After Mistaking My Stepsister’s First Love - Chapter 90

Jian Mo was momentarily stunned, unsure of what to say.

Yet her silence only made Ye Wenjin angrier.

When people get angry, their rationality tends to diminish, which is why many couples end up hurting each other during arguments.

But Ye Wenjin couldn’t bring herself to say anything harsh. Even as Jian Mo remained silent and unresponsive, she still couldn’t bear to.

So when she realized there seemed to be no way to get through to Jian Mo, Ye Wenjin suddenly felt deflated.

She didn’t know what to do to make Jian Mo understand that, in her heart, nothing mattered more than Jian Mo’s safety everything else paled in comparison.

Yet at the same time, Ye Wenjin was afraid. Afraid that perhaps she didn’t hold as much weight in Jian Mo’s heart as she hoped.

As a result, all the words she wanted to say got stuck in her throat, choking her with an unbearable ache she couldn’t voice.

She lowered her gaze, not wanting Jian Mo to see.

By the time Jian Mo finally snapped out of her daze and noticed Ye Wenjin’s unusual expression, she sighed inwardly. She first called for Butler Wu, whispering a few words to her, then stepped forward to take Ye Wenjin’s hand and led her away.

The car door clicked shut, enclosing the two of them in the quiet cabin. But Ye Wenjin remained silent, her eyes downcast.

She truly didn’t know what to say, so she sat there awkwardly, lost for words.

Having spent so much time together, Ye Wenjin had always seen Jian Mo as someone with impeccable judgment.

But she never imagined that someone who seemed so composed could act so recklessly.

Perhaps what happened today was just a minor mishap in Jian Mo’s eyes, which was why her reaction had been so indifferent from start to finish.

But for Ye Wenjin, it was different. The moment she heard Jian Mo was in trouble, she had felt utter despair.

Her mind went blank, her body turned cold, and for a second, it felt like the sky was collapsing.

Ye Wenjin didn’t know how to describe what she had felt in that moment. She only knew that if something had really happened to Jian Mo, she might not have been able to go on living either.

But would her worry and feelings seem like an overreaction in Jian Mo’s eyes?

Never before had Ye Wenjin been so acutely aware of the gap between her and Jian Mo’s perspectives. That was why she was at a loss for words, even if she wanted to speak, she didn’t know what to say.

“Ah Jin, are you angry?”

Jian Mo’s sudden voice startled Ye Wenjin out of her thoughts, but hearing her speak, she relaxed slightly.

Slowly, Ye Wenjin lifted her gaze to meet Jian Mo’s, hesitation flickering in her eyes as she remained silent.

Jian Mo didn’t press her. Instead, she simply watched her with gentle, patient eyes, encouraging her to speak.

Under that gaze, Ye Wenjin sighed, lowering her head slightly as she murmured, “Sister, I… I just don’t know how to say it. I’m afraid my worry might feel like a burden to you, and that my anger might seem like an overreaction in your eyes.

We think differently, and we act differently. What might be a small matter to you isn’t small to me at all.”

As she spoke, her words gradually became more fluent. “I thought when you said ‘measured,’ it meant you wouldn’t put yourself in dangerous situations. But when I heard about your car accident and rushed to the scene only to find you had been taken away, I was overwhelmed by a crushing sense of helplessness. I’ve never felt so useless in my life.”

“I even thought, if something happened to you, I wouldn’t be able to go on living either.

The one left behind suffers the most. I don’t want to live in that kind of pain, so it would be better to go with you.

That was the most honest thought buried in my heart when I learned something had happened to you.”

Ye Wenjin took another deep breath and murmured, “I don’t want to use myself to manipulate you, Sister. But I realized that without this method, I have no way to stop you from casually throwing yourself into danger.

So, Sister, whether I can live safely in the future depends on you.”

She had finally said everything she wanted to say.

Ye Wenjin knew her current approach was essentially blackmailing Jian Mo, but the only leverage she had was herself. She hoped Jian Mo would understand that her survival was the most important thing to her.

She could comprehend the revenge Jian Mo sought, but she couldn’t stand by and watch her use herself as a tool to achieve it.

Ye Wenjin had nothing except for Jian Mo.

So she herself was the greatest bargaining chip.

If she wasn’t that important to Jian Mo…

Then Ye Wenjin would accept her fate.

When a warm embrace enveloped her, Ye Wenjin was still dazed.

It took her a while to realize Jian Mo was holding her.

Her stiff body slowly relaxed, and Ye Wenjin let herself lean into the crook of Jian Mo’s neck, breathing in her scent and feeling her warmth.

All of it told her that the Jian Mo before her was alive.

The restless turmoil in her heart since the incident gradually settled, the chaotic thoughts in her mind fading away. The noise around her seemed to vanish in an instant.

Only the sound of Jian Mo’s heartbeat remained, steady and strong, echoing clearly in her ears.

Ye Wenjin quieted down, and Jian Mo stayed silent.

After a long pause, Ye Wenjin’s muffled voice finally emerged, “Sister, promise me, don’t make me worry like this again, okay?”

Her anger had built up for so long, but it was extinguished by a simple hug from Jian Mo. It seemed that no matter what, she could never stay cold toward her.

Jian Mo lowered her head and pressed a soft kiss to Ye Wenjin’s cheek.

“I know I was wrong, Ah Jin.”

Jian Mo nuzzled her face gently, her voice quiet and low. “Before, I was alone. The only way to achieve my goals was to risk everything. Unconsciously, that behavior became ingrained in me.

I’m not making excuses, it’s just that this habit isn’t something I can change overnight. So what seemed like just a possible risk to me, something that might cause injury but wouldn’t endanger my life while still achieving my goal…”

“Ah Jin, I’m sorry. It seems I overlooked how you’d feel.”

Listening to her self-reflection, Ye Wenjin’s heart ached with a dull pain.

She knew Jian Mo’s journey hadn’t been easy, but she’d never fully grasped it until now. Only then did she realize that Jian Mo had relied solely on sheer determination, treating even herself as a bargaining chip, to secure victory time and again.

Ye Wenjin couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt as she reflected on the words she had spoken earlier.

“Sister, I…”

Jian Mo gently patted her head. “I know Ah Jin was just worried about me, afraid I might be in danger, so there’s no need to apologize. This time, it was indeed my fault for making you worry so much. I promise you, it won’t happen again.”

To be honest, when Jian Mo saw how angry Ye Wenjin had been, the first emotion that surged within her was complicated.

It had been a long time since she had felt such genuine concern.

If her mother, Shen Xiyun, were still here, she would have scolded her harshly for disregarding her own safety.

But Shen Xiyun was gone, so no matter what reckless actions she took, she wouldn’t receive that kind of reprimand anymore.

Though Housekeeper Wu had watched her grow up, he wasn’t family. Due to their differing statuses, he wouldn’t speak harshly to her, at most offering gentle admonishments.

But now, things were different. She had Ye Wenjin, who would get angry when she used her own safety as bait, who would scold her, who truly cared about her.

At no other moment had she realized so clearly that she must never act this way again.

She wanted to spend her entire life with Ye Wenjin not just a few short days or months so safety was of utmost importance.

If she were to leave her Ah Jin alone, what would happen then?

Jian Mo didn’t care about her own well-being, but she couldn’t bear the thought of Ye Wenjin dying with her.

So they had to live together, grow old together, still supporting each other as they strolled, shopped, traveled, and experienced everything they hadn’t yet tried.

Only then would this life be truly worthwhile.

When Ye Wenjin heard Jian Mo’s words, she couldn’t hold back her tears, and they spilled over.

Jian Mo froze when she felt the warmth against her neck.

“Why are you crying? Is Ah Jin still angry?”

Jian Mo, who hadn’t known what it meant to panic in a long time, finally felt flustered at the dampness on her neck.

Ye Wenjin sniffled but didn’t forget to confirm, “You really won’t lie to me anymore? This time, is Sister serious?”

Jian Mo paused, both amused and exasperated. So, Ah Jin didn’t trust her.

She didn’t feel indignant, though. After all, she had broken her word before, so it was understandable that Ye Wenjin doubted her now.

With that thought, Jian Mo gently stroked Ye Wenjin’s head and solemnly made her promise. “Of course. Can Ah Jin believe me one more time?”

Ye Wenjin lifted her head slightly to look at Jian Mo, meeting her gaze directly.

After a few seconds of silence, Ye Wenjin leaned back against Jian Mo’s neck and softly murmured, “Mhm.”

“I’m willing to believe Sister.”

She knew full well that Jian Mo’s personality was shaped by her past experiences. Ye Wenjin wasn’t sure if she could change Jian Mo, but she was willing to try because Jian Mo had asked her to trust her one more time.

She thought this was Jian Mo giving herself time to change.

Being together meant mutual understanding. Jian Mo tolerated her immaturity, and she, in turn, had to accept the flaws in Jian Mo’s character.

Only then could they last. So Ye Wenjin agreed.

Once everything was out in the open, Ye Wenjin finally calmed down. Then she remembered the matter of Jian Li and suddenly sat up, her expression urgent as she asked, “By the way, Sister, why didn’t your mother show up this time?”

Ye Wenjin had always assumed Jian Mo’s target was Jian Li and Yin Yu. Unexpectedly, neither Jian Li nor Yin Yu appeared instead, a stranger got involved.

Jian Mo’s expression gradually turned cold. “There’s been an unexpected development. I suspect she and Yin Yu are trying to use this opportunity to flee abroad.”

Ye Wenjin was startled, but upon reflection, it wasn’t impossible.

“Then who is this person?”

Jian Mo briefly explained the relationships between them.

After listening, Ye Wenjin fell into thought, feeling that the likelihood of those two attempting to escape was even higher.

Weighing the options, fleeing clearly offered a better cost-benefit ratio.

The woman who had kidnapped Jian Mo was merely a pawn they had pushed forward to divert attention, while they could slip away with Yin Yu at this very moment.

Once they reached foreign soil, they could easily rebuild their power.

Moreover, laws abroad were more lenient, what was illegal here might be perfectly legal there.

But if those two truly escaped overseas, it would be like releasing a tiger back into the wild.

Ye Wenjin couldn’t shake off her unease, convinced that letting them go would bring endless trouble.

She wanted to say they couldn’t let this opportunity slip, but seeing Jian Mo’s calm demeanor, her urgency eased slightly.

Jian Mo couldn’t have overlooked this. Her expression made it clear, she surely had a backup plan.

And of course, Jian Mo did.

The moment she realized the woman was just a decoy, she had already seized the opportunity. As soon as she was rescued, she had Butler Wu relay the message to have people monitor the airports and docks.

If Jian Li wanted to leave, the fastest way would be by plane, followed by a ship.

But clearly, a plane was quicker, she would most likely choose to fly.

After all, Jian Mo knew Jian Li well. Someone so obsessed with appearances wouldn’t allow herself to flee in disgrace.

Now, all she had to do was wait.

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