Heart Flutter

Chapter 59

Tang Yan used to have no special feelings about the date 11.11. For her, it was no different from 11.10 or 11.12.

She never expected it to be tied to the notion of being single—a so-called holiday for “single dogs.”

On campus, there was an undercurrent of people eager to find a partner, yet Tang Yan paid it no mind. She carried on her daily life as usual: classes, club activities, and dorm, following the same routine.

That noon, Tang Yan returned from the cafeteria to find her roommates discussing what they would wear for that night’s gathering. She had already heard them mention it the previous evening—a joint mixer with the boys from a neighboring department. Everyone hoped to leave singlehood behind. They had invited Tang Yan to come along, but she declined, partly because she disliked such events, and partly because she already had someone in her heart.

“Hey, Tang Yan, you’re back,” Xia Zihan said. She was holding a dress and comparing it against her own figure.

Tang Yan nodded, shutting the door behind her.

“Hey, help me out. Does this look good on me?” Xia Zihan asked, turning from side to side.

Tang Yan gave her a once-over, her gaze somewhat blank, and answered quickly, “It looks good. Really good.”

“Are you sure? Look more carefully,” Xia Zihan said, spinning around twice in front of her.

Tang Yan nodded again. “It looks good.”

Someone in the room teased her, “Xia Zihan, asking Tang Yan for fashion advice is pointless. She has a straight-guy sense of aesthetics—what kind of opinion can she give you?”

But Xia Zihan shrugged. “Precisely because it’s a ‘straight-guy aesthetic’ that it’s more objective. After all, I want to wear this for my dream guy!”

Tang Yan merely smiled and turned away. She went to her desk, took out her morning class textbooks from her backpack, and did it all swiftly, as though it had been rehearsed.

Putting down her dress, Xia Zihan leaned across the back of her chair to address Tang Yan’s back. “Anyway, about the mixer tonight—are you really not going?”

Tang Yan smiled and shook her head. “No. You guys have fun. I have a training session at my club tonight.”

Xia Zihan pouted. “Is it because of that older person you secretly liked that you’re turning down every possible date? Sometimes you never know until you try—what if you meet someone who likes you back and you feel the same? That would be a lot easier than pining for someone in secret.”

Tang Yan paused in the middle of flipping through her book, suddenly silent.

Scooting closer, Xia Zihan continued to persuade her. “Am I wrong? In this day and age, it’s better to find someone who likes you than to chase after someone you like but who might not return your feelings.”

Finally, Tang Yan let out a quiet sigh and turned to face her. She sounded confident as she said, “Then I’ll just work hard until she likes me too.”

Xia Zihan froze for a moment, blinking in confusion. Only after a few seconds did she speak again. “All right then, you have the resolve. Go for it!”

That afternoon, with no classes scheduled, Tang Yan stayed in the dorm to review her coursework. The other girls left to join the evening mixer. Around five o’clock, there was a knock on the door. Thinking it might be a roommate who had forgotten her key, Tang Yan put down her pen and went to open it.

To her surprise, it was her senior, Shen Yuyin. Today, she sported yet another new look: the tips of her hair were dyed in sakura pink and grass green, and she wore two huge hoop earrings, each as big around as a wrist.

“Senior!” Tang Yan exclaimed, momentarily startled.

Shen Yuyin glanced inside. “You’re here alone?”

“They went to the mixer,” Tang Yan mumbled.

Smiling, Shen Yuyin gave her a quick look. “So why didn’t you go?”

Tang Yan smiled shyly. “I wasn’t interested, so I stayed behind.”

“It’s Singles’ Day—the day for singles. Come on, I’ll take you out.”

“But I still have homework—”

She never got to finish her sentence. Shen Yuyin grabbed her wrist and headed for the stairwell. Tang Yan had no choice but to hurry after her.

—

Although Ji Yuqing’s leg had not fully healed, she had already returned to work, leaning on a crutch. Her position was vital to the entire company—everyone depended on her leadership. She felt pressured to resume her duties as quickly as possible.

Inside the office building, light filtered in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Sitting at her desk, Ji Yuqing dealt with stacks of documents and contracts that had piled up in her absence. She had lost track of how many cups of water she had finished that day. She barely had time to take a bite to eat.

Pei Wen did bring her a meal, intending for her to eat something warm. However, when Ji Yuqing said she would eat it later, she forgot about it entirely, leaving it cold and unappealing.

(Knock on the door)

“Come in,” Ji Yuqing said without looking up.

Pei Wen entered and approached her desk. “Sis, you’ve already been working for ages. You should go home and rest.”

“These matters have been delayed long enough,” Ji Yuqing replied, head still bent over her papers. “Our partners are getting impatient. I want to finish this before I leave.”

Pei Wen glanced at the office clock and spoke again. “But it’s already late. How about continuing tomorrow?”

Finally, Ji Yuqing paused. “Go on ahead without me. No need to wait. I’ll call a car later.”

Pei Wen pursed her lips, hesitating to say more. “All right, Sis, I’ll go then.”

After Pei Wen left, two other coworkers hurried over. “So, how did it go? Did you ask?”

Another coworker spoke up before she could answer. “Judging by the look on your face, it didn’t work.”

Pei Wen gave them both a helpless look. “I didn’t even try. Knowing our boss’s personality, I was sure she’d say no.”

“Come on, it’s Singles’ Night. If even our big-shot boss—single, wealthy, and practically a founding member of the company—doesn’t show up, it won’t be the same,” one of them said.

“Yeah, it’s like missing the star of the show,” another added.

Pei Wen shot them both a reproachful look. “Hey, watch it. Don’t talk behind Yuqing Sis’s back like that. She’s treated us more than fairly.”

“I wasn’t bad-mouthing her,” the coworker protested. “It’s just that she’s at an age where it might be time to think about finding someone. Otherwise, why else hold a Singles’ Night?”

“Sounds like you two are the ones eager to find dates.” Slipping her phone into her bag, Pei Wen added, “It’s getting late—you’d better go.”

“Huh? I thought we agreed we’d all go together,” someone said.

Pei Wen shook her head. “Actually, I’m not feeling too well. I won’t be going. Have fun.”

She watched her coworkers leave, then quietly locked the office doors from inside. She returned to her desk and switched on her computer. She still felt uneasy about leaving Yuqing Sis alone, so she decided to wait.

—

“Senior, where are we going?” Tang Yan asked, breathless from hurrying down the stairs.

“You’ll see once we get there.”

Soon Tang Yan discovered that the place in question was a bar. According to Shen Yuyin, she had rented out the venue, and everyone from their club was there. For that night, they had locked their usual clubroom, so nobody else could enter. Tang Yan felt a bit awkward that she was only finding out now—had she gone to the club later, she would have been left outside.

Colored lights flashed everywhere, music blared, and the DJ moved to the rhythm, fully absorbed in mixing tracks. Everyone around wore heavy makeup except Tang Yan, who only had on a light base from the morning.

“Come on, I’ll let you try this bar’s new premixed cocktail,” said Shen Yuyin.

She pulled Tang Yan through the crowd, prompting many to turn their heads and stare. Tang Yan felt self-conscious, worried about the way everyone seemed to notice how much attention the senior was giving her.

“Senior, I don’t drink alcohol,” Tang Yan said apologetically.

“It’s just a cocktail, barely any alcohol in it. A little won’t hurt,” Shen Yuyin responded.

“But I promised Aunt Ji not to drink outside. I really can’t,” Tang Yan confessed.

Seeing that she was serious, Shen Yuyin relented and asked the bartender, “Fine, one fruit juice then.”

She sipped her own drink, then, feigning casual curiosity, asked, “Why doesn’t your Aunt Ji let you drink?”

Tang Yan let out an embarrassed laugh. “One time I accidentally got drunk and ended up talking a bunch of nonsense, doing things I couldn’t control. So Aunt Ji took me aside and told me not to drink when I’m out.”

“You really do whatever she says, huh.” There was a hint of displeasure in Shen Yuyin’s tone.

Tang Yan could not help smiling. “She’s good to me, and she’s doing it for my sake.”

Without a word, Shen Yuyin tipped back her glass and drank it all. Then she grabbed another glass and downed that one, too. She drank so fast that some of it dribbled from the corner of her mouth, and her cheeks turned slightly pink.

“Senior, maybe you should drink less. You’ll feel awful tomorrow if you overdo it.”

“It’s fine. I’m happy right now,” she replied with a forced smile. “Want to go dance?” She pointed toward the dance floor.

Tang Yan shook her head firmly. “No, no, no. I can’t dance, and I’ll just embarrass myself.”

“Come on, I can show you how,” said Shen Yuyin.

“No, really. It would look awful.” Tang Yan could already picture her clumsy movements, stiff-limbed like a zombie.

“Just come,” said Shen Yuyin, pulling her onto the dance floor. The pulsating music pounded so loudly that Tang Yan could hardly hear anything else.

—

In her office, Ji Yuqing leaned on one elbow, pencil in hand, sketching on a blank sheet of paper. The figure’s face was nearly complete—it was a simple portrait of Tang Yan’s slightly delicate features.

Out on the dance floor, Tang Yan attempted to sway with the beat, but she could not figure out the steps. She truly felt she had no talent for dancing; maybe martial arts suited her better.

Suddenly, Shen Yuyin leaned toward her ear and said, “How about becoming my girlfriend?”

Nobody else heard in the deafening noise. Everyone was focused on their own fun and paid no attention to the two of them.

Tang Yan herself barely caught what she said. “What?”

Raising her voice, Shen Yuyin repeated, “I said, how about being my girlfriend? What do you think?” As she spoke, her lips accidentally brushed Tang Yan’s ear.

At the same time, back in her office, the pencil in Ji Yuqing’s hand suddenly snapped against the paper—without warning or reason.