Yeh's tears of leaf picking

  Squeak

  The leaves rustled as the door creaked open a small gap from top to bottom, and three curious eyes peeked inside.

  The singing voice is still vicissitudinous...

  All that can be seen is a thin figure squatting in the computer chair, hunched over to the point where their head is hidden from view.

  It's not clear who tripped, but with a loud thud, the three girls rushed into the room in disarray, and under Ye Cai's stunned gaze, they each pretended to be calm as they smoothed their hair.

  Ye Cai Du glanced at Xiao Xue, her eyes dimming for a moment before she withdrew her gaze and continued searching for letters on the keyboard.

  The old mother smiled and pulled her daughter Ye Xiaoxiao's sleeve, hinting at her to leave.

  Ye Xiao stared at Ye Cai's profile, who was once her older brother but now seemed to be her "older sister", and she looked stunned and terrified, subconsciously resisting her mother's pull.

  Suddenly, Ye Cai's face was dull and expressionless, her eyes no longer searching, but a blank and confused emptiness.

  Right after that, as if he had made up his mind, Ye Cai closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then stood up. He turned around and solemnly said to his mother: "Mom, this is my classmate, please take her to dinner first, don't delay her."

  Delay?

  Her mother didn't react much, but Xiao Xue's pupils contracted, and she opened her small mouth slightly with a frightened look.

  Not receiving a response from the other party, Ye Cai looked at his mother with a questioning gaze, then quickly nodded in response to her regaining consciousness, lowered his eyes and sat down to continue typing.

  The girl standing at the edge, Ye Xiang, was no longer proud and aloof, but instead had a melancholic and lonely appearance of a Gothic sister, with her head down, a hint of sad and self-abased tenderness on her small face, gazing at her brother's profile.

  The old mother, who was also gazing at Ye Cai's profile, took a light breath and then shook her head with a bitter smile. She pursed her lips and gave Xiao Xue a fleeting glance.

  Under the gaze of Ye Cai's slanted eyes, her sister, classmate, and mother left the room one after another, then her mother locked the door with the hand wearing a wedding ring.

  She lowered her eyes, and Ye Cai was stunned for a moment before standing up and walking over to lock the door.

  Back to sitting on a computer chair, staring blankly at the white background and black font Word document on the screen.

  After a while——

  She suddenly let out a weird, drawn-out "ah-yo" cry, as if she had lost control of her emotions. Then, she lifted her slender left leg and placed it on the chair seat, twisting her hips into a comfortable and languid pose. After settling in, she picked up the mouse and started playing "I'm an Angry DJ Dance Track".

  She was immersed in the strong rhythm, with a hint of "hip hop rock" style recklessness and playfulness between her eyebrows, her whole body moving restlessly, clutching two fists, swaying back and forth, opening her small mouth when excited, shouting "oh oh oh oh" with great force, yet with tears hanging under her eyes.

  Just like those who are disheartened in love and have a dark heart, they get drunk and dance wildly in the dimly lit dance floor.

  Indulge in passion, squander sorrow.

  ……

  The three women eating in the gloomy atmosphere downstairs were startled by the sound of "thumping" and looked out the door together, searching for the direction from which the singing came.

  Xiao Xue, who had previously introduced herself, asked the mother and daughter: "Is she, is she okay?"

  Ye Xiaoxiao and her mother exchanged a glance, then both looked down gloomily. Her mother pouted, picked up her chopsticks, pointed to the dishes on the table, and said to Xiao Xue, who was still looking worriedly at the door: "Eat, eat, girl, don't mind her, she's always like this, periodically going crazy."

  Xiao Xue was taken aback and wanted to inquire further, but considering the difference in their social status, she swallowed her words instead.

  In the midst of a dull and stifling atmosphere, she was picking at her rice with vegetables, occasionally forcing a polite smile as she accepted the exquisite dishes offered by Auntie. Her heart was filled with both curiosity and worry, and she longed to rush over to find her only close friend, Ye Cai, to get some clarity on things, because the other person's words earlier, those two phrases, had deeply pierced her heart.

  Only then did she realize that treasured friends who gave you a friendship of mutual respect would make you feel desolate and heartache.

  Hurry up and finish eating, He Xiaoyun pulled Xue Xiao to a place outside Ye Xiaoxiao's line of sight, then exchanged bitter smiles for the latter's trust and silence.

  "What's a BFF?"

  Xiao Xue hesitated for a moment and nodded obediently.

  He Xiaoyun couldn't help but smile, then lowered her eyes and fell back into a state of worry. She muttered to herself: "Her situation... is very complicated. In short, Xiao Yu, I hope you don't reveal this matter to Xiangxiang, because in that child's eyes, Xiaocai is the older brother she relies on most... can you understand?"

  Xiao Xue nodded silently, and after a moment, she understood the severity of the situation, and gently nodded.

  He Xiaoyun forced a smile and hesitated for a moment before asking: "Will you stay here tonight?"

  Xiao Xue was taken aback, then shrugged indifferently and shook her head: "You don't have to discuss it with me, because I originally... hummed."

  That's right, she had planned to stay here for a night all along.

  Looking at her awkward smile, He Xiaoyun smiled along with her and said with a lowered gaze: "In that case, I'll trouble you then."

  Xiao Xue looked puzzled at Auntie's inexplicable words and stared blankly at He Xiaoyun.

  Seeing this, He Xiaoyun hesitated for a moment and smiled bitterly: "I think you've just met her not long ago? She... is a weird person, very contradictory."

  Xiao Xue was taken aback, her eyes narrowing slightly as she realized that Ye Cai was not as simple as he seemed.

  "Actually, she's the kind of person who always puts herself on a high pedestal, like calling herself a god or something. But in reality, she's still just an ordinary person... right?" He Xiao Yun lost her smile.

  Xiao Xue blinked her eyes, feeling a sense of unease.

  "Well... anyway, her personality is quite contradictory, but essentially, I'm her mom, so I understand her clearly. She's actually very simple-minded, just like a little kid, it's just that she likes to trap herself in some messy thoughts. And this time, it's about the same. Earlier when she was talking to me, I think you should have also understood the implied meaning. In a while, she'll probably come down and send you back, so... later..."

  After hearing Auntie's words, Xiao Xue was taken aback by the deeply meaningful raised eyebrow, and then suddenly enlightened, she smiled slyly and nodded slowly.

  ……

  She glanced at the time in the bottom right corner of the screen, thinking that it was almost time to finish dinner as well. Not wanting to get hurt again, she took a deep breath and revealed a helpless bitter smile.

  She saved the document, stood up and walked out of the room, went downstairs, but saw Xiao Xue and her mother sitting on the sofa in the living room.

  With a faint smile, Ye Cai walked slowly away, saying to Xiao Xue, who had a distracted look on her face: "Let's go, I'll send you back."

  Her eyes widened and her mouth agape, Xiao Xue's face was filled with astonishment. She stared at her in disbelief, asking: "Why, why?"

  Just as Ye Cai was taking a deep breath to calm herself, Xiao Xue stared at her with a straight face, got up and leaned in close, hugging her thin right arm, and looked up at her with a pitiful expression, saying: "Didn't we agree to sleep together?"

  "Hmm..." He Xiaoyu reminded in a low voice.

  Ye Cai looked at her mother with a guilty conscience, but didn't take it to heart and continued to feel guilty, lowering her eyes to clear her mind. She said to Xiao Xue, who was full of grievances: "No, I'm afraid your parents will worry, let me think...it's better to send you back..."

  "Hmm..."

  Xiao Xue suddenly sneered and retreated, tilting her neck, putting on a haughty attitude, and asked, "Then what? Keeping distance from me, slowly drifting apart until completely fading out of my sight?"

  After finishing speaking, Xiao Xue spread out her hands and hung a exaggerated mocking expression on her slightly tilted face, looking like she was about to lose control of her emotions.

  Behind her, the old mother sat on the sofa with a lowered face, finding that things had gotten out of control. In the dark, Ye Xiaoxiao's deep and gloomy eyes were spying on the scene.

  At this moment, Ye Cai, who had all her plans ruined by her good friend's single sentence, hung her head and remained silent, her eyes hidden under her bangs, her face a picture of gloom, as if one more bit of pressure would cause her to burst out in anger and announce their split on the spot.

  However, unexpectedly, Xiao Xue took a deep breath and once again hung up her sweet smile, leaned in and smoothly grasped Ye Cai's elbow, under the latter's astonished and shocked gaze, Xiao Xue smiled and said: "Let's go, take me to see yours."

  Her body stiffened, and tears welled up in her eyes. Ye Cai's lips trembled as she stared at Xiao Xue's warm and radiant smile, two streams of tears rolling down her cheeks.

  Sparkling tears, like a sharp knife, deeply pierced into the heart of Ye Xiangxiang, who was hiding in the dark to peek, making her shake her head in horror and retreat backwards until she accidentally bumped into a small table with a fruit platter...

  Suddenly, a loud crash was heard, and the three of them looked towards the source of the sound. They saw Ye Xiaoxiao rushing towards them wildly, holding a fruit knife in her hand instead of a kitchen knife.

  The three were shocked and speechless, silently assigning tasks among themselves. The old mother took charge of intercepting the enemy, while Ye Cai was responsible for protecting Xiao Xue.

  However, before she could even stand up, her mother had already softened and collapsed onto the sofa, trembling with her waist raised, staring blankly at Ye Xiaoxiao who was rushing past her field of vision, stretching out her hand as if wanting to stop her, but opening her mouth in a futile attempt to speak.

  Ye Qianqian held a knife in both hands, pointing at Ye Cai with anger, her round eyes reddening and welling up with tears.

  Ye Cai's face was pale and she was backing away cautiously, but then Ye Xiaoqian bared her teeth and bit down hard, her eyes flashing with a fierce and sinister light.

  "You're not my brother!"

  （…）