When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 52: Chi Mo 6

"My parents help with picking up and dropping off my child, so I can focus on work. Life is stable, without any major troubles." Zhou Wenwen smiled. "That’s why I sometimes think it’s just too easy for men to become fathers. It’s precisely because they were never involved in the first place that they can walk away so easily."

"I’m done. Shi Lei, you’re up. Mengmeng, you can go last."

Shi Lei thought for a moment. "I don’t have much to say, either. The divorce was purely because our personalities weren’t compatible. It was hard for us to find common ground, and our views rarely aligned. Back then, we thought it was a good thing that we were so different."

"But after we got married, I realized our core values were just incompatible. If we kept on like that, neither of us would be happy, so we ended up splitting peacefully. She’s remarried now. We didn’t have any children, so it was a clean break."

Now, everyone’s eyes fell on Lin Meng. She didn’t hesitate. "We divorced because my ex-husband had a nasty gambling habit. He was actually a good person before, but he picked up this terrible habit after we got married." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"I spoke to his parents many times. Each time, he’d swear he’d never gamble again, but he’d quickly relapse. Later, he gambled away the family car, so I divorced him. I didn’t want him to lose the house, too."

"After all, my parents paid for half of it when we first bought the house."

Gao Jing said, "Then you definitely should have left him. Once someone gets into gambling, no amount of money is ever enough for them to lose."

Lin Meng replied, "So I left him. It’s better this way. I don’t have to be on edge all the time, worrying that I’ll wake up one day to him telling me how much more money he’s gambled away."

Tan You just listened quietly. She rarely spoke, only opening her mouth when asked a direct question. Usually, she just sat to the side, looking very aloof.

She rarely showed much of a reaction to other people’s stories. At most, she would raise an eyebrow, purse her lips, or her eyes might widen slightly. Other than that, she was like an ice mountain goddess.

But when she did occasionally smile, her eyes would crinkle slightly, revealing cute, rabbit-like front teeth. The transformation was like going from a harsh, biting winter to a warm, blooming spring. Just watching her, Xu Jike wondered how anyone could bear to leave a girl like this.

For a moment, Xu Jike was completely mesmerized watching Tan You. Naturally, Tan You noticed his gaze. She lowered her eyes slightly, rubbed the side of her glass a couple of times, and suddenly felt that this was all rather dull.

Back when Chi Mo wasn’t this beautiful, Xu Jike had still fallen for her at first sight, so his current reaction didn’t surprise Tan You. It was just that she was now in Chi Mo’s body, and him staring at her like this felt a little offensive.

Fiddling with her fingers, Tan You quietly said to the Beauty System, ’I want to gouge his eyes out.’

The Beauty System immediately took her seriously. "Host, we must abide by the law!"

Tan You burst out laughing. ’Do I seem like some kind of criminal? I’m just a little annoyed, that’s all. Forget it. Let him stare if he wants. It’s not like it’ll cost me a pound of flesh.’

Tan You’s change in expression was fleeting, but Xu Jike caught the smile in her eyes perfectly. He lowered his gaze slightly. ’So she thought of something that made her happy?’

After everyone had shared their relationship histories, the conversation started up again, this time about their ideal types. Tan You had just taken a sip of tea when she noticed everyone’s eyes were on her.

She put down her cup. "Should I go first?"

Gao Jing nodded eagerly. "Yes, you first! What kind of person are you looking for?"

Tan You repeated the same thing she had told the show’s director: "Someone mature, who doesn’t cause drama, and isn’t prone to jealousy. That’s all."

"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..." Xiang Zhe started coughing violently. It took him a long while to calm down. After he finally caught his breath, he said, "That’s a... unique take. It sounds more like something a guy would say to a girl, doesn’t it?"

"But you’re so beautiful, it’s normal for you to have suitors. So asking them not to get jealous does seem reasonable."

"But that ’mature and doesn’t cause drama’ part... how do you explain that?"

Tan You answered without hesitation, "I work in a dance troupe, and we often have performances. If I were in a relationship, I wouldn’t give up my work for him."

"He would have to accept that. If a dancer stops dancing, her career is over. I won’t give up my dancing career for a partner."

Shi Lei asked curiously, "But what if you get married and want to have children in the future...?"

"Then how much would I have to love him to be willing to bring a child into this world? I’m not against marriage or having kids, but there has to be enough love. It’s just that childbirth would have a huge impact on my career."

"Of course, that’s something for the future. I haven’t thought about it for now," Tan You said calmly. "Only with enough sincere passion would I be willing to enter the next stage of my life."

Gao Jing thought about it and agreed. "That’s true. You’re a dancer, so the standards for your figure are extremely high. And once a woman gives birth, she can seem to age very suddenly, and her figure changes. For a dancer, that’s absolutely career-ending."

Tan You said, "So, as I said, if it really came to that, I would have to consider it very carefully. I wouldn’t make the decision lightly. Since there’s no one suitable right now, I’ll just focus on my career."

Zhou Wenwen asked, "Then do you have any requirements when it comes to a man’s looks or financial situation?"

"I suppose so. He just needs to have pleasant features. As for other external factors, as long as he can support himself, that’s enough. I have my own money, so I’m going to find someone I actually like."

Tan You thought for a moment then added, "Of course, he has to be a kind person. Someone who can be social but still has his own principles, who can properly manage his work and life, and who doesn’t dump his negative emotions on the people close to him. I really dislike that."

"We’re all adults. We should be able to process our own emotions."

As soon as Tan You said this, everyone understood her meaning, and Gao Jing was especially sharp. She glanced at the slightly frozen Xu Jike, hiding the amusement in her eyes. "Well, your standards aren’t that high. And you’re not wrong, of course. Life isn’t easy for anyone these days, so why should we have to take on someone else’s negativity?"

"Better to drive someone else crazy than to torture yourself." Hearing this, Tan You laughed and clinked her glass against Gao Jing’s. "That’s exactly what I was thinking. We’re all just babies here, aren’t we?"

"That’s right, baby." Gao Jing was on the verge of laughing out loud. She clinked glasses with Tan You and downed the red wine in her glass in one go.

Everyone else laughed, but Xu Jike, sitting across from Tan You, couldn’t manage a smile. He had a strong feeling that Chi Mo’s words were pointed, but it wasn’t as if he could just come out and ask, ’Are you talking about me?’

’Wouldn’t that be admitting the shoe fits?’

Gao Jing was also candid. "People have tried to set me up with others since my divorce, and I’ve met a few. It just feels like something’s missing. The first time I got married, it might have been for love. But looking again now, there are so many other factors involved. It’s too complicated."