Chapter 99: This Is Our Secret

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

“After all this time, our Jingqi was actually taken away by you, class monitor. You’re really skilled at preventing fire, theft, and theft. It’s hard to guard against thieves within the family!” Liuli exclaimed.

“Thank you for letting me win!” The class monitor bowed and smiled.

“Jingqi, you better give us a good explanation when we get home!” Liuli even patted Lin Jingqi’s shoulder.

Lin Jingqi was so embarrassed that she wished she could hide under the table.

Initially, she thought nobody would find out. But for some reason, during Shi Shi’s wedding banquet, everyone kept teasing her and the class monitor.

They even joked that she and the class monitor might be the next ones to treat everyone.

The gathering had been lively since everyone arrived. They played games and even had the couples in the class walk down a makeshift red carpet.

Some couples were carefree and bold. They held hands and even put their arms around each other’s waists as they strolled along the aisle formed by the rearranged tables.

Others hesitated for a while, but under the teasing of everyone, they blushed and walked through the aisle.

Lin Jingqi fell into the latter category.

When she returned to her seat, she sighed to Liuli, “I feel like I’m walking on air!”

Liuli was so delighted that she slammed the table in joy.

Later, she realized she got too carried away and ended up patting her own leg.

When she went back and took a shower, she discovered a bruise on her thigh, and she jokingly blamed it on Lin Jingqi.

Everyone continued to have a great time, and time flew by. Two hours had passed in the blink of an eye.

If Liuli hadn’t set an alarm, she would have thought that only an hour had passed.

Liuli turned off the alarm and used the excuse she had prepared in advance.

“You guys continue. I have to go back home. I have something to take care of!”

“Liuli, it’s the first day of the Lunar New Year. What’s the rush?”

“I’m not sure either. Let’s hang out another day!” Liuli said with a smile.

“Are you really leaving?” Lin Jingqi asked.

“If I don’t leave now, I won’t be allowed to go out in the future!” Liuli replied straightforwardly.

She took out money from her wallet, paid back the amount she owed Lin Jingqi, and even gave her an additional hundred yuan. She asked Lin Jingqi to give it to the labor committee later. With that, Liuli bid farewell and left first.

“Liuli, aren’t you staying a bit longer?” a classmate asked.

“Not today. Let’s meet up another time. I’ll take my leave now. Enjoy your meal, have a good time, and chat!” Liuli said her goodbyes.

“What do you mean?” the classmate smiled.

“I just want to make some internal sales and have a good chat!” Liuli replied.

Everyone rolled their eyes and laughed.

Liuli said her farewells to everyone and went downstairs.

Lin Jingqi followed her downstairs.

“I’ll come back after seeing you off!” Lin Jingqi said before heading downstairs.

She was afraid of facing more teasing from their classmates about her and the class monitor.

“Liuli, why are you leaving so soon?” Lin Jingqi asked once again.

“It’s a family rule that 1 can’t be out past five. Look, it’s already 5:05.”

“If I don’t go back now, there will be no chance of leaving the house in the future.”

“Quickly go upstairs and eat more for me!”

“There’s nothing left!” Lin Jingqi smiled.

“Then help me socialize more with my classmates. I’ll interrogate you and the class monitor tonight!”

“Hmph, you actually kept it a secret from me!”

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No, I just didn’t have a chance to tell you.”

“And we’ve just started!” Lin Jingqi’s face turned even redder.

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It’s alright, it’s alright. Just give me a good explanation tonight.”

“Go upstairs quickly. I’m heading home. Bye!”

“Take care. Bye!”

“Oh, by the way, Jingqi, Happy New Year!” Liuli turned around and said after taking a few steps.

“Happy New Year!” Jingqi replied with a smile.

Liuli exited the Sichuan restaurant. Instead of waiting for the person at the entrance, she continued walking along the sidewalk.

She took her phone out of her bag and dialed Mr. Tang’s number.

But no one answered.

“Hmph, you promised to pick me up at five! You actually stood me up!”

Just as she finished complaining, she heard a honk from behind her.

Liuli turned around and saw Mr. Tang’s car.

She immediately smiled, put her phone away, and hurried over to open the car door, getting inside.

“Brother Moxi, you’re so punctual!” Liuli said as she fastened her seatbelt.

“You’re twelve minutes late!”

“Brother Moxi, don’t be so petty!”

“I was supposed to come down before five o’clock.”

“In the end, the students were too enthusiastic.”

“I spent a lot of efforts to get out of them.”

 

Out of their clutches!” Liuli said vividly.

“In that case, it’s not easy. It’s very hard!”

“Of course!”

“Why don’t I drive you back? I’ll pick you up after that!”

“Ah? There is no need. It wasn’t easy for me to get downstairs. 1 can’t let all my previous efforts go to waste, right?”

“Brother Moxi, let’s go back quickly. Maybe Grandpa is back!” Liuli was stunned for a moment and quickly changed the topic.

When the two of them returned to the Tang family, and Grandpa Tang was already back.

However, Grandpa Tang was resting in his room, so she didn’t want to disturb him.

Breakfast was made by Tang Yanxi and Tang Yunxi, it was Liuli and Tang Moxi’s turn to be in charge of dinner.

With Liuli’s cooking skills, she could only cook red braised pork and some rice at most. The rest would depend on Mr. Tang. But she could help him along the way.

“What dishes do Yanxi and Yunxi like to eat?” Liuli asked as she picked the vegetables.

“Yunxi likes seafood, and Yanxi likes something lighter.”

“That’s why we should mix meat and vegetables at night,” Tang Moxi replied as she washed the prawns.

“I am bearing those in mind!” Liu Li nodded.

“Liuli, what do you want to eat tonight?” Tang Moxi turned to look at her and asked.

“I’m fine with anything. I’m very easy to raise!” Liuli replied with a smile.

“I can tell!” Tang Moxi nodded.

Was it really a good idea to attack the young girl’s heart and self-esteem in this way?

“This is my luck!” Tang Moxi added.

“What?” Liuli looked at Mr. Tang in surprise, not understanding what he meant.

“Liuli, do you want to hire a nanny in the future, or do we have to cook for ourselves?” Tang Moxi continued to ask.

“You should have the ability to cook for ourselves, do we?” Liuli sighed.

If she had to do that with her culinary skills, she could forget about the idea of cooking by herself…

“I’ll take care of breakfast and dinner. If I’m not at home, can you cook for yourself?”

“I can eat outside!” Liuli replied smoothly.

“Can you solve it yourself?” Tang Moxi stared at her and asked again.

“Of course, I can cook, just not very convenient!”

“Besides, the school doesn’t allow us to cook in the dormitory!” Liuli muttered.

“I don’t mean in the dormitory,”

“When school starts, move in with me!” Tang Moxi said directly.

“Huh?” Liuli widened her eyes and looked at Tang Moxi. She was anxious! “But Brother Moxi, you said before that 1 can continue studying!”

“I didn’t say that you can’t continue studying. I just said that you can move in with me!” Tang Moxi smiled.

“No… there’s no need. I’m fine staying in the dormitory,” Liuli quickly said.

“Do you want us to live separately from the beginning?” Tang Moxi asked Liuli.

“Brother Moxi, do you have temporary memory loss or something?” Liuli couldn’t help but walk up to Tang Moxi and ask nervously.

Tang Moxi looked at Liuli and smiled.

“Why do you say that?”

“You keep forgetting that we got married to make Grandpa happy. It’s just a temporary arrangement!” Liuli pouted.

“And then?” Tang Moxi asked again.

“We still have our own lives to live in the future, don’t we?” Liuli looked up at Mr. Tang and said seriously.

“I almost forgot. You’re still young! There’s no hurry!” Tang Moxi replied with a smile.

Liuli really wanted to say that this had nothing to do with Xiao Xiao. They weren’t really married!

“Liuli, do you want to cook red-braised pork tonight?”

“Yes, Grandpa likes it!” Liuli immediately replied.

The thought of Grandpa Tang enjoying the red-braised pork she cooked made her feel that she had done something meaningful.

While Liuli and Tang Moxi were busy with dinner, Liuli was startled by the sound of hurried footsteps. She turned around and saw that Tang Yunxi had already reached the kitchen door, shouting,

“Brother, Grandpa is in critical condition!”

Then came a thud as the spatula fell into the pot.

Tang Moxi rushed out almost immediately.

Liuli was about to run out when she realized that the fire was still on.

Hence, she turned off the fire and ran out.

Nothing must happen to Grandpa Tang. Nothing must happen to Grandpa Tang. Nothing must happen to Grandpa Tang…

Along the way, Liuli prayed in her heart as she ran.

But for some reason, she felt like crying.

Just as she was in a daze, Liuli fell and could not get up for a long time.

It took a while for her to calm down. She hurriedly got up and continued running towards Grandpa Tang’s room.

The three siblings of the Tang family were all there. The caregiver was giving Grandpa Tang emergency treatment while Liuli stood at the side, trembling with fear.

She was afraid that Grandpa Tang wouldn’t be able to make it.

Soon, the ambulance arrived and took Grandpa Tang to the hospital.

Mr. Tang followed the ambulance to the hospital.

Liuli, Tang Yunxi, and Tang Yanxi followed behind in the car.

No one spoke.

Liuli did not dare to speak.

She could only lower her head and pray that Grandpa Tang would be safe.

When they arrived at the hospital, Grandpa Tang had already been taken to the emergency room.

Tang Moxi stood guard outside.

“Brother…” Tang Yanxi walked over and called out softly, “Grandpa should be fine!”

Tang Moxi did not speak and only nodded.

Liuli didn’t know how to comfort Mr. Tang.

At this moment, as she looked at his tall figure with one hand on the wall, looking so lonely, Liuli felt a little sore.

She quietly walked over and held Mr. Tang’s hand.

Tang Moxi turned to look at her. Liuli wanted to force a smile, but her tears were on the verge of falling.

Tang Moxi remained silent and simply put his arm around Liuli’s shoulder.

Liuli stood quietly by Mr. Tang’s side.

The surgery went on for a long time.

Eventually, Liuli leaned against the chair next to Mr. Tang and waited, not knowing what time it was.

“Brother, Sister-in-law, let’s eat first. Grandpa will get better. We need to take care of ourselves too!” Tang Yanxi approached with her belongings.

Tang Moxi remained silent. Seeing his silence, Liuli could only speak up.

“Yanxi, I’m not hungry right now. Just leave it here for now.”

At that moment, Tang Moxi looked up and took the lunch bag from Tang Yanxi’s hand.

“You and Yunxi should go back and rest. I’ll call you if there’s any news.”

“No, we’ll stay here until Grandpa is safe,” Tang Yanxi insisted.

“Brother, Sister-in-law, eat while it’s still warm!” Tang Yanxi walked to the other side and started eating the packed lunch she had brought with Tang Yunxi.

Everyone was in a somber mood.

It was the first day of the Lunar New Year, but they were spending it in the hospital.

However, Tang Yanxi understood well that they couldn’t all collapse from exhaustion while Grandpa was lying in the hospital.

Grandpa would definitely not want to see them like this.

Tang Moxi opened the lunchbox and handed one to Liuli, along with a pair of chopsticks.

“Eat while it’s hot. I’ll have the driver send you back later.”

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No, I want to wait here for Grandpa to come out too,” Liuli looked up at Tang Moxi and replied.

Tang Moxi looked at her and nodded without saying a word.

She opened her lunchbox, but her appetite was lacking.

“Brother Moxi, you should eat more. Grandpa will be fine!” Liuli couldn’t help but say when she saw Tang Moxi holding the lunchbox without taking a bite.

“I know!” Tang Moxi replied and started eating.

Seeing that Mr. Tang had begun eating, Liuli took small bites herself.

Even though she didn’t have much of an appetite, she couldn’t bring herself to not eat.

They finally finished their meal. After a while,

The warning light in the operating room finally turned off.

Everyone stood up and gathered at the door, waiting for the doctor to come out.

Eventually, the doctor emerged and informed them that their lives were not in immediate danger, but there was no guarantee they would survive beyond a few days. They were advised to mentally prepare themselves.

Liuli immediately turned to Mr. Tang.

Tang Moxi thanked the doctor calmly and waited for Grandpa to be transferred to the ICU

At this moment, Grandpa was still unconscious.

Liuli gazed at Grandpa lying in the ICU with various tubes connected to his body. Tears welled up in her eyes again.

Seeing Grandpa Tang, Liuli wondered if Grandpa was the same back then when he asked her parents not to tell her.

Thinking of this, Liuli felt an even stronger urge to cry.

However, she couldn’t cry. Despite the medical crisis notice given by the doctor, Grandpa Tang was still fighting, right?

Therefore, she couldn’t allow herself to cry!

“Yunxi, Yanxi, go back and rest with Liuli,” Tang Moxi turned around and instructed.

“Brother, I don’t want to go back. I want to stay here with Grandpa,” Tang Yunxi immediately said.

“Go back and get some rest. Come back tomorrow morning to take over for me. Grandpa probably won’t be discharged so soon. We need to take turns to care for him!”

“Go back. Liuli, go back with Yanxi,” Tang Moxi turned around and directed his last statement to Liuli.

“It’s better if Yunxi and Yanxi go back. I’ll stay here with you! We’ll have more company. If anything happens, we can handle it together!” Liuli held Tang Moxi’s hand and insisted.

H

Go back. There’s no place to sleep here. You’ll be tired later.”

“No, I promise I won’t fall asleep,” Liuli raised her hand and made a pledge.

In the end, Tang Moxi compromised and allowed Tang Yunxi and Tang Yanxi to go back and rest. He would come to the hospital tomorrow morning to relieve them.

Tonight, he and Liuli would stay by Grandpa’s side.

Tang Yunxi and Tang Yanxi left first.

After all, this was not the time to be stubborn.

Tang Moxi and Liuli sat on the chairs outside the ICU ward, quietly keeping Grandpa company.

“Brother Moxi, do you think Grandpa knows that we’re here with him?” Liuli whispered.

“I know. Grandpa will feel sorry for us and get better soon,” Tang Moxi replied.

It was unclear whether he was comforting Liuli or himself.

“I hope Grandpa knows that we’re here with him, but at the same time, I hope he doesn’t.”

“If he doesn’t know, he won’t worry about us.”

Tang Moxi lowered his head and looked at Liuli without saying a word.

“Brother Moxi, do you think Grandpa will recover?” Liuli couldn’t help but ask.

She felt like a helpless child, seeking reassurance from someone else’s words to strengthen her confidence.

Just as when Tang Moxi said he believed in it, she also believed that Grandpa would definitely get better.

“Grandpa, I care about you so much. 1 can’t bear to see you, my grandfather-in-law, leave us just a few days after I entered the family,” Tang Moxi replied.

“Yes, I feel the same way. Once Grandpa recovers, I’ll make more delicious red braised pork for him.” Liuli nodded.

“Okay, Grandpa will be very happy to know that!” Tang Moxi replied.

The two of them quietly conversed. The cold night passed, but Grandpa Tang remained unconscious.

Liuli stayed by Tang Moxi’s side and only left briefly to use the restroom.

As time went by, exhaustion overwhelmed her, and she eventually fell asleep leaning against Tang Moxi, who stayed awake and kept watch.

Five minutes later, Grandma Yu walked out of the ward with the help of the head nurse. After a while, the head nurse pushed Grandma Yu, who had already taken off her sterile clothes, out.

“Jingxing, if your grandfather has any other wishes, just go along with him!” This was the first thing Grandma Yu said when she walked out.

“He might not make it.”

Liuli immediately became dispirited! She originally thought that Grandpa Tang would be better after Grandma went in. Even if she couldn’t completely recover, she would at least wake up. However, Grandma said that Grandpa Tang might not be able to hold on anymore.

Liuli’s mind went blank until she heard her mom tell her. “Liuli, we are going back home. Take good care of Jingxing. Be sensible!”

Liuli nodded and did not dare to speak. She was afraid that tears would fall the moment she opened her mouth.

The two of them and the man sent their parents and Grandma to the elevator.

The elevator door closed and they went downstairs.

Liuli could not help but turn around and hug Tang Moxi’s waist.

She buried her face in his arms. “Brother Moxi, Grandpa will be fine, right?”

“Yes!” Tang Moxi patted her back and said, “Then we’ll wait for Grandpa to wake up!” Liuli replied in a muffled voice as she forced back her tears.

In the afternoon, the Tang family did not leave but waited for Grandpa to wake up.

After that, they waited for another four hours and had the visit for five minutes.

Tang Yanxi said that since Grandpa liked Liuli so much, Liuli could go in and talk to him. Perhaps Grandpa would get better after that.

Tang Yunxi nodded in agreement – Yes, let Liuli in and speak with him!

So Liuli walked in.

Looking at Grandpa Tang lying on the hospital bed, Liuli’s eyes blurred with tears, and many images flashed through her mind. Following Grandpa Tang, they chatted and laughed in the empty space in front of the house where Mr. Tang used to live. They cooked red braised pork for Grandpa Tang, and Grandpa Tang smiled like a flower. Grandpa Tang told Mr. Tang to take good care of Liuli and not bully her. That scene flashed across Liuli’s mind. It was a huge contrast from before.

Liuli stood there for a while before coming back to her senses. She only had five minutes, so she couldn’t waste it. Hence, she glanced out of the window and walked towards Grandpa Tang’s bed.

“Grandpa, I’m here to see you! Grandpa, I’m Liuli. Can you hear me?” Grandpa Tang was still lying motionless on the bed. Liuli walked to the bed and held Grandpa Tang’s thin hand.

She continued.

“Grandpa, 1 am Liuli and I am here!”

“You love telling me stories, don’t you? You love saying jokes with us!”

“I want to hear you stelling the story!”

“Grandpa, pleaes, wake up!”

“I will make you the braised pork you love most, for each meal.”

“You can eat however many pieces you want.”

“Don’t listen to Brother Moxi’s objection.”

“Just two of us, and we can eat togther.”

“He won’t be given any. He will drool.”

“Grandpa, what do you think?”

“Grandpa, they all say you love me most.”

“But why are you not looking at me?”

“I am talking wit you, Grandpa!”

“Grandpa, 1 miss you a great deal.”

“Please, be well!

■I

“When you recover, I will work hard to give birth to a great grandson for you with Brother Moxi!”

“You can hold him and laugh with him…”

Liuli talked non-stop until she didn’t know what to say. There was only one thought in her mind. She had to wake Grandpa Tang up. Didn’t Grandma say that Grandpa Tang would go along with whatever he thought? Now, she even chose what Grandpa Tang liked to hear the most. Why was Grandpa Tang still ignoring her?! Liuli couldn’t help but cry.

She recalled how she couldn’t stay by Grandpa’s side when he was seriously ill. The more she thought about it, the sadder she became. She kept calling him Grandpa. She didn’t even notice that Grandpa Tang’s fingers were trembling.

“Big Brother, Grandpa’s hand seems to be moving?” Tang Yunxi suddenly said in surprise. Tang Moxi nodded and instructed. “Yunxi, go find a doctor.” Tang Yunxi quickly turned around and went to the office to look for the doctor.

Just as Liuli was crying sadly, she heard Grandpa’s voice. Oh, no, it was Grandpa Tang’s voice. “Liuli, you have to keep your word!” Liuli looked up as if she had been electrocuted.

Through her tears, she saw Grandpa Tang looking at her. Liuli wiped her tears in disbelief and stared. Grandpa Tang had really woken up.

“Grandpa…” Liuli held Grandpa Tang’s hand tightly in surprise.

“Liuli, you have to keep your word!” Tang Sheng repeated. His tone was very weak, but if one listened carefully, they could still hear him.

“Okay, 1 will, I will!

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“You should too!” Liuli sobbed.

Tang Sheng smiled. At this moment, the doctor had already rushed over.

She began to do a full-body checkup on Tang Sheng, who had just woken up.

The nurse asked Liuli to leave first. Liuli took off her sterile clothes and walked out. Tang Moxi pulled Liuli into his arms.

“Brother Moxi, Grandpa is really awake! Grandpa is really awake!” Liuli said excitedly.

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It’s all thanks to you. Grandpa likes you the most,” Tang Moxi replied in a low voice. Her eyes turned slightly red.

“Yes, Grandpa likes me too much,” Liuli agreed.

The curtains were already drawn. After the doctor examined them, he walked out of the ICU ward. After congratulating them, he assured them that the old man would be in no danger for the time being.

“What do you mean by temporarily?” Liuli immediately asked.

“Even though the situation has improved, it’s not completely out of danger. Next, we need to continue observing,” the doctor explained.

“Are you only allowed to visit once every four hours?” Tang Yunxi asked. She really wanted to go in and talk to Grandpa so that he would know how much she regretted her stubbornness and selfishness in the past. She hoped that Grandpa wouldn’t take it to heart. She hoped that Grandpa would be healthy and happy.

“If there are no other complications, you can be transferred out of the ICU ward in two days. At that time, as long as it doesn’t affect the patient’s rest, there won’t be a problem,” the doctor explained.

“Thank you, Dr. Chen!”

“You’re welcome. This is what I should do. I’ll get back to work first!”

After the doctor left, the Tang family looked at Grandpa through the window.

They were in a good mood. They seemed to be on the verge of victory.

In the following time, everyone discussed how to take turns guarding Grandpa.

At night, Tang Moxi was normally there, but Liuli insisted on being with Tang Moxi.

During the day, it was Tang Yunxi and Tang Yanxi who were guarding.

This night was obviously better than last night.

Tang Moxi asked the hospital to help them open a temporary bed so that Liuli could take a nap if she couldn’t hold on anymore.

In this way, they took turns guarding Grandpa for two days.

Finally, Grandpa Tang left the 1CU ward. The entire family was gathered in the ward. “Let’s just chat for a while. The patient is still very weak and needs to rest,” the nurse reminded. “Okay, thank you!” Tang Moxi replied.

“Nurse, when can my grandfather start eating?” Liuli asked.

“48 hours later!” the nurse replied.

“Huh? Oh!” Liuli replied, looking a little disappointed.

“It’s okay. When we can eat, Grandpa will eat the best red braised pork cooked by Liuli!” Tang Sheng comforted Liuli instead. Liuli couldn’t help but laugh.

Because they were afraid of affecting Grandpa’s rest, the family didn’t chat with him for too long and let him rest. Tang Moxi, Liuli, and Tang Yanxi went back first. Tang Yunxi and the caregiver were left in the ward to guard Grandpa.

After returning to the Tang family, Liuli, who had been very excited just now, relaxed and became dispirited.

“Go take a shower. You can have a good sleep later!” Tang Moxi said gently as he ruffled her hair.

“Okay!” Liuli nodded like a chick pecking at rice. The next second, she raised her head and protested righteously, “Brother Moxi, didn’t we agree not to touch my head!”

“Why can’t I touch your head?” Tang Moxi asked, despite knowing the answer.

“I’m not a child. You can’t always bully me like this,” Liuli replied directly.

“You mean that when 1 feel happy, I shouldn’t touch your head but should express it in other ways?” Tang Moxi raised his eyebrows and asked.

“Of course!” Liuli nodded firmly.

“Alright, maybe you’re right! Then let’s do it in an adult way” Tang Moxi replied with a smile.

This was crazy.

“Don’t ever kiss me like that again!”

In the end, Liuli could not help but protest.

In the end, she was alone in the bedroom. Mr. Tang had just answered a call and gone to the study.

Great that she was alone.

In the end, Liuli shook her head and shook away all the images in her mind, ordering herself to sleep quickly.

She still needed to visit Grandpa Tang at night!

Liuli soon fell asleep.

When Tang Moxi was done with his work, he returned to the bedroom.

She saw Liuli hugging the blanket and sleeping soundly. She was even snoring when she was in a deep sleep.

She was just like a sleeping piglet who looked extremely cute.

Tang Moxi’s cold face softened.

After taking a shower, he lay down beside Liuli.

At this moment, Liuli instinctively came over to Tang Moxi’s room and hugged Mr. Tang, before continuing to sleep.

Tang Moxi’s heart was warmed again at Liuli’s actions.

The two of them were in a deep sleep.

Until Tang Yanxi called, Tang Moxi woke up on the first ring of his cell phone. He picked up the cell phone.

“Brother, I’ve already made dinner. Do you and Sister-in-law want to come over and eat first?” Tang Yanxi asked on the other end of the phone.

“Alright, we’ll be there in 15 minutes,” Tang Moxi replied after looking at the time on his phone.

After hanging up, he turned around and met Liuli’s round eyes..