After Accidentally Marking My Stepsister's White Moonlight (GL, ABO) - Chapter 1

The bell rang, signaling the end of the last morning class.

Ye Wenjin wiped the sweat from her forehead, not in a hurry to leave the classroom. Instead, she sat still, waiting for the stifling heat to gradually subside before gulping down half a bottle of water and letting out a long sigh.

“Wenjin, what do you want to eat later?”

Ye Wenjin turned her head—it was Rong Yunshu, her dormmate.

After a brief pause, she replied, “Just something simple. I think I’ve gained a little weight recently, so I need to watch my diet.”

Rong Yunshu sighed helplessly. “You’re not even fat. It’s just a pound or two. You’re too hard on yourself.”

Ye Wenjin shook her head. “The grade performance is coming up soon. I need to start preparing.”

Rong Yunshu smiled faintly. “You’re still as diligent as ever.”

Ye Wenjin chuckled. “Being diligent never hurts.”

After all, she could only rely on herself.

Once they had rested enough, the two finally got up, gathered their things, bundled up, and left the classroom.

Though spring had arrived, the weather was still quite cold, and it was easy to catch a cold if one wasn’t careful.

But today, the temperature had risen slightly, making it a bit warmer than before.

As soon as she stepped outside, Ye Wenjin was momentarily blinded by the sunlight and remarked in surprise, “The sun’s actually out today.”

“You were too focused in class. The sun’s been out for a while now.”

Ye Wenjin froze. “I didn’t notice.”

Rong Yunshu shook her head, hesitating for a moment before saying, “Wenjin… I feel like you’ve been under a lot of pressure lately?”

Ye Wenjin fell silent for a beat, then simply smiled.

She was now a sophomore, and the second half of the year would mark the start of her junior year. As a modern dance performance major, junior year was a critical turning point for everyone. The grade performance at the beginning of the semester would be a crucial factor in internship placements, so she couldn’t afford to slack off. She had to push herself—yes, the pressure was real.

Rong Yunshu sighed softly. “Still, take care of your health.”

Ye Wenjin seemed momentarily dazed but quickly snapped out of it. “I know. Thanks for the reminder, Yunshu.”

Her tone was as polite and distant as ever, even though they were in the same department and shared a dorm.

Rong Yunshu slowed her pace slightly, watching Ye Wenjin’s back from behind.

No matter how exhausted she was, she always carried herself with an upright posture that commanded respect.

And she truly was relentless.

In fact, Rong Yunshu had heard of Ye Wenjin’s name right after enrollment—she was the second-place finisher in the arts entrance exams.

Normally, the top scorer would receive the most attention, but Ye Wenjin had garnered plenty of notice as well.

Because anyone who watched her exam footage would inevitably wonder—why wasn’t she first?

But after learning about the background of the top scorer, everyone swallowed their questions in silence.

Ye Wenjin, however, didn’t seem to care. Unlike others who slacked off after entering university, she worked tirelessly, as if driven by desperation.

Rong Yunshu hadn’t thought much of her at first, but after witnessing her relentless dedication day after day for two years, her gaze had unconsciously been drawn to her.

Perhaps… it was admiration?

She wasn’t entirely sure, but there was definitely some fondness there.

“Yunshu? What are you thinking about?”

Noticing that her companion had inexplicably fallen behind, Ye Wenjin turned and called out to her.

“Let’s hurry. Yunsheng asked me to bring her back a meal. If we’re late, there won’t be any left.”

Rong Yunshu clicked her tongue softly, visibly displeased. “Why doesn’t the young mistress go buy her own meals? Always making you bring them for her?”

Ye Wenjin pressed her lips together in a faint smile. “It’s no trouble at all. Let’s go.”

Rong Yunshu fell silent. She’d long noticed that Ye Wenjin was a pushover—honest to a fault, never saying no to anyone, fitting the beta stereotype perfectly.

Which made it even harder to believe that the radiant star on stage was really her. It was like she had a second personality.

Ye Wenjin was born for the stage.

She just needed the right opportunities.

The cafeteria was packed, a sea of people stretching as far as the eye could see. Ye Wenjin stiffened slightly. “So… so many people…”

Rong Yunshu smirked. “Still not used to it?”

Ye Wenjin averted her gaze. “…Yeah. Probably never will be. Let’s just grab our food and go.”

Steeling herself, she squeezed through the crowd. After finally getting their meals, she sighed in relief and headed back to the dorm with Rong Yunshu.

Just as she was about to pull out her key, the door swung open abruptly. Someone poked their head out, eyes gleaming.

“Wenjin, you’re finally back!”

With a resigned sigh, Ye Wenjin handed over the extra meal. “Yunsheng, if you were hungry, you could’ve gone earlier.”

Chu Yunsheng blinked, unrepentant. “But I didn’t feel like moving. We didn’t have class this morning anyway.”

“Hah. Young mistress indeed.”

Chu Yunsheng whipped her head around. “Rong Yunshu, you’re so annoying! I’m talking to Wenjin—mind your own business!”

Arms crossed, Rong Yunshu sneered, her sarcastic retort instantly spiking Chu Yunsheng’s temper.

Ye Wenjin glanced between them, then slipped past into the room, leaving them to their usual bickering. They’d be fine after a few more jabs.

“Zhou Wuhua? You’re here too? Have you eaten?”

The girl addressed wore glasses. Despite having lived together for two years, she remained reserved. In some ways, she and Ye Wenjin were alike.

Of their four roommates, only she and Zhou Wuhua were betas—Rong Yunshu and Chu Yunsheng were alphas.

Zhou Wuhua nodded. “I have. Thank you.”

Ye Wenjin left it at that, settling at her desk to eat.

Her meal was painfully bland, the kind that would make most people question their life choices after one bite. But Ye Wenjin was used to it.

“Wenjin, this isn’t healthy. You’ll ruin your body. Have a drumstick!”

Chu Yunsheng, having finished her argument with Rong Yunshu, appeared beside her with the meal Ye Wenjin had fetched. She moved to plop a drumstick onto Ye Wenjin’s plate.

Startled, Ye Wenjin waved her off. “No, I’m dieting. My weight needs to stay on target.”

Chu Yunsheng gaped. “…Seriously? You’re already skin and bones!”

Baffled and mildly horrified.

Ye Wenjin smiled helplessly. “That’s how it is for dancers. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Chu Yunsheng eyed her slender frame—so slight a strong breeze might carry her away—and shuddered. She shoved the drumstick into her own mouth, taking a huge bite to steady her nerves.

“Thank god I’m not a dance major. I’d lose my mind.”

Ye Wenjin chuckled softly.

Truthfully, she didn’t find it unbearable. Because she loved it, she held herself to strict standards. To her, dance was everything.

Moreover… her goal was to join Teacher Mei Yan’s dance troupe. It was said that Teacher Mei’s troupe recruited only five dancers each year, all of whom were top-tier performers.

Ye Wenjin didn’t want to miss this opportunity, so she was determined to give it her all.

Seeing the glimmer of light in her eyes, even without fully understanding, Chu Yunsheng could tell that Ye Wenjin truly loved dancing.

A melodious tune interrupted Ye Wenjin’s thoughts. She glanced at her phone and froze.

It was a call from her mother.

Ye Wenjin silently watched the phone ring until it was about to hang up. Only then did she take it to the balcony and answer.

“Mom…”

“Why did it take you so long to answer? What were you doing? If I didn’t call, would you never call me? Ye Wenjin, you’ve been away for so long without coming home. Do you not want me as your mother anymore?”

The sudden suffocation made Ye Wenjin feel like she couldn’t breathe.

Before she could speak, the voice on the other end continued.

“Fine, let’s set that aside for now. Whatever you’re doing, you must come home tonight.”

Ye Wenjin pressed her lips together. “Is there something important?”

“Can’t you come home without a reason? Ye Wenjin, how long has it been since you last came back? Does going to school mean you no longer have a home? Have you forgotten who made it possible for you to attend university? If it weren’t for me, could you even be in college? How can you be so ungrateful?”

The woman’s voice wasn’t sharp—it was even quite gentle.

Yet every word was laced with accusation.

Every call seemed to consist of nothing but these words.

After hearing them so many times, Ye Wenjin thought she had grown numb, but her heart still ached.

She took a deep breath. “Is there something urgent that requires me to come back tonight? I have classes in the evening.”

Without hesitation, the reply came, “Just skip it. Missing one class won’t hurt.” Perhaps realizing her tone was too harsh, she softened her voice. “A-Jin, tonight is Auntie Yin’s birthday party. You must come back.”

Ye Wenjin closed her eyes. After a long pause, she quietly said, “I understand.”

After hanging up, Ye Wenjin remained motionless. A beam of sunlight fell on her face, but she felt no warmth. Soon, even that beam disappeared.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when a knock came at the balcony door. Ye Wenjin snapped out of her daze and turned to see Rong Yunshu.

Pushing the door open, Rong Yunshu said calmly, “Done with your call? Perfect timing—I need to hang some laundry. Go inside; it’s still quite cold out here. Don’t catch a cold.”

Only then did Ye Wenjin realize her whole body was chilled. She shivered slightly and nodded before stepping inside.

Once she was gone, Rong Yunshu narrowed her eyes slightly, then leisurely lifted the clothes from the basin. They hadn’t been wrung out properly, and water streamed down in continuous lines, splashing everywhere.

Perhaps from standing too long on the balcony, Ye Wenjin’s nose did feel a bit stuffy.

She finished her meal quickly and went to the clinic to get cold medicine. Whether she was actually sick or not, it was better to be safe.

This was absolutely not the time to fall ill.

After taking the medicine, Ye Wenjin burrowed under the covers and slept.

By the time her afternoon classes ended, it was already 5:30 PM.

She didn’t actually have any evening classes—she just didn’t want to go home. But her resistance seemed futile; in the end, she still had to return.

After slowly finishing her packing, Ye Wenjin finally got ready to head out.

“Huh? You’re going out? Don’t forget to take an umbrella, it looks like it’s going to rain,” Chu Yunsheng, who had just returned to the dorm, reminded her.

The weather had been changing very quickly lately. It had been clear and sunny in the morning, but now the sky was ominously overcast, suggesting the coming rain wouldn’t be light.

Ye Wenjin nodded in thanks and left with the umbrella.

Outside, a cold wind was indeed blowing. Ye Wenjin felt a tickle in her nose and couldn’t help sneezing. She realized with resignation that she probably wouldn’t escape catching a cold this time.

Rubbing her nose, she walked slowly out of the school gate.