Heartbeat - Chapter 19

Shen Xun pinched the bridge of her nose, glancing at the remaining items on the table. With Su Jianyue’s gift gone, it didn’t matter which one she chose.

“Then I’ll take the black fountain pen,” she declared.

Next was Liang Wenjing. With only the necklace and the book left, she opted for the teardrop-shaped necklace. Giving a book on the show would seem like trying to cultivate a certain image, which she disliked.

Finally, Mao Ning sighed at the camera and picked up the book. He wasn’t fond of it either; he had no interest in anything artsy or literary. But at this point, he had no choice.

Once everyone had chosen their gifts, Yang Rui stepped forward. “Alright, you can take your gifts back to your rooms now. Remember, no revealing what you chose to each other. As for tomorrow’s date locations, I’ll send you the details via text. Just head straight there.”

The omegas returned to their rooms to store their gifts. Then, the Heartbeat House loudspeaker crackled to life again: “Attention, all guests, please gather in the living room.”

Hearing the announcement, the guests emerged from their rooms one by one.

As Su Jianyue emerged from her room, she found Shen Xun already there. Mistaking Shen Xun for the one who had received her gift, Su Jianyue winked playfully.

Shen Xun pinched the bridge of her nose, wondering what expression Little Puppy would make when she realized the person she was meeting tomorrow wasn’t her.

Shen Xun reached out and gently took Su Jianyue’s wrist, pulling her downstairs.

Ahhh, Shen Xun takes Su Jianyue’s hand so naturally!

Right? And Xiao Yueliang just lets her hold it so obediently. So cute!

Little Puppy A is seriously adorable. No wonder all the female omegas are smitten with her, hehe.

My precious baby is so cute! Come here and let Sister give you a good cuddle~

Poor Little Puppy is both pitiful and adorable. She doesn’t even know her Sister didn’t get her gift yet.

Soon, all the guests had gathered downstairs. Yang Rui was already waiting. “Remember, you’re not allowed to discuss anything about the gifts today. You’ll find out who got what naturally at tomorrow’s dates.”

He continued, “Next up is dinner. You can arrange yourselves into groups of two Alphas and two Omegas, with no maximum or minimum group size. Discuss it amongst yourselves.”

“Exactly! I agree that sticking to a fixed schedule isn’t ideal. It hinders communication and understanding between us,” Zhao Qifei quickly chimed in, eager to voice his dissatisfaction with the previous arrangement. “How about we draw lots starting tomorrow? We’ll prepare ten paper slips, four with numbers and six blank. Whoever draws a blank slip gets the day off, while those who draw numbered slips will be responsible for cooking that day’s meals.”

Liang Wenjing nodded. “That works, but we should draw lots separately for Alphas and Omegas to ensure we always have two of each.”

“Then the Alphas will draw from a set of five slips, two with numbers. The ones who draw the numbered slips will handle cooking and grocery shopping for the day. The Omegas will do the same,” Zhao Qifei continued.

Shen Xun nodded. “Sounds fair. It all comes down to luck.”

Seeing Shen Xun’s approval, Zhao Qifei’s eyes lit up. “Great! So, we’re settled on this?”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Ren Peng agreed.

Thus, the first night’s dinner remained the responsibility of Zhao Qifei and his group of five. Zhao Qifei was eager to show off his skills anyway.

It was already past seven in the evening, and everyone was hungry. Zhao Qifei and his four friends began preparing dinner in the open kitchen.

Zhao Qifei found spaghetti in the pantry and ground meat in the refrigerator, planning to make a meat sauce for the pasta.

Chen Zhibin was making a fruit salad nearby, while Zheng Tianming and Mao Ning took charge of stir-frying the vegetables. Ren Peng handled kitchen hygiene and set the table. Everything proceeded smoothly and efficiently.

Su Jianyue was so hungry her stomach rumbled loudly several times in a row.

Hearing this, Shen Xun grabbed some potato chips from the kitchen and brought them over for everyone to share. “Have some chips to tide you over.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Su Jianyue replied, tearing open a bag of chips. She took a bite and quickly offered the bag to Shen Xun.

Shen Xun took only one chip and pushed the bag back toward her. “You eat them. Just don’t fill up too much, or you won’t have room for dinner later.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Su Jianyue nodded obediently, munching on the chips.

Yu Lin watched the two interact, feeling a bit awkward about interrupting. But she wasn’t worried; they had a date planned for tomorrow, giving her plenty of time to bond with Su Jianyue.

With Mao Ning and his group working together, the meal was ready in no time. As each fragrant dish was brought to the table, everyone’s attention was immediately drawn to the food.

Su Jianyue’s gaze landed on the pasta. While Zhao Qifei might be a bit slick, the pasta he’d made looked remarkably appetizing. “Wow, this pasta smells amazing!”

“Indeed,” Liang Wenjing chimed in, “what’s that green sauce?”

Seeing the positive reaction, Zhao Qifei eagerly explained, “I added some cream to make it even more fragrant. And that green sauce is my homemade avocado pesto. It pairs perfectly with the meat sauce. I’ll serve everyone.”

Since the pasta was in a large communal dish, Zhao Qifei brought the plate to himself and began portioning out individual servings.

Noticing everyone’s attention was focused on the pasta, Zheng Tianming quickly added, “I’ll serve the creamy mushroom soup.”

He stood up and started ladling soup into bowls for everyone.

Once all the food was served, Su Jianyue’s eyes practically turned green with hunger. It was already 8:30 PM, and even the half-bag of chips she’d eaten earlier hadn’t satisfied her appetite.

“Thank you, chefs!” Su Jianyue said with a smile. “I’m digging in!”

It wasn’t just the omegas; even Zheng Tianming across the table was charmed by her. “No need to thank us,” he said. “Everyone, dig in! It’s getting late, you must be starving.”

Su Jianyue wasted no time. She immediately began devouring the pasta with gusto, her eating habits as endearing as when she was a child, a little gluttonous cub.

Before long, half the plate of spaghetti was gone. She had even mixed in some avocado sauce, savoring each bite. After swallowing a mouthful, Su Jianyue praised without reservation, “Wow, this spaghetti is absolutely amazing! It’s restaurant-quality, easily good enough for a Western restaurant.”

Hearing Su Jianyue’s enthusiastic praise, Zhao Qifei felt a surge of pride. He suddenly understood why the omegas were so fond of her. She was a master of providing emotional validation—how could anyone not like someone like that?

“Really? I’m glad you all like it. I’m actually quite good at Chinese cuisine too. I’ll make something for you next time,” Zhao Qifei replied, his mood buoyant. His image as a skilled chef was firmly established!

“Yes, yes! I’m looking forward to it!” Su Jianyue said eagerly, her sincerity evident.

Shen Xun, sitting beside her, chuckled at her enthusiasm. Noticing her sister’s amusement, Su Jianyue flashed Shen Xun a sweet smile.

Hahahaha, Zhao Qifei worked so hard all day, and Xiao Yueliang was the one who appreciated it the most. Dying of laughter.

Seriously, you can tell Xiao Yueliang genuinely loves to eat.

It’s really hard not to like Su Jianyue, isn’t it? She’s so supportive, even when an Alpha cooks well.

I think even Zheng Tianming was charmed by her cuteness just now.

Of course! Our Xiao Yueliang is the cutest little bean in the world! Even when she grows up, she’ll still be adorable!