A Young Woman's Heart

"Wanyan—" Mo Xueyao walked to the kitchen door and called out, "Don't make it too spicy! Use less oil! Eating something so greasy for breakfast will give you diarrhea!"

"it is good."

Li Wanyan responded, but it was unclear whether she actually listened.

……

(three)

Breakfast was fried noodles.

The stir-fried noodles had chili peppers, carrots, greens, and shredded meat.

Perhaps to take care of Mo Xueyao, she also made an extra omelet, which was much lighter, with no other seasonings besides scallions and salt.

It's only been a short time since the Lunar New Year, and we still have plenty of food at home.

Even without cooking, the jars and bottles of pickled vegetables on the table are enough to make a big bowl of plain porridge.

Li Wanyan placed a bowl of thick white porridge in front of her: "It's been cooked for too long and it's a little dry."

"Huh? I clearly saw that it was kept warm."

"It will still heat up even when it's kept warm."

“Okay—” Mo Xueyao muttered, opening a jar containing pickled vegetables.

These were originally used to be filled with fermented bean curd, but after we finished eating the fermented bean curd, my mother would wash them clean and use them to pickle all sorts of vegetables.

This jar contains white radishes about the size of tomatoes. They have red skin and are not very tasty when used in soups; they are best eaten raw or pickled.

After being pickled, it's both sour and sweet, with a very crisp texture. Even after rinsing it in plain water, Mo Xueyao can eat several pieces—you should know that she's not a big fan of white radishes.

"Ah, these leisurely days have flown by. When can I live like this forever?" She gently swung her legs, took a bite of the appetizing pickled radish, and said with a smile, cupping her cheeks.

"After living a leisurely life for too long, you will want to live a more fulfilling life."

"That's why people are always so contradictory, or rather, they never cherish things that are easily obtained." Mo Xueyao tilted her head and glanced at the TV. The food program had reached the commercial break, using brainwashing advertising slogans to promote their health products for the elderly.

"Ah."

"Oh right, school starts tomorrow, so I need to pack my things today. I hope I didn't put anything I need to take somewhere I can't find it..."

"I warned you before."

"Ahem! Where's Wanyan?"

"I don't need to tidy up, just check it."

"But I feel like if I pack everything up before school starts, it'll be a hassle if I need it later. I think I should put everything in my drawer, and if I really can't find it, I'll check the balcony. I think I took my Chinese textbook there when I was sunbathing last time, but I don't know if I put it back..."

"Yaoyao, you can wash the dishes later."

"Huh?! I have no problem washing them." She blinked her bright, beautiful eyes. "But it's strange that Wanyan would ask me to wash the dishes."

Li Wanyan picked up a strand of fried noodles with her chopsticks: "Are you being too good to me?"

"What's going on? What do you mean? Are you going to give me some training?"

She brought the fried noodles to her mouth and couldn't help but smile, "Hmm, I want to be lazy today."

"What's even more surprising—could it be that I've slept for too long and no longer feel like moving?"

"Perhaps."

"Okay, okay, I'll wash the dishes later~ Actually, I often wash dishes, but I usually do it voluntarily. When I want to be lazy, I just lie on the sofa."

"Yaoyao can be even more shameless than Yinyin sometimes."

"Ahem! This is called 'one is influenced by one's surroundings'!"

Li Wanyan glanced at her sideways: "Am I further away than her?"

"Ah...this..."

"Then why don't people become like those they associate with?"

"This proves that Wanyan is also a villain!"

Just as Mo Xueyao finished speaking, Li Wanyan gently tapped her forehead with her chopsticks.

"Hehe!" Mo Xueyao stuck out her tongue, trying to get away with it by acting cute.

……

(four)

"Pencil case, pencil case, pencil case... Ah, it's already so dusty here." Mo Xueyao patted the pencil case hard, and the dust immediately flew up throughout the room.

"It's best to check if there's enough ink in the pen."

"Hmm, let me see—" Mo Xueyao took apart the pens one by one, checking the ink levels inside. She threw away the ones that were almost empty and replaced them with new refills. "The blue pen refills are all gone, but there's one red pen left... Should we buy some later or at the school gate tomorrow? Hmm—we went too early, the shopkeeper might not be open yet."

"Let's go buy it today, I also need to buy a new pen."

"What happened to Wanyan?"

“The cap is a little cracked.” Li Wanyan pointed to her very ordinary black ballpoint pen, which came in a transparent case. You could see it in any situation where you needed to use a pen. It was also quite cheap, costing only 50 cents a pen. If you bought a lot, the price per pen was even less than 30 cents.

"A 0.5mm refill? I don't like it that thick."

“I’m used to it.” Li Wanyan tried to put the pen cap back on, but it fell off by itself after she let go.

"It seems like you've always used this style?"

"I've been using this pen for five years."

"Five years? Hmm—it should have been changed long ago."

“There’s no reason to replace it if it’s not broken.” Li Wanyan’s answer was simple. “Besides, it can be used with almost all pen refills. There’s a kind of pen refill that costs only one cent. Your pens are too thin to fit.”

"I usually change my clothes once a semester, unless I'm not tired of the style yet. I'll change them when I get tired of them."

"Will it always be like this?"

"No, that's not it. When we were poorer, we weren't so extravagant, but we still changed our pens about once a year. The main problem is that the pens wear down after a while, and they feel uncomfortable to hold." Mo Xueyao gestured. "Hasn't Wanyan ever experienced that feeling where you leave the pen on the table and it rolls off by itself? After a few drops, the pens get very rough, tsk..."

"That's why I'm always very careful when I use it." Li Wanyan carefully examined the pen case, which was still full of vicissitudes despite her careful handling. "Yaoyao has always been very careless."

"Well, out with the old, in with the new, okay? — Wanyan, let's go buy stationery later! Let's see what pretty pens we can find."

"Ah."

……

Chapter 176 The Start of the Last Semester of High School

A light rain was falling from the sky, but it wasn't pitch black. The entire sky glowed with a deep red light, like the bright sunlight shining through thick curtains on a sunny day.

Four o'clock in the morning.

Mo Xueyao got up very early; the good sleep schedule she had adjusted to a few days ago prevented her from sleeping in today.

Today is the first day of school.

The cold water is no longer as icy as it is in winter; although it is still slightly cool, it has a refreshing feel to it.

Father had just left the house when Mother got up and was still getting dressed in bed.

"Ugh—ah—" After washing up, Mo Xueyao stretched and put on her school uniform, which she hadn't worn during winter break.

She even had the illusion that she hadn't worn a skirt in a long time.

Although I had actually worn it just a few days ago.

But I'm definitely not used to the light and airy feel of the skirt.

Indeed, in terms of practicality and safety, skirts can never compare to pants.

"Yaoyao? Up so early?"

"Okay, Mom, we're not having breakfast at home today. Wanyan and I are heading out now."

"School starts today, right?"

"Correct."

"Why go out so early? Eat at home before you leave."

"No, no, I got up so early so I could get to school sooner." Mo Xueyao shook her head like a rattle drum. "I also want to buy some breakfast. It's been so long since I bought breakfast for my way to school."

"What a waste of money," the mother commented irritably. "Alright, alright, you can go out now. Remember to bring an umbrella. Is it raining outside?"

"Hmm, it's drizzling a little, I'll take the bus." Mo Xueyao slung the backpack full of books over her shoulder, and immediately took two steps back as if she were about to collapse under its weight. "So heavy..."

My schoolbag is usually heaviest at the start of each school term because I leave most of my books in the classroom and never take them home.

If she really had to bring it home every day, Mo Xueyao felt she would definitely be hunched over.

By then, no one will say that her schoolbag is too heavy every day; they will only say that her usual behavior is bad.

Therefore, people still have to take care of themselves.

Know when to slack off. Trying to complete everything perfectly will drive you crazy.

Li Wanyan had always been under such high pressure, giving her all to everything she did, whether important or not.

Fortunately, before she broke down, she learned to relax and rest.

When people live together for a long time, they really do influence each other.

It's thanks to this that Mo Xueyao didn't suspect that if she continued living the way she used to, she might one day be unable to bear the pressure and commit suicide.

It is possible that a small thing could become the spark that ignites a powder keg, or the last straw that breaks the camel's back.

"Wanyan?" Mo Xueyao was lost in thought. She peeked into the room, mainly because she had been dressing for almost ten minutes.

Li Wanyan in the room did not respond to her. Mo Xueyao quietly slipped into the room and saw her standing in front of the full-length mirror behind the door, holding her chest with both hands, as if she was measuring the size.

"Hey, Wanyan, what are you doing?"

"..." Li Wanyan seemed to only then notice her, her body trembled, and she hurriedly put on her school uniform, "No, nothing..."

"What? It's normal to admire yourself in the mirror. I do that sometimes too."