Has The Live-in Alpha Stepped Up - Chapter 54
54: My Dear Wife
Yu Guqiu was utterly shocked by this answer.
This person—how could she not mention such a big matter to her?
Thus, in this public setting, Yu Guqiu couldn’t care less about saving face.
She was angry.
She forcefully pinched An Yizhu’s chin, forcing her to turn and look at her. “You hid it from me? Hmm? An Yizhu? Or should I call you Qiu Zhu?”
An Yizhu blinked.
Huh?!
Wait!!!
Wife is angry—what should I do?!
An Yizhu hadn’t expected Yu Guqiu to suddenly lose her temper so openly in front of everyone.
But based on her understanding of Yu Guqiu, the expression on her face right now was unmistakably fury.
An Yizhu instantly panicked. “No, no, My Dear Wife! Please let me explain—I mean, defend myself!”
“Defend yourself?” Yu Guqiu snorted lightly, even overlooking how overly affectionate the term “My Dear Wife” sounded because the word “defend” was too grating.
“No, no, I mean…” An Yizhu wanted to joke her way out of it, but that clearly wasn’t going to work.
Yet, she didn’t know how to explain.
Because she genuinely hadn’t intentionally hidden it.
When she participated in the competition, she hadn’t expected to win an award.
Even the painting itself had gone through twists and turns before she reluctantly submitted it.
If she had specifically told Yu Guqiu about the painting, it would’ve felt strange.
After winning the award, she had genuinely forgotten about it.
There had been opportunities to mention it, but she’d been too busy lately. For convenience, she had entrusted the painting entirely to the organizers and temporarily put the matter aside.
Who would’ve thought that, through a series of coincidences, the painting would return to her in such an odd manner?
Not only that, but it had been damaged and now required her personal restoration.
Watching An Yizhu stammer awkwardly in front of Yu Guqiu, the livestream audience didn’t sense any tension at all. Instead, they found it hilarious.
[Hahahahaha, I’m dying of laughter. “My Dear Wife” rolls off the tongue so smoothly—the henpecked wife vibes are strong!]
[Originally, altering the painting was a serious matter, but now, the real issue is the concealment!]
[No, no, this couple is seriously so easy to ship! An Yizhu secretly nurturing a little hobby, probably to surprise her wife—she even chose the pen name “Qiu Zhu.” I’m shipping them so hard!]
[“About My Fave Using the CP Name as Her Pen Name”—Yizhu’s pen name is “Qiu Zhu”! Was she the first one to ship herself with her wife?]
[Yeah, yeah! And look at this painting—it’s called Heartbeat! Isn’t this a confession piece? My heart is racing too!]
[I get it now. The blue part of the painting represents CEO Yu, the ice-cold beauty, while the red part represents CEO Yu’s wife, the sunshine puppy. This must’ve been created during their ambiguous phase. “When you didn’t know, I was already hopelessly falling for you!”]
The CP fans were in a frenzy.
Meanwhile, netizens who had come for the gallery and the “Johnson Mo” silver award-winning work were stunned.
They had come to see the painting—why were they being force-fed dog food instead?
Huo Wei’s mood grew even more complicated.
An Yizhu was Qiu Zhu?
If An Yizhu was Qiu Zhu, then the person he had admired all along was actually An Yizhu?
If that was the case…
Huo Wei gritted his teeth and finally retorted with An Yizhu’s own words: “First, prove it’s true, then argue about right or wrong. Words alone mean nothing—how can you prove you’re Qiu Zhu?”
Huo Wei’s interruption didn’t annoy An Yizhu this time.
It actually helped divert the topic.
An Yizhu took out her phone. “Isn’t that easy? I’ll just call the organizer’s person in charge.”
After the warehouse door opened, the signal returned. She found “Jane’s” number and dialed.
Beep—beep—
The scene fell silent. Even the sound from An Yizhu’s phone could be heard clearly.
But after just two rings—
Ring-ring—
A very noticeable phone ringtone sounded from outside.
Ji Lu, standing at the outermost edge, was the first to notice the coincidence. She guessed what might be happening and waved in the direction of the ringing.
“Hello, are you looking for the exhibition warehouse?”
Hearing Ji Lu’s voice, everyone instinctively turned to look.
They saw a tall blonde woman jogging toward them while answering her phone, saying, “Ms. An, hello.”
Her voice overlapped perfectly with the one coming from An Yizhu’s phone.
The blonde woman was puzzled by the sight of everyone turning to stare at her.
But she didn’t panic. Her gaze swept past the crowd and landed on An Yizhu inside.
Delighted, she put her phone away and greeted An Yizhu in broken Chinese: “Ms. An, you’re here! I planned to call you after confirming the situation on-site today. I didn’t expect you to call me first.”
Zhang Yuan stared at the blonde woman and exclaimed, “Ms. Jane! The person in charge of the ‘Johnson Mo’ award, Ms. Jane!!”
It was as if she had grabbed onto a lifeline and refused to let go.
Thank goodness—An Yizhu really was “Qiu Zhu”!
But then, a sense of grievance washed over her.
This couple was truly too much. One wanted the exhibition rights for “Qiu Zhu’s” paintings, while the other was “Qiu Zhu” herself—were they playing her for a fool?
And she was the fool.
Everyone on-site quickly pieced together the situation.
Ji Lu, in particular, was sharp. While figuring things out, she glanced at Tao Qian.
Another reason to squeeze him dry.
This man wouldn’t escape without bleeding heavily.
Jane, meanwhile, smiled and handed her business card to everyone.
Huo Wei didn’t need a card—he knew Jane. He asked directly, “An Yizhu is ‘Qiu Zhu’?”
Jane smiled at Huo Wei and replied fluently in English: “Mr. Huo, you’re here too. I’m sorry we couldn’t grant you the authorization this time. Our company considered that Ms. Zhang is collaborating with the Yu family. Although we don’t know why Ms. An didn’t directly authorize it to the Yu family, given Ms. Yu and Ms. An’s marital relationship, we prioritized Ms. Zhang’s gallery.”
Though Jane’s response didn’t directly answer Huo Wei’s question, he still got his answer.
After speaking to Huo Wei, Jane turned cheerfully to An Yizhu and said in Chinese, “Ms. An, it seems the surprise you prepared for Ms. Yu has been revealed, hasn’t it?”
Hearing this, Yu Guqiu’s questioning gaze intensified.
“A surprise?”
An Yizhu’s heart sank.
“Wuwuwu, I absolutely didn’t mean it like that! Jane, don’t say nonsense!”
An Yizhu wasn’t crying or sobbing, but the whimper in her throat was unmistakable.
Because she was so wronged.
In this situation, there was simply no way to explain herself clearly!
Everything was just too coincidental.
If she had to blame anything, it was her own lack of sharing. If she had told Yu Guqiu everything from the start, there wouldn’t have been this misunderstanding.
Yu Guqiu watched as An Yizhu, usually so quick-witted, could now only mumble and act coquettishly, unable to defend herself. She couldn’t help but laugh.
She gently patted An Yizhu’s head.
An Yizhu felt the cool touch on her head and turned to look at Yu Guqiu.
Did this mean she wasn’t angry anymore?
Right—the whole situation was just a big misunderstanding, but nothing bad had actually happened. There was no reason to be angry.
An Yizhu reflected inwardly. The only time she had intentionally concealed something was during the painting restoration earlier.
She hadn’t had time to explain because she was worried about the tight schedule—the exhibition came first.
Jane, meanwhile, bypassed the couple and carefully examined the painting. After understanding the situation, she nodded seriously and asked Zhang Yuan in English, “I see. So, due to improper storage, the painting was damaged, and now Ms. An has restored it. During the restoration, Ms. An had new inspiration and made minor modifications to the painting.”
Her explanation was detailed and thorough.
But because she mentioned “improper storage,” Zhang Yuan had to clarify: “It definitely wasn’t improper storage! Whether during transportation or temporary storage, I used the most advanced temperature-control technology. I would never deliberately damage the artwork. I will absolutely report this to the police and track down the culprit!”
Jane didn’t seem too concerned. These things happened often.
Even the Mona Lisa in the Louvre had tomato soup thrown at it—nothing was surprising anymore.
As long as the painting’s owner didn’t mind, it was fine.
So Jane turned to An Yizhu and asked with a smile, “Ms. An, what are your thoughts?”
When Jane questioned Zhang Yuan in English, she was full of authority. But when she switched to Chinese to ask An Yizhu, her unique Mandarin accent made her seem adorably naive.
The atmosphere in the room lightened.
An Yizhu didn’t really have any strong opinions. Zhang Yuan had clearly been set up, and she didn’t hold any grudge against her. She glanced at Yu Guqiu, letting her make the decision.
Yu Guqiu said, “Boss Zhang bears responsibility for managerial negligence. I demand that Boss Zhang conduct a thorough self-inspection and report to the police. We must receive a reasonable explanation for all of this.”
“Of course, of course.” Zhang Yuan wiped the sweat from her forehead. Avoiding compensation was already a stroke of luck.
Yu Guqiu’s demands ended there. She then looked at An Yizhu, handing the decision-making back to her.
An Yizhu smiled and said, “If the exhibition does well, don’t forget the big red envelope you promised us!”
“Absolutely! Absolutely!” Zhang Yuan was practically moved to tears. An Yizhu’s words implied she was still willing to maintain a good relationship—this was a huge win for her.
Yu Guqiu watched An Yizhu’s childlike demeanor, so different from the composed, decisive person who had swiftly restored the painting and taken charge in front of everyone earlier.
Yet, they were the same person.
She simply had a pure heart.
Innocent and transparent, with a fire burning inside her—just like the red in the painting.
And this fire was now igniting something in Yu Guqiu as well.
Yu Guqiu stared at the painting.
She had noticed the few strokes An Yizhu added earlier—the blue figure’s eyes now reflected the red flames.
Yu Guqiu looked back at An Yizhu, who seemed to flicker like a flame in her vision.
Livestream Comments:
[I get it now. Earlier, I thought CEO Yu was just doting, letting her little Alpha do whatever she wanted while covering for her. Turns out, the little Alpha had already planned everything—she’s the one agreeing to whatever CEO Yu wants to do!]
[Oh my god, it’s a good thing they’re already married. Otherwise, the civil affairs office would’ve had to relocate a hundred times today.]
[Hahaha, but the “henpecked Alpha” faction has fallen. What “standing tall”? The little Alpha just listens to CEO Yu in everything! But it’s so sweet.]
[Where is this exhibition? I want to go see it—I have to see this painting in person!]
[Same here! Me too!]
The netizens’ attention finally shifted from shipping the couple to the exhibition itself.
Zhang Yuan, seeing the positive shift in public opinion online, was thrilled.
Unexpectedly, the exhibition hadn’t been ruined by this scandal—instead, it had gained massive attention.
Zhang Yuan, experienced in such matters, quickly arranged several cars to whisk the guests away before the media could swarm them.
At noon, she treated An Yizhu and Yu Guqiu to a lavish meal.
Though it was a banquet for all the visiting guests.
Now that An Yizhu had the dual identity of the rising star painter “Qiu Zhu” and the Yu family’s “henpecked Alpha,” it was no surprise that she became the center of attention even without media present.
These people were eager to climb the social ladder—nothing unusual about that.
But An Yizhu was momentarily overwhelmed. By the time she finished dealing with the crowd, Huo Wei and Tao Qian had already left. She was quite annoyed.
“Such a great opportunity to squeeze money out of them—missed.”
“Not missed! I got it!” Ji Lu’s voice came from behind.
An Yizhu jumped. “Ji Lu, don’t sneak up on people like that—it’s scary.”
Yu Guqiu had been keeping an eye on anyone approaching An Yizhu, worried someone might take advantage of her naivety. She had practically become An Yizhu’s manager, more exhausted than if she had dealt with these people herself.
So she, too, only noticed Ji Lu after she spoke. “You’re still here?”
Ji Lu, seeing their reactions, was both amused and exasperated. “Yizhu—no, Mrs. Yu, how can you and CEO Yu be so heartless? Is this what they call ‘kicking the ladder after crossing the river’?”
“No such intention, Screenwriter Ji! You’re our secret weapon. You said you got money? How much? Spill the details.” An Yizhu leaned in eagerly.
Ji Lu glanced at Yu Guqiu, as if to complain.
Yu Guqiu simply smiled faintly.
Ji Lu sighed.
Sigh, what was I expecting? CEO Yu is just like her wife now.
Unable to vent, Ji Lu obediently recounted the story to An Yizhu.
Ji Lu had arrived at the venue while An Yizhu and Yu Guqiu were locked in the warehouse. Though she didn’t see the couple, she immediately spotted Tao Qian, who stood beside Huo Wei like a scared chick.
She had no connection with Huo Wei, so she boldly walked up and greeted Tao Qian directly.
Just that greeting alone sent Tao Qian into a panic. He pulled her aside and asked what she wanted.
Ji Lu simply mentioned the difficulties she faced at Guangying and how she needed money to make a good film and fulfill her screenwriting dreams.
Before she could even finish her prepared speech, Tao Qian proactively asked if two million would suffice.
“Only two million?” An Yizhu retorted.
It wasn’t that An Yizhu had been corrupted by capitalist life and no longer valued money.
She just felt Tao Qian getting off too lightly with just two million.
“Of course not. He said he wanted to buy Heartbeat and could only offer two million upfront.” Ji Lu explained.
Yu Guqiu, however, sneered. “He was preparing an excuse to ‘purchase’ the painting, ensuring the damage would be exposed. If the transaction had gone through, he could’ve demanded multiples in compensation.”
Ji Lu nodded. “Probably. But once Yizhu was revealed as ‘Qiu Zhu,’ I cornered him. He obediently agreed to invest eight million.”
An Yizhu nodded. “So he was originally planning to spend six million on my painting.”
Ji Lu was momentarily stunned by An Yizhu’s quick shift in focus.
Yu Guqiu chuckled and said to Ji Lu, “Then the task of ‘debt collection’ is yours.”
This couple didn’t even treat Tao Qian’s money as an investment—it was straight-up a debt to be collected.
“No problem. I’ll make sure he pays up properly!” Ji Lu grinned, then looked at the two of them. “Are you two off to have some alone time now?”
An Yizhu glanced at Yu Guqiu.
She actually had no idea what the plan was next.
But to Ji Lu, it looked entirely different.
She felt like these two were disgustingly lovey-dovey.
When she looked at Yu Guqiu, Yu Guqiu was gazing at An Yizhu. When she looked at An Yizhu, An Yizhu was gazing at Yu Guqiu.
You two—your eyes are glued to each other!
Yu Guqiu, however, seemed to remember something and asked An Yizhu, “Does Mom An know about your identity as a painter now?”
An Yizhu smiled sheepishly. “She probably does? Actually, Mom An set up a studio for me in the courtyard. Most of this painting was done there.”
Yu Guqiu thought back and roughly guessed which day it was.
She looked at An Yizhu. “Even if she knew you painted, she probably never imagined you’d make such a splash. So talented—busy as you were, you still found time to paint. And you painted us.”
An Yizhu couldn’t argue. That was exactly how it was.
Looking back, the working title of the painting had originally been Blending.
The inspiration came from the intense impact Yu Guqiu’s and her pheromones had on her mind when they mingled.
But when she finished the painting and submitted it, she suddenly had an idea and changed the name to Heartbeat.
In hindsight, An Yizhu realized that on that rainy night, the dizzying sensation she felt in Yu Guqiu’s presence wasn’t just from the pheromones—it was also the heartbeat of love at first sight.
Fortunately, she had already clumsily confessed before. Now, Yu Guqiu could easily and naturally connect the dots.
“You really are a genius.” Yu Guqiu finally gave An Yizhu a high evaluation, her eyes brimming with amusement.
This made An Yizhu blush furiously.
Ji Lu couldn’t take it anymore and complained, “Formal protest! I’m still here! Do you two remember I exist? Bullying single people like this is wrong. I’m leaving in a huff.”
Just then, An Yizhu saw Xie Fang driving over.
She smiled. “You might not get to leave first—our car is here.”
Ji Lu turned to Yu Guqiu to tattle. “No, CEO Yu, your wife is too good at provoking people!”
Yu Guqiu merely smiled. “I know.”
In the past, what she had admired most about An Yizhu was her ability to provoke others. Now, she still admired it.
Ji Lu finally understood—now, Yu Guqiu was just as provoking.
This couple—they’re both infuriating!
The couple got into the car, rolled down the window to wave goodbye to Ji Lu, and didn’t even think to ask if she needed a ride before driving off.
If asked, the answer would’ve been “not on the way.”
They were heading to the courtyard in the suburbs—it wasn’t on the way to anywhere.
Ji Lu: So mad…
The car hadn’t gone far when Yu Guqiu broke the silence.
“Care to explain?”
An Yizhu, who had been on high alert, stiffened at these five words. “Explain… explain! I didn’t hide it on purpose—there just wasn’t a good time.”
She immediately launched into a recap, mentioning every possible opportunity she could’ve brought it up.
Xie Fang, in the driver’s seat, listened to the conversation in the backseat with a smile.
When she saw the hot search earlier that morning, she had also been surprised to learn that An Yizhu was “Qiu Zhu.”
But what interested her more was seeing netizens’ comments about how the “henpecked Alpha” was soft and adorable, wondering when she would finally “stand tall.”
Xie Fang also watched An Yizhu’s obedient, rambling demeanor.
Standing tall might be a bit difficult…
But then she peeked at Yu Guqiu through the rearview mirror.
The woman’s barely concealed smile—who knew what she was secretly pleased about?
Wasn’t this just the couple’s little romantic dynamic?
The car arrived at the courtyard.
This time, there were no annoying paparazzi lurking around.
After the uproar that day, Yu Guqiu had Yu Corporation issue an official statement informing all media outlets that interviews could be scheduled, but if anyone blocked the courtyard gates and disrupted the children’s schooling again, legal action would be taken.
The media interpreted this as Yu Guqiu fiercely protecting her wife, but it was effective.
Moreover, the paparazzi’s attention shifted quickly, and they soon moved on to other targets.
The courtyard quickly returned to normal.
An Yizhu and Yu Guqiu got out of the car.
The children were playing in the courtyard.
An Lan, standing on the second floor of the teaching building and watching the playground below, immediately spotted the two figures at the gate—her daughter and her daughter’s wife. She waved happily and even alerted the children.
“Kids, look who’s here.”
The children turned and immediately erupted into cheers.
“Sister Yizhu!”
“Pretty Sister!”
The children ran from the playground toward the gate.
To welcome their enthusiasm, An Yizhu and Yu Guqiu stopped at the foot of the teaching building.
An Yizhu spread her arms, waiting for them.
At the same time, she glanced at Yu Guqiu.
From the children’s pins adorning Yu Guqiu’s outfit yesterday, it was clear she liked these kids too.
So An Yizhu gestured to her.
Yu Guqiu understood and, under An Yizhu’s gaze, tentatively opened her arms in imitation.
An Yizhu instantly broke into a wide grin.
An Lan, walking down from upstairs, smiled as she watched the couple.
The children swarmed around them, chattering excitedly.
“Sister, we missed you so much! You haven’t visited in so long!”
“Sister, sister, last time, there were so many reporters outside—you’re so famous!”
“Not just that—there were so many bodyguards too. It was so cool!”
“They were security guards, not bodyguards.”
Xiao Laba, always up-to-date on current events, happily added, “And Sister Yizhu, you won an award for your painting! You’re amazing!”
The children’s noisy chatter didn’t irritate Yu Guqiu.
Before this, she never thought she could get along well with children.
But now, it was different. For a fleeting moment, she even wondered—what if she had a child of her own…
“What’s wrong?” An Yizhu noticed Yu Guqiu’s distraction and took her hand, gently stroking it, worried she might’ve caught a chill from the gallery’s air conditioning that morning. “Are you feeling unwell?”
Yu Guqiu shook her head slowly. The thoughts flashing through her mind weren’t something she’d share with An Yizhu so easily.
She still had too much work to do—now wasn’t the time to consider such things.
Seeing that Yu Guqiu didn’t seem unwell, An Yizhu guessed she might just be tired from the day.
She turned to the children. “Alright, alright, go play on your own now. Pretty Sister and I still have things to do.”
The children were obedient. Though they wanted to play with the sisters, they quickly scattered, returning to their games.
Only then did An Lan approach.
In her eyes, An Yizhu and Yu Guqiu were just like the children who had run off to the playground—no different.
An Lan sat them down under the eaves, handed each a glass of water, and said with a smile, “I saw you trending again today. Especially you, Yizhu—fooling around in the studio, and it turns out you were actually creating something. But hiding it from me and Xiao Qiu? That’s unacceptable.”
Yu Guqiu nodded in agreement. “Mom An is right. I scolded her too—she shouldn’t have done that.”
An Yizhu shrank her neck. “It wasn’t on purpose! It was just a small thing—I never expected to actually win an award. The prize money just hit my account, and I haven’t even had time to think about buying you gifts. I’ve been too busy!”
Yu Guqiu sighed. “That’s my fault. I’ve been keeping Yizhu busy helping at the company—she’s exhausted.”
“Getting tired after just a little work?” An Lan, taking Yu Guqiu’s words at face value, immediately began lecturing An Yizhu.
An Yizhu hadn’t expected things to take this turn.
How could Yu Guqiu do this?!
She was acting so… teasingly!
And… it was adorable!
An Yizhu quickly explained, “That’s not what I meant! I promise I’ll tell you everything from now on, really! Right now, let’s go upstairs—I’ll show Xiao Qiu the studio.”
Yu Guqiu, still holding An Yizhu’s hand, wasn’t in a hurry to stand. “We just sat down with Mom An—the chairs haven’t even warmed up yet, and you’re already leaving?”
An Lan watched the couple.
Seeing them like this, she smiled. “I don’t have anything else to do. Go on, you two.”
An Yizhu felt as if she’d been granted amnesty. “Thank you, Mom An! Let’s go, My Dear Wife!”
Yu Guqiu noticed how An Yizhu’s address for her had subtly changed and couldn’t help but laugh.
This girl—so bold in public, always knowing how to sweet-talk.