Heartbeat - Chapter 29

After chatting for a while, the chocolate mousse in the oven was nearly done. Shen Xun checked the time. “The dessert’s almost ready. I’ll take it out to cool and unmold it so we can eat it while we play games later.”

“Mm-hmm, I’ll come with you,” Su Jianyue said clingily.

“Okay,” Shen Xun replied, her mood bright as she led Su Jianyue to the kitchen.

The oven had already shut off automatically. Shen Xun put on heat-resistant gloves, opened the oven door, and pulled out the baking pan.

She ran a knife along the edges of the pan, then flipped it upside down onto the countertop. With a gentle shake, the perfectly unmolded mousse cake slid out in one piece.

Su Jianyue’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at the dessert. “Sister, this looks so delicious!”

“I’ll cut you a piece to try first,” Shen Xun said, grabbing a plate and fork. She sliced off a small piece of cake, speared a bite-sized portion with the fork, and held it to Su Jianyue’s lips.

Su Jianyue was practically bursting with joy. Her sister was feeding her! Of course she would obediently eat it.

Su Jianyue took a bite, chewed a few times, and her eyes lit up. “Mmm, delicious! The chocolate flavor blends perfectly with the creamy notes, and it’s not too sweet. Sister, you’re amazing!”

Shen Xun smiled at the “Little Puppy” showering her with compliments, her eyes crinkling at the corners. She took a small piece with her own fork and tasted it. “It’s actually pretty good,” she agreed. “Not bad at all. We’ll have plenty to eat later.”

While the two were enjoying the cake, Zhao Qifei was grinding his teeth. He watched Shen Xun feed Su Jianyue a bite, then use the same fork to eat herself. Zhao Qifei was about to explode with jealousy.

Meanwhile, the live stream’s bullet comments were flying thick and fast:

Ahhh! They’re sharing a fork! That’s practically a kiss!

Look how smoothly Shen Xun feeds Su Jianyue. She must do this all the time in private. (Dog head smiling emoji)

My Xun Yue CP is giving us more sweetness! So sweet! huffs

To be fair, Shen Xun’s desserts look professional-grade. Now I want some too!

Waaah, I want to try Xunxun Baby’s desserts! They must be heavenly!

Wait, did you guys notice Zhao Qifei? LOL, he’s about to grind his teeth into dust!

In the living room nearby, Yu Lin watched Shen Xun and Su Jianyue’s interaction, pinching the bridge of her nose. Yesterday, during their date, Yu Lin had offered Su Jianyue grilled meat, but Su Jianyue politely declined. Yet when Shen Xun fed her something, Su Jianyue happily accepted.

Su Jianyue’s double standards are so obvious, Yu Lin thought with a sigh.

Meanwhile, Shen Xun had already cut a large mousse cake into small pieces and arranged them on an elegant platter.

She placed the dessert on a nearby cabinet for later. “Let’s eat lunch first. We can have dessert after.”

“Okay, I’ll do as you say,” Su Jianyue replied obediently.

Just then, Liang Wenjing finished preparing the cold dishes. Shen Xun helped carry a plate of cold dishes to the dining table.

“There are ten of us,” Shen Xun said. “Let’s set out the bowls, chopsticks, and spoons first.”

“Alright,” Liang Wenjing agreed, and the group began arranging the tableware.

After Liang Wenjing served rice for everyone, Zhao Qifei’s four dishes were also ready.

The most substantial dish was potato, carrot, and beef stew. Jiang Ying divided it into two large bowls, placing one at each end of the long table. The remaining dishes included stir-fried pork with chili peppers, tomato and egg stir-fry, cucumber and cashew shrimp, and two cold dishes. Though not lavish, the meal was hearty and filling.

“Everything’s almost ready. Come and eat, everyone!” Shen Xun called out, taking a seat herself.

Su Jianyue obediently sat to Shen Xun’s right, while Chen Zhibin, quick as lightning, snatched the spot to her left.

Liang Wenjing settled in to Su Jianyue’s right.

Zhao Qifei felt like the sky was falling when he saw both seats beside Shen Xun taken. He was only saved from complete embarrassment when Zheng Tianming dragged him down to sit, barely maintaining his composure.

Su Jianyue’s eyes lit up at the sight of the delicious spread. “Thank you, chefs, for this feast! Let’s dig in!”

“Everyone, please start,” Shen Xun said with a smile.

Su Jianyue immediately grabbed a bite of beef. After tasting it, she couldn’t help but nod repeatedly. “Wow, this beef is so tender! It melts in your mouth—so delicious!”

She then took another bite, this time of potatoes. They were so soft they dissolved with a gentle press of her tongue.

Su Jianyue ate with gusto. Though Zhao Qifei could be quite oily at times, she had to admit, his cooking was genuinely excellent.

“Mmm, you’re right. The potatoes are amazing too,” Chen Zhibin agreed.

Zhao Qifei glanced at Chen Zhibin, grinding his teeth. Why are only Alphas praising me? Aren’t the Omegas going to say anything?

His gaze landed on Shen Xun, who was calmly eating her meal, showing no particular reaction.

Meanwhile, Su Jianyue was devouring her food with gusto. “This stir-fried chili is so good, Sister! You have to try it.”

Su Jianyue used serving chopsticks to place some chili-stir-fried meat on Shen Xun’s plate.

Shen Xun mixed it with her rice and took a few bites, smiling. “Mmm, it’s really delicious.”

“Hehe, I told you it was good!”

Watching the two women’s affectionate interaction, Zhao Qifei nearly exploded with anger, his eyes fixed on Su Jianyue.

Sensing someone’s gaze, Su Jianyue looked up and met Zhao Qifei’s eyes. She smiled at him. “Brother Zhao, your cooking is amazing! I could eat two bowls of rice with this.”

Zhao Qifei was seething inwardly, but he forced himself to maintain a polite facade. “I’m glad you like it, I’m glad you like it.”

“This cold dish is also delicious! Everyone’s done such a great job,” Su Jianyue added, taking another bite of the cold dish before reaching for her water glass.

Meanwhile, the live stream chat was buzzing with activity.

【Hahahaha, Xiao Yueliang is back to playing peacemaker again.】

【After all, our baby has always loved being fair since childhood. When she gave out candy to her friends, everyone got the same amount.】

【Does Zhao Qifei seem angry to anyone else?】

【Of course! Did you see he couldn’t get the seat to Shen Xun’s left?】

【This season is a real battlefield. Shen Xun and Su Jianyue are both so popular, with multiple people vying for their attention.】

【That’s perfectly normal! Xunxun Baby and Xiao Yueliang are both so wonderful—how could anyone not like them?】

After lunch, Shen Xun and her group were responsible for cleaning up. Su Jianyue, unwilling to leave Shen Xun’s side, stayed close by, helping wash dishes.

This left Zhao Qifei with absolutely no chance to get closer to Shen Xun. He had hoped to use the chore as an opportunity to strike up a conversation, but Su Jianyue’s constant chatter left him no opening. Her words flowed like a relentless stream, barely pausing for breath.

While Su Jianyue helped Shen Xun finish the dishes, Jiang Ying and Liang Wenjing nearly completed tidying the kitchen. Zhao Qifei was tasked with cleaning the dining table area, sweeping and mopping both the table and kitchen floors.

By the time all the chores were finished, it was nearly 1:30 PM. Since it was a free day, everyone had slept in and wasn’t particularly tired—except for Su Jianyue, who had woken up at 6:00 AM.

Mao Ning had already carried two bottles of wine upstairs: one red and one white, both around 12-14% alcohol by volume.

Jiang Ying and the others helped bring up plates, forks, and glasses.

When Su Jianyue followed Shen Xun to the third floor, everyone was already seated in a circle on the plush carpet. A small round table stood in the center, laden with desserts and the two bottles of wine.

“Alright, everyone’s here now! What do you guys want to do first? Eat some dessert or start the game?” Yu Lin asked with a smile.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s get started!” Chen Zhibin was already impatient.

“Okay, then let’s play rock-paper-scissors to pick a winner. The winner spins the bottle, and whoever it points to has to answer a question or do a dare,” Zhao Qifei suggested.

He was in luck. Shen Xun had just sat down to his right, and Su Jianyue was to Shen Xun’s right, giving him plenty of room to maneuver.

“Sounds good!”

The others chimed in, and they began playing rock-paper-scissors.

It took six rounds to determine the final winner.

“Jiang Ying, you’re so lucky! Winning on your first try! You get to spin the bottle,” Chen Zhibin said enviously.

Jiang Ying nodded and gave the bottle a forceful spin. The empty glass bottle whirled wildly across the table before gradually slowing to a stop, pointing directly at Zhao Qifei.

“Truth or dare?” Jiang Ying asked.

Zhao Qifei glanced at Shen Xun, but she didn’t return his gaze. He scratched his head. “I’ll take dare.”

Zhao Qifei figured that dares on a dating reality show would involve plenty of physical contact, like kissing the person next to you or something. He eagerly looked at Jiang Ying, hoping she’d assign him a dare that involved physical contact.

“I choose dare!” Zhao Qifei announced loudly.

“Whoa, Brother Zhao, calm down! You’re shouting,” Mao Ning, sitting to Zhao Qifei’s left, complained, his ears nearly ringing from the sudden outburst.

Jiang Ying pondered for a moment, then smiled. “Do you want something thrilling or just ordinary? Choose a level, and I’ll assign you a task accordingly.”

Zhao Qifei’s excitement surged. A “thrilling” task would undoubtedly involve close contact with the omegas present. Of course, he’d choose the thrilling option! He’d come this far, and this was too good an opportunity to pass up. If he didn’t seize it now, he might never get another chance.

“I’ll take the thrilling option,” Zhao Qifei declared, lifting his chin.

Su Jianyue enthusiastically gave him a thumbs-up. “Awesome, Brother Zhao!”

A wave of laughter erupted in the bullet comments.

Hahahaha, dying of laughter! Xiao Yueliang, you sound so sincere, but why does it feel like you’re being sarcastic?

Our baby is genuinely being supportive! Don’t twist her words!

Exactly! Our little one is the purest soul. (Dog head emoji)

Hey, get rid of that dog head emoji!

Zhao Qifei must be fuming, but he can’t do anything about Su Jianyue.

Jiang Ying nodded in agreement. “Indeed, awesome! You chose this yourself, so don’t blame me later.”

“Relax, do you think I’m that kind of person?” Zhao Qifei said, feigning nonchalance.

“Then go downstairs and run three laps around the villa’s courtyard,” Jiang Ying replied.

Zhao Qifei was stunned. “What? Run laps? Isn’t this a dating reality show?”

Jiang Ying nodded. “It is a dating reality show, but that has nothing to do with Truth or Dare. We can set any challenge we want. Besides, I let you choose the difficulty level yourself. And if you really don’t want to do it, you can just drink this glass of red wine and pass. We’re not forcing anyone.”

With the situation laid out so clearly, and Zhao Qifei being fiercely protective of his image, he couldn’t back down now. He had confidently chosen the “extreme” option earlier. To refuse now would be a humiliating slap in the face.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Qifei forced a calm demeanor. “Alright, I accept. Running three laps will help digest my meal anyway. Wait for me, everyone. We’ll continue playing when I get back.”

“Don’t worry,” Ren Peng said with a smile.

“Go, Brother Zhao! You can do it!” Su Jianyue cheered, making a fist-pumping gesture.

Zhao Qifei glared at Su Jianyue, grinding his teeth for a long moment before forcing out a smile. “Thanks.”

With that, he descended the stairs, accompanied by the cameraman.