Snatching My Stepsister's White Moonlight Omega - Chapter 8

The sun hadn’t fully risen above the horizon when Xu Chen disembarked from the ship. After taking the Sky Rail from the clean, beautiful, and bustling Port District, she transferred to an old-fashioned bus at the Transfer Station an hour later.

The bus initially sped along as if eager to escape this still-normal place. After about forty minutes, it began stopping every few minutes, and the surrounding scenery grew increasingly dilapidated and filthy.

At the penultimate stop, Xu Chen got off and stood by the roadside. Having been away for several days, she had almost forgotten the way home. She opened her map app, located “Home,” and activated navigation.

After walking along the main road for a while, she turned onto a potholed side street. The neglected lane was riddled with puddles and littered with trash, and the crumbling buildings on either side seemed to belong to a different world entirely from the port she had left just two hours earlier.

Entering a dilapidated old tenement building with peeling paint, Xu Chen climbed six flights of stairs in one breath. A large, old-fashioned padlock greeted her at the door.

Not exactly surprising.

She rummaged through her bag for the key, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. The living room was cramped and narrow, its sofa covers faded from washing. Yet the south-facing bedroom was surprisingly neat, its bed radiating a clean, sun-drenched fragrance.

Standing at the bedroom door, an indescribable sense of detachment washed over Xu Chen. Logically, this was her home, but… why couldn’t she feel any emotion?

She set down her backpack and wandered through the rooms. Her adoptive mother’s room was a disaster: the ashtray on the nightstand overflowed, cigarette ash littered the floor, and empty beer bottles and soda cans lay scattered everywhere.

This matched her memories perfectly.

In the bathroom, the small shelf was crammed with expensive toiletries. The mirror looked like it had been wiped clean recently, the sink was spotless, and not a single strand of hair clogged the drain.

A sudden sense of unease crept into Xu Chen’s heart. Had she always been this meticulous?

She thoroughly rummaged through the closet, and her unease subsided by more than half. The clothes were familiar, neatly organized, and impeccably clean. Maybe…

Maybe she really was just that diligent.

After finishing with the closet, she sat on the sofa for a while, realizing that waiting around wouldn’t solve anything. She decided to head back to the Port.

Two more hours passed before Xu Chen, her memory still hazy and her stomach growling, walked into a restaurant near the Port.

It was lunchtime, but the high-end restaurant’s main hall, with its private dining rooms, was devoid of any drifting food aromas or noisy chatter. Large, colorful sheer curtains hung from the ceiling-to-floor windows, casting sunlight through the fabric onto the light-colored wooden floor, bathing the entire hall in a dreamy, hazy glow.

A waiter in a crisp shirt, vest, and dress pants approached, raising his hand in a precise gesture. “Ms. Xu, this way, please.”

Xu Chen nodded and stepped onto the floor, her feet landing on shifting patterns of colored light. She followed the waiter down a spacious corridor, her footsteps muffled by the thick, intricately patterned carpet, until they reached a private dining room.

The waiter paused and knocked three times on the door with measured force, his rhythm as precise as that of the robot Xiao Lin. The door slowly opened, revealing four people seated around a small round table.

“Jinyu’s back!” Song Yanzhou, seated at the far end of the table, greeted her with a warm smile. “Running around all morning like this—aren’t you tired?”

“I’m used to it,” Xu Chen replied with a smile, her almond-shaped eyes curving into crescent moons. “It’s a shame I didn’t see my mom. I wonder where she went.”

The term seemed to sting Song Yanzhou. Her facial muscles stiffened for a moment before she feigned annoyance. “I’m your mom too! Why don’t you ever worry about me?”

“Auntie has plenty of younger relatives around,” Xu Chen said, smiling at everyone at the table as a casual greeting.

Lin Xiangwan was still in her wheelchair, dressed in a misty blue silk blouse and ivory wide-legged pants. Her outfit was the exact opposite of Xu Chen’s white top and denim casual pants, likely another deliberate move.

The two newlyweds were dressed in vibrant, festive colors. The moment Lu Xingye’s eyes met Lin Xiangwan’s, his smile became almost too enthusiastic, and the scent of Incense grew agitated.

Xu Chen frowned slightly, glancing at Lin Xiangwan. Her gaze remained calm as water, only a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips, as if completely oblivious to the other Alpha’s pheromones.

“Why are you still standing, dear? Come, sit down,” Song Jinshi said, waving her hand, the massive diamond on her finger flashing brilliantly.

Xu Chen decided to break the ice right there. She dragged the only empty chair next to Song Jinshi, settled in, and then stared at the ring with feigned envy. “Sister, your ring is so beautiful! May I take a closer look?”

Song Jinshi froze, then hesitantly extended her hand slightly toward Xu Chen.

Without hesitation, Xu Chen grasped it. Whether from embarrassment or annoyance, Song Jinshi immediately tried to pull her hand away, but Xu Chen tightened her grip. “Don’t move. Let me admire it properly. Aren’t we sisters?”

Song Jinshi fell silent. Xu Chen held her hand, examining the ring meticulously.

The hand was warm, soft, with delicate skin and good circulation, suggesting its owner lived comfortably.

The ring wasn’t overly elaborate: a pigeon’s egg-sized gemstone surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds, radiating brilliance and clearly of considerable value. The fingernails were short, painted with a pale pink polish, and otherwise unadorned.

Xu Chen giggled. “You and your wife seem really close, Sister.”

Song Jinshi abruptly withdrew her hand, a faint blush rising on her cheeks. “What… what are you talking about?!”

“I’m talking about the ring!” Xu Chen replied matter-of-factly. “Isn’t it great that she bought you such a big ring?”

The scent of Incense stiffened for a moment before urgently coiling closer to Xu Chen, as if trying to explain something on behalf of its mistress.

Xu Chen leaned forward slightly, peering past Song Jinshi at Lu Xingye. “Right, wife? Can I take a closer look at your ring?”

The blush drained from Song Jinshi’s face, a hint of coldness flickering in her eyes. Lu Xingye glanced at her before leaning forward and placing her hand flat on the table.

Xu Chen examined it from across the table. “Wow, a black diamond! So cool.”

After this perfunctory comment, she casually glanced up at Lu Xingye. Without makeup today, his true features were visible: a face with deep-set features and a strikingly masculine aura.

The moment their eyes met, the faint scent of incense filled the air. Xu Chen frowned, about to urge her to be more discreet, but Lu Xingye clearly misunderstood, his gaze darting anxiously to the terminal on Xu Chen’s wrist.

“Jinyu seems quite interested in the ring,” Song Yanzhou said with a smile, though his gaze toward his daughter held a hint of gravity.

“It’s alright,” Xu Chen replied, standing up and dragging her chair over to Lin Xiangwan’s wheelchair. She plopped down casually. “I don’t know anyone here very well, so I need to find something to talk about.”

Her bluntness hung in the air, silencing everyone. After a few seconds, Lu Xingye spoke up, his tone utterly banal. “Jinyu, if you sit there, it’ll be hard for Sister’s wheelchair to get out later.”

Xu Chen glanced at the ample space behind the wheelchair, suspecting Lu Xingye simply wanted to use the word “wheelchair.”

Lin Xiangwan didn’t even lift her eyelids. “It’s fine.”

“Oh, right,” Xu Chen continued, seizing the opening. “You call her ‘Sister,’ and my sister calls her ‘Sister’ too. Is CEO Lin the oldest here?”

“Xiangwan is twenty-five this year, a late bloomer in romance,” Song Yanzhou explained, introducing each person in turn. “Jinshi is twenty-three, and Xingye is a year younger than you, twenty-one.”

“Am I really twenty-two?” Xu Chen asked, seeking confirmation.

“Yes,” Song Yanzhou replied, his gaze probing. “You don’t know your own age?”

Xu Chen shook her head. “No. Previous bone age and gland development tests were inconclusive. When my mom heard my growth plates hadn’t closed, she even bought me growth supplements.”

Song Yanzhou was about to ask more when the kitchen door swung open, and several hot towels and a succession of dishes were brought in.

After a morning of running around, Xu Chen was ravenous, her eyes sparkling at the sight of the food.

“Let’s eat first,” the only elder declared, and the soft clinking of cutlery filled the air.

All five diners maintained impeccable table manners, especially Lin Xiangwan. Her expression suggested she wasn’t so much eating as replenishing her body’s energy reserves.

Xu Chen happily devoured two large bowls before setting down her chopsticks and turning to Lin Xiangwan, who had already finished eating. “Don’t you like the Fifth District’s cuisine?”

“I had a late breakfast,” Lin Xiangwan explained briefly.

Song Jinshi, likely bored after eating her fill, grinned and said, “We’re planning to wander around this afternoon. Why don’t you show us around, sis? Some of the shops probably offer commissions, right? Let’s keep the profits in the family and help you earn more.”

This seemed like a sarcastic jab at the workers, but Xu Chen didn’t take it to heart. Earning money was simply more noble than spending it.

She turned to her “dear sister” and smiled sweetly, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’d love to go, but my time today belongs to CEO Lin.”

“Why are you asking me? Didn’t you run off on your own this morning?” Lin Xiangwan said coolly.

Xu Chen frowned, unsure of what she meant. After a moment’s thought, she opted for an apology with a touch of flattery. “I’m sorry! I just didn’t want to wake you with a message so early…”

The scent of incense suddenly deepened for a moment before surging upward again, as if someone had turned on a blower in front of the burner.

Xu Chen felt a surge of annoyance. Seeing Lin Xiangwan’s displeased expression, she leaned closer and tugged at her sleeve. “Are you mad?”

“No,” Lin Xiangwan said, glancing at her. Her voice softened slightly. “I mean, if you want to go, go.”

Xu Chen leaned closer. “Then are you going?”

Before Lin Xiangwan could answer, Song Jinshi, sitting across the table, chuckled softly. “You two act more like newlyweds than engaged couples.”

The drifting incense carried a faint, acrid smell, like burnt shrimp shells thrown into the burner. The odor irritated Xu Chen, and the fragrance of lilies she wore began to spread uncontrollably, momentarily calming the incense.

Lin Xiangwan’s expression darkened, a hint of coldness flickering in her lowered gaze. Xu Chen’s anger flared, her glare almost grinding her teeth.

“Let’s talk calmly,” Song Yanzhou said, bewildered by the sudden tension. “You two were getting along fine just a moment ago. How did things turn sour so quickly?”

Song Jinshi laughed again, a hint of schadenfreude in her voice. “That’s just how young love goes. Perfectly normal. By the way, did you see the news, dear sister? Your photos from last night look stunning.”

Xu Chen immediately declared, “I’ll check them now.”