Heartbeat - Chapter 36

“Alright, now I’ll distribute the emergency alarm devices,” Yang Rui announced, handing out the devices to the guests. “If you can’t handle it inside, press this device. It will automatically withdraw your group from the challenge, and staff will come to escort you out.”

“This time, professional fixed night-vision cameras will record everything inside, so your personal cameramen won’t be joining you. Only the ten of you guests will enter. Now that I’ve explained everything, you may enter the hospital. Have fun!” Yang Rui said with a smile.

Su Jianyue gripped Shen Xun’s wrist tightly, her gaze fixed on the eerie hospital. “Sister, will it be very scary inside?”

Seeing the Little Puppy already frightened before even entering, Shen Xun chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’m here. The ghosts inside are just staff in costumes. If you get scared, just close your eyes, and I’ll guide you.”

“I’m not scared at all,” Su Jianyue said, her voice trembling despite her attempt to sound brave. “I’m an Alpha. I’ll protect you.”

Shen Xun nearly burst out laughing, but she graciously played along. “Alright then,” she replied, “once we’re inside, I’ll be counting on you to protect me.”

“Of course, Sister. Don’t worry,” Su Jianyue replied, her voice betraying her nervousness.

The Live Stream’s bullet comments went wild with amusement.

Hahahaha, who gets it? Xiao Yueliang is both a scaredy-cat and utterly adorable.

The production team is so mean! They just traumatized our baby with a horror movie yesterday, and now they’re dragging her to a haunted house?

Dying of laughter! Xiao Yueliang’s voice is shaking so much—she’s genuinely terrified.

Our baby’s so scared, yet she still wants to protect her sister! The Xun Yue CP is real!

Shen Xun doesn’t seem scared at all. Let’s hope she can protect Xiao Yueliang. She’s the only precious cub we have on the entire internet—don’t let her get too frightened!

Su Jianyue remained completely oblivious to the netizens’ reactions, still convinced she was a fierce Alpha.

She even stepped in front of Shen Xun, pretending to lead the way, until they reached the hospital entrance. At that point, her legs suddenly refused to cooperate.

Yu Lin and Zheng Tianming had already gone inside, followed closely by Liang Wenjing and Jiang Ying.

Liang Wenjing glanced at Su Jianyue and Shen Xun, smiling as she asked, “Why aren’t you two coming in?”

“I… we’re not in a hurry,” Su Jianyue stammered, beads of sweat already forming on her forehead.

Noticing Little Puppy’s extreme nervousness, Shen Xun gently reassured her, “Relax. I’ll hold your hand. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“Okay,” Su Jianyue finally relented, though she was genuinely terrified, whimpering softly.

With Shen Xun holding her hand, Su Jianyue reluctantly entered the hospital.

The moment they stepped inside, Su Jianyue felt a chilling draft in the corridor. The temperature was noticeably lower than outside, as if the place had its own natural air conditioning. She couldn’t help but shiver.

Shen Xun murmured soothingly, “It’s okay, it’s okay. There’s nothing here. Don’t be scared.”

Su Jianyue sniffled, obediently trailing behind Shen Xun. “Sister, it’s so cold in here.”

“Maybe it’s because there’s no sunlight in here,” Shen Xun replied casually, hoping to distract Little Puppy. “That might make it feel a bit cooler.”

Behind them, Zhao Qifei and Mao Ning followed, the group gradually filing into the hospital.

Because this corridor connected to the main entrance, some light filtered in, making it not particularly frightening. The truly eerie atmosphere only revealed itself after they rounded the corner.

The only sound in the corridor was the echo of their footsteps. The incandescent light overhead flickered erratically, alternating between bright and dim. Su Jianyue’s hands grew increasingly cold, as if something lurked in the shadows, ready to leap out and startle her at any moment.

Suddenly, the flickering incandescent light went out completely. Red-tinged antique lamps on the corridor walls flickered to life, bathing the hallway in a hellish glow.

“Sister~” Su Jianyue gasped, startled. No, what kind of lousy haunted house is this? It’s way too scary!

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Shen Xun soothed gently. “It’s just the lighting.”

The other guests were equally terrified, none daring to speak. And this was only the second corridor they’d traversed since entering the hospital.

Su Jianyue gripped Shen Xun’s left arm tightly, her eyes darting around. When she glanced upward, she saw a clump of black hair slowly sliding down from the ceiling in the eerie red light.

Before Su Jianyue could even make out what it was, she let out a howl and yanked Shen Xun’s wrist, charging inside. “Awooo~ There’s a ghost on the ceiling! Run!!!”

Shen Xun didn’t even have time to react before being dragged into the hospital lobby by the runaway Little Puppy, her mind completely blank.

It wasn’t just Shen Xun. Liang Wenjing was also startled by Su Jianyue’s scream. She didn’t dare look up, grabbing Jiang Ying and sprinting forward. “Aaaah! Ghosts! Don’t get me! Run!”

Yu Lin hadn’t seen anything at first, but when she saw everyone fleeing in terror, she and Zheng Tianming joined the stampede inside.

Su Jianyue finally slowed down after dragging Shen Xun into the hospital’s first-floor lobby, her hair standing on end.

Seeing her Little Puppy so frightened, Shen Xun quickly moved to hug Su Jianyue, gently patting her back. “Don’t be scared, don’t be scared,” she murmured. “It’s all fake, what’s there to fear? Let’s relax, okay? Just relax.”

“Okay, okay, I’m not scared! I’m an Alpha, I need to be brave and protect my Sister!” Su Jianyue reassured herself, her voice trembling, but her resolve crumbled within seconds.

She clung tightly to Shen Xun’s waist, burying her face in Shen Xun’s shoulder with a pitiful whimper. “But… but I’m still scared.”

The Live Stream’s bullet comments surged with activity.

LOL, it wasn’t even that scary, but Su Jianyue’s scream scared the crap out of everyone.

Our baby is so cute! A scared Little Alpha? I just want to hold her and cuddle her.

Hey, Xiao Yueliang belongs to Shen Xun!

To be fair, the production team is pretty heartless. This place is genuinely terrifying. If I were there, I’d run for my life.

Look, Xiao Yueliang is trembling in her sister’s arms! So adorable! Shen Xun is so Alpha!

Yeah, Shen Xun doesn’t seem fazed at all.

Unfazed by the online chatter, Shen Xun even chuckled at her Little Puppy’s reaction. “Alright, let’s just find ten Heartbeat Cards and get out of here. It’ll be quick, okay?”

“It’s so scary in here,” Su Jianyue said, sniffing.

Seeing how genuinely frightened Little Puppy was, Shen Xun suggested, “Then let’s give up. It’s just a date tomorrow, nothing important. We can leave right now, okay?”

Su Jianyue shook her head. She knew her sister’s competitive nature—Shen Xun’an always strived to be the best, even in games. Though this was just a game, her sister undoubtedly wanted to win, and Su Jianyue couldn’t hold her back.

“No, I don’t want to leave.”

“Then what should we do?” Shen Xun gently patted Su Jianyue’s head. She thought it was just a game, and while she wanted to win, she prioritized Little Puppy’s comfort above all else.

“Sister, if I get scared tonight, can I come find you?” Su Jianyue asked, her voice pleading.

Shen Xun smiled softly. “Of course. I’ll be here for you.”

“Okay… then let’s keep looking for the Heartbeat Cards,” Su Jianyue replied, her voice trembling slightly.

Nearby, a female ghost nurse leaned against the examination table, her body twisted at an unnatural angle. She had intended to scare them, but before she could act, Shen Xun and Su Jianyue began cooing and cuddling, shoving a mouthful of “dog food” down the ghost’s throat.

Enraged, she thought, What? Do they think I’m invisible? Time to give these lovey-dovey couples a real scare!

As she thought this, the female ghost began to approach them.

From this angle, Shen Xun could clearly see the ghost. The creature was hunched over, its body and face stained with bl00d, appearing even more grotesque under the crimson emergency lights.

Afraid the ghost would frighten Su Jianyue, Shen Xun patted her shoulder. “We need to go. Listen to me carefully: from now on, leave everything to me. Close your eyes and do exactly as I say.”

“Okay, I’ll listen to you, Sister,” Su Jianyue replied obediently.

“Hold onto my left arm and stay close. Don’t open your eyes,” Shen Xun instructed.

“Mhm, I’ll be good,” Su Jianyue sniffled, obediently wrapping her arms around Shen Xun’s left arm.

Shen Xun quickly led Su Jianyue toward the consultation desk. By now, the lobby had descended into chaos. Zhao Qifei was being chased by a man dressed as a doctor, while Yu Lin and Zheng Tianming had already rushed upstairs. Screams echoed through the hall intermittently.

Shen Xun swiftly scanned the lobby. The best place to hide anything was behind the consultation desk.

Su Jianyue was terrified, but she trusted her sister completely, knowing Shen Xun would protect her. She kept her eyes tightly shut.

At that moment, Shen Xun led Su Jianyue behind the triage desk. Shen Xun quickly rummaged through the items on the desk, and among a stack of forms, she found a laser card labeled “Heartbeat Card.”

Shen Xun grabbed the card and was just tucking it into her small pouch when she looked up and met a pair of crimson eyes. Bl00d was still dripping down the nurse’s face as she rasped, her voice sounding like rusty hinges, “What are you looking for?”

Shen Xun glanced at the female ghost’s face, recognizing the bl00d as stage makeup. But Su Jianyue, standing beside her, immediately panicked. “Aaaah! Sister, who’s talking?”

Shen Xun gave the nurse an apologetic smile and patted Su Jianyue’s back reassuringly. “No one, no one. We just met a pretty lady. Don’t open your eyes—we’re leaving now.”

“Waaah, Sister, I’m scared,” Su Jianyue whined, clinging to Shen Xun’s arm.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. We’re leaving right now.” With that, Shen Xun led Su Jianyue toward the nearby staircase.

The female ghost nurse didn’t pursue them. She seemed quite pleased by Shen Xun’s compliment about her being a “pretty lady,” which stayed her hand.

While comforting Su Jianyue, Shen Xun led her upstairs. “Lift your foot, be careful. Follow me one step at a time. We’re not in a rush.”

“Sister, where are we going?” Su Jianyue asked, her eyes tightly shut and her palms sweating.

“Everyone’s probably searching for Heartbeat Cards on the first floor, which makes them harder to find. Let’s go straight to the second floor. Oh, I already found one card at the triage desk earlier. It wasn’t too difficult. Just keep your eyes closed and follow me.” Shen Xun reassured her, slipping the Little Puppy a mental tranquilizer.

“Okay, I’ll do as you say,” Su Jianyue replied, her eyes still shut. She felt a little calmer now. As long as she kept her eyes closed, she wouldn’t see the terrifying ghosts.

The corridor remained dimly lit with flickering crimson light. Shen Xun glanced down and noticed a slit at the base of the wall. An arm reached out from within, trying to grab her and Su Jianyue’s ankles.

Calmly shifting her position, Shen Xun ensured the arm couldn’t reach them. She didn’t mention this to Su Jianyue, fearing it would frighten the Little Puppy.

Just as they passed this spot, a corpse tumbled down from the stairwell landing, still dripping bl00d.

Unfazed, Shen Xun instructed, “Now we need to duck down and crawl past this.”

“Sister, what’s here?” Su Jianyue’s voice trembled.

“Don’t worry, it’s just a normal obstacle. Keep your eyes closed. That’s right, just like this. Bend down and walk through.” Shen Xun led Su Jianyue through the area, bending low. “Okay, we’re through now. You can stand up straight.”

“Mm-hmm,” Su Jianyue replied obediently.

Meanwhile, bullet comments flooded Su Jianyue’s live stream:

Wow, Shen Xun’s got nerves of steel—she didn’t even flinch!

Our baby is so well-behaved! She does exactly what her sister tells her to.

Xiao Yueliang is so cute! She kept her eyes closed the whole way. If I can’t see it, there are no ghosts in this world!

Su Jianyue really trusts Shen Xun, doesn’t she? She just obediently kept her eyes closed the whole time.

Of course! They’ve known each other for over a decade. They must trust each other completely.

sniffle I want a sister like Shen Xun too! She’s so cool!

Shen Xun had successfully guided Su Jianyue to the second floor. The main hall was pitch-black. Shen Xun’s gaze drifted to the left corridor, where flickering green lights cast eerie shadows. Splattered bloodstains marred the walls, and a crooked sign hung above, scrawled with the word “Orthopedics.”