After Mistakenly Marking Her Stunning Omega Stepsister - Chapter 26

But she was definitely putting on an act.

What could she possibly have to hide?

Lin Sui averted her gaze, steeling herself. “Asking me won’t help. I’m leaving.”

With that, she shook off Wen Xiangzhu’s hand and walked out of the classroom.

The air outside was much fresher than the stuffy classroom, though it was quite cold.

Lin Sui silently tightened her coat and hurried toward the dormitory area.

But halfway there, she paused, slowed down, and turned back to look.

No one was coming out of the building. Wen Xiangzhu hadn’t emerged yet.

Concerned, Lin Sui hesitated for a moment before leaning against a nearby tree.

After a long while, Wen Xiangzhu finally emerged, head down. She looked normal, just a bit listless.

Seeing this, the weight in Lin Sui’s heart slowly eased, and she returned to the dormitory with a clear conscience.

When she opened the door, Zhu Huan glanced at her before lowering her head back to her phone.

“Back already? I thought you’d be in the classroom for ages.”

“I just sat there for a bit. What else was I supposed to do?” Lin Sui replied nonchalantly, walking to her desk and setting down her bag. “At least it’s warm in the dorm.”

“Of course it’s warm,” Zhu Huan chuckled, looking up at her. “So, what did you two talk about?”

“What ‘we’? Who’s ‘we’?”

Lin Sui paused briefly before quickly recovering her composure.

“Acting? You’re still acting?” Zhu Huan rolled her eyes and pulled up a chair to sit beside Lin Sui. “Come on, spill. What’s going on between you two?”

“What are you talking about? Nothing’s going on,” Lin Sui retorted, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice. She stood up, grabbed her change of clothes, and headed for the bathroom.

“Hey, just tell me secretly then,” Zhu Huan called after her, watching Lin Sui’s retreating figure. She pursed her lips. “So stingy.”

Lin Sui ignored her. Even after showering, she remained unsettled.

“Is it Mr. Yang’s birthday tomorrow?” Zhu Huan asked, glancing at Lin Sui.

“Yeah, I heard they’re planning some kind of surprise.”

“A surprise…” Lin Sui lowered her gaze, lost in thought. She opened her phone and saw several messages from Wen Xiangzhu.

[Studying to be a Master: Sister, will you spend tomorrow with me? Just this once! I’ll agree to any condition you have!]

[Studying to be a Master: Please, pretty please! You’re the best, Sister!]

Lin Sui read the messages, then let out a derisive laugh.

Zhu Huan, watching her, asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Lin Sui replied dismissively. “Go play with your toys.”

Zhu Huan clicked her tongue but didn’t press further.

Lin Sui hadn’t figured out how to respond yet, still torn about whether to go out with Wen Xiangzhu. She decided to pretend she hadn’t seen the message and continued drying her hair.

A moment later, her phone rang again.

She opened the message and discovered Wen Xiangzhu had sent a voice message—thirty whole seconds of it.

The corner of her eye twitched. She set down the hair dryer and cautiously connected her Bluetooth headset.

A soft, sweet voice came through the earpiece, as if the speaker were hiding in a bathroom, deliberately lowering her voice: “Sister, nobody wants to go with me. They’re all afraid of me because I’m the Class Monitor and your younger sister. Only Lu Xiaomeng treats me like a friend, but she can’t make it tomorrow because she has plans. You’re the only one left… If even you don’t want to go with me…”

Her voice choked up, and the message cut off abruptly.

Lin Sui lowered her gaze, her thoughts unreadable.

She’s right, Lin Sui thought. Wen Xiangzhu had only transferred to the class recently, and the students had already formed small groups back when they first entered school. Suddenly arriving as the Class Monitor, she wouldn’t have many close friends…

After a while, Lin Sui sighed slowly.

Fine. Going out with her won’t hurt anyone.

[I’ll be waiting at noon tomorrow.]

******

The next day, Wen Xiangzhu seemed particularly cheerful, her smiles more frequent than usual. She even made a point of greeting Lin Sui and Zhu Huan when she entered the classroom.

Zhu Huan was taken aback by Wen Xiangzhu’s unusually animated behavior. “She…”

Zhu Huan turned to Lin Sui and whispered, “Why is she being so enthusiastic today?”

“How should I know?” Lin Sui replied indifferently, her gaze unconsciously drifting to the back of the person seated in front of them.

This is ridiculous. They’re even wearing the same coat today.

…Is that normal?

“How strange,” Zhu Huan muttered, scratching her head and turning her attention back to her phone.

She wasn’t the only one who found it odd. Even Lu Xiaomeng was puzzled.

Wen Xiangzhu was usually easygoing and always wore a smile, but she’d never been this… spirited before.

That was the word Lu Xiaomeng settled on: spirited.

“Wenwen, did something good happen today?” Lu Xiaomeng couldn’t help asking. “You seem really happy.”

Wen Xiangzhu paused, then smiled. “It’s Teacher Yang’s birthday today, of course I’m happy.”

“Right,” Lu Xiaomeng said after a moment’s thought. Seeing the logic in it, she didn’t press further.

As the last class of the morning ended, Wen Xiangzhu tidied her desk, grabbed a small backpack, and went to Lin Sui’s desk to wait.

Zhu Huan’s eyes widened slightly as she glanced at Wen Xiangzhu, then frowned and turned to Lin Sui. “You two… are you going out today?”

“Mm-hmm,” Lin Sui replied, standing up.

She didn’t need to bring anything; her presence was enough.

Wen Xiangzhu smiled faintly. “Sister Zhu Huan, it’s Teacher Yang’s birthday today! Sister, let’s go buy a cake and flowers together. We can have lunch outside.”

“I see,” Zhu Huan nodded thoughtfully. “Alright, then I’ll go have lunch with Xia Yi and the others at noon.”

Lin Sui froze. Had she ever agreed to eat out with Wen Xiangzhu?

“Right, Sister?” Wen Xiangzhu asked, turning to Lin Sui with a sweet smile.

For a moment, Lin Sui was dazed. After a pause, she nodded. “Yeah, if we’re going out to shop, we might as well eat out too.”

“Got it.”

Zhu Huan chuckled and waved goodbye before leaving the classroom.

Wen Xiangzhu stepped forward and stood beside Lin Sui. “Sister, shall we shop first or eat first?”

After a moment of silence, Lin Sui replied, “Let’s eat first.”

The two of them headed to the same French restaurant they’d visited before.

As usual, Wen Xiangzhu ordered the food while Lin Sui sat beside her, scrolling through her phone.

She came across a photo on a forum.

The candid shot showed Lin Sui and Wen Xiangzhu walking side by side, each wearing a matching but differently colored coat.

The caption beneath read: “Seriously, no one ships this pair?”

Lin Sui frowned, looking somewhat exasperated.

What pair? Who’s pairing me up with anyone?

[I thought I was the only one shipping this. My friend told me I’m shipping a “hellish” couple…]

[Why is it “hellish”? They’re both pretty!]

[Because they’re sisters, right? That’s incest! But I think that’s exactly why it’s so shippable!]

[Wow, exactly! Sister, you get me!]

******

Lin Sui scrolled through a few comments before losing interest. These people were just too bored. Wasn’t obsessing over celebrity pairings online enough? Did they really need to ship classmates too?

“Sister, what do you think about this?” Wen Xiangzhu asked, pushing the menu across the table and looking at her with wide eyes.

Lin Sui glanced up and said, “Whatever you want is fine with me.”

“Okay.” Wen Xiangzhu nodded and smiled, calling over the server.

Lin Sui silently withdrew her gaze, her eyes returning to the candid photo in the forum post. Actually… it’s not bad.

Unable to resist, she long-pressed the photo and saved it to her phone.

Her phone suddenly rang.

Lin Sui’s gaze fell on the caller ID, her eyes darkening slightly.

It was Jiang Wanwan.

She glanced at Wen Xiangzhu, stood up, and said, “I need to take this call.”

“Okay.”

Lin Sui walked to a quiet corner before pressing the green call button.

“Hey, Sister Sui! Why did it take you so long to answer?”

“Mm, I’m surrounded by people right now, so it’s not really a good time,” Lin Sui replied. “Why did you decide to call me now?”

“Oh, I just suddenly missed hearing your voice,” Jiang Wanwan said in a playful, coquettish tone. “It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. Have you missed me?”

Lin Sui fell silent, unsure how to respond.

Jiang Wanwan chuckled helplessly on the other end. “Forget it. You’re such a blockhead.”

“Auntie Lin mentioned you might be staying with us for a few days during winter break. Is that true?”

“Um…” Lin Sui pondered for a moment, recalling that Lin Wei had indeed mentioned this. “Yeah, but isn’t it still early?”

“Not for much longer!” Jiang Wanwan exclaimed excitedly. “Anyway, I was just asking. It’s nothing serious. I just need to start thinking about what supplies to prepare for you!”

“Have you eaten yet? You should go eat first. Bye!”

Lin Sui acknowledged the farewell and hung up.

She was going to stay with the Jiang family during winter break—she’d completely forgotten about that. Come to think of it, she loathed social obligations, especially dealing with elders.

Well, that’s fine too.

Might as well get used to it early.

The restaurant played soothing piano music, and the other patrons conversed in hushed tones, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

After standing for a moment, Lin Sui put away her phone and turned to walk back.

Their table was near the front desk, the most convenient spot and closest to the air conditioning, so it wasn’t as cold.

The dishes had already been served, but the seat where Wen Xiangzhu should have been was empty.

Where is she?

Lin Sui frowned slightly, scanning the area. The other patrons were engrossed in their own conversations, showing no signs of anything unusual.

After a moment, her gaze settled on the staff at the front desk.

“Hello,” she approached and asked, “Have you seen the girl who was supposed to be at my table? Where did she go?”

The staff member at the front desk looked at Lin Sui, then rose and glanced at the table she indicated. “Don’t worry, Miss,” she replied. “Your girlfriend just went to the restroom. She asked me for directions a moment ago and should be back soon.”

“That’s not my…” Lin Sui opened her mouth, paused, and decided not to explain. “Alright, thanks.”

She turned away from the front desk and stood for a moment in front of her seat.

Most of the dishes on the table seemed to be her favorites, as if Wen Xiangzhu had remembered which dishes she often picked during their last meal.

At this thought, Lin Sui pressed her lips together, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

She kept glancing toward the restroom, growing increasingly anxious as no one emerged. After a moment’s hesitation, she hurried over.

Just as she reached the door, she collided head-on with someone.

“Ouch.” The person clutched their head and winced, then looked up. “Sister?”

Lin Sui’s face tightened, silently enduring the pain in her chin as she acknowledged the greeting.

Wen Xiangzhu blinked, smiling. “Were you waiting long, Sister?”

“No,” Lin Sui replied coolly, denying it outright. “I just happened to come to use the restroom.”

She paused, then added:

“That’s all.”

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