Xu Qiuyue blurted out, "My college classmate!"
Wang Li's eyes widened in shock. "Huh? Is it one of the two people who came back with you during summer vacation?"
"Yes." Xu Qiuyue continued with a hint of schadenfreude, "Unfortunately, what good is being beautiful? No one even noticed her!"
Wang Li found it hard to understand. "He's a college student! And good-looking too! What's he thinking, a self-employed individual? His standards are way too high!"
Xu Qiuyue pursed her lips, unwilling to say more. "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's hurry back; dinner should be ready at home soon."
"Okay." Wang Li felt that Xu Qiuyue's reaction was a little strange.
...
Qin Zhiman, whom the two mentioned, is currently spending the Chinese New Year with her parents and brother at her maternal grandmother's house.
Qin's mother's surname was Zhao, and her given name was Biyu. She had two older brothers and three older sisters, and she was the youngest.
Both parents are still alive, but they have been through a lot, especially my mother, whose health is not good.
Except for those from other places who couldn't come back for the New Year, almost everyone else from the Zhao family came to our home.
This large group of people finally managed to get together, so naturally they couldn't help but play around and chat.
Qin Zhiman's thinness and silence attracted a lot of attention.
But with so many people, there are bound to be varying degrees of closeness or distance in the relationships.
Some people just take a look.
Some people seemed to be deep in thought.
Qin Zhiman's second aunt, Zhao Bimei, was a gentle and kind woman. She asked with concern, "Manman, why have you lost so much weight?"
Another aunt, Zhao Bixin, spat out the sunflower seed shells and chimed in, "Yes, you've lost at least several pounds since the last time I saw you."
Qin Zhiman was originally 1.65 meters tall and weighed less than 100 pounds. Now that she's so thin, she looks like she weighs at most 80 pounds.
As a result, her body became much flatter, and her cheeks were less fleshy, making her look even more pitiful.
Suppressing the bitterness and disappointment in her heart, Qin Zhiman deliberately put on a smile and said, "Isn't it good to be thinner? You look better in clothes."
The two elders exchanged a glance. "It's true that clothes look better when you're thinner, but you're a bit too thin."
"Yeah, I noticed that you look a bit chubby in chunky knit sweaters, but when you wear more fitted clothes, you look incredibly thin. Is it because you haven't fully recovered from your last illness?"
Only Qin Zhiman herself knows the exact reason why she lost weight, but she doesn't want to tell anyone, nor can she tell anyone.
"That's partly true. I haven't had much of an appetite since I got sick. But it's nothing serious, I'll be fine when school starts in a few days."
Qin Zhiman chatted with them for a while longer, then felt a tightness in her chest, so she made an excuse to get up and go to the courtyard.
Qin Zhiman's older brother, Qin Zhiheng, is tall and thin with bronze skin and strong features.
He was smoking in the pavilion when he saw his sister walk out with a gloomy expression, and he waved to her.
"Little sister, come here."
He noticed something was wrong with his sister as soon as he returned to Beijing two days before the New Year.
Unfortunately, this girl is very tight-lipped; no matter how you try to get the truth out of her, she won't tell the truth.
However, through observation, Qin Zhiheng did not completely miss anything.
His parents are loving and harmonious, and his family is well-off, with no worries about food or clothing.
Aside from her studies, my younger sister is also experiencing some relationship problems.
After all, she's a grown woman now, and she's in college, so it's normal for her to meet someone she likes.
But as an older brother, seeing his younger sister so sad and upset would definitely make him feel heartbroken and angry.
Qin Zhiman walked up to Qin Zhiheng and frowned, saying, "Brother, why are you smoking again?"
Qin Zhiheng took a deep drag of his cigarette in frustration, then stubbed it out.
"This is all the hobbies your brother has."
"Smoking is harmful to your health. You're so busy and tired with work, you should smoke less."
Qin Zhiman gently advised, but at the same time, she couldn't help thinking that the person didn't smoke, because she didn't smell any smoke on him, only a faint and pleasant fragrance.
"Okay, I'll listen to my sister and smoke less from now on, okay?"
Qin Zhiheng has always doted on his younger sister, who is three years younger than him, so he doesn't want to upset her during their rare time together throughout the year.
"That's more like it."
Qin Zhiman's gaze fell on Qin Zhiheng's two fingers, which were yellowed from smoking, and then a pair of slender, fair hands involuntarily flashed before her eyes.
She quickly shook her head, trying to stop herself from thinking about those things.
Qin Zhiheng carefully observed his younger sister, and of course, he also noticed some of her little actions and micro-expressions.
He said seriously, "Little sister, what happened? Why are you so downcast, not eating or drinking, and acting like you've lost your soul? Tell me, and I'll help you."
Qin Zhiman felt a warmth in her heart.
It feels like no matter what, her brother is always her strongest support.
However, her lips trembled twice, but she couldn't utter a single word about what was hidden in her heart.
"Brother, it's nothing really. I was just being too hard on myself and getting a little stuck in a rut. It'll be fine in a while."
She believes that time is the best healer.
Perhaps, as time goes by, that liking will fade.
The more Qin Zhiman said this, the more worried Qin Zhiheng became.
His vacation was only a few days long, and with the time spent traveling to and from the destination, he would be leaving soon.
Therefore, it's essential to figure this out before leaving.
He took two steps closer to Qin Zhiman, staring into her eyes face to face. "Little sister, it's not that I'm forcing you, but you've seen the situation now. Our relatives and friends have all noticed the changes in you and that something is wrong with you."
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