A Young Woman's Heart

"Pfft—haha—" the father laughed heartily, finding it quite amusing. "Is this what teenage rebellion is like? It's actually quite cute!"

……

Because the renovations next door were too noisy, Hua Yinyin simply went to KFC for refuge this weekend.

She sat on the second floor by the window, in a corner. Most people were gathered on the first floor, and there were only a few scattered customers on the second floor.

In an era where KFC is considered equivalent to Western food for ordinary people, not many people actually walk in.

After all, this KFC is not located in a downtown area.

In front of her was a large single-person meal, but apart from fries and cola, the rest of the food was untouched.

There was a candybar phone next to her, with a handmade lanyard hanging on it. Although the colors were pretty, it didn't look as flashy as Wang Jiale's.

"I want to watch TV..." She yawned and slumped listlessly onto the empty space at the table. There was a canvas bag on the chair next to her containing a folding drawing board, but she hadn't taken it out even after sitting there for almost an hour.

I went out intending to leisurely enjoy the scenery and paint, but once I arrived, I became too lazy to move.

Hua Yinyin pulled out the earphone from her left ear and rubbed her ear vigorously. She didn't listen to music on her MP3 player much, but after listening for a while, her ear started to hurt.

Besides, just listening to it isn't very interesting; you need to visualize it to make it more engaging.

"It would be great if I could watch TV directly on my phone..." she muttered softly, resting her chin on her hand. "Or maybe I could ask Gao Yuan where he bought his game console?"

There aren't many pastimes to pass the time, especially when you're alone.

She didn't dip it in ketchup, but stuffed a fries straight into her mouth, thinking about where to go for fun after she finished eating.

A movie theater...? Or an arcade?

For Hua Yinyin, going to the arcade usually means playing the claw machine or the dance mat. But if she plays the same things all the time, she gets a little tired of it.

Just as my thoughts were drifting away, the vibration and ringing of my phone pulled me back.

Without looking at the screen, she answered the phone.

"Hello? Who is it?"

"Hello, are you Hua Yinyin, the former captain of the Snow Music Band?"

"Well, it's me!"

"I gave you my business card before, remember? The underground band performance..."

"Oh—I remember now, hello."

"Hehe, have you been busy with your studies lately? If you have time, would you like to come to the band's concert next Saturday? The audience will vote with their tickets, and the band with the most votes will receive a prize."

Hua Yinyin hesitated, mainly because the word "underground" always inevitably evokes associations with illegality and crime.

What it actually means is just a less formal band, simply formed by enthusiasts.

The venues for the performances are much more formal than so-called nightclubs. The audience may be small business owners who work on construction sites or white-collar workers who work in office buildings. But you will hardly find guys who don't know how to appreciate music and are just there to find women.

"If you're interested, I'll send the tickets and invitations to your school, how about that?"

"Um...are we really okay?"

"Haha, it's okay, have some confidence in yourself! I really enjoyed your performance."

"Well—okay, let's give it a try!" Hua Yinyin nodded expectantly and excitedly.

"Okay, the tickets are for your friends, and the invitations are for entry. Don't lose them after you receive them."

"Wait, what's the address?"

"It's written on the invitation, so see you next time!"

The other party hung up the phone quickly, seemingly very busy.

Hua Yinyin stared at the Coke bottle in her right hand for a long time, then suddenly took a big gulp and let out a satisfying burp.

"Performances... Will the Snow Music Band ever rent an independent grand stage for a concert?" She couldn't help but imagine, as if she were already standing in the center of the grand theater, with every seat filled and everyone's eyes focused on her.

Afterwards, they would be interviewed by reporters, who would snap photos with large cameras, their flashes going off like lightning streaking across the night sky.

Their fans are everywhere, and people often come up to them for autographs.

The feeling of being the center of attention...

Hua Yinyin felt very comfortable.

Even though it was just in her imagination, it made her feel a little happier.

"Hmph hmph hmph~ performance performance performance~" She picked up a hamburger, took a bite, and mumbled to herself, "But I wonder if Xiaoyao and the others will want to participate. After all, it's a big event. I wonder how many bands will participate. There should be at least ten, right?"

Hua Yinyin suddenly felt that she shouldn't have brought her drawing board today, but rather her pipa.

"Anyway, let's notify the others first!" She picked up the phone she had just put down, eager to share her excitement. The first person she thought of was Mo Xueyao, but she didn't have a phone, and calling her home phone might not be able to reach her. After thinking for a moment, she called Wang Jiale instead.

"Hello? Lele?"

"Hmm..." came Wang Jiale's lazy voice from the other end of the phone, as if she hadn't woken up at all. Then, her voice became a little muffled, as if there was something between her and the phone, perhaps the blankets?

"What are you doing...?"

"Lele! I accept the invitation! Let's go perform next Saturday!"

"Oh..." Wang Jiale on the other end showed no emotion whatsoever. "We'll see..."

"I've already agreed!"

"All right……"

"Lele, you're not still in bed, are you?"

"It's a rare break, sleep a little longer..." Wang Jiale's voice faded into the distance.

"What time is it? It's past nine o'clock!"

"It's only... a little past nine o'clock..."

There was a knocking sound on the door from the other end of the phone, and the faint sound of Wang Jiale's mother calling out could also be heard.

"Lele, if you don't get up soon, it'll be lunchtime!"

"Take a nap..."

"Okay, okay, I'll hang up now." Hua Yinyin quickly hung up the phone because she knew that there was no point in saying anything until Wang Jiale was fully awake.

Her excitement and exhilaration were abruptly cut short, leaving her feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

It's truly a painful thing to have no one to share with.

"Hmm...should I write a new song...? I only have a week, is that enough time?"

Being invited is a form of recognition and affirmation.

For a band formed purely out of interest, this is already quite remarkable.

And the Snow Music Band isn't even a school band.

Although there are one or two outstanding individuals here, they are still somewhat lacking compared to the average level of the school band.

After all, the school band often represents Yukong High School in various competitions in the city, and they have already won two awards this year, one of which is a championship certificate.

However, the Snow Music Band has only participated in one benefit performance for children in an orphanage so far. Although it was quite good, it didn't feel very formal...

……

"Sis—the phone's ringing!"

"Whose is it?"

"Silver!"

"You can answer it."

"Hmm!" Mo Zhuyou answered the phone quickly and sat back down next to the chubby black rabbit. "Yinyin, what's up?"

"Hehe, Youyou?"

"It's me~"

"I have great news for you! We've been invited to perform in an underground show!"

"Huh!? Underground?? That can't be scary, can it...?"

Why would you find it scary?

"I have this feeling that some gangster boss might show up there, selling drugs or something," Mo Zhuyou mimicked perfectly. "'Has your order arrived?' 'Where's the money?' That kind of feeling?"

"No way, it's not that exaggerated. They're just ordinary people, it's not like it's a nightclub."

"Huh? Isn't it the same thing?"

"Of course—no!"

Are we really at a good enough level?

On the other end of the phone, Hua Yinyin seemed to be chewing something, and replied indistinctly, "Don't worry, don't worry, I'm here!"

"It's precisely because you're here that I feel uneasy," Mo Zhuyou said with a sly laugh, pinching Hei Qiao's two furry ears.

"Hey! Hey!"

……

Chapter Seventy-Nine: Small Favors

The raindrops, one after another, hang down from the sky like transparent curtains.

Monday morning, the classroom was quiet, with only Li Wanyan in it.

Several chairs on the tables had been overturned, and backpacks were either hanging on the backs of the chairs or stuffed into drawers. These were members of the Snow Music Band, who were all in the band room at the moment.

The incessant rain outside the window blocked out all outside noise, making the place seem even more desolate.

Jun Ruohuan has been arriving at school much earlier lately. He swaggers into the classroom, the string of cone-shaped or triangular metal objects hanging from the zipper of his backpack jingling and sometimes scraping against each other, making a slightly jarring noise.

"Hey, class monitor, good morning!"

Li Wanyan nodded politely. In fact, she would respond to anyone who greeted her, but her response to Jun Ruohuan was the most perfunctory one.