Huayu Entertainment: It was the young actress who took the initiative.

Chapter 99 Bai Mengyan: I was supposed to go first...

Dinner was booked at a private restaurant near the China World Trade Center.

The private room wasn't large, but it was elegantly decorated, and the floor-to-ceiling windows offered a stunning view of the CBD's dazzling nightscape.

Zhu Ruibin sat in the main seat, with Liu Ning on his left and Chen Mo on his right.

Li Yitong sat down next to Chen Mo, and next to her were the assistant director and several representatives of the investors.

The dishes were served one by one, each one as exquisite as a work of art.

Zhu Ruibin raised his glass, beaming, "Come on, Chen Mo, Yi Tong, let me toast you. I'm still a little excited watching today's audition."

Chen Mo raised his glass and smiled, "Director Zhu, you flatter me. Thank you and President Liu for your trust."

Li Yitong also raised her glass and said softly, "Thank you, Director Zhu, thank you, President Liu."

Liu Ning smiled and waved her hand, "It has nothing to do with us. It was your performance that convinced us, especially the second audition scene, Yi Tong's breakdown and crying scene."

He paused, then looked at Chen Mo: "Teacher Chen Mo, your expression was also very good."

After being stabbed, the look in his eyes when he looked at Jinmi was not one of hatred, but of bewilderment.

This kind of acting is much more difficult than acting out pure, overwhelming hatred.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo nodded in agreement: "At that time, Xu Feng knew that Jin Mi had misunderstood, so his last question was not an interrogation, but a confirmation."

He paused, then continued, "He wanted to know if she had ever truly loved him."

Zhu Ruibin nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, that's exactly how I understand it."

Many people who act in this kind of scene would say, "Why did you kill me?" But you acted as, "If you want to kill me, then kill me. I just want to know if you ever loved me."

At this level, the difference in quality is immediately apparent.

Li Yitong listened from the side and couldn't help but turn her head to glance at Chen Mo.

Her eyes held admiration, affection, and a hint of barely concealed pride.

Liu Ning noticed Li Yitong's appearance and teased her with a smile, "Yitong, the way you look at Chen Mo now is exactly the same as how Jinmi looks at Xu Feng."

Li Yitong's face flushed instantly: "President Liu—"

Good-natured laughter rang out from the private room.

Zhu Ruibin put down his wine glass and said seriously, "Professor Chen Mo, I'll have my legal department send over the contract next week. The 8% investment share will be as we agreed."

"Okay, thank you, Director Zhu."

Liu Ning added from the side: "The start date is expected to be in early September. We will let you know the exact date once it is set."

Filming is expected to last four months, with locations mainly in Hengdian and Xianju, Zhejiang.

Chen Mo calculated the time in his mind.

It's early September, there aren't many days left.

Li Yitong whispered to him, "Director Zhu, what preparations do I need to make in advance?"

Zhu Ruibin thought for a moment: "Jinmi was rather carefree and naive in the early stages, and didn't understand anything."

When you go back, you can read the original work more and try to recapture that feeling.

In addition, there are many heart-wrenching scenes later on, which will be very emotionally draining, so be prepared.

Li Yitong nodded seriously: "Okay, I understand."

Liu Ning chuckled and interjected, "Yitong, you're really lucky to be able to work with Teacher Chen Mo now. After all, he's now widely recognized as having a knack for bringing good fortune to his wife."

""

Upon hearing this, Li Yitong paused for a moment, somewhat puzzled: "A wife-boosting constitution?"

Liu Ning nodded and explained to her, "Recently, people in our producer circle have been saying that actresses who work with Chen Mo are more likely to become famous."

Dilraba, who starred in "Eternal Love," won the Best Supporting Actress award at the Magnolia Awards and is now a top-tier actress.

Meng Ziyi, who wrote "The Eagle Shooting the Condor Heroes," was not very famous before, but now he has millions of fans.

Li Lin, who played Chu Qiao in "Princess Agents," had always been relatively unknown in the entertainment industry, but she was just one step away from achieving mainstream success. Her pairing with Chen Mo this time catapulted her to fame.

As he said this, he looked at Li Yitong and said, "Now it's your turn. After you finish filming Ashes of Love, your fame will probably rise to another level."

Li Yitong felt a mix of emotions upon hearing this.

I'm happy, but there's also a slightly indescribable feeling.

She glanced at Chen Mo, who was drinking tea with no expression on his face.

Dinner was over at around 9 p.m.

Chen Mo and Li Yitong saw Director Zhu and the others off and were walking towards the parking lot when Li Yitong turned to Chen Mo and whispered, "Let's go to your place tonight."

"it is good."

The two returned home and were just about to take a shower together when Chen Mo's phone rang.

It was Bai Mengyan calling.

Chen Mo gestured with his eyes for Li Yitong, who was helping him take off his clothes, to wait a moment.

Then he answered the phone: "Feed? Mengyan."

Bai Mengyan's excited voice came from the other end of the phone: "Chen Mo, I'm going back to Beijing in a couple of days. Are you there? Want to grab a bite to eat together?"

"Okay, it should be fine. Have you finished filming?"

-

"Yes, have you been busy lately?"

Bai Mengyan's tone became even happier when she heard that Chen Mo would be free in a couple of days.

"Yitong and I just finished auditioning for a movie today, and it's all settled. We'll be signing the contract in a couple of days!"

"What? You and Yitong? The male and female leads?"

Bai Mengyan's tone on the other end of the phone turned surprised, and she asked with some excitement.

"Yes, a few days ago—"

As Chen Mo began to explain, he gestured to Li Yitong, who was sitting next to him playing on her phone, not to be idle.

Li Yitong understood his look, gave a disgruntled snort, then squatted down in front of him and began to use her verbal skills.

After hearing Chen Mo's explanation, Bai Mengyan couldn't help but exclaim, "Chen Mo, I'm so happy that you and Yi Tong are acting together!"

"It's not like we're acting together, why are you so happy?"

Chen Mo felt a little helpless when he heard her words; this girl was really silly.

"Mind your own business! I'm just happy! My two best friends are going to act together soon! Isn't that great?"

"But after hearing what you just said about today's audition, saying that you two actually kissed and that you two have amazing chemistry—"

"It made me feel a little sad."

"What's so sour about it?"

As Chen Mo asked questions, he stroked Li Yitong's hair. She kept talking, but glared at him irritably, as if blaming him for describing the audition process in too much detail.

Bai Mengyan's voice carried a hint of amusement, but also a touch of undisguised sourness: "Chen Mo, do you know, you've become incredibly popular lately."

"After 'Eternal Love' became a hit, 'Princess Agents' became even more popular. The actresses you worked with, Dilraba won an award, Li Qin became a sensation, and even Meng Ziyi gained several million followers."

"I was thinking—"

She was silent for a few seconds, then said, "I was the one who knew you the first."

"That time the veterans had a barbecue, you treated me to skewers. Back then, you hadn't played Donghua yet, Yang Kang or Yan Xun yet, and you hadn't won the Magnolia Award."

"We sat on plastic stools, eating kebabs, drinking beer, and talking about the future."

"Now that you're famous, Ziyi, Sister Lin, and Yitong are all acting with you—"

"I've been thinking, when can I act with you once?"

Chen Mo recalled the night of the veterans' barbecue, and how Bai Mengyan sat on the plastic stool, laughing carefree, and said, "I'll take care of you when I become famous."

There will be an opportunity.

"

"Really?"

"real."

"Then you'd better keep your word!"

Chen Mo couldn't help but laugh: "It counts."

"Pinky promise!"

"childish."

"That's so childish! Pinky promise!"

"Pinky promise."

Bai Mengyan laughed happily on the other end of the phone: "By the way, when you're filming, please take good care of Yitong for me. She seems smart, but she's actually too kind and a bit silly."

"Don't worry, I understand."

"If you dare to bully her, I won't let you get away with it!"

Chen Mo laughed when he heard her words.

"Can you beat me?"

"—I'll get Yitong to help me beat you up!"

"She won't hit me."

Why?

Chen Mo looked at Yi Tong, who was working diligently in front of him, and couldn't help but say, "Don't worry about it, you just don't know how."

Bai Mengyan didn't understand why he was so confident, since she and Yitong were clearly good friends, but she didn't dwell on it: "Then when I come back, I'll invite Yitong out to come along."

"Okay, see you then."

Chen Mo hung up the phone, looked at Yi Tong, and said softly, "Meng Yan just told me not to bully you when we're filming together. Tell me, does what I did count as bullying you?"

While busy, Li Yitong rolled her eyes at him but didn't argue. She tilted her head back and said quietly, "It's not bullying, it's a reward!"

three days later.

Beijing, Sanlitun.

Chen Mo parked his car in front of a Japanese restaurant.

Bai Mengyan chose this restaurant, saying it was a place she had been longing for for more than three months while filming, and that it was the first place she had to eat when she returned to Beijing.

-

Chen Mo pushed open the door and entered. A waiter greeted him: "How many are in your party, sir?"

"A Ms. Bai made a reservation."

The waiter glanced at the record and nodded: "Okay, this way please."

He followed the waiter through the lobby and into the innermost private room.

Push open the door.

Bai Mengyan was sitting by the window. When she saw Chen Mo enter, her eyes lit up, and she immediately stood up: "Chen Mo!"

Chen Mo smiled and sat down opposite her: "Have you been waiting long?"

"No, no, I just arrived too."

Bai Mengyan poured him tea, but her movements were a bit clumsy, and she almost spilled the tea.

Seeing her flustered state, Chen Mo couldn't help but laugh: "Did filming make you stupid?"

Bai Mengyan glared at him: "You're the one who's stupid! I'm just too excited, I haven't seen you in so long."

She pushed the teacup in front of him, then rested her chin on her hand and looked at him: "Let me see what changes have occurred since you became famous."

Chen Mo let her look him over. After staring at him for a while, Bai Mengyan said seriously, "You've become more handsome."

"?"

"Not that kind of handsome, but that kind of—how should I put it—"

She thought for a moment, "You have a stronger presence now. Looking at you now feels like looking at a big star."

Chen Mo was amused by her question: "So, are you nervous having dinner with a big star now?"

Bai Mengyan nodded seriously: "I was so nervous."

Then she laughed first, and after laughing, she looked at Chen Mo and said, "Chen Mo, you're really famous now."

"I know."

"I'm not talking about that kind of fame, I mean the kind where—if you randomly grab someone on the street, they'll recognize you."

She paused for a moment, then said, "A few days ago in Hengdian, some people on the set were talking about you, saying you're the hottest actor this year. I thought to myself, 'This is my friend.'"

There was a hint of pride and a touch of emotion in her eyes.

Just as he was about to speak, the door was pushed open again.

Li Yitong walked in, and as soon as she entered, she greeted everyone with a smile: "Mengyan! Chen Mo!"

Bai Mengyan immediately stood up, rushed over and hugged her: "Yitong! I missed you so much!"

Li Yitong was almost breathless from her hug, and patted her back with a smile: "Okay, okay, let go, let go."

Bai Mengyan released her, pulled her to sit down next to her, and then looked her over carefully: "Hmm, you look good. Looks like you've been doing well lately."

Li Yitong glanced at Chen Mo, then casually looked away: "It's alright."

Bai Mengyan didn't notice this little gesture, only focused on her excitement: "You two are going to act together! I'm so happy!"

She looked at Li Yitong, then at Chen Mo: "You two would be a perfect match as a couple."

Li Yitong picked up her teacup, took a sip, and didn't reply.

Chen Mo didn't respond.

Bai Mengyan continued, "Oh right, what was the name of your play again? Fragrant—fragrant what?"

"Ashes of Love"

"Yes! Ashes of Love!"

Bai Mengyan read it aloud once, then frowned. "This name is too long, I can't remember it."

Li Yitong laughed: "It's okay if you can't remember, you'll remember it when it airs."

Bai Mengyan nodded, then leaned closer to Li Yitong and whispered, "Did you two really kiss during the audition?"

Li Yitong blushed slightly: "Mm."

Bai Mengyan's eyes widened slightly: "What does it feel like?"

Li Yitong glanced at Chen Mo, then lowered her head to drink her tea: "I didn't feel anything, it was just acting."

Bai Mengyan looked at her with a skeptical expression: "Really? Why do I feel like you're blushing?"

Li Yitong put down her teacup and reached out to pinch her cheek: "You're the one blushing! Order food, order food, I'm starving."

Bai Mengyan smiled and dodged aside, picking up the menu.

The waiter came in, and the three of them ordered a bunch of dishes.

While waiting for the food, Bai Mengyan leaned back in her chair and sighed, "Finally back in Beijing. Staying in Hengdian for too long really makes you depressed."

Li Yitong asked, "How long did it take you to film this time?"

"More than three months."

Bai Mengyan counted on her fingers, "I joined the crew in early May and finished filming at the end of August, almost four months."

The worst part is that this time I was filming a tragic drama, and I cried every day until my eyes were almost blind.

Li Yitong looked at her with heartache: "So miserable?"

"you do not say."

Bai Mengyan sighed, "The director said I have talent, but not enough. He told me to think of the saddest thing every night before bed, and bring that emotion to the set the next day."

She looked at Chen Mo and said, "Don't you think my life is too miserable?"

Chen Mo laughed: "So what do you think about before you go to sleep every night?"

Bai Mengyan thought for a moment: "Think about the balance in my bank card."

Chen Mo and Li Yitong both burst out laughing.

Bai Mengyan laughed at herself: "It's true! Every time I think about the balance, I feel especially sad, and I cry really hard the next day."

The dishes were served one by one.

Salmon, sweet shrimp, sea urchin, eel, tempura —

Bai Mengyan exclaimed as she ate, "It's so delicious!"

Li Yitong smiled and put some food on her plate: "Eat more, Chen Mo is treating anyway."

Bai Mengyan, her mouth full, mumbled, "Yes, Chen Mo is treating. He's a big star now, who else would we rip off if not him?"

Chen Mo picked up his teacup: "No problem."

Bai Mengyan swallowed what was in her mouth, then suddenly remembered something: "By the way, Chen Mo, how many people are in your studio now?"

"Four. Agent, assistant, driver, operations manager, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just wanted to check on you."

Li Yitong quietly sipped her tea, while Bai Mengyan looked at her again: "And you? How have you been lately?"

Li Yitong put down her teacup: "It's alright. I'm preparing the script for 'Ashes of Love,' and the role of Jinmi is quite difficult."

"What's so difficult about it?"

Bai Mengyan looked puzzled. "Your acting is so good, there's definitely no problem."

Li Yitong smiled: "You seem to have a lot of faith in me."

"Of course!"

Bai Mengyan spoke with conviction. She paused, then looked at Chen Mo, "Chen Mo, remember to take good care of Yitong on set."

Chen Mo nodded: "Say it again, I understand."

Bai Mengyan then looked at Li Yitong: "Don't be too honest. If Chen Mo bullies you, just tell me, and I'll scold him for you."

Li Yitong glanced at Chen Mo, then smiled and said, "Okay."

Bai Mengyan nodded in satisfaction and continued eating.

"By the way, when will your drama 'Ashes of Love' start filming?"

Early September.

"That's only a few days away."

Bai Mengyan looked at Li Yitong, "Are you ready?"

Li Yitong nodded: "Almost done. I've read the script several times, and I've also read the original novel."

"Are you confident?"

Li Yitong was silent for a second.

Then she glanced at Chen Mo: "Yes."

Bai Mengyan noticed her gaze and suddenly felt a strange, inexplicable feeling, but she quickly suppressed it and said with a smile, "That's good. I'll definitely watch it as soon as it starts airing."

Li Yitong smiled and said, "Okay."

The three chatted for a while longer, talking about gossip in the industry, recent trending topics, and their respective plans for the future.

As they chatted, it gradually got dark.

Outside the window, neon lights in Sanlitun are lighting up one by one.

Bai Mengyan looked out the window and suddenly exclaimed, "This is wonderful."

Li Yitong looked at her and asked, "What's so great?"

Bai Mengyan turned her head, looked at her, and then at Chen Mo: "The three of us can sit together and eat like this."

She paused, then added, "Chen Mo is so famous now, yet he can still eat and chat with us like before. That's wonderful."

Chen Mo looked at her and said, "Whether you're famous or not, we're still friends."

"Chen Mo, sometimes I think about that time you treated me to barbecue skewers and told me you'd become famous. I didn't believe you then, but I do now."

She looked at Chen Mo, "Because you've become famous."

Li Yitong, who was listening nearby, suddenly spoke up: "Mengyan."

"Um?"

"We'll all become famous in the future."

Bai Mengyan looked at her and said with a smile, "Chen Mo will become more and more famous, and so will I, and so will you. When the three of us are all famous, I wonder what it will feel like to sit down and have dinner together."

Bai Mengyan imagined the scene for a moment, then laughed: "It would definitely be a lot of fun."

She picked up her teacup. "Come on, let's toast to our future success!"

Chen Mo picked up his teacup, and Li Yitong also picked up her teacup.

The three cups clinked together, making a crisp sound.

Outside the window, the night in Sanlitun grew deeper and deeper.

Neon lights reflected a dazzling array of colors on the glass.

Laughter filled the private room.