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

As Yang Tianzhen left, the door to the practice room clicked shut.

The moment the door closed, the tense atmosphere inside dissipated instantly.

The girls relaxed almost simultaneously, and the proper posture they had tried so hard to maintain during the meeting vanished completely.

Bai Mengyan was the first to give up, collapsing forward without any regard for her image.

With a soft thud, he collapsed onto the table, one hand under his head, his eyes blankly staring at the people around him.

Then he let out a very real sigh.

"Oh my... finally finished!"

"My tailbone is stiff from sitting so long, and half of my butt is almost numb..."

As he spoke, he casually rubbed his lower back with his other hand, and this undisguised laziness immediately infected Meng Ziyi next to him.

She chuckled at Bai Mengyan's exaggerated body language and nudged her lightly with her elbow.

But his eyes gleamed with barely suppressed excitement, and he deliberately lowered his voice.

"It's a custom-produced drama!"

"Do you think it could be one of those... where the five of us act together, and the story revolves around the male lead, a love story that's passionate, earth-shattering, and deeply tragic?"

As she spoke, she herself was amused by the absurdity of the idea.

She covered her mouth and giggled, her shoulders shaking.

The conversation changed so quickly that Tian Xi, who was quietly rummaging through her small handbag, paused slightly.

She took a packet of beef jerky out of her bag and looked up.

With a deft "rip," I tore open the packaging, popped a piece into my mouth, and my cheeks immediately puffed out.

"Sister Meng, this is way too melodramatic! And can you be a little more realistic?"

She extended her slightly oily finger and made a cursory gesture.

"You two are seventeen, and the three of us are fourteen or fifteen. What are you doing filming those melodramatic love stories at this age? What teacher would allow you to date so young?"

"Why not?"

Meng Ziyi's little mouth was pouting so high it could hold an oil bottle.

Unconvinced, he pulled out his phone, his fingers flying across Weibo, and skillfully scrolled up and down Shen Mo's page.

I really want to be in a relationship!

Tian Xiwei ignored her wild fantasies and passed the bag of beef jerky to either side.

"I'm starving, let me grab something to eat first."

Instead of thinking about all that, let's think about where we should go for some barbecue later.

The bag of snacks was handed to Wang Churan, who was standing next to him.

Wang Churan slightly raised her delicate chin, a hint of resistance flashing in her eyes.

Her voice was clear and cold, without any emotion.

"No need, thank you."

She paused, then added, "My mom won't let me eat these. She says they're high in calories and have a lot of additives, which are bad for my skin and figure."

After saying that, her gaze lingered briefly on a few faint pimples on Tian Xiwei's cheek, her tone carrying a hint of "for your own good" advice.

"If you eat these every day, your acne will probably be even harder to clear up."

"Be careful, or you might not be in good condition and get returned by Boss Yang."

"Click..."

Tian Xiwei abruptly stopped chewing the beef jerky.

She turned her head, her round eyes wide open, staring in disbelief at the little girl who was slightly taller than her. A nameless anger suddenly welled up inside her.

Are we... close enough that we can openly criticize each other?

However, just as she took a deep breath, preparing to retort...

However, her keen eyes caught Wang Churan's hand hanging by his side, unconsciously twisting the soft hem of his tracksuit, revealing the unease and awkwardness that he disguised with his arrogance.

Looking at her eyes again, although she deliberately raised her chin and pretended to be disdainful.

Out of the corner of her eye, she would involuntarily glance at the bag of snacks in her hand, then quickly look away, with a hint of longing that she herself was unaware of.

Tian Xi swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue, and inwardly scoffed.

[Little girl, putting on an act, saying one thing and meaning another.]

She withdrew her hand, her face returning to its nonchalant expression, and said dismissively.

"Fine, I won't eat it then. My good intentions have been wasted."

Liu Haocun, who had been sitting quietly on the very edge and had the most delicate demeanor, was like an alert yet timid little animal, silently observing the confrontation.

Seeing that Wang Churan had clearly refused, she immediately replied in a soft, sweet voice, which sounded so gentle it seemed like you could squeeze water out of it, with just the right amount of flattery.

"Chu Ran is so self-disciplined, he's really amazing."

Then, she turned to Tian Xiwei and gave her a shy smile.

"Sister Weiwei, may I...can I try just a tiny bit? Just a little bit, it smells so good!"

Tian Xiwei had little resistance to such soft-spoken requests, and her expression instantly brightened as she generously handed over the bag.

"Here, take whatever you like."

Liu Haocun carefully picked up the smallest piece, took a small bite, and immediately squinted his eyes in satisfaction, like a kitten that had tasted sweetness.

"Thank you, Weiwei, you're so kind."

At this moment, Bai Mengyan also came over, unceremoniously reached out and grabbed the largest piece, stuffed it into her mouth and chewed it heartily, praising it indistinctly.

"Mmm! It's delicious! I love this! Xiaotian really understands me!"

Her liveliness and directness instantly dispelled the subtle awkwardness from before.

Meng Ziyi's attention was also successfully diverted. She happily took a piece, tasted it, and her eyes lit up as if she had discovered a new continent.

"Wow, this brand is delicious! Where did you buy it?"

Bai Mengyan finished off the beef jerky in her hand in a few bites, then licked her lips with lingering satisfaction.

Then she suddenly stood up and grabbed Meng Ziyi, who was closest to her, by the shoulder.

"This alone isn't enough to fill a tooth gap!"

"Come on, come on, it's on me!"

"There's an all-you-can-eat ice cream shop downstairs!"

"Consider this a celebration of the official start of our miserable—oops, I mean, blissful training life!"

"Let's go, let's go!"

Meng Ziyi practically jumped up and immediately took Bai Mengyan's arm affectionately, as if afraid she would change her mind.

"I know the convenience store downstairs just got a new sea salt cheese flavor, and it's got amazing rave reviews!"

Tian Xi slowly stood up, casually stuffed the few remaining snacks back into her bag, and then very naturally got up and put her arm around Bai Mengyan's other arm.

"GoGoGo!"

Wang Churan gave a soft "humph," stood up gracefully, and patted his trouser leg with a reserved gesture.

"You guys go ahead, I'm not going. Ice cream... it's too high in calories, and too much sugar..."

Tian Xi rolled her eyes slightly, speechless. She released Bai Mengyan, turned around, and without saying a word, grabbed Wang Churan's wrist and dragged him out with an unyielding and domineering manner.

"If you keep acting arrogant, believe me, I'll beat you up! Enough talk, let's go!"

"Is Weiwei really that violent...?"

Liu Haocun spoke softly, as if startled by Tian Xiwei's "roughness".

Then, very naturally, he took small steps to Meng Ziyi's side and gently reached out his small hand to hold her sleeve.

"Sister Ziyi, I... I'll buy the same thing as you."