When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 79: Chi Mo 33

This lent her gaze an exceptionally cold and detached quality, as if nothing in the world could hold her attention. This was exactly the feeling Director Liu wanted. He gestured to Tan You, who followed his direction to the center of the set.

"First, dance through the entire routine," Director Liu said, holding a small bullhorn. "I want to see how it looks."

When it came to dancing, as long as it didn’t involve acting, Tan You was perfectly calm.

"I used to think the phrase ’conveying emotion through dance’ was just an exaggeration, but now I see how narrow-minded I was." Teacher Xu folded her arms, her eyes fixed on Tan You without blinking.

The producer’s eyes darted around. "Who is she? Is she signed to an agency?"

"A complete unknown," Teacher Xu said, raising an eyebrow. "Tempted?"

"Absolutely. Someone like her would completely dominate the entertainment industry," the producer said, not hiding his interest in the slightest. "Does she have any thoughts about joining?"

"I’m guessing not," Teacher Xu said with a shrug. "She’s only interested in dancing. She was very direct about it, saying it’s already hard enough to do one thing well in a lifetime."

"What a shame. Still, we have to try," the producer said. He wasn’t about to give up that easily.

The dance sequence was being filmed in a great hall, and the surrounding area was crowded with crew members, actors’ assistants, and the like. But the moment they saw Tan You’s face, nearly every actress on set felt a sense of crisis.

The entertainment industry certainly wasn’t lacking in beautiful women, but someone this stunning was a true rarity. If she also had acting talent and an agency backing her, she was guaranteed to make a name for herself.

Director Liu watched Tan You in the center of the set, gradually becoming mesmerized. He didn’t snap out of his trance until she had finished the entire sacrificial dance.

"Excellent!" He was unstinting in his praise. "But there are a few shots we need to be careful with. We’ll rehearse it a few more times tomorrow. Pay attention to your blocking."

Tan You caught her breath. "Okay. Does that mean I passed?"

"Of course," Director Liu laughed heartily. "That was the most moving performance I’ve seen to date. You are a truly captivating dancer."

"Thank you for your praise," Tan You said with a smile and a bow. "And thank you for giving me this opportunity."

Seeing Tan You shivering slightly, Teacher Xu brought over her down jacket. "Let’s get you to the changing room. We can’t have you catching a chill."

The assistant director approached them. "Miss Chi, when would be a convenient time for you to sign the contract?"

Tan You clutched the collar of her down jacket. "Anytime is fine." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

When Tan You returned to her hotel that evening, she had a new contract in her bag. The pay was, of course, very generous—more than Chi Mo earned in an entire year of toiling away at the dance troupe.

’No wonder so many people fought tooth and nail to get into show business. The money really was fast.’

Teacher Xu sat down beside her. "So you’re really not interested in joining the industry?"

Tan You politely declined. "If it’s just for a dancing segment, I might consider it. But I’m terrible at acting, and I’d rather not make a fool of myself. Besides, I already have a job at the dance troupe, and I worked very hard to get in."

The job at the dance troupe was very important to Chi Mo, and Tan You couldn’t just quit without Chi Mo’s consent. Besides, Tan You herself had little interest in the entertainment industry; all she wanted was to dance well.

Teacher Xu said, "I suppose the other actresses can breathe a sigh of relief now. I’m telling you, the moment you appeared, every actress on this set felt like her career was in jeopardy."

Tan You found that amusing. "Surely it’s not that dramatic? Everyone is very beautiful."

Teacher Xu replied, "Many people secretly hope that others are less fortunate than them, especially in this industry. They’d love nothing more than to see their rivals crushed. It’s good that you’re staying out of the fray. You’ll lead a much more peaceful life."

Tan You said, "That’s what I was thinking, too. I’m just here to perform the dance well. I haven’t really considered anything else."

The hotel Teacher Xu had booked was not far from the production base. However, just as they stepped out of the elevator, Tan You and Teacher Xu were stopped. A man in his mid-thirties blocked their path, and Tan You immediately had a bad feeling about him.

"President Liu, what brings you here so late?" As Director Liu’s exclusive stylist, Teacher Xu naturally had an extensive network. She froze for a moment upon seeing the man but quickly recovered, stepping forward with a smile.

She frowned imperceptibly. ’Chi Mo has only been on set for a few hours. How did Liu Fei already get wind of her? Being targeted by him is definitely not a good thing. The rumors say he plays pretty fast and loose.’

"I heard my uncle finally found a dancer he’s satisfied with, so I wanted to come and introduce myself. You must be Chi Mo, right? Hello, I’m Liu Fei. Director Liu is my uncle."

Tan You shot President Liu a look, her eyes frigid. "Hello. Is it common practice these days to introduce yourself by name-dropping your relatives?"

’Even though she was clueless when it came to romance, she wasn’t blind to the covetous look in his eyes. So why on earth would she be nice to him?’

Liu Fei hadn’t expected her to be so cold. He’d already told her he was Director Liu’s nephew, yet her expression hadn’t changed one bit. How could she be so arrogant?

He forced a smile. "Meeting like this must be fate. I was wondering if Miss Chi would be free to grace me with her presence for a casual meal?"

Tan You remained expressionless. "If a deliberately engineered meeting like this counts as fate, then fate is a flimsy and fraudulent thing indeed. I’m exhausted and need to rest. Besides, I have no desire to eat with a stranger. You’ll have to excuse me."

After swiping her key card, Tan You offered Teacher Xu a strained smile. "Teacher Xu, thank you for walking me back. I’ll see you tomorrow."

Teacher Xu smiled. "Alright. See you tomorrow."

She shot a look at Liu Fei. "President Liu, loitering outside a young woman’s hotel room in the middle of the night... that’s not a very good look, is it?"

Liu Fei was practically crawling out of his skin with eagerness. "Sis, what’s the story with this Chi Mo? She’s absolutely gorgeous!"

Teacher Xu’s tone was icy. "Who told you that Chi Mo had joined the production?"

Liu Fei faltered, looking embarrassed. "Sis..."

"Don’t call me ’Sis.’ I’m calling Director Liu right now." Teacher Xu’s expression was stern as she dialed the director’s number right in front of Liu Fei.

Liu Fei didn’t dare leave. A moment later, his own phone rang—it was Director Liu. After getting an earful, Liu Fei gritted his teeth in frustration. "Fine, I’m leaving, alright? Uncle, you’re my actual uncle! Why won’t you help me out?"

Director Liu sounded exhausted on the other end. "Just tell me. Who fed you this information?"

Liu Fei wanted to hold his ground, but Director Liu knew exactly how to handle him. "If you don’t talk, you can consider yourself banned from my house from now on."

Liu Fei knew he was cornered. He stammered for a moment before confessing, "It was Wang Rong’s agent. She sent me a picture of Chi Mo."

Teacher Xu narrowed her eyes. ’Wang Rong, huh? The female lead. Is Chi Mo really such a threat to her? So much so that she’d try to have her ruined this quickly?’

Director Liu sounded drained. "I understand. Now get back home! I don’t care what you do in your free time, but if you dare use my name to..."

Teacher Xu chimed in from the side, "Oh, he’s already waved your flag. The very first thing he said to our Little Chi was, ’Director Liu is my uncle.’"