Heart Flutter

Chapter 17

Aunt Ji had been gone for a while.

Tang Yan checked the time every so often, unable to settle her nerves. She was alone in the hospital room, and it was quiet. Occasionally, there were footsteps in the hallway, and each time she heard them, Tang Yan’s heart leapt, preparing herself for the door to open. Yet, she never saw Aunt Ji appear.

She felt as though she was on the verge of developing full-blown anxiety, wanting desperately to see Aunt Ji as soon as possible.

“Knock, knock.” Someone rapped lightly on the door. Tang Yan’s nerves tensed. She propped herself up slightly on the bed until she saw a head poking around the door from outside and realized who it was.

“Senior!” she exclaimed. Surprise filled her voice, and disbelief soon followed.

“Tang Yan!” Shen Yuyin waved at her, came in, and placed a bag of fresh, seasonal fruit on the bedside table.

“How did you know I was here…” Tang Yan asked.

“Your senior is quite well-connected!” Shen Yuyin joked, then explained, “Someone in the dorm next to yours is in our club. This morning, they saw you being helped to the hospital and posted it in the group chat. Once I saw it, I hurried over.”

It made sense. Tang Yan had not checked her phone much, so she had not noticed the hundreds of new messages in the club chat. She had set notifications to silent, so she did not receive any alerts.

“Thank you, Senior,” Tang Yan said. “I’m honestly surprised—and really touched—that you came to see me.” She had arrived in this big city by herself from a small, distant place, never expecting to gain so much warmth and friendship here.

“There’s no need to be so polite. You’re one of us now, so it’s only natural for me, as vice president, to check on you. You must have eaten something odd last night and upset your stomach.”

Tang Yan smiled awkwardly, essentially admitting it. It was her first time at a buffet. Faced with so many options she could sample freely—hot dishes, cold dishes—she had overindulged. Plus, when the club members toasted one another, she had drunk some cocktails. She had brought it on herself. This experience would probably deter her from a repeat performance.

“You still have the energy to laugh?” teased Shen Yuyin. “Everyone’s been poking fun at you. You’re too frail. You’ll have a hard time in the Taekwondo club if you don’t build yourself up.”

Tang Yan was not exactly short, just very slim, and she knew it well. Her senior’s observation was spot on. It stung a bit, but it was the truth.

“All right,” said Shen Yuyin. “Once you finish your military training and come back from the National Day break, I’ll supervise your workouts. Think of it as a way to get stronger. Maybe, within a year, you can show off some abs or a defined waistline.”

“Isn’t that too much trouble for you, Senior?” Tang Yan asked, feeling slightly embarrassed.

“It’s no trouble for me. I do this every day. Working out with someone else might be more motivating. Besides, with your current fitness level, it’ll be tough for you to stay in the Taekwondo club for long. Of course, if you only joined for fun, that’s another matter.”

“I really want to learn Taekwondo,” Tang Yan said firmly, “and I want to get stronger.” Her eyes shone with determination.

The intensity of her reaction startled Shen Yuyin. “All right, then. Nobody respects a quitter.”

“I won’t quit,” Tang Yan said again, seriously.

She was so unwavering that it left quite an impression on Shen Yuyin. She never expected a girl just one year younger to have such resolve. Her curiosity and interest in Tang Yan only grew.

“Anyway, I don’t have much time,” said Shen Yuyin, glancing at her watch. “I still have to drop by the Student Union, so I can’t stay.”

She rose, ruffled Tang Yan’s hair, and gave her a big smile. “Get some rest. I’m heading out now.”

“Goodbye, Senior!” Tang Yan waved.

Not long after leaving the room, Shen Yuyin came face-to-face with Aunt Ji, who had just returned with a bowl of congee. They spotted each other several steps away and both came to a halt. Their eyes held entirely different emotions. After a short pause, Shen Yuyin continued to walk, acting as though she had not even seen her. Right as she was passing by, Ji Yuqing spoke in a cold voice.

“What are you doing here?” she asked icily, her face expressionless.

Smiling in a slightly mocking way, Shen Yuyin countered, “Why, do you own this hospital? I just came to see a classmate. I don’t need your permission.”

Ji Yuqing let out a brief laugh. “Suit yourself,” she said, then walked on by.

In that moment, a flood of painful memories surged within her, the ones she had tried so hard to forget. They almost swallowed her whole. Fortunately, it had been years since then, and she had learned to manage her emotions, forcing herself to stay calm. By the time she reached the hospital room door, she was able to breathe evenly again. She reentered, her expression gentle once more—the Aunt Ji that Tang Yan knew.

She eased open the door and was greeted by Tang Yan’s bright, carefree smile—an instant remedy for her troubled mind.

“Aunt Ji, you’re back!”

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Ji Yuqing said with a slight smile. She had successfully composed herself.

After setting the congee aside, she noticed the fruit basket on the bedside table. “Someone came by?”

Tang Yan nodded with a grin. “One of my seniors.”

Ji Yuqing hesitated slightly, then helped Tang Yan open the container. “It’s lean pork and preserved egg congee. Tastes pretty good. Give it a try.”

“Thanks, Aunt Ji.” Tang Yan took the bowl in both hands and drank a generous spoonful. She looked as though she was enjoying it immensely.

“Take small bites,” Ji Yuqing said. “Don’t burn yourself.”

Once her IV drip finished, and she no longer felt sick, Tang Yan was discharged. Although she still seemed a bit pale and lacked her usual energy, she was far better than that morning, when she had looked ready to faint at any moment.

Aunt Ji had given up almost an entire day of work to be with her, and Tang Yan was both moved and forever grateful. She decided that no matter what happened in the future, she would never leave Aunt Ji’s side.

When they were about to depart, Tang Yan intended to take the fruit basket from the bedside, but Aunt Ji said, “Let’s not take that. It looked less than fresh.”

“But…” Tang Yan glanced at it. It seemed perfectly fine to her.

“Be good and do as I say,” said Aunt Ji. “I’ll take you somewhere.”

Tang Yan, still somewhat confused, followed her without protest. They left the basket on the bedside table, exited the hospital, and drove to another street. Eventually, Aunt Ji parked outside a store that sold imported fruit.

“Pick anything you want,” she said. “I’ll get it for you today.”

Tang Yan found herself dizzy from the bright displays and the strong, fruity aroma in the store; the prices were noticeably steeper than ordinary fruit shops. Unsure, she hesitated. Seeing this, Aunt Ji gently took hold of her wrist.

“How about these cherries?” she asked.

Tang Yan remained silent.

The shop assistant was about to put a few in a bag, but Aunt Ji said, “I’ll take a whole box. Make sure it’s fresh.”

“Aunt Ji,” Tang Yan said, tugging the sleeve of her blazer, “isn’t that a bit too much?”

“Not really,” replied Aunt Ji. “You can share them with your roommates.”

Then she added a box of mangosteens, some red rose apples, Filipino bananas, and more—almost clearing out the store. Aunt Ji appeared quite happy with her purchases, and Tang Yan didn’t want to spoil her mood by objecting. If it made Aunt Ji happy, it made her happy too.

Tang Yan had no idea how much it all cost in total, but the store employees clearly enjoyed their business. They beamed as they rang everything up, encouraging them to come again.

Back in the car, Tang Yan secured her seat belt and asked, “Aunt Ji, wasn’t that too much fruit? You should take some home, too.”

Starting the engine and preparing to drive back to campus, Aunt Ji said, “If there’s anything you ever want in the future, tell me. As long as I can manage it, I’ll do it for you. But don’t go accepting random things from strangers, all right?”

Tang Yan scratched her head, confused as to what she meant. Who was she calling a stranger?

Seeing her puzzled expression, Aunt Ji quickly added, “Don’t overthink it. This is just something I’m happy to do.”

She then drove back to the dormitory. It happened to be dinnertime, right after military training ended, so several of Tang Yan’s roommates were returning from the field. They helped carry the boxes of fruit from the trunk upstairs. Remembering Aunt Ji’s advice, Tang Yan shared the fruit with everyone.

She walked down with Aunt Ji afterward to see her off. There always seemed to be another goodbye. Tang Yan hated partings. She wondered when the day would come when they would no longer have to say goodbye.

Through the car window, Aunt Ji said, “Take care of yourself at school. Call me if anything happens.”

It was a familiar phrase Aunt Ji never failed to repeat, which always made Tang Yan feel a pang in her heart. But she kept her composure, standing on the dormitory steps and waving farewell.

She watched the white car slowly pull away, growing smaller and smaller. Tang Yan stood there, her heart still fluttering long after it disappeared from sight.