A Young Woman's Heart

Her voice drifted over from the next consultation room again: "Bye-bye, Dr. Yun!"

"Bye-Bye!"

……

Chapter 222 Yu Shu After School

(One)

"Hmm, the bell rang, time to go to study—Shu'er, aren't you going home yet?" Wang Jiale hurriedly cleared away the leftover food on the table, 'poof' piercing the styrofoam box with disposable chopsticks that made a 'crunching' sound.

She had a boxed lunch at a fast food restaurant near the school for dinner today, but it didn't seem to suit her taste; she didn't eat much of the food or rice.

"Hmm, I'll go back later." Yu Shu held her pen, looking very serious as she pondered the question, but she hadn't touched it for almost half an hour.

"Let's go, Xiao Yushu, see you tomorrow!" Hua Yinyin tossed her braids behind her head, stood on tiptoe at the door, and called to the others who hadn't come out yet, "Let's go, let's go, evening self-study is starting!"

"Eh—I want to lie down a little longer..." Mo Zhuyou struggled to get up from the two chairs that were put together to make a small bed, put one hand on Mr. Xue's shoulder, and tried to open her eyes wide.

"What time did Youyou go to sleep last night?"

"It's twelve o'clock... Ha, phew... I'm so sleepy." Mo Zhuyou covered her mouth and yawned widely, turning to look at Mr. Xue beside her. "Xiao Xue, can you help me out? My legs are numb..."

"Okay." Mr. Xue laughed heartily, said goodbye to Yu Shu with his eyes, and was the last to leave the classroom.

Mo Xueyao wasn't there, because she'd been going home for meals lately.

They should be heading straight back to the classroom now.

The voices of the senior students gradually faded away, and even the echoing footsteps in the corridor could no longer be heard.

……

(two)

On the other side of the fifth floor, the faint sounds of the first and second year high school bands practicing could be heard.

But the Snow Music Ensemble's classroom was deathly silent and deserted.

Yu Shu let out a long breath, bent down slightly to take off her shoes, put her feet on the chair, hugged her knees with one hand, and took out a very ordinary-looking exercise book.

The first few pages are doodles drawn with ballpoint pen, and you can vaguely make out the shadows of the band members.

There was Mo Xueyao playing the piano, Mo Zhuyou drooling while holding a drum set, Hua Yinyin sitting cross-legged barefoot and plucking the pipa, and of course, Mr. Xue being carried on Wang Jiale's back, as well as other classmates and friends who had been to this classroom.

The middle pages contain handwritten notes on music theory, as well as some insights I've gained.

Flipping further, you find lyrics in half-sentences or single lines, scribbled and altered, making them appear disjointed.

"Hoo..." She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, unable to resist smoothing the long hair that fell by her temples. She picked up the ballpoint pen but put it down again, and instead untied her bun and re-tied it into a single ponytail.

She tossed her light ponytail behind her, picked up her ballpoint pen, and started writing on the paper again.

First, four large, neat characters were written at the very top: "My Sky".

Then I started writing carefully, stroke by stroke.

As she wrote, she softly hummed a melody: "Scattered picks, discarded scraps of paper..."

She had been thinking about this song for a long time, and only today did it begin to take shape.

This is a song she wanted to dedicate to Mo Xueyao and the others on her graduation day.

"A picture book filled with musical notes... On the windowsill, a drop of water reflects my—sky..." She continued to hum softly. She had learned this composition from Hua Yinyin. Although the melody was relatively simple, it still had the feel of a song.

After finishing the entire song lyrics, she still felt that something was missing. She held her breath, frowned, and thought for a long time, but still had no answer.

"Let's change it slowly..." Yu Shu glanced furtively at the door, as if afraid someone might suddenly come in.

The corridor remained deathly silent, with only a few sparrows gently landing on the railing.

She pursed her lips, stuffed the notebook with the lyrics back into her bag, and carefully placed it in a hidden compartment.

……

(three)

The sky outside the window was still bright, and night was falling later and later. The basketball court was getting more and more lively, and the energetic boys would play until the sun was almost completely set before going home.

Jiang Yu Ruo always came home very late, but she didn't join any clubs.

She always liked to stroll on the playground as the sun set, and then walk out of the school at a leisurely pace.

Before that, he would usually sit on a bench in the playground, quietly watching the boys play ball, or resting his chin on his hand and staring into the distance in a daze.

For the boys, Jiang Yuruo was a very special girl.

When she is silent, she is incredibly quiet, like a well-bred young lady who has lived in seclusion for a long time. But if she opens her mouth and starts chatting with the boys playing basketball, she becomes an incredibly cheerful and outgoing girl. The enthusiasm emanating from her can even make the boys feel a little overwhelmed.

"Hmph, hmm hmm hmm~" Jiang Yuru hummed the opening theme of the evening news, put her hands behind her back, and took a few steps forward on tiptoe. The setting sun cast a long shadow of her, and the soft clouds on the horizon were dyed red. "Hey! Yu Shu! Good morning after school!"

She waved her hand vigorously, seemingly always full of energy.

"Hmm... Ruoruo."

Jiang Yuruo's steps suddenly became lighter. She rushed forward, gently patted Yu Shu's shoulder, and then walked alongside her: "Going home?"

"Hmm... I'm home."

"May I come to your house today?"

"Huh? Today? My house?"

"Mmm!" Jiang Yuru blinked, looking expectant.

Yu Shu didn't ask why, because it was probably just a whim.

"Yes...yes, but my parents should be home today."

Do you mind?

"My parents should...shouldn't mind."

"Okay!" Jiang Yuru nodded vigorously. "Then we can go play!"

“Yes…” Yu Shu nodded hesitantly. “Um… well, my dad is a bit serious; he’s a math teacher.”

"Okay!" Jiang Yu Ruo then ran a few steps forward and stopped at the entrance of the school's convenience store. She pressed her index finger to her lips, as if she was thinking about something.

"what happened?"

What kind of gift should I buy for our first meeting?

"Huh? That kind of thing, is that necessary...?"

"Oh! This!" Jiang Yuruo held up a ballpoint pen that looked like a pencil and was so thick that it would probably take two hands to hold it.

Compared to stationery, it's probably more like a tool for exercise.

"Huh?"

"How much!" Jiang Yu looked directly at the boss.

"Five yuan." This peculiar ballpoint pen had actually been sitting there for a long time, but no one had bought it; it was more like a decoration.

"Here you go!" Jiang Yuruo quickly paid the money, holding the ballpoint pen that was as big as a pencil case, seemingly very satisfied.

In fact, it's just a pen holder, but it also has the function of writing on it.

"A gift to greet you!" She walked up to Yu Shu with it in her arms and repeated it again.

"No need..." Yu Shu awkwardly pinched the hem of her clothes, suddenly unsure how to introduce her friend to her parents later.

……

(four)

Yu Shu's house is right across from Mo Xueyao's house, with the exact same layout, just reversed.

The room was tidy and organized, just like a hotel room, with everything arranged meticulously.

Apart from the freshly cooked dishes, there was nothing else on the table.

The old furniture and the newly bought minimalist furniture seemed somewhat out of place.

Compared to Mo Xueyao's home, this place is too clean and lacks a sense of warmth and life.

"Shu'er, you're back? Did you bring friends? Hello?" Yu Shu's mother was a middle-aged woman with glasses and an intellectual air. She looked at Jiang Yu Ruo with a smile, but there was still a kind of imposing presence that made people dare not be presumptuous.

"Hello Auntie, hello Uncle! You can just call me Ruoruo!" Jiang Yuruo said, handing over the ballpoint pen she had bought at the school gate with both hands. "This is a gift!"

"A gift for meeting?" Yu Shu's mother was clearly a little taken aback.

"Well, Ruoruo is like that, she's pretty outgoing..."

"Hmm, Yu Shu, is there anything to drink?"

“Yes…” Yu Shu hurriedly opened the refrigerator and took out a large carton of milk, which Hua Yinyin had given her yesterday.

She only drank a small cup as breakfast when she went out in the morning.

"Hello, please make yourself at home." Yu Shu's father wasn't as serious as he seemed. He extended his hand, inviting her to sit down. "Luckily, I cooked a lot of dishes today. Hehe, if it's not enough, I'll make a couple more."

Jiang Yu nodded vigorously; she really wasn't being polite at all.

"Ruoruo, did you tell your grandpa today that you're not coming home for dinner?"

"Ok!"

"That's good... What about tonight? Is there a ride home?"

"Hmm—we need to eat quickly."

"Um, what time is the last bus?"

"Half an hour later?"

"Eh? There's no time at all—" Yu Shu couldn't help but raise her voice, but when she saw her parents looking at her, she quickly covered her mouth. "Then, should we... should we stay at my house?"

Jiang Yu shook her head slightly, as if she had been prepared for this.

"You can't possibly... walk back, can you?"

Jiang Yu looked up at the setting sun outside the window, which was almost completely disappearing: "I have my own plans!"