When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 72: Chi Mo 26

Tan You smiled. "Auntie, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Chi Mo. I’m so sorry for dropping by so suddenly."

"Nothing to be sorry about! I love having young ladies over, especially pretty ones like you." Gao Jing’s mother laughed heartily. "Dashuai is playing with his Legos, and Tongtong has been insisting on wearing the dress you gave her since this morning."

Two dimples appeared as Tan You grinned. "Really? Auntie, are you cooking? Can I lend you a hand?"

"And you have dimples? Your smile is even sweeter with them." Gao Jing’s mom fondly touched Tan You’s dimples. Gao Jing also found them fascinating. "They only show up when you have a big smile. I never see them normally."

’Can I really smile like that on the show?’ Tan You thought to herself. ’As if I’m not worried about attracting enough unwanted attention already?’

Gao Jing pulled her to sit in the living room. "I’ve already done the prep work, but my mom doesn’t like anyone interfering when she’s cooking, so we all know to stay out of the kitchen once she starts."

"Momo."

"Momo!" Just as Tan You sat down, two small figures snuggled up to her. Tongtong, wearing a bubble skirt, nestled her whole body into Tan You’s arms. "Momo, am I pretty today?"

"Very pretty! You’re the prettiest little girl I’ve seen all day." Tan You was being a little clever, afraid the little girl would ask who was prettier, her or Ningning.

Clearly, Tan You’s worry was needless. Tongtong hugged Tan You’s neck. "When I grow up, I want to be as pretty as Momo!"

"You’ll definitely be prettier than me," Tan You said seriously. Chi Mo’s beauty was an acquired upgrade; her own natural features weren’t particularly outstanding.

Dashuai tugged on Tan You’s hand. "Momo, I’m building with Legos. Do you want to join me?"

"Sure, I’ll join you." Tan You’s eyes lit up, and she was soon lying on her stomach with the two children at the coffee table, building Legos. Gao Jing sat to one side, watching them, thinking Chi Mo was just like a kid herself.

"And your father? It seems rude for me to show up at your house so suddenly without saying hello to him," Tan You asked casually while picking out Lego pieces.

"My dad’s at work; he’s not home," Gao Jing said, holding a carton of ice cream. "Next time. I’ll introduce you to him next time."

"Don’t be a stranger here. Just make yourself at home."

That was easier said than done. How could Tan You truly relax? But being with children, especially well-behaved ones, really made time fly for her.

"I’ve been watching your livestreams. I saw a lot of good stuff and placed some orders. They’ll probably arrive after I get back from this shoot." Leaning back on the sofa, Tan You and Gao Jing chatted idly.

She didn’t mention Director Liu wanting to meet her. After all, nothing was set in stone, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to bring it up. Besides, saying something like that would sound like she was showing off, and Tan You wasn’t that kind of person. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"I’m always very careful about selecting my products," Gao Jing said, putting down her ice cream. "If the quality isn’t up to par, I absolutely won’t feature it. My followers aren’t fools, you know? You can’t just keep ripping them off."

"Besides, I don’t have that many followers; I’m just a small-time streamer. Right after my divorce, I found it so hard to find a job. Either the pay was too low, or the hours were too long, and it was never anything I enjoyed."

"Then I gradually started streaming, and now I’m slowly starting to see some results." Gao Jing didn’t seem to care if her ice cream was melting. "After being a housewife for several years, suddenly having to re-engage with society... it all felt so foreign."

Tan You didn’t quite understand her feelings, but she was a good listener, so she simply listened to whatever Gao Jing had to say.

"Even though the work can be a bit complicated and takes a lot of time, I really love it, because I can almost always see a return on my efforts." Gao Jing rested her chin on her hand, her eyes shining as she spoke about her job.

Tan You said, "That’s wonderful. Doing something you love, taking care of the people around you... that’s enough."

"I don’t ask for much. Just being able to live my current life well is enough. Of course, it would be even better if I could earn more money." Gao Jing asked curiously, "So, what’s your goal in life?"

Tan You thought for a moment. "To have more people see my work, I guess."

That was her goal in this world. If this were the real world, Tan You’s goal would be to make a lot of money.

Gao Jing said, "More people will definitely know your work in the future. When you started dancing, I was stunned. By the way, did Xu Jike bother you yesterday?"

Tan You was surprised. "You..."

Gao Jing picked up her half-melted ice cream. "I knew it. Lawyers are a calculating bunch. From the way he looked at you, he’s definitely trying to find any excuse to curry favor."

Tan You laughed. "It wasn’t that dramatic. He just walked me back to the hotel, we exchanged a few words on the way, and I told him clearly that we weren’t a good match."

Gao Jing said, "I don’t think he’s the type to give up easily. You should be careful."

Tan You replied, "That’s his business. Whatever he does has nothing to do with me."

Gao Jing thought about it and agreed. "True. As long as you don’t say yes, it’s not like he can force himself on you, right? I just get the feeling he’s quite arrogant, even though he hides it well."

Tan You said, "You noticed too? I saw it right away."

She smiled. "Elite types like him naturally look down on ordinary girls like me. He probably thinks that as soon as he shows interest, I should be falling all over myself to accept."

"His interest came on too fast, and it would fade just as quickly. It’s too superficial."

Gao Jing said, "It’s good that you see things clearly. But what if he starts openly pursuing you on the show?"

"I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it," Tan You shrugged. "So you’ll have to help me out then. But I see you’ll have your own hands full... Xiang Zhe..."

Gao Jing’s smile faded. "I’m really torn. I’m earning decent money now, but if I were to get remarried, it might affect the child support situation."

"The pressure of raising children these days is just too much. I’m not sure if I can handle it all."

Tan You patted the back of Gao Jing’s hand. "You can’t let yourself suffer because of that. Whether you get married or not, he still has an obligation to support his children."

Gao Jing managed a smile. "You’re not wrong, but it’s not that easy. He might worry that if I find someone else, the kids won’t be as close to him anymore."

"People’s hearts... they’re the most unpredictable things, after all."

Tan You sighed. "If you ever run into trouble in the future, just ask. I’ll help if I can."

A warmth spread through Gao Jing’s heart. Her gaze swept over Tan You’s face. "Actually, if you were to enter the entertainment industry, you definitely wouldn’t lack for resources. I used to be a talent agent, but it’s a shame I left the business years ago."

Something stirred in Tan You’s heart. "We’ll see when the time comes. I’m not in the right mindset for that right now."