After Being Marked By A Love Rival - Chapter 58

Xie Rong was momentarily stunned, not expecting Qi Musi to be so direct and candid in throwing this question at her. She had thought the other party would tacitly pretend she hadn’t noticed, and then, whether to continue or retreat, would be left to Qi Musi to handle.

But she didn’t expect Qi Musi to choose this moment to ask.

Xie Rong was caught off guard and couldn’t avoid it, but she couldn’t give an answer right now either.

The only thing she was fortunate about was that Qi Musi only asked for her thoughts and didn’t demand an immediate answer.

Xie Rong averted her gaze, looking at the street view, then pursed her lips, “I… I don’t really know. It’s a bit chaotic, and I haven’t thought it through yet.”

Qi Musi raised an eyebrow slightly, not rushing, but waiting for Xie Rong to continue.

Xie Rong looked at her, “I don’t know why you would… like me. Aren’t we both alphas? To be honest, I’ve never had such feelings for someone of the same sex, so I can’t quite understand you.”

Qi Musi chuckled softly, not offended by Xie Rong’s words, merely saying, “I know. In your past, you always liked Zhuang Xinbai.”

Xie Rong: “…That was in the past.”

Qi Musi smiled, then pondered briefly.

“As for the liking you mentioned, I don’t know how to explain it to you, but what I hope you believe is that I’m not lying to you, nor am I blinded by momentary impulse. I genuinely like you, Xiao Rong. It’s not an illusion, nor is it the influence of pheromones, but a serious conclusion reached in a calm state.”

“Do you remember what I said before… that it was only after confirming I had fallen for someone that I realized my feelings for Zhuang Xinbai weren’t what I thought was love?” Qi Musi suddenly posed this question.

Xie Rong nodded. Of course, she knew. It was because of this incident that she decided to ask Qi Musi what love was.

Qi Musi lowered her gaze and smiled, then looked up at Xie Rong: “That person is you.”

Xie Rong was startled and looked at her. Although she had somewhat sensed it when Qi Musi brought up the question, Xie Rong was still inevitably taken aback when she heard Qi Musi confirm it.

Qi Musi repeated, “The person I like, the person I spoke of, is you.”

Xie Rong’s expression shifted slightly, “But even so, that’s… and we are both alphas.”

Qi Musi smiled helplessly and cut off Xie Rong’s words, “Xiao Rong, you can’t possibly want to debate with me whether my liking for you is truly ‘liking,’ right? I don’t have that interest either, because I am absolutely certain of my current feelings. I wouldn’t dare make empty promises like… ‘I’ll like you for a lifetime,’ but what I can tell you is this.”

“Right now, and for some period in the near future, I will be liking you, continuing to like you, and I am very sure that this liking is the kind of liking one has for a partner, absolutely correct.”

“I don’t know whether you will reject or accept, but it doesn’t matter. I will persist.”

Xie Rong was slightly stunned, unsure how to reply.

It felt like Qi Musi’s words had either paved her retreat or completely blocked it, leaving Xie Rong no choice but to face the situation without evasion.

Qi Musi hadn’t come to force an answer from Xie Rong or demand one.

As she had said before, she came to see Xie Rong simply because she missed her, wanted to see her, and nothing more.

And the conversation just now was merely because she felt her usual image was already quite complicated if she didn’t explain and clarify, and instead added fuel to the fire, she might be playing with fire and eventually burn herself.

So, Qi Musi felt she needed to be clear with Xie Rong. It could be taken as an explanation, or a declaration; in short, Qi Musi wanted Xie Rong to know that she was not just “playing around.”

After saying her piece, Qi Musi felt much more relaxed. She smiled and said to Xie Rong, “But Xiao Rong, you don’t need to be nervous or overly concerned because of this. I just wanted to defend my reputation a little. I’m not forcing you to do anything, nor do I want you to necessarily give an answer.”

“You just need to… give me a measure of belief.”

Xie Rong paused, not daring to meet her gaze, only looking away and nodding. “…Okay, I understand.”

Qi Musi curved her eyes, “This is good enough.”

The other party chose not to press further, and Xie Rong should have felt relieved, but facing Qi Musi’s attitude of taking a step back neither pushing nor intentionally applying pressure a strange, indescribable feeling surged in Xie Rong’s heart.

It felt a bit like wistfulness.

Sensing this emotion within herself, Xie Rong paused, pinching her palm to keep herself from appearing overly flustered.

The two had been walking for a while, leaving footprints in the snow behind them. The streetlights cast downward, reflecting two shadows.

Suddenly, Qi Musi seemed to remember something. “Oh, right, I also prepared this.”

With that, she reached into her pocket.

Xie Rong looked down and saw Qi Musi pulling out a lighter and a pack of sparklers from her down jacket pocket.

Xie Rong frowned slightly, “What?”

Qi Musi smiled, “To show you fireworks, the ‘castrated’ version.”

“…”

Then she took one out and skillfully lit it.

With a “hiss,” a beautiful spark, like a small firework, ignited at the tip of the sparkler. It then flashed and burned downwards, carrying gorgeous sparks, bright and dazzling.

Even though it was a very small handheld firework, it was incredibly bright at this moment, illuminating Qi Musi’s eyes as she looked over.

Qi Musi smiled, waving it towards Xie Rong, “How is it? Pretty?”

Xie Rong stared blankly at Qi Musi’s smiling face amidst the sparks. Although Qi Musi always smiled, her usual smiles were often gentle and polite but felt distant. However, this one was different… this smile was brilliant, a genuine smile that made it easy for people to feel her inner excitement and happiness.

Xie Rong’s gaze flickered, pausing as it met the other’s peach-blossom eyes, then quickly looked away, as if burned.

The firework quickly burned out, but Qi Musi’s face from a moment ago still lingered in Xie Rong’s mind.

Xie Rong pinched herself, deliberately forcing herself to banish that strange emotion.

Qi Musi collected the finished sparkler, then took out a new one and excitedly handed it to Xie Rong, “Come on, come on, Xiao Rong, you try one too!”

Xie Rong was silent for a moment. Just as she was about to refuse, the other party slipped it into her hand. Then Qi Musi said, “Are you ready?”

Xie Rong looked at her, pursed her lips, and nodded.

“Start!” She lit the sparkler in Xie Rong’s hand.

Beautiful fireworks bloomed at her fingertips.

Through the glittering sparks, Xie Rong saw Qi Musi’s smiling face across from her. For some reason, she felt her heart soften slightly too.

Xie Rong lowered her eyes to look at the burning sparkler, then curved her lips very gently.

The two of them, like elementary school students, lit all the sparklers under the streetlights.

They never tired of it.

Although Qi Musi was the main force.

When they were done, Qi Musi collected the burned-out refuse, then looked up at Xie Rong, smiled, and said, “Thank you, Xiao Rong, I’m very happy.”

Xie Rong paused, “…No, I didn’t do anything.”

Qi Musi raised an eyebrow slightly, “You did, though. Xiao Rong being able to accompany me is the best thing for me.”

This time, Xie Rong didn’t reply because she didn’t know how to. The conversations she used to consider normal or intimately shared between roommates now felt somewhat different after she discovered Qi Musi’s feelings.

Before, Xie Rong would never have had any emotional reaction to Qi Musi’s words, but now, her earlobes turned red, and she was uncharacteristically uneasy.

Noticing Xie Rong’s discomfort, Qi Musi smiled but didn’t push. She then took out her phone and checked the time. “It’s almost ten. You should go back to sleep.”

Xie Rong glanced at her, “What about you?”

Qi Musi said, “I’m going to the hotel.”

“Do you have a room yet?”

Qi Musi chuckled, surprised that Xie Rong still cared about this. She curved her eyes, “Yes, don’t worry. I won’t end up on the streets.”

Xie Rong looked away, her lips twitching slightly, “Who knows.”

Qi Musi looked at Xie Rong with a gentle smile in her eyes. Even though she was reluctant to part, she knew she couldn’t monopolize Xie Rong for the entire night.

So, she sighed inwardly, keeping the smile on her face, “Then see you tomorrow, Xiao Rong.”

Xie Rong nodded, “Okay.”

Qi Musi said, “You should go back first then.”

Xie Rong didn’t move, only asking, “What about you? Are you going anywhere else?”

“No,” Qi Musi replied. “I just… want to watch you leave first, Xiao Rong.”

Xie Rong paused. That complicated, bothersome emotion surged up again.

It wasn’t annoyance because of Qi Musi’s attitude or words, but… she couldn’t quite articulate it. Xie Rong couldn’t sort it out.

She just felt her mood fluctuating because of Qi Musi’s words.

Xie Rong paused, “You go first. I’ll watch you get a taxi.”

Qi Musi smiled as she looked at her, then said, “Alright, alright.”

Fortunately, although it was New Year’s Eve and there were few cars, there were some. After a while, the car Qi Musi had booked drove up.

Qi Musi opened the car door and turned to look at Xie Rong, “Xiao Rong, good night.”

Xie Rong nodded, “Good night.”

Xie Rong returned home without being discovered, otherwise, she would have had to explain why she was delayed outside for nearly an hour.

Xie Rong went back to her room, washed up, and sat on the bed. The events of the day replayed in her mind.

…It was a bit bothersome, and she wasn’t sure how to handle it.

However, since Qi Musi wasn’t insisting on getting an answer right now, she could still avoid it if possible.

Xie Rong couldn’t guess why Qi Musi had fallen for her, nor did she know how she should face and respond to such feelings. For now, all she could do was take things one step at a time.

Unknowingly, it was midnight. Just as Xie Rong was about to sleep, she suddenly received a message on her phone. She opened it.

Qi Musi: [Xiao Rong, Happy New Year.]