Heart Flutter

Chapter 142

Tang Yan didn’t get home until after 1 a.m.

She was exhausted—so tired that the moment her head hit the pillow, she could fall straight asleep.

As she opened the door and changed her shoes at the entrance, the noise woke Ji Yuqing, who had dozed off on the couch. The TV was still on, casting flickering shadows in the dim room.

“You’re back,” Ji Yuqing said softly.

Tang Yan looked up after changing her shoes and saw Aunt Ji sitting on the couch, groggy and clearly just waking up.

“Did I wake you? Why didn’t you sleep in your room?” Tang Yan asked.

“I just wanted to watch some TV and must’ve dozed off,” Ji Yuqing said with a tired smile as she rubbed her eyes. “What time is it?”

Tang Yan checked her phone. “It’s past one already. I’m sorry—I said I’d be back early and ended up so late.”

“It’s okay,” Ji Yuqing said with a smile. “Did you have fun tonight?”

Tang Yan hesitated. “It was alright, nothing special.”

“Then go shower and get some sleep. I should head to bed too,” Ji Yuqing said, stretching her arms.

Tang Yan nodded. Sleepiness was already overwhelming her. “I’m going to my room then. Goodnight.”

Once inside, she placed the Rolex from President Chen on her desk, grabbed her pajamas, and went to shower. Afterward, she collapsed into bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Now that Tang Yan was home, Ji Yuqing felt relieved. She got up and returned to her own room to continue sleeping peacefully.

But Tang Yan overslept the next morning—likely a combination of a long workday, a late night out, and sheer fatigue. In her half-conscious state, she smacked the alarm off and drifted back to sleep.

It was already past 8 a.m. and she still hadn’t gotten up. Ji Yuqing quickly prepared breakfast and went to wake her, knocking on the door for quite some time before getting a response.

“Yan Yan, you’re gonna be late!”

Tang Yan jolted awake and shot up from bed. One glance at the clock on her nightstand and she panicked—she was way behind. She threw on her slippers and bolted out the door to wash up.

“Breakfast is ready. Eat something before you go,” Ji Yuqing reminded her.

“Okay!” Tang Yan shouted back, toothbrush in mouth, words muffled.

By the time she’d washed up and changed, it was just after 9 a.m. She had only thirty minutes before work started. If she hit traffic, she’d definitely be late.

No time for a proper breakfast—she grabbed two slices of toasted bread, bit one between her teeth, and rushed out.

“I’ll be fine! See you later!” she called out as she slammed the front door behind her.

The house fell quiet once more.

After tidying up a bit, Ji Yuqing noticed Tang Yan’s bedroom door was open and the bed a mess. She walked in to straighten the sheets.

As she turned to leave, her eyes landed on a small box sitting on the desk—a Rolex box. Her heart skipped a beat. She tried to ignore it and act like she hadn’t seen anything, but it weighed on her. Eventually, she couldn’t resist and went over to open it.

Sure enough, it was a Rolex.

She knew all too well—given Tang Yan’s current salary, there was no way she could afford something like this.

She gently closed the box and left the room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

Maybe it was intuition—or just that sixth sense women tend to have—but ever since she saw that watch, Ji Yuqing had been feeling unsettled, anxious, distracted.

And as fate would have it, there was traffic.

Tang Yan’s car was stuck in the middle of the road with nowhere to go. That’s when she suddenly remembered the watch—she’d forgotten it at home in her rush to leave. No choice now—she’d have to bring it to work tomorrow.

With only two minutes left before clock-in, she parked and sprinted toward the office, making it through the door and punching in just ten seconds before the cutoff. She let out a huge sigh of relief.

Unfortunately, President Chen had seen it all. She was in the middle of addressing the department when Tang Yan came rushing in.

“You were this close to being late,” Chen Yuyan said, giving her a once-over.

“I know, I’m sorry. I overslept this morning,” Tang Yan replied honestly.

“Go take your seat,” Chen Yuyan said, waving her off.

Tang Yan nodded and headed to her desk.

As Chen Yuyan wrapped up her talk and turned to leave, she gave Tang Yan one last look. “Tang Yan, come to my office for a moment.”

Several male colleagues looked up with curiosity. They could all guess something was up.

Inside the office, Chen Yuyan handed her a stack of papers. “The company’s sending a few new hires abroad for a study program. I chose you.”

“Me?” Tang Yan blinked in surprise. “Where to?”

“Silicon Valley. San Francisco, U.S. It’s the global hub of computing.”

Tang Yan was stunned. The distance alone was overwhelming.

“This is a great opportunity to grow,” Chen Yuyan said with a smile. “If you do well, your salary could go up another twenty to thirty percent when you return.”

“But…” Tang Yan hesitated. She wanted to talk it over with Aunt Ji first. After all, this meant going halfway around the world—and she didn’t even know for how long.

“No buts,” Chen Yuyan cut her off. “Once your visa’s approved, start preparing. If there’s nothing else, get back to work.”

Tang Yan didn’t move. “President Chen…”

Chen Yuyan looked up from her files. “What is it now?”

“I forgot the watch at home—I was in a rush. I’ll bring it tomorrow to return it. I swear I haven’t even worn it, it’s still like new.”

Chen Yuyan couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re really something, you know that? I told you—it’s a gift.”

Tang Yan bowed slightly. “I’ll return it to you tomorrow, for sure.” Then she turned and left the office quickly.

Chen Yuyan shook her head, torn between amusement and exasperation. But that stubbornness—that integrity—was exactly what made her like this kid so much.

Tang Yan returned to her desk, focused intently on her screen. Her desk neighbor wheeled over and asked curiously, “What did President Chen call you in for this time?”

Tang Yan hesitated, then said, “Nothing big. Just some work stuff.”

“Well, just… be careful,” the colleague warned.

Tang Yan thought about that. But honestly, she didn’t think President Chen had any bad intentions. On the contrary, she seemed to truly value her and always looked out for her. Maybe she was just being overly kind, which Tang Yan wasn’t used to.

“Hey Ji, you up yet?”

“Been up,” Ji Yuqing answered, holding her phone.

“Chanel’s got a new collection out today. Come with me—I need to add something new to my closet,” said Zhang Miya on the other end.

“Alright, send me the address. I’ll meet you there,” Ji Yuqing replied coolly.

But Miya immediately picked up on her tone. “You okay? You sound kind of off.”

“No… probably just didn’t sleep well.”

“Alright, I’m heading over first. See you in a bit.”

“See you.”

They’d been meeting up almost every day lately. Zhang Miya was back to her old vibrant self—not fixated on her husband or kid anymore. She made time to pamper herself, shop, do spa treatments, enjoy life. And strangely, ever since she stopped hovering over her husband, he started showing up more willingly. She called men like that pathetic.

When Ji Yuqing arrived, her makeup was light, her hair casually tied up, and she wore something thrown together last-minute. Not ugly, but nothing eye-catching either.

“Seriously? This is how you show up for a shopping trip? You’re like a completely different person from yesterday,” Miya said with a scowl.

“No one’s looking anyway. Might as well relax and slack off a little,” Ji Yuqing said with a shrug.

“Oh-ho, you’re speaking in riddles now,” Miya said, narrowing her eyes. “A woman’s heart is written all over her face. Tell me the truth—you and your little girlfriend having a spat? Want me to help you sort it out?”

Ji Yuqing rolled her eyes and gave her a light shove. “Worry about your own life. We’re fine—we don’t need you playing matchmaker.”

“I’m just being a good friend,” Miya replied, still serious. “Come on—did you really not fight?”

“No. Honestly. I swear.”

That finally put a stop to Miya’s gossip radar.

They eventually arrived at the mall, and Miya dove into the Chanel boutique, instantly swarmed by sales staff eager to help her pick the latest release. Ji Yuqing stood nearby, arms folded, bored out of her mind. Her eyes happened to drift across the hall to a Rolex store.

“Miya, I’m heading across the way to look around.”

“Okay!” Miya shouted distractedly, still admiring her reflection in the mirror with a purse in hand.

Inside the Rolex store, a friendly salesperson greeted her warmly.

“I’m just browsing, thank you,” Ji Yuqing said politely.

After a few minutes, she spotted the exact same women’s watch she’d seen on Tang Yan’s desk. The salesperson, perceptive as ever, quickly took it out. “This piece is perfect for you—youthful and playful. We actually just sold one yesterday.”

Ji Yuqing already knew the answer in her heart.

“Was the customer yesterday Chen Yuyan, the technical director at Qifeng Company?”

The salesperson gasped and covered her mouth. “You know her? She’s one of our VIP clients.”