Has The Live-in Alpha Stepped Up - Chapter 27

27: Searching for “Lesbian”

Returning to the lounge to rest.

An Yizhu stood by the window in front of the one-way mirror, picking at nonexistent smudges on the glass.

Yu Guqiu sat at the vanity while a makeup artist touched up her makeup.

Through the reflection in the mirror, she secretly observed An Yizhu’s reaction.

An Yizhu had injected herself with suppressants as soon as they returned, so Yu Guqiu could no longer gauge her condition through scent.

When An Yizhu couldn’t resist glancing back at Yu Guqiu, their eyes met in the mirror.

She instantly turned away, her entire body busy but unsure what it was busy with.

If not for the restrictive off-shoulder wedding dress, she might have grabbed a rag to wipe down the walls just to calm her nerves.

Yu Guqiu turned back to face the mirror, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Confirmed. Even though An Yizhu had performed flawlessly downstairs earlier, the rhythm of their interactions was still firmly in Yu Guqiu’s control.

But now, even Yu Guqiu didn’t quite understand herself. Initially, she had only wanted to give everyone a definitive answer, but somehow things had escalated to this point. It almost felt like she was bullying a younger sister.

But so what if she didn’t understand? Today was her day to be willful. Surely, there was no harm in that.

Once the makeup artist finished and left, only the two newlyweds remained in the room.

“An Yizhu,” Yu Guqiu called.

“Huh?” An Yizhu wasn’t as quick to regain her composure as Yu Guqiu. She was even a little nervous—her earlier behavior hadn’t been particularly restrained. What did it mean to Yu Guqiu?

And what did Yu Guqiu’s actions mean to her?

Flustered, she grabbed a cupcake from the table, trying to stall. “Are you hungry?”

Yu Guqiu ignored the question. “Come here.”

“Ah… huh?” An Yizhu felt like a mute who’d forgotten how to speak.

But she really couldn’t get any words out!

Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of her throat, refusing to settle down.

Yu Guqiu swiveled her chair ninety degrees and picked up a tube of lipstick.

“Come here.” Seeing An Yizhu dawdling, she repeated herself patiently.

An Yizhu nibbled at her lips, which had no dead skin to speak of, and slowly shuffled over to Yu Guqiu.

Yu Guqiu looked up at An Yizhu, who stood before her, backlit by the window. “Lower yourself a bit.”

Thump!

An Yizhu dropped to her knees.

Not literally—there was no actual thump sound.

She knelt on the layered fabric of her own wedding dress and Yu Guqiu’s skirt, but the sheer drama of the motion might as well have made a noise.

Yu Guqiu couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.

What was An Yizhu doing?

Meanwhile, An Yizhu—the epitome of a whipped wife—realized something was off after kneeling.

Even if she had aggressively kissed Yu Guqiu earlier, hadn’t Yu Guqiu been the one to provoke it?

In front of everyone, she had just followed through with the “performance.”

Yu Guqiu hadn’t rejected her.

So why was she panicking?

Right, why am I panicking?!

An Yizhu lifted her head and met Yu Guqiu’s gaze.

But then her chin was cupped.

!!!

An Yizhu held her breath as Yu Guqiu studied her.

Yu Guqiu’s light-colored eyes shimmered like flowing water, but there was no anger in them.

She really wasn’t upset.

Yet it was at this moment that An Yizhu realized the true source of her unease wasn’t fear of Yu Guqiu’s anger.

The unease came from within herself.

She had discovered something critical.

I’m not normal.

“Pout.” Yu Guqiu instructed.

“?!”

For example, right now—she was very not normal.

Her brain short-circuited, unable to process even basic responses.

But Yu Guqiu remained patient, coaxing her like a child. “Pout. You’ve licked off all your lipstick. You need a touch-up. Maintain your image.”

“My lipstick.”

You’re the one who licked it off!

An Yizhu didn’t dare say it out loud, her eyes fixed on Yu Guqiu’s lips.

She didn’t know what brand Yu Guqiu was using.

Red.

Soft.

Sweet.

Yu Guqiu leaned in again.

An Yizhu instinctively tilted her head back.

“Hmm? Why are you dodging?” Yu Guqiu gripped her shoulder to steady her.

An Yizhu suddenly felt restless, clutching the cupcake in her hand so tightly the cream oozed out.

“Hahaha, I thought you were going to kiss me again. My bad.” An Yizhu blurted out before her brain could catch up.

Crap. Now it’s even more awkward.

She raised her hand to scratch her cheek.

Yu Guqiu caught her wrist. “Don’t wipe off your foundation too.”

Yu Guqiu’s demeanor remained unchanged, as if the topic meant nothing to her.

An Yizhu had no choice but to obediently pout.

Yu Guqiu, moving at her own pace, had An Yizhu completely under control.

“Good girl.”

That single word sent a shiver down An Yizhu’s spine.

She was definitely not normal.

She didn’t dare move a muscle.

An Yizhu’s breathing halted, while Yu Guqiu’s breaths grew louder.

The cool lipstick glided over her lips, leaving a waxy sheen.

An Yizhu stared at the lipstick in Yu Guqiu’s hand as it slowly colored her lips, the sensation icy.

[It’s probably the same one she used earlier, but it doesn’t taste sweet.]

As her lips gradually reddened, An Yizhu’s ears flushed too.

Yu Guqiu parted her lips slightly and murmured, “Alright, press them together.”

But An Yizhu stayed kneeling, pressing her lips together as she looked up at Yu Guqiu’s lowered gaze.

[Yu Guqiu is so pretty. Even from this angle, she’s flawless.]

[I really like her.]

[?!]

The room was too quiet.

So quiet that An Yizhu could only hear her own ragged breathing.

So quiet that the thoughts in her heart threatened to spill out of her mind.

“I need to use the bathroom!” An Yizhu scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping in her haste to escape.

Yu Guqiu watched An Yizhu flee in a panic, then slowly put away the lipstick, clutching it tightly.

Everything was back under her control.

This was the familiar rhythm she knew.

“Why did she take the cupcake to the bathroom?”

Yu Guqiu smiled to herself as she muttered.

She was an iceberg, but today, beneath the ice, unseen sparks flickered.

An Yizhu, now in the bathroom, locked the door behind her.

She leaned against it, gasping for breath, before stumbling to the sink and staring at her reflection. The redness from her ears had spread to her face.

She set down the cupcake, washed her hands, and tried to calm herself.

This is so not normal!

During that rainy night, Yu Guqiu had captivated her with just a glance.

She’d often screamed internally, “Sis, I’m yours!”

But was she really?

In her past life, confined to a hospital bed, she’d missed out on the best years of her youth. Now that she was healthy and free, it was only natural for her heart to flutter at every opportunity—especially for someone like Yu Guqiu.

But, but—

Back then, her feelings had been for a fictional character. Unrelated to romance, just admiration, pity, a hope for a better future.

Now, the admiration and pity remained, but new emotions had taken root and blossomed.

Because Yu Guqiu was real. Touchable. Kissable—

The more An Yizhu thought about it, the more embarrassed she became. She covered her face with her hands, foundation be damned.

Her mind was in chaos.

During the marking, she hadn’t felt much—just the pheromones clouding her judgment, making it hard to discern her true feelings. But the kiss had been real.

Soft, sweet lips.

She wanted to kiss them again.

Help!

An Yizhu’s thoughts were brutally honest, impossible to hide from herself.

Just recalling Yu Guqiu’s breath so close to hers made her think of their shared bed a few nights ago, which then led to memories of their first encounter in the rain.

This chain reaction left her utterly unprepared.

The suppressants were still in effect, but An Yizhu swore she could still smell licorice clinging to her, craving roses.

This is definitely a problem, right?!

Before, it had been pheromones driving her emotions.

Now, it was clearly her heart’s unrestrained emotions using pheromones as an outlet.

An Yizhu came to a realization and quickly pulled out her phone from a hidden pocket in her dress.

She opened a search bar and typed: Lesbian.

Modern problems require modern solutions.

When in doubt, consult the internet!

“……”

But the search results made her laugh.

This world didn’t even have the word “lesbian.”

A female Alpha and a female Omega being together was as natural as could be—why would there be a term like “lesbian”?

Her fingers hovered over the screen, unsure what keywords to use for help.

“After marrying my wife, I suddenly realized I might like her. How do I confirm if it’s just attraction?”

“I’m an Alpha, and the person I like is an Omega. But we’re in a contractual marriage, already registered. How do I confirm if it’s just lust or greed?”

Even the cupcake in An Yizhu’s mouth could predict the responses: “OP, are you stupid?”

Forget searching.

She was the only person in this world troubled by her current predicament.

The only one agonizing over her feelings, unsure if she truly liked Yu Guqiu—that way.

A woman liking another woman.

Knock, knock, knock—

“Are you done?” Yu Guqiu rapped on the door.

An Yizhu had lost all sense of time. She had no idea how long she’d been hiding in the bathroom. She hurriedly opened the door. “Done, done.”

Yu Guqiu studied her.

An Yizhu’s eyes darted around, avoiding direct eye contact.

She was a mess.

Would her pheromones betray her? Would her boiling body temperature? Her flushed skin? Her guilty expression?

“You…” Yu Guqiu took a step closer.

An Yizhu hastily retreated, stuffing her phone away. “I didn’t—it’s not what you think.”

Her “looks guilty as sin” act was impeccable.

If Yu Guqiu pressed even a little, she might confess everything on the spot.

[Yes, I like you so much it hurts!]

Yu Guqiu took another step but didn’t ask anything, just scrutinized An Yizhu’s state.

Out of sync, her thoughts veered in the wrong direction entirely.

[She hid her phone just now… Is there someone behind this after all?]

An Yizhu had nowhere left to retreat.

Yu Guqiu reached out, tilting An Yizhu’s chin up.

!!!

An Yizhu squeezed her eyes shut, feeling Yu Guqiu’s cool fingers against her skin.

“Open your eyes.” Yu Guqiu’s voice was laced with amusement. “If you wanted to eat the cupcake, you could’ve just said so. No need to sneak off to the bathroom. Today’s an important battle, but it won’t hinge on this. Dinner’s about to start.”

An Yizhu glanced in the mirror and saw the evidence of her cupcake theft smeared at the corner of her mouth.

Well, she had eaten it. There was no denying that.

“This cupcake is really good.” An Yizhu licked the incriminating evidence away, seizing the excuse to escape further questioning.

Yu Guqiu looked away, where An Yizhu couldn’t see.

“Let’s go. It’s time to head downstairs.”

The simplified wedding still included a banquet, held in the villa.

Since the first floor only had a kitchen and servant quarters, the spacious living room near the entrance easily accommodated six banquet tables.

Yu Guqiu had even arranged for a live band in the corner where the grand piano stood, adding a lively touch to the otherwise dull ceremony.

Staff from a five-star hotel ensured the meal service went smoothly.

Everyone took their seats.

The band began to play.

A warm, romantic cello melody intertwined with a lively violin, anchored by the piano’s steady notes.

The guests’ eyes drifted from the band by the staircase to the newlyweds standing on the second floor.

Yu Guqiu stood tall at the highest point, her light eyes as composed as ever, surveying the crowd with detached elegance.

In just a few days, despite being weighed down by endless tasks, she had managed to regain her usual unflappable demeanor.

Impressive.

Meanwhile, An Yizhu, oblivious to proper etiquette, focused on adjusting Yu Guqiu’s dress.

No one batted an eye.

In the span of a single ceremony, the two had already conveyed too much.

The clearest message: This Alpha and Yu Guqiu are inseparable.

The music softened.

An Yizhu offered her hand, and the two slowly descended the red-carpeted staircase together.

Their presence was palpable.

Without spotlights, the event staff used strategically placed mirrors to reflect sunlight, casting a soft glow on the couple.

Yu Shanmei was thoroughly pleased with the wedding. Though simple, it was discreet enough to avoid media attention.

Though rushed, it had all the essentials, leaving no room for doubt.

She was the first to applaud.

The others quickly followed suit. From the moment Yu Guqiu’s aura had silenced the room, it was clear the wedding was a success.

Yu Guqiu and An Yizhu made their way to the head table, seating themselves among relatives.

Many attendees were from small companies with longstanding ties to the Yu family—their loyalty wouldn’t waver over a wedding.

But who didn’t love some juicy gossip?

Even An Yizhu, who desperately wanted to dig into the food, restrained herself, waiting for Yu Guqiu’s signal before picking up her chopsticks.

She even served Yu Guqiu first before taking a few modest bites.

To outsiders unfamiliar with An Yizhu, this might not seem significant.

But Yu Shanmei knew better.

She’d shared two meals with An Yizhu and now watched her with barely contained glee.

The other guests, seeing Yu Shanmei’s reaction, quietly shelved their schemes. The former head of the Yu family clearly approved of Yu Guqiu’s choice.

Yet there were always those who couldn’t read the room.

“I heard Xiao An lost her memories after differentiation?” a distant relative—probably surnamed Yu—spoke up. “Who forgets everything just from differentiating? Xiao Qiu, you should be careful. The Yu family’s assets are vast—we can’t let schemers take advantage.”

An Yizhu slowed her chewing, listening.

Yu Shanmei said nothing, though she sighed inwardly.

She knew exactly what these distant relatives were like.

She herself had clawed her way out of poverty through sheer hard work, while these relatives dreamed of shortcuts.

When Yu Corporation was founded, they’d swarmed like locusts.

She’d wanted to cut ties entirely, even if it meant backlash in Jiangcheng’s elite circles.

But her late wife had advised against it: “No need to waste energy on them. When you rise high enough, they won’t dare cling to you.”

Ai Qi came from an established family.

Yu Shanmei hadn’t understood the logic, but she trusted her wife’s judgment.

She hadn’t publicly severed ties, and as Yu Corporation flourished, these relatives had indeed faded into obscurity.

But in recent years, as Yu Corporation struggled, the vultures had returned.

Yu Shanmei had considered stepping in to shield Yu Guqiu from these bloodsuckers.

But Yu Guqiu had stopped her, insisting they could be used to counterbalance other relatives.

Having already decided to hand power to Yu Guqiu, Yu Shanmei stayed out of the fray, quietly eating.

Then she heard Yu Guqiu respond politely, “Differentiation isn’t fully understood by science. Anything can happen. Xiao Zhu’s case alone contributed three new research papers to Yu Corporation. Auntie, if you’re interested, I can get you some journals to read?”

The “auntie” in question—some distant relation from the countryside—was illiterate. The mention of “research papers” shut her up instantly.

“Hahaha, Xiao Qiu, you must really like Xiao Zhu!” Another relative, Yu Guqiu’s second aunt Meng Jiayang, chimed in, raising a wine glass. “When we saw Xiao Zhu in the hospital, we thought she seemed promising. But back then, she appeared out of nowhere. We might’ve been a bit rude—hope you won’t hold it against us.”

An Yizhu wasn’t sure what this woman was plotting, but she knew better than to reject a toast. She raised her glass with a smile.

“Auntie, you’re too kind. To you, I was a stranger. It’s only natural you’d be wary.”

Though An Yizhu had little social experience, years in the hospital had taught her all about fake familial warmth. Her response was diplomatic.

Meng Jiayang narrowed her eyes but drank her wine with a smile.

An Yizhu, who disliked alcohol, took a tiny sip before setting her glass down.

Meng Jiayang pounced on the opportunity.

“Xiao Zhu, does this mean you’re still upset with me? This toast feels a bit half-hearted.”

An Yizhu smiled. “Auntie, Xiao Qiu and I are newlyweds. Whenever she decides to have children, I need to be ready.”

Yu Guqiu nearly choked on her food.

She’d let An Yizhu handle the relatives, but she hadn’t expected this. Wasn’t this handing them ammunition?

“Xiao Zhu’s attitude is commendable!” Meng Jiayang’s eldest sister, Meng Jiayan, seized the opening. “Xiao Qiu isn’t getting any younger—it’s the perfect time for a baby.”

The Meng family didn’t care who Yu Guqiu married. They just needed leverage to control her.

The youngest Meng sister, Meng Jiazhao, jumped in. “Now that you’re married, why not aim for a boy and a girl? Or better yet, a Beta, an Alpha, and an Omega for good measure!”

An Yizhu was stunned. Was this how people in the ABO world pressured others to have kids?

“Your pinyin is really good.” An Yizhu said sincerely.

Meng Jiazhao blinked. Was that an insult?

The country auntie saw an opening. “If Xiao Qiu doesn’t want kids, that’s fine too! City Omegas these days are so picky. But our village Betas are fertile—one of our relatives has two kids. They’re just Betas, but they’re healthy! You could adopt one.

“We don’t ask for much—just an apartment near a good school for the child, and another for us. You wouldn’t even need to raise them. We’ll do it, and they’ll support you in old age.”

The entire table stared at her in disgust.

Yu Liu, unable to stay silent, snapped, “Why would a healthy Alpha and a top-tier Omega want to adopt some random Beta kid?”

She and Yu Feng, at least, were closer relatives and had some dignity.

The country auntie’s kin huffed. “What’s wrong with that? If they don’t want kids, or want extras, why do you care? Got spares of your own to offer?”

They sounded like traffickers.

An Yizhu watched as the two groups at the table seemed on the verge of turning on each other.

Suddenly, she realized that the misunderstanding must have stemmed from her own misplaced emphasis earlier.

She spoke up again, “Wait, everyone, hold on. We never said we wouldn’t have children. I just wanted to ask—in your world… ahem, I mean, shouldn’t you prefer Alphas and Omegas? Honestly, having one ‘Alpha-Omega’ pair would be enough. Isn’t a sweet, caring child better than anything else? Betas aren’t much use anyway. Asking for three would put too much pressure on Xiao Qiu.”

Yu Guqiu stared in disbelief as An Yizhu suddenly agreed to the quota of two children—even specifying one Alpha and one Omega.

For a moment, she couldn’t tell whose side An Yizhu was on, but she also found it somewhat amusing.

Because An Yizhu’s words were savagely insulting.

The entire table was packed with Betas.

You couldn’t even scrape together two “treasures” among them—because there wasn’t a single Alpha or Omega to be found.

Meng Jiazhao became even more convinced: An Yizhu was definitely insulting them. She glanced at her two sisters.

Meng Jiayan and Meng Jiayang’s plastered-on smiles froze stiff, like hardened lumps of paint smeared across their faces.

They had a million retorts on the tip of their tongues, but magic had been defeated by magic. As Betas, they were left utterly speechless.

Almost simultaneously, they turned their eyes toward Yu Guqiu.

They saw an expression on Yu Guqiu’s face that hovered between a smile and something else.

Meanwhile, An Yizhu, sitting beside her, tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear—deliberately flashing her dazzling pigeon-egg-sized diamond ring with a flourish.

The relatives were furious. This blatant display of ownership was clearly meant to carve out a piece of the cake that should have belonged to them.

They knew right then that An Yizhu’s behavior must have been orchestrated by Yu Guqiu.

“Otherwise, how would a lowly Alpha who married in dare act like this?” someone muttered under their breath.

Yu Guqiu was inexplicably saddled with the blame.

But An Yizhu’s sharp ears didn’t miss that quiet muttering. She turned her head toward the speaker.

“Oh? Before the wedding, it was ‘How could an Alpha ever agree to marry into a family?’ and after the wedding, it’s ‘a lowly Alpha who married in’? So you get to have it both ways, huh?” An Yizhu’s icy glare sent a chill down the unnamed distant relative’s spine, shutting them up instantly.

The oppressive aura of an Alpha was far more potent than An Yizhu had expected.

Yu Shanmei, watching from the side, couldn’t suppress the twitch of her lips but didn’t intervene.

Wasn’t this attitude a form of impartiality—a refusal to take sides?

Si Ruxin, the guest representative who had been eavesdropping from the next table, nearly broke into applause.

This An Yizhu that Yu Guqiu had found was far more interesting than she’d imagined.

Everyone knew the Yu family was weighed down by its own unwieldy branches—most burdensome of all were these tangled, sprawling networks of relatives.

The distant relatives, who had recently latched on, were bad enough.

But the Meng family relatives on Yu Guqiu’s father’s side were an entirely different breed of vultures.

Usually, reasoning with them was like talking to a wall. It felt so satisfying to see them get a taste of their own medicine today.

An Yizhu looked around. Why had everyone gone quiet?

One by one, they all kept their heads down, eating obediently—not a single one dared to meet her eyes.

Had she won again?

An Yizhu was puzzled. She’d just been making small talk—how had she effortlessly triumphed once more?

If these relatives had managed to take advantage of Yu Guqiu before, could it be… because Yu Guqiu was too polite?