Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 23

…So, in the end, they went out together again to pick out a gift for the returning Cong You.

There weren’t many people in the mall; it was big, but still a public place with many sounds and plenty of people walking around in pairs. As she stood in the crowd, Xiang Shuhuai felt a tight, panicked feeling in her chest.

She didn’t know if it was just her imagination or if it was really happening.

This wasn’t a big deal. Xiang Shuhuai told herself. She reached out and secretly pinched the unhealed scratch on her arm, using the pain to remind herself. This wasn’t a big deal.

In fact, it probably wasn’t. Although her condition wasn’t great, it wasn’t so bad either. The only time she’d been troubled by hallucinations was during her first year of college, and after some treatment, it had gotten much better.

“Xiang Shuhuai?”

Seeing that she hadn’t caught up, Yu Xiaoxiao, who had walked ahead, looked back in confusion and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xiang Shuhuai gently shook her head and signaled, “Let’s go.”

“Oh…” Yu Xiaoxiao responded, but still seemed a little concerned. She checked Xiang Shuhuai’s face twice, then asked, “Are you feeling alright? Is it because there are too many people here?”

Xiang Shuhuai wasn’t sure what Yu Xiaoxiao was imagining, but she seemed to think that Xiang Shuhuai was seriously ill. She kept bringing her all sorts of health supplements—sesame and barley, various sea fish, and even weird ginseng jelly (which tasted awful). No matter how much she explained, it didn’t help.

“I’m fine.” Xiang Shuhuai had no choice but to say, “Didn’t we come to check out all the perfumes and gather inspiration for custom ones…? Shouldn’t we keep going?”

“I’m just worried about you.” Yu Xiaoxiao pouted, “Aren’t you going to pick something out? Or have you already decided what to give to Sister?”

“Yeah, I’ve decided.”

Yu Xiaoxiao spun around. “What is it?”

Xiang Shuhuai answered, “A yacht.”

“Ah???” Her eyes widened, “Really? You’re really giving her a yacht?”

She received a nod from Xiang Shuhuai.

Yu Xiaoxiao pursed her lips, as if imagining the scene, and her face scrunched up.

“Really tasteless…” she muttered, poking the arm of the nearby Big Ice Block, “You, you seem so impressive, why are you so lacking in taste? Why did you fight with me for that necklace back then? You should have just given Sister You a check!”

“Sister’s been planning to buy a yacht recently.” Xiang Shuhuai said on purpose, “So, she already has pheromones, so perfume probably isn’t that useful.”

“Of course it’s not the same! Pheromones and perfume are completely different…” Yu Xiaoxiao protested for a while before suddenly getting excited again.

“Right, You You’s pheromone! What do you think it is? I think it must be lavender and thyme! Dreamy and warm, light, and gentle—”

As she spoke, her eyes seemed to shine with little stars, and behind her, it was as if a fluffy tail was wagging wildly, like a propeller.

Unfortunately, it was completely wrong.

In fact, You You wasn’t that gentle of a person.

“Xiang Shuhuai?” Yu Xiaoxiao tugged at the silent person beside her, her wide eyes full of longing and admiration for her sister, “Are you listening?”

Looking at those eyes, Xiang Shuhuai suddenly lost the desire to tease her.

…So what if it’s wrong?

Anyway, it had nothing to do with her.

“Yeah.” She nodded and replied softly, “Maybe.”

Yu Xiaoxiao wasn’t disappointed. She had gotten used to Xiang Shuhuai’s silence.

She pulled Xiang Shuhuai’s wrist and ran around, stopping by every perfume counter to check out each scent. She’d test the ones she liked most, write them down in her notes, and always make sure to give Xiang Shuhuai her opinions, chatting away like a little bird.

Xiang Shuhuai just followed her, responding at appropriate moments, as she always did in every dinner or meeting. It was always the easiest thing for Xiang Shuhuai.

Her wrist, pulled along by Yu Xiaoxiao, throbbed with sharp pain, but the feeling seemed very distant, like the sound of voices in her ears—faint, as if it was happening to someone else in another body.

All Xiang Shuhuai could feel was the increasing panic that was steadily drawing nearer, her heartbeat growing heavier and faster.

…No wonder An Ning has been worried about her lately. Xiang Shuhuai suddenly thought of this.

Actually, she could sense that something was wrong. Yu Xiaoxiao wasn’t a bad person, and if she said she didn’t feel well, Yu Xiaoxiao wouldn’t have insisted on keeping her around. But she just chose to remain silent, accepting the things that were happening to her without rejecting them.

Gradually, the pain began to fade, swallowed by another feeling, one from a memory. Xiang Shuhuai felt a bit nauseous, and then it was just numbness.

Time seemed to pass in a blur, and then she suddenly heard a voice.

“…Huai, Xiang Shuhuai?”

She suddenly snapped out of it.

—It was Yu Xiaoxiao, who had stopped walking and was now standing in front of her, looking up at her with worry.

“Xiang Shuhuai.” She said, “Are you alright? You look really pale…”

Yu Xiaoxiao let go of her wrist, trying to check her temperature, but then realized there was bl00d smeared on her hand.

Looking in the direction, she saw that Xiang Shuhuai’s wrist was stained with bl00d, and the sleeve had a small patch that had darkened and dried. The wound didn’t look small.

Yu Xiaoxiao was shocked. “Ah, sorry. When did this happen…”

The look in Yu Xiaoxiao’s eyes made Xiang Shuhuai uncomfortable, and she instinctively tried to hide her hand behind her.

“Doesn’t it hurt?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked, frowning in apology. She gently grabbed Xiang Shuhuai’s hand and started to roll up her sleeve, “Don’t move, let me see.”

Her fingers were so hot, like the sun. The heat from her hand made Xiang Shuhuai feel dazed, and she couldn’t pull away in time.

The scratch on her arm was from earlier that morning when she fainted due to low bl00d sugar. When she went to grab coffee, she accidentally tripped and broke the mug, leaving a diagonal scratch that ran from her wrist to her elbow. It wasn’t intentional.

After so much time, the wound had reopened slightly and was oozing bl00d, but it didn’t hurt much, at least not for Xiang Shuhuai.

But the bloodstains on the bandage seemed to frighten Yu Xiaoxiao.

“…Ah.” Her voice was shaky, “The mall’s information desk should have a first aid kit, right? We should go take care of it—”

“I’m fine.” Xiang Shuhuai tried to pull her hand free and gently reassured her, “Don’t worry about it.”

“…Why not?” Yu Xiaoxiao suddenly looked up, “Doesn’t it hurt?”

Xiang Shuhuai didn’t know how to answer truthfully without sounding detached, but seeing the child’s panicked expression, this didn’t seem like the right time to do so.

Besides, she didn’t have much energy left, and Yu Xiaoxiao’s gaze on her wound made Xiang Shuhuai feel exposed. She just wanted to pick out a gift for You You, leave this place, and maybe go somewhere to sleep and rest for a bit.

“Forget about it.” Xiang Shuhuai said, “Let’s go.”

Seeing the look on Yu Xiaoxiao’s face, she tried to add a little weight to her words, urging her to stop worrying about her boring injury. “Yu Xiaoxiao, you haven’t finished picking a gift for Sister yet.”

These words made Yu Xiaoxiao’s expression turn to one of disbelief and frustration.

“…What did you say?”

It was clear she hadn’t misunderstood, and now she wanted Xiang Shuhuai to repeat herself.

…Her judgment seemed to have failed.

She always failed when dealing with Yu Xiaoxiao. Despite the fact that the other person was simple and naive, Xiang Shuhuai’s experience seemed to suddenly lose its effect. None of it worked anymore. She felt clumsy and foolish to the point that it almost made her laugh.

“You’re not in pain? When did you get hurt?” Yu Xiaoxiao almost questioned her, “Why didn’t you say anything when I touched your wound?”

Xiang Shuhuai didn’t speak.

“Don’t you know it hurts?” Yu Xiaoxiao raised her voice, “If it hurts, just say something!”

Xiang Shuhuai forcibly pulled her hand away, pressed her lips tightly, and looked at the display window to the side without saying a word.

“Xiang Shuhuai.” Seeing that she wouldn’t answer, Yu Xiaoxiao’s frustration grew, “Xiang Shuhuai!”

She grabbed the sleeve of Xiang Shuhuai’s clothes to stop her from leaving and stared at her, demanding an answer. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

…Xiang Shuhuai couldn’t break free from her grip.

“Xiang Shuhuai, don’t you feel pain? Are you really a robot?”

“…It’s none of your business.”

Yu Xiaoxiao froze, unable to believe what she had just heard. “…What?”

“I mean,” Xiang Shuhuai said, word by word, “It’s none of your business.”

She looked into the other person’s eyes, those clear, amber-colored pupils that reflected her own pale, emaciated, and unattractive face.

Seeing her own reflection in those eyes made Xiang Shuhuai feel a moment of shame, quickly followed by anger.

—Why does it always have to be like this?

Yu Xiaoxiao always asked these questions. Doesn’t anyone take care of you? Don’t you know it hurts? Are you really a robot?

Yes, Xiang Shuhuai thought, yes. She was like that.

A heartless, emotionless creature with no family, a ruthless, cold-blooded monster, a robot, just like Yu Xiaoxiao called her. None of it was wrong.

If she weren’t like this, she wouldn’t have survived. This was who Xiang Shuhuai was, and she had always been this way.

But, but—

What did any of this have to do with Yu Xiaoxiao?

“…Xiang Shuhuai.” The child on the other side gritted her teeth and called her name, her eyes almost red, “Has it really nothing to do with me?”

Seeing the hurt and anger on her face, it was as if it was the first time Yu Xiaoxiao realized that Xiang Shuhuai was this kind of person.

Even though Xiang Shuhuai had already made it clear to her.

Looking at Yu Xiaoxiao in front of her, Xiang Shuhuai almost felt a little sorry, then amused.

…They were never from the same world.

Xiang Shuhuai nodded and offered a polite smile.

“Yeah, Yu Xiaoxiao,” she said, her tone as calm as ever, “What happens to me has nothing to do with you.”