Is Something Wrong with His Brain?

Li Qiao glanced sideways at Guan Mingyu, noting her anxious expression. She lifted an eyebrow carelessly.

"If you went back to repeat your senior year, why didn't you just focus on studying? Why did you start an online relationship with Li Shaoquan?"

Guan Mingyu fidgeted with her fingernails, and after a long pause, she muttered,

"Because I'm ugly… because I'm poor… because I'm older than everyone else. No one in my class wants to talk to me.

I've studied all the senior year material over and over again. I tried to fill all my time with studying, but… even so, I still felt lonely sometimes.

My brother works at the construction site every day—his life is even harder than mine.

I didn't want to bother him with my sadness, so I thought… maybe I could find a stranger to talk to, someone who would just listen.

Li Shaoquan was the only friend I had on WeChat besides my brother.

It was my fault. I sent him some older photos of myself and caused a misunderstanding.

Then my brother found out about him and had thoughts he shouldn't have had.

Miss Li, things have gone this far already. I've told my brother clearly—we won't bother Li Shaoquan ever again.

You don't have to worry. I promise."

Her explanation was rushed and sincere.

At least from what Li Qiao could tell, there wasn't any sign of greed in her eyes—just honesty.

Instead, she found herself feeling unexpectedly uncomfortable when she heard Guan Mingyu say,

"Because I'm ugly, poor, and old, so I don't have any friends."

Li Qiao couldn't relate to her feelings, but she had seen similar victims of bullying before—most of them shared these same traits.

She looked away from Guan Mingyu's face and out toward the street, where street vendors were hustling loudly just to survive.

Perhaps there really are many people in this world living in misery others could never imagine.

After a moment of silence, she asked in a flat tone,

"How much does your brother make every month?"

"Less than 5,000 yuan." Guan Mingyu bowed her head again, her eyes turning red.

"But my brother is actually really smart. He used to be the only student in our county who could do mental arithmetic.

It was only after our family ran into trouble that he dropped out to work, just so I could stay in school.

But in the end… my body let him down."

Li Qiao nodded, having more or less grasped the situation. She reached into the console and pulled out a bottle of water, handing it to Guan Mingyu.

"Your brother works at the construction site nearby?"

"Yes."

Li Qiao gave her a long, meaningful look, then gestured out the window with her chin.

"Go on. I hope everything you told me today was the truth."

Guan Mingyu clumsily opened the car door, but just before stepping out, she turned back and said,

"Miss Li, thank you for helping me today. Goodbye."

The door closed, and her round figure gradually disappeared down the street.

She was barely 1.6 meters tall (around 5'2"), but she probably weighed at least 150 pounds.

Guan Mingyu had claimed she had been seen at the Nanyang Medical University Affiliated Hospital,

but Li Qiao suddenly remembered—there hadn't been any record of her ever receiving treatment there in the report she reviewed.

Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Then she looked toward the construction site nearby, but didn't linger any longer.

She started the car and drove straight to the luxury riverside residence across the street.

⸻

…

These past few days hadn't been easy for Li Shaoquan.

Terrified that those siblings might suddenly show up again, he had gone out and bought three alarm devices and installed them by the front door—

the kind that would go off instantly if someone broke in.

So, when Li Qiao entered the apartment by scanning her fingerprint and opening the door,

all three alarms blared at once—loud enough to wake the dead.

From upstairs came the sound of chaotic footsteps.

Li Shaoquan, with his hair in a messy bird's nest and clutching a baseball bat, appeared at the top of the stairs and shouted warily,

"Who's there?!"

Li Qiao: "..."

Is there something wrong with his brain?