A Young Woman's Heart

"Well... for now, it's just that her heart isn't very good, mainly because she lacks a replacement part, so her condition is a bit unstable. I'd appreciate it if the homeroom teacher could keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't do any strenuous exercise. Could you arrange for her to sit next to a student with a better temperament and also avoid any major emotional fluctuations?"

"That shouldn't be a problem. She's been experiencing this repeatedly this year. If it really gets too bad, how about she go abroad for surgery, take a year off from school, and then come back?"

The man gave a wry smile: "This company was shut down by the FDA for conducting illegal human research. There are no engineering blueprints for this defibrillator in China right now, and it will probably take several more years to get them abroad. There's no other way at the moment. We can only hope that Mianmian is much healthier than before and that she won't have seizures on her own."

"Sigh, I have high hopes for Lin Mian. She should be able to get into a top school this year. But if she gets in and then keeps fluctuating like this, she will be expelled or required to take a leave of absence from school until she is stable before she can go back to school."

"Well... there's nothing we can do about it."

"Well, anyway, as a parent, you should think about it yourself. Here, this is the homework for the next few days that I brought for you..."

Mo Xueyao turned her head and glanced at the father. Unlike the joy of their reunion, his face was full of sorrow.

People's joys and sorrows are truly never shared.

……

Chapter 210 Unfamiliar Streets

(One)

Memories of the past are often romanticized, and talking about the past always evokes feelings of nostalgia.

It seems like the past was always better than the present.

The Chinese teacher had already seen the father off, and he then joined the conversation.

Although he wasn't Li Gutao and Shi Haiming's homeroom teacher for three years, he taught them Chinese for three years, so they were quite familiar with each other.

His round, chubby face made him appear kind and approachable even in middle age, unlike Long Xinghua, who exuded a sense of oppression towards his students.

"By the way, what about Mo Xueyao, who used to hang out with you guys all the time? Hehe, he always ran to find you guys after class, from Class 1 to Class 11, from one side of the corridor to the other. You could always see him running over to find you guys after class every day."

Faced with the Chinese teacher's question, Li Gutao and Shi Haiming were both visibly taken aback and subconsciously looked at Mo Xueyao beside them.

Her awkward cough broke their gaze.

Shi Haiming was the first to react and turn his head: "This one? Cough, haha... He's been very busy lately and hasn't had time to hang out with us."

"Haha, that kid got into No. 14 Middle School, right?" Long Xinghua scratched his head. "When he first came in the first year of junior high, oh my, he was such a naughty kid. But then he suddenly became very hardworking. It's rare that he hasn't been completely corrupted by you guys while hanging out with you."

"They say you become like those you associate with, but it's quite rare to see you two getting along so well without affecting each other," the Chinese teacher added with a laugh. "How's he doing lately? I felt like he and... that Shen Kelin were getting along pretty well back in junior high."

"Yeah, that kid's got no shortage of female admirers!"

Long Xinghua deeply agreed: "If we're really talking about good looks, even when you're at your most handsome, you can't compare to him."

"Damn, that's not what you call pretty, that's more like looking like a woman..."

"Cough cough!" The one coughing was Li Gutao. He interrupted Shi Haiming and subtly blocked Mo Xueyao's sharp gaze. "It's girls like Xiaoyao who are popular with girls. As far as we know, there's already a girl living in her house."

"Haha, what's that? A child bride?"

"Tch, isn't Tao the same? He already has a girlfriend and they're inseparable."

"Hehe, it's good to start dating early, as long as you don't start at an too immature age." The Chinese teacher smiled gently. "Datings that start in high school, as long as they last, will definitely be much more sincere than those that start later. Especially after you graduate from college, when your parents are setting you up on blind dates, those kinds of relationships are really boring."

Long Xinghua glanced at the Chinese teacher: "Old Yu, you've suffered from this yourself, haven't you?"

"Sigh, yes, if I had stayed with my childhood sweetheart back then, I wouldn't be divorced now."

"Eh, Teacher Yu got divorced?" Mo Xueyao blinked in surprise. To her, this Chinese teacher was much closer than Long Xinghua.

But clearly, her reaction was a bit strange, which made the Chinese teacher look at her a few more times with suspicion.

She felt like he was about to see right through her, which made her instinctively shrink back.

"His wife, whom he met through a blind date, tsk tsk, well, hahaha, this is none of your business with you kids. But if you have someone you like, seize the opportunity now and don't let love slip away, or you'll definitely regret it later." Long Xinghua, with the air of someone who's been there, patted Li Gutao's shoulder forcefully.

The school bell rang, and the already somewhat noisy school suddenly became even more chaotic.

"Brother Long, you still have class later, right? We'll be going now?" Li Gutao glanced at Long Xinghua, who was packing up his teaching materials, and got up from his chair.

"Okay, come back and visit more often when you have time, haha. If you have any questions about life, come and find me. Although I can't solve your problems, I can at least help you see the road ahead more clearly."

"Alright, goodbye Brother Long!"

"Let's go, Brother Ha Long!"

Mo Xueyao waved her hand as well, but this time she covered her mouth in time and didn't say that familiar name.

The two teachers looked at the three people leaving and smiled at each other.

……

(two)

The wind outside was getting stronger and stronger; one of the bicycles parked next to the flower bed was blown over.

The gray sky looked like a storm was about to break out at any moment.

"How about we go to that unfinished street next?" Li Gutao suggested.

"It's a bit far, what if it rains along the way..."

"This is a rare opportunity, let's go take a look. They said last time they were going to demolish and rebuild it, I wonder how it's going now." Shi Haiming patted Mo Xueyao on the shoulder, "It can also be considered as putting a period to our memories?"

"Ugh, what do you mean? It's like this is goodbye forever after we finish watching it." Mo Xueyao rolled her eyes, but still got on her bicycle.

The unfinished street isn't exactly close to here, so riding a bicycle would be even slower.

After all, the wind on this road is really strong; sometimes you can even be blown backwards by the wind.

Many shops along the road had their roller shutters half-closed, and the small vendors that were usually everywhere were nowhere to be seen, so Mo Xueyao, who wanted to buy some snacks, could only go hungry.

After all, riding a bicycle is indeed a physically demanding activity.

But it doesn't matter, consider it a way to lose weight—although she didn't actually need to lose weight at all.

Every road was familiar. At first, everyone chatted for a bit, but then they focused on riding, pedaling as fast as they could.

But after walking through those familiar streets, I arrived at an unfamiliar destination.

"Is this the place?" Mo Xueyao was the first to ask.

"It should be... here?" Li Gutao could only make a judgment based on the other buildings around him.

Clearly, the three of them had come to the right place.

This is indeed that abandoned, unfinished street.

Taller buildings have been erected here, and it looks like they're going to be developed into a commercial complex.

There are several other buildings nearby, which are different from office buildings and commercial buildings. They are so densely packed that they look like apartments.

The large stones already placed nearby confirmed the three men's guess.

The words "Huashan Apartment" are engraved on it.

The three of them walked through a gap in the metal sheeting that still surrounded the area.

Dust was flying everywhere, indicating that the road had not yet been paved.

But the basic framework of the house was already completed.

Even the water and electricity have been installed, so theoretically it's ready for occupancy.

Those workers are probably busy with interior decoration right now.

It's probably because of the strong wind today; there were no workers outside, only a road roller to prove that external road paving work was underway, and indeed, a small section of the road had already been paved with cement...

This appearance is completely different from what I remember.

The stray animals that had gathered there have disappeared.

Although the 'thump-thump' sound could be heard everywhere, it somehow made people feel unusually quiet.

The three of them carefully walked to the end. The tree by the river was still there, but it had obviously been pruned and was so bare that it was almost just a trunk.

It is quite different from the original lush greenery.

“Everything has really changed…” Mo Xueyao sighed with some melancholy. “Even this place has become unrecognizable. It’s no longer our secret base.”

Shi Haiming smacked his lips, trying to call out to attract some stray dogs and cats. Normally, as long as he made that sound, several of them would come over.

But now, all that awaits him is a strong wind blowing down from the sky.

The river surface was churned with countless waves, and the flying dust made the world in front of us somewhat hazy.

The bench next to the tree had been removed, and the three of them leaned against the big tree that had witnessed their friendship, chatting casually.

But for some reason, the topic became somewhat uninteresting.

Everyone seemed a little distracted.

This is only three years, what about another three years?

Or what about ten years from now?

How many things can remain the same as before?

And how many things remain unchanged?

Even the hardest rock will wear down, and even the best feelings will gradually fade.

"So we must keep in touch often from now on," Li Gutao suddenly changed the subject. "We must stay in touch, otherwise we'll grow more and more distant!"

"Yes, but sometimes when I get busy, I really don't have much time to keep in touch."

“Sometimes I really do miss my old friends,” Mo Xueyao sighed softly, her words the most honest of all.

Yes, being busy is often just an excuse. It's only because we have other friends around us that we gradually forget our old friends.

If you're always lonely, you'll definitely never forget your old friends.

Feelings may fade because new feelings come in and replace the old ones.

After a long silence, Li Gutao suddenly raised his head: "Okay, let's go, let's go drink today, let's drink to our hearts' content!"

What kind of wine would you like to drink?

"beer!"

"Tch, beer counts as alcohol?" Shi Haiming said with utter contempt.