Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 38

Early morning. A quiet office.

Xiang Shuhuai sat at her desk, sleeves rolled up on her still-damp shirt, staring at the lock screen wallpaper on her computer, feeling uneasy.

It was just past six. Way earlier than the usual start of the workday, and earlier than she normally woke up. There wasn’t even any urgent work today. So she just sat there in front of her computer, doing nothing.

She had left home this early on purpose.

…To avoid running into that kid.

Her mind was a tangled mess.

Because of what happened yesterday. Yesterday—she had visited Yu Xiaoxiao’s home, the four of them had dinner together, and then Yu Xiaoxiao drove her back.

It was her first time visiting a friend’s home. She and Cong You had finally reached an understanding about Hanyang, and An Ning probably became more convinced that she and Yu Xiaoxiao shared a special bond after that meal. Everything seemed perfect.

…But Xiang Shuhuai didn’t understand what was going on with herself.

She had always known that Yu Xiaoxiao liked her sister.

Back when the three of them used to hang out, she never felt uncomfortable. Yu Xiaoxiao’s little jabs or moments of favoritism had always seemed like childish pranks to her.

But once Yu Xiaoxiao became her friend, suddenly everything started to feel off.

Whether it was the way Yu Xiaoxiao looked at her sister with those bright, trusting eyes, or her silly little smiles, or the gentle way her sister cared for her—Xiang Shuhuai noticed all of it. And it bothered her.

…It made her feel like she was just some outsider who didn’t belong there at all.

Even though Yu Xiaoxiao treated her with kindness as a friend, Xiang Shuhuai couldn’t shake those feelings from her heart.

“Yu Xiaoxiao,” she had asked then, “…Why didn’t you drive my sister home?”

She thought she’d get an answer like: “—Because Youyou-jie told me to take you.”

That’s what she had always imagined. That everything was just because of her sister’s instructions.

Xiang Shuhuai had never been able to get past that idea.

She always thought Yu Xiaoxiao was only nice to her because her sister had asked her to be. That she was only trying to please her sister by being kind, by pretending to be her friend. And that Xiang Shuhuai herself didn’t deserve it.

…Just like with Gu Jiaxiao. Even though Yu Xiaoxiao had only been trying to help.

But when she asked, Yu Xiaoxiao had just looked at her blankly, blinking in confusion. “Why would I drive Youyou-jie?”

…Because you like her. Xiang Shuhuai wanted to say. Of course you’d drive home the person you like.

That was exactly why she’d said she was going back to the office when they were parting ways, instead of saying she was going to Yu Xiaoxiao’s place. That way, Yu Xiaoxiao would have every reason to hand her off to An Ning and go drive her beloved Youyou-jie home.

But she didn’t.

And that made everything feel even worse. Xiang Shuhuai didn’t understand where these strange emotions were coming from.

Why was she upset? And what right did she have to feel this way?

All this mess had kept her up all night, tossing and turning in bed.

So in the morning, to avoid seeing Yu Xiaoxiao, she got up early and basically fled the house. She washed up in a hurry, getting her shirt sleeves wet in the process—she looked like a mess.

Thinking about it, Xiang Shuhuai let out a long sigh, trying to ease the tightness in her chest. She reached out and gently pressed around the area near her gland. But it was no use—the pain didn’t go away.

Maybe it was because she hadn’t slept. Since getting up, the scarred area near her gland had been throbbing again, tugging at her nerves and nearly triggering a migraine—something she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

…Everything was a mess.

Could friends really cause these kinds of feelings?

No matter what, she knew she couldn’t let these emotions show. Xiang Shuhuai was well aware. Yesterday was already too much. Just from the kid’s confused face, she could tell how strange and unreasonable she must have seemed.

She still wanted to be friends with Yu Xiaoxiao. She didn’t want Yu Xiaoxiao to start disliking her.

So—stop acting like that. Xiang Shuhuai ordered herself.

Her chest felt tight and sour with emotions she couldn’t name. She shut her eyes and forced herself to stop thinking.

The pain meant her gland was unstable.

And today, there was a department meeting. With so many regional managers attending, and no strict pheromone control like at headquarters, someone might carry a lingering scent.

—There couldn’t be any mistakes.

So, Xiang Shuhuai opened a drawer and pulled out the suppressant syringe she always kept in the office.

She bit down hard on her lip, ignoring the tremors that shook her body. After pressing the air out of the syringe, she tilted her head back and drove the needle into the scar at the back of her neck, then pressed the plunger down.

As the liquid entered her bloodstream, a wave of icy cold rushed through her body, almost freezing her solid.

She tossed the syringe away and curled up in her large office chair, teeth chattering.

It’ll be fine. She told herself. Everything will be fine. It’ll be over soon.

—Eventually, the cold faded, and she began to regain control of her body. She slowly lifted her stiff fingers and carefully tucked the long strands of hair behind her ears, covering the tiny pinprick on her neck.

The suppressant blocked most of the pheromone effects—but it couldn’t quiet her chaotic thoughts.

She couldn’t stop thinking about what her sister had told her.

“Xiao Shu, follow your heart. Listen to what your heart is telling you.”

But Xiang Shuhuai couldn’t hear it. She didn’t know what she wanted. Didn’t know why she was upset by something she already knew.

All she knew was—she didn’t want to lose her first and only friend. She didn’t want Yu Xiaoxiao to get tired of her.

She knew she wasn’t the kind of person others liked. Back in school, if anyone tried to get close to her, it was always because of her grades or family background—because she was “useful.”

And now, aside from not causing trouble for Yu Xiaoxiao, what use could she possibly be?

Staring blankly at the open work document in front of her, Xiang Shuhuai suddenly remembered—wasn’t someone from Fuxiao coming today to discuss the new product’s ad placement?

…Would Yu Xiaoxiao be there too?

It would be her first time back at Fuxiao since her mom got sick.

Her mom had arranged a spot for her as Deputy Director of Marketing. The Director in charge of training her was Ms. Xu, a beta woman in her late forties to early fifties, known for her calm and reliability. She was a close aide of Yu Danchun and knew that her boss had taken a step back from work for health reasons, though she didn’t know the specifics of the illness.

At first, Ms. Xu had her doubts about mentoring the daughter of the CEO.

From her position, she’d heard plenty of stories about the wild behavior of second-generation elites. Word was that the CEO’s daughter had only spent a brief stint at the company a few months ago and had no real experience in business.

So naturally, Ms. Xu was worried she’d be stuck with a spoiled brat—arrogant, bossy, and clueless about business. And the marketing team was already swamped. With a new product launch underway, the last thing she needed was to babysit a rich kid.

Even though Secretary Wu had told her that the CEO’s daughter wasn’t so bad and actually quite kind-hearted, Ms. Xu couldn’t help but stay skeptical.

That was—until Yu Xiaoxiao showed up at her office on her first day back.

She looked like a kid—no makeup, round eyes sparkling with energy, a natural little smile always at her lips, with just a touch of baby fat on her cheeks. But she also stood tall and straight, the casual blazer accentuating her shoulders and back, making her look like a growing bamboo shoot—full of spirit and life.

She still looked like a student, but her expression was bright and sincere, and her attitude humble. She was nothing like the spoiled rich girl Ms. Xu had imagined.

“You can just call me Xiaoxiao, Auntie Xu,” she said with a cheerful smile. “My mom told me how busy you are, so I’ll try not to bother you. Just assign me to an assistant if needed—I really want to learn as much as I can.”

“Alright,” Ms. Xu nodded. “That won’t be a problem, Xiaoxiao.”

Then, she asked a few questions about Fuxiao.

They weren’t too technical, but they touched directly on some of the company’s current issues—ones that would be hard to answer if you didn’t understand the business.

And to her surprise, Yu Xiaoxiao’s answers were very good—so good that Ms. Xu was genuinely impressed, eyes wide with admiration as she kept nodding along.

Her answers were thorough. It was clear she had thought them through. The ideas she proposed were both detailed and bold. After analyzing Fuxiao’s problems, she even went so far as to completely reject the current product strategy—and backed it up with solid reasoning. After listening, even Ms. Xu started having doubts about that product line.

Originally, Ms. Xu had planned to start her off with theory, but now she saw no problem letting her jump straight into practical work. In fact, if they wanted to take a chance, they could even let her try leading a small project on her own.

“That was an excellent answer, truly, Xiaoxiao,” Ms. Xu said. Then she asked, “Have you studied this kind of business before? Did your mother teach you?”

“I—”

Yu Xiaoxiao had been about to say that yes, she had studied before, but it wasn’t her mom—it was Xiang Shuhuai. The famous, cold-as-ice young executive from Xiang Group.

But at the same time, she suddenly remembered—she wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about her connection with Xiang Shuhuai. She couldn’t let it slip. Shuhuai had warned her before—if anyone found out, it would cause trouble.

So, in the end, Yu Xiaoxiao just said, “I… studied a bit on my own before.”

As the words left her mouth, the realization hit her—that her relationship with that icy girl had to stay hidden, that she had to keep it a secret from everyone.

And the pride she’d felt from being praised just a moment ago… suddenly felt a little dimmer.

She was feeling a little down, sighing to herself, Why not? What trouble could it possibly cause?

But she could only ask that Big Ice Block about it after work…

Meanwhile, Director Xu had no idea about the thoughts swirling in her head. She kept nodding, her expression full of delight and satisfaction. “Good, very good. You’re just like Director Yu when she was young.”

She pulled up the schedule and started thinking carefully. “Give me a second, Xiaoxiao. Let me see what kind of work I can give you…”

After flipping through it for a bit, Director Xu quickly found a suitable task. “Alright, Xiaoxiao, if you’re up for trying out some business work, we’re meeting with Xiang Corporation today to discuss ad placements for the new Dawn product line. Go read through the materials now, and you can come with us to the Xiang headquarters later. Sound good?”

—Xiang headquarters.

Which meant… she might run into that Big Ice Block.

With that flutter of emotion rising again, Yu Xiaoxiao nodded firmly and cheerfully agreed, “No problem, Auntie Xu!”

The morning passed quickly—probably because after having gone through Xiang Shuhuai’s boot-camp-like schedules before, reading dry contracts now didn’t feel too bad.

She finished going over the materials about ten minutes before departure, and spent the rest of the time casually doodling on a scrap of paper.

Life had been so hectic lately that she hadn’t drawn in a while. But her hand hadn’t gotten rusty.

Her pen moved softly in smooth arcs, and with just a few strokes, the figure of a girl started to take shape.

Long hair, rounded cheeks, soft lips—and those quiet black eyes were drawn with extra care. Even though it was just a rough sketch, the image looked cold and delicate, like it was carved from ice.

A frozen, untouchable statue of a girl.

…That Big Ice Block.

She sketched a slender neck and graceful shoulders. Xiang Shuhuai usually wore long-sleeved clothing, but that day… when she’d overheated and Xiaoxiao had gone to help her through it, Xiaoxiao had caught a brief glimpse of her bare shoulders and neck.

Just thinking about it made Xiaoxiao’s face turn red. She hadn’t dared look too closely then, so now she could only rely on that fuzzy memory, plus her imagination.

The Big Ice Block was so thin—hugging her felt like holding air. Her spine and shoulder blades were all sharp angles. Her shoulders must be defined too, her collarbones prominent, her skin pale and smooth.

Too thin, Xiaoxiao thought. So thin she looked like she might break.

In the story playing out in her head, the statue girl wore a perfect white dress. But in reality, Xiaoxiao had never seen Xiang Shuhuai wear anything but long nightgowns—never even a short-sleeved shirt, even in the heat of summer.

What would she look like?

With that thought, Xiaoxiao added a collar to the sketch, then shaded the fabric gently to cover up the jutting bones.

That Big Ice Block was just too thin. Always getting sick, never exercising, barely eating—it had to be affecting her health by now.

Her BMI probably doesn’t even meet the standard, Xiaoxiao thought. Well, we live together now. I’ll make sure we eat and exercise together.

They had plenty of time. Time enough for Xiang Shuhuai to get healthy again.

Thinking that, Xiaoxiao carefully cut the small portrait out of the paper, folding the palm-sized drawing and gently tucking it into her pocket.

Once it was safely stored away, she checked the time, stood up, and went to join the group heading to Xiang Corporation for the meeting.

—It was about time to go.

Time for work—and time to see that Big Ice Block again.

They arrived at Xiang Corporation around two in the afternoon, right after the lunch break ended and the workday resumed. For some reason, the usually quiet lobby was buzzing with people today, likely due to some internal event or schedule.

Xiaoxiao followed the advertising manager, with no tasks assigned to her yet, so she had plenty of free time. The person from Xiang Corporation in charge of greeting them had already arrived and was exchanging pleasantries with the manager. Xiaoxiao listened from the side while also glancing around, observing the people passing by.

After a while, something caught her attention.

—The front desk. Two people in plain, dusty clothes were standing there: a hunched old woman and a man dressed like a laborer. They looked like mother and son, pulling at each other while pleading with the receptionist about something.

They stood awkwardly at the counter, their words hard to make out but clearly emotional. The two receptionists looked uncomfortable, torn between wanting to ask them to leave and not wanting to escalate things by calling security. The fear of making the situation worse left them at a loss.

Seeing this, Xiaoxiao said a quick word to her colleague and walked over.

“What’s going on here?”

All four people turned to look at her.

“They said—” the receptionist lowered her voice upon recognizing her, “—they said they’re relatives of President Xiang. They want to go inside and see her. But… they don’t have any ID.”

…Relatives?

“No, we don’t have ID,” the old woman said immediately, overhearing them. “But we have proof! Child, look—look here…”

She seemed to think Xiaoxiao, with her polished appearance and calm demeanor, was someone important. With shaking hands, she opened a small bundle she was carrying and pulled out several yellowed photographs, laying them on the counter.

—Family portraits.

The photos showed a warm, happy family. A small Xiang Shuhuai in a simple dark coat, cheeks round and puffy, probably still in kindergarten, being held by a woman who looked very much like her—presumably her mother.

The old woman pointed to herself and the man in the photo. “This—this is me. This is my son. And this is Shuhuai and her mom, my poor daughter who passed too soon…”

Her voice trembled, and she nearly teared up again. The thin man quickly moved to support her, while she wiped at her eyes. “We’re really Shuhuai’s grandmother and uncle… why would an old woman like me lie?”

The man nodded repeatedly, speaking with sincerity.

“My sister passed away early. We haven’t seen my niece in so long. We just want to see her again. And we have something of her mother’s to give her… We just want to know if she’s doing okay…”

His eyes grew red as he spoke. The two of them, in their simple clothes and weathered faces, looked a little out of place in such a polished corporate building. But their nervousness and earnest desire to see a family member tugged at the heart.

Xiaoxiao was young, raised in comfort, with round, clear eyes that revealed her kind and gentle nature.

Sure enough, when faced with those teary, hopeful eyes, Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but be moved. She nodded lightly.

“We… we can go in?” the man asked in surprise, bowing repeatedly as he helped his mother take a step forward. “Thank you, really, thank you so much…”

But then he stopped. Something blocked him, and he blinked in confusion. “Huh—?”

Xiaoxiao had raised her arm, stopping them.

Relatives of the Big Ice Block.

—The last time “relatives” came to Xiang Corporation, it was that thug Xiang Wenze, the one she broke the nose of.

And Special Assistant Yi had warned her: Xiang Shuhuai’s family situation was very complicated. For her, “family” didn’t mean trust.

Xiaoxiao might be innocent and naive—but she wasn’t stupid.

“I meant, I can go in and ask for you,” she said, lowering her arm. Her voice was still gentle, but her expression left no room for argument. “Please wait in the reception lounge for now.”

Even their last hope said so. The man and old woman had no choice but to agree. The grandmother, wiping away tears, nodded. “Alright… okay…”

Once they were led into the lounge, Xiaoxiao slipped into a stairwell and called Xiang Shuhuai to explain the situation.

There was a brief silence on the other end.

Then Xiang Shuhuai let out a soft laugh.

“Let them in,” she said.

Xiaoxiao felt uneasy, but agreed. “…Okay.”

After a moment’s hesitation, she couldn’t help but ask, “Do you want me to stay with you, Big Ice Block? The meeting won’t start for a while.”

But Xiang Shuhuai declined.

“Yu Xiaoxiao,” she said softly, her voice gentle, “Good luck with work later. I’ll see you tonight.”

Hearing that, Xiaoxiao was suddenly full of motivation. She nodded enthusiastically. “Okay!”

The two visitors were brought upstairs to a conference room, where Xiang Shuhuai was already waiting.

With the meeting still a while away, and having been told she didn’t need to join the small talk, Xiaoxiao found another empty room nearby to sit and go over the meeting materials.

This floor seemed reserved for meetings, and was especially quiet. Perfect for reading.

But despite immersing herself in the documents, a sense of unease lingered.

Until suddenly—there was a loud crash.

“—Bang!!”

Something heavy had slammed to the floor.

At the same time, a strange and aggressive Alpha pheromone scent burst out.

Thick, foul, and reeking like swamp gas—it felt like it could explode at any moment.

—The owner of that pheromone was clearly furious.

Xiaoxiao jumped up from the couch.

…She could tell that scent was coming from the conference room where Xiang Shuhuai was.

Her Alpha instincts flared with rage—but even more intense was her worry and fear.

Only those two “relatives” were in there with her.

Xiaoxiao sprinted out of the lounge, running down the hall toward the conference room.

The pheromone cloud grew stronger and more suffocating. She grew more and more anxious, and with a forceful shove, she threw open the tightly closed door.

“—Xiang Shuhuai!!!”