After My Death, Everyone Repented (Transmigration) - Chapter 30

It was getting late, and Xie Shaojun was packing up her painting supplies. The inspiration for the earlier painting had been good though it was only a rough draft, the strokes had flowed effortlessly, as if the lines had a life of their own.

She planned to take it back as a base to further enrich the colors and details.

Bending slightly, she tucked the draft into her bag and closed the easel.

On the table were some used palettes that needed cleaning.

As she worked, some paint accidentally smudged onto her fingers.

The tissue box was on the other side of the coffee table. She leaned over to grab it, but her long hair slipped over her ear, the ends nearly dipping into the palette closest to her hand.

Unaware, she stretched her arm to reach for the tissue box when she noticed it being picked up and handed to her from across the table.

Xie Shaojun instinctively looked up and, under the fading sunset light filtering through the parasol, saw Chi Yi.

Their eyes met. Chi Yi seemed momentarily lost, staring at Xie Shaojun for a few seconds before murmuring under her breath, “Your hair’s about to get dirty. How many times have I told you? Look down when you reach for things.”

Chi Yi probably hadn’t expected to blurt out something so out of place and irrational again.

Before Xie Shaojun could react, Chi Yi slowly met her gaze.

Xie Shaojun looked back, her expression snapping Chi Yi out of her daze.

That familiar feeling was gone. Chi Yi froze for a moment before hurriedly averting her eyes and taking a step back.

As she retreated, she moved the tissue box slightly farther away.

Xie Shaojun took it from her and said, “Thank you. What a coincidence”

“Miss Chi.”

She called Chi Yi’s name twice.

Chi Yi narrowed her eyes, her focus sharpening behind her glasses as she studied Xie Shaojun. Xie Shaojun smiled naturally at her, her puppy-like eyes curving.

This time, it was Xie Shaojun who acted naturally, while Chi Yi no longer seemed as composed as she had been that night on the beach. After a long silence, Chi Yi finally spoke, “Sorry, seeing you…”

Her gaze lingered on Xie Shaojun’s features before she admitted honestly, “I’m having trouble adjusting.”

“Understandable.” Xie Shaojun let Chi Yi scrutinize her freely and offered condolences.

Life was full of regrets, and one had to learn to accept them all.

Xie Shaojun believed Chi Yi understood what she meant that she had already accepted Xie Shaojun’s death and was moving forward. So she didn’t dwell on the awkwardness, instead tucking the stray strands of hair that were about to touch the palette into her mouth before bending down again to grab the tissue box.

She pulled out a sheet and began cleaning the palette.

The way she held her hair in her mouth seemed to bother Chi Yi, who visibly struggled to hold back a comment, her lips twitching before she restrained herself with great effort.

She waited silently as Xie Shaojun finished cleaning and packed her supplies one by one into her bag.

Then Chi Yi asked, “May I sit across from you?”

Xie Shaojun told her she was about to leave but that she was welcome to sit.

Chi Yi said nothing more.

Xie Shaojun didn’t look up either. The chair opposite was pulled out unlike when Xie Shaojun dragged hers, creating the rude scraping of wood against the floor.

Chi Yi was polite and well-mannered.

Her every gesture and manner, ingrained to the bone, set her apart from ordinary people, exuding an air of elegance that stood out like a crane among chickens.

After sitting down, she first wiped the tabletop, then placed the cake on the coffee table.

The outdoor café was bathed in the glow of the sunset. Fifty meters away stood a musical fountain, and since night hadn’t fully fallen yet, only a few people strolled nearby.

The surroundings were quiet so quiet that Xie Shaojun could hear the sound of the cake’s packaging being unwrapped across from her.

As the ribbon came loose, the rich, creamy aroma of the cake filled the air, releasing an irresistibly tempting fragrance that teased the taste buds.

Xie Shaojun, who had skipped lunch, paused for a moment. She was actually quite hungry and wanted a piece of Chi Yi’s cake.

But she didn’t ask.

Instead, she sped up her packing of the art supplies, though she wasn’t sure why.

The café was made of wood. A waitress emerged from the wooden structure on the left and approached their table, asking Xie Shaojun, “Would your companion like a cup of coffee?”

Though the waitress was speaking to Xie Shaojun, her gaze kept drifting toward Chi Yi, whose posture alone radiated grace.

Xie Shaojun understood implicitly. The habitual reply of “Americano, no sugar” for Chi Yi stuck in her throat.

She cleared her throat and asked Chi Yi, “What would you like to drink?”

Chi Yi frowned slightly, displeased that Xie Shaojun had forgotten her preference. But when she met Xie Shaojun’s clear gaze, she quickly composed herself, lowering her eyes.

Without looking at the waitress, she studied the cake before her, seemingly hesitating over where to make the first cut. Her expression remained indifferent as she replied flatly, “Americano, no sugar.”

She didn’t even bother with a “thank you” completely devoid of charm.

Xie Shaojun glanced sideways and saw the waitress’s smile stiffen, her eyes reddening as she withdrew her frequent, lingering glances.

She must have been intimidated by the icy aura Chi Yi exuded one that kept people at a distance.

Xie Shaojun couldn’t help but laugh, suddenly suspecting that Chi Yi’s tendency to chatter endlessly at her in the past was likely due to maintaining her aloof, goddess persona for too long outside, leaving her starved for proper conversation.

Her laughter didn’t fade in time, and when she turned back, her eyes met Chi Yi’s directly.

The cake on the table had already been sliced. Chi Yi lifted her face and asked Xie Shaojun, “Would you like a piece before you go?”

Xie Shaojun lied. She narrowed her eyes and replied coolly, “I don’t like sweets.”

Behind them, the sunset cast a kaleidoscope of colors. Chi Yi was backlit, her expression unreadable. When rejected, she didn’t insist, simply lowering her eyes and saying, “Alright.”

Then she set aside two small slices of cake and sat in a seat far from Xie Shaojun, using a plastic spoon to scoop up the cream and bring it to her lips.

After finishing one bite, she took another.

Xie Shaojun’s bag was large, slung diagonally over her shoulder.

As she stood up, she very nearly asked Chi Yi, wasn’t she supposed to avoid sweets?

But she held back. Avoiding Chi Yi’s gaze, she said goodbye.

Chi Yi bid her farewell, then lowered her head and continued eating the cake.

Her pace of swallowing grew painfully slow, as though each bite was difficult to stomach, yet she didn’t stop. Spoonful after spoonful, she brought the cake to her lips.

For some reason, Xie Shaojun didn’t look back. She turned quickly and walked away faster than usual, and soon, she was running.

Xie Shaojun had dinner with a renowned domestic curator in the evening and drank a little red wine.

Returning to the hotel, she ran into Chi Yi again.

It wasn’t surprising that Chi Yi was in Beicheng Haimi Group’s headquarters were in Nancheng, but the Chi family was based in Beicheng.

What surprised Xie Shaojun was that Chi Yi hadn’t stayed at the Chi family’s old residence while in Beicheng, opting instead for a hotel.

But Xie Shaojun wasn’t particularly curious. Once she had decided to walk a path without looking back,

she ought to maintain a normal social distance from Chi Yi, not the kind of cold indifference she showed Xie Guangqi.

Being stone-hearted was utterly useless in front of Chi Yi.

So Xie Shaojun planned to be casual and treat her as a mere acquaintance, someone to exchange nods with.

Inside the elevator shaft, Chi Yi didn’t notice Xie Shaojun at first. She stood at the far left of the elevator, earbuds in, talking on the phone.

The person on the other end spoke at length, while Chi Yi only occasionally responded with a soft “Mm.”

For a few stunned seconds, Xie Shaojun stood motionless at the entrance.

Only when Chi Yi happened to look up did she notice Xie Shaojun at the elevator door. She, too, froze momentarily. As the doors began to close, Chi Yi blocked them with the back of her hand and called out, “Xie Haoyun.”

She didn’t call her “Xie Shaojun” perhaps to mark the distinction between them.

Xie Shaojun responded and stepped into the elevator, though she didn’t stand next to Chi Yi, choosing instead the far right corner.

Since Chi Yi was still on the phone, the two only exchanged a brief glance in greeting. When the elevator stopped on the second floor, a large crowd suddenly poured in. Xie Shaojun raised her umbrella, blocking the space in front of her.

As a result, she occupied the space of three people, leaving two unable to board.

“Miss, could you put your umbrella away, please?” someone outside asked.

Xie Shaojun shook her head and refused. “I have contact dermatitis. Sorry, sir.”

The man in a suit at the door cursed under his breath. Though he clearly didn’t believe her, there was no way to squeeze in, so he could only watch as the elevator doors closed in front of him.

With the elevator now packed, Xie Shaojun used her umbrella to shield herself in a corner. A few people squeezed together began to comment on her behavior, their tones laced with criticism.

Chi Yi removed her earbuds and said to the person on the phone, “We’ll talk later,” before hanging up.

She walked over to Xie Shaojun and stood beside her, shifting the topic. In a deliberately soft voice, she asked, “You were lying to them, weren’t you?”

Xie Shaojun neither confirmed nor denied it, glancing at her from beneath the umbrella’s brim.

The corners of Chi Yi’s lips curled into a faint smile. Ignoring Xie Shaojun’s reluctance to engage, she raised her voice slightly, drowning out the murmurs ahead. With polite persistence, she asked, “Can I take shelter under your umbrella too?”

Xie Shaojun shot her a glare. “Do you have the same condition?”

“No.” Xie Shaojun thought she’d drop it, but after a moment’s thought, Chi Yi replied in an utterly earnest tone, “I just don’t like being close to people.”

“So what you’re saying is, in your eyes, I’m not a person?” Xie Shaojun lifted her eyelids slightly as she teased.

It was an offhand joke, she hadn’t expected Chi Yi to answer. But after a few seconds of silence, Xie Shaojun heard Chi Yi murmur in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible,

“Then are you?”

Chi Yi looked up at Xie Shaojun, and for a moment, Xie Shaojun got the impression that Chi Yi desperately hoped she would answer: that she wasn’t real, but merely an illusion conjured by Chi Yi.

That gaze, filled with fragile hope like a drowning man clutching at straws, made Xie Shaojun’s heart ache. She frowned, unsure of what to say, so she remained silent.

Just then, the elevator doors opened, Xie Shaojun’s floor had arrived. She stepped out.

Her business partner, Qin Wan, was waiting outside the elevator, dressed in thin clothing. “Xie Shaojun,” she called out.

“Why are you so slow? You don’t even care about me. I’m freezing to death out here.”

Qin Wan was Xie Shaojun’s collaborator. As a renowned painter, Xie Shaojun didn’t need to handle every detail of the exhibition logistics, she had her own studio team for that.

Most of the time, her responsibilities in the country were limited to painting and her duties at the art association. Matters like studio collaborations with major corporations for logo designs or exhibition arrangements were all handled by Qin Wan.

Ten minutes ago, Qin Wan had gone to Xie Shaojun’s hotel room to retrieve the exhibition paintings. Fresh out of the shower, she had come out wearing only a bathrobe only to realize she had left her room key, phone, bank cards, and ID inside.

Dressed like that, she couldn’t go downstairs, and with Xie Shaojun not in the hotel, she had no choice but to wait in the hallway.

There was nothing wrong with Qin Wan’s words, but dressed as she was, the implications weren’t lost on those around them.

Ignoring the subtle glances from onlookers, Xie Shaojun tilted her umbrella back slightly, meeting Chi Yi’s eyes. She politely bid her goodbye.

The scent of red wine lingered in her breath, brushing against Chi Yi’s face. Xie Shaojun noticed, for some reason, Chi Yi’s expression had turned cold.

The last trace of human emotion vanished from her eyes as she replied flatly, “Goodbye.”

Xie Shaojun: “…”

After returning from Beicheng to Sijiu City, Xie Shaojun didn’t inquire about Chi Yi again.

She had a mountain of tasks to handle preparations for her solo exhibition next month at Lin Dan’s gallery, as well as several university lectures she had to attend as an honorary director of the Sijiu City Art Association.

Of course, all of these had to be scheduled around her free time.

The next time she heard Chi Yi’s name was at the Xie family dinner table.

Xie Cheng asked Xie Zangxing if she could help get in touch with Chi Yi.

The Xie family was in the automotive industry and had been thriving in Sijiu City in recent years. Their smart vehicle chips had been sourced from Haimi for the past two years. But today, Xie Cheng had received reliable insider news: Chi Yi would be selling her shares in Haimi tomorrow.

The prospect of a change in leadership for their business partner left Xie Cheng visibly tense.

Under her father’s watchful gaze, Xie Zangxing called Chi Yi on the spot but no one answered.

Three attempts, all with the same result.

Xie Cheng had no choice but to pull out his own phone and try reaching out through other channels. Feng Qianqian chided him from the side, telling him to finish dinner first.

But this time, Xie Cheng didn’t listen to his wife. He called Wang, Qi, and several other business contacts one after another yet none of them could reach Chi Yi either.

Chi Yi had gone missing.

“Dad,” Xie Zangxing called out, her face etched with disbelief and worry as she looked at Xie Cheng, hesitating to speak further.

Xie Cheng said nothing, simply motioning for her to follow him to the study.

The dining room was now left with just mother and daughter. Feng Qianqian placed two spare ribs in Xie Shaojun’s bowl and urged her to eat.

Xie Shaojun responded with a blank “Oh,” then abruptly pushed her bowl aside. “I’m going upstairs,” she told her mother.

Just as she was about to stand up, an overwhelming wave of exhaustion crashed over Xie Shaojun. Her head dropped straight down, hitting the dishes in front of her.

Before losing consciousness, she heard Feng Qianqian’s startled cry: “Little sister!”

Sorry, sorry for the late update. I’ll write more tomorrow.