At That Moment, I Decided to Love Myself

[Free short story, written for practice]

At twenty-one, her mother asked why she wasn't dating anyone.

Xiang Zijin tilted her head back and said, "What's the point of dating? I can barely keep myself afloat. Where would I find the time to think about romance?"

But at twenty-two, she plunged headfirst into a relationship.

It lasted seven years. After seven years of an ordinary, dull life together, Xiang Zijin decided to break up with her boyfriend.

At the time, she thought she would never want to get married or have children.

But later, one by one, her friends got married and had children.

In her thirties, she hit a career bottleneck and was forced to take a layoff. Her life turned bleak.

Xiang Zijin began to waver, even considering marriage as a fallback.

She wondered, what should she do?

"The world may be one giant test of obedience. May you never be tamed, and may you always be yourself."

- Reading Guide

A subtly realistic story, primarily told through the female lead's perspective.

This is purely a work written for the author's own amusement. The author has limitations too and can't make the story perfect in every way. If you don't like it, don't put yourself through it. Feel free to stop reading.

*Previously titled Killing Romance

Theme: Hold on to your ideas. Don't change, and don't let yourself be tamed. You should be yourself.