Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 52

“Sure,” Yu Xiaoxiao agreed, tilting her head with a smile. “Let’s run away.”

—So, Xiang Shuhuai pulled her up. The two of them slipped away from the crowd, walking along the quiet edge of the banquet hall. They passed the mingling guests and wine glasses, the soft laughter and dazzling outfits, and snuck onto an empty terrace.

Yu Xiaoxiao followed a little behind. She closed the terrace door and turned the lock.

Click.

All the noise and chaos of the autumn banquet was shut out.

Only the darkening sky tinged with sunset hues remained, with a few clouds slowly changing shape overhead—and just the two of them.

Xiang Shuhuai stood there, still holding Yu Xiaoxiao’s wrist, her gaze lost in thought as she looked through the glass door at the grand party far in the background.

…They had really escaped.

“Wow, Big Ice Block,” Yu Xiaoxiao whispered behind her, surprised by what she saw on the terrace. “This place is amazing.”

—The terrace was filled with fresh autumn flowers, vines and blossoms curling along the railings. In the center stood a square table covered with a clean white cloth, surrounded by a few scattered chairs. A plush sofa was tucked behind tall greenery. On the table, along with a soft bouquet of autumn flowers, was a spread of desserts and light dishes. Though they were cold, everything looked rich, colorful, and delicious.

“I thought I was going to starve,” she said with a grin.

“You won’t,” Xiang Shuhuai replied. “I’ve known about this place for a long time.”

As she spoke, she walked over to the big green plant and sank into the soft round sofa, her body melting into the comfy cushions.

“For a long time?” Yu Xiaoxiao looked confused. “You’ve been here before?”

“Not often,” Xiang Shuhuai said. “But back in high school, Xiang Hongshan brought me here a couple of times.”

Back then, Xiang Hongshan had plans to use his omega daughter to form a political marriage.

Even though she wasn’t yet an adult, she was sixteen—young, pretty, and fragile. The perfect bargaining chip.

At that time, Xiang Shuhuai only wanted to escape.

…Every time she came to the autumn banquet, waves of people would come to flatter her and then drift away. She’d smile and chat while holding a glass of wine.

And each time, she would sneak a glance at this quiet terrace. But no matter how much she wanted to run, that desire would rise and then fade—like a drop of rusty water falling into a rushing river, swept away instantly, leaving no trace.

—It wasn’t just this matchmaking event. It was every banquet: business gatherings for the Xiang family, or social obligations.

She had always wanted to run.

To break free from the crowd, toss aside the suffocating gowns and suits, throw off all restraints. To run from the Xiang family, from her name, from the hatred and obsession she carried, from all the bad luck on her shoulders.

But in the end, reason always won.

Even now, simply sneaking away like this when no one was watching—this tiny, meaningless act of escape—was the most she could do.

…And even this much, she didn’t have the courage to do before today.

She gently rubbed the cold pendant on her wrist and leaned back further, letting her guard down completely, sinking into the cozy sofa.

“Yu Xiaoxiao,” she asked the alpha girl still standing nearby, “won’t you sit down?”

“…You came here in high school?” Yu Xiaoxiao was still caught up on what she’d just heard. She frowned, clearly upset. “You weren’t even an adult yet, and he—”

“Yeah,” Xiang Shuhuai nodded softly. “Things like that happen all the time.”

“I’ve never heard of anything like that…” Yu Xiaoxiao muttered. “Those old guys are disgusting…”

She was mumbling angrily when she suddenly realized—wait, wasn’t she talking about Xiang Shuhuai’s biological father?

She glanced up quickly to check Shuhuai’s reaction, only to see that her face remained calm. She even looked a little confused about the sudden pause: “…What’s wrong?”

Yu Xiaoxiao quickly shook her head.

“Nothing—oh! Big Ice Block,” she changed the subject, “do you want something to eat? I’ll bring the food over—ah, I see there’s some plum wine here too. Want some?”

As she spoke, she started moving around, setting plates and dishes near the low table by the sofa. She grabbed the bottle and poured a small half-glass of wine, holding it out to Xiang Shuhuai.

“I can have a little,” Shuhuai replied. “If I drink too much, though, I’ll probably get a stomachache.”

“—Then don’t drink it.”

Yu Xiaoxiao responded instantly. Her hand, which was about to offer the wine, suddenly swerved and put the glass back beside herself.

Xiang Shuhuai tried to explain, “I can drink a bit…”

“Nope, you’re getting plum juice instead, how’s that?” Yu Xiaoxiao grinned. “Plum wine and plum juice are just one word apart, look the same, taste pretty similar—no big difference.”

She handed over the juice. “I’ll just drink the wine myself then.”

Xiang Shuhuai took the juice and mumbled, “…Little wine goblin.”

“Pfft,” Yu Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes. “It’s been forever since I last drank.”

After placing her wine glass down, she sat on the soft, round sofa too.

The couch was big—probably large enough for two adults and a kid. But because it was so plush, when someone sat down, they would sink deep into it, like falling into quicksand.

So it was impossible not to end up close—pressed shoulder to shoulder with Xiang Shuhuai, half-leaning together, a very intimate distance.

Oddly enough, they’d been physically closer than this before—temporary marks, kisses, that almost-backhug moment at her house…

But now, just feeling Xiang Shuhuai’s warmth through her shoulder and arm made Yu Xiaoxiao swallow nervously, her heartbeat racing.

Xiang Shuhuai, however, remained calm and relaxed, simply leaning against her, quietly toying with the little pendant on her wrist.

With the gentle shift of her shoulder, her long, loose hair moved too—soft like silk, light as mist—brushing against Yu Xiaoxiao’s cheek.

…That familiar, faint minty scent.

The moment the light fragrance passed under her nose, Yu Xiaoxiao’s ears quietly turned red.

Thump, thump, thump.

“Xiang… Xiang Shuhuai…”

Her heart was beating faster and faster. To distract herself, she spoke up.

“Um, does he still make you go on blind dates?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked. “Will us sneaking out like this… cause trouble?”

She had only brought it up to calm her nerves, but as she spoke, she found herself truly starting to worry. She still remembered the time when Xiang Shuhuai had just returned to the Xiang family—telling her to come see her—while bearing fresh wounds on her forehead and wrist, and clearly in terrible shape…

Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t want to see something like that happen again.

That thought made her reach out and gently take hold of Xiang Shuhuai’s left wrist.

It was slender, with barely any flesh on it, tightly wrapped in the stiff fabric of her suit. The cufflinks were done up snugly, leaving no room for slack.

So, under Xiang Shuhuai’s confused gaze, Yu Xiaoxiao carefully undid one of the cufflinks and loosened the sleeve.

…As the fabric fell, it revealed what she suspected—bandages underneath.

Xiang Shuhuai gave a small tug but didn’t pull away. Instead, she gently took Yu Xiaoxiao’s hand, keeping her from touching it further.

“…No. He won’t anymore,” she said softly.

Yu Xiaoxiao looked at her.

“Back then… to Xiang Hongshan, I was nothing more than a passably valuable tool for a marriage alliance—something to be married off in exchange for benefits,” Xiang Shuhuai said quietly. “That’s not the case anymore. And besides, my secondary gender is beta. If there were a business marriage, the match would have to be with an omega.”

“But—”

“But I’m also an omega?” Xiang Shuhuai said, finishing the thought. “That doesn’t matter. I can’t have children anyway. Xiang Hongshan has plenty of other kids. He can pass the family line down through his legitimate heir and let me adopt someone instead.”

She said it calmly, as if it didn’t bother her at all.

But what she was talking about was her entire future—being trapped in a loveless, even deceptive business marriage where she had to hide her true gender, then raise someone else’s child just to “continue the family line.”

“Xiang Shuhuai—” Yu Xiaoxiao began.

“It’s fine,” Xiang Shuhuai said, giving her hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. “It won’t happen. I won’t let it.”

…Even though she said that—

Facing a family and environment like that was never going to be “fine.”

Yu Xiaoxiao looked at her with a bit of sadness.

“All right,” Xiang Shuhuai said, looking away uncomfortably and giving a small smile. “What I mean is—even if I did come to the Autumn Banquet, I wouldn’t end up with anyone. Didn’t you just tell me not to go on blind dates?”

Even so, Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t feel comforted at all.

She lowered her head a little, then finally gave a low, sulky “…mm.”

Now Xiang Shuhuai was at a loss too.

Her eyes wandered around the room, and then she spotted the side table next to the couch, loaded with food. She remembered how Yu Xiaoxiao had just enthusiastically piled up plate after plate like some kind of acrobat, transferring them all over to this spot. So she tried to change the subject: “—Want to eat something, Yu Xiaoxiao?”

Yu Xiaoxiao nodded.

After all, it was a banquet at a place like this—the food was guaranteed to be good. In addition to the usual cold dishes, there were also Japanese snacks and a variety of desserts. Yu Xiaoxiao’s eyes scanned the table once, and when she spotted something she liked, her eyes lit up.

She sat up straighter on purpose, blocking Xiang Shuhuai’s view, and asked excitedly, “Guess what I just saw, Big Ice Block?”

Xiang Shuhuai was quietly chewing on a lettuce wrap and gave her a helpless look when she heard that.

“Yu Xiaoxiao,” she said. “You’re really childish.”

“But you really do look like one!” Yu Xiaoxiao said with confidence, reaching out to poke Xiang Shuhuai’s cheek, which was slightly puffed out from chewing. “Look, Big Ice Block—you look exactly like—”

Then she picked up a small, soft daifuku (a Japanese rice cake dessert), gave it a few playful squeezes, and popped it into her mouth.

“…You look like one too.”

“Like what?”

“A little pufferfish,” Xiang Shuhuai replied seriously, without a trace of teasing in her voice. “When you were puffing your cheeks in the hall earlier, you really looked like one.”

Yu Xiaoxiao choked a little and suddenly remembered why she’d been upset earlier.

“You’re one to talk, Big Ice Block!” she huffed, puffing up again.

“You were chatting and chatting with all those people like you were having so much fun, and didn’t even notice me standing right there… Big Ice Block, come clean—what were you talking about with that girl just now?”

Xiang Shuhuai frowned slightly, confused: “…Who?”

—So Big Ice Block didn’t even remember that girl clearly?

Yu Xiaoxiao was secretly delighted for a second and tried to describe her: “The one with light brown curly hair, shorter than you, very petite.”

“Oh, her,” Xiang Shuhuai nodded. “We talked about… hmm.”

She trailed off, and a faint, gentle smile suddenly appeared on her face—as if she had just remembered something sweet. “…It’s a secret.”

—???!!!

Yu Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Xiang Shuhuai’s relaxed expression.

“…You Big Ice Block!!” She raised her voice in protest. “Ugh, and you still say you’re not here for a blind date? Just look at your expression—”

Xiang Shuhuai gave her a mysterious look, shook her head, and stayed silent.

“Big Ice Block, Big Ice Block,” Yu Xiaoxiao clung to her, flopping down beside her. “What was it? Don’t be so secretive! What did you two say that I can’t know—”

Seeing that Xiang Shuhuai still wouldn’t speak, she reached over to tickle her soft waist, determined to make this annoying Big Ice Block beg for mercy.

“…Ah! Yu Xiaoxiao!”

Being tickled made Xiang Shuhuai burst into laughter and struggle hard, but she couldn’t push Yu Xiaoxiao’s hand away and was pinned beneath her.

Trapped on the soft couch, unable to escape, she laughed so hard she was gasping for breath, her eyes turning red: “Yu Xiaoxiao, ah—I give up, Yu Xiaoxiao…”

But Yu Xiaoxiao wouldn’t stop, still pressing for answers. “Tell me, Xiang Shuhuai, tell me what you two talked about—”

Eventually, both of them got tired from all the messing around. Yu Xiaoxiao collapsed beside her, shoulder to shoulder, both catching their breath, not moving anymore.

She turned her head slightly and saw their long hair tangled together in the dip of the sofa. The soft, dark straight strands belonged to Xiang Shuhuai, while the lighter, slightly wavy hair was hers. In the fading sunlight, they looked like two streams of water flowing together.

At the edge of that river of hair, she saw Xiang Shuhuai’s cheeks still flushed from their playfight. Her dark eyes were clear and bright, full of life and warmth.

…Yu Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but reach out and gently touch her soft cheek.

Xiang Shuhuai turned to face her, quietly watching.

Yu Xiaoxiao’s fingers lingered in their hair for a long time, slowly and carefully combing through the strands.

Then, she softly twisted their hair together, tying it into a loose knot.

Xiang Shuhuai simply watched her fingers with a focused gaze, quiet and absorbed.

Neither of them said a word.

On the open terrace filled with autumn flowers, hidden by tall green plants, they seemed completely cut off from the lively banquet behind the glass—lost in a quiet little world that touched the edge of the darkening sky.

It was just the two of them, shoulder to shoulder, heads leaning together. Time itself seemed to pause for them. The sun stopped setting, wine no longer flowed into glasses, and the delicate petals no longer trembled in the breeze. They didn’t hold hands, but their hair was intertwined, flowing like a calm and quiet river.

Maybe she was just too tired from work. Xiang Shuhuai leaned on her shoulder and slowly closed her eyes.

“Are you going to take a nap here?” Yu Xiaoxiao whispered, afraid to disturb her sleepiness. She tried holding Xiang Shuhuai’s hand. “It feels kind of cold…”

Xiang Shuhuai just gave a small nod.

So Yu Xiaoxiao took off her blazer, scooted closer, and gently covered both of them with it.

Then she closed her eyes too.

Surrounded by each other’s warmth, they quietly leaned against one another, long gone from the noise and glamour of the party, drifting peacefully into sleep.

It wasn’t until the banquet ended and a waiter gently knocked on the terrace door that the two were awakened.

Yu Xiaoxiao put her blazer back on, now warm from both their body heat. She bounced a little on the spot as she fixed her shirt and pants. But when she turned back, that soft and cuddly Xiang Shuhuai had already turned back into the cool and composed “President Xiang.” Her hair was neat, her suit flawless, cufflinks perfectly in place—every inch of her back to being untouchable.

“Xiang Shuhuai,” Yu Xiaoxiao said, remembering how Xiang had once told her their relationship couldn’t be made public. “Uh—should we leave separately later?”

“No need,” Xiang Shuhuai replied. “Xiang Group and Dawn Corp already work together. It’s perfectly normal for me to be seen talking to you.”

Yu Xiaoxiao nodded. “Oh… okay.”

Still, even though they could walk out together, they couldn’t act as close as they had been on the terrace.

As they walked through the banquet hall toward the exit, Yu Xiaoxiao followed one step behind. They chatted idly now and then, polite and distant. Yu Xiaoxiao looked at that cold, pale profile and suddenly had a strange feeling.

…It’s like we’re in some kind of secret relationship, she thought.

Night had fallen, and the autumn air had turned a little chilly. As they were guided out of the venue by a waiter and stepped into the dark evening, a gust of cold wind made Yu Xiaoxiao shiver. She turned to ask if Xiang Shuhuai was cold—but noticed something odd in her expression.

She followed Xiang Shuhuai’s gaze and saw a figure standing nearby. It was a woman in a long blazer with a light buzzcut—an alpha.

Even outside, Yu Xiaoxiao could smell her pheromones. It was like strong, spicy liquor, laced with a faint floral scent, triggering a sharp pain in her head and setting every nerve on edge.

…Since her secondary gender presented, Yu Xiaoxiao had hated this type of alpha the most. So full of themselves, releasing pheromones wherever they pleased—it was practically harassment. You could report them for this.

Instinctively, she stepped forward, putting herself between Xiang Shuhuai and the alpha.

But Xiang Shuhuai just gave a tiny shake of her head, barely noticeable, and made no move to approach the woman.

“Yu Xiaoxiao,” she said softly, “don’t mind her. Let’s go.”

“Oh, come on,” the alpha woman said with a raised eyebrow, walking over. “President Xiang, what did I do this time? We hardly get to see each other—can’t even say hi now?”

She had a striking, almost aggressive beauty. Her sharp, light-colored eyebrows gave her a bold look, and her tone was a mix of familiarity and teasing frustration.

“There’s nothing to say,” Xiang Shuhuai replied coldly. “If you have complaints, feel free to call a shareholders’ meeting. You can judge me there.”

“President Xiang, you really have a way with words,” the woman laughed. “Anyone hearing that would think we shareholders were bullying you… But aren’t you the one holding all the power in the company?”

“That’s right,” Xiang said calmly, brushing off her sarcasm. “And I wouldn’t mind holding on even tighter, Yao Yumei. Watch your back.”

With that, she guided Yu Xiaoxiao and turned to leave.

“Xiang Shuhuai, since you’re not curious about when I came back…”

The alpha woman called out behind them, her voice twisted with amusement.

“—Then I guess you’re not curious about her return, either?”

At that, Xiang Shuhuai faltered slightly—but didn’t look back or pause.

Even though they had taken a nap earlier, the exhaustion from work and the party still lingered. After getting home and quickly finishing the sandwiches Yu Xiaoxiao had prepared that morning, Xiang Shuhuai showered and went straight to bed.

Yu Xiaoxiao, on the other hand, sat wide awake on her bed.

She was full of energy, hugging her tablet and jotting down notes like a storm—determined to finish her confession plan tonight.

Yu Xiaoxiao wrote furiously.

Every time she remembered Xiang Shuhuai’s relaxed, slightly amused expression when she’d mentioned that cute curly-haired girl, she’d grit her teeth in frustration.

…She had worked so hard, for so long, to turn Xiang Shuhuai from that high-and-mighty, aloof CEO into someone who would finally smile at her and joke around.

So how come just thinking of that other girl made her smile so easily? Was it just because that girl was cute?

And then there were all those mysterious people—like that alpha woman from tonight, who clearly knew Xiang and kept saying cryptic things. And the she she mentioned… it all felt dangerous.

In short: confession.

She had to confess. Not one more day of delay.

She bent over her tablet, pulling up a blank note and scribbling like crazy, even drawing rough diagrams and sketches on the side, her pen scratching across the screen like fire.

Confession location, people involved, time, method, things to buy…

Yu Xiaoxiao bit the end of her pen in deep thought. Whenever she got stuck, she tapped the digital pen against her head, determined to create the perfect confession plan.

—If she didn’t confess soon, someone else was going to steal her Xiang Shuhuai away!!