When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 74: Chi Mo 28

He opened the gift box and pushed it in front of Tan You. Inside was a lipstick set from a major brand’s new collection.

"I hope you like it."

Tan You glanced down at the set, then looked over at Gao Jing. "Thank you, I like it a lot."

She closed the gift and turned to look at Gao Jing. "Did you draw your own name?"

Gao Jing nodded. "Yup, I drew my own name, so I prepared a gift for myself."

As she spoke, she also pulled out a gift box. "I’ve been wanting to get my hands on this brand of aromatherapy set for a while. Now, using the gift exchange as an excuse, I finally got one. I’m actually pretty happy about it."

Tan You smiled. ’I should probably get a gift for Gao Jing, too,’ she thought. ’But with so many people here, if I give her one and not the others, it might seem like I’m trying to show them up. Maybe I should wait until everyone has dispersed?’

After they finished filming that segment, everyone went back to their rooms. Tan You found a bottle of perfume she had just bought. The packaging was still intact, making it a perfect gift.

Coincidentally, just as she arrived outside Gao Jing’s room, Zhou Wenwen and Lin Meng also showed up. Each was holding a small box, and it was obvious what they were all thinking.

Tan You smiled. "Looks like we’re all on the same page."

"What do you mean, ’on the same page’?" Gao Jing pulled open the door and saw the three of them standing outside.

Tan You hid her right hand behind her back. "We just thought it was a little early to sleep, so we wanted to come chat with you for a bit."

Lin Meng slipped past Gao Jing into the room. "Exactly. Let’s chat some more."

Zhou Wenwen linked her arm through Gao Jing’s. "We’re not keeping you from resting, are we?"

Gao Jing understood what they were doing, and a warm feeling spread through her. "Not at all. Come on in."

The rooms were all equipped with cameras, so the production crew didn’t have to follow them around constantly.

In Gao Jing’s room, there was a chaise lounge and a matching small tea table by the window. The four of them gathered around it. Lin Meng was the first to speak. "I love musicals. Coincidentally, a theater company is touring in H City right now, and a friend gave me two tickets. Want to go with me on Friday night?"

Gao Jing looked at the tickets, a little hesitant. "Who were you originally planning to go with? I don’t want to mess up your plans."

"You won’t," Lin Meng said, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "She has her own ticket anyway. So, are you free Friday night?"

Gao Jing smiled. "Of course! I’m definitely free."

Zhou Wenwen went next. "I love writing postcards. This is one of my favorite sets. I hope you’ll like it too."

Gao Jing accepted the postcard set. "This is such a lovely surprise! I’ve always thought receiving postcards from all over the world would be amazing."

Tan You said, "You’re all so thoughtful. My gift’s a bit flashy, just a bottle of perfume. I hope you like it."

Gao Jing glanced at the perfume’s brand and scent profile. "I love it! I was actually in need of a perfume just like this. And look at this bottle, it’s so exquisitely designed! I have a hobby of collecting perfume bottles."

Tan You smiled. "I’m glad you like it."

Seeing how happy Gao Jing was, it was clear she hadn’t been bothered by the gift exchange incident, which put everyone at ease.

Gao Jing put the gifts away safely. "Don’t worry. I’m not a child; I don’t get upset that easily. But it makes me really happy that you all thought of me."

Zhou Wenwen patted Gao Jing’s shoulder. "That’s what matters. We should probably get back now; it’s been a long day."

And so, the gift exchange incident was over. Back in her room, Tan You looked at the lipstick set from Xu Jike and, wanting it out of sight and out of mind, shoved it to the very bottom of her suitcase.

’Dating shows are such a pain,’ Tan You thought, already starting to regret her decision to participate. She had only joined to stand up for Chi Mo; that, and the contract termination fee was just too high.

Now, she felt like she’d painted herself into a corner. She was terrible at handling these ambiguous, flirtatious situations. But then again, Tan You managed to convince herself, ’As long as I stand my ground, what does it matter what anyone else does?’

’As for the show’s editing and the inevitable online comments, I can’t be bothered,’ she reasoned. ’I’m not in the entertainment industry, so I really don’t care about any of that.’

Having thus convinced herself, Tan You quickly fell into a deep sleep. She never had trouble sleeping in new places, so she slept soundly until morning.

In reality, Tan You had relaxed too soon. Even if this was a travel-themed dating show, could you even call it a dating show if it didn’t stir up some drama? The moment they gathered in the morning, Tan You heard the new rule from the production team.

"Today, we’ll be drawing lots again, but this time it’s to form male-female pairs for an activity. Everyone will draw a card in turn, and those with matching patterns will be a team."

Zhou Wenwen asked, "But someone is going to be left out. What happens to them? Do they get a free day?"

The director gave a sinister smile. "Our show would never leave anyone behind. The female guest who draws the blank card will automatically be paired with our fourth male guest."

"You’re kidding. That’s so awkward," Lin Meng said with a frown. "What are you even supposed to say when you meet for the first time?"

Tan You pursed her lips. ’I’m fine with anyone, as long as it’s not Xu Jike.’ But looking at the director’s smile, she had a sinking feeling she was destined to be paired with him for this activity.

Sure enough, after everyone had drawn their cards, Tan You looked down at the pattern. ’The beach? Who else got the beach?’

The Beauty System, which had been quiet for a long time, suddenly piped up: "Xu Jike did. He drew the beach, too."

Tan You sighed. ’I knew it. Would the director really pass up such a perfect opportunity to stir up drama? After all, Xu Jike has been so blatant. Anyone with eyes could see he has a one-sided crush on me.’

’To generate buzz and discussion, the production team would never let me off the hook.’ 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Gao Jing, ever the most energetic one, decisively flipped her card. "I got the glass skywalk! Who else has the glass skywalk?"

Xiang Zhe silently raised his hand. "Me."

Gao Jing glanced at his card, her interest piqued. "Oh, so we’re a team then. Are you afraid of heights?"

Xiang Zhe replied, "Not at all. I’ve been on a glass skywalk before."

Gao Jing said, "Great. I heard the one here is famous. I’ve been wanting to check it out for a while."

Tan You shifted uncomfortably. ’A glass skywalk... Just the thought of it makes my skin crawl.’ She imagined standing on it and looking down, and felt her legs might just give out.

Zhou Wenwen revealed her card. "I have the science museum."

Shi Lei said quietly, "Me too. Looking forward to it."

Tan You sighed. "I have the beach."

Seeing Xu Jike let out a sharp sigh of relief made Tan You’s heart sink even further. Lin Meng, meanwhile, said with a deadpan expression, "So I’m the one paired with the new guy? Director, how old is he? How tall? It’s not like I’m going to run into him and not even know who he is, right?"

Gao Jing, who loved nothing more than a bit of drama, chimed in, "Yeah, tell us! We all want to hear."

The director was unyielding. "You’ll find out when you get there. For now, everyone, let’s head out. Lin Meng, you’ll ride with the production crew. The new male guest is on his way to the location now."

Although Tan You was unhappy about having to spend time alone with Xu Jike, she was still on a show and intended to be professional about it. So, she went along with everyone else back to her room, quickly packed a few things, and set off for the destination with Xu Jike.