A Young Woman's Heart

The most comfortable thing after taking a shower is probably walking down the street with your still slightly damp hair.

Perhaps because I had just taken a hot shower, the wind that had felt cold on my face didn't feel cold at all; instead, it gave me a refreshing feeling.

Because Li Wanyan took a long time to take a shower, it was already 9:30 when she returned to the fruit shop.

The father was carrying fruit that was displayed on the steps outside into the shop.

Su Tang, on the other hand, kept causing trouble. Whichever box of fruit her father moved, Su Tang would lie on it, seemingly trying to add some 'burden' for him.

However, in reality, given its weight, it has no effect whatsoever.

Or perhaps it just finds the feeling of being lifted up and suspended in the air along with the box quite amusing?

"Are you closing up shop so early today?" Mo Xueyao said, grabbing Sutang by the scruff of her neck and lifting her up. She then wiped the dust off Sutang with a clean towel to prevent her from making the bed dirty when she jumped on it later.

After all, a shop is not like a home. It is open and customers come frequently, so even if you clean it regularly, it is not very clean.

“From now on, we’ll close the stall at 10:30. After that, there won’t be much business. We need to pack up early and go home so we can go to the wholesale market to buy more goods tomorrow.” As he spoke, the father handed two brown bananas to Mo Xueyao and Li Wanyan respectively. “Here, eat them, or they’ll go bad tomorrow.”

The bananas looked ripe, but the inside was still white and tender. This kind of banana is the sweetest and most glutinous, and it's Mo Xueyao's favorite.

"Thank you, Uncle," Li Wanyan said politely.

"Haha, no need to be so formal." The father waved his hand. "After selecting the fruit at the wholesale market in the morning, you have to call a tricycle to transport it here. If you had your own van, it would be much more convenient. You could just haul the goods here yourself."

"Then let's work hard and earn money to buy a car."

"No rush, pay back the money you owe your godfather first."

“That’s true, it always feels uncomfortable to owe someone money.” Mo Xueyao nodded in agreement.

"You two will be sleeping here tonight, right? But this bed is small, will it fit two people?"

"It seems like... she can't sleep well?" Mo Xueyao was also a little puzzled.

"Just squeeze it a little," Li Wanyan quickly said, afraid that Mo Xueyao would change her mind.

"Squeeze in a bit..." the father chuckled mischievously. "Good luck, Xiaoyao!"

"Add oil..." Mo Xueyao rolled her eyes, but she already understood what her father meant.

After all, she had been a boy for sixteen years, so it was absolutely impossible for her to have no feelings for girls at all.

But in the current situation, without the tools to commit the crime, there's no use in doing anything.

That's why her father seemed very relieved, and even started joking with her.

It's fortunate that it's a girl; if it were a boy, the father would definitely not feel at ease.

But thinking about it this way, my feelings are quite complicated.

Just a few months ago she was a son, but now I have to worry about what might happen if she sleeps with other boys...

Life is truly unpredictable.

The father shook his head and sighed.

Even as the stall was closing up, a few customers would still come in to buy some fruit.

My father sold more of the fruits that wouldn't keep for long at a discount.

At 10:30, even the night market started to close up shop.

The fruit shop's roller shutter door was finally pulled down completely.

"I'm leaving now. The key to the roller shutter is on the table. If I'm not here tomorrow, I'll be leaving. Remember to lock the door!" the father said as he pulled down the roller shutter.

The already quiet street became even quieter after the roller shutters were closed.

Su Tang nestled in the box, seemingly already asleep.

Mo Xueyao didn't disturb it, letting it sleep outside, and then she and Mo Xueyao went into the small room of the fruit shop together.

The room felt even more cramped when the door was closed.

If the chair at the desk isn't moved in, it will end up right next to the bed.

"Xiaoyao, do you want to sleep inside or outside?"

"Ah... I'll sleep inside." Mo Xueyao scratched her head and climbed in first. "Hey, class monitor, you should air out your blankets."

"what happened?"

"It smells musty..."

"Uh-huh." Li Wanyan blushed a little at what Mo Xueyao said. "Well... in my old home, there wasn't a good place to dry things."

“It’s okay, we can just hang it out to dry at the door on the weekend.” Mo Xueyao said, turning around to face the wall with her back to Li Wanyan.

Why are you sleeping on your side?

"Uh... because I thought this way the space would be a bit bigger?"

"It's okay, we can squeeze in and sleep," Li Wanyan said, taking off her coat and getting into bed as well.

"Are you cold?" Mo Xueyao shivered.

"Fortunately, this room isn't well-ventilated, so it's still quite warm in winter."

“It’s not winter yet, it’s only October.” Mo Xueyao shrank her neck. “I hate winter.”

"I feel fine." Li Wanyan pulled the blanket tighter around herself to keep out the draft. "Where is Xiaoyao from?"

"Hometown?"

"Ah."

"My hometown is in Q City, but I haven't been back much. I was born in Hangzhou and grew up here."

"But Haruka's pupils have a hint of blue."

"Ah, that's because my great-grandfather was Soviet, and before that, I think he was... some kind of Anglo-Chinese? Anyway, he seemed to have some Scandinavian ancestry, although it's very faint by the time it got to me, but there's probably still some inherited from him."

"It could also be a case of atavism."

"probably."

"I really envy Xiaoyao's family."

"Uh... actually, most families are like this, right?"

"Perhaps," Li Wanyan smiled. "Would you mind listening to me ramble on?"

"I don't mind, just say whatever you want, I'm listening." Mo Xueyao faced the wall and leaned further in, but in reality, her face was almost pressed against the wall.

“I grew up in a dirty and cramped place. The places I lived were dilapidated and chaotic. Before I started school, the clothes I wore were either old clothes that my mother picked up from street stalls or clothes that she tailored for me.”

"Actually, I always thought I didn't have a father."

“Until I was six years old, my mother told me that my father had returned.”

"Actually, I'm quite happy because my family is finally complete. When I go out with others, I can proudly say, 'My dad is so great.'"

"But this joy did not last long."

"My father, who had promised to quit gambling, has started drinking again and idles around the house all day. My mother earns money by doing needlework at home, and the family has always been in dire straits."

“He even hit my mother.”

“From that time on, I began to miss the days when I depended on my mother for survival.”

“But my father wouldn’t hit me. He just treated me very badly. He always said that girls didn’t need to study. After I graduated from elementary school, he urged me to drop out of school to earn money.”

He wanted two women to support him together.

"I was actually quite fed up with him, but I wanted to prove myself and show that girls can learn too, so I've always had good grades since I was little..."

“When I was in junior high school, my father went even further and started gambling again. Although he won some times, he lost more in the end. Home became the place I least wanted to go back to. I would rather go to school early every day and come home late every day because it was just too depressing there.”

"Heh...you know what, Xiaoyao? That man even told my mother that he wanted me to work at a nightclub."

"But don't I know what a nightclub is?"

"He wants you... to do that kind of thing?" Mo Xueyao frowned. "How can there be such a father in the world? Is he really his biological son?"

“Although I really wish he wasn’t, unfortunately, he really is my biological father, not some stepfather…” Li Wanyan sighed. “Later, he owed more and more money, and starting from September this year, people would often come to our door.”

“The money my mother earns from working at home is far from enough.”

“Sometimes she would go out to work as a part-time cleaner, and when she wasn’t home, I even heard my father say things like, ‘How much is my daughter worth?’ at the door…”

"Later, things got worse and worse, and I finally didn't want to go back to that house anymore. Maybe... I was afraid to go back. I didn't know if those people would find their way back here."

"Probably not," Mo Xueyao reassured her. "Don't worry, even if they come knocking, it's fine. My godfather is a section chief. He has connections with the urban management brigade and the police station. If those people dare to come, they can expect to go to jail."

"Um……"

Mo Xueyao turned around and looked at Li Wanyan's small face.

Her strength is just an external layer of protection.

In reality, she is soft-hearted and fragile.

After all, they lived in that kind of environment.

She turned around because she heard sobbing.

Just as he was about to reach out and wipe away the tears on Li Wanyan's face, she suddenly pulled him into her arms.

Because Li Wanyan was taller than Mo Xueyao, Mo Xueyao's head was buried in her chest.

"Well!"

"Xiaoyao, don't move, just let me hold you like this, okay?" Li Wanyan pleaded softly.

"..."

Extremely embarrassed, Mo Xueyao couldn't bring herself to refuse.

"I'm a little... bored..."

Li Wanyan smiled awkwardly, loosened her grip a little, but still held her tightly.

And because the bed is so small, there's no better way to sleep than hugging like this.

If you sleep alone, let alone turning over, even if you slide off the edge a little, you'll fall off the bed.