Heartbeat Command - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: I feel like the senior is a little bit despotic…

Jiang Luo’s message popped up again: “Senior, could you give me the details? Your needs and requirements.”

Gu Shiyue: “There’s an automatic feeder at home. Just feed it some snacks depending on the situation, but don’t feed it too much. It’s a glutton; don’t spoil it.”

Gu Shiyue: “The main thing is to keep it company and take it downstairs for a walk. It likes strolling. Don’t play or walk it for more than an hour.”

Jiang Luo: “Got it, got it.”

Jiang Luo: “Any other requirements?”

Gu Shiyue: “No, that’s it.”

Gu Shiyue: “Did Qi Xueying tell you how much the pay is?”

Jiang Luo: “She told me. Senior, 300 is a bit too much. It won’t cost that much.”

Gu Shiyue: “I said it before: feeding the cat is secondary. The main thing is to keep it company.”

Jiang Luo: “Even then, it shouldn’t be that much. It’s too much. Look at how much that is per hour.”

The fee Gu Shiyue offered had already exceeded the value of Jiang Luo’s labor. Jiang Luo felt it shouldn’t be that price. Although Qi Xueying said Gu Shiyue wasn’t short on money and told Jiang Luo not to feel bad for her brother’s wallet, money doesn’t exactly grow on trees, right?

Gu Shiyue: “I decided on 300, so it’s 300. If you think it’s not appropriate, then the deal is off.”

Jiang Luo: “Don’t, don’t.”

Jiang Luo: “You just promised to hire me…”

Gu Shiyue: “Didn’t you think 300 was inappropriate?”

Gu Shiyue: “If it’s inappropriate, then I won’t hire you.”

Jiang Luo: [Bitter][Bitter][Bitter]

Jiang Luo: “Why are you like this, Senior…”

Gu Shiyue: “Like what?”

It took a full minute for Jiang Luo to reply: “Nothing, heh heh.”

Since when does a contractor argue with a client? If it made things awkward for both sides, Jiang Luo knew how to read the room; he backed down immediately.

Jiang Luo: “It’s appropriate.”

Jiang Luo: “Hire me.”

Gu Shiyue wouldn’t let him off: “Finish your sentence. Like what?”

Jiang Luo sent a “puppy-dog eyes” sticker to try and brush it off: “Can I not say it?”

Gu Shiyue: “No.”

Jiang Luo: “If I say it, you won’t hire me.”

Gu Shiyue: “Do you think I’d hire you if you don’t say it?”

Jiang Luo: [Bitter]

After a while, Jiang Luo honestly replied: “I feel like the senior is a little bit despotic.”

Another word for it would be “domineering,” but that felt awkward, so he used “despotic” instead, thinking it might sound a bit more like a joke. However, after sending it, he realized that word was also quite awkward.

It was too late to unsend it, so he just left it at that.

Gu Shiyue raised an eyebrow as he looked at the screen.

Jiang Luo sent another sticker of a puppy twiddling its fingers, with the caption [I’m sorry, I’m really sorry], a complete package of acting cute to apologize.

Gu Shiyue replied: “Mm, I am.”

The next evening, as soon as Jiang Luo finished work, he went to Gu Shiyue’s place to feed the cat. The sun hadn’t set yet.

The place where Gu Shiyue lived was very close to their school—only one subway stop away. As soon as Jiang Luo reached the entrance of the residential complex, he understood why Qi Xueying said her brother wasn’t short on money.

Even from the outside, one could tell this was a high-end complex—a very high-end one, at that. One elevator per household, and you needed a fingerprint to go upstairs. Jiang Luo couldn’t use his, so he had to type in the digital passcode.

Entering the apartment, Jiang Luo smelled a familiar light fragrance. It was the scent on Gu Shiyue; Jiang Luo had smelled it when he bumped into him yesterday. He couldn’t describe it, but it was light and very pleasant.

Gu Shiyue lived on the top floor. As soon as Jiang Luo entered, the lights in the house turned on—it seemed they were motion-sensitive. He stood there and glanced inside, hearing a “Meow.” A beautiful Ragdoll cat, tail held high, trotted toward him. When it saw Jiang Luo, it slowed its pace and finally stopped two meters away, tilting its head to look at him.

Jiang Luo was smitten. He squatted down and talked to it: “Hello, Mian Tuan.”

Mian Tuan flicked its tail, meowed, and tentatively walked toward him.

Mian Tuan had a gentle personality and wasn’t afraid of people. Once it confirmed Jiang Luo was safe, it walked up to him voluntarily.

“My name is Jiang Luo.” Jiang Luo rubbed his finger against its fluffy front paw. “Good evening.”

The chubby cat immediately pressed against him, rubbing its face against Jiang Luo’s knee.

“Why are you so well-behaved?” Jiang Luo had held back for a long time, but finally gave in and scooped it up into his arms, petting it over and over.

The cat smelled nice too, though it wasn’t the same scent as Gu Shiyue’s. It was a mutual attraction; Jiang Luo had a great time cuddling the cat, and Mian Tuan was extremely relaxed, nestling into his arms. Jiang Luo sat cross-legged right there in the entryway, playing with Mian Tuan for a while.

The chubby cat’s weight was nothing to sneeze at. After it laid on Jiang Luo’s lap for a while, his legs went numb, and it was hard for him to stand up.

That morning, Gu Shiyue had sent Jiang Luo a WeChat message telling him the slippers were on the bottom shelf of the shoe cabinet and that he should take them out himself. If Gu Shiyue hadn’t mentioned it, Jiang Luo might have just walked in without shoes—he certainly wouldn’t have just opened someone else’s shoe cabinet.

Jiang Luo opened the cabinet, grabbed the disposable slippers from the bottom layer, and without even glancing at the shelves above, closed the door.

Walking into the living room, Jiang Luo realized how huge the place was. This was a large flat-floor apartment. The apartment Cheng Jiashu rented in Jin Yuan wasn’t small, but compared to this, it was like a drop in the ocean.

Mian Tuan had its own room. One wall had been converted into a cat climbing frame, and next to it were a bed, a treadmill, and all kinds of toys.

Mian Tuan jumped onto the climbing frame and lay down on a sleeping bag. Jiang Luo pinched its paws, thinking what a happy cat it was.

The only misfortune was that it would never find a wife—Mian Tuan was a neutered “cat eunuch.”

After feeding Mian Tuan and playing with it for a while, and even cleaning the litter box, Jiang Luo put on the harness to take it downstairs for a walk. A fancy cat needed to wear shoes to go out, along with a matching little hat. Jiang Luo picked out a pink set, changed the cat into it, and led it out.

Jiang Luo took several photos of Mian Tuan and sent them to Gu Shiyue, providing live updates on the cat’s status. It took a long time for Gu Shiyue to reply with a simple “Mm.”

Jiang Luo sent a photo of Mian Tuan walking: “Kitty out for a walk.”

Gu Shiyue replied: “Dressed like that, you could send it to a matchmaking event.”

Jiang Luo: “Hahahaha, I picked them out from its wardrobe. Didn’t you buy them, Senior?”

Gu Shiyue: “No.”

Mian Tuan’s clothes and toys were bought by the nanny commissioned by Gu Shiyue; he didn’t usually worry about these things. This little pink hat was the first time he’d seen it—he had never put it on Mian Tuan before and didn’t know which corner of the room Jiang Luo had dug it out from.

Moreover, Gu Shiyue rarely put a hat on the cat when taking it for walks; he didn’t have the patience. Even though Mian Tuan’s room was decorated so exquisitely, Gu Shiyue didn’t actually take care of it that meticulously. If Mian Tuan was a little princess in Jiang Luo’s eyes, then in Gu Shiyue’s eyes, it was just a little eunuch—without any filters.

Jiang Luo: “Ah, you didn’t buy it? It really suits it, though. People keep turning their heads to look.”

Gu Shiyue: “Is it troublesome?”

Jiang Luo: “Are you talking about Mian Tuan? No, it’s very well-behaved.”

Jiang Luo and Gu Shiyue had different definitions of “troublesome.” Gu Shiyue felt that if the cat clung to him, it was being troublesome, whereas Jiang Luo thought otherwise.

Gu Shiyue: “Mm, don’t walk it for too long.”

Gu Shiyue: “If it refuses to go back when the time is up, don’t spoil it.”

Gu Shiyue: “Drag it back if you have to.”

Jiang Luo: “Understood!”

Gu Shiyue had predicted the outcome. When it was time for Jiang Luo to go back, Mian Tuan refused. As Jiang Luo led it toward the building, it stiffened its neck and stood still. Nothing he said worked, so Jiang Luo had to pick it up.

If Gu Shiyue were walking it, this wouldn’t happen, because Gu Shiyue never spoiled it. Mian Tuan was already getting on in years; although its health was good, it wasn’t suitable for such long activities.

Carrying the large fat cat in his arms, the weight bore down heavily on Jiang Luo, and he was exhausted by the time he got home.

Before leaving, Jiang Luo sent one last photo of the cat to Gu Shiyue. A few minutes later, Gu Shiyue replied: “Did it behave today?”

Gu Shiyue asked this out of the blue. Jiang Luo stared at the message, wondering if he’d sent it to the wrong person.

Jiang Luo: “Huh?”

Gu Shiyue: “I’m talking about the cat.”

Gu Shiyue: “Did it behave on the way back?”

Jiang Luo: “Oh, oh.”

Jiang Luo: “You predicted it. It didn’t want to go back, I had to carry it upstairs.”

Gu Shiyue: “Is it heavy?”

Jiang Luo: “Pretty heavy. My biceps are already starting to take shape.”

Gu Shiyue: “A work-related injury.”

Jiang Luo: “Hahahaha.”

After adding each other on WeChat, the two seemed to get to know each other inexplicably well. Jiang Luo discovered that this Senior Gu wasn’t as cold as he’d imagined. There was still a sense of distance, but he wasn’t the kind of high-and-mighty, stern person he’d thought. Sometimes he would even crack jokes out of the blue, possessing a kind of dry humor.

Jiang Luo came the next day too. The process was much the same as the first day, and on the second day, Mian Tuan was even closer to Jiang Luo, even voluntarily lying down to let him touch its belly.

After feeding the cat for two days, Jiang Luo even developed withdrawal symptoms. Back in the dorm lying on his bed, he was still thinking about Mian Tuan.

Who could resist such a beautiful and affectionate cat?

Jiang Luo and Gu Shiyue reconnected a week later, again regarding the cat. This weekend, Gu Shiyue had to go out of town to visit an aviation exhibition, so the task of taking care of the cat fell to Jiang Luo again.

Gu Shiyue was a senior now, with few classes and relatively free time. He had left on Friday, and the group had originally planned to return on Monday, but someone in the team had a bad reaction to the change in environment and felt unwell, so they decided to return early.

Coincidentally, just as the exhibition ended, they were caught in a sudden downpour. The group scrambled back to the car but still got drenched to the bone. The hotel had already checked them out, and they had to catch a flight, so they rushed to the airport in a disheveled state.

It was the turn of summer to autumn, and the temperature had already dropped. Getting drenched in the rain still made one feel a bit cold. It was raining heavily outside, so they couldn’t open the windows, and closing the air conditioning would cause the windows to fog up. Gu Shiyue sat in the passenger seat, not paying any mind to the cold air blowing directly on him. Xiang Qin, sitting in the back, tapped his shoulder and reminded him: “Turn the vent to the side, don’t let it blow on you. Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?”

Gu Shiyue nudged the vent aside. Even under normal circumstances, he carried a cold air about him; let alone now. The rain made his coldness concrete.

When Xiang Qin touched him, it felt like touching an ice sculpture; even his fingertips were freezing.

By the time the plane landed, Gu Shiyue’s hair and clothes were mostly dry. He opened his phone and saw a missed call from Qi Xueying, so he called her back.

“Hello?”

“Why haven’t you been answering your phone?” Qi Xueying asked.

“Just got off the plane.”

“You went out of town?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you just get back or are you just heading out?”

“Just got back. What’s up? Is something wrong?”

Qi Xueying laughed: “It’s your birthday today. You forgot again, didn’t you?”

Gu Shiyue and Qi Xueying’s birthdays were close together, so Qi Xueying remembered it clearly. After Gu Shiyue’s mother passed away, he hadn’t celebrated his birthday properly. His father’s mind was always on the company and the group, so forgetting his birthday was a common occurrence.

He spent his birthdays very casually every year—if he remembered, he would invite friends for a meal; if he didn’t, it just passed by.

He had forgotten this year.

Gu Shiyue said: “Yeah, I forgot.”

“I sent your gift to your house. Just letting you know, I called you earlier and nobody answered.”

“Mm, got it.”

“Happy birthday,” Qi Xueying said with a smile. “Stay healthy and live to a hundred.”

“Thanks.”

Gu Shiyue had to go home to get something, so he didn’t go with Xiang Qin and the others. It was only when he got into the taxi that he felt his head was a bit heavy. He had been freezing all over just a moment ago, but now his body temperature was rising rapidly, and his palms were burning hot. He closed his eyes, his limbs feeling weak.

As soon as Gu Shiyue walked in, the butler came up to greet him. The nanny took his slippers out of the cabinet and placed them neatly on the floor.

Gu Shiyue changed his shoes and entered the house. The butler followed behind him, asking if he would be eating dinner at home tonight.

Gu Shiyue shook his head and asked him: “Did anyone bring anything over?”

“Yes.” The butler turned and signaled for the nanny to bring the items from the coffee table in the living room.

Gu Shiyue took the bag from the nanny’s hand. He looked a bit spiritless, and the butler asked with concern if he was feeling unwell, noting that his complexion looked poor.

Gu Shiyue said “No.” Just as he was about to leave, the front door suddenly opened. His father walked in from outside, unbuttoning his suit jacket, followed by an assistant.

Gu Hong paused in his movements, looking at Gu Shiyue, and didn’t speak for a moment. There was more than one nanny in the house; the other nanny rushed up to help him take off his suit jacket.

“So you remember how to come back.” After half a minute, Gu Hong spoke, his tone devoid of fluctuation.