After Mistakenly Marking Her Stunning Omega Stepsister - Chapter 25

Lin Sui’s eyes narrowed slightly, a sense of relief washing over her.

That’s better.

They were just sisters, nothing more than a pure sisterly bond.

Those forum trolls were all talking nonsense!

Little Calico clawed at the edges of the cardboard box, mewing pitifully, clearly wanting out.

Wen Xiangzhu grew nervous, worried the kitten’s claws might scratch the car’s leather seats.

“Be good, don’t move around. We’ll be there soon.”

With no other choice, Wen Xiangzhu had to pick up Little Calico and hold it still.

Uncle Wang glanced back through the rearview mirror and chuckled.

“Is this the kitten Second Miss found at school?”

“Mm,” Wen Xiangzhu replied, pursing her lips. After a moment’s hesitation, she added, “Actually, Sister and I found it together. Her name is Suizhu.”

“Are you planning to keep it at home?”

“Mm-hmm, Sister agreed,” Wen Xiangzhu replied, her eyes crinkling into crescents and her lips curving into a smile.

Lin Sui scoffed and turned her gaze out the window, remaining silent.

Yet, hearing Wen Xiangzhu call her “Sister” so casually… it felt strangely pleasant.

The distance from school to home wasn’t too far. With Suizhu distracting her, Wen Xiangzhu didn’t even need motion sickness pills and felt perfectly fine.

After getting out of the car, she abandoned the cardboard box and carried the Little Calico home in her arms.

Lin Sui walked ahead, but as she stepped inside, her footsteps paused.

“Mom.”

To her surprise, Lin Wei was home at this hour.

And of course, there was Wen Wenfu, slicing fruit nearby.

Lin Sui, preferring not to acknowledge their presence, pretended they weren’t there.

She tossed her bag onto the small sofa and sat down. “Wasn’t the office busy today?”

“Actually, it’s been surprisingly quiet,” Lin Wei replied with a smile, her gaze shifting to Wen Xiangzhu behind her. “Wenwen, what’s that in your arms?”

“Auntie Lin, it’s a Little Calico.”

Wen Xiangzhu blinked and walked over obediently, showing Lin Wei the little calico cat.

Lin Wei stiffened momentarily upon seeing the kitten, her expression shifting slightly.

Lin Sui noticed this brief moment of hesitation. Just as she was about to ask what was wrong, Lin Wei regained her composure and said calmly, “Of course, the kitten’s adorable. You can keep it. Since Wenfu and I aren’t home often, it’ll be good company for you both.”

Lin Sui frowned, her expression darkening slightly at the mention of Wen Wenfu’s name.

“Thank you, Auntie Lin,” Wen Xiangzhu said with a smile.

“Don’t just stand there, sit down,” Lin Wei urged.

Wen Wenfu brought over a plate of sliced fruit and set it on the table.

“The weather’s getting much colder lately,” Lin Wei remarked, glancing at Lin Sui. “Suisui, still the same style you like?”

Lin Sui nodded.

Turning to Wen Xiangzhu, Lin Wei asked, “What about Wenwen? What style do you like?”

As soon as she finished speaking, all eyes in the room turned to Wen Xiangzhu.

She blinked, hesitated for a moment, and replied, her eyes shining, “I like Sister’s style.”

Lin Sui: “……?”

“Like your sister…” Lin Wei paused, then continued, “That’s good. You two are close, so it’s perfect for you to dress alike and strengthen your bond.”

“Right, those two girls are close. That’s nice,” Wen Wenfu chimed in, trying to lighten the mood.

“Thank you, Auntie Lin. Sister and I are close. She takes really good care of me,” Wen Xiangzhu said softly, a faint smile on her face.

Lin Sui’s expression darkened. She stood abruptly, shooting Wen Xiangzhu a glare.

“What’s wrong? Have some fruit first. Your Uncle Wen just cut it…” Lin Wei paused, then suggested.

“No thanks,” Lin Sui replied curtly, lowering her gaze. “I’m a little tired. I’m going upstairs to rest.”

With that, she turned and went upstairs.

“What’s wrong with that child…?”

“Wenwen, is your sister feeling unwell?”

“I don’t know.”

“I can’t stand it anymore! She’s such a copycat!”

Back in her room, Lin Sui grew increasingly irritable the more she thought about it, and she couldn’t resist calling Zhu Huan.

On the other end of the line, Zhu Huan listened to the account and gasped. “Wen Xiangzhu… is she actually being straightforward now?”

“Yeah, she doesn’t even bother pretending anymore,” Lin Sui said, her brow furrowing slightly. “She’s openly trying to dress just like me now.”

Zhu Huan fell silent for a moment before asking, “Wait… could it be… that she’s doing this on purpose?”

“She’s definitely doing it on purpose,” Lin Sui declared firmly. “I can feel she’s deliberately trying to annoy me.”

Zhu Huan: “……”

“Fine, you’re right.”

Zhu Huan was utterly speechless, holding her forehead and sighing.

This girl is beyond redemption!

Though she said that, Lin Sui was just in a bad mood at the moment.

Once her anger subsided, she’d basically forget the whole thing.

As she was playing a game, someone knocked on the door.

“Sister? Are you available?”

Lin Sui narrowed her eyes, reaching up to lower the volume of her headphones without looking away from the computer screen.

“What is it?”

The door creaked open.

Wen Xiangzhu peeked inside, spotted Lin Sui at the desk, and padded in on small steps. She closed the door and slowly approached.

She watched the screen, waiting quietly without interrupting.

When Lin Sui finished the game, she removed her headphones, leaned back in her chair, and replied coolly, “What do you want?”

“Sister, are you angry?” Wen Xiangzhu asked softly, head bowed, her voice timid like a child who’d made a mistake.

Lin Sui glanced down, remaining silent.

Suddenly, with a crisp jingle, a white puppy plushie with a bell around its neck appeared before her.

“Sister, I’m giving this to you.”

For a moment, Lin Sui froze, her gaze fixed on the doll’s round, beady eyes.

After a long pause, she scoffed, “How childish. Who plays with these things?”

But when Wen Xiangzhu’s hand trembled, as if about to retract the gift in disappointment, Lin Sui quickly grabbed the plushie, her tone stiffening.

“Still, even though it’s useless and ugly, it could at least serve as a decoration.”

Hearing this, Wen Xiangzhu, who had been feeling dejected, paused. Then a smile blossomed on her face.

“Great!”

Lin Sui’s expression remained cold as she casually placed the doll on the table and glanced sideways at Wen Xiangzhu.

“What’s keeping you here? Are you planning to stay in my room for the New Year?”

Wen Xiangzhu smiled, her eyes sparkling and her voice bright and cheerful. “I’m off now. Goodnight, Sister.”

With that, she bounced out of the room.

The room fell silent as the door closed.

Lin Sui looked away, chuckling inwardly.

Her springy steps mean her leg is completely healed.

But this doll…

Lin Sui stared at the ugly-cute white puppy sitting on the table. Its long eyelashes quivered slightly as she pondered.

Where am I supposed to put this thing?

The desk? The bookshelf? Or on the bed?

Right now, it’s on the desk, and I’ll see it no matter if I’m reading or playing games. And every time I see it, I’ll think of Wen Xiangzhu’s rosy cheeks.

It just feels… weird.

Really awkward.

With this thought, Lin Sui stood up, holding the doll, and circled the room before finally placing it on the top shelf of the bookcase.

The clock on the wall ticked away. Ten o’clock.

Time to sleep.

After a quick tidy-up, Lin Sui climbed into bed and pulled the covers tight.

The bookcase stood directly across from the bed, and the doll rested on its top shelf—right where she’d see it the moment she opened her eyes.

About the fact that she’d be lying in bed, staring into the doll’s pitch-black eyes…

*******

Still feeling unsettled, Lin Sui frowned, sat up, and picked up the doll. After wandering around for a moment, she decided to open a drawer and put it away. Out of sight, out of mind.

The staff at home were efficient; the next day, they delivered the new clothes to Lin Sui and Wen Xiangzhu’s room.

Although Wen Xiangzhu had requested clothes similar to Lin Sui’s, their outfits weren’t identical. For example, Lin Sui’s black-and-white striped sweater was looser, while Wen Xiangzhu’s was more fitted. Their similarly styled down jackets came in white or black for Lin Sui, and pink or yellow for Wen Xiangzhu.

In short… they had similarities.

Normal people might interpret this as parent-child… or sister outfits.

But those who aren’t normal might see it as a couple’s outfit.

Like those idiots on the forums.

Now that the weather had cooled down and school uniforms were no longer required, everyone at school started wearing their own clothes.

Lin Sui couldn’t figure out Wen Xiangzhu. It was like she could read her mind, always managing to wear the same style as her every day.

As a result, others saw their relationship as exceptionally close.

Zhu Huan chuckled, her gaze lingering on Ye Shuqian.

At lunchtime, Zhu Huan did something uncharacteristic. She pulled Ye Shuqian aside and whispered, “Tell me the truth, did you tell Wen Xiangzhu?”

“What… what are you talking about?” Ye Shuqian stammered, quickly recovering her composure.

Zhu Huan chuckled. “Don’t play dumb. I’ll tell Lin Sui if you don’t confess.”

“Hey, don’t!” Ye Shuqian chuckled nervously. “I was just… helping Wenwen, you see.”

“How did she ask you to do it?” Zhu Huan asked curiously.

Ye Shuqian explained earnestly, “She said she wasn’t close to Lin Sui, but she didn’t want the other students to know. She was afraid of being bullied or mocked. So I helped her create the illusion that they were close. That way, no one would dare bully her.”

Zhu Huan narrowed her eyes, nodding thoughtfully.

Impressive. This Omega is quite clever.

Tsk, just what I’d expect from a straight-A student.

“Don’t tell Lin Sui, okay? Wenwen didn’t mean any harm,” Ye Shuqian added softly.

Zhu Huan smiled and waved her hand. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”

Lin Sui, the innocent girl, remained completely oblivious to the conspiracy her childhood friend and roommate had hatched against her.

She was still convinced that Wen Xiangzhu must have planted a camera on her!

“Never mind…” Lin Sui muttered, resigned.

“What do you mean, ‘never mind’?” Wen Xiangzhu asked, sitting across from her in the cafeteria, looking puzzled.

Lin Sui snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

Hmph, how could it be nothing?!

Back in the classroom, Lin Sui furiously changed Wen Xiangzhu’s nickname on her phone. She deleted “Tag-along” and replaced it with “Copycat.” Still unsatisfied, she added an exclamation point at the end.

Hmm, Copycat.

After lunch, Wen Xiangzhu went to the office. When she returned, she secretly gathered some classmates for a hushed meeting.

“Tomorrow is Teacher Yang’s birthday. Let’s plan a surprise for her!”

“Yeah, it’s Mr. Yang’s birthday,” the students agreed.

“We’ll pool some money. I’ll go out tomorrow at lunchtime to buy a cake and flowers,” Wen Xiangzhu said.

Lu Xiaomeng hesitated. “I’ll go with you.”

“No need,” Wen Xiangzhu whispered. “If both the Class Monitor and Vice-Class Monitor are gone, Teacher Yang will get suspicious. I’ll go with Lin Sui instead. It’s normal for us to go out together—no one will think anything of it, right?”

As she finished speaking, everyone secretly glanced at Lin Sui, who was playing on her phone in the corner.

“Right.”

“But will Lin Sui agree?”

“How could she refuse? Look at the clothes she’s been wearing with Wenwen these past few days… They’re so close, she definitely won’t say no.”

“You’re right…”

*******

The group chattered excitedly, settling the matter.

Lin Sui remained completely unaware of it all.

But she did notice something was off.

For instance, throughout the day, including study hall, Wen Xiangzhu kept glancing at her, as if she wanted to say something.

Lin Sui was baffled by this unusual behavior.

Now she was really curious.

She wanted to grab Wen Xiangzhu and interrogate her right then and there.

Just say it! What is it you want to say?!

But this tension didn’t last long.

As study hall was ending, Lin Sui received a text from Wen Xiangzhu:

[Scholarly Pretender: Wait for me after school.]

Lin Sui stared at the message, reading it over and over.

It sounded just like the message she’d gotten from those soccer guys before they’d challenged her to a fight.

******

The classroom windows were closed, making the air stuffy. Some students had already packed up their things, eager for the bell to ring.

When the bell finally rang, half the class stood up and dashed out, chattering and laughing.

Lin Sui absentmindedly gathered her things, moving slowly as she kept an eye on Wen Xiangzhu in the front row.

She wasn’t waiting… she was just moving a little slower on purpose.

Zhu Huan, who had finished packing up and was standing nearby, snorted at Lin Sui’s dawdling.

“Eldest Miss, how long are you going to stand there?”

“If you’re in a hurry, just go ahead.”

Lin Sui, her expression calm, didn’t even look up as she said, “The classroom is warm, so I’ll stay a little longer.”

Zhu Huan: “?”

“Don’t you feel stuffy?”

In the front row, Lu Xiaomeng stood up and turned to Wen Xiangzhu. “Wenwen, are you done yet?”

Wen Xiangzhu shook her head. “You can go ahead. I still have some things to take care of.”

“Ah, okay.” Lu Xiaomeng nodded and left.

Zhu Huan glanced at Wen Xiangzhu, then at Lin Sui, who was pretending to tidy up. As if understanding something, she rolled her eyes silently.

“I’m not waiting for you. I’m leaving. Make sure you get back soon.”

“Mm,” Lin Sui replied.

Soon, only Lin Sui and Wen Xiangzhu remained in the classroom.

The window was pitch black outside, and all Lin Sui could see was her own reflection in the glass. Feeling stuffy, she got up and opened the window.

A cold wind rushed in, along with the noise from the hallway below.

Wen Xiangzhu’s hands stilled, and she turned to look at Lin Sui.

“Sister.”

“Hmm?” Lin Sui looked out the window, her voice indifferent. “Speak.”

Wen Xiangzhu blinked and walked over to stand beside Lin Sui, both of them watching the scattered students making their way to the dormitory below.

“Can you go out with me tomorrow?”

“When and where?” Lin Sui raised an eyebrow, looking at Wen Xiangzhu with confusion.

Wen Xiangzhu lowered her head, her voice softening. “At noon, to buy a cake and flowers.”

Lin Sui frowned slightly. “No.”

“Why not?” Wen Xiangzhu’s eyelashes trembled.

“What do you need them for? Have Lu Xiaomeng go with you. Why does it matter to me?”

Lin Sui turned around, picking up her already packed bag. “If that’s all, I’m going back now.”

“No, it’s not like that.” Wen Xiangzhu tugged at Lin Sui’s sleeve, a hint of panic in her voice. “I’m buying them because it’s Teacher Yang’s birthday tomorrow. Lu Xiaomeng can’t go with me because she’s busy, and I can’t carry everything alone…”

Lin Sui was speechless. “Lu Xiaomeng is busy? Aren’t there other people around?”

She really didn’t want to go with Wen Xiangzhu. Her outfit was too easy to misinterpret.

This is annoying.

“Sister, I’ve already told the others…” Wen Xiangzhu’s voice cracked, tears welling in her eyes. “Please, just go with me. I don’t know what to do.”

Lin Sui: “……”

She’s begging me?

Lin Sui narrowed her eyes, glancing at Wen Xiangzhu. Her eyes were red-rimmed, glistening with tears.

She did look… rather pitiful.