When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 57: Chi Mo 11

Gao Jing: "If your daughter thinks that way, she must have had a hard time before. It makes my heart ache just thinking about it."

"Yes, I feel terrible about it," Zhou Wenwen said, though she kept a smile on her face. "I really regret not getting a divorce sooner. If I had, my child wouldn’t have had to grow up so fast."

Tan You remained silent through it all. She couldn’t relate to these topics in the slightest. Besides, she wasn’t a fan of raising kids herself; ’It’s just too much of a hassle.’

Lin Meng: "So, when your daughter cries, how do you comfort her?"

Gao Jing smiled. "I just told her that Mommy and Daddy forcing themselves to stay together was making me very tired and that I felt wronged. I asked her, ’Do you want Mommy to keep feeling that way?’"

"After that, she said no. She told me, ’Mommy, I’ll be sad if you get a divorce, but you’re the person I love most in the whole world.’ When she said that, I just burst into tears. I felt like all the suffering I’d endured to bring her into this world had been worth it."

Zhou Wenwen nodded in agreement. "My daughter said something very similar. At that moment, I felt like I could do anything for her."

She and Gao Jing clinked their glasses, having clearly found common ground. Tan You and Lin Meng exchanged a glance and sat quietly to the side. ’Maybe you can only understand how they feel after you become a mother yourself.’

If the women grew more tender when speaking of their children, the men’s side of the conversation was rather lackluster in comparison.

Xiang Zhe said stiffly, "They get along really well with their stepfather. We only manage to exchange a few words when I call them. Normally, they don’t contact me at all."

"Plus, they’re boys, and maybe boys are just naturally more reserved. We barely talk."

Shi Lei and Xu Jike didn’t have children, so they had nothing to add on the subject. It was becoming clear that the house had subtly split into two groups: those with kids, and those without.

Lin Meng changed the subject. "We’ve rested long enough. Didn’t we say we were going to the hot springs?" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Gao Jing immediately chimed in. "Let’s go, then! Soaking in a hot spring on a snowy day... there’s nothing better."

Zhou Wenwen added, "I saw some sterile bags in the fridge. Do you think we should try making onsen eggs?"

Tan You played the part of the agreeable companion. "I’m good with whatever. Anything works for me."

The inn’s hot spring was thoughtfully designed, with a rockery in the middle acting as a partition. Any sound above a normal volume could be heard clearly on the other side. Gao Jing was the first to enter the pool. The moment she was in the water, she let out a sigh. "So relaxing."

Tan You settled in beside her. "Do we have anything scheduled for tomorrow?"

Zhou Wenwen answered, "I heard from the producers that we’re taking a boat tomorrow morning and going rafting on a river through the forest. I hear it’s incredibly beautiful there."

Lin Meng: "The forest is even more beautiful after it snows. I’m going to take a ton of pictures tomorrow."

Tan You’s mind was elsewhere. "Doesn’t that mean we’ll have to bundle up even more tomorrow?"

Lin Meng: "Of course. This world of ice and snow is no joke. We definitely have to dress warmly."

Tan You idly swirled the water, feeling conflicted. On one hand, she was excited to see the beautiful scenery. On the other, she was worried about the freezing weather. She was someone who was extremely sensitive to the cold. ’When have I ever experienced what it’s like when it’s dozens of degrees below zero?’

Gao Jing offered a solution. "Don’t worry, I brought lots of heat packs. We can all stick some on later."

Tan You pursed her lips. "I brought some too. A lot of them."

She was quite thorough, having done a lot of preparation before the trip. She’d brought plenty of warming Divine Artifacts. When it came to taking good care of herself, Tan You had plenty of experience.

The women burst into laughter. Behind the rockery, Xu Jike was growing restless.

Xiang Zhe, his eyes half-closed, murmured, "Her attitude is pretty clear. You should just give up now."

Xu Jike retorted, unconvinced, "It’s rare to find someone I like this much. It would be a real shame to give up just like that."

Xiang Zhe shook his head. He had given his warning. If Xu Jike insisted on hitting a brick wall, that was his own problem. In any case, he felt Chi Mo wasn’t interested in Xu Jike. The way she looked at everyone was cold; it didn’t seem like she had feelings for anyone.

Hearing their conversation relayed by the Beauty System, Tan You lowered her gaze slightly. ’I’m genuinely curious what Xu Jike will do now. Will he burst his light for Chi Mo?’

The official recording for the first leg of the show would end tomorrow night, which meant the participants would have to make a choice. On each leg, they had one chance to "burst the light," but it all depended on their own actions.

Tan You remembered that the original Chi Mo had a crush on Xiang Zhe. She was drawn to his gentle nature and the charm of a mature man, and she had burst her light for him during the second leg of the show.

Unfortunately, Xiang Zhe had always been interested in Gao Jing and had tactfully rejected Chi Mo’s advances. But now it was Tan You on this dating show, and she, of course, had no intention of getting involved with Xiang Zhe.

’Or rather, I won’t let Chi Mo get involved with any of the male participants. To be honest, I don’t think any of them are right for her. It’s not that they aren’t great guys, but they’re all so hesitant when it comes to their feelings.’

’If you can’t be resolute in your feelings, then there’s really no point in being with someone.’ That was Tan You’s philosophy.

In the original timeline, Xu Jike had fallen for Chi Mo at first sight, and it had been a one-sided crush ever since. But he never burst his light for her, not even at the very end. It showed that his feelings weren’t resolute; it was just a fleeting, superficial attraction.

’So, will Xu Jike burst his light?’ For once, Tan You felt a flicker of anticipation.

The inn didn’t have a dance studio, so Tan You had to forgo her morning practice of the fundamentals, allowing herself a rare chance to laze in bed. Before heading out, she had plastered the inside of her down jacket with heat packs, aiming for complete, gap-free coverage.

The other women had done much the same. At their age, they all knew how to take care of themselves. The tour bus sped along, and they soon arrived at the site for the forest river rafting.

Perhaps because it had snowed during the night, the forest was a blanket of white, but the small river flowing through it was exceptionally beautiful. To float along its surface would feel like entering a paradise on earth.

Gazing out at the vista, Tan You was suddenly reminded of a dance she had once seen. A woman in a red dress, dancing in a field of snow, with a boundless sea of clouds behind her. Just picturing the scene gave Tan You the urge to dance.

But she had never been one to show off. Even with this idea in mind, she wouldn’t mention it to the production crew. Instead, she planned to film the video herself after the first leg of the show was officially over.

Her gaze paused for a moment on the cameraman following her. ’I wonder if I could ask the cameraman for help then?’ she mused. ’If it’s not convenient, I’ll just find another videographer later. It shouldn’t be too difficult.’

’I brought a dance costume. As for makeup, with a face like Chi Mo’s, I won’t need anything too elaborate. But for the historical-style costume, I’ll still need to hire a professional stylist.’

So, when she added up all the little details, she realized that filming a complete dance video would still take a lot of thought and effort.