Why Did the Top Alpha Suddenly Stop Acting Out? - Chapter 52.2

Yi Qian frowned, searching her memory for that day’s events.

“Is this how you usually treat your work? Coming and going as you please, skipping whenever you feel like it?”

“You know my family situation well. This career means little to me.”

The memory of their conversation flashed through Yi Qian’s mind, and she instantly realized the problem. She opened her mouth to explain, but Ye Shuyi spoke first, her tone calm: “Yi Qian, you worked so hard to become a top celebrity because of that joke back then, didn’t you?”

“A joke?” Yi Qian repeated, momentarily unable to recall what she meant. But as soon as the words left her lips, her memory rewound to their university days.

It was a sunny afternoon, and as usual, the two had arranged to meet at their favorite restaurant for lunch.

Yi Qian remembered they had been in a minor disagreement at the time prompted by Ye Shuyi arriving just as another junior student asked for her contact information.

While hesitating over how to refuse, she glanced up and saw Ye Shuyi approaching. Smiling, she ran over, pulling her back to stand in front of the junior. With a bright grin, she introduced, “This is my girlfriend of over three years and the one who will remain so forever, my Ye Shuyi, your senior.”

The flustered junior awkwardly greeted Ye Shuyi before trying to flee, but Yi Qian called out, “Wait a second.”

The junior froze, turning back to look at her. Yi Qian continued, “Could you lend me your phone for a moment? And open the camera first, please.”

The junior, confused, complied.

Yi Qian took the phone, wrapped an arm around Ye Shuyi’s shoulders, and kissed her cheek the moment the shutter clicked.

Snap. The photo was captured.

Returning the phone, Yi Qian earnestly added, “Please help spread the word in your department tell them Senior Yi Qian really, really, really has a girlfriend, so no more asking for my number, okay?”

The junior nodded frantically, about to bolt, when Yi Qian called out again, “Hey, hey, wait!”

Clutching her phone, the junior turned back, looking at Yi Qian with apprehension, as if fearing another bizarre request.

“Nothing major,” Yi Qian said cheerfully. “Just add one more thing when you spread the word, your Senior Ye Shuyi also has a girlfriend.”

“Tell the alphas in your department to stop harassing my wife.” Her expression turned icy as she spoke, the warning unmistakable. But just as quickly, she reverted to her smiling self, like a grinning tiger. “Otherwise, if I see it again, a warning won’t be the end of it.”

The junior nodded vigorously before sprinting away.

Satisfied, Yi Qian wrapped an arm around Ye Shuyi’s waist. “Let’s go eat. Your favorite cilantro noodles.”

Ye Shuyi pushed her hand away, expressionless. “I thought you hated taking photos. And in front of so many people, and then…”

She touched the spot on her cheek where Yi Qian had kissed her, trailing off before walking away without another word.

Yi Qian watched her retreating figure, amused. Even after being publicly together for so long, she still got flustered so easily.

She jogged to catch up, slipping an arm around her waist again, only for Ye Shuyi to swat her away once more.

Yi Qian turned around to face her while walking backward, then leaned in close to her ear with a casual tone: “If you won’t let me put my arm around your waist, then I’ll just have to pick you up instead?”

Ye Shuyi shot her a sidelong glare that seemed to say: You wouldn’t dare?

Raising an eyebrow, Yi Qian swiftly wrapped an arm around her waist and bent down to scoop her up by the knees. Seeing this, Ye Shuyi quickly pressed down on her shoulders and said with some urgency, “Stop! Fine, you can put your arm around me.”

“Now that’s more like it.” Yi Qian straightened up and patted her head affectionately.

While waiting for their food at the restaurant, a couple sitting nearby suddenly started arguing.

The short-haired girl threw her spoon into the bowl with an irritated expression: “You just have to keep replying to messages even during dinner, huh? Who’s so important? Let me see.”

While speaking, the short-haired girl snatched the phone from the girl with voluminous wavy hair.

The wavy-haired girl panicked and tried to grab it back, protesting anxiously, “Don’t look! You’re invading my privacy!”

But no matter what she said, it was already too late, the short-haired girl had seen the contents on the screen.

With a loud smack, the short-haired girl threw the phone back in front of the wavy-haired girl and sneered, “So your so-called privacy is texting another girl flirtatiously while having dinner with me?”

“I… trusted you so much…”

“Let’s break up.”

After coldly dropping those words, the short-haired girl stood up and walked away. The wavy-haired girl quickly grabbed her bag and chased after her.

Ye Shuyi glanced at the girl before shifting her gaze to Yi Qian beside her, only to find the other girl already looking back at her.

Yi Qian leaned forward, arms crossed on the table, the sunlight from the window casting a glow on her face. Her light-colored eyes shimmered, reflecting nothing but Ye Shuyi’s image as she smiled warmly and asked, “What do you want to ask?”

Ye Shuyi averted her eyes, frowning in silence.

Yi Qian gently pinched her chin, turning her face back toward her, and said earnestly, “If there’s anything you want to ask me, just say it. Don’t keep it bottled up. And… I promise, no matter what you ask, I’ll answer honestly.”

As she spoke, she playfully pinched Ye Shuyi’s cheek, her expression full of affection.

Nearby students who witnessed this covered their mouths, giggling. One girl whispered, “The seniors are really… Why even eat lunch? Just watching them is enough to fill us up with their sweetness.”

Though her tone was complaining, her expression was brimming with excitement.

Ye Shuyi still didn’t speak.

“Hmm?” Yi Qian tilted her head, encouraging her to speak.

Ye Shuyi bit her lower lip, but before she could release it, a finger swiftly pressed against her lips.

She looked up to see Yi Qian’s expression slightly serious, her gaze deep and her voice low. “Don’t do that. I might not be able to stop myself from kissing you.”

Ye Shuyi’s pupils dilated slightly, like a startled fawn, and she nodded obediently.

Yi Qian’s fingertip traced her lips before withdrawing, a faint smile curling at the corners of her mouth. “It’s fine. If you don’t want to ask, you don’t have to.”

“If we broke up, what would you do?” The moment the words left Yi Qian’s lips, Ye Shuyi blurted out the question, as if afraid her promise of an honest answer would expire.

Ye Shuyi stared at her with a grave expression, her deer-like eyes flickering with countless unspoken thoughts. Unexpectedly, Yi Qian suddenly burst into laughter.

Ye Shuyi: “???”

Yi Qian waved her hand, still chuckling. “It’s nothing.”

Truthfully, she had been observing Ye Shuyi ever since the couple started arguing earlier. The other girl’s expression had grown increasingly tense, as if she were the one in the middle of the fight.

Seeing her expression shift, Yi Qian had guessed this was the question she’d ask.

And she’d been right.

As Yi Qian continued laughing uncontrollably, drawing curious glances from nearby students, Ye Shuyi’s cheeks gradually flushed pink. But this time, she didn’t shy away. Instead, she pressed Yi Qian’s hand down and said firmly, “I’m not joking.”

Yi Qian suppressed her laughter, her expression turning serious. “Would you ever betray me?”

“Never,” Ye Shuyi answered without hesitation.

“Exactly.” Yi Qian withdrew her hand only to grasp Ye Shuyi’s firmly, declaring with conviction, “Neither would I. So how could we ever break up?”

“But… there are other reasons couples split. What if,just what if, we really did break up someday? What would you do?” Ye Shuyi persisted.

After a thoughtful pause, Yi Qian’s lips curved into a smile. “If we broke up, I’d probably become a top-tier celebrity. The kind so famous everyone knows my name, household recognition. That way, no matter where you went whether you wanted to see me or not you’d have no choice but to see me.”

–

“You thought I was joking back then?” Yi Qian shook her head. “I wasn’t. I truly meant every word.”

Ye Shuyi frowned, about to speak, but Yi Qian anticipated her concern. “What I want you to understand is that when I first entered the entertainment industry, it really was because of what I’d said. Maybe I’m selfish even if we broke up, I couldn’t bear the thought of you forgetting me.”

“At first, my only goal was making sure you’d see me everywhere. But as I immersed myself in this career, I discovered something unexpected. I fell in love with acting the way it lets me experience different lives. I genuinely cherish this profession.”

“The same goes for being a singer. When I channel emotions into songs, I’m always the first to experience their catharsis or healing. That made me realize, if these emotions resonate with me, surely others might need them too. If my music could help people, that positive energy would circle back to me. So,  why not create it?”

After this lengthy confession, Yi Qian cupped Ye Shuyi’s face and kissed her forehead. “Do you understand now?”

Ye Shuyi nodded slightly, returning the kiss on Yi Qian’s lips. For the first time in days, a genuine smile bloomed on her face, though all she said was two simple words: “Thank goodness.”

Thank goodness Yi Qian’s threat that day had just been angry words.

Thank goodness Yi Qian truly loved her career.

Thank goodness they hadn’t lost each other over it.

But soon, Ye Shuyi’s smile froze as a sudden thought struck her. “Earlier, you…”

“Why was I lazing around clinging to you instead of working hard?” Yi Qian finished the unspoken question, then diverted, “Did Fang Xin tell you something?”

Ye Shuyi admitted with a nod: “She mentioned it was family-related…”

She trailed off, wanting Yi Qian to explain in her own words.

“It’s almost laughable,” Yi Qian said breezily, as if discussing someone else’s life. “My parents were the exact opposite of yours.”

Where Ye Shuyi’s parents grew apart from constant togetherness, hers drifted apart from constant separation.

How little did they meet? For many years, they only saw each other once annually.

The main reason was that both were extremely busy her father with business and her mother with scientific research.

On numerous occasions, they had planned to meet, but one of them would always cancel last minute due to sudden commitments. At first, they could still understand each other, but as it happened repeatedly, they began blaming one another over the phone, which eventually escalated into arguments.

In the end, even their divorce was brought up during a phone call.

“You might not realize it yourself, but ever since university, you’ve been pushing yourself relentlessly and the truth is, you really are a workaholic,” Yi Qian paused, lowering her gaze. “As for me… maybe it’s because both my parents were workaholics, and I inherited those strong genes. So… I was afraid we’d end up like them.”

Ye Shuyi kept her eyes locked on hers, reaching up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her cool lips brushed against Yi Qian’s briefly before she murmured, “And now? Do you still think we will?”

Yi Qian shook her head. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m famous. I’ll be everywhere in your world.”

Ye Shuyi chuckled, nuzzling her chin with the tip of her nose. “Mm, we won’t.”

She leaned in to kiss her again, but Yi Qian pushed her away.

Confused, she looked up to find Yi Qian’s expression grave, her brows tightly knit. “There’s been too much information tonight. I need to sort through my thoughts first. You… should go home for now.”

“Now?”

Ye Shuyi looked utterly bewildered.

Without further explanation, Yi Qian turned her around with one hand and ushered her out of the bathroom.

Outside, the rain had long stopped, leaving the night unusually serene.

Yi Qian guided her all the way to the front door before firmly closing it behind her. “Go home. Let me think things over.”

Ye Shuyi, standing before the shut door: Think about what???

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