A Young Woman's Heart

People who go to those kinds of stores to buy ice cream are mostly white-collar workers or young professionals, either to show off their status or to bring their girlfriends.

As for whether a girlfriend treats her boyfriend to ice cream?

There probably are, but definitely not many.

When couples go out, it's taken for granted that the man should pay for the meal—for most people in this era.

"Want some ice cream?" Hua Yinyin noticed Li Wanyan's gaze and immediately asked with a smile, "It's on me!"

"Eat up!" Mo Xueyao didn't stand on ceremony at all.

"Let's go to that store."

"Which one? That one? Ah, the kind that's really expensive." Mo Xueyao pulled her back. "Don't go there, it's a waste of money. Just go to the general store and buy the regular kind."

"I think the class monitor wants to eat it."

"No," Li Wanyan denied immediately. "Just buy the regular ones."

So the three of them went to the nearby grocery store and each bought an ice cream for one yuan, which was quite expensive compared to other popsicles that cost 50 cents.

It's ice cream after all, so it's normal for it to be a bit more expensive than popsicles.

"Haaah—" Mo Xueyao took a big bite, letting the icy sensation spread in her mouth. "Summer is definitely the time to eat ice cream!"

"It's not summer yet." Hua Yinyin licked it little by little like a kitten.

Li Wanyan didn't lick it, but ate it slowly in small bites: "It's already summer, yesterday was the beginning of summer."

“That’s right, yesterday was May 5th, the start of summer! Yinyin doesn’t even know that!” Mo Xueyao nodded in agreement, but because she spoke too fast, some of the ice cream fell from the corner of her mouth and landed on the ground. She was so heartbroken that she almost bent down to pick up the ice cream and eat it.

Unfortunately, this isn't bread. With bread, you can dust it off or peel off the top layer and continue eating. But if ice cream falls on the ground, it gets completely dirty.

As the three talked, they followed Mo Xueyao, who had roughly remembered the route, towards Wang Jiale's house.

In comparison, Wang Jiale's home is much smaller than Hua Yinyin's, but the decoration style is quite stylish. However, the house is cluttered with too many things, making it look rather messy.

"Here you are! Did you bring your homework?" Wang Jiale asked happily.

"No." Mo Xueyao raised an eyebrow. "You're not just trying to copy my homework, are you?"

"Uh... some math problems are just too difficult..."

"Do it yourself," Mo Xueyao said irritably. "If you don't know how, you can ask me or Wanyan."

"Yes, everything I've learned is for myself," Li Wanyan nodded.

"Tch, stingy." Wang Jiale curled her lip and led everyone to sit in the study. "Sit down, sit down! I'll go get some drinks and snacks!"

"Ha-hoo—" Hua Yinyin sat down cross-legged. "This study is in a Japanese style. Won't you get tired sitting cross-legged for a long time?"

"If you're tired, lie down and rest for a while." Wang Jiale came over with drinks and snacks.

"That's really your style..." Mo Xueyao teased.

"It's so hot!" Hua Yinyin, who had just come into the house from outside, couldn't sit still at all. She rolled around on the floor while shouting, "It's so hot, so hot—"

"Is it that hot?" Wang Jiale asked, puzzled. "I feel alright."

"Yes, it is a bit hot outside. We just came in, and it hasn't cooled down yet." Mo Xueyao picked up Wang Jiale's test paper and fanned herself with it. "Is there a fan?"

"Yes, I'll go get it." Wang Jiale ran out barefoot again, removed the cloth covering the fan from the balcony, and then ran back with the fan in her arms.

This is a standing fan, which is sufficient for this situation.

However, it might still be a bit lacking in the height of summer, since even the air blown out by the electric fan will be hot by then.

"Click".

Wang Jiale plugged in the power, pressed the oscillation button on the electric fan, and then turned on the switch, and a gentle breeze blew out.

"So comfortable..." Hua Yinyin immediately stood up and rushed to the electric fan, letting the wind blow on her hair and make it a mess.

"The fan is a great invention!" Mo Xueyao also joined in.

"Whew, still not cool enough! What setting is it on now?"

"Level 1 should be enough, right? Too much wind will make you catch a cold." Wang Jiale pushed the electric fan forward.

"Waaaaah—" Hua Yinyin opened her mouth towards the electric fan, listening to her voice turn into electronic music because of the fan's rotation.

"Are you a primary school student?" Mo Xueyao nudged her. "Move over a bit, I want to get some fresh air too."

"Hasn't Xiaoyao played this before?"

"I only played with it when I was in elementary school..." Before Mo Xueyao could finish speaking, she saw Hua Yinyin stand up and lift her skirt in front of the fan.

"Wow! This is so much cooler!"

"Really?" Since Hua Yinyin was taking the lead in not caring about her image, Mo Xueyao wanted to give it a try too.

Or perhaps, the first time she wore a skirt, she wanted to experience what it felt like to lift her skirt and feel the breeze in front of a fan in the summer.

This is human curiosity...

"Why don't you give it a try, Yao Yao?"

“Then I’ll try it too…” Mo Xueyao followed suit, lifting her skirt and letting the breeze fluff it up. “Hey, so comfortable…”

"Really? I want to try it too!" Wang Jiale chimed in.

It seems that if even one close friend is an unserious person, then when everyone gets together, the topics of conversation and the things they do will also start to become unserious.

Is this what's known as the "law of unorthodox communication"?

Well, not everyone will be led astray.

For example, Li Wanyan quietly looked at Wang Jiale's bookshelf, seemingly searching for a book she might like: "Lele, can I read this book?"

"Huh? Which one?"

"Capital".

"You can look at any of those!"

"Well, just don't find her diary or her old novels," Mo Xueyao added with a mischievous smile.

"Don't even think about it, I've put them all away!" Wang Jiale said warily. "You absolutely have no chance of finding them!"

"Now that you mention it, I'm actually more curious to see it!" Hua Yinyin leaned against Wang Jiale. "Lele~ let me see~"

"Never!"

……

Chapter 257 Memories are just a way to escape pressure

A sudden downpour began in the already sweltering sky. Almost without warning, the dark clouds overhead gathered rapidly, and then the rain poured down like a flood bursting through a dam, as if the whole world was about to be submerged.

After all, it was only the beginning of summer, and the heat was quickly dissipated, with the breeze blowing in from the window becoming cool.

The rain stopped after a short while, but the dark clouds did not dissipate, and the sun did not peek out from behind them.

But this has brought a sigh of relief to many people – in the summer, everyone hopes it will hide away, but in the winter, everyone hopes it will appear often.

Some people and some things seem to always be treated this way.

I only think of them when I need them.

Chen Cheng slumped on the sofa and smoked one cigarette after another.

The ashtray next to it was already stuffed with seven or eight cigarette butts. The once brand-new pack of Liqun cigarettes, which had just been opened, was now deflated.

In the smoke-filled living room, yesterday's soap opera was playing on the television.

That was something Zhuang Lianlian liked to watch, although he didn't particularly enjoy it, but at this time, there didn't seem to be anything else interesting to watch.

Although the television had sound and images, his attention was completely elsewhere.

He was simply lost in thought, reminiscing.

Recalling the past.

Back then, his life wasn't free, and he didn't have much money. It wasn't like now, where he can smoke whenever he wants, eat hamburgers whenever he wants, or eat fast food whenever he wants.

If it's just these basic expenses, he won't have enough money at all.

But for some reason, he still habitually reminisces.

Is it nostalgia for the past?

Or perhaps... they're running away from the present?

"Click, creak—" With a soft sound of a key turning, the door was slowly pushed open.

"Phew." Zhuang Lianlian walked in with difficulty from outside the door, carrying groceries in both hands, her right leg, which was not very flexible, limped.

"...Where did it go?"

"Off to the market."

"Why didn't you call me?" Chen Cheng stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, stood up from the sofa, and took the two bags of ingredients from Zhuang Lianlian's hands.

"I called you so many times but you didn't respond." Zhuang Lianlian puffed out her cheeks and glared at him. "So I went by myself."

"Oh... I'm sorry." Chen Cheng scratched his head, then suddenly picked up Zhuang Lianlian and placed her on the sofa.

"Hey, stop fooling around~" Zhuang Lianlian gently kicked Chen Cheng's stomach with her left leg. "I still have to cook."

Chen Cheng opened the cigarette pack, took out another cigarette, hesitated for a moment, and then put it back: "Just one day off today?"

"Take tomorrow off too." Zhuang Lianlian helped herself up from the sofa. "Help me knead the dough? I'll make beef buns later."

"Okay." Chen Cheng tidied up the table and dumped all the cigarette ash into the trash can.

"What were you thinking about just now? I asked you why you were smoking again, but you didn't answer me. I called you to come out, but you didn't answer either."

"I got a little distracted and started thinking about things from the past."

"Before?" Zhuang Lianlian's voice came from the kitchen, accompanied by the clatter of pots and pans. "Speaking of which, why did your parents get divorced?"

"I don't know, I was just starting junior high school back then," Chen Cheng sighed.