Heart Flutter

Chapter 95

“This just got complicated,” Pei Wen said, setting down her coffee cup. She hugged her knees on the sofa and glanced at Tang Yan’s worried face. “How about this? I could try to feel things out for you when I get the chance?”

“No!” Tang Yan looked up quickly, refusing without hesitation. “Please don’t. If I get a definite answer, then there won’t be even a sliver of hope left.”

“Then… do you have any plans for what to do next?” Pei Wen asked.

Tang Yan shook her head, lost. “No. I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’ll just take things one step at a time.”

Pei Wen’s stomach let out a loud growl. She couldn’t hold back anymore. “Why don’t you come eat something with me? I’m starving.”

Tang Yan didn’t have much of an appetite but got up anyway. “I’ll warm it up for you, Pei Wen.”

“Ah, okay.”

On weekends, the company was much quieter. Most employees either had too much work or needed the overtime pay to support their families. Fewer people were around compared to weekdays.

Someone knocked on Ji Yuqing’s office door. She didn’t even look up. “Come in.”

It was the assistant on duty. She came in carrying the pre-ordered lunch and carefully arranged it on the small round table in the break area. Then she looked up and said softly, “President Ji, your lunch is ready.”

Ji Yuqing was still typing furiously, eyes locked on her screen. “Okay. You can go.”

Ten minutes later, she finished the email and hit send, directing it to a partner company. Only then did she stand up and stretch. As someone at her level, she usually had someone handle meals for her while at work. If she was too busy, she’d eat in the office; if not, she’d go out.

She pulled out her chair and sat down. The round table held a neatly arranged lunch—one meat dish, one vegetable, a bowl of soup, seasonal fruit, and a box of rice.

She reached for the disposable chopsticks but suddenly paused, wondering whether Yanyan had eaten. She set the chopsticks down, picked up her phone, hesitated a few times, almost dialing before stopping herself. She forced the thought away. In the end, she barely touched her food.

“You sure you don’t want some? This restaurant’s food is really good. Try this roasted duck.” Pei Wen plopped a juicy duck leg into Tang Yan’s bowl. The crispy red skin glistened, and the aroma was mouthwatering.

Tang Yan didn’t want to refuse, so she took a bite. Just one. Then quietly set her chopsticks down.

“What’s wrong? You don’t like it?” Pei Wen asked.

Tang Yan forced a smile and shook her head. “No, it’s really good. I’m just… not that hungry.”

“What? You’re letting a little setback knock the wind out of you? I’m disappointed in you, Tang Yan,” Pei Wen said between mouthfuls. “You’ve got me in your corner, don’t forget that.”

Tang Yan paused for a moment, then asked out of the blue, “Pei Wen… why are you helping me like this?”

Pei Wen froze a bit and looked up.

“You told me before… that you used to like Aunt Ji. So why… why did you give up?” Tang Yan asked.

Pei Wen slowly put her chopsticks down and smiled awkwardly. She swallowed her food before answering. “Because I tried, and I realized the closest I could ever get to her was as a friend.” She paused, then added, “But you’re different.”

“Why am I different?” Tang Yan didn’t understand.

Pei Wen didn’t seem eager to explain. She picked up her box of rice again, smiled mysteriously, and said, “You’ll understand when the time comes.”

Pei Wen stayed with Tang Yan until the afternoon. Before leaving, Tang Yan said she’d walk her out and take out the trash as well. She couldn’t stand a messy house—Aunt Ji liked things neat.

With two black garbage bags in hand, she stepped outside into the light drizzle. After seeing Pei Wen drive off, she headed to the designated trash area in the neighborhood. They had separate bins for different types of waste, and it had taken her a while when she first arrived to learn all the sorting rules.

On the way back, she passed the man-made lake and decided to take a walk to clear her head. As summer approached, rain in Huadu became more frequent. In just a few months, she would’ve been here a full year. Everything that had happened was etched into her memory like carvings.

Raindrops dotted the lake’s surface, creating tiny ripples. A few people passed by under umbrellas, throwing her strange looks. They were probably laughing at her in their heads—some crazy girl standing in the rain.

The drizzle soon turned into a downpour. Tang Yan had walked too far and had to run back, soaking wet by the time she got home.

She dried her hair and body with a towel while watching the rain blur the outside world. It was already past quitting time. Why wasn’t Aunt Ji back yet?

Then she remembered something and quickly dropped the towel. Aunt Ji would be home soon—she needed to cook dinner. She grabbed some ingredients from the fridge and got to work—washing, chopping, cooking—all in one go.

The sky darkened outside. Then she heard the front door open. It must be Aunt Ji.

She held her breath while stirring the dish.

Ji Yuqing put away her umbrella and changed her shoes at the entrance. The moment she walked in, she smelled food and curiously followed the scent.

Tang Yan looked up and smiled. “Aunt Ji, dinner’s almost ready.”

Ji Yuqing nodded and asked mildly, “Did you have lunch?”

“I did. I ate at home with Pei Wen,” Tang Yan replied honestly.

“She came by today?” Ji Yuqing asked.

“She brought some takeout. But you weren’t home,” Tang Yan said.

Ji Yuqing didn’t say anything more. She took her bag and went to her room. Tang Yan quickly plated the dishes nicely on the table and even scooped a bowl of rice and laid out the chopsticks for her.

But Aunt Ji didn’t come out. Tang Yan peeked toward the hallway, hesitating whether to call her. Just as she was about to, Ji Yuqing came out—now dressed in comfortable loungewear.

“Aunt Ji, dinner’s ready!” Tang Yan called cheerfully.

Ji Yuqing didn’t decline. She walked over and sat in her usual seat, picking up the bowl Tang Yan had prepared for her. Tang Yan followed suit. They ate in silence for several minutes.

Tang Yan’s heart pounded. She was almost certain now—Aunt Ji knew her secret.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Tang Yan set down her chopsticks and was about to get up when Ji Yuqing said, “You stay and eat. I’ll go.”

She got up and headed for the door. Tang Yan watched curiously—who could it be this late?

Ji Yuqing glanced at the video monitor. She was surprised at who she saw, but still opened the door.

“What are you doing here?”

Shen Yuyin stood drenched in rain, looking utterly disheveled. “I had to tell you. Dad’s not doing well. Mom is trying to transfer the family assets with outsiders. You can’t just let everything our Shen family owns fall into their hands.”

Ji Yuqing chuckled coldly, arms crossed. “You forget—I’m not part of the Shen family.” She moved to shut the door, completely uninterested in this old mess.

Shen Yuyin quickly reached out to block it, voice rising in desperation. “He’s been calling your name every day! He’s hanging on just to see you. Even if not for yourself, do it for your mother. She deserves a share of the Shen family’s wealth!”

“Are you done?” Ji Yuqing’s face went cold.

Shen Yuyin slowly lowered her hand. “Don’t wait until it’s too late. Regret hits hardest when it’s all over.”

Boom.

The door shut.

When Aunt Ji came back inside, Tang Yan was watching her closely. She didn’t look happy. That voice outside had sounded familiar—but who was it? Ji Yuqing didn’t say a word, just went straight to her room.

Left alone at the quiet dinner table, Tang Yan felt a headache coming on. She hurriedly finished the rest of her meal and cleaned everything up.

In her room, Ji Yuqing sat on the bed holding a photo frame with a picture of her and her mother. She whispered, “Mom… what would you do?”

The night wore on.

Still in her pajamas, Ji Yuqing came out to the living room and made herself a strong cup of black coffee—no sugar. After a few sips, she moved to the study, placed the mug on her desk, and turned on her computer. She began looking into her father’s company—share transfers, recent changes.

The data showed a flurry of personnel changes over the past six months, with many senior executives being dismissed. Speculation about her father’s estate was everywhere online.

Thinking back on Shen Yuyin’s words, Ji Yuqing suspected something big was coming.

She was staring intently at the screen when a faint cough echoed from the other room. In the quiet of the night, it was unmistakable.

Tang Yan had showered and gone to bed early. But the sudden coughing kept her from sleeping. She wrapped herself tighter in the blanket, but the irritation in her throat made her cough again and again. Just when she’d start to drift off, another fit would wake her.

Ji Yuqing listened quietly, confirmed the sound was coming from Tang Yan’s room, and got up without a word. She grabbed the medicine box, pulled out cough syrup and cold tablets, then walked to Tang Yan’s door.

She knocked gently. “Still awake?”

Startled, Tang Yan jumped out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and opened the door. Ji Yuqing stood outside, handing her the medicine. Her tone was flat, almost indifferent. “How’d you catch a cold?”