When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 51: Chi Mo 5

"When he told me he didn’t love me anymore, I was sad, of course, but I also felt a strange sense of relief." Gao Jing forced a smile. "Eventually, I realized we were acting more and more like family, not lovers. The romantic spark between us was gone."

"For me, I could have spent a lifetime with him like family, even without romantic love, but he couldn’t." Gao Jing couldn’t hold back her tears. "He’s a very romantic person at heart and has always placed a huge emphasis on ’the feeling’."

"Once he lost that feeling, there was no point in dragging it out. Letting go was better for both of us. I have two children, and they both live with me now. My parents live with me too, mainly because they saw how hard it was for me to juggle work and raising the kids."

Tan You just listened in silence. Her heart was like a stone; she had no interest in things like "feelings" or "love."

After Gao Jing finished, she looked at Xiang Zhe. "I’ve shared my story. Now it’s your turn."

Xiang Zhe cleared his throat. "I guess I’ll go second. My ex-wife and I divorced almost three years ago. I also have two kids, but they’re both with her. I left with nothing—gave them the house, the car, and all my savings."

Gao Jing’s earlier sadness vanished, replaced by a gossipy expression. "Why would you do that?"

She might as well have asked if he was the one who cheated.

Xiang Zhe smiled. "At the time, I was desperate to escape my family of origin, and I also had a work transfer that took me from T Province to S City. The kids had school, so they couldn’t come with me. We were apart more than we were together, and eventually, she found someone else."

"I don’t blame her. It’s truly hard to raise kids on your own. But I couldn’t continue on like that either. All I could do was give them everything I had at the time, hoping to make life a little less difficult for her and the children."

He spoke of it lightly, but Tan You understood. She glanced at Shi Xiangzhe. He seemed like a gentle person, but Tan You felt his eyes were cold. His mild manner was clearly just for show.

They were sharing their stories in seating order. To Gao Jing’s right was Tan You, who had nothing to hide. "My story is simple, too. I’ve been divorced for two years. The marriage lasted three months."

"We had a pre-marital health checkup before getting married, and everything was normal at the time. But after we got married, I suddenly fell ill. The doctor said I might have some difficulty having children in the future. After I was discharged from the hospital, we got divorced."

"What? For that reason alone? Medicine is so advanced these days!" Several of the guests couldn’t understand, especially since modern medicine is indeed quite advanced.

"The doctor only said it was a possibility, not that you definitely couldn’t have children, right?" Gao Jing asked, confused.

"Yes, that’s what the doctor said," Tan You nodded. "Later, when I went for a follow-up, the doctor told me not to worry. But we were already divorced by then. It was for the best."

Gao Jing asked another question, "So you don’t have that health issue anymore?"

"Of course not," Tan You said seriously. "But it’s not like I’m going to tell every person I meet that there’s nothing wrong with me, is it? There’s no need for that."

"That’s so unfair," Zhou Wenwen sighed. "He asked for a divorce while you were still recovering. How painful must that have been?"

Tan You was very calm. "Of course it was painful, but the fact that I can talk about it now means it’s no longer a big deal to me. Getting divorced was actually a good thing. I’m living very well now."

Xu Jike couldn’t wait to ask, "So, have you been in contact since then?"

His eagerness made his intentions clear to everyone. The male guests exchanged a look; they all knew what he was thinking.

Tan You replied, "No. I won’t contact him again. I deleted all of his contact information. Where he is or how he’s doing now, I have no idea."

"My story is pretty unremarkable, and the experience was what it was. We didn’t have any children, so it was a clean break. For the past two years, I’ve been busy with work. My social circle isn’t large, and I rarely meet anyone new."

Lin Meng was curious. "But you’re so beautiful! Don’t guys pursue you?"

Tan You thought of Chi Mo’s many suitors. "Some do, but there was never that spark. Besides, I’m not eager to rush into a new relationship. Being slow to cool down is draining. The process of taking back the emotions you’ve invested, bit by bit, is incredibly painful."

"Besides, beauty fades. Will I still be this beautiful in ten or twenty years? If he only likes me for my face, there are plenty of women more beautiful than me. When I’m no longer young, he’ll just move on to someone prettier."

"Knowing someone is only interested in my looks, I would never choose to be with them. That would be devaluing myself."

Xu Jike smiled. "So you want someone to see your inner substance?"

"Inner substance?" Tan You finally laughed. "A lot of people talk about ’inner substance,’ but what is that, really? I think rather than ’substance,’ it’s more about character."

"I’m just an ordinary dancer. What I know and understand revolves around dance. I don’t know much about other professional fields. I’m just a very ordinary person, and I don’t consider myself particularly learned or well-read."

"For example, you’re a lawyer. You’re an expert who knows your field inside and out. I don’t know anything about that, so the topics we could discuss would be very limited..."

Xu Jike grew a little anxious. "But I’m looking for a girlfriend, not a business partner..."

Tan You wasn’t offended. "I was just giving an example. Plus, I don’t really like to talk much. I prefer listening to others, so to most people, I probably seem introverted and quiet."

"Men, no matter their age, almost always prefer women who are lively and extroverted. They might say they admire strong, independent women, but deep down, they still want a girl who looks up to them."

Zhou Wenwen chimed in, "She’s not wrong about that. My ex-husband cheated on me with a girl ten years younger than him. It seems that even when men are seventy or eighty, they still like seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls."

Lin Meng said, "So we can do the same thing, right? Find someone younger."

Tan You looked at Zhou Wenwen. "It’s his loss for choosing someone else. You’re a truly wonderful person, and someone better is waiting for you. Of course, it’s also fine not to look for anyone. We can manage our own lives perfectly well."

Zhou Wenwen smiled. "Yes, I’m doing very well now. I have a daughter, and she lives with me. Of course, there were other reasons for our divorce besides the affair. His family wanted a boy, and I’d given birth to a daughter."

"And I felt the burden would be too great, since I also had to work. Maybe because of that..."

Gao Jing interrupted, "Don’t you dare think like that. You’re making excuses for a man who cheated on you. His heart simply changed, and his focus was no longer on his family."

Zhou Wenwen took a sip of tea. "Maybe. But I’ve found that life is much more relaxing after the divorce. Once you no longer have to deal with his family, everything suddenly becomes so peaceful."