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

The two of them lingered in bed for a long time, so long that the sunlight outside the window changed from golden yellow to bright white, so long that Chocolate was running and playing ball downstairs, making a clattering sound.

With her messy hair, Meng Ziyi rubbed against Shen Mo's chest, rolling around in his arms. If she didn't want to stay a little longer, she would have really wanted to go down and beat up Chocolate.

Shen Mo helped her up and leaned against the headboard. Looking at her sleepy eyes, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"What are you laughing at?"

Meng Ziyi looked up and glared at him, but there was no fierceness in her eyes, only a hint of laziness and embarrassment.

"It's nothing."

Shen Mo reached out and tucked her in, his fingertips lightly tracing her collarbone, sending a slight shiver down her spine.

Meng Ziyi's ears turned red again. She turned her face away, threw back the covers, and sat up: "I, I'm going to wash up..."

She jumped off the bed in one stride, but being already weak, she was overwhelmed by the repeated assaults, and as soon as she stepped onto the carpet, her legs almost gave way and she collapsed onto the edge of the bed.

Meng Ziyi pouted and glared at Shen Mo before struggling to her feet and running into the bathroom.

The bathroom door closed gently, and the sound of the showerhead spraying water and Meng Ziyi humming a song could be heard from inside. Shen Mo couldn't make out the tune, but he could hear the barely suppressed joy in her voice.

Shen Mo smiled, got up, and began to tidy the sheets and blankets.

When Meng Ziyi came out of the bathroom, she had already finished washing up. Her hair was tied back with a hairband, and there were still water droplets on her face. Her skin was fair and rosy, like a freshly peeled egg.

She changed into a cream-colored sweater and light blue jeans, looking very clean and refreshing.

"Brother Mo, go wash up. I got you a new toothbrush, the pink one."

Shen Mo raised an eyebrow: "Pink?"

"I only have pink," Meng Ziyi said matter-of-factly. "You'll have to make do."

Shen Mo smiled, said nothing more, and went into the bathroom.

Two cups sat side by side on the washstand, one pink with a cartoon cat printed on it, and the other white with nothing on it.

A new pink toothbrush sat on a white cup. He smiled, picked up the new toothbrush, and began to wash his face.

There were several large characters written on the mirror, clearly written with toothpaste: "Good morning, Brother Mo!", followed by a smiley face.

Shen Mo's smile deepened slightly. He casually dabbed some toothpaste on his hand and wrote a few words next to it: "You too!"

When he finished washing up and came out, Meng Ziyi was already in the kitchen.

She stood in front of the stove, spatula in hand, the oil sizzling in the pan as eggs were added, filling the kitchen with a fragrant aroma.

"You can cook?" Shen Mo leaned against the kitchen door frame, looking at her.

Meng Ziyi didn't even turn his head, his tone carrying a hint of smugness.

"Of course!"

"Tomato and egg stir-fry is my specialty! I know many ways to make it!"

Shen Mo walked over to her. "Is it because all you can make is scrambled eggs with tomatoes?"

She turned around and glared at me fiercely, her lips pouting. "If you say that again, I won't let you eat!"

Shen Mo shut his mouth, walked to the side, and took out two plates.

Meng Ziyi scooped the fried egg onto a plate, toasted two slices of bread, and poured two glasses of milk.

When the two of them sat down at the dining table, sunlight streamed in through the window and fell upon them.

It feels like home!

Meng Ziyi suddenly wished that this moment could slow down infinitely.

"Is it tasty?"

Meng Ziyi watched Shen Mo take a bite of the fried egg, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"tasty."

Shen Mo nodded. The egg yolk was perfectly runny. He wondered if it was Meng Jie's luck or if she had really controlled the heat just right.

Meng Ziyi smiled, her eyes crinkling with laughter. She took a bite of bread and mumbled, "That's good. I was worried it would overcook."

By the time we finished breakfast, it was already noon.

Shen Mo carried the plate into the kitchen. Just as the tap started running, Meng Ziyi squeezed in from the side, her shoulder pressed against his.

"Let's shower together!"

Shen Mo turned his head to look at her, "It's just two plates."

"Then wash it twice."

Meng Ziyi spoke with righteous indignation, slowly swimming his finger across the water and hooking it around his little finger.

Shen Mo smiled, reached out and gently scraped her nose, leaving a trace of dish soap foam.

She kept her head down, her ears were red, and the corners of her mouth were turned up. She didn't touch the plate, but instead rubbed her fingertips against the back of his hand.

"Brother Mo, what are we doing this afternoon?"

Meng Ziyi put the last plate into the cupboard and wiped her hands.

Shen Mo thought for a moment, "What do you want to do?"

Meng Ziyi tilted her head and thought for a long time before her eyes suddenly lit up.

"Let's go see a movie!"

"See a movie?"

"Um!"

Meng Ziyi nodded vigorously, her face filled with excitement.

"I'm watching 'The Mermaid'!"

Shen Mo looked at her, and the corners of his mouth slowly curved up.

"Aren't you embarrassed watching your own movie?"

"It's not embarrassing."

Meng Ziyi said matter-of-factly, "You didn't even come to our roadshow, so you have to come with me."

"Besides, I couldn't concentrate on the roadshow at all. This time, with you here with me, I want to watch it quietly."

Shen Mo nodded. "Alright, let's go then. Let me go and admire Sister Meng's unparalleled acting skills."

Meng Ziyi was so happy she almost jumped for joy. She ran into the bedroom to change into her outdoor clothes. She wore the same creamy white long down jacket, wrapped the scarf around her neck twice, put on a baseball cap with the brim pulled low, wore sunglasses on her nose, and then put on a black face mask.

She stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself, then turned around to look at Shen Mo.

"Can't recognize me, can you?"

Shen Mo examined it carefully for a moment, "I can tell."

"Huh?" Meng Ziyi nervously tugged at her scarf again.

"Because you're so good-looking." Shen Mo said, then laughed first.

Meng Ziyi was stunned for a moment, then her face flushed red, and she reached out and patted his arm.

"Brother Mo, you've gone astray!"

But the smile on her lips was so wide with joy that she couldn't suppress it.

The two of them specially bought seats in the last corner of the couples' section, and only sneaked in after all the lights had dimmed at the start of the show.

Meng Ziyi held the popcorn bucket in her arms and stuffed the popcorn into her mouth one by one, her head looking around alertly.

"Don't worry," Shen Mo said softly, "It's so dark, no one will recognize us."

"I'm not worried about myself, I'm worried about being recognized and it affecting you, Brother Mo."

As Meng Ziyi spoke, she unconsciously leaned closer to Shen Mo.

The movie "The Mermaid" is funny, exaggerated, and has Stephen Chow's unique nonsensical style, making the audience laugh almost non-stop.

Shen Mo glanced at Meng Ziyi, whose profile was illuminated by the light of the screen, her eyes bright.

Shen Mo put his arm around her shoulder, and she looked up with a slight smile on her lips.

Halfway through the movie, Meng Ziyi, who plays the mermaid, poked her head out of the water. Her wet hair clung to her face, and her big, bright eyes instantly attracted the attention of the entire audience.

"Wow……"

"It's so beautiful!"

"Is she prettier or am I prettier?"

"You're beautiful, you're beautiful! Of course, my partner is more beautiful!"

……

Such conversations echoed throughout the theater. It would be fine in a regular theater, but this was a couples' theater, and any guy who dared to exclaim "He's so handsome!" was a true hero.

"it's beautiful!"

"Brother, you're so brave!"

The man in the seat in front of them turned his head slightly and gave a thumbs up. Then he noticed that the man in the back was looking at the woman and speaking. After speaking, he lifted the woman's chin and gave her a deep kiss.

"Holy crap! That's awesome! That's impressive!"

His eyes darted around, and in an instant, he reached out and lifted his girlfriend's chin. "So beautiful!" he exclaimed, before kissing her.

When Meng Ziyi glanced at the commotion in the front row, her ears instantly turned red. She buried her face in Shen Mo's arms and pulled her scarf up.

"They probably won't recognize us anymore!"

Shen Mo reached under the seat and found her hand, then gently took it in his hand.

"Don't worry, from this angle, in this dark weather, he can only see the back of my head."

Meng Ziyi smiled, curled her fingers in his palm for a moment, then slowly unfolded them and grasped his hand in return.

As the movie was about to end, Meng Ziyi pulled Shen Mo to his feet and slipped out from the back again.

As soon as they stepped out, the lights came on, and Meng Ziyi vaguely heard someone praising her acting. She couldn't help but smile.

Meng Ziyi threw the empty popcorn bucket into the trash can, then took Shen Mo's arm, her steps much lighter than when she came.

"Brother Mo, what do you think?" She looked up at him, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"It was very good," Shen Mo said. "You acted very well."

"real?"

"Of course! I think our Sister Meng is going to be a sensation!"

Meng Ziyi nodded seriously, "Yes, I think so too!"

Then she covered her mouth and laughed so hard she bent over.

After watching the movie, although reluctant to leave, Meng Ziyi still boarded the plane to depart.

She took a day off during the roadshow's changeover to visit Shen Mo, and now it's time for her to go back and continue the roadshow.

After watching Meng Ziyi walk into the security checkpoint, Shen Mo turned around and got into Wang Zheng's car when his phone vibrated.

It was a message from Meng Ziyi, a photo of the view from the porthole, the sunset turning the clouds orange-red.

The caption consisted of only two words: "Missing you".

Stephen Chow's film "The Mermaid" was produced by Wang Changtian's fiber optic company. At the time, because the Ink Trace Foundation had made him money, he brought Shen Mo along and got a 25% share of the film.

The release of "The Mermaid" was the most exciting event of the 2016 Spring Festival film season.

none of them.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the box office reached 3.8 million yuan.

The moment that number was released, the entire industry was silent for three seconds, and then it exploded.

3.8 million in box office revenue in just one day!

No domestic film had ever done this before.

The media rewrote their articles, copying and pasting the phrase "record for single-day box office of domestic films" countless times, and their fingers were shaking with excitement when they published them.

Then, on the fourth day, the box office broke one billion, becoming the fastest Chinese film to break one billion.

In its first week, the daily box office revenue remained above 2.3 million yuan for seven consecutive days.

Meng Ziyi rushed to the IMAX theater at Shanghai Huanying Cinema as soon as she got off the plane.

After the end credits finished rolling, everyone was still immersed in the long-awaited Stephen Chow-style comedy, and the lights in the theater were not turned on as usual.

The safety doors on both sides suddenly opened, and two beams of light landed with a "snap".

A group of people came out.

The audience was stunned for a moment, then erupted in thunderous cheers and applause.

It was directed by Stephen Chow, and starred Deng Chao, Meng Ziyi, Luo Zhixiang, Zhang Yuqi and other actors.

The audience had no idea that the movie tickets they had randomly bought would contain such a surprise.

"Wow! Stephen Chow!"

"Brother Chao! You're so handsome!"

Among them, the loudest shouts were undoubtedly directed at Meng Ziyi.

"Sister Meng! Sister Meng!"

"Ziyi! You're so beautiful!"

This movie became a huge hit, and Meng Ziyi felt it most acutely.

At the premiere, although some people in the audience called out their own names, most of the calls were for Stephen Chow and Deng Chao.

Although she had previously starred in some hit TV movies, such as "A Little Reunion", "Twenty Your Life On", and "Goodbye Mr. Loser", she was basically the second female lead, and could only be said to have a certain level of popularity.

However, four days after the release of "The Mermaid," the audience cheering for their names has become an overwhelming force, almost drowning out the rest of the audience.

"Hello everyone, we are the creative team behind 'The Mermaid,' and I am Stephen Chow."

A simple greeting instantly silenced the entire room.

Stephen Chow's hair is already in his fifties, one hand is in his pocket, and the other hand is loosely holding a microphone.

"Thank you all for supporting our movie. We hope this movie will bring you joy during the Spring Festival."

"I love it!" A middle-aged man in the audience shouted, raising his hands to his mouth to make a megaphone shape, which made the whole audience laugh.

Stephen Chow couldn't help but laugh, "I'm glad you like it. I was worried that people wouldn't be able to accept my nonsensical style of film."

After Stephen Chow, as the director, gave a brief opening speech, the main creative team then began interacting with the audience.

When it was Meng Ziyi's turn, an audience member stood up and asked, "Before I came here, a friend told me that he thought this movie was vulgar, but I laughed a lot after watching it. I'd like to ask Ziyi what your feelings were about this movie?"

Meng Ziyi took the microphone, thought for a moment, and answered seriously.

"I think it's wrong to say that this movie is vulgar."

"I think this movie isn't just vulgar, it's childish."

"Vulgarity belongs to adults, childishness belongs to children."

"Although the movie uses some jokes that may seem vulgar, it shows the adult world to everyone."

"But as the story unfolds, the Little Mermaid awakens the dormant child within the male protagonist, and also awakens his conscience that has not yet been extinguished."

"I think this childlike naiveté is precisely the vitality and charm of our film."

"I think Stephen Chow probably wanted to tell us something through The Little Mermaid."

"What's the use of having so much money if there isn't even a single drop of clean water left in the world?"

"This childlike simplicity of understanding stands in stark contrast to the dirty world of adults."

"I think this is probably why everyone likes this movie and Stephen Chow. There are too many adults in this world, and too few people who can tell us fairy tales and let us be innocent children for two hours without feeling guilty."

"Besides, you said yourself that you laughed a lot after watching it. So, isn't it the best feedback that our comedy film made everyone laugh?"

After the question was answered, the entire room was silent for two seconds.

Then, applause erupted from the corner and quickly spread throughout the entire theater.

Zhou Xingxing stood beside Meng Ziyi, a faint smile of satisfaction on his lips.

Deng Chao chimed in from the side, "Ziyi's words are so insightful, I'm speechless."

The audience burst into laughter again.

A girl then asked, "This movie made you a huge star. How did you become a 'Stephen Chow Girl'?"

Meng Ziyi smiled upon hearing this, then turned and bowed slightly to Stephen Chow, "Of course, I'm grateful to our Master Chow for selecting and nurturing me, giving me this opportunity."

"Of course, I also want to thank Brother Mo for giving me this opportunity."

Stephen Chow raised his microphone and nodded, "Ziyi is a very excellent actress."

"As a mermaid, many of her scenes are underwater, making her arguably the person in the entire cast who has the most underwater scenes."

"And we were filming in winter, it was extremely cold."

"I even doubted at the time, could she, such a delicate girl with such a fragile body, handle it?"

"As it turns out, she surprised me."

"She never complained once. She even went to the hospital a few times during filming, but when she came back, she just quietly continued filming and never complained."

"So even if she hadn't starred in this movie and wasn't a Stephen Chow girl, Ziyi would definitely have become a huge star. She deserves it."

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