Heartbeat Rewind

Sunset Rush Hour Romance

[Location: Lu’s Sweet Stop, Twilight]

São Paulo lived up to its nickname, "Terra da Garoa" (Land of Drizzle). After a violent storm, the sky took on a surreal violet hue, and the setting sun pierced through the heavy clouds, dyeing the wet streets in shimmering gold.

But this beautiful scenery was a disaster for Lu.

The storm had caused a massive backlog of orders. The moment the rain stopped, the delivery printer started screaming like a possessed cashier—zzzt, zzzt, zzzt—spitting out a receipt tape that trailed all the way to the floor.

"It's over, it's over!" Lu wailed in despair, spinning like a top between three ovens. "Rafa! Are your brothers here yet? If I don't get these orders out now, my rating is going to drop to 4.8!"

She was alone in the shop. Her part-time student helper was stuck at school due to the flooding. She was currently a "commander without an army."

Just as she scrambled to grab a tray of freshly baked crème brûlée and almost knocked it over, a large, strong hand steadied the edge of the tray firmly.

Lu looked up, her heart still pounding from the near-accident.

Lucas Silva was standing behind her.

He had already taken off his expensive bespoke suit jacket and carelessly tossed it onto a sack of flour nearby (Lu’s heart bled at the sight). He was unbuttoning his cuffs, rolling his sleeves neatly up to his elbows, revealing the fluid lines of his forearm muscles and that Patek Philippe watch.

"Mr... Mr. Silva?" Lu stammered. "Are you here to inspect the work, or to claim damages for the suit ruined by the coffee?"

"I am here to save my return on investment," Lucas said indifferently, grabbing a spare apron and tying it around his waist.

The visual impact was too strong—a billionaire tech mogul, wearing a pink apron with a cartoon bear print, standing in the cramped kitchen of a bakery.

"Call out the orders," he commanded briefly.

Lu froze for a second, then her body obeyed instinctively: "Zone A, three Chocolate Mousses, two Brigadeiros, one Passion Fruit Tart! Going to Faria Lima Avenue!"

"Received."

The next thirty minutes felt like a dream to Lu.

She had assumed Lucas would only get in the way, but she hadn't expected this man’s "multi-tasking ability" to remain top-tier even in a kitchen.

He didn't need Lu to say a word; he could precisely locate the packaging boxes, fold them, seal them, and attach the receipts. His movements were elegant and efficient, as if he were assembling precision AI chips.

The kitchen was filled only with the hum of machines and the occasional physical collision between them.

When she turned, her shoulder brushed his chest.

When she passed the scissors, his fingers grazed her palm.

The air was thick with the sweet scent of caramel, the fresh smell of rain-soaked earth, and the faint cedarwood fragrance from him. Mixed together, they formed an intoxicating catalyst.

"Last one."

Lucas handed the packed bag to the courier outside the window, turned around, and let out a long breath.

At this moment, the last rays of the sunset spilled into the shop, illuminating his side profile. There was a smudge of flour on the tip of his nose, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead, but his eyes looked exceptionally bright from the intense labor.

He looked at Lu, a relaxed smile curling his lips: "Pleasure working with you, partner."

Lu looked at him.

Looking at this high-and-mighty man who, just to help her, had busied himself in this greasy, smoky place for a full hour.

In that instant, an unprecedented, massive wave of emotion engulfed her like a tsunami.

Thump—!

Thump—!

Her heart slammed violently against her ribcage. The alarm blared.

[System Warning: Heart rate critical! Rewind imminent!]

The world began to warp slightly before her eyes; colors started to fade.

No.

Lu screamed internally.

Do not rewind.

If she rewound, this beautiful hour of tacit understanding would vanish.

The flour on his nose would vanish.

That warm smile he just gave her would vanish.

The sunset at this specific moment would vanish.

I don't want to forget this moment.

Lu bit her lower lip hard, her hands gripping the edge of the counter tightly, using every ounce of strength in her body to fight the gravitational pull of the rewind. She frantically recited boring logistics data in her mind, trying to calm her heart rate.

"...São Paulo Zone A average delivery speed 25km/h... Zone B traffic light duration 45 seconds... Zone C..."

The warped world shuddered a few times, and finally, slowly returned to normal.

She won.

She kept time in the present.

"What's wrong?" Lucas noticed her strangeness. He stepped forward, reaching out as if to check her forehead. "Your face is so red. Are you exhausted?"

Lu looked at his approaching hand. This time, she didn't dodge, nor did her heart explode. She just took a deep breath and flashed a smile brighter than the sunset.

"No," she said softly, her eyes sparkling. "I just think... the sunset today is exceptionally beautiful."

Lucas paused. He looked at the light in her eyes and seemed to understand something. He retracted his hand, not exposing her, but simply whispered gently:

"Yes. It is very beautiful."

[Meanwhile - At a Pastel Stand near Praça da Sé]

Compared to the romance in the shop, this scene was a "disaster zone."

Rafa squatted by the roadside like a drowned rat, holding two umbrellas. Because of the storm, his first "official offline date" with Vivi had been delayed by an hour.

"That witch definitely isn't coming," Rafa sniffled, looking at the cold pastel (fried pastry) in his hand. "She's probably in her air-conditioned office laughing at me."

Just as he was about to get up and leave, a pair of high heels stopped in front of a puddle.

Rafa looked up.

Vivi was wearing a sharp trench coat. Although she had an umbrella, her pant legs were splashed wet by the rain. She still carried that "Hacker Queen" aura she had on video calls, but right now, she was holding two cups of steaming Sugarcane Juice (Caldo de Cana).

"Hey, two-wheeled i***t," Vivi looked down at him, her tone disdainful, but her face slightly red. "Even though you're late, and you picked the worst possible weather... I don't like wasting food."

She handed him the sugarcane juice.

Rafa shot up, grinning foolishly as he took the cup. "Vivi! You came! I thought you were going to hack my bank account and run away!"

"That was Plan B." Vivi rolled her eyes but didn't shake off Rafa’s hand that was secretly reaching out to tug at her coat. "If you don't hurry up and eat that damn cold pastel, I really will execute Plan B."

Their shadows stretched long on the waterlogged pavement. Though bickering, they were unexpectedly harmonious.

[Lu’s Sweet Stop - Closing Time]

Night fell.

Lucas was ready to leave. His driver had pulled the car up to the entrance.

"You don't need to pay for the suit," Lucas picked up the flour-dusted jacket, draping it carelessly over his arm. "In exchange, send a portion of that new 'Heartbeat Brigadeiro' to my office every day."

"Every day?" Lu was untying her apron and widened her eyes. "That's a limited edition!"

"I am the majority shareholder. I have privileges." Lucas played the rogue card with righteous confidence.

He walked to the door, hand on the handle, then suddenly stopped.

He didn't turn back, keeping his back to Lu, his low voice drifting over:

"Lu, just now... thank you for not rewinding."

With that, he pushed the door open, got in the car, and closed it. Smooth and decisive.

Lu stood frozen, listening to the fading chime of the doorbell, the heat on her face climbing once again.

"i***t," she clutched her chest, feeling the still-frantic beating there. "You figured it out."

Outside the window, the wind and rain had stopped.

But a greater storm, named "Love," had just begun to sweep across the night sky of São Paulo.