After Mistakenly Marking Her Stunning Omega Stepsister - Chapter 23

“Wen Xiangzhu.”

Lin Sui gazed at her, her dark eyes calm and emotionless. “Pets aren’t allowed in the dorm.”

“Let’s keep it a secret.”

Wen Xiangzhu blinked, pleading, “I’ll be careful and won’t let anyone find out!”

The laboratory fell silent for a long moment.

Lin Sui watched her for a while, then clicked her tongue. “Fine. Take this little one home this weekend.”

“Really?” Wen Xiangzhu’s eyes lit up.

After all, this was still the Lin family’s home, and she knew she had little say in the matter. Naturally, she needed to ask the Lin family’s permission to keep a pet.

Lin Sui nodded. “Sure.”

She glanced at the kitten, skin stretched taut over its bones, yet its large eyes shone with spirit and intelligence.

Hmm, not bad.

“Sister’s the best!”

Wen Xiangzhu’s face beamed with delight, so excited she almost hugged Lin Sui. But with the kitten in her arms, she couldn’t move freely and had to settle for a disappointed sigh.

“Let’s give it a name,” Wen Xiangzhu suggested, holding the kitten up to Lin Sui. “What should we call it?”

Lin Sui’s eyelid twitched as she eyed the kitten inches from her face. She took two steps back.

“You decide. Do whatever you think is best.”

Wen Xiangzhu smiled, lowered her hand, and gently stroked the kitten’s head.

“How about we call her Suizhu?”

“Suizhu?”

Lin Sui paused, taken aback.

“That’s right! Now both our names are included!” Wen Xiangzhu smiled. “Because we found her together.”

Lin Sui fell silent for a moment, her emotions a jumble. It felt like thousands of ants were crawling over her skin, leaving a prickling sensation. After a beat, she averted her gaze, the tips of her ears inexplicably warm.

“Whatever you want,” she murmured.

The two turned off the lab lights and retraced their steps.

Suizhu nestled contentedly in Wen Xiangzhu’s arms, wide-eyed and curious as she surveyed her surroundings.

“So, this whole rumor was just caused by this little kitten?” Wen Xiangzhu sighed, stroking Suizhu’s fur. “You sure know how to stir up trouble. You gave me quite a scare.”

Lin Sui glanced at them as they walked down the hallway together—human and feline. For some reason, the scene felt unexpectedly… pleasant.

No, she must be looking at it the wrong way.

Feeling as if she’d been possessed by a ghost, Lin Sui shuddered and shook her head. What could possibly be pleasant about this dark, gloomy hallway?

Wen Xiangzhu struggled as much as ever to climb out the window, even with Lin Sui holding Suizhu.

Honestly, this little calico is so skinny. There’s hardly any fat on her at all. She doesn’t even need much strength to move her…

A moment later, Wen Xiangzhu tumbled out onto the ground and said with a grin, “Sister, do you think I’m getting better at this?”

“Better at what?” Lin Sui asked, momentarily stunned.

Wen Xiangzhu’s eyes widened as she pointed at the windowsill behind her. “At climbing through the window, of course!”

Lin Sui: “……”

And you’re actually proud of that?

Lin Sui muttered a few half-hearted words of agreement and led Wen Xiangzhu toward the dormitory area.

“If you bring this calico back, will your roommates keep it a secret?”

“They will. They’re really nice,” Wen Xiangzhu replied softly.

Lin Sui nodded without comment.

Just then, a bright flashlight beam swept across them.

Lin Sui froze, then turned to look. She immediately recognized the Dean of Students.

“You two! What are you doing out here? Messing around instead of studying? Falling in love too early, huh?! Which class are you in?!”

The Dean roared and stormed toward them.

Lin Sui found the whole scene oddly amusing.

The Dean’s flustered appearance was like something straight out of a comedy skit.

Suddenly, she felt a warm weight on her hand, followed by a force pulling her in the opposite direction.

“Run! If we get caught, we’re in big trouble!”

Lin Sui hesitated for a second, then followed Wen Xiangzhu.

It wasn’t that they were dating early, it was just that they’d climbed through the window of the Laboratory Building, snatched a little calico cat, and were trying to bring it back to their dorm to raise. They really couldn’t let anyone find out.

When did Lin Sui ever used to be so afraid of the Dean of Students?!

Oh no!

Fortunately, the Dean of Students was wearing low-heeled leather shoes, while Wen Xiangzhu and Lin Sui were in lightweight sneakers. They quickly shook off the Dean.

Wen Xiangzhu clutched Little Calico tightly, gasping for breath. “We made it. She didn’t catch us.”

Lin Sui wasn’t even breathing hard. This level of exercise was nothing for her.

“We’re almost there. Just tuck it into your shirt and bring it back.”

“Okay.” Wen Xiangzhu nodded quickly.

Nearby, under the streetlight, the Dean of Students leaned over, hands on her knees, gasping for breath and drenched in sweat.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead and shouted angrily, “You little brats! Don’t let me catch you again!”

******

It was just past ten when they returned to the dormitory.

Zhu Huan glanced at Lin Sui, her expression a mix of amusement and teasing as she shook her head. “Back so soon?”

“What else would I do?” Lin Sui replied, finding it somewhat funny. “Weren’t you playing games?”

“Hah,” Zhu Huan chuckled softly. “I was just creating an opportunity for you two.”

“What opportunity?” Lin Sui asked, puzzled.

Xia Yi emerged from the bathroom, her voice dripping with curiosity. “Sister Suisui, back from your date? How did it go? Any progress?”

“What date? It wasn’t a date,” Lin Sui stammered. “This was an… adventure.”

Zhu Huan clicked her tongue at this.

“Right, right, an adventure.”

Lin Sui rolled her eyes and changed her clothes.

“Sister Suisui,” Xia Yi said, drying her hair and hesitating to meet her gaze. “I’ve noticed…”

“What?” Lin Sui asked.

“It’s just… Wen Xiangzhu is always following you around,” Xia Yi said. “And the colors of your clothes… they really… match.”

Lin Sui froze mid-motion.

Match?

“I don’t mean anything by it!” Xia Yi hurried to clarify. “I just heard people saying it looks like you’re wearing couple’s outfits.”

“Who said that?” Lin Sui asked, her eyebrows twitching.

Xia Yi pondered for a moment. “I don’t remember. A lot of people were saying it.”

The dorm fell silent for a moment.

Ye Shuqian poked her head out from behind her bed curtain. “They’re just talking nonsense. Who says it’s a couple’s outfit? Maybe it’s just something for friends? It just shows that Sister Suisui and Wenwen are close.”

“Right, exactly!” Xia Yi nodded eagerly. “Close, close…”

Lin Sui: “……”

Close…? No, we’re not close.

Her relationship with Wen Xiangzhu… no, they don’t have a relationship!

Not even a little bit!

Absolutely not!

The next day during break, as soon as the bell rang, Wen Xiangzhu turned around mysteriously and whispered, “We hid it in a cardboard box in the dorm.”

Lu Xiaomeng leaned in and nodded. “We put milk and snacks in the box. Let’s hope it doesn’t get discovered.”

Lin Sui glanced at them briefly before quickly looking away.

“Mm, you didn’t need to tell me about this.”

She wasn’t interested.

Wen Xiangzhu’s expression stiffened, the smile on her face gradually fading.

Noticing the awkward atmosphere, Lu Xiaomeng quickly turned and pulled out a Tarot deck from the drawer. “Want to do a Tarot reading?” she asked.

Lin Sui glanced at the deck in Lu Xiaomeng’s hand. “More mystical nonsense?” she asked.

“This isn’t that kind! This one…” Lu Xiaomeng explained, “is actually quite accurate!”

Lin Sui nodded, pondering for a moment. “But I don’t really need anything read.”

“Oh, you can do a love reading!” Wen Xiangzhu suggested, her eyes widening with a grin.

“Do I really need a love reading?” Lin Sui frowned. She already had a fiancée—what use was a love reading?

Wen Xiangzhu’s eyelashes fluttered. “Just do it for fun.”

“Tsk.” Lin Sui raised an eyebrow. “Fine, then let’s do a love reading.”

Lu Xiaomeng nodded, shuffled the deck, and had Lin Sui draw three cards.

“The first card is the Ten of Wands, reversed… Overall, new romantic opportunities are emerging around you, but past emotional baggage may affect your future relationships.”

Lin Sui listened to Lu Xiaomeng’s long explanation, but she didn’t really understand it and was starting to get sleepy.

Still, the idea of new romantic opportunities and past emotional baggage was somewhat intriguing.

New romantic opportunities…

Lin Sui pondered for a moment and concluded it must be Fan Shihan, who had been showing up everywhere lately.

The “past relationship issue” likely referred to her fiancée, Jiang Wanwan.

Beside them, Zhu Huan listened intently, glancing between Lin Sui and Wen Xiangzhu, her expression thoughtful.

Seems like this thing is pretty accurate…

Too bad for Jiang Wanwan. She’s in trouble.

“What’s that look?” Lin Sui frowned, eyeing Zhu Huan.

“Nothing… I just think someone’s position is getting shaky,” Zhu Huan replied with a chuckle.

“Someone?” Lin Sui paused, then realized Zhu Huan was referring to Jiang Wanwan.

“What nonsense! This new romantic interest is just that—a fleeting fancy,” Lin Sui retorted. “There’s no way I’d be with her.”

As her words hung in the air, a moment of silence fell.

Wen Xiangzhu’s expression darkened. She lowered her gaze, her fingers clutching the chairback, lost in thought.

Lu Xiaomeng’s smile stiffened. She glanced worriedly at Wen Xiangzhu.

Though she knew the new romantic interest must be someone else, Wen Xiangzhu’s feelings for Lin Sui were clearly…

Ah, it’s just fate.

“Alright, alright, give me a reading too!” Zhu Huan shot Lin Sui a meaningful look before changing the subject. “Come on, let’s see if I have any romantic prospects.”

******

When school let out at noon, it was raining outside.

Lin Sui was staring out the window, debating whether to go out for lunch, when Fan Shihan walked over to her desk.

“Um… did you like the cherry tomatoes I brought last time? If you did, I can bring you more.”

Fan Shihan glanced cautiously at Lin Sui, then shifted her gaze to Wen Xiangzhu, who stood nearby, her face impassive as she quietly observed the exchange.

For some reason, Lin Sui found the usually easygoing Class Monitor unnervingly intense.

Did I say something wrong?

Lin Sui shot her a quick look. “I don’t need any more,” she said.

Fan Shihan pursed her lips. “Were they not to your taste? What kind of food do you like?”

“I don’t like any of it,” Lin Sui replied flatly. “Don’t bring me anything again. I don’t want it.”

Fan Shihan stood frozen for a moment, her eyes reddening as if she was about to cry. She nodded quickly, turned around, and left the classroom without another word.

Zhu Huan patted Lin Sui on the shoulder, grinning. “Just like you! You cut through the mess like a sharp knife!”

Lin Sui remained silent. “Actually, those cherry tomatoes were pretty good,” she said. “I’ll buy some at home later.”

Up front, Wen Xiangzhu stood silently for a moment before turning to Lu Xiaomeng. “Mengmeng, you can go get lunch by yourself today. I have something I need to take care of.”

“Oh, it’s raining outside. Shouldn’t I go with you?” Lu Xiaomeng asked, concerned.

Wen Xiangzhu shook her head. “No need. I’ll be fine.”

With that, she waved goodbye, grabbed her umbrella, and left the classroom.

When she reached the ground floor, Wen Xiangzhu saw Fan Shihan.

The girl was crouched in the corner, sobbing uncontrollably.

After a moment’s hesitation, Wen Xiangzhu approached and pulled a tissue from her bag, offering it to Fan Shihan.

“Here, wipe your tears.”

Truthfully, Wen Xiangzhu wasn’t sure what she was doing.

It was strange.

When Fan Shihan got close to Lin Sui, Wen Xiangzhu felt angry and unhappy.

But now that Fan Shihan had been rejected and was hiding away, crying alone… Wen Xiangzhu felt… that the girl was quite pitiful.

As fellow Omegas, Wen Xiangzhu could understand her.

If Fan Shihan didn’t like Lin Sui, they might even have been able to become friends.

Unfortunately… Fan Shihan couldn’t tolerate anyone else’s presence.

Despite that…

Right now, Wen Xiangzhu genuinely felt sorry for Fan Shihan.

She couldn’t bear to see an Omega crying so miserably.

It was a natural empathy.

“Thank you…”

Fan Shihan’s voice was a little hoarse. She looked up at Wen Xiangzhu and took the tissue. “I’m sorry for making a fool of myself.”

“It’s okay.”

Wen Xiangzhu pursed her lips. “Sister already has a fiancée.”

Fan Shihan paused, her eyelashes trembling slightly. She gave a self-mocking smile. “Is that so? So she’s engaged…” After a moment, she sighed. “It was wrong of me to even think about it.”

“But I’ve liked her since middle school. I worked really hard just to get into the same high school as her.”

Fan Shihan took a deep breath, her voice still trembling. “It’s been five years, hasn’t it? Even a hint of hope would be better than nothing.”

“At least it’s better than keeping it all bottled up inside.”

Wen Xiangzhu lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes resting against her cheeks, as if taking in the words.

After a moment, she asked, “Where did you get those little tomatoes? They were really tasty.”

Support