A Young Woman's Heart

"Oh right, I have some things with Wanyan." Mo Xueyao muttered, then ran to the next room to take her things out of Li Wanyan's suitcase. She didn't unpack anything, just threw her backpack on the chair, figuring she could just find what she needed from it later.

Hua Yinyin wasn't in a hurry to cause trouble for Mo Xueyao; she was taking out the contents of her suitcase very seriously and systematically.

—Change of clothes, toiletries, shower gel, shampoo...

"There's shower gel and shampoo in the bathroom, and even conditioner!" Mo Xueyao walked into the bathroom, feeling like she was staying in a hotel.

Bath towels and hand towels are provided.

Even toothbrushes can be used disposable.

"Is every room designed like this?" Mo Xueyao gasped. "It's too luxurious..."

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Hua Yinyin ran over curiously.

"There is a bathtub and a separate shower room, and the two are separated by glass doors."

"Wow, really!" Hua Yinyin couldn't help but grin mischievously. "Little Yaoyao~ Shall we take a bath together tonight?"

"Could you please tone down those awful thoughts that are running through your head..." Mo Xueyao muttered, her eyelids drooping.

The most pleasing sight is this entire floor-to-ceiling window. There's a small table and two chairs by the window. Sitting here, you can take in the entire view of the sea. Mo Xueyao felt that she could sit here all day, just staring blankly...

……

Chapter Eighteen: Golden Watermelon

The date was still July 5, 2000, but the time had changed to 7 p.m.

The students left the villa in a large group and arrived at the golden sandy beach.

Compared to the vast beach and the boundless ocean, more than twenty people did not seem so crowded.

Looking down from above, they seem as tiny as a few sesame seeds on a golden beach.

The ingredients were placed on a relatively flat stone, and all the boys except Huang Yuxi were called away by Qiu Yi to do hard labor.

There were no barbecue grills at the beach. Perhaps to experience the authentic feeling, they planned to build a large bonfire so that everyone could grill and eat around it.

The method is not difficult. You just need to dig a large sand pit, then go to the forest to collect some stones, wash them clean with seawater, and place them at the bottom and around the pit. Then you can put firewood on top and light it.

The girls weren't exactly idle either; for example, Mo Xueyao was excitedly collecting seashells on the beach.

This was her first time visiting such a clean, vast, and quiet beach. Both the seawater and the seashells washed ashore looked so pure.

Moreover, some of the shellfish are alive; after washing them clean, they can even be grilled directly.

Of course, Mo Xueyao still preferred the empty seashells. She picked up quite a few that she thought were pretty and planned to keep them as souvenirs.

Although I've been to Russia and seen Lake Baikal from the train, this seems to be the first time I've actually walked onto the beach.

She had never felt the world was so vast, and felt that all the impurities in her body had been washed away by the sea breeze.

"Eee-ah—" Mo Xueyao took a deep breath and shouted at the sea. The seawater crashed against the shore, as if responding to her.

"Yo-ha—" Hua Yinyin shouted along.

"Pfft, what are you all shouting about?" Ye Wen called out to everyone, "Before we officially start the barbecue, let's have some watermelon! This watermelon is grown in the sandy soil by the sea, it's really delicious!"

"Come on, I've cut it up for you!" Mizuki Shi called out with a smile.

Everyone rushed over and picked up a slice of watermelon to eat.

This is a yellow-fleshed watermelon. Mo Xueyao's fruit shop also sells it, but it's very expensive.

She herself has only eaten it a few times.

Moreover, because it was transported from the seaside, and the food that her father brought to eat was quite old, it wasn't as fresh as what Ye Wen was serving them now.

"Mmm! So this is what fresh yellow-fleshed watermelon tastes like!" Mo Xueyao smacked her lips. "Delicious!"

"Eat as much as you like, but there's no more~ This was bought by your teacher, Mizuki Shi, from the watermelon grower today. They were all freshly picked."

"Golden watermelon~" Ye Banxia sat on the beach, her two ponytails swaying with her body, "So sweet and delicious~"

"It also has a slightly salty taste." Mo Xueyao nodded vigorously.

A few watermelons are obviously not enough for so many people, but this is just an appetizer.

As the pyre finally caught fire, the sun overhead slowly sank, giving it a sunset-like feel.

Everyone crowded around the fire, and there was still a bit too much room. Wang Jiale, Huang Yuxi, and a few others who hadn't planned to do the grilling themselves sat a little further back.

Anyway, the teachers will share the meat they grill with them.

"Hmph, let me show you what professional barbecue looks like!" Wang Qianyu snorted, picking up a skewer of lamb and placing it by the fire.

"Pfft, Qianyu, your grilling skills... well, let's just say they're not good enough." Ye Wen couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Everyone grabbed the skewered ingredients and started grilling them; even those who had never grilled before wanted to give it a try.

Of course, the most skilled among them is Mizuki Shi.

As expected of a home economics teacher, not only is the baking fast, but the food also tastes great.

Moreover, she grills a dozen or more skewers at a time.

It feels so light when you hold it in your hand.

Mo Xueyao managed to snag a skewer; it was a pork belly skewer.

The golden fat slowly dripped down, the fatty meat was crispy, and the lean meat was chewy. A sprinkle of chili powder added even more flavor.

"How is it?" Li Wanyan asked, as it was too hot to eat yet.

"Mmm, it's so delicious!" Mo Xueyao replied while breathing out warm air. "It's just... it's a little hot!"

"Eat slowly, eat slowly, I've prepared a lot," Mizuki Shi said, unable to suppress a smile.

Think about it, with so many students playing here for so long, what a huge expense that must be!

Generally speaking, it would be better if the school covered the cost, but this was paid for by the homeroom teacher, Ye Wen, herself.

This also proves from another angle just how rich she really is...

With so much money, why choose to be a teacher? Is it truly a passion?

As the sun gradually set, a few stars appeared in the distant sky.

Even though it hadn't completely set, a bright moon was already slowly rising on the other side of the sky.

The sky by the sea seems to be more expansive than the sky in the city.

The night sky by the sea, though lacking the dazzling neon lights of the city, felt even more radiant than the city's night sky.

The meat was grilled at a leisurely pace; those who were full would make way for others to eat.

In the end, those who were initially 'squeezed' to the outermost edge gathered around.

"Little Yaoyao~" Hua Yinyin's sweet voice came over, and then Mo Xueyao saw a fair little hand holding a piece of the watermelon that had been left over and bringing it closer.

"What are you doing? Your hands are covered in sand," Mo Xueyao said with a hint of disgust, but still opened her mouth.

"Hey, is it good? I managed to snag it!"

"You got it...?" Mo Xueyao turned her head and saw Li Hongran and Gao Yuan fighting over the last piece of watermelon. Even the usually quiet Mr. Xue was laughing and joining in, as were Cha Li and Lu Chengyuan, who were usually very lively girls.

"Hmm—could this watermelon have fallen to the ground?"

"No, at most I just picked it up with my mouth."

"Eek—! Your drool!"

"Hehe, how about that? If you've eaten my saliva, you're mine now." Hua Yinyin winked mischievously.

"Yaoyao, are you full?" Li Wanyan also came over.

"That's about enough. If there are any more lamb skewers, I'd like to have one more."

"Here." A hand was extended. Mo Xueyao followed the arm to its owner and found that it was Duanmu Ji, who had been silent all along. When he noticed Mo Xueyao's gaze, he turned his face slightly away. "I just grilled too much and I can't eat anymore."

"Oh, thank you so much, Xiao Ji." Mo Xueyao took it without hesitation and stuffed it directly into her mouth.

"Hoo-hoo—" Mo Xueyao didn't throw away the last stick. She just held it in her hand and played with it. She wanted to lie down comfortably, but found that her head was not resting directly on the sand, but on a pair of soft thighs.

She looked up and saw Hua Yinyin smiling at her.

The terrible words she imagined didn't come out of her pretty little mouth; instead, there was a silence that seemed to last for a long time.

Or rather, it shouldn't be silence, but quiet.

There's a slight awkwardness when I'm silent, but I feel quite content when I'm quiet.

The other students started fooling around, and even Huang Yuxi, who couldn't join in because she couldn't speak, just watched them and grinned foolishly.

Mo Xueyao saw that there were more stars in the sky, and that the setting sun had gone down even further.

The golden moon looks like a slice of golden watermelon, making you want to take a bite.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment, and everything slowed down.

Although the other students were making a lot of noise, Mo Xueyao could hear her own heartbeat, Hua Yinyin's heartbeat behind her, and Li Wanyan's heartbeat...

She could even sense Duanmu Ji's faint gaze directed at her.

"What's wrong, Duanmu Ji?" Mo Xueyao didn't even think before asking casually, "You don't like me, do you? You keep looking at me?"

"Pfft!" Li Wanyan, who was drinking juice, suddenly coughed and sprayed the juice onto the beach next to her.

Even though she had been living with Mo Xueyao for a long time, she never expected that the girl would suddenly say such a thing.

To be honest, even Hua Yinyin would never say something like that to a guy so casually, right?

As far as I can remember, they never even joked around.

Duanmu Ji's face turned bright red at a visible speed, and then he lowered his face, which was as red as a pig's liver, and replied in a deliberately low voice, "Why should I like you?"

"Hmm—because I'm pretty, right?"

"Pfft, Little Yaoyao, you're already drunk before you've even had a drink?"

Duanmu Ji was stunned by Mo Xueyao's words, as if he was searching his own heart. Finally, he curled his lips in disdain: "Tch, narcissist. If I were to like someone, it would be someone like Mo Xiaoxiao."