𝑴𝒂𝒚 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑭𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑨𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝟏𝟒 - 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒓

Wei Wuxian checked the time on his phone while quickly walking down the stairs, his long hair slightly falling over his shoulders with the movement of his hurried steps. After reaching the first floor of the establishment, he passed by the kitchen of the restaurant and grabbed a red apple from the basket of fruits, smiling a little as he threw it up and caught it again with a firm grasp. He took a bite out of it, letting the taste of sweet juices explode inside his mouth, and walked out of the room. The tables were still unoccupied, and nicely decorated for the start of the day. Jiang Hiao's shift had not started yet, and his- well, she'd have to run the business without her employee today.

He walked out of the restaurant as he took another bite of his breakfast, obliviously attracting a few interested glimpses of the ladies walking past him, and walked a little further until he spotted Madam Jiang chatting with some of the elder neighbors gathered around one of the food stalls.

"Ah, Wei Ying!" One of the elderly women called out, and the others happily turned their attention toward him. "I heard from Madam Jiang that you won't be at the restaurant today." She said, smiling at the accomplishments of this hardworking man. "That's right, Madam Lu. But don't worry! I won't leave the restaurant any time soon." He told her with a playful wink and grinned. "I hope not! Where else can we find a young person who can put up with us boring elders" She commented with a chuckle, and Wei Wuxian shook his head in response. "Ah don't call yourself boring. How can I not enjoy your company!" He smiled before tapping her shoulder and then slightly bowing his head at the rest of the group.

"I'll be on my way now! Wouldn't want to be late on my first day of work". He said a little teasingly before beginning to walk away, a smile spread across his smile.

"Leave a good impression as my employee, will you?" Jiang Hiao joked, and he briefly turned around to give her a thumbs-up while walking backward. "I won't disappoint you, Madam Jiang!" He jokingly reassured her with his cheerful grin, and turned back around, following the rest of his path from then on.

He walked through the crowded street market for a few more minutes and entered one of the open establishments inside which more food stalls and little shops were situated. He crossed the hallway until he reached the exit door from the other side, which leads to a larger street full of vehicles driving by. Unlike the market street, this was no longer a pedestrian street only meant for people to walk in. Right in front of him, A queue of similar-looking cars, black and green with a yellow stripe on the sides, were parked on the side of the pathway. A few of the drivers were talking to each other, or simply leaning against the car, waiting for the business to come to them.

Wei Wuxian walked up to one of them, slightly bowed his head as a greeting, and then showed him a piece of paper with a location written on it.

"Could you take me here?" He asked, and the man who seemed to be in his late 50s squinted his eyes to get a better look. He then simply nodded and signaled him to get in the car.

"Ah- Thank you shūshu!" Wei Wuxian quickly bowed his head again and smiled as he opened the door and sat on the backseat, immediately focusing on the sight outside the window. He had only ridden in one of these strange carriages around three weeks ago when he went to get something like an 'identity card' made just for him. Apparently, People need to carry these with them at all costs! And he did not understand the reason why- isn't his presence the best proof of his identity? Oh well. Fortunately, there were no big issues thanks to the fact that his identity was already registered in this world's system- and he decided to stop questioning it. After all, it is not like his questions could be answered anyway.

Might as well simply accept it.

While the man began driving to the desired location, through familiar streets he had probably driven through countless times before, Wei Wuxians's gaze followed the sight he had never seen before. Just like a child, he almost clung to the window with his large curious eyes, his lips forming into a fascinated little smile. He quickly noticed the transition from the 'less developed' area of the city, which was not at all underdeveloped from Wei Wuxian's perspective, toward what he had seen in the modern romantic Chinese dramas occasionally showing on the restaurant's little television. This was the big city of Beijing, with its monstrously tall buildings made out of glass, countless traffic lights, larger streets, and the busy life of the inhabitants. From what he's heard so far, it was the city of dreams! Where anyone could do anything!