After Being Marked By A Love Rival - Chapter 69

Qi Musi had already left, but Xie Rong still stood rooted to the spot.

She lowered her gaze to the ground beneath her feet, her brows slightly furrowed, revealing a mix of confusion, puzzlement, and a faint sense of helplessness one feels when faced with a difficult problem.

Qi Musi did not turn back. When she left, she was truly gone.

Upon realizing this, Xie Rong slowly let out a breath, the air carrying the chill of winter.

She rubbed her already stiff and cold hands together before putting them back into her pockets.

The expression on Qi Musi’s face just before she left lingered in Xie Rong’s mind.

Although Xie Rong was a bit slow in these matters, it didn’t mean she was a fool. She knew that what she had said just now was wrong, and that it had hurt and angered Qi Musi.

Xie Rong didn’t know what to do now, how to apologize, or how to salvage the situation.

Moreover, and more importantly, she didn’t know how to face Qi Musi and the emotions stirring in her own heart.

This was the first time Xie Rong had encountered such a situation, and her first attempt had been a failure.

Thinking of this, Xie Rong frowned and pursed her lips.

She stepped out from the side of the wall, glanced at the students who were trickling back after buying food, and then composed her expression before slowly starting to walk.

When Xie Rong returned to the dorm room, she found it empty. Mo Li and Zhao Rongrong must have gone to buy food as well. They had left later than Xie Rong, so they would likely return later. However, Qi Musi had left earlier than Xie Rong, but she was not back yet.

Xie Rong lowered her gaze, suppressing a flicker of strange emotion in her heart, walked into the room, and closed the door.

She sat down at her desk, casually eating her meal while pondering the matter.

She still couldn’t let it go, but she was also genuinely hesitant to move forward.

Xie Rong even entertained the idea of seeking help from others, but she couldn’t think of a suitable person. Besides… asking an outsider for help with this kind of matter felt strange and uncomfortable.

Xie Rong’s thoughts paused as Mo Li and Zhao Rongrong returned to the dorm.

Seeing only Xie Rong, Zhao Rongrong was stunned. “Hey? How come you’re the only one here? Didn’t you go downstairs with Musi?”

Compared to Zhao Rongrong’s lack of tact, Mo Li was much more perceptive. She noticed a difference in Xie Rong’s mood compared to before she went downstairs, so she tugged on Zhao Rongrong’s hand, signaling her not to ask any further questions.

Although Xie Rong’s face was as indifferent as ever, seemingly showing no change in expression, anyone who observed closely could tell that the emotion in her eyes was completely different.

Something must have happened.

Xie Rong lowered her eyes and said, “She… left first. We didn’t buy food together.”

Zhao Rongrong blankly “oh’,” feeling as though nothing was wrong, yet also sensing something amiss. But in the end, under Mo Li’s restraint, she didn’t press further and sat down to eat.

Qi Musi didn’t return to the dorm until after the lunch break was over.

Now the situation seemed a little serious.

After all, having not seen each other for an entire winter break, Qi Musi should logically be eager to stick by Xie Rong’s side, but now she hadn’t even returned to the dorm. It wasn’t like she was incredibly busy, so this was… a bit unusual.

And the most critical point was the stark contrast between her prior state and her current one.

She had clearly been clinging to Xiao Rong before going downstairs, so why the complete change after buying food…

Zhao Rongrong sniffed, feeling as though she could smell the same tense atmosphere as before.

In the afternoon class, Qi Musi was already in the classroom and had reserved seats for them.

Zhao Rongrong said, “Wow, thank you, Musi, you’re so thoughtful.”

Qi Musi wore a composed smile, showing no trace of her earlier anger. In response to Zhao Rongrong’s compliment, she gave a faint smile and said, “Sit down.”

Zhao Rongrong nodded, “Okay, okay.”

However, she wasn’t completely tactless. Seeing Qi Musi sitting in the front row, she naturally wouldn’t crowd her, so she pulled Mo Li to the seats Qi Musi had saved in the back row, leaving the front seat for Xie Rong.

Xie Rong paused hesitantly, then sat down.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to sit next to Qi Musi, nor that she disliked Qi Musi. She was simply worried that Qi Musi hadn’t cooled down yet, and that sitting next to her might make her angrier.

But since Zhao Rongrong and Mo Li had already chosen their seats, Xie Rong wouldn’t deliberately leave Qi Musi alone.

Qi Musi lowered her gaze to her textbook with a detached expression, seemingly unaffected by Xie Rong sitting next to her.

Xie Rong glanced at her expression out of the corner of her eye but said nothing. After all, class was about to start; the timing wasn’t right.

Besides, after the incident at noon, she should be more cautious and not provoke her again.

The class passed uneventfully. Zhao Rongrong, watching the complete lack of communication between the two from behind, was terribly anxious, wishing she could intervene herself. However, she was just a roommate and dared not do anything.

Is there no way?

Mo Li passed her a note, signaling her not to meddle.

This was a matter for Qi Musi and Xie Rong to resolve themselves; it was best for others not to interfere.

Moreover, Mo Li had observed carefully. Although Qi Musi seemed coldly angry at Xie Rong, if… if Qi Musi were truly angry, she probably wouldn’t let Xie Rong get close, would she?

Over the course of the semester, Mo Li had gained some understanding of Qi Musi’s personality. She knew that her roommate was outwardly warm but inwardly cold. She looked gentle and approachable with her smiling facade, but that was only because she didn’t mind.

If Qi Musi genuinely minded something, no matter what methods of coaxing or pleading the other person used, Qi Musi would neither agree nor allow them to approach.

Mo Li had the clarity of an outsider, but Xie Rong was lost in the fog of the situation.

She thought Qi Musi was still angry and was only not leaving immediately out of consideration for appearances. Therefore, Xie Rong was even more afraid to offer an explanation, fearing that the more she explained, the worse the situation would become.

After class, Qi Musi stood up, packed her things, and left immediately.

Xie Rong was startled and looked up at her. But Qi Musi didn’t look down or make eye contact with anyone.

Xie Rong frowned and instinctively stood up. At this moment, Qi Musi paused and turned her head to look at Xie Rong, seemingly waiting for her to say something.

Xie Rong opened her mouth, but only managed to ask, “Where are you going?”

Qi Musi curved the corner of her lips, her smile lacking much warmth, “To the library. After all, I have a lot of things to be busy with.”

This wasn’t entirely untrue. Although Qi Musi had started the new semester, she still needed to keep up with and learn the company’s affairs, so she wasn’t that relaxed.

But she wasn’t absolutely required to go to the library.

Qi Musi liked Xie Rong and naturally wanted to stick with her all the time. If it were before, she would have studied in the dorm together with her instead of going out.

But now…

Qi Musi had her own considerations.

She looked at Xie Rong, waiting for her reply and reaction, but Xie Rong only lowered her eyes, thought for a moment, and then offered no further obstruction.

Qi Musi: “…”

She curved her lips with a hint of coolness. “Fine.” Then she picked up her things and left.

Xie Rong watched her go, her brows subtly furrowed, but she did not do or say anything else.

Xie Rong knew she didn’t have the right or the qualification to ask Qi Musi not to go. She wasn’t anything to Qi Musi, she had no standing. Moreover… most importantly, Xie Rong couldn’t avoid the sharp question from her own heart.

Why didn’t she want Qi Musi to go to the library? How much of her impulse was driven by her own self-interest? What were her true feelings for Qi Musi?

Xie Rong didn’t dare to answer these questions for the time being, so she chose to evade them.

Zhao Rongrong looked regretful, an emotion she couldn’t quite articulate, even wishing she could answer for Xie Rong on the spot.

“Xiao Rong, ah, Xiao Rong, oh why, why, why?”

Xie Rong had already composed all the emotions in her eyes. She looked up at Zhao Rongrong and calmly countered, “She needs to work hard and study. Why should I stop her?”

Although for that brief moment, she had indeed wanted to stop her, Xie Rong later realized that such a thought was too self-willed, so she concealed it.

Zhao Rongrong: “Just…” She scratched her head, not knowing how to answer either.

Xie Rong finished packing her bag and said, “Let’s go, time to buy dinner.”

Zhao Rongrong sighed, “Alright, alright.” If Xiao Rong herself didn’t mind, why should she?

Grumble, just keep grumbling! You two should just grumble together! You’ll suffocate yourselves sooner or later.

As expected, Qi Musi didn’t return until it was almost time for the lights to be turned off.

The rest of Xie Rong’s time was spent sitting below, casually passing the time, occasionally checking the time, and wondering why Qi Musi hadn’t returned yet.

More often, she was contemplating how she should apologize.

She had done wrong she definitely needed to apologize.

Xie Rong was not afraid to apologize, she wasn’t someone who cared about saving face. But she was just afraid that, like at noon, the apology would only make things worse. The more she explained, the angrier Qi Musi would become.

Xie Rong could feel that she was trapped in a corner and couldn’t get out. Her thoughts were constrained by something, preventing her from figuring out the correct way to apologize.

Xie Rong lowered her eyes, carefully reviewing every event since they went downstairs.

Subsequently, she felt that the problem might lie in her questioning of Qi Musi’s feelings.

Thinking about it this way, it was her fault. If Zhuang Xinbai had questioned her feelings…

Xie Rong paused.

Zhuang Xinbai had indeed questioned her, not just doubted, but had directly pointed it out.

The other person felt that Xie Rong’s “liking” wasn’t genuine love, because Zhuang Xinbai hadn’t felt Xie Rong’s affection, what she felt was just the kinship Xie Rong had for her.

Therefore, Zhuang Xinbai explicitly stated that Xie Rong’s liking was not love.

Xie Rong had also been questioned in this way, but at that time… she only felt melancholy, loss, and frustration, not the kind of devastation Qi Musi had experienced.

Xie Rong’s eyelashes trembled. Why hadn’t she gotten angry at that time? When misunderstood by the person she liked, why hadn’t she gotten angry like Qi Musi?