After Mistaking My Stepsister’s First Love - Chapter 39

“What are you spacing out for, Wenjin?” Rong Yunshu asked her in confusion.

Ye Wenjin snapped back to reality at the sound of her voice, shaking her head blankly before quickening her pace to leave the stage.

Though she had shaken her head, her distracted demeanor still struck Rong Yunshu as odd. But now wasn’t the right time to press further, so she could only suppress her curiosity for the moment.

In truth, Ye Wenjin did have something on her mind. During the curtain call, she had vaguely spotted Jian Mo in the audience. But by the time she tried to get a clearer look, Jian Mo had already disappeared.

Ye Wenjin thought it might have been her imagination.

Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had really seen her, leaving her lost in thought. Even now, after snapping out of it, she was still preoccupied. She hurriedly pushed through the crowd, eager to get backstage and check her phone, she wanted to see if Jian Mo had sent her any messages.

Seeing her rush off like this, Rong Yunshu couldn’t help but call out to her. But the music suddenly swelled from the stage, and with so many people around, the noise drowned out her voice. Ye Wenjin didn’t seem to hear her.

The crowd was thick, and despite moving quickly, Rong Yunshu couldn’t push through. She could only inch forward with the flow of people. In the blink of an eye, Ye Wenjin had vanished from sight.

Realizing she couldn’t catch up, Rong Yunshu stopped trying to force her way forward and quietly let the crowd carry her along.

Lost in thought, she didn’t even notice when the person beside her changed until someone suddenly called her name. Rong Yunshu snapped back to attention, only to turn and find Yi Huan’s face staring back at her.

Her tone indifferent, Rong Yunshu glanced at her. “What is it?”

Yi Huan gritted her teeth. This was exactly why she disliked Rong Yunshu.

She had thought that after working together as co-lead dancers for so long, their relationship might have improved somewhat. But no, Rong Yunshu was still as insufferable as ever.

Unable to hold back, Yi Huan’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Nothing. It’s not like we have anything to talk about.”

Rong Yunshu gave her a look and nodded. “True enough.”

Yi Huan: “…”

Fine. Talking to Rong Yunshu was the worst mistake she could’ve made.

But seeing Rong Yunshu’s indifferent expression, Yi Huan couldn’t resist adding, “Oh? Did Ye Wenjin just ditch you? Guess your relationship isn’t all that special after all.”

Rong Yunshu’s expression remained unchanged, though her eyes darkened slightly. “Not as special as yours, Miss Yi, equally mediocre with everyone.”

Yi Huan had a bold, unrestrained personality, carrying the air of a spoiled young lady. Over the past two years in their class, despite her strong professional skills, her social standing was  well, equally lukewarm with everyone.

Whenever something didn’t go her way or someone rubbed her the wrong way, she lashed out without thinking. Her words and actions often offended others, so she never formed deep connections with anyone.

Now, after being mocked by Rong Yunshu, her eyes reddened with anger.

“You’re really the worst, Rong Yunshu. Ye Wenjin must’ve gotten sick of you too, no wonder she left you behind.”

Rong Yunshu’s expression darkened, her gaze turning icy. “Watch your mouth.”

Yi Huan had always been reckless with her words. Only after speaking did she realize she might have gone too far. But before she could regret it, Rong Yunshu’s cold demeanor made that flicker of guilt twist into defiance.

“What? You’re trying to control everything, even how I talk? I won’t shut up!”

Rong Yunshu paused, momentarily speechless, realizing how absurd she was being.

She knew full well what Yi Huan was like arguing with her only made herself look foolish.

Expressionless, Rong Yunshu averted her gaze and ignored Yi Huan.

The crowded space gradually thinned, and Rong Yunshu finally found an opportunity to squeeze her way out.

Behind her, Yi Huan’s frustrated voice rang out, but she paid no attention.

When she entered the dressing room, the only person inside was Tan Xiaoxiao.

Rong Yunshu wasn’t particularly close to her, but they could still exchange a few words. So she asked, “Tan-jie, have you seen Wenjin?”

Tan Xiaoxiao, engrossed in a mobile game, didn’t even look up. “Xiao Ye? She grabbed her phone and ran out excitedly.”

Not finding the person she was looking for, Rong Yunshu had already begun to suspect, but hearing the confirmation still left her feeling a bit disappointed.

After thanking Tan Xiaoxiao, Rong Yunshu hesitated for a moment before grabbing her phone and walking briskly toward the venue exit.

She didn’t have to search for long before she spotted Ye Wenjin and naturally, the person standing opposite her, Jian Mo.

Sure enough, Ye Wenjin had gone to find Jian Mo.

Rong Yunshu abruptly stopped in her tracks, silently watching from a distance.

Ye Wenjin was laughing brightly, in a way Rong Yunshu had never seen before.

Suddenly, Rong Yunshu realized, she could never bring Ye Wenjin that kind of overwhelming joy.

Friends and lovers were fundamentally different.

And right now, Ye Wenjin truly was overjoyed.

At first, she thought she might have been hallucinating wishing so desperately for Jian Mo to come watch her performance that her mind conjured an illusion.

But when she checked her phone, she was thrilled to find a new message waiting for her.

[Xiao Jin, I’m waiting for you outside the venue.]

Without a second thought, Ye Wenjin turned and sprinted toward the exit.

Since the performance was still ongoing, very few people were heading out. Worried that Jian Mo might have been waiting too long, Ye Wenjin didn’t even stop to grab a coat, she just bolted straight outside.

Just as she was about to call Jian Mo to ask where she was, she heard someone call her name from behind.

Ye Wenjin turned and, sure enough, spotted Jian Mo standing not far away.

She was smiling at her, holding a bouquet of flowers in her arms.

Ye Wenjin’s eyes instantly lit up as she ran toward her.

“Jiejie, you came!”

Jian Mo nodded, her voice gentle. “Mhm. I almost didn’t make it, but you danced beautifully, I heard so many people praising you.”

Ye Wenjin’s eyes sparkled even brighter, her smile widening uncontrollably. “I thought you wouldn’t be able to come.”

Jian Mo chuckled softly. “This was the first time you invited me to watch your performance. Missing it would have been such a shame.”

A warm current surged through Ye Wenjin’s heart, as if countless flowers had bloomed around her, filling the air with brightness.

There was no denying it, the moment she heard those words, it felt like fireworks had exploded in her chest, dazzling and radiant.

What made her even giddier was that after speaking, Jian Mo handed her the bouquet. “Xiao Jin, congratulations on a successful performance.”

Ye Wenjin took the flowers and looked down at them, unable to contain her delight.

The bouquet wasn’t large mainly tulips, paired with two lilies and accented with baby’s breath, giving off a fresh and clean vibe.

This was the first time she had ever received flowers. The sheer joy in Ye Wenjin’s eyes was impossible to hide and she didn’t even try to.

“Thank you, sister, I really like it!”

She expressed her thoughts honestly.

A glimmer of amusement flashed in Jian Mo’s eyes. “I’m glad you like it.”

Ye Wenjin seemed to think of something, her expression turning slightly conflicted.

Noticing this, Jian Mo asked, “What’s wrong?”

Ye Wenjin rubbed her nose. “Nothing. Were you very busy today, sister?”

Jian Mo’s expression remained calm. “There were some unexpected matters that still need to be handled, but it’s nothing serious.”

A hint of disappointment flickered in Ye Wenjin’s heart, but she knew better than to press further. She quickly said, “Then you should go deal with them, sister. It wouldn’t be good to delay things.”

Jian Mo gave a soft hum and reached out her hand toward her.

Seeing this, Ye Wenjin immediately leaned her face in, nuzzling against Jian Mo’s palm, and gazed up at her with a bright smile.

Jian Mo paused almost imperceptibly but quickly regained her composure, gently stroking Ye Wenjin’s cheek.

The restlessness in her heart suddenly settled.

“Go back now. Let me know when you’re done, and I’ll have someone pick you up.”

Ye Wenjin nodded obediently and watched as Jian Mo got into the car.

But she wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, she thought she saw someone else in the car, though it was too indistinct to tell.

Ye Wenjin was puzzled for a moment but soon dismissed the thought, happily cradling the bouquet as she walked back, unaware of just how wide her smile was.

But Rong Yunshu saw it.

She hesitated, then turned away before Ye Wenjin could notice her.

Rong Yunshu’s emotions were complicated, and she wasn’t sure how to face Ye Wenjin just yet, so she instinctively chose to avoid her.

Meanwhile, many people saw Ye Wenjin returning to the backstage area with the bouquet, and they were all surprised.

After all, she had always seemed so reserved, it was hard to imagine her ever being in a relationship.

Unsurprisingly, Tan Xiaoxiao was among those taken aback.

Even though she had just been teasing Ye Wenjin earlier, seeing her return with a radiant smile and a bouquet still left her stunned.

“Oh-ho-ho, no wonder you were in such a hurry! So there was a surprise waiting for you. But didn’t you say she couldn’t make it earlier? Did she manage to come after all? Why didn’t you bring her in to rest for a bit?”

Ye Wenjin smiled shyly. Though she looked a little embarrassed, her demeanor was open and unguarded.

“Sister had some things to take care of, so she left first.”

Tan Xiaoxiao clicked her tongue. “Well, no wonder you look so glowing. Just a moment ago, you were all pitiful, and now you’re the happiest person in the world.”

Teased like this, Ye Wenjin felt even more bashful, but when her gaze brushed over the flowers in her arms, her smile grew even wider.

Tan Xiaoxiao groaned dramatically at the sight.

“By the way, your classmate was looking for you earlier. Did you run into her?”

Ye Wenjin blinked. “Classmate? Who? Yunshu?”

Tan Xiaoxiao shrugged. “Probably. What, you didn’t see her?”

Ye Wenjin shook her head. “Maybe we just missed each other.”

Tan Xiaoxiao nodded. “Alright then. Since the performance went smoothly, I’ll take off now, got another job waiting. Ah, the hard life of a working woman.”

Ye Wenjin nodded. “Got it. Thanks for your hard work, Xiaoxiao-jie. See you later.”

Tan Xiaoxiao waved and strode off.

But as soon as she stepped outside, she turned her head and nearly jumped at the sight of a figure standing nearby.

“Oh my god, what’s going on here? Huh? It’s you. Weren’t you looking for Xiao Ye? She’s right inside.”

Rong Yunshu paused, then nodded. “I see. Thank you, Sister Tan.”

Watching Tan Xiaoxiao leave, Rong Yunshu fell silent again, a hint of hesitation in her eyes. Just as she was about to leave, the door suddenly opened.

Ye Wenjin looked surprised. “Yunshu? What are you doing out here? Come in.”

Rong Yunshu hesitated for a moment before nodding and following Ye Wenjin into the room.

The layout of the dressing room was fairly standard, except for the bouquet of flowers on the vanity that was impossible to ignore.

Rong Yunshu’s gaze lingered on the flowers for a long time.

Ye Wenjin turned to say something but noticed her staring blankly at the bouquet, and her heart suddenly tightened.

“These flowers…”

Rong Yunshu’s voice was soft, but Ye Wenjin heard it immediately and scrambled to explain.

“The flowers, uh, they were sent by my sister. The one you met last time.”

Even with the explanation, Ye Wenjin still felt a little uneasy inside.

But seeing that Rong Yunshu didn’t press further, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Clearly, she relaxed too soon.

Because the next second, she heard Rong Yunshu ask abruptly,

“Really just a sister?”

Ye Wenjin: “…”

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