Heartbeat - Chapter 26

The group exchanged uneasy glances. Zheng Tianming spoke up, “Should we call her down to eat? There’s still some noodle soup left in the pot.”

“I’ll go get her,” Zhao Qifei quickly volunteered, mainly to prevent Su Jianyue and Shen Xun from getting closer. Going upstairs to fetch her would interrupt their time together.

With that, Zhao Qifei hurried to the second floor. He found Su Jianyue still huddled by the door and whispered, “Shen Xun probably hasn’t woken up yet. Come down and have breakfast first; we saved some noodle soup for you.”

“I really can’t eat anything right now. You guys go ahead,” Su Jianyue replied, her heart weighed down by a heavy stone. How could she possibly eat?

“Waiting here like this won’t help. Why don’t you come down for breakfast first, then come back up later?” Zhao Qifei persisted.

Su Jianyue shook her head, listlessly leaning against the wall, too drained to even speak.

Seeing he couldn’t persuade her, Zhao Qifei reluctantly went back downstairs.

When Shen Xun finally woke up, it was already past ten. She had slept in to catch up on rest, so she looked relatively refreshed.

After washing up and changing, Shen Xun finally removed the black cover from her camera and clipped on a portable microphone.

She looked directly into the lens. “I’m so sorry, everyone. I didn’t sleep well last night and only fell asleep this morning, so I woke up late.”

The viewers in the live stream were nearly frantic, flooding Shen Xun’s chat with bullet comments:

Ahhh! Xiao Yueliang has been waiting for you for over four hours! Please go check on her—she’s heartbroken!

Yes, our baby knows she was wrong! Please forgive her, okay? Okay!

Little Puppy has been waiting outside your door the whole time. Don’t abandon her—she’s been so good!

Our baby waited all morning! My heart aches for her.

Please, lovebirds, make up already! Waaah~

Shen Xun, oblivious to the viewers’ concerns, simply felt she had overslept and needed to hurry downstairs.

Yesterday, Su Jianyue had mentioned going to the Pottery Studio with Yu Lin this morning to pick up something. The thought alone darkened Shen Xun’s expression. She wondered if Little Puppy had learned her lesson and avoided going out with Yu Lin this morning.

With these thoughts, Shen Xun opened the door and found Su Jianyue sitting dejectedly by the entrance.

Startled, Shen Xun asked, “What are you doing sitting here?”

Su Jianyue looked up at Shen Xun, her obedient puppy-like eyes red-rimmed. She sniffled, “Waiting for you.”

“Then why didn’t you knock?” Shen Xun’s heart softened at the sight of the little puppy on the verge of tears. She reached out and gently patted Su Jianyue’s head, who obediently leaned closer to make it easier for Shen Xun to touch her.

Seeing how well-behaved the little puppy was, Shen Xun couldn’t help but smile.

“Have you been waiting long?” Shen Xun asked softly.

Su Jianyue quickly shook her head. “No, just a little while.”

Noticing the dark circles under Su Jianyue’s eyes were even more pronounced than her own, Shen Xun gently touched them. “Didn’t sleep well last night?”

Su Jianyue felt her eyes burning, on the verge of tears. She nodded obediently. “I made you angry yesterday. I couldn’t sleep.”

“Did you go out with Yu Lin this morning?” Shen Xun abruptly changed the subject.

Su Jianyue shook her head frantically. “No, no! I told her I wouldn’t go. I made you angry, and I wanted to apologize first.”

Shen Xun glanced at her. “It’s not a big deal. Why apologize? Get up already.”

“No, I was wrong. Sister, please don’t hate me,” Su Jianyue pleaded, tears finally spilling down her cheeks after holding them back for so long.

Shen Xun rushed over to wipe away her tears. “I don’t hate you. Don’t cry, don’t cry.”

Seeing the Little Puppy crying so pitifully, Shen Xun quickly pulled her into a hug.

Su Jianyue clung to Shen Xun, sobbing miserably while apologizing between sobs. “I’m sorry, Sister. I’ll never do it again.”

Watching the Little Puppy cry so heartbrokenly, Shen Xun felt both annoyed and amused. “Alright, stop crying. I’m not angry anymore. Is that good enough?”

“Mm-hmm.” Su Jianyue sniffled, looking up at Shen Xun with teary, aggrieved eyes, her voice barely audible. “You didn’t even text me yesterday…”

Though her voice was soft, Shen Xun heard her clearly. And she wasn’t the only one—the viewers in the Live Stream heard it too.

Hahahaha, our baby is so adorable! She still remembers you didn’t text her, Sister.

Seriously, the Little Puppy cried so pitifully, but she’s so cute! I just want to cuddle her.

Xunxun, Xiao Yueliang has been waiting for you for over four hours! Our baby was about to die of sadness.

Don’t make the Little Puppy cry! I’m about to cry too.

Xunxun, if you’re jealous, hurry up and take the Little Puppy home! Hehe~

Shen Xun lowered her gaze to the aggrieved Little Puppy clinging to her and smiled faintly. “It’s your fault for being so affectionate with others yesterday. I didn’t want to text you.”

Su Jianyue’s heart shattered again. She looked at Shen Xun with pleading eyes. “Sister, I promise I won’t do it again! Please don’t text anyone else, okay?”

Shen Xun reached out to wipe away her tears. “We’ll see how you behave.”

“I’ll be good, I promise! I’ll do whatever you say.” Su Jianyue’s eyes lit up. If she had a tail, it would have been wagging furiously.

Shen Xun pulled her toward the room, and Su Jianyue obediently followed. “Sister, why are we going back to the room?”

Shen Xun glanced at her. “Go wash your face. You look like a little flower dog from all that crying.”

“Okay,” Su Jianyue said, glancing at Shen Xun’s expression. Seeing that Shen Xun genuinely seemed no longer angry, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and obediently went to the bathroom to wash her face.

“Sister, can I use your skincare products?” Little Puppy’s voice soon drifted from the bathroom.

Shen Xun walked over. “Use whatever you want.”

She leaned against the bathroom doorway, watching Little Puppy apply the skincare. Noticing her sister’s gaze, Su Jianyue flashed Shen Xun a wide smile in the mirror.

After applying a light layer of makeup with Shen Xun’s cosmetics, Su Jianyue picked up Shen Xun’s lipstick and turned to ask, “Sister, can I use this lipstick?”

Shen Xun nodded with a smile. A well-behaved Little Puppy is undeniably adorable.

With permission granted, Su Jianyue happily applied the lipstick.

Once finished, she glanced at the color on Shen Xun’s lips and realized she had chosen the exact same shade.

Su Jianyue pressed her lips together shyly. “Sister, I’m done.”

Shen Xun nodded slightly and stepped forward to smooth Su Jianyue’s hair. “Alright, let’s go downstairs. It’s already past ten.”

“Mmm-hmm!” Su Jianyue followed Shen Xun downstairs, her cheerful demeanor restored, like a happy little puppy.

Yu Lin and Zheng Tianming had already left, while the others remained in the living room, chatting.

Seeing Shen Xun descend, Zhao Qifei immediately stood up and greeted her. “I saved some noodles for you two. There are also custard buns in the steamer. I can heat them up for you.”

“No need,” Shen Xun replied. “We can heat them up ourselves.” She beckoned Su Jianyue with a flick of her finger.

In an instant, the Little Puppy trotted after Shen Xun. “Sister, I’ll help you!”

“Just watch from the side, okay?” Shen Xun couldn’t resist ruffling Su Jianyue’s hair, finding her too adorable to resist.

She walked over to the kitchen, turned on the steamer, and lit the stove under the pot of noodles.

Back in the living room, Jiang Ying couldn’t shake off a nagging feeling. “Has anyone else noticed something odd about Shen Xun and Su Jianyue?”

Ren Peng shook his head. “No, Su Jianyue has always been close to Shen Xun, right? Isn’t it normal for her to cling to Shen Xun?”

“That’s not what I mean,” Jiang Ying clarified. “I’m talking about how Su Jianyue and Shen Xun seem to be wearing the exact same shade of lipstick.”

Chen Zhibin looked utterly confused. “So what if they’re the same? They probably just bought the same brand.”

Jiang Ying shook her head. “I don’t think so. I have a feeling they’re using the same lipstick.”

“Pfft, that’s ridiculous,” Chen Zhibin scoffed, completely unconvinced. He couldn’t tell the difference between lipstick shades anyway, thinking they all looked pretty much the same.

Meanwhile, the live stream’s bullet comments were flooding the screen:

Hahaha, dying of laughter! Jiang Ying’s eye for detail is amazing. Su Jianyue is definitely using Shen Xun’s lipstick.

OMG, they’re sharing lipstick! That’s practically kissing!

Waaah, my Xun Yue CP is real!

When are they gonna actually kiss on camera? I’d pay for that!

Heavy breathing The Little Puppy’s gonna get pinned down and kissed for sure! A Little Milk A like her is just too cute!

Su Jianyue remained blissfully unaware of the wild fantasies swirling in the minds of these “yellow-haired girls.” She stood obediently beside Shen Xun, occasionally glancing at the noodles simmering in the pot, her stomach growling audibly.

Shen Xun, of course, heard it. A slight smile curved her lips. “Hungry?”

Su Jianyue pressed a hand to her stomach, looking at Shen Xun with a hint of embarrassment. “A little.”

She had woken up too early that morning, and had been constantly worried that her sister would abandon her. She hadn’t even eaten breakfast. Now that she saw her sister wasn’t angry anymore, her mood lifted, and she naturally felt hungry.

“It’ll be ready soon. Go get two bowls and two plates,” Shen Xun instructed the little puppy beside her.

Su Jianyue happily fetched the bowls and plates. By the time she returned with the tableware, the noodle soup in the pot was heated through.

Shen Xun ladled a bowl for herself and one for Su Jianyue. Su Jianyue obediently carried her bowl to the dining table.

The others were still sitting around the table, chatting. When they saw Su Jianyue and Shen Xun approach, they greeted them with smiles.

After a few casual remarks, Zhao Qifei couldn’t resist asking, “What happened between you and Su Jianyue this morning? I came downstairs at 8 AM and saw her sitting by the door, waiting.”

Shen Xun paused mid-ladle, glancing at Su Jianyue. She hadn’t realized the little puppy had woken up so early to wait for her. No wonder she had cried so bitterly earlier—she really was afraid Shen Xun would be angry and abandon her.

A faint smile curved Shen Xun’s lips as she casually replied, “It was just a misunderstanding. We’ve already cleared it up.”

“Ao Ao, that’s good,” Zhao Qifei said, giving up on pressing further when he realized he wouldn’t get any more information.

Su Jianyue buried herself in her meal, listening to the conversation around her. Between bites, she occasionally smiled at Shen Xun beside her.

Seeing how adorable Little Puppy was, Shen Xun’s hands itched to pinch her cheeks. If not for the crowd, she would have given in to the urge.

“Hey, Jiang Ying, how many messages did you get last night?” Ren Peng asked curiously. He had a crush on Jiang Ying, but she never seemed interested. He wondered if someone else was vying for her attention.

Jiang Ying glanced at Shen Xun and smiled. “Of course I got some.”

“Do you know who sent them?” Liang Wenjing chimed in, eager for gossip.

Jiang Ying nodded. “I have a pretty good idea. One is uncertain, but the other was probably from Shen Xun.”

Su Jianyue was happily devouring her food, her appetite voracious now that her worries had vanished. She had already polished off three custard buns in quick succession. But when she heard Shen Xun had messaged Jiang Ying, she froze completely.

She set down her spoon and stared blankly at Shen Xun.

Shen Xun nodded. “Yes, I sent it.”

Chen Zhibin and Zhao Qiming gasped almost simultaneously. No, dealing with Su Jianyue was already a handful. Now Jiang Ying too? Has Shen Xun changed her tastes?

Su Jianyue’s expression shifted from bewilderment to hurt. Sister really sent a message to someone else? Does she like Jiang Ying’s type? Mature and steady? What about me?

Su Jianyue immediately wilted. She glanced at the custard buns on her plate, suddenly finding them unappetizing.

After admitting she sent the message, Shen Xun turned to look at Su Jianyue and saw her “Little Puppy” broken again. Her eyes were red-rimmed as she stared at the custard buns, looking both pitiful and adorable.

The live stream viewers flooded the chat with bullet comments:

Ahhh, our Xiao Yueliang is broken again!

So sad! I just want to pinch her cheeks.

The Little Puppy thinks her Master has abandoned her. She’s even lost her appetite.

Broken Little Puppy… I absolutely love it!