Heart Flutter

Chapter 112

The tension at the inn hadn’t lifted one bit. Every time the girls went downstairs, they would run into the innkeeper couple, both busy with their own tasks, saying nothing to each other. Not even a glance was exchanged.

Eventually, Xia Zihan fetched some water and quietly went back upstairs.

That was when the girls’ gossip session officially began.

“Did anyone else notice how the vibe between the innkeeper and his wife turned icy cold this morning? I held my breath the whole time I was downstairs. The air was so suffocating,” Xia Zihan said.

“I don’t think it’s just what we’re seeing on the surface,” Lu Wan analyzed. “There’s probably more to the story—maybe they’re just one of those couples who look fine on the outside but are falling apart inside.”

“Exactly! That’s what I’ve been thinking,” Han Shuang chimed in, hesitating for a moment. “Actually, I meant to bring this up last night—Aunt Ji went missing, and Zhou-jie got so worked up about it. Isn’t that a little odd?”

“I’ve got a wild guess,” Xia Zihan said. “Don’t laugh, okay? What if… what if the person Zhou-jie likes is a woman? And what if that woman is none other than Tang Yan’s Aunt Ji?”

“No way. That’s a bit much,” Lu Wan said, folding her laundry. “Zhou-jie’s a married woman. I just hope Tang Yan gets back soon. We’re falling behind on the mission. I just want to finish it and go home.”

Meanwhile, He Xu kept sneaking glances at Zhou Qiluo. As soon as another guest left the lounge and Zhou Qiluo turned into her room, he quickly followed, shutting the door behind him.

“I need to talk to you,” he said.

Zhou Qiluo was bent over organizing her things. She paused, turned around, and looked at him impatiently. “What’s there to talk about between us?”

He Xu took a sharp breath. “It’s been ten years. I thought time would change everything. I’ve been trying all these years to make up for what I did to you… but I’ve realized you’ve built a wall around yourself. I just can’t get through.”

Zhou Qiluo looked him over with a bitter smile. “He Xu, if you hadn’t insisted on telling my parents you wanted to marry me back then, she and I would’ve never been torn apart.”

He Xu laughed dryly, like he’d already made peace with it all. “You still don’t see the truth. You always put the blame on me. I admit, I might’ve had a hand in your breakup… but honestly, wasn’t it more because you didn’t have enough faith in your own feelings? Isn’t that what really ended things?”

Her eyes darted away as she bit her lip, her body trembling slightly.

“That’s not true,” she snapped, her voice shaking. “That’s not it at all.”

“You and I both know… in this society, same-sex love isn’t exactly accepted. It goes against social norms. And because you lacked confidence in what you had, your resolve crumbled. You gave in to pressure. I didn’t break you two up—it was you. You did it to yourself.”

“I didn’t! I didn’t! I didn’t!” Zhou Qiluo’s eyes were red now, and she shouted at him, furious. “You don’t get to make assumptions about what she and I had!”

With that, she yanked the door open and ran out of the inn.

He Xu stayed where he was, wiping his face with both hands, letting out a long sigh.

Poor thing, he thought. But really… wasn’t he one too?

It had started raining—a rare sight in Urumqi.

Zhou Qiluo slowed her pace as she ran, lifting her face to the rain, letting it soak her hair, her cheeks, her neck. If only it could wash away all the noise inside her too. She wouldn’t let that man tarnish what she and Ji had. He had no right. Who was he to say those things?

The noise downstairs had drawn the attention of Xia Zihan and the others. They were just about to head out to complete part of their mission without waiting for Tang Yan when Lu Wan, leaning by the window, said, “It’s raining.”

So, they had no choice but to stay at the inn and wait for Tang Yan to return.

Meanwhile, Ji Yuqing and Tang Yan were saying their goodbyes to the herding family and heading back to the city. In such a remote area, finding a ride wasn’t easy. Even Ji Yuqing, usually calm and composed, looked a little helpless. The two of them stood by the roadside under a shared umbrella, hoping a kind driver might give them a lift.

Suddenly, Tang Yan remembered the taxi driver from last night. She still had his number. Maybe if she offered double—or even triple—the fare, he’d be willing to come.

She dialed, and the driver immediately guessed what she needed. Coincidentally, he’d just dropped someone off in the next town over and only needed to take a short detour—about ten kilometers.

Tang Yan was thrilled and quickly told Aunt Ji the good news. “A car is coming to take us back to the city!”

Ji Yuqing looked surprised. “How did you pull that off?”

Tang Yan explained the whole story, but all Ji Yuqing could focus on was how Tang Yan had been running around looking for her the night before. Her heart softened. She reached out and gently pulled Tang Yan closer under the umbrella. “I won’t keep anything from you again.”

At that moment, when Tang Yan looked up at her, it felt like Aunt Ji was making a promise to someone she loved. If that were true, it’d be the best thing ever.

Half an hour later, the driver arrived. Tang Yan saw Aunt Ji get in the back seat, so she joined her. The driver’s face lit up when he saw her, like they were old friends reuniting.

“So this was the person you were looking for last night?” he asked with a smile.

Tang Yan nodded shyly. “Yeah… sorry for all the trouble yesterday.”

The driver grinned. “You really care about her, don’t you? Is she your…”

“I’m her aunt,” Ji Yuqing interrupted smoothly.

“Oh, that makes sense! You look too young to be her mom anyway,” the driver chuckled.

Tang Yan scratched her head awkwardly, stealing a glance at Aunt Ji’s reaction. But she didn’t seem bothered. Instead, she tugged gently at Tang Yan’s ponytail. “What are you looking at?”

Tang Yan quickly shook her head and changed the subject. “Aunt Ji, can we stay at a different inn when we get back?”

“Why? What’s wrong with this one?” Ji Yuqing asked.

Tang Yan looked down, fidgeting with her fingers. “If it weren’t for us, you wouldn’t have run into the innkeeper’s wife. You wouldn’t have had to relive any bad memories. It’s awkward now. I think we should just switch inns.”

Ji Yuqing laughed, her voice crisp and light. “You and your wild imagination. There are no bad memories. I’ve long since let go of the past. But you—how are you going to explain the change of plans to your friends?”

That was a good point. Tang Yan couldn’t exactly tell them the truth: that Aunt Ji and the innkeeper’s wife were once… involved. And she definitely didn’t want to expose Aunt Ji’s private life. She honestly couldn’t think of a better excuse.

“I’m fine,” Ji Yuqing added. “You just focus on finishing your school assignment.”

Still, staying at that inn didn’t sit right with Tang Yan. Especially with the innkeeper’s wife acting like she still had feelings for Aunt Ji. The thought of it made Tang Yan uneasy, like someone was trying to take something that belonged to her—a rival she didn’t even know she had.

“What is it? Something else bothering you?” Ji Yuqing asked, noticing her silence.

Tang Yan shook her head. “If you’re okay with it, then I’m okay with it.”

An hour later, they arrived back in the city. The rain had stopped. When they reached the inn, He Xu was out front, arranging flowers that had been soaked by the rain. When he saw Ji Yuqing and Tang Yan getting out of the car, something shifted in his expression—hard to describe.

They paid the driver and said their thanks. The car drove away.

He Xu stood by the door, watching them. Out of politeness, Tang Yan greeted him and asked where the innkeeper’s wife had gone. His answer was cold and vague: “She went out.” He glanced at Ji Yuqing with meaning in his eyes—she noticed it too.

“Let’s go inside,” Ji Yuqing said, naturally resting a hand on Tang Yan’s shoulder.

Tang Yan froze a little. She was always sensitive to Aunt Ji’s touch. It had happened so many times today—on horseback, in the rain, and now again.

As the two of them headed inside, He Xu took two quick steps forward and called out—clearly directed at Ji Yuqing, “Can I talk to you?”

Both women stopped in their tracks. Tang Yan wasn’t sure if he meant her or Aunt Ji, but it was pretty obvious who he was really talking to.

Ji Yuqing looked at Tang Yan calmly. “Go on upstairs and check in with your classmates.”

“Okay…” Tang Yan reluctantly turned to go, glancing back a few times along the way.

In her heart, she wondered—was the innkeeper going to make trouble for Aunt Ji over his wife? If that was the case… she wouldn’t stand for it. She clenched her fists quietly.

Ji Yuqing had known this conversation was inevitable. The confrontation couldn’t be avoided, so she sent Tang Yan ahead first.

He Xu glanced around. “It’s not convenient to talk here. There’s a café across the street.”