After My Death, Everyone Repented (Transmigration) - Chapter 38.2

“What’s with pretending not to know each other?” Lin Dan glanced between the two. “In Sri Lanka, you two got along just fine as tour guide and tourist. What’s the act for? Chi Yi, you’re just too busy. Claiming you don’t know our Xie Shaoyun, that’s just not right. Besides, with Xie Shaoyun’s looks…”

A single look from Chi Yi cut Lin Dan off.

Lin Dan might not have noticed, but Xie Shaoyun understood Chi Yi was reluctantly playing the stranger, just as she had asked the night before.

Amused and exasperated, Xie Shaoyun walked over to Chi Yi, greeted her, and sat down in the seat to her left.

Chi Yi stared at the teapot, looking very much like she wanted to pour Xie Shaoyun a cup. But she seemed unsure whether doing so would come off as presumptuous, so she just kept glancing at the teacup.

Finally, when Lin Dan couldn’t take it anymore and moved to pour the tea herself, Chi Yi dropped her odd, aggrieved expression. She turned to Xie Shaoyun and asked, “Would you like some tea?”

Xie Shaoyun looked at her. Chi Yi lowered her eyes, poured a cup, and handed it to her before quickly retreating to a safe distance, as if afraid Xie Shaoyun might return it.

Xie Shaoyun took the tea, tilting her head. “Is today April Fool’s Day?”

Chi Yi smiled. “I thought you didn’t want me to know you.”

Xie Shaoyun paused, finding it both funny and a little heartbreaking.

She changed the subject: “Do you still need me to take you to see a doctor?”

Chi Yi said she had already been.

Then she stared at Xie Shaojun’s profile for a brief moment, only to tactfully avert her gaze when Xie Shaojun began to feel uneasy. “My flight is tonight,” she said. “I won’t do anything to you. I just wanted to take one last look.”

Xie Shaojun found Chi Yi rather odd, almost excessively mature and restrained.

But this newfound restraint seemed to unsettle Chi Yi. When the food arrived, she had little appetite, eating even less than she had with the foie gras last time.

After the meal, she sat in the dim light, holding a cup of Pu’er tea, lost in thought. Her presence was so commanding that even Lin Dan didn’t dare strike up a conversation with her.

Xie Shaojun suddenly recalled that night when Chi Yi had silently wept in the backseat of the car.

Chi Yi had also sat coldly in the shadows then.

Amid the lively chatter of the dinner gathering, Chi Yi stood out like a ghost, unnoticed by anyone. No one paid attention to her emotions.

For some reason, a thought flashed through Xie Shaojun’s mind, if she smiled at Chi Yi now, those peach-blossom eyes would likely light up with instant satisfaction.

At the table, Lin Dan and Robot clinked glasses, laughing over some industry gossip. They asked Xie Shaojun if she found it funny.

Distracted, Xie Shaojun answered absentmindedly, only to notice Chi Yi abruptly stand up.

“Where are you going?” Lin Dan asked.

“To the restroom,” Chi Yi replied.

The following days were workdays, and Xie Shaojun stayed busy at the studio.

Qin Wan seized the opportunity to dump a pile of logo design drafts on her.

“Even as the boss, I don’t get a say?” Xie Shaojun glared at her. “Not a single day of peace.”

Qin Wan dragged a chair over and sat across from Xie Shaojun’s desk, pointing to her half-bandaged arm. “You have the nerve to slack off? Look, I’m injured.”

Qin Wan had been hurt when a display stand fell on her at a fashion show two days prior. Claiming it as a work-related injury wasn’t entirely wrong. Xie Shaojun glanced at it silently, tempted to advise her against working so hard at such a young age.

But seeing Qin Wan bustling between fashion shows with her arm in a sling, Xie Shaojun reluctantly flipped through the logo drafts.

“I thought you’d turn down Lancy Media’s show,” Xie Shaojun said, pulling out one of the designs.

Two days ago, Qin Wan had called to ask, and Xie Shaojun had outright refused. That Qin Wan had taken the job anyway was puzzling.

Their eyes met, and Qin Wan looked away guiltily.

“I couldn’t refuse this one,” Qin Wan admitted.

“Why not?” Xie Shaojun gave her a questioning look.

“My ex’s event. Had to show face.”

Qin Wan lit a cigarette, her expression noticeably gloomier at the mention.

Xie Shaojun chuckled but didn’t pry further. She walked over and patted Qin Wan’s shoulder, deliberately steering the conversation elsewhere. “Rumor has it I was your first love… No wonder you never corrected them using me as a shield, huh?”

Qin Wan laughed along. “I wish. But let’s be realistic would someone like you, a rich beauty, ever look my way?”

“Or maybe you could lower your standards and give me a chance.”

The joking ended there. After bringing up a few trivial topics, Qin Wan suddenly said, “Xiao Xie, I’d like to ask you for a favor.”

Xie Shaojun responded with a hum, “Go ahead.”

“Lancy’s show isn’t just about doing my ex-girlfriend a favor. I want to use this show to make a name for our studio in the fashion industry.”

Qin Wan said, “The logo design for the organizers isn’t too difficult, so there’s no need for you to step in personally. Considering that, I took the liberty of accepting the task. But since my arm is injured, showing up in a sling wouldn’t look professional. So on the day of the fashion show, I was wondering if you could accompany me to Nancheng.”

From the perspective of the studio’s development, Xie Shaoyun had no reason to refuse. She asked Qin Wan about the event date and agreed to go with her.

Originally, Xie Shaoyun had planned to have hot pot with Xie Qingcheng that evening, but her sister called late in the day to say she had a work dinner and had to cancel last minute.

Xie Shaoyun then called Xie Zangxing, who sent her a few photos of himself out with his girlfriend.

Xie Shaoyun warned him, “Be nicer to me, or I might just make sure your girlfriend breaks up with you.”

Xie Zangxing quickly replied with a doge meme on WeChat.

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Xie Shaoyun called home instead.

The housekeeper told her that Xie Cheng and Feng Qianqian were attending a charity gala that night.

Suddenly, it seemed like out of all the people she knew in the world, she couldn’t find a single one to have dinner with.

Xie Shaoyun flicked her long, curly hair and stepped into the elevator with a melancholic air.

When she entered, four or five colleagues were already inside.

“Director Xie,” they greeted her.

Xie Shaoyun wasn’t one for aloofness, so she curved her lips into a smile and gave a quiet “Mm” in response.

She stood on the left side of the elevator, while the employees, as if intimidated, huddled in the far right corner.

The clear divide made Xie Shaoyun suddenly nostalgic for her old tattoo studio.

She never put on airs at work, but after her coma, she rarely came to the office. Employees came and went in waves, and it was only natural they treated her with reverence.

But perhaps because she had just returned from Chi Yi’s place accustomed to someone stubbornly insisting on sharing meals, showers, and even sleep with a skeleton, she found it hard to tolerate being alone now.

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Qin Wan walked in, a crossbody bag slung over her shoulder.

Noticing the matte lipstick on Qin Wan’s lips, Xie Shaoyun asked, “You have plans too?”

Qin Wan, ever serious, tucked her short hair behind her ear and smirked. “Ex-girlfriend invited me to dinner. Wanna come?”

“No.”

The elevator stopped at the basement level, and the two stepped out side by side.

Qin Wan, avoiding the other employees, leaned in and whispered to Xie Shaoyun, “Come with me, Xiao Xie.”

Xie Shaoyun stopped walking and gave her a strange look. “What gave you the impression I’d want to third-wheel?”

Qin Wan laughed it off, explaining that her breakup with her ex hadn’t been amicable, and there was no chance of reconciliation. This dinner was purely business, so it definitely wasn’t what Xie Shaoyun was thinking.

Without even lifting her eyes, Xie Shaoyun flatly refused. “I already have plans.”

“You just said no one was free tonight.”

“I do now.” Annoyed, Xie Shaoyun walked toward her parking spot.

“Who with?” Qin Wan pressed.

Before Qin Wan could peek over her shoulder, Xie Shaoyun stepped aside just as her phone rang.

Seizing the moment, Xie Shaoyun pulled out her phone and gave Qin Wan a look that said, See? My date’s calling.

Still oblivious, Qin Wan tried to see who it was. So Xie Shaoyun answered the call and held the phone to her ear.

“When are you arriving?” Xie Shaojun asked directly, pretending to be familiar with the person, though she had no idea who they actually were. At worst, she could explain later after sending Qin Wan away, just a case of mistaken identity.

After a few seconds of silence, the reply came swiftly: “Look to your left, straight ahead.”

An Audi with hazard lights flashing pulled up in front of Xie Shaojun’s parking spot. The window rolled down, revealing Chi Yi inside. “I’m here for a business trip,” she said.

Xie Shaojun noticed Chi Yi’s legs uncomfortably curled up in the back seat. A temporary work stand was set up in front of her, holding a laptop. The dim interior of the car cast a faint glow from the screen, making her face appear as cold and pale as fresh snow.

Since the car blocked their path, Qin Wan quickly recognized Chi Yi. Her pupils dilated momentarily before her eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

In a few quick steps, Qin Wan approached the Audi’s lowered window. From the short distance between them, she greeted Chi Yi: “President Chi, what an honor. We met at the Paris charity gala. I’m Qin Wan, so pleased to see you again.”

Qin Wan handed over a business card, which the driver took for her.

Chi Yi responded with little emotion, barely acknowledging her.

Qin Wan laughed awkwardly. When it came to networking, she had a shameless knack for acting overly familiar.

“Do you have plans with our President Xie tonight?” Qin Wan pressed on. “I have three tickets to a midnight Kunqu opera performance. President Chi, would you honor us with your company?”

Xie Shaojun could tell Chi Yi had no patience for Qin Wan, a disdain that seemed almost instinctive, rooted in some deep-seated prejudice.

Chi Yi coldly rejected her.

“Next time, then,” Qin Wan said, undeterred.

Chi Yi didn’t even respond.

Xie Shaojun found Qin Wan’s persistence painfully awkward and urged her, “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

Qin Wan forced another smile, shooting Xie Shaojun a meaningful look, as if urging her to seize this opportunity to build connections.

Annoyed, Xie Shaojun frowned and told her to leave.

Once Qin Wan was gone, only Xie Shaojun and Chi Yi remained in the parking lot.

Chi Yi stepped out of the car and walked over to Xie Shaojun, glancing at the G-Class behind her.

“Are you driving home?”

Xie Shaojun hummed in agreement.

“Then, could I hitch a ride?” Chi Yi asked.

Xie Shaojun hesitated, not answering immediately.

Chi Yi seemed to take her silence as refusal and didn’t press further. She took a step back, carefully maintaining distance.

Lowering her gaze, she explained softly, “I’m here for work. Nothing else.” Then, as if afraid of upsetting Xie Shaojun, she added, “Don’t be angry. I’ll go.”

As she turned to leave, her shadow stretched long and solitary behind her, making her appear gaunt and lonely.

Somehow, that loneliness seeped into Xie Shaojun too, blurring her own thoughts. Before she knew what she was doing, she called out Chi Yi’s name.

“Have you eaten dinner?”

Chi Yi turned back slowly, blinking away whatever emotion had flickered in her eyes.

She shook her head quickly, almost eagerly.

Chi Yi thought Xie Shaojun might have sensed her sadness. Kind-hearted Xie Shaojun had stopped her to ask if she’d eaten.

Honest and a little aggrieved, Chi Yi admitted, “I thought you’d never speak to me again.”

“Xie Shaojun,” she called out.

Xie Shaojun looked up, and Chi Yi held her gaze, unwavering.

Because she lacked perseverance, the well-behaved Chi Yi from a few days ago measured, proper, and heeding Xie Shaojun’s advice was gone.

Her peach-blossom eyes widened, brimming with warmth as she said to Xie Shaojun, “Can I treat you to a meal? If you don’t want to ”

Xie Shaojun couldn’t help but press further, “And if I don’t want to, what will you do?”

Under the light, Chi Yi lowered her gaze, her slender neck tilting slightly. Xie Shaojun heard her let out an almost imperceptible sigh. She parted her lips but ultimately said nothing more.

Instead, her peach-blossom eyes half-lidded as she looked at Xie Shaojun with an innocent yet forlorn expression.

It was as if she were saying, “I still really want to treat you to a meal.”

For some reason, Xie Shaojun relented.

She said to Chi Yi, “Chi Yi, tonight I want hot pot.”

Chi Yi quickly caught on and nodded eagerly.

Xie Shaojun noticed that Chi Yi didn’t take the initiative to book a table but instead turned to ask if Xie Shaojun had a preferred hot pot place in mind.

Xie Shaojun shook her head, explaining that Xie Qingcheng had originally picked the spot but had stood her up.

Chi Yi thought for a moment, then asked her assistant to look up specialty hot pot restaurants in the city.

After the two settled on a location, they set off by car.

Since Xie Shaojun needed to drive her own car home, she didn’t ride with Chi Yi.

When Xie Shaojun opened her car door, Chi Yi glanced at her rugged G-Class and asked, “Can I ride with you?”

Xie Shaojun eyed her suspiciously. “You want to ride in my car?”

“Aren’t you worried about its safety?”

Chi Yi feigned ignorance with a smile. “Why would I be worried?”

“I’ve checked its safety ratings the deformation and damage rate in collisions, the fatality rate”

Xie Shaojun lifted her gaze, exasperated. “Shut up!”

Qin Wan’s ex-girlfriend is Jian Qing. Sorry, sorry,I’ve been sick lately, maybe with COVID. I’ve been vomiting for three days, had a fever yesterday, and had to go to the ER for an IV at 3 AM this morning. It got so bad my mom wanted to perform some mystical paper-burning ritual for me.

Me: “_”