Heart Flutter

Chapter 31

On the third day of the island trip, a sudden downpour arrived. The sky was shrouded in inky clouds, heavy and oppressive, accompanied by flashes of lightning and strong gusts of wind.

After a loud crack of thunder, the rain poured down in torrents, pounding against the glass windows with a sharp patter. Outside, the wind and rain caused the branches and flowers to sway, blurring the view. Not far off at the seashore, the waves roiled and crashed.

Tang Yan was startled awake by the thunder and sat bolt upright in bed, mumbling drowsily, “It was thundering.”

“Yes. It looked like we would only be able to stay at the guesthouse today.” The speaker was Ji Yuqing, who was sitting at a small white round table at that moment. She had a cup of hot tea within reach and was holding a book. While speaking, she lifted her gaze slightly to glance outside the window.

Round raindrops plunged from the sky, beating against the building and everything around it with a clamor. It was only eight in the morning, yet the room was as dim as dusk. To avoid disturbing Tang Yan’s sleep, Ji Yuqing had kept near the window, reading her book by the scant light.

“Aunt Ji, you were up so early?” Tang Yan said, scratching her tousled hair.

“I could not sleep,” replied Ji Yuqing, turning a page in her book. Her eyes did not stray from the text. “It is still early. You could try to sleep a bit longer if you want.”

“Aunt Ji, you have not eaten breakfast yet, have you? I can cook,” Tang Yan offered, hurrying to get out of bed. She had just placed her feet on the floor when she heard the response from across the room, “I already ordered breakfast from the guesthouse. Someone should be bringing it up soon.” Then she turned to Tang Yan and flashed a slight smile.

“Oh… got it.” Tang Yan quietly drew her legs back onto the bed, sitting cross-legged at the edge.

Tang Yan’s phone was on the bedside table. She reached over, picked it up, and lit the screen, discovering several unread WeChat messages—all from the same person.

From Senior Shen Yuyin: I could not sleep and wanted to chat with my junior. From Senior Shen Yuyin: Time passed so slowly. Only a third of the holiday had gone by, and I could not wait to see you back at school, you silly, wooden-headed little junior. From Senior Shen Yuyin: Hmm, why are you not replying? Did you fall asleep? It was too early to go to bed on vacation. This is outrageous. From Senior Shen Yuyin: [crying emoji]

…

Tang Yan scratched her head. She had indeed fallen asleep last night. She slept on the far side of the bed, so her phone remained on the outside bedside table, closer to Aunt Ji. She wondered if Aunt Ji had seen these messages—likely not. Even if she had, there was nothing all that scandalous… Tang Yan let her imagination wander for a moment, then finally unlocked her phone to reply.

Tang Yan: Sorry, Senior. I fell asleep last night.

She sent that one line and then tilted her head, unsure what else to say. She stared blankly at her phone for a moment.

Before long, the other party replied:

Senior Shen Yuyin: (￢︿￢☆) So how are you going to make it up to me?

Tang Yan scratched her head in surprise, feeling at a loss. What should she do? She thought for a while before replying:

Tang Yan: Then… after we get back to school, I will treat you to a meal, Senior.

Senior Shen Yuyin: You really are hopelessly dense. Who wants a meal? I saw on your Moments that you went on vacation. Are you having fun?

Tang Yan: Yes, I was happy. The sea was beautiful.

Senior Shen Yuyin: If I were the one on vacation with you, it would have been even better.

Tang Yan: [confused emoji]

Senior Shen Yuyin: I meant that if you had agreed to travel with me during the National Day holiday, I would not be stuck at home, bored out of my mind right now.

“Ding-dong, ding-dong.” The doorbell rang.

Since Tang Yan was closer, she set down her phone without a second thought and went to answer the door, completely forgetting about her conversation with Shen Yuyin.

Standing at the door was a young woman working part-time at the guesthouse—traveling while earning enough to cover her lodging expenses. “Here is the breakfast you ordered.”

Tang Yan quickly took the tray from her, concerned that holding it too long might tire her out. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome. Oh, by the way, it may rain all day today. Nobody will be able to go out, so we are organizing some activities in the guesthouse. If you two are interested, you can head downstairs later to join in.” The young woman smiled.

“Sure, we will,” Tang Yan replied, returning her smile.

“All right, I will let you enjoy your breakfast.” The staff member turned away, closing the door behind her.

“Yan Yan, bring it over here,” Aunt Ji’s voice called out.

Turning back around, Tang Yan noticed that the table where Aunt Ji had been reading was now tidied up. Two chairs had been placed there, and the room’s lights were on, banishing the dimness and filling the area with a gentle glow.

Breakfast consisted of sandwiches, milk, and coffee. Aunt Ji divided the food and told Tang Yan, “The coffee is mine. The kid should have milk.” Her tone sounded playfully teasing.

Tang Yan, with a bit of a stubborn streak, retorted, “Aunt Ji, I am not a kid anymore. I am already 19—if you count my nominal age!”

Aunt Ji took a bite of her sandwich, smiling. “You are still a kid,” she said, and then added, “In my eyes, you always will be.”

Tang Yan pursed her lips and took a big, annoyed bite of her sandwich. She vowed that one day, she would make Aunt Ji see her differently and stop treating her like a child.

“Aunt Ji, that lady at the door said they had some entertainment activities downstairs. Should we go?” Tang Yan asked.

After a small sip of coffee, Aunt Ji set her cup down gently and looked at her. “It is up to you. We can join everyone or stay in the room if you would prefer.”

Tang Yan thought it over. If she chose to stay upstairs, Aunt Ji would probably end up reading all day, and she would be bored on her own. “I want to go down!”

“All right. We will head down after breakfast.” Aunt Ji smiled warmly, an expression filled with affectionate indulgence.

When they finished eating, Ji Yuqing took a set of clothes into the bathroom to change. After all, she could not appear downstairs in a low-cut V-neck nightgown—that would have been improper. Tang Yan’s pajamas were more conservative, but she followed suit and rummaged through her suitcase for a fresh outfit. Even if they were not planning to go out, she wanted to look presentable. No sense dressing in pajamas and slippers all day.

Not only did Ji Yuqing change clothes, but she also put on a light layer of makeup and left her hair loose behind her head. She wore a pair of beige flats, looking like a stylish model from a magazine spread, exuding a soft and gentle aura from head to toe.

By contrast, Tang Yan’s outfit made her appear like a childish schoolgirl who had yet to outgrow her youth.

They had only made it halfway down the stairs when they heard bursts of laughter coming from the guesthouse lounge. It sounded as though everyone downstairs was having a wonderful time.

Among them were both men and women, most appearing to be around their early twenties. One of the young men noticed them and waved enthusiastically. “Look, two more beauties! Want to join us?”

At the same time, several young women also joined in. “Yes, the more the merrier. Come play with us.”

Smiling, Ji Yuqing descended the stairs with a refined grace. “What game are you playing?” she asked politely.

“It was Truth or Dare! It was a lot of fun. Would you like to join us?”

Right away, Ji Yuqing turned to Tang Yan. “Would you like to play?”

Tang Yan gave a shy little smile. “I have never played before, but it seems like fun.”

“Great, we will join,” said Ji Yuqing.

Along with them, there were about a dozen people in total. It appeared that Ji Yuqing was probably the oldest in the group. The others seemed quite young—likely college students traveling during the National Day holiday.

The guesthouse owner acted as the drummer, beating a small drum that would suddenly stop. Whoever held the flower when the drumbeat ceased would be punished by choosing one of two opaque boxes on the table—one for Truth and one for Dare. In either case, the individual would draw a slip of paper to determine their penalty.

Tang Yan thought it sounded exciting. As soon as the drum began to beat, she felt a rush of nerves, her entire body tensing up.

Everyone formed a large circle. Each person, upon receiving the flower, handed it off almost instantly to the next. That was how the first round went. Eventually, the drumbeat stopped, and all eyes focused on whoever was stuck with the flower.

Looking down at the flower that she had failed to pass on, Ji Yuqing showed a hint of regret. Her luck had not been good that day.

There was an uproar among the young men and women, especially the boys, who shouted, “Truth or Dare!” Seated beside her, Tang Yan tried to hold back a laugh.

Setting the flower aside, Ji Yuqing did not hesitate. “I will choose Truth. I am too old for Dare.” With that, she reached for the box containing Truth slips, drew a card, and read it out loud: “Who was the one person you loved so deeply that it broke your heart?”

Tang Yan’s eyes widened, and she quickly sat up straight, waiting for her aunt’s answer.

After a brief moment, Ji Yuqing responded breezily, “No one.”

A chorus of disappointed groans arose. Clearly, they had hoped for more juicy gossip from such a beautiful woman.

Tang Yan could not help wondering if Aunt Ji truly had never had anyone like that in her life…

The second round started, and the drumming resumed. This time, the beat lasted longer. Everyone remained on high alert, anxious not to get caught, but just as they began to tire and lower their guard, the drumming abruptly stopped.

This round, the unfortunate victim was Tang Yan.

She gave the group a rueful smile and said, “I will choose Dare…”

Aunt Ji had already done Truth, so Tang Yan wanted to do something different.

She reached into the Dare box and quietly took out a slip of paper, hiding it in her palm so that no one could see. She peeked at it herself first.

It read: Kiss the person beside you right now.

Tang Yan clamped her hand over her mouth in shock. The others, eager for amusement, clamored, “What is it? What is the penalty?”

Tang Yan sneaked a glance at the person on her left—a boy. That was impossible. She absolutely refused to do it. Then she glanced at the person on her right—Aunt Ji.

Tang Yan swallowed nervously.