Heartbeat - Chapter 32

After settling Su Jianyue in, Shen Xun’an returned to her room to shower. She changed into fresh clothes before covering the camera with a privacy shield, preparing for an afternoon nap.

Upstairs, Zhao Qifei, Chen Zhibin, Mao Ning, and Zheng Tianming were still gathered.

“Hey, let’s have another drink,” Zhao Qifei suggested. “Wine’s too weak. This is getting boring.”

“Sure, let’s open another bottle,” Mao Ning agreed.

Zhao Qifei opened another bottle of red wine and poured for everyone. “Since we don’t have to go out this afternoon, we can drink as much as we want.”

He took another sip, followed by Mao Ning, whose cheeks were already flushed from the several glasses he’d had.

“Man, being on this show… some people are already making progress, while I haven’t even gotten started,” Mao Ning sighed, glancing at Zheng Tianming.

Chen Zhibin downed another glass, clearly tipsy. “I feel like I haven’t fully showcased my charm yet. It’s a real disadvantage. I’m a sports student—if only I had a chance to play basketball or something.”

“You’re right, brother,” Zhao Qifei agreed. “The problem is Shen Xun is only warm toward Su Jianyue. She’s cold to everyone else.”

“Don’t get too discouraged, guys,” Zheng Tianming sighed, trying to reassure them. “We’ll definitely have more chances to go on dates. Look at me—I’m still single too, right?”

The male guests drank more and more until the production crew, fearing they’d get into trouble, had staff escort them back to their rooms.

Meanwhile, Su Jianyue was sound asleep. When she finally woke up, it was already past six in the evening.

She sat up and looked around, then remembered she’d drunk too much at lunch. Her throat felt dry. Glancing at the bedside table, she saw a glass of water with a note tucked underneath.

Su Jianyue reached for the glass and note. The note read: “Remember to drink water when you wake up. If you’re not feeling well, come find me.”

She immediately recognized Shen Xun’s handwriting. She happily took a few sips of water, which soothed her throat.

Recalling the kiss her sister had given her at lunch, Su Jianyue rolled around on the bed in delight. After all, the cameras were covered, so the viewers wouldn’t see.

After tossing and turning in bed for a while, Su Jianyue finally got up to take a shower. Even though she had only drunk red wine, her body still carried a faint lingering scent.

Emerging from the shower, she changed into a crisp white T-shirt and black denim shorts, instantly looking much cooler.

She gathered her slightly wavy long hair behind her shoulders before putting on her personal microphone and removing the black cover from the room’s camera.

Viewers who had been eagerly waiting for the live stream to resume flooded the chat with comments the moment Su Jianyue’s outfit appeared on screen.

Wow, is this still our Little Milk A? She looks so cool in this outfit!

Our baby is so versatile! She looks amazing in just a plain white T-shirt.

Now I believe Xiao Yueliang is an Alpha! Such a beautiful Little Alpha—wanna come home with this sister?

Shen Xun is already on her way with a knife. This is Shen Xun’s Little Alpha, after all.

Our baby is the most beautiful Alpha ever! sobs

Su Jianyue waved at the camera. “Hi everyone! I just woke up. I slept all afternoon—it was so refreshing.”

She smoothed her hair in front of the camera. “I’m going to check if Sister is awake. It’s almost six o’clock. Should we go downstairs to make dinner? I don’t feel very hungry, though.”

After lunch, Su Jianyue had devoured several slices of chocolate mousse, so she wasn’t truly hungry. She simply wanted to see Shen Xun.

Leaving her room, Su Jianyue walked to Shen Xun’s door and knocked softly. “Sister, are you awake?” She didn’t dare knock too loudly, fearing Shen Xun might still be asleep.

Shen Xun had a good tolerance for alcohol. After drinking plenty of water, taking a shower, and napping for just over an hour, she woke up. She had been staying in her room, reading a book.

Hearing the knock, Shen Xun got up and opened the door. Her eyes lit up as she saw Su Jianyue had changed into fresh clothes. “Awake?”

Su Jianyue nodded eagerly. “Mhm! Thank you for bringing me back.”

“Why are you being so formal with me?” Shen Xun said, reaching out to pat Su Jianyue’s head.

Su Jianyue stood obediently, her ears flushing pink.

Intrigued, Shen Xun leaned closer, chuckling softly. “Why are you suddenly so shy?”

Su Jianyue touched her ear, protesting, “I’m not shy! It’s just… your room is too warm.”

“Is that so?” Shen Xun gazed at the Little Puppy before her with amusement. No matter how cool the Little Puppy tried to look, she still seemed so docile and irresistibly cuddly.

“Should we go downstairs? It’s already six o’clock,” Su Jianyue quickly changed the subject.

Seeing Little Puppy’s shyness, Shen Xun didn’t press further. She replied, “Then it’s about time to start dinner. But I’m not sure if everyone’s awake yet. When I brought you back at noon, some of them were still drinking. Let’s go downstairs and check.”

“Okay!” Su Jianyue responded obediently.

Shen Xun and Su Jianyue went downstairs together. In the dining area, Yu Lin and Jiang Ying were already eating fruit.

Su Jianyue greeted them. “Are the others still asleep?”

Yu Lin nodded. “Probably. Zheng Tianming and the others drank quite a bit. They’re probably still sleeping it off.”

After a moment’s thought, Shen Xun suggested, “Then I’ll just make congee and braised dishes for dinner. That way, when they wake up later, they can just heat it up and eat. The congee will also help sober them up.”

“Sounds good. Since they’re not here yet, let’s get started,” Jiang Ying agreed.

Zhao Qifei and Liang Wenjing hadn’t come downstairs yet, but since they were making a simple meal, Shen Xun and Jiang Ying could handle it alone.

Shen Xun nodded. “Okay, I’ll take care of the main dishes. You can handle the congee and cold dishes. That should be enough.”

“Alright, let’s do it,” Jiang Ying said decisively, immediately starting preparations.

Su Jianyue followed Shen Xun around, asking obediently, “Sister, what can I help you with?”

“Peel the potatoes, then wash the green beans and remove the strings.”

“Okay,” Su Jianyue replied obediently, taking a few potatoes and settling down on a small stool to peel them.

In Su Jianyue’s live stream, Mom Fans flooded the chat with comments:

Our baby is so adorable, peeling potatoes so obediently!

She’s so well-behaved! She does whatever Shen Xun asks, even before they’re officially together.

Where can I get a clean, obedient Little Alpha like that?

There’s only one, and she already belongs to Shen Xun. Hehe~

I love how she looks when she’s with Shen Xun! Ugh, it’s too sweet!

Meanwhile, Shen Xun blanched the ribs to remove the surface bl00d, then rinsed them in cold water. She patted the ribs dry with kitchen paper and set them aside.

Just as Su Jianyue finished peeling the potatoes, Shen Xun began cutting them into smaller pieces. Su Jianyue washed the green beans and removed the strings.

After finishing these preparations, Shen Xun heated oil in a wok, stir-frying the ribs before adding potatoes and green beans, then simmering them in water.

Jiang Ying’s Thousand Island dressing salad was ready, and the rice porridge was already simmering on the stove.

Shen Xun glanced at the clock. “It’ll still take a while. Let’s rest for a bit.”

“Okay,” Su Jianyue replied obediently, following Shen Xun back to the dining room. The group sat down to chat while waiting for the meal to finish cooking.

A while later, Liang Wenjing and Ren Peng came downstairs. Noticing the kitchen light on, Liang Wenjing said, “Did you two already make dinner? I’m so sorry I came down late. I’ll do all the dishes and clean up the kitchen later.”

“No problem,” Shen Xun replied. “We just made something simple. Everyone drank a lot at lunch, so we’re having rice porridge, braised vegetables, and a salad. That way, whenever they wake up from their drunken naps, the food will be ready.”

“Mm-hmm, those four must have really overdone it. Otherwise, they wouldn’t still be asleep,” Liang Wenjing chuckled.

Checking the time, Shen Xun figured the food was ready and went to the kitchen to serve the braised vegetables. Liang Wenjing helped Jiang Ying carry the rice porridge.

Since there were six people for dinner, Shen Xun directly divided the stew into two small basins, leaving another basin’s worth in the pot—just enough for the remaining diners.

“Help me carry this over,” Shen Xun said, glancing at Su Jianyue beside her. Seeing the girl waiting obediently, she handed her one of the small basins of stew.

Su Jianyue and Shen Xun each carried a basin of stew to the dining table. Liang Wenjing and the others had already served everyone’s rice porridge. Because of the large group, Jiang Ying had used a pressure cooker to cook the porridge, ensuring there was enough for everyone.

Su Jianyue’s appetite remained hearty. As soon as she sat down, she took several large sips of porridge before digging into the ribs. Shen Xun’s cooking skills were impressive; Su Jianyue devoured three ribs in a row, followed by generous portions of potatoes and green beans.

Between bites, she praised Shen Xun, “Sister, mmm, it’s so delicious! The green beans are so tender, and the ribs are amazing!”

“Eat as much as you like,” Shen Xun replied, though she herself ate very little. She usually ate light dinners at home.

Shen Xun finished one rib and most of her bowl of porridge before stopping.

As she chatted with the others, her gaze occasionally drifted toward Su Jianyue.

Su Jianyue ate with great relish, even asking for a second bowl of congee.

After Su Jianyue and Shen Xun finished eating, they helped Liang Wenjing clean up. By the time the three women had tidied the kitchen and dining area, Zhao Qifei and the other three men finally came downstairs.

“There’s food and congee in the pot,” Jiang Ying reminded them. “Just heat it up.”

“Got it! No need to draw straws for cooking tomorrow either—we four will take care of it. We’re really sorry for sleeping in so late,” Zhao Qifei said, surprised he’d slept so long.

Zheng Tianming chimed in, “Yeah, yeah! We’ll handle all the meals tomorrow.”

With that, the men headed to the kitchen to warm up the food.

Jiang Ying found Mao Ning and asked him to set up the projector. However, since everyone’s phones were on the local network, they couldn’t find any movies to stream. They borrowed a phone from a staff member and projected a horror film.

To enhance the atmosphere, Ren Peng turned off the main lights in the living room, leaving only a few side lamps on for the cameraman.

The group settled onto the floor mats, with snacks and drinks spread out on the low table in front of them.

As soon as the movie started, Su Jianyue scooted closer to Shen Xun.

Shen Xun looked at the Little Puppy with amusement. “What’s wrong? Scared?”

“No, it’s just that the living room air conditioning is set too low. I’m a bit cold,” Su Jianyue said with a straight face.

Shen Xun found her Little Puppy even more adorable for her stubbornness. She reached out and pinched Su Jianyue’s cheek, smiling. “Alright, if you’re cold, just stay close to me.”

“Mm-hmm,” Su Jianyue nodded in agreement. Though she was scared, it didn’t stop her from snacking. Before long, she had devoured the entire bag of potato chips in front of her.

Everyone else was immersed in the terrifying atmosphere, but only Su Jianyue’s area was punctuated by the occasional crunch of potato chips.

Once she was full, Su Jianyue looked up at the full-wall projection and started feeling scared again.

To her right sat Shen Xun, and to her left was Liang Wenjing. Liang Wenjing had been planning to hide behind Su Jianyue during the scary parts, but she was amused to find Su Jianyue already huddled behind Shen Xun.

Liang Wenjing couldn’t help but laugh. This Little Milk A is such a scaredy-cat! What to do? She’s even more adorable now.