Has The Live-in Alpha Stepped Up - Chapter 51

51: Herbal Vinegar Jar

“Your pheromones… seem restless.”

Yu Guqiu’s words fell into An Yizhu’s ears like a mockery of her declaration from the day before.

Exactly.

How could people in an ABO world believe that an Alpha could have no interest in an Omega?

Especially when An Yizhu did like Yu Guqiu—just seeing, hearing, smelling, or even thinking about her made her heart race.

This very palpitation made her 100% compatibility pheromones even harder to control.

An Yizhu laughed at herself in frustration.

Why did I have to say something so pretentious yesterday?

Claiming that her feelings for Yu Guqiu weren’t the kind of “Alpha’s desire for an Omega” had only led to misunderstandings.

Her love for Yu Guqiu was that of a woman for another woman—that much was true.

She adored everything about Yu Guqiu, and that naturally included her Omega traits.

She loved Yu Guqiu’s rose-scented pheromones.

Right now, she wanted nothing more than to bury her face in Yu Guqiu’s neck and inhale deeply.

But the faint amusement in Yu Guqiu’s eyes made An Yizhu uneasy.

She feared Yu Guqiu might be questioning the sincerity of her words from yesterday.

Her earnest confession had now become a trap of her own making.

An Yizhu suddenly understood why Yu Guqiu had been angry last night.

The pheromones swirling in the air were undeniable proof—how could she not harbor an Alpha’s desire for an Omega?

So, from Yu Guqiu’s perspective, An Yizhu might have been lying.

After calming down, An Yizhu grasped the crux of the matter.

Yu Guqiu hadn’t truly been angry yesterday—she simply couldn’t comprehend or believe that such emotions could exist outside the confines of pheromone-driven attraction.

An Yizhu didn’t regret it.

Since she had already spoken her truth, all she needed to do now was make Yu Guqiu believe her.

She wanted to show Yu Guqiu her most authentic self, to prove that in other worlds, there existed a love far stronger than the control of pheromones.

“Can we really do anything in the office?” An Yizhu avoided answering the question about pheromones and instead circled back to the earlier topic.

“What?” This time, it was Yu Guqiu’s turn to be caught off guard.

An Yizhu mustered her courage and reached out to tuck a stray lock of Yu Guqiu’s hair behind her ear.

“Like this—is this okay?”

Her heart was pounding wildly. She wasn’t as composed as she appeared, but she feigned nonchalance as her fingers brushed against Yu Guqiu’s soft cheek.

“Hmm?” Yu Guqiu seemed unsure of An Yizhu’s intentions, but the heat in the latter’s gaze grew more intense by the second.

Her “seduction” seemed to be working—but also not quite.

“Or… like this?” An Yizhu leaned closer, her lips grazing Yu Guqiu’s earlobe as she whispered, planting a light kiss on it.

Yu Guqiu shivered at the ticklish sensation, instinctively tilting her head away.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see people passing through the square below.

Some paused to admire the camera-shaped architecture, unable to resist stopping to take photos.

Yu Guqiu bit her lip.

Even though she knew the glass behind them was one-way—no one below could possibly see what was happening up here—she still tensed, gripping An Yizhu’s clothes.

She pushed lightly at An Yizhu. “Stop fooling around.”

“Fooling around?” An Yizhu didn’t retreat. Instead, she pressed even closer, her breath ghosting over Yu Guqiu’s ear as she murmured, sending her voice straight into Yu Guqiu’s eardrum.

Yu Guqiu’s legs weakened.

How is An Yizhu becoming so hard to handle when there’s no one else around?

She shook An Yizhu slightly but was met with a gaze brimming with deep affection.

The pheromones in the air grew even more turbulent, thick with possessiveness and aggression—undeniable proof of the Alpha’s primal instincts.

Yu Guqiu understood perfectly well what An Yizhu wanted from her at this moment.

Yet, An Yizhu made no move.

She didn’t signal for a mark, behaving like some…

Ascetic monk.

Yu Guqiu nearly laughed in exasperation.

An Yizhu had the audacity to tease her in her own office, yet she still thought of her as some restrained saint?

Yu Guqiu glared at An Yizhu.

In the end, she could only conclude that this woman was a complete idiot.

No—an absolute jerk.

An Yizhu suddenly noticed Yu Guqiu glaring at her with undisguised malice.

She blinked in surprise.

The next second—

Yu Guqiu lunged at her neck.

“You tell me—who’s fooling around?”

Yu Guqiu retaliated in kind.

She blew lightly against An Yizhu’s skin, sending shivers down her spine—

Then, just as An Yizhu’s hairs stood on end, Yu Guqiu bit her.

Not hard enough to draw bl00d, but sharp enough to sting.

It was unmistakably revenge.

Perhaps for An Yizhu’s earlier provocation, or perhaps for everything since yesterday.

An Yizhu panted softly, willingly accepting it.

Until the pain melted into tender licks.

Yu Guqiu still couldn’t bring herself to be truly harsh.

This reckless, clueless fool—

Who stared at her all day long.

Whose pheromones boiled with desire.

Yet still had the nerve to insist that her feelings weren’t an Alpha’s attraction to an Omega…

This little idiot.

An Yizhu noticed Yu Guqiu staring at her with a complicated expression, saying nothing.

Knock knock knock—

The office door shattered the silence—or rather, the illusion of it.

The pheromones in the air swirled chaotically, soundlessly.

An Yizhu quickly steadied Yu Guqiu before turning toward the door.

Fortunately, the person outside was polite enough not to enter without permission.

Yu Guqiu found An Yizhu’s behavior amusing.

If she wasn’t nervous, why were her pheromones in such disarray?

If she was nervous, why was she still holding onto her so tightly?

Yu Guqiu patted An Yizhu, signaling her to let go, then straightened her clothes and walked back to her desk.

An Yizhu stood frozen for a moment, unsure where to go.

Then she remembered something very important.

She obediently sat on the sofa, pulled out a suppressant from her inner pocket, and—

Injected herself.

Replaced the suppressant patch.

All movements practiced to perfection.

Yu Guqiu, meanwhile, activated the office’s air filtration system with a remote.

Only then did she respond to the second round of knocking: “Come in.”

She skimmed through the contract on her desk.

Outside—

Lin Meng pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Huh? Lin Meng again?

An Yizhu glanced at her in surprise.

The moment Lin Meng entered, she spotted An Yizhu sitting stiffly on the European-style sofa like a schoolchild caught misbehaving.

The guilty look was impossible to miss.

And upon closer inspection—there was a faint red mark on An Yizhu’s neck.

Lin Meng couldn’t bear to look.

Honestly, what are these two doing in the office every time?

Yes, every time!

The thought made it hard for her to even face Yu Guqiu.

An Yizhu’s personality was easy to read at a glance.

But Yu Guqiu? Her true nature was impossible to guess.

Lin Meng had worked with Yu Guqiu for years—how had she never noticed this secretly flirtatious side of her?

Muttering internally, Lin Meng approached Yu Guqiu’s desk.

Yu Guqiu flipped through the contract quickly before asking, “You came in such a hurry—did the deal go through?”

Lin Meng nodded and pulled out another contract from her briefcase.

“Ms. Zhang was very straightforward. She barely made any additional demands, and the funding terms were the most favorable. We reached an agreement immediately and signed on the spot.”

Yu Guqiu handed the new contract back. “Perfect. I’ll contact the Ai family now.”

Lin Meng adjusted her thick glasses and added, “Ms. Zhang mentioned that her exhibition’s paperwork was already settled, but tomorrow, she’s hosting a preview for industry insiders and fellow collectors to gather feedback. She’s invited you, President Yu, to attend.”

As she spoke, Lin Meng presented an invitation card.

Though Zhang Yuan’s preview was mostly ceremonial, she had still prepared personalized invitations for each guest, handwritten with their names.

Yu Guqiu wasn’t familiar with art exhibitions but accepted the card and glanced at it.

The card read: Inviting Yu Guqiu and An Yizhu to attend.

Zhang Yuan, ever the seasoned player, hadn’t needed reminding—she’d included An Yizhu without prompting.

“Understood. I’ll bring Yizhu along.” Yu Guqiu said.

An Yizhu had been eavesdropping intently.

Now, everything clicked.

This was the exhibition mentioned yesterday!

She was finally going to see an art show!

Delighted, she nearly blurted out questions about the exhibition’s theme or the featured artists.

But there was no opportunity—Yu Guqiu and Lin Meng were still discussing business.

“President Yu, if this goes smoothly, how much funding can the Ai family provide?” Lin Meng couldn’t help but ask.

Yu Guqiu looked up, puzzled. “Since when do you care about these things?”

Lin Meng lowered her head, hesitating.

Yu Guqiu seemed to understand. “I know keeping you at the parent company has been hard on you. My father must’ve given you trouble.”

“It’s not that. It’s just… President Meng has been making a lot of moves lately. He consolidated funds and successfully pushed through two medical equipment projects. He also won a government drug tender.” Lin Meng reported factually.

Her voice was quiet, not quite nasal but tinged with discomfort.

Yu Guqiu nodded slowly.

“My father… has always been capable. Grandma and I both knew that. It’s no surprise he could pull this off so quickly.”

Lin Meng pressed on, “President Yu, you have to return soon. Otherwise, some board members are already supporting President Meng’s continued control of Yu Corporation. Who knows when they might—”

The board had the authority to appoint a new chairman.

An Yizhu had secretly researched this after attending one board meeting.

Even she was worried, glancing anxiously at Yu Guqiu.

Her biggest fear was that Yu Guqiu, after losing everything she’d fought to protect, would turn into the ruthless villain from the original novel.

“As long as I bring back funding, it’ll be fine. They’ll never truly accept my father.” Yu Guqiu said coldly.

Lin Meng hesitated. “But… didn’t you just say—”

Yu Guqiu countered, “After my father took over as acting chairman, how have the employees been doing? Don’t tell me the secretariat hasn’t noticed.”

“…” Lin Meng had no rebuttal.

Yu Guqiu seemed to be reminding Lin Meng, but her words were really for An Yizhu’s benefit.

She glanced at An Yizhu. “My father may have risen from humble beginnings, but he’s undeniably talented—and lucky. Right after graduation, he caught the eye of a benefactor and climbed the ranks effortlessly. He met my mother at a high-society event, and from then on, he became a core figure at Yu Corporation. But precisely because of that, he’s never truly worked his way up from the bottom. He doesn’t understand that most employees are just cogs in the machine.”

Lin Meng frowned.

An Yizhu, however, grasped the meaning immediately.

The Yu Corporation board was teetering on the edge of collapse, with everyone anxious. But as long as Yu Guqiu was around, morale stayed intact.

Now that Meng Jiagao sat in the acting chairman’s seat, whispers filled the hallways.

Authority was sometimes necessary for a conglomerate.

A decisive leader could steady the ship in turbulent times.

But authority didn’t mean looking down from on high, forgetting the grassroots.

Living in a bubble, deaf to others, incapable of communication—that was the real danger.

An Yizhu recalled Meng Jiagao’s condescending, hypocritical demeanor at home.

She could easily imagine how he operated within Yu Corporation.

“No matter how much the Ai family offers, I will return to push the special medicine forward. Grandma’s condition won’t wait.” Yu Guqiu said, her expression hardening.

The ruthless decisiveness of the past had returned.

Lin Meng was reassured.

The warmth of married life and the relaxed days at Guangying Xinghui Media hadn’t dulled Yu Guqiu’s edge.

Lin Meng added, “President Yu, there’s one more minor matter. I’m not sure if it’s important, but I thought you should know.”

“Go ahead.”

Lin Meng pointed at the invitation.

“When Ms. Zhang handed me the card, I accidentally saw other invitations on her desk—including ones for the Huo and Tao families.”

Yu Guqiu’s brows furrowed instantly.

An Yizhu pricked up her ears at “Tao family,” immediately thinking of Tao Qian.

Why is this guy everywhere?

But Lin Meng’s warning had another focus: “I heard the Huo family teamed up with the Taos to compete for the exhibition. Since they lost to Ms. Zhang and us, they’ll be resentful.”

Yu Guqiu nodded. “I know the Huo family’s temperament. I’ll be careful.”

Lin Meng finally relaxed.

The two then discussed other ongoing projects from before Yu Guqiu left Yu Corporation before wrapping up.

After Lin Meng left, An Yizhu muttered, “What does Tao Qian even want? He’s everywhere.”

Yu Guqiu was amused that this was An Yizhu’s takeaway after listening for so long.

She chuckled and explained, “If the Huo and Tao families joined forces, it’s no surprise your identity was exposed so early. They probably wanted to throw us off balance. They just didn’t expect Tao Qian to be this stupid—giving us the perfect opportunity instead.”

An Yizhu blinked. “So… thank Tao Qian for his stupidity?”

Yu Guqiu smiled wordlessly.

But after reviewing the contract thoroughly, she texted Ji Lu for confirmation.

Once verified, she handed a script to An Yizhu.

“This is the first part of Ji Lu’s new screenplay. I need you to sketch some storyboards. The director is older and prefers traditional tools, so draft them on paper first.”

Yu Guqiu then passed An Yizhu a pre-prepared art kit.

As she approached the sofa, she caught a faint, sour herbal scent in the air.

It was subtle—maybe imaginary—but Yu Guqiu had already labeled An Yizhu as an extremely jealous vinegar jar.

The kind filled with medicinal herbs.

So she added, “To prevent leaks, even I haven’t seen Ji Lu’s full script. This is the only copy for now. Once you join the crew later, you’ll get the rest.”

“I’m joining the crew too?” An Yizhu accepted the script and the art kit Yu Guqiu had prepared.

“You’ll need to collaborate on-site, sketching storyboards as each script section is released. That’s the plan for now, busy bee.” Yu Guqiu patted An Yizhu’s shoulder with a smile.

Originally, she’d given An Yizhu a job just to help her graduate from Jiangcheng University and free up time for their marriage.

Later, assigning her to Guangying was just to stir the pot—

No, honestly, she’d just wanted to hear An Yizhu chatter about daily life to lift her mood.

Yet somehow, An Yizhu had become indispensable to Guangying, as if every department—PR, animation, screenwriting, even the CEO—

Relied on her.

Yu Guqiu shook her head helplessly and returned to her desk.

Meanwhile, An Yizhu rummaged through the art kit.

It was a treasure trove—undoubtedly expensive, meticulously assembled by Yu Guqiu.

Every tool an artist could want, even obscure little gadgets.

Inspired, she pulled out a waterproof case and filled each compartment with different paint colors.

With an added wooden panel as a palette, she’d have a portable paint kit.

Finally, she selected the finest brush and wrapped it with the case in a leather cloth.

She read the script’s first scene and tested her mini palette on paper.

She worked diligently.

By the time Yu Guqiu finished her tasks and checked on her—

An Yizhu had already drafted five scenes, the quality so high they could serve as final versions.

But what puzzled Yu Guqiu was—

Despite providing a full toolkit, An Yizhu was crouched by the coffee table, using her tiny palette and brush.

For a top-tier artist, she looked like a child just learning to paint, radiating pure joy.

Yu Guqiu didn’t interrupt.

Only when An Yizhu finished the fifth storyboard did Yu Guqiu ask, “Do you not like the tools I got you?”

An Yizhu looked up excitedly. “Check this out—my portable kit! Compact, convenient, and I can take it anywhere without delaying progress!”

Yu Guqiu examined the tiny palette. It was portable and perfectly suited for storyboarding.

But she remarked, “You seem even more work-obsessed than me.”

An Yizhu paused. True.

But she argued, “It’s different. I love drawing—it’s a hobby. You’re the real workaholic.”

Yu Guqiu defended herself, “In that case, work is my hobby.”

An Yizhu considered it. That did make sense.

Still, she couldn’t resist muttering, “That’s kinda messed up.”

Yu Guqiu accepted the label, and the two laughed together.

For the rest of the day, neither could accuse the other of overworking—they both were.

Apart from lunch at the office and dinner at home, they were buried in tasks.

That night, exhausted from the previous day’s sleeplessness and today’s mental load, An Yizhu dozed off early.

The next morning, excited for the exhibition, she woke at dawn.

Yu Guqiu was still asleep when An Yizhu finished washing up, dressed, and started breakfast.

Yu Guqiu emerged just as An Yizhu was cooking.

Seeing her in the kitchen didn’t surprise Yu Guqiu at all.

They ate breakfast together, so in sync they might as well have been married for years.

In the elevator, they coincidentally ran into Zhang Yuan.

Delighted, Zhang Yuan joked, “Good thing Yizhu is free today—otherwise, I’d have to wait for the next elevator.”

A reference to two days ago.

An Yizhu smiled sheepishly.

Yu Guqiu, however, seized the chance to ask, “Actually, I wanted to ask you something at the gallery today, but this works too.”

“Oh? What is it?” Zhang Yuan switched to business mode instantly.

Yu Guqiu said, “I heard the Huo and Tao families were also invited to today’s preview.”

Zhang Yuan looked surprised. “President Yu is quite well-informed.”

An Yizhu nearly laughed.

This wasn’t “well-informed”—this was Lin Meng having good eyesight.

Then again, in the corporate world, vision was power.

An Yizhu suddenly grasped some bizarre business meme.

While her mind wandered, Zhang Yuan explained seriously, “The Huo family has always been influential in the art world. Their galleries in Jiangcheng rival mine, let alone nationally. They were determined to win the exhibition rights—I only succeeded thanks to your help.”

She guessed Yu Guqiu’s discomfort.

As the youngest leader among the major families, Yu Guqiu would inherently be at a disadvantage in such social settings, always seen as the “junior.”

So Zhang Yuan added, “But rest assured, the Huo and Tao representatives are also young. The Huo delegate is Huo Wei, and the Tao delegate is Tao Qian.”

She watched their reactions carefully. Seeing the subtle shifts, she hurriedly clarified, “I know about the rumors between Tao Qian and you two, but he’s only attending as a guest—and at Huo Wei’s request. I couldn’t refuse.”

Yu Guqiu stayed silent. The explanation was acceptable, if barely.

But An Yizhu scowled, thinking of that tall, lanky man. Disgusting.

She grumbled, “What does Huo Wei have to do with this?”