Chapter 2 Choice

Wei Yuxian didn't know how long she had been walking. It was September, a golden autumn day with bright sunshine, but she felt cold all over and saw no hope at all.

The sun slowly sets in the west, the shadows lengthen, but the scorching weather still hasn't cooled down.

Wei Yuxian was tired and hungry, her stomach was empty, without any food at all, but she had no money, not a penny, so she couldn't buy anything to eat.

I don’t know what time it is now, Wei Yuxian finally stopped walking like a zombie. She took a deep breath, and a light appeared in her eyes.

Now, she has no other way out except staying in Kyoto to work. At least, she has to survive in Kyoto first, then think about other things.

She dragged her luggage and began looking for job openings in roadside shops.

After walking for a while, she didn't see any store with a recruitment sign, but a man in a black suit stopped her.

Wei Yuxian looked at him warily, protecting her luggage, which was all her belongings, and asked, "Is there anything wrong?"

The man looked at her with a smile and took a step towards her. Wei Yuxian immediately took a step back and kept a distance from him.

The man saw her action, but he was not angry. He just asked: "Little girl, are you short of money?"

Hearing this, Wei Yuxian became more alert. She did not answer immediately, but looked at the surrounding environment, looking for an opportunity to escape.

It seems very abnormal to ask a stranger who just came out on the street if she was short of money!

The man was afraid that she would really run away, so he quickly said, "Little girl, I'm not a bad person. Do I look like a bad person?"

Wei Yuxian looked at him with a look that said, "You are sick." What bad guy would write the words "I am a bad guy" on his face? Are bad guys so rampant these days?

The man was somewhat helpless and said, "I'm really not a bad person. I just... saw you looking so miserable and wondered if you were short of money, so I came up to ask you. If you're not short of money, then I'll leave."

Wei Yuxian licked her chapped lips and looked him up and down. Seeing that he didn't look like a bad guy, she asked, "Why? You want to give me money?"

There are so many people around her. If this man is really a bad person, she can ask for help from the people around her.

The man smiled and said, "I can understand that, but there is a price to pay."

Wei Yuxian's vigilance was raised again, and she asked, "What's the price?"

The man looked around and saw a noodle shop. He said, "Let's go in and talk while we eat."

Wei Yuxian thought of her empty wallet, licked her chapped lips again to moisten them, and said with some embarrassment: "Let's talk about this here."

The man saw her embarrassment and said, "I'll treat you to a meal. Let's go. There are people all around here. I won't be able to do anything to you if I want to. You can rest assured. If you don't need money, then just ignore what I said."

After saying that, the man turned and walked towards the noodle shop without even looking to see if Wei Yuxian followed him.

He was eighty percent confident that she would catch up.

Wei Yuxian looked at the man's back, pursed her lips, gritted her teeth and followed him.

Anyway, she is already in this state now, how can it be any worse? At least if I follow her, I can have a bowl of noodles and fill my stomach first.

She dragged her luggage and followed the man into the noodle shop. The man asked her with a smile what she wanted to eat. She said anything was fine as long as she could fill her stomach.

The man ordered two bowls of noodles, and she sat down at the table near the door.

The noodle shop was quite large and was playing music she didn't know, but it was not dinner time and there was no one else in the shop except her and the man.

The man quickly came back and sat down opposite her, still smiling.

Wei Yuxian's mouth was so dry that she poured two large cups of tea and drank it. Only then did she feel much better and her lips were finally not dry anymore.

She looked at the man opposite her, touched her lips, and asked, "What's the price you're talking about?"

Man: "No hurry, we can talk while we eat."

The noodles came up quickly. Wei Yuxian didn't care about the hotness and ate a few mouthfuls to make her stomach feel better. She raised her head and said, "Can we talk now?"

The man stirred the noodles calmly, saying, "The price is simple. It's your first night."

The man spoke the last three words very quietly, but Wei Yuxian still heard them clearly.

Instantly, she stopped picking up the noodles and stared at the man in front of her. After a few seconds, she put down her chopsticks and looked at the man coldly.

Her tone was also cold: "I would never do such a thing!"

Under her gaze, the man calmly ate a mouthful of noodles, then said, "Don't be so quick to refuse. Listen to the reward and then give me an answer."

Wei Yuxian's attitude and tone did not change. She repeated what she had just said: "I would not do such a thing! Sir, here, you should..." Eat it yourself.

"Ten thousand yuan." The man looked at her, "After tonight, your income is ten thousand yuan."

Wei Yuxian hesitated. She looked into the man's eyes fearlessly. After a few seconds, she stirred the noodles in the bowl and said, "I need to think about it."

"No problem. I'll wait for you."

Wei Yuxian ate the noodles absentmindedly. The noodles that were originally delicious now became tasteless.

Ten thousand yuan is no small sum!

If she had 10,000 yuan, she wouldn't have to work and could continue her studies.

But the price...

The cost is too high.

She was very conflicted, not knowing whether to agree or not. This choice would determine her future path!

Should I choose to continue my studies or go out to work?

A few minutes later, Wei Yuxian finished her noodles and even drank up the soup. She was indeed hungry.

She looked at the man and said, "Okay. But I need to get the money first."

She agreed, and at the fork in the road ahead, she made a choice.

It's just this once. Once she gets through this crisis, she won't have to face such a choice again!

Knowledge is power. Her only goal in coming to Kyoto is to go to university. She doesn't want to live a mediocre life at the bottom of society. She wants to change her destiny!

So she agreed.

With this money, she can pay her tuition and use the rest for living expenses. If she lives frugally and works part-time, she should be able to finish college.

Thinking of this, Wei Yuxian couldn't help but see the wonderful college life beckoning to her.

The man seemed not surprised by her answer and said, "Okay, I'll pass it to you now."

They added each other as WeChat friends, and soon after, Wei Yuxian received a transfer of 10,000 yuan.

"Did you get it?"

"Um."

The man put down his phone and asked, "Are you full? Do you want another portion? It's my treat."

Wei Yuxian shook her head: "No, thank you."

"Okay, then follow me now."