Chapter 9: You're not angry?
Early in the morning, Inside the hospital ward, the wind is blowing gently while the light peeks out from the curtain. Zuli slowly opens her eyes, she squinted and look around, seeing this familiar place she felt suffocated inside.
The memories of the past keep coming one after another, playing in her mind like a movie.
Zuli stared at the ceiling blankly for some time, she hardly came back to her senses when somebody unlocked the door.
Grandpa Jerome grinned at her and inquire gently,
"You're awake! How are you feeling?"
Zuli replied calmly,
"Mhmm, I'm fine…." She frowned slightly and held her head, 'ugh! '
When he saw this, Grandpa Jerome jump up in fright. he quickly walks towards her and grabs her hand,
"Zuli what's wrong? don't scare grandpa! Say something!"
Zuli's mouth tugged unnoticeably, she said to his grandpa reassuringly.
"I'm fine... it's just my head hurts a lot."
Grandpa Jerome heaves a sigh of relief,
"You almost frightened this old man to death! I thought you were having amnesia after you hit your head on the floor last night."
Zuli was left speechless, she finally understood why the back of her head hurt so much. Remembering what happened last night, she heaves a long sigh and said in her heart.
'at least my head injury didn't go in vain, I stopped our engagement'
She laughs out loud, hearing his granddaughter's uncanny laughter, grandpa Jerome felt the goosebumps rise from his feet to the back of his neck. Feeling that she is not stopping anytime soon and that she even had a tear in her eyes, grandpa Jerome could only pat her little head and spoke.
"Alright! Stop it already, why are you laughing so hard, you're moving so much, you might injure yourself."
Zuli nodded her head, wipe the tear from the corner of her eye and ask her grandpa,
"Grandpa, did you also sleep here last night? You should also take care of yourself. What if you catch a cold, you should go home now and send a little nanny to take care of me instead."
Listening to the concern in her voice, grandpa Jerome felt even sadder. He stared at her with tears in his eyes and said remorsefully.
"I'm sorry lily, grandpa didn't take care of you. Grandpa is useless"
Zuli was speechless, why is he crying now?
"Grandpa! What are you talking about? You dote on me the most and you have taken care of me since young, so stop blaming yourself it's only a fever."
Grandpa Jerome promptly wiped his tears and replied softly,
"Zuli, about last night, grandpa…., grandpa also wants to apologize, grandpa thought that we should cancel your engagement first and think about it more. how about it? Although that boy from the Eckart family is handsome, I think you're not suitable for each other."
Zuli's mouth twitch and thought to herself,
'So, this old man is using his tears to attack her. He got all sentimental just to entice her to cancel the engagement that he organized for her on purpose, what a sly old man!
And here she thought that her head injury is worth it, Zuli lifts her brows a little. she glanced at her grandpa suspiciously,
"Oh, I thought that you didn't finish the announcement last night? And..."
She paused for a moment, blinking her eyes innocently, and said jokingly,
"I was only 8 that time when I told you that I want to marry him, Grandpa! How could you believe a little girl's words so readily?"
Grandpa Jerome was dumbfounded by his granddaughter's words, he felt wronged.
What absurdity are you talking about! everyone can see that you admired that pretty boy so much. But seeing the seriousness in her eyes, he could only swallow the words that were about to come out of his mouth.
He coughs twice before he said guiltily,
"Ahem, I thought you still like him and I wanted to give you a surprise and so, I talked to your grandpa Vincent privately, we agreed to betrothed the both of you and announced it on your birthday banquet."
Seeing the guilty look in her grandfather's eyes and hearing him calling Cai "Pretty boy", she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Zuli raises her brow, "Why not go directly to grandpa Vincent and ask for his forgiveness, why are you apologizing to me instead?"
Grandpa Jerome was stunned, he asks hesitantly,
"Uh ahh…. but are you sure that you're not angry that the engagement is not declared openly last night? I mean we still can..."
Before he could proceed with his words, Zuli cut him off and said calmly. "mhmm although I like big brother Cai a lot when I was young, we cannot like someone for the rest of our life right, grandpa?"
Grandpa Jerome almost chokes on his saliva, he didn't even sleep a blink last night. he was so worried that she might break down and worsen her condition, but now his worries are unnecessary.
Grandpa Jerome still didn't want to believe her, so he looks at her suspiciously and asks in doubt.
"Really? You're not joking right?"
Zuli saw that her grandpa was scrutinizing her, he didn't believe what she meant, he understood that his granddaughter liked that pretty boy from the Eckart family a lot, hand er behavior towards him is even quite special. She can even pick up the stars from the sky just to please him.
Zuli's face was calm, so calm that grandpa Jerome almost assumes that it was only his misconceptions that his granddaughter liked Cai.
Zuli can't take the silence anymore and said to his grandpa,
"Stop it already! I'm telling the truth"
Grandpa Jerome is still not convinced and spoke worriedly,
"Did your head slam the floor hard last night? Should I call the doctor to verify that you didn't suffer a concussion or something?"
He then hastily walked towards the door; his voice is tinged with worry but he was beaming from ear to ear.
When he opened the door, he bumps into Cai and the twins. He gives Cai a sidelong glance and snorted coldly before walking away. The twins are a little bit speechless, then give each other a weird look, while Cai's face stayed stoic.
Grandpa Jerome didn't even bother giving face to this chap anymore. When Zuli determined to bother him, she was only 6 years old. for heaven's sake! who would want their granddaughter to cling to another man at such a young age? When she was supposed to be docile and act like a princess.
Although at first, he was unwilling to betroth his granddaughter to him, He could only yield because his granddaughter's happiness matters the most. he also thought that being fancied by his granddaughter is the greatest blessing of his life, so he should be thankful that his grandpa is his closest friend.
But now? Mhmm! He gives a loud snort in his heart, fat chance! He'd rather take care of his lovely granddaughter than share her attention with anyone.
Back in the VIP ward, Zuli was slightly startled to see the twins, particularly when she saw Cai. though she admitted it in her heart that she was slightly touched. She could only conceal her emotions and let them fly with the wind.
She could still remember what he did last night! Her ears flush slightly, and although she feels that he intentionally teases and acts intimate with her last night, the reality is bitter. It was only delusions that she made in her mind; how long will it take to make her affection from her past life disappear? She felt worried and annoyed inside.
Stroking the slight swelling in the back of her head, Zuli's emotion calms down a bit.
'Maybe...maybe I don't have to wait for long' she comforts herself in her heart and forces herself to smile.
Joshua with his bubbly personality was the first to pounce at her and pinch her cheeks.
"Lily! how are you feeling? You almost terrified us to death. why didn't you inform us that you still have a fever! We can just move your birthday party when you're done recuperating."
Everyone knew that Zuli's body is weak since she was a baby, but everyone also knew that if she wants to celebrate her birthday, even if she was sick or it was raining cats and dogs outside, no one can stop her. Her title as an "arrogant princess" is not only for a show
Zuli only nodded her head to Joshua in acknowledgment and didn't say a word to him. her lively personality last night was nowhere to be seen on her frail and pale face.
Joshua and Caden were even more worried now, even Cai, who always have a cold face also frowned.
Caden put the fruit basket on the table and walk slowly toward her, pushing Joshua aside and asking gently,
"Lily, what's wrong, tell big brother did someone bully you?"
Out of the three brothers, except for Cai who she is trying to woo since young.
Zuli was particularly close to Caden and treat him as her true big brother. Joshua has a lively and playful character, he also likes to trick Zuli a lot, that's why they always quarrel when they are together. Caden on the other hand was very gentle like flowing water, he will always treat Zuli with care and pamper her like a princess.
Zuli shakes her head gently and looks at him with tears in her eyes. pointing her fingers to the back of her head and said with a quivering voice.
"Caddy, My head hurts…. It hurts so bad and I... I almost died last night"
Peter patter... Slowly Zuli's tears streamed down her cheek like a faucet.
Joshua was dumbfounded that he almost puke blood when he asked her earlier, she only nodded her head without a word but when his twin brother asked, she did not only reply but she also cried pitifully... this is injustice, this is bullying!
He stared at Zuli with heartache, and jealousy is clear in his brown eyes,
"Zuli! how can you do this to your older brother... you're so heartless! I even bought you a lot of delicious food for you to eat, can't you at least try to treat me better? do you despise me that much?"
Clutching his chest like he suffered a big blow, he was about to continue his acting when Mother Celine went in and slapped the back of his head while reprimanding him,
"What are you doing in front of lily! Can't you see she is not feeling well! what will you do if you scare her?"
Joshua was shocked and dishearten, he wanted to complain when he suddenly heard Zuli's bell-like laughter, his frustration banished in a Flash. He turned around to see Zuli grinning at him, this ungrateful girl.
"I was just messing with you," she said gloatingly,
Mother Celine also grinned at Zuli and approach the bed, holding her hand gently, she raises a question.
"Baby! How are you? You worried this aunt so much last night, how are you feeling? Are hurt somewhere?"
Zuli stared at her aunt with sadness and melancholy, she likes this ex-mother-in-law a lot. She may be quite slow in understanding things sometimes, but she doted a lot on her since young and treat her as her daughter. Biting her lower lip to hold back her tears. She reached out to clasp mother Celine's arm and behaves surely toward her,
"mmmm, I'm fine by the way, aunt you didn't visit me for a long time. I miss your cooking very much!"
Listening to her reply, Mother Celine chuckled.
"Your uncle is required to attend an event overseas, so I have to come along to take care of him. You should have called if you miss me! "
Mother Celine suddenly exclaims while putting her hand on her forehead and said to Zuli.
"I forgot your gifts! I bought you a lot of new bags and dresses, it's still in the capital though, I will deliver them to you when we get back to the capital."