Has The Live-in Alpha Stepped Up - Chapter 16
16: Prenuptial Agreement
As soon as they entered the CEO’s office and the door closed behind them, An Yizhu naturally let go of her hand, fanning her face lightly. “It was so nerve-wracking out there with so many eyes watching.”
The intensity of the gazes outside was something Yu Guqiu had also felt, but to her, An Yizhu seemed completely at ease—as if she’d done this sort of thing many times before.
Unaware of Yu Guqiu’s thoughts, An Yizhu, hearing no response, simply began admiring the office on her own.
The layout of the office was familiar to her, but the view outside the window was something she was seeing for the first time.
Skyscrapers stretched before her eyes, offering a commanding view of everything below.
No wonder CEOs loved having their offices on the top floor—who wouldn’t enjoy this feeling of control over everything?
Meanwhile, Yu Guqiu took a closer look at An Yizhu. She was still wearing the same outfit from that morning.
Walking over to her desk, Yu Guqiu asked, “Did Lin Meng help you get everything settled? Why haven’t you changed your clothes?”
For a moment, An Yizhu didn’t react, assuming Yu Guqiu would dive straight into the topic of the prenuptial agreement. Instead, she was surprised to find her showing concern first.
So even Yu Guqiu feels a little awkward bringing up a contractual marriage outright, huh?
An Yizhu smiled brightly, opting for honesty. “Because I was in a hurry to see you.”
Yu Guqiu froze.
In a hurry… to see me?
Just how much must someone like another person to be in such a rush to see them after just half a day apart?
Could she actually be…?
An Yizhu was being sincere—just not in the way Yu Guqiu assumed.
She tiptoed over to the desk and whispered, “With so many people keeping an eye on our marriage, you must be worried about complications arising from delay, right? So striking while the iron is hot is the best strategy.”
Though she lowered her voice, the hushed tone couldn’t mask her youthful energy.
It was like watching a child trying to act mature while wearing oversized clothes, only for the sleeves to slip off comically.
Yu Guqiu couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle—though she quickly suppressed it.
An Yizhu glanced at her but saw nothing unusual, almost wondering if she’d imagined it.
But she definitely hadn’t!
Yu Guqiu had secretly laughed at her!
Yu Guqiu nodded seriously. “You’re right. Our marriage should be settled quickly. Your appearance at the company today was deliberately arranged by me—they’ll find out soon enough. This is the prenuptial agreement I drafted. Take a look.”
Now this is more like it.
This was the Yu Guqiu she knew.
Though An Yizhu liked seeing Yu Guqiu smile and joke around, every time she did, it felt like a trap meant to expose her weaknesses.
She felt much more at ease with Yu Guqiu’s businesslike demeanor.
An Yizhu took the prenuptial agreement from Yu Guqiu.
Basic Clause 1: The duration of the marriage shall be two years.
The time limit gave An Yizhu pause. “Only two years?”
“Two years will be enough to determine the outcome—and it has to be resolved by then.” Yu Guqiu had set the two-year limit not just for An Yizhu but for herself.
But seeing An Yizhu’s reluctance, she couldn’t help returning to her earlier thoughts.
Could this person really have fallen for me at first sight? Did she volunteer to help because she likes me, so two years feels too short?
Yu Guqiu shook her head slightly. She couldn’t afford to take An Yizhu’s words at face value so easily.
Some people could even fake innocence and foolishness convincingly.
She considered another angle: Or perhaps whoever sent her gave her a long-term mission, and two years isn’t enough.
But Yu Guqiu was wrong on both counts.
An Yizhu thought two years was too short because, on her way to the company, she’d roughly mapped out the current timeline against the original novel.
There was still some time before the main plot began.
And since the original story was a dual-female-lead growth narrative, it would take nearly five years from the start of the novel’s timeline for the antagonist to meet her “well-deserved” ending.
Two years really didn’t seem like enough.
But then again, she reassured herself, there was no need to worry. Even if the two-year marriage term ended, she’d already be part of the game by then—what was there to fear?
She continued reading the prenuptial agreement.
Party B must at all times ensure the fulfillment of Party A’s pheromone needs.
Understandable. Yu Guqiu needed her help stabilizing her pheromones to overcome the disadvantages of being an Omega.
Further down:
Party B must appear with Party A at the following events as required, no less than once per week:
1. Corporate morning meetings.
2. Business banquets.
3. Family gatherings.
4. Public dates.
“Huh? Will there really be a need for this every week?” An Yizhu paused to ask.
Yu Guqiu handed her a fountain pen. “If you’re unhappy with the frequency, we can adjust it—but it’s non-negotiable that we have them.”
An Yizhu took the pen but simply held the exquisitely crafted item in her hand.
She rephrased her question: “I’ll cooperate, but I get why the board, business partners, and family members would need this. What’s the point of public dates? We’re not celebrities—no one would care, right?”
Yu Guqiu realized An Yizhu was still unaware of something and turned her computer monitor toward her. “Someone cares.”
On the screen, a trending hashtag had already climbed the rankings: #YuGuqiuReportedlyHasAFiancée#.
“Yu Guqiu, the new-generation leader of the Yu Group, has reportedly been spotted with a mysterious woman in an intimate outing, leaving the hospital together for what appears to be their love nest. Speculation is rife that wedding bells are near.”
An Yizhu silently read the gossip.
A closer look at related hashtags revealed that even though Yu Guqiu had been hospitalized at her family’s own hospital, she hadn’t escaped public scrutiny.
Rumors were swirling about an Omega and an Alpha sharing a hospital suite, described in vivid detail.
An Yizhu also recalled a line from the novel about Yu Guqiu:
“Yu Guqiu was born to attract attention—every move she made became fodder for media frenzy.”
And indeed, in the paparazzi photos, Yu Guqiu shone like a dazzling star.
Meanwhile, An Yizhu occupied only a tiny corner of the frame, dressed in a hoodie, looking disheveled—her colorful backpack had more presence than she did.
In one photo, she was even caught mid-jump, her feet a blur in the air.
Hey!
Couldn’t they have picked a better photo?!
Do I look like a ghost or something?
No skill, no taste—these people are hopeless!
An Yizhu mentally cursed the paparazzi several times before suddenly remembering something. “No wonder you asked why I hadn’t changed clothes earlier. If I get photographed like this again, I’ll look terrible. No way—”
She then declared solemnly, “I have to work on my fashion sense. I need to turn this around!”
Watching An Yizhu’s reaction, Yu Guqiu turned her head away, catching a glimpse of her own reflection in the glass.
She paused for a moment, then pressed her lips together before looking back at An Yizhu.
This had happened several times now.
Yu Guqiu had to admit—this Alpha had a certain infectious energy that made it impossible for her to resist smiling in amusement.
Amid the crushing workload, these rare moments of respite were precious. She needed to make sure this “inhibitor” of hers was put to the best possible use.
An Yizhu noticed Yu Guqiu staring at her without saying a word and worried she’d been talking too much. She quickly pressed her lips shut.
Yu Guqiu, meanwhile, masked her thoughts flawlessly. Meeting An Yizhu’s gaze, she explained, “Before my Omega grandmother passed away, she held significant influence in the entertainment industry. Back then, paparazzi photos of me attracted a lot of attention, and it’s lingered ever since. But my promise to protect your privacy still stands. Even if we appear together in public, I won’t allow photos of you to be published.”
An Yizhu wasn’t overly concerned about privacy, but the idea of suddenly being in the spotlight was still unfamiliar. She nodded in agreement.
At the same time, she knew Yu Guqiu was downplaying things.
Yu Guqiu’s fame wasn’t just due to her grandmother.
The title “Jiangcheng’s Ice Queen” wasn’t for nothing!
Even with the “Ice Queen” qualifier, there was no such thing as a “Jiangcheng’s Fiery Beauty” to compete with her.
So, by default, Yu Guqiu was the top beauty.
An Yizhu thought about it and shrugged.
Eh!
Who cared what was in the prenuptial agreement? She was here to support Yu Guqiu anyway!
She’d always struggled with dense text, and the prenuptial agreement’s clauses looked like an impenetrable wall of words. After just a few lines, her focus began to waver.
Now, she had the perfect excuse to stop reading. She signed her name on the marriage contract without hesitation.
This wife—I’m keeping her!