Why Did the Top Alpha Suddenly Stop Acting Out? - Chapter 33.1

Tell me, would someone who even remembers what brand of diapers you wore as a child and insists on using the same for their future kids really keep their childhood embarrassments from you?

At least, Ye Shuyi didn’t think so.

The number of Yi Qian’s embarrassing childhood stories she knew far exceeded the sum of their ages.

“Fine, that story wasn’t true.” The way Ye Shuyi had called her full name sent chills down Yi Qian’s spine. To prevent things from escalating and avoid pushing her too far, Yi Qian quickly straightened up. “But I really was scared before coming in super scared. You have to believe me on that.”

Ye Shuyi exhaled slowly, forcing herself to stay calm. “Since you’re not scared now, let’s split up and look for clues. The sooner we get out, the better.”

Her reasoning was flawless, but alarm bells rang in Yi Qian’s mind. Only she knew that this was Ye Shuyi’s way of being truly angry furious, even.

As Ye Shuyi turned to leave, Yi Qian felt as if she were reliving the night of their breakup, watching Ye Shuyi walk away. Her body moved faster than her mind, and she grabbed Ye Shuyi’s wrist.

Ye Shuyi turned back, puzzled.

Yi Qian paused, then quickly let go, scrambling for a plausible excuse.

“How about we check this clue together first? There might be a task that requires two people…”

Before Ye Shuyi could respond, a hoarse, eerie voice echoed through the dimly lit green hallway: “Patients… once you’re in, you must follow the treatment… Don’t resist just because you’re afraid of pain. It’ll only make things harder for you…”

The chilling tone sent shivers down their spines.

Ye Shuyi: Suddenly regretting what she just said.

It’s fine. They’re just actors, just people. Prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony.

While she hesitated, Yi Qian had already opened the wooden box in her hands.

She leaned closer to the eerie green light, confirming there was nothing “special” inside just an ugly, wide-eyed ragdoll, a microphone, and a small card.

She pushed the doll aside, took out the microphone and card, skimmed the instructions, then tossed the card back into the box and set it on the floor.

Returning to Ye Shuyi, she handed her the microphone. “The card says all participants have to sing ‘Demons, begone!’ five times to get the next clue. You go first.”

Ye Shuyi glanced at the box discarded near the green light, skeptical. “Really?”

Yi Qian raised two fingers in a vow. “Absolutely true.”

After a brief silence, Ye Shuyi took the microphone. Singing a few lines wasn’t a big deal. “Demons, begone…”

Her sweet voice, amplified by the microphone, filled the quiet darkness, as if brightening the haunted house with warmth.

After five rounds, she passed the microphone to Yi Qian but didn’t leave immediately.

Yi Qian instinctively cleared her throat and began softly, “Demons, begone…”

Unlike Ye Shuyi’s voice, Yi Qian’s was deeper and huskier, reverberating in the nearly enclosed space, creating an illusion of being in a 3D surround sound environment. Combined with Yi Qian deliberately drawing out her tone with a lingering cadence, even while singing such eerie lyrics, it was impossible not to be mesmerized.

Suddenly, applause erupted from behind.

Ye Shuyi instantly felt chills run down her spine.

There were only two people in this room her and Yi Qian. Yi Qian was right in front of her, so besides those “ghosts”… who else could it be?

The applause behind her continued relentlessly.

She didn’t dare turn around to look.

Yi Qian glanced at her, picked up the microphone, and said, “Now that you’ve listened, shouldn’t you leave?”

The ghost standing at the door made an “OK” gesture with both hands, waving them playfully, then blew a loud kiss at Yi Qian “Mwah!” before skipping away.

At that moment, the battery indicator on the microphone flickered twice, and a line of white text appeared on its surface: The next clue is in the coffin room.

Yi Qian held the microphone’s message up to Ye Shuyi. “See? I really wasn’t lying.”

[Hiss, but still, I don’t buy it…]

[I don’t either. We’ll see what’s really written when the show airs!! If it’s not what you said, Yi Qian, you’d better pray for mercy!]

Ye Shuyi gave her a look and said flatly, “Since you found this clue, you go ahead. I’ll check elsewhere for other leads.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

Yi Qian watched her retreating figure and sighed, casually placing the microphone into an open cabinet. But when she looked up, she saw that Ye Shuyi hadn’t actually left, she was standing frozen at the doorway.

Was she, waiting for her?

The thought made the corners of Yi Qian’s lips curl up, but her smile quickly stiffened.

She heard the growing clamor from the hallway.

The screech of metal rods dragging across the floor, the clinking of chains colliding, the sticky drip of liquid hitting the ground, and a cacophony of other eerie noises mixed together:

“You should get treated properly…”

“Hurry up and die, come keep me company…”

“Why is it so cold here?”

“It hurts so much…”

So Ye Shuyi wasn’t waiting for her at all, she was petrified by the scene in the hallway.

Realizing this, Yi Qian rushed forward in a flash, shielding Ye Shuyi with her body while covering her eyes with one hand.

She could feel the faint trembling beneath her palm.

Softly, she reassured her, “It’s okay. They’re all just people in costumes. They’ll pass soon.”

Yi Qian tilted her head to glance at the hallway and couldn’t help but frown slightly.

The corridor was packed with “ghosts” how many, she couldn’t tell, as they stretched beyond sight. They wore tattered clothes, their hair dry and wild as if blasted by an explosion, some wearing terrifying masks, others painted in horrifying makeup…

A shadowy procession, like a hundred ghosts parading through the night.

As the spectral parade advanced, the more “ghosts” who spotted them, the louder the chaotic shouts from the crowd grew, piercing, grating, making Yi Qian’s frown deepen.

The production team had really gone all out to scare them.

Yi Qian stood still, watching them for a while. The procession moved slowly, and still, there was no end in sight.

She shielded Ye Shuyi’s back and pushed her into the storage room, settling her in a corner. Helping her cover her ears with both hands, Yi Qian then walked to the wardrobe, took out a microphone, turned the volume to maximum, and stood at the doorway. Though she was about to face the horde of “ghosts” alone, the innate aura of a top-tier alpha radiated from her at that moment. Just by standing there quietly, her presence was no less intimidating than the numerous “ghosts.”

Her cool tone carried a clear threat: “You have your tasks, but we have ours. I don’t want to waste time on you. If you keep moving at a snail’s pace like you’re out for a stroll, I can’t guarantee what might happen later.”

Her words, amplified through the microphone at full volume, drowned out all the noise from the “ghosts.”

Some of the “ghosts” were startled by the loud sound and froze in place, staring at her as if puzzled why she wasn’t scared and had instead come out to scare them.

A group of “ghosts” immediately grabbed their tools and ran off, looking like they were rushing to clock out.

A few stubborn “ghosts” still approached Yi Qian, waving their arms menacingly.

Yi Qian reached out and patted one on the shoulder, smiling. “Good work. Stop scaring people and hurry off to clock out.”

The “ghost” froze mid-gesture, scratching the back of their neck awkwardly before slinking away.

When Yi Qian returned to the storage room, Ye Shuyi had already lowered her hands and seemed much calmer.

Yi Qian turned off the microphone and placed it back in the storage cabinet, suggesting, “Maybe we should stick together from now on. That scene earlier was pretty terrifying.”

[Ghosts who fled: You think we’re terrifying?]

[Ghosts blatantly “threatened”: No, no, don’t say we’re scary. We’re not scary at all, we’d lose face as “ghosts.”]

Some staff members watching the live stream couldn’t help but laugh at these comments.

Director Lu, also smirking, leisurely picked up the broadcast microphone in the haunted house.

Back in the storage room, just as Ye Shuyi was hesitating, the broadcast in the haunted house crackled to life. Director Lu’s relaxed voice came through: “To save time, the production team advises against splitting up, as some clue tasks require both partners to complete together.”

Ye Shuyi: Seems like we have a legitimate reason to stick together now.

Yi Qian: Finally, the director did something decent.

Outside the haunted house, Director Lu sneezed, rubbed his itchy nose, and hugged his arms, muttering as he glanced around, “Feels oddly chilly all of a sudden.”

Inside, after the earlier parade of a hundred “ghosts,” the hallway had fallen silent again. Yi Qian led the way toward the coffin room, two doors down from the storage room.

With a creak, she pushed open the wooden door to the coffin room, revealing the scene inside.

The coffin room was much larger than the storage room, with two eerie green flames flickering in opposite corners. Yi Qian quickly counted, ten coffins in total, neatly arranged in two rows. Some had no lids, some were half-covered, and half were securely sealed.

Her eyes swept the room before locking onto the spot directly facing the camera.

“The clue should be in the coffin at the far end. Do you want to wait here while I get it, or come with me?” Yi Qian asked, turning to the person beside her.

Ye Shuyi glanced around and said, “Let’s go in together.”

Who knew what might suddenly jump out in here.

Yi Qian nodded, and the two walked in one after another. When they reached the coffin in the center, a sound suddenly came from the coffin beside Ye Shuyi.

Thud, thud, thud…

The coffin was being knocked on, and a voice emerged from within: “Is anyone there? cough… Could you help me out… Please, kind soul, save me…”

The voice sounded like a leaky bellows, hoarse and eerie.

Almost the moment the voice sounded, Yi Qian immediately stepped in front of Ye Shuyi, shielding her with her arm in a protective stance, her gaze fixed on the coffin like a beast ready to fight at any moment.

Looking at her back, Ye Shuyi felt her wildly pounding heart gradually calm down.

The sense of security that only Yi Qian could give her seemed to peak at this moment.

Seeing no further movement from the coffin, Yi Qian relaxed her guard and tapped the lid. “Stay put in there. Don’t go making scary noises for no reason.”

The startled person inside the coffin: “……”

Yi Qian turned back to Ye Shuyi. “Let’s go.”

This time, Yi Qian didn’t walk ahead but stayed side by side with her.

When they reached the target coffin, Yi Qian was about to open it when she caught a glimpse of a white cloth peeking through the crack. Raising an eyebrow, she turned and instructed, “Turn around and cover your ears, Manager Ye. Even though you’re not afraid, I’m worried something unimaginable might jump out. Better to be safe.”

Ye Shuyi met her gaze, then nodded slightly after a pause.

“Remember, no matter what you hear, don’t turn around until I say so, okay?”

Ye Shuyi frowned but agreed.

Once confirming the person behind her was prepared, Yi Qian flung open the coffin lid.

“AHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“AHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Two screams intertwined in the darkness, the “ghost” was screaming, and so was Yi Qian, even letting out one extra shriek.

Ignoring the stunned “ghost,” she casually cleared her throat, rubbing her neck.

This job really strains the vocal cords.

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