After Mistaking My Stepsister’s First Love - Chapter 25

Ye Wenjin was so angry that she turned around and quickened her pace, not wanting to hear Ye Shuyao call after her. It wasn’t until she had left the parking lot that she realized Rong Yunshu hadn’t followed. She immediately stopped and looked back.

Just as she was about to go back and find her, she saw Rong Yunshu running toward her.

“Why did you stop? Let’s hurry and go further. I think your mom still wants to chase after us.”

Hearing this, Ye Wenjin didn’t bother responding and simply nodded, speeding up her steps to leave.

Only when the two were far enough from the parking lot did they gradually slow down. Ye Wenjin looked back and, seeing no sign of Ye Shuyao, finally let out a sigh of relief.

However, the fact that Ye Shuyao had come to find her made Ye Wenjin unconsciously furrow her brows.

She knew Ye Shuyao’s motives for seeking her out couldn’t be that simple. Though she claimed to be worried about her being deceived, based on her understanding, the other party was definitely scheming how to benefit the Yin family.

Either Yin Yu had sent her, or she had come of her own accord. Whichever it was, it only made Ye Wenjin see her more clearly.

But if she had come on her own, Ye Wenjin found it even harder to understand Ye Shuyao.

Her mindset seemed to have been heavily influenced by Yin Yu over the years spent in the Yin household. It was as if she truly regarded the Yin family as her own, so all her thoughts revolved around their interests, completely disregarding her own daughter.

Why hadn’t she noticed before just how difficult it was to communicate with Ye Shuyao?

Ye Wenjin felt gloomy inside. She had originally gone over intending to clarify things with her, but it turned out she didn’t understand Ye Shuyao well enough, their conversation ended on a sour note.

Yet she had a feeling Ye Shuyao wouldn’t give up and would surely return, which was precisely what irritated her.

Why couldn’t they just preserve the last bit of dignity between them?

Ye Wenjin frowned and let out a deep sigh.

“Wenjin, what are you going to do next? Your talk didn’t go well, and your mom doesn’t seem like the type to give up. I feel like she’ll definitely come looking for you again.”

Rong Yunshu also frowned. She had considered this point and immediately felt that her earlier words had been too mild, she needed to ramp up the intensity.

Hearing Rong Yunshu’s words, Ye Wenjin felt equally troubled. But before she could think of a solution, her phone suddenly buzzed with a message.

Her thoughts halted as she opened it and saw it was from Jian Mo.

The message seemed almost magical, the chaotic thoughts in her mind gradually faded the moment she saw it. Unconsciously, a smile appeared on Ye Wenjin’s lips as she replied.

Then she looked up. “Yunshu, you go ahead back. I need to go out for a bit.”

Rong Yunshu was taken aback. Seeing her expression completely different from before, she immediately understood and felt a heavy discomfort in her chest. Still, she forced a smile and nodded.

“Alright, then be careful and come back early.”

But Ye Wenjin seemed a little uneasy and nodded distractedly. “Yeah,  we’ll see tonight. You should hurry back.”

Because she had to participate in the selection process, Ye Wenjin had been busy with it ever since returning. Now that the preliminary rounds were over, only the final audition remained.

However, the audition was scheduled for Monday, so she still had the weekend to prepare. It was also a good opportunity to hide out at her sister’s place for a while.

Moreover, after not seeing her sister for so many days, the sudden message from her made Ye Wenjin’s heart unexpectedly warm up. The pheromones at the back of her neck stirred restlessly, eager to emerge, but she forcefully suppressed them.

Though she tried hard to remain composed, the change in her expression still betrayed the joy in her heart.

After bidding farewell to Rong Yunshu, Ye Wenjin walked briskly toward the school gate. In about ten minutes, she spotted Jian Mo’s car at the north entrance.

When she opened the car door, Jian Mo was indeed sitting inside, her beautiful eyes turning to look at her.

Ye Wenjin’s heart pounded faster. Suppressing the excitement in her chest, she obediently said, “Sister, I’m here.”

Jian Mo smiled faintly at her words. “Mm, I saw you from afar. How have you been these past few days?”

Ye Wenjin touched the tip of her nose sheepishly. “Pretty good. And you, sister?”

Jian Mo nodded as well. “I’ve been fine too.”

As soon as she raised her hand, Ye Wenjin naturally lowered her head and leaned in, making it easy for Jian Mo to pat her head.

The smile in Jian Mo’s eyes deepened. She went along with it, stroking her head a few times before withdrawing her hand.

“Such a good girl, Xiao Jin.”

Ye Wenjin’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she mumbled an awkward “Mm.”

The car drove forward, leaving the school grounds behind. However, it hadn’t gone far when the driver suddenly said, “President Jian, there’s a car following us.”

Jian Mo glanced through the rearview mirror and indeed saw a black car trailing them at a steady distance. Her expression instantly turned cold.

Ye Wenjin saw it too and couldn’t help but tense up. Upon closer inspection, she froze slightly. “Sister, that car…”

Though her attention had been entirely on Ye Shuyao earlier and she hadn’t noticed what car she was driving, Ye Wenjin had a gut feeling that the car behind them was somehow connected to Ye Shuyao.

But why would she follow them? Was she trying to find out where Jian Mo lived or where they were going? And why would she even want to know? Was she planning to disturb Jian Mo at home?

Ye Wenjin couldn’t fathom what she was thinking, and her brows furrowed involuntarily.

Jian Mo withdrew her gaze and said calmly, “Take a detour and lose them.”

The driver quickly complied, focusing on the road and increasing the speed. Seizing the right moment, they passed through two traffic lights, while the other car was forced to stop by the sudden red light. The driver sighed in relief.

After cautiously driving a bit further and confirming that the car was no longer in sight, the driver said, “President Jian, we’ve lost them.”

Jian Mo gave a faint “Mm.” “Let’s head back.”

The driver nodded and resumed the original route.

Though Ye Wenjin also relaxed slightly, her heart remained heavy. She had clearly seen that the one following them was indeed Ye Shuyao.

No matter what her intentions were, Ye Wenjin felt suffocated.

Especially with Jian Mo by her side, she didn’t even know how to tell her.

That the person in the car was her mother.

Ye Wenjin once again felt that familiar sense of helplessness, along with threads of self-doubt creeping into her heart.

For the rest of the journey, Ye Wenjin remained silent, her expression vacant as she stared blankly at the back of the front seat.

Jian Mo glanced at her several times, but Ye Wenjin didn’t react, her brows slightly furrowed.

Even after getting out of the car, Ye Wenjin was still unsettled. It wasn’t until she reached the door and was called by Housekeeper Wu that she snapped out of her daze and responded vaguely.

“Aunt Wu… what is it?”

Housekeeper Wu observed her expression, his face slightly changing. “Miss Wenjin? Are you feeling unwell? You look so pale.”

Ye Wenjin shook her head slowly, as if in a daze. “No, I’m fine.”

She forced a smile, but it looked strained and unnatural.

Housekeeper Wu was about to say something when she caught Jian Mo’s glance. With a slight nod, she cast a worried look at Ye Wenjin before turning to leave.

As Jian Mo passed by her and took another step, she stopped. “Xiao Jin, come with me for a moment.”

Ye Wenjin snapped out of her trance, pausing briefly before quickly following.

Trailing behind Jian Mo, Ye Wenjin’s mind was a whirlwind of chaotic thoughts, her head drooping lower with each step.

Is Sister angry? She must have noticed, right? Noticed that the person following them was her mother.

No matter how hard she tried to distance herself from Ye Shuyao, she could never truly sever the connection. Because she was her mother, Ye Wenjin would always be the passive one in their relationship.

She didn’t want to be passive, so she had repeatedly told Ye Shuyao that they should stay out of each other’s lives.

But Ye Shuyao wouldn’t let her go. After years of neglect, now that she saw potential benefits, she had come to her school.

She was so adept at playing the victim, using the guise of caring for her to drive a wedge between her and Jian Mo.

What did she want?

If she had voiced those accusations during the peak rush of students, was she trying to expose her as a social climber or rally everyone to judge her sins?

Ye Wenjin felt lost, questioning why she had even been brought into this world.

She had tried so hard to live spending over a decade treading carefully, like a ghost. Now, all she wanted was to live her own life. Was that such a terrible crime?

The silence between them was heavy as they ascended the stairs.

Lost in her thoughts, Ye Wenjin followed mechanically, her gaze distant, barely aware of her own movements.

Only when they entered the study and the soft click of the door closing snapped her back to reality did she realize where she was.

Without hesitation, she blurted out an apology. “I’m sorry, Sister. That person following us earlier was my mother.”

Her head bowed, she explained in a daze, “She came to my school, two days in a row. I didn’t want to see her, but she kept appearing on my way to class, trying to pick me out from the crowd.

Hiding wasn’t working, so today I finally confronted her, hoping to make things clear. But…”

She couldn’t reason with Ye Shuyao. She never imagined her mother would resort to stalking.

Ye Wenjin didn’t defend herself, only recounting the situation to Jian Mo.

The study was silent except for her voice. When she finished, the quiet stretched on.

Jian Mo said nothing. With each passing second, Ye Wenjin’s unease grew.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally mustered the courage to look up and saw Jian Mo’s slightly exasperated expression.

“Sister,” she murmured.

Jian Mo spoke slowly, “Xiao Jin, she is her, and you are you. I won’t conflate the two of you. And—”

Ye Wenjin’s heart clenched. There was a flicker of displeasure in Jian Mo’s expression, but it was hard to decipher.

“Next time something like this happens, you must tell me, understand?”

As these words were spoken, Ye Wenjin blinked, feeling a wave of confusion wash over her.

Her sister wasn’t blaming her, nor was she angry. The slightly stern tone was only because she hadn’t informed her sister about the situation right away.

Ye Wenjin was momentarily stunned before finally snapping out of it, her voice tinged with urgency, “Sister, you’re not mad at me?”

Jian Mo let out a helpless laugh. “I praised you before for being sensible and knowing to come to me when something’s wrong. How did you become so silly in just a few days? Hmm?”

Ye Wenjin lowered her head in shame. “I…”

Since this time it wasn’t about calling in their parents, she hadn’t even thought to tell Jian Mo, planning to handle it herself.

In her mind, it was just a talk with Ye Shuyao, she hadn’t expected unexpected complications to arise.

The fear and unease in her heart faded significantly after Jian Mo’s words, and Ye Wenjin’s expression finally brightened.

Still, she couldn’t help but worry. “Sister, but what if my mom keeps following you?”

Jian Mo patted her head. “Don’t worry. I know what to do. You don’t need to handle this.”

Ye Wenjin hesitated but nodded. “Oh, okay.”

Though she didn’t know what Jian Mo planned, she trusted her sister completely!

Jian Mo smiled. “Feeling much better now?”

Ye Wenjin’s cheeks flushed pink, and she stammered, unable to form a coherent response.

If she still didn’t realize Jian Mo was trying to comfort her, she’d truly be blind.

But her sister was so gentle!

Ye Wenjin nodded vigorously, overwhelmed with emotion. “Sister, you’re so good to me.”

Jian Mo raised a hand to caress her face, her gaze deepening. “Mmm, if you want to thank me, you’ll have to work harder tonight.”

Ye Wenjin felt as if struck by lightning, her pupils trembling in shock, utterly flustered.

Jian Mo smirked. “I’ve been away for a few days. It’s time for you to help me with pheromone regulation. What were you thinking, Xiao Jin?”

Ye Wenjin’s face burned crimson, and she shook her head frantically. “N… nothing at all, I wasn’t thinking anything.”

Her expression was so resolute, it was as if she were about to swear to the heavens.

But the look on her face was anything but convincing.

Jian Mo’s smile was tender, her eyes like hooks.

Ye Wenjin felt her entire body go weak, her embarrassment only deepening.

Support