Chapter 899
Lillian shot Jackson a playful glare. "Come on, talk right!"
Ophelia wasn't Cupid, so what was he doing making random wishes here?
Jackson turned to look at Lillian, his expression innocent.
"I'm speaking from the heart. How am I not talking right? You're not your mom, so how do you know she doesn't like hearing this?"
Lillian was momentarily speechless, but Jackson suddenly raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"See? Your mom likes hearing it. She agrees with me."
Lillian followed Jackson's gaze and saw a beam of light hitting the photo on the tombstone at that exact moment. The wind blew, causing the shadows of the trees to sway, and the light danced on the photo.
Ophelia's smile seemed particularly vivid, as if she were genuinely happy to see them.
Lillian looked at Jackson in surprise, and they both shared a smile.
As they stood up, Lillian stepped forward to wipe the dust off the tombstone.
"Mom, I'll take good care of Grandpa and Grandma. Don't worry, we'll come back to see you another day. Once Ruby's situation is resolved, I'll come and tell you."
She turned around to find Jackson standing in front of her.
Lillian smiled and reached out her hand, thinking he wanted to hold hands. But Jackson didn't take her hand.
Instead, he turned his back and squatted down. Lillian was momentarily stunned, then laughed and climbed onto his broad shoulders.
He wanted to carry her down, and she wasn't going to be shy about it. After all, he had been quite rough last night. If she didn't practice dancing every day, with her stamina and resilience much stronger than the average woman, she might not have been able to get out of bed today. Her legs were still a bit weak and sore from the climb up.
Jackson must have noticed her unsteady steps and decided to carry her.
Lillian enjoyed Jackson's thoughtfulness, poking his shoulder with her finger.
"Alright, let's go!"
Jackson held her legs and stood up, giving her a little bounce.
"Hold on tight."
Lillian almost lost her balance and instinctively tightened her grip around Jackson's neck, pressing herself firmly against him.
Jackson felt her body pressing against his back, sending a tingling sensation up his spine. He stiffened and took a deep breath, turning his head to look at her, his voice hoarse.
"Loosen up a bit. I said hold on tight, not choke me and seduce me."
Lillian let out a playful hum near Jackson's ear and loosened her grip slightly.
"If you get tired, let me know. I can walk down by myself."
Lillian said, concerned, as she remembered that she had slept for a while last night and napped in the car this morning, but Jackson hadn't slept at all and had driven the whole way.
Jackson didn't stop walking but moved his hand from her right leg.
Lillian felt herself slipping and quickly tightened her grip around Jackson's neck, wrapping her legs around his lean waist.
The next second, a sharp sound echoed.
Jackson had smacked her butt.
Lillian let out a surprised yelp, her eyes watering as she turned to look at him, her innocent expression making Jackson's eyes darken.
"Are you questioning my age or my stamina?" Jackson raised an eyebrow, his gaze dangerous.
Lillian was taken aback. She was just genuinely concerned about him.
"No, no, you're the best. Just carry me down. I need to catch up on sleep when we get home," she said, giving Jackson a quick kiss on the cheek, the sound crisp.
Jackson then held her legs again and walked down the steps with a light, steady pace.
Lillian dangled her legs and rested her face against Jackson's broad shoulder. His long strides made her feel safe. She closed her eyes, basking in the sun, breathing in Jackson's comforting scent.
Soon, Lillian yawned twice, feeling drowsy.
Oberon and the others were waiting outside the cemetery. Ambrose was driving, and Oberon and Flora were chatting in the back seat.
"Lillian, Lillian..." Flora was visibly anxious, constantly looking out the car window.
Oberon reassured her. "Lillian will be down soon. Drink this water. If she's not back by the time you finish, we'll call her."
Flora nodded and was about to drink when her eyes lit up, pointing outside.
"Lillian!"
Oberon leaned over to look and saw Jackson carrying a slender woman down the tall steps. Seeing Jackson carrying Lillian down, Oberon felt a bit relieved.
"At least he knows how to take care of her."
Flora stared outside, watching Jackson and Lillian get closer, their figures partially obscured by a pine tree. She almost leaned out of the car window.
Oberon, worried she might hurt herself, raised his hand to block the window and patted her.
"They'll be here soon. No need to rush."
Flora finally sat back, turning to Oberon with a smile.
"Remember that year we went up the mountain to pay respects to my father? You carried me down just like that."
Oberon was stunned, looking at Flora in surprise. His eyes grew red and moist.
Of course, he remembered. He was amazed and delighted that Flora remembered too.
In recent years, Flora had been confused more often than not. Though she hadn't reached the point of not recognizing people, she was very dependent on him. She had forgotten all their youthful memories.
Oberon often talked to her about the past, but Flora rarely reacted. He had grown accustomed to it, thinking he would keep those memories alone. As long as he remembered, their story remained.
But sometimes, he felt a sense of loss and frustration. He hadn't expected Flora to suddenly recall the past at this moment. Even a small memory was enough to show she hadn't completely forgotten.
Oberon's throat tightened, and he held Flora's hand, excited.
"Yes, yes, I carried you down the mountain. Do you remember what I said?"
Flora glared at Oberon, as if confused by his question, and replied.
"Of course I remember. You said you'd carry me until we were old. But look at you now, you can't even carry me anymore. Such big talk!"
Oberon widened his eyes. "Who says I can't carry you? I can still carry you! Come on, get out of the car, I'll show you."
Oberon had indeed said that. As he turned to open the car door, he discreetly wiped his eyes. Once he got out of the car, Oberon helped Flora out as well.
Ambrose was equally astonished. Flora's demeanor and speech just now were completely normal.
Seeing Oberon excitedly pulling Flora out of the car and actually squatting down to carry her, Ambrose finally reacted. He quickly opened the car door and stepped out to stop him.
"Grandpa, be careful."
Oberon was over eighty years old. If he tried to carry Flora, he might hurt his back. Worse, if he fell, it could be a serious problem.
But as soon as Ambrose tried to pull Oberon back, Oberon shook off his hand stubbornly.
"Careful of what? I can do it! I said I would, and I will! I need to prove it to your grandma. Now move aside and don't get in the way."
"No, Grandpa, you can't..."
Ambrose tried to stop him again, but Oberon frowned. "Ambrose, don't you believe in your grandpa?"
Seeing Oberon's determined expression, Ambrose was at a loss.
Just then, Jackson came out carrying Lillian and saw the scene.
Lillian quickly asked Jackson to put her down and hurried over.
"Ambrose, what's going on?"
Ambrose, seeing her as a savior, was about to speak when Oberon excitedly grabbed Lillian's hand.
"Lillian, your grandma remembered things from when we were young!"
"Really?" Lillian was equally surprised and delighted.
Oberon nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, she remembers! I knew she remembered me, remembered the things we did and said. I promised to carry her down the mountain even when we were old. Help your grandma onto my back."
Oberon turned around, holding onto the car for support, ready to squat down.
Lillian was stunned, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. She looked at Ambrose.
Ambrose shrugged, silently indicating, "I can't stop him. You try."
Lillian then glared at Jackson, thinking it was all his fault.
Oberon's competitive spirit must have been triggered by seeing Jackson carry her. Men and their pride, it never changes.
Jackson felt innocent under her glare.
But if Oberon got hurt because of this, Jackson would feel responsible, too.
He stepped forward to persuade. "Mr. Kelly, the ground here is uneven. If you want to carry Mrs. Kelly, you can do it in your own yard."
"No, I have to do it now." Oberon was particularly stubborn.
Lillian tried to persuade him, too, but Oberon started to get upset, becoming as stubborn as a child.
Lillian was at a loss when Jackson gave her a reassuring look and suddenly said to Oberon.
"Mr. Kelly, why don't you get back in the car and ask Mrs. Kelly if she remembers anything else? We should hurry down the mountain and get a doctor to check on her. Maybe her condition has improved."
Oberon immediately realized the sense in Jackson's words.
"Yes, yes, you're right." Oberon agreed, then realized it was Jackson speaking, someone he didn't particularly like.
He gave Jackson another look, coughed, and turned to help Flora back into the car.
Lillian was also concerned about Flora's condition and instinctively wanted to get into Ambrose's car.
Jackson gently grabbed her arm.
"Lillian, I'm not familiar with the roads in Seaspring Valley City. Can you guide me?"
Lillian was speechless. On the way here, she had slept the whole time, and he had driven by himself. What a flimsy excuse.
But Oberon, hearing this from the car, thought about how Flora had remembered their past because of Jackson. He suddenly found Jackson more agreeable and said to Lillian, "Lillian, you ride with him."
Before Lillian could react, Oberon closed the car door and hurriedly instructed Ambrose to drive. In the blink of an eye, all that was left was the car's exhaust.
Lillian couldn't believe it. She turned to Jackson, "Did Grandpa and the others just leave me here?"
Jackson chuckled, his chest vibrating with laughter. He wrapped his arm around Lillian's waist, pulling her close. "To be precise, they left you with me."
Seeing Lillian still in a daze, Jackson's expression darkened slightly. "What? Your grandpa clearly has a better opinion of me now. Aren't you happy?"
Jackson lifted her chin with his finger, making her look into his dangerous eyes. Lillian quickly responded, "Happy! Of course, I'm happy. But this is just so..."
She wanted to say it was too easy. But Jackson narrowed his eyes, and Lillian swallowed her words. "Alright, let's catch up with them. We need to see how Grandma is doing."
She pushed Jackson away and got into the car first. Jackson watched her back, his lips curling into a smile before he followed.
When Lillian and Jackson arrived back at the Kelly Manor, the doctor was already there. It was the usual doctor who treated Flora. Flora sat on the living room sofa, holding Oberon's hand, her eyes still clear and innocent.
Seeing Lillian walk in quickly, Flora immediately waved happily, then looked a bit upset, holding her stomach. "Lillian, I'm hungry. I want some buttery cookies."
Lillian, who had been anxious to ask about Flora's condition, saw Flora still acting the same and felt her hope dim. She quickly masked her disappointment and smiled at Flora. "Alright, I'll bake some cookies for you right now."
Lillian said and turned to head to the kitchen. Jackson glanced at her back before walking into the living room. The doctor was packing up his medical kit, ready to leave.
"Thank you for coming," Oberon nodded to the doctor and instructed Ambrose to personally see him out. Once they left, Jackson looked at Oberon with concern. He worried that Oberon might be too disappointed, having had his hopes raised for nothing.
But Oberon's expression remained calm, showing no obvious signs of sadness or joy. Jackson was about to offer some words of comfort when Oberon suddenly looked at him and asked, "Isn't the Saul Pena medical project one of your investments?"
Star Group had a pharmaceutical company and close ties with major medical schools and research institutes. Oberon didn't specify which project. Jackson was slightly surprised and asked, "How did you know?"
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