Why Did the Top Alpha Suddenly Stop Acting Out? - Chapter 43

The car came to a slow stop. Ye Shuyi looked up at the tightly shut gate before her, her expression slightly dazed.

Why had she driven here again?

Peering through the railings, she saw Yi Qian sitting on the sofa, holding a bowl of grapes, engrossed in watching TV.

She was home today.

The first time she had returned here to pick up Yi Qian, she had been utterly shocked. She had assumed Yi Qian had long since moved out, as she had come back many times before without ever seeing anyone. Whether day or night, the gate had always been shut tight, the lights dark.

Nostalgically, she gazed at the place they had once shared. Back then, every time she came home at night, someone would rush out to greet her. Even before she could step out of the car, Yi Qian would already be there, waiting. The moment she closed the car door, she would be pulled into a warm embrace, Yi Qian clinging to her and whining, “Baby, you’re finally back. I missed you so much.”

At times like that, Ye Shuyi wouldn’t hesitate to slip her hands inside Yi Qian’s open coat, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist and burying her face against her neck, quietly recharging.

Yi Qian would gently stroke her head and ask softly, “Had a rough day?”

The person nestled in her arms would give a small nod.

Yi Qian would press a kiss to the top of her head. “Want me to carry you inside?”

Had she agreed or refused back then?

Ye Shuyi tried to recall. Most of the time, she had probably agreed.

Before she fell in love, she had never imagined she would become so dependent on someone. That was why, when they broke up, she had hesitated for so long dragging it out again and again.

She had thought that without Yi Qian, she wouldn’t be able to go on.

But once she made up her mind to separate, she quickly adapted to life alone again. It wasn’t that it hadn’t hurt that would have been a lie but the pain wasn’t as unbearable as she had imagined.

If even Yi Qian could be set aside, what more of the so-called family ties that had long since frayed?

After tonight, everything would be behind them.

It would all be over.

Ye Shuyi withdrew her gaze and started the car.

She slowly turned the steering wheel to reverse, but halfway through, a figure suddenly darted out and blocked the car’s path.

Ye Shuyi immediately lifted her foot from the accelerator, her eyes widening in alarm at the person standing in front of the car. Under the warm glow of the streetlight, Yi Qian stood there in thin loungewear, her nose slightly red, her chest rising and falling as she stared at Ye Shuyi with unmistakable reproach.

Yi Qian waved at her, signaling for her to get out.

Ye Shuyi hesitated, frowning slightly, but she complied.

Yi Qian strode over, pulled her aside, then got into the car herself and parked it properly. Without a word, she then took Ye Shuyi’s hand and led her inside.

Unlike the freezing cold outside, the moment they stepped through the door, warmth enveloped Ye Shuyi from all sides, making her shiver involuntarily.

Yi Qian opened the shoe cabinet, slipped into a pair of slippers, then pulled out a shoe storage bag and placed the pair inside at Ye Shuyi’s feet.

Looking down at the slippers, Ye Shuyi’s pupils slowly dilated.

Kneeling before her, Yi Qian glanced up at her expression and smirked in satisfaction. “Seems like you still remember.”

How could she not remember? These were the slippers she used to love wearing most. When she received her luggage and didn’t find them, she had missed them a little, but never thought to come back for them they were just slippers after all, she could always buy new ones.

But when she finally gathered herself to go shopping, she stood before that pair of shoes for a long time, she wasn’t sure exactly how long, only that in the end, she didn’t buy them, and never bought another pair again.

She never expected these slippers to still be here.

“Thought I threw them away?” Yi Qian asked lightly, watching her.

Ye Shuyi looked up at her, silently confirming.

Yi Qian shrugged with feigned nonchalance: “I’m not their owner. I had no right to throw them away.”

Entering the living room, Ye Shuyi glanced around everything felt familiar. The decor hadn’t changed at all, not even the placement of any large or small items.

“Feels familiar?” Yi Qian leaned casually against the wall, her gaze lingering gently on her.

Ye Shuyi looked at her and nodded slightly.

“You know I’ve always hated trouble, so I couldn’t be bothered to change anything,” Yi Qian said in an offhand tone.

Sitting on the sofa with her arms crossed, Yi Qian looked completely at ease, as if casually asking: “Why are you here so late?”

Ye Shuyi paused at the question, glancing at the wall clock, it was already 10 PM.

Instead of answering, she changed the subject: “Why are you still up so late?”

Yi Qian’s light-colored eyes studied her for a moment, as if probing for something, but she didn’t press further. She just tilted her chin toward the TV: “Planning to finish this movie before bed. You know me. I’ve never liked leaving things half-done, no matter what it is.”

Avoiding her gaze, Ye Shuyi nodded slightly: “Then rest early after you finish. I should go.”

Yi Qian quickly stood and blocked her path: “It’s so late, where are you going?”

“Home.”

“Can’t you stay here tonight?”

Ye Shuyi froze slightly, raising her eyes to meet Yi Qian’s.

Yi Qian wrapped her arms around Ye Shuyi’s shoulders, pulling her into an embrace, gently stroking her hair with utmost tenderness: “Just one night, okay? Don’t overthink anything.”

Ye Shuyi circled her arms around Yi Qian’s waist and nodded lightly against her chest.

Seeing her agreement, Yi Qian exhaled softly: “Did you eat dinner? Are you hungry? I’ll make you something.”

“I’m not!”

Before she could finish, someone’s stomach growled twice.

Yi Qian stifled a laugh: “I’m pretty sure that wasn’t me.”

Grrr!

Hearing the soft laughter by her ear, Ye Shuyi gave up pretending: “Fine, I’m hungry.” Her trailing tone carried a hint of a pout.

Yi Qian straightened, then bent down to eye Ye Shuyi’s stomach playfully: “You’re much more honest than your owner. Let me ask you something, answer truthfully.” She paused, glancing teasingly at Ye Shuyi before continuing, “Did your owner really want to stay tonight? If yes, growl twice.”

Grrr… Grrr!

Not one sound more, not one less.

Ye Shuyi: “……”

She felt she might need to take her artist to the hospital.

Yi Qian beamed with a smile, straightened up, and reached out to pat Ye Shuyi’s head as if smoothing her hair. “What would you like to eat? I’ll cook for you.”

Ye Shuyi raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you ask it?”

“Can I?” Yi Qian chuckled.

Ye Shuyi: “……”

Seeing Yi Qian about to lower her head, she quickly said, “Just a simple bowl of noodles will do.”

“Alright, I’ll make it for you,” Yi Qian replied dotingly. “Why don’t you take this time to shower? You’ve gotten yourself all dusty.”

As she spoke, she reached out and playfully rubbed Ye Shuyi’s face.

“Have I?” Ye Shuyi touched her own cheek.

Yi Qian turned her around and nudged her toward the bathroom. “If I say so, then yes. Just listen to me, it won’t steer you wrong.”

Opening the bathroom door, she pushed Ye Shuyi inside and followed her in. Seeing the other woman’s eyes widen in surprise like a startled kitten, Yi Qian lightly flicked her forehead with a finger. “What are you thinking?”

Ye Shuyi shook her head slightly.

Yi Qian narrowed her eyes at her. “Really, nothing?”

Noticing the way Ye Shuyi’s brows twitched as if she were about to bristle, Yi Qian surrendered. “Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore.”

She then opened the wardrobe by the entrance, presenting it to Ye Shuyi as if showcasing some rare treasure, though in reality, it was just filled with various sets of pajamas.

“The ones on the right are your size, and the ones on the left are mine. But you can wear any of them. I’d be happy if you wore mine.”

“The bottom drawer has your favorite toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, body wash, and towels from the brand you love.”

Her voice brimmed with excitement as she introduced each item, as if delighted that these things had finally welcomed their owner home.

However, if Fang Xin had known about this, she would’ve smacked Yi Qian’s head and said, “Are you an idiot? Telling her everything at once, how is she supposed to trouble you now?”

And indeed, when Yi Qian later recounted this to her, that was exactly what Fang Xin did.

But that was a story for another time.

Ye Shuyi looked at the fully stocked supplies, trying her best to appear nonchalant. “When did you buy all this?”

Yi Qian shook her head faintly, her gaze lingering on the nearly overflowing wardrobe, an unreadable emotion in her eyes. “I don’t even remember exactly when. It’s just,  every time I bought something for myself, I’d think, You might like this one, that one looks nice too, so I’d get them all. Before I knew it, I ended up buying more for you than for myself.”

She finished with a helpless chuckle.

Ye Shuyi glanced at both sides of the wardrobe. It was true, the side with Yi Qian’s pajamas still had plenty of empty space, while the side with her own size only had about a fist’s width left.

Even when shopping for herself, Yi Qian had thought more about her.

She had bought more for Ye Shuyi than for herself.

She had kept the slippers Ye Shuyi once wore, storing them away for three years.

The home they had decorated together remained completely unchanged.

Even in her absence, everything in this house had a place for her.

What had Ye Shuyi ever done to deserve someone who remembered her for so long?

Her eyes suddenly stung with unshed tears. Ye Shuyi took a deep breath, stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around Yi Qian’s waist, her voice choked with emotion: “You idiot. Did you ever think about what would happen if I really didn’t come back?”

Yi Qian froze momentarily before returning the embrace, her hand gently stroking the back of Ye Shuyi’s head, her voice trembling slightly: “But you didn’t let that happen, did you?”

Of course she had thought about it. But,  what preoccupied her mind more wasn’t whether Ye Shuyi would return, but what she would do if this place no longer felt like home when she came back.

“Though you haven’t truly returned yet, I want you to know you’ll never be without a home.”

Yi Qian buried her face in the crook of Ye Shuyi’s neck and continued softly: “Whenever you want to come back, remember to tell me. No matter if it’s storming or raining knives from the sky, I’ll come bring you home.”

Silence fell in the bathroom as the two held each other, lost in the moment, seemingly oblivious to the passage of time.

Ye Shuyi’s eyes gradually reddened. Before the tears could spill, she pressed a kiss to Yi Qian’s neck, then abruptly pushed her away and quickly shut the bathroom door, leaning against it for support.

The series of movements flowed seamlessly.

Caught off guard, Yi Qian stumbled slightly before steadying herself. She stared blankly at the now firmly closed door.

What just happened?

From inside came a muffled voice: “Go make me some noodles. I want to eat as soon as I finish showering.”

Yi Qian studied the silhouette outlined against the frosted glass, slowly comprehending. She rapped her knuckles lightly against the door and teased: “You’re not planning to hide in there forever, are you?”

“Just go.”

The reply was icy.

“Alright, alright. Take your time. Call if you need anything,” Yi Qian chuckled.

Listening as the footsteps faded away, Ye Shuyi slowly turned her gaze toward the wardrobe before looking down again with a bitter laugh.

For her, today had been truly surreal.

The place that should have welcomed her had rejected her completely, while this home she’d once abandoned still bore traces of her everywhere.

Perhaps this was fate’s design.

She had been the one to initiate the breakup. By all rights, she should have stayed far away, never appearing before Yi Qian again.

Yet she had returned of her own accord, proof that after all these years, she still hadn’t moved on.

She had missed this terribly this home, the person in it, the unique sense of belonging and security they’d given her.

She’d come back to reclaim everything she couldn’t let go of after losing it.

Now reality showed that everything from the past had been carefully preserved by that person. If she wanted, perhaps everything could return to how it was.

But the thing she feared most remained unresolved.

Ye Shuyi emerged from the bathroom drying her hair, lost in thought as she walked toward the living room. As she turned the corner, she unexpectedly collided with a warm embrace.

Yi Qian naturally encircled the woman in her arms, nuzzling her nose playfully before smiling: “What’s got you so distracted?”

The woman in her arms looked up. Her dark eyes glistened like a young deer’s first glimpse of the human world clear, luminous, utterly guileless.

Coming back to herself, Ye Shuyi arched a brow slightly.

Mei raised the corners of her lips and said, “I was thinking whether my noodles are ready yet.”

Yi Qian supported her waist, pulling her closer until their breaths mingled. Gently brushing against the tip of her nose, she murmured in a slow, suggestive tone, “Extracting the central theme of that sentence means you were thinking about me, right?”

The warm breath tickled her face. Ye Shuyi grabbed a towel and draped it over Yi Qian’s head, rubbing it roughly before scoffing, “So all the lessons I taught you about identifying main ideas are being used for this now?”

With that, she broke free from the embrace and ran off.

Yi Qian pulled the towel off her head, biting her lower lip to suppress a smile before quickly following after her.

When she returned to the living room, she saw Ye Shuyi obediently seated at the dining table, holding a bowl of noodles and taking a deep whiff.

Walking up behind her, Yi Qian gathered the loose strands of her hair and began drying them gently with the towel. “Take your time eating,” she said softly. “I’ll dry your hair for you.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Ye Shuyi suddenly stood up, pecked her lips, and just as swiftly sat back down, facing away as she remarked coolly, “Just adding a little extra flavor to the noodles.”

Yi Qian bent down, whispering by her ear, “Since you’ve already added some, why not let me add a bit more? Or  maybe we could skip the noodles altogether?”

Ye Shuyi pressed the tip of her chopsticks against Yi Qian’s forehead, pushing her back with a detached air. “Don’t disturb my meal.”

Yi Qian, suddenly in the mood for theatrics, grinned and replied, “As you wish, Your Majesty. Enjoy your meal.”

The dining room fell into quiet, one eating in silence, the other drying hair with equal calm. Time flowed gently, serene and unhurried.

Yi Qian gazed tenderly at the woman before her, her lips curled in a faint smile.

If only this scene could happen every day.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Ye Shuyi finally set down her chopsticks. Yi Qian placed the towel on the back of a nearby chair and leaned in. “Finished?”

Ye Shuyi tilted back slightly and gave a small nod.

In one swift motion, Yi Qian lifted her hand from the chair and pressed it against the back of Ye Shuyi’s head, capturing her lips in a deep kiss without hesitation.

Her tongue teased at the seam of Ye Shuyi’s lips, nipping lightly at the lower one. Just as Ye Shuyi was about to push her away, Yi Qian seized the moment, slipping past her defenses and claiming her mouth with relentless fervor.

“Mmm!” The kiss lasted until Ye Shuyi felt the oxygen in her lungs nearly depleted. She shoved Yi Qian back, panting slightly. “Enough!”

Yi Qian reluctantly glanced at those sweet, plush lips before stroking her hair and murmuring, “Dessert after dinner. Did you like it?”

Ye Shuyi pushed her away and stood up abruptly, pinching her ears, now flushed crimson. “It’s late. I’m going to brush my teeth and get ready for bed.”

Yi Qian watched her retreating figure with narrowed eyes, then glanced down at her own pajamas. How did I not notice earlier?

After clearing the dishes and tidying the kitchen, she returned to find Ye Shuyi still absent. She settled onto the sofa to wait.

A short while later, Ye Shuyi emerged leisurely from the hallway. Yi Qian studied her with a scrutinizing gaze.

Uncomfortable under the scrutiny, Ye Shuyi asked, “What’s wrong?”

“What do you think?” Yi Qian continued staring at her, her smile carrying an intriguing meaning. “That pajama you’re wearing, you did it on purpose, didn’t you?”

Both of them were dressed in light blue pajamas, one of the few matching couples’ sets among the dozens of sleepwear options, accounting for only about one-fifth of the collection.

Ye Shuyi glanced down at her own pajamas, then looked up to survey Yi Qian’s outfit. As she denied the accusation, she slowly backed away: “No, I just grabbed them randomly. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go to bed now. Goodnight.”

With that, she turned to leave, but unexpectedly, Yi Qian quickly blocked her path, raising an elegant eyebrow. “If it’s not intentional, then why run?”

Ye Shuyi met her gaze calmly, her tone completely composed. “I wasn’t running. I’m just tired and want to sleep.”

“Fine.” Yi Qian studied her for a moment before dropping the subject, nodding toward the space behind her. “The master bedroom is that way.”

Without waiting for a response, Yi Qian placed one hand behind her shoulders and the other under her knees, sweeping her up into a bridal carry without room for protest: “Seems you’ve been away too long, can’t even find your own room anymore. But don’t worry, I’ll take you there.”

Instinctively wrapping her arms around Yi Qian’s neck, Ye Shuyi applied slight pressure in warning: “Put me down. Now.”

Completely unfazed, Yi Qian kissed the tip of her nose, her voice lazily teasing: “Patience, darling. I’ll put you down. eventually.”

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