Heart Flutter

Chapter 39

It was probably the first time in over a month of living together that Tang Yan had seen Aunt Ji get upset or angry. In truth, it was not really a fit of anger. Tang Yan realized that she was at fault. She should not have gone out drinking that much, to the point of losing consciousness. Everything Aunt Ji had said and worried about was realistic and could easily happen.

In the end, Tang Yan still did not plan on telling Aunt Ji that her older male cousin was coming to Hua Du. She did not want to trouble her further. She intended to handle it herself.

It was October 7, the last day of the holiday. After talking with Aunt Ji, Tang Yan went back to her room on her own. She needed to pack her things and return to school that afternoon. Sometime around eight-thirty in the evening, the counselor would come by for room checks.

Halfway through packing, Tang Yan’s phone—charging on the desk—buzzed with an incoming message. She picked it up to check and saw that it was from Aunt Ji.

Aunt Ji: I might have sounded harsh just now, but it was all for your own good. Please do not hold it against me.

Tang Yan could not help smiling as she typed her reply: I would not.

Those three simple words made her feel quite content, and she put down her phone in an excellent mood. Aunt Ji was indeed a very considerate and caring person, someone who truly understood how to look after others’ feelings. Although Tang Yan herself was the one who had done wrong, Aunt Ji had not only reprimanded her but also turned around to comfort her afterward—she was like a fairy in human form.

After receiving Tang Yan’s reply, Ji Yuqing smiled faintly, closed the messaging app, and then opened her phone’s address book. She found someone in her long list of contacts, dialed the number, and put the phone to her ear, waiting.

After a moment, someone picked up on the other end.

“Aunt Qin, how is my mother? She has been recovering well, right? Good, that is great. I will come over to see her in a while, once she feels a bit better. Yes, I am counting on you to keep taking good care of her. Alright, thanks.”

When Ji Yuqing drove Tang Yan back to school, it was around five in the afternoon. The roads were heavily congested, so while they were stuck in traffic, Ji Yuqing asked Tang Yan, “Do you want to buy some fruit to take back to school?”

Tang Yan shook her head. “No need. The campus supermarket sells fruit, and it is cheaper than the stores off campus.” She did not want to spend extra money or trouble Aunt Ji unnecessarily.

“If you want anything, just let me know and I will bring it to you at school.”

“Alright.” Tang Yan nodded. She only answered so as not to be impolite, but given her personality, she would not really contact Aunt Ji to ask for anything.

“You will be starting your core courses when you get back this time, so you might have to buy some study materials. Let me know if you need anything.”

Tang Yan nodded again and quickly said, “Aunt Ji, do not overwork yourself…” She had often woken up late at night to find Aunt Ji still working in the study.

“I know. Thank you for caring,” Ji Yuqing said, smiling. Her smile was as warm as a spring breeze, like sunlight on a winter’s day.

They finally arrived at the campus. Faced with their imminent parting, Tang Yan felt reluctant to leave, especially after spending seven consecutive days together. She had grown used to seeing her every day.

Ji Yuqing could not help laughing. “Silly girl, we are here. Do you not want to get out of the car?”

Tang Yan froze, then snapped out of it and hurriedly unfastened her seatbelt. “Goodbye, Aunt Ji.”

After stepping out of the car, Tang Yan walked toward the dorm without looking back. As always, Ji Yuqing leaned out of the car window and called after her, “Call me if you need anything.”

Tang Yan’s figure grew more distant, and only when she disappeared from sight did Ji Yuqing start the engine and turn the car around.

Back on campus, the students returning for the new term were wearing warmer autumn clothes, hauling luggage of various sizes behind them. The sounds of suitcase wheels rolling and scraping against the pavement filled the air. Both sides of the tree-lined path were covered in fallen leaves from the phoenix trees. Their remaining foliage shone golden in the autumn sunlight, and so, without warning, the new season had arrived in silence.

“Hey, you are so late. Long time no see.” Someone popped up in front of Tang Yan, and she stood there, stunned, for a moment before recognizing who it was.

It was her upperclassman from the club, Shen Yuyin. She had changed her hair color again, from blonde to pink, in a rather flashy, anime-like style. It attracted the attention of all the passersby.

“What is wrong? You do not recognize me? What do you think of the new hair color?” Shen Yuyin asked, running her hand through her ponytail.

Tang Yan nodded woodenly. “It… looks good.”

But she really could not appreciate that style. It was simply too bold and individualistic. Upon closer inspection, the tips of her pink ponytail were actually grass green. Somehow, those two colors went perfectly together.

“How was your National Day holiday? Did you have a good time?” Shen Yuyin asked.

Tang Yan always acted respectfully around this particular senior, as if facing a superior at work. She nodded timidly. “It was fine.”

“There is a party tonight. Want to come? It is at the bar across from campus,” Shen Yuyin said.

The moment Tang Yan heard the word “bar,” she immediately recalled Aunt Ji’s stern warning and that serious look on her face. She shook her head. “I cannot go. I am not allowed to drink anymore.”

“Alright, I will not force you,” Shen Yuyin said with a hint of disappointment. “Still, a modern woman should know how to hold her liquor, or people in certain circles might laugh at you.”

Tang Yan raised her head and disagreed. “Aunt Ji said girls should not drink too much.”

“Aunt Ji, Aunt Ji… You really like your Aunt Ji that much?” blurted out Shen Yuyin, oblivious that her words hit Tang Yan’s heart directly.

Tang Yan suddenly felt shy, as if someone had discovered a deeply buried secret, leaving her exposed with nowhere to hide. Flustered, she made up an excuse and tried to dodge.

“W-well, it is because Aunt Ji is very kind to me and takes good care of me, so I appreciate her.”

Shen Yuyin scoffed playfully. “I can be good to you too,” she said, putting an arm around Tang Yan’s shoulder. Leaning close to her ear, she teased, “I could pamper you the way I would a girlfriend. Would you appreciate that?”

Frightened, Tang Yan’s face turned red. She ducked out from under Shen Yuyin’s arm, quickly putting some distance between them, then dashed off.

Standing still, Shen Yuyin made no move to chase her. Watching Tang Yan flee, she cupped her hands around her mouth and called out loudly, “I was kidding!”

Tang Yan moved even faster, and after rounding a corner, she disappeared from sight. Shen Yuyin walked on at a slow pace, trying to stifle her laughter. “She is so adorable. Way too innocent.”

After climbing a few flights of stairs, Tang Yan reached her dorm room. The door was not locked, so it looked like someone was already back. She pushed the door open cautiously and entered, only to have someone rush at her, excitedly grabbing her hands.

“Tang Yan, I have the greatest news to share with you!”

Tang Yan almost jumped out of her skin and stood there stiffly. “What news?”

Xia Zihan gripped her wrists, overflowing with excitement. “If I tell you, do not be too jealous, okay?”

Tang Yan, teased by her dramatic buildup, replied with a calm smile. “I will not.”

“I am in a relationship now! Over these seven days of break, I went on dates with a senior from our school. He just messaged me, asking if I wanted to be his girlfriend. I said yes! Aaaah!”

“Congratulations,” Tang Yan said, still rather composed.

Xia Zihan pouted at her reaction. “You are no fun at all, Tang Yan! Falling in love is a big deal. Shouldn’t you be thrilled for me?”

Tang Yan went back to her bed and began unpacking the items she had brought. “It is a good thing, but you should make sure you really know this person first so you do not get hurt,” she said while organizing her belongings.

Xia Zihan stared at her, amazed. “That is exactly what my mom said. She told me to be careful and not trust men so easily.”

Tang Yan shrugged. “I think your mother makes sense.”

Xia Zihan hurried over and put an arm around Tang Yan’s shoulder. “Hey, we are independent women of the twenty-first century. It is the age of relationship freedom. It is not like the old days, when you found one person and stuck with them forever. If I stop liking this guy, I can always move on to someone else. I would drop him in a heartbeat.”

Tang Yan laughed. If only it could really be that easy and carefree—then maybe nobody would get hurt.

Later on, the other two roommates arrived one after another. In high spirits, Xia Zihan told each of them about her new romance and even promised to treat everyone to a late-night snack once the counselor finished the room checks.

Tang Yan took an early shower and climbed into bed. After writing in her journal, she picked up a book to read. Once the counselor had come by to count heads, she declined the offer to go out for supper.

“Are you sure you do not want to join us? A late-night snack, come on,” Xia Zihan said, trying to tempt her down from the bunk. But Tang Yan remained unmoved, as calm as a monk in the mountains.

When the other three left, the dorm became silent, aside from the sound of Tang Yan turning pages. After a while, she felt a bit tired, so she marked her place in the book, closed it, and put it on the desk underneath her bed. Then she lay down, planning to pass the time on her phone before sleeping.

She saw a post from her mother earlier in the evening: “My little one fed himself today, though he got food everywhere. Still, it was something he completed on his own.” There was a picture of a small boy sitting at a children’s table, grain scattered all around. He had more teeth now and wore a bright smile.

Tang Yan felt a mix of emotions in her heart. She thought about scrolling past, but in the end, she went back and tapped a like on the post. She still hoped her younger brother would grow up healthy and happy.

After finishing all her social media checks, Tang Yan was about to go to sleep when she received several messages in rapid succession.

Tang Yawen: Why are you not replying?

Tang Yawen: Do you think going off to college lets you cut ties with our family? You were raised on our family’s dime. You can never get rid of that.

Tang Yawen: Fine, do not reply. You will see what happens when I show up at your school.

Tang Yan’s grip slackened, and her phone slipped from her hand. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest.

A moment later, two more messages appeared on the phone screen lying on the bed.

Tang Yawen: I am almost in Hua Du. Just you wait.

Tang Yawen: We will see how I handle you.