A Young Woman's Heart

The entrance was deserted, unusually quiet, with no vendors selling snacks.

Perhaps it's because the end of the year is approaching, and they have to go back home for the New Year.

Only a middle-aged man with black hair mixed with white stood beside the tricycle, vigorously turning the handlebars, cutting off piece after piece of mochi, which rolled around in the sesame crumbs.

There weren't many people around, probably because they had come out quite late.

Only a few students were standing around.

Mo Xueyao squeezed through and bought ten for five cents, which she shared with Li Wanyan and Lu Chengyuan, who had gone back with her.

"Cheng Yuan, why didn't you leave with your Lu Bolun today?"

"We always walk together and get back very late. I'm sleepy today and want to go home and sleep early—besides, don't we get tired of being together all the time?"

"You'll get tired of it too." Mo Xueyao picked up a mochi with a toothpick and stuffed it into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out like a little squirrel.

"Feelings naturally fade over time."

"Oh no, it can't be..."

"—Of course, not the kind of blandness, but a blandness with flavor."

"Do you think this is wine?"

"almost?"

"But the drinks will get spicier and spicier."

"It will smell even better!"

Li Wanyan listened to the two chatting without expression. She picked up a piece of mochi, caught it with her other hand to prevent it from falling to the ground, and then ate it in small bites.

It has a sandy texture and tastes somewhat similar to glutinous rice balls, but there are still some subtle differences.

"It feels smaller than the one I bought last year," Lu Chengyuan suddenly changed the subject.

"Really?" Mo Xueyao didn't realize it.

"Hmm... a little small."

“After all, prices have gone up.” Mo Xueyao nodded matter-of-factly.

A sudden gust of cold wind blew from behind, and then the three of them saw a group of elementary school students huddled together chasing a red silk scarf that was flying in the air.

"It flew too high!"

"Hurry up, or the wind will blow you far away!"

"Ah, it got caught on a street lamp!"

Several elementary school students who hadn't gone home by 8 p.m. stood under the streetlights, gazing longingly upwards, but at that height, no one could help them.

They could only hope that the wind would pick up a bit more and blow the red scarf off.

Unfortunately, the wind stopped blowing, and the scarf hung high and swayed precariously.

"Pfft... Ah, so this kind of thing really happens to kids?"

"What?" Lu Chengyuan looked at Mo Xueyao with some curiosity.

"When I was a kid, I once put a girl's things up high and couldn't get them down no matter what I did. It was a shuttlecock."

"That's normal. I've kicked the shuttlecock all the way up to the roof before."

The three of them ate and walked, chatting as they went.

The construction site, which was demolished last year, now has the framework of a building erected.

Those were clearly not single-story houses; each one was at least six stories high.

The days when we were kids, kicking shuttlecocks all the way to the roof, are probably over.

Of course, it's also possible that children in the future won't even play shuttlecock anymore?

The way back wasn't far, and the road without lights seemed shorter.

After renovation and reconstruction, this road is much wider than it was two years ago, and there are many more streetlights.

Rows upon rows of neat, uniform beams of light, each with the same curvature and brightness.

Stepping on the beams of light they cast is like stepping on a stage spotlight.

However, Mo Xueyao felt more like she was being chased by a spotlight.

……

(two)

"Bye-bye! Xiaoyao, class monitor, see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." Mo Xueyao waved, and Li Wanyan simply nodded calmly.

Pan Jiexiang was standing bent over at the entrance of the convenience store, tidying up a sturdy-looking crate.

"Aunt Pan!" Mo Xueyao called out to her from a distance, emerging from the quiet night and pulling Li Wanyan into the dim light.

"I'm home."

"Hmm, has Auntie eaten yet?"

"have eaten."

"Just got up, right?"

"Hehe...more or less." Although there are shifts, Pan Jiexiang still works the night shift more often.

"What is this?" Mo Xueyao gently kicked the crate in front of her.

Pan Jiexiang simply squatted down and handed her a package with a smile.

"Sunflower...seed...?"

"Ah."

Li Wanyan also squatted down to the side, unusually acting like a curious child, rummaging around.

Inside was a stack of earthenware pots, and soil in small burlap sacks.

Next to it was a brand new green plastic shower head—the most common type.

A small shovel for shoveling soil, a small rake for loosening the soil, decorative pebbles...

It's absolutely complete, as complete as it gets.

"What are they trying to do? Plant flowers?" Mo Xueyao thought of the flat open space on the roof of the convenience store. Perhaps Pan Jiexiang saw Yang Xiaoyu growing vegetables on the roof and wanted to try it too?

But flowers are generally not sown in winter, right?

We should wait until after the Spring Festival, when early spring arrives, before making a decision.

"Ah."

"Plant now?"

"Plant it in a while."

"So, you're ready so early?"

“I just happened to see it today.” Pan Jiexiang looked at Li Wanyan, who was fiddling with the showerhead. “I bought it from a tricycle. The prices were very cheap, so I just bought it.”

"Oh, oh—" Mo Xueyao looked at the seed packaging again. "Oh! This is Wanyan's favorite sunflower, right? Are you planning to plant sunflowers in every pot?"

"Ah."

"Too many." Li Wanyan put down the watering can and picked up the flowerpots, examining them from all angles. "A wider variety would be better."

"I think the effect would be even more stunning if it were all sunflowers."

"..."

“If an entire open field were planted with sunflowers, that would be even more spectacular.” Mo Xueyao rested her hands on her knees and looked down at her, asking, “Why does Wanyan like sunflowers?”

"..." Li Wanyan remained silent, licking her lips several times, but did not speak.

“Because it’s a flower that always yearns for the sun, right?” Pan Jiexiang said for her.

"...It's just that when I first saw them as a child, I thought they were silly..." Li Wanyan gently pursed her lips.

"why?"

"...They all turned towards the sun."

“That’s not being silly, it’s to better absorb sunlight.” Mo Xueyao paused for a moment after saying this, because it was obvious that she couldn’t possibly not know this.

Therefore, my thoughts just now were definitely not from a scientific perspective.

"..." As expected, Li Wanyan fell silent.

As if she had expected Mo Xueyao to say that, she puffed out her left cheek and gently turned her head in that direction.

"Ah...so it's because I thought sunflowers were adorably silly when I was little?"

"That should be the case for Yan Yan."

"Wanyan was quite innocent when she was little?" Mo Xueyao teased deliberately.

"...What kind of flowers does Yaoyao like?" She looked up at her and asked abruptly.

"Uh...me? I don't really have any particular favorites. I like pretty flowers, I guess?"

"Tsk." She clicked her tongue softly.

"Why?"

"You're a womanizer~" Pan Jiexiang joked.

"Ah, I guess I just haven't paid much attention to that aspect? To be honest, I'm more interested in the anthurium because it looks quite unique, like something out of plastic."

“It really suits Yao Yao’s personality,” Pan Jiexiang said with a smile.

Li Wanyan slowly stood up and glanced at her sideways.

"My personality? Uh? What personality? A fake personality?"

"A free-spirited personality."

"what?"