When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 82: Chi Mo 36

Zhou Wenwen continued, "So they just keep searching and searching. Everyone’s so busy these days. It’s hard enough just to take care of yourself, so who has the patience to grow with someone else?"

"That’s the paradox," Tan You said with a smile. "But it’s a funny thing—the moment you decide you don’t want to date, it seems like people suddenly start showing up."

Gao Jing asked gossipily, "So who’s shown up around you?"

"No one," Tan You shrugged. "I was just speaking hypothetically. I’m too busy right now." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Gao Jing leaned a little closer to Tan You. "I heard you danced in Director Liu’s movie? When did that happen?"

Tan You replied, "Even for a former agent, your sources are still top-notch. It was last week. That was a real eye-opener."

She gave a carefully edited account of her few days on Director Liu’s set. Gao Jing frowned. "This was definitely Wang Rong’s doing. To think a famous, award-winning actress would pull something like that."

Tan You said, "It was probably her, but I don’t have any solid proof. Looking back, being a normal person is pretty good. At least you don’t have to deal with this stuff. I’m really starting to understand how deep and murky the waters are in this industry."

"You still need connections, someone to watch your back," Gao Jing said with a nod. "So many people in the industry now come from money. Even those from moderately wealthy families face obstacles, let alone those with no connections or family background."

"And even if you manage to claw your way to the top, it takes an incredible amount of effort, but you have to make even more compromises."

Zhou Wenwen sighed. "Let’s just stick to our ordinary lives. That world is just too complicated."

Tan You said, "That’s why I’m keeping my distance. I doubt I’ll get many offers for movie cameos in the future anyway. I’d rather just focus on my dancing. I may not be super rich, but I can support myself just fine."

Zhou Wenwen patted her arm lightly. "More than just fine! I had no idea you were so good with money. A twenty percent annualized return? How did you manage that?"

Tan You laughed it off. "Just luck, pure luck."

’Could she possibly admit she’d done it herself? She could only chalk it up to luck. After all, Chi Mo was an art student, completely clueless about these things.’

Time flew by when she was with her best friends, and that evening, they all ended up at Chi Mo’s apartment. The place had been intended as their marital home, but Chi Mo got divorced before she even had the chance to move in.

Afterward, Chi Mo lived there alone. Two years had passed, and she had decorated the small apartment to be incredibly warm and cozy.

Gao Jing looked around. "This layout is great! You have huge floor-to-ceiling windows, so the natural light is amazing. And a dance studio! Wow, you’ve done such a fantastic job with this place, haven’t you?"

Tan You smiled. "I’m a dancer, after all. I can’t afford to slack off at home. The apartment actually still has a mortgage. I have to pay about 4,000 a month."

"That’s still really good," Zhou Wenwen said, envious. "I feel like my mortgage is suffocating me every month, and I have a kid to raise. Luckily, my parents help out."

Lin Meng protested, "You’re all a bunch of rich ladies! Who can sympathize with someone like me, living in a tiny apartment? My monthly mortgage payment is no small amount either."

Gao Jing said, "I don’t have a mortgage, but I have two kids to raise! And one’s a boy. Do you have any idea how hard that is? A son! Thankfully, Dashuai is a sweetie."

Tan You found this amusing. "Are we having a misery competition now? We all have bright futures ahead; the good days are still to come. Just think, your places are in S City. One of them is worth several of my apartment."

N City was well-developed, but it was still leagues behind S City. So, Tan You felt her friends were all humblebragging. Sure, they had mortgages, but these were for properties in S City, of all places.

The reality show was filmed in four installments, and soon it was time for the final shoot. Of course, everyone knew that the final shoot was also when the results would be announced.

Other than Gao Jing and Xiang Zhe, who seemed a little worried, everyone else was remarkably calm.

Xu Jike knew he would be rejected, for sure. Zhou Wenwen and Lin Meng had shown basically no romantic sparks on the show. Now, all eyes were on Gao Jing and Xiang Zhe, as well as Song Haomin and his ex-wife.

Tan You had long known that the later stages of a reality show were always unpredictable. For instance, the production team had actually invited Shi Lei’s ex-girlfriend onto the show. Now, she was starting to feel nervous too, because she was about to face her own trial: her first meeting with Chi Mo’s father.

’He won’t be able to tell I’m not Chi Mo, will he?’ Thinking about this, Tan You felt her footsteps grow heavy. Outwardly, however, she had to look cheerful. A family member was visiting, so of course she should be happy.

Following the production team’s directions to a small reception room, Tan You forced her smile to look natural. As she walked in, she saw a middle-aged man sitting inside. He broke into a smile the moment he saw her.

"Paopao, you look like you’ve lost so much weight!"

Tan You felt a pang of guilt. "Just a couple of pounds. You’ve got a sharp eye, Dad, to even notice that."

Chi Mo’s father stroked her hair. "Are you having fun on the show? Your mom felt too guilty to come see you."

Tan You huffed. "I know. But forget it, I don’t blame her. I’ve made some really good friends here. I’ll introduce you to them later. They’re all wonderful women."

Chi Mo’s father asked probingly, "No boys who’ve caught your eye? I think that Little Xu seems pretty nice."

Tan You said, "He’s alright, but we’re not a good match. How do you know about him?"

Her father immediately threw the production team under the bus. "Your director told me. I actually just met Little Xu. He really is a nice, very outstanding young man."

Tan You touched her forehead and proceeded to try and change her dad’s mind. "He’s a high-powered lawyer, so specialized in his field, and I’m just a dancer. We have nothing in common to talk about. He can’t understand my world, and I can’t understand his."

Her father mused, "That’s true. You’re completely different types of people. It would be hard to understand each other’s worlds."

"But wait, that’s not right," he added. "When two people get together, it’s not about understanding each other’s professions, it’s about understanding each other as people, isn’t it?"

Tan You replied, "Not everyone thinks that way, Dad. And not everyone can separate their work and personal lives. He wants too much. He wants a woman who is gentle, obedient, and quiet, but he also expects her to give him professional advice when he’s stressed. I can’t be all of that."

Chi Mo’s father immediately dropped the idea. "You’re right. You’re a dancer, how would you know about all that? If your grades had been any better back in the day, would you have ended up in art school?"

Tan You clutched her chest. "You really are my dad, aren’t you? Who else would be so brutal?"

Her father said, "I’m just stating facts. But it’s not like you came out empty-handed. Making good friends here is a great thing, too."

Tan You smiled. "That’s true. Gao Jing and the others are the best thing I’ve gotten out of this show. I’ll introduce you to them in a little while."