Heart Flutter

Chapter 144

Ji Yuqing let out a small laugh as Tang Yan kissed her hand—it tickled. She quickly pulled away, a faint blush rising on her cheeks. “Come on, let’s get dinner going.”

“Okay!” Tang Yan rolled up her sleeves and joined her in the kitchen.

The two of them cooked a simple meal: two dishes and a soup. They plated everything carefully, wiped the oil stains off the edges of the plates, and set the table with a sense of ceremony.

Halfway through dinner, Tang Yan suddenly remembered something and blurted it out without thinking, “Oh right—”

“What is it?” Ji Yuqing looked up at her with eyes full of warmth.

“The company’s sending someone abroad for training, and… they picked me,” Tang Yan said, clearly searching her face for a reaction.

Ji Yuqing paused, then nodded gently. “That’s great. San Francisco’s a wonderful city. It’s part of Silicon Valley—the heart of the global tech industry. Studying there will definitely help you grow.”

Tang Yan looked at her with hopeful eyes. “You’ll come with me, right…?” Her tone dipped into a slight pout. “I don’t want to be apart from you for so long.”

“Yan Yan, I can’t go,” Ji Yuqing said calmly, but firmly. “If I did, I’d only distract you from learning. Besides, I still have things to take care of here in Huadu—my mom’s in the care facility, and I can’t just leave her.”

“…Then I won’t go.” Tang Yan bit her lip. “I’ll tell them tomorrow to give the spot to someone else.”

“You’re being too willful. This is a great opportunity for you—you can’t just throw it away.” Ji Yuqing’s tone was serious now, her smile gone.

“But…” Tang Yan’s hand tightened slightly on the table. “It took so long for us to finally be together every day. I don’t want to be apart again.”

“Yan Yan,” Ji Yuqing said gently but with weight, “we’ll have plenty of time together in the future. You have to trust me. Take this opportunity and make the most of it. If you give it up just for me, I’ll be very disappointed in you.”

Tang Yan lowered her head and gripped her chopsticks. “Okay. I get it.”

“With the way the internet works now, we can still video call every day,” Ji Yuqing reassured her.

Tang Yan nodded silently. Her face was hard to read. Truthfully, she did want to study in the U.S., but leaving Aunt Ji behind… she just couldn’t bear it.

But if Aunt Ji had already said this much, she had no choice. She didn’t want to disappoint her.

That night, just before bed, Tang Yan poked her head out and asked one last time, “You really won’t come with me to the U.S.?”

Standing by her door, Ji Yuqing smiled and waved. “Go to sleep. You have to get up early tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Aunt Ji.” Tang Yan pouted a little, unable to shake the sadness.

Even being apart for a single day felt unbearable—how was she supposed to survive several months?

Ji Yuqing closed her door, but the image of Yan Yan’s disappointed face stayed with her. Her heart felt heavy.

Was I too harsh? Too cold?

But she knew she had to be firm. Tang Yan was still young. She had a bright future ahead. She couldn’t let feelings hold her back from it.

As always, Ji Yuqing thought further and deeper than Tang Yan did.

The next morning, Tang Yan made sure not to forget the watch. She arrived at the office early. Most colleagues weren’t in yet, but she happened to catch President Chen’s secretary coming out of the office.

“Excuse me, is President Chen inside?”

The secretary smiled. “She’s in a meeting right now. Do you need something?”

Tang Yan hesitated. “I’ll wait until she’s back.”

The secretary nodded politely and walked off.

Tang Yan spent the whole morning distracted, mentally rehearsing how to return the watch. What if President Chen refused to take it back?

Eventually, she returned from her meeting and passed by the workspace, offering words of encouragement. Tang Yan seized the moment, grabbed the watch, and followed her.

President Chen turned to close the door and was surprised to see her. “Oh! You scared me. What are you doing here?”

“I came to…” Tang Yan held out the watch box.

President Chen looked around and quickly said, “Come inside first.”

Tang Yan followed her in and shut the door.

President Chen sighed, clearly exasperated but amused. “I told you—that was a gift. You really brought it back?”

“I can’t accept it,” Tang Yan said earnestly. “I’m already incredibly grateful for everything you’ve done for me. Without you, I wouldn’t even have this opportunity. So please—take the watch back.”

She stepped forward and placed it on the desk.

“Are you sure? I picked that one out just for you—it suits you so well.” President Chen tried one last time to convince her.

Tang Yan shook her head. “Really, I can’t. One day, I’ll earn enough to buy it for myself.”

President Chen smiled. “I admire that about you.”

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll get back to work now.” Tang Yan gave a polite bow.

“Go ahead,” President Chen said warmly.

—

A few days later, around lunchtime, Tang Yan met up with Pei Wen, who was visiting from a neighboring company to handle business.

“How are things going with my sister? You guys gotten anywhere?” Pei Wen asked while sipping her juice.

“No… we’ve both been so busy lately. Haven’t had time to think about that,” Tang Yan replied while multitasking. A coworker was out sick, so she was covering emails too.

“By the way, how’s your company? I mean, you’re at a Fortune 500 now. Domestic top-tier. Benefits good?”

“Actually, yeah. The company has deep partnerships with U.S. tech firms. We’ve got an exchange program, and I’m part of it.” Tang Yan said.

“Wow, that’s amazing. So it’s like a free trip to the U.S.!” Pei Wen looked envious.

“I didn’t really think about it that way. Aunt Ji isn’t coming, so it’s not like I’ll be sightseeing. I’ll just study and go back to the hotel.”

“Girl, appreciate what you’ve got. This is a rare opportunity.”

“Aunt Ji said the same thing.” Tang Yan smiled and took a sip of juice.

“She thinks way further ahead than you do. She’s been in this game longer, and she has way more experience. You should listen to her.”

Tang Yan nodded, feeling a little more resolved. It was just a few months. She could do it. For her own growth, for a stronger future—so she could protect Aunt Ji better… this wasn’t that big a deal.

“You’re already ahead of me, you know that? You’ve only just started working and your salary already beats mine. I’m jealous!” Pei Wen teased.

Tang Yan chuckled. “This field pays well, that’s all. You know how it is. Why don’t you switch careers? Maybe go for a master’s degree?”

“Oh god, no,” Pei Wen waved her hands. “I’m almost thirty. I’m done hustling. Things are stable now. I’ve got two juniors under me. Life’s pretty comfy.”

—

Her visa came through not long after. The night before departure, Tang Yan sat on her bed, bags packed. She picked up her phone and made a call.

“Hello? Yan Yan? Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just wanted to let you know I’m flying to the U.S. tomorrow. My phone number might not work over there, so if you need me, message me on WeChat. I’ll reply when I’m online.”

Tang Huiyi sounded surprised. “You’re going abroad? Why didn’t you tell me earlier? What for?”

“Company exchange program. I’ll be gone for two or three months.”

“My daughter is amazing! Really amazing. Why didn’t Yuqing tell me about this?” she muttered.

“Maybe Aunt Ji forgot,” Tang Yan said. “Do you want anything from the U.S.? I can send you something.”

“No, no. I don’t need anything. But take pictures! Lots of them. I want to post them on WeChat Moments—let everyone know how successful my daughter is!”

“…Sure. No problem.” Tang Yan agreed awkwardly.

“And be careful over there. It’s not as safe at night as it is here. Don’t go out alone, okay?”

“I will. And I know Taekwondo. Who’d dare mess with me?” Tang Yan joked.

“You’re too headstrong. If you’re this fierce, what guy will want you in the future?” her mom laughed.

That line caught her off guard. Her heart tightened.

“I don’t need a guy to protect me,” she said firmly. “I can protect myself.”

“Silly girl. It’s hard for women to go it alone. I’ve been there. You’ll need a partner someday. But don’t rush it. Just focus on work for now.”

Tang Yan didn’t want to keep talking. She made an excuse and hung up.

When she came out of her room, Ji Yuqing was watering the plants on the balcony.

“You all packed?” she asked without turning around.

“Yeah,” Tang Yan replied, walking over.

As Ji Yuqing focused on the flowers, Tang Yan suddenly wrapped her arms around her from behind, resting her face in her hair like a clingy child. “I really don’t want to leave you… Are you sure you’re not coming with me?”

“We already talked about this,” Ji Yuqing said softly, patting her hands.

Tang Yan knew it was hopeless, but she had to try one last time. When she heard the answer she expected, she held on tighter, wanting to never let go—wanting to remember how Aunt Ji smelled.

“Yan Yan,” Ji Yuqing said suddenly.

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Come sleep in my room tonight.”

Tang Yan’s face turned beet red. “R-really? Am I hearing this right?”

“Really,” Ji Yuqing replied, her own face a little pink.

Tang Yan felt like she’d hit the jackpot.

That night, she showered twice and tiptoed into Ji Yuqing’s bedroom. Aunt Ji was already lying on the bed, freshly bathed, cheeks rosy, wearing a camisole.

Tang Yan took a deep breath and clenched her fists. Don’t mess this up now.

Then—drip drip—she felt something warm under her nose. She touched it. Nosebleed?!

And then… she fainted.

Chaos ensued. Ji Yuqing rushed to her side, panicking. After some fussing and first aid, Tang Yan finally woke up. She wanted to keep going—but Aunt Ji refused.

“You’ll miss your flight if you lose too much blood.”

Tang Yan was devastated.

This must be the biggest tragedy in the world.

That night, all they did was cuddle and sleep. Nothing else.

—

Her flight was at 9 a.m. the next morning. They had to leave by 7.

Tang Yan clung to Ji Yuqing’s hand. “When I come back from the U.S., I’m picking up where we left off.”

Ji Yuqing laughed. “Okay. Rain check.”

They drove to the airport. On the way, Ji Yuqing got a call. She didn’t say what it was about—just that she couldn’t come in to see her off.

Tang Yan was crushed. “We don’t even get to spend these last few minutes together…”

“I’m really sorry. I wish I could,” Ji Yuqing said, leaning out of the car window as Tang Yan pulled her suitcase from the trunk.

“I get it,” Tang Yan said quietly. She told her to drive safely and waved goodbye.

“Go on. Get your boarding pass,” Ji Yuqing said.

Tang Yan nodded and headed into the terminal. She kept turning around, waving again and again.

Only after Tang Yan had completely disappeared from view did Ji Yuqing finally move.

She drove to the underground parking lot, pulled out the suitcase she’d hidden in the trunk, and took the elevator up.

—

Every step through the terminal felt heavy for Tang Yan.

She wasn’t excited at all. She couldn’t imagine how she’d get through these next few months alone in America. She was definitely going to get homesick.

She got her boarding pass, checked in her luggage, and was just about to turn when she heard—

“Yan Yan.”

The voice hit her like lightning. She spun around, stunned.