Heart Flutter

Chapter 65

“Really now—why would I lie?” Ji Yuqing said with a laugh, then lifted her water glass for a final sip to finish off the meal.

Tang Yan quietly savored her own delight. At least she had something she could offer that Aunt Ji genuinely liked.

For a moment, as Tang Yan gazed at Aunt Ji, she could not help recalling what Shen Yuyin had said at school that night. The two of them were actually sisters—unexpected, almost unbelievable.

“What is it? Do I have something on my face?” asked Ji Yuqing, wiping the corner of her mouth with a napkin.

Snapping out of her reverie, Tang Yan shook her head and simply smiled at her, saying nothing.

“Silly girl,” Ji Yuqing teased, rising to her feet. “I’ll settle the bill. Wait here for a moment.” She picked up her purse and headed toward the front desk.

Tang Yan quickly sipped some water, wiped her mouth with a tissue, then took out her phone to make sure she looked presentable. Seeing nothing amiss, she put the phone away and waited quietly in her seat for Aunt Ji to return.

She had assumed that after lunch they might stay around the nursing home, but apparently Aunt Ji intended to leave right away and head back to the city. Curious, Tang Yan asked why, and Aunt Ji mentioned that she had other plans that afternoon.

“What plans?” Tang Yan asked as they walked.

“Miya invited us to have dinner at her place. We need to stop by the city and pick up a few things first.”

“All right.”

In the shopping mall, Tang Yan acted like a guard, helping Aunt Ji carry heavy items and watching to make sure she did not stumble on her injured leg. This time, Tang Yan picked up a few picture books as a small gift for Dou Dou, the child at Miya’s house.

It was Tang Yan’s second visit to Aunt Zhang Miya’s home. The first time had been in the evening, so she had not noticed much of the scenery along the way. Entering the villa area, they followed the asphalt road by the lakeside. The wilted willow trees showed only brown, drooping branches, and the lake shimmered in the light. Someone was out for a stroll, pushing a baby carriage.

Navigating through rows of towering villas, Ji Yuqing found the right house and parked at the front gate, giving two short honks. Sure enough, the villa door opened after a moment, and out came Zhang Miya, her hair wrapped in a towel and a face mask on.

Tang Yan hopped out first to retrieve the gifts from the trunk. Zhang Miya came forward to greet them, fussing that they really should not have bothered bringing anything.

“Oh, these are for Dou Dou,” teased Ji Yuqing with a grin. “You have no say in the matter.”

Hugging the picture books to her chest, Zhang Miya said, “Then I’ll thank you on Dou Dou’s behalf. Thank you, Aunt Ji!” She pressed her hands together in mock reverence.

Tang Yan, meanwhile, froze for a second in the breeze. Dou Dou was barely over a year old, and yet she was apparently in the same “generation” as Dou Dou if they were both calling Ji Yuqing “Aunt.” That was quite a gap.

“How is your leg?” asked Zhang Miya as she led them inside.

“I can walk just fine now, and even driving is not really a problem.”

“That’s good. You still need to keep up with your recovery, though. Once bones and tendons are involved, even a small oversight could lead to issues down the road.”

The vast, spacious living room came into view as soon as they entered the villa. The interior design boasted a sophisticated modern style without a hint of tackiness. Setting down her purse, Ji Yuqing casually asked, “Where’s Dou Dou?”

“She’s upstairs with her dad,” answered Miya. “I’ll take you up. We’re doing a BBQ tonight.”

Tang Yan paused a moment to process the meaning. Outdoor barbecue, maybe?

They headed up a spiral staircase to the second floor, where the living room had been transformed into a mini indoor playground. Dou Dou was happily entertaining herself in a play area. Faint hints of grilling smoke drifted in the air. Continuing forward, they saw someone tending to a barbecue grill out on the balcony.

Their balcony had its own lush style, filled with greenery so it did not look bare. It was quite large—about the size of a bedroom. Laid out on a table were an assortment of meats and vegetables, all ready for grilling.

“Oh, you’re here! Have a seat, please,” Miya’s husband greeted them warmly.

Miya ushered them over. “My husband will be our grill master tonight.”

Ji Yuqing smiled and joked, “Isn’t that a bit unfair to him?”

Miya pretended to pout cutely. “That’s what husbands are for.”

Pulling a few cans of beer from a nearby cooler, Miya placed them on the table. She was about to ask Ji Yuqing to join her in a drink, but then remembered she had to drive and turned her attention to Tang Yan instead. “Tang Yan, can you drink beer?”

Tang Yan immediately looked to Aunt Ji, as though seeking her permission.

Miya gave a mischievous smile. “Surely you don’t need her approval for every little thing.”

At that, Ji Yuqing stiffened slightly and hurried to clarify, “I’m not the one to decide. It’s up to Yan Yan.”

Pleased with her success, Miya handed two cans of beer to Tang Yan. “I need someone to drink with me tonight. Don’t worry, it’s just beer—you won’t get drunk.”

Well, Tang Yan almost believed that.

…

During a lull in the conversation, Miya’s husband brought over a fresh platter of grilled food and politely invited them to help themselves before returning to the grill.

“Tang Yan, eat whatever you like. No need to be shy around your Aunt Zhang,” Miya said, offering her a skewer of grilled chicken wings. Tang Yan politely accepted.

Ji Yuqing opened a can of what appeared to be a sparkling drink, and Miya nibbled on her chicken wings, sipped her beer, and chatted away.

“Speaking of which,” Miya ventured, “there’s something that’s been bugging me. Why did you let that useless jerk go? Wouldn’t it have been better to send him to prison?” She paused, turning to Tang Yan. “Tang Yan, you don’t mind me bringing this up, do you?”

Tang Yan shook her head immediately. “I have nothing to do with him anymore.”

Setting her drink aside, Ji Yuqing pressed her lips together for a second before asking, “Do you really want to know?”

Miya’s eyes shone with curiosity. She nodded.

“I’m not telling you,” Ji Yuqing replied with a mischievous grin.

Off to the side, Tang Yan tried not to laugh. She had never seen Aunt Ji act so playful before.

“Oh, come on. You know I’ve got a serious curiosity streak. If you don’t tell me, I might not sleep tonight,” Miya half-whined.

“Then you might be in for a sleepless night,” Ji Yuqing teased, smiling determinedly to show she would not budge.

Miya, deflated, turned to Tang Yan. “All right, Tang Yan, how about you tell me?”

Tang Yan stole a glance at Aunt Ji, then answered very seriously, “I’m sorry, Aunt Zhang.” If Aunt Ji did not want her to say it, she would never reveal it.

“Fine, keep your secrets!” Miya pretended to sulk. “Tang Yan, drink with me as punishment.”

Tang Yan complied like a robot, taking sips of beer as Miya insisted, and found it rather pleasant to have a barbecue paired with a bit of alcohol. Still, she could not quite figure out why Aunt Ji wanted to keep the whole thing about transferring her household registration a secret.

Meanwhile, Miya’s husband kept grilling and bringing over plate after plate of food. Soon there was barely any space left on the table. Concerned that he would wear himself out, Ji Yuqing urged him to stop and join them.

“As soon as Sister Ji speaks, you must come over,” Miya called to him. “Hurry up and have a bite with us.”

“Sister Ji? I’m not your ‘Sister Ji!’” protested Ji Yuqing, smiling with her head lowered.

Miya began counting on her fingers. “You’re a whole month older than me, so of course I should call you ‘big sister.’”

“Age is just a number,” said Ji Yuqing with a light laugh.

“Humph!” Miya turned to Tang Yan. “Who looks younger and prettier, me or your Aunt Ji?”

It was clearly a loaded question, but Tang Yan had already made up her mind. She glanced quickly at Aunt Ji and confessed, “I think Aunt Ji is more—”

“Stop! Time out!” Miya cut her off at once. Feeling momentarily deflated, she turned to her husband for comfort. “Honey, you say something.”

Sensing danger, he responded instantly, “Obviously my wife is the prettiest.”

Satisfied like a child, Miya declared, “All right, that makes it a tie: one to one!”

Ji Yuqing shook her head and chuckled, at a loss for what to do with her friend.

Two hours later, the barbecue gathering wound down. With her cheeks flushed red, Miya insisted she was not drunk, yet still tried to coax Tang Yan into more drinks.

Unable to watch any longer, Ji Yuqing stepped in. “Yan Yan has already reached her limit.”

“You can’t be so controlling, Ji! You need to learn to let go. Someday Tang Yan will be out in the real world, and she might need to handle social occasions where people drink. How can she manage without building up any tolerance? She’ll get knocked flat,” Miya slurred.

Miya’s husband took away the beer in front of her. “Sweetheart, you’ve had a bit too much. What if Dou Dou smells the alcohol on you and refuses to come near?”

“@#￥%&%#@@￥%…” Miya mumbled something unintelligible. Finally, her husband helped her back to their room, putting an abrupt end to the night’s festivities.

“Forgive our lack of hospitality,” Miya’s husband said apologetically. “Miya is a bit too genuine and direct.”

“Not at all,” Ji Yuqing assured him, shaking her head. “Go look after her. No need to see us out.”

She half-supported Tang Yan as they walked to the door. The girl was tipsy, swaying unsteadily, clinging to Ji Yuqing’s arm with a dreamy grin. “Aunt Ji, you’re the youngest and the prettiest.”

“Yes, yes, that’s me,” Ji Yuqing agreed good-naturedly.

“You’re the youngest and the prettiest…” Tang Yan repeated over and over.

Alarmed, Ji Yuqing hurriedly helped her into the car and quickly shut the door.