Why Did the Top Alpha Suddenly Stop Acting Out? - Chapter 44

Yi Qian gently laid the person in her arms onto the bed, her hands braced on either side of the other’s face. She reached up to smooth the slightly tousled hair before pressing a deep kiss to her forehead. Then, lifting herself slightly, she stroked the top of her head and murmured, “Sleep now, I won’t tease you anymore.”

She pulled the blanket over her, tucking her in, and kissed her forehead once more, nuzzling her nose lightly against hers. “Be good and sleep, don’t overthink things, alright?”

The person beneath her blinked, her doe-like eyes dark and slightly dazed. The corner of Yi Qian’s lips curled. “Or… should I sing you a lullaby?”

Ye Shuyi tugged the blanket up, covering half her face, leaving only her striking dark eyes visible as she shook her head slightly.

Yi Qian swallowed unconsciously, averting her gaze before ruffling her hair, her voice soft as water. “Then just sleep well.”

With that, she straightened up, circled around the foot of the bed, and lay down on the other side, turning her back to Ye Shuyi. She switched off the light.

Outside, snowflakes drifted like feathers, and the night was as still as deep water.

Silence stretched within the room.

After keeping her eyes closed for a while, Yi Qian opened them again, her gaze reflecting the snow falling beyond the floor-to-ceiling window. Lost in thought, she didn’t move.

Just as she was about to close her eyes once more, a faint rustling sound came from behind her. The blanket shifted slightly as if being tugged. Yi Qian tensed, waiting for the other’s next move. From the sound of it, the person behind her was inching closer, little by little, until she could almost feel the warmth of their breath against her back.

For a moment, everything fell still again. Though Ye Shuyi didn’t do anything further, Yi Qian could sense how close she was now.

Her suspended heart eased slightly, and she was about to close her eyes when,

A small finger poked her back.

“Are you asleep?” The voice was quiet, tentative.

Yi Qian paused but didn’t turn over, answering evenly, “No. What is it?”

“Aren’t you going to hold me?” Ye Shuyi’s tone was light, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Before this, Yi Qian had always held her while they slept, it helped her rest better.

Yi Qian stiffened.

Right now, she was an alpha in the early stages of rut. Even with suppressants, an omega she had bonded with was an overwhelming temptation at any time, let alone now, when she was in a sensitive state. The fact that they were sharing the same bed already made restraint difficult. In the words of netizens, she was practically a saint for holding back.

If she had to hold her now, how could she endure it?

Just as she was about to refuse, Ye Shuyi spoke again.

“Knowing you’re here but so far away. I can’t sleep.”

Her voice wavered slightly, as if testing something.

Strangely, Yi Qian felt soothed by those words. The desire was still there, it was an alpha’s nature, something she couldn’t erase. But in the face of the one she loved, even those urges didn’t seem so uncontrollable.

The person she loved had been deeply hurt today.

The person she loved needed her embrace.

Yi Qian closed her eyes and took a deep breath before slowly turning around and pulling the person behind her into her embrace. She lowered her head slightly to plant a gentle kiss on the crown of her hair, patting her back soothingly as if comforting a child. “Sleep peacefully,” she murmured.

Ye Shuyi’s hand rested on her waist as she gave a faint nod.

☆

The night passed in dreamless slumber.

The next morning, Yi Qian was awakened by the vibration of her phone.

She propped herself up slightly and glanced toward the floor-to-ceiling window, raising a hand to shield her eyes from the glaring sunlight. Reaching for the buzzing phone on the nightstand, she was about to answer when her gaze fell on the person nestled in her arms. Ye Shuyi’s long, delicate lashes were dusted with golden light, her fair cheeks glowing with a translucent radiance that revealed fine downy hairs. Perhaps disturbed by the sunlight, a faint frown creased her brow.

Watching her, the corners of Yi Qian’s lips curved upward. After years apart, she finally felt the joy of waking again not because of schedules or biological clocks. Even if roused abruptly, opening her eyes to see her lover’s sleeping face made this moment beautiful nonetheless.

She shifted slightly to block the scattered rays of sunlight and pressed another soft kiss to the furrowed brow. “Good morning, darling,” she whispered.

As the words left her lips, she answered the call.

The moment the connection was made, a venomous voice exploded through the receiver: “You ungrateful brat! Too big for your boots now, are you? Daring to ignore your own mother’s calls? Or did you drop dead somewhere after leaving home last night? Huh? Couldn’t hear the phone ringing, is that it.”

The woman’s vulgar tirade rained down like a barrage of bombs, tearing a jagged hole through the peaceful morning. Yi Qian’s brow twitched slightly as she glanced at the caller ID displayed on screen.

Mother.

A knot formed between Yi Qian’s eyebrows. Looking down at the peacefully sleeping figure, she carefully withdrew her arm from beneath Ye Shuyi’s neck, grabbed the curtain remote to close them, then carried the phone out of the bedroom.

Seated in the living room, Yi Qian stared blankly into space, listening in silence to the stream of curses.

After what felt like an eternity, the other end seemed to realize something was amiss. The ranting paused. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Nothing to say for yourself?” the woman sneered. “Fine. Just transfer the money immediately, and I’ll pretend this never happened.”

At this, Yi Qian arched an eyebrow before suddenly bursting into laughter, as if she’d heard the most hilarious joke in the world.

The living room echoed with her unrestrained mirth, the sound lingering like reverberating notes.

When the laughter finally subsided, her voice still carried traces of amusement but was now ice-cold. “Is that all? Please, continue.”

The woman on the other end gulped audibly, seemingly startled by Yi Qian’s earlier outburst. “You… who is this?” she stammered. “Ye Shuyi’s new girlfriend?”

Yi Qian’s eyebrow rose higher as she latched onto the keyword. “New?” she drawled.

The woman on the line seemed to seize upon this like a lifeline, her voice regaining confidence. “That’s right. Your voice is different from the one she brought home last time.”

So she’d introduced someone to her family already?

This meant Yi Qian knew nothing about Ye Shuyi’s romantic life over the years nor the real reason she’d returned to her now.

The light in Yi Qian’s eyes dimmed, though her tone remained perfectly even. “Do you know her name?”

The woman on the other end had barely started speaking when she abruptly cut herself off and changed tack, “Little girl, I’m Ye Shuyi’s mother. How about you transfer me a few thousand first? Auntie here needs the money urgently.”

“No problem at all. I’ll transfer you triple the amount later,” Yi Qian replied smoothly, her lips curling into a smile.

“Wonderful, wonderful! Auntie will tell you everything I know, absolutely everything.” The woman paused slightly, as if trying to recall something. “Over the past three years, she’s brought home a different woman each year. I can hardly remember the first two, but last year’s left quite an impression her name was something like Song… Song Chi, was it?”

“That girl was lovely pretty, sweet-talking, and generous too. She brought me all sorts of expensive gifts, almost made me feel embarrassed. The two from previous years weren’t much, showing up empty-handed and even eating a free meal at my place.”

“But since you’re her new girlfriend this year, why didn’t she bring you back yesterday? I wonder if she’ll come back again for New Year’s. If you plan to come along, don’t bother bringing anything, alright? Auntie would feel bad.”

She rattled off this string of words without waiting for Yi Qian’s response, then continued, “Last year’s girl was truly the best, so attentive and caring toward Shushu. I can’t imagine why they broke up. I really liked that girl. But since they did, there must have been something wrong with her. Breaking up just means she made room for someone better you! Don’t you think so?”

“Auntie believes I’ll like you even more.”

Silence fell heavily between them, the air around Yi Qian turning so cold it seemed to freeze solid.

Yi Qian ground her molars, pressing her tongue against her cheek before pinching the bridge of her nose. “Did she personally introduce them to you as her girlfriends?”

“Well, no,” the woman answered matter-of-factly. “But why else would she bring them home? Especially during family reunion holidays.”

“Then…” Yi Qian frowned, thinking hard before finally asking, “Has she ever mentioned anyone she officially acknowledged as a girlfriend, or… an ex-girlfriend?”

“Yes, just one, a girl named Yi Qian. But I’ve never met her, no idea what that wretched girl looks like. Probably just as useless as Shushu’s father no ambition, expecting others to support them. Just a pair of leeches.” Her tone dripped with disdain before she added, “Thankfully Shushu listened to reason and left that woman. Otherwise, she’d never have achieved what she has today. She really ought to thank me.”

“Besides, if she hadn’t broken up back then, she wouldn’t have met someone as wonderful as you. It all connects, doesn’t it?”

Her words carried the unmistakable implication that Yi Qian should be grateful to her.

Yi Qian’s eyebrows shot up, and through clenched teeth, she played along, “I think I really ought to thank you properly.”

Too excited to detect the underlying edge in her voice, the woman eagerly agreed, “Exactly! Auntie’s told you everything you wanted to know, so about that money transfer…”

“Not a single cent.” Before the other side could finish, Yi Qian coldly interrupted.

“What? What do you mean?” The voice on the other end sounded shocked, as if still processing the words.

“I said, not. a. single. cent.” Yi Qian enunciated each word slowly.

“Hey, how can a young girl like you go back on her word and deceive an old woman like me? You should know I’m Ye Shuyi’s mother. If you lie to me, don’t think I won’t!”

“Before that, aren’t you curious about who I am?” Yi Qian cut off her rambling.

“I don’t care who you are! Even if the heavens themselves stood before me, they’d still have to keep their word.”

“My name is Yi Qian,” she interjected calmly.

“So what if you’re Yi Qian? Does being Yi Qian mean you’ll give me money? You’re, Yi Qian!?” The woman’s voice suddenly cut off, her tone rising sharply at the end.

“Yes, I’m the very same Yi Qian you described the one you urged to break up, the one with a ‘pitiful face,’ the one with ‘no ambition,’ the one who supposedly leeches off their partner. The blood-sucking Yi Qian.” She emphasized the last five words, speaking deliberately as if to ensure the other party heard every syllable. “I’m glad Shuyi mentioned me to you. But perhaps she didn’t tell you, I’m not lacking ambition. The reason I chose not to work before was because my family has more money than I could spend in three lifetimes, even if I squandered it recklessly. Even if Shuyi didn’t work, I could support her just fine. All I wanted was more time together.”

Silence stretched on the other end. Just as Yi Qian was about to continue, the woman suddenly spoke again, her tone now gentle and amiable, as if the foul-mouthed shrew from before had been replaced by someone else entirely.

“Oh, so it’s you, Xiao Yi! Auntie was just joking earlier, just let it go in one ear and out the other…”

“Save it. I’m not in the mood for jokes. I just want to tell you one more thing every single insult and personal attack you hurled at Shuyi earlier, I’ve recorded all of it. You’ll be hearing from my lawyer.”

With that, Yi Qian hung up. She nearly flung the phone aside in frustration but caught herself this was Ye Shuyi’s phone. Instead, she set it down carefully on the table in front of her.

Leaning back against the sofa, she stared blankly at the ceiling for a while before lifting a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. The call had left her mind in turmoil, too much information to process at once.

After a long moment, she turned her gaze toward the hallway leading to the master bedroom. Then, as if suddenly resolved, she stood, picked up the phone, and walked toward the bedroom.

Pushing the door open, she saw the figure on the bed lying with her back turned, still sleeping peacefully.

Yi Qian tiptoed inside, placed the phone on the nightstand, then climbed onto the bed. Wrapping her arms around the other woman from behind, she tugged lightly at the fabric on her shoulder with her teeth before biting down gently as if marking her, or perhaps venting some unspoken frustration.

The sleeping figure stirred, then turned her head slightly, blinking drowsily with a hint of confusion. Her voice was rough with sleep.

“What’s wrong?”

Yi Qian briefly released her grip on Shu Yi’s shoulder, raising her eyes to look at her with an expression of utter grievance, mumbling in a pouty voice, “I’m unhappy, very unhappy.”

Having said that, she lowered her head again to bite Shu Yi’s shoulder, this time with more force than before.

Shu Yi hissed in pain but chuckled helplessly, “If you’re unhappy, you bite me, are you a dog?”

Yi Qian let go of her shoulder and nuzzled against her back, her voice muffled, “I’ll be whatever you say I am.”

Shu Yi picked up the remote from the bed and pressed the button to open the curtains. As they drew apart, the dimly lit room gradually brightened. She turned around, shifting downward until her gaze was level with Yi Qian’s, then reached out to stroke her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Who upset you so early in the morning, hm?”

“Your mom.” At those two words, Yi Qian clearly felt the hand on her head pause. She continued, “She called just now. I was half-asleep and thought it was my phone, so I answered without checking. Then… for some reason, we ended up talking for a while.”

After hearing this, Shu Yi didn’t respond immediately. The amusement in her eyes gradually rippled into something more turbulent. Yi Qian noticed but chose not to elaborate further.

The two lay facing each other in silence, each quietly sorting through their emotions.

After a long while, Shu Yi resumed stroking Yi Qian’s head, as if soothing a restless animal, and asked softly, “So upset… did she scold you?”

Yi Qian took a deep breath. She wanted to say, “No, she scolded you, but hearing that hurt me more than if she’d scolded me.”

She also wanted to say, “She told me you bring home a new girlfriend every year. Why, after three years together, have you never once taken me back?”

Most of all, she wanted to ask, “Why did you actually break up with me just because your mom told you to? Don’t you know who I really am?”

Three mountains of “grievance” weighed on her mind. Yi Qian climbed over each one, deliberating carefully before finally choosing the one that seemed easiest to voice. In a tone dripping with wounded pride, she whined like a wronged puppy:

“Your mom said that in the three years since we broke up, you’ve brought a different girlfriend home every year. It’s not that I mind… really, I don’t mind that you dated three people after leaving me. What I mind is that in the three years we were together, you always found excuses not to take me home.”

Having said her piece, she removed Shu Yi’s hand from her head and fully committed to her role as the aggrieved puppy, lightly biting her arm instead.

Shu Yi watched her, amused by how obviously jealous she was while stubbornly refusing to admit it. She let Yi Qian continue “gnawing” on her arm and poked her cheek with her free hand. “You believed her?”

Yi Qian released her arm just long enough to shake her head and mutter, “I only believe you,” before biting down again.

Shu Yi chuckled. “Do you really want to meet her that badly?”

Yi Qian shook her head, letting go once more. “It’s just… I was with you for three years and never got to go. They only lasted a year, and they all got to go.”

“Three years! One year!”

She raised both hands, one showing three fingers and the other a single digit, physically demonstrating the difference between the two numbers with a persistently pitiful tone. After speaking, she bit down on Ye Shuyi’s arm again, as if it were some delicious dog bone she could gnaw on endlessly without getting bored.

Ye Shuyi glanced at her arm and chuckled. “So what you’re upset about is that they’ve been to my house, not that she claimed they were all my girlfriends, right?”

Yi Qian didn’t release her arm this time but slowly lifted her eyes to gaze at her with a pitiful expression, mumbling indistinctly, “Did they go as your girlfriends?”

Though the words were slurred, Ye Shuyi heard them clearly. She tapped Yi Qian’s “dog” head with her knuckles, emphasizing each word with a tap: “If you believe they’re my girlfriends, why are you still acting spoiled with me?”

After twenty-one taps, Yi Qian rubbed her head but continued biting Ye Shuyi, still mumbling, “I only believe you.”

Ye Shuyi pulled her arm away, cupped Yi Qian’s face, and looked directly into her eyes, explaining succinctly: “The first two are my colleagues. As for Song Ke Chi, you know her. Her family likes me a lot, so she came with me to pay New Year’s respects.”

Leaning down, she kissed Yi Qian’s lips briefly before pulling back with a faint smile. “Still upset?”

Yi Qian kissed the tip of her nose in return and nuzzled lightly, her tone sincere: “I told you, I only believe you.”

The pause between the subject and verb seemed to emphasize that she would unconditionally believe whatever the other said, no matter what it was.

Wrapping her arms around Ye Shuyi, they nestled together as time flowed peacefully. Yet, unbidden, the vulgar words Ye Shuyi’s mother had spoken flashed through Yi Qian’s mind. At the end of the call, she’d told the woman she’d recorded everything to hand over to a lawyer, she hadn’t been joking. The person she cherished most couldn’t be insulted by anyone, even if that person was her mother.

But…

In their three years together, Ye Shuyi had rarely mentioned her mother. Yet Yi Qian remembered clearly: in Ye Shuyi’s words, her mother was driven, intellectual, rational, and highly capable.

But after hearing today’s vitriol, those descriptors felt irreconcilable. The woman’s slurs today were severe enough to warrant a defamation lawsuit and a three-year sentence.

But… would Ye Shuyi accept that?

Judging by her past remarks, she clearly respected and loved her mother deeply. In other words, her mother should have been someone worthy of that love.

But if that were true…

Why had Ye Shuyi returned home so distraught yesterday? What had happened there?

Could those abusive curses this morning really have come from a mother who cherished her daughter?

Resting her cheek against Ye Shuyi’s hair, Yi Qian occasionally nuzzled her while gently patting her back. After long consideration, she decided to ask for her opinion.

“Shuyi,” Yi Qian called her name softly.

“Mmm.” Ye Shuyi lay comfortably in her arms, eyes closed like a cat resting against its owner. That soft, single syllable resembled a feline’s purr, tickling Yi Qian’s heart and making her want to hear it again.

So, she called out once more, “Shuyi.”

“Mmm.” The same kitten-like murmur in response.

“Shuyi.”

With her eyes still shut, Ye Shuyi lightly patted Yi Qian’s stomach, her voice laced with barely suppressed amusement, “What is it, really?”

Yi Qian caught her hand, bringing it to her lips for a gentle kiss, her tone sincere, “I just feel like this moment is too perfect to be real.”

Ye Shuyi withdrew her hand and pinched the soft flesh at Yi Qian’s waist not too hard, but not too gentle either eliciting a soft “hiss” from Yi Qian.

“Does it feel real now?” Ye Shuyi lifted her head from Yi Qian’s embrace, her dark, luminous eyes brimming with amusement.

Yi Qian caught her hand and held it tightly in her own, preventing any further assault on her waist. Softly, she replied, “Mm, it’s real now.”

Satisfied, Ye Shuyi nestled back against Yi Qian’s shoulder and neck, still with her eyes closed. Her fingers, resting at Yi Qian’s side, occasionally clenched and relaxed, as if lost in thought.

Yi Qian twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, pondering how to start the conversation.

“Shuyi.”

“Ah Qian.”

At the same moment, they suddenly called each other’s names in unison.

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