A Young Woman's Heart

"no thanks."

"No, no, I still have to pay for developing the photos."

"It's nothing, it was taken from your teacher Qiu's private stash of money, and today's cake was too."

"Oh, then it's alright." Mo Xueyao immediately stopped insisting, leaving Qiu Yi, who was walking up the stairs from behind, bewildered in the wind.

……

(four)

The cool moonlight enveloped the small building nestled in the mountains.

The noise inside the building gradually subsided.

Most of the students had finished showering and gone back to their dormitories to sleep.

Normally, no one would wander around, otherwise they wouldn't be able to get up tomorrow morning.

After all, the next holiday won't be until Children's Day on June 1st.

To persevere in such a 'marathon', one must maintain a stable and relatively sufficient amount of sleep.

If you don't sleep well one day, it's easy to fall into a situation where you can never get enough sleep afterward.

In more serious cases, it could even lead to insomnia.

However, Cha Li really can't sleep tonight.

It's not that I have insomnia, it's that I'm too energetic.

She finished her homework very quickly today, so much so that she didn't need to do anything during evening self-study and simply took a nap at her desk.

She had just woken up, and sleepiness was trying to overwhelm her; it was still a long time before she woke up.

So she walked out of the dormitory alone, leaned against the stairwell on the first floor, and let the cool night breeze gently caress her face.

The soft chirping of crickets drifted from the mountains, accompanied by the cooing of a few owls.

The tranquil breeze stirred the sleeping leaves and ruffled Cha Li's hair.

Although it was summer, the nights in the mountains were still quite chilly.

Wearing only a short-sleeved shirt, shorts, and pajamas, Cha Li couldn't help but sneeze, splashing a few drops of tea from the cup she was holding.

"Taking the moon as water, we sip tea in the dead of night." Mr. Xue, with his red lips and white teeth, walked over with a smile, holding a crumpled mineral water bottle in his hand.

It's probably because he used it to hold water too many times that it got so wrinkled.

"Xiaoxue." Chali glanced at him sideways, not surprised, but simply smiled and took a sip of tea.

"What a refined taste."

"You've been sleeping too much too?"

"I'm thirsty." Mr. Xue smiled. "Go to the classroom and get some water."

"Ah."

"The mountain moon seems exceptionally close."

“Yes.” Cha Li swirled the teacup in her wrist. “The cold moonlight is like sugar, so much so that even bitter tea tastes sweet.”

"Then it's better not to add moonlight."

"The sweet tea is poured over it, so it's no longer the original flavor, but—it's also quite unique."

"taste."

Cha Li paused deliberately, waiting for Mr. Xue, who then smiled and continued with those two words.

"If stars could be eaten, they would probably be crystal sugar."

"That purple curtain adorned with stars must be a cake."

Are you a connoisseur or a tea maker?

“Neither,” Mr. Xue smiled.

However, Cha Li did not ask 'what is that?' She simply smiled knowingly at Mr. Xue and took another sip of her tea.

The latter did not bother to explain what he had just meant to say.

Tea left without looking back, and Mr. Xue's footsteps faded into the distance.

In the classroom, one could faintly hear the sound of water being poured into a bottle.

The moonlight was hazy, and thin, veil-like clouds drifted gently in from afar...

……

Chapter 269 Mailed Letters

(One)

In 2002, the internet speed was slow, computers were not widespread, and even mobile phones that could send and receive text messages were not something everyone owned.

Therefore, even a short distance of two or three hundred kilometers seems incredibly far.

Letters remain the most common means of communication.

"Shu'er, there's a letter for you. I found it this morning when I got the milk. You probably couldn't find our mailbox." In the early morning, Yu Shu's mother handed her a thick letter as she sat down to eat breakfast after washing up.

"Huh?" Yu Shu was taken aback, then realized who had sent it.

Because the sender's name was Ye Wen.

But Ye Wen wasn't their teacher, so it must have been Mo Xueyao and the others who had their homeroom teacher send it from the city.

"Who sent it? Ye Wen...? A former classmate?"

"Um...no." Yu Shu gently pinched the bun at the back of her head to make sure it was secure before picking up the chopsticks that had been placed for her. "It's Xiao Yao's homeroom teacher."

"Oh, it was sent by Haruka, right?"

"Ah."

What's inside?

“…I don’t know either.” Yu Shu shook her head gently, and after finishing her meal, she put the letter into her schoolbag—she planned to read it when she got to school.

……

(two)

"Good morning..." As soon as Yu Shu arrived at school and put down her schoolbag, Wu Shanshan followed her into the classroom.

There are seven or eight people in the classroom now. Some are here to copy homework, some are here to sleep, and some are here to participate in club activities.

"Good morning." Yu Shu put her homework on the desk and then took out the key to the band room from the small pocket of her schoolbag.

"Are you heading to the band room?"

"Ah."

"You're all alone, aren't you bored going every day?"

"...It would be good to open the window and let some fresh air in."

"What's this? Is it the principle that a room will fall into disrepair if it's not used?"

"……almost."

"Shall we go together today?" Wu Shanshan stuffed her schoolbag into the drawer. "Anyway, we have nothing else to do."

"Okay!" Yu Shu's eyes curved like crescent moons as she smiled happily.

Of course she's afraid of being lonely too.

……

(three)

At the entrance of the band room, an unexpected person was waiting—Jiang Yuruo.

"Hey, Ruoruo, what are you doing here?" Yu Shu asked curiously, walking quickly forward. "Eh? What's going on?"

"You definitely want to go into the band room, right?" Wu Shanshan wasn't surprised at all. "Just as Ruoruo would do... just wait here."

Jiang Yu didn't answer, but just blinked and nodded vigorously.

Honestly, that's a very difficult move.

The key clicked in Yu Shu's hand, and after a few turns, she pushed open the door.

The classroom was very clean, clearly indicating that it was cleaned every day.

The graffiti on the whiteboard hadn't been erased; it looked like it was drawn before Mo Xueyao and the others left.

"Today is already May 24th. Speaking of which, the senior students should be back soon, right?"

"Hmm, five or six more days." Yu Shu said, picking up the kettle on the table, but Jiang Yu Ruo snatched it away.

"I'll do it!" she shouted excitedly, seemingly interested in everything.

"Eh? Hmm... okay."

After receiving permission, she immediately grabbed the water bottle and ran out, and the sound of water being filled could be heard from the bathroom door not far away.

Even when no one is around, Yu Shu still habitually boils water and makes tea.

When she came to her senses, she had already made a cup of tea for all three of them, but the other two used disposable paper cups.

"Hmm hmm." Jiang Yu leaned back in her chair, looking quite content. Wu Shanshan, on the other hand, couldn't help but peek into the drawer, which was filled with all sorts of odds and ends.

"Oh, right, the letters from Haruka and the others have arrived."

"Look!" Jiang Yuruo immediately sat up straight.

"Hmm? It's so thick."

"Hmm, probably, it's a photo," Yu Shu guessed, using the key to open the door to open the envelope.

Inside was a neatly folded blue letter, and the rest were all printed photos, which filled the envelope to the brim.