After Mistakenly Marking Her Stunning Omega Stepsister - Chapter 29

Lin Sui slept until the afternoon.

When she woke up, the curtains were drawn tightly, blocking out the daylight. A single table lamp provided just enough light to see her surroundings.

She remained motionless, feeling dazed.

That dream… was so strange.

Lin Sui had dreamed of Wen Xiangzhu, seeing her wrapped in a towel after a bath, her shoulders exposed. It felt like Wen Xiangzhu was deliberately tempting her. In the dream, Lin Sui gave in, reached out, and pulled the towel away. Then the dream ended abruptly.

Recalling the dream, she took a deep breath to steady herself.

Why would I have a dream like that…?

Just then, she heard a faint breathing behind her.

Startled, she quickly turned around and saw someone leaning against her bed.

Wen Xiangzhu?

Lin Sui pursed her lips slightly, startled, and sat up.

The door remained closed. Wen Xiangzhu had slipped in at some point and was now sitting on a small chair by her bed, sound asleep.

Her soft hair cascaded down like a waterfall onto the bed, framing her delicate face. Long, slightly curved eyelashes rested against her cheeks, and her lips held a pale strawberry hue—she looked utterly lovely.

Lin Sui hesitated, remaining motionless and silent, simply watching.

As if sensing her gaze, Wen Xiangzhu’s eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes slowly opened.

“Sister? You’re awake.”

She paused, rubbed her eyes, and slowly sat up.

Lin Sui glanced at her, then calmly averted her gaze.

“Who let you into my room?”

Wen Xiangzhu froze, looking hurt. “I’m sorry, Sister. I didn’t mean to. I just… wanted to repay you.”

“What do you mean?”

“You took such good care of me yesterday. Today, it’s my turn to take care of you!”

After a moment of silence, Lin Sui studied her excited expression. “What do you want to do?”

“Help you get dressed, of course!”

Lin Sui: “?”

“I can do it myself. I don’t need help.”

Without hesitation, Lin Sui rejected the offer with a cold expression.

Hearing this, Wen Xiangzhu’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, her smile fading a little as she lowered her gaze. Softly, she said, “But… Sister hugged me and even looked at me. Shouldn’t we exchange courtesies?”

Lin Sui’s mind went blank for a few seconds.

Is that how you use “exchange courtesies”?!

“Wen Xiangzhu,” Lin Sui exhaled, grinding her teeth. “If you’re sick, go to the hospital. Why are you bothering me?”

When the words sank in, Wen Xiangzhu blinked and sighed pitifully. “Even if I can’t look back, Sister hugged me. Can’t I at least hug back?”

Lin Sui frowned.

Wen Xiangzhu’s eyes reddened slightly, misty with tears, her small face crumpling as if she’d suffered a great injustice.

How is she making it sound like…?

Lin Sui rubbed her nose. Like I did something to her?

“Sister…” Wen Xiangzhu whined, refusing to give up.

Lin Sui sighed. “Fine, you can hug back.”

The moment she spoke, Wen Xiangzhu’s expression brightened instantly. Beaming, she scooted closer.

Under Lin Sui’s astonished gaze, she gently lifted the cotton quilt covering Lin Sui, adjusted her skirt, and straddled her lap. With a swift motion, she threw her arms around Lin Sui’s neck, burying her nose in the crook of her neck and taking a deep, lingering sniff.

Lin Sui froze, momentarily unsure how to react.

******

After a moment, Lin Sui, was unable to bear the discomfort any longer, asked, “Are you done yet?”

“Not yet…” Wen Xiangzhu replied with a playful pout, tightening her grip.

A faint lavender scent lingered around Lin Sui’s nose—Wen Xiangzhu’s new shampoo fragrance. She vaguely remembered it used to be strawberry-scented.

Lin Sui’s eyelashes fluttered, her mind a tangled mess.

Wen Xiangzhu’s warm, shallow breaths brushed against her ear, carrying a wave of heat and a tingling sensation. After a moment, Lin Sui realized her earlobe felt warm and asked again, “Are you done now?”

“No…”

“My leg’s going numb.”

Wen Xiangzhu paused for a moment, then obediently released her grip.

She glanced at Lin Sui, then looked down at the legs she was sitting on and smiled. “Your leg’s numb? Should I rub it for you?”

“Don’t move,” Lin Sui quickly stopped her. When your leg’s numb, it’s best not to move it—everyone knows what happens if you do.

Wen Xiangzhu nodded obediently, saying nothing. She just watched Lin Sui quietly, her thoughts unreadable.

To avoid meeting Wen Xiangzhu’s gaze, Lin Sui turned her head and closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.

This position was definitely… a little awkward.

After a while, Lin Sui felt her leg recover its mobility. She opened her eyes and gently pushed at the person sitting on her. “You can get up now.”

The moment she spoke, her hand froze mid-motion. Realizing what she had touched, she jerked her hand back as if electrocuted.

Wen Xiangzhu was wearing only a flimsy nightgown, but even through the soft fabric, the sensation of what she had touched was unmistakable.

“Sister,” Wen Xiangzhu said, not moving away but leaning closer instead, “did you do that on purpose?”

Lin Sui choked, then quickly closed her eyes, feeling wronged but unable to explain. “No, I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s okay. Since you’ve already seen me, what’s one touch?”

Lin Sui: “……”

Why is she always bringing up that ‘seen’ thing?!

“Sister, smell me. Do I smell nice?”

Lin Sui froze, instinctively opening her eyes to see Wen Xiangzhu’s face so close. She quickly averted her gaze. “Not bad.”

“I just switched shampoos. Does Sister like it?”

“No,” Lin Sui said stiffly. “Get off the bed.”

“Oh…”

Wen Xiangzhu chuckled softly and finally hopped off the bed.

The faint scent lingering in the air finally dissipated somewhat, but Lin Sui felt she had been teased again.

Again.

“Are you hungry? I’ll go heat up breakfast for you.”

With that, Wen Xiangzhu turned to leave.

Lin Sui snapped out of her daze and called out to stop her.

“I need to talk to you.”

Wen Xiangzhu paused and slowly turned around.

“Okay, Sister. What do you want to say?”

“Don’t just barge into my room like that.”

Lin Sui looked up at Wen Xiangzhu, her dark eyes like still, silent pools without a ripple.

“Also, don’t dress so similarly to me when we’re out. It causes misunderstandings.”

After she finished speaking, a long silence fell over the room.

The dim desk lamp illuminated Lin Sui’s face and the hem of Wen Xiangzhu’s skirt, but not her face.

Lin Sui couldn’t see her expression.

After a moment, Wen Xiangzhu smiled. “I didn’t do it on purpose. Are you angry, Sister?”

“Don’t tell me it was a coincidence. There’s no such thing.” Lin Sui glanced at her, clearly unconvinced. She’d long suspected someone in the dorm was tipping Wen Xiangzhu off. “If this keeps up, I will be angry.”

“Okay… Sister, don’t be angry.”

Wen Xiangzhu parted her lips and murmured, “If Sister doesn’t like me wearing similar clothes, I won’t wear them.”

She paused, then opened the door and left without looking back.

As the door clicked shut, Lin Sui lowered her gaze to her disheveled clothes, which Wen Xiangzhu had mussed.

******

How impudent. You really need to learn your manners.

A while later, after Lin Sui finished washing up, someone knocked on her door.

“Sister, breakfast is ready.”

She opened the door and looked out.

Wen Xiangzhu looked just the same as before, holding a bowl of steaming wontons and smiling at her.

“Come in,” Lin Sui said, turning back inside.

“But I can’t come into your room,” a soft voice came from behind her.

Lin Sui stopped walking and turned to look at Wen Xiangzhu suspiciously. “Why not?”

Wen Xiangzhu tilted her head. “You said it yourself earlier—you don’t want me coming into your room anymore…”

Lin Sui froze, realizing she had indeed said something like that.

“What I meant was… you can’t just come in without my permission,” Lin Sui explained after a moment’s thought. “But now, you can come in.”

Wen Xiangzhu blinked, watching her for a moment, then stepped forward and placed the bowl of wontons in her hands before retreating back to the door.

“I have things to do. Eat slowly.”

With that, Wen Xiangzhu pursed her lips and turned to leave.

Is she… throwing a tantrum?

Lin Sui raised an eyebrow, watching her go. She glanced down at the still-steaming wontons in her hand, hesitating for a moment.

Forget it. I’m hungry. I’ll eat first and worry about everything else later.

After a while, Lin Sui had finished eating and was mindlessly scrolling through her phone when she suddenly remembered Wen Xiangzhu.

She’s still sulking, isn’t she?

Lin Sui considered for a moment, then walked to the door of the adjacent room.

The door was slightly ajar. She hesitated, then gently knocked.

“Wen Xiangzhu.”

The Omega inside acknowledged her, followed by the hurried sounds of someone hastily tidying up.

Lin Sui frowned. “May I come in?”

After a pause, a voice from inside replied, “Yes.”

Lin Sui pushed the door open and entered, stopping by the desk.

Wen Xiangzhu was seated at the desk, the computer screen lit but frozen on the desktop. It was unclear what she had been doing.

Neither of them spoke first.

Primarily, Lin Sui really didn’t know what to say. Usually, Wen Xiangzhu would chatter away, and Lin Sui would half-heartedly respond.

Now that Wen Xiangzhu was silent, Lin Sui didn’t know what to do.

The atmosphere in the room remained tense for a long time, until Wen Xiangzhu finally spoke.

“Sister, did you come here for something?”

“Mm,” Lin Sui pursed her lips. “Actually, I just came to check on you.”

“Check on me?” Wen Xiangzhu paused, turning to look at her.

The rims of her eyes and the tip of her nose were slightly red, and a glistening wetness lingered in her gaze. She looked… as if she had been crying.

Lin Sui’s eyelashes fluttered as she stared intently. “You… I didn’t mean anything by what I said earlier. It wasn’t that I dislike you.”

“Mm…”

Wen Xiangzhu lowered her head, remaining silent.

Lin Sui frowned and pulled up a chair to sit beside her.

“Don’t be like this…” she said. “I’m not very good at comforting people, so just tell me what would make you happy.”

The corner of Wen Xiangzhu’s mouth twitched.

“Sister,” she paused. “What… what do I mean to you?”

What do I mean to you?

Lin Sui was taken aback. “You’re my little sister, of course.”

“Little sister?”

Wen Xiangzhu lowered her gaze, her voice thick with emotion. “But you always call me by my full name. Even Lu Xiaomeng, who’s known me for only a short time, calls me Wenwen. Just now, you were still calling me Wen Xiangzhu. It makes me feel… as if, in your heart, I’m not even as important as strangers.”

“No, that’s not true.”

A flicker of panic crossed Lin Sui’s eyes. “I call you by your full name because…”

Her voice trailed off.

Wen Xiangzhu looked up at her, silent for a moment. “Because why?”

“Because… ‘Wenwen’ is a name so many people use. I feel like, since everyone calls you Wenwen, there’s no need for me to…”

Lin Sui’s thoughts were in disarray, her words tumbling out incoherently.

“Then Sister can call me by my nickname,” Wen Xiangzhu suggested softly, her eyes brightening. “Achu is my nickname.”

Lin Sui looked at her, momentarily stunned.

After a moment, she pursed her lips and asked, “Achu?”

“Mm-hmm.” A faint smile finally appeared on Wen Xiangzhu’s face. “No one’s called me that since my mom left. No one knows except Sister.”

“Except Sister?” Lin Sui murmured, staring blankly at her before quickly averting her gaze. “Okay, then… when we’re alone, I’ll call you Achu.”

Wen Xiangzhu nodded, her eyes curving into a smile. “Okay.”

“Doesn’t that make you sad?” Lin Sui asked.

Wen Xiangzhu’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she paused. “Not really… but still, a little.”

“Hmm?”

“Sister,” she said, looking up at Lin Sui with earnest eyes, “can you… hug me again?”

This caught Lin Sui completely off guard.

She froze, rooted to the spot, unable to move for what felt like an eternity.

A hug? This was the first time she’d ever been asked something like this.

But isn’t this a little too… intimate?

Wait… Lin Sui thought, recalling Wen Xiangzhu’s mention of her mother. Maybe she’s lacking affection and is clinging to me for that warmth.

As she pondered this, Wen Xiangzhu lowered her head and sighed, looking dejected.

“Never mind, then.”

“No!” Lin Sui snapped back to her senses, hastily denying it.

When Lin Sui met Wen Xiangzhu’s eyes, those eyes that seemed to evoke sympathy just by existing, she averted her gaze, her expression tense. “I didn’t say you couldn’t,” she said.

“Then that means I can?” Wen Xiangzhu asked, her eyes widening slightly, a soft chuckle escaping her lips.

Lin Sui couldn’t help but look at her, momentarily lost in thought. When Wen Xiangzhu smiled, she was truly beautiful… her eyes curved and sparkled, and dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth. She was certainly more beautiful than any Omega Lin Sui had ever seen before.

“Mm, you can,” Lin Sui replied. The mention of Wen Xiangzhu’s mother reminded her of her own mother; the two of them really did feel like kindred spirits, both fallen on hard times.

After a moment, Lin Sui stood up, bent down, and gently embraced Wen Xiangzhu, patting her on the back. Her intention was to comfort her and cheer her up.

In the next instant, Lin Sui felt arms encircle her waist. As she sensed the grip slowly tighten, her body stiffened. Just as she was wondering what to do, a sweet voice spoke by her ear:

“Sister, thank you.” The voice paused. “I really like…”

Lin Sui remained silent, but when no further words came, her curiosity got the better of her. “Like what?” she asked.

After a moment, Wen Xiangzhu gently released her, smiling. “Nothing.”

“What’s there to be so secretive about?” Lin Sui asked, eyeing Wen Xiangzhu suspiciously. “What do you like? I’ll buy it for you.”

She paused, then added, “I’ve got plenty of money.”

As her words faded, Wen Xiangzhu’s eyelashes trembled slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips. She looked up at Lin Sui, her eyes shimmering with an unreadable light.

“But that’s something money can’t buy.”

“It’s one-of-a-kind.”

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