After Mistaking My Stepsister’s First Love - Chapter 54

The unprecedented experience filled Ye Wenjin’s eyes with wonder as she stared unblinkingly at the massive orca before her.

Although she had heard stories about orcas being friendly toward humans, witnessing it firsthand was entirely different. Deep down, Ye Wenjin still harbored a natural wariness toward marine creatures.

The sheer size of the orca was intimidating compared to humans, they were enormous. It was hard not to feel fear when faced with a creature so much larger than oneself.

But this orca was exceptionally friendly, not only allowing them to touch it but even swimming beneath the two of them after circling around.

Ye Wenjin stared blankly at its movements, taking a moment to vaguely guess its intentions though she found the idea improbable.

Before she could react, Jian Mo pulled her forward. In the next second, the orca lifted them onto its back and swiftly carried them toward the surface.

Ye Wenjin: “!”

The orca really thought they were drowning!

What had been a vague suspicion turned into reality, leaving Ye Wenjin even more dazed.

By the time they resurfaced, she was still in a daze, struggling to process what had just happened.

It was unbelievable such an unlikely event had actually happened to them. Their luck was almost too good.

She stared dumbfounded at the orca, listening to its incomprehensible calls.

Fortunately, Jian Mo had remained calm the entire time. She had immediately recognized the orca’s intentions and, instead of resisting, had gone along with its actions, allowing Ye Wenjin to enjoy this novel experience.

Now that they were back on the surface, she pulled Ye Wenjin off the orca’s back and into the water, waving at the creature.

The giant orca let out a call, as if understanding her gesture, and happily circled them once before diving back into the depths.

Ye Wenjin was utterly stunned, taking a long while to snap out of it. She replayed the moment in her mind repeatedly, half-convinced it had been an illusion.

Just as she was reminiscing about the surreal encounter, the orca suddenly returned this time with something in its mouth.

A stingray?

Ye Wenjin blinked in surprise, her expression turning odd for a moment.

Sure enough, the orca began putting on a show, playfully toying with the stingray right in front of them.

Ye Wenjin: “…”

Hahaha.

What a clever orca!

What a poor stingray.

Under the orca’s relentless teasing, the stingray eventually gave up struggling, appearing as though it had died.

Satisfied with its performance, the orca let out one last call before diving deep and swimming away.

After the orca left, Ye Wenjin felt a twinge of regret. So when Jian Mo asked whether they should continue or head back, she chose to keep going.

The two submerged once more, continuing to admire the underwater scenery though they didn’t encounter the orca again.

It wasn’t until Ye Wenjin was completely exhausted that they finally ended their diving adventure.

By then, the sky had darkened. When they returned to the cabin, they realized they were the last ones back.

“When did you all get back?” Ye Wenjin asked in surprise.

Aside from Chu Yunsheng, who still looked dazed, everyone else seemed perfectly calm clearly having returned some time ago.

Rong Yunshu leisurely sipped some hot water. “A while ago. Zhou Wuhuan was the first back, and I was second.”

Ye Wenjin gave her a surprised glance, having assumed Rong Yunshu would enjoy this kind of activity more.

Zhou Wuhua, who had been addressed, nodded. “I’ve pretty much experienced everything here.”

Ye Wenjin then turned her gaze to Rong Yunshu’s sister, Rong Yunjuan, who was fiddling with something on her tablet, and silently questioned Rong Yunshu with her eyes.

Rong Yunshu shrugged. “She’s busy drawing fan art.”

Ye Wenjin was instantly impressed before shifting her attention to Chu Yunsheng, who was staring blankly into space.

At the moment, Chu Yunsheng was sprawled on the sofa. Noticing Ye Wenjin’s gaze, she waved a hand weakly. “I lasted quite a while, but now I’m completely drained. Wenjin, though your stamina is seriously impressive. How did you manage to play for so long?”

Hearing this, Ye Wenjin replied with a hint of excitement, “Because it was really fun! We even saw an orca, and I got to touch it!”

The others looked at her in astonishment.

Chu Yunsheng slowly blinked. “…What? You encountered an orca? And touched it?!” Her voice was full of disbelief, her eyes wide.

Ye Wenjin nodded. “It’s true! It was huge and so adorable. It even caught a stingray to play with us.”

Chu Yunsheng: “…”

She flopped back onto the sofa, her gaze vacant. “See, this is why you can’t compare people. How can someone be this lucky? All I saw were some ordinary little fish and shrimp. I wanna play with an orca too, dammit!”

Ye Wenjin thought for a moment before suggesting, “Then how about we plan a trip to the beach sometime? I remember hearing about a coastline where orcas are occasionally spotted.”

Chu Yunsheng immediately sat back up. “That’s an excellent idea! It’s been ages since I last went surfing. We could do that, and Wenjin, you could even give it a try!”

Ye Wenjin hesitated. “But… I don’t know how to swim.”

Chu Yunsheng smirked, her gaze flickering between Ye Wenjin and Jian Mo. “What’s the big deal? It’s not like you’ll lack someone to teach you, right?”

Ye Wenjin instinctively glanced at Jian Mo.

Jian Mo’s lips curved slightly. “Xiao Jin, do you want to learn how to swim?”

After a brief consideration, Ye Wenjin nodded honestly. “I am a little interested.”

Jian Mo’s smile deepened. “Of course. I’ll teach you.”

And so, the surfing trip was officially added to their plans.

Chu Yunsheng was beyond excited, already imagining herself riding the waves.

Of course, it’d be even better if they could spot an orca near the shore. Without comparison, there’d be no envy, she was just too eager to interact with the adorable creatures.

The Rong sisters, Yunshu and Yunjuan, had no objections either. They knew how to surf, though it had been a while, and the idea reignited their interest.

Zhou Wuhua pressed her lips together but said nothing.

Dinner was served on the boat, with the restaurant set up on the deck. The surroundings were warmly decorated, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere perfect for enjoying the nighttime ocean view up close.

Jian Mo opened a bottle of red wine, and no one refused. Since they were on vacation, they were all willing to indulge a little. Even Zhou Wuhua’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Ye Wenjin naturally drank as well, though not too much Jian Mo wouldn’t allow it.

Fully aware of her own alcohol tolerance, Ye Wenjin reluctantly gave up on the idea of another glass, though a trace of regret lingered in her eyes.

The atmosphere was rare and wonderful her loved one by her side, her closest friends around her. Ye Wenjin was genuinely happy.

In the past, she would never have dared to imagine a scene like this.

That’s why this moment feels so precious.

Listening to everyone chatting away, Ye Wenjin rested her chin in her hand and gazed into the distance.

Above them was a sky full of stars, below stretched the endless sea, and the sound of waves occasionally reached their ears. As the breeze brushed past, Ye Wenjin suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of comfort.

So this was what it felt like to be on vacation.

By the time dinner ended, everyone was slightly tipsy. Perhaps it was the pleasant atmosphere or the relaxed feeling brought on by the mild intoxication, but they all quieted down, silently savoring the moment of tranquility.

However, the tipsy ambiance unconsciously amplified thoughts one usually wouldn’t dare entertain.

So when Ye Wenjin inadvertently turned her head and saw Zhou Wuhua staring intently at Chu Yunsheng with affection in her eyes, she couldn’t help but freeze for a moment.

She thought she might have imagined it and hesitated to look away, only to suddenly lock eyes with Rong Yunshu, who had also glanced over. But there was no surprise in Rong Yunshu’s gaze, it was clear she had known all along.

Ye Wenjin blinked, unconsciously widening her eyes as she stared back at Rong Yunshu.

Rong Yunshu paused, then slowly averted her gaze.

Ye Wenjin’s eyes narrowed slightly, and when she saw Rong Yunshu touch her nose, she immediately understood, she really had known all along!

But how? There hadn’t been the slightest hint! She truly hadn’t noticed at all!

Ye Wenjin was genuinely shocked. She even carefully combed through her memories, but in all her recollections of Chu Yunsheng and Zhou Wuhua, she hadn’t noticed anything unusual. So…

Was she the only one who hadn’t noticed? No way, right?

Ye Wenjin began to doubt herself. Was she really that oblivious? So oblivious that she hadn’t noticed anything even though they shared a dorm room?

Lost in thought, Ye Wenjin didn’t realize Rong Yunshu could read her mind with just one glance. Rong Yunshu sighed inwardly.

If Ye Wenjin asked, she would tell her very clearly:

Yes, you really are that oblivious so oblivious that you don’t even notice when someone likes you.

But…

Rong Yunshu also understood that perhaps Ye Wenjin wasn’t truly oblivious. Maybe she was only perceptive when it came to certain people.

And she just wasn’t one of those people.

Perhaps Ye Wenjin herself hadn’t even noticed… the way she looked at Jian Mo was completely different.

The evening’s leisurely time passed quickly. By the time they decided to head back to the villa, it was almost 11 p.m.

Though they had only spent the afternoon out, the exhaustion was no less intense. In fact, once they stopped moving, the accumulated fatigue seeped from their bones, leaving them too tired to even lift a finger.

So when they reached the villa, they exchanged brief goodnights before retreating to their respective rooms.

Finally back in her room, Ye Wenjin relaxed completely. All she wanted to do was lie down, but she hadn’t showered yet.

Suppressing the urge to collapse onto the bed, she turned to Jian Mo. “Sister, you go first.”

Jian Mo had done most of the work that afternoon, and Ye Wenjin felt she must be even more exhausted than herself. The sooner she showered, the sooner she could rest.

Jian Mo didn’t refuse. She grabbed her nightgown and headed to the bathroom.

Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom. Ye Wenjin had intended to sit on the sofa, but for some reason, she suddenly caught a faint scent of winter plum in the air.

The fragrance was subtle, but Ye Wenjin recognized it instantly.

Worried, she walked to the bathroom door. “Sister? Are you okay? I think I smell your pheromones.”

The sound of running water in the bathroom didn’t stop for a long time. After waiting for quite a while, Ye Wenjin finally heard Jian Mo’s voice from inside.

“I’m fine, just some instability with my pheromones.”

Ye Wenjin frowned slightly, trying to recall. The pheromone regulation had been done just yesterday, it shouldn’t be acting up again. Could it be that her sister’s condition had developed some unknown changes?

Unable to shake her unease, Ye Wenjin stood guard outside the bathroom door, her expression tense.

So, when Jian Mo finally opened the door, the first thing she saw was the worry in Ye Wenjin’s eyes.

Along with the steam from the shower came the faint scent of Jian Mo’s pheromones leaking out.

Though still subtle, the fact that her pheromones were escaping at all was proof that something was wrong.

Ye Wenjin stared at her anxiously. “Are you really, okay? Should we do another regulation session?”

Jian Mo thought for a moment. “Xiao Jin, before we go out tomorrow, give me a temporary mark first.”

Ye Wenjin blinked, then quickly nodded in agreement.

Jian Mo smiled. “Alright, go take your shower. Aren’t you exhausted?”

Only after repeatedly confirming that Jian Mo was fine did Ye Wenjin finally relax, grabbing her clothes and heading into the bathroom.

Breathing in the faint, cold plum fragrance lingering on Jian Mo, Ye Wenjin felt none of her usual impulsiveness, only concern.

That night, they did nothing more than hold each other as they slept.

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