Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL) - Chapter 1

Comfy but respectful loungewear? Perfect.
Bright, sparkling eyes? Perfect.
A smile showing exactly ten teeth? Perfect.

Yu Xiaoxiao gave her hair one final touch in the mirror, nodded with satisfaction, slapped the sink for emphasis, and stood up straight.

“All right!”

Youyou-jie’s friend would be arriving any minute now.

Thinking of this, she turned to the mirror and rehearsed her best smile: round, shiny eyes curving into little crescent moons, rosy cheeks, full of warmth and sunshine.

Everything looked perfect. That friend was sure to feel right at home.

To prepare for today, Yu Xiaoxiao had even asked the housekeeper to make a light but lavish welcome meal. After all, the guest must be tired from traveling—best to have a cozy meal at home first. Once she’s rested, they could go sightseeing together. Xiaoxiao had even made a travel guide by hand.

After all, this was someone Youyou-jie had specifically asked her to take care of.

Cong You had been like a big sister to her since kindergarten—their families were longtime friends. She was five years older than Yu Xiaoxiao, mature and gentle, always smiling, always elegant in her skirts, and she seemed good at everything. When she became an alpha as an adult, she became the idol and crush of all the younger kids.

Yu Xiaoxiao was sure she was Youyou-jie’s favorite little sister. Among all the random admirers—A to O, all types—she had always come out on top. Except for that damn ice block. She was always trying to steal Youyou-jie away—and often succeeded. She was the biggest, most frustrating threat.

Just thinking about her made Yu Xiaoxiao’s mood take a nosedive. She shook her head, trying to forget that annoying person.

Cong You studied design and had gone abroad a few years ago. She didn’t keep in close contact with family, only visiting during holidays and sending the occasional message. But for this friend, she had even called Xiaoxiao several times.

When she heard that Youyou-jie wanted her friend to stay at her place for a few days, Yu Xiaoxiao had agreed instantly:
“Of course, Youyou-jie! Leave it to me! Does your friend prefer quiet? I’ve got a place in the suburbs—she can have the key. Or I’ve got a few places downtown too, she can pick whichever she likes…”

“Xiaoxiao.”

Even across oceans and through a phone line, Cong You’s voice was as gentle as ever—soft like a morning breeze, the kind that made you smile just hearing it.

“She’s a bit of a special case. Her health isn’t great, and I worry about her. I wanted to ask if she could stay with you. Can I trouble you to keep an eye on her for me?”

Her voice was full of warmth and care—clearly a close friend.

Yu Xiaoxiao felt a tiny pang of jealousy, but she still answered cheerfully, trying to earn more points:
“No problem at all, Youyou-jie! Leave it to me!”

“Thank you, Xiaoxiao.” Cong You chuckled, “Our Xiaoxiao’s all grown up now. So reliable—she can help big sister out.”

That made Yu Xiaoxiao giggle stupidly on the other end of the phone.

Cong You hadn’t mentioned her friend’s secondary gender, but it didn’t matter anyway.

Yu Xiaoxiao hadn’t differentiated yet. She couldn’t smell pheromones—good or bad—and wasn’t affected by them either. Doctors couldn’t find anything wrong. So she just treated herself like a beta with no sense of smell—it was pretty convenient. The only downside was that Youyou-jie still saw her as a little kid.

In any case, Yu Xiaoxiao was determined to leave a good impression on this mysterious friend—to make sure Youyou-jie saw that even if she hadn’t differentiated yet, she wasn’t some childish little girl anymore. She was dependable. She was grown-up.

And step one of her “Grown-Up Plan” was to give this friend a warm and proper welcome.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

She’s here!

Yu Xiaoxiao glanced in the mirror one last time to make sure she looked bright and glowing, then dashed across the living room to the front door.

She took a deep breath, steeled herself, and opened the door with a dazzling smile—

“You?!”

The smile vanished. Yu Xiaoxiao’s voice jumped up in shock.

Standing at her door was the person she hated most in the world—the “ice block” she’d just been thinking about—Xiang Shuhuai.

Xiang Shuhuai blinked at her, a bit surprised. Her tone was as cold as ever.
“…You.”

Xiang Shuhuai was, without question, the person Yu Xiaoxiao hated most.

They had clashed from the very beginning. The first time they met, Yu Xiaoxiao found a new little tagalong hanging around her beloved Youyou-jie. The tagalong didn’t smile, didn’t respond, and completely ignored her—just hogged Youyou-jie’s attention.

Yu Xiaoxiao had been so mad she cried, then plotted a prank that sent Xiang Shuhuai tumbling into a ditch—and left a scar on her cheek. It faded with time, but even now, when Yu Xiaoxiao spotted it, she felt a little guilty.

As they got older, their relationship only got worse.

Yu Xiaoxiao was spoiled from all sides—her cousin ran the family business, so she didn’t need to worry about anything. She just played around, carefree and cheerful. Xiang Shuhuai was her complete opposite.

As her friends put it, Shuhuai was like a crown princess—heir to the Xiang family. Her words moved millions, while they were just a bunch of spoiled brats.

At fancy events, Yu Xiaoxiao would be goofing off with her friends, while Xiang Shuhuai stood tall in formalwear, navigating the crowd of adults like a pro, talking about business deals that Xiaoxiao didn’t understand at all.

Yu Xiaoxiao hated that perfect, untouchable attitude. Like nothing in the world could move her. Like she was some flawless robot.

But what she hated most… was how Xiang Shuhuai always tried to steal Youyou-jie’s affection.

One time at an auction, Xiaoxiao saw a beautiful amethyst necklace—it sparkled softly, just like Youyou-jie’s eyes. She wanted to buy it as a gift, but someone kept outbidding her.

She got worked up and tried to keep bidding, but the price went over her allowance. She could’ve asked her parents, but they’d scold her, so she hesitated—and missed her chance.

A few days later, that exact necklace appeared around Cong You’s neck. The pale purple gem lay perfectly on her collarbone, making her look even more elegant.

When Xiaoxiao asked, she found out it was a gift—from Xiang Shuhuai.

“Looks good on me?” Cong You smiled. Her eyes were so gentle. “Xiao Shu said it suits me. Said the gem looks like my eyes… Is that true, Xiaoxiao? You’re both so cheesy.”

Thanks to Xiang Shuhuai, she’d gone from “Youyou-jie’s favorite” to just “one of you.”

And once, when the three of them were out shopping, the store staff assumed that alpha Cong You and beta Xiang Shuhuai were a couple—and thought Xiaoxiao was someone’s kid sister.

…Xiang Shuhuai.

Yu Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth.

Xiang Shuhuai!!

Right now, Xiang Shuhuai stood with her suitcase, wearing relaxed clothes—long pants and a loose top. Her hair was tied back casually, not the usual formal look, but she still looked precise and proper.

Her pale face was expressionless. She looked slightly surprised, but still cold and distant—like someone who didn’t belong in the same world.

Yu Xiaoxiao hated that look. Being stared at like that made her bl00d boil.
“What the hell are you doing here?”

Xiang Shuhuai gave her a doubtful glance and pulled out her phone. “Let me check the address Cong You gave me.”

…“Cong You.”

The way she said those two words made Yu Xiaoxiao’s skin crawl. That stupid ice block, usually so aloof, suddenly got all soft and tender just saying “sis (jiejie).” It gave her chills. Only Youyou-jie, with her good temper, would tolerate being called that by her…

“It’s correct,” came that annoying calm voice again. “This is definitely the address she gave me…”

Yu Xiaoxiao snatched the phone.

Sure enough, there was a message from Cong You—asking her friend to let Xiang Shuhuai stay over. And saying her friend was a “sweet little sister,” so Shuhuai should take good care of her.

The address was hers. Every word matched.

They stared at each other.

“…I think there was a misunderstanding between me and Cong You,” Xiang Shuhuai said first, taking her phone back and glancing at Yu Xiaoxiao. “Sorry. I’ll check with her again. I’ll just go—”

That look completely set Xiaoxiao off.

She grabbed her enemy by the collar.

“Go where?” Yu Xiaoxiao snapped, dragging her inside. “I already promised Youyou-jie. Don’t think you can sneak off and complain behind my back! Get in here with your junky suitcase!”

Xiang Shuhuai was lighter than expected—or maybe it was all that gym training—but dragging her in was easier than she thought.

Feeling victorious for once, Xiaoxiao barely had a second to celebrate before Shuhuai stood up straight, calmly adjusted her collar, nodded slightly, and said in her usual high-and-mighty tone:
“Okay.”

Yu Xiaoxiao was furious. She glared at her.

“—And don’t wear my slippers!” she shouted before storming off.

After getting dumped in the guest room, Xiang Shuhuai didn’t come out again.

Yu Xiaoxiao paced the living room in frustration. The house was so quiet it was like Shuhuai didn’t even exist.

Impulsively agreeing to live with her worst enemy… Of course she had regrets. But she was too proud to back down.

If she gave up now, wouldn’t that be the same as admitting defeat?

Besides, this was her house. If anyone was going to leave, it had to be Xiang Shuhuai. Then she could go cry to Youyou-jie and play the victim.

She’d cleaned the guest room until it sparkled and even filled it with fresh flowers. Now that she knew who was staying there, she wanted to kick herself—should’ve left it dirty and piled with trash to make that damn ice block miserable!

Still stewing, she shouted toward the guest room:
“—I’m writing house rules! If you’re staying here, you have to follow them! Got it?”

No response. Just silence.

Her frustration simmered all the way until the housekeeper arrived to prepare dinner.

Aunt Zhao had been working for her since she moved out on her own. She was kind and had known about the welcome dinner plans.

But seeing how quiet the house was—and how Xiaoxiao sat there alone with a scowl—Aunt Zhao looked a little confused.

“Xiaoxiao,” she asked, “are we still doing that welcome dinner you talked about?”

“Of course!” Yu Xiaoxiao raised her voice, clearly saying it for the guest room to hear. “Your food is the best, Aunt Zhao. Once it’s ready, I’m eating all of it myself!”

Even after Aunt Zhao spent hours cooking a delicious meal and the table was full of steaming dishes, Xiang Shuhuai didn’t make a sound.

“Damn ice block, annoying robot…” Yu Xiaoxiao sat at the table, muttering as she stabbed at her egg pancake, imagining it was Shuhuai’s face. “So annoying…”

Fine. Stay in there. See if I care. Starve for all I care. That just means one less person trying to steal Youyou-jie from me.

She couldn’t help but picture Xiang Shuhuai’s cold, stuck-up face again.

Yu Xiaoxiao took a big, crunchy bite of her egg pancake—and finally, the irritating image disappeared.

So annoying!!