm yellow strip of light across the living room floor, like some kind of silent guidance.

As she entered the bedroom, Bai Lu lifted her head from his shoulder, her gaze sweeping over the neatly made bed, her ears turning even redder.

Even after Shen Mo placed her on the bed, her legs still refused to open.

The straps on her shoulders had slipped to one side, revealing her fair collarbone with a soft glow under the light.

Do you like it?

Shen Mo gently kissed her collarbone. "You've lost weight; you could raise fish in that weight."

The tingling sensation made Bai Lu's hand freeze instantly, and then she slowly moved in front of Shen Mo and lifted the bathrobe that she had been eyeing for a long time.

She loves Shen Mo's abs the most.

Shen Mo skillfully placed his hands behind Bai Lu's back. She sensibly lifted her waist and back, and in an instant, the restraints were gone, making Bai Lu's face even redder.

"You've definitely lost weight." Shen Mo gestured with his palm.

As the familiar touch and body temperature brushed against her, Bai Lu's breath hitched, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her body hairs stood on end, giving rise to a cute shiver.

She couldn't tell if she was nervous or had been looking forward to it for too long.

"Cold?" Shen Mo asked.

Bai Lu shook her head, biting her lip lightly, "It's not cold...it's very comfortable."

Shen Mo's lips curved slightly as he kissed her delicate pink lips, his hands exploring the familiar yet unknown mysteries with each movement.

With a soft groan, Bai Lu's waist tensed subconsciously.

"Brother Mo," Bai Lu said, her eyes glazed over and her voice slightly unsteady, "I'm so happy."

Her lips slowly curved into a smile, and her eyes sparkled with starlight.

She leaned forward, their foreheads touching, their breaths mingling.

Then he reached out and hooked his neck, his fingertips touching the skin on the back of his neck, where the temperature was surprisingly high.

"Brother Mo, I've already brought you a late-night snack, and you're eating so elegantly. Don't you like it?"

"Xiao Mengyan! Are you provoking me?!"

"But there will be a price to pay for this!"

Suddenly! Bai Lu's fingers gripped Shen Mo's taut back tightly, her fingertips turning white, and several bright red marks appeared on Shen Mo's back.

Bai Lu glanced at Shen Mo with seductive eyes and bit her lip lightly.

"Is this the price Brother Mo mentioned?"

A mischievous smile crept across Shen Mo's lips, his competitive spirit ignited. "Bai Mengyan, you'll regret this!"

As they spoke, Shen Mo's burning gaze swept over her eyebrows and eyes, and his hand slowly slid from her waist to her back, pressing her even closer to himself.

It started raining on a winter night in Changzhou.

The cold wind howled past the window, swirling and howling.

It swept the withered leaves into the sky and pounded the rain into the ground with a pattering sound.

The rain curtain was torn into streaks of white by the wind, flying horizontally, slashing diagonally, and blowing backward.

The intense rhythm felt like it was going to shatter the whole world.

Inside the room, Bai Lu's breathing became rapid and hot, her eyelashes trembled incessantly, and her small mouth opened and closed unconsciously in rhythm.

She tried to speak, but the sound of rain outside the window was too loud.

The sound was so loud that it swallowed up all the surrounding sounds, leaving only the pattering of raindrops hitting the windowpane, echoing throughout the room.

Shen Mo leaned down, and Bai Lu watched his face get closer and closer until all she could see in her world was his warm breath.

At this moment, her mind was blank, with only a tingling and fulfilling sensation continuously assaulting her brain.

Those eyes were moist and bright, filled with longing, shimmering with the image of Shen Mo.

A slight curve appeared at the corner of her eye, and affection welled up from the depths of her eyes.

She can't hide it, and she doesn't want to.

Perhaps the wind was too strong, the rain too heavy, or perhaps she was too inexperienced and timid.

Amidst the swaying wind and rain, her fair skin had begun to flush with a thin layer of red.

The color gradually spread, from the cheekbones to the earlobes, and then down the skin of the neck.

Although the air conditioning was on, the chill of winter still enveloped her, yet her body temperature seemed to have suddenly risen by half a degree.

Even her skin, which was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, had a faint pinkish hue.

Bai Lu suddenly felt that this rain was a good thing.

She wanted the storm to last longer and come on stronger.

……

As the clouds dispersed and the rain ceased, Bai Lu quietly curled up in Shen Mo's arms, her eyes brimming with tears and her cheeks still red and brimming with moisture.

"Brother Mo, you really don't know how to cherish women."

She stared with those watery, affectionate eyes, pouting, her skin flushed.

"It's already mid-month!"

"Who provoked her first?" Shen Mo's hand landed on her waist and gently squeezed it.

Then he took a deep breath on her neck. "Who said it wasn't enough, and asked me if I wasn't full?"

"Besides, don't you like it?"

Bai Lu opened her mouth, her tone instantly softening, "I like you."

"But……"

"Brother Mo, you can't just go on a rampage like that!"

Bai Lu rolled her eyes. "Sustainable development is being promoted now."

Shen Mo couldn't help but laugh and gently kissed her cheek.

"That's because you're too thin. If you were a little thinner, it would be much better."

"Hmph!" Bai Lu snorted and pouted. "It took me so long to lose weight."

"So, Brother Mo, do you think I look better when I'm fat or thin?"

She shrank back, pressing her back tightly against his chest; any gap, even the slightest, would be too cold in the dead of winter.

Shen Mo reached out and brushed aside her stray hairs. "You look good no matter what."

"You're good at saying nice things," she said sullenly, pouting, but her words carried a hint of amusement.

"So you don't like listening to it?"

"I love listening to this." Bai Lu closed her eyes, her lips slightly parted. "I love listening to whatever you say."

Bai Lu reached out and grabbed Shen Mo's hand, which was resting on her waist, and gently placed it in front of her, letting him feel her sincerity.

Shen Mo could clearly feel her heartbeat accelerating, thump, thump, thump, faster and faster.

He gently placed his chin on Bai Lu's shoulder, and their faces pressed together.

From this angle, one can just see a glimpse of the view from the neckline of the blanket in front of her, and the fine beads of sweat on her skin below her collarbone gleam delicately in the dim, yellowish light.

Suddenly, a strange sensation came from him, and Shen Mo couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Brother Mo, are you still not satisfied?"

She boldly seized control of Shen Mo's weakness.

"How about I help you?"

A slight smile appeared on Shen Mo's lips as he gently flicked the button with his fingertips.

"So how do you want to help me?"

Bai Lu wriggled around in the blanket for a few moments, then turned over to face Shen Mo.

With a quick flick of her wrist, she tied her disheveled hair into a ponytail at the back of her head, then slowly shrank into the blankets.

……

The next morning, golden light shone through the gap in the curtains and fell directly on Bai Lu's eyelids.

She wrinkled her nose, instinctively snuggled closer to Shen Mo, buried her face in his chest, and tried to avoid the light.

Shen Mo's arms were wrapped around her waist. He was still asleep, his breathing even and long.

With her eyes closed, every detail of their embrace last night replayed clearly in her mind, so clearly that her ears began to burn again.

Bai Lu secretly opened one eye, raised her head, and saw Shen Mo's face was inches away.

As he slept, most of the sharpness between his brows dissipated, his eyelashes drooped, his lips were slightly pursed, and his breath gently escaped from his nostrils, carrying a warm and reassuring scent.

She stared at him for several seconds, then couldn't help but reach out her finger and touch his eyelashes very lightly. The moment her fingertip touched him, Shen Mo's eyelashes trembled slightly. Bai Lu quickly withdrew her hand, closed her eyes, and pretended to be asleep.

"Awake?" Shen Mo's voice was hoarse from just waking up.

Bai Lu couldn't keep up the act any longer. She opened her eyes and met his gaze. The corners of his mouth curved into a slight, handsome smile.

"When did Brother Mo wake up?"

"When you touched my eyelashes."

Bai Lu's face instantly turned bright red, and she buried her face back into his chest. "You're pretending to be asleep!"

"No, I just woke up." Shen Mo's hand moved from her waist to the back of her head, his fingers running through her hair, slowly combing it. "I felt someone touching me, so I woke up."

Bai Lu didn't speak, but buried her face even deeper, her ears turning even redder.

Shen Mo smiled. "What time is it?"

Bai Lu reached out from under the covers, touched her phone on the bedside table, and glanced at it with half-closed eyes. "8:40."

"It's still early, I'll lie down a bit longer."

"Mmm." Bai Lu pulled her hands back under the covers and hugged Shen Mo's waist again.

Beneath the blankets lay the warmth of two intertwined bodies, so comforting that one didn't want to move. The light filtering through the curtains moved slowly, from her eyelids to the pillow, and then to the crook of Shen Mo's shoulder.

After a long while, Bai Lu felt like she had taken another nap before she groggily asked, "Brother Mo, are you going to Chongqing today?"

Shen Mo's fingers stopped in her hair. "Mmm."

Bai Lu lifted her head from his chest. The morning light fell on her face, softening her features. Gone was the clingy coquettishness of last night; instead, her expression was clear and earnest.

I want to go too.

Shen Mo looked at her without saying a word.

Afraid that he would refuse, Bai Lu quickly raised three fingers from under the covers, her expression solemn as if she were making a vow.

"I swear, I will never argue with Tian'er."

"I won't say a word more than necessary. I'll say whatever you tell me to say, and I'll shut up if you don't tell me to speak. I can even help you persuade her."

Shen Mo looked into her eyes. "Aren't you afraid she'll bring up the past? It seems like you two didn't have a good time backstage at the premiere last time."

Bai Lu pursed her lips. "I'm scared."

She honestly replied, "But I was the one who started those things, so it was my fault."

"If she criticizes me, I'll listen; if she insults me, I'll endure it. If she hits me..."

Shen Mo raised an eyebrow.

"I'm running away." Bai Lu chuckled. "I promise I won't fight back."

Shen Mo couldn't help but laugh when he saw her like that. "You might not be able to beat her."

Bai Lu was a little annoyed by his laughter, so she reached out and patted his chest. "What are you laughing at! I'm serious!"

Shen Mo grasped her hand, his fingers threading through hers, their fingers intertwined. "Are you sure you want to go? It's the Lunar New Year, what about your parents' situation?"

"I told them I was going to Hehe's house for a couple of days."

"They won't ask any more questions."

Shen Mo was silent for a few seconds, then nodded. "Okay."

Bai Lu's eyes lit up instantly. She jumped out of bed and pounced on Shen Mo, wrapping her arms around his neck and rubbing her face against his several times.

"I knew it, Brother Mo is the best!"

Shen Mo was pinned to the bed by her. He reached out and hugged her waist, pulling the blanket over her tightly. "Keep it down, don't catch a cold."

"Also, don't get too excited. When you get to Chongqing, you'll have to listen to me."

"Listen! I'll listen to anything!" Bai Lu smiled, her eyes crinkling.

"If you tell me to go east, I won't go west; if you tell me to stand, I won't sit; if you tell me to shut up, I'll even hold my breath."

Shen Mo reached out and flicked her nose. "Alright, pack up, we're catching the noon flight."

Bai Lu's eyes darted around, and she kissed him on the lips, her eyes brimming with affection.

"Brother Mo, it's still early, how about..."

Shen Mo reached out and pinched her butt. "Didn't you say it was swollen last night? Now you have energy again?"

Bai Lu twisted her body, reached out and grabbed the handle, then sat down.

Her face flushed instantly, and she chuckled as she leaned into Shen Mo's arms.

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