When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 100: Chi Mo 54

Chi Mo rolled her eyes. "I feel like you’re laughing at me."

Tan You said, "Can you handle this? If not, I can take over."

Chi Mo replied, "What do I have to be nervous about? He’s just an ex I broke up with a long time ago. I might be slow to move on, but I don’t stay stuck in the past. I’m already over him, even though the process was painful."

Tan You chuckled. "See? When it comes to a man’s sweet talk, just listen and let it go. Never believe it. Never let yourself get swept away by a man’s affection. Staying clear-headed is always what’s best for you."

Chi Mo sighed. "I don’t think I can ever be that level-headed, but I’ll try."

Their exchange took only a moment. Chi Mo glanced at Xu Jike. "Attorney Xu, what a coincidence."

’Didn’t he hate these kinds of hole-in-the-wall places? Why would he be here? Such a shame, my claypot rice is ruined. Xu Jike really is an expert at killing the mood.’

’Even with a second chance, all you gain is experience, not a higher IQ.’ Xu Jike clearly noticed Chi Mo’s mood. It was as if her eyes could speak; every emotion was plain to see.

He had noticed her dislike for him from the moment they first met on the reality show. To be honest, Xu Jike felt a little wronged. ’I haven’t even done anything, so why does Chi Mo dislike me so much?’

With a wry smile, Xu Jike looked at the seat across from Chi Mo. "May I sit here?"

Chi Mo pulled her tray a little closer. "Please, sit. Are you here for a meal too, Attorney Xu?"

Xu Jike suppressed his melancholy feelings. "Mhm, I heard there was a very authentic claypot rice place nearby. You used to say you enjoyed trying all sorts of food, and I’m finding that it’s a great hobby. There’s a lot of fun to be had."

Chi Mo was a little surprised. "I didn’t think you’d actually do something like this. In my eyes, you’re someone who hates wasting time on anything outside of work."

"You’re right, I don’t," Xu Jike said bluntly. "But I’m discovering that slowing down a little actually makes me more efficient at work, and I don’t burn myself out as much."

"That’s your business." Chi Mo poked at the green peas in her bowl, her feelings a tangled mess. ’It’s not that I can’t get over him. It’s just... I must have been blind back then. How could I have ever dated a man like this?’

Xu Jike glanced at the noisy surroundings. "Why... why would you come here? I mean, aren’t you busy these days?"

"My work hours are flexible. As long as I keep producing new pieces, the dance troupe doesn’t force me to clock in every day." Chi Mo decided to just put down her spoon. "This is all pretty boring, isn’t it?" 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Not at all," Xu Jike said, his tone a little urgent. "Momo, I feel like you’re still looking at me through the lens of the past, but I’ve obviously changed so much..."

"Change should come from a genuine desire to become a better person, not for someone else’s sake," Chi Mo said, parroting Tan You’s earlier words. "Besides, to put it bluntly, your changes have nothing to do with me."

"You’ve always been so cold," Xu Jike sighed. "I don’t understand. You’re so good to everyone else, so why are you only this cold to me? It’s not like we’ve ever crossed paths before..."

Chi Mo was surprised for a split second before her expression returned to one of calm. "Our personalities just naturally clash, that’s all."

Xu Jike said, "I don’t think that’s it. You know me too well—better than I know myself. It doesn’t make sense. Have we met somewhere before? Did we used to know each other?"

Chi Mo frowned. "We’ve never met, and we’ve never had any dealings with each other. Attorney Xu, if you want to share a table for your meal, you’re more than welcome. But if you want to talk about this, I’m not interested."

Xu Jike held up a hand. "Okay, I’ll drop it. My food is here."

Having started sharing the table midway through, neither of them could taste their food. For the rest of the meal, Chi Mo was practically counting each grain of rice. Xu Jike noticed. He lowered his head to hide the sorrow in his eyes. ’Has it really come to this? Is even sharing a table with me a form of torture now?’

When they parted ways outside the little restaurant, Chi Mo’s pace was quick and eager. Watching her cheerful figure retreat, Xu Jike shook his head. He still couldn’t understand why she was so cold to him. He had... he had already changed so much...

Chi Mo couldn’t be bothered with Xu Jike’s inner turmoil and racing thoughts. After they parted, she found another small restaurant—one of those hole-in-the-wall joints that Xu Jike used to look down upon, of course.

But Chi Mo knew that the best food often came from these hole-in-the-wall places. If she didn’t seize the opportunity to feast while she was in S City, she wouldn’t get the chance once she returned to the culinary desert that was N City.

Chi Mo had come to S City on a whim. Besides, her friends were all busy; they only managed to meet up once, as everyone else was tied up with work and family.

There wasn’t much keeping Chi Mo there, so she packed her bags and headed back to N City. But when she arrived at her little home in N City, her good mood evaporated completely.

"What are you doing here?" Who else but Xu Jike could be waiting downstairs at her apartment building? ’Isn’t he a workaholic? Why would he suddenly be here?’

’And how does he know where I live?’ Chi Mo was positive that Gao Jing and her other friends would never have told him.

"Youyou, what’s going on?" When in doubt, ask Tan You. That was Chi Mo’s motto.

Tan You was a bit stumped too, but she forced herself to remain calm. "The butterfly effect?"

Chi Mo said, "Is this butterfly effect trying to give me a heart attack? What do you call this? A double rebirth?"

"Maybe?"

Listening to their brief discussion, the Beauty System felt a twinge of regret. ’I was all prepared to explain everything to my Host, but they just figured out the general truth by piecing it together themselves?’

But the man was already at her door. It was time to settle this. Chi Mo glanced at Xu Jike. "Let’s talk upstairs."

Xu Jike watched Chi Mo with a complicated expression. He wasn’t a fool; in fact, he was quite clever. From this single encounter, Chi Mo’s reaction had already confirmed that she was aware of how he had changed.

He silently followed Chi Mo inside. He looked around in silence at a place that should have been completely unfamiliar, yet felt overwhelmingly familiar to him, as if he had been here countless times before.

"You’ve always liked using that passcode." Xu Jike finally spoke as Chi Mo lowered her head to type in the code. He remembered that after she moved in with him, she had changed the front door code to this exact sequence of numbers because it was the only one she could remember.

Chi Mo’s hand froze for a second. Xu Jike’s words only further confirmed her suspicions. She stretched her back, pushed the door open, and stepped inside. "Come in. I can tell you have a lot of questions."

Xu Jike followed her into the living room. It hadn’t changed much from his memory; the furniture and decorations all seemed to be the same. But the people standing in it had changed. They no longer had the relationship they once did.