A Young Woman's Heart

The sun, which had only been shining for a short while, was about to set again.

It made the daytime feel exceptionally short.

As the long, slanting rays of the setting sun lingered, Yu Shu returned home.

Just as I went upstairs, the iron gate opposite suddenly opened.

Mo Xueyao poked her head out from inside, her hair tied in a single ponytail: "Yu Shu?"

"Well!"

"I knew it was you. Your parents went out, right? They invited you to have dinner at my house tonight. Wanyan is just about to start cooking. Do you want to come in?"

"Uh... um... okay... I, I'll take a shower first..."

"Okay, then come in by yourself in a bit, I won't lock the door."

"Um... how did you guess it was me?"

"—The footsteps sounded unusual, didn't they? Yeah, I just happened to be walking to the door when I heard the noise outside, haha—"

"Um, I mean, how did you know I'd be back at this time?"

"I already said it was a coincidence."

"All right……"

"Hurry up and take a shower, then come eat!"

"it is good……"

……

(Fives)

When Yu Shu finished showering and entered Mo Xueyao's house, she saw the kitchen bustling with activity.

Mo Xueyao was helping to wash and chop the vegetables, while Li Wanyan kept stirring them in the pot.

There was soup simmering on a stove next to it, and I had to open it every now and then to take a look.

The rice cooker made a gurgling sound, and white steam rose from it, carrying a faint aroma of rice.

"Yu Shu? Please sit in the living room for a while. We need to prepare several dishes today."

"Hmm, can you finish it?"

"It's okay, each portion is very small, and they're quite exquisite!"

"Yaoyao, is the celery washed yet?"

"Alright, alright, almost there!"

"Another trio..."

"Huh? What trio? The range hood's on, I can't hear you!"

"Um, it's nothing..." Yu Shu quickly shook her head. "Um, do you need my help?"

"No need, Yu Shu, you can go watch TV. There's no room for so many people here."

"Hmm... shall I go to the living room then?"

"Oh, by the way, would you like sweet and sour pork ribs or salt and pepper pork ribs?"

"Is either fine...?"

"No, no, you have to choose one!"

"Then, then let's have salt and pepper..."

"Huh? Sweet and sour is definitely tastier."

Yu Shu said with a hint of helplessness, "Then sweet and sour..."

"Alright, let's go with salt and pepper! Wanyan, it's yours now!"

"celery."

"Right away!"

……

Chapter 109 Men and Cigarettes at Night

(One)

Tonight, or rather at three in the morning, there are no stars in the Hangzhou sky.

The moon hid behind the tall buildings, unable to shine on Shi Haiming, who was squatting in the alley smoking.

The internet cafe upstairs was extremely noisy.

A new online game has recently become popular, becoming a frenzy among young people.

There are fewer thugs loitering on the streets, and more 'gamers' smoking and shouting in internet cafes.

Even Shi Haiming himself sometimes couldn't stand the smoky atmosphere in the internet cafe and had to come out for some fresh air occasionally.

Actually, the work isn't very busy; it's just cashiering and card issuing, and I also have a computer to play on. However, working more than ten hours a day still leaves me somewhat exhausted.

He hasn't had a break for two weeks straight, and now his eyes are bloodshot. He just wants to take a break and get a good 24-hour sleep.

An indescribable chill permeated the air.

Shi Haiming smoked one cigarette, then lit another and put it in his mouth.

Mars appears as a red will-o'-the-wisp in the darkness.

I came out to get some fresh air, but I ended up taking several puffs of smoke.

He rubbed his eyes hard, feeling a sense of helpless exhaustion.

He has gained a lot of weight recently, his figure has changed, and his face is also a bit swollen. He is no longer as handsome as he used to be.

In that instant, he suddenly thought:

Yes, people do get old and change.

You can't make a living off your looks for the rest of your life.

You still need to have real knowledge and skills.

Thinking about this, he began to regret it again.

Why was I so arrogant back then? If only I had studied harder.

Of course, this is just wishful thinking. If given another chance, he would probably still do the same thing.

……

(two)

"Network administrator! Get me a bottle of Coke!!"

"Hey admin, give me a cup of instant noodles! The money's on my desk, take it yourself!"

"The network administrator's computer is lagging again!"

Internet cafes are actually more lively late at night than during the day.

In this dim environment, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between day and night.

The time spent resting outside the store and enjoying fresh air is precious.

Shi Haiming still had to drag his tired body to continue working.

He then responded to each of them: "Who asked for a Coke just now?"

"Wait a minute for the instant noodles, there's no more hot water!"

"It's stuck and needs a restart. If that doesn't work, just get a new one! There's no one to fix it tonight!"

Another busy period ensued; after receiving the money, the accounts still needed to be reconciled.

Occasionally, you might receive counterfeit money; after all, everyone makes mistakes sometimes.

The boss didn't know what to do, so he's been looking for a place to buy a banknote counter.

"Brothers, we have to take Shabak down today!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill that damn Taoist priest with the ID 'So Handsome It's Scary Enough to Kill a Cow'!"

"Holy crap, the enemy warrior got a kill! Damn! Who stole it?!"

Everyone has their own kind of excitement, but watching their boundless enthusiasm, Shi Haiming just wanted to yawn.

He recalled a text from his junior high school textbook and once again felt that studying was still useful.

At least he can say something like, "I just think they're noisy."

He knew that many of his old classmates were probably sleeping and enjoying their weekend as students.

He really envied those who were able to study.

He simply cannot do it.

"Ha—ah—whoosh—" Shi Haiming yawned twice in a row and started playing the game himself.

To be honest, he was already tired of it and didn't find anything fun about this kind of boring assembly-line game.

—He used to really enjoy games.

And so he felt old once again.

……

(three)

In the period approaching dawn, almost no one bothered him.

He was so sleepy that he took another nap, and finally it was dawn.

The boss arrived early in the morning.