Heart Flutter

Chapter 100

Ji Yuqing had always believed that her father’s death wouldn’t stir a single ripple in her heart—not grief, not even the faintest emotional disturbance. She thought this night would be like any other ordinary night, as unremarkable as a breeze rustling the treetops or strands of hair brushing her earlobe—nothing that would make her pause.

Throughout the day-long funeral, she kept her composure in front of the many guests. Her face was a cold mask, and not a single tear fell. She seemed like a stranger, uninvolved and unaffected.

She hated him. Yes, she truly did. She hated his infidelity, and she hated his heartlessness. He had hurt so many people—especially her mother. Ji Yuqing could never forgive him.

But people are complicated creatures. When everything quieted down and she was alone with her thoughts, her mind couldn’t help but drift back to memories of childhood. Back when the three of them lived in the old alley, with little money but plenty of joy. Back then, her father had belonged only to her—and he had adored her most of all.

She could still remember his warm smile when he spoiled her. The clearer the memory, the more it hurt. It was that same man who had once built her a happy home… and who had later destroyed it with his own hands.

And now, he was gone forever. That reality struck something deep inside her. She finally realized—she would never have a father again.

Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was the moment Yanyan came looking for her, but that tightly wound string inside her finally snapped. The emotions she had buried for so long came pouring out.

Tang Yan was completely flustered. She had never seen Aunt Ji like this before. All she could do in that moment was hold her tightly and stay with her, no hesitation, no questions asked.

It took a long time, but eventually, the storm passed. Ji Yuqing let go of her hand, wiped her tears, and smiled. “Sorry you had to see me like this.”

Tang Yan quickly shook her head and scrambled to pull tissues out of her pocket—though she had no idea why she even had tissues on her. Ji Yuqing took them with a soft smile and said, “Thank you, Yanyan.”

Something had quietly shifted between them, though neither noticed it yet.

They sat by the lake for a while, letting the wind brush past. Ji Yuqing seemed more composed now, her hands resting on the bench behind her.

“Do you want to know what I’ve been doing lately?” she asked.

Tang Yan nodded at first, then quickly shook her head, which surprised Ji Yuqing. She said, “If Aunt Ji doesn’t want to tell me, I won’t ask. But if you do, I’ll be here to listen.”

“I went to my father’s memorial and funeral today,” Ji Yuqing said calmly. “That was the last bit of respect I could offer him. That woman who destroyed my family is now trying to partner with outsiders to take over everything the Shen family owns.”

“You mean your classmate’s mom?” Tang Yan asked, shocked.

“I didn’t want to get involved at first. After my mom and I changed our last name to Ji, I thought I had nothing to do with the Shen family anymore. But I met with my mom recently, and she told me everything. That woman has been causing chaos ever since she married into the Shen family. She took everything that should’ve belonged to my mother. Now I’m going to take it all back for her—bit by bit.”

Tang Yan looked worried. “Do you think you can win?”

Ji Yuqing gazed out at the still lake. “I’ve been gathering strong evidence and working closely with the lawyers. We’ve got the best plan ready. Now we wait for the trial.”

Tang Yan didn’t understand legal matters, but she just hoped Aunt Ji would be safe. That was all she cared about.

She had never met her classmate’s mom, but based on everything she’d heard, she must be a ruthless and difficult woman. Tang Yan silently prayed for a peaceful resolution, for justice to be served.

“Come on, let’s head back,” Ji Yuqing said with a glance.

“Okay,” Tang Yan nodded. She secretly wished they could sit together a little longer. It had been such a long time since Aunt Ji had opened up like this. But time was on their side—there would be other nights like this.

That night, Tang Yan had a warm and vivid dream. In it, she and Aunt Ji lived in a beautiful estate, with a garden in the front and an endless green lawn in the back. They sipped tea and played with dogs, like they were already enjoying a peaceful retirement.

When she woke up, Tang Yan leaned against her headboard and laughed at how ridiculous the dream was. How would they end up in a fairy-tale manor overseas? But even so, it left her with a warm feeling.

Knock knock knock.

Tang Yan immediately looked toward the door.

“It’s Aunt Ji,” came the voice from outside. “Are you up? I made breakfast.”

Tang Yan almost thought she was hearing things. Had Aunt Ji really just said that? Had she really come to wake her up and tell her breakfast was ready? It had been so long since anything like that happened.

“Yes! I’m getting up now!” she called out excitedly, throwing off her blanket and jumping out of bed. She dressed, washed up in record time, and rushed to the dining table.

Ji Yuqing was just pouring fresh orange juice into two clear glasses and placing them in front of them.

“After breakfast, I have to head out,” she said, sitting down. “If you want anything for lunch, let me know. I’ll order it for you.”

Tang Yan shook her head with a bright smile. “No need, I’ll make something simple myself. Just stir-fry a few dishes.”

She was so, so happy. Aunt Ji was back—her warm, gentle Aunt Ji.

Even the salted fried egg tasted sweet. Everything around her seemed to be smiling.

“I’m heading out now.” Ji Yuqing stood up with her plate. Tang Yan almost choked—already? Then again, maybe she was just too slow, lost in her thoughts.

“Okay! Got it!”

After she left, Tang Yan suddenly got up halfway through her meal and ran to grab her phone. She sat down and quickly returned Pei Wen’s missed call.

“Hello? Tang Yan? Is she home now?”

“She is! She came back last night—I forgot to call you.”

“Everything okay?”

“Really good,” Tang Yan replied, beaming.

“You sound in a great mood today.”

“Yeah… not bad~” she said cheerfully.

Honestly, she couldn’t be happier.

Later, the court officially opened the inheritance case. According to Mr. Shen’s will, which was made public, Ji Yuqing was the primary heir. Of the 56% of company shares he owned, 36% went to Ji Yuqing and 20% to Shen Yuyin.

As for other assets, the two daughters split them equally, but all the real estate—domestic and overseas—was left to Ji Yuqing’s mother. Not a single piece went to Shen Yuyin’s mother. The properties and assets that she had tried to seize in secret were brought back through several lawsuits, backed by solid evidence from Ji Yuqing. In the end, justice prevailed.

The only thing left to Shen Yuyin’s mother was the villa she currently lived in. When the court verdict was read, the woman who always presented herself as a classy lady had a total breakdown, cursing the man who was no longer alive.

“I’ve been with you since I was eighteen, hiding from the world. You promised me a good life—this is your promise? Huh?” she sobbed messily, mascara streaking down her face.

Mr. Shen wasn’t foolish. A man who built such an empire wouldn’t be easily manipulated. In the end, he at least left her a house worth tens of millions. It wasn’t a complete betrayal.

The outcome brought a sense of closure—especially to Pei Wen, who teased Ji Yuqing, “Sis, next time your boss gives you trouble, just go buy out his company.”

Ji Yuqing smiled, playing along for once. “Shhh… low profile.”

Now that Shen Yuyin’s mother had nothing left but an empty house, the man she’d secretly been seeing for years took the first chance to flee with her money. Her own daughter was leaving her too.

After packing her last suitcase and watching the movers take it away, Shen Yuyin freshened up at her vanity. Her mother pleaded, “Yuyin, you can’t leave me. I have nothing left—just you.”

Shen Yuyin shot her a cold look. “Maybe you should’ve thought of that before.”

She turned fully to face her. “You were heartless even when Dad was dying. I couldn’t bear to watch what you did. As your daughter, I feel nothing but shame.”

“Don’t go, please don’t leave me!” Her mother clung to her.

Shen Yuyin pulled away. “Don’t worry. I won’t completely cut you off. I’ll send you a monthly living allowance so you won’t starve. You can still play the rich lady in front of others. But stay out of my life.”

Just as she was about to leave, she paused and added, “And stop using my money to support your boyfriends. You’ll end up with nothing—not even your underwear. That’s my advice.” She smiled. “Honestly, that allowance won’t go very far.”

Shen Yuyin had always been decisive. Even toward a mother as unworthy as hers, she remained firm. She had planned her move for a while now.

She’d already found a three-bedroom apartment in the third ring road—newly renovated, great environment. On moving day, she also arranged for movers to help Zhao Xiaoyun move in with her.

“So? What do you think of the place?” Shen Yuyin asked, expecting praise.

Zhao Xiaoyun twirled around. “It’s huge! Just the two of us living here?”

“Yup. Once I’m less busy with school, we’ll look around for something even better.”

“We’re moving again?” Zhao Xiaoyun was surprised.

“You don’t like it?”

“No, it’s just… this must be really expensive.”

“You gotta live in a place before deciding. Staying in one spot too long gets boring,” Shen Yuyin said.

Zhao Xiaoyun frowned. “Does that mean you’ll get bored of me too?”

“Hmm… not yet,” Shen Yuyin said with a mischievous smile, booping her nose.

At the school’s end-of-term celebration, Tang Yan was invited to give a speech as an outstanding student from the class of 2019. It was her first time speaking at such a formal event—an exciting and nerve-wracking experience.

The event was packed with alumni, media, and guests from all walks of life.

Girls were excitedly doing their makeup, discussing which alumni they might run into. Meanwhile, Tang Yan was backstage, tightly clutching her speech script, practicing again and again. She barely had time to fix her hair.

Soon, student council seniors came to fetch her. “Is Tang Yan here? Time to get ready!”

“Yes, coming!”

Her heart was racing.

“Good luck,” whispered Xia Zihan as she passed by.

Tang Yan was still nervous—what if she forgot her lines or embarrassed herself?

Zhao Xiaoyun, thanks to her connection with Shen Yuyin, also got into the event. Knowing Tang Yan was giving a speech, she came prepared with snacks and drinks and snagged the best seats.

Backstage, a makeup artist helped Tang Yan get ready. She filtered out all the noise, focusing only on her speech. Then she heard the host announce her name, department, and achievements.

Her heart was pounding, hands trembling, and she looked tense as she walked onto the stage. The audience stretched endlessly before her—all eyes on her.

“She looks really nervous,” Zhao Xiaoyun whispered to Shen Yuyin.

“Totally normal. It’s a big event. She’ll be fine,” Shen Yuyin replied.

Standing at the mic, Tang Yan began her speech. It was 5,000 words originally, trimmed to 3,000 with help from her mentor.

She’d been memorizing and rehearsing for a week straight—through meals, classes, and sleepless nights. All she wanted was to do her best. This opportunity meant everything.

Halfway through, her worst fear came true—she froze.

She panicked. Everyone was watching. Then, she saw someone in the crowd.

Aunt Ji.

She was there. Tang Yan had no idea.

Ji Yuqing stood among the crowd, giving her a big thumbs-up and filming with a handheld camcorder. That one moment brought Tang Yan back to life, injecting her with confidence. She pushed through and nailed the rest of the speech.

Maybe it was because the person she cared about was watching. She wanted to show her very best. Tang Yan finished her speech flawlessly, greeted by thunderous applause.

Ji Yuqing recorded the whole thing, even snapped a few photos. She sent them to Tang Yan’s mom, Tang Huiyi.

Such a proud moment had to be shared.

Tang Huiyi was stunned. “Is this… our Yanyan?”

Ji Yuqing replied, “Yes. Your amazing daughter.”

Backstage, everyone was praising Tang Yan. Her senior classmates were full of compliments. She was over the moon and immediately posted a status online.

Tang Yan: [The right person always has a way of making you want to be better.]

Tang Huiyi had just finished chatting with Ji Yuqing when she scrolled past Tang Yan’s update and smiled.