A Young Woman's Heart

If you listen carefully, there isn't actually much noise around you.

It was getting late, and most of the students had already gone to bed.

In the darkness, the plush doll that Cha Li was holding was glowing, with each eye shining with a different light.

It's not light, it's fluorescence.

"Huh? What's going on?" Wang Jiale asked in surprise.

"It's a glowing doll. Xiaoxue and I won it from the class next door."

"Huh?" Mo Xueyao's eyes widened.

"Yeah, it was an activity from the class next door. We snuck in and participated."

"You two didn't win all the prizes, did you...?"

"I kept a few."

"...Xiaoxue gave you his too?"

"Yes, he only kept one. He told me to distribute the rest to you."

"Yay, Xiaoxue is so loyal, she even thought of us!" Mo Zhuyou was the first to reach out her hand, "I want... the orange one?"

"Okay."

……

(three)

Now, everyone was holding a doll filled with fluorescent glass beads, and waving it around felt like using a cheering stick.

Although Li Wanyan was asleep, Mo Xueyao still picked out a red one for her and placed it on her bedside table.

Wang Jiale subconsciously lowered his voice, which sounded like a balloon deflating from a distance: "So—who can sing The Voice of Silence?"

“I can do it.” Cha Li raised her hand again.

"And me too."

"I can do a little too."

"I'm the same as Xiaoyao."

"Huh? My sister can do that?"

"Is it only Youyou who can't sing?" Hua Yinyin chuckled.

"So, shall we begin? Who will start?"

"Shall we go together?"

"Want to sing together?"

"Wait, wait—" Mo Zhuyou suddenly said, groping her way through the darkness for a while, then picked up something and shook it a couple of times, "The sand hammer I bought last time, it'll come in handy."

"Oh, clapping along?"

"Ok!"

"So... shall we begin?" Wang Jiale cleared his throat and began, "Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again..."

Everyone began to softly sing this soothing song. The singing was initially gentle and somewhat subdued, but then it began to rise slowly and melodiously, drifting into the distance through the open window.

The Sound of Silence, the theme song of the movie The Graduate, doesn't narrate the sadness of graduation. Instead, it's like being drunk, leading you into a dream world, wandering under the bizarre neon lights.

In the distance, the deep blue sky seemed to reflect the city lights, and the orange-yellow moon hung high, with a few bright stars beside it.

Everyone sat together, gently swaying their heads and bodies, like blades of grass being blown by the wind.

In truth, people must eventually part ways.

The message of this song is perhaps to tell people not to be afraid of parting.

"Narrow streets of cobble stone,'Neath the halo of a street lamp."

Halfway through the song, Mo Xueyao forgot the lyrics, and Mo Xiaoxiao followed along for a line before also falling behind. The two of them then mumbled to each other, as if whispering to each other.

However, the melody is still remembered, and this humming becomes the background music for the human voice at this moment.

"La la la la, la la la~"

"Hmph hmph hmph, hmph hmph hmph..."

The early summer night thus sang their songs.

……

Chapter 273 The Exam in the Mountains

(One)

Wednesday, November 2002, 5.

The study tour is nearing its end.

The senior students at Yukong High School will soon be facing their end-of-month tests.

Although there is still a month to go, the actual performance of most people in the college entrance examination can be seen in this very formal exam.

When it comes to the college entrance exam, unless you're in a very bad state or the questions are exceptionally difficult this year, your score won't differ by much.

Based on these scores, the students should be filling out their official college applications by now.

The remaining month, while ostensibly for review, was really just about filling in the gaps in knowledge and consolidating understanding; it was impossible to conduct any more large-scale review.

Large-scale review sessions like intensive training camps, if prolonged, will only backfire.

Maintain a suitable level of tension, then take a short break, ensure sufficient sleep, and be in the best possible condition to face the college entrance examination.

This is what needs to be done after this exam.

Actually, it's only this year. The college entrance examination will start in June next year. If you are a senior high school student next year, you will have to start preparing for the college entrance examination after the training camp ends.

The extra free time given to this year's graduating high school students is meant to be used for self-adjustment.

After three years of study, it's not impossible to make a leap forward in the last month, but such cases are extremely rare.

……

(two)

The classroom was quiet, with only the scratching sound of pens writing on the test papers.

The two teachers sat one in front of the other. The one in front was Ye Yu, the physics teacher, and the one behind was a Chinese language teacher from another class.

This setup is similar to most college entrance examination venues. Some places may have three teachers, but generally there are only two. The third teacher is usually the one who patrols the corridor and takes turns.

To ensure the accuracy of grades and prevent students and parents from making misjudgments when choosing schools and majors, it is essential to prevent students from cheating.

—Although there are still ways to cheat, the school has done its best.

Cheating in such a preliminary test is itself a form of irresponsibility towards oneself.

A gentle breeze blew past the window. This side of the garden, nestled against the 'Hundred Herbs Garden,' was quite cool as there was little sun, though the chirping of various insects was rather noisy.

It's already late May, and the feeling of summer is getting stronger.

"Zierwa—Zierwa—"

The occasional chirping of cicadas is actually quite mild compared to the height of summer.

A slightly ruffled pigeon darted to the windowsill next to her with a whoosh, as if fleeing from some predator. It didn't stay for more than a few seconds before flying away again.

Mo Xueyao couldn't help but turn her head to look out the window, where she saw an eagle swooping down but missing its target, then flapping its wings and continuing its pursuit.

"This ecosystem is protected too well..." she muttered to herself, turning her attention back to the exam paper.

Taking an exam in such a remote mountain area is indeed a novel experience.

Compared to cities, which are mostly isolated from nature, rural classrooms seem to connect with nature simply by reaching out.

If you get distracted, ten or more minutes can easily pass by.

……

(three)

It was Qiu Yi who rang the bell again.

The hand-operated bell in this old mountain building has a particularly retro feel.

All that's left is the final humanities exam in the afternoon.

Geography, history, and politics are tested together.

The ample time can be used for resting and waiting for lunch to arrive.

Because everyone was in their own different exam rooms, there were very few large groups of girls going to the restroom together today.

This also shortened the queues outside the women's restrooms considerably.

"Splash..." Mo Xueyao was washing her fair hands, vigorously rubbing the ink stains from the base of her thumb and forefinger.

It wasn't her who wrote it; the pen leaked ink, and it all flowed onto her hand. Now that it's dried, it's really hard to wash off.

She scrubbed her hands repeatedly with hand sanitizer until her thumb and forefinger turned red, but a faint mark still remained.

"Never mind... it'll be gone in a few days anyway." She shook her wet hands, took a handkerchief out of her pocket, wiped them gently, then carefully folded it and put it back.

Her period, which wasn't over yet, made her not want to move at all.

"Xiao Yao~!" She had just sat down on the stone bench in the square at the entrance when she heard Wang Jiale's call. She ran over quickly, her short legs leaving afterimages as she took those steps.

"You did well on the test?"

"Tch, I'm definitely good at English." Wang Jiale pouted and puffed out her cheeks. "Are you past your period?"

No.

"Hey, I'm done! I didn't leak much last night, and then I used a pad all morning, but nothing came out. That's it!"

"I'm happy for you... But seriously, you're doing this way way too fast!"