A Young Woman's Heart

She casually tried the radio function, but could only receive a series of harsh crackling noises, perhaps due to the heavy rain, which made the signal weak.

Lightning flashed across the sky again. Although they were prepared, the two were still clearly startled by the thunder that seemed to tear the sky apart.

The rain got heavier and didn't seem like it would stop anytime soon.

"Ah, wait a minute." Mo Xueyao ran out of the room and pushed open the half-closed door next door. "Wanyan! You have my bag, right?"

"Ah."

"Where?"

"By the door."

"Oh, okay, I've taken it!"

"it is good."

Mo Xueyao, carrying the cloth bag, quickly darted back to her room, and the door slammed shut with a thud.

The bag, which was originally for shoe boxes, is now filled with a bunch of cassette tapes, including music tapes, storytelling tapes, and movie soundtracks—even though there are no pictures, it's still nice to listen to the sound.

She picked up a cassette and put it into the tape recorder, which emitted a pleasant 'click' sound and the hum of mechanical turning.

Then, the sound of a storyteller came from inside.

They weren't talking about famous works or classic novels, but rather some cheap novels that Mo Xueyao had never read.

Although the writing isn't great and the story is a bit cliché, it's perfect as background music on a rainy day like this.

Moreover, it has a more romantic feel than just background music.

Since I had heard a little bit about it before, I started playing it from the middle this time.

"The old man in the green robe suddenly pressed down with his ten fingers, and the Heaven-Turning Seal instantly grew as tall as a mountain. Although it was a replica, it was still incredibly powerful. Just as Frost Sugar was about to be crushed into mincemeat, a figure suddenly flew in from afar, pointed two fingers, and shot out a golden divine light. The Heaven-Turning Seal was instantly blasted into flying fragments. Frost Sugar was overjoyed and cried out, 'Master!' The old man in the green robe snorted coldly, swallowing a mouthful of blood, his eyes wide with anger—'Who goes there?' The latter only said that he was an unknown country bumpkin with only a surname, 'Ye.' In an instant..."

This story, which blends old-fashioned vernacular with classical Chinese and modern novel styles, sounds rather subtle, but if you don't listen carefully, it actually sounds quite plausible.

The raindrops outside the window pattered and made a sound like popping beans.

"Little Yaoyao, want some snacks? And drinks too—"

"Let's eat sparingly... we won't be able to buy snacks these days."

"There can't be no convenience store here, can there?"

"You know what, what if they really don't have any?" Mo Xueyao said, putting the snacks Hua Yinyin had taken out into the low cabinet next to her. "Even if they do, I guess they won't have anything you like, just the cheap, low-quality snacks."

"Damn it, looks like I didn't bring enough..."

"Do you want to be like Lele and carry a backpack full of snacks?"

"Shouldn't we do it this way?" Hua Yinyin retorted, then took out a box of Lipton black tea from her handbag. "Well—it's alright to drink tea then, isn't it?"

"...Don't turn every place into a band practice room!"

……

Chapter Fifteen: Dining in a Storm

This is a storm at sea.

The surging waves are much more awe-inspiring than being greeted by a downpour on land.

Only this newly occupied residence can offer a sliver of comfort.

But standing on this precipice, facing the raging waves below and the thunder and lightning in the sky, I still felt somewhat uneasy.

I wonder if this newly built dormitory is sturdy enough.

Or perhaps the edge of the cliff will suddenly break off and slide down like in a TV drama...

Only the storytelling from the cassette tape player is a source of comfort from a peaceful world.

“People who live on islands must be very easygoing,” Mo Xueyao suddenly remarked.

"Why?" Hua Yinyin asked, somewhat puzzled, as she was pondering what angle to position her desk lamp.

Mo Xueyao rested her chin on her hand, her fingers gently tapping the metal surface of the tape recorder: "Because islands are naturally surrounded by the sea, the people living on them must be helpless, especially the smaller islands. If there is a major natural disaster and the sea floods the island, then there will really be nowhere to escape."

"It's not that exaggerated. It's not like you're living in despair forever."

"It's just a metaphor. Modern society might be better, but in the past, there was almost no contact with the outside world. In comparison, the relationship between the nearby islands was probably closer."

"Well, but don't you think about it? In the past, those who lived on the islands were mostly fishermen who wanted to make fishing easier, or people who fled during times of war. This kind of isolation was exactly what they wanted."

“So that makes sense… the sea is a natural barrier.” Mo Xueyao tilted her head and looked at Hua Yinyin. “However, in modern times, shipbuilding technology has become more advanced, and islands are no longer so safe.”

"Yes, it's definitely closer to land, but it's usually not easy to find small islands in the deep ocean."

In the distant deep sea, amidst the surging waves, it seems that some indescribable, enormous monster is creating this violent storm, and faintly, one can hear some strange, chilling cry.

"Gurgle." Hua Yinyin stopped talking and muttered softly, "Little Yaoyao, are you afraid of the deep sea?"

"Everyone is afraid of the deep sea; you could be crushed to death by the seawater."

"No, I mean, I'm just afraid there might be some kind of monster inside, the kind that's covered in tentacles, and those tentacles have eyes on them..."

"Pfft, there's no such monster."

"That's not necessarily true. The world is so big, and humanity hasn't even explored everything on the seabed yet!"

"But from a biological point of view, there's absolutely no need to have eyes all over the tentacles. If it really needs to, wouldn't it be more useful to cover the tentacles with more sensory nerves?"

"Oh dear, little Yaoyao doesn't understand! She's just really afraid of those things..."

"Have you been listening to too many stories from Teacher Qianyu? I have an indescribable fear~ The most terrifying thing in the world is not a monster, but the human heart."

“I’m so tired of hearing ‘human nature’ being described as the most terrifying thing every day.” Hua Yinyin rolled her eyes.

The topic doesn't always extend in a certain direction; sometimes it can branch out in all directions.

Did Yaoyao watch last year's Paralympics?

"Last year? Wasn't it the Olympics?"

"The Paralympics will also be held together."

Mo Xueyao blinked in surprise: "I thought it was held at a different time, like the Asian Games."

"No, it was at the same time." Hua Yinyin pressed her cheek against the window, as if she could feel the cold temperature of the rain.

"I don't really like watching that kind of thing... I always feel it's too cruel."

"Cruel? Uh... Seeing people who fight bravely even with physical disabilities should evoke a positive and optimistic feeling, right?"

Hua Yinyin used phrases from a newspaper article.

"However, athletes work very hard. Many athletes suffer from numerous injuries after retirement, and some are even less healthy than able-bodied people. Wouldn't disabled athletes suffer even more? They not only fail to gain health, but these competitions may also make their future lives more painful."

"what?"

"Isn't this cruel? A group of able-bodied people watching a group of physically disabled people compete and strive..."

"No, no, this is also a form of support, proving that they can do what they normally do."

"..." Mo Xueyao didn't speak, but just drooped her eyelids. A thunderclap in the sky once again stirred up the dark seawater.

“Hmm, Xiao Yaoyao seems to be belittling something.” Hua Yinyin seemed to understand her gaze.

"Ahem..." Mo Xueyao suppressed her complicated emotions and looked at the lighthouse behind the island—the one directly opposite the side window.

Even amidst the raging wind and rain, its light remains constant, like the moon's reflection in the water. As long as the moon in the sky doesn't fall, no matter how much you disrupt its reflection, it will only cause ripples.

On an island, you're actually standing on solid ground, but if you encountered such a storm on a ship, you'd probably be surrounded by fear.

When Mo Xueyao was on her way to school, there was sometimes heavy fog in the mornings, which made her feel uneasy when she was on the bus.

"Yinyin, how much random stuff did you bring?" Mo Xueyao noticed that Hua Yinyin kept taking things out of the bag and couldn't help but ask.

"Adding more of your favorite things will make this place feel cozier."

"But there's no need to bring a plush toy..."

"Oh, that's for your lower back, it's more comfortable to sit like that."

"You're so particular..."

"That's normal!"

"Tsk... So what's this for?"

"The cooling mat on the chair will keep you cool while you sit."

"...What about this one?"

"Electronic dictionary!"

"What's it for?"

"For looking up English words?"

"You don't teach English, okay, okay, then how about this?"

"Uh... well, that's my painting. I've framed it—it's me sitting on the rooftop."

Why bring this?

"This is my proudest painting! Don't you think the colors and the light and shadow are absolutely perfect? ​​Plus, I didn't do any sketching beforehand, so it has a kind of hazy beauty. I didn't make any changes, and the form is still correct!"

"Hey, how long are you planning to stay here?" Mo Xueyao covered her forehead helplessly, feeling that Hua Yinyin was definitely planning to live here for a long time.

In reality, it's only been a little over a month.

"Knock knock." In the storm, the knocking sound became weak. It wasn't until several knocks that Mo Xueyao reacted, ran to the door, and opened it.

Ye Wen stood outside the door. Her hair was tied up at some point, her palms were a little damp, and a bead of sweat clung to her chin, about to slowly trickle down.

"Ah Wen?"

"It's four o'clock, time for dinner. Come downstairs and eat!"

"Oh, okay." Mo Xueyao, afraid that Hua Yinyin hadn't heard her, turned around and called out, "Yinyin! Come downstairs for dinner!"

"I didn't realize it until you mentioned it, but now that you do, I'm so hungry—" Hua Yinyin came running out, eagerly asking, "What are we eating today?"