Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 56

So, they went swimming together. At a private pool in Yu Xiaoxiao’s house.

Yu Xiaoxiao was used to living in the original house. Though the property had been purchased, it had never been lived in for long; it was mostly left empty. They hired a cleaning service to maintain it, leaving it available for when Yu Xiaoxiao wanted to bring her friends over to hang out.

“My mom and dad don’t really like swimming, and they think it’s inconvenient here, so they don’t come often. I don’t even know why they built a pool,” Yu Xiaoxiao said as she drove her to the place, “Anyway, the house just sits here. Only I sometimes bring friends over.”

Xiang Shuhuai, sitting in the passenger seat with a backpack in her arms, didn’t change her calm expression. However, she did raise her eyes slightly and gave her a glance.

She spoke, her voice still a little hoarse:
“…Do you often bring friends over?”

Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t think much of it, just happily nodded, “Sometimes, yeah. Last time it was with Gu Wei and the others, but not many people. And don’t worry, Big Ice Block, it’s been ages, and there’s always someone who comes to clean. It’s definitely very clean.”

That straightforward, carefree attitude made Xiang Shuhuai’s heart feel oddly tight.

“…Mm.”

She responded softly and turned her face away, gazing out the window in silence.

They arrived at their destination in this gloomy mood. When they got out of the car, Yu Xiaoxiao seemed to notice that Xiang Shuhuai wasn’t in the best of spirits. After thinking for a moment, she probably thought Xiang Shuhuai was afraid of the water, so she reached out and gently stroked her back.

“It’s okay, Big Ice Block,” she said softly, “No matter what you’re afraid of, I’ll be here. I’ll protect you. Alright?”

Xiang Shuhuai silently nodded.

The house was big, a three-story villa. Even though it had been a long time since anyone had lived in it, it still carried Yu Xiaoxiao’s essence.

The second floor was entirely dedicated to her art— a large studio filled with still-life paintings and plaster figures, a workspace with a desktop computer, an animation studio for stop-motion films, and a study full of comic books and picture books. The third floor had an attic which was her sculpture studio.

“Big Ice Block,” Yu Xiaoxiao asked quietly while showing her around the art studio, “I’ve always wanted to paint you. After we swim, would you be my model?”

She leaned on the easel, her eyes bright with excitement and nervousness. She looked at Xiang Shuhuai with such sincerity, her expression like a little dog eagerly wagging its tail, hoping for a response.

Xiang Shuhuai’s heart softened at the sight and she nodded, “Okay.”

— What was I thinking?

After changing into her swimsuit, Xiang Shuhuai found herself unable to summon the courage to leave the bedroom and go outside. She regretted it deeply.

She bit down on her cheek, almost like a trapped deer running in circles in a confined space, unable to find a way out.

Even though she had put on the swimsuit, she still hugged her regular clothes to her chest, hiding behind them, resisting exposing her skin and the figure shaped by the tight swimsuit.

She stared at the floor, feeling very troubled inside.

…She didn’t want to wear the swimsuit.

But Yu Xiaoxiao was still waiting for her outside to go to the pool. She definitely couldn’t avoid going out forever.

Even though she had worn it in front of Yu Xiaoxiao before, it felt different this time. Back then, it was in the hot spring, surrounded by mist, and she could stay wrapped in a towel outside the water. Once she entered the water, her body would be hidden.

But swimming was different.

In this long-unused bedroom, as soon as she opened the wardrobe, she could see herself in the full-length mirror on the wardrobe door. Even though she had been avoiding looking at herself, she found herself standing in front of the mirror, staring at her body for a long time.

She was too thin. So thin that it could be frightening to others, her bones showing, with hardly any muscle, her joints looking like they could snap at any moment. And her skin was so pale, her body looked like a ghost, devoid of color.

…Despite the tight fabric of the swimsuit, exposing her limbs, there was nothing alluring or tempting about her appearance.

Xiang Shuhuai stared at herself for a long time, finally exhaling a shaky breath and closing her eyes.

…Maybe it was because she had cried so much in the morning that tears still lingered in her body. She suddenly felt tears welling up again.

She quickly wiped her eyes with her hand, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open.

“Yu Xiaoxiao,” she turned her gaze away and didn’t look at the alpha girl in front of her, “Let’s go.”

Yu Xiaoxiao blinked, stunned for a moment, and nodded slowly.

She stood there, lost in thought, not responding for a while. Even though this was her own house, and only she knew the way, she still followed Xiang Shuhuai like a shadow. It wasn’t until they reached a fork in the path in the backyard that Yu Xiaoxiao seemed to come back to her senses, lightly grabbing Xiang Shuhuai’s wrist.

“…Big Ice Block.”

She didn’t seem like she was trying to lead the way. After speaking, she just stood there, staring at Xiang Shuhuai’s eyes, lost in thought, without saying anything further.

Xiang Shuhuai quietly held her breath.

…She knew what Yu Xiaoxiao was going to say. It was just those things.

Yu Xiaoxiao had said them before.

Big Ice Block, you’re so thin, that’s why you’re always getting sick. You’re so light, like you could snap easily…

It would only be those things.

Otherwise, with her body looking like this, what else could Yu Xiaoxiao say? This body had nothing to do with health, beauty, or any romantic allure…

After a long silence, Yu Xiaoxiao finally spoke softly, breaking the stillness.

“Xiang Shuhuai…”

Her amber eyes flickered, cautious but honest.

“…Can I hug you?”

…What?

Xiang Shuhuai froze.

She opened her mouth, almost doubting if she had heard correctly. After a long pause, she finally managed to say, “…What?”

Yu Xiaoxiao repeated, “Can I hug you?”

As she spoke, she reached out her hand, gently but firmly, taking Xiang Shuhuai’s wrist. The intense heat immediately transferred.

Xiang Shuhuai couldn’t help but be drawn to that burning warmth.

She didn’t know if she was like a moth to a flame, or if she was a weary bird finally finding its way home after a long journey.

She was completely captivated by the light in the alpha girl’s clear eyes, forgetting her own insecurities, even forgetting her own name.

—Even the deep, dark shadows in her soul seemed to be evaporated by the intense heat. She almost felt herself melting into the fiery warmth, like the sun itself.

“Xiang Shuhuai,” the little, pure sun asked softly, gazing into her eyes, “—Can I hug you?”

And so, she fell into the alpha girl’s soft, warm embrace.

They hugged for a long time, and as she slowly regained her senses, Xiang Shuhuai started to notice the strange sensations.

The body in her arms was incredibly soft and warm.

She could even feel the smooth, firm lines of Yu Xiaoxiao’s body.

Without thinking, Xiang Shuhuai reached out, her fingertips brushing against the slightly firm muscles…

Instinctively, she placed her palm on it, gently caressing it a couple of times.

After several strokes of her back, Yu Xiaoxiao became a bit confused but didn’t pull away from the hug. She tilted her head and asked in confusion, “Big Ice Block…?”

The voice startled Xiang Shuhuai.

She stopped, frozen for a couple of seconds, realizing what she had just done.

Then her face turned bright red.

“S-sorry!”

Panicking, Xiang Shuhuai quickly released her hand and pushed Yu Xiaoxiao away, “I… let’s go, Yu Xiaoxiao, to the pool—”

Saying that, she turned and hurried off in the direction of the garden, only to be called back by Yu Xiaoxiao, who was still confused. She then returned to her and rushed ahead, leaving Yu Xiaoxiao standing in place, still bewildered.

“Xiang Shuhuai?” Yu Xiaoxiao called out in confusion as she caught up, “Why are you walking so fast? Ah, this cobblestone path in the garden is slippery, be careful not to trip—”

Xiang Shuhuai quickened her pace.

“Big Ice Block?”

Yu Xiaoxiao was even more confused. She didn’t understand why the person in her arms suddenly ran off. She chased after her, even noticing her ears turning red. “What’s wrong, Big Ice Block? Ah, why are your ears so red? Did the sun burn you? Or… ah!”

Xiang Shuhuai’s face became even redder as she angrily turned around and hit her, “…Yu Xiaoxiao!”

“What’s wrong, Big Ice Block?”

Yu Xiaoxiao rubbed her arm where she’d been hit, still bewildered. “Why are you angry? Your face is all red…”

Her amber eyes were so pure, clear, and confused, and she tilted her head, looking at Xiang Shuhuai like a puzzled little puppy, completely unaware of the dirty thoughts Xiang Shuhuai had deep inside.

…That gaze made Xiang Shuhuai’s face feel even hotter.

Unable to reason with Yu Xiaoxiao, she simply bit her lip and turned to walk away.

“—Xiang Shuhuai?” Yu Xiaoxiao jogged after her, “Big Ice Block? Are you still mad? Why are you mad—”

Xiang Shuhuai, her ears burning, muttered, “…No, let’s go!”

After the back-and-forth, Xiang Shuhuai finally calmed down, and when they reached the pool and she was about to get in, a sudden panic, something she had been hiding, surfaced in her heart.

She looked at the clear pool and the shimmering water, her breath quickening instinctively. She needed to make sure she could still breathe.

She closed her eyes, trying to suppress the panic.

…Something she thought she had forgotten.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Yu Xiaoxiao’s concerned gaze. She wasn’t close, seemingly worried about scaring her, looking at her seriously with deep concern.

“Big Ice Block,” she said softly, “Are you okay?”

“…Mm,” Xiang Shuhuai replied, forcing a smile, “I’m fine.”

“Then… should I stay here with you?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked, furrowing her brows in thought for a moment before coming up with an idea. “Or should I go in and wait for you? I can hold onto your swimming ring. As soon as you get in, I’ll catch you. I won’t let you drown, okay, Big Ice Block?”

Xiang Shuhuai nodded.

Actually, once she got past that brief moment, everything would be fine. She wasn’t really afraid of water, and she could swim. It was just that a bad memory had resurfaced, causing her anxiety.

Seeing her nod, Yu Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up, and she ran to grab a swimming ring before rushing into the water.

In the pool, the alpha girl looked up at her, treading water while holding the cartoonish yellow duck swimming ring.

“Xiang Shuhuai,” she smiled, her eyes narrowing, “I’ll catch you.”

Xiang Shuhuai gazed at her brilliant, sun-like smile.

“…Okay.” She heard herself respond, “Then, Yu Xiaoxiao, you must catch me.”

Yu Xiaoxiao replied seriously, “—Of course.”

Xiang Shuhuai walked to the edge of the pool, crouched down, and then stepped into the water.

The cold water surrounded her, the pressure wrapping tightly around her body.

—Just as she was about to sink, Yu Xiaoxiao caught her. The yellow swimming ring was pressed firmly under her arm, and that warm hand was securely holding her shoulder.

“Look, Big Ice Block,” Yu Xiaoxiao laughed, “I’ve got you.”

…Mm.

Xiang Shuhuai nodded, gazing into her round, light-colored eyes.

She rested on the swimming ring, gently gripping Yu Xiaoxiao’s hand on her shoulder.

“Mm.” She said, “You caught me.”

The pool water wasn’t too cold. After moving around a little, her body warmed up, and she quickly adjusted to the temperature.

Xiang Shuhuai lay on the swimming ring for a while, watching Yu Xiaoxiao swim back and forth. After a few laps, she returned to the edge near Xiang Shuhuai.

“Phew—”

Yu Xiaoxiao exhaled deeply as she treaded water, tossing her swimming cap and goggles aside.

While resting, she suddenly felt a slightly cold hand gently grip her wrist.

“Mm, Big Ice Block,” Yu Xiaoxiao wasn’t surprised. She smiled and gripped Xiang Shuhuai’s hand in return. “What’s wrong? Are you scared? It’s okay, I’m here—”

But Xiang Shuhuai, with her long, wet hair, didn’t answer. She simply stared quietly at Yu Xiaoxiao, moving closer. The contact between their hands turned into a warm, close embrace in the water.

—The pool water wasn’t cold, but human body temperature is naturally higher.

So, wasn’t it only natural for her to crave even warmer, more intense contact?

Xiang Shuhuai thought so, and she gently wrapped her arm around the alpha girl’s waist, burying her cheek in her shoulder, continuing this incredibly warm hug.

…Anyway, they both had swimming rings, so they wouldn’t drown.

On Yu Xiaoxiao, she smelled the scent of disinfectant, probably from her workout, along with a faint sweet, slightly warm scent, which felt stronger than usual, yet still incredibly reassuring.

Yu Xiaoxiao had only completed the other half of the embrace, one hand holding onto the railing while the other gently soothed the back of the person in her arms under the water.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” she comforted. “Don’t be afraid, Big Ice Block…”

The cool water of the pool created slight resistance against her hand, which slowly glided over the slim, warm back of Xiang Shuhuai, making her want to close her eyes and forget all her worries in this tender, warm embrace, falling asleep right there.

“…Yu Xiaoxiao.”

She murmured softly.

The alpha girl responded, “Hmm?”

Xiang Shuhuai kept her eyes closed and shook her head, saying nothing.

After a while, Yu Xiaoxiao seemed to get bored of swimming back and forth alone and felt it lacked meaning. So, she swam another hundred meters, then decided to just let Xiang Shuhuai float in a swimming ring while she lay on the big yellow duck-shaped float nearby. Every now and then, she gently pushed it, chatting with Xiang Shuhuai, her face turned upward toward her.

Under her guidance, the large, childish yellow duck seemed like a little floating boat.

It was during this swaying journey that Xiang Shuhuai confided in her about the trauma she had from swimming pools.

That trauma came from when she had just returned to the old Xiang family home, about half a year ago, when Xiang Wenze and his friends had thrown her, who couldn’t swim, into the pool more than once.

The boys, so much bigger, filled with maliciousness, unrestrained, and full of energy, made it their mission to torment her.

Back then, little Xiang Shuhuai had struggled to grab the railing, but Xiang Wenze jumped into the water just to rip her hands away and watch her struggle, choking on the water.

And in that moment, when she was near drowning, a strength she had never felt before erupted within her.

It wasn’t the instinct to survive, but the need to grab the head and neck of the “brother” who was bigger than her, pulling him into the water with her. No matter how much Xiang Wenze hit or pulled her, or even how his friends came in with tools to help, the water turned red with bl00d, and little Xiang Shuhuai wouldn’t let go.

Lack of oxygen made her dizzy, almost losing consciousness, but when Xiang Wenze reached out to pull her head away, she still remembered to open her mouth and bite down hard on his finger, tearing off a chunk of flesh, causing bl00d to flow.

The rest of the story went as one might imagine.

“The servants came to rescue us. Xiang Wenze was worse off than me; he choked on too much water and lay there, barely able to breathe, his finger bitten off halfway, but it was reattached later.”

Xiang Shuhuai spoke softly, offering a comforting smile.

“Then we were punished, and I had to learn how to swim. I guess Xiang Wenze and his friends were a little scared after that, and they never bullied me again.”

As for how she had been punished by Xiang Wenze’s biological mother, and how she had suffered from a high fever for days due to not receiving proper treatment, those were details best left untold to Yu Xiaoxiao.

Even just telling the story of her victory over Xiang Wenze was enough to make the alpha girl lying on the bright yellow duck float lower her imaginary puppy ears, her eyes reddening as she seemed ready to cry.

“Ugh,” she pouted, her voice trembling with the beginnings of tears. “Xiang Shuhuai…”

…Indeed, this was exactly why she didn’t want to talk about it.

For someone as innocent and kind as Yu Xiaoxiao, these things were simply too much to bear.

So, Xiang Shuhuai gently reached out and held her hand.

“It’s all in the past,” she said softly. “It’s all over now.”

Yu Xiaoxiao sniffed, her eyes filled with tears as she looked up at her.

“…Xiang Shuhuai.”

She tightened her grip on Xiang Shuhuai’s hand, her expression determined, almost fierce.

“From now on, I’ll protect you. I will protect you.”

Even with her red eyes, looking pitiful beyond belief, she spoke each word with such focus that it made Xiang Shuhuai feel a strange pang in her heart.

“Xiang Shuhuai,” the alpha girl swore. “From now on, I’ll protect you.”

After swimming and taking a shower, the two of them sat side by side on lounge chairs in the backyard, basking in the sun, waiting for the autumn sunlight and gentle breeze to dry their wet hair.

Since Xiang Shuhuai hadn’t exercised much, even though she hadn’t moved much, just floating in the water for so long left her tired.

She lay in the lounge chair, half-closing her eyes, absentmindedly playing with the slightly curled ends of Yu Xiaoxiao’s light-colored hair.

Yu Xiaoxiao leaned forward, letting her play with her hair, occasionally chatting with her.

Even though Xiang Shuhuai was just braiding a little section of hair, she became so focused that, unable to tame Yu Xiaoxiao’s naturally hard and curled hair, she became more serious, sitting up straighter as she worked.

As she kept braiding, her face became slightly pouting as though she was tackling an important problem.

…The seriousness, a little childish and stubborn, made Yu Xiaoxiao freeze for a moment, unable to hold back a laugh, her heart softening.

She looked at Xiang Shuhuai’s cheek.

After the workout, the normally pale skin on her face had flushed a faint rosy hue, her soft, fine hair growing a little darker in the sunlight. Her face showed a kind of translucent softness, white with a touch of pink, like a soft, sweet peach…

It looked so soft, so sweet.

…Could it be like a peach?

Without thinking, Yu Xiaoxiao leaned in a little closer, then, with her mouth slightly open, playfully bit down.

Her teeth lightly clamped onto Xiang Shuhuai’s soft cheek, applying just enough pressure to leave a mark before stopping, satisfied.

Although they had just exercised, Xiang Shuhuai’s body temperature was still low, and the skin on her cheek, where Yu Xiaoxiao had just bitten, felt slightly cool, soft as mochi in Yu Xiaoxiao’s warm mouth. The taste…

Yu Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but savor it.

…It only had a faint hint of milk-scented body wash, mixed with Xiang Shuhuai’s unique scent.

It was also sweet.

Xiang Shuhuai sat there for a while, frozen, before she realized that Yu Xiaoxiao had just bitten her cheek.

“Yu—” Her face immediately flushed bright red. “Yu Xiaoxiao—”