After Mistakenly Marking Her Stunning Omega Stepsister - Chapter 27

After fending off Wen Xiangzhu, Lin Sui entered the restroom alone and examined her chin in the mirror.

Ouch, that guy’s head is hard.

After a moment, Lin Sui washed her hands and returned to her seat, pretending nothing had happened.

Pride doesn’t feed you, but it’s still important.

Halfway through their meal, Wen Xiangzhu suddenly suggested, “Why don’t we order a bottle of wine?”

Lin Sui frowned. “Do you even know how to drink?”

“No,” Wen Xiangzhu replied sweetly, shaking her head. “I just want to try it and see what it tastes like.”

“No way. We have class later,” Lin Sui said without hesitation.

Wen Xiangzhu pondered for a moment before asking tentatively, “So, if we didn’t have class, you’d let me try it?”

Lin Sui: “……”

After leaving the restaurant, the two headed straight for a flower shop.

This one’s closer.

“I heard Teacher Yang likes aster,” Wen Xiangzhu murmured. “But they come in so many colors… Which one should we get?”

“Whatever,” Lin Sui said absently, stepping into the shop.

The shopkeeper was trimming flower branches when she saw a customer enter. She quickly stood up and wiped her hands on her apron. “What can I get for you, miss?”

She smiled and glanced at Wen Xiangzhu, who had followed Lin Sui into the shop. “Are you buying flowers for your girlfriend? I have a bouquet I think she might like.”

“No.”

Lin Sui frowned. “It’s not for my girlfriend.”

“Oh, I see.”

The shopkeeper smiled knowingly, immediately understanding the implication. She leaned in closer and lowered her voice. “So she’s not your girlfriend yet, huh? When it comes to chasing girls, roses are always the way to go…”

Lin Sui’s expression froze.

What kind of shopkeeper randomly guesses like that?

Wen Xiangzhu quickly stepped forward, smiling. “Excuse me, shopkeeper. We’re actually here to buy flowers for our teacher. Could you show us your baby’s breath?”

“Ah, for your teacher?” The shopkeeper chuckled awkwardly, avoiding Lin Sui’s gaze. “Let me get that for you right away.”

In the end, the shopkeeper packed a bouquet of blue, white, and pink baby’s breath and saw the two off.

Outside the flower shop, Lin Sui fell silent, remaining quiet for a long time.

It wasn’t just at the restaurant earlier. Now even here, at the flower shop, we’ve been misunderstood again.

This was awkward.

Wen Xiangzhu, holding the flowers, blinked and said softly, “Sister, there’s a cake shop across the street. We need to cross.”

“Mm,” Lin Sui replied. “Let’s use the pedestrian bridge.”

The street was relatively empty, with only scattered couples walking hand in hand.

As one couple passed by, they glanced back and whispered, “Why did she leave her girlfriend behind alone?”

“Maybe they had an argument?”

Lin Sui: “……”

Lin Sui felt a headache coming on. She just wanted to buy the cake and get back to school quickly.

It must be the clothes.

When they reached the cake shop, Lin Sui stood to the side, distracted, while Wen Xiangzhu picked out a cake.

Holding the flowers, Wen Xiangzhu bent down to look at the various sizes and styles of cakes in the glass display case, feeling a little conflicted.

The shop assistant smiled. “If you can’t decide, sister, why not let your girlfriend help you choose?”

Wen Xiangzhu froze slightly.

Girlfriend…

She instinctively glanced back at Lin Sui. Fortunately, the assistant hadn’t spoken loudly, and Lin Sui was standing too far away to hear.

Relieved, she turned back around without explaining and pointed at a cake piled high with strawberries. “This one, please. Can you wrap it up for me?”

Lin Sui indeed hadn’t heard what Wen Xiangzhu said to the shop assistant.

On her phone, Zhu Huan had sent her a screenshot of the same post she’d seen in the restaurant earlier.

I saw it… What’s the deal?

Perhaps sensing Lin Sui’s mood through the screen, the other side was silent for a long moment before replying.

Zhu Zhu Zhu: She’s pretty. Suisui’s style is spot-on!

……

A few minutes later, Wen Xiangzhu approached, carrying a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a wrapped cake in the other.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Lin Sui acknowledged her without looking up, glancing sideways at Wen Xiangzhu out of the corner of her eye. Just as she was about to walk away, she paused and took the cake.

“Let’s go.”

At No. 1 High School, in addition to boarding students, many day students attended. Some who lived nearby even went home for lunch.

Although lunch break hadn’t ended and the school gates were still closed, a crowd of students waiting to enter had already gathered outside.

Lin Sui and Wen Xiangzhu’s appearance there was undeniably conspicuous.

It wasn’t just their status and demeanor; more importantly, one was carrying flowers, the other a cake, and their outfits… In short, it was hard not to speculate.

“Hey, isn’t that the couple from the forum post just now?”

“Yeah! You saw that thread too?! I took those photos! I ship them!”

“Holy crap! They look way better in person! Did they just get back from a date?”

“For sure! My ship will never sink!”

The chatter of the crowd wasn’t loud, but with so many voices blending together, it became a chaotic din, making it hard to hear anything clearly.

Lin Sui could feel numerous glances sweeping over her, filled with curiosity, inquiry… and even a hint of admiration.

Wen Xiangzhu felt uneasy, clutching the flowers and keeping her head bowed, motionless.

With five minutes left before the school gate opened, she edged closer to Lin Sui. “Sister, aren’t we being too conspicuous?”

“Need I say more?” Lin Sui replied, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Have you ever seen anyone return to school with flowers and cake?”

Wen Xiangzhu: “……”

An Omega approached and cautiously tugged at Wen Xiangzhu’s sleeve, looking as if she wanted to speak privately.

Wen Xiangzhu hesitated, glancing at Lin Sui before following the girl a few steps away. “Can I help you?”

“Um, I just wanted to ask…” The girl smiled, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Does… Lin Sui… have a girlfriend?”

As soon as the words left her lips, Wen Xiangzhu’s smile froze momentarily before curving into a smirk. “You like my sister?”

“Mm-hmm,” the girl nodded shyly.

Wen Xiangzhu’s eyes darkened, but her smile remained. “Sister doesn’t have a girlfriend, but she’s already engaged.”

“Ah… I see.”

The girl lowered her gaze, looking disappointed. “Thank you. Sorry for bothering.”

Wen Xiangzhu watched the person walk away with an expressionless face, her eyelashes trembling slightly. She turned and walked back to Lin Sui.

“You know her?” Lin Sui glanced at her and asked.

Wen Xiangzhu paused, then shook her head. “No.”

“Then why was she looking for you?”

“She just… thought the flowers in my hand were pretty and asked where I bought them.”

Lin Sui’s gaze fell on the bouquet of starry sky flowers Wen Xiangzhu was holding. She nodded and didn’t say anything else.

The first class in the afternoon was a class meeting, and Yang Li would definitely come.

As soon as they returned to the classroom, Wen Xiangzhu and Lu Xiaomeng started directing everyone to hide their things and decorate the classroom.

Lin Sui wasn’t interested and didn’t want to waste her brainpower on it. She walked straight back to her desk and sat down.

“You went with her to buy the cake?” Zhu Huan asked, looking like she had just woken up and still half-asleep.

“Yeah,” Lin Sui replied.

Zhu Huan yawned, then seemed to remember something. “Do you have any plans for the winter break? Why don’t you come with me to Wucheng? It’s like spring all year round there—a great place to spend the winter!”

Lin Sui shook her head. “I’m staying with the Jiang family for a while during the break. I can’t go with you.”

“What?” Zhu Huan frowned. “You’re going to live with Jiang Wanwan?”

“It’s the Jiang family’s house, not with her specifically,” Lin Sui clarified. “Don’t get confused.”

Zhu Huan chuckled. “Still so meticulous, I see.”

Wen Xiangzhu and Lu Xiaomeng returned to their seats, still discussing the upcoming class meeting. It looked like they’d mostly worked out the arrangements.

For some reason, Zhu Huan’s brain must have short-circuited. She suddenly called out to Wen Xiangzhu, “Class Monitor, are you going to the Jiang family’s house with Suisui during the winter break?”

Lin Sui: “……?”

Zhu Huan didn’t seem to mind, and she even looked excited.

If Wen Xiangzhu was going too, this would definitely turn into an interesting battlefield… She had to go! To watch the show! Jiang Wanwan wouldn’t mind setting an extra place at the table, right?!

Wen Xiangzhu pursed her lips, suddenly remembering Lin Wei mentioning this to her before.

She turned to look at Lin Sui, hesitating. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Wanwan, so of course I’d like to go.”

“But I don’t know if Sister would mind.”

Zhu Huan raised an eyebrow and looked at Lin Sui with mock seriousness. “Do you mind?”

Lin Sui: “……”

For a moment, several gazes landed on her simultaneously, but she didn’t answer the question at all. She simply lowered her head and started scrolling through her phone, pretending not to have heard.

Zhu Huan shook her head, thought for a moment, then lowered her head and picked up her phone to text Jiang Wanwan.

[Zhu Zhu Zhu: I remember your birthday is during winter break, right?]

In the office, Yang Li had just woken up from her nap and sleepily opened her phone.

On the forum, a post had been bumped to the top, featuring a photo of Lin Sui and Wen Xiangzhu.

She looked at it for a while, then couldn’t resist taking a screenshot.

They really do look good together. A pleasing sight.

When the school bell rang, Yang Li entered the classroom.

The students below all looked at her, faint smiles playing on their faces.

Yang Li found this strange. “What’s wrong? Did I not dress well today?”

“You look great!” “Teacher Yang is the best-looking!” “The most beautiful teacher at No. 1 High School!”

Lu Xiaomeng stood up, her expression hesitant. “Teacher Yang, there’s something we’re not sure whether we should tell you…”

Yang Li raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “What’s this? Did you guys get me into trouble?”

Her expression froze mid-sentence. “Huh?” She pointed to the empty seat beside Lu Xiaomeng. “Where did Wen Xiangzhu go?”

“Teacher,” Lu Xiaomeng said with a sheepish grin, “she’s behind you.”

Startled, Yang Li turned around and saw Wen Xiangzhu standing behind her, holding a bouquet of aster flowers. “Happy birthday, Teacher Yang!” she said with a smile.

As soon as she finished speaking, the students in the classroom began to cheer. A lively birthday song started playing from the computer, and the classroom erupted in noise.

Yang Li’s ears rang with the students’ uncoordinated cheers, but instead of annoyance, her eyes welled up with tears.

“Thank you… thank you… you didn’t have to spend so much,” she said, taking the flowers and wiping away tears.

Lu Xiaomeng brought out a cake she had hidden earlier and placed it on the lectern, sticking three candles on it.

“Lighter! Who has a lighter?”

“I do, I do!” A boy raised his hand, stepped forward, and handed over his lighter.

Yang Li looked around at the scene before her, feeling a strange sense of unreality.

Being a teacher is really tiring, especially a homeroom teacher. She often stays up late making PowerPoint presentations for her lessons and researching how to manage a classroom full of kids. But moments like this, when a student remembers her birthday and thinks of her, are truly special.

Simple, ordinary happiness.

With a few clicks, the candles were lit.

Many classmates gathered around, singing the birthday song.

Lin Sui sat in her seat, watching Yang Li, wearing a birthday hat, being surrounded on the stage. It wasn’t true to say she felt nothing.

Last year, no one remembered Yang Li’s birthday.

“Suisui, aren’t you going to join the fun?”

Zhu Huan propped her face in her hand, asking curiously.

Lin Sui shook her head. “You’re not going either, are you?”

“Right…” Zhu Huan choked back a laugh. “I’ve never had such a lively birthday before.”

She paused, a hint of wistfulness in her voice. “Being a teacher doesn’t seem so bad after all.”

Hearing this, Lin Sui’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she lowered her gaze.

She’d never had such a lively birthday before.

In previous years, Ms. Lin would always host a birthday party for her, inviting socialites and dignitaries from all walks of life. While it sounded impressive—diplomatic toasts, polite small talk, and endless repetition—in her eyes, it wasn’t a birthday at all, just another social obligation.

A tedious obligation she couldn’t refuse.

Zhu Huan felt the same way.

For girls from their backgrounds, many things were beyond their control.

“Teacher, it’s time to make a wish!” someone called out.

“Then I wish for all my classmates to succeed in their studies and get into great universities!” Yang Li said with a smile.

“Speaking your wish out loud makes it not come true!”

“That’s right! And it has to be about yourself!”

Yang Li thought for a moment. “Then I hope…”

“Don’t say it out loud!”

******

Lin Sui was lost in thought for a moment, and by the time she came back to her senses, the cake had already been sliced and distributed to everyone.

Wen Xiangzhu approached with two plates of cake and placed them on Lin Sui and Zhu Huan’s desk. “Here you go.”

“Thanks, Class Monitor,” Zhu Huan said with a smile, taking a piece and tasting it. “Which shop is this from? It’s pretty good.”

Lin Sui raised an eyebrow at Zhu Huan, her gaze shifting to the cake in front of her.

To be honest, she wasn’t particularly impressed with this cake.

She’d never eaten anything from these small shops before.

“Sister, try some. It’s really good,” Wen Xiangzhu said, blinking innocently at Lin Sui.

Hesitating for a moment, Lin Sui picked up her small fork and took a bite.

Hmm… It’s surprisingly good.

Wen Xiangzhu leaned forward, her eyes wide. “How is it?”

Lin Sui maintained her usual expression. “…It’s… barely acceptable.”

Beside her, Zhu Huan couldn’t help but chuckle at Lin Sui’s stiff expression.

Lin Sui glanced over lazily. “What’s so funny?”

Zhu Huan suppressed a laugh. “Nothing.”

Lin Sui: “……”

Zhu Huan cleared her throat and quickly straightened her expression. “Really, nothing.”

“Then why are you so nervous?” Lin Sui narrowed her eyes. “You look like you have a guilty conscience.”

Zhu Huan forced a dry laugh, not knowing how to respond, and simply pretended not to hear.

At that moment, a wave of cheers erupted from the classroom.

“What’s going on?” Zhu Huan asked curiously.

Lu Xiaomeng smiled as she returned to her seat. “Teacher Yang said she’s taking the whole class out for dinner on Friday.”

“Does this count as a class team-building activity?” Zhu Huan pondered aloud.

“Probably?” Wen Xiangzhu blinked, turning to Lin Sui. “Sister, you’re coming, right?”

Lin Sui paused, then shook her head. “No.”

She wasn’t fond of noisy, crowded places.

“Ah…” Wen Xiangzhu looked somewhat disappointed, pursing her lips but saying nothing.

Lin Sui glanced at her. “If you want to go, just go.”

“Okay.”

Lin Sui had no intention of pressuring Wen Xiangzhu. Let her decide for herself. It wasn’t her business to interfere in Wen Xiangzhu’s personal matters.

At least, that’s what she thought at the time.

After all, what harm could come from a quiet girl like Wen Xiangzhu having dinner with her teacher and classmates?

On Friday, Lin Sui rode home alone, making sure to remind Wen Xiangzhu to call the driver before leaving so he could pick her up.

Her agreement put Lin Sui at ease.

After returning home, Lin Sui went to her room and took a shower. When she came out, Little Calico was standing outside her door, looking up at her with its small head tilted, and meowed.

“Are you hungry?”

Lin Sui’s gaze softened as she brushed her slightly damp hair back. She bent down to pick up the kitten, but it nimbly dodged her, standing a short distance away and continuing to meow.

Seeing this, she raised an eyebrow and crouched down. “You’re Suizhu, right? You must be hungry. We don’t know each other very well, but your owner won’t be back for a while, so I’m your owner for now. If you let me pick you up, I’ll get you something to eat. How about it?”

Suizhu blinked but didn’t move.

Lin Sui reached out again. This time, it didn’t dodge, allowing her to pick it up.

“Not bad, you’re pretty smart,” she said, a little surprised, as she stroked its head. “Just like your owner.”

Lin Sui carried Suizhu downstairs to the living room, gave it some food, then curled up on the sofa and turned on the TV.

The TV content was boring, so she kept changing channels absentmindedly.

Suizhu, perhaps full, jumped onto the sofa, licked its fur, then lay down next to Lin Sui.

The sky gradually darkened. The living room lights remained off, leaving only the flickering TV screen to illuminate her face.

The clock’s second hand continued ticking away. When Lin Sui woke up, it was already past nine.

I actually fell asleep…

Lin Sui frowned slightly, feeling a chill in the air.

She glanced at the TV screen, then got up and turned on the lamp beside the sofa.

It seemed no one had come home in the past few hours.

Suizhu was still snoring on the sofa. Lin Sui glanced at it, then found her phone on the coffee table.

As soon as the screen lit up, several messages popped up from Lu Xiaomeng:

[Lu Xiaomeng: Um… Wenwen fell asleep.]

[Lu Xiaomeng: Everyone was in a good mood today and had a few drinks. She’s all dazed and confused. I wanted her to call home, but she wouldn’t tell me her phone password, so I had no choice but to…]

[Lu Xiaomeng: I have no choice but to call you.]

[Lu Xiaomeng: Can you figure out how to get her home?]

The messages were from ten minutes ago. Lin Sui frowned, rubbing her temples with a headache.

She’s drinking again?!

She sighed and called Lu Xiaomeng.

The call connected quickly, the background noise indicating a crowded place.

“Can she talk right now?” Lin Sui asked.

“She’s… not really conscious. I doubt she can talk,” Lu Xiaomeng replied with an embarrassed chuckle.

Lin Sui felt a headache coming on. “Drunk that badly? How much did she drink?”

There was a pause on the other end. “Just a small glass.”

Lin Sui: “?”