Heartbeat - Chapter 33

Shen Xun was still watching the movie when she turned around to find Little Puppy cowering behind her. She reached out to pat Su Jianyue reassuringly, just as a particularly terrifying scene flashed across the full-wall projection, making it even more frightening.

Su Jianyue immediately closed her eyes and leaned against Shen Xun’s shoulder. “Sister, is it over yet? Is the ghost gone?”

Shen Xun hadn’t even noticed the scary scene playing out. She was too busy thinking how adorable her Little Puppy was—still afraid of ghosts even as a grown-up.

“Almost, almost,” Shen Xun murmured softly. “I’ll tell you when this scene is over.”

“Mm-hmm,” Su Jianyue replied obediently, though even with her eyes closed, the terrifying soundtrack made her tremble.

The viewers in the Live Stream were thoroughly amused.

LOL, our baby is such a scaredy-cat! She has to cling to her sister.

So cute! Baby, are you really an Alpha?

Our baby is just a sweet little cream cake.

Hahaha, our baby closes her eyes during the scary parts! What a clever little one!

Shen Xun is so brave! She and Su Jianyue complement each other perfectly in every way.

Aaaah! I’m shipping them so hard! I love how they interact—it’s practically dating!

Meanwhile, back in the normal footage, Shen Xun patted Su Jianyue’s arm. “Okay, the scary part’s over. You can open your eyes now.”

Su Jianyue cautiously opened her eyes, still clinging close to Shen Xun. She even refused to eat her chips, afraid a ghost might jump out and scare her halfway through.

Liang Wenjing, watching Su Jianyue’s fear, found her adorable. But when Su Jianyue leaned into Shen Xun’s embrace, a pang of jealousy struck her. It felt like Su Jianyue and Shen Xun had their own couple’s bubble, one that no one else could penetrate.

Finally, when the movie ended, Jiang Ying teased with a smile, “Su Jianyue, you spent half the time with your eyes closed! Did you even understand what the movie was about?”

Su Jianyue shook her head. “I was too busy keeping my eyes shut! Even then, I still saw a bunch of terrifying ghost faces. I’m doomed—I won’t be able to sleep tonight!”

Shen Xun reached out and gently patted Su Jianyue’s head, soothingly saying, “It’s all fake. Don’t be scared.”

“Even if it’s fake, I’m still scared,” Su Jianyue mumbled softly.

“Let’s switch to a romance movie,” Shen Xun quickly suggested, worried about frightening her Little Puppy. “Watching something too intense this late at night will make it hard to sleep.”

“Okay,” Jiang Ying agreed, grabbing a staff member’s phone and casting a romance film onto the screen.

Just then, Zhao Qifei and the others finished dinner and joined the movie-watching group, adding a few more people to the crowd.

Now that it wasn’t a horror movie, Su Jianyue relaxed. She munched on snacks and obediently offered some to Shen Xun. “Sister, do you want some?”

Shen Xun, charmed by her cuteness, took advantage of the dim lighting in the living room to pinch Su Jianyue’s cheek. “No, you enjoy them yourself.”

“Okay,” Su Jianyue replied obediently.

However, Yu Lin noticed their little interaction. She realized winning Su Jianyue’s affection would be an uphill battle, as Su Jianyue’s eyes were fixed solely on Shen Xun.

The group watched movies until after ten o’clock before finally dispersing for the night.

After Su Jianyue and Shen Xun went upstairs to the second floor, Su Jianyue suddenly didn’t want to return to her room. She grabbed Shen Xun’s wrist, unwilling to let her go.

Seeing the Little Puppy clinging to her, Shen Xun chuckled and asked, “It’s past ten o’clock—time to rest. What’s wrong?”

Noticing the camera, Su Jianyue leaned close to Shen Xun’s ear and whispered, “I’m a little scared.”

Shen Xun couldn’t help but laugh. “But you barely even watched the movie!”

“Still scared! Can you stay with me for a while?” Su Jianyue pleaded, shaking Shen Xun’s wrist playfully.

Seeing how frightened the Little Puppy was, Shen Xun relented. “Alright, I’ll stay until you fall asleep. Is that okay?”

“Mm-hmm!” Su Jianyue finally relaxed a little. She was truly terrified of ghosts—who understood?

Meanwhile, viewers in Su Jianyue’s live stream were going wild.

Ahhh, Su Jianyue is so good at this! Flirting with Sister and getting her to stay in her room!

A soft, cuddly Little Puppy begging you to stay—who could resist?

If I were Shen Xun, I’d spoil Xiao Yueliang too. She’s so adorable!

Hahaha, our baby is still a little girl afraid of ghosts!

Su Jianyue and Shen Xun returned to their room. Shen Xun smiled and said, “Go take a shower. I’ll keep you company here.”

“Sister, don’t leave,” Su Jianyue said, still a little scared, worried Shen Xun might leave before she finished.

Shen Xun chuckled reassuringly. “Alright, go ahead and shower. I’ll wait until you’re in bed, turn off the lights, and then leave.”

“Hehe, you’re the best!” Su Jianyue finally relaxed and grabbed her nightgown to shower.

Bored, Shen Xun picked up a magazine from the room and began flipping through it.

Meanwhile, Su Jianyue quickly washed her hair, rinsed off, and emerged from the bathroom in just twenty minutes.

She opened the bathroom door to blow-dry her hair before dashing out.

“Sister, I’m done showering,” Su Jianyue said obediently, sitting on the edge of the bed, reluctant to see Shen Xun leave.

Seeing the “Little Puppy” looking so forlorn, Shen Xun smiled, picked up her phone, and sat down in a chair nearby to draft today’s “heart-fluttering” message.

Anonymous: Still a cute little puppy afraid of ghosts today. If you’re still scared tonight, come find me.

As soon as Su Jianyue sat down, she received a message. She nervously picked up her phone, glancing at it anxiously, afraid it might be from someone else and upset her sister again.

When she saw the message’s content, Su Jianyue’s eyes lit up. Her ears flushed pink as she looked at Shen Xun, feeling as if she were soaking in a jar of honey.

Sister isn’t angry anymore! She even messaged me! Su Jianyue didn’t say a word, but her face beamed as she typed a reply.

Anonymous: Aww, thank you, Sister! I love you so much today too! (Little Puppy wagging its tail frantically GIF)

Shen Xun’s phone chimed. She glanced down at the message from Su Jianyue, unable to suppress the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. My little puppy is so sweet, she thought, and the emoji is just too adorable.

The live stream chat exploded.

Whoa, sending a flirty message right in front of her? The Xun Yue CP is way ahead of its time!

Aaaah, so sweet! Isn’t this basically a mutual confession?

Xiao Yueliang is so direct! She just said she loves Sister!

That puppy tail-wagging emoji at the end is so cute! Isn’t that just her in a nutshell?

Shen Xun turned to Su Jianyue. “Why are you being so sweet today?”

“I’m always sweet, hehe,” Su Jianyue replied obediently.

Shen Xun checked the time—it was already 10:30 PM. She stood up and walked to the bedside, gently stroking Su Jianyue’s hair. “I should head back to shower soon. You should get some sleep too. If you’re really scared, come find me.”

“Mm, I think I’ll be okay once I lie down,” Su Jianyue replied, rubbing her ear.

“Okay, I’ll cover the camera for you. Give me your body mic too—I’ll put it on the table.”

Su Jianyue readily handed over her body mic. Shen Xun placed it on the table and then draped the black cover over the camera.

“Good night, everyone! Su Jianyue’s going to sleep now, so I’m covering the camera,” Shen Xun announced, pulling the black cover over the lens.

Only then did Shen Xun return to the bedside. Since her own body mic was still on, their conversation would continue to be recorded.

“Be a good girl and get some sleep. Should I turn off the main light? Do you want me to turn off the bedside lamp too?” Shen Xun asked.

Su Jianyue shook her head. “No need, Sister. You should go rest too.”

“Alright, see you tomorrow then.”

“See you tomorrow.”

After settling Little Puppy, Shen Xun finally returned to her own room to shower and change. By the time she finished getting ready, it was already 11:30 PM.

Shen Xun covered the camera in her room before finally lying down to rest.

Meanwhile, Su Jianyue tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Ever since she was a child, she had been easily frightened. Even when watching horror movies, she would close her eyes during the scary parts, but she still caught glimpses of the terrifying scenes.

Now, every time she closed her eyes, she could vividly recall the ghosts from the movie. Su Jianyue felt like crying. No matter how much she tossed and turned, she couldn’t fall asleep, and she even felt like someone was hiding in her room.

It was almost midnight, and Su Jianyue was still terrified.

Looking pitiful, she crawled out of bed, instinctively clutching her pillow to her chest. She paced around the room, hesitating whether to go to her sister’s room. It was still ten minutes before midnight, and she didn’t know if her sister was asleep yet.

She was truly frightened. After midnight, she wouldn’t even dare to step into the hallway. It was all that movie’s fault—now she couldn’t sleep at all.

After agonizing for a while, she decided that it was better to sleep on the floor in her sister’s room than to stay here alone, imagining things and being scared. With her sister by her side, she wouldn’t be afraid. She would be very well-behaved.

With this thought, Su Jianyue mustered her courage, grabbed her pillow, and slipped out of her room. She walked to Shen Xun’s door.

The corridor was eerily silent. Su Jianyue couldn’t help but shiver. She hesitated no longer and knocked on Shen Xun’s door.

Shen Xun was already drifting off to sleep when she heard the knock. She quickly switched on the light. Who could be knocking at this hour? she wondered. It must be Little Puppy, too scared to sleep alone.

As she got out of bed, Shen Xun called out, “Who is it?”

“It’s me,” Su Jianyue’s voice answered from the doorway.

Shen Xun hurried to open the door. As soon as she cracked it open, she saw Little Puppy standing there, clutching a pillow and looking utterly forlorn.

Shen Xun stepped aside, gesturing for Su Jianyue to come in. “Come inside.”

Su Jianyue obediently entered Shen Xun’s room. The moment she stepped inside, she felt like she had come back to life.

Shen Xun chuckled at the sight of Little Puppy. “Couldn’t sleep because you were scared?”

“Not really,” Su Jianyue protested. “Just a little. It’s too quiet in my room, and I don’t want to be alone. Sister, can I sleep on the floor here tonight? I promise I’ll be good and won’t do anything to bother you.” She rushed to explain, afraid her sister would send her away.

As she spoke, she nervously tugged at the pillow in her arms, making her look even more endearing.

Shen Xun leaned in and playfully pinched Su Jianyue’s cheek, teasing, “What kind of mischief could a little puppy like you possibly get into?”

Su Jianyue looked up at Shen Xun with a sweet smile. “I was just using an example. I’m very well-behaved and would never do anything bad.”

Shen Xun chuckled softly and nodded. Now that her little puppy had come to her, of course she would take her in.

She gently tapped Su Jianyue’s nose with her fingertip. “You can stay, but no more sleeping on the floor. It’s unhygienic and you’ll catch a cold. The bed is big enough—just sleep on the other side.”

“But… but I’m an Alpha. Aren’t you scared, Sister?” Su Jianyue asked softly, looking up at Shen Xun with wide, innocent eyes.

Shen Xun burst out laughing. She cupped Su Jianyue’s cheeks and gave them a playful squeeze. “Honestly, your cheeks feel amazing! What do I have to fear from a harmless little puppy like you? Are you going to sneak snacks in the middle of the night? Or maybe sneak juice?”

Su Jianyue didn’t struggle against Shen Xun’s pinching, but she looked at her with a pitiful expression. “Sister, you’re looking down on me!”

Shen Xun pinched Su Jianyue’s cheeks a few more times, then said with a dismissive smile, “No, no, you’re the fiercest Alpha in my heart. Really, you are!”

“Hmph~” Su Jianyue watched Shen Xun’s perfunctory expression. Hmph! Sister clearly doesn’t believe I’m a fierce Alpha.

But then Su Jianyue deflated. I can’t blame her for not believing me. Even I don’t believe it. What kind of fierce Alpha is afraid of ghosts?