Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha and Got Marked by the Enemy (ABO, GL) - Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Little Sister?

Previously, a trending topic created a notable scene. Just now, Yu Jing witnessed their unclear tugging with her own eyes. Additionally, Zhou Qi’s vague words on WeChat made it hard for Yu Jing not to overthink.

Ming Zhu blocked her view, so she couldn’t see Lin Yi’s face. Yu Jing stared at Ming Zhu in a daze and blurted out that melodramatic, cliché line: “How many good little sisters do you have?”

“…” Ming Zhu saw her expression and knew she misunderstood. At this point, Ming Zhu had no choice but to confess. She touched Yu Jing’s tense cheek and said, “It’s not what you think. She… is indeed my little sister, my real one.”

Yu Jing’s expression froze again. Her suspended heart slowly settled back. She trusted Ming Zhu wouldn’t lie to her, but she still had many questions.

Yu Jing never heard Ming Zhu mention anything about her family. She didn’t expect Ming Zhu to have a real little sister. Moreover, judging by Ming Zhu’s attitude toward Lin Yi, their sisterly relationship seemed very cold.

She blinked her eyes and asked, “Why do you have the surname Ming while she has the surname Lin?”

Ming Zhu’s gaze flickered slightly. She pondered how to explain it to her.

Before she could speak, Lin Yi couldn’t hold back and interjected, “What’s so surprising about that? My sister was originally named Lin Zhu, but later she herself…”

Ming Zhu suddenly turned her head. Her amber eyes coldly glanced at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi received the warning and quickly covered her mouth, not daring to continue.

Ming Zhu turned her head back to face a bewildered Yu Jing. Her expression softened. She hooked her fingers around the slightly loose bath towel, covering Yu Jing’s exposed shoulder. Her voice was light and gentle: “You go inside first. I need to talk to her for a bit.”

Her cool fingertips brushed across Yu Jing’s skin, stirring a tingling sensation that made Yu Jing lower her head. She almost couldn’t hold back a sound.

Since she couldn’t find her clothes, Yu Jing had casually wrapped a bath towel and come out. She never expected anyone besides Ming Zhu to be in the room.

No wonder Ming Zhu kept standing in front of her. It was to prevent Lin Yi from seeing the suspicious marks on her body…

The doubts and dissatisfaction in her heart instantly turned into embarrassment. Yu Jing’s gaze darted around. Her face flushed, and her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s hum: “Then you guys talk.”

Under Ming Zhu’s cover, she quickly retreated to the room. She fumbled for the wall switch, turned on the light, and searched around but still couldn’t find the clothes she wore earlier. She gave up.

“Sister, is she your girlfriend? Are you living together???”

Hearing the word “girlfriend,” Yu Jing’s steps toward the bed paused.

Outside, Lin Yi’s eyes eagerly stared at the closed door, as if she wanted to peek through it at the person inside.

Compared to her excited and curious expression, Ming Zhu’s gaze was as cold as a pool of ice water. She didn’t answer Lin Yi’s question. A trace of displeasure flashed between her brows: “I told you many times, don’t call me sister.”

Lin Yi’s expression stiffened. She rubbed her hands awkwardly and muttered softly, “You just admitted I’m your real little sister.” Why can’t I call you sister?

Ming Zhu pretended not to hear her mumbling and asked immediately, “Why did you follow me?”

Lin Yi met her calm, unwavering eyes and trembled slightly in fear. Her voice grew even softer: “I heard Grandpa say you moved. I just wanted to see if your new place is nice. I didn’t mean anything else.”

Ming Zhu’s phoenix-like eyes narrowed slightly. She quietly scrutinized Lin Yi, as if judging the truth of her words.

Though Ming Zhu didn’t scold her or drive her away with annoyance like before, Lin Yi still felt uneasy under her gaze. Her eyes flickered.

After leaving the hospital, Ming Zhu drove straight to Heart Lake Community. She drove too fast and didn’t notice anyone behind her. Just now, she remembered to grab something from across the hall. When she opened the door and saw Lin Yi sneaking around outside, she realized someone had followed her. Her mood soured instantly.

She wanted to shoo Lin Yi away directly, but Lin Yi shamelessly insisted on barging in, making a fuss and disturbing Yu Jing.

Lin Yi felt nearly suffocated by Ming Zhu’s stare. She moved her stiff neck and looked around, saying awkwardly, “Why do you live in a place like this? The living room is so small, and the lighting isn’t good.”

Ming Zhu’s gaze coolly glanced at her. She pursed her lips silently. Her indifferent face clearly said: What does that have to do with you?

Fearing Ming Zhu’s anger, Lin Yi hastily added, “I’m not saying you have bad taste… I just noticed the security didn’t stop me when I came in. Anyone can come and go. I’m worried about your safety.”

Ming Zhu gave an ambiguous smile but didn’t respond.

“I really…” Lin Yi wanted to say more.

“Crash—” A sharp sound came from behind, like something fell to the floor.

Yu Jing, “eavesdropping” in the room, tensed up. She glanced at the door and then at the air conditioner remote that fell on the floor. Suppressing her discomfort, she crouched down slowly and picked it up.

Yu Jing didn’t mean to eavesdrop. The apartment was too small, and the people outside didn’t plan to move elsewhere to talk. Only a door separated them. She couldn’t avoid hearing even if she wanted to.

She felt a bit hot and wanted to lower the temperature. Fearing she’d make more noise, Yu Jing didn’t dare move. She held the remote and stood there dazed.

Ming Zhu’s sharp ears caught the sound from the room. She calmly interrupted Lin Yi: “You’ve seen the place now. Leave.”

Lin Yi didn’t want to go but feared angering Ming Zhu and worsening their relationship. Her lips moved. She looked at Ming Zhu pleadingly and asked, “Are you visiting Grandpa tomorrow?”

Mentioning Grandpa softened Ming Zhu’s expression slightly, but she didn’t answer directly. Instead, she walked over and opened the door for Lin Yi.

“…” After only a few words, Lin Yi was ushered out. Her face looked unhappy, but she didn’t dare protest. She took what she could get and shuffled out. As one foot crossed the threshold, she couldn’t resist turning back. She glanced at the tightly closed door and whispered to Ming Zhu, “She’s that Yu Jing you were rumored to be a couple with, right?”

Ming Zhu was slightly surprised Lin Yi recognized Yu Jing. Her gaze toward Lin Yi wasn’t as cold, but it held no emotion either.

Seeing Ming Zhu wasn’t angry, Lin Yi licked her lips and said ingratiatingly, “I watched all three episodes of the show you recorded together. Online, people said you were just hyping it up. I thought so too, but I didn’t expect you actually turned the act into reality.”

Ming Zhu gave her that “none of your business” look again. Unwilling to say more, she composed herself and said flatly, “If you don’t leave, I’ll call security.”

Lin Yi sensed she wasn’t joking. She pouted aggrievedly, not daring to linger, and left dejectedly.

Ming Zhu watched her enter the elevator. She stood at the door for a moment, didn’t go back inside immediately, but closed the door and went across the hall.

Yu Jing sat cross-legged on the bed, nibbling her fingers.

Her phone was left in the living room. There was no clock in the room. She didn’t know how long they talked. The conversation stopped halfway, and she didn’t know what happened.

Without clothes, she didn’t dare go out rashly. Yu Jing propped her head, lost in thought, nearly falling asleep when she heard footsteps approaching.

The next second, the door twisted open.

Yu Jing instinctively grabbed the blanket to cover the marks on her body. She lifted her eyelids and saw Ming Zhu enter. Her alertness faded. Her hands tightened instead, wishing she could hide under the blanket.

Though last night they did everything they should and saw everything there was to see, in a sober state, Yu Jing only felt embarrassed. Her eyes darted around. As Ming Zhu approached, she used her voice to mask her inner panic: “Where’s Lin Yi?”

“She left.” Ming Zhu held something and walked straight over. She sat on the bed’s edge, affectionately touched Yu Jing’s face, her gaze tender, her tone impossibly gentle: “Are you hungry?”

Yu Jing bit her lip and nodded.

Ming Zhu smiled lightly, set down what she held, and said, “Put on clothes first. I bought you food.”

Yu Jing noticed she held a set of clean clothes: “Where did you get the clothes?”

Ming Zhu raised an eyebrow: “Your set from yesterday got wet. I just went across the hall to get you a new one.”

She spoke frankly, but Yu Jing’s face flushed.

Scenes from last night flashed through her mind. Just thinking about it made her heart skip half a beat.

Her hand emerged from the blanket to take the clothes. Noticing Ming Zhu didn’t leave, Yu Jing quickly retreated: “Can you go out first?”

Ming Zhu looked at her steadily, her expression serious: “Can you manage on your own?”

“…” Though Yu Jing was nearly drained by her, she wasn’t so weak she couldn’t dress herself. She grabbed the clothes and pushed Ming Zhu: “Hurry up and go out.”

Ming Zhu saw her neck flush red. She stopped teasing, rubbed Yu Jing’s head, and turned to leave.

Yu Jing dawdled while changing. She opened the door and saw Ming Zhu arranging food at the dining table. Yu Jing moved awkwardly over, pulled out a chair, and was about to sit.

“Wait.” Ming Zhu stopped her, produced a soft cushion from somewhere, and placed it on the chair Yu Jing pulled out. She tested its softness and signaled Yu Jing could sit.

Realizing this was to care for her most sensitive area, Yu Jing’s face turned bright red. She sat gently. Her backside landed on the cushion without discomfort—except it felt a bit warm.

Taking the takeout box Ming Zhu handed her, Yu Jing ate a few bites of hot porridge. The heat on her face didn’t fade but grew.

“Lin Yi is my stepmother’s daughter. I took my mother’s surname, Ming.” Ming Zhu spoke quietly.

Yu Jing’s wandering thoughts vanished. She swallowed the porridge and looked up at Ming Zhu, realizing: “You’re half-sisters with different mothers?”

Ming Zhu nodded, met her eyes, and confessed fully: “The night before last, Lin Yi called me. She said she just returned to the country and wanted to meet for dinner. I refused. Yesterday morning, I went to see Old Yang. She called again, saying Grandpa was hospitalized. I was anxious and didn’t have time to tell you. I didn’t expect someone would photograph me with her, causing you to misunderstand. I’m sorry.”

It turned out to be a big misunderstanding. Yu Jing felt ashamed for her wild guesses and jealousy these past two days. With a plastic spoon in her mouth, she mumbled, “I didn’t suspect anything at first, but Zhou Qi and you were so vague, I couldn’t help overthinking…”

Ming Zhu recalled her own behavior when Yu Jing asked for an explanation. She wasn’t clear enough, but she had no choice. Her sensitive period hit suddenly, and she only wanted to isolate herself, leaving no time to explain.

The misunderstanding cleared, Yu Jing felt relieved. But thinking of Ming Zhu and Lin Yi’s odd interaction, she hesitated.

Ming Zhu seemed to see through her thoughts. She paused and said, “As you saw, my relationship with her is average.”

Yu Jing’s eyes shifted. She suddenly thought of herself and her brother Yu Jie. Their relationship was quite bad, but her family was restructured, with no bl00d ties, so lacking affection was normal. She didn’t quite understand why Ming Zhu and Lin Yi, real sisters, were like this.

Ming Zhu said their sisterly bond was average, but Yu Jing felt it wasn’t that simple. Ming Zhu’s attitude when driving Lin Yi away was cold and firm, yet Lin Yi was clearly clingy toward her.

“Do you hate Lin Yi?” she asked cautiously.

Ming Zhu lowered her eyes, as if thinking. After a long pause, she said, “I just don’t like her mother.”

Because of her stepmother Xu Lingmei, Ming Zhu didn’t want much contact with Lin Yi. The situation was complex, and she didn’t want those messy things to taint their relationship, so she said no more.

Yu Jing saw Ming Zhu didn’t want to elaborate and tactfully didn’t press. Her eyes dimmed slightly, feeling a bit rueful.

So Ming Zhu, like her, had a complicated family.

They both tacitly avoided probing into potentially unpleasant matters. Yu Jing sipped her porridge slowly. A thought struck her. She recalled “overhearing” parts of Ming Zhu and Lin Yi’s talk and quickly changed the topic: “How’s your grandpa?”

“I visited him this morning. He’s in good spirits.” Mentioning the old man, Ming Zhu couldn’t help smiling. She paused and said, “He knows I have a girlfriend.”

Yu Jing was stunned: “You told him?”

“Hmm.” Ming Zhu smiled.

“What did he say?” Yu Jing felt inexplicably nervous, gripping her spoon tightly.

Ming Zhu’s eyes brightened, her smile widening: “I showed him your photo. Grandpa was delighted. He said I found such a beautiful girlfriend, why haven’t I brought you to meet him?”

Yu Jing thought this meant meeting the family. She pursed her lips and said, “But I’m not ready yet.”

Ming Zhu expected this reaction. She pinched Yu Jing’s cheek and comforted her: “It’s okay. We’ll meet him when you’re ready.”

Yu Jing’s expression relaxed.

Ming Zhu ate with her for a while, then got up and went to the bathroom.

Yu Jing thought she was using the restroom. After eating, she wanted to rinse her mouth and noticed the bathroom door was open.

Ming Zhu stood at the sink washing clothes, her head lowered, washing earnestly.

Yu Jing found it odd and wanted to ask why she didn’t use the washing machine. Approaching, she saw Ming Zhu held a white lace-trimmed pair of panties. Her eyelids twitched.

Ming Zhu was washing her underwear…

Yu Jing wanted to grab it to wash herself.

Ming Zhu didn’t let her touch the water. She turned her head, her gaze deep with a hint of teasing: “Afraid I won’t wash it clean?”

Yu Jing was speechless. She let go, feigning calm: “If you like washing, go ahead.”

She turned to leave, but Ming Zhu grabbed her wrist.

Yu Jing thought there was something else. After a moment, she heard Ming Zhu ask, “Does it still hurt?”

“What?” Yu Jing was confused.

Ming Zhu’s gaze swept downward. She leaned closer, her warm breath brushing Yu Jing’s ear, asking bluntly, “When you bathed, I noticed it was still a bit swollen. Is it better now?”