Heartbeat - Chapter 8

Meanwhile, Su Jianyue’s roommate, Liu Yujia, sent her a message.

Liu Yujia: Aaaaaaaah!

Su Jianyue glanced at it, thinking Liu Yujia was having a seizure, but she still replied.

Su Jianyue: What’s wrong? Why are you so hyped up after just a few days apart?

Liu Yujia: No, you need to check the trending topics right now! You’re trending! I checked—the “national cyber baby” hype is insane! You even pushed Queen of Film Jiang Jinhua down the rankings! You’re amazing!

Su Jianyue stared in disbelief. What the hell? How could she be trending? And how could she possibly outrank a major film star like Jiang Jinhua?

Su Jianyue: Are you still half-asleep? Me outranking Queen of Film Jiang? How can you make up such nonsense?

Liu Yujia: I’m serious! Just check it yourself!

Su Jianyue: Fine. If you’re lying, you’re buying me dinner when school starts.

Liu Yujia: Fine! Go check it out yourself right now.

Su Jianyue huffed and exited Green Bubble, switching to Weibo.

The moment she opened Weibo, she noticed something was off. This was her main account, newly registered and with zero followers—she was supposed to be a nobody. So why was her notifications bar showing 99+?

Clicking to investigate, Su Jianyue’s Weibo nearly crashed. Not only had she gained tens of thousands of followers, but her inbox was flooded with messages and private messages.

She clicked on her account’s only post and found over a thousand comments beneath it. She scrolled through a few:

Ahhh! My cyber baby! Mommy finally found you!

Waaah, our Xiao Yueliang is still so cute! Even grown up, you’re gorgeous. I’m so glad my favorite baby didn’t grow up ugly!

Xiao Yueliang, Mommy loves you!

bursts into tears You’re old enough for dating reality shows now? The tears of time!

My adorable baby! I even used to ship your mom and Mommy as a couple!

Su Jianyue scratched the back of her neck in confusion. How did I gain so many followers overnight, and why are there so many messages?

She checked Weibo’s trending topics and saw that “#XiaoYueliang and Shen Xun Join Dating Reality Show (Exploding)” was still at the top.

Su Jianyue was puzzled. My sister and I are trending, and we’re even ranked higher than Queen of Film Jiang?

After a moment’s thought, she replied to Liu Yujia:

Su Jianyue: The show probably bought the hype. I have no idea what’s going on.

Liu Yujia: Don’t forget me when you’re rich and famous! Remember to treat me to hotpot when school starts.

Su Jianyue: Hmph, no problem.

Many netizens had followed the show’s official account to find Shen Xun’s Weibo. Her profile was completely empty—no posts, not even a profile picture. This sparked heated discussions on the Heartbeat Emergency forum.

Have you seen Xiao Yueliang’s photos? She’s so pretty now, just as adorable as when she was little.

I saw them! She’s still the cyber baby I adore. Love it, love it!

I followed Shen Xun’s Weibo too, but she hasn’t posted anything.

Laughing my ass off! Shen Xun hasn’t changed a bit—still as aloof as when she was a kid.

These two were so close as kids. I wonder if they’ve kept in touch over the past decade?

Ugh, I hope so! Either way, I’m definitely watching this entire reality show live!

Me too, me too! Even if it’s just to see Shen Xun and Xiao Yueliang, it’ll be worth it.

Even if this show turns out to be complete garbage, I’m still gonna taste it to see how bad it is.

Dude, chill out! It’s not that serious.

Su Jianyue grinned as she read the netizens’ comments. As expected of me, she thought. The show hasn’t even aired yet, and it’s already trending!

Unable to contain her excitement, Su Jianyue video-called Shen Xun. The call was answered almost immediately.

Shen Xun appeared on the screen, fresh out of the bathroom and still drying her hair. She glanced at Su Jianyue through the screen, asking, “What’s up?”

“Hehe, Sister, have you seen the trending topics? We’re trending!” Su Jianyue’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at Shen Xun through the screen.

Shen Xun brushed her hair back and chuckled. “We’re not celebrities. How could we suddenly be trending?”

“I don’t know either. Maybe the show’s publicity team is hyping things up. Netizens have dug up our childhood photos and videos, and my Weibo is flooded with comments,” Su Jianyue said, her smile so wide her eyes nearly disappeared.

“Heh, the show’s team is clever. Using us saved them a fortune on promotion. 6.5 million yuan still seems like a bargain,” Shen Xun replied, blow-drying her hair as she continued chatting with Su Jianyue.

Su Jianyue stared blankly at her sister. Shen Xun’s skin was naturally fair, and now, wearing a nightgown, the expanse of her exposed neck and shoulders glowed dazzlingly white. Su Jianyue watched obediently, like a big, loyal dog.

“Sister, I can’t see you for three more days. I miss you~” Su Jianyue whined, leaning close to the camera.

Shen Xun’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “I’ll bring you a gift when I come.”

“Hehe, thank you, Sister!” Su Jianyue said, then remembered her newly created Weibo account. “Sister, I’ve already followed you on Weibo. Will you follow me back?”

Shen Xun looked at Su Jianyue’s pleading puppy-dog eyes, a smile playing on her lips. She nodded. “Okay, I’ll follow you back later.”

“Mmm-hmm, you’re the best!” Su Jianyue was overjoyed.

She immediately started complaining to Shen Xun about her moms. “It’s only been a few days since my vacation started, and they’re already saying I talk too much! They probably think I’m disrupting their alone time. Hmph!”

Watching the little dog’s animated rant, Shen Xun wished she could reach through the screen and pinch Su Jianyue’s cheek. She’s just too adorable!

“Same here,” Shen Xun replied. “I’m used to being ignored. My mom is even clingier. I’ve already caught them cuddling at home countless times since my vacation started. I’m numb to it now, completely desensitized.”

“Hmph! Good thing we’re filming the show soon. Let’s just ignore them!” Su Jianyue declared fiercely.

Shen Xun half-dried her hair, grabbed her phone, and sat on the edge of the bed. “Okay, let’s ignore them. You get some rest these next few days, okay? Go to bed early and no staying up late, got it? We’ll be busy once we start filming, and the food and accommodations definitely won’t be as good as home.”

“Mmm-hmm, I’ll do as you say. I’ll play on my phone for a bit longer and then go to sleep,” Su Jianyue said obediently, her puppy-dog eyes fixed on Shen Xun.

Shen Xun’s heart softened. “Then, let’s talk again tomorrow? It’s almost ten o’clock, time to rest.”

“Okay, okay. Goodbye, Sister! Sister, you hang up first,” Su Jianyue said sweetly, reluctant to end the call.

Shen Xun waved at the screen. “See you tomorrow.”

Once the video window disappeared, Su Jianyue finally got up, took a shower, and went downstairs to get a glass of water.

As she stepped out of her room and walked toward the staircase, she saw her mom and mommy embracing near the kitchen door. Mommy even seemed to be kissing Mom.

Su Jianyue covered her eyes, mechanically turned around, and hurried back to her room. Hmph, looks like I’ll have to wait a while before going out again.

No wonder I started sleeping alone so early as a kid! I always thought Mom and Mommy were trying to train me to be independent, but now it’s clear they just wanted some sweet alone time!

Su Jianyue huffed and rolled around on her bed a couple of times. After half an hour, when she figured her parents had probably gone back to their room, she finally crept out of her room like a sneaky little dog.

Su Jianyue cautiously approached the stairwell. Seeing no one downstairs, she finally exhaled in relief and descended the stairs to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

After drinking a full cup from the water dispenser, she finally felt less parched.

She poured herself another glass and quickly slipped back to her room, eager to avoid any disapproval from her mothers.

After a few more comfortable days at home, Su Jianyue received a call from the production team on the evening of July 9th. They finalized the filming schedule for their home visit.

Su Jianyue immediately began tidying her room. Of course, she made sure to put away any private items beforehand, leaving only the things she was comfortable showing on camera.

Earlier that day, she had made a special trip out to buy gifts for the variety show staff. After all, she couldn’t show up empty-handed, could she?

That morning, she had purchased nine palm-sized plush toys from a street vendor. Most were common, cute animals like pandas and capybaras, but she only bought one pig, intending to give it to her dear Sister Shen Xun.

Su Jianyue neatly arranged all the plush toys she had bought on the shelf. When she saw the little pig, she picked it up and stroked it. The little pig is still the cutest!

After packing two large suitcases of clothes, she finally went to bed.

The next morning, Su Jianyue woke up just after six o’clock. She had arranged to meet the photographer at 6:30 AM. By the time she finished washing up, the production crew had already arrived.

“Good morning, Ms. Su,” Yan Huan, her personal cameraman, greeted her. “We’re from the production team. I’m Yan Huan, your cameraman. Are you ready to start filming? Please note that today’s filming will be live.”

Su Jianyue nodded. “Alright, I’m all set. You can start filming.”

The cameraman hoisted his equipment and began filming from the moment he knocked on the door.

A moment later, Su Jianyue opened the villa’s front door, flashing a sweet smile at the camera. “Good morning, everyone!”

Simultaneously, the live stream had begun on the video platform. Ten live streams were running concurrently.

Many netizens had been waiting in the live streams for quite some time, especially in Su Jianyue and Shen Xun’s channels. As soon as the broadcasts started, a massive influx of viewers flooded in.

I’m here to see what my cyber baby looks like!

Me too! Oh my god, such a beautiful face! Such a clean-cut little Alpha.

Waaah, our baby has really grown up! I’m finally seeing her live!

Xiao Yueliang, Mommy loves you! (Heart-throwing frenzy version)

Su Jianyue’s house is so big! She seems to be living really well.

The camera followed Su Jianyue into her home. In the living room, Su Yubing and Mo Yuxin were also present.

Mo Yuxin waved at the camera. “Long time no see! The last time our family of three appeared on a variety show together was over a decade ago.”

“Indeed,” Su Yubing added. “It feels like just yesterday that Xiao Yueliang was a little girl. We hope everyone will help us take care of her. This child hasn’t been away from home for this long since she started school.”