Has The Live-in Alpha Stepped Up - Chapter 37
37: The Beautiful Dream is About to End
An Yizhu sensed that the person approaching to greet them was an Alpha.
As an Alpha, her instinct to protect her Omega instantly kicked in.
An Yizhu pulled Yu Guqiu’s hand and hid her behind her body.
Yu Guqiu was taken aback when An Yizhu suddenly reacted, her licorice-like pheromones seeping out from under her suppressant patch, exuding an intense aggressiveness.
Even she was momentarily stunned.
Now that she thought about it, this was actually the first time Yu Guqiu had seen An Yizhu use her pheromones to attack someone.
She had thought the soft and cute girl would never learn the aggressiveness typical of an Alpha.
Yu Guqiu quickly tugged An Yizhu’s hand and said, “Don’t be so nervous, Xiao Zhu. This is our neighbor, Ms. Zhang Yuan. She’s a collector and owns several art galleries—she’s very impressive.”
An Yizhu paused. A collector? Art galleries?
Someone who likes painting and art?
Hearing about a field she was interested in, An Yizhu’s hostility immediately vanished. She took a closer look at the middle-aged woman in front of her—indeed, she had a kind face and didn’t seem like a bad person.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Zhang. I thought you were someone suspicious. My apologies. I’m An Yizhu, Xiao Qiu’s wife.”
Seeing An Yizhu’s sudden change in attitude, Zhang Yuan, who had just prepared to defend herself, was caught off guard and couldn’t help but laugh. “Hahaha, it’s fine, it’s fine. I understand. You two have been all over the hot search lately. It’s my fault for suddenly approaching without warning.”
Then, looking at An Yizhu’s wolf-like demeanor and Yu Guqiu’s refreshed appearance—so different from her previous exhausted state—Zhang Yuan nodded deeply.
As expected, dating someone younger is more nourishing.
Her own wife was also quite young, so she understood the feeling well.
At the same time, she admitted honestly, “I just saw President Yu shopping at the supermarket and found it unusual, so I couldn’t help but come over to say hello. My apologies.”
Yu Guqiu also smiled at Zhang Yuan. “Thank you for your concern, Ms. Zhang. I’ve been too busy with work before, but Xiao Zhu reminded me that I need to relax. So today, we decided to go grocery shopping together and cook a meal at home.”
Zhang Yuan said enviously, “Ah, that’s so nice. I’m really jealous. Nowadays, when I go home, I have to cook for my wife. She never accompanies me.”
An Yizhu immediately chimed in earnestly, “Being so doting to your wife is something I must learn from. I won’t let Xiao Qiu worry about anything in the future.”
Zhang Yuan was genuinely touched by An Yizhu’s sincere words.
She gave An Yizhu a thumbs-up. “People who love their wives will live a good life.”
An Yizhu nodded repeatedly. “Ms. Zhang must be living a great life!”
Zhang Yuan was even happier upon hearing this. “Hahaha, Xiao Zhu really knows how to talk. Coincidentally, I’m planning to host an art exhibition next month. I’ll send you two tickets—please do come.”
An Yizhu was thrilled. “Really? I’d love to go!”
She genuinely wanted to go. In the past, due to her poor health, she never had the chance to visit art exhibitions.
Seeing An Yizhu so interested, Yu Guqiu politely agreed. “We’ll definitely go if we have time.”
This was already a promise. Zhang Yuan knew when to stop and smiled. “Our two families live quite close. Xiao Zhu, feel free to visit anytime. For now, I’ll head back to cook for my wife.”
Yu Guqiu found it somewhat amusing. How did An Yizhu manage to win Zhang Yuan over in just a few sentences?
“Can I really go over for meals?” An Yizhu asked curiously after Zhang Yuan walked away.
Yu Guqiu walked alongside her, pushing the shopping cart into the supermarket. “Do you really want to go?”
“Old Mom An lives a bit far. If I want to learn cooking while busy, it might be a little difficult.” An Yizhu said seriously. “But Ms. Zhang is a neighbor, so it’s much more convenient.”
Yu Guqiu countered, “Then why don’t you just learn cooking directly from me? Isn’t that even closer?”
An Yizhu was stunned by this question. That’s right—why hadn’t she thought of learning from Yu Guqiu directly?
“Is that okay?”
Yu Guqiu shook her head with a smile, not answering her question, afraid that if she did, she might become as silly as An Yizhu.
The two slowly walked through the household goods section.
The outermost area had the most commonly used consumables, while further in was the home furnishing section.
Small stools, large sofas—everything was available.
An Yizhu’s eyes were dazzled, but she was particularly drawn to a large “rice ball”-shaped pillow.
“Want to buy a pillow?” Yu Guqiu noticed An Yizhu’s gaze.
It was hard not to notice, since the girl was dawdling with the cart, barely moving forward.
An Yizhu realized she was being too obvious. There was no point in denying it now, so she admitted, “I like it, but not for my room. I want to put it on the sofa. But it clearly clashes with the living room’s style, so it might not be suitable…”
As An Yizhu spoke, Yu Guqiu had already sat down on a two-seater sofa in the store and even picked up the oversized rice ball pillow to hug.
The pillow was less like a cushion and more like a thick blanket.
Yu Guqiu tossed the pillow to An Yizhu. “It’s quite comfortable.”
The material was soft and skin-friendly, making it pleasant to hold.
An Yizhu didn’t hesitate to catch it and sat down beside Yu Guqiu.
It really was comfortable.
But if possible, An Yizhu wished she could replace the distant three-seater sofa in the room with this two-seater.
That way, when watching TV with Yu Guqiu, she wouldn’t need to find excuses to get closer.
They’d naturally sit shoulder to shoulder, with no space between them.
Seeing An Yizhu enjoying it, Yu Guqiu picked up the pillow. “Let’s buy it.”
This was An Yizhu’s first time shopping with Yu Guqiu.
Last time, Yu Guqiu had sent Lin Meng with her, handing her a black card to buy whatever she wanted. But this time was different.
“So this is what it feels like to have a domineering CEO spoil you? So secure~” An Yizhu teased Yu Guqiu about her behavior.
The joke amused Yu Guqiu. She had always carried out her duties as a CEO but had never actively enjoyed the perks of the title.
“What else do you want? Let’s buy it all.” Yu Guqiu even played along.
An Yizhu smiled. What truly made her happy wasn’t Yu Guqiu buying things for her, but the unspoken permission to gradually integrate her preferences into their home.
Compared to Yu Guqiu showering her with gifts, An Yizhu preferred the feeling of slowly blending into Yu Guqiu’s life.
As they continued browsing the household section, An Yizhu didn’t voice any more desires. Instead, Yu Guqiu led her to the slippers rack.
“Don’t we already have slippers at home?” An Yizhu asked, puzzled.
“You’ve never worn them. Pick a pair you like.” Yu Guqiu said, having observed An Yizhu’s habits.
An Yizhu answered honestly, “It’s not that I dislike those slippers. I just prefer the feeling of bare feet on the floor.”
Yu Guqiu contemplated for a moment before asking, “Want to buy a matching pair with me?”
Couple slippers?!
An Yizhu hadn’t expected Yu Guqiu to take the date so seriously.
“Yes!”
“But will you actually wear them?” Yu Guqiu pressed.
An Yizhu replied firmly, “I will!”
This wasn’t a matter of principle.
Even if it were, if Yu Guqiu suggested it, she’d consider it.
Yu Guqiu looked at the slippers on the rack, her gaze lingering between a white pair and a black pair.
An Yizhu, however, was eyeing a powder-blue pair and a powder-pink pair. Gathering her courage, she asked, “How about… these?”
Yu Guqiu looked at the two pairs, which were completely unlike her usual style.
But if An Yizhu wore colorful slippers and wandered around the house every day, it might brighten the mood.
“Is this okay?” An Yizhu asked again when Yu Guqiu hesitated.
If not, the black and white ones were fine too—she wasn’t picky.
Yu Guqiu picked up the powder-blue pair and put it in the cart. “I’ll take this one.”
An Yizhu hadn’t expected Yu Guqiu to agree after hesitating. She quickly grabbed the powder-pink pair in her size and added it to the cart.
The cool and warm tones complemented each other perfectly.
After finishing their leisurely stroll through the household section, they headed to the second-floor food area for their original goal: lunch ingredients.
Yu Guqiu paused at each ingredient, carefully selecting the best ones.
An Yizhu followed slowly, accompanying Yu Guqiu while occasionally looking around for other items.
“There are potatoes over there. Can we make beef stew with potatoes?”
“Sure, but let me pick the tomatoes first.” Yu Guqiu said, meticulously choosing three.
“Then we can pick out some beef later.” An Yizhu mused, seriously planning the lunch menu.
“Okay, but let me pick the potatoes first.” Yu Guqiu said, selecting a few potatoes.
An Yizhu leaned against the cart, watching Yu Guqiu’s focused expression, and couldn’t help but laugh.
Yu Guqiu glanced at her, puzzled. “What?”
Today was their date.
They could act like a real couple.
An Yizhu didn’t hide her thoughts. “I’m just really happy to see yet another side of you.”
Yu Guqiu held up the bag of ingredients. “Because I know how to pick tomatoes and potatoes?”
An Yizhu buried her face in her arms.
She couldn’t take it anymore.
She hadn’t expected her heart to be completely stolen in this very moment.
She couldn’t even explain why watching Yu Guqiu carefully selecting groceries made her heart race so much.
She muffled a few giggles into her hands before lifting her head again. “No, it’s just… I thought the usually efficient CEO would be in a hurry even while shopping. But you’re so slow and deliberate—it’s kind of amazing.”
Yu Guqiu placed the potatoes in the cart and patted An Yizhu.
An Yizhu, now an automatic cart-pusher, obediently steered toward the beef section.
“Today is about relaxing. If we were really pressed for time, we wouldn’t be cooking ourselves.” Yu Guqiu said, looking at An Yizhu. “Did you really think I only know work and nothing else?”
Yu Guqiu certainly knew how to enjoy life.
It was precisely because she knew how to savor slow living that she drew a clear line between work and personal time.
And it was also why she hadn’t cooked in so long.
Work had indeed dominated her life for far too long.
“How about this one?” Yu Guqiu picked out a large cut of beef—more than she could finish alone.
An Yizhu eyed it and said, “It probably won’t be enough for two meals for both of us.”
Considering An Yizhu’s appetite, Yu Guqiu picked two cuts. “There are other dishes too.”
“Huh, isn’t that Yu Guqiu?”
“It really is her! She’s even prettier in person than in photos.”
“Is that her live-in Alpha next to her? She doesn’t look as bad as the rumors say. Actually, she’s quite attractive—the sunny, puppy type. Totally my type.”
“They look pretty well-matched.”
“Quick, take a photo.”
“Oh my god, if we post this online, imagine how much it’ll be worth.”
At that moment, whispers came from around the corner—two women and a man discussing them.
An Yizhu caught fragments of the conversation.
Aside from the part about them being a good match, the rest made her frown.
Yu Guqiu, too, had overestimated the so-called “high-class” manners of the wealthy district.
This time, Yu Guqiu reacted faster than An Yizhu.
She set down the beef and strode toward the corner, cutting off the trio’s escape.
An Yizhu, though slower, followed closely.
One of the women was an Alpha and stepped forward defensively. “What—what do you want?”
“Delete the photos.” Yu Guqiu said politely, though her tone left no room for negotiation.
An Yizhu stood beside her, glowering—especially at the female Alpha.
The female Alpha frowned, feeling an inexplicable pressure.
Weren’t the rumors saying Yu Guqiu’s live-in Alpha was only a C-rank? Why did her A-rank self feel suffocated under that gaze?
Damn gossip blogs and trolls!
How could a prestigious family like the Yu’s settle for a C-rank Alpha?
Wait—no.
The pressure wasn’t just from the Alpha’s pheromones.
Most of it came from the Omega in front of her.
How was that possible?!
The female Alpha panicked, staring at Yu Guqiu, speechless.
The male Beta quickly apologized. “Sorry, we’ll delete them right away.”
The female Beta even handed over her phone for inspection. “We didn’t mean any harm. We just… Sorry…”
Yu Guqiu glanced at the supermarket’s surveillance cameras. “Any photos with her face are not to be leaked. Otherwise, I reserve the right to sue.”
The trio suddenly understood—the famously icy beauty was fiercely protective of her Alpha!
The online slander was ridiculous.
Some claimed Yu Guqiu refused to reveal her wife’s identity because it was shameful and to make divorce easier later.
What nonsense!
She was clearly shielding her from public scrutiny.
Yu Guqiu didn’t want strangers exposing her wife’s identity.
In their daze, the trio mentally cursed themselves.
Once the photos were deleted, Yu Guqiu took An Yizhu’s arm and left, leaving only their retreating figures behind.
The female Beta immediately raised her phone again.
The male Beta worriedly tried to stop her. “Are you crazy? There are surveillance cameras!”
Ignoring him, the female Beta snapped a photo of their backs, grinning. “Didn’t you hear? President Yu said no photos with her wife’s face. This is just their backs. How is that against the rules? Those paparazzi weren’t sued, so they won’t come after us ordinary people. And I promise, I’ll only post flattering photos. Trust me!”
The male Beta and female Alpha exchanged glances, realizing their friend had a point.
The female Beta clutched her phone, swooning. “But they’re both so gorgeous! Did you see their skin up close? Flawless!”
That same day, a stunning photo of the couple’s backs and a side profile of Yu Guqiu without An Yizhu’s face went viral online—along with the heartwarming story of Yu Guqiu protecting her wife.
At Guangying Xinghui Media’s PR department, the team working overtime to manage the public opinion crisis stumbled upon the post.
Amid cheers of relief, they pushed the organic trending post to the top.
It was the perfect counter to the smear campaign.
They never imagined the person who handed them this lifeline was Yu Guqiu herself.
An Yizhu, however, had figured it out. “I’ll finally have a nice back-view photo online.”
Yu Guqiu was surprised An Yizhu caught on. “You realized?”
“Of course. This is also a good opportunity to calm the public opinion war and build positive publicity. I should’ve guessed when you suggested this date!” An Yizhu said, though an uncontrollable sadness welled up inside her.
After all, this meant Yu Guqiu’s date invitation was primarily work-related.
Yu Guqiu frowned.
She wanted to refute.
When she proposed the date, that hadn’t been her intention.
But she couldn’t say it.
Because when drafting the prenuptial agreement, including “dates” did initially serve to manage public opinion.
An Yizhu steadied her emotions and continued analyzing, “Though this place isn’t as crowded as some hotspots, people in wealthy districts are still gossipy. But they’re also more rule-abiding, which makes them more compliant in a way!”
At this point, her sadness turned into pride. She knew so much now.
This was growth!
Applaud her!
But instead of applause, An Yizhu heard a soft chuckle from Yu Guqiu.
“You make me sound so scheming, like I’m full of calculations.”
“How is that scheming? This is foresight and strategic brilliance!” An Yizhu refused to let Yu Guqiu belittle herself. “Predicting this situation is true skill.”
Though the path to becoming a villain inevitably involved shady tactics.
But Yu Guqiu wasn’t a villain yet!
“Hmm, then I predict you want to drink AD Calcium Milk.” Yu Guqiu said, not wanting the minor hiccup to ruin their mood.
“Huh?! Are you really psychic?” An Yizhu was genuinely shocked. She’d been eyeing the beverage section while looking at the beef.
Yu Guqiu smiled without answering.
Mainly because An Yizhu was too easy to read. Back at the compound, she’d clearly seen An Yizhu snatching AD Calcium Milk from kids.
An Yizhu, however, assumed Yu Guqiu had discovered her preference during her background check.
But at least it showed Yu Guqiu was learning more about her.
Though wasn’t liking AD Calcium Milk a bit too childish?
Should she pretend to like red wine instead?
Yu Guqiu had served red wine at their wedding.
It tasted awful.
An Yizhu gave up on the idea.
After selecting ingredients and drinks, they also picked up some snacks—mostly An Yizhu’s choices—before checking out with a full cart.
Loading the bags into the car, An Yizhu gazed at the packed trunk and suddenly said, “I’m so happy.”
Yu Guqiu looked at her. “Your happiness is so simple.”
An Yizhu had her own philosophy. “The simplest things are the hardest to achieve. So many people struggle with happiness because they overcomplicate things.”
Watching An Yizhu’s blissful smile, Yu Guqiu smiled too. “You’d make a good philosopher.”
“I’d make a good artist.” An Yizhu insisted.
Yu Guqiu recalled what she’d heard from Yu Liu yesterday. “Ah, right. You’re the ‘Hope Star.’”
This woman!
An Yizhu stared at Yu Guqiu. Even her teasing had callbacks?
Today, she had no choice but to clarify. “I’m not some ‘Hope Star.’ Sometimes, even the most capable people hit mental roadblocks. That’s when they need an outsider to give them a nudge and realize the solution was simple all along. I’m that nudge. But now that I think about it, maybe I really am the Hope Star.”
Yu Guqiu listened to An Yizhu’s earnest explanation before heading to the driver’s seat.
She agreed with the theory because An Yizhu had been her nudge too.
Seeing An Yizhu’s proud little expression in the passenger seat, Yu Guqiu even had an idea.
She remembered the star-shaped pin the kids had given An Yizhu, still sitting in a drawer at home.
If she made An Yizhu a “Hope Star” like that, the girl would be overjoyed.
Yu Guqiu could already picture an An Yizhu puffing up with pride upon receiving a little star.
But she quickly shook her head.
She’d been a bit too free lately—but not that free.
Driving home, An Yizhu immediately set out the new slippers.
True to her word, Yu Guqiu swapped her usual white pair for the powder-blue ones.
An Yizhu happily slipped into the matching powder-pink pair.
Her wiggling toes betrayed her delight.
Yu Guqiu, however, shifted gears from her relaxed supermarket demeanor and headed straight to the kitchen to organize the ingredients for cooking.
An Yizhu was useless in the kitchen and could only assist.
But tasks like washing vegetables, peeling potatoes, and even cutting beef or preparing pork trotters had already been handled at the supermarket’s fresh counter.
An Yizhu had nothing to do.
Yu Guqiu simply handed her the chef’s role. “Your turn.”
“Me?” An Yizhu had no idea where Yu Guqiu’s confidence in her came from.
But since Yu Guqiu insisted, An Yizhu had no choice but to step up.
“Turn on the heat, stir-fry, flip the wok.”
An Yizhu followed Yu Guqiu’s instructions step by step.
Only the heat control and seasoning were left to Yu Guqiu.
Surprisingly, An Yizhu didn’t fumble under Yu Guqiu’s guidance and gradually got the hang of it.
“That’s about it. The pork trotters and beef need more time to stew. We can eat the other dishes first and save those for dinner.” Yu Guqiu had planned ahead.
An Yizhu even had a bold idea. “How about we eat while watching a variety show?”
Like a real couple!
Yu Guqiu was unusually accommodating today.
Without even answering, she carried a plate to the coffee table.
An Yizhu hurriedly tossed the giant rice ball pillow onto the floor.
The triangular cushion’s longest side was just enough for two people to sit side by side.
Yu Guqiu understood An Yizhu’s intention and sat on the pillow.
She turned on the latest variety show.
An Yizhu hadn’t expected Yu Guqiu to indulge her to this extent. Today felt so blissful it was like a dream.
She was terrified it might actually be a beautiful dream on the verge of shattering.
What if Yu Guqiu suddenly said she’d known all along about An Yizhu’s feelings and wanted to terminate their contract?
The mere thought made An Yizhu’s chest ache.
But thankfully, it was just a fleeting fear.
Right now, Yu Guqiu was simply holding a bowl, sitting cutely on the pillow—a look completely at odds with her “ice-cold CEO” image.
Just as they finished eating…
An Yizhu had only drunk half her AD Calcium Milk and was still nibbling on food. The variety show was only halfway through when the doorbell suddenly rang.
Ding-dong— Ding-dong— Ding-dong—
Urgent and impatient, as if determined to ruin the peaceful moment.
Yu Guqiu looked toward the door.
The video doorbell’s screen showed only a blurry figure—too far to make out clearly.
“Did you order something?” Yu Guqiu asked An Yizhu.
An Yizhu shook her head vigorously. She hadn’t touched her phone all morning while with Yu Guqiu.
“I’ll check.”
“No, I’ll go. I’m done eating. You keep eating.” Yu Guqiu pressed An Yizhu back down and stood up.
An Yizhu suppressed a grin, secretly thrilled.
[Yu Guqiu is so considerate~]
But her smile broke through, turning into open delight.
Meanwhile, Yu Guqiu’s expression grew increasingly solemn as she approached the door. By the time she recognized the person on the screen, her face had darkened completely.
Yu Guqiu opened the door.
Outside stood a tall, stern-faced man who spoke coldly. “Guqiu, where are your manners? You’re becoming more and more unruly.”
An Yizhu shot to her feet at those words.
Who was this?
How dare he speak to Yu Guqiu like that?
An Yizhu nearly charged forward, ready to squeeze the rest of her AD Calcium Milk onto his head.
But then Yu Guqiu spoke.
“Dad.”
Thud—
For some reason, hearing that term from Yu Guqiu’s lips shattered An Yizhu’s happiness, as if her beautiful dream were about to end.