A Young Woman's Heart

"—Japanese or American heroes?"

With so many people helping out, the work efficiency was naturally extremely high.

So much so that by nine o'clock, not only were all the tables cleared, but there were no more dishes to wash in the kitchen; all that was needed was to clean the pots and pans.

After the last table of customers finally left, Duanmu Bi pulled the outer roller shutter door down halfway, then packed the large pile of fried chicken, hamburgers, and other fast food she had just made into a paper bag: "I don't know if this is enough. If not, make some more hamburgers, Xiao Ji!"

"Uh...is that enough?" Mo Xueyao didn't like wasting food, and she knew very well that girls didn't actually eat much.

"Make some more, it can be a midnight snack, consider it your wages, and then—let's go to Xiaoxiao Youyou's house for the night!"

"That kind of thing should have been done yesterday—"

"It's okay to make it up, right?" Duanmu Bi put her arm around Mo Xueyao's arm and patted her back generously. "Xiao Ji! Why don't you ride your bicycle and give Xiao Yao a ride?"

"...The back seat isn't spacious enough."

"It's okay, it's okay, as long as she holds you, you won't fall, right?" Duanmu Ji's lips twitched.

"Manager, I'll head back now." The speaker was the girl who was a long-term employee.

"Okay~ Be careful on the road, take these hamburgers with you!"

"Okay, thank you, manager."

Duanmu Bi quickly finished handling everything, and in less than twenty minutes, she was already standing at the shop entrance with everyone. She casually pulled down the roller shutter door with a 'whoosh' and didn't lock it—probably because the glass door inside was already locked.

"Let's go!" Duanmu Bi said, straddling her bicycle, and first invited Mr. Xue, "Come on, you—the only boy, sit in front of me! Hmm, sit here."

“Okay.” Mr. Xue didn’t stand on ceremony at all.

Duanmu Bi glanced smugly at Duanmu Ji, but the latter showed no sign of jealousy whatsoever.

“I think I should sit in the back, otherwise I’ll block your view.” Mr. Xue meant that he was taller than Duanmu Bi.

In the end, Mr. Xue, in a completely ungentlemanly manner, sat in the back seat, while the petite Yu Shu sat in front of him.

Sandwiched in the middle, of course, was Duanmu Bi.

This is truly an amazing combination.

Mo Xueyao still didn't get into Duanmu Ji's back seat. It wasn't that she refused, but Mo Zhuyou said her legs were sore and she wanted to sit for a while, so she gave it to her.

The others followed, and the electric scooters and bicycles sped away, leaving everyone else in the dust.

They planned to drop off the person first, and then come back to pick up the others.

The paths and fields were covered in snow, making it feel like a snowfield, evoking a sense of Scandinavia.

Unfortunately, there are no aurora borealis in the sky here.

Even if you look up, all you can see is a hazy gray expanse.

As they walked along the road, someone started humming a little tune, and then Hua Yinyin took the lead and sang the first line.

"La la, la la~ Little Yao Yao is like a snowflake~"

"...Haruka, fluttering and spinning."

"Hey! Hey!"

Of course, it's the version with modified lyrics.

—The kind that's impromptu.

……

Chapter 134 Heavy Snow Closing the Mountain

When Mo Xueyao woke up, her head was resting on Li Wanyan's lap, while her legs were pressed against Hua Yinyin's chest and abdomen.

That soft touch is much more comfortable than the best sofa.

The sky outside was a vast expanse of gray.

It's like falling into a fairytale world covered in white sugar.

Her mind went completely blank.

I only remember that everyone seemed to be making a lot of noise. Because there weren't enough blankets, the air conditioner was turned on throughout the house. The fireplace was still burning because it had a chimney, making the house as warm as spring.

Although we were lying down to sleep, we still chatted for a long time, starting with criticizing the old society and then criticizing all of humanity. We talked about it with great enthusiasm.

Wang Jiale also had a very enthusiastic discussion with Mr. Xue about the issue of 'original sin' for a long time.

In short, Mo Xueyao was already asleep by then, and she didn't know what happened after that.

Because I went to bed relatively early, I was able to be the first to wake up today.

Mo Xueyao had just thought that when she immediately dismissed the idea.

Because she clearly saw Mr. Snow sitting alone in front of the fireplace, leisurely adding some firewood, then picking up the kettle that had been kept warm and pouring himself half a cup of tea.

She slowly sat up, opened her mouth wide and yawned, saliva sticking to her upper and lower jaws, forming a long, glistening thread.

"Haaah—" The thin blanket covering her, which was the only one covering her, slipped off. Although the room was warm, she still couldn't help but shiver slightly.

It's like even if you wear two layers of clothing to bed, you'll still feel cold when you get out of bed.

"Xiaoxue, you're up so early? Lele and the others were chatting with you when I was asleep yesterday, right?"

"Um, I didn't get up."

"Huh?" Mo Xueyao tilted her head in confusion, then quickly understood what he meant, "Not asleep?"

“Yes.” Mr. Xue smiled and took a sip of tea.

"Aren't you feeling unwell? Or rather, aren't you sleepy?"

“It’s nice to spend this long night awake sometimes.” Mr. Snow added another piece of firewood to the fireplace. “While you’re asleep, I’ll be looking out the window by myself. Even though it’s snowing, it’s getting light.”

"Any particular thoughts?" Mo Xueyao stretched out her arms, grabbed her down jacket, draped it over her shoulders, then moved to the campfire, stretched out her hands, and let out a soft sigh.

"If only people didn't need to sleep."

"what?"

"That's such a waste of time."

"If people didn't need to sleep, wouldn't they miss out on a lot of wonderful things? At the very least, they wouldn't have 'dreams' or stories related to dreams."

"Like dust, even if you don't like it, its existence is still necessary."

"Hmm! But—it would be nice if people didn't have to sleep every day, or if sleep duration could be shorter."

"Or perhaps they will live longer."

“Yes, that works too.” The firelight illuminated her cheeks. “That’s easier to achieve, isn’t it?”

The room was so quiet it was as if not many people were sleeping.

After a long while, she turned around and saw that Mr. Xue had already squinted his eyes, sitting cross-legged and swaying. He finally couldn't support his body and bumped his head into her arms.

"...So he still couldn't hold on?" She shook her head helplessly, gently laid him flat on the ground, then draped the thin blanket she had just used over him over her body, and got up to make herself a cup of pine needle tea.

The snowflakes outside the window fluttered like cotton wool, swirling up a silvery mist that made it impossible to see the world in the distance.

"The mountain is blocked by heavy snow..."

"Hey, Yinyin, when did you wake up?"

"You woke up while you were chatting with Xiaoxue."

"Are we going to be unable to get back today?"

"That's perfect! Sleeping in the snow is so comfortable."

As Hua Yinyin spoke, she lay down again, resting her head on Mo Xueyao's lap.

Do you remember the first time I greeted you?

Mo Xueyao might forget many things, but she wouldn't forget this one, because compared to the process of getting to know other people, this was so impactful and unique that it left a deep impression.

At that time, Hua Yinyin had only chatted with her for a few words when she suddenly hugged her leg as if they were old friends, which was a bit scary to be honest.

Some might even suspect that she has a mental illness.

—Being this outgoing and familiar with others is something that most people wouldn't do.

"What are you doing?"

"Hehe, I wanted to rest my head on Yaoyao's lap all the time back then."

"Is it really that comfortable?"

"They'll probably feel very comfortable."

—It's as if time will just keep flowing by, and everything around us will remain unchanged, never reaching its end.

She pouted and pinched Hua Yinyin's cheek.

Duanmu Bi's snoring suddenly became louder, as if her nose was blocked by something, and she was having some difficulty breathing.

Duanmu Ji, who was lying next to her, turned over and placed his pillow under her neck, and her snoring immediately subsided.

He seemed not to have woken up from his dream, as if his actions were merely a physical instinct.

Mo Xueyao took a sip of pine needle tea, picked up the watch on the table, and glanced at the time.

It seems like it's only four or five in the morning outside, but it's actually almost ten o'clock now.

It's as if time freezes when it snows.

"Wow, half a day has passed already, and we have to go to class again tomorrow."

"It's not so bad to waste time like this."

"Then you should be quiet for once," Mo Xueyao teased.

But to my surprise, Hua Yinyin was really quiet for a long time today.

The two of them whiled away the last hours of the morning by staring at the snow outside the glass.

……