Heartbeat Engine

This was Luo Ye's first time at a police station.

And he was brought here under arrest.

Completely baffled, Luo Ye had been playing video games at home when two police officers suddenly walked in. They kindly put handcuffs on him and invited him to enjoy a "self-driving tour" to the police station in their patrol car.

Sitting in the interrogation room, Luo Ye blinked, staring innocently at the young police officer in front of him.

"Name."

"Luo Ye."

"Gender."

"Male."

"Occupation."

"Student."

"Where do you study?"

"Jiangcheng University. I'm going to register tomorrow."

The officer glanced at him again.

"You're a good-looking kid. Doesn't really look like you'd be the type to commit a crime."

The young officer asked, "Do you know what you've done wrong?"

Luo Ye quickly shook his head.

"You don't know?"

The officer gave him a suspicious look.

"Then explain why you broke into someone's home."

The officer suspected Luo Ye had been driven by desire.

After all, when he saw the homeowner, that was the only reasonable explanation he could think of—because the girl was just that beautiful.

"Broke into someone's home?" Luo Ye was utterly confused.

Looking at his innocent expression, the officer began to feel puzzled too.

"Why were you in Unit 4, Room 614 of Building 5 in the faculty apartments?"

"614? That's my home."

The officer pulled out some documents, glanced at them, then snapped, "Kid, this is the police station. Honesty will get you leniency, but resistance will only make things worse."

"Confess. Why were you in 614?"

"…That really is my home."

Luo Ye was desperate. Why wouldn't anyone believe the truth?

Was his perfect university life going to start with him ending up behind bars?

"The owner of 614 is a professor from Jiangcheng University. The professor rented it out to a student—a female student. Not you."

"Rented? A professor?"

Luo Ye's expression gradually cleared up.

"Is the professor's name Gu Mingxuan?"

"Well, you've done your homework," the officer sneered.

Luo Ye: "…"

"Gu Mingxuan is my brother."

The officer froze and checked the documents again.

"This is the police station. You're Luo, and his name is Gu. You're really making things up in here?"

Luo Ye thought for a moment. Gu Mingxuan should be on a flight right now, phone turned off, which explained why the police couldn't reach him.

Luo Ye was a new student at Jiangcheng University. Why did he choose Jiangcheng University?

Because his high school crush promised that if he got accepted there, she'd be with him.

Also, his brother Gu Mingxuan was a professor at Jiangcheng University, which made everything more convenient for him.

But unexpectedly, after dropping him off at Jiangcheng, his brother hopped on a plane to pursue his second PhD abroad.

Classes would start in one day, so Luo Ye had gone to the faculty apartment assigned to his brother—Unit 4, Room 614 of Building 5.

Apparently, his brother had rented out the place—to a girl.

When the girl returned home and heard noises, she quietly left and called the police.

After piecing it all together, Luo Ye finally understood.

Brilliant.

With his brother's flight being six hours long, he'd have to wait at least another three hours before they could confirm his story.

Soon, an older officer walked in, clearly someone with more experience.

The younger officer stepped aside and greeted him, "Chief."

Luo Ye was shocked.

The police chief? The big boss himself was here to question him?

Even though he hadn't committed a crime, Luo Ye couldn't help feeling a bit nervous.

The older officer handed some documents to the young officer, who glanced at them and immediately looked serious.

It was Luo Ye's personal file.

Son of fallen heroes. Both his parents were police officers who died in the line of duty. Raised by his aunt. Cousin to Gu Mingxuan.

Though technically cousins, they grew up together, closer than real brothers.

No wonder the chief had come personally.

"Young man, this was our mistake," the chief said gently.

Luo Ye didn't dare say much, just nodded.

The chief gave him an encouraging look. "Jiangcheng University is a prestigious school. Study hard and serve the country well."

Luo Ye nodded again.

Then he politely declined the chief's offer to stay the night at the station. He just had dinner there before leaving.

The night in Jiangcheng was cool, with a crisp September breeze.

But Luo Ye was feeling down.

Classes started the next day, and he discovered that all the nearby hotels were fully booked. Clearly, he couldn't go back to the faculty apartment either.

What a mess.

He'd traveled over 1,700 kilometers from Beijing to Jiangcheng for university, and before it even began, he'd already had a "half-day tour" of the police station.

And now, he had nowhere to stay.

Nice. A perfect start.

A chilly breeze blew, followed by light drizzle.

Luo Ye took shelter under a tree, pulled out his phone, and opened a chat with his crush to share what had happened.

No reply.

He scrolled through their chat history, then sighed.

Ever since he told her he'd gotten into Jiangcheng University, she hadn't responded.

Maybe… it had all been one-sided.

Deep down, he probably knew—she'd just used it as an excuse to reject him.

If he couldn't accept that, it was his own immaturity.

After all, it had been three months since high school graduation. Maybe he wasn't even in love with her anymore—just unwilling to let go.

Now that he was a college student, it was time to start a new chapter.

Speaking of Jiangcheng, it really did rain a lot. He'd better find an internet café to crash for the night.

Luo Ye took out his ID and rented a computer.

The café was conveniently located right across from the university. Perfect—he could head straight to registration after waking up.

He logged in, opened a web novel platform, and started typing.

Actually, he wasn't just any student. He was a fairly well-known online author.

His pen name? Falling Leaves Return to Their Roots.

Over the summer, his first romance novel had become a hit.

As a soon-to-be college student, his royalties were already quite substantial, enough to relieve any financial pressure.

The next day.

It was still raining.

Registration day at Jiangcheng University.

Luo Ye first went to the faculty apartment.

Standing in front of Room 614, he knocked lightly.

No response.

He knocked again. Still nothing.

After a moment's hesitation, he took out his key and opened the door.

His suitcase from the day before was still sitting in the living room, with a note on top.

Sorry, I just recently rented this place. Since the landlord is abroad, I thought it was a burglar when I heard noises.

The handwriting was neat and beautiful.

Thinking back, he had been so absorbed in his game that he didn't even notice someone entering. No wonder he ended up at the police station.

Luo Ye stuffed the note into his bag and left, heading for the university's main gate.

Despite it being the first day of school, the rain was getting heavier.

A senior student holding an umbrella walked up to him.

"Are you a freshman? Let me see your admission letter."

Luo Ye pulled it from his bag.

The senior glanced at it. "Computer Science, Luo Ye."

She took another look at his handsome face and became even more enthusiastic.

"Come on, follow me."

With her warm guidance, Luo Ye completed registration and found his dorm—Building 8, Room 515.

After politely declining her invitation to lunch, he entered the dorm.

His future roommates hadn't arrived yet. Apparently, students from outside the province registered on September 1st, while local students came on the 2nd.

After setting up his bed, Luo Ye figured he'd wait for his roommates to arrive before arranging the rest of the room.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

It was Gu Mingxuan.

"Luo Ye," his brother said. "Just wanted to tell you, don't go to the faculty apartment. I rented it out while I'm abroad."

"…I went yesterday."

There was a pause on the other end, then laughter.

"She didn't give you a hard time, did she?"

"No, just landed me in the police station."

"Haha, sounds like her."

"She's my student at Jiangcheng University. You'll meet her eventually. She's a good kid, just… not the easiest to get along with."

After hanging up, Luo Ye stood by the balcony. A ray of sunshine broke through.

The rain had stopped.

Time to take a walk.

Luo Ye strolled around the Jiangcheng University campus.

The grandest building was, of course, the library—right opposite the main gate. A symbol of the school's pride.

Standing at the entrance, he stared at the facial recognition system, lost in thought.

At that moment, a tall girl with long black hair, dressed in loose jeans, walked past him.

Don't ask how he could tell she had long legs despite the loose jeans—some things are just undeniable.

Luo Ye couldn't see her face, but even from behind, she sparked endless imagination.

Her hair was slightly damp, clothes a bit wet, and her white laptop bag had water stains—clearly, she'd just come in from the rain.

"Senior!" Luo Ye called out.

She turned