Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 29

Yu Xiaoxiao remembered that it was a small white stray cat.

It was thin and agile, its long fur meticulously groomed and clean, looking almost like a pedigree cat, with a pair of particularly transparent silver eyes.

The poor cat accidentally scraped its leg on a wire fence, fell onto Yu Xiaoxiao’s balcony, and when it realized it couldn’t escape, it was terrified, hiding in the gap between the sideboard and the floor, unwilling to come out.

Little Yu Xiaoxiao spent the entire summer vacation slowly getting familiar with it. When she went to the plaza to call for it, she’d see a little head pop out from the nearby bushes. She could pet its fluffy, soft, warm body and let it nuzzle her hand.

Sometimes, when Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t feel like doing her summer homework, she’d go to the flower bed to play with the little stray cat. She would hide under the shade of a tree, sitting on a bench reading comic books or playing video games, while the fluffy little stray cat would lie on her lap and fall asleep in no time.

But the little stray cat never meowed. It only made a threatening “ha” sound, even though it wasn’t angry or feeling threatened.

During that hot summer, no matter how much Yu Xiaoxiao tried to entice it with popsicles, squatting down and meowing at it, or offering canned food as a treat, it never learned.

Little Yu Xiaoxiao was extremely puzzled. Holding an empty can, she ran home, asking her parents about it.

Her dad explained that the little stray cat had been abandoned too early. While it survived and knew how cats demonstrate dominance and fight, it had never interacted with humans. That’s why it didn’t understand how to communicate with them.

So Yu Xiaoxiao realized that the little stray cat didn’t dislike her—it just hadn’t learned how to express affection toward humans yet.

She remembered the first time the little cat realized it had fallen asleep, comfortably lying on her lap. It seemed completely scared. It jumped off her lap, puffed up its fur, and “ha”-ed at the air for over half a minute, not knowing who it was threatening. Yu Xiaoxiao called it, but it ran away in a flash.

It was that beautiful stray cat.

Its soft, warm touch, the way it instinctively rubbed against her, and even its strange temperament—all reminded her of Xiang Shuhuai.

Xiang Shuhuai’s cheeks were also warm, not very fleshy, but soft. Yu Xiaoxiao couldn’t resist lightly poking them and got a reaction: a small frown and a slight turn of the head. She really was like a kitten.

Looking at the person asleep in front of her, Yu Xiaoxiao suddenly wanted to laugh.

She whispered, “…Are you scared too?”

Of course, there was no answer.

The room was filled with the warm, sweet smell of baked bread, and a faint hint of cream and mint. It made her feel drowsy without realizing it.

Yu Xiaoxiao yawned widely.

…She was tired.

She gently withdrew her hand from Xiang Shuhuai’s face, thought for a moment, and then got up from the bed, walking around to the other side and lying down fully clothed.

Yu Xiaoxiao lay straight on the edge of the bed, careful not to lie any further. Xiang Shuhuai curled up in the corner, with more than half the bed between them. But the gentle scent of pheromones filled the space between them.

She turned over, and her gaze naturally landed on Xiang Shuhuai’s back. The other person was almost completely buried under the blankets, her long hair scattered messily across the pillow, leaving only her neck and a little bit of her shoulder exposed.

That slender, fragile neck, now flushed from the fever, also had a faint bite mark near the gland.

…That was hers.

Realizing this, Yu Xiaoxiao’s face turned bright red.

The memory of the temporary mark was a little blurry. Yu Xiaoxiao could hardly recall the specific details, only remembering the back of the person, the trembling, delicate shoulders, and Xiang Shuhuai’s voice… like moonlight, soothing her confused fever.

Now, it was her turn to make the other person feel better.

Yu Xiaoxiao recalled the answers she’d found online. In addition to pheromones, physical comfort was also important.

Physical contact.

Would it startle Xiang Shuhuai? Or would it make her feel better?

Yu Xiaoxiao tentatively reached out but hesitated, not daring to touch Xiang Shuhuai’s bare shoulder, which had slipped out from the neckline of her nightgown. After some hesitation, she simply pulled the blanket up, covering the other person’s shoulder.

Her fingers lingered for a moment, then lightly brushed the shallow bite mark.

“Xiang Shuhuai.”

She whispered, looking at the back.

“…Good night.”

The room was filled with the warm, sweet scent of pheromones. Xiang Shuhuai slept peacefully in one corner of the bed, and Yu Xiaoxiao closed her eyes, curling up at the other end, falling into a deep sleep.

“So,” Cong You put the ice clamp back in the bucket, “you just ran away?”

“…Mm.”

Xiang Shuhuai responded in a low voice.

She reached for the drink in front of her, but Cong You stopped her, slipping another tall glass into her hand.

Cong You raised her eyebrows and gestured: “This one’s for you.”

Xiang Shuhuai looked down, trying a sip. It was grapefruit juice with ice, with no alcohol at all, just the base for making vodka that Cong You used.

She lifted her head. “Sister, I—”

“No alcohol,” Cong You said, pulling her glass away. “You left Xiaoxiao there, huh? That’s your home.”

Xiang Shuhuai’s voice grew quieter. “Mm…”

Cong You smiled and cupped her face with both hands, leaning down and gently pressing her forehead to Xiang Shuhuai’s, speaking in a tone of playful affection:

“Aw, my silly little sister.”

Xiang Shuhuai’s voice became a little muffled. “…I’m not a fool.”

“Yes, yes, our little Shu is no fool.” Cong You laughed. “—You’re just a coward.”

Xiang Shuhuai pursed her lips, accepting the comment.

“…Sister,” she began, “I just… I’m a little scared.”

Cong You reached out, tousling her hair, and nodded. “Thinking about the past?”

Xiang Shuhuai leaned slightly forward, her body gently swaying. She lowered her gaze, looking at her reflection in the glass of alcohol.

In the dim, flirtatious light of the bar, her shadow seemed far away, thin, blurry, and fragile, almost reminding Xiang Shuhuai of the past. The experiences that shaped her.

Back then, she was just like this—her heart hanging in uncertainty, weak and fearful, torn between the strange kindness she felt and the fear and anticipation it caused.

Xiang Shuhuai wasn’t stupid. After one mistake, she wouldn’t make it again.

“I know, sister, Yu Xiaoxiao isn’t like that,” Xiang Shuhuai said. “But she doesn’t care about me… We don’t really have a relationship. Soon, everything will return to normal.”

“Xiaoxiao is looking for you.” Cong You said. “She’s not mad at you. She just wants to see you.”

“Well, that’s just… because of the pheromones.” Xiang Shuhuai quickly found another reason, “It’s because of the temporary mark.”

Then, Xiang Shuhuai raised her head and smiled at Cong You, trying to brush it off lightly. “It’s just a physiological dependency. Once the mark fades, she won’t think about it anymore.”

She only saw Cong You’s gentle smile and calm voice as she replied:

“—Little Shu, do you really think so?”

It was as if a huge bell had struck in her heart.

Xiang Shuhuai opened her mouth but couldn’t speak.

“Little Shu.” Cong You’s voice softened, with a gentle smile, but the words held a note of seriousness, “Why do you always deny what’s in your heart?”

…Because her heart was just like her damned glands—always uncontrollable, instinctive, and blind, dragging her into endless trouble.

Sometimes, Xiang Shuhuai hated herself for not being like those people said, a heartless robot who never made mistakes. If she were, things would be easier. She tried desperately to become that way, but…

Xiang Shuhuai couldn’t answer.

Seeing her sitting there, holding her breath and staring down like a student who’d just been scolded, Cong You softened first. She sighed, reaching out to tousle Xiang Shuhuai’s hair.

“Just a little bit of alcohol—White Russian, okay?”

“Okay.” Xiang Shuhuai nodded. “Thank you, sister.”

The milk at the top was replaced with cream, and the rich, smooth flavor mixed with the sweetness of the coffee, with a faint vodka aroma, creating a sweet taste that filled her mouth.

…The rich cream flavor reminded her of that child.

Xiang Shuhuai, feeling uneasy, clutched her glass and casually shifted the conversation to something else, suddenly talking to Cong You about the family business.

“So, sister…” she asked, trying to push the sweet yet bitter feelings from her heart, “Does the project Auntie invested in need my help?”

Cong You, sensing her intent, didn’t call her out, smiling and continuing the conversation.

“Ah, that one.” She said. “No need to worry about it. The family business is fine. But, the new investment from the Xiang family, that’s quite impressive…”

As they discussed business, Xiang Shuhuai stopped thinking about the things she shouldn’t.

After talking for a while about the business matters, the alcohol made her feel warm, and a few hours later, her cheeks began to flush. She stood up to go to the bathroom to freshen up.

Cong You waved at her, watching the bathroom door close, the colored glass inside casting light that reflected on the floor of the bar room, before raising an eyebrow and laughing.

“Well.” She murmured. “Silly little sister… Let me help you out.”

Night fell, and in the living room, only one floor lamp was lit, its light casting a small, star-like glow in the dark room. Yu Xiaoxiao sat on one corner of the star, idly sketching on her tablet.

Suddenly, her phone made a soft “meow” sound.

Yu Xiaoxiao put down her tablet and checked the new message.

It was from Youyou Jie.

The message said that it was a friend of Youyou Jie’s, and that Cong You was drunk from a night out and wanted Yu Xiaoxiao to pick her up. The voice message confirmed that Cong You was indeed quite drunk. A long string of address details followed.

Suddenly, a second “meow” came through.

This message was from Xiang Shuhuai.

—She said she was out, had drunk too much, and asked if Yu Xiaoxiao could come pick her up.

Yu Xiaoxiao read the message and the location that popped up on the screen.

…After that, neither of them sent more messages. Her phone fell silent again.

She looked at the two messages, flipping through them several times, and then sat up straight, furrowing her brow in hesitation.

What should she do…

In the end, Yu Xiaoxiao stood up and dialed a number.

“Hello.” She said, “Assistant Yi, it’s me…”