After Being Marked By A Love Rival - Chapter 48

The days passed quickly, especially the days of review. Although painful and agonizing, time always seemed short, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for the exam.

Zhao Rongrong wailed tragically, “No, I don’t want to take the test, no…”

Mo Yue couldn’t help but throw a pillow at her. “Are you Yuan Hua?”

Zhao Rongrong paused, “Who is Yuan Hua?”

“The one with the ‘Snowflakes drifting, drifting’ song.”

“…”

Xie Rong was still sitting below, studying under a small desk lamp.

Seeing that she hadn’t gone up to bed yet, Qi Musi also stopped what she was doing and walked over to Xie Rong, looking down at her actions.

Xie Rong paused, then looked up, “What’s wrong?”

Qi Musi curved her lips into a smile. “The exam is tomorrow. Aren’t you going to sleep early?”

Xie Rong checked the time. “It’s not yet midnight. It should be fine, right?”

Qi Musi chuckled. “But you need to have good energy, right? Isn’t the most important thing for an exam to be full of spirit?”

Xie Rong narrowed her eyes, her emotions slightly complicated. “You’re talking about the Gaokao (college entrance exam), aren’t you?”

“It’s the same for all exams, big or small.” She leaned against Xie Rong’s desk. The light shone from the side, casting a layer of halo on her. A part of her soft, slightly curled long hair fell in front of her, looking exceptionally beautiful under the glow of the lamp.

“So, Xiaorong, are you going to sleep?”

Xie Rong used her fingers to rub her forehead, then gently raised an eyebrow. “I’ll go in a bit. You go to sleep first, lest you lack energy tomorrow and end up not doing well on the test.” She rarely joked with Qi Musi like this.

Qi Musi’s eyes were deep, and she smiled softly. “If you’re not going to sleep, Xiaorong, then I’ll just stay here and keep you company. I can read a book, too.”

“…”

Zhao Rongrong, who was already in bed, somehow felt like she had been force fed a spoonful of dog food.

What the hell was this???

These two clearly hadn’t confessed their feelings, hadn’t expressed them, and weren’t even officially together, so why was she, a casual observer, getting dog food from them!

Zhao Rongrong said mournfully, “Go to sleep, go to sleep. Anyone who didn’t know would think you two were going to have a secret rendezvous down there.”

The two people below paused simultaneously.

Qi Musi clenched her fingers, instinctively averting her gaze.

Although she hadn’t had such a thought, it must be said that when Zhao Rongrong said that, Qi Musi’s heart couldn’t help but stir, as if she had really intended to do something like that just now.

Xie Rong also froze.

Before Zhao Rongrong spoke, Qi Musi’s various actions and persistence hadn’t made Xie Rong feel anything was wrong. But after Zhao Rongrong said that, Xie Rong couldn’t help but ponder, frowning slightly, and then she noticed that something was indeed odd.

She just felt… Qi Musi was acting strange.

And as for what was strange, she now had a clue because of Zhao Rongrong’s words.

It was probably because the other party’s attitude was too ambiguous. If Xie Rong wasn’t certain that she was an Alpha and that her relationship with Qi Musi was perfectly innocent, she would probably really think that Qi Musi was pursuing her, or rather, she would think there was some ambiguity between them.

Xie Rong couldn’t continue reading now. She closed her textbook, stood up, and tidied her desk. “Let’s go to sleep.”

Qi Musi’s gaze swept across her face, then she nodded lightly, without saying much else. “Alright.”

After all, it was still too early, and she couldn’t rush things too much at once. Plus, there was an exam tomorrow, and Qi Musi didn’t want Xie Rong to be affected.

So she took a step back and smiled gently, “Then I’ll go wash up first.”

“Okay.”

When Qi Musi turned to go to the balcony, Xie Rong’s hands finally stopped their work. She turned and looked up at Zhao Rongrong, her eyes dark, carrying a jade-like coldness.

Zhao Rongrong’s back felt cold, and she couldn’t help but smile ingratiatingly, “Hehe.”

Xie Rong frowned slightly, but ultimately did not pursue Zhao Rongrong’s previous remarks. After all, the other person was just joking, and Xie Rong understood that. Zhao Rongrong often behaved this way before, and Xie Rong hadn’t been angry in the past, and naturally wouldn’t be now.

She just felt strange in her heart.

Xie Rong withdrew her gaze and continued to pack her things.

Zhao Rongrong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She didn’t want Xie Rong to turn her attention to her if Qi Musi’s feelings for Xie Rong were exposed later. After all, she was just an innocent spectator.

The next day, after waking up and washing up, they all went to the cafeteria to eat.

While eating, Zhao Rongrong suddenly asked, “Speaking of which, I’ve seen Musi eat with us in the cafeteria several times. Are you… used to it?”

Qi Musi looked up at her, then understood what Zhao Rongrong was asking.

She chuckled softly. “It’s all food. What is there to get used to or not used to?”

Zhao Rongrong touched her ear, feeling a little embarrassed. “Aiya, I was just curious. After all, in novels and TV shows, those wealthy beauties eat five-star meals, like Michelin whatever, or at least they’re constantly served big fish and meat. Our cafeteria… well, it doesn’t even have crayfish.”

Mo Yue glanced at her. “You are truly poisoned by novels.”

Qi Musi lowered her eyes and smiled. She propped her cheek on one hand and lifted her eyelids slightly. “There’s nothing here that’s inedible. I usually eat the meals made by the auntie at home. It’s not like I can invite a five-star chef to cook at home every time, right?”

Although the auntie’s cooking level was quite high, too.

However, Qi Musi genuinely didn’t find the cafeteria food difficult to eat; at most, it just wasn’t that delicious.

Zhao Rongrong sighed with great emotion, “Musi is truly too down to earth.”

Qi Musi raised an eyebrow.

“Do you think you’ll inherit your family business in the future?”

Upon hearing this, Xie Rong raised her eyes, also feeling a slight curiosity, but more…

“Rongrong,” she called out, with a hint of prohibition in her tone.

After all, this was considered Qi Musi’s private matter, plus the situation of her family… Xie Rong felt it was better not to probe randomly.

Zhao Rongrong suddenly realized. “Sorry, sorry, I was just purely curious, I didn’t mean anything by it. Don’t take it to heart.”

Qi Musi laughed. “Why, do I look like someone who easily gets angry and holds a grudge?”

That really wasn’t the case.

Everything Qi Musi had shown since entering the dormitory was very normal and approachable. If she hadn’t said anything, Zhao Rongrong and the others probably wouldn’t have guessed Qi Musi’s identity.

She really had no airs at all she seemed just like a beautiful and kind-hearted wealthy girl.

However, Zhao Rongrong was worried about something else now.

What if Qi Musi and Xie Rong really became a couple in the future? Would her family oppose it? Could Musi endure the pressure? Could Xiaorong handle the stress…?

After all, Xie Rong came from an ordinary family and was an Alpha. And Qi Musi was going to inherit the family fortune in the future; there would be many obstacles between them.

The more Zhao Rongrong thought about it, the more anxious she became.

Mo Yue snapped her fingers in front of her eyes. “Snap out of it, let’s go.”

“Oh, oh, oh, coming.”

Qi Musi slowed her steps, walking side by side with Xie Rong. She glanced sideways at Xie Rong, unable to discern anything from the other’s expression.

After a moment, Qi Musi took the initiative to ask, “Xiaorong, aren’t you curious about anything?”

Xie Rong looked up, puzzled. “No.” She paused. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

She didn’t know why she had such a counter-question, perhaps it was an instinctive sense of Qi Musi’s intention.

Qi Musi was startled, then laughed. “How did you figure that out?”

Her peach blossom eyes were smiling, and she seemed to be in a very good mood.

Under her gentle gaze, Xie Rong inexplicably felt a little embarrassed. She turned her head away and answered briefly, “Nothing.”

After a pause, she added, “Just a feeling.”

Qi Musi curved her eyes, then said, “I just wanted to ask you if you would feel pressured by a family background like mine.”

Xie Rong frowned in confusion. “Why ask me?”

Qi Musi paused, did not answer directly, but smiled and said, “Because I want to know what kind of environment Xiaorong likes.”

Xie Rong’s brows didn’t relax; instead, they furrowed tighter. However, she couldn’t detect any emotion or intention from Qi Musi’s face. After a moment, Xie Rong replied, “It’s alright. But… it’s probably not the kind I like.”

Qi Musi was not surprised by this answer.

After all, she didn’t like that kind of family herself. And how could Xie Rong, who was wholeheartedly dedicated to her feelings, like it?

She chuckled softly and whispered, “It doesn’t matter.”

In any case, her future home wouldn’t be like that. She would arrange it the way Xie Rong liked.

Xie Rong felt that Qi Musi had been strange lately, especially her questions and way of speaking, which always made her feel an indescribable oddness, and she always liked to speak halfway and leave the rest unsaid.

She didn’t like this feeling, but… sometimes when her eyes met Qi Musi’s gaze, Xie Rong would silently look away.

She couldn’t ask it out loud nor could she offer an opinion; she always felt that if she spoke, she would inadvertently puncture something.

So Xie Rong briefly remained where she was, doing nothing.

Qi Musi took in Xie Rong’s expression, clenching her fingers as if trying to restrain herself.

She kept telling herself in her heart that she couldn’t be too hasty, or she would scare Xiaorong away.

What she needed to do was a gradual influence, and then let Xie Rong notice the non-routine part within the everyday that she had become accustomed to and subtly influenced, to make her think about Qi Musi’s changes and speculate about that impossible possibility.

This was the steady “being exposed” that Qi Musi was striving for.

Otherwise, if she confessed right away, she would probably be rejected and avoided by Xie Rong.

In that case, how could she pursue her?

So, she needed to boil the frog in warm water.

As the two came out, they unexpectedly ran into Zhuang Xinbai, who had also finished eating and was heading to the examination hall.

This was the first time Zhuang Xinbai had seen Xie Rong since her confession. Her eyes lit up, and she couldn’t help but wave and run over, “Xiaorong!”

Qi Musi’s movement paused, and the smile on her lips faded slightly.

She didn’t harbor any ill will towards Zhuang Xinbai in fact, she even felt a kind of sympathetic pity due to her longing for her own mother, which was transferred to Zhuang Xinbai. So, even though Qi Musi had realized her own feelings and was no longer pursuing Zhuang Xinbai, her attitude toward Zhuang Xinbai remained kind, and she always took care of her.

But the premise was…

Xie Rong didn’t like her.