When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 102: Chi Mo 56

"But now, I’ll never give him a second glance, no matter how much he regrets it now," Chi Mo said lightly, rinsing a teacup. "I’m not usually stubborn, but once I’ve truly made a choice, I will never change my decision."

"Good," Tan You said, admiring this spirit in her. "Never give a chance to someone who hurt you in the past, even if they’re completely different from before."

"I know. Reconciling sounds nice, I suppose, but I’ll never do it." Rinsing the teacup, Chi Mo’s expression slowly calmed. "Youyou, I’m suddenly realizing that dating and marriage seem kind of pointless."

"What’s so great about men? Besides causing us pain and trouble, they’re practically useless for anything else."

Tan You smiled. "Maybe so. But don’t paint them all with the same brush. You were just unlucky enough to run into two bad ones. You won’t be this unlucky every time."

"It’s pretty ironic when you think about it," Chi Mo said, placing the cup on a rack. "Two men who gave up on me so decisively in the past are now both regretting it. Really, the more I think about it, the more ironic it feels."

"I even find myself wondering, if I didn’t have my current achievements, if I were still the old Chi Mo who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun, would they still be acting like this?"

"Or is it because I have some fame now, because I’ve become dazzling and eye-catching, that..."

The more Chi Mo spoke, the more muddled her thoughts became. Clearly, these questions were too profound for her; her mind couldn’t quite wrap around them.

Tan You interrupted her self-doubt. "Whether it’s the old you or the current you—ordinary and plain back then, radiant and brilliant now—it’s all still you. You’ve just made some accomplishments, but the person is still the same person. Your core self doesn’t change because of your achievements."

"You’re still that simple and happy girl. Achievements, appearance, and so on—those are just external glories. If someone loves you for your current glory and can’t see your core self, then he doesn’t deserve to be with you."

"Don’t burn yourself out overthinking it. Some things aren’t worth digging into. Just remember that you’re doing great and you’re happy right now. That’s enough."

Chi Mo calmed down. "Yes, you’re right. I’m doing great right now, and that’s enough."

Perhaps Xu Jike’s words had freed Chi Mo from her shackles. She became like the wind; it seemed no one could ever hold onto her again.

After Chi Mo finished dancing through the routine once, Director Liu watched her inquisitively. "Did something happen to you recently? I see you’ve changed a lot. You’ve become especially ethereal, with a sense that you might just ride the wind and fly away."

Chi Mo found it amusing. "What are you talking about? I’m still me. I’ve just figured some things out."

Director Liu said, "It’s a good thing. Your eyes have changed compared to before. They’re still pure and clear, but now they hold more experience."

Cradling her teacup, Chi Mo said, "Maybe this is what it means to grow up."

Director Liu didn’t ask any more questions. Chi Mo was young enough to be his granddaughter, and they didn’t have much to talk about anyway. As long as Chi Mo could perform her part in his work, Director Liu didn’t care about the rest.

Of course, Chi Mo had no intention of finding common ground with Director Liu either. An old fox like him, who had reached the pinnacle of his circle, was full of cunning and incredibly perceptive. Chi Mo didn’t want him seeing right through her.

Although she felt she was quite simple and easy to see through already, that didn’t stop Chi Mo from trying to fool herself a little.

When Chi Mo came to the film set to shoot her dance scenes, some people were naturally green with envy, but many others were friendly and wanted to get to know her. After all, Chi Mo’s follower count was substantial; she was already a top creator on the platform.

Moreover, most of them were active followers, a number that made many celebrities jealous. And since she wasn’t entering the entertainment industry, she wasn’t really a competitor to them.

So, after spending three days on set, Chi Mo had exchanged contact information with a few of the young women and even made plans to get together after they wrapped up filming. As for now, Chi Mo was leaving the set, wheeling her small suitcase behind her.

Just as she got into a taxi, Chi Mo received a call from Gao Jing. "Busy?"

Chi Mo gave the driver the address before turning her attention to her call with Gao Jing. "Not busy. I just finished up with work. What’s up? According to your usual workflow, shouldn’t you be selecting products and memorizing ad copy right now?"

Gao Jing waved the invitation in her hand. "Here’s the thing. The platform’s mid-year party. I got an invitation, and you should have too. You didn’t go last year, so are you going this year?"

Unlike the homebody Tan You, Chi Mo quite liked these kinds of events. "When is it? Let me check my schedule."

Gao Jing replied, "Next Saturday. Your dance troupe has weekends off, so you don’t have other plans for Saturday, right? If you go, we can go together. I can ride your coattails, you big-shot streamer."

Chi Mo laughed. "What do you mean, big-shot streamer? I’m just a dancer. You’re the big-shot streamer, aren’t you? I see so many people online when you’re live."

"So modest. Are you questioning your own follower count?" Gao Jing was in high spirits. "Do you have any idea how many people want you to start live streaming? But no, you just have to be the one who won’t stream and won’t run ads."

Chi Mo said, "There’s no need. I’m not very good at recommending things, so live streaming is out. As for ads, forget it. I don’t rely on that to make a living."

She had Tan You managing her finances, a fixed monthly salary, and the generous payment from Director Liu. As a result, Chi Mo really didn’t have a huge desire for money. She was the type of person who was content with a little wealth. Perhaps the only thing in this world she was truly passionate about was dance.

Gao Jing thought about it. "You’re right. It’s good that you’re so pure like this."

Chi Mo rested her chin on her hand. "Right? I’ve come to realize that too. The purer you are, the happier you are. Why do we get upset? Mainly because we think about too many things."

"My life’s dream is to be a giant panda that can sleep hanging from a tree, not thinking about anything. Unfortunately, a life like that is just a dream."

The two chatted idly for a bit before Gao Jing brought the conversation back on topic. "So, are you free next Saturday? Actually, the organizing committee asked me to ask you. They know we’re close, and who told you not to answer calls from unknown numbers?"

"I don’t have any plans at the moment, so let’s go have some fun. Do I need to prepare a formal dress? And get my makeup done? It sounds like a bit of a hassle." Chi Mo considered all the things involved in attending the event, and it seemed like a lot to do.

Gao Jing teased, "You definitely need to prepare a formal dress. But you’re so pretty, you’d look good even in a burlap sack. When we were shooting together before, you barely wore any makeup and you were still gorgeous on camera."

"I’m not so lucky. My age is showing, and I have a round face, so I have to start dieting and exercising in advance... so much to do..."

Even though it wasn’t an entertainment industry party, the event would be live-streamed on the platform, so of course Gao Jing didn’t want to look drab and disheveled.