Why Did the Top Alpha Suddenly Stop Acting Out? - Chapter 19.3

Noticing Yi Qian passing by, the director called out, “Yi Qian, care to share your thoughts? As her scene partner, your opinion matters most.”

Yi Qian paused, glancing at the director impassively, “I need to prepare. Feel free to praise on my behalf.”

Without so much as a look at Ye Shuyi, she walked away.

“What do you mean ‘just praise her if it looks good’?” Director Zhang watched the retreating figure before turning to Ye Shuyi with conviction. “Don’t mind her. She occasionally throws these little tantrums. The fact she asked me to praise you means she actually thinks you performed well, really well.”

Ye Shuyi smiled and nodded. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go change now.”

Director Zhang waved her off. “Go ahead, you’ve worked hard today.”

After nodding to the director, Ye Shuyi headed in the direction Yi Qian had left.

Arriving at Yi Qian’s private dressing room, Ye Shuyi knocked. “Come in,” came the response from inside.

Upon entering, she found Yi Qian rummaging through clothes on the rack, searching for an outfit for her next solo scene. Since the production team had no specific costume requirements, Assistant Director Che had told Yi Qian to wear whatever she preferred.

Yi Qian glanced up at the newcomer and spoke naturally, “Shuyi, perfect timing. Help me pick…” Mid-sentence, she seemed to catch herself. Her hands paused briefly before she abruptly cut off, grabbing a random garment as she coldly dismissed her guest. “I need to change. No time to talk. You should leave.”

As she moved toward the changing area, she suddenly turned back. “Oh, and from now on, have Manager Zhang relay any messages to me. I have no objections.”

Ignoring the implied jab, Ye Shuyi walked to the clothing rack and selected a white fleece-lined loose autumn top paired with a gray fleece hoodie. Holding them up against Yi Qian, she said, “I think this set would work better today.”

Yi Qian stood silently, watching without taking the clothes.

Meeting her gaze, Ye Shuyi gave a firm nod.

“Who wants to wear what you picked?” Yi Qian huffed, yet tossed aside her own selection and snatched the outfit from Ye Shuyi’s hands before disappearing into the changing room.

Observing the closed door, Ye Shuyi’s lips curved slightly. “Did you grab pants?”

A petulant voice answered from inside, “Don’t need them. I never wear pants.”

Ye Shuyi chose a pair of white fleece-lined trousers and, after a moment’s thought, added white thermal leggings. Approaching the changing room door, she knocked. “Here are your pants.”

Silence.

Shaking her head with an amused smile, she teased, “Or should I bring them in myself?”

This time the door opened immediately. Yi Qian peeked out, shooting Ye Shuyi a resentful glare before snatching the garments.

“Remember to wear the thermals too,” Ye Shuyi said, laughter in her voice.

“Who listens to you? Just go away. I don’t want to see you right now,” Yi Qian grumbled.

Once dressed, Yi Qian cracked the door open to scan the empty lounge. Her eyes dropped to the exposed thermal fabric peeking above her ankle, and she sighed softly.

Just then, white sneakers entered her field of vision. Looking up slowly, she found Ye Shuyi smiling faintly, her tone light: “Told me to leave immediately, yet here you are crouching like some forlorn puppy.”

“Who says I can’t be gloomy?” Yi Qian stubbornly stood up, her eyes darting around the lounge as she adjusted her clothes, looking like a puppy waiting for praise.

Ye Shuyi gave her a once-over, noticing the section of long johns deliberately peeking out at the ankles. The corner of her mouth lifted as she said, “Seems you’re wearing your long johns after all. Good girl.”

With that, she crouched down and tucked the exposed fabric neatly into Yi Qian’s outer pants.

Once she finished, Yi Qian stiffly shifted her leg away and asked, “Why haven’t you left yet?”

“I still have an agreement with a certain little kid,” Ye Shuyi replied, pulling Yi Qian’s personal autograph card from her pocket. “You need to sign this for me.”

“Hah, of course.” Yi Qian walked past her and sat at the vanity, crossing her arms. She met Ye Shuyi’s gaze in the mirror, enunciating each word defiantly, “I. Refuse.”

Ye Shuyi turned around, locking eyes with her in the reflection, hands slipping into her school uniform pockets. She shrugged nonchalantly, her tone lazy. “Did you mishear? I wasn’t asking if you were willing. You’re signing this, whether you like it or not.”

Yi Qian stared back unblinking, raising an eyebrow smugly. “My hands belong to me. Are you going to sign it for me?”

In response, Ye Shuyi pulled a marker from her oversized pocket, biting off the cap with a soft click. She lifted her gaze lazily, a faint smirk playing on her lips.

She watched as Ye Shuyi stepped behind her, gripping her wrist and forcing the marker into her hand. Then, with a challenging glance, she seemed to ask: Sign or not?

Just as Yi Qian was about to drop the pen and walk away, Ye Shuyi’s hand suddenly covered hers, guiding it firmly across the card until “Yi Qian” was written in bold strokes.

Yi Qian’s eyes widened slightly. Though the pen was in her hand, she knew she hadn’t exerted any force—Ye Shuyi had done all the work. The signature was entirely Ye Shuyi’s doing, yet it looked exactly like her own.

Ye Shuyi plucked the marker from her fingers, recapped it, and picked up the signed card, waving it tauntingly in front of her. A hint of triumph laced her voice. “See? All signed.” She patted Yi Qian’s shoulder, meeting her eyes in the mirror. “Be good and finish filming. I’ve got a date to keep.”

The moment the lounge door clicked shut, Yi Qian’s rigid posture collapsed. She slumped over the table, clenching her fists, and glared at her own reflection in frustration. “What the hell is that woman up to?”

About fifteen minutes later, the final scene wrapped. Only a sliver of twilight remained in the sky as the crew busied themselves with packing up the set.

Yi Qian circled the filming area but found no trace of her. She approached Director Zhang, who was still seated by the monitor, and asked, “Director, have you seen Ye—my agent?”

“You do realize she’s your agent, right? Why are you asking me?” Director Zhang replied, baffled.

“I’ve looked everywhere,” Yi Qian muttered, an inexplicable unease settling over her.

Director Zhang looked around but didn’t see anyone either. Frowning, she said, “Could she have gone back by herself?”

“No,” Yi Qian said firmly. “She always tells me when she leaves early, even if I’m filming—she’d send me a message. There’s been nothing today, and her phone is turned off when I call.”

Just as Director Zhang was about to speak, a shout interrupted her.

“Big stars! Someone fell into Serenity Lake—it looks like one of your actors! Go help!” The voice belonged to a school janitor, who appeared extremely anxious.

The crew members exchanged confused glances, unsure where Serenity Lake was.

At that moment, a gray figure flashed past them like the wind—Yi Qian sprinted toward the main campus path at incredible speed.

Director Zhang quickly reacted, grabbing a megaphone and shouting, “Hurry, follow her!”

When Yi Qian reached the lake, she saw a clearly man-made hole in the ice. The water was clear, and she immediately spotted Ye Shuyi sinking beneath the surface.

Without hesitation, she plunged into the lake. The freezing water pierced through her, but she seemed numb to it, swimming desperately toward Ye Shuyi with only one thought in her mind.

—Ye Shuyi, you must be okay.

By the time she brought Ye Shuyi to shore, the crew had arrived. Together, they pulled Ye Shuyi out first, then helped Yi Qian up.

The school’s medical staff quickly assessed Ye Shuyi’s condition and began chest compressions. After about thirty seconds, Ye Shuyi coughed up water but remained unconscious.

“She’s stable now,” the medic said. “The main issue is her weakened state and prolonged exposure to icy water—she likely won’t wake up immediately.” She gestured to the crew. “Let’s move her to the infirmary.”

Hearing this, Yi Qian, who had been holding herself together, finally relaxed. Her legs gave way, but Director Zhang, standing nearby, caught her in time.

Director Zhang frowned deeply. “Are you okay?”

Yi Qian shook her head, tightened the blanket around her shoulders, and followed the medics to the infirmary.

Inside, the medical team worked efficiently—one changed Ye Shuyi out of her soaked clothes, another prepared an IV drip, while a third adjusted the heater to warm the room quickly before preparing hot water to wipe Ye Shuyi down and ward off the cold.

The medic carrying the water noticed Yi Qian standing to the side, her brow furrowed. She instructed the others to tend to Ye Shuyi while she approached Yi Qian. “Young lady, why haven’t you treated your injuries? Come, let me help you.”

Yi Qian brushed her hand away urgently. “I’m fine, Doctor. Please focus on her—make sure she’s okay first.”

“Don’t worry, she’s stable now. At this rate, you’ll be the one in trouble.” The medic insisted, guiding her to a nearby sofa. “Sit still. You can’t care for others if you don’t take care of yourself first, understand?”

“Yi Qian…”

Yi Qian initially intended to follow the advice obediently, but when she suddenly heard the person on the hospital bed call her name, she immediately stood up and rushed over without hesitation. Just as she was about to take the other’s hand, she realized her own hands were ice-cold. Grabbing a corner of the blanket, she vigorously rubbed her palms together until they warmed up, only then gently clasping the other’s hand in hers and whispering, “I’m here. Everything’s alright now.”

The furrowed brows of Ye Shuyi gradually relaxed upon hearing those words.

A nearby medical staff member said, “She’s fine now—fully conscious but currently asleep. No need to worry too much.”

The nurse who had stopped Yi Qian earlier walked over and pressed a disinfectant-soaked cotton pad against her forehead without warning. The sharp sting made Yi Qian hiss in pain.

“I told you your condition is worse than hers,” the nurse scolded lightly. “Get up now so I can treat your wounds.”

A small impact wound bloomed like a flower on Yi Qian’s forehead, with thin trails of blood streaking down her cheeks. As the nurse cleaned the blood away, she teased, “Lucky the cut isn’t deep, or your pretty face would’ve sprouted a little blossom.”

After tending to her forehead, the nurse lifted Yi Qian’s leg onto her own lap and cut away the bloodstained pants, revealing a roughly ten-centimeter-long gash beneath the stains. The nurse’s brows instantly knitted together in disapproval. “Little girl, do you not feel pain? This is a serious wound.”

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