Heart Flutter

Chapter 160

After the movie ended around 8 p.m., friends began arriving one after another. Shen Yuyin came arm in arm with Zhao Xiaoyun, while Zhang Miya looked stunning, like a rose blooming in the night—you’d never guess she was pregnant with her second child. The last to arrive was Pei Wen, still the epitome of a stylish career woman, unchanged as ever.

Once everyone had arrived, they headed to the reserved KTV suite, which conveniently also served food—perfect for eating and singing all at once.

Zhao Xiaoyun, having just seen Tang Yan before the holiday, was confused about her sudden resignation. After a few drinks, Tang Yan let it slip—and the room went quiet before everyone slowly turned to look at Ji Yuqing.

“Old Ji, you’ve really got it made. Tang quit such a good job for you,” Zhang Miya said, clearly envious of their relationship, which to her looked pure and genuine.

“She wasn’t wrong to do it,” Zhao Xiaoyun said angrily. “If I had to deal with workplace harassment every day, I’d quit too. Yan Yan, I support you.”

“Thanks for understanding me…” Tang Yan, tipsy and flushed, leaned her head on Ji Yuqing’s shoulder, clinging to her like a kitten. “I’d do anything for you.”

“Okay, okay, you two, enough of the PDA! There are other people here!” Zhang Miya exclaimed, pretending to cover her eyes as she grabbed the mic and went up to pick a song.

The group spent the night laughing, singing, and drinking until late.

In the end, Zhang Miya was the only one still sober—she was drinking only water and juice due to her pregnancy. She called her husband to help get the group into nearby hotels, making sure everyone was settled before she drove herself home.

—

The next morning, something was different about Tang Huiyi. She got up early and spent an unusually long time in front of the mirror—doing her makeup, styling her hair. Her husband, half-asleep in bed, peeked at her. “You going somewhere?”

She smiled. “Class reunion today.” Then turned back to apply her lipstick.

He blinked, surprised. “Didn’t you always say you hate going to those?”

“Well, times have changed,” she replied, capping the lipstick. “My daughter’s doing great at a Fortune 500 in Huadu, my husband’s good to me—why wouldn’t I go? Let’s see who’s really got the last laugh.”

He rubbed his face with a sigh, trying to reason with her. “Why bother with those people? It’s all showing off. Just ends up making people feel worse, whether you’re ahead or behind.”

“I’m not skipping this one.” Tang Huiyi turned to him, both hands on the vanity. “They’ve invited me for years. I always avoided it. This time, I’m done running. Let them see—I’m not living the tragedy they imagined.”

Back in the day, her classmates had distanced themselves when they found out she had a child out of wedlock and dropped out of school. She knew they’d mocked her behind her back. If she bailed again, they’d think she was too ashamed to show her face.

The reunion was held at a restaurant back in her old county town. She drove there herself—no spouses allowed, apparently, to avoid awkwardness among unfamiliar faces.

As she parked, a middle-aged woman came walking up. “Tang Huiyi? Wow, it really is you! I can’t believe you came—we all thought you’d skip again.”

Huiyi got out of the car with a polite smile. “Had a free day. Thought I’d stop by.”

“Oh wow, is this your car? A little Audi—very classy.”

Huiyi responded lightly, unsure if the compliment was sincere. “My husband got it for picking up our kid. It’s the weekend, so I drove it today.”

“Your husband’s so sweet. And that coat! Where’d you get it? I saw something similar on sale for five grand, but my stingy guy wouldn’t buy it.”

Huiyi laughed gently. “Mine wasn’t that expensive. About the same as yours, I guess. Anyway, has everyone arrived? We should head in.”

The woman smiled and walked beside her, still chatting. “Remember that one classmate nobody liked back in school?”

Huiyi gave her a sideways look. “You mean me?”

“No, of course not! You were the star student—everyone liked you. I meant Xiaoqin.”

“Oh? What happened to her?”

“Married three times, divorced three times. Kids all live with their dads. She’s working as a cashier now. Sad, really. And to think she used to brag about her rich husband at reunions. Didn’t even dare show up today.”

Huiyi forced a polite laugh and said nothing.

Inside, the private room was already half full. The classmates sat around a big round table—men and women in roughly equal numbers.

One married male classmate stood up as she entered, beaming. “Huiyi, you’re still gorgeous—more graceful than ever! Haven’t aged a bit!”

She chuckled. “I’ve put on weight lately. It shows.”

“Back in the day, I had a crush on you, you know? If I’d known how things would go, I would’ve proposed right after the college entrance exams.”

The comment made her smile stiffen. Thankfully, another classmate cut in.

“Hey now, leave her alone. She’s doing just fine without you, clearly.”

Huiyi nodded with a smile.

Soon the conversation shifted to their kids. As middle-aged folks, they didn’t compare cars anymore—they compared children.

She had already done her homework. Her daughter, Yan Yan, was easily the most accomplished kid in the group. No one else came close, and she felt confident.

“My son drove me crazy. Couldn’t make it in the provincial capital, so I pulled some strings to get him into a local government job.”

“That’s nothing. My daughter just graduated and insists on marrying a guy from up north. You think I want her moving that far?”

“I heard Hu Die’s daughter is doing great—got straight into a 211 university’s grad program.”

Hu Die smiled modestly but spoke with a sharp edge. “Not bad. But how could we compare with Huiyi? Her daughter’s working at a Fortune 500 in the capital. Didn’t she just get sent to the U.S. for training recently?”

Her tone was clearly sour.

Another classmate chimed in flatteringly. “And I heard her husband is some big-shot real estate developer from the next county over? Plus, their son goes to the top private bilingual kindergarten.”

Huiyi waved her hands modestly. “Not a big shot—just middle-class.”

“Oh come on! If that’s middle-class, what are the rest of us—paupers?”

Honestly, after all the scorn she’d endured over the years, Huiyi couldn’t deny it felt good to be praised like this. She had waited so long to prove that her life—and her kids—had turned out well.

“I’ve always felt I owed Yan Yan a lot,” she said. “I never expected her to turn out so amazing. It’s all her own effort.”

Just then, Hu Die, who had been visibly annoyed, suddenly sneered. The room fell silent.

“Huiyi, maybe there are things about your daughter you don’t know.”

Huiyi’s smile faltered. “What do you mean?”

“My niece works in the same building as her. You know what she told me yesterday? That Tang Yan quit her job. Hahaha…”

Huiyi’s face turned pale, then red. Everyone stared at her. The mood grew awkward.

“That’s not possible. She just got a promotion before the holiday. She even told me she was going to work harder.”

“Then maybe she’s not as close to you as you think. Maybe she hid it from you.”

“That’s not true!” Huiyi snapped, standing up. She grabbed her purse and left the table in a rush, leaving behind an awkward silence.

After she left, someone leaned in to ask, “Hu Die, is that true?”

With a smug smile, Hu Die replied, “Absolutely.”

She just couldn’t stand watching Huiyi be the center of attention. Couldn’t stand her smug little face.

Outside, Huiyi sat in her car, heart pounding uncontrollably. Her face burned with embarrassment.

She immediately tried calling Tang Yan. The phone rang endlessly but no one picked up. Frustrated and anxious, she headed home.

At home, Wang Yixuan was playing with his dad in the living room. The sudden tension in Huiyi’s face scared both of them.

“You’re back, Mommy!” Yixuan ran to her.

She gently nudged him aside. “Go to Daddy. Mommy doesn’t feel well.”

Her husband frowned, sensing something was wrong. “What happened?”

She sat on the couch and called Tang Yan again. Three times. No answer. She was seething.

“Someone said Yan Yan quit her job in Huadu.”

“What? Just like that? Are you sure?”

She covered her face, exasperated. “I just want to know what she’s thinking. How could she throw away a perfectly good job like it’s nothing?”

“Take it easy. Maybe it’s just a rumor. Let’s wait until you get ahold of her. And even if it’s true, maybe she had her reasons.” He paused. “Just don’t get mad. Talk to her calmly.”

“I can’t stay calm.” Huiyi gritted her teeth. “Do you know the looks I got at that reunion? They were waiting for me to screw up.”

“I told you not to go. Those people are the worst—always comparing everything. Just live our own life.”

Still fuming, Huiyi kept calling—again and again. She was going to keep dialing until Tang Yan picked up.

“Mom, don’t be mad at Sis. Don’t be mad…” Little Yixuan stood by her leg, trying to comfort her.

—

Meanwhile, Tang Yan and Ji Yuqing were still sleeping off their hangovers in the hotel bed. Tang Yan had faint memories of the phone ringing over and over, but she’d been too groggy to care.

It wasn’t until around 1 p.m. that they finally stirred. Tang Yan sat up, blinking at the mess of the room, trying to remember what even happened last night.

Ji Yuqing was already up, brushing her teeth in the bathroom. Tang Yan rubbed her temples, groaning, “What day is it?”

“Wednesday,” Ji Yuqing replied through a mouthful of toothpaste.

Right… It had only been two days since she quit, and she was already forgetting what day it was.

She reached for her phone, intending to check the time—only to see over thirty missed calls. Her heart nearly stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Yuqing poked her head out.

“My mom called me thirty times. What the hell? I didn’t hear a thing this morning!” Tang Yan stared at the screen, stunned.

“Better call her back. Maybe something urgent.”

Tang Yan nodded and was just about to dial when her phone started ringing again.

She picked it up, and her mom’s angry voice burst through.

“Where are you? What are you doing? Why didn’t you answer?”

“I—I…” Tang Yan stammered, brain scrambling. She panicked and lied, “I’m at work…”

“Oh really? Then how come I heard you quit your job?”