When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 92: Chi Mo 46

Shi Lei teased, "It’s the 21st century. Are we still practicing gender discrimination?"

Gao Jing tossed her hair. "This is girls’ talk time now. Shall we go? I drove here. Momo, you can give me directions..."

The four girls walked off, arm in arm. Xu Jike watched them go, then suddenly took a deep breath. He had only exchanged a single sentence with Chi Mo the entire evening—a dry congratulations on her successful performance.

’But what else could he have said to her? Just as Director Liu said, a woman as radiant as her would never be content to be kept hidden away. And he understood, too. From the moment they met, it was clear they weren’t meant to be.’

’It just felt so frustrating.’

Xiang Zhe patted his shoulder, feeling a bit sorry for him, to be honest. "Come on, let’s head back to the hotel. You have a client to meet tomorrow afternoon."

Xu Jike sighed. "How did you feel when Gao Jing rejected you?"

"You’re bound to feel sad and heartbroken," Xiang Zhe said, gazing out the window. "But I understand her reservations. Romance is so complicated for adults, and her concerns... are far greater than mine."

Xu Jike said, "At least Gao Jing has some feelings for you. But as for her feeling that way about me..."

Shi Lei’s ears perked up. "Lawyer Xu, this isn’t like you. Don’t you always put your career first? The way you’re acting now, you’re starting to sound like one of those lovesick fools you see online."

"Well, you’d have to actually be in love for that," Xu Jike scoffed. "My chest feels so tight. Now I finally know what it feels like to want something I can’t have. Maybe this is... karma?"

Shi Lei cringed. He and Xiang Zhe exchanged a look. Xiang Zhe mouthed the words "speed up," and Shi Lei obliged. Soon, their car was swallowed by the stream of traffic.

In the early morning, Tan You sleepily tried to sit up, painstakingly prying away Gao Jing’s and Zhou Wenwen’s arms, only to find her waist held in a death grip by Lin Meng. Tan You sighed. ’I have perfectly good guest rooms, so why do they all have to pile in here with me?’

After finally wriggling free from the human octopus, Tan You checked the time and went to her dance studio to begin her morning practice.

By the time she finished her morning practice, showered, and came out, the other three were still sprawled out asleep. Seeing Gao Jing about to drool, Tan You playfully pinched her nose. Gao Jing even cooperated by opening her mouth wide to breathe, making Tan You burst out laughing.

"Time to get up! Didn’t you all say you wanted to come watch the rehearsal with me? If you don’t get up now, we’ll be late."

Gao Jing’s eyes flew open, but Lin Meng just rolled over and burrowed her head deeper into the blankets. Tan You grabbed her without mercy. "Let’s get her up first. We have to deal with the one who’s impossible to wake up."

Lin Meng managed to control herself during the show, but once it was over, she loved nothing more than sleeping in. Having shared a bed with her twice, Tan You knew this all too well. The others were much more self-disciplined.

’Maybe it’s because Gao Jing and Zhou Wenwen both have kids. Perhaps they’d unconsciously broken the habit of sleeping in?’

At home, they could be as sloppy and casual as they wanted, but when it was time to go out, the girls always made sure to dress impeccably. In less than an hour, the four women, each with a distinctly different style, left Tan You’s apartment complex.

Since Gao Jing and the others had visited before, no one said anything when Tan You brought them into the dance troupe’s building. The three were also considerate enough not to intrude while official troupe matters were being discussed, opting to wait quietly in Chi Mo’s small practice room instead.

In truth, Chi Mo hadn’t had her own practice room before; her standing in the troupe hadn’t been high enough. But after Tan You arrived in this world, her influence within the troupe grew steadily. Now, it was no exaggeration to call her the principal dancer.

And a principal dancer was certainly entitled to special perks, like a private practice room. As long as Tan You was in the building, the room was hers. Otherwise, its use was unrestricted.

The troupe was actually supposed to rehearse at the theater, but after yesterday’s incident with Wang Hui, plans had changed. Even though everyone now knew the truth behind the video, the troupe still had to formally punish her.

That was why everyone had been gathered at the troupe’s headquarters this morning. Once the matter was settled, they would all head to the theater. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Teacher Wen and the Troupe Leader stood at the front, facing the assembled dancers. Teacher Wen’s expression was grave. "Everyone is well aware of what happened. The troupe encourages healthy competition, but not through such despicable means."

Wang Hui sobbed. "Teacher Wen, Troupe Leader, I know I was wrong. I’ll never do it again."

Wu You’s cheeks puffed out, clearly disgusted by Wang Hui’s crocodile tears. But with the leadership right there, she didn’t dare voice her dissatisfaction.

Teacher Wen said, "If a simple apology was all it took to fix a mistake, the cost of wrongdoing would be far too low. Because of you, Wu You was unable to perform. Chi Mo was slandered. And the troupe’s reputation suffered. Do you really think a mere apology can make all of that go away?"

"It takes but a moment to start a rumor, but an eternity to disprove it. Even after a clarification, some people will still have their doubts. How will you take responsibility for that? Or perhaps I should ask, *can* you take responsibility for it?"

Wang Hui’s eyes were red. "But they’re fine, aren’t they? Wu You even hit me yesterday! And I’m the one getting completely trashed by netizens..."

Wu You’s fiery temper finally snapped. "You call this ’fine’? Huh? My ankle is wrapped up this thick—are you blind? You can’t see it? And now you’re trying to act like you’re the one in the right?"

Wang Hui flinched, not daring to argue back. The truth was, she was afraid Wu You would hit her again.

Tan You, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. "So, from your perspective, Wu You ’only’ has a sprain. That’s not a big deal, right? At least after missing this performance, she can still continue to dance. Is that it? Do you think you were being merciful? That you should be praised for at least not ending her entire dance career?"

"And as for me not being harmed, that was only because Wu You clarified things quickly, with Teacher Wen and the Troupe Leader helping to explain. So in your mind, because no ’major’ harm was done, we shouldn’t pursue the matter too seriously?"

Teacher Wen cut in. "That’s not how things work. In this world, when you do something wrong, you must bear the consequences. Not only do you show no remorse, but you’re now trying to guilt-trip Wu You and Chi Mo. It’s clear there’s no longer a place for you in this troupe."

Wang Hui’s head snapped up. "Teacher Wen!"

Teacher Wen remained perfectly calm. "I am formally notifying you that you have been expelled. First for malicious competition, and then for deliberately slandering a fellow member. The troupe has no room for someone like you."

Wang Hui knew Teacher Wen never went back on her word. She didn’t beg for mercy, but her lips twisted into a sneer. "You think I don’t know what you’re all thinking? It’s just because Chi Mo is a little famous now, isn’t it? You’re all fawning over her. Well, I’d like to see just how long you all can enjoy the limelight!"

"I’ve been wanting to leave this dump for a long time anyway!"

Wu You shot back, "If you wanted to leave so badly, you should have left sooner! Who was forcing you to stay? And if you didn’t want to be here, why resort to such a dirty trick?"