Snatching My Stepsister's White Moonlight Omega - Chapter 2

Deep Space Technology was one of the largest AI companies in the entire Federation. Their newly released terminals were always ridiculously expensive. Xu Chen vaguely remembered that the family’s surname was Lin, but…

For someone like that to seriously “pursue” her was even more absurd than if the President of the Federation had asked her for money.

After all, the presidency wasn’t hereditary, but the wealth of these elite families was.

The terminal interface projected by the holographic beam flickered slightly, and a notification popped up:

Eternal Summer guest Lin Xiangwan invites you to be her companion for today, from now until midnight. Service includes conversation only. Base fee: 800 credits. Additional service fee: 20,000 credits.

Xu Chen stared at the four zeros for a long moment, gritted her teeth, and tapped “Reject.”

In the next instant, a barrage of messages from her supervisor flooded the screen.

Eternal Summer Banquet Hall Manager Wu: What are you doing again?! If you don’t want to make money, I still do! Please stop playing hard to get! Oh, my dear mother!

The terminal interface flickered again, and another companion request appeared:

Eternal Summer guest Lin Xiangwan invites you to be her companion for multiple days, from now until midnight tomorrow. Service includes conversation and shopping assistance. Base fee: 1,600 credits. Additional service fee: 30,000 credits.

Manager Wu immediately shifted his tone, combining flattery with veiled threats.

Eternal Summer Banquet Hall Manager Wu: Mother, this “playing hard to get” is working! Keep it up. With a deal this big and a personal shopper involved, anyone who tries to cut out the official channels will face the consequences.

A soft click came from the bedroom door as Lin Xiangwan emerged, having changed her clothes. Her long hair still draped smoothly over her shoulders, but a hint of disappointment lingered in her eyes. “Why didn’t you accept?”

“How could I?” Xu Chen smiled gently and naturally. “I got your clothes dirty. As a friend, I should at least accompany you shopping after we disembark. There’s no need to go through the official escort procedures.”

Lin Xiangwan stopped in front of the sofa, her gaze falling to the vest. “But your clothes are stained too. Won’t you get in trouble at work? If you were working as an escort, wouldn’t you have more freedom?”

“So you’re worried about me getting scolded? Thank you,” Xu Chen replied, his face showing genuine gratitude, though his heart only felt a fraction of it. He continued to decline, “But I have spare uniforms. I’ll just change into one.”

“I’d like to talk with you a little longer,” Lin Xiangwan murmured softly.

Xu Chen imagined the sound of gold coins clattering to the ground. She smiled faintly, her eyes conveying three parts tenderness, three parts gratitude, and four parts polite refusal. “Really? Then I’ll accept?”

“Accept it,” Lin Xiangwan replied with a gentle smile, her usually cold features softening considerably.

Xiao Lin approached almost silently, picked up the dirty vest, placed it in a laundry bag, and walked toward the door without a word.

“I’ll have Xiao Lin take your clothes to the laundry and bring some snacks,” Lin Xiangwan said, settling beside Xu Chen. “Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

“Anything is fine. I’m not picky,” Xu Chen replied, closing her terminal interface and turning to study Lin Xiangwan’s features in detail.

During their brief encounter in the Eternal Summer Banquet Hall, Xu Chen had immediately noticed Lin Xiangwan’s striking beauty and air of nobility. Now, dressed in a simple light gray shirt and dark gray trousers, with her temples slightly damp and her face unadorned, she remained breathtakingly beautiful.

Her eyebrows were straight and defined, framing large, slightly elongated eyes with delicate, downward-curving lashes that lent her an inherent air of cool detachment when she wasn’t smiling. Her high, straight nose conveyed an almost arrogant sharpness, while the corners of her thin lips naturally turned downward, giving her a formidable, unapproachable aura.

Her jawline was sharp and smooth, her flawless, pale skin radiating an aura of pampered purity and nobility. It was as if she had never known hardship or had to ask for favors—a face born to live a spotless life, untouched by the harshness of the world.

It was hard to imagine someone like her saying, “Can I pursue you?” to a casual acquaintance.

Lin Xiangwan’s lowered lashes suddenly fluttered, snapping her out of her brief reverie. She looked up at Xu Chen. “What’s wrong?”

“I was just thinking…” Xu Chen quickly changed the subject. “Are you sure you don’t mind not going to the banquet?”

“I don’t mind.” Lin Xiangwan studied her expression. “Do you want to go and chat with them?”

“Not in a hurry.” Xu Chen’s head throbbed at the thought of the overly enthusiastic Alpha and the Beta who could leave dents in people’s arms. “Today’s their engagement celebration. Since I don’t remember anything from the past, it’s probably not the best time to reminisce.”

“You really have amnesia?” Lin Xiangwan asked. Her tone was casual, devoid of curiosity or probing, as if she were just making small talk.

“Completely amnesiac, no doubt about it,” Xu Chen sighed. “I don’t remember anything from my childhood, and my current memory is terrible. The doctor said I have damage to my hippocampus.”

Lin Xiangwan frowned slightly, her expression complex. “I know a little about your past. Would you like to hear it?”

Xu Chen nodded without hesitation. “Very much.”

She genuinely wanted to know. She wasn’t returning to the Eternal Summer Banquet Hall simply to avoid the hassle, but she was burning with curiosity about her origins and the motives of this “suitor” before her. Her professional composure was the only thing keeping her from bursting with questions.

Lin Xiangwan didn’t rush to answer. She lowered her gaze in thought for a moment, then raised her hand and tapped lightly twice on the coffee table.

In the corner, the smart wheelchair responded, projecting a soft beam of light onto the center of the table. The beam expanded into a semi-transparent holographic screen, displaying a single photo of a young boy with features strikingly similar to Xu Chen’s.

“He looks like me,” Xu Chen murmured.

A sudden, inexplicable wave of sadness washed over her. The sorrow was baseless, intangible, even more ethereal than the holographic screen before her.

“Lu Xingye sent me this,” Lin Xiangwan said, her gaze shifting slightly as the screen displayed a group photo.

She pointed to one of the figures—the younger version of the Alpha who was the main subject of the engagement. “Lu Xingye is technically my stepsister. The legal formalities were never completed because both our mothers passed away.”

Xu Chen hesitated, unsure how to respond. Lin Xiangwan, maintaining her composure, pointed to another figure—the younger version of the Beta who was also a central figure in the engagement. “Song Jinshi, Lu Xingye’s fiancée, is legally your elder sister.”

Her finger moved again, hovering over the middle-aged man Xu Chen had just met, whose features remained remarkably unchanged. “Song Yanzhou, Song Jinshi’s biological mother and your adoptive mother.”

“Adoptive mother,” Xu Chen repeated softly.

Lin Xiangwan understood her implication. “I don’t know much about your background. I’ve lived in the First District for years and rarely contacted Lu Xingye. She sent me these photos when we first met, asking me to help find someone.”

Xu Chen was at a loss for words. These three families seemed plagued by misfortune, with only one surviving mother among them, and even she had lost a child.

“In short, we have no bl00d or familial ties. If we get along well, there will be no obstacles to marriage in the future,” Lin Xiangwan concluded objectively.

Xu Chen stared at the silent, younger version of herself standing at the edge of the holographic display for a moment.

In her hazy memories, she had lived openly along the Fifth District coastline for years, yet the Song Family had never found her, suggesting they hadn’t put much effort into searching.

As an adopted daughter, she likely wouldn’t inherit much wealth. So why would the second-ranked “Golden Bachelor Beta”—strictly speaking, an Alpha—seriously pursue her?

A series of overly rhythmic knocks came from the door, followed by the sound of the lock disengaging. Xiao Lin entered, carrying a tray.

“Have something to eat first,” Lin Xiangwan said with a casual wave. The holographic display dissolved into particle effects as Xiao Lin walked steadily over and placed the tray on the coffee table.

“I have an ex,” Xu Chen said, continuing the conversation with surprising candor about her romantic history.

Lin Xiangwan nodded, her expression as indifferent as if she’d heard a menu item.

“You don’t mind?” Xu Chen asked, surprised.

“Not at all,” Lin Xiangwan paused, then added, “It’s perfectly normal. Just don’t contact them again.”

Xu Chen detected a faint air of possessiveness. After all, Lin Xiangwan had just used the word “pursue,” and it seemed premature to be making demands at this stage.

“When do you mean by ‘again’?” she pressed.

“From now on,” Lin Xiangwan replied curtly, her tone matter-of-fact, as if she were assigning a task rather than discussing romance.

Xu Chen’s eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly. This possessiveness… was it coming on a bit too strong, too soon?

Seeing Xu Chen’s silence, Lin Xiangwan offered a brief explanation. “I don’t have any ambiguous relationships. I reject anyone who confesses to me outright. In my work, my peers are much older, and those of different levels don’t require me to force myself to be polite.”

Xu Chen nodded in response, continuing to silently study Lin Xiangwan’s face. Up close, the face was undeniably beautiful, yet utterly devoid of warmth. While it made sense that she wasn’t interested in flirting, there was an almost ascetic quality to it, as if she would leave her wife to sleep alone in an empty room.

“What are you thinking about?” Lin Xiangwan’s voice softened, sounding almost unlike the words that could come from those thin lips.

“I was thinking…” Xu Chen knew what she was about to say wouldn’t be pleasant, so she put extra effort into her tone, making it lingering and melodious, almost flirtatious. “Your temper… seems quite bad.”

Lin Xiangwan didn’t get angry. In fact, her expression softened considerably. “It’s not great. I’ll try to improve.”

Even Xu Chen, who considered herself worldly and experienced, was a little overwhelmed by this unexpected favor. A multi-billion-dollar CEO falling for me, a yacht waitress, and promising to change her temper?

What kind of wish-fulfillment fantasy is this?

“Why though?” She gazed into Lin Xiangwan’s eyes, adopting a deliberately suggestive tone. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

When the multi-billion-dollar CEO finally spoke, it was with the most cliché line imaginable: “You’re special.”

“What’s so special?” Xu Chen leaned closer, close enough to see her own reflection in Lin Xiangwan’s dark eyes.

Her half-tied hair slid to her shoulder as she moved, releasing a faint, almost imperceptible lily scent that could easily be mistaken for hair fragrance.

Lin Xiangwan froze, though the light in her eyes flickered slightly. After a few seconds, she frowned and shifted back a little, her voice sounding strained. “Don’t get so close. It’s too much.”

“Fine,” Xu Chen replied, her tone a mix of complaint and coquetry. She turned to pick up a glass of champagne, bringing it to her lips for a sip.

She was almost certain a gaze was fixed on her now. Perhaps it was the nape of her neck, partially hidden by her dark hair, or her lips, still glistening with champagne, or even the fingers holding the glass.

It didn’t matter. She had a pretty good idea of what this CEO wanted.

“I also have a question for you,” Lin Xiangwan asked, her voice measured. “Why did you choose me as your escape route back then?”