Chapter 6

“Yao Yao, are you still feeling unwell? You mustn’t hide it from Mom,” Zhang Qiufeng said worriedly.

Seeing that she had really stopped eating, Zhang Qiufeng became extremely anxious.

Ever since she was a child, anytime she lost her appetite, it meant she was sick.

As she spoke, she reached out to touch her forehead, but Ye Yao quickly avoided her touch.

“Mom, I don’t have a fever. I’ve already made up my mind—I’m going to lose weight.”

This was something she could no longer delay.

Zhang Qiufeng: …

What nonsense was this child talking about now?!

“Mom, look at me right now. I can’t even walk a few steps without panting. When I wake up after sleeping, my body already smells bad. If I don’t lose weight, I’ll probably be plagued with illnesses soon.”

Ye Yao spoke with a serious expression.

She wasn’t exaggerating—appearance was important, but health was even more crucial.

Zhang Qiufeng stared at her blankly, as if she had been stunned.

“Actually… you’re not that… that fat…”

Ye Yao almost blurted out, “Saying that, doesn’t your conscience hurt?”

Her weight was obviously over 200 jin (100 kg), and she was less than 1.7 meters tall. If this wasn’t considered fat, then what was?!

Zhang Qiufeng’s face flushed red with embarrassment. She coughed dryly, feeling a little guilty.

“Yao Yao, Mom doesn’t dislike you. Being a little chubby is a blessing too. You’ve loved eating since you were little, and though I couldn’t give you luxurious meals, the least I could do was make sure you had enough to eat.”

“But you don’t dislike me, and I dislike myself,” Ye Yao said honestly.

These past few days, she had thought about many things. She needed to change her current situation—both for herself and for her family’s living conditions.

Even though it was a time of scarcity, with food and clothing in short supply, and their home was practically empty, as long as she was here, everything would get better.

Zhang Qiufeng looked at her in surprise.

For some reason, she felt that Ye Yao was different from before.

She had never talked about losing weight before.

“Yao Yao, are you really not going to eat anymore?”

Ye Yao nodded firmly.

Zhang Qiufeng put down her chopsticks as well. Her expression flickered as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

“Um… Yao Yao, I want to talk to you about your engagement with Li Cheng…”

Lately, the entire courtyard had been gossiping about them, and so many people pointed fingers behind their backs that she could barely hold her head up when she went out.

It was supposed to be a happy event, but people needed to recognize reality. Their family and the Li family were simply not a good match.

She had never intended to climb up to them, but this girl had insisted on making such a “shocking” decision.

“What do you want to say?”

Ye Yao straightened her posture.

Though she still looked like a lump of flesh, at this moment, her expression was serious and determined.

Zhang Qiufeng took a deep breath. Watching her reaction closely, she said, “Even though your marriage was arranged when you were children, many years have passed, and things have changed. I think…”

She paused briefly and then spoke in a solemn tone, “We should cancel this engagement.”

The Li family was from a wealthy and prestigious background. They never had to worry about food or clothing and were respected by others.

Li Cheng was the most promising child in the courtyard, and countless families wished to form a connection with them.

But that was exactly what worried Zhang Qiufeng the most.

Ye Yao wasn’t particularly attractive—on the contrary, she was overweight. She was timid, lacked any outstanding abilities, and had no special skills.

She was just an ordinary girl.

If she really married into that kind of family, how could she possibly adapt to their lifestyle? She would definitely be rejected.

Compared to a privileged life, Zhang Qiufeng preferred that she find an ordinary family and live a simple life.

Even if her husband was poor and not very good-looking, it wouldn’t matter.