'...'
Uh- what?
Luo Jingya always thought of herself as someone quite level-headed. But, to end up experiencing something like… this?? Seriously???!!!
"So, a system, huh?"
[Yes]
She got the feeling that the voice sounded a little curt -like it was judging her-, but chose to ignore this tone nonetheless. She still had enough sense not to stoop to the level of quibbling with an imaginary entity.
'...'
At least not yet anyway.
"If you are a system, then I must be the queen mother of the west! Ah pei!!"
[...]
Seeing that it was finally silent and the voice didn't speak anymore, Luo Jingya scoffed, but she also had this sudden urge to cry. Her heart was somehow filled with feelings of pity and helplessness.
She had been toiling all these years, and her life of poverty and difficulties had only just begun showing signs of improvement. If all had gone according to her plans, she would have been able to pay off her remaining debts within at least… 6 months? At most a year if she stretched it to the limit.
So many years of suffering and finally freedom. Luo Jingya had felt like seeing a light at the end of a long, seemingly never-ending tunnel. The feeling had been... particularly addictive!
But now, out of nowhere, she seemed to have started seeing hallucinat-
"Ring! Ring!!"
Luo Jingya choked on air and nearly fell flat on her face as the game screen -or whatever it was-, suddenly went out of existence.
'It- it went away??'
'...' Just like that? Did– what do they call it, the ilusions- the delusions disorder? Was that the correct name?
Anyway, would those illusions… disappear so easily?
'...'
Now starting to feel decidedly bemused, Luo Jingya picked up her phone and was quickly shocked back into reality. "Crap!" It was already 6.31?!
She needed to be at work by 6.50! Or at least before 7.00!!
And the one calling her was none other than her boss himself!
'...'
The old owner of the dumpling shop where she worked her morning part time job was… a miser. Any chance he got, he would take it to cut the pay of his only helper, a.k.a. her!!
And the two reasons she still clung to the job despite the absurdly low pay were, one, she got free breakfast and lunch of the shop's leftovers. Two- it was pretty close. Not even taking her five minutes to walk over.
And to someone like her who always worked her ass off trying to skimp and save every single cent, these were nothing but blessings in disguise.
"A- Good- good morning boss. I'm getting ready ah." This old man couldn't have found a new way to take another chunk out of her already small payment, right? "I- *cough* I can be there by, eh, 15 minutes! 15 minutes!!"
Maaan!! Looked like she would barely get time to even wash her face. Or it would be her breakfast that would be missing. Remembering that one time she overslept a little and got to the shop at ten minutes past seven....
'...'
Between having her breakfast and looking and feeling fresh, Luo Jingya chose food without a second thought. To her, food was life O~
'...' Well, if she didn't forgo money, that is.
For a while, the phone was silent. She gradually calmed from her panic, looking down at the phone screen in suspicion. Did her boss call by mistake?
If that's the case, won't the old man flip a switch when he realises he unnecessarily spent money calling her without a purpose? Then... won't she be the one who'll still have to suffer in the end? She really won't put that past him o...
But then, her employer finally spoke. "Xiao Jing…" The last syllables were drawn out, prompting sudden goose bumps to spring all over her body. Luo Jingya rubbed her arms vigorously to ward off the uncomfortable feeling. This old guy– he was really up to something, wasn't he?
"Xiao Jing…" This time, her boss sounded even more affectionate. Sugary even. "This- the thing is…"
*****
"Sweet or plain?"
"Huh?"
"Your drink- sweet or plain?"
"What?"
Luo Jingya blinked owlishly and the lady at the breakfast stall squeezed out a strained smile in return. The customer must be treated as god. The customer is god! "Your soy milk– do you ne-"
"Oh- um sweet. I need sweet!"
"..."
"... Sorry."
The earthy, nutty fragrance of warm soy milk entwined with the oily yet crispy, fresh wheaty scent of fried dough sticks. It was summer and even the mornings were not spared the hot glow of the sun as it continued its slow but steady ascent above the horizon.
Luo Jingya pretended not to notice the faint look of relief on the face of the stall owner as she walked off with her newly-bought breakfast– the one that cost her a whole 6 yuan.
'...'
Fine. She could bear the loss of this little bit of money. After all, it won't be the last time she would be losing extra money over her future meals anyway. The precious money she could have actually used to pay off her debts.
'...'
Seriously, can some kind person explain to her… why was her life like this?