Chapter 69: Chi Mo 23
No one was in a rush, so they spent the day wandering leisurely through the amusement park. Eventually, the children grew tired from walking, and Tan You and Zhou Wenwen took turns carrying Ningning. Unfortunately, their physical stamina had its limits, and in the end, they both ended up exhausted and drenched in sweat.
Lin Meng helped look after Tongtong. Dashuai had long since sprawled across Xiang Zhe's shoulder, but even so, Gao Jing's face was etched with fatigue.
"Many people talk about independence, but there are some things women just can't do alone—like bringing kids out to play," she said, glancing at Dashuai. "In the past, when we went out, my parents would always come along because I really couldn't manage on my own."
"Dashuai is very sensible; he knows his grandpa's waist isn't good, so he often walks by himself."
Tan You wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Being a single mother isn't easy. It's too hard."
She had absolutely no desire to marry or have children. Perhaps because she had been raising Tan Yue since she was young, Tan You had a psychological aversion to childcare; she didn't want any such ties.
Gao Jing gave a bitter smile. "There's no choice. If I don't take him, am I supposed to let him stay with his father? He's so busy, where would he find the time? He'd just end up being sent to his grandparents' place."
"If he ever gets a partner, he'll care about the child even less."
Tan You understood what she meant. Why did so many women choose to take the children when couples divorced? It was likely because, more often than not, the mother loved the child more. Of course, this wasn't an absolute rule; Tan You had seen plenty of news about responsible fathers.
"It would be better to let the child stay with me. At least I can keep an eye on them, and once they grow up, I can live my own life," Gao Jing's voice was soft, but it left a heavy feeling in everyone's hearts.
Lin Meng adjusted Tongtong's small body. "So, what exactly does marriage bring to a woman? Aside from a body full of aches and pains, it seems there's nothing else."
Tan You added, "Perhaps. It seems that once you become a mother, you are no longer yourself; you are merely the role of 'Mom.' Just thinking about it scares me."
"It would be fine if someone helped share the burden, but the fear is that the partner won't just fail to help, but will actually add more burdens," Zhou Wenwen said, stroking Ningning's hair. The baby was leaning on Tan You's shoulder, letting out tiny snores.
"You've been holding her for a long time. Let me take her next," Zhou Wenwen said, feeling a bit sheepish. After all, it was her own daughter, but on the way back, Tan You had been doing most of the carrying. Who could blame it, given how much the daughter clung to Tan You?
"No need, we're almost at the car. Ningning is sleeping soundly; let's not wake her." Tan You leaned her cheek against Ningning's soft hair. She didn't want to raise kids, but that didn't stop her from enjoying the company of someone else's child.
Zhou Wenwen didn't try to persuade her to marry or have children. In fact, it was only after becoming a mother that one realized marriage life was often a chaotic mess. Especially in unhappy marriages, ordinary families would bicker constantly, let alone anything else.
Since they had met at the amusement park in the morning, they naturally parted ways at the entrance, each heading home. Tan You placed Ningning in the backseat, and only after Zhou Wenwen's car had driven away did she rub her waist.
As a dancer, physical injuries were inevitable, and Chi Mo was no exception. Especially since Tan You's current training intensity was quite high, it was only natural that her old waist injury had flared up.
Tan You had applied a medicated patch before leaving the house, but as time passed, she felt a throbbing ache in her waist. Because of the injury, she couldn't exert much effort, but she was stubborn and hadn't mentioned it to the others.
"My car is right there. Let me drive you back to your hotel first." Just as Tan You was preparing to hail a ride, Xu Jike suddenly approached, holding a cup of black tea.
Tan You turned to look at him in surprise. "You haven't gone back yet?"
She hadn't even noticed him. She thought she had seen him walking away with Shi Lei and Xiang Zhe just now; how had he come back?
Xu Jike had finally found an opportunity to be alone with Chi Mo. "I saw a place selling hot drinks, so I bought you a cup of black tea."
Tan You clearly understood that Xu Jike had just performed a feint to get close to her. She frowned slightly; he was indeed full of schemes. However, one shouldn't bite the hand that feeds, so Tan You accepted his kindness. "Thank you."
"Let's go. It's hard to catch a taxi here," Xu Jike said, seemingly anticipating what she was about to say.
Tan You shrugged. "Then I'll trouble you. I'll transfer you the money for the tea and the ride later."
Xu Jike said helplessly, "Forget the money. I happen to be passing by your hotel anyway."
Tan You narrowed her eyes slightly. "That doesn't sound like it's on your way. Don't you live in Xinghe Bay? That's in the completely opposite direction from the hotel."
Xu Jike was somewhat surprised. "How do you know where I live?"
He hadn't told anyone; how did Chi Mo know?
Tan You realized she had slipped up. "I heard it from someone. Doesn't everyone have a few friends?"
Xu Jike frowned, wondering if Chi Mo knew one of his former clients or a friend of a colleague.
Tan You let him guess. How could she say she knew because of Chi Mo? After all, Chi Mo had lived with Xu Jike after the variety show ended; how could Tan You not know where he lived?
As sweet as Chi Mo and Xu Jike had been at the beginning, their breakup had been incredibly painful. The problem was that he had walked away with such decisiveness, while it had taken Chi Mo a long time to recover.
Furthermore, the online comments afterward had been varied and harsh; Chi Mo had even been labeled as someone "abandoned by men twice." To be honest, that label was quite ugly, and Tan You certainly didn't want her to have been branded that way when she was still known as Chi Mo.
Tan You could tell Xu Jike's car was expensive. Lawyers were high earners, especially top-tier lawyers like him, whose annual income was naturally substantial.
When Chi Mo first started dating Xu Jike, he had given her many gifts; in fairness, he was very generous in that regard. But should one be with someone just because they were wealthy? That wasn't how it worked.
It ultimately came down to character.
Taking a sip of the black tea, Tan You's cheeks puffed out slightly, making her look much more approachable. Catching a glimpse of her expression in his peripheral vision, Xu Jike suddenly felt that the drive to the hotel seemed much shorter than usual.
"I saw you rubbing your waist earlier. Does it hurt?" Xu Jike found a topic of conversation during a red light. He believed that if he didn't speak up, Chi Mo would remain silent until they reached the hotel.
"Yeah, my waist injury flared up," Tan You moved slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position for her back. "The training intensity has been a bit high these past few days."
Xu Jike looked at her sideways. "You shouldn't strain a waist injury, yet you were carrying a child for so long. Should I take you to the hospital?"
"No need, I have patches. I'll just apply them when I get back." Tan You glanced at him. "Don't tell Wenwen about this; don't let her feel burdened."
After all, it wasn't Wenwen's fault; it was simply that Tan You hadn't mentioned her injury beforehand.