After Being Marked By A Love Rival - Chapter 54

In that instant, Qi Musi nearly lost control of her facial expression, and even more, couldn’t control the sudden acceleration of her heart. She slowly curled her fingers, her eyes deep.

Qi Musi still remembered the question from that day, and Xie Rong’s performance at the time perfectly aligned with her current statement.

In other words… Xie Rong’s feelings for Zhuang Xinbai might genuinely not be love, but rather a misinterpretation of some other emotion as love.

It was very similar to her situation at the time.

Since Xie Rong’s feelings for Zhuang Xinbai were not love, it meant that Qi Musi still had a chance.

Not just the chance to pursue her, but also a chance to pull Xie Rong’s emotions and attention back to herself.

Thinking of this, Qi Musi paused.

She forced herself to take a deep breath, and then asked softly, “So, you actually don’t like Zhuang Xinbai?”

Xie Rong nodded, not denying it. “Perhaps so.”

Hearing this answer, the joy and excitement in Qi Musi’s heart could no longer be contained, like a completely unbridled horse running off the tracks.

She closed her eyes, hiding the shift in the emotions in her eyes.

If this was the case, did it mean she could speed up her hints?

After all, Qi Musi was truly not someone who could endure waiting.

She couldn’t bear to be like Xie Rong, who chose to silently guard Zhuang Xinbai even while believing she liked her. If it weren’t for Qi Musi’s appearance, Xie Rong probably wouldn’t have confessed easily even now.

Qi Musi was not that kind of person.

If she liked someone, she would definitely let the other person know, and she would pursue them, using fiery love to move the other person and make them focus their gaze on her.

It was only because Xie Rong was the sole and only exception that Qi Musi had to restrain herself and wait for the right moment.

And now, she was restless and couldn’t hold back anymore.

Qi Musi thought that this winter break, she wanted to go see Xie Rong, to spend it with her, and to let her know… that she liked her.

Xie Rong poured the water and returned to the room. She closed the balcony door and prepared to get into bed.

After all, today was a rare moment of relaxation; no reviewing, no worrying about tomorrow’s situation, and she could finally have a good night’s sleep.

Qi Musi was still sitting below, seemingly having not moved since the previous topic.

She lowered her eyes and looked at her phone, but she seemed absent-minded, as if thinking about something.

Xie Rong just glanced at her, then withdrew her gaze, not intending to say anything more.

Before Xie Rong got into bed, Qi Musi called out to her.

“Xiao Rong…”

Xie Rong turned to look at her, her clear black eyes fixed on Qi Musi.

Qi Musi paused slightly. The words she originally didn’t know how to use to test the waters became even harder to say, so after a moment, she changed the question: “Are you going to sleep now?”

Xie Rong said, “Not yet, I’ll lie down and look at my phone for a while.”

Qi Musi paused, then smiled. “Alright, then I’ll get into bed too.”

Xie Rong nodded and didn’t say anything more.

When Xie Rong lay in bed, she didn’t immediately take out her phone. Instead, using the light from the phone, she lowered her eyes slightly, seemingly pondering something.

She was thinking about Qi Musi and the attitude the other girl had shown just now.

Xie Rong frowned slightly, her fingers gently tapping the back of her phone, reviewing everything that had happened from the time of the marking until now, especially the contact with Qi Musi at the hot springs.

Thinking of the hot springs, Xie Rong couldn’t help but recall Qi Musi’s face seen at close range when she opened her eyes that day.

It carried a serene tenderness, completely different from the sharp elegance when her eyes were open, possessing instead a soft gentleness. That was also the first time Xie Rong realized that an Alpha could be so beautiful.

That seemed to be the first time Xie Rong had truly, genuinely “seen” Qi Musi’s appearance.

Thinking of this, she lowered her eyelashes, casting some shadows beneath her eyelids.

Noticing her thoughts had wandered, Xie Rong gathered her focus and then reflected on today’s events again.

Then, she subtly furrowed her brow.

Qi Musi…

Xie Rong was sure that Qi Musi should no longer like Zhuang Xinbai, or rather, she had long since given up any intention of pursuing Zhuang Xinbai.

So, the reason for her actions today was not aimed at Zhuang Xinbai.

If not Zhuang Xinbai, then it was aimed at her.

Thinking of this, Xie Rong’s grip on her phone stiffened.

Those uncontrollable memories flooded into her mind again.

Qi Musi’s burning breath, the temperature pressed tightly against her back, the eyes that looked at her with suppressed, thick, dark intensity, and the strong and decisive action of biting the mark without regard for the fact that she was an Alpha.

Xie Rong couldn’t help but squint her eyes.

Could it be that Qi Musi… was exactly as she had guessed?

Xie Rong knew such a guess was too shocking and too narcissistic, and she herself didn’t want to guess this way. However, the other party’s recent attitude and actions were like a feather constantly brushing against her back, seemingly harassing her, making her feel an unbearable itch while forcing her to pay attention.

Xie Rong’s suspicion of Qi Musi was not caused by this single day, nor was it formed by this one incident.

If she had to trace it back, it probably went back to that day in the restroom when Qi Musi grabbed her, her moist eyes looking at her, struggling to endure while calling out her name.

Could an Alpha in rut truly be so desperate that she would casually mark another Alpha?

Xie Rong had never experienced such a thing, but if she were to put herself in that scenario and answer, she thought, she would not.

She wasn’t a lesbian, so naturally, she would never mark an Alpha under any circumstances. Qi Musi should be the same.

But the other party…

A sharp, swollen feeling seemed to resurface on the back of her neck.

The deep color in Xie Rong’s eyes intensified.

Qi Musi’s behavior didn’t seem like she was being forced by a physiological reaction to mark her; rather, it seemed like…

It seemed like she had found a pretext or a breakthrough and eagerly latched onto her.

Thinking of this, Xie Rong’s fingers trembled.

She didn’t let herself continue thinking, reeling back the thoughts that had already run wild.

If it were normal, Xie Rong would have already rejected any behavior that might develop into ambiguity. But the difficulty was that, without an explicit answer from Qi Musi, Xie Rong couldn’t directly question her about this matter.

But what if it was true?

Xie Rong asked herself in her heart, what would she do then?

Would she accept it readily and try out the feeling of being pursued by an Alpha, or would she rebuke and reject it, staying far away from Qi Musi?

Xie Rong found that she couldn’t do either. Perhaps this was why she had been unable to pass judgment on the Qi Musi matter for so long.

At this moment, Xie Rong inexplicably thought of Qi Musi’s face in her dream, and the scene where she wanted to smell the other girl’s pheromones that day.

Xie Rong paused, pressed her lips together, and a flash of shame and anger crossed her eyes.

She closed her eyes, clearing away all the emotions that surged up in that instant.

Xie Rong knew her sexual orientation; she wouldn’t be interested in Alphas, absolutely not.

Qi Musi was unaware that Xie Rong had vaguely guessed her thoughts at this moment, nor did she know the turmoil the other person was experiencing under her own bed curtain.

She was just thinking about the winter break.

At that time… it would be a long time before she could see Xie Rong again.

Qi Musi was not originally a clingy person, but when faced with an environment where she wouldn’t see Xie Rong for a long time, Qi Musi realized how attached she was, not wanting to be separated from Xie Rong for even a moment.

It wasn’t just about not seeing her it was also because she might have to meet Ms. Zhong and Qi Muyan throughout the entire winter break, which Qi Musi inwardly resented.

Especially during the New Year, spending it with people like them would be worse than not celebrating at all.

After a while, Qi Musi asked, “Xiao Rong, are you asleep?”

Xie Rong paused, “No.”

Qi Musi brightened up. Although it was already eleven or twelve o’clock, she wasn’t sleepy at all.

“Will you be in C City for the New Year, or are you returning to your hometown?”

Xie Rong answered her again this time: “In C City.”

After receiving this answer, Qi Musi’s heart was stirring. She thought maybe she could slip away before the New Year. After all, it was just the next city over; she could drive there directly.

Staying with Xie Rong in C City would count as spending New Year’s Eve together.

“C City… are there any fun places?” Qi Musi asked hesitantly.

Actually, what she wanted to ask was not just this. She wanted to ask where Xie Rong’s home was, what schools she attended from kindergarten onwards, if there was a place in C City she loved most and remembered fondly…

Qi Musi wanted to know too much, and everything was closely related to Xie Rong.

But if she really asked these questions, she might arouse Xie Rong’s suspicion.

So, Qi Musi had to give up.

Xie Rong didn’t know why Qi Musi was talking about this topic late at night, but she wasn’t sleepy at the moment, so she simply answered.

After listening, Qi Musi said “Oh,” and then asked, “Then… where will you go out during the winter break?”

She wondered if they could coincidentally meet.

Xie Rong paused, “I won’t go out.”

Qi Musi: “Hmm?”

Xie Rong said, “I don’t like going out.”

She understood this point, as Xie Rong was the same at school, let alone how cold it was outside in winter, which directly blocked the possibility of Xie Rong going out.

Thinking of this, Qi Musi felt a slight sense of loss.

But this loss was not enough to make her give up.

Xie Rong turned over and put down her phone. Perhaps because Qi Musi had been asking questions, she occasionally wanted to reciprocate. Xie Rong then asked, “What about you? Where will you go during the winter break?”

Qi Musi was momentarily stunned, “I… I probably won’t go anywhere either.”

She might also be dragged by Qi Rong into the company to start practicing for a while.

Perhaps such a life was incredibly glorious and desirable for Qi Muyan, but for Qi Musi, she didn’t like any of it.

All she wanted was to be with the person she liked.

And there was no one she liked in A City.

Perhaps the night made people sentimental, or maybe after suppressing her feelings for so long, Qi Musi also wanted to let loose and relax a little. Her eyelashes trembled, and then she said, “I don’t want to be here, neither for the holiday nor for the New Year.”

Xie Rong paused, probably not expecting Qi Musi to say that. But soon, she understood the underlying reason; it couldn’t be separated from the background Qi Musi had spoken about before.

Qi Musi’s voice was both light and low.

“I want to go to C City.”