Marking My Arch-Rival [Rebirth] - Chapter 9

By the time Ji Shihuan saw Yang Rong off, it was already past four in the afternoon.

She remained alone in the empty luxury apartment until the setting sun painted the floor in golden light. Then she stood, stretched, and called Jiang Boyan.

They agreed to meet at a nearby French restaurant.

Ji Shiqin had once mentioned the restaurant to his younger sister, but he would never have the chance to take her there himself.

During dinner, Ji Shihuan was immersed in memories of the past. Her expression was heavy, and it was obvious she was in low spirits.

When the server brought out dessert, she raised her eyes and unexpectedly discovered that Jiang Boyan, sitting across from her, also wore a cold expression.

Unlike Ji Shihuan, however, Jiang Boyan’s guarded attitude was clearly directed at her. She looked fully prepared for battle.

Perhaps nothing was more effective at soothing a bad mood than turning around and discovering that one’s sworn enemy was also weighed down by worries.

Ji Shihuan tapped the table lightly.

“How does it taste?”

Those were the first words exchanged between them since they had sat down.

Believing Ji Shihuan was finally preparing to negotiate terms, Jiang Boyan set down her fork and dabbed the corner of her lips with a napkin.

She paid no attention to the polite opening and casually replied, “It’s all right.”

Ji Shihuan glanced at the food remaining on her plate. For some reason, she frowned.

“Is your appetite always this small?”

“I’m used to it,” Jiang Boyan replied.

Ji Shihuan looked thoughtful.

“No wonder you’re so thin when you eat so little.”

Jiang Boyan pressed her lips together slightly, her heartbeat slipping out of rhythm.

She repeatedly considered the meaning behind those words and secretly reminded herself to respond carefully.

Ji Shihuan could not possibly be making casual small talk.

Was she laying the groundwork by implying that her own appetite was enormous and that she was about to demand an outrageously high price for her silence?

But Ji Shihuan’s next move fell completely outside her expectations.

Her beautiful eyes blinked as she continued,

“You’re so thin, it’s uncomfortable to hold you.”

Jiang Boyan was silent.

President Jiang was confused.

President Jiang was shocked.

President Jiang blushed.

Finally, President Jiang realized she had been teased again.

Her reaction was so entertaining that Ji Shihuan nearly failed to suppress her laughter.

Before Jiang Boyan could recover, Ji Shihuan leaned forward and reached toward her.

From Jiang Boyan’s perspective, Ji Shihuan’s bewitchingly beautiful face grew larger as the distance between them closed.

Just before Ji Shihuan’s fingers could touch her cheek, Jiang Boyan seized her wrist and glared at her with a frown.

“Miss Ji?”

“Ah.”

Ji Shihuan remained perfectly composed.

“There’s something on your face…”

With her other hand, she pointed to the corner of her own lips.

“It looks like something got on you.”

Jiang Boyan returned to her senses and released her.

She put away her displeasure and conveyed a faint trace of gratitude through her eyes. Then she took a napkin and attempted to wipe the spot, but she could not find anything.

“Here?”

She looked to Ji Shihuan for confirmation.

Ji Shihuan seized the opportunity to move closer until she was directly in front of her.

The upscale French restaurant had an excellent atmosphere. Each private booth gave its guests ample privacy.

Servers moved quietly outside, deliberately keeping their footsteps soft enough not to overpower the live piano performance.

Tonight’s piece was Alice in D Minor.

The soothing, elegant melody, combined with the warm lighting, created an ambiguous atmosphere out of nothing.

Ji Shihuan caught the scent of freesia.

It was pure and contained no trace of pheromones, so she guessed it came from a perfume Jiang Boyan was wearing.

For some inexplicable reason, she felt dissatisfied.

She turned her head toward the gland at the side of Jiang Boyan’s neck.

The suppressant patch Jiang Boyan had torn from Ji Shihuan’s skin had long since been replaced. The new patch worked perfectly, completely sealing away Jiang Boyan’s Omega pheromones.

Feeling another person’s warmth so close to her, Jiang Boyan became uncomfortable.

Perhaps sensing a threat, she had already placed a hand against Ji Shihuan’s shoulder to prevent her from moving any closer.

“…Have you seen it clearly?”

Ji Shihuan returned to her senses and obediently sat back in her own seat.

She picked up a silver fork and crushed the preserved cherry decorating the chocolate dessert.

Only then did she leisurely reply,

“I was mistaken.”

Jiang Boyan’s eyelashes trembled faintly.

Before irritation at being toyed with could arise, Ji Shihuan scooped up a piece of cake and offered it to her lips.

“Would you like to try it?”

“No.”

Jiang Boyan turned her face aside.

“It’s too rich.”

“That’s true.”

Ji Shihuan nodded in agreement.

But before withdrawing the fork, she still placed the dessert into her own mouth and licked the fork clean.

The bitterness of the chocolate combined perfectly with the sweet-and-sour cherry preserves. Even after swallowing, a rich sweetness lingered throughout her mouth.

She immediately promoted the cherry chocolate cake to first place among all the dishes she had eaten at the restaurant.

When it was time to pay, Jiang Boyan finally realized they had not discussed a single serious matter.

Each carrying her own thoughts, they left the restaurant and wandered aimlessly along the street.

Neither mentioned ending the evening.

The city center was bright and lively at night.

It was spring, and every passing breeze carried a refreshing chill.

Ji Shihuan instinctively walked on the outer side of the pavement, shielding Jiang Boyan from being bumped by pedestrians.

A top-tier Alpha did not need to do anything to command attention.

With her jacket draped lazily over one arm, Ji Shihuan merely stood there and possessed an overwhelming presence.

The crowd was not especially dense, yet people automatically made room for them, making the two women appear unusually intimate.

When Jiang Boyan sensed something brushing near her legs, she lowered her eyes and saw the loose hem of Ji Shihuan’s suit trousers grazing her bare calf.

Her gaze traveled upward.

“What are you looking at?”

Ji Shihuan rested one hand along her waistline, her proportions almost absurdly perfect.

Jiang Boyan withdrew her gaze and quietly said,

“…Stay farther away from me.”

“Hm?”

The surroundings were noisy.

Ji Shihuan bent closer.

“What did you say?”

Jiang Boyan answered through action instead.

But after she had taken only two steps to the side, Ji Shihuan grabbed her.

“Stay closer.”

Ji Shihuan looked as though she were dealing with a disobedient young girl and added a warning,

“We might get separated later.”

Jiang Boyan froze.

Her quiet and uneventful life rarely contained experiences like this.

It was merely a destinationless walk that could end at any time, yet Ji Shihuan’s tone gave her the illusion that they might continue walking side by side for a very long time and a very great distance.

She did not know where she and Ji Shihuan could possibly go together.

Had Ji Shihuan known what she was thinking, she would probably have considered Jiang Boyan overly complicated.

Ji Shihuan would never waste time considering such pointless questions.

She only thought the breeze felt pleasant tonight and that the surrounding scenery became even more beautiful when Jiang Boyan’s face—perfectly suited to her tastes—was included within it.

Therefore, when an enthusiastic salesperson on the roadside handed them a safety guide for Alpha-Omega marking, Ji Shihuan felt only briefly confused before deciding the situation was surprisingly reasonable.

The product being promoted was a new type of scent-blocking patch designed for Omegas.

The young salesperson eagerly explained it to Jiang Boyan.

“…Lita-brand scent-blocking patches were specially developed for Omegas. They’re more effective than every suppressant patch currently available on the market!”

As she spoke, the young woman demonstrated the product.

“You only need to peel it open and stick it over your gland for perfect coverage. After using it, even an Alpha with the most sensitive nose won’t detect your scent when they stand beside you. They’ll only assume you’re a Beta!”

Jiang Boyan needed to conceal her Omega identity, so she genuinely had a use for such a product.

She listened attentively and even picked it up to examine it.

After secretly laughing to herself, Ji Shihuan moved closer, eager to create trouble.

“What do you think?”

Jiang Boyan was about to answer when she keenly noticed the unmistakable teasing in Ji Shihuan’s expression.

Having already suffered several losses, she wisely swallowed her response.

Sure enough, the next instant, Ji Shihuan remarked coolly,

“You’re an Alpha. Why are you so interested in an Omega scent-blocking patch?”

Jiang Boyan reacted immediately and threw the product back onto the table as though it had burned her.

“Huh?”

The salesperson was equally devastated.

After spending so much effort explaining and believing she was about to make a sale, she stared at Jiang Boyan in disbelief.

“Y-you’re an Alpha?”

President Jiang nodded with a stern expression.

“But… but you two…”

The salesperson looked at Jiang Boyan, then turned toward Ji Shihuan, feeling as though her mind were about to short-circuit.

“Aren’t you a couple?”

Jiang Boyan was about to deny it when Ji Shihuan spoke first.

“That’s right.”

She placed an arm across Jiang Boyan’s shoulders and lowered her head toward the young salesperson.

Her lips curved into a breathtaking smile.

“Shouldn’t an Alpha-Alpha relationship receive everyone’s blessing too?”