Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 75

[Vvvv, when you see her later, don’t freak out, okay? Try to keep your reaction restrained.]

After parking the car, Yu Xiaoxiao secretly typed a message.

[Seriously, keep it very restrained.]

[Please don’t scare her!]

The reply came back quickly.

V: Come on, Xiaoyu, she’s just a person like the rest of us. What could possibly freak me out?

V: You’re exaggerating so much.

She even sent an emoji of a hand beckoning.

V: So precious—let me see what kind of fresh little flower your clumsy little fish self has managed to bring home.

[It’s not like that.]

Seeing that she wasn’t taking it seriously, Yu Xiaoxiao hastily sent another explanation.

[I’m serious, V. You really have to hold back.]

[I’m worried she might misunderstand and think you don’t like her or that you’re against us being together.]

Being repeatedly reminded by Yu Xiaoxiao—who only days ago was a total newbie needing guidance on dating—made Gu Wei’s typing cursor bounce quickly, with messages popping up one after another.

V: You think I’d scare her? Xiaoyu, I’m way better at this than you are.

V: Relax. I’ve got this under control. Your girlfriend isn’t made of glass, okay?

Yu Xiaoxiao could only send a “thank you” emoji in reply, and Gu Wei shot back with a bomb emoji.

Fine.

She couldn’t help but chuckle helplessly. Carefully putting away her phone, she turned her attention to the Omega girl curled up in the passenger seat, her head buried in a pillow, sleeping peacefully.

Not made of glass?

…Sometimes, she really felt like her lover was made of glass.

Maybe it was because of the overly tense morning, combined with the stress of injecting herself with medication. During the short car ride, Xiang Shuhuai had already fallen asleep. Even as she slept, her slightly furrowed brows carried a hint of fatigue.

But she was so pale. The only hint of color was the light sheen on her lips, like flower petals kissed by dew—fragile and soft. Her cheeks were almost transparent with their pallor.

Looking at her like this, Xiang Shuhuai really did resemble a beautiful glass sculpture, delicate and translucent, as though she might shatter at any moment.

Yu Xiaoxiao found herself wanting to reach out and touch her cheek. But in the end, her hand stopped in midair, hesitating before her fingers lightly brushed past those soft lips.

Xiang Shuhuai was used to working late. Her health wasn’t great, and she always had a million things weighing on her mind. This rare chance to relax and nap was precious, and Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t have the heart to wake her up.

There was still time before their meeting with Gu Wei, so she decided to let her sleep a bit longer.

But before long, the phone in Xiang Shuhuai’s pocket buzzed.

She woke up immediately, almost instinctively pulling out her phone to check the new message. After a moment of thought, she typed a reply and turned off the screen. It was only then that her sleepy black eyes looked over at Yu Xiaoxiao.

Her expression was adorably blank, entirely free of the guarded look she wore while working—like a cat startled awake from a nap. “Huh…”

…Too cute.

Yu Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but lean over and kiss her on the lips.

“Big Ice Block,” she teased, gently nibbling on the soft lips. “You’re so cute.”

Still half-asleep, Xiang Shuhuai sat there, blinking in confusion. Her lips parted instinctively, waiting for another kiss.

Yu Xiaoxiao kissed her again and again. With each gentle kiss, Xiang Shuhuai’s body softened, her cheeks flushed pink, and she clung to Yu Xiaoxiao’s sleeve, craving more contact.

But just as Xiang Shuhuai was melting into the moment, Yu Xiaoxiao suddenly stopped.

Xiang Shuhuai waited for a while, confused and a little upset, before calling out softly, “Yu Xiaoxiao…”

“Nope.”

Yu Xiaoxiao smiled, planting a quick kiss on the tip of her nose before pulling back and settling back into the driver’s seat.

“Dr. Xie said no excessive physical contact. Otherwise, it’ll make you uncomfortable.”

The Omega girl sat there, her body still weak and her eyes slightly red from the lingering kisses. Her black eyes looked at Yu Xiaoxiao, wet and pleading, as she tugged at her sleeve. But it slowly dawned on her that Yu Xiaoxiao really wasn’t going to give her any more kisses.

“…Yuyu Xiaoxiao!” She bit her lip and called out in a small, aggrieved voice. “You’re doing this on purpose…”

The alpha girl was thoroughly pleased, her grin widening.

“No, I’m not,” she replied, her tone light and teasing. “I’m just following the doctor’s orders.”

Xiang Shuhuai glared at her fiercely and reached out to punch her on the shoulder—only for Yuyu Xiaoxiao to catch her hand midair and pull it close, giving her knuckles a playful nibble.

“But you’re just too cute, Big Ice Block,” Xiaoxiao said with a laugh.

—Cute enough to make me want to tease you a little more.

Xiang Shuhuai squirmed as Xiaoxiao’s playful bite tickled her fingers. It was as if the girl had turned into a puppy, gently gnawing on her hand like it was a chew toy. Unable to break free, Xiang Shuhuai finally slumped back into the passenger seat, resolutely ignoring her.

Xiaoxiao leaned closer, resting her head on Shuhuai’s shoulder with a soft chuckle. “Shall we go, Big Ice Block?”

The private dining room of a quiet bistro.

A striking alpha woman sat at one end of the table, dressed casually in slacks and a light sweater, with a shawl draped over her shoulders to ward off the lingering chill. Her long, wavy hair cascaded gracefully as she sipped tea with a serene smile.

[Wei]

Her phone screen lit up with a new message from a friend.

[On our way!]

And then:

[We’re really coming in now!]

…Oh, come on. Gu Wei couldn’t help but smile wryly. This lovestruck idiot.

Why send a heads-up for something so simple?

What’s with all this mystery? And making it sound so dramatic—what kind of person has my dumb best friend managed to snag this time?

A delicate and sweet omega who looks like she might break if you breathe on her? Another rash and excitable heiress like herself? Or perhaps someone mature and gentle, like Cong You?

Still, remembering how insistent Xiaoxiao had been about this meeting, Gu Wei smoothed her expression and practiced her most welcoming smile before typing a brief reply:

[Got it.]

[We’re coming in now! Really, we are!]

Xiaoxiao’s enthusiasm was practically bouncing off the screen.

Gu Wei rolled her eyes slightly and typed back: [Just get in here already.]

Moments later, the faint sound of the door handle turning reached her ears.

She could almost picture the scene—a goofy, wide-eyed fish wagging its tail as it clumsily entered the room, proudly presenting a delicate, precious flower in its mouth—

Gu Wei shook her head, smiling to herself.

The door opened.

And then, hand-in-hand, the two figures appeared in the doorway.

“Weiwei!” Xiaoxiao waved enthusiastically, her usual bright grin lighting up her face. “We’re here!”

Turning toward the person beside her, she introduced her companion with visible pride. “This is Gu Wei, my best friend since high school. You’ve probably heard me mention her—don’t be fooled by how unreliable she looks; she’s actually super dependable. Wei, this is my girlfriend…”

At this, Xiaoxiao hesitated, her cheeks flushing slightly as she tightened her grip on her partner’s hand.

“I know you’ll recognize her… huh, Weiwei?” Xiaoxiao tilted her head in confusion, noticing her friend’s lack of response. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Gu Wei’s hand froze mid-air, still holding her teacup.

Her eyes darted between Xiaoxiao, Xiang Shuhuai, and their interlocked hands. Back and forth, back and forth.

Her brain stalled as she processed the sight before her.

Xiaoxiao tilted her head further, even more perplexed. “—Wei?”

Gu Wei blinked, but the scene didn’t change.

Meanwhile, Xiang Shuhuai stood there, her posture slightly stiff, and offered a polite, cautious greeting. “Hello.”

…Not a hallucination. It really was her.

The teacup slipped from Gu Wei’s grasp.

With a clatter, the tea spilled across the table.

In the restroom, Gu Wei furiously dabbed at the tea stains on her clothes, while Xiaoxiao trailed after her, looking worried.

“Wei,” Xiaoxiao began hesitantly, “are you okay?”

…Gu Wei was still in a daze, her mind stuck on one thought: What the hell?!

She couldn’t reconcile the image of her goofy, lovestruck best friend—the one who had been fretting over whether to hold hands during their first date and agonizing over how to confess—with the person standing next to her now.

That person… Xiang Shuhuai?

The reality hit her like a hammer, leaving her utterly dumbfounded.

It wasn’t like some clueless little pup had somehow brought home a delicate flower bud.

No—it was more like a silly little puppy had unknowingly dragged a wolf with hidden fangs back to its den. Completely oblivious, it happily licked the wolf’s fur and spun in circles, wagging its tail like crazy, while busy setting up their shared nest.

The initial shock in Gu Wei’s mind gradually faded, and she finally began to process everything, albeit slowly.

“…I knew it. Who else could secretly be in love with Sister Yu?”

She muttered to herself, turning off the faucet. Seeing Yu Xiaoxiao leaning closer with a curious look because she hadn’t heard clearly, Gu Wei raised her wet hand and firmly pinched her cheeks.

“Wow, Yu Xiaoxiao!” Gu Wei exclaimed. “You’re amazing. My goodness, you don’t make a move often, but when you do, you go big—”

Yu Xiaoxiao’s face scrunched up from the pinching, but she frowned slightly at the words, mumbling in protest, “Don’t say it like that… She’s not some object to ‘get.’ That sounds so weird.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Gu Wei immediately raised her hands in surrender. “That was thoughtless of me. I shouldn’t have said it that way. Guess I’ve been hanging around Lin Jian and those guys too much.”

She was referring to a few of the alpha second-gens in their circle, notorious for their messy private lives and wild behavior.

“I think so too,” Yu Xiaoxiao said, her cheeks still red from the pinching. She grumbled, “You should keep your distance from them. Otherwise, even Xiao Xian won’t want to deal with you anymore.”

“Oh, heavens,” Gu Wei said dramatically, teasing her. “Look at you! Having a girlfriend has really changed you. Little Fish, don’t you remember last time when Manager Yu said something similar to you, and you came crying to me? Look at you now—it’s like night and day—”

Yu Xiaoxiao nudged her with her elbow. “That’s called progress!”

After some playful back-and-forth, Gu Wei finally grew serious. She looked at Yu Xiaoxiao and asked, “Little Fish, are you two serious about this?”

“Of course we are.” Meeting her best friend’s gaze, Yu Xiaoxiao nodded firmly.

In her heart, she silently added that it was still too early to say anything. When their six-month anniversary came around, she planned to propose to Xiang Shuhuai. Their relationship would take the next step then.

Gu Wei stared at her for a moment, then finally nodded back.

“All right,” she said, patting Yu Xiaoxiao’s shoulder with a smile. “Fine, go on back now, Little Fish.”

When they returned to the private room, Xiang Shuhuai was still waiting quietly. There were now several shopping bags beside her, and Gu Wei recognized the brand right away—it was the same kind of clothes she usually wore.

When she saw them enter, Xiang Shuhuai stood up and placed the bags on the table between them.

“I asked my assistant to pick these up. The sizes should be about right,” she said softly, gesturing to the damp tea stain on Gu Wei’s dress. “If you don’t mind, you can change into these. My assistant can take care of cleaning your clothes.”

Gu Wei accepted the bags, quickly scanning the brand-new outfit that matched her style. She really couldn’t find a reason to refuse.

…So it was that young CEO Xiang after all.

They weren’t close at all. There was no reason for Xiang Shuhuai to know her clothing size or preferred brand, but somehow, she just did.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiaoxiao remained blissfully unaware. She simply leaned over to hold Xiang Shuhuai’s hand, their fingers intertwining without a care.

“Wow, Big Ice Block,” she exclaimed, eyes sparkling. “You’re amazing—”

Gu Wei sighed, taking the clothes to change.

When she returned, the little lovebirds were already seated at the table, looking all proper. But with just one glance, Gu Wei could tell that they were holding hands under the table, fingers laced together.

Sure enough, Xiang Shuhuai seemed to catch her look. She nudged Yu Xiaoxiao under the table, and only then did the alpha reluctantly let go.

The under-the-table interaction was obvious, mostly because her best friend’s expression was so comically transparent—pouting like a kicked puppy, as if her disappointment was written all over her face.

…Gu Wei almost wished they’d just kept holding hands. Anything was better than the shameless flirting happening right in front of her.

Annoyed at the public display of affection, she poured herself some tea, waiting for Xiang Shuhuai to start the conversation.

It seemed that Xiang Shuhuai wasn’t sure how to address her. After a few moments of hesitation, she finally settled on something.

“Manager Gu,” she said, “You…”

Gu Wei raised an eyebrow at the formality and chuckled. “No need to be so polite, Ms. Xiang.”

Xiang Shuhuai glanced at her, falling silent again.

Yu Xiaoxiao, though oblivious, had sharp instincts.

Frowning, she waved her hand between them and asked, “What’s going on here? Why are you two acting so weird?”