Heart Flutter

Chapter 146

The car pulled up to the hotel. The two male colleagues had taken a different vehicle and arrived before them. Tang Yan’s English wasn’t great—barely passed the college-level proficiency test. But when it came to real-life usage abroad, her broken English wasn’t cutting it. When it counted, she had to rely on Aunt Ji to take the lead.

At the front desk, while checking in, Tang Yan watched Yuqing speak with the receptionist in fluent English. In that moment, her admiration for her deepened—seriously, the woman she liked was so damn impressive.

“All set?” Tang Yan asked when she saw Yuqing turning around with the room key cards.

“All set,” Yuqing replied.

“Aunt Ji, your English is amazing,” Tang Yan leaned in and said as they walked away.

“I used to have to deal with international clients at work a lot. Back when I first started out, I practiced speaking while running around doing sales. After a while, it just became a skill I picked up,” Yuqing explained.

“Well, I guess I’m out of luck then. Writing code all day already fries my brain. Where would I even find time to practice English?” Tang Yan scratched her head in mild frustration.

“Hmm… in that case, I guess I’ll reluctantly be your translator.”

“Not reluctantly—definitely. You have no choice.” Tang Yan pinched her waist playfully, making them both giggle as they stepped into the elevator.

When things calmed down a bit, Tang Yan asked quietly, “So… what about your mom now that you’re in the U.S.?”

“Same as before. I’ll visit her once a week. It’ll be more tiring, and a bit more trouble, but it’s worth it,” Yuqing said.

Tang Yan pouted slightly and turned to look at her, her voice soft, “You’ve been working so hard…”

Even though she wanted so badly to be with her all the time, this was one of those tough trade-offs.

Their hotel room was actually quite nice. One wall was a giant floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the sea. The view was wide open and blue, the sun just rising over the ocean. When the window was opened, you could even hear the waves crashing against the rocks—a peaceful kind of sound.

Yuqing opened her suitcase and began organizing her clothes. Maybe it was the sound of seagulls outside that distracted her, because she ended up standing by the window for a long time. Her white V-neck dress with ruffled edges hugged her figure in all the right places. Her long, wavy hair fell gently down her back, and the soft profile of her face radiated warmth. Tang Yan couldn’t take her eyes off the scene.

A beautiful woman, the sea, seagulls, and a clear blue sky. It looked like a painting. Tang Yan didn’t dare move or make a sound, afraid she’d disturb the perfect moment. Quietly, she pulled out her phone, zoomed in, and pressed the shutter.

Click.

Yuqing must’ve heard the sound. She turned back and gave a shy smile. “Yan Yan, are you secretly taking pictures of me again?”

Tang Yan got bolder and took another photo of her blushing and smiling. “This isn’t sneaky. It’s full-on official picture-taking.”

Yuqing flushed even more at her shameless words and covered her face with both hands. Tang Yan grinned and kept snapping, teasing, “With how gorgeous you are, not documenting this would be criminal.”

“You’ve taken enough of me. Let me take some of you now.” Yuqing lunged forward to grab her phone, and the two of them—combined age of over sixty—chased each other around the room like schoolgirls.

Yuqing’s stamina couldn’t quite match Tang Yan’s youthful energy. After a short chase, she gave up and flopped onto the bed. Tang Yan collapsed beside her, panting. “That was exhausting…”

Yuqing smiled up at the ceiling. Her chest rose and fell from the exertion, but she felt so genuinely happy. It was like she’d gone back to being seventeen or eighteen again—a carefree girl.

She used to be so serious. At work, in life, she was rigid, precise, strict. Somewhere along the way, she forgot how to laugh—really laugh. The weight of responsibility had worn her down until she could barely breathe. But then she met Yan Yan. That thin, delicate girl had somehow awakened in her a need to protect and care for someone.

There was something magical about Yan Yan. Yuqing couldn’t keep herself away. And when they were together, it was like the age gap didn’t matter. They were just two people drawn to each other.

Even though this was technically a work trip, for Tang Yan, it felt more like a vacation. Once she caught her breath, she scooted up closer to Yuqing and rested her head nearby. “Let’s take a selfie—like this.”

“Sure,” Yuqing said, smiling without hesitation.

Tang Yan held up the phone. Their faces and upper bodies filled the frame, both smiling at the camera.

“Let’s do one more,” Tang Yan said. “Same pose.”

Right before the shutter clicked, she turned and kissed Yuqing on the cheek. Perfect. Mission accomplished.

Ding-dong.

They both looked toward the door.

“Who could that be?” Tang Yan murmured.

“Probably your coworkers. Go take a look,” Yuqing said.

Tang Yan jumped up, slipped on her shoes, and went to answer it. Sure enough, it was one of her colleagues.

“Tang Yan, can you come over for a bit? Mr. Chen sent over a video call. Looks like he’s got something to say.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll be right there.” Tang Yan turned back and called out to Yuqing, “I’m heading out for a bit.”

Yuqing sat at the edge of the bed, smiling warmly. “Go ahead. I’ll wait for you.”

Tang Yan followed her colleague to their room. The layout was the same as hers, though the view wasn’t as nice. She felt lucky.

Another colleague sat on the sofa, a laptop on the table in front of him. Someone was already speaking through the video.

“We’re all here now, Mr. Chen,” the colleague told the screen.

He then turned the laptop so all three of them could fit into the frame.

On the screen was Chen Yuyan. It was clearly nighttime on her end. The city lights sparkled behind her through the office windows—she was still at work.

“You’ve all arrived at the hotel I booked for you, yes?” Chen Yuyan sat straight-backed, looking both strict and kind. Her hands were folded neatly on the desk.

The three of them nodded.

“How’s the hotel? The rooms okay?”

“Very good, thank you for booking them for us,” the two men replied.

Her gaze shifted to Tang Yan, who quickly added, “The room’s great. The view is lovely. Thank you for taking care of everything, Ms. Chen.”

“No need to be so formal. You three are the best in my department—and the company values you. It’s only right I take care of the details. The San Francisco company is already lined up. A car will pick you up tomorrow morning at nine. Wang Jian will be leading the way. Tang Yan, you’re the newcomer—make sure to help her.”

Wang Jian nodded. “Don’t worry, Ms. Chen. I’ll handle the team.”

“Tang Yan,” Chen Yuyan called out again. Tang Yan instinctively straightened her back and met her gaze.

“Yes, Ms. Chen.”

“If anything comes up over there, go to them. And if they ever ignore you, let me know—I’ll deal with it. Don’t get lost in America. I’ve got high hopes for you. Work hard, and promotions, raises… they’ll come. Oh, and if I have time, I’ll swing by to see you all. Do your best.”

Everyone nodded mechanically—standard polite reactions to a superior’s pep talk. Once the call ended, they all let out a sigh of relief.

“Let’s go get food. I’m starving.”

“Tang Yan, you coming with us? Oh wait—of course not. You’re gonna eat with your girlfriend, right? No way you’d hang with two single dudes like us, ha ha ha…”

“…”

Tang Yan laughed awkwardly. “I’ll head back. Ping me if anything comes up.”

When she returned, Yuqing was lying on the bed, scrolling through her phone. Tang Yan crept closer but didn’t manage to surprise her.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking for good restaurants nearby,” Yuqing said, not looking up. “Let’s go get food.”

At the mention of food, Tang Yan’s stomach growled. She’d barely eaten on the flight. “Yes please, I’m starving.”

“Want Chinese, Western, Indian, or Southeast Asian?” Yuqing asked, eyes still on her screen.

Tang Yan rubbed her belly. “Let’s start with Chinese. I don’t want to upset my stomach with something too foreign on the first day.”

“Alright, but let me give you a little warning first.” Yuqing sat up on the bed.

Tang Yan immediately covered her stomach. “Wait—why are we suddenly talking about shots?”

“Not that kind of shot. What are you even thinking, silly girl?” Yuqing laughed, pinching her cheek.

Tang Yan: …

“The Chinese food here might not taste like what we’re used to back home. Just mentally prepare for that,” Yuqing said with some experience.

Tang Yan thought, How bad could it be? I’m so hungry I’d be happy with just plain rice.

They tidied up a bit and headed downstairs.

On the streets, they passed a lot of familiar Chinese faces, which made Tang Yan feel instantly more at ease. After all, this city had one of the highest Chinese populations in the Western Hemisphere—second only to New York.

The streets were lined with coconut and palm trees, giving it a tropical vibe despite the Mediterranean climate. It didn’t take away from the city’s distinct charm.

As they walked past an open-air café, Tang Yan spotted a couple kissing passionately. She blushed and quickly looked away—then peeked at Yuqing beside her.

While Yuqing wasn’t paying attention, she planted a kiss on her cheek and then slipped her hand into hers, interlocking their fingers as they strolled down the street, bold and carefree.

No one gave them strange looks.

Here, they were just like any other couple.