After Mistakenly Marking Her Stunning Omega Stepsister - Chapter 31

By the time Lin Sui returned to the dormitory, it was already evening.

A few days earlier, Lin Sui had made arrangements to stay on campus until the end of the semester, avoiding going home. This setup gave her more freedom.

Zhu Huan was the only one in the dorm when Lin Sui returned. Seeing her roommate back, Zhu Huan quickly removed her headphones and stood up. “You’re finally back! Wen Xiangzhu asked about you so many times, and you wouldn’t answer your phone. I almost called the police.”

Her brows furrowed as she approached Lin Sui with a serious expression. “Did you run into Xu Jinyan?”

Lin Sui glanced at Zhu Huan, the corner of her mouth twitching into a faint smirk. She let out a soft chuckle.

“Wen Xiangzhu really tells you everything, doesn’t she?”

“Hmph!” Zhu Huan smoothed her hair back. “Isn’t she just worried about you?”

“What did you two talk about today?”

“Nothing.” Lin Sui walked past her toward her bed.

Zhu Huan hurried after her. “If it was nothing, why were you out there so long?” She reached out and tugged gently on Lin Sui’s arm.

Lin Sui frowned and flinched slightly.

That’s when she noticed something was off. Her face tightened as she rolled up Lin Sui’s sleeve.

Seeing the conspicuous purplish-blue mark on her pale forearm, she narrowed her eyes.

“You got into a fight with her?”

“Just sparring,” Lin Sui said nonchalantly. “She lost just now and even knelt down to apologize.”

“Doesn’t it hurt?” Zhu Huan snapped. “I don’t even know what you’re trying to prove. What good does an apology do?”

“You think she didn’t get hurt too?” Lin Sui chuckled softly, looking quite pleased with herself.

Zhu Huan clicked her tongue. “I’ll go get you an ice pack.”

“Thanks.”

Lin Sui watched Zhu Huan leave the dormitory with a smile before finally taking the time to look down at her phone.

[Sister, are you back yet?]

[It’s 5 PM.]

[Voicemail: Unanswered]

[Still no response? It’s 7 PM.]

[Where are you?]

******

At a glance, there were over a dozen messages from the guy.

Lin Sui lowered her eyes, a faint smile creeping across her lips.

[I’m fine, back in the dorm.]

After replying, she set down her phone and went to the bathroom to wash up.

When she changed her clothes and walked out, someone was knocking at the dorm door.

“Zhu Huan forgot her key again.”

Lin Sui sighed and opened the door. “Your memory…”

Her voice trailed off as her gaze landed on Wen Xiangzhu, who was following Zhu Huan. Her eyes darkened slightly.

“What are you doing here?”

Wen Xiangzhu blinked, smiling. “I came to bring you dinner, Sister!”

She swung the bag containing the takeout box.

“Who told you to sneak off to the Alpha dorm without a word?”

Lin Sui frowned, her disapproving gaze making her seem every bit like an older sister scolding a younger one.

Wen Xiangzhu’s eyelashes fluttered as she murmured, “But I just texted you.”

“You didn’t reply.”

Lin Sui paused. She had only glanced at her phone before going to the bathroom and hadn’t checked it since.

Thinking this, she turned back to the table, picked up her phone, and glanced at it.

Indeed, there was a message from Wen Xiangzhu.

She hadn’t seen it.

Zhu Huan had already brought Wen Xiangzhu in without hesitation.

“Just come in.”

“Thank you, Sister Zhu Huan.”

Lin Sui turned to see Zhu Huan walk over, pull her into a seat, and then take an ice pack from her bag.

“Where did you get this?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Zhu Huan shot her an irritated glance, grabbed her hand, and rolled up her sleeve.

Lin Sui frowned. Probably because Wen Xiangzhu was there, she stiffened and yanked her hand back. “I’m fine.”

“Why are you being so stubborn?” Zhu Huan’s expression darkened.

“What’s wrong?”

Wen Xiangzhu put away her lunch box and walked over, eyeing the two suspiciously.

“Nothing,” Lin Sui said quickly.

But Zhu Huan refused to back down. “Her hand is bruised. If we don’t treat it now, it’ll swell.”

She shot Lin Sui another glare.

“Why are you glaring at me? Glaring won’t help. If you’ve got guts, don’t get hurt!”

Lin Sui: “……”

Hearing this, Wen Xiangzhu’s expression also shifted.

“Are you hurt?”

“No,” Lin Sui said, forcing a smile. “I just bumped it.”

“Let me see.”

Zhu Huan stepped back, watching Wen Xiangzhu’s anxious expression with an inward scoff. She returned to her seat and resumed her work.

Perhaps still not fully accustomed to being touched by an Omega, Lin Sui stiffened, allowing Wen Xiangzhu to move her arm as she pleased.

Her face tense, Lin Sui’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she instinctively glanced up.

Wen Xiangzhu leaned forward, her brow furrowed in concern. She held Lin Sui’s hand, her lips pressed together, a trace of worry in her eyes.

“I’m really fine…”

Lin Sui lowered her gaze, subtly withdrawing her hand from Wen Xiangzhu’s grasp.

Noticing this, Wen Xiangzhu blinked. “Does it hurt?”

For a moment, Lin Sui froze, surprise flickering in her eyes. After a pause, she managed to say, “No.”

“How can it not hurt?” Wen Xiangzhu said irritably. She sat down, grabbed an ice pack, and pressed it against the bruised area on Lin Sui’s arm.

Lin Sui gasped sharply, whether from pain or the cold, and instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but Wen Xiangzhu held it steady.

“Don’t move. It’ll feel better in a moment.”

Hearing this, she pursed her lips and looked up at Wen Xiangzhu.

Come to think of it, it had been a long time since anyone had treated her with such genuine concern.

Someone who would ask if she was in pain, who would gently comfort her…

This was something Lin Wei had never done before.

Lin Sui had been raised with the belief that she should be strong and independent, that she should get up herself when she fell, that she should endure her injuries silently and never cry out in pain, and that she should handle even bullying at school on her own.

She followed this advice and succeeded in doing so.

She believed that she could handle anything on her own, that she didn’t need anyone’s concern or pity.

But what she hadn’t anticipated was that when someone truly showed concern for her, she would feel herself growing weak.

Not physically, but emotionally.

“I’ll do it myself.”

After a moment of silence, Lin Sui took the ice pack from Wen Xiangzhu.

Wen Xiangzhu didn’t argue, simply watching her quietly.

After a pause, Lin Sui suddenly spoke: “Sister, let me ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“On the day of the sports meet, did you go find Feng Yue and the others?”

As Wen Xiangzhu spoke, the breathing in the dormitory softened. Even Zhu Huan, who was scrolling through videos nearby, quietly turned off her phone.

Lin Sui’s eyes widened slightly, but she kept her head down. “What are you talking about? Why would I look for them?”

“I heard someone say they saw you at the school gate,” Wen Xiangzhu said, pausing before adding, “and Sister Zhu Huan too.”

Zhu Huan froze, then glanced at Lin Sui, unsure how to respond.

After a long silence, Lin Sui finally said, “We ran into them by chance and chatted for a bit.”

“By chance?” Wen Xiangzhu chuckled. “You told me you had something to take care of that day… So your ‘something’ was hanging out at the school gate, just waiting to ‘run into’ them?”

Lin Sui pressed her lips together, her tongue pressing against her cheek in frustration.

“Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t be asking.”

Wen Xiangzhu fixed her with a steady gaze for a long moment before turning to fetch a lunch box. She opened it and placed it on the table in front of Lin Sui. “Try this.”

The aroma wafted up to Lin Sui’s nose. Steam rose from the box, which was filled with dishes she loved.

She paused, then set down the slowly thawing ice pack. Her fingertips, frozen red from holding it so long, showed no sign of discomfort as she calmly accepted the chopsticks Wen Xiangzhu offered.

“Where did you get this? It smells delicious,” Lin Sui said, taking a bite. Seeing that Wen Xiangzhu hadn’t mentioned Feng Yue again, she tried to lighten the mood.

“I made it,” Wen Xiangzhu replied softly. “I borrowed the school kitchen.”

Lin Sui froze mid-bite, lowering her eyes to study the meal before her.

“…I had no idea you could cook like this.”

“If I couldn’t, I’d have starved at home long ago,” Wen Xiangzhu said, tilting her head to look at her. “Sister, you still don’t know me very well.”

Lin Sui blinked, pondered for a moment, and nodded. “True.”

All she knew was what was recorded in the files. Beyond that, she really didn’t understand Wen Xiangzhu at all.

“So, when Sister went to find Feng Yue that day…”

“It was nothing,” Lin Sui said softly. “I just needed to talk to them about something.”

“Was it because of me?”

Wen Xiangzhu’s eyes widened slightly. “Has Sister been this concerned about me since then?”

Lin Sui’s heart skipped a beat at the question.

“Nonsense,” she said, looking away, perhaps realizing her reaction had been too strong. “It wasn’t about you. It was something else.”

“Oh…” Wen Xiangzhu sounded disappointed. “I thought Sister already knew that they pushed me, causing me to twist my ankle that day.”

Lin Sui frowned, looking at her in surprise. “Pushed you? I distinctly remember seeing on the surveillance…”

“Sister, you do know!” Wen Xiangzhu said, leaning in with a smile. “You even checked the surveillance footage and said you didn’t care about what happened to me?”

Lin Sui realized she’d been tricked. Her expression turned cold. “Stop getting ahead of yourself.”

At that moment, the phone on the table vibrated and rang.

Lin Sui picked it up, checked the caller ID, and answered.

“Miss Lin, the concert tickets are all set. Four in total, all front-row VIP seats. Should I send them directly to you?” the voice on the other end asked.

Lin Sui thought for a moment. “Send them to the school. I’ll text you the address later.”

“Alright.”

After hanging up, Lin Sui put down the phone, meeting Wen Xiangzhu’s puzzled gaze.

“Sister, why are there four tickets?” Wen Xiangzhu asked.

The phone’s volume was loud, and since Wen Xiangzhu was standing close, she’d heard the entire conversation clearly.

Lin Sui froze, feeling guilty and unsure how to explain. “I’m getting them for someone else,” she mumbled.

“Oh…”

Wen Xiangzhu lingered for a moment before leaving.

Zhu Huan, curious, sidled over. “I heard Wen Xiangzhu say you agreed to go to the concert with her. Is that true?”

“…Right,” Lin Sui said, wincing. Just thinking about it gave her a headache.

Zhu Huan pressed, “What about Jiang Wanwan? Aren’t you supposed to go with her?”

Lin Sui paused. “Actually, there’s a serious problem now.”

“What is it?”

“I also agreed to go to the concert with Jiang Wanwan.”

Zhu Huan stared. “Wait… aren’t you the king of relationships? The master of time management?”

“No…”

Lin Sui sighed. “I originally agreed to go with Jiang Wanwan. Then today, Wen Xiangzhu asked me, and I’d completely forgotten. In a moment of weakness, I just agreed.”

Zhu Huan clicked her tongue. “Oh boy, now you’re really in it. You’re heading straight for a disaster.”

“What do you mean?” Lin Sui shot her a glare. “Give me some advice, then.”

“What do you want to hear? Or let me ask you this… Who do you actually want to go to the concert with?”

Lin Sui hesitated. She already knew the answer deep down, but her face remained tense as she shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“Hmm…” Zhu Huan pondered for a moment. “If you can only choose one, changing your mind at the last minute would definitely hurt the other person’s feelings. And running into them at the concert wouldn’t be ideal either. So, you either have to skip the concert altogether and not go with either of them, or… you go with both of them.”

Lin Sui: “……?”

“Both of them?!”

“Exactly, both of them.”

Zhu Huan couldn’t help but chuckle. “Think about it. Jiang Wanwan is your fiancée, and Wen Xiangzhu is your sister. Both of them want you to go to the concert with them. As the person in the middle, why not take both of them along?”

Lin Sui narrowed her eyes, considering this for a few seconds before nodding. “That makes sense, but…”

“Don’t worry! You have real relationships with both of them! Going to a concert with your fiancée is perfectly normal, right? And taking your sister along is also perfectly normal, right?”

“Right…”

“So, you’re not in any other kind of relationship with Wen Xiangzhu, right? There’s no need to feel guilty. You might as well go together!” Zhu Huan chuckled, tilting her chin triumphantly. “How’s that? Not bad for a quick brainwave, huh?”

“Not bad…” Lin Sui agreed, then paused. “I’m not feeling guilty. I don’t mean to feel guilty.”

“Right, right, you’re the one who knows best.” Zhu Huan patted her shoulder with a teasing smile. “I just gave you the idea. No need to thank me—or to love me too much.”

“…Get lost.”

Lin Sui felt a headache coming on.

Either none of them go, or all of them go.

In that case, we might as well not go at all.

Just as she was thinking this, another problem struck her.

The seats on the tickets were next to each other. If she didn’t go, Jiang Wanwan and Wen Xiangzhu would definitely meet! And if they started talking…

******

“Sister Sui gave me my ticket. She said she’d come with me, but something came up at the last minute, so I ended up coming alone. Wenwen, what about you?”

“I got my ticket from my sister too. She promised to come with me, but… she didn’t show up.”

“……?”

As the thought crossed her mind, Lin Sui shivered and gasped.

No, this can’t go wrong! How will I explain this if it does?!

I have to go! I absolutely have to go!

*****

It was Christmas Day on Monday.

Lin Sui arrived at the classroom as usual for class. She wasn’t in the habit of celebrating this holiday, so she didn’t feel this day was any different from any other.

Wen Xiangzhu had arrived earlier. Seeing Lin Sui approach, she turned around with a smile. “Sister, did you enjoy the apple I gave you yesterday?”

Lin Sui paused momentarily before putting her bag down with her usual calm expression. “It was okay.”

“Apple on Christmas Eve means you’ll be safe and sound in the future!” Wen Xiangzhu said, her eyes sparkling. “You won’t get hurt again.”

Hearing this, Lin Sui’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, a mix of bittersweetness stirring in her heart—a strangely wonderful feeling.

Then, Wen Xiangzhu pulled out a small box from somewhere and placed it on Lin Sui’s desk. “Christmas gift! Open it and see?”

Lin Sui stared at the pink-wrapped box in surprise. “A Christmas gift?”

Wen Xiangzhu blinked, looking displeased. “What’s that supposed to mean? Do you think I wouldn’t get you a Christmas gift?”

“No, it’s not that…”

Lin Sui felt inexplicably guilty. She didn’t celebrate this holiday and hadn’t even realized gifts were involved. “What do you want? I’ll take you shopping later to pick something out.”

Wen Xiangzhu let out a chuckle. “Then I’ll have to think carefully about it. Go ahead and open yours first.”

“Okay,” Lin Sui replied, reaching out to unwrap the gift.

Inside the box was a white, seashell-shaped object filled with small, decorative items: blue “sea water,” tiny starfish, and little seashells. It looked like…

A miniature ocean inside a seashell.

“What is this?” Lin Sui asked, her eyelashes fluttering.

“It’s a fragrance diffuser,” Wen Xiangzhu said, her face beaming sweetly. “It’s not just pretty—it smells wonderful when you light it!”

“A fragrance diffuser?” Lin Sui blinked. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Wen Xiangzhu leaned closer. “Sister still owes me a gift, you know!”

“Alright, when you decide what you want, I’ll go buy it.”

By the end of the last class that afternoon, Wen Xiangzhu turned to her and declared, “I’ve decided what I want for my gift!”

“What is it?” Lin Sui asked curiously.

Wen Xiangzhu winked mysteriously. “I won’t tell you now. Let’s just get outside first. I’ll reveal it when we get there.”

Lin Sui found this a little amusing.

Do we really need to build up the suspense?

When they reached the cultural shop, Wen Xiangzhu spent a long time browsing the shelves.

The shelves were filled with all sorts of cups, each one more attractive than the last.

Lin Sui patiently waited beside her. After a while, Wen Xiangzhu picked out a pair of white cups with cat designs.

“Sister, do you think this looks like Suizhu?”

“Hmm… it does.”

Lin Sui chuckled, even though she didn’t really see the resemblance.

Wen Xiangzhu was delighted. “Then let’s get these! I want to give them as a gift.”

“Okay. Is there anything else you want?”

“No, just these cups.”

Lin Sui nodded and went straight to the checkout counter.

As they were leaving the shop, Wen Xiangzhu hurried up to her. “Sister, please take this red envelope.”

“What red envelope?”

Lin Sui looked at her, confused.

“Check your phone.”

Following her instructions, Lin Sui opened her phone and saw that Wen Xiangzhu had sent her a red envelope.

“What’s this for?” Lin Sui asked.

“Just take it first.”

Wen Xiangzhu waited until Lin Sui accepted the envelope before explaining. “Remember how we bought a pair of cups? I can’t drink two cups by myself, so… I’m transferring the cost of one cup to you. I’ll keep one, and the other cup is my gift to you.”

Lin Sui, perhaps not having slept well the night before, took a moment to fully wake up.

“Why are you giving me one? You could just keep it and use it slowly…”

Wen Xiangzhu blinked. “Because you said the cat on it looks like Suizhu. So if I have one, you need one too!”

Lin Sui was silent for a moment. Wen Xiangzhu, already assuming she’d won, handed her one of the bags containing the cup, her face beaming.

“Merry Christmas, Sister.”

“Mm.”

Lin Sui’s eyelashes fluttered as her gaze shifted from the bag to Wen Xiangzhu’s eyes.

“Merry Christmas to you too.”