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

December 31, 2011, evening.

The winter in the capital is bitterly cold, and your breath turns to frost, but the rented room in Zaojunmiao is warm as spring.

The kitchen was filled with an irresistible aroma as Shen Mo, wearing his familiar dark gray apron, methodically prepared the New Year's Eve feast.

The pot was simmering with Li Yitong's favorite braised pork, the broth thick and glossy red.

Li Yitong, on the other hand, was like a busy and happy little bee, circling around Shen Mo.

One moment she'd sneak a bite of freshly cooked sweet and sour pork ribs, the next she'd suddenly shove her icy hands into the back of his neck to warm them up.

This prompted Shen Mo to let out a helpless growl, and she giggled and ran away.

There were no grand parties, no noisy social engagements, just a quiet and cozy space that belonged only to the two of them.

"Shen Mo, Shen Mo! Look out the window!"

Standing by the window, Li Yitong pointed to the scattered lights beginning to illuminate the city and exclaimed excitedly, "The New Year is almost here!"

Shen Mo dried his hands, walked to her side, and looked out the window at the deepening night with her.

The first six months after my rebirth were thrilling yet fruitful.

With an initial victory in the financial market, the entertainment industry is quietly unfolding, and by his side stands the woman he lost and regained.

"Um."

He responded softly, his voice carrying a sense of calm and satisfaction that came after weathering many storms.

Dinner was served as Li Yitong's favorite home-cooked meal, with generous portions and a delicious aroma and color.

The two sat facing each other, opened a bottle of red wine, and their glasses clinked gently.

"What should we celebrate?"

Li Yitong bit the rim of her cup, her crescent-shaped eyes thoughtful.

"celebrate……"

Shen Mo looked at her, his gaze deep.

"Celebrating that we're all here, celebrating... that this is just the beginning."

"Well said!"

Li Yitong nodded vigorously, tilted her head back and took a small sip, her face quickly flushing red.

"Congratulations to General Manager Shen on making a fortune!"

"Congratulations to Sister Li... uh, President Li, on your upcoming starring role in an epic drama!"

"We should also celebrate..."

She paused, her voice softening, and looked at him with tender eyes.

"Celebrating that we've spent New Year's Eve together again."

There was a weight in those words that only the two of them understood.

Having transcended life and death, time and space, we stand side by side once again on the threshold of age.

After dinner, the two snuggled on the sofa, covered with the same blanket, casually watching the noisy New Year's Eve gala on TV.

Li Yitong's toes restlessly tucked under Shen Mo's legs to keep warm, and her head rested on his shoulder.

"Shen Mo, tell me... what will we be like this time next year?"

Her voice was slightly slurred, carrying the languor of someone who had just finished drinking red wine.

"next year?"

Shen Mo felt the weight on his shoulders, his gaze falling on the flickering lights and shadows on the television screen.

"Next year, the ink marks will take root even deeper."

"Our drama 'My Love from the Star' should have finished filming, or it might be airing now, which will make many people remember us."

"You'll become even more famous; people might already be calling you 'Teacher Li'."

"And what about you?"

Li Yitong raised her head, rested her chin on his shoulder, and looked at him closely.

"I?"

Shen Mo looked down at her, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"I'll continue to be the one behind you... well, beside you, the one who sets the stage for you."

"That's more like it."

Li Yitong leaned back with satisfaction, muttering to herself.

"You can't leave me alone on stage..."

On the television, a huge countdown display was projected onto the screen, merging with the faint sounds of laughter coming from afar, striking one's eardrums and heart.

"ten!"

Li Yitong suddenly sat up straight, her eyes surprisingly clear, and subconsciously gripped Shen Mo's hand tightly, her fingertips slightly cool.

"Nine!"

Shen Mo also grabbed her hand in return, his grip firm, his warm palm completely enveloping her slightly cool fingers.

"eight!"

His gaze shifted from the television screen to her profile, which was so close to his, and he noticed her eyelashes trembling slightly with nervousness.

"seven!"

The shouts outside the window grew clearer and clearer, as if the entire city was holding its breath for this moment.

"six!"

Li Yitong seemed to sense his gaze and suddenly turned her head to look at him.

"five!"

Their eyes met suddenly in the air, entwined, as if an invisible current was passing through them.

"Four!"

The countdown numbers danced and shrank in their pupils.

"three!"

The sounds of the world seemed to fade away, leaving only the increasingly clear beating of our hearts, pounding like drums in the silent room.

"two!"

An emotion that has spanned two lifetimes and been suppressed for too long is surging and searching for an outlet at this critical juncture of transition.

"one!"

Li Yitong's lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

"Happy New Year--!"

Shen Mo looked at his reflection in her eyes, feeling the surging torrent of emotions deep within his heart.

My consistent rationality and restraint.

At this very second.

Collapse...

Shen Mo lowered his head and kissed her lips precisely and irresistibly.

Li Yitong's eyes suddenly widened, her mind went blank, and all the blood in her body seemed to rush to her head.

She could feel the warmth of his lips, carrying a hint of red wine aroma.

And an unmistakable, long-suppressed, fervent emotion.

This is neither a superficial attempt nor a half-hearted effort.

This is a declaration, a confirmation.

A journey that transcends life and death, time and space.

The mark that has finally landed at this moment.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

The noise outside the window, the programs on TV...

All sounds were reduced to a blurred background noise.

All that remained in the world was the warmth passed between lips and teeth and their disordered breathing.

this kiss.

The despair and resentment of parting in the elevator in the previous life lingered.

The joy and elation of reuniting under the ginkgo tree in this lifetime.

And the dependence that has accompanied us through countless days and nights, and the love that has long been ingrained in our bones.

After an unknown amount of time, Shen Mo slowly raised his head, their foreheads touching.

His breathing was heavy, and his deep eyes were churning with an intense emotion he had never felt before, an emotion that was almost suffocating.

Li Yitong's cheeks were as red as fire, and her crescent-shaped eyes were misty and sparkling.

She was slightly out of breath, seemingly still reeling from that sudden, earth-shattering kiss.

"...Happy New Year, Yukiko."

Shen Mo's voice was terribly hoarse, yet possessed an unprecedented magnetism; every word struck her heart.

Li Yitong looked at him, at the undisguised love in his eyes.

A surge of immense happiness and bittersweetness welled up within me at the same time; my nose tingled, and tears rolled down my cheeks without warning.

She hugged him tightly, buried her face in the crook of his neck, and responded with a sob in her voice, yet with unparalleled clarity.

Happy New Year... Shen Mo.

The first kiss, which had been intertwined for two lifetimes, finally settled at this point of transition between the old and the new.

Outside the window, everyone is celebrating, marking the start of a new year.

Inside the window, they were inseparable, a beginning that had come far too late for the two of them.