Why Did the Top Alpha Suddenly Stop Acting Out? - Chapter 35

Upon seeing the message “Turn off my song first,” Ye Shuyi guiltily turned off the music and glanced at the tightly drawn curtains of the floor-to-ceiling window. She checked her phone again but remained rooted in place.

She still couldn’t believe Yi Qian would show up at her doorstep.

There was no reason for it.

Soon, her phone chimed with another notification.

Yi Qian: [If you don’t believe me, I’ll knock three times right now.]

Knock, knock, knock!

Three precise knocks no more, no less.

Her phone dinged again: [Can you come open the door now?]

Ye Shuyi stared at the closed door and swallowed hard.

Why did this feel eerily similar to that horror movie she watched with Song Kechi two years ago?

What if whatever was outside wasn’t human?

Once an idea took root, it spiraled out of control.

Scenes from that movie flooded her mind uncontrollably, one after another.

Ding-dong, ding-dong. Ye Shuyi looked at her phone screen, two more new messages:

[Stop imagining things that don’t exist. This is a scientific society.]

[Or do you want me to reminisce about our relationship right here at your door?]

Instead of opening the door immediately, Ye Shuyi decided to call Yi Qian first.

When the familiar ringtone sounded from outside, her gaze snapped toward the door, her heartbeat skipping a beat.

[Yi Qian, pick up the call~ It’s your favorite and the one who loves you most, Ye Shuyi.]

The ringtone cut off abruptly.

But not because the call was answered—it was hung up.

Standing outside, Yi Qian glanced at her phone screen, lips curling slightly as her slender fingers typed rapidly: [Well? Convinced now? Can you open the door?]

[It’s snowing again out here. Freezing.]

After a moment, the tightly shut door finally opened.

A cold gust of wind rushed in. Ye Shuyi tightened the blanket around her shoulders, her expression unreadable, voice calm. “What brings you here so late?”

Yi Qian shrugged nonchalantly. “Just,  I was home alone and got a little scared, so I thought I’d come find my teammate from today’s shared ordeal.”

Memories of Yi Qian’s earlier deception flashed through Ye Shuyi’s mind. She lowered her lashes slightly, took a deep breath, and chose not to address it, sticking to the matter at hand. “What do you really want?”

“I… really am scared.” Yi Qian’s composed demeanor instantly melted into something pitiful, like a puppy abandoned by its owner. “Can’t I stay here for the night?”

Ye Shuyi’s tone remained flat, though her expression turned slightly stern. “I distinctly remember you threatening ghosts with a microphone.”

Was this person addicted to lying to her?

“I wasn’t scared then, but the aftereffects hit hard. Being alone at home, I feel like there are people everywhere.”

Yi Qian’s reasoning sounded perfectly logical.

“You can go home or visit your best friend.”

Ye Shuyi’s rejection was polite but firm.

Outside, snowflakes drifted down, a few landing on Yi Qian’s hair. Ye Shuyi averted her gaze.

The two stood in a stalemate, one inside, one outside, as the snow fell heavier and heavier.

Yi Qian silently watched her, his eyes clouded with unreadable emotions, but eventually nodded and turned to leave: “I’ll go first then.”

Ye Shuyi frowned, staring at his retreating figure for a moment, parting her lips as if to speak—yet no words came out.

She reached for the door handle, about to shut it completely. Just before the lock could click into place, the door was suddenly yanked open by an unseen force.

Before Ye Shuyi could react, Yi Qian had already pushed her against the wall, his scorching, urgent kisses descending like a blizzard.

One hand cradled the back of her head protectively, while the other seized her wrists as she tried to push him away. Ignoring her struggles, his lips pressed firmly against hers, relentlessly stealing the oxygen from her mouth.

Ye Shuyi barely managed to evade his fierce assault, twisting her face aside as she gasped out, “Yi Qian, have you lost your mind?”

“Not at all,” he murmured, his breath hot against her skin. “Just here to take back what’s mine.”

Another fervent, desperate kiss followed.

“Wait—” She turned her face away again. “Explain yourself first. What do you mean?”

“What do I mean?” Yi Qian nuzzled her nose affectionately, his gaze slightly dazed. “You snuck a kiss last night and forgot already?”

“Since you didn’t ask for my permission then, consider this reciprocity.”

Ye Shuyi was left speechless.

After their rehearsal last night, sleep had eluded her, her mind flooded with memories of Yi Qian.

The small, sweet moments of happiness.

The occasional petty arguments.

One after another, her conscious mind dredged them up, as if punishing her with the weight of the past.

She had no idea how long she lay awake—likely well past midnight—before drowsiness finally crept in. But in that hazy state between sleep and wakefulness, a trembling voice from the neighboring bed jolted her back to alertness.

“Shuyi!”

Yi Qian’s voice quivered as he called her name. Startled, Ye Shuyi quickly sat up and glanced over, only to find him tossing restlessly in bed.

Without hesitation, she slipped out of bed and approached, sitting beside him.

“Don’t leave me, I know I was wrong.”

She took his hand, soothingly stroking the back of it, but it did little to calm him. Yi Qian’s body continued to tremble, his murmurs barely coherent.

“Shuyi, where are you? Come back, please!”

A pang of bitterness tightened her chest. Her lashes fluttered as she lowered her gaze.

Climbing onto the bed, she gathered him into her arms, cradling him like a child—one hand holding his, the other gently patting his shoulder.

In the dim room, moonlight spilled softly across the sheets. Half of Ye Shuyi’s face was shadowed, the other half bathed in silver. Her gaze never left the figure in her arms, tender and deep as the night itself.

Time blurred. Eventually, the restless trembling stilled, and Yi Qian whispered one last phrase:

“I really do love you.”

“I love you too,” she whispered back, bending down to press a featherlight kiss to his lips. “And I’m sorry.”

–

“Remember now?” Yi Qian’s voice was low and velvety, his breath warm against her ear as his chin brushed along her neck.

The teasing friction sent shivers down her spine, and Ye Shuyi turned her head away.

“So,  last night, you were acting?”

After the initial embarrassment, Ye Shuyi slowly realized that this person had been putting on an act to deceive her last night.

“No.”

Yi Qian’s chin rested on her shoulder as she inhaled deeply at the base of her neck. Every time Ye Shuyi tried to pull away, Yi Qian followed relentlessly, pressing her entire body against her.

“So, can I have my kiss back now?”

Yi Qian lifted her head, her gaze growing increasingly unfocused. She pinched Ye Shuyi’s chin lightly, then leaned in to kiss her.

Ye Shuyi avoided her lips, but this time, Yi Qian didn’t linger there. Instead, she turned her head and nuzzled persistently against Ye Shuyi’s neck.

Ye Shuyi steadied her with a hand, noticing the unusual heat radiating from Yi Qian’s body—and suddenly, she understood.

Just then, she felt Yi Qian’s teeth press against the most vulnerable part of her neck.

Ye Shuyi quickly pushed her away, keeping her from her scent gland. Staring into Yi Qian’s unfocused eyes, she was certain—Yi Qian was in the early stages of a rut, and worse, the critical first-day outbreak phase.

In this world, top-tier alphas experienced ruts every three months, lasting about ten days. It consisted of a three-day pre-rut phase and a seven-day peak rut phase.

The pre-rut was a latent stage leading up to the peak. If an alpha relied solely on physical release during this time without proper suppressant medication, the peak phase would spiral out of control—emotions would become unmanageable, physical demands would intensify, and the frequency would exceed what any omega could endure. The alpha’s unmet needs would trigger violent outbursts, leading to complete chaos.

An alpha in the outbreak stage of pre-rut, if not controlled in time, would lose all self-restraint by the mid-to-late phase, driven entirely by instinct.

The good news? Yi Qian could still answer questions, meaning she was in the early outbreak stage with some awareness left. A suppressant or inhibitor could quickly stabilize her.

The bad news? Ye Shuyi had no idea if Yi Qian had brought any.

She dodged Yi Qian’s lips as they sought her scent gland again, gripping her chin to force eye contact. “Yi Qian,” she demanded urgently, “did you bring any suppressants?”

Yi Qian lifted her eyelids, her pale eyes hazy as if veiled in mist. It took her a moment to process the question before she exhaled a hot, damp breath. “Yes. In the car.”

Ye Shuyi immediately turned her around, bracing her against the wall, and began searching her clothes for the car keys.

“So hot!” Yi Qian murmured, tugging at the zipper of her coat before moving to unbutton her collar.

Ye Shuyi checked the outer pockets of Yi Qian’s coat but found nothing. She reached into the inner pocket instead—

Only for her hand to be seized and pressed against Yi Qian’s chest.

Ye Shuyi froze, her eyes snapping up to meet Yi Qian’s.

The person before her had flushed cheeks, their pale eyes moist and tinged with red. The collar of their shirt was askew, revealing a slender, fair neck gradually turning rosy. Where the collar gaped open, the alluring curve of smooth collarbones peeked through. Their rising body temperature seemed intent on melting this alpha into the most delectable “dinner” imaginable.

Ye Shuyi unconsciously swallowed hard, licking her slightly parched lips.

“Shuyi, I’m so hot~”

The drawn-out tone was soft and pleading, carrying both a cry for help and a hint of coquetry.

Hearing those whispered murmurs, Ye Shuyi’s body stiffened slightly. She immediately withdrew her hand, patting the other’s head soothingly. “Just wait a little longer, the heat will pass soon. Be good for me,” she coaxed, her movements growing slightly hurried as she continued searching for the keys.

When Yi Qian raised a hand to undo more shirt buttons, Ye Shuyi used her free hand to stop her—fortunately finding the keys the next second.

She helped Yi Qian slide down onto the carpet before standing up with the keys in hand.

By now, Yi Qian’s consciousness was beginning to blur. Seeing Ye Shuyi stand and move away, she instantly reached out to grab her wrist, her voice tinged with grievance. “Where are you going?”

Unable to explain properly, Ye Shuyi gently patted the back of her hand. “Be good, I’ll be right back,” she soothed before pulling free and dashing out the door with the keys.

Outside, the snowfall seemed heavier, the flakes brushing cold and sharp against her cheeks. But she paid no mind, running straight to Yi Qian’s parking spot.

Thankfully, the suppressants were stored in the driver’s side compartment. After confirming this, she wasted no time rushing back home.

Returning to Yi Qian’s side, Ye Shuyi immediately administered the suppressant, then helped her toward the sofa.

Just as she tried to settle her down, however, a firm grip suddenly tightened around her waist. In an instant, the world tilted, her vision flipped upside down as she found herself pinned to the sofa instead.

The culprit swiftly loomed over her, those pale eyes now clear and alert. A knowing smile played at the corners of Yi Qian’s lips as she reached up to toy with a strand of Ye Shuyi’s hair, murmuring silkily, “Now can I have my kiss back?”

Support