Heartbeat Command - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: That’s Just How This “Brother” Is.

Gu Shiyue placed the paper bag containing the cosplay costume on the table. “Qi Xueying asked me to pass this on.”

“Thank you,” Jiang Luo said politely. “Sorry to bother you.”

Gu Shiyue went through the motions and said briefly, “She wants me to take a few photos of you.”

Qi Xueying had mentioned this to Jiang Luo in advance, so he nodded and said, “Mm, okay.”

Qi Xueying had said that full-body shots would be best. There were other guests in the shop, and considering it might be awkward to take photos directly there, Gu Shiyue scanned his surroundings and asked, “Should we do it here, or find somewhere else?”

Jiang Luo suggested, “There’s a small courtyard in the back; shall we go there?”

Gu Shiyue nodded, and they headed to the backyard together. Xiang Qin witnessed the whole thing and was completely bewildered. He called Gu Shiyue on his phone. “Where are you going? Why are you following him? Is the silver-haired guy the person you were meeting?”

“Taking some photos, five minutes.” Gu Shiyue didn’t want to waste time and hung up the phone before Xiang Qin could say anything else.

The small courtyard featured a large patch of wisteria flowers—it was beautiful and full of atmosphere, a perfect ready-made backdrop. Gu Shiyue scanned the area, found the best spot, and gestured for Jiang Luo to go there.

Jiang Luo had assumed the other person would just snap a couple of photos and call it a day, so he hadn’t expected such conscientiousness.

“You’re very professional,” Jiang Luo said with a smile.

Gu Shiyue had a habit of bringing his camera when hiking. He took a small camera out of his mountaineering pack and was in the middle of adjusting the settings when he looked up at Jiang Luo.

“Here?” Jiang Luo stood there obediently.

Gu Shiyue nodded.

Jiang Luo was wearing a short-sleeved white button-down shirt with two buttons undone, revealing a light purple undershirt. He wore slim-fitting black straight-leg trousers paired with white high-top canvas sneakers, the shirt tucked in at the waist with a dark brown canvas belt, accentuating his narrow waist.

The outfit really flattered his physique, especially his long, straight legs.

“I’m ready,” Jiang Luo reported.

Gu Shiyue finished adjusting the settings and pointed the lens at him.

Jiang Luo’s casual demeanor made the process very relaxed. Most people would feel a bit awkward with a stranger pointing a lens at them, but not him; once he got into character, he looked at the camera with total confidence.

Jiang Luo often did cosplay shoots; he knew exactly how to pose and how to adjust his demeanor to fit a character. His presence behind the lens was strong.

Gu Shiyue watched the boy through the viewfinder and noticed that the moment the shutter clicked, his gaze changed, and with it, his entire aura. His red pupils held a faint smile, gazing into the lens with a peaceful yet profound intensity; his look was both gentle and deep.

Jiang Luo blinked slowly, adjusting his angle and expression. He felt dynamic and fluid, full of storytelling capability—it didn’t look like a staged photo at all. Gu Shiyue took a few stills and then switched to video mode.

They stared at each other through the lens, the time passing quietly for a few seconds.

For a moment, Gu Shiyue felt as if he had been pulled into an unfamiliar story. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what that feeling was.

Laughter came from the doorway as two girls walked into the courtyard, arm in arm, looking at them with curiosity.

Gu Shiyue pressed the button, ending the recording. He nodded at Jiang Luo to indicate he was done.

After the photos were taken, the two didn’t have much further interaction. Gu Shiyue had said five minutes, and he meant five minutes—he didn’t waste a single extra second. Xiang Qin soon saw them returning.

Gu Shiyue walked in front, with Jiang Luo following behind. Two handsome guys walking one after the other made for quite a pleasing sight. Xiang Qin leaned lazily against the counter, sipping his coffee while watching them approach.

As Gu Shiyue walked toward the shop entrance, Xiang Qin’s gaze remained on Jiang Luo. “That’s who your cousin was meeting?”

Gu Shiyue nodded.

Xiang Qin was curious. “Is he a cosplayer she hired specifically?”

Gu Shiyue gave a curt “Mn,” and pushed the door open to leave. “Let’s go.”

Xiang Qin took a sip of his coffee and laughed. “Interesting. They really know how to play.”

By the time Jiang Luo grabbed his things and left the dessert shop, Gu Shiyue and Xiang Qin had already entered the subway station. The three of them were heading in the same direction on the same line, and Jiang Luo ran into them inside the station.

Gu Shiyue and Xiang Qin were both tall—Gu Shiyue especially stood out in the crowd—and since they were both carrying mountaineering packs, Jiang Luo spotted them immediately.

Of course, Jiang Luo was actually more conspicuous than they were. He stood at a distance from them. Xiang Qin finished his coffee before the train arrived and, while turning to find a trash can, spotted Jiang Luo.

“What a coincidence.” He curled the corner of his lip and spoke to Jiang Luo naturally. Perhaps feeling that his greeting was a bit abrupt, he pointed his thumb toward Gu Shiyue behind him. “I’m with him. We were at that shop earlier, too. Hello.”

Jiang Luo smiled in a friendly way. “Hello.”

Hearing Xiang Qin talking, Gu Shiyue looked back. A familiar figure appeared in his line of sight, and his gaze landed on Jiang Luo.

Jiang Luo looked back and offered a polite smile.

The train arrived. Perhaps because this station was near a mall, it was exceptionally crowded. As the doors opened, a crowd scrambled to get in. Gu Shiyue and Xiang Qin didn’t squeeze in with them; they waited for the first wave to board before walking in leisurely. Jiang Luo had been standing toward the back, and by the time he got on, there were no seats left.

Gu Shiyue and Xiang Qin stood not far from Jiang Luo, diagonally in front of him, separated by two people. Jiang Luo and Gu Shiyue faced each other, and their gazes inevitably met.

After a few stops, a plump, elderly woman leading a child got on. The boy, looking about four or five years old, started shouting and throwing a tantrum wanting to be held, so the woman picked him up. The child looked annoying, and everyone around could see it, so nobody offered their seat.

Jiang Luo drew the short straw; the kid was right next to him. His silver hair was far too eye-catching. The brat stared at his hair with wonder, then suddenly raised his arm and grabbed at it—

Jiang Luo dodged to the side, nearly bumping into someone else.

He cherished his wig; besides, high-quality wigs weren’t cheap, and he couldn’t afford to have it ruined.

Jiang Luo frowned and stepped away. The carriage was packed, and he couldn’t move elsewhere, so he just tried to keep as much distance as possible from the brat.

The kid didn’t stop, stretching his arm out to tug at him. The elderly woman saw it but didn’t stop him, and her look toward Jiang Luo was filled with scrutiny. Jiang Luo knew there was no point in reasoning with this kind of parent, so he went for a different approach.

He looked at the woman and warned, “My wig is held together by glue and has high formaldehyde content. Are you not worried about your child getting poisoned from touching it like that?”

Upon hearing “formaldehyde” and “poisoned,” the woman hurriedly hugged the child to the other side, even scooting further away while glaring sideways at Jiang Luo. However, the kid’s attention wasn’t so easily diverted. When he couldn’t reach the hair, he let out a “Waaaaa!”—not really crying, just howling.

“Oh, don’t cry, don’t cry…” The woman tried to soothe him, but it didn’t work. She had no choice but to bring the child back to Jiang Luo’s side. Jiang Luo was like a pacifier; once the kid was close, he quieted down and resumed trying to mess with his hair.

Jiang Luo closed his eyes and took a deep breath; his patience had reached its limit. He turned his head, and before he could speak, he saw Gu Shiyue, who was standing not far away, grab the handrail and step forward twice, positioning himself directly between Jiang Luo and the child.

Carrying his mountaineering pack on one shoulder, Gu Shiyue stood tall, forming a solid barrier that separated Jiang Luo from the brat.

Gu Shiyue was much taller than Jiang Luo, and his shoulders were broad; standing there like that, he completely blocked Jiang Luo from view.

With him standing there, Jiang Luo’s hair was safe—the kid couldn’t reach him at all.

Gu Shiyue stood with his back to Jiang Luo, who looked up, stunned, staring at his back.

Gu Shiyue helping to block the brat was just a reflex. He stood there without doing anything, just staring down at the kid. His features were sharp, and when his face was expressionless, his eyes were cold and imposing—to a child, that look was terrifying.

That silent gaze was more effective than any argument. The kid stared at Gu Shiyue with wide eyes, completely frozen in fear.

A moment later, Jiang Luo heard a “Waaaaa!”—this time, the kid was genuinely crying, scared to tears by Gu Shiyue.

The child wouldn’t stop wailing, and no matter how the old woman tried to soothe him, it was useless. She glared at Gu Shiyue and accused, “What is wrong with you? The child is scared out of his wits—can you take responsibility for this?!”

Jiang Luo frowned, immediately standing up to defend him. “What did he do that he needs to take responsibility for?”

Jiang Luo was blocked by Gu Shiyue and couldn’t confront the woman head-on, so he tugged on the hem of Gu Shiyue’s jacket. Gu Shiyue looked back at him.

Jiang Luo smiled at him. “You stand behind me; I’ll scold her.”

Gu Shiyue looked at him without speaking. Jiang Luo was dead serious. “Seriously, people like this need to be scolded. I’ve already worked up the nerve.”

Just then, the subway arrived at a station, and with a violent jerk of the brakes, Jiang Luo lost his footing and stumbled, his face nearly colliding with Gu Shiyue’s shoulder.

The child continued to howl, and a passerby with a sense of justice couldn’t take it anymore. “Can you not manage this kid? He’s disturbing everyone. How long has he been crying? If you can’t raise a child, don’t have one, okay?”

“Exactly.”

“And you think you’re in the right to be this loud on the subway?”

“Manage him, seriously, it’s endless.”

…

The chorus of criticism kept coming. No matter how tough the woman was, she couldn’t stand against the power of the crowd. She cursed and squeezed through the crowd, dragging the child to another carriage.

After the train stopped and a wave of people got off, the carriage was much emptier, and there were seats available. Jiang Luo grabbed one. Seeing that Gu Shiyue was still standing, he called out, “Brother.” He didn’t know Gu Shiyue’s name, only that he was Qi Xueying’s older brother and older than him.

Gu Shiyue turned his head to look at him.

Jiang Luo patted the seat next to him. “There’s a seat here.”

Gu Shiyue sat down. Xiang Qin, who had been watching the drama nearby, also walked over with his pack. He sat down next to Gu Shiyue, stared at his face for a long time, and teased with a smile, “What a deterrent face you have—scared the kid right into tears. He’s probably going to see you in his dreams tonight.”

Jiang Luo chuckled and turned to thank Gu Shiyue. “Thanks, Brother.”

Xiang Qin thought to himself that this little handsome guy had a sweet mouth, calling him “Brother” with every breath. Seeing that Gu Shiyue didn’t respond, he elbowed him. “The guy’s thanking you, Brother. Say something, Brother.”

Being called “Brother” by him was pure torture. Gu Shiyue finally opened his mouth. “Can you shut up?”

“See that?” Xiang Qin said to Jiang Luo. “That’s just how this ‘Brother’ is.”

The implication was that he was cold and ruthless to everyone, so don’t take it to heart if he didn’t respond.

Jiang Luo nodded with a smile. “I see.”

Xiang Qin seemed easygoing, but he actually had a good sense of boundaries. After chatting with Jiang Luo for a bit, he stopped trying to talk to him. The three of them sat in a row, quiet. Gu Shiyue closed his eyes to rest, while Jiang Luo and Xiang Qin each scrolled through their phones.

When the subway announcement broadcasted their upcoming stop, Jiang Luo and Xiang Qin stood up at the same time. Only then did Jiang Luo realize they were even heading to the same destination.

“You’re getting off here too?” Xiang Qin asked him.

Jiang Luo nodded.

Jiang Luo looked to be about the same age as them and had a student-like air. It wasn’t until Xiang Qin asked that he realized Jiang Luo went to the same university as them.

“What a coincidence.” Xiang Qin glanced at Gu Shiyue. “He’s a junior, it turns out.”

Gu Shiyue lifted his eyes to look at Jiang Luo. Jiang Luo was also a bit surprised; Qi Xueying hadn’t mentioned this.

The subway doors opened, and Xiang Qin said with a smile, “Let’s walk together then, junior.”

Jiang Luo nodded and said, “Oh,” then glanced at Gu Shiyue. Gu Shiyue stayed in his seat, showing no signs of getting up.

Seeing this, Xiang Qin said, “This ‘Brother’ doesn’t live in the dorms. He’s getting off at the next stop.”

“Oh, oh.” Before Jiang Luo got off, he turned back and waved at Gu Shiyue. “See you later, Senior.”

Gu Shiyue looked toward him, nodded, and said, “See you later.”

Xiang Qin waved as well. “See you later, Senior.”

Gu Shiyue returned him a cold glare.