After Being Marked By A Love Rival - Chapter 17

Upon hearing the question, Xie Rong paused slightly but quickly recovered.

“It doesn’t matter,” she replied, her expression unchanged, maintaining her usual calm demeanor.

Qi Musi hadn’t expected to receive an answer so easily, and Xie Rong’s reaction was remarkably flat, as if her question was merely about whether she wanted lunch.

Qi Musi’s expression faltered, and she couldn’t help but press again: “Did you… hear clearly? I was talking about AA relationship alpha and alpha dating, or even marrying. Don’t you think that’s strange?”

She pinched her fingertips, trying to maintain composure through the small physical sting. Yet, her heart was racing with an uncontrollable sense of anticipation, mixed with a very self-aware private hope.

Xie Rong frowned. “Of course I heard clearly.” She was not pleased with Qi Musi’s skepticism.

After finishing her milk and cereal, Xie Rong put down the cup. Although her lips were still dusted with milk, her eyes remained indifferent, making her look like a proud cat. However, coupled with her current image, it created a charming sense of contrast.

Xie Rong said, “I don’t find it strange. It’s just a same-sex relationship, isn’t it? Although it’s not common nowadays most couplings are AO does it concern me?”

She lifted her eyes. Beneath her thick, dark lashes were a pair of clear eyes, as tranquil as still water.

Xie Rong pulled out a tissue and wiped her mouth. “Whether it’s an AA or an OO relationship, or even AO, any is fine. As long as you are with the person you like, is the influence of pheromones really that important?”

“Moreover, an omega’s pheromones don’t attract every alpha 100%, right? So, I think insisting on defining a couple’s union based solely on pheromones is a very foolish thing. What if I just don’t like the scent of an omega’s pheromones? Must I be forced to pair with an omega?”

Her expression was indifferent, and her words were quite blunt, but strangely, they carried a gentle firmness.

“Furthermore, everyone only needs to mind their own business. Outsiders’ matters are for them to decide and arrange,” Xie Rong’s voice was soft, even quiet, but it was very calm, carrying a power that made people feel reassured.

Qi Musi was still holding her cup, staring blankly at Xie Rong across from her.

Watching Xie Rong state these things, sitting straight in her chair with complete composure, Qi Musi’s heart suddenly accelerated, and her eyes gradually brightened.

Unconsciously, the smile on her lips had become completely genuine. The false mask had receded, revealing her truest self.

“I think you’re absolutely right,” Qi Musi curved her lips, letting out a small, soft laugh.

“It’s enough to be with whomever you like. Pheromones can be an initial trigger, but they must never be the dominant factor.” Her peach-blossom eyes held a brilliant smile.

Qi Musi couldn’t resist asking, “What about you? Could you like an alpha?”

Her heart was pounding, filled with an agitation she couldn’t suppress.

On the surface, Qi Musi seemed to have asked the question casually, but only she knew how nervous she was inside, her palms even sweating.

Although at this moment… she was still unwilling to deeply ponder why she was experiencing this change and mood, Qi Musi thought that if Xie Rong gave an affirmative answer, if she nodded…

Xie Rong, who was about to wash the cup, slightly raised an eyebrow upon hearing the question: “No.”

Qi Musi froze, her previous thoughts shattering. “…What?”

She felt as if she had been tossed high into the air only to fall from a great height.

“Why?” she asked instinctively, but quickly pursed her lips, realizing the question wasn’t appropriate.

Qi Musi tightened her grip on the cup, her knuckles white. She tried desperately to hide her rigid expression, forcing a relaxed, teasing tone. “It was just a hypothesis. Little Rong, won’t you consider other possibilities?”

Qi Musi felt that the mask she usually wore with such ease was now sticking. She was even afraid Xie Rong would notice her abnormality, because the expression she was making was truly unconvincing.

Qi Musi subconsciously reassured herself that she had only asked casually. If Xie Rong was suspicious, she could explain she was just discussing the topic, nothing more.

Qi Musi’s palms were sweaty.

Xie Rong let out a very slight scoff, not sounding mocking, but rather… having an indescribable nuance.

The habitually calm and indifferent person showing a different expression for the first time made her look even better.

“I already have an omega I like. You know that, don’t you?”

Her pounding heart instantly calmed down. The panic of falling from a great height instantly turned into the emptiness and hollowness of standing on level ground.

The “stability” came too suddenly, making her feel uncomfortable.

Qi Musi was silent for a moment before forcing a smile again.

“Ah, right, I forgot.”

Xie Rong turned and went into the balcony to wash the cups. Qi Musi remained seated, looking down at the milk in her hand with a complex expression.

Xie Rong’s phone received a friend request. She frowned slightly, picked it up, and was surprised to find a message in the verification field on the application interface.

【Excuse me, are you Xie Rong from alpha Dormitory Two, Room 408?】

Xie Rong knit her brows, clicked on the person’s info, and confirmed she didn’t know them. She initially wanted to reject it directly, but her finger paused before doing so. She chose to accept it instead.

It wasn’t a sudden interest or being moved. Rather, Xie Rong worried if someone genuinely needed her help, she didn’t want to delay them. Spending a moment to approve a friend request wasn’t troublesome.

The person’s verification message also stated that the request came from their freshman group chat, which was another factor in Xie Rong’s consideration.

After approving the request, and the chat window popped up, Xie Rong asked her directly: 【Who are you, what’s up】

The other party seemed startled by Xie Rong’s lack of pleasantries and directness, pausing for a full two minutes before quickly replying.

【Eat Pineapple Durian Banana Apple Milk Tea】: Hello, Xie Rong! I’m a freshman from the neighboring major. I’m incredibly sorry for adding you without permission and disturbing you… I have something I’d like to ask for your help with.

Xie Rong looked down at her phone and, without lingering, sent a question mark.

【Eat Pineapple Durian Banana Apple Milk Tea】: Could you please ask Qi Musi to accept my friend request? I’ve added her several times, and she keeps rejecting me. I genuinely just want to talk to her, nothing else, and I won’t pester her.

【。】: …?

If the first question mark was meant to signal the other person to continue, used to understand the situation, then this second question mark directly represented Xie Rong’s emotion and inner thoughts.

She was frowning, her emotions complex, a mix of things like dumb foundedness, absurdity, speechlessness, surprise, and “what the heck.”

It was arguably the most mixed and fluctuating her emotions had ever been.

Xie Rong read the message the other person sent again, her expression gradually hardening.

A moment later, Xie Rong sighed, her brows still furrowed.

Being asked for such a favor was a first, and having a roommate who could incite such an event was also a first.

Honestly, given Xie Rong’s temper, she genuinely didn’t want to proceed, as she felt she had been needlessly dragged into something troublesome, caught in the crosscurrents between two people. This kind of thing made her unhappy.

Xie Rong disliked getting involved in other people’s affairs.

However… she rarely refused something that was just a simple favor.

Xie Rong pinched her brow and only replied: 【I will pass on the message, but I don’t guarantee success. This is a one-time thing. Whether it succeeds or not, do not contact me again.】

The other party was overjoyed: 【Passing it on is enough! Thank you, thank you, thank you!】

“…”

Xie Rong put her phone away, her mood far from pleasant. After all, anyone suddenly being asked this way wouldn’t be in high spirits. Especially since Xie Rong wasn’t particularly curious she wasn’t interested in her roommate’s gossip, but rather troubled by being drawn into the matter herself.

Xie Rong lowered her gaze, then suddenly thought of something, narrowing her eyes. The emotion within them grew colder.

The dorm door opened, and Xie Rong walked in.

The weather had recently turned cool, and she was wearing a knitted cardigan. Although the sweater was fluffy, looking soft and warm, when worn by Xie Rong, it did little to soften her aloof temperament.

While the outfit certainly made her slightly gentler, Xie Rong was still the same Xie Rong.

Qi Musi looked up, then greeted her with a smile: “Little Rong, you’re back?”

Xie Rong didn’t acknowledge her. She casually closed the door and walked up to Qi Musi.

Qi Musi was slightly startled, but her expression remained unchanged. Her eyes held a gentle smile as she looked up at Xie Rong. “What’s wrong?” Her tone was affectionate and caring.

Xie Rong narrowed her eyes, staring at her with her dark pupils. “You said you are currently pursuing Xinhai.”

Qi Musi paused, her emotions momentarily stagnant. Then, she maintained her smile and cautiously replied: “That’s correct, but… what about it? I thought you already knew this and wouldn’t ask again. Or do you have some thoughts, Little Rong?”

Xie Rong looked at her coldly: “In other words, you chose to pursue Xinhai while having no current dating partner and no messy rumors, is that right?”

“…”

Qi Musi felt a vague sense of unease inside but remained composed, answering Xie Rong’s question, “Naturally so.”

Zhao Rongrong and Mo Li stopped playing on their phones and looked cautiously toward them.

Hearing her reply, the sarcasm on Xie Rong’s lips deepened. “Very good.”

“Then, I wonder what the purpose is for a fellow freshman, who spares no effort to find out that I, or rather the three of us, are your roommates, and applies to add us one by one from the freshman group chat, just to relay a certain sincere request through us?”

She raised her eyebrows, her dark eyes fixed on Qi Musi.

“Don’t tell me she’s just curious about you, or she’s a complete stranger, or there’s some other simple relationship?”

Xie Rong briefly curved her lip in a cold laugh, quickly returning to her indifferent and aloof demeanor. “Forgive my lack of sophistication, but I can’t currently figure out what kind of relationship would prompt the other party to make such an earnest plea, along with those ambiguous, thought provoking phrases.”

“Could it be an ex-partner who hasn’t been completely cut off?”