After Mistakenly Marking Her Stunning Omega Stepsister - Chapter 34

Lin Sui learned about Jiang Wanwan’s situation the next day.

She heard that the elderly woman had passed away peacefully, free from pain, leaving only a letter for Jiang Wanwan.

It was a pity the old woman hadn’t made it through the New Year.

“My condolences,” Lin Sui sighed, rushing over with Wen Xiangzhu to see Jiang Wanwan. Jiang Wanwan’s eyes were red and swollen, her face gaunt, still deeply immersed in grief.

When they finally saw her, despite the flood of comforting words that welled up in their throats, all they could manage was a simple, “My condolences.”

Jiang Wanwan forced a bitter smile. “You didn’t need to rush over.”

“We were worried about you,” Wen Xiangzhu murmured, biting her lip.

“I’m fine… I’m fine…” Jiang Wanwan’s eyelashes quivered as she covered her face with her hands, sobbing. “But I didn’t get to see Grandma one last time. And I didn’t want to ruin your celebration. It’s all my fault… If only I hadn’t gone out…”

“Wanwan, this isn’t your fault.”

Lin Sui frowned slightly. “Grandma is watching over you from heaven, and she wouldn’t blame you. She loved you so much; she’d understand.”

Jiang Wanwan took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and wiped away her tears. “I’m sorry for making a fool of myself. How was your night? Did you enjoy Shen Xing’s concert?”

“It was wonderful,” Lin Sui replied softly.

She knew Jiang Wanwan was putting on a brave face, trying to numb the pain by changing the subject.

“There’ll be other chances to see her next time,” Jiang Wanwan murmured. “Alright, you don’t need to stay. Go back soon—it’s almost exam time. Sister Sui, if you don’t do well again, Auntie Lin will nag you again.”

Lin Sui frowned, hesitating. “Are you really okay?”

“I’m fine. What could possibly be wrong?” Jiang Wanwan smiled. “Go on, don’t worry about me.”

Wen Xiangzhu held her hand and offered a few more words of comfort before standing to say goodbye.

“Take care of yourself.”

“I will. Bye.”

“Sister, let’s go.”

Wen Xiangzhu moved closer to Lin Sui, urging her gently when she lingered.

Lin Sui’s expression remained grave as she gazed at Jiang Wanwan for a long moment before finally rising and leaving the room with Wen Xiangzhu.

As they left the villa’s courtyard, Lin Sui glanced back one last time, still uneasy.

Wen Xiangzhu pursed her lips. “Don’t worry, Sister. Wanwan’s family is still here.”

“Mm,” Lin Sui nodded, sighed, and walked slowly away. “It’s just… so sudden. Even for me, it feels like a dream. I remember Grandma—she used to give me candy when I was little.”

Wen Xiangzhu blinked, her gaze drifting downward, lost in thought.

After a moment, she suddenly spoke up. “Sister.”

“Hmm?”

“If we don’t know whether tomorrow or an accident will come first, then let’s make the most of today, of the present,” Wen Xiangzhu said earnestly.

“Right…” Lin Sui nodded thoughtfully.

Then Wen Xiangzhu added, “For example, your grades. The finals are coming up in a few days. What are you going to do about that?”

Lin Sui: “……?”

Weren’t we being sentimental just now? Why did the mood suddenly shift?!

“Don’t we still have a few days left?”

Lin Sui forced a dry laugh.

“The fire’s already at our eyebrows, Sister, and you’re not even worried?”

Wen Xiangzhu widened her eyes, staring at her in astonishment. “Come on. Let’s go back. I’ll help you study.”

“That’s really not necessary…”

“Why not?!” Wen Xiangzhu snorted, then suddenly remembered something. “Oh, you still haven’t liked my WeChat post from yesterday!”

“What post?” Lin Sui blinked, looking bewildered.

“What else could it be?” Wen Xiangzhu smirked. “Our group photo, of course.”

Lin Sui’s brain froze for a few seconds. “Group photo?”

“You posted our group photo on WeChat?! The one where I’m wearing the fan-made hat?!”

“Yep.”

Wen Xiangzhu chuckled. “Sister, it’s just a little accessory. Why are you so shy about it?”

Lin Sui: “……”

Is that a small accessory? A huge one perched on her head?!

Lin Sui remained silent, momentarily unsure of what to do.

Fine, I’ll just give it a like.

She opened her phone and scrolled to Wen Xiangzhu’s latest WeChat post.

Already dozens of likes and several comments from mutual friends:

[Wow, a New Year’s Eve concert! I couldn’t even get tickets.]

[Happy New Year! Is that Lin Sui next to her? She looks a bit different than usual.]

[Really! I’ve never seen her wear something so cute before.]

Lin Sui’s eyelid twitched, her expression darkening.

To her, this was already part of her dark history. Now it was too late to delete it.

She narrowed her eyes, glaring slowly at the culprit.

“What?” Wen Xiangzhu blinked innocently, looking at her. “Sister?”

Lin Sui: “……”

Fine, I’ll let it slide this time, considering how sweetly she calls me “Sister”…

Wait, I can’t just let her off that easily!

She composed herself, her expression stern. “You can’t do that again.”

“Do what?” Wen Xiangzhu asked, puzzled.

“Post my photos without permission.”

Lin Sui’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. “You can’t just share my photos. If you really want to post them… you have to ask me first.”

Wen Xiangzhu hesitated, then smiled. “Okay, then I’ll ask. Do you think Sister will agree?” As she spoke, she tiptoed closer, deliberately invading Lin Sui’s personal space.

For a moment, Lin Sui froze, then quickly stepped back.

“It depends on the situation and my mood.”

“Alright, got it.”

Wen Xiangzhu lowered her head with a chuckle, then tugged at Lin Sui’s sleeve. “Don’t be mad.”

Lin Sui: “……” She nearly cracked.

That damned Omega.

******

The few days before the exam, Lin Sui diligently reviewed in her dormitory, which left her brimming with confidence on the day of the test.

This time, I’m definitely going to score higher than last time.

After the morning session, during lunch break, Zhu Huan was still muttering to herself.

“I feel like there’s something different about her and me. She definitely feels differently about me too!”

Lin Sui, who was eating while listening, asked, “What if you’re just overthinking it?”

Zhu Huan: “Huh? Impossible!”

“Anyway, I know for sure that she’s different. I’ll introduce you to her someday.” Zhu Huan smiled and then asked, “By the way, how’s things going with Wen Xiangzhu?”

Lin Sui paused. “What do you mean? It’s just… normal.”

Zhu Huan frowned. “That’s so vague… What about Jiang Wanwan?”

“Same thing,” Lin Sui replied, looking suspicious. “What else could it be?”

Zhu Huan fell silent for a moment, her expression complicated. “Oh, alright.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Nothing deep. Just take it at face value. Don’t worry about it if you don’t get it.”

Lin Sui: “?”

Zhu Huan put down her chopsticks and took a sip of her drink.

“Speaking of which, why haven’t I seen Wen Xiangzhu since the exam ended?”

“Don’t know.”

Lin Sui pondered for a moment. “Maybe she’s still studying.”

At first, Lin Sui genuinely believed this to be the case.

But when she went to the restroom and saw Wen Xiangzhu sitting by the door, her head bowed and lost in thought, everything changed.

“It’s almost time for the exam. What are you doing here?” Lin Sui asked, her voice filled with suspicion.

Wen Xiangzhu blinked, her head snapping up. Her face was damp, her eyes red and rimmed with tears, and she clung to Lin Sui with a pitiful whimper, “Sister…”

Lin Sui’s heart skipped a beat. She crouched down, her expression grave. “What’s wrong? Did someone bully you?”

Wen Xiangzhu’s small mouth quivered, and before she could even speak, she began to sob uncontrollably.

“Huh?”

Lin Sui stared at her, utterly at a loss. She wasn’t good with Omegas, especially the tearful ones.

After a moment’s hesitation, she awkwardly patted Wen Xiangzhu’s back. “Shh, it’s okay. Don’t cry.”

“What happened? Tell me.”

Wen Xiangzhu sniffled and suddenly threw herself into Lin Sui’s arms.

The faint, sweet scent of Wen Xiangzhu’s body washed over her. Lin Sui’s vision blurred momentarily, and she nearly lost her balance.

“Sister, I’m sorry…”

“For what? What’s wrong?” Lin Sui asked, looking bewildered.

“I lost it…”

Wen Xiangzhu whimpered, sounding wronged. “I lost the pen you gave me. It was definitely there before the exam, but it disappeared as soon as I left the exam room. I searched everywhere, but I couldn’t find it.”

Lin Sui froze. “Pen? What pen?”

“The one you gave me…” Wen Xiangzhu sat up and looked at her. “Have you forgotten?”

“Uh… no, I haven’t.”

Lin Sui felt a pang of guilt. She really couldn’t remember ever giving Wen Xiangzhu a pen.

Seeing this, Wen Xiangzhu hmphed. “It was the first time we met. You gave it to me then.”

Lin Sui’s eyelashes fluttered as the memory gradually sharpened in her mind.

During their first meeting, Wen Xiangzhu had finished packing and come to her room to talk, but her eyes had been fixed on a pen on Lin Sui’s desk.

Noticing this, Lin Sui had casually handed it over. “If you like it, just take it. I don’t use it much anyway.”

“Really? Thank you, Sister!”

Lin Sui blinked.

Giving it away casually was true. Not using it much was also true.

So…

did Wen Xiangzhu treasure this pen that much?

“It’s alright, if it’s lost, it’s lost. I’ll give you another one… How about ten?” Lin Sui offered, trying to comfort her.

Wen Xiangzhu lowered her gaze and shook her head. “It’s not the same. No matter how many you give me, none will ever compare to this one in my heart.”

Lin Sui fell silent. She wanted to ask why, but she already had a vague idea of the answer. She didn’t dare ask, afraid of confirming her suspicions. Instead, she tried to pretend nothing had happened, pushing the thought aside.

“Be good,” Lin Sui said softly. “Let’s talk about this after the exam. Don’t let this affect your grades.”

Wen Xiangzhu pressed her lips together, her eyes still glistening with tears as she looked at Lin Sui through misty vision. Lin Sui sighed and reached out to wipe the tears from Wen Xiangzhu’s cheeks. The warmth of her fingers against the cool, damp skin sent a tremor through her, like a pebble dropped into a still lake, sending ripples across her heart.

“Get up, it’s cold on the floor,” Lin Sui said, pursing her lips as she withdrew her hand.

“Mm,” Wen Xiangzhu nodded obediently and stood up.

Lin Sui, who had been squatting for a while, felt her legs go numb. For a moment, it was a little difficult to stand.

Wen Xiangzhu looked down at her, suddenly chuckled, and held out her hand. “Here.”

Lin Sui looked up at her, her gaze falling on the hand extended toward her, and her eyes darkened.

“Do you really need my help?”

“Really? Sister?”

A playful glint in Wen Xiangzhu’s eyes, she didn’t retract her hand.

Lin Sui scoffed, hesitated for a moment, then took Wen Xiangzhu’s hand.

“I’m giving you an out.”

“Oh.” Wen Xiangzhu blinked. “What a big out! You’re so nice, Sister.”

Lin Sui: “……”

Why did she suddenly feel like she was being teased?

Just as she was thinking this, a scolding voice suddenly came from behind.

“What are you two doing? The exam is about to start, and you’re still being all lovey-dovey here?!”

Lin Sui stiffened and turned around, only to discover it was the Dean of Students.

“……”

The Dean of Students also froze upon seeing Lin Sui. “Ah, it’s you? Just… just do whatever.”

After a moment, she pursed her lips and stammered, “The exam is coming up soon. I just wanted to remind you to hurry back.”

Lin Sui smirked. “Dean, we’re not being lovey-dovey.”

“Not being lovey-dovey? Do you think I’m blind?” the Dean snapped, then quickly softened her tone, realizing she’d gone too far. “Oh, never mind, never mind. If you kissed, so what? Just go take your exam.”

Lin Sui: “……?”

What kiss?!

“Teacher, you’ve misunderstood…”

“There’s no misunderstanding!” The Dean turned her back to them and walked away slowly, muttering, “I didn’t see anything, nothing at all… Oh, what lovely weather today…”

“……”

Wen Xiangzhu peeked out from behind Lin Sui, blinking innocently. “Sister, did she say we kissed?”

“No, she didn’t,” Lin Sui mumbled.

“I heard everything.”

Wen Xiangzhu stepped in front of Lin Sui, pausing before asking, “Want to try it?”

“Try what?” Lin Sui stared at her suspiciously.

Wen Xiangzhu smiled.

“Let’s try it.”

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