Heartbeat Engine

Luo Ye was stunned.

The audience was stunned.

Even the host was stunned.

Su Baizhou stood expressionless on the stage. This was a freshman welcome party, and it was reasonable for her to accept an invitation from a new student. Refusing might seem impolite. But this was Su Baizhou—how could she possibly agree to something like this?

Just as the host thought she would decline, she calmly said, "Okay."

The host was taken aback. He'd already prepared how to smooth things over if she refused, but unexpectedly, she agreed.

Wang Dazui nudged Luo Ye.

Luo Ye was still in shock.

"Are you serious, Dazui?"

"Stop overthinking, Ye! This is your chance—go!"

Dragged to his feet by Wang Dazui, Luo Ye reluctantly walked onto the stage, facing countless curious gazes from the audience. He felt a wave of nervousness, his demeanor shy and inexperienced.

The host handed him a microphone.

"What song do you know?" Su Baizhou asked coolly.

Her strong presence was overwhelming, making Luo Ye feel unworthy of even standing beside her. He mumbled softly,

"An—any song is fine."

Stuttering?

Su Baizhou chuckled inwardly but kept her face emotionless.

"Since it's a duet, let's sing something simple—'A Little Sweet.'"

A Little Sweet? Luo Ye froze for a second.

While he hesitated, Wang Dazui in the audience nearly exploded with frustration, frantically signaling him to agree. Seeing this, Luo Ye suddenly found the situation amusing, and his nerves eased.

"Alright!"

Wang Dazui led the applause with an enthusiastic cheer, and the audience followed, though some clapped hesitantly. Many hadn't heard about Luo Ye's viral video from military training, and even Wang Dazui had been gambling on whether Su Baizhou had. Luckily, he was right.

As the music began, Luo Ye took a deep breath. The first part was his solo. He closed his eyes, recalling his encounters with the "fairy-like" senior. Slowly, his heart calmed. When he opened his eyes again, they were filled with tenderness.

Since it was a love song, he decided to pour genuine emotion into his performance.

He turned to Su Baizhou and softly began:

"I picked an apple, waiting for you to walk by,

To put it in your hand, to quench your thirst."

Su Baizhou's heart fluttered slightly at his tender gaze.

"Like cola in summer, like cocoa in winter,

You're the right person at the right time."

Their voices blended seamlessly. Though Su Baizhou's expression remained cold, her gaze softened compared to before.

For Luo Ye, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to sing with his "fairy senior," and he gave it his all.

The audience, initially skeptical, soon became immersed in their performance. Upon closer look, Luo Ye was quite handsome in a boyish, shy way—an innocent charm that complemented Su Baizhou's cool elegance.

"I don't know why, though the wound hasn't healed,

You barged right into my heart.

With the most romantic chorus,

You gently echoed my song,

Our gazes confirming our choice."

As the song ended, the auditorium erupted in thunderous applause, even louder than before.

The host returned to the stage, taking the microphone from Luo Ye.

"I didn't expect to hear such an amazing performance at the welcome party! Thanks to Su Baizhou and our freshman here, this evening became truly memorable.

I hope everyone has a vibrant university life and excels in their studies. This concludes our welcome party. Please leave in an orderly manner."

---

After the Show

Leaving the venue, Wang Dazui threw an arm around Luo Ye's shoulders.

"So, Ye—what's it like to sing with the goddess herself?"

Luo Ye didn't hesitate. "An absolute honor."

Wang Dazui smirked mischievously.

"Well, since I gave you this chance, don't you think you owe me something?"

"A week of breakfast okay?"

"A month."

"No way. Two weeks, max."

"Deal."

Seeing Wang Dazui's smug face, Luo Ye scowled.

I totally got scammed…

But thinking back to that bold moment when Dazui stood up for him, Luo Ye felt warmth in his heart.

Despite all his usual goofiness, Wang Dazui never hesitated to step up when it mattered.

A true "national treasure" roommate.

---

Back at the Dorm

Shen Qiao was still on his bed, gaming.

"Not bad, you two," he remarked, glancing over.

"Your duet with Su Baizhou is all over the school group chats and confession boards. People are calling you two a perfect match."

Wang Dazui leaned closer, grinning slyly.

"Hey, Ye, do you actually like Su Baizhou?"

"No," Luo Ye replied instantly, his face darkening.

Shen Qiao and Wang Dazui exchanged knowing glances, bursting into laughter.

This guy really can't lie to save his life.

"Ye, if you like her, just go for it—we've got your back," Dazui teased.

"But if you do end up dating her, I bet every guy on campus will want to kill you. Not that it'll happen anyway. She's called the Ice Queen for a reason—I doubt she's even interested in guys."

"Shut up."

At that moment, Li Haoyang walked in, beaming.

"Whoa, look at you! Did you just come back from a date?"

Li Haoyang chuckled. "Liu Bingxin asked me to lunch."

"WHAT? Liu Bingxin?!"

Wang Dazui stared in disbelief.

"Bingxin clearly likes me! Why would she ask you?"

Luo Ye and Shen Qiao were speechless.

Liu Bingxin—a tall, leggy beauty at 170 cm—standing next to the short and goofy Wang Dazui? Yeah, no contest.

Meanwhile, Li Haoyang was a muscular guy—perfect for someone like Bingxin.

Talk about natural compatibility.

"Didn't expect you to be smooth with the ladies, Haoyang," Luo Ye joked.

"Don't be ridiculous. I was just running an errand for our advisor, and she happened to be there."

"Oh, just happened to be there, huh?"

The three of them exchanged exaggerated looks.

---

Later That Night

While queuing up for an online match, Luo Ye glanced at his phone and noticed several unread messages:

From Xu Xiaojia:

"Is that muscle guy from the cafeteria your roommate? He's the class rep now, right?"

"He's kinda hot!"

"I heard you sang during military training. Not bad, Luo Ye!"

"Hey, what are you up to?"

"…Are you seriously ignoring me? I don't believe it—you're doing this on purpose."

"Seriously? Not even one reply? Unbelievable."

Luo Ye frowned, trying to recall who that was. After a moment, it hit him.

Oh right… that chatterbox princess.