Tang Yan rubbed her eyes and sat up. “Aunt Ji? You mean… Aunt Ji got drunk?”
“Yes! You still can’t recognize my voice? We’re near Jinshan Bridge—come quick, will you?”
“Okay, I’m on my way now.” She hung up. Her brain stalled for a second. How could Aunt Ji be out so late? And drunk, no less?
Tang Yan jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes, rushed into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face and wake herself up, then ran to the entryway, slipped on her shoes, grabbed her car keys, and flew out the door.
Zhang Miya, who’d had a little to drink herself, sat beside Ji Yuqing, holding her head, feeling a little dizzy. “How did you end up drunk? I brought that alcohol for me. Now look at you. Anyway, Tang Yan’s coming soon to take you home.”
Ji Yuqing leaned silently against the railing, looking half-awake and half-asleep.
The night breeze blew gently across the bridge, cooling down the summer heat.
Tang Yan wasn’t familiar with the area, so she followed the GPS cautiously, which slowed her down a bit. Still, she made it there without much trouble, parked nearby, and hurried onto the bridge.
From afar, she spotted two figures standing on the pedestrian walkway—yup, that had to be Aunt Ji and Aunt Zhang. The sight was almost funny. What were these two women doing out here at 2:30 a.m.?
She walked over, chuckling softly to herself.
Zhang Miya saw her approaching and quickly waved. “Finally! We’ve been waiting ages!”
“Sorry, I don’t really know this area well,” Tang Yan apologized, immediately walking over to check on Aunt Ji.
It didn’t look good. This was only the second time she’d ever seen her this drunk. The first was years ago—after a business dinner, Aunt Ji had to be helped home by Sister Peiwen.
“Get her home quick, and give her some honey water before bed. That should help,” Zhang Miya advised.
Tang Yan looked up at her. The wind had blown loose strands of hair into her face. “Aunt Zhang, let me take you home too.”
“No, no. I’ll stay here for a bit and go back on my own.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’ve been drinking too. It’s not safe to be out this late alone—let me drive you,” Tang Yan insisted firmly.
“…Alright, alright.”
Tang Yan carefully supported Aunt Ji as they made their way back toward the car. Zhang Miya followed slowly behind. Her mind felt suddenly clearer. So many of her recent frustrations—she realized—had come from her own overthinking. These past weeks had been a battle with her inner demons.
Watching Tang Yan gently take care of Ji Yuqing, Zhang Miya felt a tinge of envy. Maybe she’d been too sensitive, too quick to anger, picking fights at home. Life still had little moments of beauty—if only you were willing to see them.
Tang Yan helped Ji Yuqing into the back seat, letting her lie down. Then she closed the door gently. Zhang Miya got in the passenger seat and buckled up. As Tang Yan started the car, she asked with a smile, “Still remember where I live?”
“Uh… sort of,” Tang Yan said, a little unsure.
Even so, Zhang Miya pulled up the address on the GPS, set the destination, and adjusted everything for her.
As the car rolled along, Zhang Miya glanced back at the peacefully sleeping Ji Yuqing and smiled. “You really are such a thoughtful girl. With you taking care of her, I can rest easy.”
Tang Yan flushed a little. “Aunt Ji is… amazing. I’m lucky to have her.”
“She’s lucky to have you too,” Zhang Miya replied. “You’re good for each other. Maybe fate meant for you to meet—eighteen years later, back in each other’s lives.”
Tang Yan gripped the wheel a little tighter, finally working up the nerve to ask, “Aunt Zhang… you know about my mom’s situation, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. And knowing how proud your mom is, I doubt she’d approve of you two. But since you’ve already chosen this path, I’m rooting for you. Keep fighting. Win.”
“No matter what… I’m not giving up on Aunt Ji.”
When they reached the gates of the villa community, Tang Yan helped Aunt Zhang out. To her surprise, Aunt Zhang’s husband was standing there, holding their daughter, Doudou, waiting. The sight warmed her heart. After all the emotional turmoil lately, seeing them standing there together melted away her defenses. She rushed over to hug them both.
Tang Yan smiled and waved at them from the car, then drove away. She’d actually sent a quiet text to Uncle Zhang, asking him to come meet Aunt Zhang. They should be a happy family—no sense letting small fights and misunderstandings steal that warmth away.
While driving, Tang Yan peeked at the rearview mirror and softly said to the woman sleeping in the back seat, “Aunt Ji, we’re going home now.”
She drove slowly the whole way—partly to make the quiet, shared time last longer, partly to avoid any bumps that might disturb Aunt Ji. She even braked gently at every speed bump.
When they got home, she helped Aunt Ji out of the car, led her inside, and closed the door behind them.
Remembering Aunt Zhang’s advice, Tang Yan went to the fridge, found the honey, and made a warm cup of honey water. She brought it over carefully.
“Aunt Ji, drink a little before bed,” she coaxed gently.
Ji Yuqing’s cheeks were flushed a deep pink, like a perfectly ripe peach, tempting and vibrant.
“Yanyan~” Her eyes sparkled, breath carrying a sweet scent of whiskey.
Tang Yan blushed. “Here’s your honey water.”
But instead of taking it, Ji Yuqing suddenly wrapped her arms around Tang Yan’s neck and kissed her.
Tang Yan’s brain completely short-circuited. She lowered the cup automatically, wrapped her arms around Ji Yuqing, and kissed her back.
They tumbled into bed, limbs tangled, desire rising like a tide.
But just as Tang Yan was about to lose herself, a flicker of reason broke through. She abruptly pulled away and sat up, breathing hard.
Aunt Ji was drunk—not in her right mind. How could she take advantage of that? If something like this was going to happen, it had to be when they were both completely sober.
She didn’t even know how she managed to get out of that room. Before leaving, she adjusted the AC, pulled up the blanket over Aunt Ji, and quietly closed the door.
Once outside, she was amazed at her own restraint.
Taking a deep breath, she ran straight to the bathroom and took an icy shower. The freezing water poured over her head, slowly dousing the fire burning inside her.
Afterward, she went to bed. But she couldn’t sleep. Her thoughts kept cycling, over and over—temptation, restraint, impulse, control. It was a long and restless night.
She couldn’t deny it—Aunt Ji’s body was incredibly tempting. But Tang Yan was a woman of principle. She refused to break her own boundaries. She didn’t want to leave behind any regrets—or leave a bad impression on Aunt Ji.
Even the next morning, thinking back on it, she didn’t regret her decision.
At 7 a.m., she got up, washed up, did her makeup, and changed into her work clothes. The company was doing final evaluations for intern conversions, so she couldn’t afford to slack. She had to snap back into the rhythm of the working world right after the whirlwind of graduation.
She figured Aunt Ji would still be asleep after drinking so much. So she planned to grab breakfast on the way.
But the moment she walked into the living room, she froze.
There was Aunt Ji—wearing a thin camisole, frying eggs at the stove, her curves faintly visible under the soft morning light.
Tang Yan swallowed hard.
Before she could even figure out what to say, Ji Yuqing spoke first. “You’re up. Breakfast’s almost ready.”
“Morning…” Tang Yan managed to squeak out.
Ji Yuqing had a serene smile on her face, not at all affected by last night’s hangover. She calmly brought breakfast to the table while Tang Yan awkwardly shuffled over.
Then Ji Yuqing suddenly asked, “You brought me home last night, didn’t you?”
Tang Yan nodded.
“Did I… do anything out of the ordinary?” she asked, as if testing the waters.
Tang Yan didn’t hesitate—she was never good at lying. “Last night, Aunt Ji… you kissed me. And I didn’t push you away. We ended up… on the bed. But I didn’t do anything. I left right away. I didn’t want to take advantage of you while you were drunk. Aunt Ji, do you believe me?”
“I do,” Ji Yuqing said without missing a beat, still smiling.
She already knew what kind of person Tang Yan was. Even without an explanation, she would have trusted her.
“Come here,” she said, curling her finger.
Tang Yan tensed up but obediently walked over and stopped in front of her.
And then, Ji Yuqing leaned in and kissed her—soft and lingering—for a full ten seconds.
Tang Yan was stunned. What just happened? Who am I? Where am I?
Ji Yuqing chuckled. “That was your reward kiss. Now eat up and good luck at work.”
“I… I will… definitely will…” Tang Yan turned away, face burning with excitement.
Aunt Ji had kissed her.
While sober. !!!