A Young Woman's Heart

"it is good."

……

(two)

As Yu Shu left the school gate, she always felt like someone was watching her.

Only after the two girls walked up to her did their gaze seem to quietly shift away.

Mo Xueyao heard hurried footsteps approaching from behind and ran over playfully with the other band members.

"Yu Shu, see you tomorrow!"

"Shu'er, bye-bye!"

See you next week!

Everyone bid her farewell with great enthusiasm.

From afar, Yu Shu seemed to hear people saying things like, "I knew she must have a boyfriend," and someone even joked that they thought she was waiting for a boy.

Moreover, she clearly heard Mo Xueyao deliberately shout loudly, "Oh dear, when Yu Shu goes home alone tonight, will the police see her and take her home like a primary school student?"

"puff!"

Finally, Wu Shanshan, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but laugh out loud.

……

(three)

Wu Shanshan was Yu Shu's deskmate.

That short, slightly chubby girl with freckles on her face.

Although she's neither short nor fat, that's what the guys say, so much so that she often describes herself that way too.

Of course, when walking next to Yu Shu, who is only 1.48 meters tall, she looks quite tall, like a sturdy little mountain.

"Let's go to Ruoruo's house to play today!"

Ruoruo's full name is Jiang Yuruo, and Yu Shu and she don't have much interaction.

It's more accurate to say that the person she interacted with most was her deskmate.

This was agreed upon yesterday.

This was the first time I'd been invited to a friend's house by someone I wasn't very close to.

For Yu Shu, it was also a novel and subtle experience.

Jiang Yu nodded gently at her.

She has a beauty mark under the corner of each eye. Although she has single eyelids and isn't stunning at first glance, she is very pleasing to the eye and the kind of girl who grows on you the more you look at her.

Among girls, she is petite, only 1.55 meters tall, but when standing next to Yu Shu, she is still half a head taller.

Jiang Yuruo has a rich range of expressions, but her lips seem to be glued shut, and she rarely speaks.

She winked at Yu Shu, gave a sly smile, and placed her hand on the two 'buns' behind her head.

"This, this, I've wanted to touch it for a long time too, Yu Shu, can I touch it?" Wu Shanshan asked excitedly.

"...Touch, touch..." Yu Shu shrank her neck, feeling that more people were looking at her, which made her feel a little embarrassed to look up.

Jiang Yuru patted Yu Shu's shoulder with satisfaction, turned around with a relaxed expression, and waved vigorously with her back to them.

"Let's go to Ruoruo's house!"

“Okay…” Yu Shu nodded weakly.

……

(four)

Yu Shu was actually a little nervous about going to visit a classmate's house whom she wasn't very familiar with.

Of course, the most important thing is that I don't know what to do or what to say.

After all, even when she went to Mo Xueyao's house to play, she basically did whatever Mo Xueyao played, and followed her arrangements in everything, as obedient as a little rabbit that could be manipulated at will.

Fortunately, not all three of them were dull-witted. With Wu Shanshan around, the journey was quite lively.

She was as good as three people on her own, and her slightly thick lips never stopped moving.

This was the first time Yu Shu had ever felt that she was so talkative.

Although Jiang Yuruo is not very talkative, she never forgets to show her support.

They might nod vigorously and say "uh-huh" a few times, or raise two thumbs and shake them vigorously, or express their feelings with rich facial expressions.

Of course, it's not as exaggerated as not saying a single word; it's just that they say less.

I wonder if being taciturn is a suitable description for her.

If I were to describe it that way, I would feel a strong sense of disconnect.

"Freshly brewed milk tea! Do you want some? I never expected this old lady to come all this way. Last time I drank it at the school gate!" Wu Shanshan pointed to the small tricycle with surprise and excitement. The wrinkled old woman was rubbing her hands, waiting for customers to arrive.

"Is it expensive?" Yu Shu asked softly.

"Five cents a cup, you can choose to add more milk or more tea, it's delicious!" Wu Shanshan quickened her pace, "They even add honey!"

"Mmm!!" Jiang Yu snapped her fingers, clearly wanting to try it too.

"Hey, want some milk tea? It's freshly made, and it's really delicious..."

Jiang Yuruo pulled out three 50-cent coins without hesitation: "Three cups, please!"

"Huh? I..."

"Please!" She patted Yu Shu's shoulder hard, with unexpected force.

The photo made Yu Shu look half a head shorter.

……

(Fives)

Jiang Yuruo's home is far from Yukong High School.

So she usually lives at school.

She usually hangs out with the boarding students, and I don't know how she and Wu Shanshan became friends.

The three of them took two buses before finally arriving near her home.

This place is called Songqiao.

The highway has only just been built up to this point; beyond that, there are only rural dirt roads and vast stretches of farmland.

The city streets almost border the countryside, the only difference being that the buildings along the streets are more uniform and orderly.

Jiang Yuruo's home is at the end of the street.

Behind the house are vast farmlands, and right next to it is a three-story building with a small shop that offers hot water.

Her building was just across a small alley.

It has two and a half floors and a terrace for drying clothes.

It has nothing to do with Western-style houses or row houses. Although it occupies a small area, it is actually just a brick and tile house with a very Chinese rural style.

Both the exterior and interior are decorated in an incredibly outdated style.

Its only advantage is that it's new enough.

"If you live alone."

"Huh?" Yu Shu was a little surprised. "Then... what about our parents?"

"I'm working in Beijing!"

She breathed a sigh of relief, and her expression relaxed considerably.

"Her grandfather lives at home, but he's usually not home; he often goes out to visit other people's homes."

"Hmm..." Jiang Yu didn't speak, but seemed very satisfied with Wu Shanshan's explanation for him—he gave her a thumbs up in satisfaction.

The door appeared to be locked, but it actually opened with a slight push.

There wasn't much of value in the house, but there was a lot of various agricultural products piled up.

Jiang Yuruo's room is in the attic at the very top.

From the outside, the attic looks small, but once inside, it can be divided into two rooms—a bedroom and a storage room.

The room was simply painted white, but she decorated it beautifully.

Although it's a bit messy, it's still relatively clean.

Yu Shu walked curiously to a musical instrument she had never seen before and couldn't help but take a closer look.

“It’s a yangqin!” Jiang Yuruo winked at her and then handed her the keys, which looked like lollipops, as if to let her try it.

"Huh? I... I can't play... I only know how to play simple electronic instruments..."

"Hmm—" Jiang Yuruo glanced at the electronic synthesizer on Yu Shu's back, nodded vigorously, and then ran downstairs.

"What...is she doing?" Yu Shu couldn't quite figure her out; her thoughts seemed to jump around unusually.

"She's probably going to get something?" Wu Shanshan was taking off her shoes at the door—the only place in her house where she had to take them off.

Soon, the 'thump thump thump' sound came again.

Jiang Yu Ruo quickly took off her shoes at the door, her canvas shoes flipping over in the air. She wondered how she was going to reach them when she went out later…

She did go downstairs to get something.

They brought a kettle of boiling water and some fruit juice powder.

This stuff is a rare find, and it's very expensive these days, but it's easy to make and tastes great. It's perfect for drinking in winter—because it's hot.

Hot fruit juice.

"Yu Shu, can you cook?"

"Me? I... I'm not really good at it..."