When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 59: Chi Mo 13

She was, of course, talking about Chi Mo’s life. Chi Mo had a part-time job as a classical dance teacher at a dance studio. Tan You hadn’t gone to teach a single class since arriving in this world, as the original Chi Mo had already taken time off in advance.

However, once this round of filming was over, Tan You would have to go back and make up for the missed classes. It wasn’t for any grand reason—it was all about the money.

Come to think of it, Chi Mo’s family was reasonably well-off. She had all the essentials: a house, a car to get around in, and a fixed mortgage to pay each month. Chi Mo even had a fair amount of savings herself.

’To be honest, Chi Mo had it pretty good. As long as she focused on her work, life was actually quite comfortable. Sometimes, Tan You just couldn’t understand why people insisted on dating and getting married. As far as she was concerned, getting tangled up with a man was just a massive headache.’

’Best friends turning on each other over a man were a dime a dozen, to say nothing of having to deal with in-laws after marriage. The very thought terrified Tan You.’

Zhou Wenwen waved her spatula. "If you like daughters so much, why don’t you have one? I’m sure she’d be gorgeous right from the start."

Tan You considered it. "I haven’t really thought about it. I’ll just stick to what I always say: what kind of earth-shattering love would it take to make me willing to have a child?"

Lin Meng, who was making juice nearby, chimed in. "Motherhood is a choice. You can choose to be a mom, or you can choose not to be. That’s our right."

Tan You smiled. "Exactly. Judging a woman’s worth by whether or not she has children is a warped way of thinking, in my opinion. Before I’m a mother, I am me, first and foremost."

The three of them spoke in hushed tones, having found a great deal of common ground on the subject. From the looks of it, Tan You was something of a closet feminist.

Tan You could cook, but she was no master chef—just simple, home-style dishes. Zhou Wenwen, on the other hand, was an excellent cook, perhaps because she had a child.

Zhou Wenwen said, "I wasn’t much of a cook before I got married, either. But after I had my kid, I started worrying about restaurant food and began to learn. I’ve picked up a lot over the years."

Gao Jing added, "I couldn’t cook before, either. I only learned after becoming a mom." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Lin Meng said, "Same story here. My ex-husband never once set foot in the kitchen after coming home from work."

Noticing everyone’s eyes on her, Tan You chose her words carefully. "I don’t recall him ever going into the kitchen, either. I rarely cooked in the past. It was only after I got out of the hospital and the doctor recommended a light diet that I slowly started to learn."

"It’s so unfair when you think about it sometimes," Lin Meng said with a frown. "It’s so easy for a man to become a father, but a woman has to give up so much. And the crucial part is, after the child is born, it’s the woman who spends most of her time running around, busy with everything, and in the end, often gets no appreciation for it."

"It’s as if just bringing home a paycheck is enough for a man. Like that alone means he’s fulfilled his responsibility."

Zhou Wenwen scoffed. "You’d be lucky if he even brings money home. The real fear is when they don’t even do that. That’s true misery."

Xiang Zhe knew this was a dangerous topic and quickly changed the subject. "So, the first leg of filming officially wraps up tonight. What does everyone have planned next?"

Gao Jing answered, "I’ve already booked a flight for tomorrow morning. I’m heading straight back. I guess I’ll see you all for the second leg of filming."

Zhou Wenwen said, "I have a flight tomorrow, too. I’ve got four classes to teach in the afternoon."

Lin Meng blinked. "And I have to be at the office tomorrow afternoon."

It was the same story with the male guests; nearly all of them were leaving first thing in the morning. Tan You was instantly delighted when she heard everyone’s plans.

Tan You announced, "I’m going to stay here for a couple more days. I want to do some creative exploration, just walk around and take in the sights."

Xu Jike was kicking himself for having spoken too soon. Now, even if he wanted to stay, he couldn’t. All he could do was look utterly dejected. Tan You couldn’t care less what Xu Jike was thinking. The less she had to interact with the male guests, the happier she was.

After dinner, but before everyone had retired to their rooms, Tan You suddenly pulled a cameraman aside. "Brother Chuan, does the director let you guys take on side gigs?"

Brother Chuan was taken aback for a second. "What are you looking to shoot?"

Tan You smiled. "During the jungle rafting today, I thought it would be stunning to film a dance sequence there. I was wondering, if you’re not busy for the next couple of days, could you possibly help me out?"

"I checked the map, and there’s a snow-capped mountain nearby, too. It would also be beautiful to film there, with the endless sea of clouds in the background."

Brother Chuan was instantly captivated by the scene Tan You described. "Since you’re the one asking, of course it’s no problem. I’ll go talk to the director. The first leg of the shoot is officially over anyway; from here on out, it’s all post-production and editing work."

"Thank you so much, Brother Chuan! And don’t worry about the fee, I’ll make sure you’re well compensated..." Tan You was overjoyed. She had faith in Brother Chuan’s artistic eye. ’In her past life, he had filmed Chi Mo so beautifully; it went without saying he could do it again now.’

"Just pay whatever you think is fair. For people like us, capturing beautiful footage is the most important thing," Brother Chuan said magnanimously, not bothering to haggle with Chi Mo over the details.

The two spoke in hushed tones, quickly hammering out a schedule for the next two days. When he learned that Tan You also needed a professional stylist, Brother Chuan recommended one to her.

"Teacher Xu is a real pro. She’s especially good with traditional period styling."

Tan You had, of course, heard of the famous Teacher Xu. "I’m just a regular person. I doubt I could afford to hire someone like Teacher Xu, could I?"

Brother Chuan waved her concerns away. "Trust me, the second she sees your face, Teacher Xu would do your styling for free. Her absolute favorite thing is working with beautiful young women."

Tan You was skeptical. "You know Teacher Xu that well?"

Brother Chuan chuckled. "She’s my aunt. How could I not know her well? Relax, just leave the styling part to me. I guarantee you’ll meet her first thing tomorrow morning."

Tan You was still skeptical, but just as she was about to say something, a loud "BOOM" echoed through the room. Both she and Brother Chuan whipped their heads around to see a pillar of light flare to life by the door, its glare piercingly bright.

Then she saw Xu Jike standing next to the pillar of light. Brother Chuan jolted, snatched up his camera, and immediately started filming Tan You, CLICK-CLICK-CLICK, practically shoving the lens in her face. Seeing Xu Jike’s blatant stare, then looking at Brother Chuan’s expression—which was clearly anticipating some good drama—Tan You felt a wave of exasperation.

’Well, then. Everything is developing completely differently from Chi Mo’s memories. This morning, it was just a wild guess, but who would have thought Xu Jike would actually light up for her? In the last life, he never once lit up for Chi Mo, not even at the very end of the show. What’s gotten into him? Did he take the wrong medicine or something?’

Walking from the hallway back into the room, Tan You saw the worried expressions on Gao Jing, Zhou Wenwen, and Lin Meng’s faces. She just smiled. "Brother Xu lit up his light? How decisive."

Xu Jike replied pointedly, "Of course. When it’s time to make a move, you have to be swift and decisive. You have to make sure the other person sees you."

Tan You’s eyes narrowed slightly before a smile spread across her face. "Brother Xu, you’re so outstanding. I’m sure some girl is bound to notice you."