Chapter 58: Chi Mo 12

Before boarding the small boats, everyone naturally had to divide into groups. Gao Jing's eyes darted around as she suggested, "Let's be fair and do a black-and-white pairing."

If things went this way, Chi Mo would still end up in the same group as Xu Jike, and there was nothing Gao Jing could do about it. However, in front of the cameras, Xu Jike likely wouldn't dare to act out excessively.

Tan You had no objection to this; if that was how it turned out, she would accept it. It was just sharing a boat with a cameraman following along; she would simply act as if the person opposite her didn't exist.

There were three small boats in total for the guests, which meant three people would inevitably have to share a boat. Tan You was exceptionally lucky; in the first round of black-and-white pairing, she was grouped with Zhou Wenwen and Shi Lei.

Consequently, the three of them naturally occupied one boat, while Gao Jing was with Xiang Zhe, leaving Lin Meng and Xu Jike to form a group automatically. Seeing this grouping, the corners of Tan You's mouth curled up slightly.

Zhou Wenwen pinched Tan You's hand as a hint to restrain herself. Although Chi Mo's expressions were few, it was easy for others to see what she was thinking. Almost all of her emotions were reflected in her eyes; whether it was annoyance or joy, it was all plain to see.

Tan You hurriedly composed her expression, but what could she do? She was just so happy. Seeing her ponytail swaying with her excitement, Zhou Wenwen shook her head with a smile, feeling that Chi Mo was quite contradictory.

On one hand, she acted very steady, possessing a maturity beyond her years. But on the other hand, she seemed somewhat naive in matters of emotion, much like a little girl.

Then again, she was only 27. That brief marriage was, to her, like an extremely short-lived romance; she hadn't truly experienced the hardships of life, so her words and actions still carried a hint of childishness.

Tan You had no idea Zhou Wenwen evaluated her this way; she considered herself quite mature. In the past, people would call her dull, introverted, or quiet, but they never called her childish.

After sitting down on the boat with Zhou Wenwen and Shi Lei, the boat drifted downstream. Tan You lost herself in thought while gazing at the scenery on both sides. She was pondering how to choreograph her dance; she had seen others dancing on snow and ice before, and at that time, she had thought it was incredibly beautiful.

Now, she wanted to recreate that scene, but she wanted to do it even better. She hoped for greater difficulty and more graceful movements; after all, Chi Mo was a professional dancer, and she ought to perform better.

While she was looking at the scenery, she unconsciously became part of the scenery herself. Especially when the sunlight hit her, the golden light illuminating her face made her look as if she were framed by a halo, appearing exceptionally ethereal for a moment.

Zhou Wenwen sighed softly, "Every time I see her, I wonder how anyone could have the heart to hurt such a beautiful girl."

Shi Lei said indifferently, "There are plenty of people with eyes but no vision; not everyone knows how to cherish what they have."

"That is the inherent flaw of human nature. Once people have something, they fail to value it, but for some, once they give it up, there truly is no chance to win it back."

Zhou Wenwen glanced at him sideways. "Perhaps. I only hope she stays well and doesn't suffer from sadness again."

Shi Lei asked curiously, "It's strange. I thought between girls..."

He left the rest unsaid, but Zhou Wenwen understood his implication. She looked out at the river. "I find it strange too. When girls spend time together, it's inevitable that they will compare themselves. But when we are with her, we don't think about those things. Perhaps it's because she sees the real us."

Tan You finally finished running through the dance in her head and snapped back to reality, looking at the others. "What are you talking about?"

Zhou Wenwen smiled. "We were just saying how beautiful it is here. I want to bring my daughter here to see it someday."

"That sounds wonderful. It must be so happy to be able to travel with your child." Tan You squinted slightly. "I also hope that one day I can take my parents out traveling."

She was referring to her biological parents. Although they had various flaws, Tan You didn't harbor much resentment toward them; at most, she felt a sense of grievance. She knew they had it hard too; since she couldn't completely sever ties, she would just love them while resenting them. Humans are, after all, complex emotional creatures.

Their boat was the first to set off, with Xu Jike and Lin Meng following closely behind. Lin Meng's gaze followed Chi Mo as she moved, and she didn't react to Xu Jike at all.

She had no feelings for Xu Jike, and he clearly had feelings for Chi Mo, so Lin Meng had no intention of initiating conversation with him. She treated today as if she were just on a group boat trip; with such beautiful scenery, why bother with men?

As they passed a bend in the river, Tan You suddenly smiled and said, "After this episode finishes recording, I'm going to S City to play. Should I bring your little girl along to the amusement park then?"

Zhou Wenwen naturally wouldn't refuse. "Sure! Gao Jing is also in S City, so we can all get together. Come to think of it, among us, you're the only one living in N City."

Tan You: "It's not far from S City, only a two-hour trip. My working hours are quite flexible; if I miss you all, I'll just come find you. It's very convenient."

Zhou Wenwen thought about it and said no more. Everyone was an adult, and they all had responsibilities on their shoulders; it wasn't as easy as just going wherever one pleased.

To leave on a whim is indeed easy and free of attachments, but it is precisely because of these attachments that one feels their life is truly real in this world.

To put it bluntly, this variety show was a combination of travel and dating. During the day, they traveled everywhere, and it only took on the semblance of a dating show during meal times or late-night heart-to-hearts.

It had been agreed that Chi Mo would cook tonight. As soon as they arrived at the guesthouse, Zhou Wenwen and Lin Meng stood by her side. Xu Jike wanted to help, but unfortunately, he didn't know how to do anything and would only get in the way, so he was eventually politely ushered out by Zhou Wenwen.

Lin Meng slammed a knife onto the cutting board. "Only you have the patience."

Lin Meng felt that if Xu Jike didn't leave, she wouldn't be able to suppress her temper much longer.

Zhou Wenwen smiled. "No need to get angry; it's not worth upsetting yourself. We were discussing this morning that once this recording ends, Mo-mo is going to S City. Should we all get together then?"

Lin Meng: "Sure, but I might only have time in the evening because I have to work during the day. Since participating in this show, a lot of work has piled up after taking leave from the company. I'll have to work overtime once I get back."

Zhou Wenwen sighed. "Me too. I had to swap classes with a colleague. Luckily, winter break is coming soon; only then will I truly have free time."

Tan You: "I envy you teachers. I used to have a dream of being a teacher."

She used to want to be a math teacher like Teacher Shi, but later Tan You realized she didn't have much patience for others, so the dream eventually fizzled out.

Zhou Wenwen: "Aren't you teaching people to dance now? You're a teacher too."

Tan You: "True. I'm currently working part-time teaching children classical dance. When I hear those little girls calling me in their sweet, milky voices, it makes me feel really good."