Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 54

Her voice faded into the softly swaying gondola of the Ferris wheel—

…as if it melted into the endless, quiet night outside the glass.

The Ferris wheel began to descend.

Even though she was right in front of her, Yu Xiaoxiao’s figure somehow looked a little blurry, like the light had smeared the image. Her outline and those big, bright, sun-like eyes seemed to be covered by a misty layer of fog, blending into the vivid red glow reflecting off the window.

Amid the night, the cabin full of red roses looked bright—and far away.

Xiang Shuhuai slowly blinked.

—She didn’t know why, but she felt something warm slide down her cheek. A drop of water landed on the back of Yu Xiaoxiao’s hand.

Plop.

Yu Xiaoxiao panicked instantly. She looked at Xiang Shuhuai in a fluster, wanting to wipe her tears but afraid to get too close. She was completely at a loss.

“Xiang…” she called softly, like she was afraid of scaring her. “Xiang Shuhuai… please don’t cry…”

…Was she crying?

Xiang Shuhuai raised her hand and carefully touched under her eye—only then did she notice how damp her skin was.

So she really was crying.

In that moment, her tears felt like bitter seawater, flowing into an open seashell—into the soft, secret, exposed part of her heart. They disappeared in an instant, leaving only a faint, dry trail of salt behind.

This shouldn’t be happening—not now.

In panic, her heart tightened like it might drop heavily into her stomach.

So Xiang Shuhuai quickly wiped the tears off her cheeks, making sure her eyes were dry before she looked up and gave Yu Xiaoxiao a smile.

“…Yu Xiaoxiao.”

She spoke softly, trying to sound calm, but she could feel her voice trembling, a cold fear seeping through her whole body.

“Is this… a joke?”

Yu Xiaoxiao froze. “I—”

“It’s funny. Really,” Xiang Shuhuai heard herself say, forcing a calm smile. “But… could we just… end it here? Please?”

The moment her tears fell, she had believed everything that was happening.

But now, she was begging, “Can we not keep going…?”

Maybe it was because Yu Xiaoxiao’s eyes were too bright at that moment—or maybe it was the overwhelming number of flowers. So many that they almost drowned out her sense of reason.

They made her start to believe. Believe that Yu Xiaoxiao really liked her. That she could be loved that much, that purely. That maybe, just maybe, she deserved to be looked at with such warmth and sincerity by this cheerful, innocent alpha girl. And that—maybe—she could be happy, too.

But then, Xiang Shuhuai was snapped out of that dream.

Reality hit her. Her memory rewound. The painful feeling of déjà vu made her go cold all over. No matter how hard she clenched her teeth, the fear rising from her gut was impossible to stop.

She gripped her wrist tightly, trying to calm herself, but it didn’t help.

The fear was spreading through every nerve in her body.

Her vision blurred. Everything in front of her started to spin and fade.

…When the Ferris wheel finally reached the ground, would the cabin doors swing open and reveal a crowd of people outside? Would there be loud laughter and teasing? Would Yu Xiaoxiao’s friends rush forward, laughing, mocking the way she’d just exposed her feelings?

Would Yu Xiaoxiao laugh too, high-fiving her friends, cheering about how successful and funny the prank had been—how ridiculous and naive Xiang Shuhuai was? How she might look all cool and in control, but in reality, was just some fool who handed over her heart the moment someone showed a little kindness?

That terrifying fantasy blurred into the memories from her past.

Xiang Shuhuai was nearly suffocating from fear.

She knew Yu Xiaoxiao wasn’t a bad person. But… maybe she was just too innocent, too childlike?

Maybe this was just a silly game she and her friends came up with. A dare from a drinking game. Or maybe they were hanging out, chatting about her older sister, and someone casually bet that Yu Xiaoxiao could get close to Xiang Shuhuai—the cold, distant little CEO from the Xiang family. Then… then—

Xiang Shuhuai couldn’t stop her imagination from spiraling.

Still sitting numbly in the Ferris wheel, her face went pale. Her lips were trembling, and she was soaked in cold sweat.

Her eyes darted around, unfocused and panicked. The fear and anxiety were about to consume her.

She looked like a deer frozen in headlights—completely stunned, unable to move, overwhelmed by fear.

She didn’t see Yu Xiaoxiao crouching down in front of her, trying to check if she was okay, eyes red from worry. She didn’t feel the warm tug on her wrist or the slight weight of the bracelet she always wore. All she felt was fear, coursing wildly through her body.

The Ferris wheel finally reached the bottom, rocking gently.

“Xiang Shuhuai…” Yu Xiaoxiao tried to keep her voice light and soft. “How about we stay here for a little longer? Are you feeling okay? Want something to drink? I brought chocolate, do you want some?”

Xiang Shuhuai didn’t respond. She just stood up in a daze and stepped out of the cabin. Seeing this, Yu Xiaoxiao quickly followed, stumbling slightly, staying close in case she lost her balance.

The platform was empty, just like when they got on the Ferris wheel—covered in all kinds of flowers.

But Xiang Shuhuai stood there, surrounded by blooms, frozen stiff like she couldn’t move a muscle.

She could almost hear the laughter crashing down on her, mocking voices imitating her confessions in exaggerated tones, whistles and screams cutting through her skull—

So she stood there, back rigid, staring at one spot on the ground, bracing herself for the wave of humiliation that she was sure was coming.

…But nothing happened.

Nothing happened at all.

Only Yu Xiaoxiao stood quietly beside her, eyes still full of worry.

Her eyes were red—probably from being scared by Xiang Shuhuai’s reaction, and from watching her carefully planned confession fall apart. She looked a little defeated, but she still tried to stay calm so she wouldn’t scare Xiang Shuhuai even more.

—And she was still holding onto that swaying helium balloon.

“…Xiang Shuhuai?” Yu Xiaoxiao tried to say quietly, cautiously reaching out her hand to offer the balloon. “Do you still want this balloon?”

Xiang Shuhuai stared blankly at the dangling balloon string.

The exaggerated, bright colors swayed in the wind, spinning slowly in place under the cover of the night. The cartoonish yellow Shiba Inu, its tongue hanging out, smiled widely at her.

…It almost seemed like it belonged to another world.

A world so completely different from the hellish one in her memories.

The balloon string swayed in her hand as she stared at the colors, standing there in a daze.

—Her body was slowly warming up, and the panic was subsiding. The real world was slowly pulling her back in.

Xiang Shuhuai stared at it for a moment, and suddenly tears fell.

“Sorry… W-wait, sorry…”

She hastily raised her hand to wipe her tears, but they only came faster, spilling uncontrollably no matter how hard she tried to stop them.

It had been so long since she had cried like this, and her tears kept falling like a stream, leaving her choking up, her throat dry, her head dizzy. All she could manage were a few words.

“Sorry, Yu Xiaoxiao, sorry—”

Sorry, I ruined your confession.

Such a perfect, adorable, and meticulously prepared confession.

When she was preparing for this confession, Yu Xiaoxiao surely never expected her to react like this.

She never expected it.

“Xiang—Xiang Shuhuai, Xiang Shuhuai.” The alpha girl anxiously paced around her, like a dog chasing its tail, flustered and unsure of what to do. “Don’t cry… please don’t cry, it’s okay, it’s okay—”

“Wuu…” Hearing that gentle voice, Xiang Shuhuai pressed her eyes tightly and cried harder, her body trembling so much she almost couldn’t stand. “Sorry, sorry…”

Tears kept falling, dripping onto the flowers at her feet, breaking apart like dewdrops on the petals.

She had ruined everything.

Their amusement park trip, the countless flowers in the Ferris wheel, and that “I like you” confession that should’ve been cherished forever.

She had ruined it all, just because of her own abnormality.

Xiang Shuhuai almost wished that all of this was just a joke, a spur-of-the-moment prank.

At least then, even if she had acted so neurotic and sensitive, the alpha girl wouldn’t have gotten hurt. She might have just muttered something confusedly and turned the strange experience into a weird story to share with friends. That would be it.

…But it wasn’t.

Yu Xiaoxiao was serious. She had probably spent so much time preparing for this confession, carefully choosing the location, picking out the perfect flowers, customizing the brooch, and finding those little dog sculptures. She must have furrowed her brows, deep in thought while selecting, but her eyes sparkling with excitement, eagerly anticipating how the person she liked would react. Xiang Shuhuai could almost picture what she must have looked like.

That earnest, transparent heart, so carefully offered, nervously and joyfully waiting to be accepted, but because of Xiang Shuhuai’s neuroticism and excessive sensitivity, it had been dropped to the ground, abandoned in the dirt.

She sobbed, “Sorry…”

“Xiang Shuhuai, don’t cry, please don’t cry…”

Yu Xiaoxiao hurriedly tried to comfort her, but seeing her cry even harder, wiping her tears in a way that was too rough, causing her under-eye to turn red, Yu Xiaoxiao carefully reached out her hand, wanting to lift Xiang Shuhuai’s face and wipe the tears away.

But Xiang Shuhuai only pressed her eyes even harder, shaking her head to avoid Yu Xiaoxiao’s hand, crouching down. “Wuu… sorry…”

…How could Yu Xiaoxiao like someone like her?

Maybe anyone else in her position wouldn’t have reacted so terribly. Yu Xiaoxiao’s heart would’ve been carefully embraced, kissed again and again, and cherished like the most precious treasure. But she hadn’t done that.

She had ruined Yu Xiaoxiao’s confession.

The guilt and self-blame made her bury her head in her knees, her tears falling in big drops. “Sorry…”

Yu Xiaoxiao crouched down in front of her, helplessly trying to comfort her. “It’s okay, it’s okay, Big Ice Block, it’s okay, nothing’s wrong, don’t cry—”

But Xiang Shuhuai only cried harder, coughing from the sobs, her voice breaking, her shoulders trembling and on the verge of collapsing.

Yu Xiaoxiao stood beside her, trying unsuccessfully to comfort her, unsure of how to help, only feeling more and more helpless.

“Xiang Shuhuai, Xiang Shuhuai, I’m sorry, I scared you, don’t cry.” Yu Xiaoxiao racked her brain for something comforting. “I won’t confess anymore, I’m sorry, don’t cry… okay, Big Ice Block?”

She nodded to herself as if she had found the right answer. “I… I won’t confess anymore, I’ll take it back, Xiang Shuhuai, really, I won’t confess anymore, please don’t cry…”

…Idiot.

Xiang Shuhuai, dizzy from crying, sniffled and, without thinking, reached out to grab Yu Xiaoxiao’s shirt hem.

Yu Xiaoxiao was pulled forward by the tug, looking confused at Xiang Shuhuai’s pale hand, now wet with tears, tightly clutching her shirt. Then, an idea suddenly struck her.

“Then… then should I confess after all…? Big Ice Block, I’ll confess. I like you. Please don’t cry anymore, okay—”

…Idiot!!

Xiang Shuhuai felt a mix of sadness and anger as she wiped her tears away.

And the idiot didn’t even realize she was being one, just babbling on with comforting words, holding her wrist gently, tying the swaying balloon string around Xiang Shuhuai’s wrist and making a neat double knot.

Once the balloons were securely fixed to prevent them from floating away during the movement, Xu Xiaoxiao crouched down and gently embraced the trembling, crying Xiang Shuhui, who was curled up in her arms.

“Okay, okay, Big Ice Block,” she said softly, her voice tender as she comforted, “Don’t cry… there’s nothing for you to apologize for, okay? It’s fine, don’t cry…”

While comforting her, she gently stroked Xiang Shuhui’s thin back, as if soothing a child to sleep. But despite that, she could still feel the body trembling in her arms, shaking like leaves in the wind. Unable to stop herself, she tightened her embrace. “It’s okay, Big Ice Block, it’s… Ah!”

A sudden force pulled her from the side, causing her to fall backward, tumbling into the soft, fluffy, blooming flowers below.

And still with her, Xiang Shuhui buried her face in her shoulder, clutching her clothes tightly, tears soaking the fabric.

It took Xu Xiaoxiao a moment to realize.

It was Xiang Shuhui who had pulled her down, causing them both to fall into the blooming flowers. Everywhere she looked, there were bright, beautiful colors of flowers, and the air was filled with the faint, pleasant fragrance of flowers and leaves. The little dog balloon on her wrist swayed, its innocent, cheerful face showing through the air.

Crying in her arms, Xiang Shuhui mumbled, “I’m sorry, Xu Xiaoxiao…”

She really did look like a child, Xu Xiaoxiao thought.

“Okay, okay, Big Ice Block.” Then, she smiled, “Don’t cry, it’s okay…”

Underneath the fairytale castle and the giant glowing Ferris wheel, flowers scattered on the ground formed a vibrant bloom.

The dark sky above had a hint of blue, like a frozen ocean. In the distant night sky, a few stars twinkled, like gently falling snowflakes in a music box.

Beneath the tranquil, deep blue sky of the music box, they held each other amid the blooms of hyacinths and deep orange flowers.

At that moment, she had cried so hard that her head was dizzy, and she couldn’t remember much of how things had happened.

Xiang Shuhui only remembered a few times when she tried to leave, but Xu Xiaoxiao kept holding her wrist and brought her back to the car. Xu Xiaoxiao drove, and she sat in the passenger seat, burying her face in a soft pillow, hiding her red eyes. The balloon tied to her wrist had been taken off and was floating around the backseat, eventually tied to the armrest.

“Big Ice Block,” Xu Xiaoxiao teased softly, “Why do you have so many tears? Did you melt?”

Xiang Shuhui sniffed, ignoring her.

“Hey, are you still mad at me?” Xu Xiaoxiao smiled, “I just didn’t want the balloon to float away, that’s why I tied it to your wrist. And when we were kids, we did the same at the amusement park.”

“You see, now it’s fine. If I hadn’t been careful and let go earlier, it would have flown away—if that happened, it would’ve missed you. How sad, right? It just got bought by its owner and then got lost, drifting away to some unfamiliar place…”

…What kind of childish nonsense is that?

Xiang Shuhui buried her face deeper in the pillow, unable to help but think.

That’s what you say to children.

After crying so much, she was exhausted and, with the calming scent of Xu Xiaoxiao’s pheromones in the air, she felt more and more sleepy.

With her eyes closed, she faintly caught a glimpse of light in her fading consciousness and vaguely asked, “Hmm, flowers…?”

“They’ll be there, all of them,” Xu Xiaoxiao promised in a soft voice, “Once we get home, there’ll be flowers there, okay?”

Xiang Shuhui, her mind blurry, nodded.

As she gradually fell deeper into sleep, she could only hear Xu Xiaoxiao’s low, gentle voice:

“We’ll have so many flowers, the house won’t have enough space. We’ll fill up every flower vase, and when those are full, we’ll put them on the balcony. If the balcony isn’t enough, we can even build a little garden behind the house. How about it? Big Ice Block, you can plant whatever flowers you like. All the flowers are yours, and no one can take them away…”

…They’re all mine.

That’s the only part she caught before she fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, when she woke up, Xiang Shuhui sat up in bed, groggy, replaying what had happened in the past half-day.

Xu Xiaoxiao had confessed to her, and she had messed it up. She had cried so much, from under the Ferris wheel to the car, and then Xu Xiaoxiao had carried her back to her home.

She knew this was Xu Xiaoxiao’s bedroom, and she vaguely remembered clinging to Xu Xiaoxiao’s clothes, refusing to let go, which made Xu Xiaoxiao helpless and eventually bring her to her bedroom. Xu Xiaoxiao had given her the bed and pillow, and found an old blanket for herself from the closet.

What’s all this…

She hadn’t cried in so long, let alone cry for such a long time. Xiang Shuhui didn’t know she would become so childish, clingy, and spoiled after crying. And Xu Xiaoxiao had indulged her.

…Xiang Shuhui blushed at the thought.

Her ears turned red as she sat in bed for a while, and then suddenly, an impulse overtook her—she wanted to dive back under the blankets, bury her head in them, and not face the outside world anymore.

But of course, that wasn’t possible.

She sat there for a while, finally mentally preparing herself, before slowly getting up, changing into clothes, and opening the door.

The rich scent of chocolate milk filled the air.

—Xu Xiaoxiao was busy in the kitchen. As soon as she saw her, her eyes lit up, and she smiled brightly:

“Big Ice Block! You’re awake. Do you want wontons or toast—”

“…Xu Xiaoxiao.”

Xiang Shuhui heard herself speak, her voice calm and soft.

“We need to talk. About yesterday.”