A Young Woman's Heart

In the midst of this cheerful atmosphere, the bus arrived at its stop. After going back and forth, plus the time spent buying the drum set, it was already completely dark by the time we got back to the fruit shop.

Li Wanyan didn't go with us earlier because she was helping prepare dinner at the shop.

With so many people here today, we should definitely prepare a more lavish feast.

Two small folding tables were put together, and all sorts of things were used to sit on them.

There were small stools, small chairs, cardboard boxes filled with cardboard, and wooden crates for packing bananas...

"There aren't enough tables and chairs in the shop, and the space isn't big enough, so please make do and don't mind," Mo Xueyao's mother said apologetically as she ushered everyone to their seats.

"It's alright, it's alright, isn't this nice?" Hua Yinyin grabbed the seat next to Mo Xueyao. "It has a very homey feel to it."

"Hmm, it reminds me of when I was little." Wang Jiale was saying this when she was suddenly startled. "Oh, what is that? It's wet..."

"Is that Su Tang's nose?" Mo Xueyao glanced under the table and gave it a light kick. "Su Tang—don't crawl under other people's skirts!"

"Huh, crawling under the skirt? Is it a tomcat?" Mo Zhuyou also looked under the table.

"Yes."

"Little~perverted~cat~"

"Meow~" Su Tang darted out from under the table, then jumped onto Mo Xueyao's lap, tilted its fluffy little head up to look at Hua Yinyin, and then jumped into her arms, climbing onto her chest without any hesitation and hooking its little paws onto her clothes.

"Wow, this cat is so knowledgeable!" Hua Yinyin pinched the scruff of its neck, picked it up, and put it in her arms. "Alright, alright, you little pervert, don't move around. Xiao Yaoyao, look, your cat knows more than you do."

"What do you know?"

"You know how to appreciate beauty! So, little Yaoyao, would you like to touch it?"

"...No need, thank you." Mo Xueyao covered her forehead speechlessly.

"Pfft, what Xiaoyaoyao said is so funny." Wang Jiale straightened his bangs. "It's like he's doing a stand-up comedy routine."

"Don't those two perform crosstalk every day?" Mo Xiaoxiao said with a light laugh.

The food was served quickly.

Because so many classmates came to eat today, my mother went out and bought extra ingredients, even though we're just eating in front of the fruit shop, which seems a bit simple.

But the food tasted very good, no worse than what you get in a restaurant, and even a little better.

"How is it?" the mother asked expectantly.

"It's delicious!"

"good to eat!"

Everyone gave affirmative answers, which made her smile even brighter.

"Little Yao Yao, isn't your dad coming to eat?" Hua Yinyin nudged Mo Xueyao's arm and asked.

"It's alright, it's alright. He has other things to do. Let's eat first."

“Yes, you guys eat first, the rest is mine!” the father said with a hearty laugh.

"Dad, don't portray yourself as a dumping ground, okay?"

"Is not it?"

"Hey—are you complaining about something?"

"No way."

"cut--"

"Are you all members of the Yao Yao Band?" The mother had quickly finished her dinner and was now slowly drinking a bowl of soup.

"I'm not, my sister is."

"I was just about to say this, you two look so alike, are you twins?"

"Um~ I'm the younger sister, Mo Zhuyou."

"I'm the older sister, Mo Xiaoxiao." Although they had already introduced themselves, the two introduced themselves again.

It can be very difficult to tell twins apart before you get to know them.

However, once you get to know each other, even if two people are dressed exactly the same and styled identically, as long as they don't deliberately try to imitate each other's habits, you can tell who is who at a glance.

After all, personality and temperament are completely different.

"The names are similar too... What were they again?" The mother turned her head and forgot. "Never mind, eat more, you two are so thin."

"I'm not thin anymore."

"Isn't this thin? Look at my Yaoyao, this is what you call healthy."

"Mom, please stop beating around the bush about me being fat! Besides, I'm not fat anymore!"

"Who said you've gained weight? Don't misunderstand me, okay?"

"Tch—who doesn't know what you mean? You did it on purpose!" Mo Xueyao said discontentedly, picking up a piece of sweet and sour pork and stuffing it into her mouth. Then she puffed out her cheeks and chewed like a hamster.

“Xiaoyao’s family atmosphere is very relaxed,” Mo Xiaoxiao said with a light laugh.

"It's fine." Mr. Xue nodded, appearing somewhat silent as the only boy present.

Most of the people there were girls, so he couldn't join in on many of the conversations.

"What was this boy's name again?" The mother's memory was really not very good.

"Just call him Xiaoxue." Mo Xueyao glared at Hua Yinyin, stopping her wicked plan to steal a drink of her cola. "His surname is Xue."

"Such a unique surname? Xiaoxue, you must be the leader in the band, right? You seem very composed."

"Cough cough cough cough!!!" Hua Yinyin coughed violently, as if she had a fishbone stuck in her throat.

“I’m not the captain, she is.” Mr. Xue smiled and pointed at Hua Yinyin.

"Oh... she's not bad either, very lively and outgoing, very suitable for her," the mother said tactfully.

But it was obvious to anyone with eyes that she was very surprised.

After all, Hua Yinyin is unreliable no matter how you look at it.

What instrument does Xiaoxue play in the band?

"Suona".

"Oh my, a suona?" Mo Xueyao's father heard it too and looked over excitedly. "I can play the suona too, hahaha!"

“Then I am honored.” Mr. Xue nodded with a smile.

"Xiaoxue, don't be so reserved, just relax. Are you actually a little nervous, as the only boy?"

"Perhaps a little," Mr. Xue smiled, but since he said that, everyone thought he was just joking. If he were really nervous, he wouldn't admit it, right?

Hmm... probably.

"Your band uses a suona, how are you going to arrange that?" the father asked curiously. "Once the suona starts playing, then it'll be all that's going to be there, haha."

"Use it during the climax, or to set the scene," Hua Yinyin explained. "It can quickly stir up the audience's emotions."

That's true.

"Like the song 'A Man Should Be Self-Reliant'?" The father nodded. "That might be quite good, a combination of Chinese and Western elements."

The mother seemed very curious about Mo Xueyao's classmates, asking them a lot of questions, including what musical instruments they played, their families, and where they were from...

Actually, no one else felt anything was wrong, but Mo Xueyao herself felt embarrassed because her mother asked too many questions, it was like she was checking her household registration.

"Okay, okay, Mom, why are you asking so many questions? It's not like you're checking my household registration. Besides, you'll forget about it after you ask, so it's better not to ask at all."

"What's wrong? Are you annoyed by me?"

"No, Auntie, you can ask me anything," Mo Xiaoxiao quickly replied.

"Tch... I'm annoyed even if they aren't!"

"It's none of your business, why are you bothered?"

"Anyway, don't ask so many questions, Mom, you go ahead and do your work!"

"Good girl, I cooked for you, and you're already so disgusted with me?" the mother said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.

Just as Mo Xueyao was feeling a little awkward, the laughter of the others eased the atmosphere.

Although she still disliked her mother's inquisitive nature, she couldn't say anything more.

……

Chapter Seventeen: Band Practice Room 508 (Part 1)

Rain was falling from the sky, and a cool breeze blew the raindrops obliquely onto Mo Xueyao's face.

Around six o'clock in the morning, the sky was still pitch black due to the rain, and the streetlights were still on, casting a dim yellow glow.

The feeling of autumn is especially strong on a rainy day like this.

Mo Xueyao yawned several times as she left the fruit shop in the morning, and the umbrella she was holding tilted to one side, letting some rainwater fall onto her shoulder.

Li Wanyan walked over, glanced at her helplessly, and moved her umbrella closer to shield her from the rain on the side of her shoulder.

"Ha...ha...ha—" Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a loud laugh, but a yawn. Mo Xueyao opened her mouth and yawned for a long time, but the last step was delayed. She felt like she was about to yawn, but in the end she had to hold it back. This feeling was really too uncomfortable.

"It's raining so hard..." Mo Xueyao glanced at the canvas shoes she was wearing. "I should have known to wear rain boots."

"Just be careful not to step into puddles."

“The problem is that I can’t be that careful…!” Mo Xueyao said, nimbly jumping over a puddle. “If I try to avoid it like that, what if I slip? That feels even worse than getting my shoes wet…”

"Walk slowly."

"This is the only way..."

The two arrived at the school, where a security guard with a scar on his face was eating fried noodles he had just bought that morning. The reason it looked fresh was, of course, because the umbrella placed at the entrance was still dripping with rainwater.

"Good morning, Uncle." Mo Xueyao greeted him habitually. Although the windows and doors were closed, he must have seen her waving, so he smiled and nodded in return.

Although it had been two days in a row, Mo Xueyao almost went to the wrong classroom when she went upstairs. She took a few steps into the corridor before remembering that her classroom was on the fourth floor. Then she quickly turned around and followed Li Wanyan upstairs.

“Always getting it wrong.” Mo Xueyao chuckled awkwardly. “Speaking of which, being assigned to the fourth floor isn’t good either. Going up and down the stairs is such a hassle, and it’s also increased the distance to the cafeteria.”