A Young Woman's Heart

Hopefully, their lives here aren't like this; otherwise, it's like living in hell.

"Oh right, I haven't asked Awen where the bathhouse is yet—"

“It’s on the second floor.” Cha Li blinked. “I already asked about it in the car.”

"What about the restroom? It's not downstairs, is it?" Hua Yinyin asked, stretching her arms. "We're on the fifth floor!"

"These are available on every floor."

"That's good……"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, is there hot water for a shower?" Wang Jiale was unzipping her suitcase and rummaging through her clothes when she suddenly looked up and asked as if she remembered something.

"There is a women's bathroom."

"Ah, it's so much better to be a girl," Mo Xueyao exclaimed sincerely.

Everyone else chuckled softly, but Li Wanyan tilted her head and winked at her.

He seemed to be trying to tease her with his eyes, but he looked quite stiff, as if he hadn't gotten used to this body yet.

"Shall we go take a shower? It's getting late, we should go to bed afterward, we probably have to get up early tomorrow, right?" Mo Zhuyou took her older sister's arm. "Shall we all go together?"

"Is it big enough?" Mo Xueyao asked with some concern.

"Ah Wen said it's big enough." Cha Li wasn't quite sure either.

"Come on, let's go and see for ourselves."

"Wait a minute, I haven't taken my clothes out yet..." Wang Jiale muttered, "Don't I have to wash them myself?"

"Of course."

"Ugh, this is so troublesome. When I'm home, I just throw everything in the washing machine..."

“It’s really troublesome…” Mo Xueyao coughed twice and looked at Li Wanyan.

Surprisingly, she refused this time: "Wash it yourself."

"Eek—I haven't said anything yet!"

"Everyone knows what's going on in your heart, little Yao Yao. Shall I help you wash it?"

"I have a feeling something terrible is going to happen if I let you wash my clothes." Mo Xueyao drooped her eyelids and pushed Hua Yinyin's close face away. "Never mind, I'll just wash them myself..."

"So, do we still need to wear school uniforms tomorrow?" Mo Zhuyou asked, fiddling with the soap in her hand.

"I think it's okay not to wear it, that's what I heard from other people."

"Did Awen tell you?"

“I didn’t ask that.” Cha Li shook her head.

"You have to wear it." Li Wanyan pursed her lips. "You can take it off only after evening self-study is over."

"What a hassle, but thankfully I brought two sets..."

The girls chattered away, grabbed their changes of clothes, and went downstairs together.

All the senior high school students were here, and the corridors were full of people, making it lively and bustling, unlike the deserted atmosphere before everyone came in.

Even though this small building looks like it's about to be abandoned, it is full of vitality because of this.

It seemed that even the dark night sky was dispelled by the overwhelming crowd, and there was no sense of loneliness or isolation in the deep mountains and forests.

……

(two)

The entire second floor is a bathroom. The two largest rooms are public bathrooms, and the remaining small rooms are all private bathrooms. However, these are first-come, first-served, and those who arrive later have to queue. If you don't want to queue, you can go to the public bathroom to shower.

Boys always have an advantage in this regard. They don't have to queue for the toilet, and they hardly have to queue for the shower either. A few boys went into the separate men's bathroom and came out in a few minutes, making people suspect that they just rinsed off without even using soap.

“Hmm, the public bathroom is so crowded—how about the seven of us squeeze into one room?” Hua Yinyin suggested, holding up one finger.

"Any suggestion from Yin Yin is probably not going to be anything good." Mo Xueyao glanced at her sideways, her eyelids drooping.

"Isn't it more fun when everyone squeezes together?"

As they were talking, three girls came out of a separate women's bathroom, and Hua Yinyin couldn't wait to go inside.

The room was filled with steam, which meant there was hot water inside.

Even though the weather has gotten quite hot, it's only May, and since we're still deep in the mountains, the girls naturally prefer to take hot baths.

In fact, quite a few boys wanted to take hot showers, but unfortunately their public bathrooms didn't have hot water at all. There were private showers, but you had to queue for those...

"Wow, it's quite spacious inside! Come in, come in!" Hua Yinyin leaned half her body back and waved vigorously.

"How is it? Is it big?" Cha Li was the first to step forward, curiously looking inside.

This separate bathroom has four shower heads and a small stool for people to sit on.

Next to the door is a shelf for bathroom supplies, and the low cabinet next to it is probably for storing clothes—so they won't get wet.

"Looks like there's only enough room for four people to shower at once?" Cha Li patted Hua Yinyin's head. "Shall we split into two rooms?"

"Let's share! It's only three extra showerheads, so two people can share one!"

“Actually, Yinyin’s words make sense.” Wang Jiale looked at the girls queuing in front of the other private bathrooms. “Let’s shower together to avoid queuing, and it’s more comfortable than going to the big public bathroom. Maybe if you go in there, you’ll have to share a showerhead with two people.”

“That makes sense~” Mo Zhuyou nodded, raising her hands high, “Let’s wash together~!”

"Hey—okay, okay, let's shower together, Wanyan?"

"Ah."

"You don't mind at all?"

"It's nice to have some liveliness." Li Wanyan, carrying the clothes she was going to change, followed Cha Li inside.

……

(three)

"Glug glug glug glug—" Hua Yinyin sat next to Mo Xueyao, tilted her little face up, and let the clear water flowing down from Mo Xueyao's arm fall onto her face.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Mo Xueyao covered her armpits shyly.

"Hehe, let's drink Little Yaoyao's bathwater~"

"Are you a pervert...?"

Even Mo Zhuyou, who was rubbing her sister's back, couldn't help but echo Mo Xueyao's words.

"What? Shouldn't Youyou be on my side?"

"...That's just too perverted."

"Ahem, I was just kidding!" Hua Yinyin wiped the bathwater off her cheeks. "What I meant was—Little Yaoyao, hurry up and wash, the soap on my body is almost dry!"

"That's why I said it's inconvenient for two people to share one shower head..."

"Use mine." Li Wanyan stepped aside.

"Oh dear, it's better to be tactful!"

"Wow, Yin Yin is so big!" Cha Li straightened her chest, constantly comparing the sizes of the two, and then couldn't help but step forward and pinch it.

"Eek, you scoundrel!" Hua Yinyin covered her chest with both hands in fright.

"Huh? It's strange that Yin Yin would say that." Mo Xueyao said with a pout.

"It was clearly Cha Li who launched the sneak attack first, okay!"

"Because I've never seen one this big before," Cha Li said frankly. "How about I let you squeeze mine?"

"No, no, oh dear, Cha Li, aren't you ashamed!"

"When did Yinyin turn into an innocent young girl?" Wang Jiale teased. "Didn't you always bully Xiaoyao before?"

"It's different! That's different!"

"It feels bigger than before."

"Of course!" Hua Yinyin couldn't help but straighten her back in response to Cha Li's praise.

"I said," Mo Xueyao said, washing off the soap and applying some more shower gel, "can we get down to something more serious?"

"Then let's compare sizes!"

"...It's become even more indecent."

"Suppose I am the king, then... Wanyan is the lesser king—"

……

(four)

As only children, we rarely have the chance to get together and take a bath like this.

It felt like a big, new family.

After a relaxing hot shower, I decided to wash my clothes as well. I'd still have to wear the school uniform, so washing a couple of pieces of underwear was a breeze.

"Where should we hang it later?" Wang Jiale, her head steaming, was the first to walk out. Her school uniform was placed in a dry bag, and she was currently wearing her pajamas.

"It has a balcony, right?"

"Won't it be blown away by the wind if it's hung outside?"

"It can't get any sun when it's hanging inside."

"Ugh, this is so troublesome."

"Oh no, I didn't bring any clothes hangers!"

"It's okay, it's okay, my sister and I brought lots, use ours!"

They chatted as they walked up the stairs.

Most of the students going up and down the stairs were in groups like them. When they first arrived, many of them were excited, filled with a sense of novelty.

Back in their rooms, everyone hung their underwear out to dry, since there were shelves on the ceiling near the windows.

The main concern is that it might be blown away by the wind.

Moreover, the thin clothesline outside does look rather flimsy.