After Being Marked By A Love Rival - Chapter 52

Xie Rong woke up before dawn, it was only four o’clock.

But she had already been startled awake from a dream.

Xie Rong sat up in bed, the blanket pooling in front of her. In the quiet dorm room, besides the sound of her roommates’ deep breathing, there was only the whooshing sound of the central air conditioning.

Because of the heating, even sitting up now didn’t bring much chill.

But at this moment, Xie Rong wished it were colder, preferably with a cool breeze to wake her up.

With this thought, Xie Rong hesitated for a moment, then truly got out of bed, using her phone to light up the ladder before quietly making her way to the balcony.

After closing the glass door to keep the heat out, the balcony was left with only a patch of cold air.

Still in her pajamas, Xie Rong shivered. She frowned, let out a breath, and her chaotic mind began to clear.

Although she thought her action was quite idiotic when the cold wind first hit her, upon recalling the contents of her dream again, Xie Rong felt that a little more exposure was fine.

It was good.

She frowned, then sighed.

What on earth was going on?

What was the situation?

Xie Rong truly hadn’t expected to dream about those things.

She pinched her palm and rubbed the space between her eyebrows, calming herself down while simultaneously pulling back her pheromones.

It was driving her crazy. The only times her pheromones had gone out of control were related to Qi Musi, and this time was even more absurd.

If the cause of the last dream was her accidental marking by Qi Musi, then what about this time? This time, Xie Rong couldn’t even find a reason or excuse.

And what she dreamed about was her marking Qi Musi!

Did she harbor that much desire for revenge?

Of course, Xie Rong knew she didn’t. Even if she did, it was only for the first few days after she was bitten.

Now, she and Qi Musi had reconciled, and after hearing about Qi Musi’s family situation, it was even more impossible for her to entertain thoughts of revenge.

The reason she suddenly had this dream today might be related to what happened before bed.

Xie Rong recalled Qi Musi’s tempting and alluring gaze again, unconsciously losing herself for a moment.

In that instant, even though she clearly knew Qi Musi was an Alpha, her heart still skipped a beat due to the other person’s eyes.

…Speaking of which, in the dream, she could also clearly sense that Qi Musi was an Alpha, yet the action of her lowering her head and biting down was incredibly smooth, without any hesitation. It was as if she had rehearsed it many times.

And she didn’t mind at all that the person under her bite was an Alpha; she even felt excited because of it.

The hell.

Xie Rong rubbed her hair. Even after standing in the cold, she hadn’t calmed down much and couldn’t make sense of her thoughts.

In the end, she could only attribute it to her Easy Period approaching, causing her thoughts and hormones to spiral out of control.

It might also be… that she’d been single for too long.

Xie Rong’s expression was grim. After a moment, her mouth twitched, and she got up and returned indoors.

The warmth instantly enveloped her, making Xie Rong feel warm again, like returning to the world of the living.

Xie Rong got into bed. Before pulling her curtains shut, she looked over at Qi Musi’s side.

Their beds were positioned front-to-back, very close. Xie Rong only needed to cross the small gap between them to step onto Qi Musi’s bed.

Her eyes moved, wondering what she was thinking.

Finally, Xie Rong bit her lip and leaned towards the other side but only leaned; her feet remained on the ladder, not crossing the boundary at all.

She smelled nothing.

It wasn’t just because of the bed curtain’s concealment; it was more likely because Qi Musi was deliberately suppressing her pheromones.

Under normal circumstances, an Alpha’s pheromones wouldn’t leak out significantly. Only during the Rut, dreaming, or when emotions were extremely intense would pheromones burst forth.

Of course, this could also happen when provoked by an Omega, but usually, Omegas in school also concealed their pheromones tightly, so this scenario was less common.

Noticing her own action and feeling of disappointment, Xie Rong’s body stiffened, and her expression immediately turned cold. She returned to her own bed at a very quick speed.

Even after she pulled the blanket back over her and lay down in the lingering warmth of the comforter, the feeling in her heart was slow to dissipate.

Was she crazy? Did she just… did she just want to smell Qi Musi’s pheromones?!

Xie Rong punched her pillow, clearly bothered and shocked by her own behavior that had broken her usual persona.

She wondered if she’d been affected by Qi Musi and gone silly.

The only thing Xie Rong was currently thankful for was that it was the middle of the night, no one else was awake, and no one saw her actions.

Only then could she preserve her lifelong reputation.

Xie Rong subconsciously did not want to dwell on her recent actions and behavior. She preferred to consider it a momentary lapse of judgment.

But before she fell asleep, a thought still flashed through her mind. Was it… truly just a momentary lapse of judgment?

Unknowingly, the exams finally reached their last day. With the final subject finished this morning, they would all be completely free.

On the way to the cafeteria, Zhao Rongrong was brushing her teeth, speaking “passionately,” “I’m telling you, I’ve been in so much pain lately! I… I even cry in my dreams!”

Her toothpaste sprayed onto the mirror in front of her.

Mo Li, by the sink next to her: “…”

She endured it, then asked, “Are you sure it’s tears and not drool that’s coming out?”

Zhao Rongrong choked. “Forget it, it’s the last exam today, I’m in a good mood, I won’t argue with you.”

Mo Li splashed water onto the mirror, then grabbed a rag to wipe it. “I’m truly disgusted by you.”

Zhao Rongrong grinned, a mouthful of white foam showing, “Li, I love you.”

Xie Rong’s train back was scheduled for tomorrow morning, so she wasn’t in a rush. Zhao Rongrong and the others had packed some of their luggage last night, just waiting to grab their suitcases and leave right after the exam.

Qi Musi had to secretly feel fortunate that Xie Rong wasn’t leaving so soon, otherwise, she really wouldn’t know how to think things through or how to probe during such a short time.

Without a doubt, Qi Musi wanted to visit City C, to see the place where Xie Rong grew up, and even to see where she attended primary and secondary school.

She knew Xie Rong and Zhuang Xinbai grew up together, and Zhuang Xinbai’s presence was in all of Xie Rong’s developmental milestones. These were things Qi Musi couldn’t replace. She was jealous, envious, but also helpless.

Therefore, if she could go to City C this time, Qi Musi wanted to walk through those milestones. It felt as if by doing so, she would truly become a part of them.

This was no different from a self-deceiving ostrich act, but Qi Musi was willing to do it.

…If Xie Rong could take her along for a walk, that would be even better.

However, Qi Musi couldn’t think that far ahead yet.

She still needed to first inquire about where Xie Rong used to go to school. Furthermore, Qi Musi’s trip to City C wasn’t because she liked the city’s scenery or cultural customs; she wouldn’t even believe it herself.

She wasn’t just going for a change of scenery or to escape the Qi family, more importantly… it was because Xie Rong was in City C, and she wanted to go where Xie Rong was.

But this thought couldn’t be voiced right now.

And more importantly, Qi Musi was also thinking, what if, what if she could get Xie Rong’s consent? Then wouldn’t she be able to openly visit Xie Rong?

She might even… be able to spend the New Year with her.

Of course, this last bit was pure fantasy. Qi Musi knew that barring any unforeseen circumstances, it would be impossible to persuade Xie Rong, and she herself found it hard to bring up.

The bell signaling the end of the exam rang, and the entire grade was liberated.

Zhao Rongrong didn’t even bother to go to the cafeteria, rushing directly out of the classroom. The entire room felt relaxed and cheerful.

Xie Rong leisurely packed her things. After all, she wasn’t rushing home, so her pace was naturally slow.

Qi Musi finished packing and came to wait by her side.

Xie Rong looked up at her, then turned her gaze away.

…Because she still remembered what happened in the early hours of this morning.

Qi Musi narrowed her eyes slightly, keenly capturing Xie Rong’s slightly unusual emotional state. Her thoughts spun in her mind, and she chose not to ask out loud but to ponder it herself.

Then, perhaps having figured out a clue, Qi Musi lowered her eyes and smiled softly.

If it was what she suspected, if Xie Rong had truly noticed something… then she would be absolutely delighted.

After finishing up, Xie Rong said, “Let’s go.”

Qi Musi matched her pace. “Eat?”

“No, it’s too early.”

So Qi Musi nodded. “Then let’s go back first.”

She walked beside Xie Rong, not too far nor too close, but her presence was constant.

Xie Rong glanced sideways at her, but averted her eyes the moment they met Qi Musi’s gaze.

…It shouldn’t be, right? It shouldn’t be what she was thinking.

Qi Musi was beautiful, but she was an Alpha. Xie Rong was beautiful, but she was an Alpha.

She thought, surely no one would give up liking an Omega or a Beta to like an Alpha of the same gender who could easily fight with her due to pheromones, right?

Perhaps.

Xie Rong wasn’t quite sure anymore. Not only was she unsure about Qi Musi, but she was also… unsure about herself.

When they returned to the dorm, Zhao Rongrong and Mo Li were already packing.

Since they wouldn’t be in the dorm for the entire winter break, some things had to be dealt with or put away.

Zhao Rongrong was bent over fussing with her suitcase. After a while, she handed a bag of fruit to Xie Rong.

Xie Rong: “?”

Zhao Rongrong said, “I can’t take it back with me either, so little Rong, you should eat it.”

Xie Rong frowned, looking at the bag of fruit, which weighed at least a pound. “I’m only staying here for one more day.”

In other words, she couldn’t finish it.

Zhao Rongrong rubbed her head. “Well, there’s Musi too, isn’t there?”

Then, she suddenly stopped.

Zhao Rongrong just now realized something she hadn’t paid attention to before.

She and Mo Li were going back today. Qi Musi and Xie Rong were going back tomorrow. Which meant that tonight, in the dorm, there would only be Qi Musi and Xie Rong two people.

Zhao Rongrong’s expression immediately became complicated and nervous. Affected by her mood, she suddenly gripped the bag of fruit tightly, holding on so hard it looked like she didn’t want to let go.

Xie Rong: “…”

She leaned against her chair, her voice flat. “Why don’t you just take it back? I can tell you’re quite attached to it.”

“Huh?”

Zhao Rongrong snapped back to attention, then said, “It’s not about the fruit!”

Xie Rong raised an eyebrow, not understanding why Zhao Rongrong was suddenly so agitated.

Zhao Rongrong was hesitant to speak, her whole demeanor shouting, “I have something to say,” but she just couldn’t say it.

Otherwise, how could she say it? Could she tell Xie Rong, “I’m not worried about the fruit, or the fruit’s business! I’m worried about you being alone in the room with the lone wolf, ahhh!”