After Mistaking My Stepsister’s First Love - Chapter 47

Ye Wenjin never expected to see Teacher Mei Yan at the banquet. She must have just arrived, her gaze sweeping the room as if searching for someone.

When their eyes suddenly met, Ye Wenjin realized the woman was actually walking toward them.

She appeared casual, yet every movement was captivating, exuding an innate elegance that drew many admiring glances.

At first, Ye Wenjin thought Mei Yan had come specifically to see Jian Mo. Noticing her purposeful stride, Ye Wenjin was about to excuse herself when Jian Mo held her back.

Before she could question this, Teacher Mei Yan had already reached them. “Took me quite some effort to find you. But little Ye here looks like she’s about to leave? If you go, my trip would be for nothing.”

Ye Wenjin looked bewildered, hesitantly glancing at Jian Mo without interrupting.

Sure enough, Mei Yan continued, “No need to doubt, it’s you I’m looking for. Xiao Mo sent me an invitation earlier. I hadn’t planned to come, but then I thought it’s been a while since I relaxed, so I decided to drop by.”

This only deepened Ye Wenjin’s confusion. She instinctively asked, “May I ask why you were looking for me, Teacher Mei?”

She truly couldn’t imagine what business Mei Yan might have with her, making her intensely curious.

Mei Yan didn’t beat around the bush. “Here’s the thing, I’ve been considering expanding my dance troupe for some time now and am currently scouting suitable dancers…”

At this point, Ye Wenjin’s heart began pounding wildly, a strong premonition taking hold that the woman’s words might be what she’d been longing to hear.

After a deliberate pause, Mei Yan said, “Background checks are part of the selection process, so I’ve reviewed some information about you. I hope you don’t mind. Naturally, I’ve also seen your academic records and performances—you seem like an excellent fit. So, little Ye, would you be interested in joining my dance troupe?”

In that instant, all sound seemed to vanish from the world, leaving only Mei Yan’s words echoing in her ears.

This was an opportunity she’d yearned for far too long. Ye Wenjin had imagined countless scenarios of successfully joining Teacher Mei Yan’s dance troupe.

But now that the moment had arrived, none of her anticipated reactions surfaced. She simply stood there, staring dumbly at Mei Yan.

Ye Wenjin was completely stunned.

Mei Yan raised an eyebrow, thoroughly amused.

During their previous meal together, Ye Wenjin had been practically invisible never speaking unless addressed. This reaction was quite different from that reserved demeanor.

Truthfully, Mei Yan had expected Jian Mo to plead for an opportunity on Ye Wenjin’s behalf, but she hadn’t. And Ye Wenjin herself had maintained clear-eyed composure throughout respectful toward Mei Yan, but only as one would be toward any senior colleague, with no ulterior motives.

Even during their brief exchange afterward, though visibly nervous from inexperience, Ye Wenjin had carried herself with grace.

Initially, Mei Yan had only felt mild goodwill toward her because of her connection to Jian Mo. But after witnessing Ye Wenjin’s performance in a recital, Mei Yan had truly begun to take notice.

After careful consideration, she’d decided to offer Ye Wenjin this chance.

“However, I must be upfront, there are many interns, and only the best of the best will stay. Whether you make the cut isn’t up to me; it’s up to your performance.”

Ye Wenjin finally snapped out of her daze and nodded eagerly. “I understand completely. I’m already incredibly grateful that Teacher Mei is giving me this opportunity. I’ll do my absolute best, and even if I’m not selected, this experience will still be invaluable.”

Mei Yan gave a slight nod. “In that case, keep an eye on your inbox. I look forward to seeing what you can do.”

Ye Wenjin’s eyes sparkled as she thanked her earnestly.

Just as she finished speaking, Mei Yan caught sight of an acquaintance out of the corner of her eye. With a casual wave, she said, “That’s all for now. I see someone I know, I’ll go say hello.”

Before the words had fully left her mouth, she had already melted into the crowd.

Ye Wenjin stared after Mei Yan’s retreating figure, her gaze burning with intensity.

So absorbed was she that she failed to notice the prolonged silence from Jian Mo beside her.

The trio who had come in with them had been wrapped in an inexplicable tension from the start, not daring to speak. Now, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, they held their breaths.

Chu Yunsheng frantically shot glances at Ye Wenjin, trying to get her to turn around, but the oblivious girl remained fixated on the crowd, completely missing her friend’s pointed expressions.

Too focused for her own good!

When her attempts failed, Chu Yunsheng quietly averted her gaze, pretending she hadn’t seen anything.

It was Rong Yunshu who finally couldn’t take it anymore. She calmly cleared her throat.

The abrupt sound snapped Ye Wenjin back to reality. Only then did she notice the odd tension in the air and instinctively turned to Jian Mo.

To her surprise, Jian Mo was already looking at her except her expression was far from pleased.

Truthfully, it wasn’t much different from usual, but Ye Wenjin could tell her mood had soured.

She hesitated, scanning their surroundings. Nothing seemed amiss, except for the strange looks on her roommates’ faces.

Baffled, Ye Wenjin decided to ask directly, though she lowered her voice. “Jiejie? Is something wrong?”

Jian Mo glanced at her before quickly looking away. “Nothing. I’m just happy for you, Xiao Jin. You got what you wanted.”

Though the words were congratulatory, Ye Wenjin felt an inexplicable chill crawl up her spine. The banquet hall’s temperature was perfectly comfortable, yet in that moment, it was as if a cold wind had swept through.

She paused, studying Jian Mo’s expression more carefully. The more she looked, the more certain she became that something was off but she couldn’t pinpoint the cause, leaving her at a loss.

This was the first time Rong Yunshu had observed their dynamic with a clear mind, and it gave her a peculiar feeling.

Well… Miss Jian doesn’t seem to have it easy either.

She’d always known Ye Wenjin was dense, but she hadn’t realized just how dense.

Rong Yunshu arched a brow but made no move to intervene. Clearly, this was a matter that didn’t require outside interference best not to meddle.

With that thought, she scanned the room and gracefully extricated herself from the brewing conflict, slipping into the social fray.

After all, they were already here, and the attendees were all influential figures perfect for networking. These connections might prove useful later.

Rong Yunshu had already made up her mind. After graduation, she wouldn’t pursue dance. Instead, she’d start interning at her family’s company during her senior year, helping her mother with management.

Although there was an older sister in the family, Rong Yunjuan was hardly cut out for business. If she were put in charge of the company, it would probably go bankrupt in no time.

So the family unanimously decided not to let Rong Yunjuan meddle in the business just let her collect her share of the profits and be done with it.

Fortunately, Rong Yunjuan had no interest in being shackled by work either. In her own words, her ambitions lay among the stars and the cosmos, not within the cold walls of an office building.

A hardcore anime and manga enthusiast, she could hole up at home for ages, cycling through hobbies so fast she could switch to a new one every day without ever repeating.

Thus, the heavy burden of inheriting the company fell squarely on Rong Yunshu’s shoulders. As a result, she had already begun studying finance on the side, naturally paying less attention to her original major.

Chu Yunsheng, watching Rong Yunshu walk away: “…”

Huh? Weren’t we here to have fun? How did she just start socializing?

Chu Yunsheng began to question her life choices. After hesitating for two seconds, she decisively gave up on socializing altogether.

She hadn’t even graduated yet this kind of thing could be left to her mother! Besides, Zhou Wuhuan was still here. If she left too, how utterly helpless would that make her feel?

Having happily settled on this decision, Chu Yunsheng grabbed Zhou Wuhuan’s hand and smoothly pivoted away, determined to sample every dish at the banquet.

After they had walked some distance, Zhou Wuhuan glanced back hesitantly, still somewhat uncertain, and whispered, “Shouldn’t we at least let Wenjin know?”

Chu Yunsheng also looked back, leaning in closer to murmur, “Do you dare go tell her?”

Zhou Wuhuan stiffened slightly, subtly putting a bit more distance between them before replying, “Not really. Let’s just forget it.”

Chu Yunsheng gave her an approving look. “Exactly. Didn’t you see Rong Yunshu already bolted? If we don’t run now, when will we?”

Zhou Wuhuan understood and stopped hesitating. But when her gaze drifted downward, she finally realized Chu Yunsheng was still holding her hand, and her expression stiffened again.

Yet she didn’t point it out or pull away, allowing the other girl to keep leading her along.

Meanwhile, Ye Wenjin remained blissfully unaware that the three of them had made their escape. By the time she noticed, they were long gone without a trace.

Ye Wenjin: “…”

She had been planning to ask for help, only to find that all her potential helpers had vanished.

Now thoroughly bewildered, Ye Wenjin grew increasingly uneasy, her mind racing as she tried to figure out why Jian Mo was in such a bad mood.

But she had no chance to dwell on it, wave after wave of guests kept approaching, and with Jian Mo busy entertaining, she couldn’t afford to zone out.

Left with no choice, Ye Wenjin set aside her questions and focused on the present. Still, an undercurrent of anxiety gnawed at her, as if a sword of Damocles hung over her head, ready to drop at any moment.

This tension lasted the entire evening, and by the time the banquet ended past eleven, Ye Wenjin still hadn’t figured it out.

Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, however, she unexpectedly met Jian Mo’s calm, unreadable gaze. Her heart lurched, but Jian Mo said nothing and simply looked away.

The ride home was strangely silent. The atmosphere in the car was so heavy that even the driver couldn’t resist sneaking a few discreet glances in the rearview mirror, making Ye Wenjin’s spine stiffen with tension.

Once they arrived home, before Jian Mo could even speak, Ye Wenjin obediently trailed after her.

“Why are you following me?”

Hearing Jian Mo’s voice suddenly, Ye Wenjin thought it was her imagination at first. She froze for a moment before reacting and said, “Because you seemed a bit upset, sister, so I…”

Jian Mo looked at her and slowly asked, “I was upset, and then what?”

Ye Wenjin froze again.

And then? What then?

She felt a little foolish otherwise, why couldn’t she understand what Jian Mo was saying?

Perhaps because she stayed dazed for too long, Jian Mo sighed helplessly.

“Xiao Jin, you noticed I was unhappy and followed me, but why didn’t you think to…”

“Cheer me up?”

The last few words were spoken very softly by Jian Mo.

But Ye Wenjin still heard them clearly. Her gaze met Jian Mo’s gentle, indulgent eyes. The one who spoke wasn’t embarrassed, but Ye Wenjin’s face grew warm instead.

“Am I… too stupid? I even needed you to remind me.”

Jian Mo thought to herself that she was indeed quite slow otherwise, how could she be this oblivious? But seeing Ye Wenjin’s expression was also amusing, and the turbulent emotions in her heart settled somewhat.

Ye Wenjin, reading Jian Mo’s expression, felt a little embarrassed, but she still asked, “Then, can you tell me why you were unhappy, sister?”

Jian Mo sighed lightly, somewhat resigned. “Xiao Jin, haven’t you realized it at all? I was jealous.”

Ye Wenjin’s expression went blank.

Jealous? Jealous of what? Who was sister jealous of?

Three questions in a row left Ye Wenjin completely bewildered.

“Who are you jealous of?” She hesitated for a moment before voicing an absurd guess. “It couldn’t be… Teacher Mei?”

Jian Mo looked at her and said slowly, “It seems Xiao Jin isn’t completely hopeless after all.”

Ye Wenjin was stunned. “Huh? But why would you be jealous of Teacher Mei?”

Jian Mo suddenly cupped her face, her tone inexplicable. “I just realized that from now on, the time and energy you’ll spare for me will be much less.”

Joining the dance troupe was only the beginning. And given Ye Wenjin’s personality, she would train relentlessly, meaning the two of them wouldn’t have as much time together as they did now.

Ye Wenjin urgently wanted to say something, but Jian Mo’s finger pressed against her lips.

“So, Xiao Jin, how are you going to cheer me up?”

Ye Wenjin’s heart instantly felt like it was soaking in warm water, soft and cozy.

Jian Mo wasn’t asking her not to go,she just wanted to be comforted for her low spirits.

Ye Wenjin’s eyes reddened slightly. She grabbed Jian Mo’s hand and pressed a light kiss to it, her voice slightly hoarse. “Sister, why are you so good to me…”

Jian Mo paused, then gently stroked her cheek. As she gazed at her, her eyes seemed to hold a thousand unspoken words.

Ye Wenjin suddenly froze.

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