Chapter 453: Chapter 451: At That Time, We Had Dreams

Crossing the street from the hotel, there’s a commercial street, where the gilded mall houses numerous luxury brands, designed to scoop up the paychecks of actors who just earned in the film city. After shopping, there’s also a variety of international cuisines upstairs, each claiming some famous international chef, equally pricey.

Yet, despite this, the commercial street is still bustling with people, it seems plenty of actors have made money from their projects.

If you cross another street, behind the neon-lit bustling commercial street, there’s a market made up of low-rise houses, even more crowded. Most extras, crew members, and regular actors from the film city choose to eat cheap and affordable fast food here, selecting two meat dishes for less than twenty yuan, with unlimited vegetables and rice.

Ten yuan for a quick street haircut never lacks business, and the floor is almost carpeted with hair clippings. The proprietress also collects hair, and there are female extras unable to pay rent selling their long locks.

There’s a long line at the lottery store too, where for two yuan you can buy a big dream, a very cost-effective transaction. Many people sit in front of the draw chart, scribbling and muttering, trying to decipher the pattern of the five million grand prize.

From the shabby KTVs where you can rent time slots for a few dozen yuan, heart-wrenching screams occasionally burst out, like the sound of shattered dreams falling to the ground.

In reality… the desolation buried behind the glitz might be the true hue of the film city.

Success is always a minority on the dream-chasing road, not to mention, many born in Rome have already taken the slots for success.

Lin Shuang, along with Su Wan and Yu Zhishui, wandered casually through the commercial street and then idly strolled to the market behind.

Shuishui sighed, “Those brand items are so expensive, even a small keychain could be exchanged for a house full of snacks!”

Snacks are this little dummy’s unit of measurement.

Even though Lin Shuang now also had more money than he knew what to do with, he still found spending thousands on a keychain a bit abstract…

Wanwan’s attention, however, was focused on… “You silly, how long do you plan to stick to Youyou!”

Since leaving, Yu Zhishui had basically been glued to Lin Shuang, her upper body sticking to his arm as if sealed with super glue, no gap in between.

Lin Shuang estimated… this little dummy’s chest must have a red imprint of his arm by now! Embedded!

He chuckled, “Wanwan, are you jealous of how close us sisters are~”

Shuishui also giggled, hugging him tighter, “Hehe~ I’m dear’s good sister~”

Today she was too happy. Before, she could only snuggle with dear after returning to her room, but now she could cuddle and hug freely in broad daylight!

Wanwan gave Lin Shuang a playful kick and also hugged the other side of his arm.

Truly three good sisters.

Hand in hand they walked into the lively market, and the two girls were clearly even more excited about shopping, dragging Lin Shuang past several small accessory stalls, buying him several hair ornaments, various colors and styles of hair clips, until his head was full.

Wanwan even bought him a sparkly earring clip, clipped onto his earlobe.

Lin Shuang looked at his flamboyant self in the mirror, raised his voice slightly, and whispered, “…Aren’t I supposed to be the cool older sister character! This is too flashy.”

Wanwan patted his shoulder with a meaningful look, “Our Ancient Greece god of beauty, to wear the crown, one must bear its weight~”

“There are also stickers here~”

Shuishui, holding onto his arm, ran ahead to a stall selling stickers, even more flamboyant, with all sorts of sticker designs. Lin Shuang even saw an oversized Pikachu sticker and couldn’t help but imagine sticking it on his belly…

Seems more suitable for sticking on a beer belly…

Wanwan picked a small heart sticker and placed it below Lin Shuang’s eye to pretend as a tear mole, very satisfied as she clapped her hands, “As expected of the god of beauty, sister Youyou.”

Lin Shuang also took a few stickers, but since the two girls were wearing masks, they could only stick them on to play when they returned to their room.

Shuishui picked at the sticker stall for quite a while, finally curiously picking up a pink-purple heart sticker.

“Hey, dear, look, this is super pretty~”

…This little dummy is definitely the natural bad woman’s holy body!

The stall lady enthusiastically stood up and recommended a few more to them, “These few stick really well~”

As she spoke, she gazed at Lin Youyou intently, almost drooling.

The lady stall owner must also have one stuck somewhere! It might even not be a sticker!

Shuishui accepted the recommendation, even trying it on Lin Shuang, “Indeed all of them look good on you, dear.”

She even tried it on Lin Shuang’s face ah!

But sticking this on the face is… a bit too trendy.

Wanwan hurriedly stopped her, “…Not to be stuck here, take it back to stick on Youyou.”

“Shuishui also wants to stick it~”

“Good kids don’t stick this~?”

This is the bad woman certification after all!

Lin Shuang thought he’d stick it on Wanwan the bad woman once they returned!

After buying the stickers and walking further, there was a food street.

The colorful, glistening candied hawthorn sticks soon captured Shuishui, the little dummy.

Though she couldn’t really eat such high-calorie sweets, she could arrange for Lin Shuang to eat them~

Shuishui pointed to one of the deluxe candied hawthorn sticks with various fruits on it, “Dear, I want to see you eat this~”

“…Feels like the sweetness will cause cavities instantly!”

The two girls went ahead to look at other snacks, although they couldn’t eat, it was still nice to feast their eyes.

Lin Shuang queued for the candied hawthorn, and once he got his deluxe version, he called out, only to find his two good sisters had already pleased their eyes and gone ahead to the food street.

Holding up the big candied hawthorn, he planned to take a shortcut, entering an alley.

After walking for a short while, he realized he seemed to be followed…

Looking back, it wasn’t just one person, three middle-aged men trailed him, one of them handed over a business card when he turned around, rubbing his hands.

With a ton of titles on the card, the man was a somewhat known director.

“Miss, are you interested in acting? It’s a major production, and I can arrange for you to play the lead role.”

Seeing the oily, greedy smiles on the faces of the three men, Lin Shuang understood, that to get the lead role, some cost would have to be paid.

Many small hotel signs lined the alley, already losing their light.

The man’s tone seemed confident, it seemed… they had succeeded many times before.

Many actresses… for the sake of dreams, had let them get away?

Lin Shuang suddenly got a bit angry, the business card crumpled into a ball in his hand.

From the dark depths of the alley, a KTV’s cry-like shout came through.

“You… this bunch of scum!”