Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 49

“Big Ice Block!” Yu Xiaoxiao called out, peeking her head around as she quickly changed her shoes. “I’m back—”

When she didn’t hear a response right away, her heart skipped a beat.

…That, that Big Ice Block isn’t still mad at her, is she? Maybe she’s still angry?

Before she could get discouraged, the alpha girl’s attention was drawn to the sound coming from the kitchen, where the range hood was on, and there were frying sounds mixed in, making it rather noisy. A blurry figure was busy inside.

She hasn’t left.

With that thought, Yu Xiaoxiao breathed a small sigh of relief and cautiously knocked lightly on the kitchen door’s glass, then opened it. “—Big Ice Block!”

The moment she saw what was going on in the kitchen, her heart immediately lifted.

—By the stove, Xiang Shuhuai was wearing heat-resistant gloves and trying to lift a heavy pot of soup.

But she didn’t have much strength, and the pot was so heavy that it wobbled dangerously. With two servings of soup inside, it seemed like it might tip over and spill all over her.

At that moment, Xiang Shuhuai, distracted by the frying pan next to her, had her slender arms tremble as she awkwardly put the pot back on the stove.

A faint “clink” sound followed, and some hot soup splashed out, landing on her arm.

Xiang Shuhuai let out an “ah!” and instinctively pulled her scalded hand back. After a moment, she rubbed the spot and was about to try again.

“…Xiang Shuhuai!” Seeing this, Yu Xiaoxiao quickly set the bouquet she was holding down and rushed over. “Let me do it.”

Xiang Shuhuai, who seemed focused on the cooking, didn’t seem to notice when she returned and only turned around, looking confused. “Huh?”

Yu Xiaoxiao immediately took the heat-resistant gloves from her hand and confidently lifted the pot.

She placed it on a heat pad on the table, leaned toward Xiang Shuhuai, and said, “Big Ice Block—”

But the person she was calling had already started another task, flipping the meat patties in the frying pan. She glanced at Yu Xiaoxiao and said in a calm tone, “Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Just cover the pot and wait outside.”

Yu Xiaoxiao obediently nodded, covered the pot on the table, and quickly returned to Xiang Shuhuai’s side.

“—Xiang Shuhuai?”

Yu Xiaoxiao wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but amid the sizzling sounds of the frying pan, she seemed to hear Xiang Shuhuai let out a small sigh.

She raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”

“I want to stay here,” Yu Xiaoxiao blinked at her. “—Can I help you? I can give you a hand.”

“…It’s almost done, there’s nothing much to help with.”

Xiang Shuhuai was flipping a meat patty and saw Yu Xiaoxiao wandering around beside her, her bright eyes following her every move, almost like a little dog pacing around, waiting for dinner. It made her want to laugh.

So, she quickly took a meat patty from the pan, placed it on a paper towel, and handed it to Yu Xiaoxiao.

“Stop wandering around.” Xiang Shuhuai said, “Go sit at the table and wait.”

Yu Xiaoxiao, a little disappointed, said “oh” and happily took the meat patty, then went to sit at the table.

The freshly cooked meat patty was steaming hot, releasing a rich, savory scent. The golden brown crust was so crispy that it was hard to hold, so Yu Xiaoxiao could only grip the edges of the paper towel but couldn’t resist biting into it.

—The golden, crispy shell broke open, revealing tender, juicy white meat inside. The fresh juices oozed out, and the fried exterior and salty meat flavor spread across her mouth.

“Ah…” Yu Xiaoxiao hissed in surprise as she burned her mouth, quickly swallowing the delicious bite, her voice muffled, “Mmm, Big Ice Block, it’s so good—”

Xiang Shuhuai’s shoulders trembled slightly, as if she was smiling.

“There’s no one to compete with you.” She said lightly. “Slow down.”

Yu Xiaoxiao nodded obediently, finishing the meat patty quickly. After the little interruption, she almost completely forgot about the bouquet outside the kitchen door.

Sitting at the table, Yu Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but look at the soup, still steaming, and then at Xiang Shuhuai, who was tying her apron around her waist and carefully placing the fried meat patties on plates.

Looking at her like this, her brow furrowed slowly.

…How could someone like Xiang Shuhuai be standing there?

Whether it was the high and mighty “Little President” or the soft, fluffy cat beside her, Yu Xiaoxiao had always felt that—those pale, slender fingers weren’t supposed to be used for work. Especially not for cooking for someone else.

“…Big Ice Block,” she thought to herself, then spoke, “Do you cook often?”

She received a brief reply, “Mm.”

“Why?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked without giving up. “You could call Aunt Zhao to do it.”

Xiang Shuhuai replied, “…I don’t like having outsiders in the house.”

“Oh…”

Hearing this, Yu Xiaoxiao slowly nodded, but then suddenly paused, an idea flashing in her mind.

She realized that since Xiang Shuhuai didn’t like having outsiders at home but still invited her over to cook for her, it meant— it meant—

At that thought, Yu Xiaoxiao couldn’t sit still. She jumped off her chair and rushed to Xiang Shuhuai’s side.

“Big Ice Block, Big Ice Block,” she pointed at herself, “What about me? What about me?”

Xiang Shuhuai, puzzled, turned her head, only to see Yu Xiaoxiao’s round eyes sparkling, a mix of pride and anxiety, but mostly anticipation.

For a moment, Xiang Shuhuai was confused, “…What?”

“You said you don’t like having outsiders at home,” Yu Xiaoxiao said, “—So what about me? Am I an outsider?”

Although she asked, she clearly already had an answer in her heart and just wanted to hear Xiang Shuhuai say it aloud. Her metaphorical tail wagged excitedly behind her, looking as if it could fly off at any moment.

With that innocent, happy expectation in her eyes, she stared at Xiang Shuhuai and blinked innocently.

…Those words, spoken so earnestly.

Xiang Shuhuai’s ears turned bright red.

She didn’t respond but turned her face away. “…I still have vegetables to stir-fry.”

“—Xiang Shuhuai!”

The little dog was back, pressing on for the answer.

“Tell me, Xiang Shuhuai, do you like having me in your home?”

“Don’t ignore me, please, Xiang Shuhuai—”

Xiang Shuhuai, becoming more embarrassed, bit her lip and raised her hand to swat at Yu Xiaoxiao. “…Yu Xiaoxiao!”

Yu Xiaoxiao was hit lightly, and she tilted her head innocently, “What’s wrong?”

“You… you already know…”

Xiang Shuhuai’s ears were so red, and her voice became quieter and quieter, “Stop asking me…”

Seeing this, Yu Xiaoxiao stopped teasing her, standing there with a silly, happy smile on her face.

“Big Ice Block,” she said, full of joy, “I like having you in my home, too!”

…This fool.

Xiang Shuhuai felt her face burning up, but she had no way of dealing with it.

—In the end, she could only grumpily grab the plate of fried meat patties and shove it into Yu Xiaoxiao’s arms.

“Take it back.” Xiang Shuhuai said gruffly, “The sauce is on the table, pour it yourself.”

“Okay—” Yu Xiaoxiao happily agreed, not picking up on her sulking tone. “Alright, Big Ice Block, what kind of sauce do you like? Black pepper? Salad dressing? Or should I squeeze a little on the side and we dip it together—ah, or should I try making a design?”

The more she said, the more reasonable it seemed, and she started getting creative, carefully dipping her fork in black pepper sauce to make a pattern, all while continuing to talk to Xiang Shuhuai.

“Big Ice Block,” the alpha girl said seriously, “How about I cook next time?”

“I know. I’m not that good, it might not be to your taste.” Xiang Shuhuai replied calmly, “Just eat whatever today. Or you can call Aunt Zhao now, I’ll finish up the kitchen soon, and I’ll clean up.”

Yu Xiaoxiao suddenly lifted her head.

“—Ah, no! That’s not it! Xiang Shuhuai, I didn’t mean that.” She wasn’t sure how she had once again said something that made the sensitive cat upset. She hurriedly set down the utensils and started rambling, “Really, I didn’t mean it! I was saying, I always feel strange when you cook, and since you’re so busy with work, and I’m not working overtime, I must be more free than you. So, how about I cook for us when we’re at home, okay?”

Xiang Shuhuai said, “You don’t know how to cook.”

“I can learn!” Yu Xiaoxiao said confidently. “Homemade dishes aren’t hard, I learn fast!”

“And I already made breakfast, you see? My potato cakes turned out great, the color was beautiful.”

“—I even cooked bacon and made milkshakes, two servings, and since I couldn’t finish it, you left without eating!”

As soon as she mentioned that breakfast, the alpha girl became quite passionate again, and she started to complain.

Xiang Shuhuai, hearing the whining, felt a bit guilty, but she didn’t say anything. After checking the food, she turned off the heat and was about to serve the dishes when someone suddenly appeared beside her.

It was Yu Xiaoxiao, who had sneaked up and grabbed the spatula from her hand. She quickly served the cauliflower from the pan and gently held her wrist.

“—Look, Big Ice Block,” Yu Xiaoxiao gently guided her hand up, taking advantage of the moment, “Such beautiful hands. They should be holding a pen at a desk—maybe a deep blue fountain pen, or a wine glass with red wine… though, you can’t always sit at a desk, you need to move around too. The weather’s nice now, it’s autumn, the sun is great outside and not too hot. Big Ice Block, you don’t exercise enough, and that’s why your health isn’t great, it’s a vicious cycle…”

She rambled on, her fingers lightly brushing across Xiang Shuhuai’s hand.

During the cooking, a few drops of hot oil had splattered on her pale, thin hand, turning red, which stood out more against the delicate skin.

“…It’s red…” Yu Xiaoxiao whispered, looking up at her. “—Does it hurt?”

Xiang Shuhuai felt uncomfortable being looked at like that. Her heart raced, and her fingers curled slightly, wanting to pull away from that overly sincere gaze.

But the warm grip on her wrist kept her in place. Though Yu Xiaoxiao’s hold wasn’t tight, it felt firm, and she couldn’t escape. She had to turn her gaze away, trying to avoid it.

Her silence made Yu Xiaoxiao ask again, “Xiang Shuhuai?”

“…It doesn’t hurt.” She answered softly, awkwardly changing the subject. “Let’s eat, it’s getting cold.”

After all, she was the one who cooked, so the schedule for meals was naturally her responsibility. Yu Xiaoxiao, feeling merciful, finally let go of her wrist and obediently replied, “Okay,” before bringing the plate of dry-fried cauliflower to the table.

She set the dishes and chopsticks, then sat down at the table, looking up at her with bright eyes, eagerly waiting for Xiang Shuhuai to sit down as well.

Xiang Shuhuai stood there, her fingers gently resting on the wrist that Yu Xiaoxiao had just held, still a little dazed. But when she saw the expectant look in Yu Xiaoxiao’s eyes, she couldn’t help but lower her shoulders and smile.

“What’s this?” she asked as she walked over, only to realize, “…Ah.”

It was the fried meat patties that Yu Xiaoxiao had taken liberty with, using the sauce to create a masterpiece.

The round, minimalist white porcelain plate was filled with golden, delicious meat patties stacked into a small tower. Next to the tower was an empty space on the plate shaped like a crescent moon.

In that space, the brownish sauce had been carefully used to outline a simple yet very expressive long-haired cat. Its fur was beautiful, with a pair of round but regal eyes. The delicate lines had been painstakingly drawn by Yu Xiaoxiao with a fork.

The little cat sat next to the meat patties, like a guardian, protecting the delicious food from any intruders.

…This was the result of just a few minutes of work.

Looking at the unexpectedly impressive creation, Xiang Shuhuai was momentarily stunned, then saw Yu Xiaoxiao tilt her head and smile.

“Look, Big Ice Block,” she said, “It’s you!”

Why me—

Xiang Shuhuai wasn’t convinced. “…What?”

“It’s a cat,” Yu Xiaoxiao said proudly. “It looks just like you.”

…How could it look like her?

The cat with round eyes, a cold and proud expression—how could that be her?

“I don’t—”

Seeing the way her eyes widened, her originally calm expression filled with a bit of childish defiance, Yu Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but laugh more happily.

“Exactly,” she said, her eyes curving. “Now it looks more like you, Big Ice Block.”

Xiang Shuhuai glared at her for a moment, then angrily walked over, reaching out to move the plate closer to herself.

Yu Xiaoxiao nervously watched her actions, feeling regretful that she hadn’t taken a photo. But then she saw Xiang Shuhuai also pick up the glass bottle of black pepper sauce.

“I’ll draw you too,” Xiang Shuhuai said.

She carefully held the bottle of black pepper, avoiding the little cat, and started drawing in the empty space beside it, focusing hard. But since she wasn’t good at drawing, she ended up with a crooked, lop-sided, one-eared round dog head.

Looking at the childish, simplistic drawing of the dog with its silly eyes, Xiang Shuhuai was very satisfied.

She set the bottle down and pushed the porcelain plate toward the center of the table.

“Here,” Xiang Shuhuai said, not realizing how a little pride had crept into her voice, “This is you.”

It was a silly little golden retriever with one ear standing up, tilting its head, and sticking out its tongue, with big goofy eyes.

On the plate, the clumsy little dog with its bright smile and the cold, expressionless cat sat next to each other, nestled in the white crescent moon.

“So cute.”

Yu Xiaoxiao said, tilting her head and laughing, completely unaware that her actions mirrored those of the dog in the drawing. “Heh, Big Ice Block, you did a great job.”

The more she looked at it, the more she liked it, and she excitedly jumped out of her seat, pulling out her phone. She tried several angles to take pictures of the little drawing on the plate, edited the colors, cropped them, and finally found a picture she was really happy with.

Looking at the perfect photo, Yu Xiaoxiao felt it couldn’t just stay on her phone, so she quickly sent it to Gu Wei on WeChat.

Fish: [Image 1]

Fish: Gu!

Fish: Gu Gu Gu Gu Gu Gugu!

Fish: Look!

Gu Wei’s reply came with a question mark: [？]

Fish: Look!

Fish: [Image 2]

Fish: Isn’t it cute?

Fish: Super cute, right!!

[…What is this?]

[The cat is yours, right? What’s that next to it? Mashed potatoes?]

Mashed potatoes? Yu Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes. Gu Wei just couldn’t appreciate it.

It was clearly a dog.

After hearing her explanation, Gu Wei replied with an “Oh.”

V: “Is this a collaboration with your kindergarten nephew?

V: “She’s pretty good at drawing, huh? Did you give her a little red flower?”

[No!] Yu Xiaoxiao typed, suddenly feeling a bit shy, [It’s her drawing!]

Fish: She drew me! The one next to it is my drawing of her.

Fish: Isn’t it really similar?!

On the other end of the phone, Gu Wei, who was out on a date with her girlfriend, couldn’t help but tilt her phone this way and that, trying to figure out what exactly looked “so similar” to Yu Xiaoxiao. After a moment of staring, she gave up.

“Wei Wei,” her cute little girlfriend called out to her from across the table. “What’s wrong?”

Gu Wei quickly shook her head, letting out a long sigh.

She had thought that when Yu Xiaoxiao finally wised up, it would mark the end of her torment, but how naive she was.

…This was clearly the beginning of an entirely new ordeal.

Meanwhile, her dumb friend was happily sending more messages:

Fish: [Image 3]

Fish: [Image 4]

Gu Wei stared blankly at those pictures, which were all taken from slightly different angles, probably to be recognized by her phone’s auto-algorithm as “similar pictures.” She tapped six dots to reply: [….]

When the message was sent, she refreshed the page and noticed that Yu Xiaoxiao’s profile picture had already changed.

It went from her own drawn cartoon “Little Salty Fish” to the blurry lump of mashed potato-like art from the photos.

…Gu Wei almost threw her phone across the room.

Yu Xiaoxiao, however, was blissfully unaware that she had interrupted her friend’s sweet date and was instead happily staring at her new profile picture, grinning foolishly.

Xiang Shuhuai sat at the other end of the table, noticing that Yu Xiaoxiao had suddenly stopped paying attention to her but was now happily absorbed in her phone. She couldn’t help but ask, “…Yu Xiaoxiao?”

Yu Xiaoxiao looked up from her childish dog drawing. “What’s up?”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m editing the picture.” Yu Xiaoxiao answered, holding up her phone for her to see. “Doesn’t it look great? I think I really captured the essence of it! Of course, it’s not as good as the original, but the lighting is nice, and the colors are well-matched—”

She heard Xiang Shuhuai say, “…I want one.”

Yu Xiaoxiao was caught off guard. “What?”

“The photo.” Xiang Shuhuai repeated, “Send it to me.”

The tone in her voice, pretending to be calm but showing just how much she cared, made Yu Xiaoxiao even happier. “Of course.”

After sending the edited picture, the alpha girl stared at her phone screen, suddenly feeling like she’d forgotten something important.

She frowned, thinking hard.

It probably had to do with the very serious look on her face earlier, which made Xiang Shuhuai feel a little uneasy. She asked softly, “…Yu Xiaoxiao?”

“Ah, I’m thinking…” Yu Xiaoxiao thought for a moment, then suddenly jumped up and rushed to the kitchen door.

—The flowers!

She’d been planning to give Xiang Shuhuai a big bouquet of flowers all afternoon, and had completely forgotten about it!

“Xiang Shuhuai!” As she hurried to grab the flowers, Yu Xiaoxiao called out, “Close your eyes! Don’t peek!”

Bending down to pick up the flowers and sneakily returning to the kitchen, she saw Xiang Shuhuai sitting at the table, her eyes obediently shut, a little anxious but expectant, breathing lightly, and her lashes trembling slightly, casting a small shadow beneath her eyes.

…Seeing her like this made Yu Xiaoxiao’s heart soften instantly.

She gently placed the bouquet in front of Xiang Shuhuai and said, “Ta-da!”

Xiang Shuhuai opened her eyes.

—A burst of golden yellow and orange filled her sight, with simple yet lush petals of marigold and champagne-colored roses surrounding the largest golden sunflower in the center, as if it was holding the sun. The bright and lively colors hit her eyes all at once.

Xiang Shuhuai stared at the bouquet in front of her, stunned, as though frozen in place. She couldn’t say a word, just staring without reacting.

Seeing this, Yu Xiaoxiao softly called, “…Xiang Shuhuai?”

It seemed as though that single word suddenly brought Xiang Shuhuai back to her senses. She raised her head to look at Yu Xiaoxiao, her voice uncertain, “…Eh?”

“What’s wrong, Big Ice Block?” Yu Xiaoxiao tilted her head in confusion. “Don’t you like it?”

“I…” Xiang Shuhuai looked at the flowers, her gaze moving toward her. “…What is it?”

“It’s flowers,” Yu Xiaoxiao replied, “For you. I thought the colors were nice, and maybe they’d make you feel better… You don’t like them?”

Clearly, she had gotten a positive response from Xiang Shuhuai, but her expression didn’t change, and her black eyes still held uncertainty, an unsettling tension.

She whispered, “…For me?”

“Yes,” Yu Xiaoxiao replied, carefully turning the card over to show her. “For you.”

Xiang Shuhuai looked at the card a few times, and it seemed like she finally believed it.

She reached out for the flowers, pulling them onto her lap and quietly asking, “Why give them to me?”

“No reason,” Yu Xiaoxiao said, a bit confused. “I just wanted to give them to you… You don’t like them, Big Ice Block? If you don’t, I can—”

“—I don’t want that.”

She quickly rejected the offer, her voice soft but firm. Without looking at Yu Xiaoxiao, she gently extended her arms and hugged the whole, bright bouquet close to her chest.

She whispered, sounding almost childlike, “It’s mine.”

“It’s yours.” Yu Xiaoxiao smiled as she watched, her heart swelling with softness. “Of course, it’s yours.”

It’s yours, only yours.