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

A small building lit up with warm yellow lights in the twilight.

Li Yitong, holding Tian Xiwei's hand, stood unhurriedly across the street, her gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the exit of the small building.

Tian Xiwei's heart was pounding like a rabbit's, filled with both anticipation and nervousness.

Her little hand unconsciously clenched Li Yitong's fingers, staring intently at the glass door.

Just then, the glass door opened, and a familiar tall figure walked out.

Shen Mo was wearing a dark gray wool coat and was talking to a person wearing a baseball cap.

Li Yitong could clearly feel the little hand holding her tighten instantly.

Almost at the same time, Shen Mo seemed to sense something and raised his head to look around.

When his gaze fell upon Li Yitong and Tian Xiwei standing side by side, a flash of astonishment crossed his eyes.

Li Yitong clearly caught the fleeting shock on his face.

It was an unbelievable sight of a combination that should never have appeared in this place at the same time, a sense of temporal and spatial dislocation.

He really didn't know that Tian Xiwei had come to the capital.

The last trace of doubt in Li Yitong's heart dissipated.

"Brother Mo!"

Tian Xiwei didn't think too much about it. She exclaimed with surprise and instinctively tried to break free from Li Yitong's hand and rush over.

Li Yitong gently pulled her back, shook her head lightly, and gestured for her to calm down.

Shen Mo quickly whispered something to the director beside him, who nodded and left first.

He then strode over to them.

His gaze first swept over Li Yitong's calm face with a questioning tone, before landing on Tian Xiwei, whose cheeks were flushed with excitement.

"Oda?"

His voice sounded fairly steady, but the slightest tension in the last syllable did not escape Li Yitong's ears.

"What are you doing here?"

He then looked at Li Yitong, "How...did you two end up together?"

"Brother Mo!"

Tian Xiwei called out cheerfully again, eager to answer, with a hint of boastfulness.

"I came to my cousin's house to play! My cousin Tongtong took me out! We even went to your school and ate super delicious ice cream!"

Shen Mo frowned immediately, his eyes full of questions as he looked at Li Yitong.

Li Yitong met his gaze, smiled calmly, and her crescent-shaped eyes curved upwards.

"Yes, I ran into Xiaotian at the company's front desk."

"She said she came to see you, but I couldn't find you, so I took her out for a walk to familiarize her with the surroundings."

She paused, then her smile deepened, tinged with a hint of mockery.

"What, Mr. Shen, don't you welcome our little ones' visit?"

Shen Mo gave Li Yitong a deep look, his gaze complex and unreadable, containing a hint of inquiry, helplessness, and a knowing sigh.

He turned his gaze back to Tian Xiwei, who was looking at him expectantly, and softened his tone.

"When did you arrive? Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

"Just arrived yesterday!"

Seeing his gentle tone, Tian Xiwei became bolder and started chattering away.

"I wanted to surprise you!"

"And Tongtong is such a nice person. She took me to so many places and told me so many stories about your school days!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo's lips twitched slightly. He could almost imagine what Li Yitong had "explained."

He looked at Li Yitong again, but she just blinked innocently, as if to say, "I'm helping you take care of the kids."

Shen Mo looked at the two women in front of him, both of whom were of great significance to him.

One is his childhood sweetheart, whom he vowed to protect after his rebirth, and whose feelings for him have long surpassed friendship. She is looking at him with a slightly cunning expression.

The other is an "old friend" he owed in his past life, whom he wanted to keep his distance from in this life, but who unexpectedly appeared and is looking at him with eyes full of trust and admiration.

The threads of fate have been stirred up by Li Yitong.

"Let's go."

Shen Mo sighed softly, breaking the delicate silence first, his voice regaining its usual calmness.

"It's getting late, let us take you home first."

He looked at Tian Xiwei, "Where does your cousin live?"

The car drove smoothly through the evening rush hour traffic, and a strange atmosphere filled the interior.

Tian Xiwei sat in the back row, still feeling excited.

Her little mouth chattered incessantly, asking Li Yitong one moment and Shen Mo the next, like a happy little sparrow.

Besides replying to Tian Xiwei, Shen Mo's gaze was mostly fixed on Li Yitong, who was quietly looking out the window from the passenger seat.

The lines of her profile appeared somewhat blurred in the city lights, carrying a calmness he couldn't quite decipher.

Finally, they safely delivered Tian Xiwei to her cousin's apartment building.

The little girl reluctantly got off the car, clinging to the window, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Shen Mo.

"Brother Mo, can I still come to see you tomorrow?"

Shen Mo paused, glanced at Li Yitong who was smiling silently to the side, and finally nodded.

"Um."

The tone wasn't particularly warm, but it didn't refuse either.

"That's great! Thank you, Brother Mo! Goodbye, Sister Tongtong!"

Tian Xiwei was very satisfied and skipped into the building entrance.

Only after the petite white figure disappeared from sight did Shen Mo slowly roll up the car window.

The car fell silent instantly, shut out from the noise outside.

He didn't start the car immediately; his long, slender fingers rested casually on the steering wheel, and his gaze shifted to the passenger seat.

"Yukiko."

"Aren't you going to explain?"

Li Yitong slowly turned her head, her face still bearing that innocent yet slightly sly smile, her crescent-shaped eyes shining brightly in the dim light.

"What's there to explain? I bumped into a child, so I showed her around your alma mater out of kindness. What's wrong with that?"

Shen Mo stared at her, trying to see through her feigned nonchalance.

"You know what I'm talking about."

"How did she find the company? And how did you happen to be with her, and even happen to be waiting for me at the Beijing Film Academy?"

"It's fate."

Li Yitong shrugged, her tone relaxed, but the emotions in her eyes were unfathomable.

"That young girl had your business card in her hand, mustered up the courage to come to the company alone, but hesitated to go in. I felt sorry for her, so I took it back."

"As for the Beijing Film Academy... isn't that a place you frequent?"

"I took her shopping to try my luck, who knew we'd be so lucky."

She downplayed the issue, attributing the carefully planned "chance encounter" entirely to vague notions of "fate" and "luck."

Shen Mo remained silent for a moment, then suddenly leaned closer, exuding an invisible sense of pressure.

Li Yitong's breathing became slightly labored, but she still forced herself to meet his gaze without backing down.

"Yukiko."

His voice was very low, carrying a hint of helplessness and inquiry.

"What exactly do you want to do?"

Li Yitong's heart clenched suddenly.

She looked into those eyes so close to hers and saw her own slightly tense face clearly reflected in them.

What does she want to do?

She just wanted to confirm and see his reaction to this "accident".

She just wanted to keep this sudden intrusion under her control.

"I don't want to do anything."

She finally turned her head slightly to avoid his overly direct gaze, and her voice softened.

"I just feel that some things can't be avoided."

"Now that she's here, instead of letting her wander around like a headless fly, or catching you off guard, I'd rather guide her."

She looked at him again, her eyes becoming serious.

"Shen Mo, she is not Tian Xiwei, the one who is going to marry you."

"She's just a fourteen-year-old girl, perhaps a little girl who has developed a slight liking for you because of the help you gave her."

"However, your attitude towards her will truly determine the future course of this matter."

Shen Mo stared at her, seemingly trying to discern the truth or falsehood in her words, as well as the deeper meaning behind them.

After a while, he slowly sat back in the driver's seat.

Start the car and merge into the traffic.

"I know she isn't."

"Yeah?"

Li Yitong looked at the lights rushing past the window, her tone unfocused.

"But Shen Mo, fate can be very stubborn sometimes."

"The more you try to push it away, the more it might pull you together."

Just like in her past life, she tried so hard, but in the end, she could only watch helplessly as he walked towards someone else.

Shen Mo tightened his grip on the steering wheel, but did not answer.

Li Yitong didn't say anything more.