After Being Marked By A Love Rival - Chapter 20

Falling for an Alpha was something Qi Musi had never considered. After all, she was very clear about herself. Although she wouldn’t overly discriminate against someone based on pheromones, that didn’t mean Qi Musi was truly indifferent or oblivious to them.

She was a normal Alpha, and naturally subject to the control of pheromones, such as the rut, being innately attracted to Omega pheromones, and repelled by Alpha pheromones.

Therefore, Qi Musi had never thought about, nor dared to directly admit that she had fallen for Xie Rong.

She had always believed that the reason she treated Xie Rong specially and paid extra attention to her was simply because of Xie Rong’s personality, which piqued her interest, and nothing more.

As for anything deeper, Qi Musi had never pondered it.

But it wasn’t until just now, until she was so intimately close to Xie Rong, smelling the other party’s pheromones, that she felt not an ounce of disgust or repulsion, but was instead filled with… a desire to get closer and be intimate. Qi Musi had to admit that she truly and deeply liked Xie Rong.

Even though she was an Alpha.

Qi Musi still developed an interest in her, both psychological and physiological.

She even wanted to bite the other party’s scent gland, inject her own pheromones, and thus achieve marking Xie Rong.

It was too frightening, and too unbelievable. If Xie Rong knew about this, her already indifferent face would probably become even colder.

Thinking of this, Qi Musi curved her lips and smiled.

She didn’t mind facing Xie Rong’s anger; after all, those dark eyes were beautiful even when filled with fury.

Qi Musi also wasn’t afraid of outside judgment, nor did she care about the reaction or opposition from her so-called family, as Qi Musi no longer had any weakness.

But she was afraid of being rejected and scorned by Xie Rong.

Qi Musi took a deep breath and slowly stood up.

So she had to temporarily hide her feelings, test Xie Rong little by little, slowly extend her feelers until she had completely wrapped around her. That would be the moment she could reveal herself.

Before that, she needed to keep it well-hidden.

When Qi Musi came out of the bathroom, there were still water droplets on her hair and chin. Zhao Rongrong saw her come out and blinked: “Musi, are you… okay?”

Qi Musi looked up at her, then curved her lips, putting her mask back on. “I’m fine. Why?”

Zhao Rongrong let out a sigh of relief. “Nothing, I was just afraid that you and Xiao Rong were fighting in there…”

Qi Musi slightly raised an eyebrow, thinking of the various movements she and Xie Rong had just made in the bathroom, a hint of genuine amusement showed in her eyes.

Fighting? What kind of fight? A fight between a pair of spirits? If she had indulged herself a bit more, it might really have escalated into that situation.

Though she thought it, Qi Musi didn’t say these words out loud. After all, she knew she still needed to preserve Xie Rong’s dignity the other’s skin was always thin.

So Qi Musi merely said, “Not at all. Don’t worry.”

Although Qi Musi said this, Zhao Rongrong was still a bit worried. She rolled her eyes and whispered, “Xiao Rong’s face wasn’t looking very good when she went out.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Musi’s expression didn’t change much; after all, she had somewhat anticipated this.

And… it was more appropriate to say this was just the beginning.

Qi Musi concealed the emotions in her eyes and comforted her roommate, “Don’t worry, even if there’s a cold war for a few days, it will be fine.”

She understood Xie Rong, and she understood herself.

Qi Musi would not allow such a cold war to persist.

Xie Rong only calmed down after she had walked out.

She slowly reined in her pheromones and sat down under a pavilion. Her expression was as indifferent as ever, but her heart was no longer calm.

Xie Rong was recalling everything that had just happened.

…It wasn’t that she deliberately revisited it; it was that her brain involuntarily started replaying it over and over again.

Even now, her wrist and waist felt as if they still carried the scorching heat of those hands.

Xie Rong closed her eyes and lightly bit her teeth.

If she could do it all over again, she would definitely have knocked Qi Musi down before the latter could make any move.

Although Qi Musi said she was demonstrating her technique for seducing Omegas to Xie Rong, Xie Rong instinctively felt that Qi Musi might not have truly done this before, nor would she do something so excessive to an Omega. The other party’s genuine, hands-on demonstration was nothing more than to humiliate Xie Rong.

That’s right, Xie Rong saw this as a humiliation.

She couldn’t imagine why one Alpha would intentionally get close to another Alpha.

Thinking of this, Xie Rong clenched her fist, feeling the urge to hit someone again.

She really should have given Qi Musi a punch before coming out.

And as for why she hadn’t actually struck her…

Xie Rong lowered her gaze.

It was probably because, at that moment, her own heart had genuinely wavered for a brief moment.

“Oh, Xiao Rong? Why are you sitting here?”

Xie Rong stiffened, abruptly looked up, and saw Zhuang Xinbai, who was passing by.

The other party seemed to be returning to school from outside and was looking at her curiously. However, Zhuang Xinbai quickly smiled and didn’t press further, only asking, “Are you going to do anything later?”

Xie Rong pursed her lips, stood up and walked over to her, looking down at Zhuang Xinbai. “You’re coming back from outside?”

Zhuang Xinbai nodded. “Yes, oh right, did you know I met your roommate earlier? Her name is Qi Musi. What a coincidence, I never expected you two to be roommates the two most beautiful Alphas living together.”

She smiled teasingly, with no hint of malice in her eyes.

Xie Rong was momentarily stunned. The complicated and suppressed emotions dissipated with Zhuang Xinbai’s smile, and her expression softened a little.

Xie Rong, of course, knew that Zhuang Xinbai knew Qi Musi, as Qi Musi had informed her of this. However, she still nodded at the moment, giving a sufficient response.

“Is that so? That really is a coincidence.”

Zhuang Xinbai smiled, “We even went to your cousin’s coffee shop together to see the cats.”

Xie Rong walked forward with her, and upon hearing this, faintly curved her lips. “He’s still adopting those cats.”

Zhuang Xinbai: “It’s because you like them too.”

Xie Rong’s expression softened, and she chuckled lightly. “Indeed.”

“But I didn’t expect Musi to like cats so much.”

Hearing this, the smile on Xie Rong’s face faded slightly, and she casually replied, “Is that so?”

Zhuang Xinbai: “Yes, and she even offered to sponsor them!”

Sponsor… Xie Rong frowned slightly.

Qi Musi’s family was indeed wealthy, which was probably why she wanted to “meddle.” And…

Xie Rong suppressed the darkness in her eyes. Qi Musi was probably only acting so favorably because Zhuang Xinbai was around.

Thinking of this, Xie Rong stopped walking and looked sideways at Zhuang Xinbai.

“Xinbai, do you like her?” Xie Rong looked at the other’s clear eyes and asked directly.

“I know she’s pursuing you. We’re roommates, she told me.” Xie Rong avoided the fact that she also liked Zhuang Xinbai, only telling her part of the truth. Her fingertips were slightly stiff, resting by her side.

“And you? Do you like her too?”

Xie Rong held her breath quietly, watching Zhuang Xinbai intently, not wanting to miss her reaction.

She didn’t know why she had suddenly asked this question.

Perhaps it was because of today’s “clash” with Qi Musi, perhaps because of the expression on Zhuang Xinbai’s face when she talked about Qi Musi, or perhaps she had tolerated enough and wanted to use this opportunity to confess everything.

Xie Rong realized at this moment that if she kept being timid, she would only remain in the friend zone.

She didn’t want to stay there she wanted to take a step forward.

Upon hearing Xie Rong’s question, Zhuang Xinbai was obviously stunned. Her face flushed, “You… you know?”

Xie Rong nodded.

Zhuang Xinbai bit her lip, but because she was facing her long-time friend, she didn’t deliberately hide anything. After a moment of thought, Zhuang Xinbai whispered, “I… I’m slightly tempted.”

Xie Rong’s eyelashes trembled, and her heart sank.

Zhuang Xinbai added, “But it’s only a little bit, and it stops here.”

Xie Rong frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”

“Because I feel that Musi’s liking for me might not be the kind I want. She does like me, but I feel her liking is more out of the sentiment of caring for an Omega, or the kind of liking one has for a younger sister. It’s not the kind I want…”

Zhuang Xinbai: “I hope she likes me because she likes me as a person, not the kind of care and pity that stems from my identity. Moreover, I think… Musi must have someone she truly likes.”

Upon hearing this sentence, Xie Rong’s fingertips trembled.

“Why do you say that?”

Zhuang Xinbai put aside her earlier melancholy and smiled at Xie Rong: “Omega’s intuition! You know how sensitive we Omegas are about love and affection.”

Seeing her proud demeanor, Xie Rong’s original emotions dispersed, and she couldn’t help but lightly curve the corners of her lips.

She reached out and patted Zhuang Xinbai’s head.

Xie Rong hesitated as she withdrew her hand. “If…”

She was silent for a long time, and Zhuang Xinbai looked over curiously.

Xie Rong was still hesitating and struggling.

She had to admit that she was a coward, liking Zhuang Xinbai but not daring to confess due to various considerations. But Zhuang Xinbai’s words just now gave Xie Rong a great sense of crisis.

If she continued this way, perhaps one day when she finally realized it, Zhuang Xinbai would already be someone else’s Omega.

Xie Rong took a deep breath. “If I said that I like…”

“What are you two doing here?” Qi Musi approached, standing opposite the two, her red lips curved in a half-smile.

Zhuang Xinbai blinked in surprise. “Musi! How did you get here?”

Qi Musi lowered her gaze and chuckled softly, “Just casually wandering around the campus. Who knew I’d run into you two? What a coincidence.”

No, it wasn’t a coincidence at all.

Qi Musi wasn’t just wandering; she had deliberately come out to look for Xie Rong.

For some reason, she had a faint premonition in her heart… she felt that Xie Rong might do something inappropriate under her stimulation today.

And the facts proved that this was indeed the case.

When she saw Xie Rong and Zhuang Xinbai walking together not far away, Qi Musi’s heart sank, and inkiness gathered in her eyes.

She knew Xie Rong liked Zhuang Xinbai she couldn’t be clearer about it. It was precisely because of this that after confronting her own feelings, she could better understand the sour emotion in her heart.

It wasn’t complexity, not surprise, and not simply the crisis of having the person she liked by someone else.

It was genuine, tangible jealousy.

Jealousy of Zhuang Xinbai.