Heart Flutter

Chapter 158

She couldn’t remember what time exactly they got home. After the long journey, her whole body was sore, and even lifting her arm to turn on the light felt exhausting.

The holiday had drained every ounce of energy from her, and with work starting again the next day, she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to readjust quickly.

Tang Yan and Ji Yuqing both instinctively collapsed onto the couch the second they stepped inside. Their suitcases were still standing on the floor beside them, but neither had the energy to unpack. Their eyelids grew heavier with each second, as if they could fall asleep any moment.

They lay there silently for about ten minutes.

Suddenly, Tang Yan sat up with a jolt. “We can’t sleep here—we’ll catch a cold.” She turned and gently shook Ji Yuqing. “Come on, let’s take a shower first.”

“Yeah… shower…” Ji Yuqing mumbled the words, but her body didn’t move an inch.

“Come on,” Tang Yan coaxed, smirking. “If you don’t want to shower yourself, I can help you.”

And she got her way.

Ji Yuqing had been dazed, half-asleep, but with Tang Yan’s antics, her brain cleared up instantly. She looked down at the girl helping her undress. “Why are you doing this, silly? You’re exhausted too, and you still want to help me shower.”

“I want to help you.” Tang Yan grinned, completely absorbed in touching every inch of her, like a curious explorer on a new adventure.

As tempting as it was, Tang Yan swallowed her desire and chose restraint. They were both exhausted—especially Aunt Ji. All she really wanted now was to help her get cleaned up and tucked into bed.

October’s weather wasn’t hot at all—actually, it was quite cool. Perfect for cuddling under a light blanket, drifting into cozy dreams that made you want to sleep right through the morning.

“Time to get up, sleepyhead. Work calls,” Ji Yuqing whispered softly into her ear.

Tang Yan wriggled, snuggling closer. “Don’t wanna.”

“Come on, you’ll really be late.” Ji Yuqing stretched to grab her phone on the nightstand and peeked at the time. “It’s already eight.”

“What?! Eight?! Crap, crap, crap—first day back and I’m already late!” Tang Yan shot out of bed, sending Ji Yuqing into a fit of giggles.

“Kidding. It’s just seven. You’ve still got time.”

Tang Yan glared, but smiled too. Aunt Ji could be such a child sometimes, always teasing—but she loved every bit of it.

“Alright, I’m getting ready.” Tang Yan grinned as she got up.

“Go ahead.” Ji Yuqing rolled onto her side and propped her head up, watching her fondly.

Tang Yan slipped on her slippers and left the bedroom, heading through the living room to the hallway bathroom. That was her usual spot for getting ready. She took her time washing up and doing a bit of makeup, tying her hair into a neat ponytail. When she turned around, Ji Yuqing was already there holding a set of clothes.

“Already matched an outfit for you. Just put this on.”

Tang Yan’s eyes lit up. “Perfect.”

Aunt Ji always had a great sense of style, something Tang Yan admittedly lacked. Having her pick an outfit saved tons of time.

“Love you,” Tang Yan said, stealing a quick kiss on her lips.

“There’s no food in the fridge, so you’ll have to eat out.” Ji Yuqing added.

Tang Yan nodded. “Got it.”

They had emptied the fridge before the trip and cut the power off too, so nothing was left inside.

Once she was ready, Ji Yuqing, hair messy and still in pajamas and slippers, walked her all the way to the front door, watching her get into the car and reminding her to drive safe.

Tang Yan stuck her head out the car window. “Go back inside—it’s cold! You should get some more sleep.”

“Alright.” Ji Yuqing smiled warmly.

As they parted ways again, Ji Yuqing felt surprisingly calm. Even though she knew Tang Yan would inevitably run into Chen Yuyan at work, as long as Tang Yan loved her and stayed true, that was enough.

Back from the National Day holiday, the road in front of Tang Yan’s office building was under construction. She couldn’t drive in, so she found a nearby parking lot and walked the rest of the way.

The street was filled with other office ladies rushing to work. She didn’t expect to run into a familiar face.

“Senior!”

Wei Yufan was walking toward her with his head down, carrying a briefcase and looking a bit worn out.

“Tang Yan? That you?”

They sat on a nearby bench and caught up. Turns out, he had been fired.

But someone like him—so capable—it didn’t seem fair.

He sighed. “Honestly, I kind of quit. The boss’s nephew stole over a month’s worth of my work, and instead of supporting me, the boss sided with him. I got pissed and handed in my resignation.”

That sounded like him. Proud, unwilling to compromise.

“How about you? Things going well?”

Tang Yan nodded. “Got a promotion and raise right before the holiday.”

“Nice! You’re doing way better than me. I graduated earlier than you, and look at me now—unemployed.”

He paused, then frowned when he noticed her distant look. “You’re still not happy?”

“No, it’s not that.” She forced a smile. “What about you? What’s next?”

“No idea. Working for someone else doesn’t get you far. If the chance comes, let’s team up and build something ourselves.” He gave her a friendly slap on the shoulder. “We’ll conquer the world, together.”

“Haha, sure.” Tang Yan laughed. She never imagined that offhand comment would one day become reality.

“Anyway, time to stop dreaming. Gotta go ‘move bricks’ again.” He stood up with a dramatic sigh and walked off.

Tang Yan stood too, watching his slightly hunched figure fade into the crowd. He used to be a star—top student, adored by everyone. Seeing him like this was a little heartbreaking.

Back at the office, everyone looked sluggish, still not fully out of holiday mode. It took Tang Yan a while to settle back into work too.

Chen Yuyan didn’t show up all day. Her coworkers said she couldn’t get a return ticket in time and would be back tomorrow. Tang Yan barely reacted.

Just as she was getting ready to leave after a calm, ordinary day, her phone rang. It was Chen Yuyan.

She said she needed to see her urgently—important business. Tang Yan, thinking it must be work-related, didn’t hesitate. She entered the address into her GPS and drove straight over.

Chen Yuyan lived in a villa inside Huadu’s fourth ring. Tang Yan parked, rang the doorbell, and heard her voice through the speaker. “It’s open. Come in.”

The door was indeed unlocked. Inside, it was dim—no lights on. Just then, Chen Yuyan appeared from one of the rooms.

“You’re here.”

Tang Yan stood respectfully. “Yes…”

As Chen walked past, the scent of her perfume lingered—a little intoxicating.

“Come over here,” she said, settling onto the couch.

Tang Yan approached, still unsure what this was about. But before she could react, Chen Yuyan grabbed her wrist and pulled her down beside her.

“President Chen, what are you—?” Tang Yan froze. That’s when she realized—Chen was wearing a long robe, and nothing underneath. It hung open, exposing her curvy figure.

“I can’t wait anymore. I really like you. Be with me. I can offer you better opportunities, more than you ever imagined.”

Tang Yan panicked and wriggled free, quickly standing up. “President Chen, I think you’ve misunderstood. I’ve always respected you as my boss…”

“I know,” Chen interrupted, voice seductive. “That’s why I like you. You’re so pure, so focused when you work—it drives me wild.”

Tang Yan took a step back, keeping her distance. “I’m already in love with someone. Deeply. I’ll never leave her. If this is how things are going to be… then I can’t keep working here.”

And with that, she turned to leave.

Chen Yuyan grew frantic. “Is that woman really worth throwing all this away?”

Tang Yan didn’t even turn around. “She’s worth everything.”

“Stop right there, Tang Yan!” Chen shouted angrily behind her. But Tang Yan rushed out the door, never looking back.

Inside, Chen flopped back onto the couch and pressed a hand to her forehead in frustration. “How could I fail? Is my charm really that useless?”

Tang Yan didn’t even remember how she made it out of there. Her hands were shaking so badly she could barely grip the wheel.

It was already past office hours when her phone started ringing. Aunt Ji. But she couldn’t answer—she was trembling all over.

She didn’t even know where she was or where she was going. Only after driving aimlessly for a while did she finally calm down as familiar roads came into view.

The phone kept ringing, but she didn’t answer. Instead, she turned and drove straight to the office.

Some people were still working late. One colleague looked up, surprised. “Didn’t you leave earlier? Why are you back?”

Tang Yan said nothing. She just returned to her desk, opened her computer, and typed up her resignation letter.

Her hands trembled the entire time.

Once she finished, she printed it, stacked the pages neatly, and handed them to the colleague across from her. “Give this to President Chen tomorrow. And tell her not to contact me again. I’m not taking this month’s pay either.”

They looked at the letter, stunned. “A resignation letter?”

Tang Yan didn’t reply. She just started packing her things. Colleagues began to gather around, murmuring.

“Did President Chen harass you? You’re really resigning because of this? That’s such a shame…”

“Yeah, you were doing so well. You just got a raise…”

“You should think this through. Once you climb higher, you won’t even need to deal with her.”

“Don’t be so impulsive…”

“I’ve already made up my mind. Please stop trying to change it.” Tang Yan couldn’t stomach staying even a second longer—not when doing so felt like betraying Aunt Ji.

With everything packed, she gave a deep bow to her coworkers. “I’m leaving. Take care, everyone.”

Back home, Ji Yuqing waited anxiously. The sky had already turned dark. She tried to stay calm, hoping Tang Yan had just gotten held up at work. But a part of her feared something bad had happened.

Tang Yan’s hands were still shaking as she drove home, wondering how she would explain this. Would Aunt Ji think she’d acted too rashly? Too immature?

Hearing the sound of the car outside, Ji Yuqing rushed out. Sure enough, it was her.

Tang Yan looked at her stuff in the passenger seat, then decided not to bring it in yet. She got out of the car alone.

“Why are you back so late? I was worried sick.”

Tang Yan didn’t respond right away.

Ji Yuqing stepped forward and gently took her arm. She caught a faint scent of unfamiliar perfume but didn’t say anything yet.

Instead, she turned around and scooped a bowl of food. “You must be starving. I made all your favorites.”

Tang Yan clenched her fists, jaw tight, and then blurted out:

“I quit.”

Ji Yuqing froze, her back stiffening in shock.