Chapter 53: Chi Mo 7

Zhou Wenwen: "I never realized before how many divorced people were around me, but ever since my divorce, almost everyone introduced to me is a divorced man. The moment they open their mouths, they ask how many years it's been since my divorce and how many children I have."

"They ask things like whether the children are still in contact with their ex-husband, and so on."

Lin Meng: "Me too. That's why I started being very resistant to introductions later on. It feels like after a divorce, all these things are laid bare, and the topics of conversation become much more naked."

Shi Lei and Xiang Zhe gave bitter smiles: "Pretty much. You haven't even said what kind of partner you're looking for yet."

Gao Jing: "As long as the person has good character and can handle their own family matters without making me worry, that's enough. After all, I'm very busy, and I truly don't want to worry about anyone else anymore."

Zhou Wenwen: "More or less. The key is to be able to talk to each other, for them not to favor boys over girls, and to be faithful in marriage."

Lin Meng was even more direct: "To be self-disciplined, have no bad habits, be able to support themselves, and not add any trouble to my life—that's all I need."

In truth, Tan You felt that the women's requirements weren't high at all. But the world was just that distorted; good people were easily let down, while those with low moral baselines often lived well. It was, quite frankly, a tragedy.

Shi Lei and Xiang Zhe also shared their ideal types, leaving only Xu Jike. Xu Jike was a smooth operator; seeing everyone looking at him, he smiled: "I... I haven't decided yet, but I believe in first impressions."

"So-called love at first sight is almost always lust at first sight," Gao Jing said, not giving Xu Jike any leeway. Crucially, she felt that someone like Xu Jike was indeed not worthy of Chi Mo.

Xu Jike pleaded for mercy: "You are truly too formidable."

Gao Jing smiled sweetly: "I'm not targeting you specifically; it's just a popular saying online, though it holds truth upon closer inspection. At a first meeting, the first thing one sees is appearance. As for inner substance and character, those require long-term interaction."

Tan You was pleased in her heart. She winked at Gao Jing, and Gao Jing smiled back, thinking that this girl, Chi Mo, was quite clever. She could see at a glance who was unreliable and addressed it upfront, nipping any potential ambiguity in the bud.

Almost everyone participating in the variety show was a shrewd individual; they could see through everyone's intentions. Of course, they saw that Xu Jike was interested in Chi Mo, but they also saw that she felt nothing for him, so naturally, no one teased them.

They were adults, and everyone maintained the appropriate sense of decorum.

Dinner was mainly for everyone to meet, followed by a drawing of lots, the main goal being to foster intimacy. The person drawing the lot had to prepare a gift for the person they drew to help everyone get acquainted.

As for who they drew, it wouldn't be announced to the group immediately; the gifts would be exchanged when they moved to the second filming location. Because Chi Mo was the youngest, everyone consciously let her draw first.

Tan You tapped the Beauty System: "Which one is Xu Jike?"

The Beauty System could handle this: "Second row, second from the left."

Tan You understood. As long as she identified Xu Jike, she could pick any of the remaining ones. Therefore, Tan You chose the first one in the first row. When she saw the photo, she smiled; it was Zhou Wenwen, a woman she admired greatly.

Because Tan You's expressions were minimal, no one could read anything on her face. The drawing ended quickly, and it was time for everyone to disperse. Before they left, the director reminded everyone that their flight was at eight tomorrow morning and to not forget the time.

The next day, everyone set off for the first stop of the variety show: Ice and Snow World. Tan You had never been there and was looking forward to it.

She treated this as a business trip for travel. As for the variety show, based on the marriage criteria she had stated, she estimated that no guest would fall for her. This was for the best; she could enjoy herself without worry.

On the way back, the female guests naturally traveled together. Away from the cameras, they spoke much more freely.

Gao Jing was the most direct: "That Xu Jike clearly doesn't suit you. I saw his eyes following you the whole time."

Lin Meng also had her own way of reading people: "Exactly. He's clearly taken a liking to your face. We can't have someone who is only after our looks."

Zhou Wenwen: "Mo-mo has her own ideas; she doesn't even value her own looks that much. Besides, she's so beautiful that even I, as a woman, want to look at her more, let alone men."

Tan You: "If they are after my beauty, I'm not after anything of theirs. Besides, a person like him looks extremely calculating. A mature man will either see right through you or exploit you."

"I don't have much 'inner substance' to begin with, so I don't want to be seen through and then exploited. I understand the principle of not giving oneself away too easily."

Gao Jing: "As a lawyer, how could I not be calculating?"

Tan You was being honest: "He might be very impressive in his profession, but so what? Ultimately, it has to be someone I like. If I don't like him, no matter how excellent he is, he's just another male guest to me."

Zhou Wenwen: "True. Anyway, from the look of it, he's not the type to give up easily."

Tan You shrugged: "Then let him be. That's his business, not mine."

Gao Jing praised her: "That's the way to be—decisive and straightforward. My only fear is that he'll keep clinging to you. I reckon you won't have much peace for the next few months."

Tan You: "That's his problem. Adults have their sense of decorum. My room is here. Goodnight, everyone."

After saying goodbye to the female guests, Tan You entered the room arranged by the production crew. It seemed her performance had been decent; at least everyone could see her attitude toward Xu Jike. There shouldn't be any ambiguous footage for them to edit, right?

As for Xu Jike's subsequent attitude, that was his own business; Tan You's stance was already very clear.

The production team was currently having a bit of a headache. They were conflicted about Tan You; they loved her beauty, but were frustrated by how little she spoke in the program. Yet, even when she just sat there in silence, it was hard for people to take their eyes off her.

The editor was stressed: "Male Guest No. 1 clearly has feelings for Chi Mo; you don't even need post-production editing to see it. But how do I edit Chi Mo? She's too cold."

A staff member said: "With such a beautiful girl, why must we insist on pairing her with a male guest? Personally, I think no one is worthy of her. She's better off being beautiful on her own."

The editor replied: "For now, she can only be beautiful on her own. The way she looks at everyone is so cold—it's too calm."

The director made the final call: "Our main theme is making friends; we aren't required to have successful pairings. Let's not lean into all that melodrama. Our theme is warmth and healing, letting everyone let loose amidst beautiful scenery."

The editor breathed a sigh of relief: "That's better. That makes it much easier to edit."

While the production team was busy editing, Tan You was sleeping soundly in her room. She had no awareness of her own beauty; Chi Mo was a girl who loved makeup, but Tan You was not.

(End of Chapter)