Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 58

The spirit of mountain spring water, a fragile and transparent girl, the sister accompanied by Artemis.

……Yu Xiaoxiao was lost in thought, slightly leaning forward.

She gazed at the girl in light sleep, holding her breath for a long time.

Xiang Shu Huai, however, was completely unaware and peacefully asleep, her lips slightly parted without any defense. A strand of long hair fell at the corner of her lips, gently lifted and lowered by her breath, her lips tinged with a faint peachy pink.

And the soft white dress gently draped over her emaciated body, revealing only a slender, colorless wrist, fragile like delicate ice and snow. It makes one worry so much—what if just a little bit of force accidentally shatters her?

Yu Xiaoxiao then also calmed her breathing, hesitating to move again.

…She could feel Xiang Shu Huai’s shallow breath brushing against her cheek, carrying a hint of mint’s coolness and fragrance, similar to her pheromone scent.

The spot that was brushed against suddenly caught fire.

The sound of the heartbeat echoed in the chest, almost making the bl00d boil. And Xiang Shuhuai’s cheeks were so pale they were blinding, yet they had a faintly sweet hue…

Thump, thump, thump.

Yu Xiaoxiao heard the voice from deep within her heart.

Want to protect her.

Want to get close to her.

Also, what do you want…?

Possession.

That desire buried deep within the bones and bl00d is echoing these words: Possess her.

Embrace, plunder, completely possess your omega…

A burning thought flashed through her mind, almost startling Yu Xiaoxiao. She couldn’t delay any longer, fearing she might think of something even worse.

In the end, her lips gently kissed the pale, translucent cheek, lingering for a moment before leaving.

——A small “peck” sound.

That voice made Yu Xiaoxiao’s head snap up as if jolted by electricity, her face instantly flushed, and her heart raced.

She reached out her hand, gently gathered the long strand of hair that had fallen over Xiang Shuhua’s shoulder, and tucked it behind her ear. Then, she hurriedly got up and seemed to flee back behind the easel. Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t dare to touch the wet paint on the canvas, so she could only hug her head, shyly blushing as if she were about to ripen.

It seems that the soft, cool touch of the cheek still lingers on the lips.

It has a texture somewhat like mochi, with just a hint of sweetness and a slight cool scent reminiscent of pheromones.

Realizing that she was unconsciously recalling the sensation of the cheek she had just kissed, Yu Xiaoxiao’s face turned so red that it seemed like steam was about to burst out from her ears.

However, she held her head in her hands, unable to stop thinking about those light pink, slightly parted lips.

…She really wanted to kiss, to taste that hint of pink flavor.

But it’s still not working.

Although they had kissed before… twice, this is the first real kiss that will happen after they started dating.

Yu Xiaoxiao wants it to be more formal and grand.

At least… at least it should come after holding hands, during a date between the two of them, perhaps on the Ferris wheel at the amusement park, on a bench under the fireworks, or in a church. In any case, there should definitely be some kind of ritual. She would ask Xiang Shuhuai, and he would gently nod, and then it would happen very solemnly.

After all, this will be their first official kiss.

So, it can’t be treated so casually.

Finally calming her racing heart, and her cheeks gradually cooling down, Yu Xiaoxiao picked up the brush again and quickly laid down the shadow of the long dress in light blue.

As the watercolor paints spread, the girl in a white dress lying sideways on the canvas gradually comes to life. The thin, soft silk fabric on her body drapes over the sofa. Sunlight streams through the window on one side, evenly and warmly illuminating her.

Her expression was calm and drowsy, with her beautiful eyebrows half-closed, her posture relaxed, as if she trusted the surroundings completely and would fall into a peaceful light sleep at any moment.

Yu Xiaoxiao looked at the girl in her painting, then glanced at Xiang Shuhuai, who was sound asleep on the sofa, and a small smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.

——She has been inspired.

After finishing this watercolor, Yu Xiaoxiao plans to paint a very large oil painting.

Just paint the current Xiang Shuhuai, and her.

In the evening, they finally decided to stay here for the night. When Yu Xiaoxiao asked someone to clean, she also brought along daily necessities and enough ingredients.

She squatted in front of the refrigerator, taking things out one by one, then turned around and smiled at Shu Huai with her eyes curved.

“I’m going to make tofu shrimp and Big Ice Blocks later, and I just happen to have fresh shrimp. Is there anything else you want to eat? Just tell me, and I’ll give it a try.”

The alpha girl said, “It’s okay, Xiang Shuhuai, tomorrow morning, I’ll drive you to the company a bit earlier. You definitely won’t be late. Plus, it’s quiet here, and the air quality is good. You might even get a good sleep.”

From her appearance, it was clear that she had already made up her mind to stay here. Xiang Shuhuai was helping to wash vegetables by the sink, and upon hearing this, he could only nod and say, “…Sure.”

Yu Xiaoxiao chuckled and her round eyes turned into two little crescent moons.

After this period of time, Yu Xiaoxiao’s cooking skills can be said to have made great progress. Although she still can’t compare to a professional chef, she can now make ordinary home-cooked dishes quite well, and only occasionally does she need to redo slightly more difficult ones.

She was cooking in the kitchen, originally planning to give the snacks she had prepared to Xiang Shuhuai, coax her to sit on the sofa, play with her phone, and play games. However, Xiang Shuhuai really couldn’t just wait on the sofa outside.

After all, Yu Xiaoxiao has a slightly chubby baby face, is shorter than me, and still has such a childish personality.

Seeing her diligently cooking alone in the kitchen, her small figure always gave Xiang Shu a slight sense of discomfort, as if she were a child laborer.

So she went to the kitchen to help. Just as she arrived, Yu Xiaoxiao was peeling shrimp veins, and she was a bit surprised to see her.

“Big Ice Block?” She looked up, with a bit of dark seasoning smeared on her nose from who knows where, “You go wait outside, it will be ready soon.”

While washing her hands, Xiang Shuhuai explained her theory about child labor to her.

Yu Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened in shock, and she pretended to throw the shrimp at her.

“Big Ice Block—!” She angrily put down the shrimp and rushed over to argue, “Who is a child laborer! Me! I’m the older sister!”

Xiang Shuhuai just smiled, poked her puffed-up cheeks with his damp fingers, and said softly, “But you’re still very young.”

Yu Xiaoxiao shook her head vigorously to shake off that hand and continued to glare at her angrily.

In the end, they finished preparing dinner together. There were tofu with shrimp, pumpkin stew, braised pork ribs, and a vegetable dish. The main dish was black rice cooked by Yu Xiaoxiao. The dishes were very homely, not particularly exquisite, and the rice was slightly overcooked, but the steam rising from them and the fragrant aroma made one feel very at ease.

At this time, around six or seven o’clock, the sky was gradually darkening, and the living room and kitchen were brightly lit. The transparent window glass separated the light from the dim night outside.

Yu Xiaoxiao set the bowls and chopsticks neatly, took off her apron, and called her:

“Big Ice Block, why are you just standing there? Come eat!”

…Even though it was my first visit to this unfamiliar house, there was a unique, homely feeling.

Xiang Shu Huai An quietly nodded and sat down at the dining table.

After dinner, Yu Xiaoxiao silenced her grand theories about “child labor” with a strawberry, kicked her out of the kitchen, and cleaned up the dishes herself.

“Big Ice Block,” she waved the grapes in her hand as a threat, “go for a walk, you can’t sit for too long after eating. Wait half an hour before eating the other fruits. Otherwise, it will be hard to digest, and you’ll end up with a stomachache.”

Following Shu Huai’s instructions, she placed the washed fruit platter on the coffee table and wandered around the living room out of boredom.

As the sky darkened, the curtain of twilight outside the living room’s floor-to-ceiling windows turned into a deep azure, resembling a somewhat translucent gem. The house was in the suburbs, with only a few neon lights, creating an incredibly quiet atmosphere.

After just a few laps, I heard the sound of dishes being washed in the kitchen. Once the water noise faded away, a strange clanging sound followed, as if something was being fidgeted with.

Xiang Shu Huai was a bit curious for a moment, but the kitchen door was pulled shut, making it hard to see clearly. After confirming that the child inside hadn’t caused any accidents or hurt themselves, she let it be.

She didn’t stay curious for too long. About half an hour later, when the night had completely darkened, Yu Xiaoxiao opened the kitchen door with her arms full of things.

Xiang Shuhuai glanced over and recognized that they were two food baskets, both covered with lids, making it impossible to see what was inside.

And Yu Xiaoxiao simply picked up the washed fruit platter again, hugged it, and then smiled at her:

“Come with me, Xiang Shuhuai.”

“……Where to?”

Yu Xiaoxiao just said, “You’ll know when you get there.”

After she nodded, Yu Xiaoxiao eagerly took her hand and ran up to the third-floor attic.

By the time she stood at the door of the room, the alpha girl turned around and mysteriously instructed her:

“Big Ice Block, can you wait for me outside for a moment? No peeking.”

Xiang Shu Huai nodded somewhat confusedly: “Okay…”

So, Yu Xiaoxiao hugged a bunch of things and squeezed into the attic room. There was a flurry of activity inside, but it quickly fell silent. Xiang Shuhuai waited outside in confusion for quite a while before hearing footsteps approaching.

Yu Xiaoxiao paused by the door, then gently pulled it open just a crack and peeked out.

“Xiang Shuhuai,” Yu Xiaoxiao smiled at her, the surroundings dimly lit behind her, “Come in! Oh, by the way, you can’t look yet. Wait until I tell you to open your eyes—”

Xiang Shuhuai then closed her eyes as instructed, her wrist being gently pulled, and slowly walked into the room.

The evening breeze brushed against her cheek, and she heard the sound of the door gently closing behind her.

……a bit strange. Xiang Shuhuai couldn’t help but think.

What on earth is the reason for being so mysterious…

She recalled the alpha girl’s excited, childlike expression just now, and uncontrollably associated it with her own school experiences, feeling a bit uneasy for a moment.

It can’t be some boring prank where they dress up as ghosts and scare her, right?

So boring. Xiang Shuhuai thought to himself.

…That’s something only elementary school students would do.

But despite thinking that way, her heartbeat kept getting faster and gradually heavier.

She doesn’t know where Yu Xiaoxiao is standing right now.

And the voice of the alpha girl that made her open her eyes still hadn’t come, and just now, in order to close the door, Yu Xiaoxiao had already let go of her wrist. At this moment, her surroundings were empty, with not a sound to be heard.

……as if there were no one there at all.

Xiang Shu Huai was terrified by her own thought, realizing that she might be standing alone in the dark, lightless attic. This made her tense up immediately, feeling a wave of deep-seated shivers and panic.

She tried to speak up, calling out softly:

“……Yu Xiaoxiao?”

No answer.

Xiang Shuhuai is really a bit scared now.

Don’t…

She was afraid of dark rooms, a fear that had been with her since she lived in her stepfather’s house. Later, when she returned to the Xiang family mansion, she was locked in the basement for two days. At that time, she was still too young, and the fear deep within her was nurtured, naturally growing more intense and stronger.

Ironically, this was one of the most commonly used methods of school bullying. During the time she was bullied in high school, she was really locked in a completely dark and lightless warehouse, unable to see anything or find anything. She couldn’t break the door or shatter the high window.

Outside the warehouse door, there were originally the laughter of a few boys from the class, but even those laughs gradually faded away, and then everything fell completely silent.

Xiang Shu Huai wasn’t unafraid. At that time, she was so scared she could almost die. The warehouse was exceptionally spacious, exceptionally large, and exceptionally silent. She didn’t know what strange forms of things were hidden in the darkness she couldn’t see, whether they were lurking, ready to pounce and devour her at any moment.

But she can’t show even the slightest hint.

——As long as she shows fear, those people will swarm like sharks sensing bl00d, seizing her weakness firmly, and repeatedly using such methods to treat her, finding amusement in it.

Must act as if nothing happened.

At that time, she tightly clutched the wordbook in her pocket, as if it were the only connection she had to a normal life, the last straw. To resist her fear, she simply closed her eyes and repeatedly recited those words over and over again.

She carried back and forth, cold sweat soaking her school uniform, drying up, and then soaking wet again. Time seemed to have passed a century, yet no one found her. It was as if she would never be discovered, trapped here until she died.

Xiang Shu’s lips became stiff and cracked with bl00d due to dryness, and her throat was completely hoarse. She really thought she was going to faint from dehydration, but in the end, she didn’t.

About four or five hours later, she was finally discovered. Those who had locked her up stood at a distance, watching the spectacle and jeering.

——In that kind of school, almost every class is filled with young masters and young ladies from prominent families. The teachers want to help her, but how can they manage? As for Xiang Shuhuai, even though she comes from the Xiang family, Xiang Hongshan ignores her, and the Xiang matriarch is more than happy to see her suffer, wishing she would just die immediately. She is the only odd one out in that class.

Since that day, Xiang Shu Huai’s nightmares have become increasingly severe. She gradually became unable to fall asleep naturally in dark environments, and this issue has persisted until now.

She is truly afraid of the dark. She has had countless nightmares related to it, dreaming that she is locked up, no matter how hard she bangs, no sound can be heard, countless hands reach out from the darkness to tear her apart, or she is trapped in a small, silent, and lightless space, unnoticed and undiscovered, eventually becoming a skeleton.

……Clearly, Yu Xiaoxiao is different.

But, but, if, if Yu Xiaoxiao would treat her that way—

Xiang Shu was so anxious that he was almost trembling.

“Yu Xiaoxiao…”

Don’t scare me.

She suddenly began to fear opening her eyes. Afraid that once she opened them, she would be met with a twisted, ghastly face, or worse, nothing at all—Xu Xiaoxiao would be gone, leaving only the vast, silent darkness. She rushed to the door, wanting to open it, but it was locked from the inside. She would be trapped here forever, with no one to save her, no one to find her—

At the moment when she was about to completely lose her composure, Xiang Shu Huai suddenly heard a faint “swish—” sound of the curtain sliding open.

Then came Yu Xiaoxiao’s voice.

“Alright, Big Ice Block,” she said, “you can open your eyes now.”

…that voice she had been looking forward to for so long.

In the stubborn darkness, her voice sounded—so good it seemed fake.

Compared to those panics, it seems particularly unreal.

Xiang Shu opened his eyes obediently.

——What fills my eyes is a brilliant, tranquil starry sky.

Dots of stars scattered across the deep blue night sky, their light streaming through the large skylight, illuminating the dim attic. The bright stars seemed so close, as if one could reach out and touch them, their brilliance spreading across the sapphire-like tranquil and dark night sky.

The starry night flowed through the skylight, transforming the most ordinary attic into a part of the boundless universe.

Ah.

Such a quiet sky.

Countless panics within her body vanished in an instant. Xiang Shu Huai just stared blankly at the starry sky before her, lost in thought.

And the alpha girl gently took her wrist, pulled her back a bit, and sat her down.

Beneath me is a soft, tatami-like low bed, perfectly aligned with the skylight. Lying on the bed feels as if I am truly immersed in the starry sky outside.

“Big Ice Block,” Yu Xiaoxiao turned over, tilted her face, and gently called her, “How are you?”

She looked very pleased, her eyes sparkling, but she deliberately lowered her voice to match the quiet atmosphere, happily gazing at Xiang Shuhuai’s stunned expression.

“——Isn’t it beautiful?”

Xiang Shuhuai dazedly nodded: “Hmm…”

“This place is amazing,” the alpha girl whispered excitedly. “I used to stay here occasionally when I was a kid, and I always came here. As long as the weather is good, you can always see so many, many stars here. Since we’re here today, I wanted you to see it… and today is perfectly clear! I think it’s such a coincidence, like it was specially prepared for you—”

She blinked her eyes and looked at Xiang Shu Huai. All she saw were those quiet black eyes, now filled with brilliant starlight, as if they were part of the night sky. The light shimmered wetly, creating ripples—

“Big, Big Ice Block,” the alpha girl nervously reached out and grabbed Xu Huai’s wrist, “What’s wrong? Are you going to cry?”

……What am I in her eyes, after all?

Xiang Shuhuai couldn’t help but grumble in dissatisfaction. It’s as if she only knows how to cry all day long.

“……No.” She just shook her head and said softly, “I just think… it’s very beautiful.”

Really beautiful.

This tranquil, jewel-like, overflowing night sky that Yu Xiaoxiao wants her to see.

“Right!” the alpha girl laughed upon hearing it, “It’s really beautiful.”

Having said that, she suddenly remembered the things she had brought to the attic and quickly began to introduce them to Xu Huai.

“This, this,” she said, shoving a glass into Xiang Shuhuai’s arms, “Big Ice Block, this is yours!”

——Besides the fruit platter, the two food baskets contained the chicken nuggets and fries she had just fried, a small portion of delicately packaged spicy marinated vegetables, and two cups of drinks.

“How is it, Big Ice Block?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked with a smile, “I made it while washing the dishes! I think it’s fried just right. Even though we’ve already had dinner, we can still have some, right?”

So abundant.

Think of it as a picnic.

A picnic under the starry sky?

Sometimes she finds Yu Xiaoxiao to be quite magical. Like a magician. Always able to turn those romantic, dream-like scenes into reality. Whether it was the balcony outside the banquet hall back then, the entire Ferris wheel covered in flowers, or the attic now flowing with starlight.

If it weren’t for magic, how could these things be done?

Xiang Shuhuai thought to himself, gradually imagining a girl named Yu Xiaoxiao dressed in a witch’s uniform, riding a broomstick.

Hair fluffy and messy, with a small hairpin, carrying a very large broom, flying clumsily in the sky every day, if she bumps into a bird, she would argue with it in bird language. And if she gets into a fight on the ground, she would probably be more accustomed to swinging her heavy broom to knock people out rather than using a wand…

Such an imagination made her unconsciously break into a smile.

“Yu Xiaoxiao.”

So, Xiang Shuhua said softly, turning her head to look at the alpha girl lying beside her.

Yu Xiaoxiao responded, “Hmm?”

…When night falls and we are all fast asleep, can you use magic to make our beds take us to the starry sky above the clouds?

Of course, Xu Huai wouldn’t ask such a question. Facing the child’s puzzled gaze, she just smiled slightly and finally said:

“……Yu Xiaoxiao, thank you.”

“Ah… ah.”

Meeting her gaze, the alpha girl suddenly became a bit shy, her amber round eyes flickering, soft dimples appearing on her cheeks, and once again, two small crescent moons of a smile emerged.

“It’s nothing, Big Ice Block… Why thank me?”

——Thank you for not abandoning me, for not leaving me in the dark.

Thank you for finding me.

Xiang Shuhuai shook his head and didn’t answer.

“Let’s eat something,” she said softly.

Eating on the bed was something Xiang Shu Huai had never done before. But now, as she munched on the fried snacks made by Yu Xiao Xiao while lying on the bed, she surprisingly felt no disgust or resistance, only an immense sense of relaxation.

The body heat of the alpha girl radiated from her side, the mattress beneath was soft and fluffy, and the attic was filled with a tranquil, deep blue night sky.

Perhaps, starting today, Xiang Shuhuai will no longer be afraid.

For her, the darkness transformed from that terrifying nightmare into tonight’s starry sky overflowing with starlight.

Under the starry sky, Xiang Shuhuai curled up beside Yu Xiaoxiao, leaning against her warm shoulder, only occasionally responding to her words, feeling drowsiness gradually creeping in.

“Uh, um, the Big Ice Block…”

She suddenly heard the alpha girl say this, her voice very serious yet tinged with unease.

“Wait… until tomorrow.”

Yu Xiaoxiao turned her face away, swallowed nervously, and softly invited.

“Tomorrow, Xiang Shuhuai, shall we go on a date?”