Heart Flutter

Chapter 136

In the days that followed, Tang Yan was completely consumed by a whirlwind of responsibilities—her graduation defense came first, followed closely by the ceremony itself and the evaluation for her company internship, which would determine whether she would be offered a permanent position.

Each night, she barely had time for anything beyond dinner before locking herself in her room to prepare. Her school had even chosen her to speak as a student representative at the graduation ceremony, so she had to carve out extra time to write a speech. When people got this busy, things like eating, sleeping—or even physical desires—tended to fade into the background.

Ji Yuqing knew how overwhelmed she was, so she made a point not to disturb her. Since stepping away from her job years ago, Ji Yuqing had led a quiet life. In her free time, she studied investment and finance, and she had no shortage of assets to manage. Her late father’s company was now run by an acting CEO, and though Ji Yuqing didn’t get involved, her current shares still brought in over a billion in annual dividends.

That alone was more than enough to ensure a worry-free future. Originally, Ji Yuqing hadn’t wanted to touch the inheritance, but in the end, she fought for it—if only to preserve a little something for her mother. If she had turned her back on it completely, everything would’ve been swallowed up by that woman and her lover.

Lately, word had spread that the woman was deep in debt and planning to sell off the only thing she’d managed to get her hands on—her father’s villa. Honestly, she had no one but herself to blame. She was just reaping what she’d sown.

The night before Tang Yan’s graduation, Ji Yuqing brought over a freshly ironed outfit and peeked through the door, only to find her hunched over her computer, visibly stressed.

“How’s it going? Everything alright?” she asked.

Tang Yan rested her chin in her hand, frustrated. “I’m still tweaking tomorrow’s speech. Some parts just don’t feel right.”

“Let me take a look,” Ji Yuqing offered.

To Tang Yan’s amazement, a few quick edits from Aunt Ji smoothed out all the rough patches that had been bothering her. She turned to her, eyes sparkling, and gave her a big thumbs-up. “Aunt Ji, you’re amazing!”

Ji Yuqing’s cheeks turned slightly pink from the direct praise. “It was nothing. Your outfit’s on the bed.”

“Thank you, Aunt Ji.” Tang Yan shamelessly threw her arms around her waist and nuzzled her face against her chest.

“Alright now, I won’t keep you. Finish up and get some rest,” Ji Yuqing said, patting her shoulder.

Tang Yan reluctantly let go, looking like a sad little puppy with drooping arms.

“I’m going.”

“Mmm-hmm~” Tang Yan pouted, clearly angling for something more.

Ji Yuqing gave in playfully—she kissed her fingertips, then touched them gently to Tang Yan’s lips.

Even that was enough to leave Tang Yan grinning from ear to ear.

After Aunt Ji left, Tang Yan glanced over at the neatly folded, perfectly ironed outfit on her bed. She really is so thoughtful, she thought. Always taking care of everything, down to the smallest detail.

Meanwhile, Ji Yuqing headed to the balcony to water her plants, only to be interrupted by a phone call.

“Yuqing, how have you been lately?” asked Tang Huiyi—Tang Yan’s mother.

“Living the leisurely life. Just eating and relaxing,” Ji Yuqing replied with a smile.

“Nothing wrong with taking a break after quitting. You’ve always been good at making money anyway.”

“You didn’t call just to chat, did you, Huiyi?”

“Well, I heard that Yan Yan’s graduation is tomorrow. And she’s giving a speech as a student rep.”

“She’s a kid to be proud of,” Ji Yuqing said with a fond smile.

“I have a small favor to ask… Can you livestream the ceremony for me? I can’t be there in person, but I really want to see her graduate.”

“Of course! That’s an easy one. No need to be so formal.”

“No, Yuqing… I mean it. I see everything you’ve done for Yan Yan, and I’m truly grateful. She wouldn’t be who she is today without you.”

Holding the phone in one hand and gripping the balcony rail with the other, Ji Yuqing felt her heart stir with guilt—especially given the nature of her relationship with Yan Yan. But she decided not to bring it up now. Tomorrow was Tang Yan’s big day. It should be all about her joy.

The next morning.

Tang Yan woke up early—only to find that Aunt Ji had beaten her to it. Seeing that she was reciting her speech but hadn’t dried her hair yet, Ji Yuqing offered to help.

Delighted, Tang Yan agreed and sat at her desk, focused on her lines, while Ji Yuqing gently dried her damp hair from behind. The sound of the blow dryer buzzed in her ears as she mouthed her speech, and Ji Yuqing concentrated on drying her hair thoroughly. Morning sunlight filtered through the window, casting a warm glow over the peaceful scene.

Tang Yan could feel her fingers brushing her scalp now and then—cool and soft. She loved that feeling. Loved being cared for like this.

By the time the speech was memorized and her hair was dry, Ji Yuqing turned off the noisy dryer. Silence fell over the room.

Tang Yan swiveled around in her chair, clutching the stack of paper. “Next time, I want to dry your hair.”

Ji Yuqing blinked, then beamed. “I’d like that.”

Traffic was brutal on the way to school. Police officers were stationed along all the major roads to keep things moving. Every year, Huadu’s graduation ceremony drew huge attention—it produced top graduates that employers watched closely.

Tang Yan received several calls en route. Senior Shen Yuyin, Xiaoyun, and even Sister Peiwen had taken time off work to attend—seriously loyal. But what surprised her most was that Aunt Zhang Miya showed up with her whole family, claiming she wanted her daughter Douzi to get a feel for the place, since she’d be studying here someday.

It had been a while since she saw Xiaoyun—she looked prettier than ever, with a sharper sense of style. Shen Yuyin, now an entrepreneur, had cut ties with her mom but still sent over basic living expenses each month.

After a quick round of catching up, Tang Yan was called away by her classmates to prep for the stage.

Since joining her company a year ago, Tang Yan had drifted apart from most of her peers. Everyone had changed—grown up a little more.

Lu Wan, the first from their dorm to get a boyfriend, was now married and enrolled in grad school at the same university. Han Shuang, the wild child, had barely scraped through finals. And Xia Zihan, who slept across from Tang Yan, had joined a company through a relative—seemed to be doing alright.

Everyone was finding their path. It was a good thing.

Though she’d given speeches before, Tang Yan still felt nervous—each one was different in theme, setting, and emotion. Waiting backstage, her palms started to sweat.

“Is Yan Yan out yet?” Xiaoyun craned her neck.

“Almost,” Shen Yuyin replied.

Standing at the best vantage point, Ji Yuqing had already connected the video call with Tang Yan’s mother and pointed the camera at the stage, ready to stream everything the moment her name was announced.

Tang Yan stepped onto the stage with grace, accepting the mic with a bright, confident smile.

She bowed, then began her opening.

“Good morning, fellow students, teachers, parents, and faculty. I’m Tang Yan, a computer science student from the Class of ’19…”

“Xuan Xuan, come watch your sister!” Tang Huiyi pulled her little boy over. “That’s her up there. Isn’t that your big sister?”

“Sis!”

“She’s amazing, right? Don’t you want to be like her someday?” Over the years, Tang Yan had changed so much that even her own mother could hardly believe it. Sending her to Ji Yuqing was the best decision she’d ever made. Seeing her daughter shine like this filled her heart with pride and gratitude.

Ji Yuqing filmed the entire thing while smiling like a fool—proud, teary-eyed, completely captivated. Her smile never once faded.

Tang Yan spotted her in the crowd. That familiar gaze—so full of love—gave her strength and confidence to finish her speech beautifully.

Once it ended, Tang Yan took a shortcut to meet Aunt Ji at their usual spot. She came running with excitement, and sure enough, Ji Yuqing was there waiting—still filming.

“Say hi to the camera!” Ji Yuqing teased with a grin.

But Tang Yan didn’t want to look at the camera. Instead, she leaned in with puckered lips. “I want a kiss first—”

The screen froze.

Tang Huiyi stared at her phone, confused and staring at the disconnected video call.