After Mistaking My Stepsister’s First Love - Chapter 1

The bell rang, signaling the end of the last morning class.

Ye Wenjin wiped the sweat from her forehead and didn’t rush to leave the classroom. Instead, she sat still to rest, waiting for the stifling heat to gradually subside before gulping down half a bottle of water and letting out a long sigh.

“Wenjin, what do you want to eat later?”

Ye Wenjin turned her head, it was Rong Yunshu, her roommate.

After a brief pause, she replied, “Just something simple. I think I’ve gained a little weight recently, so I need to watch my diet.”

Rong Yunshu sighed helplessly. “You’re not fat at all. It’s just a pound or two. You’re too hard on yourself.”

Ye Wenjin shook her head. “The grade performance is coming up soon. I need to start preparing.”

Rong Yunshu smiled faintly. “You’re still as diligent as ever.”

Ye Wenjin chuckled. “Being diligent never hurts.”

After all… she could only rely on herself.

Once they had rested enough, the two finally got up, gathered their things, bundled up, and left the classroom.

Though spring had arrived, the weather was still quite cold, and it was easy to catch a cold if one wasn’t careful.

But today, the temperature had risen slightly, making it a bit warmer than before.

As soon as she stepped outside, Ye Wenjin was momentarily blinded by the sunlight and remarked in surprise, “The sun’s actually out today.”

“You were too focused in class. The sun’s been out for a while now.”

Ye Wenjin froze. “I didn’t notice.”

Rong Yunshu shook her head, hesitating for a moment before saying, “Wenjin… I feel like you’ve been under a lot of pressure lately?”

Ye Wenjin didn’t respond immediately, only offering a faint smile.

She was now a sophomore, and the second half of the year would mark the start of her junior year. As a modern dance performance major in the arts, junior year was a critical turning point for everyone. The grade performance at the beginning of the semester would be a crucial factor in internship placements, so she couldn’t afford to slack off. She had to push herself yes, the pressure was real.

Rong Yunshu sighed softly. “Still, take care of your health.”

Ye Wenjin seemed momentarily dazed but quickly snapped out of it. “I know. Thanks for the reminder, Yunshu.”

Her tone was as polite and distant as always, even though they were in the same department and shared a dorm.

Rong Yunshu fell half a step behind, gazing at Ye Wenjin’s back.

No matter how exhausted she was, she always carried herself with an upright posture, making it impossible for others to look down on her.

And she truly was relentless.

Back when they first started university, Rong Yunshu had already heard of Ye Wenjin, she was the second-place finisher in the arts entrance exams.

Logically, the top scorer should have garnered the most attention, but Ye Wenjin wasn’t far behind.

Because anyone who saw her exam footage would inevitably wonder, why wasn’t she first?

But after learning the background of the top scorer, everyone fell silent, swallowing their doubts.

Ye Wenjin, however, didn’t seem to care. Unlike others who slacked off after entering university, she worked harder than ever, as if driven by sheer desperation.

At first, Rong Yunshu hadn’t thought much of her, but after witnessing her relentless effort day after day for two years, she found herself unconsciously drawn to her.

Perhaps… it was admiration?

She wasn’t entirely sure, but there was definitely some fondness there.

“Yunshu? What are you thinking about?”

Noticing that her companion had inexplicably fallen behind, Ye Wenjin turned to call out to her.

“Let’s hurry. Yunsheng asked me to bring her a meal. If we’re late, there won’t be any left.”

Rong Yunshu clicked her tongue lightly, clearly displeased. “Why doesn’t the young mistress go buy her own meals? Always making you bring them back?”

Ye Wenjin smiled faintly, pressing her lips together. “It’s no trouble at all. Let’s go.”

Rong Yunshu didn’t press further. She’d long noticed that Ye Wenjin was simply too kind-hearted, honest and unassuming to a fault, never knowing how to refuse others. It fit the stereotype of a beta perfectly.

Which made it all the harder to believe that the radiant star on stage was truly her like some second personality emerging.

Ye Wenjin was born for the stage.

She just needed the right opportunities.

The cafeteria was packed, a sea of people stretching as far as the eye could see. Ye Wenjin froze momentarily. “So… so many people…”

Rong Yunshu found it amusing. “Still not used to it?”

Ye Wenjin averted her gaze. “…Yeah, probably never will be. Let’s just grab our food and go.”

Steeling herself, she pushed through the crowd. After what felt like an eternity, they finally got their meals and headed back to the dorm. Just as Ye Wenjin was fishing for her keys, the door suddenly swung open, revealing a beaming face.

“My dear Wenjin, you’re finally back!”

With a resigned sigh, Ye Wenjin handed over the extra meal. “Yunsheng, if you were hungry, you could’ve gone earlier.”

Chu Yunsheng blinked, utterly unrepentant. “But I didn’t feel like moving! No morning classes anyway.”

“Tch. Young mistress indeed.”

Chu Yunsheng whipped her head around. “Rong Yunshu, you’re so annoying! I’m talking to Wenjin, none of your business!”

Arms crossed, Rong Yunshu smirked, her sarcastic retort instantly igniting Chu Yunsheng’s temper. Ye Wenjin glanced between them before slipping past into the room, leaving them to their usual bickering, it would blow over soon enough.

“Wu Huan? You’re here too? Have you eaten?”

The bespectacled girl being addressed remained somewhat reserved despite having lived together for two years. In some ways, they were alike. Among their four roommates, only she and Zhou Wuhuan were betas, while Rong Yunshu and Chu Yunsheng were alphas.

A nod. “I have, thank you.”

Ye Wenjin left it at that, settling at her desk to eat. Her meal was deliberately light, the kind most would find depressing after one bite, but she was accustomed to it.

“Wenjin, this isn’t healthy! You’ll collapse. Have a drumstick!”

Chu Yunsheng, having apparently finished her spat with Rong Yunshu, appeared beside her with the meal Ye Wenjin had fetched, already poised to transfer a chicken leg.

Startled, Ye Wenjin waved it off. “No, I’m dieting. My weight needs to stay controlled.”

“…Seriously? You’re already skin and bones!” Utterly baffled.

Ye Wenjin smiled patiently. “That’s how it is for dance majors. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Chu Yunsheng eyed her slender frame practically breeze-blown and shuddered before taking an emphatic bite of the drumstick to steady herself. “Thank god I’m not a dancer. I’d lose my mind.”

Ye Wenjin chuckled softly.

Truthfully, she didn’t find it torturous at all. Passion drove her discipline, dance was her everything.

Moreover… her goal was to join Teacher Mei Yan’s dance troupe. It was said that Teacher Mei’s troupe recruited only five members each year, all of whom were top-tier dancers.

Ye Wenjin didn’t want to miss this opportunity, so she was determined to give it her all.

Seeing the glimmer of determination in her eyes, even without fully understanding, Chu Yunsheng could tell that Ye Wenjin truly loved dancing.

A melodious ringtone interrupted Ye Wenjin’s thoughts. She glanced at her phone and froze.

It was a call from her mother.

Ye Wenjin silently watched the phone ring until it was about to disconnect, then finally took it to the balcony to answer.

“Mom…”

“Why did it take you so long to answer? What were you doing? If I didn’t call, would you never call me? Ye Wenjin, you’ve been away for so long without coming home. Do you not want me as your mother anymore?”

The sudden suffocation made Ye Wenjin feel like she couldn’t breathe.

Before she could respond, the voice on the other end continued.

“Fine, let’s set that aside for now. No matter what you’re doing, you must come home tonight.”

Ye Wenjin pressed her lips together. “Is there something important?”

“Does there need to be a reason for you to come home? Ye Wenjin, how long has it been since you last came back? Just because you’re away at school, does that mean you no longer have a home? Have you forgotten who made it possible for you to attend university? If it weren’t for me, would you even be in college? How can you be so ungrateful?”

The woman’s voice wasn’t shrill, it was actually quite gentle.

Yet every word was laced with accusation.

Every call seemed to consist of nothing but these same reproaches.

After hearing it so many times, Ye Wenjin thought she had grown numb, but her heart still ached.

She took a deep breath. “Is there something urgent tonight that I must come back for? I have class in the evening.”

Without hesitation, the reply came: “Just skip it. Missing one class won’t hurt.” Perhaps realizing her tone was too harsh, she softened her voice. “A-Jin, tonight is Auntie Yin’s birthday party. You really should be there.”

Ye Wenjin closed her eyes and after a long pause, quietly said she understood.

After hanging up, Ye Wenjin remained motionless. A beam of sunlight fell on her face, but she felt no warmth. Soon, even that beam of sunlight disappeared.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when a knock came at the balcony door. Ye Wenjin turned, startled, to see Rong Yunshu.

Pushing the door open, Rong Yunshu said casually, “Finished your call? Perfect timing, I need to hang some laundry. Go on inside; it’s still quite chilly out here. Don’t catch a cold.”

Only then did Ye Wenjin realize how cold she felt. Shivering slightly, she nodded and went in.

After she left, Rong Yunshu narrowed her eyes slightly, then leisurely lifted a piece of clothing from the basin. The garment hadn’t been wrung out properly, and water dripped in continuous streams, splashing onto the ground.

Perhaps from standing on the balcony too long, Ye Wenjin’s nose did feel stuffy.

She quickly finished her meal and went to a clinic to get some cold medicine. Whether she was actually getting sick or not, it was better to be prepared.

Now was absolutely not the time to fall ill.

After taking the medicine, Ye Wenjin burrowed under the covers and slept.

By the time her afternoon classes ended, it was already 5:30.

In truth, she didn’t have class that evening, she just didn’t want to go home. But her resistance seemed futile; in the end, she still had to return.

After slowly finishing her preparations, Ye Wenjin was finally ready to head out.

“Oh? You’re going out? Don’t forget to take an umbrella, it looks like it might rain.”

Chu Yunsheng, who had just returned to the dorm, reminded her.

The weather had been changing unpredictably lately. It had been clear and sunny in the morning, but now the sky was dark and ominous, making people uneasy. The coming rain was likely going to be heavy.

Ye Wenjin nodded in thanks, took the umbrella, and left.

Outside, a cold wind was indeed blowing. Ye Wenjin felt a tickle in her nose and couldn’t hold back a sneeze. She sighed helplessly, realizing that catching a cold was probably unavoidable now.

Rubbing her nose, she walked slowly out of the school gates.

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