After Mistakenly Marking Her Stunning Omega Stepsister - Chapter 20.2

Outside, it was quiet for a moment, then the bathrobe was placed in her hand.

She thanked Wen Xiangzhu and quickly closed the door.

When Lin Sui wrapped herself in the bathrobe and opened the door again, she was immediately hit by the strong, sweet scent of red wine pheromones.

She froze, looking at Wen Xiangzhu, who was sitting obediently at the dressing table. A strange feeling stirred in her chest.

“Where’s your Blocker Patch?” she asked, frowning as she walked over. She vaguely remembered that the scent wasn’t there when she came back earlier.

Wen Xiangzhu pursed her lips and turned to look at Lin Sui, her cheeks flushed slightly. “I took it off earlier because it was awkward to dry my hair.” She paused, then tilted her head up with a pitiful expression, her eyes glistening with tears. “Sister,” she whined, “I don’t feel well.”

Her syrupy voice, carrying the scent of pheromones, pierced deep into Lin Sui’s mind, making her feel agitated. Still, she forced herself to remain patient with the younger girl.

“What’s wrong?”

“I think…” Wen Xiangzhu opened her lips, swaying slightly as if unsteady on her feet. She reached out to steady herself against Lin Sui, leaning closer. “My estrus period is coming again.”

Lin Sui frowned. “But it’s been so soon.”

Wen Xiangzhu’s eyelashes fluttered, her voice tinged with resentment. “My estrus cycle is still unstable. Besides… it’s also because I’ve been using too many inhibitors.”

“Well, you still need to use them,” Lin Sui retorted, raising an eyebrow and suppressing an odd feeling in her chest. “Go back to your room.”

“No!” Wen Xiangzhu pouted, her strawberry-pink lips looking darker than usual. “Sister, I want…”

“What do you want?”

“A temporary mark.”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Before Lin Sui could respond, Wen Xiangzhu turned her head, brushing aside the hair at the back of her neck to reveal her scent gland.

It was a strikingly beautiful scent gland.

Lin Sui’s eyes darkened as she averted her gaze, her voice tinged with irritation. “Do you even know what you’re saying? Turn around.”

Wen Xiangzhu’s body stiffened. Her hand, which had been brushing aside her hair, froze mid-air as she obediently turned back. “Of course I know what I’m saying…”

“I’m your elder sister,” Lin Sui said sternly.

Wen Xiangzhu frowned, her voice carrying a hint of grievance. “Can’t even a sister do it? It’s just a temporary mark…”

“No.”

Lin Sui paused before adding emphatically, “Not even a temporary mark.”

“Why…” Wen Xiangzhu’s eyes reddened, glistening with unshed tears, as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

Lin Sui softened at the sight, her tone gentling. “Just pretend you were in heat today, not thinking clearly, and talking nonsense. Go get your inhibitor shot right now.”

Wen Xiangzhu lowered her head, letting out a disgruntled hmph to express her defiance.

Seeing this, Lin Sui felt a headache coming on. The Omega’s pheromones in the room were overwhelming, already affecting her. A nameless fire burned in her chest, and remembering the scent gland she had just seen, her teeth itched.

“I’ll go get it for you.”

She took a deep breath, turned, and opened the door, stepping out of the room. After a long moment to steady herself, she pushed open the door to the neighboring room.

This was the first time she had ever entered Wen Xiangzhu’s room.

The room was spotlessly clean, with a scented candle burning in the corner, its jasmine fragrance filling the air.

Lin Sui walked to the desk and rummaged through it, but found nothing. She turned and walked to the bed.

Something like this would probably be kept near the head of the bed.

The bedside table was neat, with only a lamp and a pen. After a moment’s thought, she pulled open the lower drawer. What caught her eye was a pink-covered notebook.

The notebook was rather conspicuous. Lin Sui hesitated briefly but didn’t pick it up, instead taking the nearby blocker patch and inhibitor.

Wen Xiangzhu had appeared by the door at some point, watching her nervously. “Sister.”

Lin Sui gathered her things and glanced at her. “Come in and do it yourself.”

Wen Xiangzhu pressed her lips together, about to leap forward again.

Lin Sui finally couldn’t stand it anymore. She walked over, took hold of Wen Xiangzhu’s arm, and led her to the bed.

Wen Xiangzhu’s expression remained tense, her gaze unconsciously darting toward the drawer as if lost in thought.

Unaware of this, Lin Sui tore open a blocker patch and handed it to her.

“Thank you, Sister. I can do it myself…” Wen Xiangzhu took the patch and moved the inhibitor within reach.

Lin Sui looked at her in confusion. Wasn’t she refusing to do it just now? How did she become so obedient all of a sudden?

Then she heard a clunk—the drawer she had just opened had slammed shut after being accidentally kicked by Wen Xiangzhu’s leg.

Wen Xiangzhu gave a sheepish grin. “My feet are a little sore, so… I accidentally bumped it.”

Lin Sui paused, then looked away. “Oh…”

“Well, figure it out yourself. I’m leaving.”

“Ah, okay.” Wen Xiangzhu blinked, watching Lin Sui leave the room and close the door before letting out a sigh of relief.

She glanced toward the drawer, pursing her lips, her expression complicated.

Back in her room, the pheromone scent was still overpowering.

Helplessly, Lin Sui opened the window to ventilate, her mood growing irritable due to the strange sensations in her body.

Alphas are most affected by Omega pheromones, yet Wen Xiangzhu showed no tact whatsoever. Not only that, but she’d even flushed red while asking for a Temporary Mark, acting as if she had nothing to fear…

This girl must have slept through her biology class!

It seemed she needed a proper education.

Early the next morning, Lin Sui hired a biology tutor.

The teacher was formidable, a scholar of great erudition. Though an Omega, she was famously strict, often stern-faced, and had a reputation for maintaining discipline.

Lin Sui confidently led the teacher to the study, then summoned Wen Xiangzhu.

“Today, you’ll attend class with the teacher. Listen attentively,” she emphasized, looking intently at Wen Xiangzhu.

Wen Xiangzhu blinked, glancing between Lin Sui and the imposing teacher nearby, then shrank back slightly.

“Okay…”

“What do you mean ‘okay’?” Lin Sui raised an eyebrow. “This is a tutoring session.”

“But I’m already the top student in my grade,” Wen Xiangzhu hesitated. “I don’t need tutoring…”

“…”

Lin Sui paused, then spoke firmly. “Who said that? Your biology grades are abysmal. You need proper tutoring.”

Wen Xiangzhu lowered her head slightly, no longer arguing.

“Understood.”

Satisfied, Lin Sui nodded and left the study, planning to take a stroll outside.

With that little loose end tied up, things felt much easier.

Inside the study, Wen Xiangzhu rested her chin in her hand, half-heartedly listening to the lesson, which left the teacher feeling rather embarrassed.

But the Lin family couldn’t be offended…

The teacher’s face hardened as she finally came up with a solution. She handed Wen Xiangzhu a set of problems.

“Ten minutes. Solve them.”

“Oh.”

Wen Xiangzhu acknowledged with a soft reply, lowered her head, and began working on the problems. Before the ten minutes were up, she put down her pen.

“I’m done.”

The teacher’s eyes widened slightly, her expression a mix of surprise and disbelief.

How could a student the Lin family hired a tutor for possibly finish so quickly?

She must be guessing!

Thinking this, the teacher sternly took the answer sheet to grade it.

But… every answer was correct.

How could this be?!

The teacher struggled to maintain her composure, coughing slightly before saying, “Well, not bad. You…”

“Teacher, I already know all this,” Wen Xiangzhu murmured.

“You know all this?” The teacher seemed incredulous. “Then why did Miss Lin hire me to tutor you?”

Wen Xiangzhu pondered for a moment, then sidestepped the question. After a thoughtful pause, she looked at her teacher with curiosity.

“Teacher, generally speaking, when an Alpha marks an Omega—even if it’s a temporary mark—repeatedly, it has certain effects on the Alpha, right?”

“Correct.”

Seeing her genuine interest in the topic, the teacher elaborated, “When an Alpha marks the same Omega multiple times, she inevitably develops feelings for that Omega.”

Wen Xiangzhu nodded thoughtfully, gazing out the window as she murmured to herself:

“So the real question now is… how can I get her to agree to be marked?”

“…”

Late that evening, Lin Sui returned home at a leisurely pace.

The tutor had likely already left, leaving the house quiet and empty.

As Lin Sui ascended the stairs to her room, Wen Xiangzhu’s door opened.

She peeked out, recognized Lin Sui, and hurried out.

“Sister.”

Lin Sui acknowledged her with a nod. Noticing Wen Xiangzhu’s legs on the floor, she stopped. “Your foot is better?”

“I can walk now,” Wen Xiangzhu replied softly. “Sister, today…”

“Hmm?” Lin Sui raised an eyebrow.

Wen Xiangzhu blinked. “I think the tutor isn’t very good. I couldn’t understand anything she was saying.”

Lin Sui frowned, puzzled.

This shouldn’t be happening. The teacher is supposed to be the best…

After a moment’s thought, Lin Sui said, “Then… let’s try assigning you a different teacher next time.”

Wen Xiangzhu stepped closer. “No,” she said. “Sister, please teach me yourself.”

Lin Sui watched her approach and saw her reach out to cling to her arm in a coquettish manner, but she remained unmoved.

“No.”

“Why not?” Wen Xiangzhu’s lashes quivered as she looked at her, disappointed.

“No particular reason.”

Lin Sui’s face remained stern as she subtly brushed aside Wen Xiangzhu’s hand. Turning to the door, she said, “It’s getting late. Time to rest.”

“Sister…”

Wen Xiangzhu watched Lin Sui enter her room and close the door. She lowered her head, pursed her lips, and stood rooted to the spot for a long moment before finally trudging back to her own room.

Lin Sui was in a foul mood. Earlier that day, she had visited the Corporation to assess its current state.

Her subordinates had all told her that Secretary Wen had risen through the ranks on her looks alone, having won President Lin’s favor. Now, Wen Wenfu was thriving in the company, with no one daring to offend her.

Lin Sui found their words utterly contemptible.

A fox borrowing a tiger’s might.

How despicable! A mere ornament! What use is she?!

She had already arranged for a private detective to be hired into the company’s secretariat. The detective would observe Wen Wenfu’s every move, gather evidence, and report back to her periodically.

Of course, this was all kept secret from Lin Wei.

Once she had the evidence, she would make sure Lin Wei saw it. Then she would expel Wen Wenfu from the company—and the Lin family.

******

On this scorching summer day, even a slight drop in temperature couldn’t alleviate the oppressive heat outside, where sweat quickly formed.

Fortunately, the classroom air conditioning provided a welcome respite.

As the lunch break ended, the light-blocking curtains were drawn back, instantly brightening the dim room.

Yang Li carried a stack of graded papers to the front and clapped her hands.

“The results of the weekly test are in, so let’s go over them now.”

After adjusting her glasses, she waited for the class to quiet down before beginning to read the scores aloud.

Lin Sui, still half-asleep, propped her chin in her hand, barely managing to keep her eyes open.

Beside her, Zhu Huan doodled aimlessly in her textbook, clearly uninterested in the scores.

“Wen Xiangzhu, 148. Lu Xiaomeng, 113…”

“Lin Sui, 96. Zhu Huan, 92.”

Hearing this, Zhu Huan chuckled. “Suisui, did you put a curse on me? How are you still four points ahead of me?”

Lin Sui clicked her tongue. “I do pay attention in class, you know.”

“Right, right—half-asleep, half-listening,” Zhu Huan teased.

After announcing the grades, Yang Li left. Several students with mid-to-high scores gathered around Wen Xiangzhu’s desk.

“This test was so hard! Wenwen, how did you get such a high score?”

“She’s the top student in the grade! Wenwen, can you explain how to solve this problem?”

******

Lin Sui lowered her gaze, watching the noisy commotion in front of her. Helpless, she averted her eyes.

It was always like this whenever grades came out… so loud and chaotic.

Just then, a girl with her hair in a ponytail stopped by Lin Sui’s desk.

Her cheeks were flushed as she held a basket of small tomatoes and said softly, “Um…”

Hearing the voice, Lin Sui looked up. Her brain froze for a few seconds before she remembered this was the girl who had given her water during the sports meet.

Her name was… Fan Shihan.

Perhaps sensing Lin Sui’s questioning gaze, Fan Shihan tightened her grip on the basket, looking nervous.

“These are fresh cherry tomatoes I bought for you.”

As she spoke, she placed the red basket on the corner of Lin Sui’s desk.

Lin Sui glanced at it, frowned, and said curtly, “I don’t want them. Take them away.”

Wen Xiangzhu, sitting in front, heard the exchange and quietly turned to look. Her gaze swept over Fan Shihan before settling on the basket of tomatoes.

Fan Shihan’s smile froze, but she forced out a shaky, “I bought these for you. If you don’t want them, just throw them away.”

With that, she released her grip, turned, and fled the classroom.

The group surrounding Wen Xiangzhu also heard the exchange. After a moment of silence, one of them cautiously asked, “Wenwen, does Fan Shihan have a crush on your sister?”

“She’s trying to become your sister-in-law, you know.”

Wen Xiangzhu gazed at the basket of cherry tomatoes, her lips pressed together, her eyelashes trembling slightly. She remained silent.

Noticing her somber mood, the others quickly dispersed.

Zhu Huan teased, “Aiya, she’s trying to win you over! Are you going to eat them? If not, I will…”

Lin Sui rolled her eyes at the comment, remaining silent.

Yet for some reason, seeing the cherry tomatoes appear on her desk corner made Wen Xiangzhu feel uneasy. It was as if her territory had been invaded.

“Sister,” Wen Xiangzhu said, turning around with a forced smile, “this exam was a bit tough. If you don’t understand anything, I can help you.”

Zhu Huan glanced at Wen Xiangzhu’s hand, which had instinctively rested on Lin Sui’s desk. “You’d better… take your hand back.”

“Why?” Wen Xiangzhu asked, puzzled, but still withdrew her hand.

Zhu Huan chuckled. “Alphas don’t like others touching their things or invading their space. Didn’t you see how Lin Sui’s expression darkened the moment those tomatoes were placed on her desk?”

“Really…” Wen Xiangzhu looked at Lin Sui, bewildered.

If that was the case… then her frequent habit of entering Lin Sui’s room at home, even climbing into her bed to sleep…

Am I being disliked?

Lin Sui glanced at Wen Xiangzhu and casually picked up a small tomato. “I’m not interested in the question. Go teach someone else.”

As she spoke, she popped the tomato into her mouth.

The taste… was still sweet enough.

In the next moment, Wen Xiangzhu’s expression changed.

Her face tensed, and she murmured, “Sister, I want to eat these.”

Lin Sui stared at her for a long moment before saying, “Then take them all. I don’t really like these.”

“Okay.” Wen Xiangzhu smiled faintly. “Thank you, Sister.”

With that, Wen Xiangzhu turned around, clutching the basket of small tomatoes.

Zhu Huan stared blankly at Lin Sui, then frowned. “That’s not right!”

“What’s not right?” Lin Sui asked, puzzled.

Zhu Huan shook her head vigorously. “You’re not right.”

“She asked you for something! Aren’t you angry?”

Lin Sui narrowed her eyes, considering this.

“That request… wasn’t really unreasonable, was it?”

Zhu Huan: “……?”

“So why didn’t you give them to me when I asked, but you let her take them all when she asked?”

“I never said I wouldn’t give them to you.”

Lin Sui chuckled softly.

“Then why are you glaring at me?!”

Zhu Huan’s eyes widened, her voice was indignant.

“You think I was glaring at you?” Lin Sui tilted her head, switching the hand she was resting her chin on. “I wouldn’t stop you from taking them yourself. Were you expecting me to feed you?”

Zhu Huan: “……”

Fine, this infuriating…

Zhu Huan frowned, pondering for a moment, still feeling something was off. She leaned closer to Lin Sui and asked, “What’s the relationship between you and Wen Xiangzhu now?”

Lin Sui gave her a puzzled look. “She calls me ‘Sister.’ What do you think?”

“No, no, no…” Zhu Huan paused, then clarified, “Being sisters at home is fine, but we’re at school now. If you’re not sisters here, what are you?”

Lin Sui found Zhu Huan’s question rather absurd, but she still gave it some thought.

“If we’re not sisters, then we’re…” She paused before declaring with certainty, “Pure desk mates.”

Zhu Huan let out a dry laugh, then silently withdrew her gaze and sat back down.

Do you really believe that?

During class, Fan Shihan entered the classroom and instinctively glanced toward Lin Sui’s desk.

In an instant, she noticed the basket of cherry tomatoes she’d seen earlier now sitting on Wen Xiangzhu’s desk.

Lin Sui probably didn’t eat a single one.

Fan Shihan felt a little disappointed, but then she reminded herself that Wen Xiangzhu was just Lin Sui’s younger sister—just a sister, nothing more.

Even if the basket of cherry tomatoes couldn’t win over Lin Sui, at least she could please Wen Xiangzhu.

With this thought, she felt a little better.

******

Later that evening, Wen Xiangzhu stared at the basket of cherry tomatoes she’d brought back to the dorm, feeling annoyed.

These were a gift from one of Lin Sui’s admirers. She couldn’t eat them, but did she really want to keep them and watch them mold?

After a moment, she pursed her lips, made up her mind, and grabbed the basket to leave.

She’d just deal with them the same way she did the lemon tea last time!

As she opened the door, a Beta roommate returned and saw what she was holding. Her eyes lit up. “Wenwen, did you buy these cherry tomatoes?”

Wen Xiangzhu hesitated. “My sister gave them to me…”

“Can I have some? I’ve been craving them for ages, but I always forget to buy them.” Her roommate looked at her pleadingly.

Blinking, Wen Xiangzhu hesitantly extended her hand. “Sure, you can have them. I don’t want them anyway.”

“Really? Thank you, Wenwen!”

The weight in her hand vanished. Wen Xiangzhu stood frozen in place, still a bit dazed.

She had originally planned to throw it away…

But this was fine too. At least it wasn’t wasted.

As long as Lin Sui didn’t eat it, who cared who did?!