Heartbeat Command - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: So you really didn’t have anything to say to me after all.

Jiang Luo was attending the birthday party today dressed in everyday attire: a white hoodie and loose-fitting jeans. He wasn’t wearing cosplay makeup or a costume—this was the first time Gu Shiyue was seeing him in his natural state, without the wig, without the makeup, just in casual clothes.

Jiang Luo’s natural appearance and aura were quite different from the two characters he had cosplayed previously. His features remained the same—delicate and three-dimensional—but his completely bare face made him look even younger.

His hair was naturally straight and neat, giving him a gentle, well-behaved appearance. Without makeup, his skin looked even fairer, and his natural pupil and hair color had a light, slightly mixed-race aesthetic.

In the room, colorful lights flickered and flashed, sweeping across Jiang Luo’s face.

This was the genuine Jiang Luo, meeting Gu Shiyue face-to-face for the first time.

Jiang Luo’s reactions were genuinely a bit slow today. After calling out “Senior,” he just stared at Gu Shiyue in a daze. He had been drinking, so his cheeks were flushed red, and because of the hard bump earlier, the tip of his nose was also flushed.

Gu Shiyue lowered his eyes to look at him: “Did you hurt yourself?”

Jiang Luo came back to his senses and shook his head: “No, no, I’m sorry. I was talking to someone just now and didn’t see you.”

As he spoke, he took a step back. He had been so dazed that he hadn’t realized he was practically pressed against Gu Shiyue.

Gu Shiyue glanced into the room. Everyone inside was looking at them, curious about the newcomer. Gu Shiyue scanned the room but didn’t see Qi Xueying. He asked Jiang Luo: “Where is Qi Xueying?”

Jiang Luo turned to look and remembered: “She went out a while ago and hasn’t come back.”

A girl inside chimed in: “She went to the restroom.”

“She’s been gone a long time,” Jiang Luo muttered. He stuck his head out the door and looked around. Not far away, a girl was walking toward them, shaking her hands—presumably having just come from the restroom.

Jiang Luo asked her: “Xiaotao, did you see Ying-zong? Is she in the restroom?”

The girl walked over and said: “No, I didn’t see her.”

Gu Shiyue didn’t linger; he turned to go look for her. Jiang Luo asked him: “Senior, did you call her?”

Gu Shiyue replied: “No answer.”

Jiang Luo lowered his head, thinking for a moment, and guessed: “Could she have curled up somewhere and fallen asleep?”

There were rooms for resting on the second and third floors. Jiang Luo walked to a room next to the restroom and took a look. The door was ajar and the light was on. He knocked on the door: “Is anyone there?”

There was no answer from inside. Jiang Luo pushed the door open and looked in—sure enough, Qi Xueying had found a spot to curl up and sleep.

Qi Xueying was lying on her side at the edge of the bed, uncovered, sleeping soundly. She must have laid down as soon as she entered; she hadn’t turned off the lights or closed the door.

Jiang Luo walked over, poked her shoulder, and whispered: “Ying-zong, wake up.”

Qi Xueying frowned but didn’t wake up.

Gu Shiyue didn’t have the patience. He walked directly to the bedside and called her name: “Qi Xueying.”

Gu Shiyue used a normal volume, but it was certainly louder than Jiang Luo’s voice. Startled by the “Qi Xueying,” she snapped her eyes open. She looked at Jiang Luo and Gu Shiyue, dazed and confused.

It took a long while for Qi Xueying to recover: “…Brother? Why are you here?”

“Are you awake?” Gu Shiyue asked. “If you are, call your mom.”

“…Oh my god.” Qi Xueying hurriedly took out her phone, saw that it was already 11:00 PM, and noticed several missed calls from her mother.

Qi Xueying immediately called her mother back to explain the situation and appease her. After hanging up, she let out a long sigh.

She had drunk quite a bit today and was feeling drowsy. After coming out of the restroom, she felt like she couldn’t walk anymore, so she wanted to find a place to lie down. She ended up falling into a deep sleep the moment she laid down.

With her found, Gu Shiyue intended to leave. As he turned to walk out, Qi Xueying hurriedly called out: “Since you’re already here, have a piece of cake before you go. I was just about to head back to cut it.”

“I’m not eating,” Gu Shiyue said.

Qi Xueying had guessed he wouldn’t stay, so she asked: “Brother, how did you get here?”

“Drove.”

“Then wait a little longer before you leave.” Qi Xueying had already told her mom she’d be home by 12:00. “It’s only half an hour until it breaks up anyway.”

Gu Shiyue glanced at her: “You’ve already wasted an hour of my time.”

Qi Xueying smiled apologetically: “Then what’s a little more? I mainly wanted to ask you to drop two people off on your way—two of your juniors.”

Jiang Luo was taken aback. Qi Xueying looked over at them: “They both drank quite a bit today; it’s not convenient to call a cab this late.”

Gu Shiyue looked at Jiang Luo, who blinked at him blankly. Before Qi Xueying could finish her sentence, Gu Shiyue agreed: “Got it.”

Qi Xueying was a bit surprised. She knew Gu Shiyue likely wouldn’t refuse, but she didn’t expect him to agree so readily—she hadn’t even finished talking yet.

Jiang Luo tried to decline: “No need, no need, we can get back ourselves.”

Qi Xueying said: “Dashu drank a lot, right? He’s slurring his words. I’m not at ease with the two of you going back together.”

Jiang Luo smiled and said: “You’re not at ease with him, but what about me? I’m sober. Besides, we aren’t girls…”

“Don’t worry about it, that’s that. Senior Gu will drop you two off; he lives near your school, so it’s on the way. It’s so late now, you two might not even be able to get a cab.”

Qi Xueying went back to attend to her friends. Because she needed to cut the cake, she asked Gu Shiyue to join them, saying: “You don’t have to eat the cake, but you have to send me your blessings. I haven’t blown out the candles or made a wish yet.”

This was a reason one couldn’t decline. Gu Shiyue had intended to wait in the car, but in the end, he went over with her.

The three returned to the karaoke room together. Qi Xueying contacted the villa housekeeper to bring the cake. As soon as she sat down, a classmate pulled her aside, looked in Gu Shiyue’s direction, and whispered in her ear: “Hey Xue’er, who is that? Your friend? Your boyfriend?”

Qi Xueying laughed: “Don’t guess randomly, that’s my cousin.”

“My god, you have such a handsome cousin? How come I didn’t know?” The classmate grabbed her arm: “Does he have a girlfriend?”

“I don’t think so.”

“What do you mean ‘I don’t think so’…”

“Even if he did, he might not tell me. I wouldn’t just ask him that.”

“You really…” The classmate shook her arm: “Go ask him now, will you?”

Qi Xueying smiled and shook her head: “Do it yourself. Self-reliance is key.”

“Oh, I can’t! How am I supposed to ask? Just help me ask, please, please, please…”

Qi Xueying couldn’t handle her, so she took a drink to Gu Shiyue and took the opportunity to probe the situation.

Gu Shiyue said: “I don’t want it.”

Qi Xueying smiled helplessly: “I mainly came to gather some intelligence.”

Gu Shiyue looked at her.

“My classmate asked me to find out if you have a girlfriend.”

Gu Shiyue didn’t show much expression; instead of answering, he retorted: “Are you moonlighting as a matchmaker now?”

The tone made it clear there was no chance—not that there would have been a chance either way—but Qi Xueying had expected that. She just couldn’t handle the constant pestering from her classmate.

Qi Xueying laughed: “I’m not doing that. But if I don’t come over once, she’ll keep chanting in my ear like a monk. I can’t take it.”

Qi Xueying went back to report, phrasing it politely: “He doesn’t have plans to date at the moment.”

The classmate sighed: “Sigh, I knew it. Your cousin looks like the type who is very hard to chase…” She sighed again: “Ah, too handsome… really, so handsome.”

Qi Xueying laughed: “Then why did you ask me to go ask?”

“Just wanted to know.” The classmate hugged her arm and leaned on her shoulder.

Jiang Luo had barely sat down when Cheng Jiashu dragged him off to play a game. He didn’t want to play, so he sat to the side scrolling through his phone. A friend who had lost badly and drank a lot—clearly drunk—was holding the microphone and singing his heart out. He had chosen a duet, singing it with complete abandon. Jiang Luo was right next to him when the guy shoved the mic into his hand: “Come on, Luoluo, let’s sing this together.”

“I don’t know this song, Qi-ge,” Jiang Luo said with a smile. “You sing it solo.”

“Tch, I’ll lead you. Come on, you sing the male part, I’ll sing the female part.” With that, the guy pinched his voice to sing the lyrics of the female part.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t sing, but the scene was a bit comical. Someone nearby laughed: “I beg you, spare my ears.”

Jiang Luo wasn’t nervous; he wasn’t singing because he genuinely didn’t know the song—he didn’t even know the melody. Plus, he was already tired and didn’t want to do anything but sit.

“Why aren’t you singing? Are you shy?” The guy held the mic to Jiang Luo’s mouth.

“I really don’t know the song, Qi-ge. Let me off the hook.”

“No, I won’t.” People who are drunk often gain strength; Jiang Luo was held by the neck and couldn’t break free. “If you don’t sing, you have to give me a reason.”

Jiang Luo smiled helplessly: “The reason is that I don’t know how to sing it.”

That’s how drunk people are—they ramble on incoherently.

They were all good friends, and getting too serious would only hurt feelings. Jiang Luo could only play along. After a great deal of effort, he managed to pry the man’s arm away, but the guy started throwing a tantrum: “You just don’t want to sing with me, Luoluo.”

Someone next to them patted the guy: “What kind of drunken madness are you acting out? The person already said they don’t know the song, are you crazy?”

He ignored them, staring straight at Jiang Luo: “You just don’t want to sing with me.”

“I…” Jiang Luo couldn’t argue his way out of it; you can’t reason with a drunk person. He didn’t know how to handle the situation. If you don’t go along with a drunk person, they’ll almost certainly make a scene. Jiang Luo had a good temper and was tolerant of his friends; he wasn’t the type to be confrontational.

“Jiang Luo.” A voice suddenly came from nearby.

It was a familiar, low-pitched voice. Jiang Luo froze and immediately turned his head.

Gu Shiyue was sitting in a corner where there weren’t many people. He looked at him and said: “Come here.”

Jiang Luo stood up instinctively: “…What is it, Senior?”

“I have something to tell you.”

“Ah?” Jiang Luo was a bit bewildered. “Oh, okay.”

Jiang Luo had only taken one step when Qi-ge grabbed his arm: “Where are you going? The song isn’t finished yet.”

Gu Shiyue’s gaze swept over, his expression and tone indifferent: “I said, I have something to tell him.”

Gu Shiyue provided Jiang Luo with the perfect excuse to leave. Jiang Luo took the opportunity to say to Qi-ge: “Qi-ge, someone needs to talk to me about something. I’m going over, you keep singing.”

The logic of a drunk person is strange; hearing this, Qi-ge actually calmed down and nodded: “Go ahead, don’t hold up your business. Come back when you’re done, okay?”

Jiang Luo walked over to Gu Shiyue: “Senior, what… did you want to tell me?”

“Nothing.” Gu Shiyue picked up an unopened bottle of mineral water, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip. He paused for a moment and looked up at him: “Just helping you find a reason to leave.”

Jiang Luo burst out laughing: “I knew it.”

He had guessed that the moment Gu Shiyue suddenly called him—he was likely helping him out of a tight spot.

“Thank you, Senior,” Jiang Luo said with a smile.

Jiang Luo was still standing there, so Gu Shiyue tilted his head toward his right side, signaling for him to sit there.

“Okay.” Jiang Luo obediently sat down next to him, resting his hands on his knees. This spot was quite far from Qi-ge, with Gu Shiyue sitting between them—it was a safe and quiet area.

In the brief silence, the atmosphere felt inexplicably awkward. Gu Shiyue really didn’t have anything to say. Jiang Luo laughed for some reason, poking his knee with his finger and saying: “So you really didn’t have anything to say to me after all.”

“I do,” Gu Shiyue said suddenly. “But it’s not a compliment. Want to hear it?”

“Ah?” Jiang Luo blinked, then suddenly smiled: “Go ahead, I’ll listen to both compliments and criticism.”

Gu Shiyue said: “Wasting so much breath on a drunk person.”

Jiang Luo was stunned for a second, then his eyes curved into a smile: “If I didn’t waste my breath, he probably would have made a scene, and that wouldn’t have been good. But if he hadn’t let me come over just now, I probably wouldn’t have wasted any more breath on him either—I would have done whatever I needed to do.”

Gu Shiyue said indifferently: “Is that so?”

“Yeah, it’s not like I don’t have a temper,” Jiang Luo said with a grin. “Besides, how could I not come over when Senior asked to speak with me?”

Gu Shiyue turned his head and looked at him.

Jiang Luo tilted his head, looking at Gu Shiyue: “Senior, how did you know my name?”

“Xiang Qin mentioned it.”

“Then can I know your name?”

Gu Shiyue was silent for a moment, then said: “Gu Shiyue.”