Heart Flutter

Chapter 174 [Extra 4]

Before she met Ji Yuqing, Tang Yan barely had any concept of health checkups, let alone understood the importance of getting them regularly. In her mind, the only checkup that mattered was the one before the college entrance exam.

It was time again for their annual checkup. They purposely avoided scheduling it on the weekend to skip the crowds and long waits, so Ji Yuqing and Tang Yan both took the day off from work for a weekday hospital visit.

There were a lot of things to keep in mind for a physical exam—especially for certain screenings that required fasting. No breakfast allowed.

Tang Yan still remembered her first year in Huadu, when Aunt Ji said she’d take her for a health check. Just hearing the word had made her legs go weak. Back then, her mind was full of terrifying images—cold metal machines probing her body, the whole thing freaked her out.

She had acted super timid that day, and Ji Yuqing had laughed at her the entire time. But she eventually got used to it. Now she could confidently find every department in the hospital on her own.

Before leaving, Ji Yuqing called Pei Wen. “Yan Yan and I are heading out for our checkups today. Keep an eye on things at the office, will you? Let me know if anything important comes up. I’ll treat you to a meal later.”

“Sis, come on, we’re all family here. No need to be so formal. Just hit me up whenever you need anything,” Pei Wen replied on the other end.

By then, Tang Yan was already fully ready and standing in front of her, just waiting to go.

Ji Yuqing reached out and pinched her cheek as she leaned in. “Nervous?”

Tang Yan shook her head proudly. “I’m not that dumb anymore.”

Ji Yuqing turned as she walked and corrected her, “It wasn’t dumb. It was cute.”

At the door, Nai Qiu and Mao Qiu, their two pets, were reluctant to say goodbye. Nai Qiu, the livelier one, almost ran out with them, while Mao Qiu stayed cautious, paws hesitating at the edge like he couldn’t decide.

Tang Yan knelt down and petted them both before gently nudging them back inside. “Mommies are going to the hospital. We can’t take you with us. Be good, wait at home. We’ll bring back something tasty.”

“Yan Yan,” Ji Yuqing called from the car.

“Coming!” Tang Yan stood, closed the door with a pang of guilt—she could still hear Nai Qiu meowing from inside. He really didn’t want them to leave.

Since it was a weekday, the hospital wasn’t too crowded. They didn’t have to wait long.

There were a lot of tests, and even at the fastest pace, they were there till the afternoon.

After the checkup, they had lunch together, then swung by the pet store to pick up some treats for the furballs at home.

Back to work the next day, they completely forgot about the results. It wasn’t until Ji Yuqing got a call from the hospital that she remembered. But she had meetings and contracts to deal with, so she asked Tang Yan to pick them up.

Tang Yan got off work early that day and drove to the hospital alone.

Oddly, the hospital was packed. She anxiously waited while the nurse flipped through a thick stack of reports without looking up. “Are you a relative of Ms. Ji?”

That question set off alarm bells in Tang Yan’s head. She quickly answered, “Yes, I’m her partner.”

The nurse finally looked up, a little puzzled. “Her daughter?”

Tang Yan shook her head, not feeling the need to hide anything. “No, I’m her girlfriend. We’re in a relationship.”

The nurse looked shocked, flipping back through the forms in disbelief. The file said “married.” So was this an affair? Or… oh, right, it’s a same-sex couple. Wild.

She composed herself. “This report shows clear malignant cell growth in her breast. Please notify her to come back for further screening to determine if it’s cancer.”

Tang Yan felt her world collapse. Her mind went blank. “You mean… breast cancer?”

“We can’t say for sure. The report suggests something suspicious, but it needs further screening,” the nurse explained.

Tang Yan couldn’t hear anything else. Her heart sank.

“Do you still want the report?” the nurse asked after a long pause, holding it out.

Tang Yan muttered, “No… no, that’s not possible…” Then turned and bolted.

She ran out of the hospital like a madwoman. People stared at her like she was crazy.

She tried to hold back tears, but she couldn’t understand—why was this happening to them? After everything they’d been through, why now?

She stopped only when she reached a bench outside, collapsed onto it, and broke down in sobs. She couldn’t accept it. She would rather be the one who was sick—anything but Aunt Ji.

The world felt like it had gone gray. She couldn’t imagine life without Ji Yuqing. She wasn’t sure she’d even want to go on living.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She didn’t need to look to know it was Ji Yuqing calling. Her heart clenched tighter. She couldn’t answer. She was afraid the truth would spill out in her voice.

Meanwhile, Ji Yuqing had finished her meetings and was about to head out, but Tang Yan wasn’t picking up. She had no idea if she’d even gotten the results yet. Worried, she called someone she knew at the hospital.

A doctor went to check with the nurse. “Has anyone picked up Ms. Ji’s test results?”

The nurse looked through the files and slapped one down. “Nope. That girl ran off.”

The doctor picked it up. “I’m not talking about this one. I mean Ji Yuqing. Someone said a young woman came to get it, in her twenties.”

The nurse smacked her forehead. “Crap. I messed up. There’s another Ms. Ji, also in her forties. I mixed them up.”

The doctor was speechless. “How do you mess that up? Where is she now?”

“She ran out just now.”

“Then go after her! You might still catch her.”

The nurse quickly grabbed the correct report and ran out of the office.

Tang Yan sat on the bench, red-eyed and clutching her phone, staring at pictures of Ji Yuqing and feeling more heartbroken with each one. Life was cruel.

She felt like she was drowning in misery. If she lost her, Tang Yan didn’t think she could survive.

Just then, a breathless voice called out. “Found you! Thank god you didn’t leave yet.”

Tang Yan looked up—it was the nurse from earlier. Embarrassed, she wiped her face. “What is it now?”

The nurse looked guilty. “I’m so sorry. I mixed up the files. This is the real report for Ji Yuqing.”

Tang Yan: ???

It felt like she had been dragged up from hell. She snatched the report and flipped through it anxiously.

“It’s all clear,” the nurse said quickly. “Everything’s fine. All the indicators are healthy.”

Tang Yan couldn’t hold it in anymore. For the first time in her life, she snapped at a stranger. “Do you realize you scared me half to death?! Mistakes like this could kill someone!”

“I’m really sorry. I was careless. It’s my fault.”

“Whatever. I should’ve double-checked too.” Tang Yan sighed, realizing she’d played a part in it too. She grabbed the report and rushed to her car.

Driving home, her emotions were all over the place. She didn’t know why she had to go through all that. Everything—career, money—suddenly felt meaningless. The only thing that mattered was cherishing the time she had with the person she loved.

She just wanted to see her again. That feeling of going from hell to heaven? Never again.

When Ji Yuqing got home, she noticed Tang Yan’s car wasn’t there. Just as she was about to go look for her, she saw a car pull into the driveway.

She quickly stepped out and stood there waiting, ready to scold her for not answering her calls.

But the moment Tang Yan saw her standing there, she jumped out of the car, ran over, and threw her arms around her in a tight, desperate hug.

The evening sun lit up Ji Yuqing’s face as she stood there slightly annoyed.

Before she could say a word, Tang Yan clung to her like an octopus, eyes closed, breathing in her scent, grounding herself in the reality of her presence.

Ji Yuqing was stunned. What’s gotten into her?

Whatever scolding she’d planned disappeared. Instead, she gently asked, “Yan Yan, what’s wrong?”

“Let’s get married. Right now. As soon as possible. Please.”

“Why so sudden?” Ji Yuqing said, still wrapped in her tight embrace. “Didn’t we agree to wait till the end of the year?”

“I don’t want to wait anymore. I want you to be my wife. I want to be yours. Right now. Please? Please?”

Ji Yuqing melted a little at her whispered plea. “Okay, okay…”

Before she could finish, Tang Yan lifted her off the ground and spun her around in joy.

Ji Yuqing: What on earth got into her today?