Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 32

Yu Xiaoxiao said they were friends. Friends—péng yǒu—according to Wikipedia, are classmates, kindred spirits, or people with a deep connection and bond.

—But how is a friend supposed to act?

Winning people over wasn’t hard, especially for someone in Xiang Shuhuai’s position. But the number of people she genuinely connected with was very small. Cong You was a partner who shared some interests, rooted in mutual benefit. Yi Anning was a senior she trusted, and also a capable subordinate. Beyond them, there was no one else.

Xiang Shuhuai had never really had a friend. She didn’t know how to be one, either.

She spent days puzzling over it and eventually messaged Cong You: “Sis, what do friends usually do?”

Cong You replied with just a period. Xiang Shuhuai could already imagine her silently pressing her fingers to her forehead in exasperation.

…So in the end, she still didn’t get an answer.

She knew how to be a boss, a leader, a business partner, or even an opponent. But she didn’t know how to be like Yu Xiaoxiao and her friends—how to be a proper friend.

She wondered if any of those other roles could teach her something useful…

While thinking about it, her focus drifted away from the lines of text on the documents in front of her. She furrowed her brow, deep in thought.

Then suddenly, there was a noise from the bed.

Xiang Shuhuai snapped out of her daze and instinctively reached out to turn off the desk lamp, worried she had disturbed someone’s sleep. But she noticed the blanket on the bed move slightly.

A moment later, Yu Xiaoxiao sat up.

She looked at Xiang Shuhuai, completely confused. They stared at each other for a long moment.

“…Xiang Shuhuai?”

Xiang Shuhuai glanced at her phone.

“It’s not even five yet. Too early,” she said softly. “Sleep for another two hours.”

Yu Xiaoxiao nodded and lay back down obediently.

But less than five minutes later, she opened her eyes again and said in a pitiful voice, “I can’t fall back asleep.”

She looked genuinely wide awake now, and if this kept up, she’d probably get even more alert.

After a brief pause, Xiang Shuhuai stood up. “Then let’s go to the office.”

At 5 a.m., the office was of course empty. The automated gate at the parking garage slowly lifted as Xiang Shuhuai drove in and smoothly parked the car. She turned to call the person in the passenger seat, only to find Yu Xiaoxiao already fast asleep, leaning quietly against the window.

Despite the faint dark circles under her eyes and the way her brows were slightly furrowed with worry, asleep, Yu Xiaoxiao looked like her old self. Her cheeks were slightly puffed, and a stray strand of hair fluttered with each breath near her lips—she looked like a little kid.

Yu Xiaoxiao had truly been exhausted this past week.

Her routine had shifted entirely to match Xiang Shuhuai’s—up at 7, finishing at 11, lunch breaks shortened to 20 minutes, with barely any other rest. Just walking to the cafeteria and back counted as exercise.

Spinning like a top, even someone with a childlike palate who hated bitter things—like Yu Xiaoxiao—had started grimacing through black coffee like medicine, and burying herself in stacks of numbers and paperwork like Xiang Shuhuai.

Truthfully, she didn’t need to push herself so hard.

Dawn Corp still had a solid foundation. Even if things were going downhill, it could afford to wait. And Yu Xiaoxiao was smart—though she lacked formal business knowledge, she had sharp instincts, and a natural boldness and vision.

With a year or two of experience, she could more or less reach her mother’s position. It wouldn’t be easy, and she might not restore Dawn Corp to its former glory, but maintaining the current scale wouldn’t be a problem.

—Xiang Shuhuai had arranged it this way on purpose.

The biopsy results would take about a week to come out. Yu Xiaoxiao had been extremely anxious already, and with the deadline approaching, her anxiety had only worsened.

Though she still acted carefree on the surface, at night she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Xiang Shuhuai had even caught her crying quietly in the restroom once. When she saw Xiang Shuhuai, she quickly wiped away her tears, forced a clumsy smile, and made a silly face—though her eyes were still red.

Yu Xiaoxiao had even asked her for melatonin. She tugged at Xiang Shuhuai’s sleeve, blinking her eyes, and asked if she had anything to help her fall asleep faster. She smiled and said she didn’t know why, but she just couldn’t sleep lately…

Xiang Shuhuai had both melatonin and prescription sleeping pills, but in the end, she only gave her a few gummy bears the secretary had bought—melatonin soft candies.

Yu Xiaoxiao tapped on the bear-shaped candies a couple of times, pulled a slight smile, then looked up at Xiang Shuhuai with curved eyes.

Though her eyes were smiling, they held no joy. They were filled with emotions Xiang Shuhuai couldn’t quite read. She was still the silly, innocent girl—but now she seemed burdened in a way that didn’t suit her.

Xiang Shuhuai didn’t fully understand how Yu Xiaoxiao felt about her mother.

But she hated seeing that expression on her face.

She always thought, Yu Xiaoxiao was such a kind and lucky child. She deserved to stay happy and carefree. None of this awful stuff should’ve happened to her.

But regardless of what the biopsy results said, Xiang Shuhuai couldn’t change them. All she could do were the tiniest things.

At the very least, if Yu Xiaoxiao stayed busy enough to not have time to overthink, and was tired enough to fall asleep right away at night, maybe she wouldn’t become dependent on melatonin.

That was all Xiang Shuhuai could do.

—And today, the results were supposed to come back.

That was probably why Yu Xiaoxiao had woken up before five.

Now, sleeping in the car, her breathing was steady and calm. She looked completely unguarded, as if in her dreams, all the fear and sadness had finally faded. She had gone back to being her old happy, silly self.

…That was good. Xiang Shuhuai thought so as she adjusted the air conditioning and set an alarm.

Then she reached out and gently brushed aside the strand of hair on Yu Xiaoxiao’s face.

Her fingers hovered there for a second—then stopped. She didn’t do anything.

Xiang Shuhuai pulled her hand back, closed her eyes, and fell asleep leaning against the steering wheel.

“Big Ice Block?”

As she was thinking, a voice sounded near her ear.

“—Xiang Shuhuai?”

She blinked and snapped out of it, only to see something waving in front of her face.

Yu Xiaoxiao pulled her hand back and handed over a completed mind map with a smile. “I finished!”

“Mm.” Xiang Shuhuai nodded and quickly looked it over. “Go ahead.”

Yu Xiaoxiao nodded obediently. “So, today’s materials talk about how Dawn Corp’s distribution system is too complicated. It needs to be trimmed down a bit. Right now, the supply chain is too far from the front line, and the tech isn’t keeping up, so…”

After talking for ages, she finally finished, her mouth dry. She grabbed a nearby cup and took a big gulp.

“Ah—” Yu Xiaoxiao sighed. “I’m exhausted.”

“That’s my cup… ah.”

Too late to stop her, Xiang Shuhuai could only meet her innocent, questioning look and say, “…It’s fine.”

“Hehe,” Yu Xiaoxiao laughed. “I got confused.”

Xiang Shuhuai could only shake her head.

“You did great.” She neatly organized the mind map and papers and set them aside. “There’s a dinner party coming up. Some distributor reps will be there. You can talk to them about the new product contracts. Anning will give you the details.”

Yu Xiaoxiao blinked. “Me, on my own?”

Xiang Shuhuai nodded.

“I’ve already discussed it with Manager Yu. She agreed to the arrangement,” she explained. “I shouldn’t be involved in the contract specifics. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask Manager Yu.”

Yu Xiaoxiao looked surprised. Her eyes went wide. “Ah—Yao Yao? When did you two talk? I didn’t even know!”

“If it feels too difficult, I can go with you,” Xiang Shuhuai said. “I can step in as a personal contact and help you negotiate. But the details should still come from you…”

“No need.”

This time, Yu Xiaoxiao answered quickly.

She shook her head. Her light amber eyes sparkled with determination. “I can do it myself. You don’t need to come.”

Xiang Shuhuai paused, caught off guard.

Just like she couldn’t understand the bond between Yu Xiaoxiao and her mother, she couldn’t quite grasp the emotion in her eyes either.

But then—

“Xiang Shuhuai?”

Yu Xiaoxiao called her again. “You’ve been really out of it today. Is something wrong?”

“Ah—no…” Xiang Shuhuai snapped back to attention. She quickly looked away, catching sight of the time on her computer screen. “Want to get something to eat? It’s about that time.”

Yu Xiaoxiao nodded and smiled. “Sure! We had breakfast so early—I’m starving. I think the cafeteria’s serving plum-glazed ribs today, and fried eggplant! And I want a grape tart too—”

Even though she’d been working all morning, her energy was still through the roof. She happily chattered through the whole meal. It wasn’t until they got back to the office, drew the curtains, and started preparing for a nap that she finally quieted down.

“…Xiang Shuhuai,” Yu Xiaoxiao lay with her head on her arms, peeking up with watery eyes. “It’s too quiet… I can’t fall asleep.”

Xiang Shuhuai asked, “Do you still want to try sleeping?”

Yu Xiaoxiao bit her lip. After a while, she said, “I don’t want to…”

“Okay.” Xiang Shuhuai nodded. “Then don’t.”

Hearing that was like a pardon. Yu Xiaoxiao let out a huge breath of relief. She hopped up and reached for the paperwork they’d set aside earlier. “Then let’s keep studying?”

“—No.”

This time, Xiang Shuhuai stood up, leaned forward slightly, and held out her hand like an invitation.

“You’ve done a great job. Take the afternoon off,” she said. “We’re going somewhere.”

On the way, Yu Xiaoxiao leaned over the back seat, pestering her with questions about where they were going.

Xiang Shuhuai didn’t answer. So she guessed: “A partner’s office?” “A new production site?” Then, “A spy mission at a competitor’s HQ?”

She went on and on, eventually joking about recruiting a van full of people to help fight off security if they got caught stealing secrets.

Xiang Shuhuai glanced at her through the rearview mirror, watching her bounce around like a puppy with sparkling eyes. She kept her lips tightly sealed on purpose.

Yu Xiaoxiao, frustrated, dragged out her voice and pleaded, “Xiang Shuhuai, tell meee—”

Xiang Shuhuai caught her eye in the mirror and fought back a smile.

“…You smiled, didn’t you!” The younger girl glared at her, righteously indignant. “Xiang Shuhuai! You just smiled!”

With a straight face, Xiang Shuhuai replied, “I was just thinking—every place you guessed is work-related. That’s good.”

“Oh… oh.”

Caught off guard by the praise, Yu Xiaoxiao blinked in confusion, then finally mumbled a response.

But after a second, she noticed something strange in Xiang Shuhuai’s expression. “Really? Or are you just messing with me? Hey, Big Ice Block—”

And finally, they arrived.

It was an empty boxing gym.

Xiang Shuhuai swiped a keycard by the entrance, and the automatic door slid open smoothly.

Yu Xiaoxiao followed her inside, looking around at the wide, empty space.

“Wow, it’s huge,” she said, impressed. “So quiet too. No one’s here at all. The other gyms I’ve been to are always packed. Is this one brand new? The front desk and coaches aren’t even around…”

“Maybe they have the day off today,” Xiang Shuhuai said.

Yu Xiaoxiao nodded. “Oh…”

She blinked, then suddenly looked like she’d remembered something terrible. Her expression turned serious. “Wait—don’t tell me I have to talk business with the dojo owner now! Are we planning to expand Dawn’s sports drink business here—”

Xiang Shuhuai let out a laugh.

They walked past the boxing ring and the gym floor. The break room was in the back.

Xiang Shuhuai gently pushed open the door. Inside, everything was neatly arranged on the sofa.

Several sets of new workout clothes, complete from shoes to sports bras. Alongside an unopened set of bath products, there was also a brand-new pair of hand wraps and boxing gloves.

“I wasn’t sure about your size, so I asked my assistant to prepare a few sets. They should fit,” she said, handing Yu Xiaoxiao the locker key. “You’re off this afternoon—thought I’d give you a little break.”

After giving a brief explanation, Xiang Shuhuai turned to leave. “Get changed. I’ll step out.”

Just as she was about to turn around, she suddenly felt a tug on her sleeve—someone was holding her back.

It was Yu Xiaoxiao. She was clutching Xiang Shuhuai’s sleeve, her big round eyes looking up at her, damp and glistening.

“Aren’t you coming too?” she asked.

Xiang Shuhuai shook her head.

“Why not?” Yu Xiaoxiao wouldn’t let go. “You don’t know how? That’s okay—I can teach you.”

Xiang Shuhuai hesitated for a moment and answered honestly, “I’m a little tired.”

“Oh…” Yu Xiaoxiao finally nodded and let go of her sleeve. “Okay then.”

So Xiang Shuhuai left. As she pulled the door closed, she caught a glimpse of Yu Xiaoxiao taking off her T-shirt, reaching behind to unhook her bra.

Her long, slender fingers were already touching the clasp. Her bare back was smooth, pale to the point of glowing—

Flustered, Xiang Shuhuai shut the door with a loud “bang.”

“Yu Xiaoxiao…!” she called out in a panic, her voice muffled through the door. “You—you should’ve waited till I was out!”

“What’s the big deal?” Yu Xiaoxiao’s voice came through, casual and completely unfazed. “You are out now.”

“I mean just now!”

“It’s nothing you haven’t seen. What’s the fuss?” she said with a laugh. “Besides, you didn’t really see anything.”

…I did see something.

The words stuck in Xiang Shuhuai’s throat. She stood there, red-faced and speechless.

After a moment of silence, Yu Xiaoxiao’s puzzled voice came from inside. “—Xiang Shuhuai? Big Ice Block? Hey, Big Ice Block, did you leave?”

Xiang Shuhuai, flustered and frustrated, snapped, “I’m gone!”

She turned and stormed off. Once she got past the gym floor, she sat down next to the boxing ring. When she touched her face and ears, they were burning hot.

…That little brat.

Xiang Shuhuai had planned to go over some company documents, but now she couldn’t concentrate. Annoyed, she thought maybe it was time to give Yu Xiaoxiao a s3x ed lesson.

Yes. Not a bad idea. She nodded to herself, mentally adding the task to Yu Xiaoxiao’s schedule. But things were so busy lately… and besides, today—

So many thoughts were running through her mind that she didn’t even notice when Yu Xiaoxiao came out, already changed. It wasn’t until she heard the sound of someone lightly hitting the punching bag that she looked up.

Yu Xiaoxiao saw her and waved her gloved hands like a cartoon character. Her eyes curved into a bright smile. “Xiang Shuhuai!”

“Do the clothes fit?” Xiang Shuhuai asked gently.

“They’re perfect!” Yu Xiaoxiao beamed. “Even the sports bra fits great—it’s really comfortable, too! Look—”

She reached for the hem of her workout shirt, looking like she was about to lift it—

Xiang Shuhuai quickly turned away, squeezing her eyes shut.

“Yu Xiaoxiao…!” Her voice was loud and panicked, her face burning red. “I—I don’t need to see! Don’t—!”

She kept her eyes shut tightly, her heart pounding. She silently hoped Yu Xiaoxiao had given up on lifting her shirt. But then, a burst of laughter rang out.

“Wow, Big Ice Block,” the mischievous brat said proudly, “you can raise your voice! I thought you only had one volume.”

Xiang Shuhuai’s ears were bright red. She shot Yu Xiaoxiao a glare, then turned away again.

Yu Xiaoxiao laughed for a bit, then stopped teasing and turned back to the punching bag.

With nothing else to do, Xiang Shuhuai leaned against the boxing ring ropes. She stared absentmindedly at the figure in motion—strong, steady, throwing powerful punches—and gradually, the heat in her ears faded away.

It was strange. Yu Xiaoxiao’s punches and kicks were fast and heavy, each one landing with a loud, clean smack, almost like thunder echoing through the dojo. But amid that loud rhythm, Xiang Shuhuai started to feel… sleepy.

The past few days had been exhausting. Yu Xiaoxiao had been through a lot, especially with the situation at home. Xiang Shuhuai had learned from her sister that boxing helped Yu Xiaoxiao deal with stress. She didn’t know if it would really help, but she hoped it might. Once the biopsy results came back, her study schedule would need to change again. When that time came…

Darkness slowly crept in. As she drifted off thinking about it, Xiang Shuhuai fell into a light doze.

She didn’t know how long she slept.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Yu Xiaoxiao crouched in front of her, boxing gloves resting neatly on her knees, looking up at her. Her round eyes were full of curiosity and concern, clean and bright like a puppy sniffing a new friend on the street.

“Xiang Shuhuai?” she called softly. “You fell asleep sitting here?”

“Ah, I…” Xiang Shuhuai blinked, still groggy. “I must’ve nodded off.”

“Mm.” Yu Xiaoxiao nudged her knee with her gloves, then reached for her hand. “Why are you sleeping out here, Big Ice Block? You should lie down in the break room.”

“Ah… right.” Xiang Shuhuai’s head was fuzzy. Her only clear thought was, I should go inside.

She instinctively took Yu Xiaoxiao’s gloved hand and let herself be pulled up.

Yu Xiaoxiao smiled. “There we go.”

She led the way, pulling Xiang Shuhuai by the hand—well, glove—and they walked together across the gym to the break room door.

“Alrighty.” At the door, Yu Xiaoxiao waved. “The AC’s kinda cold, so cover yourself with my jacket, okay?”

Xiang Shuhuai nodded. “Okay.”

“Goodnight, then.”

Yu Xiaoxiao wiggled her gloves at her and gently shut the door.

With a soft click, the door locked, and the dojo fell quiet again.

Yu Xiaoxiao stood in the empty training hall, looking at her reflection in the giant mirror. It had been a long time since she’d been like this—quiet, alone, with nothing to do.

This past week, these moments always made her scared. Her mind would spiral with all the things she couldn’t control—her mom’s illness, Dawn’s future—and worst of all, all the terrible outcomes that might come.

To avoid thinking, she kept herself busy, constantly moving. But as the day of the results drew closer, no matter how much she tried to escape, her thoughts became more and more chaotic.

She let out a long breath, wiped the sweat off her face, and stepped up to the punching bag again. She got into stance, bent her knees slightly, and raised her arms.

—Thud.

The first punch.

Yu Xiaoxiao kept thinking—why her mom? Why her mom?

Thud. Thud.

Life had been tough when her mom was young, sure. But after her business succeeded, she started living healthy—exercising, sleeping early, no smoking, no drinking. There were tons of people with worse habits—why was it Yu Danchun?

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Her fists whipped through the air with explosive force, hitting the heavy bag hard and fast.

“Hah!—Hah!”

Each punch came with a sharp exhale. Her body moved on instinct. Gritting her teeth, breathing heavier and faster, her mind went blank.

Thud, thud, thud—!

After the final punch, she didn’t pull her arm back.

She kept the stance, leaning her forehead against the bag, panting, her whole body trembling. Her vision blurred with a mix of sweat and tears.

When a fat tear hit the floor with a soft plop, she finally realized—she was crying.

“Mm…”

She opened her mouth, but only a sob came out.

With that, all the emotions in her chest spilled over. More tears followed, falling in heavy drops.

“Mm…” Her sobs grew louder, until she was wailing.

“Waaah—!”

She cried uncontrollably, screaming into the bag, letting the emotions pour out of her.

She didn’t know how long she cried. When she finally stopped, her face was soaked and a mess.

Her head felt hot from crying, and she was drenched in sweat—but her mind was clearer than ever.

Yu Xiaoxiao took off her gloves and carefully wiped her tears and sweat from her face and neck. She held onto the bag and stood up.

—She was ready now.

No matter what her mom’s results were. No matter how hard things got—she could face it.

After cleaning up, Yu Xiaoxiao sat alone for a while longer. When the time seemed right, she tiptoed back to the break room and gently pushed the door open.

Xiang Shuhuai was curled up on the sofa, sound asleep. She hadn’t noticed Yu Xiaoxiao coming in. She had Yu Xiaoxiao’s jacket draped over her, bundled up into a small ball, half her face buried in the cushion.

For some reason, Yu Xiaoxiao crouched down beside the couch.

Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, a strange warmth filled her chest. She suddenly felt safe.

These past days, it was Xiang Shuhuai who held her together.

…But now, this person who always seemed so dependable looked small and soft, sleeping like a curled-up cat.

So, the two of them now… Yu Xiaoxiao suddenly remembered what she’d said at the hospital—and how Xiang Shuhuai hadn’t denied it.

That meant… they were friends now.

Thinking that, Yu Xiaoxiao instinctively reached out. Her hand hovered in the air for a long time, hesitating. She didn’t even know what she wanted to do—she was just curious about how soft Xiang Shuhuai’s pale cheek might feel…

Just then, her phone started vibrating in her pocket, snapping her out of it.

Yu Xiaoxiao quickly covered her pocket, stepped outside to take the call, and gently closed the door behind her.

“Hello?” she said, pressing the answer button.

“Nuan Nuan,” came her father’s voice. “Come to the hospital.”

“—Your mom’s biopsy results are back.”