Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 64

For the rest of the night, Xiang Shuhuai kept dreaming.

She dreamed of her childhood, of being beaten by her biological mother. The metal hanger fell down heavily, and her mother, Liu Xiu, gripped her arm tightly, saying she loved her, while Xiang Shuhuai remained silent.

The dim and cramped living room, filled with the smell of alcohol, the scent of ink from her mother’s clothes, and the shadows cast by the clothes hanging outside the window. The real Xiang Shuhuai stood at one side, silently watching it all.

In her childhood, she only saw a quiet numbness on her face, mixed with some confusion, as if she didn’t understand why love had to be so painful.

Until—until the next moment, the child in the dream began to change. She slowly transformed into a younger version of Yu Xiaoxiao.

Yu Xiaoxiao had messy, light-colored curly hair, an apple-like face, and round, tear-filled eyes full of unfamiliar fear and pain. She tilted her head up to look at the abuser, and large tears fell.

“Mom…!” little Yu Xiaoxiao cried, not understanding why she was in such a situation. “Wuwu, mom, don’t hit me… wuwu…”

The person swinging the hanger and cruelly beating the little girl suddenly changed from Liu Xiu into Chairman Yu, her face twisted with a madness similar to Liu Xiu’s.

Little Yu Xiaoxiao was crying, unable to avoid the pain: “Mom—”

The hanger fell.

“—No!!”

Xiang Shuhuai rushed forward, trying to protect the little Yu Xiaoxiao.

But her body was transparent, and she had turned into her younger self, small and powerless, unable to block anything.

She desperately hugged little Yu Xiaoxiao, trying to shield her from the pain. But the hanger passed right through her body, landing on little Yu Xiaoxiao instead.

The pain exploded in her body, and little Yu Xiaoxiao trembled in her arms, crying and asking for her mother to stop, the heavy tears dripping onto Xiang Shuhuai’s neck, almost soaking her soul.

Xiang Shuhuai jumped up, wanting to stop the nightmare that mixed the traits of Liu Xiu and Chairman Yu, but she just passed through their bodies, falling to the side.

She tried to grab things from the coffee table and throw them at the abuser, but her hands passed right through the objects.

She tried to wake up, but the effect of the medication held her down, and no matter what, she couldn’t escape the dream.

“Don’t…”

In the end, all she could do was hold little Yu Xiaoxiao in her arms, helplessly trying to shield her from the falling hanger, feeling the pain and surprise in the heavy tears landing on her neck, weakly pleading.

“Don’t… don’t hit her…”

Little Yu Xiaoxiao trembled and cried in her arms, and she too shook in despair.

“Don’t hit her… please… it hurts, don’t hit her…”

Suddenly, the dream shifted. Everyone else disappeared, leaving only her and Yu Xiaoxiao.

A grown-up Yu Xiaoxiao, still looking sad and restrained.

Xiang Shuhuai instinctively realized that this was Yu Xiaoxiao after a falling-out with her family, leaving them behind in discord.

“…Wuwu,” the grown-up Yu Xiaoxiao wiped her tears and tried to smile, but the smile wouldn’t come. “Wuwu, Xiang Shuhuai…”

She said, “Xiang Shuhuai… I don’t have a family anymore.”

“But I don’t regret it.”

The Yu Xiaoxiao in the dream spoke in a voice that sent a cold shiver through Xiang Shuhuai.

“—Because I want to protect you. Even if I don’t have a family anymore, I don’t regret it.”

That night, Yu Xiaoxiao also woke up once, groggy and confused.

Strangely, though summer had passed, and it had rained and cooled down recently, she felt like she had woken up because of heat.

When she woke up, her blanket was nowhere to be found, and she was sweating heavily. The alpha girl lazily turned over and fell back asleep in the increasingly sweet, warm scent filling the room.

By morning, when the alarm clock woke her, the strange heat still lingered in her body.

When Yu Xiaoxiao sat up, she still felt a little dizzy and restless, similar to when she occasionally had a fever, but it wasn’t as uncomfortable. She checked her body temperature with her hand but couldn’t tell if it had risen.

…Maybe her palms were just too warm. Yu Xiaoxiao thought as she checked again, but it didn’t make much difference.

After stretching a bit and finding nothing wrong, her body felt as strong as usual. It didn’t seem like a fever. She couldn’t be bothered to check her temperature again, so she decided to just move on and make breakfast.

Breakfast was simple: frozen handmade dumplings, soy milk, fried eggs, bacon, and half an apple for each person.

Yu Xiaoxiao’s cooking skills had improved significantly. She quickly cooked the dishes that needed frying, poured the soaked soybeans into the soy milk machine, and then picked up the washed apple. She began carving a rabbit shape from the apple, following a tutorial on her phone.

It wasn’t difficult. She had learned sculpture for a while, and even though the fruit knife was a bit clumsy, carving a simple rabbit was easy for her.

Four or five little rabbits sat neatly on the clean plate. Yu Xiaoxiao rested her chin in thought for a moment, then decided to carve a small cat.

With pointy ears, a proud face, a little mouth, and a long tail…

She became engrossed in carving the apple and couldn’t help but think about the person who would share this breakfast with her.

Her relationship had become clingy, but still, she was that cold and aloof Xiang Shuhuai, the same person she had always been. Yu Xiaoxiao remembered yesterday, how soft her lips had felt when she bit her hand, the two of them hiding under the table, breathing intertwined, and how Xiang Shuhuai had stood in the hallway, waiting for the punishment to come, her face lowered in quiet anticipation.

Her cheeks were so cold and soft, like a tear when touched with her fingertips…

Yu Xiaoxiao was lost in thought.

Just thinking about that Big Ice Block made a strange, burning sensation rise in her chest.

—It’s so hot.

It felt like the heat and thirst she experienced when she woke up in the middle of the night, faintly disoriented. It was a feeling so familiar, buried deep inside her bones, that when the right moment came, it surged up like a wave. It came with no reason, leaving Yu Xiaoxiao puzzled. She stopped, lowering her head to look at her clothes.

They were already thin enough. She was wearing a short-sleeve shirt and shorts, which, in October’s autumn, was cool enough that if Xu Huai saw it, she would probably raise her brows in surprise.

…So sweet. At that moment, Yu Xiaoxiao suddenly smelled an unusually sweet scent in the air.

Her soy milk hadn’t been sweetened yet, and the apple’s sweetness could never be this strong. Finally, Yu Xiaoxiao lowered her head, tugged at the collar of her shirt, and sniffed it, pinpointing the source of the sweet scent.

—Pheromones.

It was like she had slathered herself in all the stock from a bakery, or spilled a whole bottle of sweet cream fragrance. The smell was so sweet that it almost felt aggressive, as if it were about to become a physical presence and wrap itself around her. It made her restless, like a fire was lit inside her chest.

—This is bad.

Realizing it was her own pheromones, Yu Xiaoxiao suddenly jumped up, slapping her neck as if trying to push the pheromones back in.

She quickly opened the windows between the kitchen and living room, then rushed to the bedroom to grab her suppression spray.

Afterward, Yu Xiaoxiao put on a fresh, intact suppressor sticker and sprayed the blocking agent all over her body, going back through the space she passed, spraying it in the living and dining rooms until the strong, sweet scent of her pheromones was finally covered up.

The blocking spray was colorless and odorless, but Yu Xiaoxiao had sprayed so much that Xu Huai, walking into the dining room, paused, her eyes full of confusion.

She reached out and tested the air, speaking softly, “…Why is it so humid?”

The alpha girl shook her head vigorously.

“I don’t know,” she said innocently. “Maybe it rained last night?”

—Outside, the ground was bone dry, the sky was clear, and the sun was shining brightly. It was almost like she was blatantly lying. Xu Huai looked at her suspiciously for a moment but decided to let it go. “…Alright then.”

Still, Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t know what was going on either.

She hesitated, wondering if she had caught a chill the night before, but it didn’t feel like when she had a fever—she felt hot, and yet full of energy, like she could go for a few more kilometers of practice and not feel tired.

And then, there was the feeling she couldn’t quite explain.

“…Yu Xiaoxiao?” Xu Huai asked, noticing her zoning out, a trace of concern in her expression as she walked toward her. “What’s wrong?”

Suddenly snapped out of her thoughts, Yu Xiaoxiao looked into the calm black eyes of the other person, feeling an unexpected sense of guilt.

“Ah…ah…”

She flustered for a moment, blinking quickly, and finally said, “Um, Big Ice Block, can you check if I have a fever?”

Seeing her lean forward, Xu Huai raised her hand and placed her palm against Yu Xiaoxiao’s forehead.

—Her hand was so soft, cool to the touch, delicate with defined bones, and carrying a faint, crisp scent unique to her.

Like a cloud.

A soft, fluffy cloud that sometimes felt damp and gentle.

That simple touch seemed to soothe the strange heat inside Yu Xiaoxiao’s body.

It was like a thirsty traveler finally receiving the refreshing rain. Yu Xiaoxiao stared into Xu Huai’s eyes, filled with concern and subtle ripples, forgetting everything for a moment. All she felt was that a sliver of moonlight, reminiscent of Xu Huai’s eyes, had illuminated her heart—peaceful and cool.

Xu Huai was used to suppressors, but since they were at home and Yu Xiaoxiao had been especially careful with her pheromones since her differentiation, she hadn’t used any rigorous protection.

At that moment, there was half a meter between them, and she could smell the faintest trace of Xu Huai’s pheromones.

It was very subtle, like a wisp of mist swirling around the moonlight on a dark, quiet night—barely perceptible, slipping away if she tried to grab it, leaving only a damp trace.

But it was so quiet.

…And it smelled so nice.

Yu Xiaoxiao stood there, stunned, her thoughts blank. The burning heat in her chest was extinguished for a moment, only to surge back with greater intensity. A strange thought rose in her heart.

She wanted… she wanted to reach out, to hold her, to crush the moonlight in her arms…

Slightly uneasy under her gaze, Xu Huai lowered her eyes and said softly, “…I’ll go get a thermometer.”

Yu Xiaoxiao reached out and stopped her from leaving.

“Don’t go.” She said it with a little stubbornness. “Don’t go, Xu Huai.”

Xu Huai had no choice but to nod, sitting down at the dining table with her. The table was filled with various dishes.

“Eat more, Big Ice Block.” Yu Xiaoxiao sat opposite her, resting her chin in her hand, grumbling, “You didn’t eat properly last night. From lunch till now, it’s been so long. You haven’t had anything to eat all day. I’ve already sweetened the soy milk, do you want me to add more?”

Xu Huai, with her head lowered, shook her head as she ate her dumplings.

—Oh, right. The alpha girl suddenly remembered something she hadn’t had the chance to mention yesterday and tilted her head. “Big Ice Block, don’t worry about Yao Yao. I’ll talk to her. Don’t take anything she said seriously. You don’t need to worry about what she says. Is that alright?”

She said it lightly, as if it was just as casual as whether or not to add sugar to the soy milk.

…But it made Xu Huai pause, her hand holding the chopsticks still for a long while.

Finally, she said, “…You don’t need to do that, Yu Xiaoxiao.”

Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t quite understand. “Huh?”

“I mean, you… don’t need to talk to her.”

“No.” Yu Xiaoxiao responded, seeing that Xu Huai’s expression wasn’t too good. She comforted her, “Yao Yao just has some misunderstandings about you and our relationship. I’ll explain it to her. Once she understands, everything will be fine. It’s okay, Big Ice Block. You don’t need to worry, I’ll take care of it.”

Xu Huai shook her head slightly.

“… Yu Yao doesn’t have any misunderstandings about me.” Her voice was calm as she said this, “Yu Xiaoxiao, you don’t need to do this for my sake.”

She said this while slightly lowering her eyes, not looking directly at Yu Xiaoxiao.

“Anyway… when the time comes,” Xiang Shuhuai said softly, “we’ll part ways. There’s no need to create conflicts between me and your family. It’s not worth it.”

“—Part ways?”

She spoke softly, but Yu Xiaoxiao immediately heard the key word.

The alpha girl put down her chopsticks, sat up straight, and her eyes instinctively widened.

“Why do we need to part ways?”

Xiang Shuhuai raised her gaze and gave a faint smile.

… It was a smile that didn’t look like the calculating Xiao Xiang, almost as if she were about to cry any second.

“I mean, you don’t need to talk to Yu Yao about anything.”

That expression quickly disappeared, and Xiang Shuhuai just said, “She doesn’t like us being together. In the future, when we’re still together, try not to run into her.”

Yu Xiaoxiao shook her head, not accepting this answer. Her expression remained serious: “—Xiang Shuhuai, why do we have to part ways?”

Xiang Shuhuai didn’t answer. Yu Xiaoxiao kept staring at her, determined to get an answer.

The quiet omega girl in front of her looked at her, her expression almost pleading:

“Yu Xiaoxiao…”

“Xiang Shuhuai,” but Yu Xiaoxiao was still determined to ask, “Why do we need to part ways? Are you breaking up with me? Why?”

Xiang Shuhuai looked at her for a long while, and there was almost a sharp, mocking glint in her eyes. Yu Xiaoxiao instinctively felt that the mockery was aimed at her.

“… Of course,” she spoke, “Yu Xiaoxiao, can we really be together forever?”

Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t understand: “—Why not?”

Xiang Shuhuai laughed lightly.

“You’ll have to part from me someday, Yu Xiaoxiao.” She said softly, “You don’t need to argue with me in front of your family. They’re the ones who can be with you forever.”

Yu Xiaoxiao stood up: “We can stay together forever. Xiang Shuhuai. As long as you don’t want to leave, we can always be together.”

“… You won’t like me forever. Yu Xiaoxiao, when you realize what kind of person I am, you won’t be able to like me anymore.” Xiang Shuhuai closed her eyes and said in that calm voice, “And, Yu Yao doesn’t have any misunderstandings about me. She probably understands me better than you.”

… She was talking to herself.

Yu Xiaoxiao stood there, feeling an unfamiliar anger rise in her chest.

Was Xiang Shuhuai saying all of this to break up with her? Telling her that she didn’t understand her, saying that they’d eventually part, saying they couldn’t be together forever—

“… I won’t.”

Yu Xiaoxiao heard herself speak, her voice carrying the heat that had stayed with her since the night before, almost burning.

She felt her heart pounding faster and faster, wanting to be ignited.

Thump, thump, thump.

She wanted to reach out, make the moon, which had been avoiding her, never escape again. She wanted to keep Xiang Shuhuai with her forever, or to pull her into her own body.

She persisted, saying, “Xiang Shuhuai, I won’t leave you.”

And that Big Ice Block twitched the corner of her mouth.

“… That’s why.” Xiang Shuhuai shook her head lightly, her voice as soft as a feather, “Yu Xiaoxiao, you don’t even know what you’re saying.”

“—Why don’t I know?”

… The strange magma in her chest surged again, and Yu Xiaoxiao couldn’t suppress her anger.

“Xiang Shuhuai, why are you making decisions for me? I like you. I know I like you.” She said, her voice carrying the burning anger, “Why do you think you know my heart better than I do? Why are you doing this?”

“Xiang Shuhuai, why do you think like this? Why do you think I will leave you?”

And the Big Ice Block seemed a bit startled, trembling slightly, staring at her in a daze.

Yu Xiaoxiao lost control even more, almost reaching out to grab the person in front of her: “Xiang Shuhuai, I—”

And those dark eyes were filled with panic, despite her efforts to suppress it, making Yu Xiaoxiao remember the fragile side of Xiang Shuhuai.

… In that trembling panic, Yu Xiaoxiao saw her own reflection.

A strange reflection, filled with anger, a kind of primal, buried possessiveness surging up, almost taking over her reason.

She could almost feel her pheromones getting out of control.

“I…” Yu Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth, “I—”

… She heard the voice coming from her chest.

Don’t let her leave.

Possess her, possess her forever, how dare she talk about leaving you?

Make her fear you, make her never say anything about leaving again, make her struggles powerless, only able to cry in your hands—

… No, it can’t happen.

Xiang Shuhuai looked uneasy and fearful, carefully gazing at her: “Yu Xiaoxiao…”

And Yu Xiaoxiao bit her lip tightly, forcing herself to control her last bit of restraint, pulling her hand back and rushing out the door.

When Cong You arrived after receiving the call, she found the alpha girl curled up behind the counter in the convenience store, staring blankly with tearful eyes.

… Seeing this, Cong You sighed helplessly.

“Xiaoxiao.” She said, pulling her up, “Why are you hiding here? You look so pitiful.”

The store owner, a kind beta woman, had already gotten used to Yu Xiaoxiao. When she heard, she quickly waved her hand.

“No trouble, no trouble,” the owner smiled, “Little Yu, just stay for a while, it’s no problem.”

After greeting the owner and buying a few bottles of water, Cong You finally took her sister back to the car.

The convenience store had probably used blocking spray, so there wasn’t a strong scent of pheromones, but as soon as they got close, the strong, sweet scent of Yu Xiaoxiao’s pheromones hit Cong You.

Cong You rolled down the car window, grimacing in disgust: “… Xiaoxiao, what’s that smell? What did you do?”

“I don’t know…” Her sister sniffed, rubbing her eyes fiercely, “It’s just, since last night, I’ve felt so hot… and it’s still hot now, so weird…”

“… You’re in your sensitive period.”

Yu Xiaoxiao was stunned: “Huh?”

“I told you this before, but you didn’t listen.” Cong You tapped her head, “Sensitive period. Periodic. Restlessness, pheromone release, increased possessiveness towards your omega, and hostility toward other alphas. This smell is exactly like it.”

The alpha girl nodded in a daze: “Ah…”

“What do you want to do?” Cong You asked, “It’ll probably last a week. You cried your eyes out on the first day, and it’ll probably get worse. Are you sure you want to stay at home with Xiao Shuhuai? Want to go stay somewhere else for a while?”

Yu Xiaoxiao just vaguely nodded, then shook her head. Cong You sighed again and acted according to her own plans.

She started the car, glanced at the red-eyed girl in the passenger seat, and teased: “Now you remember me, huh, Xiaoxiao?”

Yu Xiaoxiao wiped her tears again, explaining seriously: “I didn’t dare… I didn’t dare let Gu Wei come… I’m afraid she’ll smell that Big Ice Block’s scent, it’ll be bad for her…”

“I know.” Cong You smiled, “You’re working hard, Xiaoxiao.”

“Mm,” Yu Xiaoxiao shook her head, “It’s fine…”

She said, wiping away her tears once more. Her heart weighed down with worries about that Big Ice Block, and in her sister’s silent comfort, she quickly leaned against the car window, falling into a light sleep.

Meanwhile, Xiang Shuhuai was on her way to the doctor’s office, preparing for a checkup.

“We need to check your pheromone levels and your gland activity.”

On the call, the doctor in a white coat spoke, “Because we’ll be using synthetic alpha pheromones to stimulate the glands, there might be some discomfort… Once you arrive, go to the lab, is that okay?”

“… Alright.”

Xiang Shuhuai looked through the treatment plan and spoke softly.

“Let’s do it like this.”