Heart Flutter

Chapter 149

The days passed in sweet, peaceful bliss—more than a honeymoon in all but name. Ever since her first taste of intimacy, Tang Yan seemed to have unlocked some hidden potential, suddenly gifted with a natural talent that needed no teacher. She and Aunt Ji were completely in sync, and any free moment they had was spent cuddling and whispering sweet nothings in their hotel room, utterly inseparable.

Tang Yan still had a fixed weekend schedule—two days off every week. After they’d had their fill of exploring San Francisco, they headed to Los Angeles, another famous city in California. There, they checked out the iconic Hollywood, the world-renowned Disneyland, and of course, Beverly Hills and the San Fernando Valley.

This week, they decided it was time for New York.

Tang Yan had been in the U.S. for over a month, but hadn’t yet visited that international metropolis. The flight from San Francisco to New York was just under six hours. The moment they landed, Tang Yan couldn’t wait to see the Statue of Liberty.

Towering skyscrapers, dazzling lights, endless traffic—compared to San Francisco, this place felt like an entirely different world. The streets buzzed with people of all skin tones speaking every kind of language imaginable.

They hit up the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and all the classic landmarks. Tang Yan took photos at every stop, posting them to her WeChat Moments—not to show off, but because her mom insisted. Her mom needed them for her WeChat feed to show off to her friends.

Tang Yan’s friends and old classmates were practically green with envy.

The comments rolled in fast and salty:

“Another day, another lemon. Hands on hips.“

“Tang Yan, you’re seriously too gorgeous. One second you’re in Hollywood, next you’re in New York? I’m dying of envy.”

“Any chance you can buy me a Givenchy Le Rouge?”

“Ahhhhh, out of all of us who graduated together, you’re clearly doing the best—you even went abroad!”

“You totally deserve this. Back in school, you were one of the hardest workers. Keep it up!”

“…”

There were too many comments to scroll through, and before long, Aunt Ji was calling her over to take more pictures.

“Aunt Ji.”

“Hmm?”

“What’s ‘Givenchy Le Rouge’?” Tang Yan asked with innocent curiosity. “I saw it in my Moments. One of my classmates asked me to bring one back for her. Is it a lambskin coat?”

“Pfft—” Ji Yuqing burst out laughing, showing no mercy as she reached up to pinch Tang Yan’s cheeks. “My little Yan Yan is just too cute and naive. It’s lipstick. Lip. Stick.”

Lipstick?

Tang Yan’s face fell blank. She looked like a soulless robot getting her cheeks squished. She never used lipstick—she was far more interested in gadgets and electronics than makeup.

The next week, they drove out to the western plains. This time, they even rented a sports car for the trip.

The vast western landscape made Tang Yan think of classic cowboys—those rugged figures in wide-brimmed sombreros, with Colt revolvers on their hips or Winchesters slung over their shoulders. Bullet belts strapped to their chests, denim jeans, leather jackets, spurred boots thudding against the ground as they galloped across the prairie. Wild. Fierce. Free.

The highway stretched straight into infinity, barely a car in sight. They could drive as fast as they wanted with nothing but crisp country music in the background. The vibe was unbeatable.

Ji Yuqing, wearing a hat and sunglasses, sat in the passenger seat while Tang Yan hit the gas like she was releasing all the pressure of her day job.

“Woohoo! This is awesome!”

As the sun began to set, they pulled over by the side of the road. The sky to the west was painted in shades of orange and red, a living oil painting unfolding before their eyes.

Ji Yuqing couldn’t stop taking pictures, her camera clicking nonstop.

Tang Yan leaned against the car, waiting… and waiting. Finally out of patience, she walked over and wrapped her arms around Ji Yuqing from behind, burying her face in her hair and whispering wickedly into her ear, “I want you.”

Ji Yuqing’s ears instantly flushed red. “We’re in the middle of nowhere!”

“So what? That just means no one’s around.” Tang Yan grinned mischievously.

They climbed back into the car and closed the convertible top. As night fell and the world quieted, the parked Porsche began to gently rock in a steady rhythm.

Face flushed, Ji Yuqing reached out in the heat of the moment and smacked a palm against the fogged-up window, leaving a five-fingered print behind…

The turning point came when they returned to San Francisco.

Tang Yan had always been an open book around Ji Yuqing—she never hid anything, never even bothered with a phone lock screen. Her phone would often be left charging on Ji Yuqing’s nightstand.

Ji Yuqing found comfort in this. It made her feel trusted. She had never once thought about sneaking a look, even with the temptation right there.

That night, Tang Yan had been out all day running errands and came back exhausted. She barely had time to shower before collapsing into bed.

Ji Yuqing didn’t disturb her. She moved around quietly, doing her own thing, and once she finished showering too, she climbed into bed with a book. The only sound in the room was the soft rustle of pages.

Then suddenly—ding—a WeChat notification rang out.

Ji Yuqing turned her head. Tang Yan’s phone screen lit up with a message from “President Chen.”

At first, she ignored it. But a few seconds later, more messages rolled in. Curiosity finally got the better of her, and she picked up the phone.

President Chen: You asleep? I heard things have been busy over there lately. You adjusting okay?

President Chen: If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to let me know. No need to be shy with me.

President Chen: Oh right, once I finish up things here in China, I’ll try to come visit.

President Chen: Will you come pick me up when I get there?

The last message even had a cute, flirty emoji at the end…

Ji Yuqing wasn’t sure how to feel. She quietly put the phone back down and tried to forget what she saw—but deep down, something still tugged at her.

After all, Chen Yuyan was around the same age as her. And as Tang Yan’s boss, it was only natural that they had frequent contact.

No… Yan Yan wouldn’t… Ji Yuqing chose to believe in her.

Even so, she kept noticing private messages from Chen Yuyan—always casual greetings, rarely about work. Still, Ji Yuqing pretended not to see anything. Life went on as usual.

One afternoon, Ji Yuqing had to step out and wasn’t there when Tang Yan came back. She got a call from Zhang Miya back in China, begging her to pick up a new limited edition lipstick that had just dropped at the Givenchy counter.

“Just one?” Ji Yuqing asked skeptically.

“If you can grab more, the more the better! Hahahaha—”

Ji Yuqing: “…”

It wasn’t easy finding the right counter. She had to take a long ride across town. By the time she arrived, the line was already out the door—mostly young Asian women, all chattering in Mandarin. Turns out, most of them were shoppers buying on behalf of others.

Ji Yuqing couldn’t believe she’d agreed to this. Must’ve been too bored at the hotel.

At 5 PM sharp, Tang Yan arrived back with a box of red velvet cake for Aunt Ji. But the room was empty. She looked around, called, texted—no response. Eventually, she just flopped onto the little sofa, chin in hand, dazed. Where did she go?

Half an hour later—

Knock knock.

Tang Yan jumped up and rushed to open the door.

“Ji—” The word stuck in her throat, and her smile faded into a blank expression. “President Chen?”

Chen Yuyan stood there dressed to the nines—flawless makeup, perfume, heels, white V-neck blouse, leafy green ruffled skirt. “Surprised to see me?”

“I, uh—yeah, kind of,” Tang Yan smiled awkwardly. “President Chen, what brings you here?”

“Finished things up at the office for now, thought I’d drop by and check on you,” Chen Yuyan said, peeking into the room. “How’s the hotel I booked for you? Comfortable?”

Seeing she was about to come in, Tang Yan didn’t have the heart to stop her. She stepped aside and followed her in like a nervous employee. “It’s great. Very comfortable.”

Chen Yuyan walked around like she was inspecting the place, then sat down and crossed her legs with elegance. “Nothing to drink here? How about offering your boss something?”

Tang Yan spaced out for a second. “Sorry, I’ll go get something.” Then she doubled back, embarrassed. “All I have is bottled water.”

“Water’s fine. I was dying of thirst after that flight.”

Tang Yan quickly handed her a bottle, then stood nearby like a schoolkid, which made Chen Yuyan chuckle.

“No need to stand there like that—sit. This isn’t the office.”

“Oh—right… okay.” Tang Yan clumsily pulled out a chair and sat.

Chen Yuyan took a sip and set the bottle down. With hands folded neatly on her lap, she began in a very official tone, “So how’s your learning experience in the U.S. going?”

Tang Yan nodded quickly. “I’m getting used to the pace here. Learning a lot.”

“That’s good.” Chen Yuyan smiled kindly. Her voice was unusually gentle, not the tone of a boss with her employee. “I was worried at first that it might be hard for you to adjust, but clearly I had nothing to worry about. You’re a thoughtful, capable girl.”

Tang Yan scratched her head awkwardly. She never quite knew how to act around her boss.

Just then, Ji Yuqing came back, exhausted from fighting through crowds of lipstick-hunting young women. This was not something someone her age should be doing. Standing at the counter paying, her mind had gone blank. She swiped her card without thinking, just desperate to get it over with. She swore she’d never do this again.

She unlocked the hotel door with the room key—only to walk in and see that.

Inside, both Chen Yuyan and Tang Yan turned to look at the door.