Heart Flutter

Chapter 108

Letting go of the past—

It’s always easier said than done. Even after more than ten years, time hadn’t erased her memory of that person. Or her love.

The two of them stood frozen—one inside the room, the other just outside the door. The silence between them stretched for what felt like an eternity, until a voice from downstairs broke the stillness.

“Qiluo, do you need any help?” It was Zhou Qiluo’s husband. He’d noticed she hadn’t come down after going upstairs with the breakfast tray and was concerned something had happened.

The voice jolted Zhou Qiluo back to reality. She flinched and instinctively tightened her grip on the tray. “I was just… bringing breakfast…”

“Thank you,” Ji Yuqing said coolly. “But please take it back.”

Before Zhou Qiluo could respond, Ji Yuqing had already closed the door with a calmness that left no room for misunderstanding.

Zhou Qiluo stood there, rejected, then glanced down to see her husband looking up from the stairwell. Heart sinking, she turned with the tray in hand and headed downstairs.

When she reached the bottom, her husband asked gently, “What happened? Did she not like it?”

“She didn’t,” Zhou Qiluo replied hollowly, eyes unfocused.

He watched her disappear into the kitchen, curiosity growing about the guest staying in the top-floor suite.

Back upstairs, the brief encounter had snapped Ji Yuqing out of her drowsiness. She quickly freshened up and sat cross-legged on the bed with her laptop. No sooner had she connected to the Wi-Fi than a video call came through—it was the project lead from headquarters. There were urgent tasks to review, and Ji Yuqing needed to head out later to find a place with a fax machine since she’d left a lot behind in the rush.

Despite what had just happened, she was unfazed—completely focused on work. She lost track of time until her stomach grumbled painfully, prompting her to glance at the clock. It was already past 1 PM.

She needed to eat—her body wouldn’t hold up otherwise.

From her suitcase, she pulled out sunscreen, sunblock lotion, and spray, applying all three. Then she added sunglasses and a sun umbrella, grabbed her handbag, and finally headed downstairs.

Zhou Qiluo’s husband, He Xu, had once worked as a mid-level manager in Huadu. He wasn’t particularly successful, but his family had local roots and connections with Zhou Qiluo’s parents. Their families had been close, and both sides had been eager to see them married.

At the time, Zhou Qiluo had already come out to her family. Not only did they disapprove, they pressured her to marry He Xu even faster. Coming from a family of scholars, her parents couldn’t accept what they saw as a forbidden relationship.

“If you’re willing to walk away from it all, I’ll take you with me.”

Those had been the most sincere words Ji Yuqing ever said to her.

Even now, recalling them made her heart pound.

But in the end, Zhou Qiluo didn’t go. The night they were supposed to run away together, she never showed. Her parents had kept her home, using emotion, guilt—even threats of suicide—to keep her from leaving.

She couldn’t ignore her parents’ sacrifices. She didn’t know that Ji Yuqing had stood under the bridge all night with packed bags, waiting until dawn—only to receive one devastating message:

“I’m sorry. I can’t go with you.”

Zhou Qiluo would never fully understand what that message did to Ji Yuqing. In a daze, she let her parents arrange the wedding. Those months were a blur of exhaustion, constant obligations, and fake smiles.

She hadn’t been truly happy for a single day since. Not one day passed without thinking about her—where she was, what she was doing, how much she might hate her.

She had asked herself a thousand times: what if she hadn’t given in? What if she had fought harder? What if she had walked away?

Her life now would likely be freer. More joyful.

But it was too late. The only way out now was through. If her parents wanted a dutiful daughter, she’d play the role. If they wanted to see a loving couple, she’d put on the show.

In their second year of marriage, she asked to travel, then stayed in Xinjiang under the pretense of exploring. She hoped the distance would make their marriage a mere formality. But He Xu had followed her here, quitting his job in Huadu.

She couldn’t help but resent him. She had once begged him to speak up for her with her parents—but he refused, insisting instead on marrying her. And so, she had every reason to resent him.

Since coming down from upstairs, Zhou Qiluo had locked herself in her room. The guesthouse was left to He Xu.

He had just finished checking out a guest when he saw Ji Yuqing heading out and immediately noticed her.

“Hello…”

Ji Yuqing was already walking past when she realized someone had spoken. She looked around, then pointed to herself—asking silently if he meant her.

He Xu nodded awkwardly, clearly unsure.

“Is there something you need?” she asked.

He shook his head, laughing it off. “Sorry, my mistake. You just looked really familiar.”

Ji Yuqing said nothing. She turned and walked out.

Of course she wasn’t familiar. They’d never met. Ji Yuqing knew exactly what had happened after that woman married—she vanished from her life.

He Xu stood there scratching his head. “She really does look familiar… but from where?”

Just as Ji Yuqing got into a taxi, her phone rang. It was Pei Wen, rattling off project details before veering into gossip: “So? Did Tang Yan find out yet?”

Ji Yuqing couldn’t help but smile, despite herself. “You’re getting worse. Focus on your job.” She ignored the question and steered the conversation back to work.

“Alright, alright. Just send me the files before 7 PM. And let me know when Liu replies.”

“Got it. Talk soon.”

“And hey—if you see Little Tang, tell her I said hi!”

“…Get back to work.” Ji Yuqing hung up, half-annoyed, half-amused.

Pei Wen laughed to herself as she tucked away her phone. “Let’s see how long you can keep this act going.”

“Hey, Pei Wen, what are you grinning about?” a coworker asked.

“Oh, it’s a secret. But you’ll find out eventually,” she replied with a wink. “And when it happens? It’ll be the juiciest gossip ever. Just imagine—if Tang Yan really wins over Ji Yuqing, the entire office is going to explode. So many guys will be crushed.”

“Achoo!”

Tang Yan sneezed loudly. Her ears rang from the force.

“Hey, are you okay?” Xia Zihan asked, handing her a tissue. “Maybe you caught a chill last night. You were right under the AC.”

“Thanks.” Tang Yan wiped her nose.

“Do you want to stop by a pharmacy? We can get you some cold meds.”

“No, I’m fine. It was just a sneeze. Look at me—fit as ever!” she thumped her chest jokingly.

“Ugh, that was so not ladylike.” Xia Zihan wrinkled her nose.

“What does that even mean?” Tang Yan asked, laughing. “Why not just be happy and do what you want?”

“Hey, you two! You’re falling behind!” Han Shuang called. “Come on, Zihan—show us what a real lady looks like!”

“No way!” Zihan hugged her arms, blushing.

By the end of the day, they were all exhausted. They’d taken loads of photos, still needed to sort them, and had a report to write. The only comfort now was the smoky, lively barbecue stall near the guesthouse. They each ordered soda and skewers, finally relaxing.

Tang Yan never expected her phone to ring at that moment—and definitely not with such urgency. It was Pei Wen, and she sounded frantic.

“I can’t reach her. I don’t know what happened. She was fine earlier, but now… she’s just gone. I’m worried.”

“Wait… you mean… Aunt Ji? She’s here? In Urumqi?”

“Yes. She didn’t want you to know, probably still worried about you. So she came here on business. But I haven’t heard from her since this afternoon. I’m really worried something’s wrong.”

“I’ll go find her right now!” Tang Yan stood up so fast the others were stunned.

“What’s going on? Do you need help?” they asked.

Tang Yan shook her head. “You’re all tired. I’ll handle it.”

But Pei Wen interrupted, “Tang Yan—wait. How will you even find her in a city this big? Let’s think this through.”

“I can’t think!” Tang Yan paced, overwhelmed by panic.

“Aunt Ji is missing.” Her voice cracked.

“Missing? But… I thought she was in Huadu?” Lu Wan asked.

“She’s here. And now I can’t reach her.” Tang Yan kept calling, but the line was off. That made her panic more—Aunt Ji never turned off her phone.

“We should go to the police,” one suggested.

“No. You guys go back. This is my responsibility.” And with that, Tang Yan ran into the night.

The barbecue stall was down one member. No one had an appetite anymore. Zihan went inside to pay using the group funds. When she returned, she asked, “You guys ready?”

They all nodded. “Let’s head back to the guesthouse and wait for Tang Yan’s news.”

On the walk home, Zihan couldn’t stop blaming herself. “I shouldn’t have let her go alone… what if something happens?”

“It’s not your fault,” Han Shuang said. “She didn’t want to trouble us, but she shouldn’t carry everything alone.”

“Let’s all keep messaging her. Stay in touch. I’m sure she’ll come back safe,” Lu Wan added.

They all agreed. It was all they could do.

Meanwhile, Tang Yan coordinated with Pei Wen by phone. Pei Wen sent her all the places Aunt Ji might have gone. Tang Yan visited each one.

It was exhausting. By the end, her legs were trembling, knees nearly giving out. But she held onto hope.

Back at the guesthouse, Zhou Qiluo greeted the girls with her usual smile.

“You’re back. I made iced lemon tea—want some?”

They all shook their heads. That’s when Zhou Qiluo noticed something was off.

“Wait… where’s the fourth one?”

Zihan didn’t hide anything. Maybe more people knowing would help. She explained everything.

Zhou Qiluo’s reaction was immediate and intense—like Tang Yan 2.0. She grabbed her phone and car keys and dashed out.

He Xu didn’t even catch up. He returned, panting, staring out the door in confusion.

“What’s with her?” Han Shuang whispered.

Lu Wan leaned in. “My guess? Even the boss doesn’t know.”