A Young Woman's Heart

"Okay, okay, I was just kidding~ Actually, I haven't found the guy I like yet, so, is anyone planning to show off a little and let me discover your shining points? Maybe I'll fall in love with you."

"Ah... it's the same as always." Mo Xueyao shook her head helplessly.

This guy really likes to joke around, but I always felt like her words were hinting at Mo Xueyao.

In a sense, this guy flirted with Mo Xueyao over the radio.

When she was joking just now, Mo Xueyao was actually a little worried that she would make irresponsible guesses.

"A tactful response."

"Ok?"

"I'm sleepy." Mo Xueyao yawned as she spoke, her words becoming somewhat indistinct. "You take care of Sutang, I'll lie on your lap and sleep for a while..."

"Okay." Li Wanyan nodded gently.

So Mo Xueyao placed the sugar candy next to her table, then moved a chair and lay down like Mo Zhuyou.

Li Wanyan's thighs are the firm kind, and they might feel a bit hard at first, but after getting used to them, they actually feel more comfortable than lying on soft pillows.

Mo Xueyao was already used to it.

She comfortably adjusted her position and saw that Su Tang was lying on the table, looking down at her from above.

"Meow~"

"Time for a nap, Sutang... don't bother me." Mo Xueyao mumbled, slowly closing her eyes.

Sleepiness came quickly, and before long, Li Wanyan felt her breathing gradually become calm and even.

"They're both asleep." Mo Xiao smiled, her dimples appearing even deeper.

"Hmm." Li Wanyan nodded, seemingly not intending to say anything more.

"The class monitor is always so quiet," Mo Xiaoxiao continued, without stopping.

"Um……"

“We chat together occasionally. The more we communicate, the deeper our relationship will become.” Mo Xiaoxiao carefully squeezed out a little glue and slowly stuck the wooden stick on. She was making a floor with wooden sticks, which was much more realistic than the ones drawn on paper.

"Oh."

"Well, the class monitor always has a stern face, which is why no one dares to talk to you much."

“…I don’t know what to say,” Li Wanyan replied softly.

"That's just how the class monitor is, you can't force him. But at least smile, okay?"

“There are laughs.”

"That's quite rare."

"……Um."

The conversation died down.

The atmosphere became slightly awkward.

"Class monitor~ You treat Xiaoyao like a little sister, right?"

"Ah."

How does it feel to take care of your younger sister?

"Hmm..." Li Wanyan stopped writing—mainly because Su Tang had come over to join in the fun and insisted on fiddling with her pen, so she had no choice but to stop. While shaking the pen cap to tease Su Tang, she replied, "It's very interesting."

"It must be very fulfilling to see her happy, right?"

"A little."

"Is the class monitor an only child?"

"Ah."

"So you really like the feeling of having a younger sister to take care of, right?"

“Hmm… When I was taking care of Yaoyao, I felt like I was a mother.” Li Wanyan said, and the corner of her mouth couldn’t help but curl up. “Yaoyao is also very interesting. She always does some strange things. Her way of making judgments is also different from that of ordinary girls. Observing her life is already a very interesting thing.”

"Hmm~ As expected, older sisters who like to take care of their younger sisters usually have this mindset. Sometimes, they feel like taking care of their younger sisters is like taking care of a doll, right?"

"A big, moving doll." Li Wanyan rarely confided in others so openly, "It's very comfortable to hold while sleeping at night."

"Hey, yeah, yeah, I also like to sleep with Youyou in my arms at night—but usually she's the one who initiates the hug, so we just sleep with each other in our arms."

"Because you two depend on each other for survival."

"Sometimes I think this isn't so bad." Mo Xiaoxiao finished attaching the last 'wooden board'. "Phew, that's enough for today, my eyes are a little tired."

"Well, at least, it's not just one person."

"Yes, it's a good thing I wasn't alone. If my sister had gone out with my parents, I would have been all alone."

Amidst the thunder and rain, lunch break came to an end.

This means that school will end sooner.

Mo Xueyao and Mo Zhuyou staggered back to the classroom, and after sleeping for a while before the first class started, they finally woke up.

For Mo Xueyao, getting enough sleep is very important; otherwise, she won't have enough energy to study.

Wednesday afternoons are all main classes.

"Alright, everyone who took a nap, wake up and get ready for physics class. I know many of you are planning to go to the humanities stream, and then there won't be any more science classes, but you still need to learn now. Besides, this physics knowledge will be very helpful to you, and you might need it in the future. Okay... now open your textbooks..."

Physics teacher Ye Yu stood on the podium, gently patted the blackboard, and said with a smile.

Time flies when you're focused on a lesson, and it makes you feel very fulfilled.

Before we knew it, it was time to get out of school again.

"Zhou Yong, Liu Xiaowei, let's go, let's go to the internet cafe!" Gao Yuan immediately called out, rushing out of the classroom just three seconds after the chemistry teacher, Yao Gugu, finished saying get out of class was over.

"Hey, you guys, minors aren't allowed in internet cafes!" Yao Gugu shouted angrily. "And you're shouting so arrogantly, I'll tell your homeroom teacher!"

"Cough, no, no, teacher, I meant go to my house, you misheard!" Gao Yuan explained with an embarrassed laugh.

"Everyone knows where you're going! I'm warning you—the underworld's been running rampant lately, be careful you don't get beaten up if you go to those shady internet cafes." Yao Gugu tapped Gao Yuan on the head with his chemistry textbook. "Hmph, be good, go home after school. I'm going to ask your homeroom teacher to call your parents. If you're not home, you're in big trouble—"

"Ugh—?" Gao Yuan clutched her head, groaning. "No—"

"No, we have to go home, right now."

"what……"

The three boys, who had already packed their bags and were waiting to be dismissed from school, looked dejected.

Just now, Gao Yuan was just too cocky. He shouted before the teacher even left. If the teacher didn't catch them after that, it would be too irresponsible of them.

Yukong High School doesn't even allow students to go to arcades, let alone illegal internet cafes.

It's not that these kinds of things are bad, but these places are a mixed bag, and students are easily harmed.

Moreover, if this were told to the head of the teaching department, they would be punished.

Many people know about that illegal internet cafe near the school, so Gao Yuan and his friends dare not be too arrogant.

If I really get caught, that would be terrible.

"Tsk, these guys can finally go home obediently." Mo Xueyao crossed her legs and swung them around. "Teacher Yao only gave them a warning, which is quite merciful."

"Ah."

"By the way, Wanyan, you didn't even tell the teacher. That's not like you!"

“Well, I can’t manage too many people—unless I catch them in the act.” Li Wanyan smiled. “Besides, if the class monitor tells the teacher everything, she won’t be able to manage her classmates well.”

"The art of managing people..." Wang Jiale said, glancing up as he packed his bag, "Our class monitor will definitely be an outstanding leader in the future!"

“The madam is considered a leader, right…” Hua Yinyin muttered, but was immediately glared at by Li Wanyan.

……

Chapter 297 Summer Power Outage

"Whoosh—!" The sky, which had cleared up when school let out in the afternoon, was struck by lightning again as Mo Xueyao and her two friends returned to the entrance of the fruit shop.

Speaking of today, although the rain stopped at times, the dark clouds never seemed to dissipate.

It felt like I had spent an extremely long, dark night.

And the darkness will continue.

"Why aren't the lights on?" Mo Xueyao casually tossed her schoolbag onto the cardboard box and waved to Lu Chengyuan by the roadside. "Bye-bye, see you later."

"Okay, come over later and we'll do our homework together~" Lu Chengyuan nodded, slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, and jogged back to her family's fruit shop.

Looking at the sky, it looks like it's about to rain again.

"The power's out," Mother replied casually, hanging up the kerosene lamp and then starting to cook by the dim light.

"Another power outage," Mo Xueyao sighed, not finding it strange at all.

"Xiaoyao, we're out of candles. Go buy some from Grandma Jin." Her father took out a ten-yuan bill from the drawer. "Take the money and buy some."

"Oh, how many are there exactly?"

"Buy ten candles, and three candlesticks too, otherwise the wax will drip everywhere."

"Okay." Mo Xueyao took the money and walked towards Grandma Jin's general store below.

In Hangzhou in 2000, power outages were a common occurrence.

Especially in the summer, electricity consumption is high, and power outages occur frequently.

Sometimes the power goes out several times a day, and sometimes it goes out for the whole day.

Every household usually keeps some flashlights and candles on hand.

In Mo Xueyao's house, there is a very heavy flashlight, which is a square box like a battery, filled with batteries that can last a long time after a full charge.

The front is a flashlight that can be adjusted up and down. There is a small light on the top that can be pulled up. Use it when you don't need very bright light. There is a semi-transparent cover on the back. When you open it, a small light bulb inside will light up. It can be used as a desk lamp.

There was a lamp like this on the table where my father arranged flowers.