Chapter 6: Secrets Exposed

Yaqi cried until her sobs slowly quieted down. She knew it was her fault, that she shouldn’t be crying, but she couldn’t stop the tears.

It took a long time before she finally managed to hold back the tears.

After a while, Aunt Zhao came back. As soon as she entered, she saw Yaqi sitting on the sofa with reddened eyes, staring blankly. Auntie hurried over, looking worried.

“Yaqi… what’s wrong?”

“N-nothing. Just remembering something from before…”

“If you need anything, just tell Auntie.”

“Mm… really, it’s nothing. Thank you, Auntie.”

“…Alright. By the way, where’s Liu Ya? Wasn’t she on the sofa just now?”

“Ah. Liu Ya… she seemed a bit unwell and went back to her room.”

“Oh?”

Auntie hesitated for a second, then let out a laugh. Yaqi looked confused.

“What do you mean, unwell? Oh dear, Liu Ya is still a child.”

“No, Auntie, actually…”

Yaqi wanted to confess what had happened between her and Liu Ya, but the words got stuck in her throat. Aunt Zhao smiled and waved her hand, then patted Yaqi’s head.

“Yaqi, do you think Liu Ya has changed a lot?”

“Mm… and it’s because of me.”

“Huh?”

Auntie tilted her head in confusion. Yaqi looked down, bit her lip, and gathered her courage.

“Auntie, back then, I left without telling Liu Ya… was she very sad?”

Aunt Zhao understood. Her expression turned somber, and she gave a wry laugh.

“Ahaha… so that’s it. Did you and Liu Ya fight?”

“Mm. I made her sad.”

“Well… about that… at the time, Liu Ya’s father and I thought you had told her, so we didn’t think much of it.”

Yaqi quickly explained.

“I didn’t not tell her! Actually, I didn’t…”

“But I was too afraid to say it to her face, so I wrote a note and put it in her game console. But she must not have seen it.”

“Ah… is that so…”

“Mm.”

Yaqi nodded guiltily. Auntie sighed softly and gently wiped the tears from her eyes.

“In that case, I’m partly to blame too.”

“Ah? No, Auntie, how could it be your fault?”

“Hehe. I am at fault. After you left, a few days later, Liu Ya asked me where you were. I didn’t know, so I told her the truth.”

“If I had urged her more, maybe she would have found your note, and things wouldn’t have turned out this way.”

“But I didn’t… and then…”

“What happened then?”

Aunt Zhao didn’t continue. She just smiled faintly.

“Yaqi… there are some things Auntie finds hard to say. Don’t ask, okay?”

“Mm. I’m sorry, Auntie. It’s all my fault.”

“Don’t say that, Yaqi! As an outsider, let me be fair: you did nothing wrong. Life inevitably has partings. No one can change that.”

“I…”

Auntie gently held her shoulders and said with a smile, “Don’t worry, Yaqi. Trust me. Liu Ya hasn’t changed. She’s still the same as when she was little. Just be with her like before. There might be some misunderstandings… but they can be cleared up. Don’t be afraid.”

“Really?”

“Mm, it’s fine.”

“…I understand. Thank you, Auntie.”

“It’s nothing. Now the water is ready. You go take a bath first. You must be tired from transferring schools today. Soak and relax. Clear your mind, then think about these things.”

“Okay. But what about Liu Ya?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll have her join you in a bit.”

Yaqi’s face showed some hesitation.

“She probably doesn’t want to see me… Maybe I should let her go first.”

“Oh, have you forgotten what I just told you? Trust me. Just do as I say.”

“…Alright.”

“That’s my girl! Go ahead and get in. By the way, Yaqi, your change of clothes is in that red box, right? I’ll bring them to you.”

“No need, I can get them myself.”

“Oh, don’t be polite with me. Unless you have some secret you don’t want Auntie to see, hehe.”

“Of course not…”

“Haha! Then don’t be shy. Put your dirty clothes in the basket like before.”

“Okay.”

At the bathroom door, Yaqi took off her sweat-soaked clothes, folded them neatly, and placed them in the basket. She slid the door open and stepped inside. The bath in the middle was already filled, steam rising.

“Yaqi, like before, I’ll put your change of clothes on the shelf!”

“Oh, okay!”

Aunt Zhao went upstairs. Yaqi looked around the empty bathroom, and memories of bathing and playing with Liu Ya here flooded back. Her eyes stung again, but she remembered Auntie’s words.

‘Is Liu Ya really the same as before? She seems so different from the one in my memories… But it’s all my fault.’

‘Why am I always like this, messing everything up? If I had just said it directly back then, nothing would have happened. But I had to…’

‘Living under the same roof, Liu Ya probably hates it. I should have insisted on boarding. Uncle Liu didn’t agree, but if I had insisted, he might have. Then things wouldn’t have gotten this bad…’

“Ugh…”

Yaqi rinsed off with the shower, pushed her bangs aside, and stepped into the bath with heavy limbs. She sat down, staring blankly at the still water.

On the other side, Aunt Zhao knocked softly on Liu Ya’s door.

“Liu Ya, can I come in?”

“Mm…”

Aunt Zhao turned the handle and pushed the door open. She saw Liu Ya lying on the bed, face buried in the blanket. She sat down beside her and gently stroked her back.

“Why aren’t you holding Xiao Qi?”

“…Don’t want to.”

“Liu Ya, will you listen to me for a bit?”

“Mm.”

“Just now, Yaqi asked me about what happened when you found out she had left.”

Liu Ya sat up abruptly, looking flustered.

“Auntie, you didn’t tell her, did you?”

“Don’t worry. I know better than that.”

“Good… I don’t want her to know how pathetic I was.”

Liu Ya curled up, hugging her legs tightly and burying her face in her knees. Aunt Zhao watched her for a moment, then gently took her hand.

“I might be meddling, but… Liu Ya, did you fight with Yaqi just now?”

“Mm…”

“Do you hate her now?”

“No…”

“So you still like Yaqi, deep down.”

“Mm… Er, no! I don’t! Who likes her…”

Liu Ya fidgeted nervously. Aunt Zhao grabbed her waving hand and held it gently.

“Haha, sorry, sorry. I misspoke. So you don’t hate her, right?”

“Of course I don’t…”

“Mm-hmm. I know you were very sad back then. I’m not taking Yaqi’s side. I think it’s okay that you were angry.”

“After all, if it were me, and my closest… beloved person left without a word, I’d be angry too!”

“Right? …Well, not exactly.”

“Mm-hmm. But now Yaqi is back. It’s not some blood feud. Why can’t you start over?”

“…Then all my sadness over the years… what was it all for? Don’t I look like a total fool?”

Aunt Zhao couldn’t help but laugh. Liu Ya blushed and stared at her resentfully.

“Auntie…”

“Ah… sorry, sorry.”

“But Liu Ya, let the past be the past. What matters is cherishing the present, doesn’t it? This is a rare chance. Do you want to let it slip away?”

“Ugh… but…”

“And I think if you give up this opportunity, you’ll regret it.”

“…”

“Every loss has its gain! Now you can finally go out, and you’re so accomplished!”

“That’s because…”

Liu Ya started to explain excitedly, but the words caught in her throat. She lowered her head. Aunt Zhao patted her hand softly.

“Mm, you don’t have to be embarrassed. I know the reason. And I think there’s nothing shameful about it. After all, you achieved it, didn’t you?”

“…Mm.” Liu Ya nodded silently.

“So isn’t this the perfect opportunity? Isn’t this what you’ve been working toward all this time?”

“But… wouldn’t that make me look weak?”

“Heh… Don’t worry. No. In fact, it shows how mature you’ve become.”

“R-really?”

“Liu Ya, I’ve watched you and Yaqi grow up. Some unpleasant things happened, but I don’t think it changes anything. Even the closest family has misunderstandings. Once you talk it out, things go back to how they were.”

“Just now, Yaqi was very upset too. She was full of guilt and self-blame when she talked to me. She’s really reflecting. Give her a chance.”

“Everyone makes mistakes, right? Don’t be angry anymore. Do it for me, okay? Haha.”

“…Mm, fine. Besides, I wasn’t really angry to begin with.”

“Haha, that’s my girl! I knew you’d understand.”

Aunt Zhao pulled Liu Ya into a hug, stroking her head and swaying gently. Though a bit embarrassed, Liu Ya felt it wasn’t bad. She leaned into the warm embrace.

“Look at you now. You’ve grown into a lovely young lady, so beautiful, so brilliant in your studies. How could you let a small thing like this bother you? Right?”

“Mm…”

“Yaqi can’t even imagine how amazing you are now! I remember she used to tutor you; maybe now she’ll have to come to Teacher Liu for help!”

Hearing this, Liu Ya perked up a little. She sat up, a hint of pride in her voice.

“That’s true… During self-study today, Yaqi couldn’t understand the book and just fell asleep!”

“Ah? Really? The same Yaqi who loved studying?”

“Yeah, I was surprised too.”

“Then from now on, Teacher Liu will have to take care of little Yaqi, okay?”

“Mm… I suppose I could.”

Auntie flattered Liu Ya, and it worked; Liu Ya seemed much happier. Auntie breathed a sigh of relief and smiled inwardly, thinking how cute she was.

Suddenly, Liu Ya realized something. Her body stiffened, face turning bright red. She slowly looked down, stealing a glance at Auntie, her voice growing quieter.

“No… Auntie… I never told anyone… how did you know…”

Seeing Liu Ya blushing like a teenage girl caught with a secret, Auntie knew she had said too much. She laughed awkwardly.

“Can I say it? Uh, haha…”

“You already did…”

Aunt Zhao weighed her options but felt it was hard to explain. Seeing Liu Ya on the verge of tears, she finally sighed and spoke reluctantly.

“Don’t be mad at me, okay?”

“I won’t! Auntie, please tell me…”

“Well… you see, when I do your laundry… sometimes there are…”

Auntie didn’t finish. She just gave Liu Ya a meaningful look and an awkward smile. Liu Ya understood immediately and felt so humiliated she wanted to disappear. She gripped the bedsheet tightly.

“That’s…”

Before she could finish, Auntie continued.

“And sometimes, when I brought you snacks at night… I didn’t mean to eavesdrop! I just happened to hear you… busy… calling Yaqi’s name…”

“…”

Liu Ya’s eyes, which had brightened moments ago, dimmed. She hung her head.

After a moment of silence, tears started to fall.

“Hey, hey! Don’t cry, Liu Ya… I didn’t mean to…”

“Wuwu…”

“Don’t cry. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s normal at your age. It’s a sign of health…”

“Wuwuwu…”

Liu Ya couldn’t say anything else. She just buried her face and cried.

Though Aunt Zhao was not blood-related, Liu Ya had long considered her family, a true member of the household.

She had never imagined these embarrassing secrets would be exposed so plainly. At this moment, everything seemed ruined.

“Oh dear… I’m very open-minded. I don’t think this kind of feeling is wrong! You’re still you! Don’t worry.”

“Re-really?”

“Really, really! We’re not in the old days. I’m not an old fossil, am I?”

“Don’t many girls at your school like you? You’re not alone. And you and Yaqi have been close since childhood. It makes sense!”

“…Did you tell Old Liu? He didn’t hear, did he?”

“No, no. Whenever I knew you were busy, I made excuses to send him away. Rest assured.”

“I see… Thank you, Auntie.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Liu Ya sniffled, looking shyly at Auntie. Her eyes were like those of a little rabbit seeking protection from its mother: helpless, pitiful, and longing for dependence.

Aunt Zhao felt a strange emotion in her heart. She looked at her quietly, stroked her head, smiled faintly, and gently held her hand.

“Don’t worry, Liu Ya. I’ll always be your support! You can always trust me.”

“…Thank you, Auntie.”

Aunt Zhao leaned in, kissed Liu Ya’s forehead, and pressed her cheek against hers. Liu Ya snuggled into her arms, smiling with relief.

“Ah, but I still need to say a few things.”

“Mm. Go ahead.”

Auntie whispered in Liu Ya’s ear.

“Now that Yaqi is back, your private time might be reduced. Try to keep… that kind of thing to a minimum. You should also take care of your health.”

“Uhm… I don’t do it often…”

“I know. Just a reminder. It wouldn’t be good if Yaqi found out, right?”

“Mm… okay. I understand.”

“But if you really need to, just tell me. I’ll cover for you.”

“Ah? No, no…”

Liu Ya refused verbally, but after a moment’s silence, she nodded shyly. Aunt Zhao smiled, put her index finger to her lips, signaling it was their secret. Liu Ya nodded in understanding.

Then Auntie patted Liu Ya’s back.

“Alright. Now go take a bath. Yaqi is waiting. I promised her you’d come down. Don’t make me break my word!”

“Ah? Together?”

“What? Don’t you want to?”

“It’s not that…”

“Hehe, I thought so. Go on down. I need to find Yaqi’s clothes… Let me see… where are they…”

Aunt Zhao stood up and walked to the suitcase in the hallway. Liu Ya sat on the bed for a moment, gritted her teeth, then quickly ran out of the room.

“Um… give me the clothes. I’ll take them down.”

“Huh? Are you sure?”

“Mm!”

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Aunt Zhao quickly found the clothes. Liu Ya went back to her room to get her own, then took Auntie’s offered clothes and headed downstairs to the bathroom.

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