I became beautiful by eating melons

The furniture in the living room was moved away, and a few benches and soft sofas were placed around the coffee table.

On the wooden coffee table was a ceramic ashtray filled with fruits, melon seeds, spiced peanuts, and a few toffees.

The people chatting here are all older men, and no one is eating.

Liang Yushan treated Ye Rou like a child. After he sat her down, he gave her a handful of melon seeds and peanuts, and picked out all the sugar mixed in them and placed them in front of Ye Rou.

Ye Rou was eating melon seeds intermittently. She was still looking for Meng Chunping and Chi Keke.

Soon, Meng Chunping came down from the second floor alone, without Chi Keke by her side.

Her face was slightly cold, and only after she went downstairs did she raise a smile, very faint and cold.

Ye Rou tilted her head to glance at Meng Chunping, thinking about what Fang Xunying had said during the day.

Meng Chunping is Zheng Lili’s best friend. She said that Zheng Lili wrote a love letter to the dung collector, and that love letter is in her hands.

Ye Rou wants the love letter, and the starting point is Chi Keke.

She waited a long time for Chi Keke but she wanted to get up and ask directly, but she saw the dark clouds on Chi Liu's face disappear and his eyes sparkled.

Ye Rou followed Chi Liu's gaze and saw Meng Chaoyang holding a gift box in each hand, walking beside a middle-aged couple.

Meng Chaoyang took the lead in greeting: "Uncle Chi, Aunt Meng, good evening."

Chi Tong nodded slightly and asked with a smile: "Where is your brother?"

"You won't be able to see me during the day." Meng Chaoyang said, handing the slightly smaller box to Chi Liu, and said softly, "Happy birthday, Chi Liu."

Chi Liu was in disbelief at first, but after being touched by her mother, she finally reacted. She happily took the gift box and said happily, "Thank you, Chaoyang."

"Yeah." Meng Chaoyang answered casually. He looked around and didn't find anyone, so he lowered his head to look at Chi Liu, "Where's Keke?"

Chi Liu's face sank, and he said impatiently, "How do I know where she is?"

Meng Chaoyang wanted to ask more questions.

His mother He Xiangmeng stopped him from speaking and looked at Meng Chunping and said, "Chunping, when do you think the marriages of these two children will be decided? Chaoyang is not young anymore, it's time for him to start a family."

Meng Chunping showed her sincere and gentle expression, and said in surprise: "Sure, Liu Liu also likes Chaoyang very much. The two children..."

She was interrupted by He Xiangmeng before she could finish her words.

He Xiangmeng said seriously: "Chun Ping, I mean Coco."

Meng Chunping frowned slightly and did not answer immediately.

The atmosphere became quiet for a moment.

He Xiangmeng's words were like the last straw that broke the camel's back. Chi Liu's emotions suddenly exploded. She said dissatisfiedly: "I am the real daughter of the Chi family. It was me who had been engaged to Brother Chaoyang since childhood. Why did you all choose Chi Keke!"

He Xiangmeng had no interest in coaxing the little girl. She sternly reiterated, "Chun Ping, you know, the daughter-in-law I'm eyeing is Chi Keke, and it can only be her."

Such harsh words, to Chi Liu's ears, clearly sounded like disdain.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She threw the gift from Meng Chaoyang to the ground with her hand, "Who wants this broken thing?"

The sound of porcelain breaking to the ground was not only not covered up in the bustling hall, but it stood out instead.

He Xiangmeng's face suddenly darkened, and he looked straight at Chi Liu with a cold and stern gaze.

Chi Liu felt guilty when she looked at him. He dared not look directly at her, so he quickly looked away and ran upstairs angrily.

"Liu Liu!" Meng Chunping chased after her.

Chi Tong said unhappily: "Let's talk about this another day."

"As soon as possible." He Xiangmeng spoke her words as sweet as gold. She left after saying these two words and followed her husband.

Meng Chaoyang didn't even look at the gift that fell on the ground. He carefully held another gift box and continued to look for Chi Keke.

Ye Rou withdrew her attention. She had a keen sense of smell and there were many people smoking in the living room. Ye Rou's nose could not bear it and she kept sneezing.

Liang Yushan noticed it, "Xiao Rou, what's wrong with you?"

"The smell of smoke is too strong." Ye Rou whispered.

Liang Yushan said to Chi Tong: "Let Xiaorou stay upstairs for a while, and call her down when it's time to eat."

"Okay." Chi Tong nodded.

Ye Rou walked up the stairs. The structure of the Chi family was no different from that of the Liang family, with four bedrooms, a study, and a balcony.

The balcony is partitioned, and outside is a small hall for people to take a temporary rest, with tables and chairs. Passing through the partition is the open-air balcony on the second floor, where some green plants and flowers are planted.

Although she wanted to eat the watermelon, this was someone else's home after all, so she didn't wander around. Instead, she walked to the small balcony, breathed in the fresh air, and got rid of the choking smell of smoke in her nose.

Ye Rou smelled a faint scent of cigarettes and suddenly realized that Jiang Chen seemed to have not smoked for a long time. When she was wondering when Jiang Chen stopped smoking, a voice came from the small hall outside the balcony.

It was Meng Chunping and Chi Keke.

The two people seemed to have just failed to comfort Chi Liu, and Meng Chunping's words were still full of anger.

"Keke, why are you so ignorant!"

Chi Keke remained silent and did not respond to Meng Chunping's accusations.

Meng Chunping seemed to take Chi Keke's silence as resistance, and her rage grew. Even though she tried to suppress her voice, it was difficult to conceal the sharp tail tone of her voice, like a fish's tail raised high and swinging.

"Keke, go find Meng Chaoyang and cancel the engagement. Tell him you don't want to marry him."

The commanding, sharp voice seemed to have an echo that lingered for a long time.

In comparison, Chi Keke's voice was too weak and powerless, like a child waving his fist in the air.

"Mom, I like Meng Chaoyang, I, I don't want to cancel the engagement."

Her voice became lower and lower, like a kite that suddenly fell and stopped.

"Chi Keke." Meng Chunping seemed to have calmed down. Perhaps she was examining and sizing up Chi Keke with her usual expression. "You are too selfish."

Chi Keke didn't say anything.

Meng Chunping continued: "Your decision is harmful to both Chi Liu and Meng Chaoyang."

A faint cry was heard, and Ye Rou was puzzled. Why was it hurtful to Meng Chaoyang? Why was Chi Keke crying?

"I asked you to go to Meng Chaoyang to break off the engagement for your own good. You know this best." Meng Chunping's voice softened a little, with some motherly teachings: "Keke, go downstairs to find Chaoyang and talk to him. You know this is the best choice for you."

Chi Keke was still crying, her voice was so faint that it sounded like ripples on the water in the pond, one circle after another.

Meng Chunping must have received Chi Keke's silent response. She left with satisfaction and walked downstairs with a clatter.

"Come out." Chi Keke's voice suddenly sounded.

Ye Rou sighed lightly and walked out.

There was no sign of crying on Chi Keke's face, and her expression was cold and calm.

But she was much thinner than the last time Ye Rou saw her. Her pure white dress couldn’t hold her up, and her body was as thin as a paper man.

Ye Rou frowned slightly and asked, "Are you sick?"

Chi Keke smiled.

This smile is very complicated, happy, sad, disappointed and decadent...

Suddenly, Ye Rou thought of Wang Cuiwei, who was following Liu Jiankang in the clinic. She also smiled before leaving, a smile with the same complex and inexplicable meaning.