Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 50
“Of course it’s yours,” Yu Xiaoxiao laughed, “Do you like it, Big Ice Block?”
Seeing that Xiang Shuhuai, holding the bouquet of flowers, nodded slightly with her head lowered, Yu Xiaoxiao smiled even more happily and continued, “—If you like it, I can keep sending you flowers in the future, okay? What kind of flowers do you like? I remember we should have some vases at home. I wonder where Aunt Zhao put them. Should I go look for them?”
“…Mm.” The cat-like figure nodded, “Let’s do it together.”
Even though she said that, she had no intention of putting the bouquet down. She even held onto it while eating, not letting go. Yu Xiaoxiao, seeing that it was inconvenient to eat with the flowers in her arms, wanted to help her put the bouquet on a side cabinet. However, as soon as she reached out, she was met with an extremely cautious gaze, as if she were some kind of thief trying to steal the flowers.
…But I’m the one who gave you the flowers!
Though reluctant, Yu Xiaoxiao, feeling the intensity of that sharp, cat-like black stare, withdrew her hand and picked up her chopsticks again, muttering, “You’re so childish, Big Ice Block…”
After muttering a few things, she quickly brightened up and asked enthusiastically, “So, Big Ice Block, what kind of flowers do you like? Any particular colors? I remember I always saw sunflowers in your company’s lounge—Oh, wait! Can I send them to your company?”
“…Not yet.”
Xiang Shuhuai answered. After saying this, she glanced at the vibrant golden-orange flowers in her arms, then looked up at Yu Xiaoxiao seriously, “But it won’t be long.”
Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t fully understand what she meant, but she could sense from Xiang Shuhuai’s tone that something was different.
…It’s the little boss Xiang is speaking, not the cat-like Xiang Shuhuai.
“…Okay.” Yu Xiaoxiao blinked, then smiled and nodded, “I’ll wait for you, Big Ice Block! I’ll send flowers to your company when the time comes.”
After finishing the meal, Yu Xiaoxiao stood up to wash the dishes. While rummaging through the cupboard, she found a large, solid white porcelain vase and handed it to Xiang Shuhuai, who was still holding the flowers.
“This one seems to be the biggest, it should be fine.” She compared the flowers to the vase, “I remember we have a pair of flower scissors somewhere, but I’m not sure where they are… Should I just make do for now?”
Xiang Shuhuai nodded and finally placed the bouquet down, accepting the long-unused vase.
Yu Xiaoxiao vaguely remembered that this vase was something she had bought with a friend at a secondhand market when she was in high school. She had been practicing basic techniques at the time and had even used it as a still-life subject for quite some time. By the end, she was so tired of looking at the white vase that she felt disgusted. Aunt Zhao had liked it and wanted to use it as a flower vase for the dining table, but Yu Xiaoxiao had insisted it be stored in the deepest part of the cabinet.
Now that it had finally seen the light of day again, she thought it was just the right fit for the bouquet.
As she finished tidying up the dishes, Xiang Shuhuai was arranging the flowers on the table, the sound of the wrapping paper rustling.
Yu Xiaoxiao put the dishes in the dishwasher and turned around to see the outer layer of the wrapping already removed. Xiang Shuhuai was carefully pulling each flower out of the foam, trimming the stems slightly, and placing them into the vase filled with water.
The main sunflower had already been inserted into the vase. Despite having been picked a while ago, it still looked vibrant, its layers of golden petals fully opened, radiating a bright, sun-like glow that contrasted beautifully with the porcelain white vase.
Xiang Shuhuai was trimming the stems, but seemed slightly distracted. Yu Xiaoxiao noticed she was staring at the vase, but her hands were still moving, the sharp tip of the scissors dangerously close to her own fingers.
“—Ah, Big Ice Block!!”
Yu Xiaoxiao was startled and rushed over to stop her. Xiang Shuhuai flinched, coming back to her senses just in time to avoid cutting herself. When her fingertips brushed the cool blade, she finally realized why Yu Xiaoxiao had called out, looking up at her with a somewhat dazed expression.
“Ah…”
“What were you thinking, Big Ice Block?” Yu Xiaoxiao took the scissors from her hand and unceremoniously pushed her aside to sit down. “Hey, let me do it. You’ll hurt yourself again. Then you’ll have to get a tetanus shot, and go to the hospital—”
“…What are you talking about?” Xiang Shuhuai muttered under her breath, not very pleased, “I’m not a child…”
“My niece, who’s in kindergarten, knows not to get distracted when using scissors,” Yu Xiaoxiao teased, continuing to mess with her. “Oh, you reminded me, Big Ice Block! Should I go get some kid-safe scissors? That way you won’t hurt yourself, sounds great, right?”
Xiang Shuhuai immediately turned her head and glared at her.
Yu Xiaoxiao grinned even more, tilting her head innocently, “What’s wrong?”
“Put the scissors down.”
…Seeing her pouty face, though Yu Xiaoxiao was a bit confused, she still obediently followed her instructions.
As soon as she put down the scissors, Xiang Shuhuai didn’t hold back and gave her a light punch.
Yu Xiaoxiao yelped in pain, “Ouch!”
“Yu Xiaoxiao,” Xiang Shuhuai retracted her hand after punching her and muttered under her breath, pouting, “You’re such a child.”
After some playful banter, they finished arranging the bouquet, with all the flowers settled into the white porcelain vase.
The stems, cut at an angle, were placed in water, and the vibrant orange and yellow roses, daisies, and eustomas surrounded the bright sunflower at the center, like a large burst of sunlight.
Yu Xiaoxiao admired their joint creation and asked, “So, should we leave the vase here?”
Originally planning to take the flowers to the bedroom, Xiang Shuhuai glanced at the bouquet, at Yu Xiaoxiao, then at the arrangement. Finally, she reluctantly gave in, “…Fine, we’ll leave it here.”
Since she had come home earlier to prepare dinner, Xiang Shuhuai still had some work left to do. She had planned to go back to the bedroom to work, but after Yu Xiaoxiao’s insistence, she ended up choosing to stay in the comfortable corner of the living room to continue her tasks.
After making a pot of nourishing snow fungus tea for her, Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t disturb her again. Instead, she suddenly became interested in drawing, and decided to work at the dining table rather than in the studio upstairs.
Xiang Shuhuai worked for a while and, when she stood up, she saw Yu Xiaoxiao sitting at the table, holding a pen and a sketchpad, focused on something.
Her head lowered, stray hairs falling from her bun and half-tucked behind her ears. A few rebellious strands of hair escaped and hung loosely, giving her a slightly messy but endearing look.
The alpha girl was furrowing her brows in concentration, fully immersed in her drawing.
She really loved drawing.
…Xiang Shuhuai recalled that when she first moved in, Yu Xiaoxiao’s house was full of sketching papers, storyboards, and design drafts piled on the living room table. Yu Xiaoxiao was always drawing when she wasn’t playing.
Since Yu Xiaoxiao’s father had fallen ill and she had taken over the family business, it had been so long since she truly held a pencil in her hand.
Xiang Shuhuai thought, staring at her.
And the lively, playful alpha girl had no idea what thoughts were running through her mind. She stayed by the flowers, focused on her work, and continued her creation with great attention.
Her innocent, lively face, always accompanied by a cheerful smile, seemed to shine as brightly as the sunflower.
Not only did she give the swing back to her, but she also shared half of the sandwich she had brought from the dining table with Xiao Xiang Shuhuai.
Seeing her eat so happily, Xiao Xiang Shuhuai was somewhat encouraged and gently took a bite of the sandwich.
It was the same when they took an afternoon nap. Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao, who had never had the habit of napping, insisted on napping with her.
She tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, but still stubbornly grabbed the blanket and squeezed it with Xiao Xiang Shuhuai. As soon as her head touched the pillow, she fell asleep.
Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t sleep peacefully. She sprawled out like a letter “大” on the bed, while Xiao Xiang Shuhuai was squeezed into just a small corner, yet she slept surprisingly soundly.
Sometimes, when she and her sister drank tea, Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao would insist on joining them, sitting between them, listening to them talk about things she didn’t understand—stocks and business—yawning from boredom but refusing to leave.
She particularly hated bitterness. She’d eat sugar after drinking even the smallest sip of tea but would still share her favorite chocolate with Xiao Xiang Shuhuai.
It was then that Xiao Xiang Shuhuai first thought she had found a friend.
It wasn’t until one day when she had a slight fever again, went out to pick wildflowers as her sister suggested, and then tripped in a prank.
Holding onto the bright orange wildflower she had planned to give Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao, as she tumbled down the hillside, she vaguely thought—so Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao really hated her that much.
The hillside wasn’t steep, and she wasn’t badly hurt, but she was too weak from the fever. Just as she was about to close her eyes to rest for a moment, she heard something crash beside her, followed by loud crying.
“Woo—” Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao was beside her, crying loudly. “Xiang Shuhuai, don’t die, woo woo woo—”
…Who’s dying?
She certainly wouldn’t die before Xiang Hongshan. Xiao Xiang Shuhuai wanted to say, but she was too ill to make a joke.
She struggled to open her eyes, only to see Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao’s tear-streaked face, her knees and shins scraped and bleeding, kneeling beside her, crying so hard she could barely breathe.
“…Alright.” Xiao Xiang Shuhuai weakly said, “Stop crying.”
At the sound of her voice, the crying child suddenly froze. Even her tears stopped, and she just stared at her in a daze.
—And then she hiccupped in fear.
“…Hic!”
—Xiao Xiang Shuhuai couldn’t help but laugh.
It was the first time she had laughed since her biological mother passed away.
Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao had badly scraped her legs and even twisted her ankle. They found some healing plants at the bottom of the hill, crushed them to apply on her injuries, and used torn clothes to bind her sprained ankle.
After temporarily tending to the wounds, Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao carried the feverish and exhausted Xiao Xiang Shuhuai on her back, slowly climbing back up the hill and walking home along the mountain road.
At that time, Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao was still a little taller than her. Xiao Xiang Shuhuai rested her head on Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao’s back, listening to her catch her breath, carrying her while apologizing through her tears, and then secretly lifting her eyes to look at her.
Xiao Xiang Shuhuai could only see those round, tear-filled light-colored eyes, so bright, so beautiful, like amber.
“Woo, Big Ice Block…” she choked, “Woo woo… I’m sorry…”
Xiao Xiang Shuhuai handed her the small wildflower she had been holding tightly in her hand.
The bright orange, vibrant flower.
“Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao,” she whispered, “Take me home.”
This peaceful dream lasted from when she fell asleep until the morning alarm went off.
When Xiao Xiang Shuhuai got up and left the bedroom, Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao was already gone. However, she left a note on the dining table, saying she had to leave because of an urgent matter at her company.
Xiao Xiang Shuhuai put the note away and looked at the abundant breakfast on the table, letting out a small laugh.
She sat down to eat, and her gaze unconsciously drifted to the large vase of beautiful flowers. Suddenly, she froze. “…Ah.”
—The originally pure white porcelain vase now had a design painted on it, a design they had made with black pepper sauce on the empty plate.
A cheerful, tongue-out, smiling little golden retriever, and a proud, aloof long-haired cat.
They were close to each other, guarding the vase of vibrant golden-orange flowers, as if protecting their golden treasure.
The little drawings on the plate with food seasoning were meant to be washed away, but they had been permanently preserved in this form.
…So, yesterday, Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao had been busy drawing on the vase.
The painting seemed to be done with oil paints, thick and dynamic. Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao’s painting skills were superb. Although the little dog head Xiao Xiang Shuhuai drew was crooked and terribly awkward, in her hands, it had the right expression and looked like a clumsy, adorable golden retriever.
The cat was also vivid and lifelike, with a proud, aloof expression, and its round blue eyes were especially cute.
…Did I really look like that?
Xiao Xiang Shuhuai hesitated for a moment.
While eating breakfast, she couldn’t help but search for that cat’s characteristics online, trying to see if it resembled a real cat.
—Siberian Forest Cats were large, with round eyes, round faces, and thick tails. Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao seemed to have drawn the variety with blue eyes.
Xiao Xiang Shuhuai stared at the pictures of the cat for a while before saving a close-up of the blue eyes and changing her WeChat profile picture.
…After all, someone who didn’t know would definitely never recognize it.
She told herself that, trying to justify her actions.
—This was a secret between her and Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao.
After changing her profile picture, Xiao Xiang Shuhuai took several photos of the vase and quickly finished her breakfast before heading to the company.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao, who had been called up early by her manager, had been waiting in the office for a long time. She was about to meet with her department in half an hour for a meeting and then go to another company to negotiate details of a publicity contract.
After finishing the files on her desk and preparing for the meeting, with no one bringing her new materials, she finally had some time to relax. Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao slumped over her desk and lay there motionless.
Just then, her phone buzzed, and she reached out from under the desk to check it.
Little Cheese: 【Picture】
Opening it, she saw a photo of the vase standing on a dark-colored table, its vibrant orange flowers glowing in the sunlight. On the vase were two lively little cats and dogs, drawn in a playful and cute way.
And the Big Ice Block had changed her profile picture. Now, the blue, ice-lake-like image clearly showed the cat’s eyes.
Recognizing this, Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but smile.
Fish: Hehe, Big Ice Block
Fish: Cute, right?
Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao hadn’t expected a sincere reply, but just from that exquisite photo, she could tell the photographer had put a lot of thought into it. However, this time, she suddenly got a response.
Little Cheese: Especially.
Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao immediately straightened up, typing: 【Especially what?】
Fish: What do you mean by especially?
Fish: Big Ice Block
Fish: Don’t say half of it!
—After all, she couldn’t hit her through the screen, so Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao proudly teased on, her smile growing wider.
Fish: What is it, Big Ice Block?
Fish: I don’t understand.
Little Cheese: …
Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but laugh.
If this were in person, Xiao Xiang Shuhuai would definitely hit her. But now, through the screen, she was safe.
—And on the other side of the screen, Xiao Xiang Shuhuai was indeed biting her lip, feeling both embarrassed and angry as she typed on her phone.
Her ears turned red as she finally typed:
【Very cute.】
The message went through, and Xiao Yu Xiaoxiao immediately sent a bunch of celebratory stickers, with a clumsy little golden retriever jumping around, flooding the screen endlessly.
【Big Ice Block, Big Ice Block】
After celebrating for a while, she suddenly spoke again.
【I’ll cook tonight, Big Ice Block.】
With the little dog’s crooked, playful eyes as her profile picture.
【Remember not to work overtime, definitely not—】
【I’m waiting for you to come home!】