Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 78

“Can I…?”

Xiang Shuhuai’s voice got softer and softer, her face burning up, and she could hardly bring herself to look into those bright, innocent eyes.

In the end, she could only tug at the corner of the Alpha girl’s shirt, her question coming out a little unclear.

“Um… can I?”

The Alpha girl’s soft lips were as plump and red as strawberry hearts, bright in color, healthy and moist. Just looking at them, one could almost taste a hint of sweetness.

Looking at them, Xiang Shuhuai instinctively licked her lips, moistening them, eagerly awaiting what would come next—

But Yu Xiaoxiao just tilted her head, looking at her in confusion.

Xiang Shuhuai blushed even more, murmuring, “Yu Xiaoxiao…”

“Ah!” Yu Xiaoxiao suddenly realized, nodding, “Okay.”

Before Xiang Shuhuai could even close her eyes, she saw Yu Xiaoxiao scoop a little honey with a small spoon, and with an exaggerated “ah~”, offered the spoon to her.

Xiang Shuhuai, still a bit stunned, instinctively opened her mouth and took the spoon.

The rich, sweet taste of honey spread across her tongue as she watched the Alpha girl gently take the spoon back, smiling.

“Sweet, right, Big Ice Block?” Yu Xiaoxiao smiled brightly, “Do you want to try this?”

Xiang Shuhuai froze for a moment, her ears turning red.

“It’s really sweet, right?” Yu Xiaoxiao said, poking her little dimples. “And it’s great for cooking. I recently learned a lemon soda recipe. Big Ice Block, after we’re done with the seasoning, I’ll make it for you to try, okay? Ah, is it too hot? Why is your face so red…?”

In the frustrating, embarrassed emptiness of her unmet expectations, Xiang Shuhuai’s ears reddened even more, and she quietly whispered, “…It’s not.”

Her voice was so quiet that Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t hear clearly. “What?”

Xiang Shuhuai turned her face away, shaking her head lightly, and fell silent.

“…Big Ice Block?” Yu Xiaoxiao seemed puzzled, noticing her face was unusually red. She continued to ask, “What’s wrong, Big Ice Block? Is it too sweet for you? Do you not like it? I can get you some water if you want…”

Before she could finish, Xiang Shuhuai lightly tugged on her sleeve.

Yu Xiaoxiao turned, puzzled, and saw the Omega girl standing there with a somewhat wronged expression, quietly looking at her and shaking her head.

“…Don’t go.” Xiang Shuhuai whispered, “Please don’t.”

Yu Xiaoxiao tilted her head in confusion.

“…Alright.” She thought for a moment, then agreed. Reaching out, she gently patted the soft hair on top of Xiang Shuhuai’s head, messing up the long hair she had tied loosely. “I won’t go, Big Ice Block. If you’re not feeling well, tell me, okay?”

So, in the end, Xiang Shuhuai stayed seated under the shade of a tree, combing her hair back in the rocking chair, sulking by herself.

She bit her lip, feeling wronged, and thought to herself, why wouldn’t Yu Xiaoxiao kiss her?

They had kissed before, even before meeting Gu Wei today.

Xiang Shuhuai stared at the ends of her hair, lost in thought for a long time, feeling empty inside, and suddenly realized something.

…Yu Xiaoxiao was so skilled, so experienced, with such an attractive appearance, cute yet handsome, her personality so bright and gentle, like a light that drew people near.

If she wanted to pursue someone, she probably wouldn’t fail.

So… did Yu Xiaoxiao… maybe date other people, kiss them too?

She imagined a younger, more innocent version of Yu Xiaoxiao holding hands and hugging others, and… kissing them. A sour, uncomfortable feeling spread in her chest.

But she hadn’t experienced that…

Thinking about it, Xiang Shuhuai slowly squeezed her wrist, feeling even more wronged as she lifted her gaze to look at the giant daikon radish in the garden.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiaoxiao was already preparing to grill things, completely unaware of what was going through Xiang Shuhuai’s mind. Noticing her gaze, she looked up and smiled brightly.

“Big Ice Block!” She exaggerated the lip movement, asking, “What’s wrong—”

…That smile.

That innocent, pure smile that made it impossible to refuse.

Yu Xiaoxiao probably used that smile to express her passion and affection to her previous girlfriend.

The more Xiang Shuhuai thought about it, the more wronged she felt, glaring at her before turning away, leaving Yu Xiaoxiao standing there, confused, wondering what she had done to upset her cat again.

Xiang Shuhuai was just thinking—since Yu Xiaoxiao had kissed before…

…Maybe she thought she was boring, the least interesting of anyone she’d ever kissed, and that was why she didn’t want to kiss her.

Xiang Shuhuai slowly realized this.

Every time they kissed before, she had been so awkward. No matter how much she tried to improve, she was always clumsy, passive, and uninteresting.

Maybe because of that dream, she suddenly remembered the things Gu Jiaxiao had said about her.

Saying she was boring, too reserved, old-fashioned. And that even in relationships, she didn’t offer any sweetness.

Now, with Doctor Xie forbidding them from going further, her body wouldn’t allow it.

…Did Yu Xiaoxiao think she was boring too? That she was uninteresting, too conservative with intimacy, and now, since they couldn’t even have s3x, she had nothing else to give her?

They hadn’t marked each other yet, couldn’t even if they wanted to. If Yu Xiaoxiao wanted to leave, she could do so at any time, without spending any extra effort.

…But she didn’t want that.

With that thought, Xiang Shuhuai tightly closed her eyes, desperately trying to suppress the strange, sour pain in her heart. She quickly devised a plan and took out her phone to search for the information she needed.

“Do it better,” she told herself.

“Don’t be shy, don’t keep waiting. Otherwise, Yuyu Xiaoxiao will eventually get tired of all of this.”

Maybe… as long as she wasn’t so boring, conservative, or overly reserved, and learned some of those adult techniques, Yuyu Xiaoxiao might be willing to kiss her?

Because she was so focused on her plan and the new, bold techniques she had learned, Xiang Shuhuai barely noticed the taste of her food during dinner.

She mechanically swallowed the food, trying to avoid Yuyu Xiaoxiao’s innocent and clear gaze but forcing herself to keep looking, maintaining the most normal expression she could manage.

…She couldn’t escape.

Xiang Shuhuai told herself. It was just a gaze. And what she would do next was far more than just this.

Her acting seemed to be pretty good because Yuyu Xiaoxiao didn’t notice anything unusual. The two happily finished their barbecue under the autumn sky, and after eating, Yuyu Xiaoxiao insisted on cleaning up the grill herself, not letting her touch anything in case she burned herself.

Since Xiang Shuhuai wanted to practice the techniques she had just learned, she didn’t refuse.

She nodded in agreement, slowly prepared the ingredients in the kitchen, then carried the wine upstairs, quietly sitting on the bed in the dark, hugging her knees, waiting.

…It should be fine.

Her heart was beating fast, so Xiang Shuhuai buried her head in her knees, quietly comforting herself.

Even if she wasn’t very good at it, and Yuyu Xiaoxiao didn’t like it, at least she probably wouldn’t dislike it either. So it would be fine.

Maybe it was because the attic was so dark and quiet, but Xiang Shuhuai, curled up on the low bed, was almost shivering from the cold.

After what seemed like forever, Yuyu Xiaoxiao, having finished cleaning the grill, finally arrived, opening the attic door.

“Big Ice Block,” Yuyu Xiaoxiao said, seeing the darkness, “Why didn’t you pull the curtains? It’s so dark.”

With a swoosh, the room was suddenly lit up, the still darkness shattered, and starlight spilled over Yuyu Xiaoxiao.

She looked at the clear night sky filled with stars and smiled. “It’s so beautiful. There are so many stars tonight.”

Xiang Shuhuai quietly nodded, reached out to grab her sleeve. Yuyu Xiaoxiao, following her pull, sat down by the bed, looking a little confused. “Big Ice Block, what’s wrong?”

Xiang Shuhuai softly and straightforwardly asked, “—Do you want to kiss?”

Yuyu Xiaoxiao blinked in surprise, paused for a moment, then replied, “Okay…”

Xiang Shuhuai then took the ingredients she had prepared. She rubbed a small amount of salt on Yuyu Xiaoxiao’s lips and bit off a small piece of lemon.

Next, the Omega girl took a sip of cold tequila, held it in her mouth, and kissed Yuyu Xiaoxiao’s lips, which were dusted with salt.

Yuyu Xiaoxiao instinctively responded, and the strong taste of alcohol filled their mouths.

The drink was cold, with a slight salty and lemony tang, but it mixed with the heat of their lips, the cold and warmth sending shivers through their nerves.

Xiang Shuhuai kissed her forcefully and actively. Though it was still clumsy, she took the lead, refusing to stop even though she was nearly out of breath and trembling in Yuyu Xiaoxiao’s arms. The air itself seemed to grow hotter.

She kissed with intensity, but the teasing felt incomplete. Luckily, Yuyu Xiaoxiao still had some self-control and didn’t fully take over, continuing the kiss forcefully.

—Her body trembled even more, so she gently but firmly broke the kiss, holding Xiang Shuhuai by the waist.

Yuyu Xiaoxiao looked at her, and saw that Xiang Shuhuai was retreating slightly, quietly staring at her.

…That was strange. The long kiss didn’t seem to have made her cheeks heat up.

Because Xiang Shuhuai’s face remained pale, without a hint of redness, and in the dim attic, her face looked almost transparent.

Yuyu Xiaoxiao, confused, reached out and touched her pale, thin cheek.

“Did… did I do well, Yuyu Xiaoxiao?”

Xiang Shuhuai leaned in again, as if to kiss her, but instead softly asked near her lips.

Her voice was a little unsteady, slightly hoarse, and it sounded so tempting, like a siren’s whisper.

And her black eyes—whether from her emotions or the kiss—were filled with misty warmth, almost like the moon reflected in a deep pool of water, hazy and faintly shining, yet on the verge of shattering.

Yuyu Xiaoxiao’s hand gently touched Xiang Shuhuai’s cheek, and the Omega girl quietly tilted her head, pressing her cheek into her hand.

It was indeed cold. Ice-cold and soft.

The strong smell of tequila lingered in the air.

Xiang Shuhuai looked at her eyes, lightly tugged at her lip corner, and suddenly kissed her again.

“I will… I will be good at this… mmm, Yuyu Xiaoxiao…”

In the cold, alcoholic kiss, Yuyu Xiaoxiao heard her whispering these words, her voice breaking in the heat of their lips.

“I will be good at it… Don’t reject me…”