After Breaking Up, I Married A Top Alpha Movie Star And Fell In Love - Chapter 1

Late October, early autumn in Hong Kong.

Secretary Qiu was accompanying CEO He as they boarded the cruise ship just as a pitter-patter of light rain began to fall.

The ostensible host of this gathering was a man surnamed Qiu, a dragon whose head was seen but never his tail within these circles. Rumors whispered that he was the father-in-law of the man who controlled the Universal Group.

Universal’s subsidiary film and television company held a monopoly in the country; a single stomp of its foot could make half of the cultural and entertainment industry tremble.

Huanhe, where Qiu Ye was employed, was considered a leader in the field, yet in the face of an industry giant like Universal, it looked like a toddler learning to walk.

A lavish, magnificent behemoth of a ship sailed out of the harbor, its bright yellow lights melting into the deep blue waves of the sea.

A waiter approached Qiu Ye with a respectful posture and said softly, “Mr. He asks that you change your clothes and head to the casino.”

Qiu Ye straightened his custom-made suit and checked his wristwatch, ensuring everything was proper before setting off.

“Is that person also someone brought onto the ship?” a very young waiter leaned in, pointing toward Qiu Ye’s departing back.

A slightly older waiter turned his head and frowned. “If you keep being so loose-lipped, I won’t be able to save you if you stir up trouble.”

The gambling industry in Hong Kong was preserved under the old system but remained bound by many rules and regulations; the odds alone were enough to fail the thrill-seeking young masters.

Only after crossing into international waters did the opportunity to throw away thousands of gold pieces truly arise.

When Qiu Ye arrived at the casino, He Yuchen was chatting with his childhood friend, Xu Zilong.

Xu Zilong was the youngest in his family. With a highly capable older brother above him, he was content to be a wealthy loafer dedicated to eating, drinking, and playing.

He Yuchen and Xu Zilong had grown up together. If they weren’t both Alphas, the two families would likely have arranged a marriage for them long ago.

“Secretary Qiu is here, too.”

Xu Zilong turned his head, holding a half-burnt cigar in his hand. He lowered his eyes and whispered to He Yuchen, “Does he even know the rules here yet?”

He Yuchen’s expression shifted slightly as he shook his head.

Qiu Ye was not close to the two of them, so he naturally didn’t hear the latter half of Xu Zilong’s sentence. In any case, it likely wasn’t anything good.

Xu Zilong had always looked down on him, not just because he was a Beta who couldn’t smell pheromones, but because he was an illegitimate son of the Qiu family who couldn’t be presented in public.

He Yuchen acted as if he couldn’t feel the subtle friction between the two. He reached out, draped an arm over Qiu Ye’s shoulder, and said, “Come play a few rounds with us.”

Qiu Ye said nothing. Whether as a secretary or a lover, he had no reason to refuse He Yuchen.

“CEO He, playing like this is boring,” Boss Ding, sitting to the left of He Yuchen, spoke up suddenly when he saw Qiu Ye arrive.

The man held a glass of red wine and cradled a lover in his arms, his gaze drifting toward Qiu Ye without the slightest reservation.

The Omega in his arms looked up as well. After catching a clear glimpse of Qiu Ye’s face, the Omega’s lips moved slightly as he asked softly, “Is he an artist from Huanhe?”

Boss Ding set down his wine glass and turned to blow a puff of air toward his lover. “He is CEO He’s secretary. Just like you, he was brought onto the ship.”

Qiu Ye looked at Boss Ding with a cold gaze. His brow furrowed slightly and uncontrollably; he faintly felt that something was not quite right.

He Yuchen cleared his throat twice and asked, “Does Boss Ding have a novel way to play?”

The man’s gaze bypassed He Yuchen and landed on Qiu Ye’s face beside him, carrying an uncomfortable level of scrutiny and playfulness.

“These croupiers are too disciplined. It would be better to let Secretary Qiu deal the cards.”

“Let’s have some real fun.”

Xu Zilong paused while looking at his cards. Though he didn’t like Qiu Ye, he felt Boss Ding’s suggestion was a bit much.

The Qiu family had originally built their fortune on gambling. Since “going clean,” their status had plummeted. Ding’s move was clearly intended to intentionally cause discomfort.

“That’s not quite appropriate, is it? Boss Ding knows Secretary Qiu is biased toward CEO He. Won’t we all lose our shirts then?”

After Xu Zilong finished speaking, Boss Ding burst into laughter.

“Does Secretary Qiu have such talent? Now I’m even more curious.”

He had dealt with this sophisticated secretary before. After learning that Qiu Ye belonged to He Yuchen, his heart had only grown more restless.

He Yuchen could have refused, but he happened to have a project currently passing through Boss Ding’s hands.

Amidst the heavy silence, Qiu Ye adjusted his silver-rimmed glasses and spoke calmly.

“Mr. Ding is joking.”

Just as He Yuchen was about to say something, his ankle was suddenly touched. It was the Omega in Boss Ding’s arms.

A snow-white calf swayed beneath the gambling table, climbing up from He Yuchen’s foot like a flexible, obedient cat.

Boss Ding stroked the back of his lover’s neck and said, “It’s just dealing cards. Surely CEO He wouldn’t be unwilling to part with his treasure for that.”

Secretary Qiu did not let CEO He be put in a difficult position.

Xu Zilong casually called over a playboy friend to make a party of four.

In recent days, Qiu Ye had been running around everywhere. He had thinned out quite a bit; when he leaned over to deal the cards, his waist appeared even more supple.

“Since Mr. Ding wants to play differently, then cheating and ‘washing’ the deck are outside the rules. What do you all think?”

Boss Ding gave a playful smile. He was an expert at cheating; even if Qiu Ye shuffled and dealt in unconventional ways, he was certain he would win.

The first few rounds were neither here nor there.

He successfully cheated again, swapping out the Little Joker in He Yuchen’s hand.

Xu Zilong glanced at He Yuchen and noticed that his friend seemed unhappy.

“You draw the cards for me,” Boss Ding said, pushing his lover forward. He was certain the croupier in front of him couldn’t stir up any trouble.

Qiu Ye’s chance had come.

He had already memorized the points, scoring trends, and every card held by these four people in every round. He was simply waiting for this moment.

“Follow,” He Yuchen said, meeting Qiu Ye’s eyes as he pushed forward a large pile of chips.

A hand with distinct knuckles pushed a face-down card toward Boss Ding.

“Mr. Ding, will you raise?” Qiu Ye’s lips quirked up slightly, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“Raise.”

When Boss Ding flipped the card over, it wasn’t the King of Spades he had expected.

Qiu Ye had silently “washed away” his cheat.

Only then did Boss Ding find it interesting. He stared at Qiu Ye with an inscrutable smile; it turned out the previous rounds were nothing but a smokescreen.

The various suits and faces stacked and flipped between Qiu Ye’s fingers. Every “god card” that influenced the win or loss was used by him, dominating the fate of the players at the table.

From hundreds of combinations, Qiu Ye found the possibility that allowed him to win, re-imagining the sequence of these cards like a deity.

Each round, including the banter, took no more than three to five minutes to deal.

Based purely on calculation, Qiu Ye managed to take an experienced gambling veteran from having a full purse to being utterly bankrupted.

The submissive Omega couldn’t help but look at the Beta in front of him with new eyes. Turning his head, he noticed his patron’s face had turned pale, and he instinctively shrank back.

“Mr. Ding, you’ve lost,” Qiu Ye said, his gaze as deep as still water, announcing the other’s total defeat.

Boss Ding’s face fell. He stood up abruptly from his seat and left with his lover in tow.

the clouds on He Yuchen’s face dissipated. He threw out the final unplayed Knight card and looked up, coaxing, “Don’t be angry anymore, alright?”

Qiu Ye’s tensed nerves relaxed. Meeting He Yuchen’s dark, unreadable gaze, he gave a soft “Mm,” his voice devoid of any unusual emotion.

That evening, for the first charity auction, He Yuchen and Qiu Ye entered hand-in-hand.

As they sat in the front row, He Yuchen suddenly asked him, “You like it?”

Qiu Ye looked confused and turned to see He Yuchen gesturing toward the stage with his chin. He followed the gaze; an antique brooch was being auctioned.

Actually, Qiu Ye had been spacing out, so his gaze had been fixed blankly, leading He Yuchen to mistakenly believe he was interested in the item.

It was an iris-shaped brooch, crafted with Victorian-era gold and silver layering and set entirely with old-cut diamonds.

“No, I was just thinking about something.”

He Yuchen assumed he was still unhappy about what happened earlier, so he said, “I’ll bid on it and give it to you.”

“No need.”

He Yuchen ignored Qiu Ye’s refusal and raised his paddle directly.

This diamond brooch was simultaneously coveted by a bidder upstairs. For a time, the two went back and forth, neither willing to let go.

“The gentleman in Box One has raised again. The item is now at 5.2 million.”

In just a few minutes, the price of the brooch had been driven up to a height it didn’t belong to.

Qiu Ye felt the number was exaggerated. He pressed down on He Yuchen’s hand and spoke again: “Really, there’s no need. I’m actually not that interested.”

“It’s just a brooch. Do you think I can’t afford it?”

Qiu Ye pursed his lips and said softly, “It’s not a question of whether you can afford it…”

The gavel fell.

He Yuchen had won the antique brooch. The final price was more than twenty times the starting bid.

When the staff handed over the slip, He Yuchen didn’t even blink. He pulled a silver-white fountain pen from his breast pocket and signed his name.

That iris-shaped brooch was personally pinned by him onto Qiu Ye’s black suit.

Secretary Qiu noticed many prying eyes falling upon CEO He and suddenly understood the other man’s intention.

This item wasn’t just a gift for him; it was He Yuchen’s quiet way of flaunting Huanhe Media’s strength to the other CEOs on the cruise.

Qiu Ye was right, but he missed the fact that one of those gazes didn’t land on He Yuchen. Instead, it crossed the crowd to look at him.

Lu Mingchuan withdrew his gaze and sat back down.

“Do you really like it that much?” The manager beside him flipped through the auction catalog and looked up at him.

“Mm.”

“Then why didn’t you keep bidding? It doesn’t feel good to have something you love snatched away by someone else.”

Lu Mingchuan’s eyes suddenly darkened, and the smile on his face vanished.

Outside, the wind was cold and the rain was bleak; inside, the wine flowed and the party was in full swing.

“I know why the Florence went into international waters this time.”

Xu Zilong mysteriously beckoned Qiu Ye over, continuing on his own, “The crown prince of the Universal Group has secretly returned to the country. This party is to welcome him back.”

Qiu Ye didn’t ask further, assuming Xu Zilong’s insider information was accurate.

If it were true, there was no shortage of reasons for this gathering to be so grand.

This crown prince was extremely low-profile. He had never appeared in these circles; no one even knew if he was an Alpha or an Omega.

Forget an illegitimate son of a low-tier wealthy merchant like Qiu Ye—even a “true” second-generation heir born with a silver spoon like Xu Zilong was like someone at the bottom of a ravine looking up at a skyscraper compared to that man; he was beyond reach.

“He doesn’t even dare to show his face. Do you think he’s hideously ugly? The kind that even modern medical aesthetics and plastic surgery couldn’t save?” After a few drinks, Xu Zilong suddenly spoke shocking words.

Fearing he would say something even more scandalous on someone else’s territory, Qiu Ye helped him to the lounge.

When Qiu Ye returned, he didn’t see He Yuchen. He had to follow the flow of the banquet to search for him.

Boss Ding heard others talking about Qiu Ye, saying he was a “Gold Medal Secretary” in the circle—that there was no cooperation he couldn’t negotiate and no client he couldn’t handle. The expression on Ding’s face turned even sourer.

“Eh, how does that saying go? If there’s business, the secretary does it; if there’s no business, he ‘does’ the—”

The voices grew smaller, drowned out by tacit laughter.

“I heard they’re getting engaged.”

Boss Ding tilted his head back to drain his wine and sneered, “Unless He Yuchen has gone mad.”

“That’s hard to say. After all, they have the sentiment of growing up together.”

Boss Ding dragged his little lover’s hand and swayed over to sit next to He Yuchen. He opened his mouth to ask, “I heard you and Secretary Qiu have good news approaching—that you’re getting married?”

He Yuchen didn’t hear clearly at first. He squinted coldly and asked, “What did you say?”

Boss Ding repeated it.

“Even if he weren’t an illegitimate son of the Qiu family, do you think I would marry a Beta?”