Seduced By My Omega Stepsister - Chapter 7

“I don’t want to.”

Fu Zhou’s expression slowly froze, and then those jet-black, sparkling puppy eyes looked over in confusion.

“We’re only a few months apart in age. Why should I call you ‘Sister’? Are you trying to take advantage of me?” Fu Zhou blinked slowly, her gaze shifting away from the noodles Chu Xiyu had only taken one bite of.

“Didn’t I tell you? I was brought here by your father. You should call me ‘Sister’.” Chu Xiyu had been brought home by Fu Li.

Lately, neither Fu Li nor Chu Wen had been home. Fu Zhou had never dared to think too deeply about this situation, but now, the bloody reality was laid bare.

Chu Xiyu wasn’t a friend or a classmate, she was an elder sister. She was the daughter of the woman her father had fallen in love with again, living here in the capacity of the household’s other child.

Fu Zhou pursed her lips slightly. For the first time when facing Chu Xiyu, her gaze flickered before slowly landing on a corner of the living room.

Then, she stood up, went to the water dispenser to pour a cup for both herself and Chu Xiyu, her lips still curling into that non-gloomy smile: “Alright, Sister. Could you please finish the noodles I cooked for you? I spent a long time preparing them.”

“Please.” She took Chu Xiyu’s hand, shaking it gently.

She thought to herself that she needed to learn how to cook properly.

Fu Li was rarely home, but now she wouldn’t be alone anymore. Chu Xiyu was here; they could eat together.

In the end, Chu Xiyu finished that bowl of not so tasty noodles. Looking at Fu Zhou’s bright eyes, the words at the tip of her tongue circled back and softened.

“I’ll do the dishes.” Only the front half of the living room light was on. Fu Zhou gave a low hum of affirmation, and the girl still wearing her blue and white school uniform rose gracefully, her silhouette drifting further away in the halo of light.

Suddenly, the sensor light outside the door flickered on. The gaze Fu Zhou had used to follow Chu Xiyu’s back snapped toward the door like a startled vine. Just as Chu Xiyu turned her head, her eyes met the figure outside.

Through the thick window, Fu Zhou locked eyes with the woman she hadn’t seen in many days, the woman she had tried to forget, the one Fu Li had brought home.

“Mom.” Behind her, Chu Xiyu put down the dishes and ran over, bringing a gust of dry, warm air with her.

Looking at the two similar figures at the door, Fu Zhou’s arms hung limply at her sides.

She had almost forgotten.

Chu Xiyu wouldn’t be alone, because Chu Wen was there. She was a child with a mother. Fu Li and herself were the strangers to Chu Xiyu.

“This must be Xiao Zhou?” Chu Wen’s gentle gaze skipped over Chu Xiyu and landed on Fu Zhou.

The Alpha, who had looked indifferent under the cold light just moments ago, suddenly appeared restless.

She quickly stole a glance at Chu Wen, her eyes darting around, using her peripheral vision to carefully and intently observe this woman who had suddenly intruded.

“Your father is away on business; I’ll be taking care of you both for these few days.” Chu Wen hung her coat by the door, carrying two large bags of groceries.

“Traffic was bad today, so I’m back a bit late. What did you girls have for dinner?” As she spoke, she began filling the fridge which had previously held only instant food with the fresh supplies.

“Fu Zhou cooked noodles for me,” Chu Xiyu said, walking over to stand behind the woman, helping her put away the remaining items.

“Oh? Xiao Yu, you’re the older sister, why did you let Xiao Zhou cook?”

“Auntie Chu, it’s because… Sister came back late from tutoring.” Hearing Chu Wen’s slight tone of reproach, the person who had remained silent finally looked up, her gaze serious as she spoke each word clearly.

“Is that so? Then I misunderstood. Xiao Yu, Mom apologizes to you.” Chu Wen paused, she truly hadn’t expected Fu Zhou to speak up for Chu Xiyu.

Chu Xiyu shook her head and looked at the youth standing under the cold light with downcast eyes.

Fu Zhou was still wearing her school jacket, her right sleeve rolled up to reveal a pale forearm. Her long, thick lashes drooped, masking the expression in her eyes.

There was a sense of coldness about her that felt entirely out of place with her usual cheerful demeanor.

Chu Wen noticed it too. With a maternal, caring gesture, she approached Fu Zhou, her hand reaching toward her jacket: “Why are you still wearing your jacket when it’s so hot?”

The moment her fingers brushed the fabric, the youth who had been looking down suddenly snapped her eyes up and dodged away.

“Auntie Chu, I’m going to shower and sleep. You should rest early too.”

The fingers that had been extended in mid-air froze for a second before being withdrawn.

“Alright.”

On the desk in her room, completed homework lay spread out. Beside the books, her phone flashed repeatedly. Only after a long while did Fu Zhou lazily open it.

Zhou Zhou (Zhou Heyu): Daily check-in: Is Miss Zhang coming back to school tomorrow?

(Zhang Meng): Maybe.

Zhou Zhou (Zhou Heyu): Yo, is your face finally better?

(Zhang Meng): Yeah.

No one called her out specifically. Fu Zhou reached out to type a reply, but just then, a knock sounded at her door. She looked up instinctively, flipping her phone face-down without thinking. “Come in.”

The movement outside paused for a beat. Then, the door opened to reveal half the shadow of a girl in white pajamas, her hair still damp and steaming.

Along with her, the faint, flickering scent of roses drifted into the room. The back of Fu Zhou’s neck, previously quiet, began to throb inexplicably. She leaned back instinctively.

The girl stood at the door watching her for a moment, then the rose scent drew closer until it was mere inches away. Fu Zhou snapped into alertness as warm breath hit her face.

Chu Xiyu lightly touched the bridge of Fu Zhou’s nose with her own, a hint of suspicion in her pale eyes. “Why are you so hot? Fu Zhou, do you have a fever?”

Fu Zhou subconsciously held her breath, trying to stop inhaling the thick rose fragrance.

But that scent seemed to penetrate every pore of her skin, flowing through her blood and settling on that patch of soft flesh at the back of her neck.

Fu Zhou looked up, staring directly into Chu Xiyu’s eyes. Her black puppy eyes were tinged with a reddish hue, as if she were being bullied.

Fu Zhou thought to herself: she really should have paid attention during the ABO physiology classes.

The tip of her tongue pressed against her two itchy canine teeth as she exhaled a puff of scorching air.

“Chu Xiyu,” Fu Zhou called the girl’s name. “Don’t get so close to me. I feel a bit… uncomfortable.” She leaned back awkwardly.

The girl in front of her froze slightly, seemingly surprised that she would say it so bluntly. Then, she retreated to a proper, neutral distance.

“Where does it hurt?” Chu Xiyu’s eyes held the concern of an elder sister.

“My teeth itch.” Fu Zhou’s voice was muffled. She wanted to bite something, but her teeth hadn’t fully grown in yet, they were still flat. Even if she wanted to bite, she couldn’t bite Chu Xiyu.

Chu Xiyu went silent.

“Why did you come to find me?” Within a safe distance, Fu Zhou felt much more at ease. She opened a drawer, grabbed a can of Coke, and handed it to Chu Xiyu before opening one for herself.

“The doctor said Alphas and Omegas in the pre- and post-differentiation stages shouldn’t have cold things. Drink it at room temperature first.” After saying that, she tilted her head back and took a large gulp, her eyes crinkling happily afterward.

Even more like a puppy.

Yet, strangely, the tiny amount of Alpha pheromones in the air didn’t smell like a puppy, they were more like a sweet, light green plum wine, intoxicating.

“Do you actually listen to doctors?” Chu Xiyu’s eyes curved. Fu Zhou didn’t seem like the type to follow rules. “I just wanted to spend some time with you.”

As she spoke, Chu Xiyu’s gentle, clear eyes reflected Fu Zhou’s reddened earlobes, but Chu Wen’s words echoed repeatedly in her ears:

“I’m getting older, and there’s a gap between me and you young people. We are living under someone else’s roof. You must get along with Xiao Zhou. Even though your Uncle Fu has accepted us, I can tell he feels guilty toward Xiao Zhou. Once you turn nineteen…”

“Fine, Mom. I get it.”

The words were phrased subtly, but inside and out, it was an instruction to please Fu Zhou. Why not just say it directly instead of being so high-minded?

Chu Xiyu’s lips were still upturned in a smile, but her eyes were cold.

The young Alpha before her didn’t even dare look her in the eye, thus missing the blizzard hidden within them once again.

“Chu Xiyu, I’ll wait for you after school every day from now on. Can you… maybe mark my name down a few less times at school?” Fu Zhou’s puppy eyes were bright, reflecting only Chu Xiyu’s silhouette.

Chu Xiyu nodded.

She had joined the student union ultimately just to get to know a few more teachers and classmates.

In this new environment, after a year, most people already had their own cliques and friends. It was hard for her to break in, so it was better to start from the outside at least to familiarize herself with the school quickly.

Even the tutoring sessions were something she had deliberately orchestrated, working and studying outside the teacher’s office during her lunch breaks to get noticed.

It wasn’t exactly “noble,” but it was useful to her.

If she was going to be friends with Fu Zhou, she didn’t plan on policing Fu Zhou’s behavior at school anymore.

After all, an Alpha with a family safety net wouldn’t face much trouble even if they dropped out now. As long as Fu Zhou wanted something, there were no limits.

“Thank you,” Chu Xiyu smiled gently.

As she turned around, the smile in her eyes vanished, leaving only a shallow, cold base.

But the scent of wine behind her lingered in the air.

“Chu Xiyu,” Fu Zhou called out to her.

“If I mean, if my dad or Auntie Chu tells you to ‘take care’ of me more, just ignore them.” Fu Zhou’s fingers rested lightly on the chair as she carefully recalled the stresses a child in a blended family might face, based on things she’d read online.

Chu Xiyu’s back stiffened. She didn’t turn around: “But I am older than you.”

And yet, she was the one who had moved into Fu Zhou’s house, she was the guest.

“We’re the same age, you’re only a few months older. Besides, you and Auntie Chu are strangers to me, and Fu Li and I are strangers to you.”

“We’re all starting fresh. No one owes anyone anything. Chu Xiyu, I don’t want you to ‘take care’ of me.”

She also didn’t want…

Didn’t want to call Chu Xiyu “Sister.”

She couldn’t figure out why, but she felt that anything was okay, except for being relatives.