"Xiao Shi, how have you been feeling these past few days?" At the dining table, Old Lady An and Kong Shi were having lunch. An Zisheng had gone to work, and Old Master An had also gone to play chess with friends.
"After taking the medicine Xiao Qing prescribed, I feel much better than before. But I’m just always sleepy, it might be a side effect of the medicine," Kong Shi rubbed her temples and sighed quietly. She had woken up less than an hour ago and was already getting sleepy again.
"Sleepy?" Old Lady An put down her rice bowl and looked at Kong Shi, who appeared drowsy, "I also noticed you’ve been especially sleepy these days. When Xiao Qing comes, talk to her about it and see if there’s something else wrong with your body."
As the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were chatting and eating, the villa’s doorbell rang. Soon after, Aunt Li’s excited voice could be heard from the entrance: "Miss An, you’ve finally come! The old lady and the madam have been talking about you!"
Upon hearing this, Kong Shi and Old Lady An quickly set down their chopsticks and got up to head for the door.
"Xiao Qing, you’re here!" Kong Shi joyfully grabbed An Yiqing’s hand and looked her over, "What have you been busy with these past few days? You seem a bit thinner, did you eat? Your grandma and I were just having lunch, come join us for a bite! Aunt Li, go to the kitchen and cook two more dishes!" Before An Yiqing could speak, Kong Shi was both expressing care and arranging for lunch, treating her as if she were her own daughter.
The girl felt an unprecedented warmth and peace in her heart as she watched the frail woman bustling about for her. She obediently sat down at the dining table with Kong Shi without mentioning that she had already eaten lunch. Strangely, An Yiqing didn’t want to disappoint Kong Shi or leave her efforts unreciprocated.
"Grandma An, Aunt An, please sit down," An Yiqing said with a smile, ushering the elders back to their chairs, "I’ve just arrived, and you two are already bustling about so much, it makes me feel embarrassed."
"Silly girl, what are you talking about!" Old Lady An said with a smile, playfully tapping the girl, "This is your home; there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. If there’s anything you want to eat, just let us know. Not to echo Xiao Shi’s words, but I also feel like you’ve gotten thinner these past few days." As she spoke, she moved all the meat dishes on the table in front of An Yiqing.
Looking at the dishes in front of her and seeing the smiling faces of Kong Shi and Old Lady An, the girl’s nose inexplicably felt a bit sour. She vaguely wished that she could be a child of the An family, how wonderful that would be...
"Xiao Qing, what’s wrong? Eat up!"
The enthusiastic voice of Grandma An brought the slightly distracted An Yiqing back to reality. She gathered her feelings and politely started eating with her chopsticks.
Yum, delicious, it tastes like home.
An Yiqing ate with relish, and Kong Shi and Old Lady An were very happy watching her.
After the meal, they sat in the living room drinking tea.
"Aunt An, how have you been feeling these days?" An Yiqing asked with a smile on her face.
"Much better, my body feels stronger than before. But, I always feel a bit sleepy," Kong Shi said, unable to hold back a yawn.
"Sleepy?" An Yiqing frowned, took Kong Shi’s delicate wrist, and gently placed her fingers on the pulse.
Old Lady An, looking at An Yiqing’s somewhat pale face, asked with concern, "Girl, is there another problem with Xiao Shi’s health?"
"There is a problem. But... how can this be?..." An Yiqing was puzzled. Kong Shi’s body indeed seemed much better than before, and if a regular doctor were to examine her, they would surely say her condition had improved. However, after using her Vitality Clairvoyance, An Yiqing shockingly discovered that Kong Shi’s organs were slowly beginning to fail. What could be causing such a deceivingly strong yet internally weak condition?