Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 14

Airport, Lounge.

Xiang Shuhuai had just finished showering. Still damp with steam, she changed into her regular clothes and sat down at the desk. There was still plenty of time before her flight, and her assistant was catching up on sleep in the bedroom next door. So Shuhuai didn’t bother drying her hair, letting it air-dry instead.

She had always been a light sleeper. Even though she’d been running on empty these past few days with all the overtime, she still struggled to fall asleep in unfamiliar places. Sleeping pills didn’t help much either.

Lifting her long hair, Shuhuai looked in the mirror to check the scar on the back of her neck.

It was a small, faint mark now—barely noticeable. It sat right where an omega gland would normally be. Unless someone stared at the back of her neck for a good twenty minutes, they’d never see it. But touching it still hurt.

With a bit of wishful thinking, Shuhuai gently pressed the edge of the scar with her fingertip.

A sharp pain exploded instantly.

She collapsed into her office chair, vision darkening. It took her a while to come back to her senses, and by then, her forehead was covered in cold sweat.

Yeah—it hurt. A lot.

…but not as much as it did during the scar removal.

She had gone through the procedure several times before the deep, ugly scar faded into what it was now. It had hurt so badly it was almost unbearable, like being swallowed whole by pain. And all of it happened during that time in her life—something even the current her didn’t want to remember.

Shuhuai pulled her hand back and forced herself to stop thinking about it. Instead, she gently tapped her phone’s screen.

Several unread messages popped up—all from Yu Xiaoxiao. The call had cut off when Shuhuai went to shower, so the texts were probably a continuation of what she’d been saying.

The first message read:
[Compliment me.]

It was followed by a cartoon dog sticker with big round eyes and a smug expression—very much like Yu Xiaoxiao herself.

[Make my mom think I’m amazing—mature and proper.]
[Just say a bunch of nice things about me, that’s all.]

…What a brat.

Shuhuai could practically hear Yu Xiaoxiao’s voice in her head as she read those messages.

She didn’t even realize she was smiling.

She tapped out a reply: [Okay.]

The next day.

Xiang Shuhuai twisted the cap off her pen and signed her name at the bottom of the contract. Her assistant handed over the company seal, and she stamped it neatly under her signature.

The deal between Xiang Corporation and Dawn Group was officially done.

Normally, a deal like this would be sealed over dinner and drinks. But neither Shuhuai nor Yu Danchun were fans of those elaborate, cigarette-smoke-filled banquets, so they skipped that part.

Instead, both parties met on schedule at Dawn Group’s headquarters, went through the contract line by line, and finalized the deal. To show how much she valued this collaboration, Dawn’s chairwoman, Yu Danchun, personally signed the agreement.

“You’re impressive, President Xiang,” Yu Danchun said with a smile once Shuhuai put the pen down. “Young people have such drive. I can’t keep up like I used to.”

“You flatter me,” Shuhuai replied. “Chairwoman Yu, your experience, insight, and boldness haven’t faded with time. We younger ones have a lot to learn.”

Yu Danchun chuckled and shook her head.

She was a sharp and decisive beta woman—petite in stature, but bold in vision.

Before the era of reforms, Yu Danchun had nothing more than a grade-school education and scraped together her first thousand yuan to start a business. Now, she had built a nationwide industrial empire. Over sixty years old, she had softened with age, and her warm smile made her seem kind and approachable.

She stood up and signaled to her staff that the meeting was over, then invited Shuhuai to join her for dinner. Shuhuai accepted, of course.

“You’re really something, Shuhuai,” Yu Danchun said as they got into the car. “Sometimes I look at you and feel jealous of your father. What a remarkable daughter he has. When I was your age, I’d just started my first business. I was all fire and no caution, charging ahead blindly… Not like you—you’re bold and meticulous. Even people in their forties and fifties don’t handle things with your level of composure.”

Shuhuai let go of the door and sat beside her, smiling politely.

“You’re too kind,” she said.

“Ah, being modest is good,” Yu Danchun said. “It’s good for young people to stay humble. Learn as much as you can while your mind is still sharp.”

“You’re right. I still have a lot to learn,” Shuhuai agreed. “And please, no need to be so formal. Just call me Shuhuai.”

Yu Danchun nodded, her smile growing even warmer, clearly very pleased.

“Then I’ll take advantage of my age and call you Shuhuai.”

“Of course,” Shuhuai said. “Aunt Yu.”

“Shuhuai, you’re about the same age as my daughter. You’re young and so outstanding—it makes me proud just to see you. Not like my girl…” Yu Danchun trailed off with a sigh, frustration creeping into her tone. “That unmotivated child… If you ever meet her, I hope you’ll guide her a little.”

“I know her—Yu Xiaoxiao.”

“Ah, of course.” Yu Danchun nodded. “You young people probably cross paths here and there. Has she caused you any trouble?”

“Not at all,” Shuhuai said. She paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully. “Yu Xiaoxiao is… a good person.”

Yu Xiaoxiao.

Shuhuai thought of the cartoon dog with the big round eyes demanding compliments.

How could she even describe her?

“She’s… cheerful, sincere, and kind.”

That’s what Shuhuai heard herself say.

“A bit childish, sure, but she’s a very good kid. Very bright. You’ve raised her well.”

That response clearly caught Yu Danchun off guard.

She mulled over Shuhuai’s words for a moment before smiling. “…Sounds like you and Xiaoxiao get along pretty well.”

…It was the first time Shuhuai herself realized that might be true.

Cheerful, sincere, kind…

It was after Shuhuai got injured—when she started falling ill—that Yu Xiaoxiao had gradually become gentler toward her.

Probably just out of a sense of responsibility. A girl like her, raised with love, pure and kind at heart, would feel it was her duty to care for anyone who was suffering. Of course, you take care of someone who’s sick—even if that someone is the rival you dislike the most.

It had nothing to do with who Shuhuai was. It was all just because Yu Xiaoxiao was a good person.

As for anything beyond that… it probably didn’t mean much. Shuhuai knew she wasn’t bad-looking, and sometimes the girl’s reactions seemed a bit odd. But that didn’t mean she had feelings for her.

That’s what Shuhuai kept telling herself. She shouldn’t read too much into it.

Even if, sometimes, thinking of Yu Xiaoxiao made her heart feel… strange.

Were they close?

“Not really,” she said, shaking her head. “We just have some contact through Sister You. Not much.”

“I see,” Yu Danchun said. “Still, that’s good. You young folks have more in common—good to build connections. Makes it easier to help each other out down the line.”

Shuhuai nodded. “Mm.”

Suddenly, she remembered how frustrated Yu Xiaoxiao had looked when talking about business, and a mischievous thought came to her.

With a straight face, she said, “Yu Xiaoxiao’s very smart. She’s just a bit too carefree and naïve to care about these things. But once she really starts learning, I’m sure she’ll pick it up quickly…”

Even though she’d just been complaining about her daughter, Yu Danchun still couldn’t help but smile at the praise.

“Haha, that kid. Smart, sure—but she’s not focused.” She chuckled, brushing it off. “She’s got a playful nature and doesn’t like to study. As parents, there’s only so much we can do…”

In that warm, easy atmosphere, the car rolled steadily onward.