Heart Flutter

Chapter 92

Tang Yan had never had a bank card of her own before. Her tuition and living expenses were always deposited into her uncle’s account, and he would distribute it to her as needed.

After her household registration was transferred to Aunt Ji’s, she accompanied Tang Yan to get a new ID card—and while they were at it, they opened a bank account under Tang Yan’s name. When her scholarship came in, aside from the support Aunt Ji provided, it was the first time Tang Yan had ever received that much money by herself.

To her, it was a huge sum. At her roommates’ excited insistence, she treated them to dinner the very next night. Around the same time, she also received a message from her mother—sent from far away—congratulating her.

Her phone had “Mother” saved under a cold and slightly distant note.

Tang Yan replied with just two words: Thank you.

That Friday after school, Tang Yan texted Aunt Ji first, saying there was no need to come pick her up—she had a class gathering and wouldn’t be home until later. Aunt Ji replied, telling her to be safe and to send her the location if she needed a ride.

But Tang Yan had lied. There was no class gathering.

Instead, she had secretly arranged to meet up with Pei Wen.

“Sorry I’m late! It was hard not blowing my cover in front of Yuqing-jie,” Pei Wen said, half-jogging to the mall where they agreed to meet. Tang Yan stood waiting, ponytail tied neatly, backpack on, looking every bit the clean-cut student.

“Has Aunt Ji gotten off work yet?” Tang Yan asked.

“Nope. When she heard you had a gathering tonight, she stayed back to work overtime. Come on, let’s not waste time,” Pei Wen said, a little out of breath.

Tang Yan nodded.

Today was Aunt Ji’s 36th birthday. Tang Yan figured she’d probably forgotten it herself. That’s why she pulled Pei Wen aside—to plan a surprise party for her.

As the two walked through the mall side by side, Tang Yan asked, “Does Aunt Ji like flowers?”

“Not sure,” Pei Wen replied. “But I mean, she’s a woman—most women like flowers, right? Though, back at work, whenever some male colleague tried sending her flowers, she always turned them down. Still, I don’t think she’d say no to you.”

“Then I’ll buy her a bouquet,” Tang Yan said.

“Wait.” Pei Wen stopped her with a hand. “Isn’t that a little too obvious? Are you getting roses?”

Tang Yan gave her a puzzled look, as if asking, Is there something wrong with roses?

Pei Wen wagged a finger. “Roses are a symbol of romance. Even a fool would get the hint. I’d say don’t rush it. How about carnations? They symbolize respect and gratitude.”

Tang Yan frowned slightly, visibly unsure. “But she’s not my teacher.”

To her, it just felt weird—like it would make their relationship feel more distant and formal.

“Forget it, go with the roses,” Pei Wen said. “She probably won’t overthink it anyway.”

“Alright.” Still new to everything, Tang Yan didn’t think too much and went ahead and bought a huge bouquet—99 roses. The bouquet was so big it covered her face. It cost quite a bit, too. When they walked out, Pei Wen burst out laughing.

“That’s way too much! A little over the top, don’t you think?”

Tang Yan shot her a look. “I almost went for 999, but it was too expensive.”

Walking through the mall with that bouquet definitely turned heads. As they passed a jewelry store, Tang Yan stopped in her tracks, eyes fixed on a matching necklace set in the window. She stared at it for a long time.

“You want that?” Pei Wen asked.

Tang Yan nodded without hesitation. But it was expensive—over 5,000 yuan for one necklace, more than 10,000 for the pair. Tang Yan didn’t have enough for both. But if it was a couple’s necklace, having just one felt meaningless.

They already shared a necklace set from before, though it wasn’t a proper couple’s necklace. It was a gift from someone else, and back then, it was labeled as a mother-daughter set. Tang Yan had always wanted to replace it.

“If you really like it, just buy it,” Pei Wen said, arms crossed.

Tang Yan hesitated. She was afraid this would be her only chance. What if she came back another day and it was gone?

Pei Wen seemed to pick up on her dilemma. “You short on cash? I’ll lend it to you.”

Tang Yan’s eyes lit up. She turned to her, asking directly, “Can I pay you back in installments?” Paying it all back at once would be tough.

Pei Wen laughed. “Take your time. Pay me back whenever.”

“No, I will pay you back,” Tang Yan said firmly.

The store assistant invited them in and took out the necklace set. She explained its design—it represented breaking through societal barriers and enduring hardships together, symbolizing a love that stood the test of time.

It felt like it was made just for her.

Tang Yan liked it more and more. She hoped Aunt Ji would accept it—and wear it. Maybe, one day, they’d become what the necklace symbolized.

“I’ll take it!” Tang Yan said.

“Great, please come this way to check out.”

With Pei Wen lending her several thousand yuan, Tang Yan finally got the necklace set she wanted—she couldn’t take her eyes off it.

“Well, since you’re giving a couple’s necklace, I can’t show up empty-handed,” Pei Wen said. “What should I buy?”

Tang Yan was completely lost in her own world, barely hearing her.

Back at the office, Ji Yuqing finished up a contract and glanced at the clock on her desk. It was nearly 8 PM. She looked at her phone—still no message from Tang Yan. She figured she must still be out eating, so she turned back to work. Just then, a weather alert popped up: a heavy rainstorm was coming. She suddenly remembered she hadn’t closed the windows at home, so she shut her laptop and headed out.

Pei Wen’s gift for Aunt Ji was a beautiful pair of high heels. Tang Yan was surprised she remembered her exact shoe size.

Pei Wen handed over the wrapped box, casually saying, “From now on, this is your job.”

She just wanted Tang Yan’s path to be smooth and joyful.

That’s why she picked the shoes. Beautiful shoes would carry her to beautiful places, to see beautiful things.

Tang Yan felt a bit embarrassed. She realized she didn’t know Aunt Ji nearly as well as Pei Wen did.

Pei Wen patted her shoulder encouragingly. “It’s okay. I’ve known her for years. You’ve been with her less than a year. You’ll get there.”

Tang Yan nodded.

When Ji Yuqing got home, the house was pitch black, and the wind was howling outside. The city hadn’t seen rain in a long time. The drought was due for relief.

She closed the windows and sliding doors, then called Tang Yan. She was worried it’d be hard for her to get a ride in the rain.

The phone rang a while before it was answered.

At that moment, Tang Yan and Pei Wen were in a cake shop. As soon as her phone rang, Tang Yan panicked and motioned for everyone to stay quiet.

“Hello, Aunt Ji.”

“Still at dinner?” Ji Yuqing asked.

“Uh—yeah.” Tang Yan’s face turned bright red. She was terrible at lying. Pei Wen stood off to the side, laughing at her silently, pointing at her face that was red as a cherry.

“Why’s it so quiet where you are?” Ji Yuqing asked again.

Was she suspicious?

Tang Yan was sweating. “It was too noisy inside, so I stepped out to the hallway to take the call.”

“Ah… the weather report says it’s going to rain soon. Might be hard to get a ride. Send me the address 15 minutes early—I’ll come pick you up.”

“Okay! Sure!” Tang Yan said quickly, desperate to end the call before she gave herself away.

“I’ll hang up now.”

“Alright, bye Aunt Ji.”

As soon as the call ended, Tang Yan let out a huge breath and pressed her hand to her chest, heart pounding.

“It was just a phone call. Look how flustered you got!” Pei Wen teased.

“If the surprise gets blown, it’s not a surprise anymore,” Tang Yan replied.

She only had a little over 500 yuan left, but she bought a cake anyway. It took nearly half an hour to prepare. She hadn’t expected cakes in the city to be that expensive.

Another 30 minutes passed since the call, and Tang Yan still hadn’t returned home. Ji Yuqing waited in the living room, only to be greeted by a heavy downpour. Rain pelted the glass, loud and steady.

Suddenly, a loud crash came from the direction of one of the rooms.

Startled, Ji Yuqing jumped up and rushed to check. As soon as she opened Tang Yan’s bedroom door, a gust of wind blew in. Rain had soaked the windowsill, and the curtain had knocked over a vase, shattering it on the floor.

She quickly closed the window, pulled the curtain shut, then crouched to clean up the broken glass. Thankfully, the pieces were large—no sharp shards. She was careful not to cut herself.

Just as she was about to leave, something on the floor caught her eye.

It was a notebook, lying open—likely knocked over by the wind. The page it had landed on was slightly wet from the rain.

She bent down and picked it up. She hadn’t planned to read it. But her name appeared again and again on the open page.

Curiosity got the better of her.

She flipped through the diary—page after page filled with memories, thoughts, and Tang Yan’s reflections on her.

Ji Yuqing never imagined she’d one day see a young girl’s private thoughts in such a way. It felt a little shameful.

But the contents shocked her.

They were tender, emotional, heartfelt—words she hadn’t expected. Words that left her stunned and speechless.

Just then—

(The sound of the front door opening.)

Someone was home.

Ji Yuqing quickly shut the diary and slipped out of the room.