Why Did the Top Alpha Suddenly Stop Acting Out? - Chapter 34

The call wasn’t answered, the ringing continuing until it stopped on its own.

After waiting a few minutes, Ye Shuyi called again. Just as the ringing was about to end, the call was finally picked up. A slightly breathless voice came through: “Hello, who is this?”

Ye Shuyi lowered her gaze, her raven-like eyelashes casting shadows on her lower lids. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke: “Mom, it’s me.”

The other end didn’t seem to recognize her voice and didn’t respond immediately. Ye Shuyi guessed the person was probably checking the contact name on their phone screen.

And that was exactly the case.

“Oh, it’s Xiao Ye. What’s the matter?”

“Nothing much. It’s just,  tomorrow is Minor New Year, and I might be too busy during the actual New Year, so I wanted to come home tonight to spend some time with you. Is it convenient?” Ye Shuyi paused, then added, “I’ll leave after lunch tomorrow.”

“Tonight!” The other end hesitated for a long while before continuing, “Your mom and Uncle Lan just got back from shopping, and we’re exhausted. We’ll probably rest soon. It’s already so late, and I’d be worried about you driving back at this hour.”

Every word was spoken with “concern,” yet every word was meant to keep her from coming home.

Ye Shuyi glanced at the time in the upper right corner of her tablet screen exactly 8 p.m.

She leaned back against the sofa, exhaling silently before replying calmly, “Alright, I’ll visit tomorrow then.”

“Okay.” The other end paused before adding, “If you do come back tomorrow, remember to call me first. If you’re really too busy with work, it’s fine if you don’t come. Mom understands.”

“Take care of yourself. I’ll hang up now.”

Before Ye Shuyi could say anything else, the call ended with a series of beeps. The cold electronic tone marked the end of the awkward conversation.

Ye Shuyi tossed her phone aside and leaned her head back against the sofa, pinching the bridge of her nose.

This outcome wasn’t unexpected. She hadn’t held much hope to begin with, she just needed to achieve her goal.

When two extreme emotions collide, one inevitably fades. And after this call, the terrifying images that had been lingering in her mind no longer surfaced.

She straightened up, crossing her legs, and threw herself fully into her work.

Time passed unnoticed until a sudden “clang” shattered the hard-won silence in the room.

Ye Shuyi jolted in fright, instantly turning to look out the floor-to-ceiling window.

There was nothing outside.

She glanced toward the kitchen. Could the noise have come from there?

Setting her tablet aside, she swung her legs off the sofa and slipped on her shoes, only to immediately pull them back. Reciting the core socialist values in her mind, she grabbed her phone and called Song Kechi.

The call connected after just two rings, and a teasing voice greeted her: “What’s up, my dear Ye? Miss me after just two days apart?”

Ye Shuyi tore her gaze away from the kitchen and replied flatly, “Yes, terribly. So much so that I might not be able to sleep tonight without you.”

“Something’s definitely up.” Song Kechi smirked, twirling a wine glass in her hand, her tone relaxed and amused. “Let me guess you went to a haunted house today, and now you feel like there are ghosts everywhere in your home?”

“No.” Ye Shuyi denied coldly, “I just missed you, that’s all.”

“Stop being stubborn, darling.” Song Kechi’s voice carried a hint of amusement as she drawled, “I watched your entire livestream today. Why do you think Grandma knew exactly when you’d finish?”

“Do I really have to say it out loud to make you happy?”

Ye Shuyi’s tone was flat, laced with a trace of resignation.

“Oh, this is rare.” Song Kechi exaggerated her voice, “Our fearless Ye Shuyi actually has something she’s afraid of? Tsk, too adorable.”

“Cut the sarcasm. You know my situation.” Ye Shuyi stopped beating around the bush, “One sentence – are you coming or not?”

Song Kechi sighed, her tone dripping with regret: “I’d love to keep you company, but not today. I’ve got things to do.”

“Then we have nothing more to say.”

Ye Shuyi hung up without hesitation.

Connecting her phone to the home Bluetooth speakers, she turned the volume to maximum and opened her music app. Pausing momentarily at the page displaying only one artist’s playlist.

Listening to Yi Qian’s songs now,  wouldn’t that just flood her mind with today’s memories.

After a moment’s hesitation, she exited the page and randomly selected a system-recommended playlist, tapping on a song.

As the unfamiliar artist’s music played, Ye Shuyi returned to work.

A full song passed, yet her tablet screen remained unchanged.

Completely unable to focus.

She could only pick up her phone and play songs from her favorites list.

In an upscale duplex villa, Song Kechi stared incredulously at her phone screen.

Tsk, she really hung up just like that. And she claimed to miss her.

A smirk played on her lips as she reclined lazily against the sofa, murmuring to herself: “I can’t accompany you, but I can send someone to keep you company.”

Opening her contacts, she scrolled to Yi Qian’s number. Just as she was about to call, her gaze caught the name below – Fang Xin.

Swirling the red wine in her glass, her eyes gleamed thoughtfully for two seconds before her fingers moved downward, dialing Fang Xin instead.

The call connected, only to be promptly rejected.

Her lips curved upward as slender fingers danced across the screen:

[Little Xinxin, still angry?]

Fang Xin nearly spat out her milk upon seeing the greeting. How blind had she been during their first meeting to think Song Kechi was that mature, gentle, and intellectual older sister?

“This is clearly just a smooth-talking old woman!” she complained disdainfully at her phone.

“Wait.” Fang Xin corrected herself, “She’s only three years older. If she’s old, what does that make me? Whatever, my mistake anyway.”

As she set her phone aside, another message popped up.

Only then did Fang Xin notice the contact name she’d saved. Her bright eyes rolled thoughtfully before deciding to keep it – after all, the woman was undeniably beautiful.

Song the Beauty: [I called about something crucial regarding your best friend’s lifelong happiness. I’ll call again. If you reject it, the secret stays with me.]

Is it related to Yi Qian?

She switched screens to call Yi Qian, but the incoming call from “Song the Beauty” popped up first.

She hesitated for two seconds before answering, taking the initiative: “Get to the point. Don’t beat around the bush.”

Song Kechi chuckled lightly, her tone relaxed. “Still mad over that bite of ice cream?”

“Shouldn’t I be?” Fang Xin’s anger flared, mixed with a hint of grievance, her words spilling out rapid-fire. “That was my ice cream! You were too stingy to buy me any, but then you took a huge bite of mine half of it was gone! I barely got to eat any of it myself!”

Song Kechi found her indignant tone adorable, her lips curving slightly. “What’s our relationship that you’d expect me to buy you ice cream?”

“Don’t twist my words. I’m not mad you didn’t buy me any.” Fang Xin huffed. “Then what’s our relationship that you think you can take my ice cream? And such a huge bite?”

Song Kechi murmured under her breath, “Sharp-witted when it suits you.”

“What did you say?” Fang Xin didn’t catch it. “Were you badmouthing me?”

“You’re too good for anyone to badmouth,” Song Kechi drawled lazily.

Fang Xin: “…”

Smooth-talking old woman!

“Get to the point or I’m hanging up. I’ll ask Yi Qian myself.” Fang Xin changed the subject, wary of falling into another verbal trap. She’d had enough of the glib remarks.

“Yi Qian doesn’t know,” Song Kechi said leisurely.

Fang Xin: “Is this about Ye Shuyi?”

“Exactly.”

“Then you’re wrong. Yi Qian knows everything about her.” Fang Xin declared confidently. “Goodbye, hmph!”

“I’m certain she doesn’t,” Song Kechi remained unruffled.

Fang Xin tugged at her hair in frustration. “Then just say it! Stop playing games!”

“Oh?” Song Kechi’s tone was teasing, her smile unwavering. “I thought you didn’t want to know.”

Fang Xin: “…”

When she stayed silent, Song Kechi continued airily, “So, do you want to know?”

“I do, I do, I do! Happy now? This better be worth it, or I swear I won’t let you off when I see you.” Fang Xin gritted her teeth.

“Oh? Now I’m curious how you won’t let me off,” Song Kechi mused, amused.

“Get to the point!” Fang Xin clenched her jaw.

“Alright, alright.” Song Kechi adopted a slightly more serious tone. “You know they filmed at a haunted house today, right?”

“Yeah, so?” Fang Xin didn’t follow. “Yi Qian isn’t scared of ghosts.”

“But Shuyi is terrified, actually. So much so she can’t even go to the bathroom alone.” Song Kechi paused. “She just called, asking me to come over, but I told her I’m busy. Though,  I’m sure Yi Qian would be happy to make time?”

“Absolutely!” Fang Xin replied without hesitation. “But how do you know she’d react that way? From the show, it seems Yi Qian genuinely doesn’t know.”

Song Kechi: “Of course I know. I watched horror movies with her before.”

She had actually been quite shocked to see Ye Shuyi’s frightened reaction at the time. Before watching, Ye Shuyi had repeatedly assured her she wasn’t scared at all, only to later admit she’d never seen horror movies before and simply assumed she wouldn’t be afraid.

“So that’s how it is. Considering you’ve given me valuable intel today, I’ll let the ice cream incident slide,” Fang Xin said magnanimously.

“But that’s not all. Today I specifically went to Shuyi’s house, tuned the TV to a horror channel, set a timer for the toaster, and placed a small stainless steel bowl on the bread. When the toast pops up, the bowl would fall and make a loud noise. And I’m certain she wouldn’t dare go check the kitchen alone. She probably called right after the bowl fell.”

Song Kechi understood Ye Shuyi well the other wouldn’t easily show certain emotions unless they reached a certain threshold, which was why she’d set up two triggers.

Fang Xin was silent for a moment before swallowing hard: “Even so, I don’t know what sin Ye Shuyi committed in her past life to meet someone like you in this one.”

Song Kechi chuckled lightly: “Then meeting me in this life must be your best friend’s good fortune.”

“So,  since I’ve brought your best friend such great fortune, how will you repay me?”

Fang Xin hesitated before saying: “I’ll treat you to an ice cream.”

Song Kechi raised an eyebrow, curling her lips: “Whatever.”

As long as they could meet.

“Alright then, that’s settled for now. I’ll go tell Yi Qian the good news.”

Inside Ye Shuyi’s villa, Yi Qian’s singing filled the entire house. The homeowner sat cross-legged on the sofa, still unable to focus. Images from the haunted house kept surfacing in her mind. She’d tried turning off the music, but that only made the mental images more vivid.

At least Yi Qian’s singing provided some sense of security.

Suddenly, the music volume lowered as message notifications chimed repeatedly on her phone.

Ye Shuyi jumped, clutching her chest and taking a deep breath before picking up her phone to check the messages.

Seeing the sender’s name, her pupils slightly dilated.

A-Qian: [I’m outside your door.]

Just as Ye Shuyi was about to reply with a question mark, another message immediately popped up: [Don’t doubt me. First turn off my song, then open the curtains and look.]

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