After Mistakenly Marking Her Stunning Omega Stepsister - Chapter 46

After that Temporary Mark incident, Lin Sui started avoiding Wen Xiangzhu everywhere she went.

Originally, the Temporary Mark was meant to be a straightforward treatment, nothing to hide. But… who could have predicted that she would embarrass herself by actually kissing Wen Xiangzhu?

Lin Sui! You disgrace!

She mentally berated herself, but she couldn’t ignore Wen Xiangzhu’s lingering symptoms. She could only silently vow:

Once these symptoms are cured, I’ll definitely stay far away from Wen Xiangzhu!

I’ll stick to my life motto and maintain good sisterly bonds.

I won’t cross the line again…

But it wasn’t until after that day that she realized her first kiss was gone.

She was no longer a pure Alpha.

Even Zhu Huan, usually so carefree, noticed something was off.

“Did something happen between you two?”

“No, nothing at all,” Lin Sui denied outright.

Hearing this, Zhu Huan frowned, glanced at Lin Sui, then shot a sideways look at Wen Xiangzhu, who was nearby, and clicked her tongue.

“Ah, things have really cooled down. You won’t even tell me what’s wrong anymore.”

Lin Sui: “……”

The day of the Tennis League arrived, and Zhu Huan was bursting with excitement.

“My En’en will be playing too! Isn’t that amazing?”

Lin Sui chuckled.

“Her marriage prospects aren’t even settled yet, and you’re already claiming her as ‘my En’en’?”

“That’s exactly my En’en!”

Zhu Huan raised an eyebrow and snorted. “I think you’re just jealous. Let me tell you a secret: we’ve kissed!”

Lin Sui: “……?”

Her mind froze, her expression stiffening. “Kissed… where?”

Still lost in her memories, Zhu Huan didn’t notice Lin Sui’s odd reaction. “On the cheek, of course. She’s just a kid—I can’t go too far.” She chuckled softly.

The corner of Lin Sui’s mouth twitched, and she quietly averted her gaze.

Just a cheek kiss? Then what about what she and Wen Xiangzhu… what did that count as?

The competition was held in the school gymnasium.

While waiting for the matches to begin, Lin Sui and Zhu Huan went to the stands.

Though she wasn’t particularly interested in tennis, Lin Sui couldn’t help scanning the court for Wen Xiangzhu.

Zhu Huan chuckled softly, perhaps sensing Lin Sui’s thoughts. “They’re not even on the field yet. The match hasn’t even started.”

Lin Sui snapped out of her daze, letting out a dry laugh. “I’m just looking around casually. I’m not looking for anyone in particular.”

“Hey, speaking of No. 3 High School… isn’t Jiang Wanwan supposed to be here too?” Zhu Huan suddenly realized.

Lin Sui was a little speechless. “It took you this long to remember?”

Zhu Huan’s expression was a little awkward. After a moment’s hesitation, she murmured, “Speaking of which… I heard you and Jiang Wanwan broke off the engagement. Is that true?”

“Ah, right.” Lin Sui nodded. “Who told you that?”

“Uh…”

Zhu Huan opened her mouth, unsure how to answer.

Lin Sui frowned slightly, her gaze lingering on Zhu Huan.

“What’s going on? Are you keeping something from me?”

“No, of course not!” Zhu Huan smiled nervously.

Lin Sui hmphed but didn’t press further, lowering her head to play with her phone.

Seeing the danger temporarily averted, Zhu Huan let out a small sigh of relief.

Zhu Huan had heard from Jiang Wanwan’s cousin, Jiang Qing, that the reason for the breakup…

was that Jiang Wanwan had fallen for someone else.

Jiang Qing had stubbornly refused to reveal anything at first, but after Zhu Huan wore her down with relentless questioning, she finally spilled the details.

“Actually, it’s Wenwen. Wanwan has been secretly seeing Wenwen behind our backs… Don’t tell Mom, or Wanwan will be in big trouble.”

When Zhu Huan heard this news, she felt as if she’d been struck by lightning.

Had she really misjudged someone…?

Logically, Wen Xiangzhu’s previous actions had all been aimed at winning over Lin Sui. Her intentions were clear. So how had she ended up with Jiang Wanwan instead?

Because of this, Zhu Huan couldn’t sleep for several nights.

Finally, she figured out what must have happened.

Wen Xiangzhu had indeed been trying to curry favor with Lin Sui, but her real goal was to get Lin Sui to break off the engagement with Jiang Wanwan. That way, she could swoop in and take Jiang Wanwan for herself… or perhaps openly pursue her.

That had to be it.

It seemed Lin Sui was the one who had it the hardest.

Her fiancée had been lured away by her younger sister—how could that not be tragic?!

And it looked like she still hadn’t even realized it.

There seemed to be a growing distance between Wen Xiangzhu and Lin Sui, which clearly meant the engagement was over and Wen Xiangzhu didn’t want to deal with her anymore.

She’d been abandoned!

Heavens, how could my best friend end up in such a sorry state?

With that thought, Zhu Huan sighed sympathetically.

After a moment’s consideration, she patted Lin Sui on the shoulder. “Suisui, if you ever need anything in the future, just come to me! I’ll definitely help you! I can even introduce you to other Omegas!”

Lin Sui: “?”

What on earth is she talking about?!

A moment later, Zhu Huan seemed to suddenly remember something. “Oh, right, I need to go buy some water.”

“What? Are you thirsty?” Lin Sui asked, looking at her strangely.

Zhu Huan paused mid-rise, her gaze toward Lin Sui now tinged with pity.

“Really, no wonder you don’t have a husband!”

Lin Sui: “?”

“Never mind, I’ll just be magnanimous and enlighten you.”

Zhu Huan sighed. “When your wife is fighting on the front lines, you need to support her with the basics—water, milk tea, tissues, and lots of love…”

“Wait a minute. Hold on.”

Lin Sui looked at her with a complicated expression. “Did you eat something weird today?”

Zhu Huan: “……”

“And,” Lin Sui added after a pause, “I don’t have a wife, but neither do you.”

Zhu Huan: “?”

“But I have En’en!” Zhu Huan protested.

“That doesn’t count unless you get married.”

Zhu Huan: “……”

It would be… one, two, three, four more years before Xu Nianen could legally marry.

Zhu Huan fell silent.

After a moment, she laughed in exasperation. “Thanks for the reminder.”

“Sure, no problem.”

Lin Sui chuckled lightly, accepting the retort with ease.

In the end, Zhu Huan did go to buy water.

Lin Sui sat there for a while, mulling over what Zhu Huan had said, then got up and bought a bottle of energy drink.

This, to replenish her energy.

She really was a good sister.

When the match began, Lin Sui spotted Wen Xiangzhu on the field.

She was dressed in light athletic gear, her hair tied in a high ponytail, looking more spirited than usual.

And there was Jiang Wanwan too.

She looked… different somehow.

The match was still pretty boring.

After watching for a while, Lin Sui lowered her head and started playing with her phone.

When halftime came, Wen Xiangzhu approached, racket in hand.

Seeing her stop in front of her, feet planted in sneakers, Lin Sui paused, looked up from her phone, and met her gaze.

Wen Xiangzhu, flushed from the game, said, “I’m thirsty.”

Lin Sui was silent for a moment. “So?”

“Um…” Wen Xiangzhu pointed to the unopened energy drink beside her. “Wasn’t that bought for me?”

Her expression looked a little hurt.

Realizing her mistake, Lin Sui, with a stiff expression, said awkwardly, “No, it wasn’t for you. But if you want it, you can have it.”

After she finished speaking, Wen Xiangzhu blinked at her for a moment, then chuckled softly. “Thanks, Sister.”

After saying that, she picked up her drink.

Lin Sui lowered her head, her mind going blank, when Wen Xiangzhu said, “Sister, I can’t open it.”

“What’s so hard about opening it?”

“I’m not doing it on purpose…” Wen Xiangzhu looked at her, looking wronged. “I really can’t open it.”

Lin Sui: “……”

She sighed, took the water, twisted open the cap, and handed it back to Wen Xiangzhu.

Wen Xiangzhu took a sip, rested for a bit, and then handed the bottle back to her. “Hold this for me. I’m about to go on stage.”

Looking at the water in front of her, Lin Sui raised an eyebrow. “Ordering me around now, are we?”

“Is that okay?”

Lin Sui: “……”

“Fine.” She paused. “But I’ll only hold it for a little while.”

After Wen Xiangzhu left, Zhu Huan leaned closer to Lin Sui, studying her up and down with a probing gaze.

“What?” Lin Sui felt utterly bewildered.

Zhu Huan muttered to herself for a moment, shaking her head. “Something’s off.”

“What’s off?”

“You and… Never mind, it’s nothing.”

Zhu Huan was utterly baffled.

Could her analysis still be wrong? But that shouldn’t be possible!

The final match was between Wen Xiangzhu and Jiang Wanwan.

Seeing this, Lin Sui, who had been feeling a bit drowsy, suddenly perked up.

She wondered if the two, being such good friends, would go easy on each other.

But the result was clear: not only did they not hold back, they fought even harder.

In the end, No. 1 High School won by a narrow margin.

Zhu Huan frowned deeply, secretly observing the interaction between Wen Xiangzhu and Jiang Wanwan.

Only when the match ended did she see them huddled together, chatting with smiles on their faces.

Hmm… that settles it.

Zhu Huan slapped her thigh.

Something’s definitely fishy here!

Lin Sui, who had been jabbed in the ribs by Zhu Huan, looked at her sharply. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked, her expression stormy.

“Huh? What?” Zhu Huan snapped back to reality, staring blankly at Lin Sui.

Seeing her bewildered expression, Lin Sui raised an eyebrow, glaring at her in exasperation.

“I asked what’s wrong with you! So I can go get you some medicine!”

Zhu Huan: “……”

The crowd in the gymnasium gradually dispersed.

Xu Nianen grinned as she ran up to Zhu Huan. “We’re done with the team.”

As she spoke, she glanced at Lin Sui nearby and nodded politely. “Hello, Sister Lin Sui.”

“Nice to see you again,” Lin Sui replied, her eyes filled with warmth for the younger girl. She remembered their brief conversation on Jiang Wanwan’s birthday, when she’d found the girl charming—cute, sweet-talking, and well-mannered. It was a pity she had such poor taste in men, falling for Zhu Huan of all people.

Lin Sui sighed inwardly.

“Sister,” Wen Xiangzhu spoke up, having approached with Jiang Wanwan. “Since Wanwan’s here too, why don’t we all go out for dinner to celebrate the end of the tournament?”

Jiang Wanwan waved with a smile. “Sister Sui, Sister Huan.”

After exchanging greetings, they began discussing where to dine.

Zhu Huan pouted. “Wenwen, you invited Lin Sui and Wanwan to dinner. Did you forget about your Zhu Sister?”

“How could I? I was just asking you too, Sister Huan.” Wen Xiangzhu replied with a mischievous grin.

Zhu Huan clicked her tongue. “Then let me ask you this: Between Lin Sui and Jiang Wanwan, who is more important to you?”

Wen Xiangzhu paused, her brows furrowing slightly before smoothing out again. She chuckled softly.

“Both are important.”

“Really? What if you had to choose just one?” Zhu Huan narrowed her eyes, pressing the question. She wanted to confirm something.

Jiang Wanwan burst into laughter. “Zhu Huan, how did you end up just like my cousin?”

“What? How am I like her?” Zhu Huan stammered, quickly defending herself.

“Last month, she was asking me, ‘Wanwan, tell me, do you like me more or Sister Sang?’ How could I answer that? I could only say I like both!” When Jiang Wanwan mentioned Sang Shinian, her eyes seemed to sparkle with a newfound light, and her smile carried a hint of deeper emotion than before.

Zhu Huan raised an eyebrow. “Look at that! What a phony answer! You’re the one who’s corrupted Wenwen!”

“What are you talking about…?”

The group chatted and laughed as they headed to a Western restaurant.

“To celebrate our victory in the competition, I specially ordered red wine,” Zhu Huan announced.

Her words made Jiang Wanwan visibly displeased.

“What do you mean? I didn’t win anything.”

“Then if you transfer to No. 1 High School, we’ll consider it a win for you.”

Jiang Wanwan: “0.o Are you being polite?!”

“Not bad. I’ve always been well-mannered.”

“Stop bragging.”

Lin Sui rolled her eyes. “You’re the one who makes the most fuss.”

A waiter in a uniform and bow tie stood respectfully by the table, holding a bottle of red wine. He poured the wine into each person’s glass.

Lin Sui glanced at Wen Xiangzhu, then reached for her glass and poured the wine into her own. After replacing Wen Xiangzhu’s glass, she said, “Get her a soft drink instead—soy milk or peanut milk is fine.”

“Right away.”

The waiter nodded and walked away.

Wen Xiangzhu’s small face was full of displeasure as she glared at Lin Sui with a resentful look.

She hadn’t even smelled the wine yet!

“What are you looking at me for?” Lin Sui raised an eyebrow. “No matter how pretty you make me look, you can’t drink it.”

“Why not…?”

“Who made you a one-cup wonder?”

“…”

“With your drinking skills, you’d just be making a fool of yourself.”

Wen Xiangzhu fell silent for a moment before snapping, “Your drinking skills aren’t exactly impressive either!”

“What’s that supposed to mean? What’s wrong with my drinking skills?” Lin Sui retorted defensively.

Seeing this, Wen Xiangzhu leaned in closer to Lin Sui’s ear.

“If your drinking skills were so good, why did you suddenly Temporary Mark me that day?”

Lin Sui: “……?”

Damn.

She’d caught me off guard.

“D-d-don’t keep bringing that up! That was a different situation. I was influenced by you!”

“Really? Influenced by me?”

“What are you two whispering about? Influenced by Wenwen?”

Zhu Huan narrowed her eyes slightly, leaning in cautiously, her gaze still probing as she observed the pair.

As she spoke, the attention of the other diners at the table turned toward them.

Lin Sui’s lips twitched involuntarily.

“It’s just… about my grades! My scores improved, right? It’s all because of Wenwen—her grades are so good!”

“Is that so?” Zhu Huan nodded, still somewhat skeptical.

The waiter quickly arrived with a bottle of soy milk, thoughtfully pouring it into Wen Xiangzhu’s glass.

As they ate and chatted, the conversation flowed until it was nearly ten o’clock, by which time they were all well-fed and tipsy.

Zhu Huan stood up first.

“I need to take En’en back to the dormitory. She’s still growing and shouldn’t stay up late.”

“Alright, see you next week.”

Lin Sui hadn’t drunk much today. Partly because she wasn’t much of a drinker, and partly because Wen Xiangzhu’s presence had put her off.

The driver had been waiting downstairs for some time.

Lin Sui stood up, looking a little awkward. “Wanwan, where’s your driver?”

“Hmm… in the garage.” Jiang Wanwan narrowed her eyes, looking a bit drunk.

“Let Wenwen and I take you to the garage first,” Lin Sui suggested.

But Jiang Wanwan shook her head. “No, I don’t like the smell of the garage. I’m feeling a little sick, and I might throw up if we go there.”

“Then… let’s wait downstairs. You can call the driver and have him pick you up at the entrance.”

Lin Sui lowered her head to check her phone.

Wen Xiangzhu glanced at Lin Sui, then gently helped Jiang Wanwan to her feet. “Come on, let’s go downstairs first.”

Jiang Wanwan’s head was still a little dizzy, but the night breeze cleared her head a bit.

After calling the driver from the roadside, she said, “Okay, the driver will be here soon. You two can go back first.”

Lin Sui hesitated for a moment.

But remembering that the garage was only a few minutes away, she nodded in relief and got back in the car with Wen Xiangzhu.

After all, she had been drinking, even if it wasn’t much. The stuffy car air made her feel drowsy.

A sudden brake jolted her awake. “What’s wrong?”

“Sorry, Miss, a pedestrian ran the red light…”

“That’s fine,” Lin Sui said, waving her hand dismissively.

But when she glanced at Wen Xiangzhu out of the corner of her eye, her body stiffened.

The woman was holding… a wine bottle.

And it looked empty.

Lin Sui: “……?”