Marriage Concerto (Small Thing Called Love)

Chapter 6: Family Dinner

It was actually a really sad story.

Ding Meng picked up the pillow again and hugged it close. "Didn't you ask me how I lost so much weight? Actually, I didn't go on a diet. I fell ill."

Qiao Yichen's eyebrows moved. "You fell ill?"

Seeing how his expression became serious, Ding Meng hurriedly explained, "Don't get all anxious. It wasn't a contagious illness!"

Qiao Yichen, "....."

"That's not what I meant." He helplessly ruffled his hair. "I meant, back when you were a student, weren't you in good health? How did you fall ill?"

Ding Meng shrugged her shoulders. "Do you still remember how I tested into Jiu Middle School in our third year?"

T/N: Chinese middle schools (aka junior high schools) are 3 years long.

"I remember." Jiu Middle School was A City's best middle school. Every year, not only did many A City students wrack their brains trying get accepted, many students from other cities did as well because of the school's reputation. To use the words of their teacher at the time, getting accepted into Jiu Middle School was equivalent to having one foot in the door of a famous university."

"Even though I did get accepted to Jiu Middle School, after I started attending, I gradually began to feel the pressure. Everyone at the school was really outstanding. I could only be considered average. The gap was especially obvious in mathematics. There were so many instances where, before I could even finish understanding a problem, another classmate would finish solving it. I was never a very smart person so all I could do to close the gap was put in more effort."

Ding Meng pursed her lips and continued, "Jiu Middle School was a boarding school, so everyday I would wake up at 5AM and use the dormitory hallway lights to study. At night after the lights went out, I hid under my blankets and used a flashlight to continue studying. In order to make the most of my time, I would even limit my water intake during the day to avoid needing to use the bathroom between classes.... So just like this, I managed to maintain my rank within the top ten after every exam, and I convinced myself that my efforts weren't wasted. Ultimately though, my health couldn't handle it. During that time period, I thinned down considerably, and in the end, I fainted in the middle of a chemistry experiment."

Looking back now, Ding Meng almost couldn't believe that all happened. She figured that in this lifetime, she would never again work herself to death like that to pursue something. "The doctor said I was under too much pressure and my body was overworked. Continuing down that path would be dangerous. At the time, I was already slightly anorexic, had heavy migraines, and suffered from insomnia. After recovering in the hospital for a week, my mom listened to the doctor's suggestion and arranged for me to take a break from schooling."

It was this break from school that changed her life's entire direction. Perhaps it was because she had previously been under pressure for too long, but after she left the hospital, she never even touched another textbook. Every day she was engrossed in playing games. She even followed others and found herself an in-game husband.

Ah, this part she doesn't need to mention to Qiao Yichen.

"After returning to school, I couldn't catch up. I transferred to a normal high school and then...well you know the rest."

After Ding Meng finished speaking, the living room sank into a long silence. She had originally thought that Qiao Yichen would express some condolences, but he just lifted his hand and ruffled her hair.

Ding Meng's heart received a shock and she froze for a long moment before getting a hold on herself– the contract's third item clearly stated there can be no unnecessary physical contact!