Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 45

After taking her medicine and reading through the two treatment plans again, Xiang Shuai placed her phone by her pillow and fell into a deep sleep.

She had a nightmare that lasted most of the night.

First, she dreamed of her biological mother, Liu Xiu, and her stepfather, Wang Xing. It was the same familiar violence and the desperate cries for help, echoing outside the closed door. Once again, she turned into that small, helpless girl, too frail to defend herself.

Xiang Shuai huddled in the room, pressing her back against the door, shivering silently.

Halfway through the nightmare, the door she was pushing against suddenly disintegrated into gray ash, turning into a cloud of black smoke. She fell backward, crashing into the living room, which was stained with bl00d and the smell of alcohol.

The living room changed gradually until it resembled the home of Yu Xiaoxiao. The carpet, light-colored wallpaper, and the string of star lights on the balcony were all familiar to her. Yu Xiaoxiao’s art supplies and boards were scattered on the coffee table, and pillows were carelessly piled on the sofa.

Before Xiang Shuai could feel comforted by this familiar environment, she saw someone standing there, cloaked in shadow.

It wasn’t her violent stepfather, Wang Xing, but Yu Xiaoxiao.

Only Yu Xiaoxiao.

But the Yu Xiaoxiao in her dream wasn’t like the one she knew. There was no smile on her face, only a cold, condescending gaze, looking down at the fallen Xiang Shuai, her eyes dark and unfathomable.

That Yu Xiaoxiao took a step forward.

—Then she stepped hard on Xiang Shuai’s hand, which was pressed against the floor.

It was excruciatingly painful. The pain was so intense that Xiang Shuai instinctively tried to curl her body up, but more violence followed. It was as though she was still that weak, defenseless child, unable to fight back. A punch and a kick landed heavily on her. A heavy object hit her forehead, and bl00d began to flow down into her vision. Xiang Shuai could no longer see clearly. She curled up in her nightmare, desperately trying to survive, but she could hear Yu Xiaoxiao’s voice.

…She was laughing.

“What’s wrong?” the childlike, cheerful voice asked. “Big Ice Block, aren’t you happy?”

—But despite saying this, the Yu Xiaoxiao in her dream bent down and yanked Xiang Shuai’s hair, dragging her toward the bedroom.

“Why aren’t you happy? Didn’t you want me to mark you?” The dream Yu Xiaoxiao smiled, her eyes curving. “Now, I’m going to mark you, Xiang Shuai.”

She said it like that, but the attacker, as if afraid of resistance, grabbed Xiang Shuai’s arm, which was holding onto the bedroom door, and twisted it back forcefully.

The sound of bone snapping echoed.

Xiang Shuai was in so much pain that her vision blacked out, and cold sweat drenched her. She almost lost consciousness for a moment. When she regained awareness, she was thrown onto the bed.

…A forced marking.

Xiang Shuai was terrified. She was terrified beyond measure, but she couldn’t wake up from this vivid dream.

“Don’t, Yu Xiaoxiao, no—” She wanted to struggle, but all she did was slam her head into the hard bedside table with force.

Bang.

Once, twice, each hit harder than the last, bl00d soaked the bed until she was weak and limp, no longer able to move.

And the weight behind her only pressed down harder.

The sharp pain in her neck woke Xiang Shuai up.

She suddenly realized what was happening and screamed in agony, struggling violently:

“Yu Xiaoxiao, no… please, no! Yu Xiaoxiao—help me, no… ugh—”

But Yu Xiaoxiao’s hand tightened around her neck, cutting off her cries, and Xiang Shuai could no longer draw in a breath.

In the suffocating silence, she could only hear Yu Xiaoxiao’s voice, which was soon joined by many others—Wang Xing’s, Xiang Hongshan’s, Gu Jiaxiao’s, and even the voice of that arrogant alpha male classmate who once tried to mark her.

The voices tangled together, and in the worsening pain at the back of her neck, the innocent voice of Yu Xiaoxiao echoed louder.

“Big Ice Block, why?” she asked. “Don’t you want me to mark you?”

—Then, the dream “suddenly” faded away.

Xiang Shuai bolted upright, only to find herself back in her dimly lit bedroom.

There was no bl00d on the bed, no signs of assault, no broken arm, no forced mark on the back of her neck—

She sat there dazed for a long time until she snapped back to reality.

Xiang Shuai almost fell off the bed as she rushed to the bathroom, vomiting everything in her stomach until it was empty.

The spasms in her stomach grew worse, and she collapsed onto the bathroom floor, vomiting until even bile was expelled. Her body was soaked in cold sweat.

But the intense and icy fear from the dream still lingered on every inch of her skin, seeping into her bones, refusing to dissipate.

Xiang Shuai was on the verge of collapsing. In a frantic release of emotions, she bit down hard on her wrist, her teeth shaking. She didn’t even realize the taste of bl00d filling her mouth.

It felt like she could still hear Yu Xiaoxiao’s voice.

“—Big Ice Block,” she was saying, “Didn’t you want me to mark you?”

It was fake. Xiang Shuai desperately told herself.

It’s fake. It was just a dream—it was only a dream.

But the hallucinations didn’t stop.

The searing phantom pain crashed into her, and Xiang Shuai pressed her head against the cold floor, desperately blocking her ears and squeezing her eyes shut, trying to get through the night in a daze.

“No, Yu Xiaoxiao…”

She bit her lip until it bled, murmuring instinctively, her whole body trembling with fear.

“Help me…”

Yu Xiaoxiao sat at her desk, pressing her fingers to her forehead in frustration.

With a new product launch imminent, there was too much work to do in the marketing department. And with Xiang Qing being a newcomer, there were a lot of things she needed to ask Yu Xiaoxiao. So, despite Director Xu’s attempts to help, Yu Xiaoxiao was still overwhelmed with work. She had worked through most of the day and finally, by 5 PM, had managed to finish everything.

…Still, it wasn’t fast enough.

She glanced at the time, thinking to herself.

If it were Xiang Shuai, she would have done it much more efficiently.

Despite being so frail and pale, always sick, Xiang Shuai worked like an invincible machine—never tired and never making mistakes. Although Xiang Shuai’s reputation had spread through the industry long ago, Yu Xiaoxiao had never truly grasped how capable she was. It wasn’t until she started working on her own that she truly realized how impressive “Big Ice Block” was.

Though she had been improving, Yu Xiaoxiao still felt like she was far from reaching Xiang Shuai’s level and standing beside her.

That day, Yu Danchun hadn’t approved her request for leave, but told her that once the work was done, she could go wherever she wanted. Yu Xiaoxiao had returned to the office, sat down, and thought for a long time.

…Her mother was right.

For someone like her, even if she went to Xiang Shuai or found Youyou, what difference would it make?

Dawn was dawn, and the money she could contribute was just a drop in the bucket compared to the funding gap they faced. She couldn’t help with her intelligence either, and instead, would only waste their time and energy to settle her. At her age, standing there, she probably wouldn’t be of any use except getting in the way.

And Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t want to be that way.

She had to become powerful, like her mother, and be someone who could stand beside them, someone who could truly help.

But that wouldn’t come overnight. Yu Xiaoxiao knew that well.

Besides… there was another equally important thing. She had specifically arranged to meet Gu Wei tonight to resolve this issue. She had finished work an hour early to make the appointment.

However, when she rushed to the restaurant, Gu Wei was still taking his time.

Gu Wei wasn’t in the habit of being late, but recently, he had just started dating a new girlfriend, and during their honeymoon period, his little girlfriend drove him to the restaurant. They were inseparable, and when they got there, his girlfriend chased after him, trying to kiss him goodbye, lingering at the car door as if they were separated by an eternity.

“Enough, enough.” Yu Xiaoxiao watched in frustration. “Don’t kiss him, Manager Gu, I’ll give him back to you after dinner.”

Gu Wei brushed aside his curls with a flirtatious smile. She had changed her lip gloss to a warm brown today, and her expression was full of the happiness of someone in love, which made Yu Xiaoxiao feel a little sour.

“Are you jealous, Xiao Yu?” Gu Wei smiled. “If you are, you should get yourself one too.”

They had been friends since high school, and Yu Xiaoxiao had seen all kinds of things. No matter how charming Gu Wei looked now, to her, she was still the rough-and-tumble girl who climbed trees, jumped over walls, and fought on motorcycles with her.

Gu Wei then asked, “What about your last girlfriend?”

Yu Xiaoxiao blinked, looking confused. “…Who?”

Seeing her still so clueless, Gu Wei exaggeratedly sighed and sat down in front of her.

“How long has it been?” she shook her head. “Xiao Yu, Director Yu, you’re hopeless.”

“…Why am I hopeless?” Yu Xiaoxiao earnestly corrected her, “She’s a friend.”

Seeing her truly not get it, Gu Wei quickly waved her hand, not wanting to argue further. “Never mind, never mind, let’s get to the point.”

Finally, they were getting to the heart of the matter, but Yu Xiaoxiao felt a bit nervous. She picked up her tea cup, took a sip, and then spoke again.

“What happened is…”

“…I’ve been thinking about it. But she said she doesn’t want me to take responsibility. She was really angry back then.” Yu Xiaoxiao spoke softly. “I feel like… if I say something, she’ll just get even angrier. I don’t think she’s the kind of person who would act like that… She’s not an ordinary person, she must think differently… And if it was really like that, she would’ve contacted me, at least wouldn’t be ignoring me like this…”

Seeing her speak as if she didn’t know, but then rambling on endlessly when she opened her mouth, Gu Wei couldn’t help but feel a headache.

She said, “Xiao Yu, you already know, don’t you?”

As soon as this topic came up, Yu Xiaoxiao’s mood dropped again. “But I still don’t know why she’s angry…”

“Then why not ask her directly?” Gu Wei suggested.

Yu Xiaoxiao grew even more downcast. “She won’t answer my calls…”

“You two must have some mutual friends, right?” Gu Wei said. “Ask around, maybe one of them can help you talk to her.”

“…I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Yu Xiaoxiao lowered her head, speaking quietly. “It feels like I’m bothering her… I know she doesn’t want to see me, and still…”

These past few days, she had been searching on her own without contacting Sister Youyou or asking Assistant Yi for help. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought of that, and she knew that if she asked Assistant Yi, he might tell her. But she just felt like there was a barrier deep inside her.

She always thought back to that fleeting tear, so clear and glass-like.

She was the one who had scared Xiang Shuhuai, made her cry. She had never seen her cry before… But Xiang Shuhuai was a person with too much pride, she would never tell anyone, probably not even her subordinate, Yi Anning.

If Assistant Yi helped her contact Xiang Shuhuai, would it just scare her again?

“Whether it’s right or wrong, your friends will be able to judge for themselves.” Gu Wei said, “If you’re still unsure, ask someone who’s on her side. If it’s not appropriate, she won’t tell you.”

Seeing Yu Xiaoxiao’s conflicted expression, as though two thoughts were battling inside her, Gu Wei thought for a moment and added, “It depends on how well you know her, Xiao Yu. Try whatever you can.”

With that, Gu Wei lightly tapped her arm in a comforting gesture. Seeing her friend’s troubled expression, she softened her tone, offering quiet encouragement.

“—Maybe she needs you right now.”

Xiang Family. Family dinner.

Xiang Shuhuai arrived around six o’clock, and most of the invited guests had already gathered.

She looked just like usual, dressed in a neat suit, with her cuffs covering the bandages on her wrist, which were wrapped to hide the teeth marks. Her long hair was tied back, her face calm and indifferent, with no sign of emotion. The only hint of something different was the scar on the corner of her mouth, a reminder of the violence she had been deliberately subjected to.

…This was an unfortunate time.

If it had been the day before, when her mental state hadn’t relapsed, Xiang Shuhuai would have been able to handle this dinner with far more energy.

But the nightmare had affected her deeply, leaving her with lingering fear. Even after taking her medication, she didn’t have enough strength to give to everyone.

She stood at the open door to the banquet hall, her gaze sweeping over the various faces. About twenty people, all members of the Xiang family, had gathered—Xiang Hongshan’s relatives.

—A quick fight was needed.

The empty seat at the head of the table belonged to Xiang Hongshan, while the first seat to the lower right of the head should belong to the heir.

But now, someone else was sitting in the seat that should have been hers. It was one of her relatives, Xiang Hongshan’s second younger brother, the second eldest of the Xiang family.

Xiang Er had always considered himself superior as an elder, and because of his direct bloodline, he had always looked down on Xiang Shuhuai, the illegitimate daughter. He was arrogant, not particularly clever, and impatient. Now that he sat in this position, he probably hadn’t even realized he was being pushed out as the scapegoat.

When Xiang Shuhuai entered, Xiang Er casually waved at her, like calling a dog. “Shuhuai’s here?”

Xiang Shuhuai remained calm, a faint smile of mockery appearing in her eyes.

She walked over and nodded slightly. “Second Uncle.”

“Shuhuai, you’re late,” Xiang Er said, smiling maliciously. “What’s wrong? Were you too shaken by recent events? But it’s no surprise. You’re still young, and this position doesn’t suit you. Making mistakes is only natural… But showing up late to family gatherings like this, that’s a problem. You should be punished.”

His son, Xiang Wenhang, chimed in from the side, teasing, “Yeah, Shuhuai, big brother’s gotta give you a talking to. Hurry up and pour Uncle a drink to show you’re sorry.”

The others around the long table watched, their eyes cold, waiting to see how Xiang Shuhuai would react after her massive failure. They were curious if she would fall from the position of heir, and if they could seize that position for themselves.

Xiang Shuhuai wasn’t fazed.

She asked, “Second Uncle, you want me to pour you a drink?”

“Ah,” Xiang Er chuckled, “It’s only proper to offer a drink to your elders. Isn’t that right, Shuhuai?”

Seeing that she was quietly getting a drink, without any resistance, Xiang Er’s smile grew even more triumphant. He thought to himself that he had already won, that Xiang Shuhuai was nothing but a paper tiger.

But Xiang Shuhuai remained calm, walking up and simply raising the glass.

—In the midst of Xiang Er’s growing smugness, Xiang Shuhuai swiftly turned her wrist, spilling the entire glass of red wine onto his bald head.

Xiang Er froze for a moment, the wine dripping down his hair and soaking into his collar.

Xiang Wenhang stood up with a loud “Whoah!” “You…!”

He was furious, glaring at Xiang Shuhuai, but hesitated to take another step. After all, he knew better than most that, no matter how the heir’s position might falter, it was still beyond his reach.

Xiang Shuhuai coldly shifted her gaze.

“The chair is dirty,” she said calmly. “It would look bad if we just changed one chair. Let’s replace all of them.”

The servants swiftly entered, and, under the watchful eyes of the stunned family members, they escorted everyone from their seats and brought in a whole new set of chairs. The whole process took less than twenty seconds.

Once the chairs were replaced, Xiang Shuhuai took her seat first, slowly settling down.

She sat in the seat that belonged to the heir, nodding slightly toward the others, her demeanor calm yet prideful.

“—Please, take a seat.”

The atmosphere was completely changed after the seat switch. Once everyone was seated, the atmosphere shifted back to one of Xiang Shuhuai’s dominance.

Meanwhile, Xiang Er and his son sat at the far end of the table, their faces red with embarrassment, shaking with anger. They couldn’t decide whether to stay seated or leave.

Xiang Shuhuai didn’t look at them again. She simply resumed talking to the relatives beside her about the work at Xiang Corporation.

It wasn’t long before Xiang Hongshan appeared at the stairs.

He was a thin, imposing alpha, 65 years old. Despite his stern and sharp gaze, the signs of aging couldn’t be hidden. Xiang Hongshan looked down at the banquet hall and immediately understood what had happened. His gaze fixed on Xiang Shuhuai for a long while.

This daughter of his probably resembled her biological mother. Beautiful, slender, at the prime of youth, pale and fragile. When she lowered her brows, she looked pitiful, irresistibly delicate.

If she were wearing a formal gown, surrounded by fragrant flowers, Xiang Hongshan could almost imagine his beautiful omega daughter being presented as a fine gift, bringing him and his family enormous benefits through marriage.

But she had his eyes.

Cold, decisive, ambitious—anyone could tell that Xiang Shuhuai was his daughter. She was also smart, loyal…

—Her value as the heir to the Xiang family was far more important than that of a youthful omega daughter.

This thought caused a slight smile to appear on his usually tense lips.

He said, “Shuhuai, come with me.”

Xiang Shuhuai obeyed.

She stayed in Xiang Hongshan’s office for an hour and twenty-five minutes. At 7:30, she walked out of the office, her steps steady and calm, but with bl00d on her forehead, her face damp, and tea stains on her front.

—Xiang Hongshan had thrown a tea-filled cup at her head.

With all of this, Xiang Shuhuai calmly walked up to the banquet hall, where she told Xiang Er and his son, “You don’t need to come back.”

Xiang Er jumped up and rushed over, grabbing her collar.

“I… I don’t believe it…!” He was frantic, trembling with disbelief that he had lost all power—just because of this illegitimate daughter, glaring furiously at Xiang Shuhuai.

“No! No! Let my older brother come and talk to me! You… you wild child…!”

The security guards rushed in and forcefully escorted him out. Xiang Shuhuai simply stood there, slowly adjusting her crumpled collar without changing her expression.

Xiang Hongshan hadn’t come down, so the meal ended quickly. After the scene was over, Xiang Shuhuai was able to leave.

She got into her car, exhaling gently.

The tea on her head was for the benefit of the rest of the family, showing his absolute authority, even though both of them knew who was really responsible for the decision. Xiang Shuhuai was a loyal dog he had raised through bloodline and power—at least that’s how Xiang Hongshan saw it.

Her power would not be taken away. Soon, he would accept her proposal to allow her company to purchase a large portion of Xiang Corporation shares.

Everything was as Xiang Shuhuai had anticipated.

But she only felt empty.

Empty, and extremely exhausted.

Xiang Shuhuai was so tired that she wanted to sleep right away but couldn’t stop fearing the nightmare.

—She was terrified of seeing that phantom again, the one belonging to Yu Xiaoxiao in her dream. So she couldn’t bring herself to sleep.

She stared blankly for what felt like a long time until the phone rang. It was another personal number, one she rarely gave out. It could be Assistant Yi, her sister, her aunt, or maybe Yao Yumei.

So, even though the number was unfamiliar, she answered.

A soft, tentative voice came from the other end.

“…Xiang Shuhuai?”

Xiang Shuhuai froze. “—Yu Xiaoxiao?”

“It’s me,” the voice sounded apologetic, almost pitiful, “Sorry, I asked Assistant Yi for your number… I didn’t mean to… Are you still mad at me?”

Xiang Shuhuai took a long time to recognize that the voice was real, not a hallucination.

The little sun was quietly waiting on the other end of the line, saying nothing.

So strange, Xiang Shuhuai could almost hear her anxious, vibrant heartbeat through the phone.

“…Yu Xiaoxiao.”

Hearing that heartbeat, Xiang Shuhuai, exhausted, leaned back in her seat, and suddenly a deep longing and courage surged in her chest.

She spoke softly:

“Can you come see me?”

Yu Xiaoxiao was silent for a moment before eagerly agreeing. Xiang Shuhuai then gave her a safe address.

She ended the call, forced herself to drive to the designated location, parked, and turned off the engine.

The mechanical hum stopped.

Xiang Shuhuai leaned back in her seat, letting the bl00d from her forehead slide down, drying up slowly, while tea soaked into the leather seats.

She just stared, unmoving. Even though her eyes were stung by the mixture of bl00d and tea, her clothes clung to her, wet against her body, and the bl00d on her forehead began to form uncomfortable clumps.

…She was simply too tired to move anymore.

She had no idea how long it passed before her car window was gently tapped.

Xiang Shuhuai sluggishly turned her head.

Through the dark glass, she saw Yu Xiaoxiao’s careful smile.

She mouthed, “Xiang Shuhuai, I found you.”

Xiang Shuhuai opened the car door.

Yu Xiaoxiao called her name: “Xiang—”

And she threw herself into that firm, soft, sun-like embrace.