Chinese entertainment: Top stars have no holidays

Beijing, Li Yitong's apartment.

Several neatly folded clothes were piled on the sofa in the living room, and the script of "Love Me If You Dare" was on the coffee table, with the footer of the pages covered with dense annotations.

In another week, she will join the crew and begin filming this drama.

Li Yitong nestled on the sofa, wrapped in a loose white knit sweater, her hair casually tied back. Despite her bare face, her features remained beautiful.

Bored, she scratched her face, put down the script in her hand, and swiped her phone screen to open Weibo.

Her homepage was flooded with entertainment news, and one post from a marketing account immediately caught her eye.

[The Jiangbai shopping mall in Shanghai was packed with people, stretching from the first to the fifth floor, with fans screaming so loudly it seemed to shatter the mall's ceiling!]

Below the title are several photos taken by fans at the scene and a short video.

In the scene, Jiang Bai, wearing a clean white shirt, stands in the center of the stage, her eyes gentle, bowing to the audience.

The camera panned across the entire venue, revealing a dense crowd that stretched from the first-floor atrium to the fifth-floor railing. Banners and light boards formed a sea of ​​stars, and the screams could be felt even through the screen, conveying the overwhelming and enthusiastic atmosphere.

Li Yitong's fingertip hovered over the screen as she repeatedly tapped the fan-shot video, watching it over and over again.

In the video, Jiang Bai gently reminded fans to take precautions against heatstroke and proactively asked staff to distribute water and fans.

He was patient and sincere when interacting with his fans, and the cheers and shouts from them, their unreserved affection, stirred up a complex mix of emotions in Li Yitong's heart.

There was envy, resentment, and a subtle longing.

She murmured softly, her tone tinged with self-mockery: "Jiang Bai... a second male lead in 'Rush to the Dead Summer,' and he became an overnight sensation."

In the two years since her debut, she has neither been lucky nor unlucky.

After being signed by Xu Yiruo from Feibao Media, her resources were not bad, and she played the female lead in three consecutive dramas.

She gives her all to every role, staying up late to study lines and repeatedly hone her acting skills.

However, despite the two dramas that have already aired being popular, she herself has not become famous. The dramas are popular but she is not. The popularity is mediocre and the general public has little recognition. She herself has never been able to become truly famous.

They didn't have Jiang Bai's meteoric rise to fame, nor did they enjoy the popularity of being adored by millions.

Some people even jokingly labeled her a "wooden beauty," saying that she only relied on her looks and couldn't carry the role of a leading lady.

"Two female leads are not as good as someone else's second male lead..." Li Yitong sighed softly, turned off the video, and a trace of disappointment flashed in her eyes.

As a result, Li Yitong also lacked confidence in the upcoming drama "Bloody Romance".

It's not that she doesn't work hard; she just desperately craves an opportunity—an opportunity that will allow her to completely shed her labels and be truly seen by the audience.

Just then, the doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts.

Li Yitong got up and opened the door, where her agent, Xu Yinuo, was standing.

She was carrying a black file folder, a smile she couldn't hide on her face. Her usual capable and sharp demeanor was gone, and her tone was filled with excitement: "Tongtong, I have good news for you."

"Sister Yan? What brings you here?" Li Yitong stepped aside to let her in, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.

Xu Yiruo is always busy, and unless it's something important, she won't make a special trip to her apartment.

Xu Yiruo walked into the living room, placed the file bag on the coffee table, sat down directly, and pushed the file bag with a smile: "Open it and take a look. This is the script I just received. It's definitely the most suitable script for you at this stage."

With a touch of curiosity, Li Yitong opened the file bag and took out the script inside.

The cover features several eye-catching words.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

It was labeled "Urban Youth Fantasy Drama" next to it.

"Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle?" she murmured the name, flipping through the script with her fingertips, quickly skimming the synopsis and character introductions.

"This script..." Li Yitong's eyes lit up as she looked at it. "Sister Yan, is this for me to audition for the female lead, Lin Beixing?"

"That's right." Xu Yiruo nodded, her tone confident. "I've read the script, and the role of Lin Beixing is perfect for you."

"There are sweet romance scenes as well as emotionally intense scenes, which allows you to leverage your strengths and break your previous labels."

Moreover, this project boasts impressive production values; despite a total budget of only 6500 million yuan, it was designated by Tencent Video as a key S-level revenue-sharing drama for their support.

Li Yitong's heart skipped a beat. A budget of 6500 million yuan and S-level support from Tencent Video—this was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity for her at this stage.

"There's an even more exciting piece of news." Xu Yinuo paused, looking at the anticipation in her eyes, and added with a smile, "The male lead, Zhang Wansen, has already been chosen."

"Who has it been decided?" Li Yitong asked eagerly, her eyes full of curiosity.

"Jiang Bai."

As soon as Xu Yiruo finished speaking, Li Yitong was completely stunned. "Jiang Bai?"

"Is that Jiang Bai, who recently became famous because of Lu Zhiang?"

"Besides him, who else?" Xu Yiruo nodded with a smile. "This project was produced by the company Jiang Bai works for."

"He is not only the male lead, but also participated in some of the investments."

"So the male lead role is definitely going to be his."

"However, he is currently very popular and has his own built-in audience."

"His temperament and image also fit Zhang Wansen's aloof yet affectionate persona."

"If you can act alongside him, the chances of this film being a success are very high."

Within the industry, everyone is actually quite interested in Jiang Bai's sudden rise to fame.

An artist who becomes a sensation with just one film or TV series must have a lot of good fortune.

Everyone says that a small fire depends on encouragement, while a big fire depends on fate.

Jiang Bai is the kind of artist who is destined for fame, so the capital in the industry naturally has some superstition about him.

Before his failure, everyone thought his project was more likely to become a hit than others.

The image of the boy she had seen on Weibo instantly flashed into Li Yitong's mind.

Gentle, handsome, and incredibly popular, he established himself as a leading man with just one supporting role.

And now, she actually has the opportunity to work with him and play his leading role?

An indescribable anticipation welled up in my heart instantly.

Her current approach is to accept any suitable roles she gets.

Even if it's a revenue-sharing drama, even if she's paired with a rising star, as long as the role is good and the production quality is good, she's willing to try.

Moreover, the character in this drama is so appealing, and the male lead is Jiang Bai, who is currently very popular. This is undoubtedly a great opportunity for her to break out of the industry.

"I'm willing to audition." Li Yitong looked up at Xu Yinuo almost without hesitation, her eyes shining with determination. "Sister Yan, I must get this role."

"I knew you'd like it." Xu Yiruo smiled with relief. "The audition is in three days, just before you join the cast of 'Love Me If You Dare,' so the timing doesn't conflict."

"You should study the script carefully and get to know the character Lin Beixing. I'll take care of the follow-up matters for you."

"Okay." Li Yitong nodded vigorously, reopened the script, and carefully traced Lin Beixing's lines with her fingertips, her anticipation growing stronger.

Xu Yiruo gave a few more instructions on the audition process and the preparations for joining the cast of "Love Me If You Dare," before getting up and leaving.

Before leaving, she specifically said, "By the way, in 'Don't Think Too Much If You Love Me,' Chen Jianbin plays the male lead, and you play his lover. Don't overthink it, just seize the opportunity and learn more from the veteran actor."

When this topic was brought up, Li Yitong wore a complicated expression.

Chen Jianbin is a recognized powerhouse actor in the industry, and his acting skills are truly exceptional. Working with him is undoubtedly a rare learning opportunity for her.

But in the drama, she's supposed to play a couple with actor Chen Jianbin...

Considering their age difference, he could be Li Yitong's father.

"I'll try my best to adjust my mindset," Li Yitong sighed.

After seeing Xu Yinuo off, Li Yitong nestled on the sofa and began to carefully read the script of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".

......

At the same time, on the other side of the city.

Chen Duling was sitting at her desk, organizing her schedule on the computer.

She has just finished filming a low-budget suspense thriller and is currently on a short break.

Although she has gained some reputation based on her previous debut work, Chen Duling still does not have a truly hit work of her own.

The most famous role she played to date is still Xiao Erduo in the movie "The Left Ear," which was her debut role.

My phone vibrated; it was a message from my agent, along with a script file.

"Dudu, I just got the script. It's part of a drama series, but it's in cooperation with Tencent, so it can enjoy the platform's S-level customized drama promotion resources."

"You're the second female lead. They skipped the audition and invited you directly to play the role."

"The male lead has been cast as Jiang Bai. It's produced by his company, so the production quality is pretty good. You should take a good look at it."

Chen Duling paused, then tapped the script and quickly began browsing through it.

Gao Ge is a sunny, cool, and independent academic high-achiever. She has a straightforward and insightful personality, strong moral values, and a likable character. She has a significant role with a well-developed character arc. Although she doesn't steal the spotlight from the main characters, she shines brightly.

It suits Chen Duling's clean and aloof temperament very well.

A slight smile played on her lips, and a hint of anticipation appeared in her eyes.

In the year or so since she re-entered the industry, she has been working tirelessly, working her way up from supporting roles to leading roles, honing her acting skills little by little.

But once it's missed, it's missed.

When "The Left Ear" was released, at the height of her popularity, she did not choose to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, but instead returned to school to continue her studies.

This caused her to miss an opportunity to solidify her popularity within the industry.

Zhang Tianai rose to fame with "Go Princess Go", and despite her efforts to take on acting roles and movies afterward, she couldn't maintain her popularity after her breakout role.

What's more, Chen Duling hasn't taken on any acting roles yet?

Now that she's back in the industry, she has to start all over again.

Rather than vying for the leading lady role, a high-quality supporting actress who fits her own temperament and is easy to gain fans is more suitable for her to steadily build up her strength at this stage.

This drama might be her chance.

"Jiang Bai..." Chen Duling murmured the name, recalling the news about him that she had recently seen, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes.

I wonder what it would be like to collaborate with this rising star.

She has worked with real "top-tier" celebrities.

Previously, he filmed a drama called "Operation Proposal" with Zhang Yixing, one of the four members of EXO who returned to China. The drama had just finished airing, but the ratings were only so-so, and there was no buzz about it online.

Yes, it was completely crushed by "Rush to the Dead Summer".

It's as if this show was never aired at all...

Therefore, Chen Duling had a deep impression of Jiang Bai.

She immediately picked up the script and began to seriously study the character, silently deciding in her heart that she had to take the role.

On the same day, in addition to the two of them, actors Li Xian, Li Xin, and Zhang Jianing also received direct invitations and audition invitations for "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".

Some agreed immediately.

Some people, after reading the script, declined the invitation with a regretful expression.