A Young Woman's Heart

"It's not midnight, and it's not quiet outside." Mo Xueyao pushed away Hua Yinyin's hand that was secretly reaching into her blanket. "Yinyin, stop fooling around, the cold wind is coming in."

"Ugh, it's almost summer already."

"But it's cold in the mountains."

"Midnight chat? That's great! Let's tell some scary stories!" Wang Jiale loved these kinds of times the most.

Although she only tells a few stories over and over again, such as the Mirror Monster, the Ouija Board, and maybe Bloody Mary at most.

“Midnight chats don’t always have to be about scary stories.” Hua Yinyin leaned her back against Mo Xueyao. “How about we talk about something more interesting? Like—where to go on our graduation trip?”

"Nordic!" Mo Xueyao was the first to raise her hand.

"Little Yaoyao, weren't you sleepy?"

"Talking about this makes me feel less sleepy. I've been wanting to experience the polar night in Northern Europe for a long time."

"But if you go in the summer, you'll only experience the midnight sun."

"Ugh...so boring." She suddenly felt incredibly sleepy again.

"Speaking of which, Tongjue told me last time that she would take Xiaoxi to Japan after he graduates."

"Going to university?" Cha Li asked curiously. "Does Lele know who's on top and who's on the bottom between Xiao Xi and his girlfriend?"

"Eh, eh?" Wang Jiale blushed a little.

“Hmm—Cha Li, you should discuss this kind of topic with Yin Yin.” Mo Xueyao felt that Li Wanyan, who was lying on the other side, had also moved closer, and it seemed that she and Yin Yin were going to sandwich her in the middle, turning her into a hamburger.

"I bet Xiaoxi is up there!"

"Why? I think it should be down there." Cha Li was very curious as to why she would make such a guess.

"Things tend to reverse when they reach their extremes, right? Maybe Xiaoxi is really good at that kind of thing! And the one on top can also be the bottom."

"What an interesting theory." Cha Li seemed to want Hua Yinyin to explain in more detail.

Mo Xueyao quickly interrupted, "Speaking of which, why don't we just go to Japan with Xiaoxi and the others? It's close by, and flying would be cheaper."

"That sounds great! I've been wanting to go for ages!"

"Can I participate?" Cha Li moved the pillow a little closer to Wang Jiale.

"what?"

Then everyone realized that, apart from Mo Xiaoxiao and Li Wanyan, Cha Li didn't seem to be a member of the band either.

"Of course, no problem!" Hua Yinyin replied without the slightest hesitation.

"You can come along if you want," Mo Xueyao quickly said, easing the slightly awkward atmosphere.

Wang Jiale seemed to remember something and said, "When we were having tea in the band room before, Xiaoxue said he wanted to go to Africa for his graduation trip."

"Hey, isn't Xiaoxue coming with us?"

"No... that's all he said."

"It's more fun with more people! Let's all go together!" Mo Zhuyou cheered. "We won't get bullied if we go in a group!"

"Even if we had a dozen or so people, it wouldn't have made a difference in an unfamiliar place..."

"Oh right! Does Xiaoyao have a passport?"

"Yes, Yinyin, have you forgotten? Didn't we go to Russia together before..."

"Oh, right, but I don't know where I put it. Should I go and get a replacement?"

"Yes, it should be necessary. Not only a passport, but also a visa is required. Japan is not a visa-free country."

Wang Jiale was immediately troubled: "Then how do we get there? Will we even get a visa?"

"A tourist visa... shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"If all else fails, could you please ask Tong Jue for help?"

"Hmm—but there are so many of us."

"It's nothing to the young lady, right?" Hua Yinyin was already starting to imagine. "Could it be a private jet?"

"Yinyin—don't think about it so much..."

……

(three)

"a long long time ago……"

Why is this phrase always used when telling a story?

"It might make me look... more weathered, right?" Hua Yinyin paused for a moment. "Oh dear, Xiao Yaoyao, don't interrupt me! I've only just begun!"

"Okay, okay, you can continue."

"Long, long ago... there was a mountain inhabited by many fairies, and there was a teahouse that was open exclusively to fairies."

"It doesn't sound like a horror story, surprisingly?"

"Hey—could it be that the meat in the teahouse is all human flesh?" Wang Jiale started to scare himself.

"No, the owner of the teahouse is a human, and the teahouse serves vegetarian dishes like snacks and tea."

"Oh, and then what?"

"The person who helps serve tea and water in the teahouse is a cat demon. One day, an interesting guest came to the teahouse."

"What is it?" Wang Jiale always had an intense curiosity about the stories others told, which was, of course, the greatest encouragement for the storyteller.

"The curtain has come!"

"Wood?"

"The curtain of the curtain is also the curtain of the night, the one who controls the night sky here."

"It sounds like a fairy tale."

"Wouldn't it be nice to tell a gentle fairy tale before bed? It can help you sleep better."

Wang Jiale retorted, "No, no, that would be so boring. It's a rare night like this, of course we have to tell scary stories!"

"I said you two... aren't sleepy yet..." Mo Xueyao, who had already dozed off for a little while and then woke up again, muttered helplessly. She turned over and said, "Go to sleep now, so you won't be sleepy when you go out to play tomorrow."

"Hmm...that's fine too."

"Go to sleep." Hua Yinyin pulled the blanket up a little higher and gently closed her eyes.

Unlike yesterday, everyone seemed to have gotten used to sleeping on makeshift beds on the floor in the room together.

……

(four)

The bright moon was shrouded in a thin veil of clouds, making the already dim deep mountains even more gloomy.

In the dormitory building, the lights in one room after another were turned off.

Only when even the teachers' footsteps ceased to echo in the corridor did this world deep in the mountains fall into the tranquility that night should have.

A few insects chirped from the lush grass, and an owl on a branch hooted.

The sounds of nature intertwine and echo through the endless mountain ranges.

The moonlight flowed like water across the girl's face by the window.

Wang Jiale turned over slightly, rubbed her eyes, and groggily got out of bed.

"Lele... what are you doing..." Mo Zhuyou's arm was stepped on, and she opened one eye halfway, mumbling indistinctly.

"I drank too much water last night..."

"Oh……"

Wang Jiale carefully stepped over the girls lying on the ground, put on his slippers, and pushed open the door to go out.

The slippers slapped against the floor. The corridor was pitch black. Unable to find the light switch on the wall, Wang Jiale simply groped his way forward.

The lights in the public restrooms were always on.

Although it was somewhat dim, it shone like the sun in the dark corridor.

"Pat-pat, pat-pat..." The sound of slippers continued to echo in the corridor.

Was there anyone around? She suddenly felt her heart tighten and couldn't help but quicken her pace.

In the darkness, I could faintly hear something humming a song.

But there wasn't a single ghost in the corridor.

She even felt that it wasn't someone humming a song, but someone playing a tune on an instrument.

The music was melodious yet tinged with melancholy, and also carried a sense of helplessness and nonchalance.

Normally, she would have squinted to appreciate the beauty of the song, but at this moment she felt a chill run down her spine, and goosebumps covered her skin.

She groped her way in the dark and finally reached the bathroom door. The dim light made her feel a little more at ease.

Just as she turned the corner, thinking she would hurry up and finish using the restroom and go back, she saw a terrifying figure and screamed in fright.

"Eeya——————"

"……What are you doing."

"Huh?"

Why aren't you asleep yet?

"Ah Wen?"

"Yeah, what's wrong? You almost scared me to death." Ye Wen patted her chest and picked up the cassette player that was playing music on the sink.

"You, you, you...you Wen, why are you putting on a face mask in the middle of the night?!"

"It's perfectly normal to put on a face mask before bed, really... Okay, okay, go to sleep now."

"Phew... I thought there was a ghost..." Wang Jiale breathed a sigh of relief. "Wait, Wen... could you take me back to my room later?"

Are you afraid of ghosts?

"No, not really..." Wang Jiale awkwardly clutched the hem of her pajamas.