Heart Flutter

Chapter 132

That night, both of them, exhausted, rented a suite at the nursing home’s family apartment building. The unit Ji Yuqing had previously stayed in had long been vacated when she took her mother abroad to Switzerland. Since returning, her mother’s condition had remained unstable, requiring constant care from nurses and aides. There hadn’t been any reason to keep the apartment.

The suites there, even the smallest ones, had two bedrooms and a living room. A single night cost as much as a five-star hotel—monthly or yearly rentals were much more economical. But considering how late it was and how tired they were, all they wanted was a place to sleep. Having a bed tonight was already more than enough. At least they wouldn’t have to drive hours back to the city.

Once they opened the door and turned on the lights, the apartment lit up warmly. The decor was elegant and tasteful, without any stuffiness—just the gentle scent of incense filling the air and calming the heart.

“You should sleep early. You’ve got work tomorrow,” Ji Yuqing said.

“Okay.” Tang Yan nodded and was just about to enter one of the rooms. Her hand paused on the doorframe, and she turned back. “Good night.”

Ji Yuqing was slightly taken aback, but replied gently, “Good night.” Then she closed the door.

Tang Yan stared at the closed door for another second before finally returning to her own room. She wasn’t sure why, but she slept very poorly that night. Even though it felt like her “revolution” had succeeded, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling. Maybe she was just overthinking—but with Aunt Ji disappearing on her twice before, she couldn’t help but fear waking up and finding her gone again.

She tossed and turned all night, drifting in and out of sleep until her alarm finally went off at 5:30 a.m.

With work starting at 8:30, Tang Yan gave herself at least two and a half hours to commute. She got up at six, and like clockwork, completed a light makeup routine in under five minutes—neatly shaped brows, flawless foundation, and a swipe of lip color. She never wore anything heavy for work—fresh and clean was best.

At 5:50, she quietly opened her door, hoping not to wake Aunt Ji. She planned to catch the first bus alone. But to her surprise, the moment she stepped out, she saw Ji Yuqing already dressed and ready, smiling as she asked, “Ready to go?”

Tang Yan was stunned. Not only had she not left without a word, she was awake just as early—ready to take her to the city. Tang Yan was deeply moved. All her worries from the night before melted away into pure happiness.

“You… don’t want to sleep a little longer?” she stammered.

“I don’t want you to be late. Let me drive you,” Ji Yuqing replied.

Such a simple sentence somehow hit Tang Yan right in the heart. Her nose tingled, and she quickly turned around, hiding her face so Ji Yuqing wouldn’t see her teary expression.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Yuqing asked.

“Nothing. Just got something in my eye,” Tang Yan said as she rubbed at her face and tried to smile. “I guess it all just feels a little surreal. Like I’m dreaming.”

In that moment, Ji Yuqing realized how deeply she had hurt this girl before. Guilt flooded her. This sensitive, sweet child—how had she ever allowed herself to leave a scar on her?

Without a word, Ji Yuqing stepped forward and gently took Tang Yan’s hand in hers, whispering, “I’m sorry. I was wrong before.”

Tang Yan shook her head quickly. “No. I just got too emotional. I’m not usually like this. Don’t say things like that, okay? You’re not allowed to.”

Ji Yuqing smiled. “Let’s go, or you’ll be late.”

As they stepped outside, dawn was just breaking. The grounds were quiet, except for a janitor starting their morning sweep at the front gate. On the road back to the city, the sky gradually brightened. The sun peeked out from the east, casting golden light across the roads now congested by morning rush hour traffic.

During a lull in the traffic, Ji Yuqing suddenly asked, “Yanyan, how long have you had your license?”

“Almost three years,” Tang Yan replied. “I got it during my first year of college.”

“Do you drive?” she asked again.

Tang Yan hesitated. “Not really. It’s just been sitting there collecting dust.”

Truthfully, she hadn’t driven since passing the test and wasn’t even confident she remembered how. But she didn’t dare admit that to Aunt Ji—too embarrassing. She had to maintain her image now. Things were different.

Ji Yuqing didn’t push further, and Tang Yan couldn’t figure out why she’d brought it up.

Soon, they arrived at the office. Perfect timing. Ji Yuqing pulled over into a temporary parking spot, and just as Tang Yan was about to unbuckle her seatbelt, she paused. “You’re not going to suddenly disappear on me again… right?”

Ji Yuqing turned to her and said, with unwavering certainty, “I won’t leave again. I swear.”

Tang Yan’s anxious expression melted into a relieved smile, her eyes shining. Then, almost shyly, she made another request.

“Before I go to work… can I kiss you?” She didn’t dare look at Ji Yuqing directly, only sneaking a glance before lowering her gaze again.

Ji Yuqing’s face flushed immediately, her heart racing. She hadn’t expected to be caught off guard like this.

“There are too many people around… what if someone sees—”

“I’ll be quick! I promise no one will see!” Tang Yan begged again with a thick-skinned grin.

Before Ji Yuqing could even answer, Tang Yan darted in, pecked her on the lips, and hopped out of the car, grabbing her bag and running off.

“YES.”

Tang Yan cheered under her breath, thrilled, riding high.

Ji Yuqing sat stunned in the car for a good few seconds before coming back to herself. She glanced at the rearview mirror—her face was bright red. She touched her cheek, and it was burning. Thank goodness Tang Yan had left so quickly, or it would’ve been mortifying.

“Morning, Tang Yan!”

“Morning!”

“What’s got you so happy? You look like you won the lottery.”

“I got a girlfriend.”

“Whoa, congrats!”

It wasn’t long before Tang Yan was called into the office. She pulled herself together before facing Mr. Chen.

But somehow the news had already spread.

Chen Yuyan put down his pen, folded his hands, and said, “You look different today. Brighter.”

“Do I?” Tang Yan suddenly felt nervous.

“Why so tense? I’m not going to bite,” he chuckled, clearly amused. “You’re a hard worker. If you’ve started dating, that’s great. I just hope it won’t distract you from your career.”

“I’ll manage the balance well,” she replied seriously.

“Good.” He paused, then said, “Back to work.”

The moment she stepped out of the office, Tang Yan let out a long sigh. She’d almost thought she was in trouble.

One of the male engineers nearby leaned over. “What did the boss want?”

“Just told me to work hard.” She returned to her seat.

“I’m telling you—stay away from that woman. Or you’ll regret it. You’re like a fresh little bunny, and she’s a battle-hardened wolf.”

Tang Yan was stunned. Was it really that extreme?

Then another colleague chimed in. “Wolf? That’s putting it nicely. I think she’s more like a witch—devours you whole, bones and all. And she especially loves fresh grads like you.”

“Yeah, lucky for us she’s not interested in old pickles like us. But you? Be careful.”

“…Seriously?” Tang Yan thought they were being a bit much.

Still, the morning gossip didn’t dampen her mood. She was over the moon and even posted a dramatic update on her Moments feed:

“I, Tang Yan, am officially off the market.”

She made sure to block her mom from seeing it.

She figured that if she was in a relationship, she’d own it—out of respect for her partner. As for her mother… well, she didn’t have a plan for that yet. She just wanted to enjoy some peace with Aunt Ji while she still could. Because once her mom found out, it would be all-out war.

Sure enough, the post blew up.

To classmates and friends, the “aloof top student,” “zero romance in four years,” “ice queen” Tang Yan being in a relationship was shocking news.

Comments poured in with congratulations and curiosity—some begged for photos. But Tang Yan would ask Aunt Ji before posting anything.

Xiaoyun and Shen Yuyin sent her messages saying how happy they were for her. Peiwen just called directly.

Tang Yan answered while eating lunch at a restaurant near her office.

“Damn, Tang Yan, you really pulled it off? You actually bagged my sister?!”

Tang Yan couldn’t stop smiling. “Looking back, it does feel like a dream. But seriously—it’s all thanks to your tips last night.”

“I only gave you a few tricks, based on years of studying her! Figured we’d test it out. I didn’t expect it to actually work!” Peiwen laughed on the other end. “That’s it, you owe me dinner. I’m serious.”

“No problem,” Tang Yan agreed happily.

After work, she got a message from Aunt Ji.

Ji Yuqing: Coming home tonight?

Tang Yan: Yes.

She replied almost instantly. Then suddenly remembered—she forgot something.

She quickly changed Aunt Ji’s contact name from “Aunt Ji” to “Girlfriend”.

Much better. Girlfriend—after all these years, she’d finally won the heart of the woman she loved. She was proud.

She packed up and left work. Since Aunt Ji wasn’t picking her up, she took a cab home.

When she arrived, she noticed a sleek black Mercedes parked outside. Brand new, no plates. Curious, she wondered if they had a guest.

Inside, the table was already set. Aunt Ji wore an apron, looking every bit the loving wife waiting for her partner to come home. “You’re back.”

“Mm!” Tang Yan nodded, then pointed outside. “Did someone come over?”

Ji Yuqing paused, then looked up. “You mean the car outside?”

Tang Yan nodded again.

“It’s nothing,” Ji Yuqing said, removing her apron and washing her hands before disappearing into her room. Tang Yan stood in the living room, confused—until Ji Yuqing came back holding a small, elegant gift box.

“You’re graduating soon. I didn’t really prepare anything, but I hope you’ll like this.”

Tang Yan’s eyes widened. “A gift? For me?”

“Go on, open it,” Ji Yuqing urged with a smile.

Inside the box was a brand-new car key—with a Mercedes logo. Tang Yan froze.

“I picked it out today. Didn’t have much time and didn’t know what you’d like, so I went with black. Thought it suited you.”

“I love it!” Tang Yan blurted, her hands trembling as she held the key. “I just… wasn’t expecting this. It’s such a surprise.”

“This way, you can drive to work—it’ll be much more convenient,” Ji Yuqing said with a smile.

Tang Yan nodded furiously, her heart exploding with happiness.

Then Ji Yuqing looked at her, eyes soft.

“So… are you moving back in?”