After My Death, Everyone Repented (Transmigration) - Chapter 25

Lin Dan’s words reminded Xie Shaojun of the first time she met Chi Yi.

It was the day Jian Qing went abroad.

That morning, the family atmosphere had been relatively harmonious. Xie Guangqi drove while Feng Cinian packed Jian Qing’s luggage at home. They left at six in the morning to see her off at the airport.

However, Xie Shaojun wasn’t part of the send-off party.

After the Zhu Maomao incident, Xie Shaojun had developed an extreme, individualistic disgust for Jian Qing’s flawed moral compass. The fact that she had even managed to speak to Jian Qing civilly before was solely for the sake of completing her system’s tasks.

Three hours later, Xie Guangqi and Feng Cinian returned home from the airport.

Xie Shaojun was fast asleep in bed.

At the time, she had been busy with a tattoo competition. Once the competition ended, Jian Qing immediately got together with Zhu Maomao, and a series of disasters followed, culminating in Zhu Sicheng’s explosive outburst just a month and a half later.

The night before, Xie Shaojun had been unable to sleep, furious after the endless confrontations where she couldn’t defend herself against Xie Guangqi, Feng Cinian, and Jian Qing.

The worst part was that she couldn’t even clear her name regarding the Zhu Maomao incident otherwise, she wouldn’t be the so-called “villainess” anymore.

For the sake of her mission, Xie Shaojun had no choice but to swallow the injustice. But by midnight, her anger had boiled over, and she dragged the “Swearing System” down with her. She pulled up an explicit movie on her laptop, forcing the system to deliver a scathing review.

To this day, Xie Shaojun still remembered the system’s emoji reactions: stunned, dumbfounded, eyes burning.

And its subsequent string of hilarious curses: “Why are you making me watch BG? I want GG!”

So Xie Shaojun played a gay film for it.

The system started screaming again: “Xie Shaojun, you’re dead! I don’t want to watch greasy men!”

“You said you wanted GG.”

All night, Xie Shaojun took her anger out on the system, enduring its relentless cursing until it was hoarse.

Unsurprisingly, that night was a classic case of mutual destruction, she hurt the system, but at the cost of her own peace.

Having slept poorly, Xie Shaojun felt entirely justified in catching up on sleep the next morning. So when Xie Guangqi yanked her up by the ear, she nearly slapped him.

This was probably the first time in their father-daughter quarrels that Xie Shaojun genuinely considered severing ties with him for good.

At first, Xie Guangqi berated her for being idle, and Xie Shaojun ignored him.

But then he blamed her for Jian Qing’s kidney removal a consequence of Jian Qing’s own actions.

Xie Shaojun smashed Xie Guangqi’s fish tank and slammed the door so hard that dust rained down, covering Chi Yi, who had been standing outside, from head to toe.

Chi Yi was only twenty-one at the time, but her figure already carried the poised allure of a mature woman long, straight black hair, endless legs, a briefcase slung over her shoulder, dressed in a prim and proper British style. Back then, she hadn’t yet risen to the heights she would later achieve. Her peach-blossom eyes were slightly curved, her lips tilted in a perfect forty-five-degree smile beautiful, calculated, and politely distant.

But because Xie Shaojun had burst out unexpectedly, the two collided head-on.

Chi Yi’s flawless smile instantly twisted.

Her first words to Xie Shaojun were: “Little girl, take your hand off my chest.”

She wasn’t wearing glasses, so her eyes were slightly narrowed. Then, from inside the villa, Xie Guangqi’s furious voice roared:

“Xie Shaojun! If you dare run away today, don’t ever come back! We’ll act like we never had a daughter!”

Xie Shaojun sprang away from Chi Yi, planting her hands on her hips as she sneered at Xie Guangqi from the doorway.

“Oh, like you ever treated me like a daughter in the first place.”

“Sometimes outsiders even suspect I was adopted. Do you know why I didn’t go see her off when she left the country today? Because when I’m with you, it feels like I’m the one who was taken in.”

“If I could choose my birth, I’d never pick you as my father.”

Xie Shaojun had a sharp tongue, and these words left Xie Guangqi speechless. The outburst made her feel better inside, but her body was freezing. In the dead of winter, Xie Shaojun had been kicked out in her pajamas, her hands as cold and stiff as slightly softened popsicles.

No matter how much she rubbed them, they wouldn’t warm up. So she glanced at Chi Yi, who looked perfectly cozy, and bargained, “Can I put my hands in your pockets? I’ll take them out once I’m done arguing.”

Chi Yi, who had just been on the receiving end of Xie Shaojun’s outburst, had her usual polite demeanor shattered. She stared coldly at Xie Shaojun’s downturned puppy-dog eyes before her gaze landed on the unruly mess of curly hair.

For some inexplicable reason, Chi Yi found herself nodding.

Not only did she let Xie Shaojun slip her hands into her coat pockets, but she also allowed her to take Chi Yi’s own hands as makeshift hand warmers.

This was their first meeting. Chi Yi witnessing Xie Shaojun at her most furious, relentlessly tearing into Xie Guangqi. Though she frowned uncomfortably through it, Chi Yi didn’t push Xie Shaojun away.

And after the argument, Chi Yi pulled a thermos from her bag and handed Xie Shaojun a steaming cup of red date tea.

She told her, “Don’t be angry. You can’t choose your birth, but you can change where it takes you.”

Their second meeting was at home.

Chi Yi came looking for “Number One,” and without even looking up, Xie Shaojun instinctively responded to the name.

When she finally raised her head, she saw Chi Yi standing at the door. Chi Yi, too, seemed pleased to see her, because she said, “It’s you.”

Then she added, “Long time no see, Number One.”

Sunlight slanted in, casting a soft golden glow that blurred her silhouette and lit up Chi Yi’s eyes.

Chi Yi rarely smiled, but when she did, there was something bright in her gaze something that made Xie Shaojun feel distinctly special.

After they got together, Chi Yi was always busy. To describe just how busy as Lin Dan once put it, Chi Yi might be in China in the morning and flying back to Silicon Valley by nightfall.

Xie Shaojun wasn’t the soft type. She wasn’t easily moved. But as time passed, the collection of Chi Yi’s travel stubs grew larger, stored away in storage boxes.

By the time Xie Shaojun entered university, the first box was full, so she bought another.

Over four years, Chi Yi’s plane tickets could fill five entire boxes.

The system had asked Xie Shaojun many times why she fell in love with Chi Yi. Today, in her conversation with Lin Dan, Xie Shaojun glimpsed the answer.

Because, for Xie Shaojun, the greatest romance in love was this: no matter where Chi Yi went, no matter how far her work took her across the globe, she always treated the place where Xie Shaojun was as her home.

There was no love at first sight. The traces of their mutual effort were too deep, making falling for Chi Yi anything but difficult.

But later, along with the affection came suffocating restraint.

In the final days of Xie Shaojun and Chi Yi’s breakup, Xie Shaojun never harbored hatred toward Chi Yi. Their separation wasn’t due to external reasons but simply because they were incompatible. Even without the specter of terminal cancer, their marriage would have inevitably crumbled.

Now, with Xie Shaojun’s passing, Chi Yi had fallen into a deeply troubled psychological state. Xie Shaojun found herself softening, she didn’t mind this tenderness and was even willing to agree to the system’s demand to prevent Chi Yi’s death. But she could no longer classify this softness as love.

Because she wasn’t obligated to always be the good person, sacrificing herself for others. And she was powerless to salvage Chi Yi’s love.

The breakdown of their relationship wasn’t solely because of external factors like the system or Jian Qing, it was rooted in their fundamental incompatibility.

Xie Shaojun couldn’t meet Chi Yi’s expectations of excellence, and Chi Yi couldn’t give Xie Shaojun the freedom and validation she craved.

Xie Shaojun had tried forcing a marriage that didn’t fit. She didn’t want to torment herself again, trapped in that vicious cycle.

Now, Xie Shaojun was Xie Haoyun. From childhood, Xie Cheng had taught her she could unapologetically be herself.

Even if the system warned of dire consequences, Xie Shaojun believed that as long as Chi Yi lived, she wouldn’t die either, their lives were bound together. Compared to reuniting with Chi Yi and entangling themselves in the past, the flaw of a wandering soul seemed the lesser evil.

So Xie Shaojun chose the former.

She had no intention of revealing her identity to Chi Yi. Whether Chi Yi grieved or suffered, Xie Haoyun could only offer sympathy from an outsider’s perspective. She would do her best to save Chi Yi, to stop her from self-destruction, but beyond that, she refused to revisit anything from her past life. She was Xie Haoyun now, and nothing more.

After finishing their conversation, Xie Shaojun and Lin Dan walked out of the café side by side.

The rain poured heavily, forcing pedestrians to huddle under the eaves for shelter. Xie Shaojun pulled a folding umbrella from her bag and bid Lin Dan farewell.

As she opened the umbrella and took a few steps forward, she noticed someone standing by the olive-green mailbox not far from the café. Drawing closer, she recognized Chi Yi.

Chi Yi seemed to have been standing there for a long time. The mailbox wasn’t tall enough to shield her, and the edges of her dark hair were soaked by the drifting rain, clinging to her cheeks.

Drops of water trailed down her smooth neck, seeping into her blouse.

Xie Shaojun couldn’t help but remind her, “Hold your umbrella properly.”

Chi Yi acknowledged the advice, then, after a pause, suddenly asked, “Can I take shelter under yours?”

Xie Shaojun lifted her eyelids and replied, “No.”

The storm raged on, growing fiercer. Chi Yi, in high heels, struggled to keep her umbrella steady as the wind battered it, even flipping it inside out once. Standing exposed, she wrestled the umbrella back into shape, but not before half her clothes were drenched.

Xie Shaojun sighed inwardly and cursed, Idiot.

No one knew better than Xie Shaojun that Chi Yi had never been good at handling an umbrella.

Especially in heavy wind and rain, if Xie Shaojun had been around, she would have held it for her. Otherwise, Chi Yi’s driver or secretary would step in.

Now, the sturdy black umbrella, which could easily shelter two, wobbled unsteadily in Chi Yi’s grip.

Drops cascaded onto her shoulders, rolling down her bare arms some splattering to the ground, others trickling along the curve of her elbows, soaking her thin beige blouse.

Xie Shaojun glanced a few times and quickened her pace forward. Chi Yi followed unhurriedly behind, keeping a distance that wasn’t too close. Her nude high heels sank into the asphalt road, nearly submerging the shoes. After just a few steps, Chi Yi twisted her ankle slightly, as if she might slip and fall at any moment.

Xie Shaojun sneered coldly but slowed her steps nonetheless.

By the time they were about to board the car, this perilous stretch of the journey finally came to an end.

Chi Yi looked at Xie Shaojun’s retreating figure and said slowly, “Next time, don’t chat alone with Lin Dan. I don’t quite like it.”

Xie Shaojun stopped in her tracks and turned to stare at Chi Yi without speaking.

The two of them fell into silence simultaneously. After a few seconds of locked gazes, Xie Shaojun asked, “Miss Chi, if I may ask, what standing do you have to say such a thing to me?”

Chi Yi’s smile stiffened. She averted her eyes first, as if she hadn’t heard Xie Shaojun’s question, and naturally continued the previous topic, conceding, “Fine, I promise. I won’t interfere with your social life anymore.”

Xie Shaojun didn’t want to hear that. She kept her eyes fixed on Chi Yi.

But Chi Yi didn’t meet her gaze. Her eyes wandered slightly, unfocused, as if she were lost in thought or perhaps looking through Xie Shaojun at someone else entirely.

Xie Shaojun opened her mouth but couldn’t bring herself to say anything harsher.

So she ignored Chi Yi again.

She stepped into the car first. Chi Yi called her name twice from behind, but Xie Shaojun paid her no mind.

Once they were both seated in the car, Chi Yi took a towel handed to her by her assistant and began drying her hair. A drop of water flicked onto Xie Shaojun’s cheek a single, crystal-clear bead. Instinctively, Chi Yi reached out, but Xie Shaojun recoiled in disgust, avoiding her touch once again.

Chi Yi slowly lifted her eyes to meet Xie Shaojun’s. Those peach-blossom eyes glared at her sharply, as if trying to convey intense anger. But in the end, she restrained herself and only said softly, “You’re all grown up now, yet you’re still the same as before, throwing a tantrum without a word.”

For the rest of the journey, no matter how many times Chi Yi called her name, Xie Shaojun didn’t respond.

She didn’t know what to say, and she was afraid of losing her temper and worsening Chi Yi’s suicidal tendencies.

Until she figured out exactly what was wrong with Chi Yi, Xie Shaojun decided to observe her for a few more days.

Today, the entire city of Colombo was drenched in rain. Chi Yi’s plans after landing had to be canceled. Coincidentally, she had work to attend to, so she instructed the driver to take them straight to the hotel.

Upon arrival, Xie Shaojun took the hotel reservation details handed to her by Secretary Wang and went to the front desk to communicate with the local staff. A few minutes later, she returned with the room keys.

After briefing everyone on the itinerary and precautions for the next day’s sightseeing,

“I remember you don’t speak Sinhalese,” Chi Yi said, sounding very certain.

“You remember wrong. I always have,” Xie Shaojun retorted. “Did Xie Qingcheng never tell you? I know more than just this one language. I’m decent in eighteen obscure languages, enough for simple conversation, though not for deep negotiations.”

Secretary Wang, ever the smooth talker, chimed in, “Wow, Miss Xie, you’re amazing.”

“No big deal,” Xie Shaojun replied lazily, stretching with a yawn, but she was more than happy to accept the compliment.

Turning around, Xie Shaoyun met Chi Yi’s absurdly self-doubting gaze. Noticing Xie’s attention, Chi Yi averted her eyes as if fleeing, hurriedly walking to the elevator and pressing the button to open it.

Throughout this, Chi Yi didn’t say another word.

Though Xie Shaoyun didn’t know what inner turmoil Chi Yi was wrestling with, her current identity as Xie Shaoyun made it inappropriate to ask. They all entered the elevator, and Xie pressed the buttons for their respective floors.

Chi Yi lived on the eighteenth floor the highest level.

When the elevator doors opened, Xie bid Chi Yi goodbye and asked if she could make it to her room alone.

Chi Yi shook her head. Xie didn’t step out of the elevator, so Chi Yi didn’t move either, standing beside her instead.

Xie turned to look at her, and Chi Yi met her gaze briefly.

“I’ll come pick you up tomorrow morning,” Xie finally said.

Chi Yi remained silent, still seemingly lost in her earlier emotional struggle.

Xie had no choice but to escort her to the suite door. Feeling drowsy, she lazily yawned and said, “Goodbye.”

The next moment, Chi Yi moved. Instead of responding to the farewell, she acted as if urgently trying to confirm something leaning her face close to Xie’s lips, wrapping her arms around Xie’s neck, and forcefully pulling Xie’s head down.

She pressed her lips against Xie’s, then exhaled annoyingly against Xie’s nose.

Xie lowered her gaze, staring at Chi Yi’s overly soft, full lips. After three seconds, she sharply turned her head away.

Angrily, she warned, “Chi Yi!”

“Do you realize you’re breaking the law? Molesting me like this?”

Chi Yi readily admitted to her crime, asking shamelessly, “Is it okay?”

“You know I’m Xie Shaoyun, Xie Qingcheng’s sister not your ex-wife, right?”

For a moment, Chi Yi hesitated, but in the end, she only called her name: “Xie Shaoyun.”

Xie didn’t know what to say. She told Chi Yi she couldn’t get close to her anymore.

“Because I don’t like you.”

Even after being rejected, Chi Yi didn’t seem embarrassed. She calmly apologized to Xie.

Then she let go, took the key card from Xie’s hand, opened the door, and stepped inside.

But after only a few steps, she suddenly turned back, long legs striding forward as she closed the distance again. This time, Chi Yi wrapped both arms around Xie’s waist and pushed her against the wall.

Without giving Xie a chance to react as if confirming something, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips lightly against Xie’s.

Xie lowered her eyes. No one could tell what she was thinking, but the next moment, she curled her fingers and raised her hand.

Chi Yi immediately shut her eyes, her lashes trembling not out of fear, though, because she tilted her face toward Xie’s raised palm and called out, “Xie Shaoyun.”

When she got no response, she didn’t seem to mind, repeating the name.

“Xie Shaoyun?”

“Honestly… why did you have to die back then? If you’re angry, you can hit me back.”

Chi Yi asked in a whisper.