A Young Woman's Heart

……

(two)

Around 10 o'clock, the iron gate of the house was knocked on again.

This time, my godfather and his family came to visit.

It wasn't a set ceremony; we just came over to have some fun because we're good friends.

In the past, he would usually go to his house, but this year, Mo Xueyao's house was renovated, so he came over to visit as well.

"Oh, what a rare guest!" the father exclaimed exaggeratedly, standing up and opening his arms to embrace his godfather.

The two grown men patted each other on the back. Although they lived in the same city and were close by, and saw each other often, they were as warm and excited as old friends who had not seen each other for many years.

"Come on, Ah Liang, let's drink!"

"Alright, drink up!"

"Are you still drinking? Will you be able to drive back later?"

"It's alright, it's alright, we can just sleep here!" The father patted his chest vigorously. "It's rare to have so many people gathered together today, let's play cards until dawn. It's New Year's Eve, how can we not stay up all night?"

"Yeah, let's play cards later today!"

"Sister~!" Yu Jinyu darted out from behind her mother and threw herself into Mo Xueyao's arms.

Kids grow so fast; her head is already up to Mo Xueyao's chin.

The fluffy hair made her feel a little itchy.

"Xiaoyu—how did you do on your final exams?"

"Hey—Eek—Don't ask that! How come Xiaoyao is acting like an adult too?"

"Ahem!" Mo Xueyao touched her nose somewhat awkwardly.

"It's snowing outside today."

"Huh? It's snowing?"

"Yes! It only started snowing at night!"

The house, which wasn't very big, suddenly became incredibly lively with so many people crammed in.

It's not necessary to participate; just being able to feel the atmosphere is enough to make you feel the spirit of the New Year.

The adults cleared the table and started playing cards, while the four children joined in playing Monopoly.

Time flowed by, neither fast nor slow, but Mo Xueyao both looked forward to midnight and hoped it would come later.

However, time listens to no one; it continues its relentless march, neither fast nor slow.

……

(three)

"Little Yaoyao, it's already eleven o'clock! I'm halfway there and should be at Peace Square in a bit! I've already notified Lele! Youyou and Xiaoxiao are on their way too, and Xiaoxue and Chali are coming as well!"

"Understood, I'll set off immediately."

"Dad, we're going out to set off fireworks!"

"Okay, go ahead! The fireworks are set up in the corner!"

"Godfather, Xiaoyu is asleep. Why don't you let her sleep in my bed for a while?"

"It's okay, let her sleep on the sofa and cover herself with a blanket."

"Yu Shu, how are you? Are you sleepy?"

"Hmm—a little."

"That……"

"Mmm, no... I want to go too..."

"Okay, let's go! Uh—I'll give you a ride on my bike."

"Um……"

……

(four)

Snowflakes were indeed falling from the sky outside.

In the city, the occasional sound of fireworks began to drift in.

Although there were few people on the streets, many children gathered together on the roads of the residential area, setting off all kinds of fireworks.

There are sparklers that you can hold in your hand and they burn, there are those that can spin around like a top, there are firecrackers that can fly high into the sky with a "whoosh", and there are snap pops that make a sound when you throw them on the ground.

Of course, the most common type is the firecrackers stored in the Big Black Hawk box.

Mo Xueyao rode her bicycle leisurely, with Yu Shu holding an umbrella behind her to shield the two of them.

Li Wanyan followed closely behind, and soon, several snowflakes, like frosting sugar, fell onto the ends of her hair.

It's like a light sprinkle of garnish on a black cake.

There were hardly any people or cars on the streets.

Mo Xueyao rode freely on the wide main road, as if she owned the entire city.

The fireworks that occasionally burst in the sky were like guiding lights for them.

Peace Square was deserted, except for a girl holding a paper umbrella who was waiting.

She wore two braids, tied up with two fluffy, snow-white tufts of hair, as cute as little fox ears.

"Yinyin—"

"Little Yaoyao~!" Hua Yinyin waved vigorously, standing on tiptoe slightly, "You guys got here even faster than Lele!"

Where's Lele?

"I'm here!" At the entrance of the square, Wang Jiale, wearing a scarf and gloves, ran up breathlessly.

I haven't seen her for a few days, and her face seems to have gotten quite rounder.

"Pfft, has Lele gained weight?" Hua Yinyin teased, covering her mouth.

"No way!!"

"Hey—" Just as agreed, Mo Zhuyou and Mo Xiaoxiao arrived on time. The two sisters were riding electric bikes, which, judging from their style, were probably borrowed from the Duanmu family.

"Yo-ho~ I'm here!" A bus that was still running during the Chinese New Year stopped, and Cha Li, wearing jeans, ran over with light steps. "Where's Xiao Xue?"

"Is Xiaoxue the only one missing?"

"He doesn't seem to have arrived yet?"

"Huh, Xiaoxue is late too?"

Just as everyone was looking around, Mr. Xue, wearing a hood, emerged from behind a telephone pole. He covered the hood, revealing his fair and rosy face: "Haha, I've been here for a while."

"Hey, are you pretending to be a wooden doll here?" Mo Xueyao rushed forward and slapped Mr. Xue on the head.

"So, what do we do now?"

"I've borrowed an electric tricycle," Mr. Xue said mysteriously. "Those who came on foot can take the tricycle; I'll give you a ride."

"As expected of Xiaoxue!"

The girls all gave a thumbs up.

……

(Fives)

The usually bustling streets are now deserted.

The tall buildings were all dark, no longer lit up all night as they used to be.

It was as if the entire city had temporarily fallen asleep as the New Year approached.

On the street, only the streetlights were still on, and many of the billboards that usually flashed neon lights were now off.

They parked their cars together on the side of the street and then carefully hid behind a bush.

"How about that office building? It's already quite tall. The others are only a little bit taller than it at most."

"Can we go in?" Mo Xueyao asked Hua Yinyin.

Having already scouted the location, Hua Yinyin gave an 'OK' sign: "No problem, the door lock is broken, I've checked it, we just need to get around the security guard at the door."

The security booth was lit up. The security guard, a thin old man in his fifties or sixties, was on duty even on New Year's Day. It was getting late, and he was yawning and looking sleepy in the booth.

"Is there anywhere else we can get in?"

"No—" Hua Yinyin whispered, "This is the only entrance. You have to go through this guard booth to get to the back door. The front door is locked now."

"How about we climb over the wall from that side?" Mr. Xue suggested.

"But... other people might not be able to get over the wall, and if they make noise while climbing over it, it might be more noticeable, right?"

"Should we just sneak over there?"

“Wait a little longer…” Mo Xueyao said cautiously, “He seems to be falling asleep soon.”

"Our route will be to follow this flower bed, use the bushes for cover, and then crouch down next to the guard booth. We'll walk close to the guard booth, which should be a blind spot," Hua Yinyin suggested. "After we get around the guard booth, we'll walk quickly inside, trying not to make too much noise. When we get to the back door, the guards will hardly be able to see us. I'll push the door open, otherwise it will be very noisy. We don't need to push it all the way open, just a crack so we can squeeze through."

"Okay, let's do it that way then." Cha Li nodded. "He seems to have closed his eyes. Shall we go?"

"Let's go, let's go—" Wang Jiale's voice trembled with nervousness.

"Yu Shu, don't lose her later." Mo Xueyao turned around and glanced at her.

"Um……"

"Sister, let's go together—"

"Okay, anyway, just get through quickly." Hua Yinyin instructed again, "Don't make a sound, let's go...!"

This feeling of being a thief made her heart race. Mo Xueyao noticed that Li Wanyan beside her was also holding her breath.

Looking at the expressions of the other people made her want to laugh.