A Young Woman's Heart

"Yu Shu, you absolutely mustn't drink it," Mo Xueyao stood up from her seat and earnestly instructed, "Otherwise, it'll be like last time."

"Eh? I... I absolutely won't do it again..." Having seen her drunken state in the videotape last time, Yu Shu was determined not to drink again. For her, it was just too embarrassing.

"Xiao Yao! Get me a bottle of cocktail!" Mo Zhuyou raised her drumstick high.

"I won't drink..." Wang Jiale shook her head vigorously, trying to avoid it. Mo Xueyao had only been looking at her and hadn't asked anything yet.

Where is Xiaoxue?

“Xiaoxue, come and brag to me!” Li Hongran immediately shook the bayberry wine in her hand again.

This is the second cup.

Although the cup isn't big, it must weigh at least two ounces...

“Okay.” Mr. Xue readily agreed, and Gao Yuan, who was standing next to him, immediately filled his glass to the brim.

"Uh, Mo Xueyao." Duanmu Ji, who was squatting next to the cocktail box, handed her three bottles of liquor. "Here you go..."

"Oh, thank you."

When Mo Xueyao returned to her seat, distributed the extra cocktails to others, and picked up the opened bottle to drink, Duanmu Ji, who was standing in the back row, suddenly raised his bottle and lightly bumped it against hers.

Because most people are sitting, he stands out conspicuously.

She paused for a moment, then smiled and winked.

"Bang." He even made an onomatopoeic sound, but it was unclear whether he could hear it.

"Gao Yuan, when you go back to China, you absolutely have to contact us!" Liu Xiaowei poured a small glass of red wine and nudged Gao Yuan hard.

"Damn it, you fucking bumped your drink all over me!"

"Hey, it's okay, this is what makes it fun!"

Zhou Yong downed the small amount of red wine in his hand in one gulp: "Gao Yuan, you're one of my few brothers. We must keep in touch."

"Definitely." He said this very seriously, and even his eyes seemed to be wider than usual—making the whites of his eyes appear more prominent.

But no matter how firm the promise is now, time will always change who you were before.

Deep down, everyone had a vague understanding that when Gao Yuan returned in a few years, they probably wouldn't be as close as they were now.

It's extremely rare to find a friend you can still feel an instant connection with after a long period of no contact.

At the front of the classroom, the Snow Music Band, having rested enough, was about to start their next song.

"Listen! Colorful cloud ice cream!" Hua Yinyin shouted, then turned to look at Mo Zhuyou.

The latter, understanding the signal, began to tap out with his drumsticks: "One, two—one, two, three!"

The song begins with a refreshing and cheerful intro, sung by Mo Xueyao.

She pressed the piano keys and leaned forward slightly: "Ah~ I feel a little hungry..."

My stomach is full, but my mouth is still watering!

As soon as the lyrics started playing, everyone couldn't help but laugh.

Even Wang Jiale, who had practiced this song countless times, couldn't help but smile.

The lyrics for this song were written by Hua Yinyin; only she could write such a strange and cheerful song.

But it's not so bad, is it?

"Colorful cloud-shaped ice cream~" Mo Xueyao drawled out the sound.

Hua Yinyin chimed in, "I want to eat right now!"

She even sang in a voice that was different from her usual one, sounding soft and gentle, like a greedy child.

"A bite after a meal—even the gods wouldn't trade it!"

"I want to keep eating!" Hua Yinyin's hands didn't stop playing the pipa; her left hand plucked the strings, and her right hand started shaking the strings. "Keep eating, keep eating, keep eating!"

The people around Gao Yuan burst into laughter, leaning against him like a cushion.

"Always and always," he muttered to himself, then shook his head with a half-smile.

"Gao Yuan, what are you doing? It's not that bad!" Mo Xueyao shouted into the microphone. "Is it necessary to force that smile like that?"

"That's right!" Hua Yinyin echoed loudly.

"Ugh, this is so damn good! It makes me want to eat ice cream!"

"Let's go buy it now!" Liu Xiaowei urged.

"Hahaha—what's the point of eating ice cream? Drinking alcohol! After drinking, you can imagine all sorts of flavors!" Li Hongran tilted his head back and took a sip, some of the alcohol dripping from his chin down his neck, wetting his collar. "Susu, why aren't you drinking? Come on, you drink too!"

"Huh? I can't..."

"How can a man say no? Drink it!"

Next, after only a short break, I played all the pieces I had practiced before.

Mo Xueyao finished the entire bottle of cocktail. She touched her slightly bloated stomach and decided to go to the restroom.

Wang Jiale also ran out.

"boom."

The classroom door was slammed shut behind them.

The noise and bustle inside seemed to come from afar, becoming somewhat indistinct.

The hot wind outside actually calmed Mo Xueyao's heart, which had been racing along with the atmosphere.

"Is this the last song?" Wang Jiale asked, adjusting his collar.

"Yes, this is the last song."

"How's Xiaoyao's training going?"

"It should be...no problem, but we've never played this song together before, so I'm not sure if we can coordinate well..."

"It all comes down to teamwork."

The two walked to the toilet door, leaving the sounds from the classroom behind.

The two went into separate cubicles, but they continued chatting.

"This feels like a graduation party."

"Ah, that's kind of the feeling." Mo Xueyao looked at the instructions on the napkin packaging, her thoughts wandering.

"Anyone who didn't know better would think we were in our final year of high school."

"Pfft, high school seniors don't hold graduation parties at this time of year."

"How about we come back and hold it next year when we're in our senior year of high school, after the exams? Or should we do it in the band room again?"

"Uh……"

Then, the two fell into a brief silence.

At the sink by the door, they both looked carefully at themselves in the mirror.

"Xiaoyao, this is the last song, keep going!"

"Don't worry! I should be fine."

"I can only hope we can work together better." Wang Jiale was clearly not very confident.

Mo Xueyao shook the water off her face and then covered her still-wet hands with her face: "Phew, it's really hot today..."

"Ah."

As they approached the classroom, both of them noticeably slowed down.

The noise inside drifted out through the closed doors and windows, and one could vaguely hear the distinctive laughter of several boys.

Pushing open the door is like stepping from one world into another.

"You're back? Ready for the final song?"

"Hmm." Wang Jiale took a deep breath and picked up his bass.

"OK." Mo Xueyao clasped her hands together, stretched them forward, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"So, Gao Yuan, this is the last song! It's for you. I hope you won't feel lonely when you go abroad because you don't have any familiar faces around you."

Mr. Xue continued Hua Yinyin's words—a microphone, slightly taller than usual, had been placed in front of him: "No matter where you are, this place, this land, is your home."

Gao Yuan scratched his head sheepishly: "Damn, what you guys are saying is way too cheesy."

"Hey hey, next up is Xiaoxue singing! Please listen to this song! Boys should all have seen it, right? It's the theme song for a TV series!"

Mo Xueyao was faster than Hua Yinyin this time; the moment she finished speaking, she started a melody.

The sound of drums followed immediately.

Then, the sounds of other instruments began to play.

The pipa took over the melody, and the music gradually became more upbeat.

Mr. Xue slowly opened his closed eyes, gently gripped the microphone, and began to sing in Cantonese: "Child, this is your home, the courtyard—elegant—"

"Its ancient simplicity further enhances its charm; its grandeur is that of China!"

……

Chapter Three: Wrestlers

The chirping of cicadas outside the window sounded like the static from a stereo, penetrating even through the window.

The blazing sun seemed to illuminate the entire classroom.

Sitting by the window, Xuan Anyi couldn't resist and reached out to pull the curtains halfway closed.

But the boy wasn't having it. Yang Yan, whose skin was brown and who was always teased for looking like he was from Africa, shouted, "Don't pull them all up! They're too dark!"

“Yes, I can’t even see Cheng Yuan’s face anymore,” Lu Bolun said without batting an eye.