After Mistaking My Stepsister’s First Love - Chapter 2

Ye Wenjin attended a university in the same city, the Capital Dance Academy, one of the top-tier art institutions and coincidentally the best school she could attend locally.

If given the choice, Ye Wenjin would have preferred to study in another province, but…

When filling out her college applications after the gaokao, she had already selected her dream school. However, her mother secretly altered her choices behind her back, confining her to a local institution. She only found out on the day she received her acceptance letter.

Ye Wenjin couldn’t describe how she felt at that moment, but she had no right to throw a tantrum. Ye Shuyao had once again trotted out her usual rhetoric about doing what was best for her, and in the end, Wenjin relented, only minimizing the number of times she returned home.

The Yin family’s residence was quite far. Ye Wenjin boarded the bus, resting her head against the window. The cold seeped into her skull, jolting her awake.

The bus rattled forward, and soon, a light drizzle began outside.

Wenjin stared blankly at the raindrops streaking the window until the bus reached its final stop. Only then did she pick up her umbrella and step off.

The security guard at the villa complex recognized her. Seeing her approach slowly through the rain, he opened the gate in advance.

Wenjin thanked him politely before walking in.

In this household, she didn’t have the privilege of freely entering and exiting the main gate. She didn’t even have a key to what was supposedly her home. Every time she returned, she had to knock and wait for someone to let her in like a guest.

The only difference was that, unlike a guest, she wasn’t treated with courtesy.

Raindrops pattered steadily from her umbrella as Wenjin stood carefully on the doorstep, waiting.

Soon, the door opened, and the sound of elegant music drifted out from inside. A maid stepped out and quickly closed the door behind her.

“Miss Ye, you’re back. Please come this way. The family is hosting a banquet, so you’ll need to freshen up first.”

The villa belonged entirely to the Yin family, so of course, there were plenty of servants.

Wenjin said nothing, nodding as she followed the maid through a side entrance.

“Miss Ye, this is the dress Madam prepared for you. The makeup artist is already waiting outside. We need to hurry downstairs.”

Wenjin glanced at the dress but didn’t take it. “I’m not here for the banquet. Where’s my mother?”

The maid’s expression remained indifferent, her tone professional. “Miss Ye, these are Madam’s instructions. Please change into the dress. The makeup artist will be in to attend to you in five minutes.”

Wenjin fell silent for a moment. She knew that once she had returned, she had no right to refuse.

She changed into the dress anyway. The makeup artist entered as promised and began working on her. About twenty minutes later, the maid returned to hurry them along.

The makeup artist rushed to finish.

Wenjin lifted her gaze slightly, studying her reflection in the mirror.

The makeup didn’t suit her. The lipstick was too bright, bordering on garish. But she said nothing, simply following the maid into the banquet hall until they reached an elegant woman.

“Madam, Miss Ye is here.”

Ye Shuyao turned with a smile, though a flicker of displeasure flashed in her eyes when she saw Wenjin. Her expression remained unchanged, however, as she spoke gently, “A-Jin, come here.”

Not a single word of concern, but Wenjin was long used to it. She stepped forward numbly.

“Madam Lin, my apologies for the wait. Let me introduce you, this is my daughter, Ye Wenjin.”

Ye Wenjin suddenly turned to look, but Ye Shuyao didn’t even glance her way, still maintaining a gentle smile as she faced Madam Lin, with a hint of ingratiation upon closer inspection.

Lin Yu’s expression was somewhat displeased as she swept her eyes over Ye Wenjin, saying with a faintly mocking tone, “Miss Ye is truly naturally beautiful.”

Though her words carried a hint of sarcasm, Ye Wenjin paid no attention to what she said, her gaze fixed solely on Ye Shuyao, hoping for an explanation. Yet, the latter never turned back.

“Ah-Jin has never liked wearing makeup since she was little. Today, knowing she was meeting Madam Lin, I asked her to dress up a bit. Who knew her skills weren’t quite up to par? Please forgive her, Madam Lin.”

Ye Wenjin’s expression shifted, and she stopped looking at Ye Shuyao, turning instead to Lin Yu. “Madam Lin, my apologies. I just remembered something urgent and must excuse myself.”

Ye Shuyao finally showed a change in expression, reaching out to grab her, but Ye Wenjin sidestepped, avoiding her grasp.

However, she didn’t manage to leave. As soon as she turned around, she saw two people approaching their direction.

Ye Wenjin paused mid-step, watching as they quickly came before her.

The two bore a striking resemblance, differing only in their aura and demeanor, they were Yin Yu, the head of the Yin family, and her daughter Yin Feifei.

A faint smile played on Yin Yu’s stern face as she spoke with an inexplicable tone, “Wenjin is back? No wonder Feifei said she didn’t see you at school and couldn’t reach you by phone. So you came back first.”

Hearing this, Ye Wenjin pressed her lips together and remained silent.

Yin Feifei wore a polite smile. “Mother, it’s alright. I suppose Sister missed Aunt Ye, so she returned early.”

Ye Wenjin listened numbly to their words, offering no response.

Ye Shuyao’s expression faltered slightly, her smile becoming strained.

With Yin Yu’s sudden appearance, Ye Wenjin was rooted to the spot, unable to leave even if she wanted to.

Lin Yu, having enjoyed the spectacle, felt some of her earlier displeasure dissipate. She remarked meaningfully, “The Yin household is certainly lively.”

Yin Yu responded with a composed smile. “Forgive us for the scene, Madam Lin. After all, we’ll soon be family. Though I didn’t raise Wenjin myself, she has a pure and kind nature. It’s a wonderful thing for her to form a bond with your daughter.”

Lin Yu felt a pang of irritation at her words, her smile turning slightly sardonic, though she said nothing more.

She understood perfectly well what these people were scheming. What infuriated her was that the Lin family’s current standing couldn’t match the Yin family’s. Even if they unilaterally changed the engagement to Ye Wenjin, there was nothing the Lins could do. But…

Lin Yu narrowed her eyes, giving Ye Wenjin a meaningful glance before politely taking her leave.

She had come this time solely to see the new engagement partner Yin Yu had arbitrarily chosen. Now that she had seen her, there was no reason to stay longer.

If not for maintaining superficial pleasantries, she wouldn’t have come at all.

The Yin family had switched candidates without consulting them wasn’t it simply because her daughter hadn’t presented as an Omega?

Yin Feifei, on the other hand, was fortunate not only presenting as an Alpha but also of a high rank, her future seemingly bright.

But… who could say for certain what the future held?

As she gazed at the rapidly passing cityscape outside the window, a shadow flickered in Lin Yu’s eyes.

Madam Lin’s departure caused little disruption, and the banquet continued as usual.

Amidst the surrounding revelry, Ye Wenjin felt as though she had plunged into an icy abyss.

Though the conversation had been brief, she sensed something amiss.

The engagement that was originally meant for her stepsister Yin Feifei had been transferred to her without anyone consulting her.

And the other party in this engagement was the daughter of that Lady Lin from earlier.

Her head throbbed even more painfully…

Ye Wenjin pressed her lips tightly together, no longer in the mood to stay at the banquet, and turned to leave.

Ye Shuyao was extremely displeased with her silent departure, but she couldn’t bear to leave such an occasion herself. So, she had no choice but to cautiously stay by Yin Yu’s side, afraid of displeasing her.

However, Yin Yu didn’t even spare her a glance. After signaling to a nearby servant, she led Yin Feifei into the social whirl with a radiant smile.

Ye Wenjin had initially intended to leave outright, but a servant stopped her. Puzzled, she hesitated for a moment before deciding not to leave immediately, she wanted to ask in person.

The banquet lasted until nearly dawn. The moment Ye Shuyao appeared, Ye Wenjin approached her.

“What exactly is going on with this engagement?”

Having spent the entire evening ingratiating herself, Ye Shuyao was exhausted and eager to rest. But when she suddenly heard Ye Wenjin’s blunt question, her temper flared.

“Ye Wenjin, since when have you spoken to your mother so rudely? Is this how I raised you?”

Ye Wenjin suddenly felt suffocated.

She had heard such words all her life, yet for some reason, hearing Ye Shuyao’s merciless tone now made her inexplicably nauseous.

But her distress went unnoticed by Ye Shuyao, who continued lecturing her without pause.

Each word was like a sharp blade, slicing into her. Ye Wenjin’s face paled slightly, and she suddenly felt overwhelmingly tired.

She refused to stay silent any longer. The moment Ye Shuyao paused, she immediately cut in, “This engagement belongs to whoever it was meant for. I refuse to take Yin Feifei’s place in this arranged marriage.”

Ye Shuyao froze, seemingly caught off guard by her refusal.

Yin Yu and Yin Feifei were even more shocked.

Back when Ye Shuyao had married into the family with Ye Wenjin in tow, neither of them had taken a liking to the girl. Even so, Yin Yu hadn’t driven Ye Wenjin away. Yin Feifei, however, was different, she utterly despised her stepsister.

It was as if an intruder had suddenly appeared in her territory, trying to steal what was hers. Yin Feifei felt deeply affronted.

Even though she knew her mother wouldn’t give Ye Wenjin a single cent of the family fortune, Ye Wenjin’s mere existence disgusted her.

When Ye Shuyao first brought her in, Ye Wenjin had been a scrawny, ill-mannered child with no refinement whatsoever like some uncivilized stray. Of course, Yin Feifei had disliked her from the start.

Perhaps because their disdain for Ye Wenjin was so blatant, Ye Shuyao had sensed it too.

But instead of standing up for her daughter, she had fawned over Yin Yu and Yin Feifei. She knew that in this household, Yin Yu was the one in charge. Only by pleasing them could she avoid returning to a life of hardship, a life she had truly had enough of.

As for Ye Wenjin, it wasn’t that Ye Shuyao felt no guilt. But she believed she had already done enough for her. If not for her own caution and subservience, they would never have attained their current lifestyle.

Yet Ye Wenjin never uttered a single word of concern. At times, Ye Shuyao even felt her daughter was nothing but a curse upon her.

Because Ye Wenjin held virtually no standing in this household, no one bothered to ask for her opinion before deciding her fate for her.

So when Ye Wenjin’s refusal was heard at this moment, the air fell silent.

As if oblivious to the atmosphere, Ye Wenjin repeated, “I refuse the arranged marriage.”

Yin Yu frowned, his deep eyes fixed on Ye Wenjin, though his face remained unreadable.

Yin Feifei, however, couldn’t hold back, her expression full of malice. “You won’t go? That’s not up to you. Ye Wenjin, you’re just a Beta. The Lin family may not be particularly wealthy, but given your status, marrying into it would already be you climbing the social ladder. What more could you possibly want? Besides…” She glanced at Ye Shuyao with a mocking smile. “Aunt Ye has already agreed. You don’t have the right to refuse.”

Ye Shuyao trembled slightly, instinctively forcing a smile.

“Feifei is right, A-Jin. This is the best choice for you. The Lin family is wonderful once you marry in, I’ll be at ease. And Miss Lin is also a Beta. You two are well-matched.”

Ye Wenjin felt absurd, staring at Ye Shuyao as if she didn’t recognize her, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Perhaps she should have realized it long ago from the moment they divorced, she no longer had a home.

Ye Wenjin stayed silent.

Yin Yu thought she had conceded, but to his surprise, Ye Wenjin turned and walked away.

Ye Shuyao couldn’t hold back, raising her voice. “Ye Wenjin, stop right there! Where do you think you’re going?”

“Back to school. I told you, this marriage alliance has nothing to do with me. I won’t go through with it.”

Before Ye Shuyao could respond, Yin Yu’s expression also turned icy, and he let out a cold snort.

The fury of being defied made Yin Yu lose control of his pheromones, and a slightly bitter scent quickly filled the air.

Feeling his pheromones, Ye Shuyao suddenly flushed, her body trembling faintly.

Yin Feifei couldn’t help but take a step back. “Stop her!”

Several servants obeyed, stepping forward to block Ye Wenjin’s path.

“Miss Ye, please don’t make things difficult for us. You should go back, Madam and the young mistress are angry.”

A servant whispered a warning, but Ye Wenjin had no intention of stopping.

Yet just as she continued forward, Yin Yu finally reined in his pheromones. “No need to waste words. Take Miss Ye back to her room. She is not to leave without my permission.”

The servants immediately seized Ye Wenjin, forcibly dragging her back.

Ye Wenjin struggled relentlessly, but her body felt inexplicably weak, her head growing heavy. Whether it was due to Yin Yu’s earlier pheromone outburst, the discomfort only intensified, making it impossible to break free.

As she passed Ye Shuyao, she cast one last hopeful glance at her. “Mom!”

But Ye Shuyao turned a deaf ear to her plea, entirely lost in a strange daze.

Watching her mother remain indifferent to her plight, Ye Wenjin’s heart finally died the moment she was locked in her room.

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