I Have Everything They Like - Chapter 3

Fu Jin Yan was a light sleeper. When her phone vibrated at five in the morning, she reflexively answered it. After listening for a moment, she got out of bed and walked out of the bedroom. The door was left ajar, allowing a sliver of hallway light to seep through, accompanied by her barely audible response:

“I’m on my way now.”

She didn’t even have time to change out of her pajamas. By the time she saw the film crew, cameras in tow, chasing after her, she belatedly realized she was still being filmed. Even though her pajamas were neatly buttoned, she had hastily thrown on a thin cardigan over them.

Manor Ten was only a fifteen-minute drive from the top-tier hospital. When Fu Jin Yan arrived, she ran into a cardiology intern on rotation in the emergency department. The intern, hurrying by, skidded to a halt. “Director Fu.”

Fu Jin Yan glanced at the crowded emergency room and added, “Try not to run. Be more organized.”

After the intern obediently acknowledged her, she swiped her card to enter the staff elevator. When she reached the inpatient ward, she headed straight for the target room. The resident doctor waiting there handed her a bottle of hand sanitizer. As she took it, the sharp, alcoholic scent instantly dispelled the lingering faint aroma of cheap peach-scented perfume that had clung to her from her drowsy state.

Her pitch-black eyes fully opened, like imperial ink jade, their radiance contained within.

“What’s the situation with Bed 3?”

“Sigh.”

Six in the morning.

You Tao sighed softly, reluctantly opening her eyes and struggling to disentangle herself from the tangled air-conditioned comforter. She was a light sleeper; even Fu Jin Yan’s careful movements had woken her. Thanks to her ingrained habit of waking early to job hunt, she found herself unable to fall back asleep in this cramped, million-dollar mansion.

Laughing at her lack of noble fortune, she turned on the light and nearly tripped as she got out of bed. Glancing back, she saw her comforter had been completely separated from its filling overnight. Across the room, the other bed’s comforter lay perfectly flat, as if no one had slept there at all, just like in a hotel.

Take a peek before school… Could You Tao actually like Fu Jin Yan? He didn’t send anyone a “heartbeat” text last night. Poor Tao Tao.

Teacher Jing is already up too. The life of a corporate drone is truly miserable.

“Morning.”

After washing up, You Tao was staring at the wall of the kitchen, trying to locate the refrigerator, when a spring breeze seemed to brush past her ear.

She turned her head and saw Jing Sinian wearing a jade-green floral dress with a pure white knitted cardigan. Her scent had changed to another equally subtle fragrance, and she smiled in return. “Good morning, Teacher Jing. Would you like breakfast?”

Jing Sinian shook her head. “No, I need to attend early reading today and have to leave soon… By the way, do you have any pain patches or anything?”

“Are you injured?”

“Not really, just a touch of rheumatism. I want to put a patch on my leg.” Jing Sinian mentally kicked herself for forgetting to pack her invisible patches and thought, If she doesn’t have any, I’ll have to try my luck with a pharmacy on the way.

You Tao blinked and turned to lead the way. “Follow me.”

She took Jing Sinian into her room and pulled out a stack of invisible patches from the wardrobe that looked remarkably similar to pain patches. “Would these work?” she asked.

Jing Sinian raised an eyebrow, her gaze shifting between You Tao and the patches in her hand. After a moment, she chuckled softly. “You…”

She suddenly leaned in, her movement swift and unexpected. You Tao instinctively flinched back until the back of her head lightly bumped against the wardrobe door. Only then did she realize Jing Sinian was merely taking the patches. The teacher’s beautiful eyes, however, now held a meaning that lingered in the air:

“Student You knows quite a few secrets, doesn’t she?”

??? What happened that I don’t know about?

Why did borrowing some ointment suddenly lead to this?

Ouch, doesn’t this closet-slamming scene in Doctor Fu’s absence feel like a secret affair, full of illicit thrill?

You Tao smiled back at her. “Just a coincidence.”

Jing Sinian weighed the items in her hand, took half a step back to regain her usual gentle demeanor, and brushed aside a few of the things, returning the rest as they were. “I’ll properly thank you another time when I have more time. I should go now.”

At 6:45 PM, a van pulled up outside Manor Ten, and a team carrying suitcases and makeup bags stepped out. You Tao was the one who opened the door for them.

The assistant greeted her politely and hurried to wake Shen Mingrui. As they walked toward the room, she whispered to the cameraman following them, “Mingrui is very image-conscious. With you and me going in together, she definitely won’t be able to laze in bed.”

Wooo, the fairy is waking up! She’s beautiful even without makeup! The girl group’s center is truly worthy of her title, both in looks and talent!

“Sizzle…”

While the live chat audience was praising Shen Mingrui’s bare-faced beauty, You Tao was cracking eggs into a pan. The yellow and white yolks hit the hot oil, and the rich aroma of cooking protein filled the kitchen.

She made two simple sandwiches, adding plenty of salad and ketchup to the second one, even frying an extra slice of bacon and a slice of ham. When the elevator door opened, she grabbed the more elaborate sandwich herself and handed the plain one to the assistant who was adjusting Shen Mingrui’s dress.

Her gaze, however, remained fixed on the impeccably stylish superstar. “I made you breakfast, low-fat. Do you want to take it with you?”

Shen Mingrui stared at the more fragrant-smelling sandwich in You Tao’s hand, then compared it to the much plainer one she had given to her assistant. “Are you treating me differently?” she asked instinctively.

You Tao was taken aback by the question. The assistant, observing their expressions, was about to smooth things over when Shen Mingrui cut in:

“Just kidding. I’m on a strict diet lately. This breakfast looks great; I’ll definitely eat it—Did you see what I sent you last night?”

You sent both a script and a Heartbeat message last night. Which one are you asking about?

In Secret Heartbeat House, guests aren’t required to send a “heartbeat message” every night, but they can skip up to three nights. The messages are one-way: recipients can read them but don’t know who sent them and can’t reply.

Last night, You Tao had sent a message to Doctor Fu and unexpectedly received one herself. The content was so specific, mentioning the script, that she couldn’t help but know who it was from.

“I saw it,” she replied, her words carrying a double meaning.

Shen Mingrui’s expression grew even more pleased. “Good, see you tonight, Tao Tao.”

She left behind a lingering floral fragrance. After leaving the manor, her assistant, noticing the cameras behind her, asked in a coordinated manner, “Are you very fond of Teacher You Tao? I saw you practicing the script with her during last night’s live broadcast.”

Shen Mingrui bent to enter the car, glancing back at the manor. Her smile remained as radiant as ever, beautiful from any angle the cameras captured. “I really enjoy listening to her speak. Her voice is so similar to a friend of mine.”

I was just about to pity our great star Shen Mingrui for not receiving a heartbeat message, but then I heard this?

Substitutes and second chances?!

I really want to curse this show’s ridiculous script, but local viewers just love this kind of substitute-lover, chase-her-to-the-ends-of-the-earth, burn-it-all-down trope!

At Manor Ten,

After finishing breakfast, You Tao continued exploring the vast villa. Yesterday, she had only quickly glanced at the first-floor hall and the second-floor area near her bedroom. The villa also had a basement and a third floor, plus the natural scenery outdoors, more than enough to stroll through and digest her meal.

You Tao went down to the basement first. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, the shimmering water blinded her. She tilted her head and noticed a rectangular, crystal-clear, semi-outdoor swimming pool.

Sunlight struck the water, reflecting shimmering golden light onto the surrounding tiled walls and railings, filling the room with dazzling radiance.

As if mesmerized by the fragmented golden light, she instinctively moved closer to the pool. Her slippers, designed with excellent waterproofing, stuck to the wet tiles at the water’s edge, causing her to lose her balance and tilt forward.

Ahhh, I closed my eyes!

You Tao squeezed her eyes shut, even holding her breath, until a force pulled her back by the waist. She spun halfway around in place and pressed her hand against the person’s chest.

A lazy chuckle echoed.

“Let go. Stop taking liberties with me.”

You Tao’s eyes snapped open, surprised she’d just acted out a cliché idol drama scene with the person in front of her. Following the trail of water droplets trickling down Huo Lang’s blue hair, her gaze drifted downward, from the damp patch at her collarbone to her own palm pressed against Huo Lang’s collarbone, half-submerged in the white bathrobe.

The warm, damp skin of their bodies pressed together. Her palm clearly felt firm, well-defined muscles beneath the surface, likely from working out. But that wasn’t what caught her attention. Her eyes fell on the half-visible black planet tattoo on Huo Lang’s skin, the part not covered by her hand.

Prprpr, Mom asked why I’m wiping my phone with tissues while watching the livestream.

Huo Lang’s body is insane! Muscular but not over the top, exactly my type! Ahhh, sis, take my money!

Shipping the wild second-gen rich girl lifting Tao Tao, the little airhead, in one arm and kissing her—that’s the cult I stan!

“Wipe your drool.”

After releasing her, Huo Lang watched You Tao stand motionless for a long moment. As if long accustomed to her own charm, her slightly narrowed eyes held a teasing glint, reflecting the newly installed blue crystal studs in her ears.

You Tao withdrew her hand, maintaining her composure. “Thank you.”

Remembering that Huo Lang was pursuing Teacher Jing, she lowered her gaze and shifted her focus. “You have a tattoo too?”

“Too?”

Huo Lang bristled at the word. She casually tugged at her bathrobe, completely concealing the black planet, and criticized dismissively, “Stop comparing my things to those stray dogs. Do they even compare to me?”

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