After Breaking Up, I Married A Top Alpha Movie Star And Fell In Love - Chapter 5

Peach blossom news (scandal), a decade of secret love.

Qiu Ye didn’t react for a moment, repeating blankly, “Marriage?”

Lu Mingchuan stood opposite him, posing casually with his palm resting on the solid wood dining table. “Marriage.”

Qiu Ye had handled many emergency public relations jobs for artists and had worked with legal departments to deal with similar incidents, but he had truly never encountered a situation where marriage was used to solve the problem.

“Are there no other methods?”

Lu Mingchuan reached out to touch his bitten nape, saying with an innocent face, “Qiu Ye, are you trying to avoid taking responsibility for me?”

Qiu Ye pursed his lips, feeling as if he were a prey that had fallen into a trap.

Lu Mingchuan might truly need his help, but marriage was no joking matter.

“You also know that I’ve been facing controversy on the internet lately. If another peach blossom scandal is added to it, it will affect my future development.”

Qiu Ye looked up, seemingly searching for a better solution, and asked subconsciously, “What kind of controversy?”

Lu Mingchuan showed a slightly surprised expression and asked, “You don’t know?”

Qiu Ye shook his head and replied, “Sorry, unless it’s work-related, I don’t usually follow entertainment news.”

It might have been Qiu Ye’s hallucination, but he felt that after he said those words, a flash of faint disappointment passed through Lu Mingchuan’s eyes.

“It’s nothing, just a jealous person I once acted with who is spreading rumors to cause trouble, slandering me for having a ‘on-set spouse’ and bullying assistants.”

Qiu Ye nodded and said, “Even if we were photographed, it can be clarified.”

Lu Mingchuan stared at Qiu Ye’s lips and asked, “Clarify what?”

“Clarify that I didn’t kiss you, or that I didn’t hug you?”

As a party involved, Qiu Ye naturally knew that the two of them had done everything they should and shouldn’t have done. Being choked by such words, he didn’t know how to respond.

“If it’s with a marriage partner, then it’s not a peach blossom scandal anymore.”

Lu Mingchuan observed the expression on Qiu Ye’s face as he spoke, successfully capturing a hint of wavering as he had hoped.

“But won’t marriage affect your career?”

Lu Mingchuan curled his lips into a smile and replied, “I am an actor, not an idol. The status of being married will only make investors trust me more.”

Qiu Ye frowned slightly, looked up at Lu Mingchuan, and said, “But I am a Beta, and an illegitimate son of the Qiu family. Even if it’s just a contract marriage, your family might not necessarily agree.”

Lu Mingchuan looked levelly at Qiu Ye, his voice very soft. “I don’t care about those things.”

“My family won’t care either.”

“Qiu Ye, you don’t need to feel burdened.”

Lu Mingchuan leaned back against the wall. The apricot-colored gauze curtain was blown up by the wind, obscuring half of his body.

“If you don’t have anything to do later, could you stay for a bit? My manager will be here in about half an hour.”

“Okay.”

Qiu Ye reached out to adjust his glasses, seemingly considering the feasibility of the marriage.

When the doorbell rang, Lu Mingchuan had already changed into a set of linen casual wear.

Qiu Ye hadn’t expected the front desk to provide the specific clothing Lu Mingchuan requested so quickly; he guessed the other party must be a diamond member of this hotel.

As soon as Ji Bing entered the door and saw the two of them wearing the same style and color of clothing, and then thought about Lu Mingchuan saying he wanted to marry this Mr. Qiu, her head instantly felt twice as large.

She first glanced at Lu Mingchuan, then locked her gaze on Qiu Ye, reaching out her hand to him. “Hello, Mr. Qiu.”

“I am Lu Mingchuan’s manager, Ji Bing.”

“You should already be aware of the specific situation, so I won’t waste time repeating it.”

Ji Bing poured herself a glass of water and continued, “The paparazzi who took the photos and videos are asking for an astronomical price. If we buy the negatives, they won’t leak them.”

“This matter originally didn’t have to happen.”

“Mr. Qiu, you also have a responsibility.”

Qiu Ye did not regard himself as a victim and looked at the lady manager with a gaze full of apology.

“As long as you marry Lu Mingchuan, the public outcry will naturally collapse,” Ji Bing finished, lowering her head to take a sip of water with a bit of a guilty conscience.

Qiu Ye was still thinking.

“We can sign an agreement. When the matter is over, the company will pay you a generous compensation. You two can also divorce quietly; it won’t hurt anyone.”

Upon hearing the word “divorce,” Lu Mingchuan’s brows furrowed imperceptibly.

“The leak will happen after eight o’clock tonight. We need to catch up and get the certificate and make an official announcement before that time.”

This meant that Qiu Ye and Lu Mingchuan had to complete the procedures today.

Qiu Ye looked up, his eyes calmly gazing at Lu Mingchuan, and said, “I will marry you.”

The expression on Lu Mingchuan’s face seemed to freeze for a moment, and his glass-bead-like grey pupils flashed in that instant, just like moonlight falling into an unruffled lake.

The heavy stone in Ji Bing’s heart finally dropped. She let out a long sigh of relief and took out two copies of the marriage agreement from her bag.

“Can we not disclose my identity for now?” Qiu Ye thought of how he had just broken up with He Yuchen; to avoid unnecessary trouble, he didn’t want too many people to know.

Lu Mingchuan walked to Qiu Ye’s side and replied, “Okay. We’ll do whatever you say.”

Ji Bing thought very melancholy that it would be great if her own artist could be this obedient to her. She watched as the two of them signed their respective names on the agreement and quickly left to handle other work.

“My household register is still at the Qiu residence; I have to go back to get it.”

Qiu Ye prepared to go to the bar street to drive to Qiu Garden, only to find that his silver Tesla was parked in the hotel’s underground parking lot.

He clearly remembered that he hadn’t successfully called a designated driver.

Lu Mingchuan very skillfully took the car keys from Qiu Ye, sat in the driver’s seat, and said, “I’ll take you to the Qiu house.”

Qiu Ye rarely sat in the passenger seat. He reached out to pull on the seatbelt, still feeling a bit dazed.

He was wondering if it was also Lu Mingchuan who had driven him to the hotel last night.

With two people who weren’t very familiar with each other sharing a confined car space, the air was filled with an unspeakable awkwardness.

“The perfume scent on you is very nice. What brand is it?”

Qiu Ye reached out to adjust the sun visor, finally finding a safe topic in hopes of breaking the deadlock.

Lu Mingchuan held the steering wheel with both hands, his lips slightly upturned, answering with a question: “You like this scent?”

Qiu Ye gave a soft “mm.” He felt like he had smelled it somewhere else before.

“At the time, as the brand ambassador for Aevum, they customized a Cedarwood perfume for me. It was formulated based on the scent of my pheromones.”

“If you like it, I’ll have them customize another bottle for you.”

Qiu Ye waved his hands repeatedly. “No, no need.”

He had initially just thought the scent was pleasant; now that he knew it was the scent of an Alpha’s pheromones, it would be too ambiguous to spray it on himself as a perfume.

“Really no need?” Lu Mingchuan looked at him sideways with a smile in his eyes.

Qiu Ye shook his head and pointed to the road ahead. “Just drop me off there.”

“You won’t let me go in with you?” Lu Mingchuan looked at Qiu Ye pitifully, appearing a bit aggrieved.

Qiu Ye inexplicably said, “Next time,” though in reality, he didn’t know if there would be a next time.

Lu Mingchuan curled his lips into a smile, watching Qiu Ye’s back disappear into the hidden greenery of Qiu Garden.

The timing of Qiu Ye’s entrance was unfortunate; the Qiu family members were huddled in a large group playing Mahjong, and the one in the middle smoking a water pipe was Mrs. Qiu.

“Since you didn’t truly climb onto the high branch of the He family, have you even forgotten how to greet people?”

Qiu Ye stopped his footsteps, nodded at the elders with a normal expression, and said, “Good morning, everyone.”

Everyone was picking up tiles; no one paid attention to this illegitimate son who couldn’t be presented in public.

Qiu Ye seemed used to it. He walked straight upstairs and knocked on the door of a side room.

The door opened quickly, and a prematurely young face peeked out from inside.

“Qiu Qiu!” Shen Miaoyin smiled at Qiu Ye with her eyes curved like crescents, a dark green ribbon tied around her jade-white wrist.

“Why are you here at this hour? Don’t you have to go to work today?”

“Mm.” Qiu Ye stepped inside and bowed to the merciful Guan Yin statue in the shrine.

“I came today to get my documents.”

Shen Miaoyin’s features looked very young; at her age, she still appeared pure and innocent. Her watery almond eyes blinked as she asked nervously, “What are you going to do?”

“Your eldest brother mortgaged a street the year before last, and now those debt collectors have all come to the door.”

Shen Miaoyin pressed down on Qiu Ye’s searching hand, her brows slightly furrowed, seemingly wanting to clarify.

“Qiu Qiu, Mama only has you. You can’t do anything foolish.”

Qiu Ye’s features resembled hers, but his temperament was much more restrained and steady. He said patiently, “I’m not going to do a mortgage. I…”

“I have other matters of my own.”

“Is the rumor true? Are you going to get engaged to Little He?” Shen Miaoyin’s eyes lit up, thinking she had guessed the joyful news.

“No, since you’re taking the documents, is it to get married?”

Qiu Ye had no choice but to pour a bucket of cold water on his mother. He looked down and confessed, “I broke up with He Yuchen.”

“What!” Shen Miaoyin felt as if the sky had collapsed.

“Qiu Qiu, you and Little He have the affection of growing up together. He is an Alpha, he didn’t dislike your background, and he even let you be his personal secretary…”

Qiu Ye reached out to push his glasses, interrupting heartlessly, “He did dislike it.”

Shen Miaoyin was visibly stunned for a moment.

“He wouldn’t marry a Beta, let alone an illegitimate son of the Qiu family.”

Shen Miaoyin was silent for a long time, murmuring, “Then what will you do?”

“I will marry someone else.”

Qiu Ye didn’t plan to say much more. He took the documents and prepared to go downstairs, but he didn’t expect Shen Miaoyin to follow him all the way.

“Qiu Qiu, wait for me a moment.” Shen Miaoyin followed Qiu Ye to the main gate of Qiu Garden.

“You have to at least tell Mama who you are marrying.”

Not far away, a silver car door slowly opened, and Lu Mingchuan stepped down from the driver’s seat.

“Hello, Auntie. I am Qiu Ye’s marriage partner.” Lu Mingchuan took off his sunglasses and walked up to Shen Miaoyin.

Shen Miaoyin stared fixedly at the man in front of her, saying somewhat incredulously, “You are Lu, Lu Mingchuan?”

Shen Miaoyin reached out to pull Qiu Ye to her side, lowering her head to whisper, “Qiu Qiu, what is going on? How did the two of you get together? What about Little He?”

“Are you really going to marry him? How many days have you two even known each other?”

Facing his mother’s string of questions, Qiu Ye found it a bit difficult to manage.

Lu Mingchuan took Qiu Ye’s hand, lowered his head slightly, and said to Shen Miaoyin with a respectful posture, “Auntie, you’ve forgotten. Qiu Ye and I went to the same school; our relationship isn’t one of just knowing each other for a few days.”

“You might not know, but I have secretly loved him for ten years.”

Lu Mingchuan’s gaze was too sincere, and his words of confession were fluent and natural, making even Qiu Ye, the person involved, startle slightly.

Qiu Ye looked up at Lu Mingchuan, trying to find a single flaw in his face.