After Being Marked By A Love Rival - Chapter 23

Since there was class in the afternoon, Xie Rong got up after taking a nap at noon.

Her hair was slightly messy, falling loose over her back.

Xie Rong glanced around as she got out of bed and noticed that Qi Musi had not returned.

However, this was neither something to worry about nor a surprise; since her younger brother had come, Qi Musi would probably take him for a tour around the school and have lunch nearby, so it was expected that she wouldn’t be back at noon.

Xie Rong only entertained this guess briefly before dismissing it.

Once she was ready, the three of them went to the classroom for the afternoon class together.

The two classes this afternoon were held in a small classroom, so the desks were two person desks arranged in a single row.

Upon arriving in the classroom, Zhao Rongrong immediately claimed a seat. Then, contrary to her usual behavior, she didn’t call out to Mo Li but instead waved at Xie Rong, “Come on, Xiaorong, let’s sit together.”

She usually had the best relationship with Mo Li, and whenever they sat together like this, she would also pull Mo Li along. However, today, she was surprisingly clinging to Xie Rong.

Xie Rong lowered her gaze and glanced at her. She didn’t need to think much to guess Zhao Rongrong’s intention.

People in the same dorm usually sat together. Before, Zhao Rongrong sat with Mo Li because they were closer and could talk when sitting together. Xie Rong would then naturally sit with Qi Musi.

Although she wouldn’t mind sitting alone, since the new roommate was here, she didn’t mind sitting with Qi Musi either.

And Qi Musi cared even less. Although it was unclear what she thought in her heart, at least on the surface, Qi Musi always wore a slightly ambiguous and gentle smile, sitting next to Xie Rong and then turning to give her a tender smile.

Sometimes, she would even say teasing words, such as… “Great, I get to sit next to Xiaorong. No one else can, only me.” After saying that, she would often wink at Xie Rong.

Thinking of this, Xie Rong’s eyebrows moved slightly.

They had just had an argument, and Zhao Rongrong had witnessed it firsthand. So, she was afraid that Xie Rong and Qi Musi hadn’t made up yet and were still awkward around each other. Therefore, she volunteered to sit with Xie Rong to further prevent the possibility of them quarreling.

Zhao Rongrong felt that she was truly well-intentioned.

Xie Rong’s gaze swept over Zhao Rongrong. She didn’t care whom she sat with, as long as the person wasn’t annoying. Xie Rong took off her backpack, sat in the seat next to Zhao Rongrong, and put away her things.

Zhao Rongrong let out a sigh of relief, then took out her phone to check the time, “Ten more minutes.”

With the switch to Daylight Saving Time, afternoon classes were moved up to start at 2 o’clock.

Xie Rong didn’t pay attention to others she was just contemplating a few recent free times. It wasn’t just her who needed to be free, Zhuang Xinbai also needed to have time.

Xie Rong’s eyelashes drooped, concealing the emotions in her eyes. From the side, her face carried a refined yet cool temperament, making her appear very difficult to approach, yet strangely alluring.

Zhao Rongrong played on her phone for a while, then slowly realized something was wrong, “Why hasn’t Musi arrived yet? Could it be that she’s skipping this afternoon’s class?”

Hearing this, Xie Rong looked up.

Indeed, there were only two minutes left. Even if she was cutting it close, she should have arrived by now.

Zhao Rongrong muttered, “But she didn’t say anything in the group chat…”

Xie Rong lowered her eyes with a faint expression, swiping her finger across her phone screen, but ultimately did nothing.

Soon, the teacher for this class arrived. Xie Rong put down her phone and opened her textbook.

Fortunately, there was no roll call in this class, so Qi Musi’s absence was overlooked.

After the first class ended, Xie Rong stood up, “I’m going to the restroom.”

“Oh, okay.” Zhao Rongrong moved aside for her.

Xie Rong hesitated for a moment and took her phone with her.

There were three classes on this floor simultaneously, so as soon as the break started, many people rushed to the restroom. Xie Rong paused, frowning slightly.

She could imagine the crowded scene inside even without going over to look.

After a moment of silence where she stood, Xie Rong simply turned and walked to the end of the hallway, stepped onto the stairs, and headed upstairs.

The floor above was quite desolate, with no classes being held, and the restroom was, as expected, empty.

Xie Rong stopped where she was, hesitated for a moment, and took out her phone.

Zhao Rongrong thought she and Qi Musi were still arguing, but after all the recent events, Xie Rong was no longer so angry. At this moment, her perception of Qi Musi had returned to the level of “roommate.”

Just a roommate who happened to be a love rival.

Now that Qi Musi hadn’t come to class, both logically and emotionally, Xie Rong felt she should inquire.

Her coldness and indifference, to put it plainly, were only directed towards unfamiliar outsiders. She and Qi Musi had known each other for over a month, so they were certainly not strangers. It was only right to show some concern.

Xie Rong dialed Qi Musi’s number.

However, a few seconds later, she actually heard a faint ringing sound coming from the direction of the restroom.

Xie Rong’s brows furrowed slightly.

A slight suspicion and uncertainty flashed through her mind. This was too much of a coincidence, but precisely because of the coincidence, Xie Rong had to speculate about the possibilities behind it.

She didn’t hang up the phone but walked directly toward the restroom while holding her phone.

The closer she got, the clearer and more distinct the sound became.

Along with the sound came a strong scent of pheromones.

Xie Rong’s body stiffened slightly. Before she could enter a state of alert, her sense of smell instantly recognized the scent of the pheromones and the owner it belonged to.

The strong, sweet scent of cherries dispersed in the air, accompanied by a hint of alcohol, adding a sense of intoxication to the naturally sweet aroma, making it more mellow.

Undoubtedly the pheromones of an Alpha, and one who had entered the rutting period.

Xie Rong originally wanted to turn around and leave but was forced to stop where she was.

She pressed her lips together, her fingers tightly gripping her phone. After a moment, Xie Rong exhaled and walked in.

Even though she was extremely repulsed by the Alpha’s scent inside at the moment, and her own body tensed up, showing alertness and rejection due to the other party’s pheromones, Xie Rong had to come in to inquire and check on Qi Musi’s situation out of worry.

Xie Rong remembered that Qi Musi’s rutting period had just passed. Why would it flare up again in less than a month? And judging by the current situation, the other party clearly had no countermeasures. Moreover, the pheromones were already so strong that the suppressant patch was probably useless. She might need to go to the infirmary later to get a dose of inhibitor.

Given Qi Musi’s current state, it was uncertain if she could even move on her own. Even if she could, it was best not to move around randomly, or it might trigger further complications.

Xie Rong walked in with her eyes lowered, putting her phone away.

At the same time, a question crossed her mind.

Hadn’t Qi Musi gone out to eat with her younger brother at noon? Why hadn’t she noticed her condition at that time, and why was she so unprepared, entering the rutting period in the school restroom?

However, this question was only a fleeting thought, and Xie Rong didn’t delve into it.

Almost the instant she walked in, the person inside became momentarily alert and tense. Immediately, the pheromones became exclusive and aggressive. Before Xie Rong could declare her identity, she heard a sound accompanied by heavy breathing coming from the innermost stall.

“…Get out!”

Clearly, Qi Musi was already struggling to control herself.

Although Xie Rong had never experienced such a loss of control, she was also an Alpha, and naturally understood what a rutting Alpha was like.

At this moment, Qi Musi probably only had a precarious amount of rationality left. She hadn’t even had time to determine that the person who entered was an acquaintance, instinctively sensing the arrival of another Alpha, and immediately took an offensive stance.

Xie Rong was not having an easy time either.

Perhaps Omegas didn’t have this trouble, but for Alphas, gender and nature determined that they were bound to cause conflict. Perhaps due to genes passed down from ancient times, other Alphas were considered latent enemies and resource competitors. The more sensitive the period, the more wary they became of people of the same gender.

If reason wasn’t holding her back, Xie Rong truly wanted to leave immediately or fight the Alpha inside.

She tilted her head, took a deep breath, and then said in a low voice, “It’s me.”

The inside went quiet, even the previously suppressed breathing stopped for a moment. Then, Qi Musi’s voice regained a slight bit of reason and warmth, “Xiaorong?”

Xie Rong acknowledged her. At the same time, she found the stall Qi Musi was in. She stopped outside, her expression calm.

Qi Musi stood up, leaning against the partition.

At this moment, she looked somewhat disheveled. Her forehead was covered in sweat, some strands of hair were wet with perspiration and stuck to her skin, and her eyes were flushed, showing some unbearable emotion. The usual composure and gentle smile on her face had completely disappeared, leaving only an expression of hard to suppress endurance.

She was already uncomfortable enough. After all, no Alpha could calmly get through a sudden onset of the rutting period without preparation. Not to mention, her rutting period was forcefully stimulated by a drug.

With no Omega to soothe and care for her, only the ill-intentioned Qi Muyan, Qi Musi had used almost all her willpower to barely hide here.

She didn’t even have the strength to go to the infirmary.

Another wave surged over, and Qi Musi trembled all over, barely managing to suppress the sound escaping her lips.

“…”

Xie Rong paused, forcefully suppressing the urge to leave. She took a breath facing outward, then lowered her voice and said, “What kind of inhibitor do you usually use? I’ll go get it for you.”

In this situation, she couldn’t even inquire about the cause of the incident and could only take measures as quickly as possible.

Qi Musi bit her lower lip, almost drawing blood. She tightly dug her nails into her palm, preventing her reason from being completely submerged by the wave.

After that wave subsided, her rationality slowly returned.

“…I don’t want an inhibitor, it’s useless.”

Her situation was different from a naturally occurring rutting period. Ordinary inhibitors could no longer soothe her. The current Qi Musi was practically bursting with her own pheromones. Simple suppression was ineffective; what she needed was relief, release.

“Xiaorong…” Qi Musi couldn’t help but call out in a low voice.

I want you. She couldn’t help but say in her heart.