After Mistaking My Stepsister’s First Love - Chapter 75

Getting to the bottom of this matter took quite some effort. After all, Jian Mo hadn’t initially set out to investigate it. If it weren’t for the fact that the three members of the Yin family were connected to Ye Wenjin and had repeatedly targeted her, Jian Mo wouldn’t have thought to dig into their backgrounds.

This was just a precaution—she was accustomed to controlling the unknown. Sometimes, the smallest piece of information could change everything.

However, once she finished her investigation, Jian Mo realized something was off.

While reviewing Yin Yu’s records, she stumbled upon some unexpected details.

One name in particular stood out to her, and it didn’t take long for Jian Mo to recall where she’d heard it before.

It was something that had happened when she first rose to power. After consolidating control of the company, she had purged a group of employees—those who occupied positions without contributing, relying solely on seniority to coast by.

Among them was this person, whose name had stuck in Jian Mo’s memory precisely because it was so distinctive.

Yet, she never expected to find this same name in Yin Yu’s records. After being fired by Jian Mo, the person had gone to work for Yin Yu’s company, only to be dismissed again recently for making mistakes.

If that were all, it wouldn’t have raised any red flags. What made it interesting was that the two had financial transactions between them, accumulating a substantial sum over the years.

Acting on instinct, Jian Mo followed the trail and discovered that Yin Yu wasn’t as simple as she seemed.

Jian Mo couldn’t quite describe how she felt when she uncovered the full picture.

All these years, her hatred for Jian Li—stemming from what he had done to her mother—had consumed her, blinding her to other issues. Even after so much time had passed, that resentment hadn’t faded in the slightest. If anything, it had only grown deeper.

In the early days of her career, Jian Mo would often hear Jian Li’s name—whether from the company or business partners, someone would always bring him up. Every time she heard it, she’d feel sick to her stomach.

She knew exactly why they mentioned him in front of her—it was a clumsy attempt to intimidate her.

But Jian Mo had remarkable patience. She understood one principle well: when you’re not yet strong enough, you can’t afford to take anything to heart. So she bided her time.

Now, no one dared to say anything unpleasant in her presence, and it had been a long time since she’d last heard Jian Li’s name.

After being with Ye Wenjin, Jian Mo had felt a sense of stability settle in her heart.

But when she realized Yin Yu was also involved in this matter, Jian Mo finally understood—the fury inside her had never truly extinguished.

So the moment she learned the truth, a plan for revenge against Yin Yu took shape in her mind almost instantly.

Jian Mo never denied her vengeful nature, nor did she shy away from ruthless methods. In fact, her plan even involved using Ye Wenjin.

But she would never harm her.

First, the Yin family had harassed Ye Wenjin multiple times, and Jian Mo wanted to free her from them completely. Second… she wanted to set a trap for Yin Yu.

And she knew exactly what kind of person Yin Yu was—well enough to be certain she wouldn’t pass up this opportunity.

Sure enough, just as Jian Mo had predicted, Yin Yu intervened in what was supposed to be compensation for Ye Shuao, proposing to exchange it for a project—one of the most promising ventures under her control.

As for why Yin Yu knew, Jian Mo wasn’t surprised at all. After all, she had worked for Jian Li for so long—it was only natural she had such connections.

Most importantly, Yin Yu had indeed taken the bait.

After all, she was the classic example of someone who, in her greed, tried to swallow an elephant whole.

The project was indeed full of potential for Jian Mo, but for Yin Yu, it was a bottomless pit. She lacked the funds to sustain it, and the further it progressed, the greater the investment required.

Yet, for Yin Yu at this moment, this was the best opportunity she believed she had.

Why? Because she was currently in an awkward position.

Had she followed through with the arranged marriage to the Lin family, the merging of their resources might have given her a chance to recover.

But Yin Yu had abandoned the Lin family without hesitation, even treating them the way she did. Naturally, there was no chance of cooperation between them now.

Due to her earlier miscalculations, her company was now desperate for an opportunity—one that drove Yin Yu to grasp at it recklessly.

So Jian Mo created just such an opportunity for her, and Yin Yu, as expected, didn’t disappoint—she jumped right into the trap.

Of course, Yin Yu wasn’t stupid. She knew she couldn’t handle such a massive project alone, so she had been seeking partners.

But for someone of her standing, well-funded conglomerates naturally had no interest in collaborating with her. After all, they had better options—why bother with Yin Yu?

That was when she needed someone with ample capital, someone Yin Yu had gone to great lengths to connect with.

And that person was Tong Yan.

As for why Tong Yan would help? Naturally, Jian Mo had promised her benefits.

Even if the Tong family had competing projects with her, weren’t there no permanent enemies in business?

Their cooperation posed no conflict for Tong Yan. In fact, Jian Mo had even promised that once the matter was settled, the project would be entirely at Tong Yan’s disposal. Naturally, Tong Yan had no reason to refuse.

And so, Yin Yu stepped right into this elaborate trap without hesitation.

She was no longer young, and with a desperate longing clouding her judgment, even if she sensed something was wrong, her desire drove her forward relentlessly.

After all, she had poured all her funds into this project. If she couldn’t continue, she would lose everything she had invested.

Jian Mo had seized on this very psychology, luring her step by step into the abyss.

Just a day ago, Tong Yan had updated her on the progress. Now, Yin Yu couldn’t reach her, the project was in urgent need of funds, and she had begun frantically applying for bank loans. But with no loans coming through, she was on the verge of losing her mind.

Jian Mo felt an extraordinary sense of satisfaction.

What she hadn’t expected was Yin Feifei’s visit. Initially, she had wanted to hear what she had to say, but Yin Feifei’s purpose turned out to be laughable.

She actually thought she could rely on her relationship with Jian Li to persuade Jian Mo to spare the Yin family.

Should she call Yin Feifei naive or just plain stupid?

“I think you’ve misunderstood something. Dealing with your family has nothing to do with A-Jin from start to finish. Perhaps you should ask Yin Yu what she’s done instead of assuming you’ve found a connection and coming to beg me for mercy.”

Jian Mo’s gaze was imperious. Though seated, her demeanor was nothing short of condescending.

She curled her lips into a malicious smile. “After all, seeking me out will only make you die faster. How pathetic.”

Yin Feifei was instantly driven to the brink of madness, her eyes reddening with rage as she screamed hysterically, seemingly on the verge of violence.

Ye Wenjin’s mind was still in a daze, but seeing the situation, she couldn’t spare a thought for Jian Mo’s uncharacteristic demeanor. In her heart, Jian Mo’s safety was still the priority, so without hesitation, she rushed forward, shielding Jian Mo behind her and glaring warily at Yin Feifei.

“What do you think you’re doing? I’m warning you, Yin Feifei, this isn’t a place for you to act out.”

The interruption from Ye Wenjin helped Yin Feifei regain some composure. She knew she wouldn’t gain anything from this confrontation, but she wasn’t willing to leave just like that. With a mocking laugh, she sneered, “Ye Wenjin, you must be so proud. But do you know what kind of person your beloved really is? She’d never dare show you her true self, would she? How does it feel to be deceived?”

In truth, wasn’t she herself someone who had been fooled by Jian Mo’s facade?

After saying this, Yin Feifei didn’t wait for Ye Wenjin’s response. She turned and stormed out of the wretched place.

Only when Yin Feifei’s figure had completely disappeared did Ye Wenjin finally let out a small sigh of relief.

But when Jian Mo’s voice suddenly spoke up, Ye Wenjin couldn’t suppress a shudder.

Unbeknownst to her, the moment she had appeared, Jian Mo had also been stunned, taking a long moment to react before asking in a hoarse voice, “A-Jin… why are you here?”

When Ye Wenjin heard her voice, she froze, unsure how to respond, rooted to the spot and afraid to turn around.

Her mind was in complete chaos, utterly at a loss for how to face Jian Mo.

All this time, Jian Mo had always been the gentle, understanding older sister figure in her eyes—someone who took care of her whenever they were together.

Ye Wenjin loved that feeling, believing Jian Mo to be the kindest sister in the world.

That image had been so deeply ingrained in her heart that now, suddenly confronted with the realization that Jian Mo was nothing like what she had imagined, Ye Wenjin didn’t know how to react.

Her mind went blank, and her body instinctively wanted to flee from this unbearable situation.

But in truth, she just wanted to leave, to calm herself down first before having a proper talk with Jian Mo.

Yet just as she was about to walk away, Jian Mo suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her from behind.

The embrace was so tight it was almost suffocating, making Ye Wenjin’s breath hitch.

“Si… sister?”

The person behind her remained silent for a long while before finally speaking in a low, raspy voice, “A-Jin, where are you going? Are you trying to leave me?”

“Did you see? Are you scared now? A-Jin, you’re so naughty. How could you eavesdrop on people’s conversations? Now, what should I do to make you forget what just happened?”

Her voice was soft, almost as if she were talking to herself, but it sent chills down Ye Wenjin’s spine.

Her mind screamed danger, urging her to escape as quickly as possible.

But Jian Mo’s arms were like unyielding chains, locking her in place, rendering her immobile.

Perhaps her trembling had provoked Jian Mo, because Ye Wenjin felt the arms around her tighten even further, as if trying to meld her into Jian Mo’s very body.

Ye Wenjin’s face twisted in pain as she couldn’t suppress a soft moan.

Jian Mo’s hands froze mid-action, instinctively loosening their grip.

“Ah Jin…” she murmured.

Truth be told, Ye Wenjin had been frightened moments ago. She’d never seen Jian Mo like that—the unfamiliarity had chilled her to the core, making her desperate to escape anywhere just to think clearly and calm down.

Yet through it all, leaving Jian Mo had never crossed her mind.

The sharp pain from Jian Mo’s grip had actually cleared her thoughts somewhat. Now she realized Jian Mo hiding aspects of herself wasn’t actually such a terrible thing upon reflection.

After all, everyone has their secrets—a simple truth.

Previously, Jian Mo had seemed almost perfect in her eyes, so flawless that Ye Wenjin sometimes wondered if her current life was just a beautiful dream.

A dream that would shatter, returning her to being the invisible member of the Yin family, likely forced into an arranged marriage by Yin Yu and Ye Shuyao for their benefit.

But now, with this crack in Jian Mo’s perfection, Ye Wenjin felt she’d drawn closer to the real person beneath. Strangely, it grounded her, making everything feel more solid beneath her feet.

Perhaps this was good for her.

Yet her instinctive reactions remained beyond control. Needing time to process, she’d tried to leave immediately—only to be trapped in Jian Mo’s unyielding embrace.

Recognizing she’d hurt Ye Wenjin, Jian Mo silently eased her grip but fell into heavy silence.

Ye Wenjin’s mind churned with turmoil, words failing her.

Thus they remained locked in stalemate.

The tense silence stretched until footsteps approached the doorway. The secretary appeared abruptly, “President Jian, the meeting—oh! I’m so sorry!”

Taking in the scene, the secretary didn’t even process what she’d witnessed before hastily apologizing and fleeing, her face burning with mortification.

She’d assumed since that woman had left earlier, the coast was clear.

With the meeting room door open, she’d come to remind Jian Mo about the impending meeting—only to interrupt what appeared to be an intimate moment between the boss and her wife.

Would she get docked pay tomorrow for “entering the office with her left foot first”?

The secretary returned to her desk trembling, unable to calm down for the longest time. Though bursting with gossip, under her colleagues’ curious stares she kept miserably silent, squeezing her eyes shut.

Yet the secretary’s interruption mercifully broke the suffocating atmosphere.

Knowing Jian Mo had responsibilities, Ye Wenjin finally patted her hand after a pause. “Go handle your work. We’ll talk after you finish. I won’t leave—you have my word.”

When Jian Mo still didn’t release her, Ye Wenjin patted more insistently.

After another prolonged standoff, Jian Mo finally relinquished her hold.

Turning, Ye Wenjin now saw Jian Mo’s expression clearly—those fathomless eyes that instinctively made one recoil. Swallowing hard, Ye Wenjin managed, “I… I need time to think. Please? Jiejie…”

Under Ye Wenjin’s pleading gaze, Jian Mo finally nodded.

Just as she was about to leave, Jian Mo turned her head and said, “Ah Jin, I hope I’ll still see you when I come back.”

After speaking, she left, closing the door of the reception room behind her.

Ye Wenjin felt somewhat unsettled by her tone but understood that Jian Mo was simply uneasy. So, she obediently stayed in the reception room without wandering off.

Because she truly needed time to think things through.

Looking back now, there had actually been some clues about Jian Mo hiding things from her. But she had chosen not to dig deeper, unconditionally trusting Jian Mo.

So, in the end, this was her own fault.

As a partner, she hadn’t been all that reliable either…

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