Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 24
In the wide, abandoned forest square, the injured little golden bird made a small nest next to the statue’s pedestal.
The night here was quiet and beautiful. Not far away was a water source, and the stone pedestal of the statue could shield it from the wind that blew through the forest. The tiny golden bird planned to build a nest here, heal the wound on its wing, and then go see the snow in the north.
The night grew late, and the forest began to feel cold.
Even though it curled up in its nest, which was filled with twigs, fallen leaves, and down feathers, a gust of wind blew it open, and the golden bird sneezed.
So cold! The little bird shook its feathers.
It couldn’t help but look up at the tall statue on the stone pedestal.
The proud statue of the young woman still held her head high, gazing into the distance, silent.
She stood so high, as if in the sky, transparent like the moon. There was no stone or tree to shield her from the wind, and no warm feathers to keep her body warm.
—Wouldn’t she be cold?
The golden bird wondered.
The wind howled through the forest as the bird stared at the statue’s face, feeling a bit worried.
“Good evening, statue,” it politely asked. “Are you cold?”
The statue still didn’t respond.
The bird thought for a moment, and when the wind finally stopped, it plucked the longest, softest feather from its fluffy tail, hopped up onto the stone pedestal, and laid its feather over the statue’s curled knee.
The golden feather shimmered with a glossy sheen, shining like the sun under the moonlight.
“Hello, statue,” the golden bird asked. “Does this mean you’re not cold anymore?”
And at last, the proud statue spoke.
“—Go away, stay away from me.”
The bird asked, “What?”
“Go away, foolish bird.”
The statue’s voice was cold.
“I don’t need your feathers.”
She still stood so high, so distant, that she didn’t even bother to lower her head to look at the golden bird.
A gust of wind blew, and the long golden feather was swept off the statue’s knee, twirling in the air before being carried away into the forest, out of sight.
…
Yu Xiaoxiao buried her head and drew the last stroke.
She stared at her sketch, clenching her teeth in anger. The proud, expressionless face of the statue in the drawing resembled so much the image of Xiang Shuhuai from that day in her memory, making her look even more elevated and detestable.
That annoying person!!!
Just thinking about that cold block of ice made Yu Xiaoxiao furious. She glared at the figure she had drawn, but since she couldn’t smash her sketchbook or throw her pen, she could only angrily slam her fists on the chair and grind her teeth in frustration.
She then remembered Xiang Shuhuai’s cold, indifferent tone at the time.
“Don’t worry about these things.”
“It has nothing to do with you.”
“Yes, Yu Xiaoxiao, what happens to me has nothing to do with you.”
What the hell! How could Xiang Shuhuai be like this??!!
Yu Xiaoxiao was about to explode, but there was nowhere to vent. That day, when Xiang Shuhuai left so decisively, not saying another word, Yu Xiaoxiao had been so angry that she blocked all of Xiang Shuhuai’s contact information, and they hadn’t seen each other since.
Just like the last time. Clearly, it was her own fault for getting herself hurt, pale as a ghost, but she acted as if it was all perfectly natural, as if Yu Xiaoxiao’s concern was unnecessary.
She couldn’t focus on her drawing anymore. Yu Xiaoxiao glared at her sketch and nearly wanted to turn her little golden bird into a giant golden eagle and smack that annoying person right in the face with its wings.
She suddenly stood up, angrily pushing her chair aside, and began pacing around the living room.
The living room was small, and after walking a few laps, she found herself in front of the closed door to the second bedroom. She glanced up and saw a lonely sticky note on the door, the date still from July.
Yu Xiaoxiao lifted her hand and yanked the pale-colored sticky note off the door, intending to crumple it up and toss it into the trash.
Who cares where that annoying person lives or if they’re working overtime until the early morning? Didn’t Xiang Shuhuai say, her business had nothing to do with Yu Xiaoxiao?
If it has nothing to do with me, then fine. I don’t care.
Yu Xiaoxiao thought to herself, her anger swelling.
I! Don’t! Care!
She kept telling herself this, but inside, there was a strange, seething anger trapped in her chest.
The anger felt like magma, boiling and crashing, trying to break free, burning violently, spreading throughout her body.
Suddenly, Yu Xiaoxiao stopped in her tracks, a strange thought emerging in her mind.
She felt that the light sticky note in her hand carried a faint scent, one similar to the cold, minty fragrance that lingered on that cold block of ice—fresh and sharp, like plants, almost capable of soothing the burning sensation in her chest. It made Yu Xiaoxiao want to inhale it more deeply—
…She wasn’t a freak!
Startled, Yu Xiaoxiao quickly released the sticky note, stepping away from the second bedroom door as if she had been burned.
Her cheeks were burning, as if they were about to catch fire.
Yu Xiaoxiao’s mind was in chaos. She felt like the irritating cold block of ice had driven her to madness. Who would think about something like that while holding a piece of paper someone else had written on? It was too—too—
The strange heat in her body refused to fade, and Yu Xiaoxiao couldn’t stay in the house any longer, fearing she’d have more strange thoughts.
She quickly grabbed her bag and went to the dojo to train, thinking that after a good workout, she would be too tired to think about anything else.
Perhaps because it was a weekday, there weren’t many people at the dojo. A few familiar faces were scattered in different corners, hitting the sandbags. Her coach was sitting cross-legged by the side, guiding a newcomer on their punching form. Yu Xiaoxiao scanned the room and quickly spotted a few friends.
She warmed up and put on her hand wraps, then adjusted her gloves on the usual sandbag.
As she started the timer, Yu Xiaoxiao thought, she was definitely going to imagine that annoying person’s face on the sandbag and take her anger out on it.
But when it came time to throw her first punch, Yu Xiaoxiao hesitated.
She couldn’t help but think of that annoying Big Ice Block, so thin and fragile. If she really… if she hit the sandbag like that, wouldn’t she be the bully?
…But when Xiang Shuhuai had treated her like a meddlesome fool, she didn’t care about these things.
With that thought, Yu Xiaoxiao couldn’t quite summon the strength.
She stared at the sandbag for a while, then decided to clear her mind and think about nothing as she raised her arm again.
Bang.
Her punches flew fast and heavy, each one landing crisply on the bag, shaking the sandbag in place and making the chain above it rattle.
The room echoed with the sharp, heavy thuds of her strikes, as if the ground itself was shaking along with the impact.
Yu Xiaoxiao sweat profusely, her mind blank, her punches growing faster and harder, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle.
Bang, bang, bang. The intense emotions inside her, which had nowhere to go, were all released with every punch, carried into the heavy sound of the sandbag.
After half an hour, Yu Xiaoxiao walked over to the mirror for a drink of water. As she glanced up, she caught the eyes of a familiar person who had been practicing with her earlier.
“Hey!” She wiped the sweat off her forehead and waved. “Wanna practice? I’ll take a break, let’s do a three-minute round?”
Hearing this, the person quickly shook their head and grinned, backing away. “No, no, I’m not brave enough.”
“What’s going on?” Yu Xiaoxiao was confused. “I haven’t been here in a while. Hey, don’t avoid me—”
She watched as the person waved at her and dashed to a corner. Just as she was puzzled, someone tapped her on the shoulder.
It was her coach, who had somehow appeared with a chilled bottle of oolong tea and handed it to her with a mischievous smile.
“Drink this,” the coach winked. “Cool off. You’re really fired up.”
Yu Xiaoxiao took the cold drink, still confused. “I’m not—”
“Nothing’s wrong, little fish. Young people have a lot of energy, which is a good thing,” the coach said with a grin. “But still, take it easy… don’t scare anyone.”
Yu Xiaoxiao was even more confused. “Scare who?”
“Your person,” the coach said with a knowing smile.
Even though Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t understand the riddle, the face of that cold block of ice suddenly popped into her mind. The pale, moon-like skin, the clear, dark eyes…
Yu Xiaoxiao’s face turned red instantly.
Her reaction made the coach give a knowing nod before patting her on the shoulder and walking away, leaving Yu Xiaoxiao standing there in a daze.
What is this…
She stood there for a while, then wanted to bang her head against the sandbag in frustration.
Why does she always think about that annoying person!
She came to train to clear her head, and now her thoughts were even more tangled.
As she sulked, her phone in her bag suddenly rang. She answered, and it was from Youyou.
Youyou said she had just gotten off the plane and was heading home to rest. She asked if Yu Xiaoxiao wanted to hang out tomorrow, as there was an art exhibition.
It should have been something Yu Xiaoxiao had been eagerly waiting for—seeing Youyou again and handing over the perfume she’d prepared. But strangely, Yu Xiaoxiao felt a little less enthusiastic.
She didn’t realize that her first reaction was different from usual, and subconsciously asked, “So… Youyou, that person probably won’t come, right?”
Youyou, not understanding or pretending not to, gently asked, “Who, Xiaoxiao?”
“…That person,” Yu Xiaoxiao mumbled. “Xiang Shuhuai.”
She lowered her head, muttering, “I don’t want to see that annoying person.”
“Young Shuhuai is busy with work, she won’t come tomorrow. But what’s wrong, Xiaoxiao?” Youyou asked with a smile in her voice. “Did you two have a fight?”
“No,” Yu Xiaoxiao grumbled, venting by tapping the drink bottle against the floor. “Who would fight with her…”
…That cold block of ice left with just a few words, so there was nothing to argue about. Of course, they hadn’t fought.
Youyou laughed softly on the other end of the call.
“Well, Xiaoxiao, see you tomorrow!”