Heartbeat - Chapter 5

When Su Jianyue woke up, it was already nine o’clock the next morning. Just then, Shen Xun knocked on the door to wake her up.

“Are you up yet?”

“Yes, Sister! Just give me a minute,” Su Jianyue replied, scrambling out of bed to open the door for Shen Xun.

“Sister, wait for me a moment. I’ll be ready soon,” Su Jianyue said, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

Seeing the little puppy still half-asleep, Shen Xun’s eyes crinkled into a smile. She reached out to pat Su Jianyue’s head gently. “Okay, go wash up. There’s no rush.”

“Hehe,” Su Jianyue giggled, hurrying inside to wash up and change her clothes.

“Where do you want to go today? How about the beach to see the ocean? Or is there anywhere else you’d like to visit?” Shen Xun asked.

“I don’t want to go out. It’s too hot,” Su Jianyue replied. The June weather was sweltering; staying home in the air conditioning was much more appealing than venturing outside.

“Then let’s go upstairs to watch a movie and snack on some treats. How does that sound?” Shen Xun suggested.

“Okay.”

Su Jianyue obediently followed Shen Xun upstairs. Shen Xun randomly selected a romance movie and asked the maids downstairs to bring up some snacks.

In the end, Su Jianyue found herself sitting by the coffee table, happily munching on snacks. The room was dark, with heavy blackout curtains drawn, creating a cozy movie theater atmosphere.

However, Su Jianyue’s attention was entirely focused on the food. Shen Xun watched the movie for a while, then turned to look at Su Jianyue, only to find her still happily munching away.

Shen Xun’s eyes softened into a gentle smile. “Don’t eat too much,” she warned. “You won’t be able to eat lunch later.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Su Jianyue nodded obediently, flashing Shen Xun a sweet smile.

For the next day and a half, Su Jianyue and Shen Xun remained inseparable, spending nearly every moment together.

By Sunday afternoon, it was time for Su Jianyue to return home. As she packed her suitcase, she gazed at Shen Xun with a forlorn expression.

Shen Xun helped her fold clothes, asking softly, “What’s wrong? Don’t want to go back?”

Su Jianyue nodded. “Mmm-hmm. I want to stay with you~”

“Summer vacation is just around the corner,” Shen Xun reassured her gently. “Focus on your exams and make sure you don’t fail any subjects. Once summer break starts, I’ll come visit you, or you can come visit me.”

“Mmm-hmm! Then it’s a promise! You can’t complain about me being clingy,” Su Jianyue continued, tugging playfully on Shen Xun’s wrist.

Shen Xun nodded in agreement. “Okay, it’s a promise.”

“Hehe, that puts my mind at ease.” With Shen Xun’s promise, Su Jianyue eagerly packed her luggage.

Shen Xun drove her to the airport and waited with her until the boarding announcement for her flight was made. Su Jianyue reluctantly bid farewell, “Sister, I’ll come visit you again during summer vacation.”

“Alright, I’ll remember. Be careful on your way.”

“Mhm!”

Su Jianyue walked away, glancing back every few steps. Shen Xun stayed until the plane took off before leaving the airport.

For the next two weeks, Su Jianyue focused on studying at school. Late June marked exam week; once all the tests for her major courses were completed, summer vacation would begin.

In the days leading up to her exams, Su Jianyue received a call from an unknown number.

Initially mistaking it for a delivery call, she answered casually, “Hello, is this the delivery service?”

The person on the other end chuckled. “Hello, Miss Su. This isn’t the delivery service. We’re calling from the production team of a variety show. Would you be interested in participating?”

Su Jianyue glanced at the caller ID on her phone and asked skeptically, “What kind of variety show? Are you trying to scam me?”

“Miss Su, you’re joking. We’re a genuine reality dating show called Heartbeat Emergency. Ten non-celebrity contestants will live together for two weeks, ultimately choosing their romantic interest. You can search for it online—we’re definitely not scammers.”

The person on the other end of the line was trying hard to explain. These days, everyone was hyper-vigilant about scams.

“A dating show wants me? But I’ve only just started my second year of university. Isn’t that a bit early?” Su Jianyue remained hesitant.

“Not at all! Many university students are getting married these days. Besides, it’s just a dating show—you’re not actually obligated to choose someone to marry. Our program focuses on entertainment, and the compensation is excellent. If you can spare two weeks for the show, you’ll receive five million yuan after taxes.” The caller continued to persuade her.

“So it’s like a summer job? That actually sounds kind of interesting,” Su Jianyue admitted, starting to warm up to the idea. She’d never been on a dating show before, and it did sound rather fun.

“Exactly! Think of it as a life experience. Even if you don’t find love, you’ll still earn five million yuan. There’s absolutely no downside for you.”

“Is the compensation the same for all the contestants?” Su Jianyue asked.

“It’s not quite the same,” the production staff explained. “You were on variety shows as a child, so you’re not a complete newcomer. That’s why your compensation is higher. The other non-celebrity guests are typically paid around one million.”

“Five million… hiss… but I don’t even need the money,” Su Jianyue said honestly. A single jade ornament from her collection could fetch tens of millions. She genuinely didn’t need the five million.

“Miss Su, we’re still open to negotiation. Please consider it further. Oh, and we’ve also invited Miss Shen Xun.”

“Sister Xunxun is going too?”

“Yes, we’ve extended an invitation, but we haven’t received a response yet. What about you?”

Su Jianyue thought for a moment before replying, “Send me the contract and related documents. I’ll have my family’s Legal Department review them. As for the compensation, let them negotiate with you.”

“Great, great! Add me on WeChat, or have your staff add me.” The production staff, sensing a breakthrough, hurried to say.

Su Jianyue added the staff member on WeChat and then provided the Legal Department’s contact information, instructing them to handle the negotiations.

Not long after, Su Jianyue received a call from her mother.

“What’s going on? I heard from the Legal Department that you’re planning to go on a dating show and had them negotiate your compensation?” Su Yubing asked.

“Yeah, Mom, the show contacted me. It’s only for half a month anyway, so I figured I could earn some pocket money,” Su Jianyue said cheerfully, rolling over on her dorm bed.

“What about Sister Xunxun?” Su Yubing asked, recalling her daughter’s mischievous childhood antics and worrying she might become a heartbreaker.

“The show invited Sister Xunxun too! And even if she doesn’t go, I can just visit her in Lin Hai City after filming wraps up. It’s only for half a month anyway,” Su Jianyue replied, having already planned everything out. She’d spend half a month having fun on the show, then another half a month visiting her sister. The thought alone made her giddy.

Su Yubing hesitated, then finally said, “Alright, you’re grown up now. Your mother and I won’t interfere. Make your own decision.”

“Hehe, thanks, Mom!”

After hanging up, Su Jianyue returned to studying. Exams were just around the corner.

Two hours later, she received news from the Legal Department: her compensation for the show had been negotiated to 6.5 million yuan after taxes, 1.5 million yuan more than initially offered. The department asked for her approval.

She gave an immediate and decisive answer: she would accept the offer.

The entire process moved swiftly, as if the production team feared Su Jianyue might change her mind. They quickly transferred 6.5 million yuan to her account.

Su Jianyue checked her balance and rolled around happily on her dorm bed.

Meanwhile, Shen Xun was facing exam season. Though she wasn’t worried about failing, her perfectionist nature drove her to review thoroughly, even for subjects she already knew well.

Shen Xun and Su Jianyue reacted very differently to phone calls. Shen Xun always kept her phone on silent while studying and rarely checked it proactively. When she was focused on her books, she was essentially unreachable.

The production team, frantic as ants on a hot pan, made five or six calls in a row, but no one answered. The director, Cheng Fei, was on the verge of tears.

“Any luck? Has Shen Xun answered?” Cheng Fei asked anxiously.

Assistant Director Feng Xiangpeng, equally frantic, replied, “We’ve called six times already, but no one’s picking up.”

“Keep calling from different phones. Our guest appearance fees are already low—mostly between 900,000 and 1 million yuan. Su Jianyue’s fee is the highest, and that’s only to capitalize on her and Shen Xun’s popularity. If Shen Xun doesn’t participate, the show’s buzz will plummet,” Cheng Fei said, frowning.

“Understood, Director. I’ll have someone keep trying to reach her.”

Another hour passed, and still no one answered the phone.

Meanwhile, Shen Xun had been reading in her dorm until after 5 PM. She finally picked up her phone, planning to go out for dinner and return to studying later.

As soon as she lit up her phone screen, she was startled by the flood of missed call notifications.

Is there some kind of emergency? she wondered. Over thirty calls in such a short time? Just as she was about to return a call to ask what was wrong, another call came through.

“Hello, is there something urgent?”

“Director, we finally got through to Shen Xun!” a man’s excited voice boomed from the other end.

“Miss Shen, hello! We’re from the Heartbeat Emergency production team and would like to invite you to participate in our show. Don’t worry, the filming period is only two weeks and won’t interfere with your classes,” Feng Xiangpeng said in an exceptionally friendly tone.

“Heartbeat Emergency?”

“Yes, yes! We’re a dating reality show featuring ordinary people. Miss Shen, rest assured, the appearance fee is quite generous—five million yuan! Since the show is about to start filming, we need your response as soon as possible,” Feng Xiangpeng continued to explain.

“No interest. To me, these things are just a waste of time.” With that, Shen Xun hung up decisively and immediately blocked the number.

Whether it was true or not, she felt that appearing on variety shows was a complete waste of time. Besides, she didn’t need the five million yuan. Working at her family’s company would still allow her to help her mother and stepmother earn money.

The assistant director, Feng Xiangpeng, nearly burst into tears after the call was disconnected. “We’re doomed, Director! Shen Xun refuses to come.”

“What happened? Did you explain everything properly?”

“I did! I told her it’s a dating show that only requires two weeks of filming, and we’re offering five million yuan,” Feng Xiangpeng said, eager to distance himself from blame.

“Did you mention the most important thing? Did you tell her Su Jianyue has already signed on?” Cheng Fei pressed, his anxiety growing. Their show relied entirely on amateur guests to keep costs down, hoping to strike gold with a small investment. The only potential draw was Shen Xun and Su Jianyue, both former stars of a wildly popular variety show.

The assistant director froze. He realized he hadn’t mentioned Su Jianyue at all. “No, I only discussed the filming schedule and appearance fee.”

“Just as I thought! It’s up to me now!” Cheng Fei declared, dialing Shen Xun’s number again.

He was met with the automated message: “The number you have dialed is currently switched off…”