Heart Flutter

Chapter 154

Domestic flights aren’t like international ones—just three hours after takeoff, Ji Yuqing and Tang Yan had already landed at the local airport. It was around noon when they got off the plane and immediately rushed to the subway to reach the train station. The National Day crowds seemed to grow bigger each year, and the subway was so packed there were barely any seats. Seeing Aunt Ji struggling to keep her balance while holding the rail, Tang Yan gently patted her and said, “Lean on me.”

“No, you’ll be uncomfortable too,” Ji Yuqing shook her head, not agreeing with the idea.

“I’m fine, really. Come on, just lean over.” Tang Yan insisted, and Ji Yuqing couldn’t say no.

Once she leaned on Tang Yan, Ji Yuqing did feel a lot more comfortable. The tension in her body eased, and she was better shielded from the jostling crowd. Tang Yan was basically protecting her from all sides. Part of her insistence was out of concern, and part of it was because she couldn’t stand the idea of Aunt Ji being pressed up against random strangers—especially men. If anyone had to suffer, she’d rather it be herself.

By the time they got off the subway, Tang Yan’s hands were red from holding on too tightly.

“Let me see your hands,” Ji Yuqing demanded.

Tang Yan reluctantly held them out and explained, “I’m really fine. They’re just a little red. My skin’s thick.”

“You dummy.” Ji Yuqing looked at her with a mix of love and worry. “Don’t do that next time.” She wrapped Tang Yan’s reddened hands in her own palms, gently rubbing them to ease the pain and even blowing on them from time to time. “Feeling better?”

Tang Yan nodded quickly, her face flushing. “Much better.”

At the train station, they grabbed lunch at a nearby restaurant. During the meal, Tang Yan received a video call from her mom.

“Where are you now?”

“We’re at the train station already. Aunt Ji and I just picked up the tickets and sat down to eat,” Tang Yan said as she turned the camera. “Look, Aunt Ji’s right here.”

Ji Yuqing waved at the screen. “Hi, Senior.”

“Oh, Xiao Ji, thank you so much for coming back with Yan Yan during this crazy National Day rush. Must’ve been a rough trip,” Tang Huiyi said.

“Oh, not at all. It’s no trouble at all,” Ji Yuqing smiled.

Tang Yan turned the camera back to herself. “Mom, I’ll talk to you later. We still have a train to catch.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll make something nice when you get here. Take care on the road!”

“Got it.” Tang Yan hung up and turned back to her lunch with a smile. “Looks like Mom really didn’t suspect anything.”

“Don’t get too confident yet,” Ji Yuqing poked her nose. “Eat up.”

After lunch, they boarded the train. Another three hours passed. Then there was yet another bus ride. The whole day was practically spent in transit. Tang Yan couldn’t help but feel guilty—she even regretted bringing Aunt Ji along. This poor, rural place she grew up in was so far removed from the city. The bumpy ride alone must’ve been exhausting for her.

“You must be so tired today…” Tang Yan looked up at her apologetically as they sat on the swaying bus.

“Not at all.” Ji Yuqing was by the window, half open, letting in the cool breeze. Golden wheat fields lined both sides of the road. “Look at the view outside. You don’t see this kind of thing in the city.”

Still, Tang Yan felt she’d wronged her and sank into silent guilt.

But Ji Yuqing truly was happy to be there. She liked the scenery, the fresh air. “Cheer up. You’ll see your mom and little brother soon.”

Tang Yan nodded with her head lowered, her hair hiding her expression.

An hour later, they arrived at the bus station in the small county where her mother now lived. It was around six in the evening, and the sky was already darkening. Tang Yan’s nerves grew stronger by the second—seeing her mother again, her brother, and meeting that man for the first time… her heart was pounding.

“Time to get off—still daydreaming?” Ji Yuqing nudged her.

Snapping out of it, Tang Yan realized most of the passengers had already gotten off.

“That fast?” she mumbled, slowly standing, slowly getting off, slowly grabbing her luggage. Everything about her movements showed hesitation.

Ji Yuqing quickly caught on. “First time meeting your mom’s husband?”

Tang Yan didn’t want to answer, but eventually gave a small nod.

“It’s okay,” Ji Yuqing patted her on the shoulder. “There’s a first time for everything. Since your mom chose to live with him, it’s only natural that you’ll have to interact with him too. You’ll get used to it.”

Aunt Ji really understood her. Tang Yan had been struggling with what to call the man—“Dad” was clearly out of the question. “Uncle,” then.

After a moment of mental prep, Tang Yan decided to face everything calmly and confidently. She pulled her suitcase and walked out of the station with Aunt Ji.

Just outside, across the street, she saw three people—a man, a woman, and a child. They looked like a perfect little family.

“Yan Yan!” Tang Huiyi waved excitedly.

Tang Yan’s nerves returned in full force. She and Aunt Ji didn’t hold hands in front of her mom, but as they crossed the street, she felt Aunt Ji gently press her back—quietly giving her strength.

Dragging her suitcase across the road, Tang Yan was immediately pulled into a hug by her mom.

“You must be exhausted after such a long trip.”

Tang Yan shook her head calmly.

“Yuqing, sorry our town is so small and can’t compare to Huadu. Please forgive us if anything’s not up to standard,” Tang Huiyi said, turning to Ji Yuqing.

“Not at all,” Ji Yuqing replied with a warm smile.

“Lao Wang, come on, what are you standing there like a statue for?” Tang Huiyi scolded the man who’d been quietly standing behind her. “Yan Yan, this is your Uncle Wang.”

“Hello, Uncle,” Tang Yan said, steady and polite.

“Hi, hi, nice to meet you.” The man gave a shy smile. Clearly, it was a first meeting for both sides—awkward and formal.

“Wang Yixuan, what are you doing? Why aren’t you greeting your sister?” Tang Huiyi turned to scold the little boy clinging to her leg.

Tang Yan realized it had been over three years since she’d last seen the kid. He looked much more grown up now—probably around five.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” she said quickly. “It’s been a long time. He’s just a little shy.”

But Tang Huiyi was still annoyed. “At home, you say all the right things, and now you clam up in public.” She looked back at Ji Yuqing. “I’m so sorry you had to see that.”

“No need to apologize. He’s just a child—it’s normal,” Ji Yuqing waved it off.

“Let’s not stand around here. Let’s go get dinner. Leave your luggage in the car,” Tang Huiyi said.

Uncle Wang seemed to take that as a cue and quickly moved to load their bags into the trunk. Ji Yuqing couldn’t stop him in time. When it was Tang Yan’s turn, she tried to refuse.

“It’s okay, I can do it myself. Really, I’ve got it.”

The back-and-forth went on for a bit until Tang Huiyi stepped in. “Yan Yan, just let your uncle help. Don’t be so distant.”

Tang Yan finally let go, though she still wasn’t used to this kind of warm attention.

“Yan Yan, you want to sit in the front or back?” her mom asked.

“Back,” Tang Yan answered without thinking. She wanted to sit with Aunt Ji. But then Wang Yixuan clung to his mom and whined, “Mommy, I want to sit in the back with you.”

“This kid’s really shy…” Tang Huiyi gave a sheepish smile. Clearly, the boy didn’t want to sit with his unfamiliar sister and the new “aunt.”

Seeing the awkwardness, Tang Yan quickly said, “It’s fine. I’ll sit in the front.”

And with that, they all got in the car.

It was a family-sized SUV. Tang Yan took the passenger seat, buckled up, and Uncle Wang got in and started the engine. Noticing he hadn’t fastened his seatbelt, Tang Yan reminded him, “Uncle, your seatbelt…”

“Oh! Right, right. I almost forgot.” He fumbled with it, embarrassed, and got scolded immediately by Tang Huiyi in the back.

“Lao Wang, how can you always forget something so important? It’s dangerous, and you’re setting a bad example for your son. Look—Yan Yan remembered and even had to remind you.”

Uncle Wang just nodded meekly, wiping sweat from his forehead.

Then Tang Huiyi turned to Ji Yuqing and said, “In our little town, traffic enforcement isn’t as strict. He’s just gotten used to being careless. Every year he gets points deducted from his license. I’ve said it a hundred times—he never listens.”

Ji Yuqing nodded. “Yeah, wearing a seatbelt is important. It’s for safety.”

“Exactly what I keep saying.” Tang Huiyi let out a frustrated sigh.

Tang Yan couldn’t help but glance over at Uncle Wang, who was clearly sweating bullets. She quietly wondered—was her mom this intense all the time? Uncle Wang seemed genuinely afraid of her. He hadn’t dared to say a word in his defense the entire time…