Marked by My Omega Rival After Moving In (GL, ABO) - Chapter 80

The day she returned to the family mansion, it was a perfect sunny day.

The sky was clear, with no clouds in sight, and the brilliant sunshine bathed the ground. It made the neatly trimmed flower beds in the garden glow with a rich, golden color. Even the meticulously designed and stiff trimming patterns seemed to have gained a touch of life.

Xiang Shuhuai squinted against the sunlight as she stood at the open door of the old mansion, calmly gazing at the exquisite garden.

…What a wonderful day.

She thought to herself.

With the sun so bright, even this grand and gloomy mansion of the Xiang family, which loomed like a cold, monstrous beast, seemed to shed some of its weight and appeared lighter. The sunlight drenched the well-maintained bricks and tiles, making it seem like just another ordinary, warm family home.

She couldn’t help but smile mockingly at this thought, before stepping inside the mouth of the beast, ready to attend this banquet of intrigue.

Of course, she had no intention of dining with the Xiang family. If she did, she’d probably suffer from stomach problems for days. The butler and servants had long learned to avoid interfering with the affairs of the future family head, so Xiang Shuhuai walked through the living room alone and made her way up to the study on the second floor.

As expected, Xiang Hongshan was already waiting for her in the study. He was leaning against a comfortable office chair, dressed in casual home clothes. His sharp features were partly hidden by the rising steam from his tea, making his expression unclear.

“Shuhuai,” he said, using the gentle, affectionate tone reserved for a “father,” “You’re here.”

A move made out of politeness, Xiang Shuhuai thought to herself. But not entirely without reason…

She gave a slight nod.

“Father,” she said, “Regarding Xiang Corporation’s investment plan for this month, I wanted to discuss it…”

They talked for a long time about the future of Xiang Corporation, discussing proposals and seeking advice, with Xiang Hongshan giving final instructions as usual. Everything was running as it always had.

It wasn’t until the final investment plan was approved that Xiang Hongshan suddenly spoke again.

“Shuhuai,” he said, “Arrange a meeting around November. Go and finalize it as soon as possible.”

The way he spoke about this arranged marriage was as if he were discussing a casual dinner, dismissive and indifferent, using a tone that left no room for refusal—much like when he had once demanded that his sixteen-year-old daughter wear a gown and attend a dinner that everyone had ulterior motives for.

However, this time, Xiang Shuhuai did not immediately nod and comply.

She simply stood there, saying nothing, calmly and emotionlessly looking at him as she had always done.

The steam from the tea rose slowly, and for a brief moment, Xiang Hongshan’s gaze seemed unfocused. He had a strange feeling that he had seen cold disdain and mockery in his daughter’s eyes—eyes that resembled his late wife’s so closely.

That moment of mockery quickly disappeared, like an illusion.

Perhaps he had just misjudged it.

But that cold feeling made him instinctively shudder, like an animal in the wild briefly locking eyes with another, and sensing whether it should attack or retreat.

…It was the gaze of a predator.

Xiang Shuhuai didn’t miss her father’s momentary stiffness.

She almost laughed—Xiang Hongshan was afraid of her, more than ever before.

He had grown old, and he felt increasingly threatened by his young, powerful heir. Despite being gradually sidelined, his sharp instincts, honed in the business world, still sensed the danger posed by Xiang Shuhuai’s rising power. And his earlier attempt to pull in Yi Anning had failed, leaving him with fewer ways to control her.

Today’s matter, more than a need for marriage, was a test.

This aging, once formidable patriarch, whose fur had lost its luster and whose fangs were now dull, desperately needed to prove his most loyal daughter’s allegiance.

—He would be disappointed.

Xiang Hongshan spoke again, his voice shaking slightly, “Shuhuai—”

“Father,” Xiang Shuhuai interrupted softly, “After the failed joint investment with Hangyan, Xiang Corporation’s funds are tight. I’ve been very busy lately. You don’t need to call me for such matters again.”

Xiang Hongshan was taken aback. He had grown accustomed to the respect and obedience of those around him. Now, being reminded of his past failures made his anger flare up. His veins bulged, and he was visibly furious.

Yet, under his angry gaze, his daughter remained calm, as if nothing had changed, her expression no different from when she had obediently agreed to him in the past, with no trace of defiance.

His fingers trembled in rage, and a wave of fear surged in him. He grabbed the teacup and threw it at his daughter’s feet in a fit of frustration.

After releasing his anger, he gazed at his daughter, unmoving, allowing him to vent. For a brief moment, Xiang Hongshan seemed to regain a sense of control.

…Yes. Xiang Hongshan told himself, she is my daughter. Without me, she would still be stuck in that shabby place, struggling to make a living.

He had defied the opposition of his wife, lovers, and children to elevate her, this illegitimate daughter, to such a high position. What more could she want?

Xiang Shuhuai had always been loyal and obedient to him. How could she betray him?

Reassured, Xiang Hongshan waved his hand casually, dismissing his daughter.

“Alright,” he said, his expression returning to its usual sternness, “Go ahead and meet with them when the time comes.”

Xiang Shuhuai exited the room.

The hallway was quiet. Despite having hundreds of servants, the Xiang family mansion was always eerily silent. The servants moved about without a sound, blending in with the antiques, paintings, and flower arrangements, as if they were mere ornaments. The entire mansion was strict and oppressive.

Xiang Shuhuai had once loathed this place when she was young.

She had once thought, when she gained power, she would surely escape from here.

Now, as she stepped back onto the familiar stairs, she felt a sense of satisfaction.

—After all, the way her father had been seething with anger, forcing himself to maintain a façade of authority, was too amusing.

He was used to being high and mighty, like a feudal emperor with multiple concubines, served by everyone with respect, holding all the power in his hands. Xu Shuhuai’s disrespectful behavior undoubtedly struck a nerve with him.

What was this even?

Xu Shuhai thought, her dark eyes flashing with cold mockery.

It was just an appetizer, a small preview; the main course was still waiting for Xiang Hongshan.

She calmly walked through the hallway and down the stairs, ready to leave this eerie place, when she suddenly bumped into Mrs. Xiang at the bottom of the stairs.

…Or not. Xu Shuhai narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the other woman.

To be exact, it wasn’t a coincidence—Mrs. Xiang was waiting there, blocking her path.

Mrs. Xiang’s maiden name was Lan, and she came from a business background. As a full-time housewife, she fit the classic image of a wealthy wife. At this moment, looking at the illegitimate daughter she both loathed and feared, the usually gentle and calm expression of Mrs. Xiang was now tinged with disgust. Coldly, she spoke, “…Xu Shuhai.”

Xu Shuhai didn’t feel anything particular toward her, seeing her merely as part of the large, ominous Xiang family, while Mrs. Xiang held intense disdain for this illegitimate daughter.

She resembled the goddess Hera from Greek mythology, being in a business marriage with her husband and harboring some fear toward her capable, authoritarian spouse. She dared not control his foolish behavior of seeking lovers, so she would vent her anger on his mistresses.

Those brought back to the Xiang family’s ancestral home were almost always children who had their inheritance rights confirmed. Mrs. Xiang herself had two sons and a daughter through surrogacy, so she despised those who would take away the inheritance from her children, especially those representing her husband’s infidelity.

Unfortunately, most of the mistresses living in the old mansion were not powerless, and Mrs. Xiang could do nothing to them. Xu Shuhai, on the other hand, had been a fragile, quiet child when her biological mother passed away, living alone in the old mansion, making her the easiest target.

Perhaps Mrs. Xiang had once felt a sense of control over her fate through Xu Shuhai.

…However, this weak child, whom she had allowed her children to bully and whom she had even slapped out of frustration, had now grown up and even gained the inheritance rights to the Xiang family, something Mrs. Xiang had longed for. Mrs. Xiang was fearful of the coming revenge and hated Xu Shuhai for taking away what belonged to her and her children.

Xu Shuhai said nothing. She stood quietly on the stairs, coldly looking down at Mrs. Xiang.

—But it was this calm and indifference that struck a sensitive nerve in Mrs. Xiang. The gaze that seemed to treat her like an inanimate object sent a chill of fear through her, followed by a surge of intense anger.

“You… you…” Mrs. Xiang’s voice trembled. She suddenly raised her hand and pointed at her. “Just wait, Xu Shuhai, Hongshan will soon make you marry!”

Xu Shuhai frowned slightly, confused as to why the other woman was suddenly afraid of her and what she was threatening her with.

Mrs. Xiang raised her voice, nearly shrill: “Do you know who your marriage partner is? Xu Shuhai, don’t think you’ll have any good days ahead—this bastard child, you’ll soon find your rightful place!”

…It seemed that the so-called marriage partner might be someone special.

Xu Shuhai didn’t particularly care. After all, she had no intention of going through with it.

She simply nodded, signaling that she understood, then continued walking down, planning to leave through the stairs that Mrs. Xiang was blocking.

Xu Shuhai looked down at her and softly said, “Excuse me.”

Her calm and indifferent expression, as if she were looking at a stranger, made Mrs. Xiang grit her teeth. She raised her hand as though to block her or slap her across the face.

However, after Xu Shuhai shot her a cold glance, Mrs. Xiang instinctively lowered her hand, her teeth chattering in fear.

…It was probably because Xu Shuhai resembled Xiang Hongshan too much, and Mrs. Xiang knew full well what she had done, causing her to instinctively fear her.

Xu Shuhai then walked past her.

Fortunately, after Mrs. Xiang, no one else came to trouble her, and Xu Shuhai was able to leave the mansion that disgusted her deeply.

She had asked her assistant to pick her up. She had sneaked out in the morning, leaving a note for Yu Xiaoxiao, who had bombarded her with messages on the chat window.

The childish Alpha girl had sent multiple messages full of crying little golden retrievers, the puppies pitifully lying in their tears, scolding Xu Shuhai for not letting her come to pick her up, and demanding that she must come to meet her. She said that if Xu Shuhai encountered any trouble, she should tell her so she could protect her, as if Xu Shuhai were about to face a life-threatening situation.

…But at least for now, Xu Shuhai had no intention of causing a scene at the Xiang family.

She arrived at the agreed-upon spot, and Yu Xiaoxiao’s car was already waiting there. The Alpha girl was leaning out the car window, looking around as she waited.

The moment she saw Xu Shuhai, her round eyes lit up, and she jumped out of the car, rushing to her.

“—Big Ice Block!”

Yu Xiaoxiao grabbed her hand, carefully inspecting her wrist and then looking her up and down, quickly repeating the process.

“Did they hurt you at all?”

“No.” Xu Shuhai replied helplessly, letting her examine her. “Really.”

“Hmm…” Yu Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes skeptically, then leaned in close to look into her eyes, trying to find any clues. “…Really?”

Xu Shuhai gently nodded.

She knew. It was probably because she had looked so bad when she left the Xiang family’s old mansion that day, which made Yu Xiaoxiao worry so much, fearing she might encounter more problems or be hurt again.

“If anything feels off or if you feel bad,” Yu Xiaoxiao seriously emphasized, “Big Ice Block, you must tell me, okay?”

“There’s nothing wrong.” Xu Shuhai softly said, reaching out to stroke the soft top of the Alpha girl’s head.

A strange warm feeling rose in her chest.

No one had ever worried about her like this, worried that she might be hurt or sad, not seeing her as someone who had to solve everything, but as someone they would wait for and bring home.

That feeling was bittersweet, with a touch of warmth and sweetness, like the taste of a lemon-flavored hard candy.

…So Xu Shuhai took a step forward and gently hugged her lover.

“…Alright.” Yu Xiaoxiao stretched her hand to pat her back, softly saying, “Then I’ll borrow a hug from you for a bit, Big Ice Block.”

The tone clearly meant “I knew you were upset,” but Xu Shuhai didn’t care anymore.

She simply rubbed her face against Yu Xiaoxiao’s shoulder, leaning all her weight on her, completely burying herself in this warm embrace.

So warm…

“Big Ice Block,” Yu Xiaoxiao said softly, her voice gentle as she leaned close to her ear. “If you’re ever bullied, you have to tell me, okay?”

Xiang Shuhui nodded.

She held onto her for a while longer, before reluctantly letting go and softly saying, “Let’s go.”

Yu Xiaoxiao looked at her, then suddenly blinked.

“Big Ice Block,” she said, “Do you want to hug a little longer?”

…No, she didn’t.

Xiang Shuhui’s ears turned bright red.

And Yu Xiaoxiao just laughed, taking her hand and leading her to the car, both of them sitting in the back seat.

“Sure,” Yu Xiaoxiao said, as she patted Xiang Shuhui’s head. “We can stay a little longer. I’ll keep you company.”

The way she said “sister” made Xiang Shuhui raise an eyebrow.

“Who’s the sister?” she muttered.

“I am,” Yu Xiaoxiao answered proudly. “I’m half a year older than you, Little Big Ice Block.”

…Here it comes again, “Little Big Ice Block.”

The nickname was so childish, and Yu Xiaoxiao said it so naturally, proving that she wasn’t acting like a sister at all. Xiang Shuhui pursed her lips, refusing to call her that.

“Definitely not,” she said quietly, “I’m not calling you sister…”

“Yes, you are,” Yu Xiaoxiao insisted, looking at her with big eyes. “Big Ice Block, remember yesterday when we were in the bath? You were really cute, holding onto my sleeve like a little sister, not letting go—want to call me sister?”

The bath…?

Did she act cute?

Xiang Shuhui could barely remember that time. She only knew that she had fallen asleep in the bathtub, leaning against Yu Xiaoxiao’s hand, and when she woke up this morning, she was already changed into pajamas and underwear, safely nestled in a soft bed.

…But what happened in between?

It suddenly hit her.

She turned bright red.

Yu Xiaoxiao had helped her dry off, then changed her into a new nightgown and underwear…

Xiang Shuhui’s ears were so hot she felt like hiding, unable to speak.

“Big Ice Block, you’re blushing.”

Yu Xiaoxiao, completely unaware of what Xiang Shuhui was thinking, lightly tapped her red ear and asked, “What’s wrong, Big Ice Block? Don’t want to call me sister? Or is it because of last night…”

She must have suddenly remembered Xiang Shuhui’s insecurity about her body, because she nodded understandingly, then softened her voice to comfort her love:

“No, Big Ice Block, you’re really beautiful.”

Xiang Shuhui’s face burned even hotter.

She shook her head, trying to cover her flushed face with her hand, but she could still feel Yu Xiaoxiao’s focused, serious gaze on her.

She mumbled, trying to refuse, “Don’t…”

“I’m serious, Big Ice Block.” Yu Xiaoxiao said firmly, gently pulling her hand away from her face. “You’re so beautiful, much more than you think. You’re really pretty.”

Her words were so earnest that Xiang Shuhui’s shyness grew even stronger, her breath shaky, her ears reddened, almost unable to say anything. She just wanted to hide completely, like an ostrich.

But Yu Xiaoxiao gently pulled away her hands, leaving her no chance to escape. Xiang Shuhui tightly closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling, unable to face the hot, loving gaze of the alpha girl.

She felt so hot, so embarrassed, as if she were melting into Yu Xiaoxiao’s embrace.

Yu Xiaoxiao leaned closer, softly and lovingly kissing her long hair, again and again, as if reverently kissing a precious treasure.

“You’re really beautiful, Xiang Shuhui,” she murmured. “You have no idea how beautiful you are…”

The heat lingered for a long time, until Yu Xiaoxiao felt she had conveyed all her feelings, then reluctantly pulled back.

Xiang Shuhui sat there, her eyes wide and wet, her ears and lips still burning from the heat. She suddenly felt very lonely.

She wanted… a kiss.

She wanted that kind of kiss.

Her eyes glistened as she leaned toward Yu Xiaoxiao, lifting her face to kiss her, only to have Yu Xiaoxiao kiss her first, quickly and briefly, then pull away.

It wasn’t like this—

Such a simple, brief, pure kiss, with just a lingering warmth on her lips, only made her lips feel more lonely.

Xiang Shuhui looked away with a hint of grievance, saying nothing.

Yu Xiaoxiao had said, if Xiang Shuhui wanted to, she could kiss her anytime…

But now Yu Xiaoxiao simply took her hand.

“Big Ice Block,” she said softly, “I have a gift for you.”

…A gift?

Xiang Shuhui turned her gaze, seeing the deep focus in Yu Xiaoxiao’s amber eyes, clear and transparent like amber, with her reflection mirrored in them.

Yu Xiaoxiao held her wrist gently, serious and sincere, as if—

Yu Xiaoxiao had said, they would only mark each other if they got married.

…Could they really have that kind of relationship?

Would Yu Xiaoxiao be willing to be with someone like her?

Thoughts swirled in Xiang Shuhui’s mind, crashing into each other, and she instinctively bit her lip, waiting for Yu Xiaoxiao to take out her gift.

It was a small box, and Yu Xiaoxiao slowly opened it—

…Not a ring.

But a pair of simple orange and blue wristbands.

Yu Xiaoxiao took her wrist and put one of them on her, while the other one went on her own wrist. With a gentle press, a pair of numbers appeared on the small screen. The display was yellow, like a traffic light.

“Look, Big Ice Block,” Yu Xiaoxiao explained. “This is a wristband that monitors the environment, your hormone levels, and pheromone levels. The top one is for environmental pheromones, and the bottom is your levels. Yellow means rising, red is the danger zone…”

She also turned on her own wristband, showing the yellow number rising on it, pointing it out to Xiang Shuhui.

“I really, really want to be close to you,” she said with a tilted smile. “With this, I’ll know what to do, and I won’t hurt you anymore.”

Xiang Shuhui stared at her bright amber eyes, stunned.

And Yu Xiaoxiao said:

“—When the numbers turn green, we can kiss. How about it?”