Heartbeat - Chapter 16

As the awkward conversation between the two women dragged on, the number of viewers in the live stream plummeted. By the end, only a few tens of thousands remained, as viewers grew tired of watching them flatter each other.

At 2:30 PM, Su Jianyue woke up to her alarm. After a quick wash in the bathroom, she removed the cover from the camera in her room.

Smiling at the camera, Su Jianyue said, “Hi everyone! I’m about to go check if Sister is awake.”

With that, she pushed open her door and walked to the adjacent room. Her personal cameraman, having learned she was awake, hurried upstairs with his equipment to resume filming.

Su Jianyue knocked lightly on the door. “Sister, are you awake? It’s almost time.”

Before she could knock again, the door swung open from the inside.

Shen Xun was already dressed and ready. Seeing her little “puppy” come to wake her, her eyes curved into a smile. “I’m ready too. Let’s go downstairs and get some water.”

“Okay!” Su Jianyue followed Shen Xun obediently, her face radiating innocence.

When the two came downstairs, Jiang Ying and Liang Wenjing were already waiting in the living room. Seeing Su Jianyue and Shen Xun, Liang Wenjing greeted them with a smile, “How was your rest?”

Su Jianyue glanced around the living room and replied, “Pretty good. I’m not sleepy anymore.”

Shen Xun had already grabbed two glasses. She looked up at Su Jianyue and asked softly, “Milk or water?”

“Water, please. My throat’s a bit dry,” Su Jianyue replied with a smile.

Shen Xun poured two glasses of warm water from the kitchen counter. Su Jianyue took her glass, and they both sat on the sofa to wait for the others.

This time, Shen Xun made sure Su Jianyue sat at the edge of the sofa, leaving no room for anyone else to sit beside her.

Within minutes, the other guests began trickling downstairs.

Chen Zhibin immediately noticed the empty space beside Shen Xun and hurried over. Zhao Qifei also wanted to get there first, but maintaining his refined high school teacher persona prevented him from stooping to compete with Chen Zhibin. He could only watch helplessly as Chen Zhibin made his move.

Chen Zhibin smiled shyly at the camera, projecting the image of a sunny, bashful young man as he glanced toward Shen Xun. But Shen Xun didn’t even spare him a glance, forcing Chen Zhibin to awkwardly seat himself.

His face flushed, he looked at Shen Xun and greeted her, “Hello, Teacher Shen.”

Shen Xun’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly before she gave a curt nod and turned her attention to Su Jianyue.

Chen Zhibin, taken aback by Shen Xun’s coldness, could only offer a sheepish laugh.

Zhao Qifei, who sat down beside him, secretly rejoiced at Chen Zhibin’s humiliation while maintaining a friendly smile on his face.

Hahaha, this is hilarious! Chen Zhibin put on a show for ages, and Shen Xun didn’t even look at him.

And Zhao Qifei—why is he always hanging around Chen Zhibin? Could he be into Alphas?

Perfect! They should just lock themselves together and stop bothering our Xunxun Baby and Xiao Yueliang!

Are you crazy? Dating reality shows are all about competition! What’s wrong with two male Alphas vying for attention?

I didn’t say they were wrong, I just think they’re both fake and greasy.

Before long, the guests had gathered, and Host Yang Rui reappeared.

“Alright, everyone’s had a break and should be well-rested. Let’s officially begin the afternoon’s Heartbeat Journey.”

Yang Rui smiled at the group before continuing, “Now, I’ll announce the rules of Heartbeat House: 1. For the next two weeks of filming, you must live in the house and stay overnight. 2. Each day, a designated group of four (two Alphas and two Omegas) will be responsible for cooking. 3. Guests are not allowed to exchange contact information privately. 4. Each night, you may send a message to only one Heartbeat Guest, which must be sent anonymously. 5. You may flirt with anyone, but confessions must wait until the final day.”

“Send messages? What if someone doesn’t receive any? Wouldn’t that be incredibly awkward?” Ren Peng thought, already curling his toes in embarrassment.

Yang Rui chuckled. “Yes, you won’t know who sent you the message, but the Live Stream viewers will. Our team will track the results, so I encourage everyone to give it their all!”

“Wouldn’t that just be a public execution?” Zheng Tianming asked, his nervousness growing.

Yang Rui smiled. “Don’t worry, everyone. As you get to know each other better, the guests’ familiarity will deepen. So, those who received many votes on the first day might not necessarily receive as many later on. Things can change. Also, tomorrow we’ll be starting one-on-one dates between the guests.”

“Wow, already? I’m so excited!” Chen Zhibin glanced at Shen Xun beside him, nervously rubbing his hands on his pants.

Yu Lin chimed in, “Are we going to have to choose each other again? Knowing who it is makes the selection process less interesting.”

Yang Rui chuckled. “Hold your horses, everyone. Tomorrow’s dating rules are simple: the five Alphas will each choose a gift and place them on the small table in the corner of the first floor. The Omegas will then freely select a gift. Whichever gift an Omega chooses, she’ll go on a date with the Alpha who gave it.”

“So it’s a blind selection? How exciting!” Mao Ning exclaimed.

“It’s a blind selection. No communication between participants is allowed, or it will be considered a violation of the rules. Now, Alphas, please prepare to go out and choose your gifts. All Omegas, please return to your rooms, or you can gather at the bar on the third floor to chat and avoid the area, giving the Alphas time to place their gifts.”

“So we just have to wait? That’s perfect! Let’s go upstairs to the bar,” Yu Lin said first, glancing at Su Jianyue as she finished speaking.

Shen Xun also looked at her little dog before getting up to follow.

When filming began, the production team had instructed the guests to bring bank cards or cash, as their phones had been confiscated. All expenses for dates and gifts would need to be covered by the guests themselves, as the team had informed them in advance.

Despite this, the guests didn’t object much. After all, the eight non-celebrity guests were each receiving around a million yuan for their appearance fees, while Shen Xun and Su Jianyue were being paid a staggering 6.5 million yuan. The cost of gifts and dates was a minor concern for them.

Su Jianyue glanced at the sky outside and quickly went back inside to grab a baseball cap. She chose a blue Miu cap, which made her skin appear even fairer and enhanced her natural elegance.

With her crossbody bag in hand, Su Jianyue left the villa. The production team hadn’t provided transportation for the guests, so they had to find their own way to their destinations.

After a moment’s thought, Su Jianyue hailed a ride-sharing car, told the driver her destination, and began pondering what gift to buy.

Giving something to Xiao Zhu would be too obvious, and her sister would immediately guess it, making the gesture feel contrived.

She headed straight to the mall. Recently, there was a particularly unique citrus-scented aromatherapy diffuser with subtle sweet undertones—refreshing without being cloying. Su Jianyue loved it herself and was certain her sister would too!

However, that alone wouldn’t be enough. Su Jianyue’s university major was painting, an area where she excelled.

After purchasing the diffuser, she took a taxi to an art supply store and bought several canvases and acrylic paints.

After considering it, Su Jianyue realized that painting outdoors wasn’t ideal. So, after finishing her shopping, she headed straight back to Heartbeat House.

Clutching her purchases, she hurried to her room. Yan Huan, camera slung over his shoulder, followed her inside.