After Mistaking My Stepsister’s First Love - Chapter 41

Jian Mo stepped out of the car, watching as Butler Wu called for people to carry Jian Li into the villa.

She didn’t follow them inside, instead standing quietly by the car, her gaze fixed on the villa.

The wind at the mountaintop was strong, the temperature not particularly high, carrying a slight chill.

At this time of year, the weather was usually quite warm, but the mountain was high, and the air was cooler. Or perhaps it was the dense vegetation that made it feel so cold and desolate.

But this suited Jian Mo just fine. A bleak, frigid place like this was perfect for Jian Li.

Her mother had been imprisoned for so many years. No matter how much effort Jian Mo had put into accompanying her, trying to give her hope, she still couldn’t heal her.

Jian Mo didn’t blame her mother for abandoning her, she was just relieved that she had finally escaped Jian Li.

But that wasn’t reason enough for her to let go. So after seizing power, the first person she settled accounts with was Jian Li.

For the sake of her safety and health, she had even specially chosen this secluded place for her to recuperate. Wasn’t that filial enough?

She was just too busy to pay her any attention.

A malicious smile curled at the corners of Jian Mo’s lips.

She knew Jian Li all too well. A woman who had indulged in a life of luxury and pleasure, now left neglected, cut off from the outside world over time, even an ordinary person would go mad, let alone someone like Jian Li.

This was perfect.

Jian Mo watched as the villa’s doors slowly closed, her lips curved in a faint, almost imperceptible smile, but her eyes were ice-cold.

Butler Wu emerged from the villa and reported, “Everything has been arranged. The guards have all been replaced, what happened last time won’t occur again.”

Jian Mo continued staring at the villa for a long moment before responding, “Did you find the traitor?”

Butler Wu hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. It was… Old Zheng.”

Jian Mo tilted her head slightly, her tone soft. “Old Zheng… Ah, I know her. She’s been with me for a long time.”

Butler Wu closed her eyes briefly. “Miss…”

Jian Mo turned to look at her, silent, but Butler Wu immediately fell quiet, lowering her head without another word.

No matter who it was, if they betrayed Jian Mo, she would never give them another chance.

Especially not Old Zheng, who had worked for the Jian family for five years. Jian Mo had always treated those under her well. Even if Butler Wu knew Old Zheng had her reasons, she shouldn’t have entertained the thought of pleading for leniency.

After being silenced by that look, Butler Wu abandoned the idea, sighing inwardly before moving on. “Miss, I’ve discovered that besides Old Zheng, there was another person involved in this matter.”

Jian Mo’s expression remained indifferent. “Who?”

Butler Wu didn’t hesitate. “Your cousin, Jian Qingran.”

Jian Mo’s eyes flickered slightly, but she said nothing.

Butler Wu knew she was thinking and didn’t interrupt.

A fierce mountain wind swept past, making Jian Mo narrow her eyes. Suddenly, she smiled, her tone almost nostalgic. “Aunt Wu, it’s been a long time since we’ve held a banquet, hasn’t it?”

Butler Wu was puzzled but nodded. “Yes, Miss.”

Jian Mo’s voice was light. “Then let’s host one.”

Butler Wu’s eyes flashed with surprise. “And the occasion for the banquet?”

Jian Mo reached up to smooth her hair, speaking slowly. “Since getting married to Xiaojin, it’s about time we announced it to everyone.”

Upon hearing this, Butler Wu looked even more surprised. “Miss, is this… a wedding banquet?”

Jian Mo savored the words “wedding banquet” for a moment, the frost in her eyes gradually dissipating before she suddenly let out a soft laugh. “The wedding banquet can wait until Xiaojin graduates.”

Butler Wu raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled. “Understood. I’ll make the arrangements right away. When would you like the banquet to be held?”

“Since we’re choosing a date, why not tomorrow? No time like the present.”

Butler Wu nodded without hesitation. “Very well, I’ll see to it.”

Though the timeline was tight, the banquet couldn’t be handled carelessly. Even before returning, Butler Wu was already mentally drafting the event’s schedule.

Jian Mo took one last look at the villa, tilting her head attentively. When she caught the faint sound of distant roars, the corners of her lips curled up in satisfaction as she stepped into the car in high spirits.

“Let’s head back. It’s about time, Xiaojin should be done by now.”

Butler Wu nodded, gave a few instructions to the person in charge here, and then took the driver’s seat.

The car slowly pulled away from the mountaintop villa, leaving the sounds mingled with the wind behind.

Jian Mo took out her phone and, unsurprisingly, saw a message from Ye Wenjin. Her eyes curved slightly.

“Mm, on my way back. What about you, Xiaojin? Are you home yet?”

On the other end, Ye Wenjin seemed to be glued to her phone, replying instantly.

“Yes, yes! I’m already home, sis.”

Jian Mo tapped her fingers lightly.

“Good. Let the staff know if you want anything to eat. I’ll be back soon.”

The next message came just as quickly.

“Got it! Is there anything you’d like to eat, sis?”

Jian Mo paused for a moment before replying.

“Anything’s fine.”

Seeing the brief response, Ye Wenjin assumed Jian Mo was still busy. Reluctantly, she sent back an “Okay” and ended the conversation.

Come to think of it, Jian Mo really didn’t seem to have any strong preferences when it came to food. No matter what she ate, her expression remained neutral nothing she particularly loved or disliked.

Ye Wenjin quietly pondered this for a moment before getting up and heading to the kitchen.

The villa was as quiet as ever, even more so without Butler Wu around. The unusual silence made Ye Wenjin feel a bit unsettled.

For some reason, the atmosphere in the villa today felt inexplicably off.

Originally, she hadn’t planned to return so early. After the performance, her class had organized a gathering, but the sight of the bouquet kept reminding her of Jian Mo, making her lose all interest in the event. So she rushed straight home.

Only to find Jian Mo wasn’t there when she arrived.

Ye Wenjin scratched her head, feeling a little silly. Jian Mo had mentioned earlier that she had matters to attend to, but she’d completely forgotten.

What surprised her even more was that Butler Wu was also absent.

Curious, she went to ask one of the maids.

But the staff remained tight-lipped, only saying Butler Wu had gone out on business.

From their demeanor, Ye Wenjin sensed something unusual. But then she thought, if they weren’t telling her, it must be something she wasn’t meant to know. So she didn’t press further.

Still, after wrestling with her thoughts, she couldn’t resist asking when Jian Mo would return.

Almost immediately after sending the message, Ye Wenjin felt like she was being clingy. But the message was already sent, and the recall window had passed, leaving her anxiously waiting for Jian Mo’s reply.

To her dismay, after waiting for what felt like ages, there was still no response.

Ye Wenjin couldn’t help but overthink was Jian Mo annoyed with her?

After much deliberation, her phone suddenly vibrated.

The moment she saw Jian Mo’s message, Ye Wenjin let out a sigh of relief and immediately felt happy.

Thinking she had nothing else to do, she decided to head to the kitchen to see what dishes the housekeeper was planning to prepare.

It was still early, and the housekeeper had just started cooking the rice while prepping the ingredients.

Ye Wenjin wandered over, hesitantly peeking inside. Seeing the housekeeper busy at work, she hesitated, unsure how to bring it up.

Just as she was wavering, the housekeeper suddenly turned around, locking eyes with Ye Wenjin.

Both of them were startled.

“Oh my, Miss Wenjin? Why are you standing outside? Is there a dish you’d like to eat?”

Ye Wenjin smiled sheepishly and nodded honestly.

“Auntie, could you make sour soup with sliced pork?”

Her eyes sparkled, and the housekeeper found her adorable, replying with a laugh, “Of course, I can.” After a pause, she added with a touch of emotion, “This is actually the first time Miss Wenjin has requested a dish.”

Ye Wenjin felt a bit embarrassed. Although she was married to Jian Mo and had technically moved in, she still felt somewhat reserved deep down. She was also afraid that making too many requests might become bothersome.

Back in the Yin household, she never had the privilege to ask for her favorite dishes. Typically, every meal was decided by Yin Yu and Yin Feifei, with occasional input from Ye Shuyao but never her.

The food at the Yin residence was always extravagant, filled with delicacies from land and sea, rich and lavish at first glance.

But it was overly indulgent. Ye Wenjin always felt those weren’t just dishes but piles of fat, so she never dared to eat much.

A dish like sour soup with sliced pork wouldn’t even make it to the table at the Yin household.

According to Yin Yu’s standards, such a dish didn’t match her refined taste.

But Ye Wenjin actually found it delicious. Back in school, she occasionally went out to eat with Rong Yunshu and the others, and the first time she tried this dish, she was instantly won over.

The tangy broth was appetizing and paired perfectly with rice, she even liked soaking the rice in it.

Though this way of eating wasn’t very healthy, so she only indulged occasionally.

Today, with the successful performance behind her, Ye Wenjin was in high spirits and wanted to treat herself to it.

Still, she felt a little guilty for making a sudden request and couldn’t help asking, “Does this add to your workload? If it’s too much trouble, it’s okay to skip it.”

Seeing her earnest and cautious demeanor, the housekeeper replied with mild disapproval, “How could this be extra work? Miss Wenjin, you’re being too polite. It’s just one dish, it’s no trouble at all.”

Ye Wenjin nodded, thinking that since she had nothing else to do, she might as well step into the kitchen to help.

The housekeeper was startled by her gesture and quickly stopped her. “Oh no, that won’t do! There’s no need for you to help. I can manage just fine. Goodness, if Housekeeper Wu saw me letting you pitch in, she’d dock my pay!”

Ye Wenjin let out a small “Ah,” hesitating. “Auntie Wu? She wouldn’t do that, would she?”

The housekeeper chuckled, then lowered her voice slightly. “Housekeeper Wu cares for you, but truth be told, she’s quite strict.”

Though the villa didn’t have many staff, it still required management, and Housekeeper Wu was the closest thing to a supervisor for them naturally evoking a sense of reverence.

Moreover, Housekeeper Wu was rather serious, meticulous in her work, and left no room for negligence.

Of course, the standards were high, but after working together for so long, everyone knew that as long as no fundamental mistakes were made, Housekeeper Wu was still quite approachable.

But for Ye Wenjin, this was quite surprising. From the moment she met Housekeeper Wu, she had always thought of her as a gentle and kind person. Now, hearing the cook describe her as strict, Ye Wenjin couldn’t even picture it.

Though she was curious and wanted to ask more, the cook wasn’t willing to elaborate, shooing her out like a child to go watch TV.

Ye Wenjin left regretfully, but at the doorway, she suddenly remembered something and turned back to ask, “Oh, Auntie, do you know if Sister has any particular favorite foods?”

At first, the cook seemed caught off guard by the question. After thinking carefully, she replied uncertainly, “I think so? But…”

Her expression grew hesitant, and she stopped mid-sentence.

Ye Wenjin looked at her in confusion. “Auntie?”

“Ah, I must be mistaken. The young lady doesn’t have any particular favorite foods.”

The cook smiled and brushed the topic aside.

Ye Wenjin paused, even more curious now. But seeing that the cook didn’t want to say more, she tactfully didn’t press further.

Since she wasn’t needed in the kitchen, Ye Wenjin decided to take a stroll in the garden.

Come to think of it, she had visited the villa several times but had never really explored it. Now that she had some free time, she figured she might as well wander around.

But halfway through her walk, she heard the sound of a car at the gate. Guessing that Jian Mo had returned, she immediately abandoned her exploration and hurried back toward the entrance.

Sure enough, as soon as she reached the door, she saw Housekeeper Wu step out of the car first before opening the door for Jian Mo.

“Sister, did you go out with Aunt Wu?”

Housekeeper Wu’s expression remained unchanged, her face still wearing that familiar smile.

“Yes, Miss Mo had some business to take care of, so I went along to help.”

Ye Wenjin simply nodded without further questions. When Jian Mo glanced her way, she couldn’t help but smile. “Sister, you must be tired.”

Jian Mo gave a soft hum. “Let’s go inside.”

Ye Wenjin nodded obediently, and the three of them entered the house together.

Housekeeper Wu headed straight to the kitchen as soon as they got back. Meanwhile, Ye Wenjin kept sneaking glances at Jian Mo beside her, her heartbeat unconsciously speeding up.

“Xiaojin, wake up early tomorrow.”

Jian Mo’s sudden words caught Ye Wenjin off guard, and she nearly didn’t react in time. Blinking in confusion, she asked, “Are we going somewhere?”

Jian Mo nodded, looking at her. “Mm. There’s a banquet in the evening, so we need to prepare early.”

Ye Wenjin nodded blankly before it finally clicked. “A banquet? What kind of banquet?”

A hint of amusement flickered in Jian Mo’s eyes as she replied leisurely, “You could call it, an engagement banquet. Xiaojin, it’s time to make our relationship public.”

Ye Wenjin’s eyes slowly widened. “!!!”

Support