After Mistakenly Marking Her Stunning Omega Stepsister - Chapter 52

After her shower, Lin Sui lazily climbed into bed and started scrolling through her phone.

While she was away, Xia Yi had sent her a flurry of messages, including photos and videos.

Lin Sui tapped on the photos to take a look.

The photos had been cropped and color-adjusted, capturing moments of Xia Yi in action. They were a little blurry, but they had a certain vibe.

You have to admit, Xia Yi has some real talent for photography, Lin Sui thought.

With that thought, she clicked on the video.

The video showed the entire soccer team lying on the ground, pretending to be dead, while Lin Sui stood off to the side, calmly watching.

The only sound in the video was Xia Yi’s shouting:

“Sister Sui! You’re my only sister!”

“So cool! So bad-ass! So strong! I’ll love you for ten thousand years, sis!”

“Aaaaaah! So awesome!”

Lin Sui: “……”

She pressed her lips together in exasperation and silently closed the video.

[ Don’t send this to anyone else.]

[Xia Yi: Don’t worry! I’m keeping it to savor slowly!]

[ : …]

Lin Sui’s mood remained gloomy.

Wen Xiangzhu’s reaction earlier had made her feel like a pariah.

She unconsciously opened the chat with Wen Xiangzhu.

It was deathly quiet here, a chilling contrast to Xia Yi’s constant messages. Their last exchange had been days ago.

Lin Sui lowered her gaze and stared at the screen for a long time, finding the nickname at the top particularly glaring.

She opened the note editing field, hesitated for a moment, and replaced the nickname “Copycat” with Wen Xiangzhu’s full name.

For some reason, staring at this new note stirred up a complex mix of emotions within her, leaving a heavy feeling in her chest.

After a moment, she sighed and simply put down her phone and lay down.

Sleep, she thought. If I sleep, I won’t think so much.

That night, Lin Sui still couldn’t sleep.

*******

The next day on the way to school, the two of them didn’t say a word, unsure how to start a conversation.

When they got off the bus and arrived at the classroom door, Zhou Qi was already there, waiting with a large bag of snacks.

“Sis, have some!”

Lin Sui glanced at him, her face darkening. Without a word, she walked straight into the classroom.

Zhou Qi looked awkward, his smile freezing on his face. But when he saw Wen Xiangzhu, he quickly brightened again. “Um… this is for you. I’m apologizing on behalf of my teammates—they really went too far. I’m sorry! Please accept this as a gesture of goodwill.”

Wen Xiangzhu frowned, finding the sudden change in his attitude overnight quite strange.

She nodded, accepted the gift, and carried it into the classroom.

She tossed the bag on her desk and turned to look at Lin Sui.

“Did you go see them yesterday?”

Lin Sui paused momentarily in the motion of putting away her textbook before quickly recovering her composure.

“No.”

Wen Xiangzhu frowned, unconvinced, but didn’t press further.

The atmosphere between them grew inexplicably tense. She didn’t say anything more, simply turning and sitting down.

Zhu Huan hummed as she entered the classroom, quickly noticing the awkward tension between the two.

Frowning, she hesitated before leaning closer to Lin Sui in a low voice. “Did you argue with Wen Xiangzhu?”

“No,” Lin Sui replied coolly.

Zhu Huan’s brow furrowed slightly.

No? Then this is…

She paused, then quickly pieced together the logic.

Based on her previous deductions, Wen Xiangzhu had allied with Jiang Wanwan to sabotage the engagement. The current coldness between them now made perfect sense.

Having figured it out, Zhu Huan sat down with a cheerful smile.

I’m a genius!

This strained atmosphere persisted until summer vacation.

The day after packing her bags, Lin Sui knocked on Wen Xiangzhu’s door.

“Get ready. We’re going to the hospital today.”

With that, she turned and went back to her own room.

Wen Xiangzhu stood still with her head bowed for a long moment before obediently going to change her clothes.

They hadn’t called the family driver today and had secretly taken a taxi instead.

After all, if they were going to keep this secret, they had to keep it all the way. If Lin Wei found out they’d gone to the hospital, she’d inevitably start asking questions.

On the way, Wen Xiangzhu felt a little carsick, her head woozy.

Lin Sui kept glancing at her, unsure how to start a conversation. Since there was no medicine, she remained silent.

When they arrived at the hospital, Lin Sui got out of the car first and waited for Wen Xiangzhu.

After getting out, Wen Xiangzhu’s steps were unsteady. She walked over and gently took hold of Lin Sui’s hand.

Seeing this, Lin Sui paused, hesitated for a moment, then calmly withdrew her hand.

After all, once Wen Xiangzhu recovered, they couldn’t continue like this.

They still needed to maintain some distance.

Wen Xiangzhu noticed Lin Sui’s deliberate avoidance. She lowered her eyes, looking very disappointed.

“Sister…”

“…Hm?”

Lin Sui’s expression stiffened as she turned to look at her.

Wen Xiangzhu looked at her with a pitiful expression, as if she’d been wronged.

The moment she met Lin Sui’s gaze, her small lips quivered, and her eyes welled up with tears.

Lin Sui stared at her in surprise. “What… what’s wrong?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, tears spilled down Wen Xiangzhu’s cheeks.

Wen Xiangzhu wiped her tears, sounding hurt. “Do you… do you hate me? Waaah…”

“No, I don’t!”

Lin Sui looked at her helplessly, reaching out but pulling her hand back mid-air. She could only offer a weak explanation: “I don’t hate you. Please don’t misunderstand.”

“Yes… you do…”

Wen Xiangzhu’s crying grew more intense, as if she’d been holding back her feelings for too long and needed to let it all out.

Passersby on the hospital street slowed their steps, glancing curiously at the pair.

Lin Sui felt utterly flustered. She quickly wiped Wen Xiangzhu’s tears and soothed her in a gentle voice: “Shh, shh, don’t cry. I don’t hate you at all.”

“Then… do you like me?” Wen Xiangzhu asked, her voice thick with emotion.

Lin Sui froze, her expression shifting to something awkward. “You’re so talented, beautiful, and lovely. Everyone likes you, of course,” she replied with forced cheerfulness.

Wen Xiangzhu stared at her, her small face crumpling further.

“Alright, alright, no more tears,” Lin Sui quickly changed the subject. “Come on, we still need to queue. Let’s go.”

Wen Xiangzhu lowered her head and followed, silently processing her emotions.

Lin Sui had clearly dodged the question, offering a vague response. Wen Xiangzhu didn’t buy it for a second!

She’d been marked as a “Temporary Mark” so many times.

There’s no way Lin Sui doesn’t like her!

After a thorough examination, the doctor smiled and announced their results.

She was cured.

“That’s wonderful.”

Lin Sui felt a wave of relief.

Thank goodness she’s cured. Otherwise, I would have had to carry this guilt for the rest of my life!

Lin Sui and the doctor looked relieved, but Wen Xiangzhu stood with her head bowed, her mood somber, lost in thought.

As they left the hospital, Lin Sui, feeling quite pleased about the situation, said with a smile, “We won’t need to… do things like that anymore. You should keep your own supply of Inhibitors, and we should maintain some distance from now on.”

“After all, people will gossip if an Alpha and an Omega are too close. If rumors spread about you, it’ll be hard to find a marriage partner later…”

As she spoke, Lin Sui noticed Wen Xiangzhu had stopped walking.

She turned around suspiciously. “What’s wrong?”

Seeing Wen Xiangzhu remain silent, Lin Sui hesitated, her mood plummeting.

“Oh, so it starts now? Fine, let’s maintain distance from now on. I was just momentarily happy and didn’t think about it—I didn’t mean to… Well, I’ll be going now. You can take a taxi back.”

With that, Lin Sui quickly turned and hurried away.

Wen Xiangzhu’s eyelashes fluttered as she watched her leave, the words echoing in her mind.

The words about maintaining distance.

She couldn’t feel happy at all.

It felt like… all her previous efforts had been wasted.

She wasn’t willing to accept this. She’d rather the illness never go away.

As she settled into the car, Lin Sui felt inexplicably hollow inside.

She should be happy—happy to have shaken off that clingy tag-along.

But…

why did she feel a pang of disappointment?

Lin Sui gave the driver her address. As the car merged into the traffic, her thoughts gradually drifted.

She never expected Wen Xiangzhu to sever ties so quickly. Now that she’s fully recovered, she won’t even ride home with her…

Well, it’s for the best. They should have kept their distance all along. This is just a return to normal.

Just a return to our previous relationship.

That’s all.

But Wen Xiangzhu gets carsick. What if she takes a taxi back later and gets sick again? It must be awful…

Even if Lin Sui couldn’t do much to help, she still worried.

…Forget it! Don’t think about it.

But as the thought crossed her mind, Lin Sui suddenly remembered:

Wen Xiangzhu’s birthday is in September.

Last year, Wen Xiangzhu had just joined the Lin family. Even though Lin Sui had seen her files, she hadn’t remembered her birthday.

So last year, it just… slipped by.

This year…

Now that she remembered, even if they weren’t close, she should at least get her a gift, right?

But what should she get her?

For a moment, Lin Sui was stumped.

Forget it! It’s still early. I’ll worry about it later!

******

This time, it was real.

“Master, wait a moment. Let’s go to Xinhua Road first. I’ll grab something to eat,” Lin Sui said.

The more her mind wandered, the more she felt the need to eat. A full stomach brought contentment and stopped her from overthinking.

Why bother wasting brainpower on that?

She entered a pastry shop, asked the clerk to pack her some treats, and then returned to the car with her purchases.

Casually opening a package, she picked up a pastry and took a bite.

The treat was a profiterole, with a light, fluffy exterior and a sweet cream filling. The texture and flavor were exquisite.

Lin Sui inwardly marveled at the treat, but then she suddenly remembered the plate of profiteroles Wen Xiangzhu had made before.

Her version had been mediocre at best, barely palatable compared to this store-bought delicacy. Yet inexplicably, Lin Sui couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Why… did she suddenly want to taste them again?

Realizing her mind was wandering again, Lin Sui shook her head.

No, let’s switch to a different snack.

She switched to a cake.

But no matter what she ate, Wen Xiangzhu kept surfacing in her thoughts. Whether she was in the car, her room, or occupied with other tasks, whenever her mind went idle, Wen Xiangzhu was the first thing that popped up.

Lin Sui: “……”

This is messed up. She’s still affecting me.

By the time she got home, it was still early.

Lin Sui, carrying her newly purchased items, paused mid-step as she was about to return to her room.

Has Wen Xiangzhu returned yet?

The thought struck her, and she found herself turning and stepping toward the neighboring room, as if guided by some unseen force.

The door stood open, revealing an empty space.

After a moment’s hesitation, Lin Sui entered, placed the sweets she was holding on the desk, and then left.

Her phone rang.

She quickly answered, feeling a pang of disappointment when she saw Zhu Huan’s name on the caller ID.

“What’s up?” Zhu Huan’s voice brimmed with energy.

“Let’s log in. I asked En’en to bring her up some ranks, and I want you to join us.”

Lin Sui frowned. “You’re handling it? Why do you need me?”

“Hey, I just don’t want to crash and burn,” Zhu Huan said with a sheepish laugh. “Hurry up! We’re waiting for you!”

Lin Sui clicked her tongue. “Fine.”

She agreed and walked into her room, sat down at the desk, and booted up her computer.

As soon as the game loaded, an invitation popped up on the screen.

Lin Sui glanced at it and accepted, entering the room.

Inside, only Zhu Huan and Xu Nianen were present. They had voice chat enabled and kept urging her to turn on her mic.

******

She felt like a third wheel.

I’ll keep my mic off. It’s not convenient.

Lin Sui typed back, and they dropped the subject.

The game session lasted the entire afternoon. Lin Sui was in decent shape, barely managing to carry Xu Nianen, who didn’t know anything, and Zhu Huan, who occasionally made mistakes.

Zhu Huan kept chattering in the voice chat:

“See? This whole game was all thanks to me!”

“If I hadn’t set up that last teamfight perfectly, how would Lin Sui have had a chance to get in?”

“If I hadn’t tanked all the damage, how would Lin Sui have had a chance to swoop in and finish them off?”

“If I hadn’t…”

Lin Sui remained silent, her ears ringing from the incessant chatter.

Just then, she heard the sound of a door closing downstairs.

She turned toward the door, listening intently.

When no further noise came, she finally got up and went downstairs to investigate.

The game countdown on the screen ticked down, and Zhu Huan’s voice blared from the headphones: “Suisui, hit ‘Confirm’! Where’d you go?!”

Since Lin Sui wasn’t at her desk, she didn’t hear Zhu Huan’s call.

Finally, the countdown ended, and the system automatically kicked Lin Sui’s account out of the game.

She was standing by the stairs, watching Wen Xiangzhu walk in downstairs.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Noticing her, Wen Xiangzhu looked up.

Lin Sui casually averted her gaze, pulled out her phone, and walked back to her room while answering the call.

“Where’d you go? What were you doing?”

Lin Sui closed the door behind her. “Yeah, just had something to take care of.”

“Alright, I’ll pull you in.”

“Okay.”

******

In the room next door, Wen Xiangzhu noticed a bag sitting on her desk as soon as she walked in.

She pursed her lips and opened the bag, the sweet aroma of cake wafting out.

Even though it was cold.

So, had Lin Sui bought this for her?

Wen Xiangzhu stood there, staring at the cake for a long time before turning to wash her hands and sitting back down at her desk.

She took a piece of cake and bit into it. It was sweet and delicious.

But for some reason, her nose felt prickly.

A sense of deep hurt and frustration, with nowhere to go, tormented her.

And then there was Lin Sui’s distant and unpredictable attitude.

She didn’t know why, but she suddenly felt herself shrinking back.

She was a coward at heart, after all. She’d worked hard for almost a year, but now she felt like a stranger.

Was Lin Sui now just leaving things for her, unwilling to even speak a word?

Wen Xiangzhu thought, looking at the cake in her hand, trying to comfort herself.

At least Lin Sui was still thinking of her.