Has The Live-in Alpha Stepped Up - Chapter 52
52: Locked in the Secret Room
An Yizhu spoke up, but her focus was unexpectedly on the Huo family, which surprised both Zhang Yuan and Yu Guqiu.
Zhang Yuan glanced at Yu Guqiu.
Yu Guqiu, however, asked directly, “Do you know Huo Wei?”
An Yizhu’s expression couldn’t hide her disgust: “I wouldn’t say I know him. When I went back to Jiangcheng University to find a screenwriter, I met with the presidents of the drama and film clubs—he was one of them. Anyway, it wasn’t a pleasant experience.”
“Huo Wei is indeed from Jiangcheng University.” Zhang Yuan wiped her sweat, not expecting An Yizhu to have crossed paths with Huo Wei in such a way.
Friction at school could be either trivial or serious.
Seeing the look on An Yizhu’s face when she mentioned Huo Wei, Zhang Yuan was a little worried that this exhibition might run into unexpected trouble because of these past conflicts.
After all, she couldn’t casually dismiss the Huo family’s reputation.
And as for this couple in front of her—she absolutely didn’t dare offend them either.
Zhang Yuan had spent the past few days browsing their CP fan page.
From the employee leaks at Guangying Xinghui Media yesterday, it wasn’t hard to see that after marrying An Yizhu, Yu Guqiu was no longer the cold, work-first, unapproachable person she used to be.
Now, it was clear that An Yizhu came first.
An Yizhu just sighed.
She felt that opportunities to attend exhibitions like this were rare and didn’t want to miss out.
Even if there were unpleasant people there, she could just avoid interacting with them.
If he dared say anything out of line, she wasn’t someone to be trifled with either.
“It’s fine. Huo Wei and I don’t have some irreconcilable feud. It’s just that this person has terrible character. Sister Zhang, you have to be careful! Minimize your dealings with him.”
An Yizhu subtly changed her address from “Ms. Zhang” to “Sister Zhang.”
Sure enough, Zhang Yuan was delighted by the familiarity and nodded with a smile: “I’m not close with Huo Wei, but if Yizhu says so, there must be a good reason. I’ll listen to you. My interactions with him end here. After all, my relationship with his family is mostly competitive anyway.”
Yu Guqiu listened silently from the side.
A businessperson’s words weren’t necessarily trustworthy. She wasn’t sure if Zhang Yuan would truly distance herself from Huo Wei, but she wholeheartedly agreed with An Yizhu’s warning.
After temporarily parting ways with Zhang Yuan, the couple got into their car.
Yu Guqiu then said to An Yizhu, “The Huo family really is quite dangerous. In the future, when you go to the university, try to avoid running into Huo Wei. No matter what conflicts you’ve had before, it’s better to steer clear.”
An Yizhu had no particular expectations for the university now, aside from her three friends in the writing club. Naturally, she wouldn’t get entangled with Huo Wei again.
But at that moment, prompted by Yu Guqiu’s warning, An Yizhu leaned in and asked quietly, “Why is that? I already thought he wasn’t a good person, but is the Huo family itself dangerous too?”
Yu Guqiu could only say this much: “The Huo family rose to power in the north during a special period, using special methods. Now they want to establish roots in Jiangcheng, but most people’s attitude toward them is to keep their distance.”
“Except for the Tao family?” An Yizhu asked curiously.
Yu Guqiu made a small, open-handed gesture, as if to say, What can you do? “The Tao family has a foolish son. Who can stop him?”
An Yizhu couldn’t help but burst into laughter: “Thinking about it that way, the Tao family really is unlucky.”
But then she remembered that Tao Qian was an easy mark.
A new idea suddenly sprouted in her mind. She grabbed Yu Guqiu’s hand and said, “Since this guy is dumb and rich, why don’t we just scam—ah, no, I mean, collaborate with him to get some funding?”
Yu Guqiu let her hand be held, not pulling away, just giving it a light squeeze.
She was a little surprised that An Yizhu would suddenly come up with such an idea: “You want to work with him?”
“After all the sneaky little tricks he’s pulled behind the scenes, doesn’t he owe us some compensation?” An Yizhu countered.
Yu Guqiu laughed: “So you’re trying to extort him?”
“Me? A law-abiding citizen would never extort anyone. But if he has more money than he knows what to do with, investing some in us wouldn’t be a bad idea, right?” An Yizhu swayed their joined hands playfully, her mind clearly working overtime.
“How exactly do you plan to ‘ask for funding’—or should I say, ‘collaborate’?” Yu Guqiu looked at An Yizhu, genuinely curious about what was going on in that head of hers. It had to be entertaining.
An Yizhu recalled the plot in the original novel where the Tao family was used as a cash cow—mostly orchestrated by Ji Lu. It had been portrayed as effortless.
“Have Ji Lu go secure the investment.” An Yizhu declared confidently.
Yu Guqiu burst out laughing.
This little herbal vinegar jar, who usually got jealous at the mere mention of Ji Lu, was now suddenly bringing her up?
Was this a case of diverting trouble onto someone else?
Yu Guqiu was still mulling over the ethics of this plan when—
Buzz buzz—
Her phone vibrated.
She glanced at the screen. Caller ID: Ji Lu.
Yu Guqiu even showed it to An Yizhu: “When did you and Ji Lu develop such tacit understanding?”
An Yizhu took a look. This time, she didn’t react with jealousy—instead, she seemed curious: “Let’s hear what she has to say.”
Yu Guqiu hadn’t expected the little vinegar jar to be so unaffected today.
She tapped the speakerphone button, letting An Yizhu listen in.
“Sister Guqiu, we got it!” Ji Lu’s excited voice came through the phone.
Yu Guqiu wasn’t surprised. Someone had already texted her the news before Ji Lu called.
But An Yizhu was taken aback: “You guys went to negotiate business this early? That’s dedication.”
Hearing An Yizhu’s voice, Ji Lu grew even more animated: “Oh! Yizhu’s there too? Of course, of course—you two are so close, it makes sense you’re together. Since you’re here, I have to praise you. Your storyboards were a huge help! The director loved the format. After seeing them, the negotiations went so smoothly.”
An Yizhu was momentarily stunned by the praise but quickly returned the compliment: “It’s mainly because your script was so good, and you even included scene notes. I just drew based on your descriptions.”
“No, no, no! Some of the storyboards were even better than what I imagined. The oil-painting texture was especially well done—the director adored it. She’d been hesitant after reading my draft, but after seeing your boards, she signed the contract right away. This is your achievement.” Ji Lu insisted enthusiastically.
Yu Guqiu couldn’t help but laugh: “Alright, you two, stop with the mutual admiration. If you keep this up, we’ll be here all day. How about you each write the other a formal praise letter later?”
“President Yu, you have no idea—today went so smoothly. We thought the director called us in early to give us a hard time. But after she signed the contract, she explained that she’s leaving soon to attend an international awards ceremony. She’d seen the scanned storyboards yesterday and wanted to check the hand-drawn versions. She said she’s looking forward to working with the artist.” Ji Lu explained.
But amid all the work talk, Yu Guqiu noticed a minor detail: “Now that the contract’s signed, you’re calling me ‘President Yu’—are you angling for a raise?”
Ji Lu laughed on the other end: “Not at all, don’t misunderstand! It’s just… I was browsing your and Yizhu’s CP fan page yesterday. They said you don’t like it when Yizhu calls other people ‘sister.’ Putting myself in her shoes, I finally get why Yizhu’s always been so wary of me. To make sure future projects go smoothly, I decided it’s better to call you ‘President Yu’ during work hours.”
Yu Guqiu looked at An Yizhu with amusement, curious about her reaction.
She’d expected An Yizhu to at least politely demur.
Instead, An Yizhu nodded emphatically: “Makes sense. I am less annoyed when you call her ‘President Yu.’”
“You’re just admitting it outright?” Yu Guqiu really wanted to ruffle An Yizhu’s hair.
This person could be shy and indirect at times, but also startlingly blunt.
An Yizhu said seriously, “Since we’ll be working together on this project, we can’t let personal feelings interfere.”
She was resolute.
Only by ensuring Guangying’s long-term stability and the plot’s smooth progression could she prevent Yu Guqiu from descending into darkness.
This was her top priority!
Yu Guqiu looked at An Yizhu in surprise.
After a pause, she concluded, “You’re a workaholic too.”
Ji Lu, still on the line, was debating whether to hang up when Yu Guqiu spoke again: “Oh, Yizhu has something else to tell you.”
“What?” An Yizhu blinked.
Yu Guqiu rubbed her fingers together in the universal gesture for money.
An Yizhu’s eyes lit up: “Oh, right, right! We’re about to attend a preview for an art exhibition opening. There’ll be a lot of collectors there—all of them loaded. We have a plan to, uh, secure some project funding from them.”
Ji Lu was stunned. She’d always thought President Yu was impressive, but now President Yu’s wife seemed even more so.
President Yu had to network and build connections to secure funding, but President Yu’s wife just… took it?
“You’re just straight-up telling them to hand over money?”
“Not straight-up.” An Yizhu corrected.
“So… tricking them out of it?” Ji Lu tried to parse.
An Yizhu clarified: “Collaboration. Mutual benefit.”
Ji Lu thought for a moment, then gasped: “Outright robbery?”
Yu Guqiu, holding the phone, burst into silent laughter, her shoulders shaking.
An Yizhu looked at her, puzzled.
What was so funny?
Yu Guqiu shook her head but kept grinning at An Yizhu.
It wasn’t anything profound—she just hadn’t expected these two to be such a comedic duo when put together.
An Yizhu said earnestly, “Ji Lu, since you’re practically family, I’ll be straight with you. A while back, when Guqiu and I were trending on hot search, we found out Tao Qian was behind it. If we don’t recoup some losses, I’ll be furious.”
Ji Lu immediately perked up: “That’s what this is about! Ohhh, say no more! Tao Qian’s an easy mark. His name literally means ‘modest’—I’ll make sure he pays up.”
“It’s that simple?” An Yizhu marveled. Was this the power of protagonist halo?
Ji Lu chuckled conspiratorially: “When he was studying abroad, he got into trouble in Chinatown. My two moms bailed him out. He owes our family a favor. Plus, he really doesn’t want anyone—especially his dad—to find out about his past screwups. He promised to repay us when he returned, but never followed through. I didn’t care before, but now? Consider it done.”
An Yizhu finally understood. No wonder Ji Lu had treated Tao Qian like a personal ATM in the original novel.
And why Tao Qian never appeared in Yu Guqiu’s storyline when Ji Lu was involved.
Ji Lu asked, “You said you’re going to the exhibition today, right? Is Tao Qian going to be there? Can I come? If so, I’ll get the money today.”
She sounded even more excited than An Yizhu.
An Yizhu and Yu Guqiu exchanged glances and smiled.
Yu Guqiu said, “That shouldn’t be a problem. Let me check with the organizers. I’ll send you the location once it’s confirmed.”
After hanging up, Yu Guqiu called Zhang Yuan, who immediately agreed.
If Huo Wei, as a competitor, could bring Tao Qian, then Yu Guqiu and An Yizhu, as partners, certainly could bring Ji Lu.
Twenty minutes later, Xie Fang dropped the couple off at the gallery.
Zhang Yuan arrived at the same time, parking her car at the entrance and hurrying over to greet them.
Before they entered, she reminded them, “There’ll be a live stream today—no close-ups or interviews. I’ll point out where the cameras are. If you’re uncomfortable, I’ll have them avoid you. In the internet age, galleries need online exposure too.”
Yu Guqiu looked at An Yizhu for her opinion.
An Yizhu smiled: “A few days ago, we might’ve minded. But after browsing our CP fan page, we’ve embraced our ‘internet celebrity’ status. If it helps the gallery, we don’t mind being on camera.”
She even whispered to Yu Guqiu, “We are investors, right? Better sales mean bigger dividends?”
Zhang Yuan overheard and laughed: “Absolutely! If you two appear, I’ll personally give you a very generous red envelope.”
“Deal.” An Yizhu said, grinning at Yu Guqiu, who nodded in agreement.
Zhang Yuan watched their interaction, wishing the cameras were rolling now.
Why wait?
This couple was adorable just chatting—imagine the views if this went live!
The businesswoman in her was already calculating how to feature them in promotional photos for each painting.
But she quickly dismissed the idea.
She could tell that while Yu Guqiu was guarded with others, she trusted An Yizhu implicitly.
And An Yizhu’s approach to friendship was refreshingly genuine.
If Zhang Yuan was upfront, they might agree. But trying to sneak it past them would backfire spectacularly.
She didn’t want to lose these two fascinating friends.
“Let’s head in. Some guests have already arrived.” Zhang Yuan said, leading the way.
“This early? I thought we’d be the first ones here.” An Yizhu said, surprised. She wasn’t familiar with these events.
“Invitation times are more of a suggestion. Some people come early to network.” Yu Guqiu explained wryly.
As soon as they entered, An Yizhu saw clusters of guests chatting—not looking at the art. Clearly, the paintings weren’t the main attraction.
Some people held court effortlessly, while others hovered nearby, chiming in with flattery.
An Yizhu suddenly realized: this wasn’t just an exhibition.
Today, it was a battlefield.
Zhang Yuan’s invitations were golden tickets to the social elite.
But An Yizhu couldn’t muster any interest in this scene.
Yu Guqiu didn’t even need to look at her to sense her disdain.
After introducing them briefly, Zhang Yuan excused herself to attend to other preparations.
The guests immediately swarmed Yu Guqiu.
Between her recent viral fame and her existing reputation as a formidable business leader, she was the person to know.
But Yu Guqiu remained politely aloof, her icy demeanor intact.
When they turned to An Yizhu for an “in,” they found her already absorbed in the artwork.
The couple’s disinterest in flattery eventually sent the guests scattering.
Yu Guqiu joined An Yizhu in admiring the paintings.
At first, An Yizhu was distracted by snippets of outrageous gossip—
That Alpha department head got an Omega pregnant and paid hush money to keep his job…
Those two coworkers had an affair during a business trip…
Ten minutes in, An Yizhu decided these people had nothing interesting to say.
“Not a fan of gossip?” Yu Guqiu asked, amused.
An Yizhu shook her head: “Not this kind. It’s boring.”
After years in the hospital, she’d overheard enough real-life scandals to last a lifetime.
But now, she could just take Yu Guqiu’s hand and steer her away: “Let’s check out the next gallery.”
Yu Guqiu followed willingly.
She’d seen plenty of this world growing up.
People called her an ice queen, but she just didn’t care for the ugliness beneath the glittering surface.
But sometimes, there were things warm enough to melt even ice.
She looked at An Yizhu, bathed in the painting’s spotlight glow, and shivered.
An Yizhu immediately noticed, turning to clasp Yu Guqiu’s cold hands: “Are you cold?”
Yu Guqiu was startled—she’d barely reacted, yet An Yizhu had caught it. She squeezed back: “A little.”
“The temperature’s kept low for the paintings, and the spotlights make it feel even colder. Let’s step outside for a bit.” An Yizhu said, steering them away from the AC vent.
Yu Guqiu held her back: “It’s fine. You can keep looking.”
“The paintings can wait. You not catching a cold is more important.” An Yizhu insisted, cradling Yu Guqiu’s hands in both of hers.
Yu Guqiu smiled. Her hands were always cold—An Yizhu’s efforts were futile.
But she loved the concern.
An Yizhu studied her face, confused by her lack of response: “What is it?”
Yu Guqiu just shook her head, still smiling.
She wanted to hear more of An Yizhu’s fussing, but couldn’t bring herself to say it.
An Yizhu, growing worried, pressed the back of her hand to Yu Guqiu’s forehead: “Do you have a fever?”
Just then—
“Ah, here you are! You two look like statues under these lights—I almost didn’t recognize you!” A gallery staffer in a branded cap approached.
Yu Guqiu turned: “Can we help you?”
The young man smiled: “Director Zhang asked me to bring you to the storage room. She has something to discuss.”
Yu Guqiu frowned: “Why the storage room?”
“Probably to preview the exhibition’s centerpiece painting,” he said smoothly.
“The centerpiece? Really?” An Yizhu lit up.
The staffer nodded: “This way, please.”
He led them through a staff-only corridor to a secure storage room.
The door was ajar.
“Huh? Director Zhang was just here…” he muttered, puzzled.
An Yizhu peered inside: “The door’s open—she must’ve stepped out for something urgent.”
“I’ll go find her. Feel free to wait inside,” he said, then added, “The painting’s in there. You can take a look while I fetch her.”
Yu Guqiu nodded, and they entered.
The room was small but well-organized, with a few dusty crates stacked against the walls.
In the center stood a large rectangular case draped in red cloth—clearly housing the exhibition’s star piece.
An Yizhu carefully lifted the cloth, revealing a locked wooden box.
As Yu Guqiu stepped further in to examine it—
Creak—
Bang!
Click.
The heavy door swung shut behind them, the lock engaging automatically.
The lights dimmed.
They turned simultaneously.
An Yizhu looked at Yu Guqiu: “Are we… locked in?”
Yu Guqiu’s expression darkened.
An Yizhu tested the door—definitely locked. Even from the inside, it required a code.
No cell signal.
The temperature and humidity controls were set to preserve artwork—20°C, 50% humidity.
At least they wouldn’t freeze to death.
They just had to wait for Zhang Yuan.
But when An Yizhu turned back—
Yu Guqiu was crouched on the floor, trembling, her face ghostly pale.
“Yu Guqiu!” An Yizhu rushed to her side, wrapping her arms around her. “What’s wrong?”
Yu Guqiu looked up, her voice strained: “I’m fine. Just… look at the painting first.”