When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 86: Chi Mo 40

Tan You was surprised. "Huh? When does it air?"

"The first episode airs tonight."

Tan You paused. "So soon?"

She remembered the show was supposed to premiere in a month. ’Has it really been moved up this much?’

Gao Jing saw it clearly. "Aren’t they just trying to strike while the iron is hot?"

"Well, whatever. That’s the production team’s business." Tan You was busy applying her skincare products. "Why are you all up so early?"

"How could we not be excited?" Zhou Wenwen laughed. "Besides, filming ends today. We can catch up on sleep when we get back, so pulling one all-nighter is no big deal."

Tan You smiled. "Staying up all night is bad for you, and it’s not like this is anything that important."

The four of them came out of the room, chatting and laughing, and ran right into Song Haomin’s ex-wife. Tan You smiled at her. "Good morning."

The other woman’s smile was a bit strained. "Good morning."

Tan You was a little confused at first, but then it clicked. On the surface, Tan You remained composed. "We’re going to get breakfast. Want to join us?"

The woman politely declined. "I need to find Haomin for something. You guys go ahead."

"Alright," Tan You said, not pressing the issue. In reality, she was a very aloof person and rarely initiated social contact. The only reason she spoke to Song Haomin’s ex-wife was to avoid seeming too cold to others.

Besides, you don’t need that many true friends. It seemed three was more than enough for now.

Perhaps because it was the last day of filming for the reality show, today’s breakfast was especially lavish. Tan You was, of course, delighted. She was a foodie; maybe someday, when her horizons broadened, she wouldn’t care so much about the pleasures of the palate.

’Forgive a girl who’s never really had good food growing up.’

After breakfast, it was naturally time for everyone to make their choices. The production team had half-heartedly prepared a map for each of the female guests and even equipped each of them with a small electric scooter. The idea was for the women to ride them to find the male guests.

Gao Jing patted hers and joked, "Is this our sponsor?"

"Ahem, the production team’s gotta eat, too," the director said unapologetically. "There, you’ve got everything you need. Get going. If you two hit it off, he can hop on your little love scooter, and you can ride off sweetly together to the ends of the earth."

Zhou Wenwen muttered, "Could this be any cheesier?"

Lin Meng nodded. "It is pretty cheesy."

Even the unofficial guest, Song Haomin’s ex-wife, got an electric scooter. It was clear which direction the production team had veered in for the show’s later stages. The director was pretty much phoning it in at this point. ’Oh well, so be it.’

Everyone scattered. Tan You didn’t even look at the map. She’d just drive wherever. After all, throughout the entire show, she hadn’t felt a spark with any of the male guests.

’If I run into a male guest, I’ll just stop and say a few words. But there’s absolutely no way anyone is getting on my scooter.’

Even though Tan You didn’t want to seek out the male guests, the production team had put up signs, and she couldn’t just pretend not to see them. Soon enough, Tan You encountered the first male guest. What a coincidence—it was Xiang Zhe.

Xiang Zhe was also a bit surprised. "Hello. You’re not going to invite me to get on, are you?"

Tan You smiled. "Oh no, not at all. I just felt it would be rude to run into you and not say a few words. So, I wish you good health, a smooth life, and happiness for your whole family."

Xiang Zhe laughed as well. "Thank you for your blessings. I wish you all the best in the future, too."

Tan You said nothing more. After a similar encounter with Shi Lei, she reached her third stop and came across Song Haomin. As expected of an actor, he had a different air about him, even just standing there casually.

She had no intention of saying much to Song Haomin and simply gave him a smile. After all, he basically came with his own female guest. Why should she get involved with those two?

Song Haomin clearly understood what she meant. After an understanding smile, he watched her leave. Did he have regrets? A few, actually. If he hadn’t brought his ex-wife on the show, perhaps he and Chi Mo might have had a chance.

But things were as they were. Regret was pointless. The only thing to do now was to leverage the situation for greater benefit. As he thought this, Song Haomin’s gaze hardened with resolve. ’We’re adults. Once you’ve made a decision, don’t look back.’

The final stop was, naturally, Xu Jike. Tan You didn’t want to see him, but it was a requirement of the show, so she had to comply. Besides, she had her own agenda. She wanted to make Xu Jike understand that Chi Mo was someone he desired but could never have.

’Why did he get to walk away so easily in their past life?’ Although there’s no clear right or wrong in matters of the heart, Tan You was undoubtedly on Chi Mo’s side.

Xu Jike had been standing there for nearly an hour. In that time, he had already seen every female guest except for Chi Mo. Now, he was waiting for her to arrive, and to be honest, he was very much looking forward to it.

Even though he knew she wouldn’t choose him, just seeing her one more time would be nice. He understood that once the show ended, he would probably never see Chi Mo again, unless he went to see one of her performances.

Tan You stopped in front of Xu Jike. "Why are you still here?"

Xu Jike smiled. "Because you hadn’t come yet. I was waiting to see you."

Tan You’s expression was blank. "Even with me here, the outcome won’t change. You understand the principle of cutting your losses better than I do."

Xu Jike said, "Of course I understand that. But emotions aren’t like business interests; they’re not so easy to let go of."

The corner of Tan You’s mouth quirked up slightly. "Lawyer Xu, we’re just in the bubble of this dating show. Once you leave, you’ll realize that we’ve only magnified our feelings here, and the pool of female guests is limited. When you have a chance to cool down, you’ll find there are many girls out there who are much better than me."

Xu Jike was silent for a few seconds. "The last time, you rejected me without a second thought, and you’re doing it again. I’ve changed a lot. Have you still not changed your mind?"

"I realize now that I was too immature before. It was only after our last talk that I saw how cold and fickle I was. But now I’m trying to become a better person. Even so, you won’t even give me a second glance?"

Tan You’s smile widened. "Lawyer Xu, your destiny doesn’t lie with me. Why do you have to paint yourself in such a humble light? You’re an outstanding lawyer, skilled at managing all sorts of interpersonal relationships. But I’m not. I can never understand your world."

"Just like you can’t understand my life. You can’t understand why a girl would be so into makeup, so into fashion, so into giggling foolishly at her phone all day."

Xu Jike grew anxious. "It’s true, I don’t understand it. But I can accept that kind of life now."

Tan You shook her head. "You don’t have to force yourself, and I don’t have to force myself to adapt to someone else. And of course, I don’t need anyone to ’accept’ my way of life. I think I’m doing just fine, and I don’t need anyone passing judgment on how I live."