A Young Woman's Heart

When a person is asleep, they always feel a little cold.

Even though she had just finished running, Mo Xueyao's skin quickly became dry, and under her fair skin, one could see some faint veins if one looked closely.

Perhaps it was because the autumn wind was a bit chilly, Mo Xueyao unconsciously arched her small feet, which were clad in black over-the-knee socks, while she was asleep, and slowly curled up as well.

Her calves were pressed tightly against her thighs, and her short skirt was slightly blown up by the wind. Hua Yinyin quickly helped her press it down.

In the senior year of high school, the physical education class was completely devoid of any sports atmosphere; everyone was resting and relaxing while looking at the scenery.

But perhaps this is another value of physical education classes: relieving students' tense minds.

Of course, some people would sneak back to the classroom to do their homework, just for the sake of that momentary pleasure.

Hua Yinyin lowered her head, letting the wind blow across her face, but her gaze never left Mo Xueyao's face.

As if suddenly remembering something, she hurriedly shifted her gaze to the wind, which had no physical form.

Or rather—the scenery in the distance.

But this didn't last long. She turned back to stare at the bell on Mo Xueyao's ankle and couldn't help but fiddle with it.

The clear, ringing sound of the bell can be heard every day.

Mo Xueyao wears it almost every day. At first, she often forgot, but later she only forgot occasionally. It has almost become a part of her daily routine.

Every time I hear the bells on her ankles in the classroom, I feel happy.

Hua Yinyin sometimes takes advantage of breaks between classes to sleep on her desk. She doesn't need to look up; she can tell whether Mo Xueyao is in her seat by the sound of the bell next to her ear.

When they left, the sound of the bells faded into the distance; when they returned, the sound of the bells became clear again.

It's a wonderful feeling; just hearing the sound can conjure up images in your mind.

Hua Yinyin seemed to want to do more than just fiddle with the bells; her gaze fell on Mo Xueyao's arched feet.

A leaf, with only one corner withered and yellow, was blown down by a gust of wind and landed with a 'plop' on Mo Xueyao's ankle.

She threw the fallen leaf to the ground, and her round, white hand involuntarily poked the sole of her foot.

Mo Xueyao, who was sleeping soundly, immediately reacted. She pulled her legs in even further, but Hua Yinyin got excited and poked her a few more times, finally making the latter open her eyes slightly, looking a little impatient.

"What's wrong..." Mo Xueyao muttered irritably.

"Hey, your feet are so small and cute, so I want to poke them."

"Please let me sleep for a while, okay? Next time when I'm feeling better, you can touch me however you want..." Mo Xueyao seemed to have had enough sleep, as she even uttered such nonsense.

"Huh? Really? You mean it!"

"Yes, I promise..." Her voice gradually softened again, and this time she changed from lying on her back to lying on her side, her small face pressed against Hua Yinyin's lower abdomen, as if she were using it as a soft pillow.

Hua Yinyin obediently placed her hands on either side of her body and remained motionless, truly keeping her promise.

Looking at Yi's sleeping face, she felt sleepy herself, but this sleeping position was really uncomfortable, mainly because there was nowhere to rest her head on. If she tilted her body, she would wake Mo Xueyao up again.

"Yinyin! What are you doing, using yourself as a human pillow?" Wang Jiale's voice suddenly rang out. She appeared out of nowhere and looked quite energetic—a stark contrast to the sleepy Mo Xueyao.

Shh—Little Yaoyao is sleeping.

"It seems like she's been sleeping through every break today."

"Yes, because I went to bed late yesterday."

"Yinyin, why are you being so well-behaved today? You would definitely have tried to touch me before."

"Uh...am I that kind of person? Isn't Lele going to play badminton with them?"

"I played, but I felt really tired after only a few rounds. I think it's better for me to rest—can you sit here?"

Hua Yinyin rolled her eyes, glanced at the chairs that were all occupied, and answered her 'nonsense'.

"Hmph, you're trying to have Haruka all to yourself!"

"You really think it's comfortable? My legs are aching from being used as a pillow for so long."

"Shall I give it a try?"

"Forget it, with your chopsticks legs, Xiaoyaoyao would definitely find it painful to use your head as a pillow."

"It's clearly Yin Yin's legs that are fatter! You're just jealous!"

"Okay, okay, keep it down, keep it down..."

"Don't worry, I don't think Xiaoyao will be woken up. Wasn't it even noisier after class before?"

"Probably... that's true."

"I feel like senior year PE classes are so relaxing."

"Isn't a life of leisure good?"

"It's fine, but it doesn't feel like PE class anymore," Wang Jiale said, taking two steps forward and turning around to call out, "Yinyin—do you want me to bring you a drink?"

"No, I've been drinking too much lately, I feel like I'm going to gain weight again..."

"Pfft, then it'll be ice water!"

"Hmm...that's possible..."

"Then I'll go buy it!"

In high spirits, Wang Jiale immediately started jogging, heading towards the nearest vending machine.

……

Chapter Fifteen: Didn't we agree that you could touch me as you pleased?

At noon, an autumn rain fell in this southern city.

Thick streaks of lightning flashed across the sky without making a sound, as swift and elegant as a camera flash.

Mo Xueyao skipped lunch and went straight into the band room.

I'm not as sleepy as before, since I took a short nap during PE class.

But she still couldn't muster any strength and just wanted to sit, lie down, or be in a prone position—in short, she didn't want to stand or move. Even opening her mouth to chew food felt like a hassle at this moment.

Only one window was open, and she sat beside it, letting the damp wind lash her face.

She decided that she must go to bed early tonight, and preferably finish her homework during evening self-study so that she could go home and sleep.

It's okay if you can't finish writing it; you can write it when you come tomorrow morning.

Getting enough rest is definitely the most important thing!

People only crave sleep when they haven't slept well.

The classroom door was gently pushed open, making a dull creaking sound.

A figure walked slowly into the classroom, followed by the sound of water being poured.

"Gurgle..."

Then, Mo Xueyao saw a teacup placed in front of her, with steaming tea inside.

It was Mr. Xue who brewed the tea.

"Thank you." She glanced at him lazily, her voice as soft as the slightest sound of a chair being moved.

Mr. Xue smiled, picked up his tea, and sat down on the other side.

Mo Xueyao swayed and propped her cheek up with one hand, barely supporting her head, then dipped her other hand in the tea and licked it.

It's very hot.

She immediately lost interest in drinking tea and let out a big yawn.

Perhaps because she slept on her stomach too many times today, the hair that Li Wanyan styled for her this morning was a bit messy.

"Ta-da! Huh, it's already here."

The time was almost up, and Mo Xueyao was already mentally prepared. Sure enough, Hua Yinyin's voice came from outside the door.

The wooden door, which had just been closed, was pushed open again.

With her hair in pigtails, she sat down next to Mo Xueyao, holding a cup of instant noodles.

Although the cup noodles were covered and held in place with a fork, a faint aroma still wafted out.

"Aren't you eating in the cafeteria today?"

"Yes, Yao Yao, aren't you the same?"

"I'm too lazy to move."

"Hey, Yaoyao, why is your hair such a mess?"

"Is it messy?" Mo Xueyao squinted listlessly. "Maybe I slept too much."

"Would you like me to redo your treatment?"

“Okay.” Mo Xueyao turned around naturally, facing the window. “Don’t tie it too tight, or it will give me a headache.”

"Oh, Wanyan must braid your hair every day, right?" There was an indescribable sourness in Hua Yinyin's words.

"Not every day, right?" Mo Xueyao's answer was far from certain.

How about a side ponytail?

"It's all right."

"Those pigtails? Or braids?"

"Don't make it too complicated, keep it simple."

"Then a side ponytail!" Hua Yinyin didn't seem to be in a hurry to eat her instant noodles. She bent down and rummaged through the drawer for a while, then took out a cheap comb that roadside barbershops would use.

That cheap red plastic looks rather tacky.

"This comb came with the hairdryer I bought before. I've just left it here and haven't used it much. The quality is really bad."

"As long as it works, it's fine." Mo Xueyao didn't mind at all.

Hua Yinyin gently smoothed Mo Xueyao's long hair with her small hands, then slowly combed it with a comb. Mo Xueyao's hair was very smooth, and even with such a poor comb, there was no feeling of stiffness.