After My Death, Everyone Repented (Transmigration) - Chapter 43.1

One day in August, Chi Yi met with Lawrence in Lyon.

The negotiation scene was far from harmonious.

Lawrence presented a series of demands for breach-of-contract compensation and informed Chi Yi that if these demands were not met, he would preserve the evidence and continue to file a lawsuit in court.

Chi Yi sat across from him and forwarded Lawrence’s demands to her lawyer.

Not long after, her assistant handed her the lawyer’s callback, whispering it into her ear.

“Wait a moment,” Chi Yi asked Lawrence to hold on.

A short while later.

Lawrence couldn’t take it anymore and slammed the folder onto the table, shouting at her, “Chi Yi, can you hang up the damn phone?”

Chi Yi glanced at him sideways. Lawrence said expressionlessly, “My God, is there really anyone in this world who can tolerate you? In a formal apology setting, wouldn’t it be proper social etiquette to at least lower your stance a little and apologize?”

The call was nearing its end. After listening to the lawyer’s explanation, Chi Yi straightened up, rested her elbows on the documents they were about to sign, and assumed a negotiating posture.

She answered Lawrence’s question seriously: “Because you raised excessive compensation demands mid-negotiation, some of which I wasn’t entirely clear on, I needed to consult my lawyer to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. I thought this demonstrated respect for you.”

“Then what’s the result of your discussion?”

“The sale period for Haimi’s shares was from July 3rd to July 22nd. After your side contacted us by phone to purchase the shares, I agreed and acknowledged it, so we reached an oral agreement.”

“But according to the normal sales deadline, you failed to appear that day, which counts as voluntarily forfeiting once. Later, after an extension, we negotiated again and reached another oral agreement. Due to personal reasons, I didn’t appear at the negotiation, which also counts as voluntarily forfeiting.”

Chi Yi walked Lawrence through the entire process of their share sale agreement and then asked him, “So both sides breached the contract once. Based on the grounds for your lawsuit, wouldn’t I also have the same right to file a compensation claim against you?”

Lawrence was left speechless. He took a deep breath, stared at her for a long moment, and finally said, “As expected of President Chi. Do you always act so self-righteous and argue every point with everyone?”

Chi Yi smiled, her demeanor not the least bit impolite, as if the sharp-tongued, unyielding version of herself from moments ago had never existed. She appeared elegant, aloof, and detached.

The chair scraped back as Lawrence stood up rather ungentlemanly from across the table. He stormed off a few steps, his round-toe leather shoes stomping on the floor as if he wanted to crush Chi Yi’s head underfoot.

Chi Yi didn’t seem to care much, not even furrowing her brow as she continued working. She was genuinely busy no sooner had she hung up than her phone rang again.

The ringtone infuriated Lawrence. He abruptly turned back, strode to the table, and cursed at her in flawless French, telling her no one could possibly tolerate her personality.

After Lawrence left, Chi Yi sat by the window, methodically taking two more calls.

She then opened her laptop and dealt with an urgent document that required immediate review.

Her assistant, thinking she was done and about to leave, stood nearby and asked if she wanted to wait for the court session next.

Chi Yi didn’t answer. Her cursor hovered over a single spot on the screen, unmoving for a long time.

At first, Chi Yi didn’t think Lawrence’s spiteful taunts could affect her. But after finishing the urgent documents…

The delayed emotional reflex arc, slower than most, transmitted Lawrence’s harsh critique “No one could stand her” through every nerve ending, sending a shiver down Chi Yi’s entire body.

Her heart ached faintly, thinking that Lawrence’s judgment, or perhaps the world’s judgment of her, was far too absolute.

She wasn’t someone who could always be self-righteous, argumentative, or demanding perfection with everyone.

For example, Xie Shaoyun.

Xie Shaoyun used to do all sorts of things that outsiders saw as idle and rebellious, putting on quite the act.

But in Chi Yi’s eyes, Xie Shaoyun wasn’t truly happy pretending to be vicious, pretending to be a bad woman.

Because when Xie Shaoyun squared off against street thugs, her insults never went beyond the same few phrases: “Got nothing better to do?” “You’re insane.” “Get lost.” There were no harsher words than that.

She was always caught in a contradiction maintaining her tough-girl image while secretly making up for it with acts of surprising kindness.

For years, Chi Yi couldn’t understand why she was like that. So she’d tell her: Don’t go to bars, don’t smash bottles, don’t act drunk and rowdy… Don’t wander under neon lights, projecting that aimless image.

Chi Yi had said it many times Don’t do this, don’t do that. Sometimes Xie Shaoyun listened, sometimes she didn’t.

When it happened too often, Chi Yi would get angry. She felt Xie Shaoyun was forcing herself to play the villain.

Perhaps in those moments of anger, Chi Yi came closest to embodying Lawrence’s description of her unbearable, unyielding, unfeeling.

But every time Chi Yi got upset, Xie Shaoyun would walk over, take her hand, kiss her lips, and then, with an apologetic smile, say, “Sorry, Chi Yi. I guess I’m just a little rebellious.”

Her reply was lazy, not entirely honest. With Chi Yi’s personality, she should have argued, dissected right from wrong, but in the end, she never pressed further.

Xie Shaoyun would stand close, her hand drifting lower, watching Chi Yi with those puppy-dog eyes curved in a smile.

And at that point, Chi Yi would drop it. Whatever she was doing, she’d set it aside.

Her usual standards for behavior couldn’t fully apply to Xie Shaoyun. Because even if Xie Shaoyun was a real fraud, she was a fraud who radiated warmth and kindness, someone whose very existence defied Chi Yi’s strict expectations of how people should act.

But the parts where Xie Shaoyun did compromise, that was probably all she could give.

When Chi Yi told her not to do bad things, Xie Shaoyun would hesitate, frown, agonize, but most of the time, she’d listen. Only rarely would she refuse.

And those rare moments when she didn’t obey? Chi Yi could sense that even that was Xie Shaoyun giving her all.

On the second day of her business trip in France, Chi Yi attended an auction with Lin Dan. By sheer coincidence, one of the pieces up for bidding was a traditional Chinese painting by the young artist Xie Haoyun,created four years ago.

After Chi Yi won the bid, the price left Lin Dan stunned.

She asked, “Was that really necessary? Burning money for fun?”

Chi Yi replied, “It was always hers.”

Even after the divorce, Xie Shaoyun was entitled to half of Chi Yi’s assets.

Lin Dan had no retort. She sat up straight and called Chi Yi’s name, her tone unusually serious.

“Chi Yi, I’ve warned you before. Xiao Xie may resemble your ex-wife, but they’re not the same person. If you’re looking for a substitute and trying to pursue her this way.”

Lin Dan said to her, “That’s truly despicable, and I won’t allow it here.”

Chi Yi wasn’t particularly angry. She finished handling the email in silence, then looked up and said to Lin Dan, “She’s not a substitute.”

“You like her?” Lin Dan gave Chi Yi a thorough once-over. Chi Yi didn’t respond.

Someone knocked on the door, interrupting their conversation.

Chi Yi called for them to enter. It was an auction staff member who explained the purpose of the visit the purchased painting required the buyer’s name for registration. Chi Yi handed over a card and wrote Lin Dan’s name in the buyer’s column.

“Why put my name?”

Chi Yi thought for a moment and said, “If it’s under your name, she won’t feel awkward.”

“You like her so much, yet you pretended not to know her the other day,” Lin Dan remarked.

Chi Yi didn’t reply, but she didn’t deny her feelings for Xie Shaoyun either.

That evening, they had dinner together at an Italian restaurant.

Xie Qingcheng called Lin Dan, who mentioned she was having dinner with Chi Yi.

“Cough!” Xie Qingcheng choked on her water, coughing several times. “Just the two of you?”

“Of course,” Lin Dan replied, puzzled. They had come to France on this business trip together, so naturally, it was just them.

Xie Qingcheng misunderstood and asked, “Dan, did you come out to your mom?”

“What do you mean?” Lin Dan asked.

Xie Qingcheng said, “Exactly what you think. Don’t play dumb. Not long ago, I had hot pot with Chi Yi, and she mentioned she liked someone and was testing the waters. I never thought it’d be you! Even rabbits don’t eat the grass by their burrow. Damn, what a beast.”

Lin Dan wished she could stab Xie Qingcheng’s narrow little eyes with her chopsticks. She glanced at Chi Yi, who had already finished her meal. Her lashes were lowered, and her gold-rimmed glasses reflected the light, casting a hazy mist over her face.

She was replying to emails and hadn’t noticed the conversation.

Her sharp chin and the contours of her profile accentuated her cold, delicate beauty.

She really was a beast coveting her friend’s younger sister. Absolutely shameless.

Though Lin Dan had once harbored thoughts about Xie Shaoyun too, she had only been joking.

As the sole heir of the Lin family for nine generations, Lin Dan only dared to play around, never actually causing harm.

Thinking about how the “beast” Chi Yi had her eyes on Xie Qingcheng’s sister, Lin Dan couldn’t help but stir up trouble.

“If we really had that intention, why don’t you share some dating tips?”

Xie Qingcheng actually believed her and scolded them for keeping it a secret.

“Don’t ask me. I’ve never been in a relationship.”

“Your sister has. She must have experience.”

Xie Qingcheng said, “Xie Zangxing?”

“Forget her. Psychology doctors are usually too skilled their dating experience isn’t relatable for normal people.”

“What about your youngest sister?” Lin Dan asked.

Xie Qingcheng laughed in exasperation. “How old is my youngest sister? What experience could she possibly have?”

“Twenty-six. That’s not young. Never dated?”

“No,” Xie Qingcheng said. “Huh, now that you mention it, Feng Qianqian brought it up last time, seems like they’re planning to set her up on a blind date soon.”

“Oh?” Lin Dan said. “A blind date? Why don’t you share some tips with your older sisters?”

“Get lost,” Xie Qingcheng retorted. “What kind of experience does a playgirl need?”

Lin Dan opened her mouth to argue, but her phone was abruptly snatched by Chi Yi. Under the light, Chi Yi stood quietly beside Lin Dan, her expression unreadable. It was unclear how much she had overheard.

Holding the phone, she silently asked Xie Qingcheng, “Is she going along with the family’s arrangements?”

Xie Qingcheng replied, “Accept it,” “What’s the matter?”

For a moment, Chi Yi’s heart felt as if it had been violently thrown into a washing machine, shattered along with the foam, subjected to intense, rapid, and relentless churning. That subtle, needle-like pain was magnified infinitely.

Mixed within it were Chi Yi’s love and hatred, confusion and panic.

Chi Yi wasn’t entirely sure what else she could do.

But she also had absolutely no way to accept or bless Xie Shaoyun as she embarked on a new romance.

Perhaps Xie Shaoyun’s love had only ever been a small part of her life, but for Chi Yi, her love encompassed all four seasons of her existence, the unending cycle of day and night.

Chi Yi didn’t quite know how to express these feelings, no one had ever taught her. And by the time she wanted to learn, Xie Shaoyun was no longer willing to wait for her.

The hotel was at a crossroads not far from the restaurant. Chi Yi and Lin Dan took the elevator together, though their floors were different. When the elevator reached the 19th floor, Lin Dan bid Chi Yi goodbye.

Chi Yi said farewell in return.

As the elevator doors closed, she caught the hesitant expression on Lin Dan’s face.

Chi Yi didn’t say anything. When she reached the 20th floor, she inserted her keycard.

After showering and stepping out, she received a text from Lin Dan: “Do you really like her?”

“Do you want me to help?”