Ever since running into that porcelain-like young woman, my entire mindset changed completely.
I no longer wanted to tie my life to any single man.
I decided to stop clinging to foolish ideals and learn to play along with whatever life threw at me instead.
To put it plainly, I was going to use what people called “romance” to put food on my table.
I refused to carry the burden of moral codes or genuine feelings for anyone ever again.
I had only one urgent need left: to fill my stomach and stay alive.
It turned out that hollow romance could be used as currency for survival.
Just like how only comfortable people had the luxury to chase romantic ideals, it was all part of the same vicious cycle. No matter which way you spun it, it was all about staying alive.
Those naive classmates, that devoted young wife—they weren’t really any different from me in the end.
The only difference was that they were still clinging to impossible fantasies, while I had woken up completely.
I lived with far more honesty and clarity than any of them.
An empty stomach, the drive to survive—there was no truth in this world more real or unyielding than that.
I finally made up my mind to take this step.
I sold off every tiny possession I had left to my name.
Using that money, I bought a brand-new outfit and dressed myself up carefully.
I was naturally blessed with good looks, and once I was cleaned up, I looked remarkably striking.
“This is it,” I whispered into the mirror, taking a deep breath.
With that, I stepped fully into the chaotic currents of the world to make my living.