After My Death, Everyone Repented (Transmigration) - Chapter 48

For about three minutes, Xie Shaoyun remained silent.

She took a tissue from her bag and handed it to Chi Yi. However, Chi Yi likely didn’t want to admit that her eyes were damp, so she didn’t take it.

So, Xie Shaoyun withdrew the tissue pack, pulled out a fresh one, and gently wiped away the faint traces of tears at the corners of Chi Yi’s eyes.

Her fingertips brushed against Chi Yi’s cheek it was icy cold.

Chi Yi had been standing by the vent, and it was unclear how long she had been there.

Her face was even colder than Xie Shaoyun’s hand.

At this point, Xie Shaoyun didn’t want to wait any longer. She said to Chi Yi, “Don’t stand here. Let’s go.”

She withdrew her fingers, preparing to leave with Chi Yi.

But after just a few steps, her wrist was suddenly grasped by Chi Yi.

Xie Shaoyun turned to look at her but didn’t pull away. After a moment, her gaze shifted to the skull necklace hanging around Chi Yi’s neck.

The necklace gleamed under the light, its crude and cheap craftsmanship starkly out of place against Chi Yi’s high-end attire.

If Xie Shaoyun’s guess was correct, Chi Yi had draped clothing over the back of the skull pendant to prevent Xie Shaoyun, should her soul ever transfer into it again, from being jostled by Chi Yi’s collarbone.

Yet, at the same time, Xie Shaoyun was well aware that, aside from serving as a vessel for her wandering soul, this skull necklace held another layer of meaning for Chi Yi.

In fact, Chi Yi owned another necklace of the same design.

There was one key difference the two necklaces were engraved with the names “Xiao Chi” and “No. 1” on the back of the skull pendants, markings that were hard to notice unless examined closely.

The one Chi Yi wore around her neck belonged to No. 1, while her own was carefully stored in a safe. Every year, on the anniversary of their first meeting, Chi Yi would take it out and meticulously clean away nonexistent dust, treating it with utmost care.

“Only when you truly love someone do you treasure the things they give you,” Xie Shaoyun murmured, staring at the skull necklace around Chi Yi’s neck.

Rather than answering Chi Yi’s earlier question, she posed one of her own: “Last time at the cemetery, Jian Qing threw this at you and said she wasn’t No. 1”

Xie Shaoyun asked, “Have you found No. 1 yet?”

A long silence followed.

The night provided perfect cover, like a vast shroud sealing off the outside world, enclosing Chi Yi and Xie Shaoyun in a space that belonged only to them.

Chi Yi froze her expression, her movements, even her breath grew faint.

Xie Shaoyun waited for a while, then decided Chi Yi wasn’t going to answer. She pulled her hand free and said, “Never mind. Let’s go.”

The driver had parked the car right in front of the show venue. When he saw the two approaching, he stepped out of the driver’s seat and moved to open the rear door for them.

Xie Shaoyun gestured for Chi Yi to get in first, intending to follow.

Chi Yi glanced at her several times, walking slowly.

Distracted, she bumped her leg against the unfolded work desk in the backseat.

Hissing in pain, she barely reacted until Xie Shaoyun slid in beside her and asked, “Did you hit your leg? Does it hurt?”

Only then did Chi Yi snap out of her daze, her tone slightly brighter as she replied, “A little. But it’s fine it’ll heal by morning.”

Normally, when Chi Yi said she was fine, no one would doubt her.

In most people’s eyes, Chi Yi was steady, reliable, and exceptional, whatever she said was taken as fact, and people would simply listen with deference.

No one would think Chi Yi needed care. When she said it didn’t hurt, it was only natural, she was telling the truth. She had succeeded effortlessly in everything since childhood; she shouldn’t be like ordinary people. She shouldn’t feel pain.

Chi Yi sat in the corner of the car, one leg curled limply beneath her. Her expression showed no sign of suffering.

But Xie Shaojun ignored the calm on her face.

“Fine. It doesn’t hurt,” Xie Shaojun replied to Chi Yi.

Then, as Chi Yi’s gaze followed her, she lazily yawned and asked the driver for the first aid kit.

Chi Yi was taken aback.

Xie Shaojun carried the kit in her left hand and crouched beside Chi Yi, frowning as she asked if she could still move. When Chi Yi said yes, Xie Shaojun told her to roll up her wide-leg pants.

Chi Yi’s gaze burned, but Xie Shaojun ignored it.

After a moment, the pants were pulled up, and Xie Shaojun glanced at Chi Yi’s calf. The skin there was frighteningly red from the impact, likely because it was so pale.

Regular alcohol disinfection wouldn’t be enough. After a quick clean, Xie Shaojun instructed the driver to stop at the next intersection.

“Puppy, I didn’t mean to trouble you,” Chi Yi caught her hand, the overly intimate nickname slipping out completely inappropriate for their current relationship.

Xie Shaojun froze.

If they hadn’t broken up, if there hadn’t been life-and-death separations, if they had just cleared up the misunderstandings and started over this was how they should have been.

It had been too long since Chi Yi had felt this kind of genuine happiness with Xie Shaojun by her side, as if they had returned to the normal rhythm of their love from two years ago.

The long missing piece, once torn apart, was easily filled again, instantly bringing Chi Yi a sense of bliss.

She didn’t want to let go of Xie Shaojun’s hand. Looking at her, she said, “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Xie Shaojun lowered her lashes, meeting her eyes.

Chi Yi couldn’t take it. She tugged Xie Shaojun’s arm, and just as the driver slammed on the brakes, she used just a little force to pull Xie Shaojun right on top of her.

All of Xie Shaojun’s weight pressed into Chi Yi. Her peach-blossom eyes softened, her body warm and pliant, her breathing quickening.

Falling forward, Xie Shaojun was pressed flush against Chi Yi, whose figure was elegant but not as striking as Xie Shaojun’s. Xie Shaojun had well-defined abs, a toned waist, and curves that, without clothes, were even more tantalizingly soft and resilient.

Chi Yi leaned in closer, removing her glasses, her gaze fixed on Xie Shaojun’s lips as she couldn’t resist the urge to kiss her.

“Who taught you this? I never knew you could be so shameless,” Xie Shaojun braced herself against Chi Yi’s shoulders, tilting her head to the side to avoid the kiss, but she didn’t truly refuse, because Chi Yi whispered, “I found it.”

“Whether you’re the one or not, I’ll only ever love you.”

The driver pulled over at the intersection ahead, announcing that the pharmacy had arrived.

Still tangled together, Chi Yi reached for the remote, and the smart partition in the back seat rose. She dismissed the driver to buy the medicine.

Once the driver left, the car fell silent. The dim streetlights cast a hazy glow over Chi Yi’s cool, elegant features, while the flickering city lights danced in her eyes.

Xie Shaojun leaned close to Chi Yi, their gazes locking at close range. Without her glasses, Chi Yi’s eyes lost some of their usual intimidating sharpness. The corners of her eyes were long and narrow, her eyelids slightly overlapping. Though her nearsightedness blurred her vision, she stubbornly kept her eyes fixed on Xie Shaojun.

For some reason, Xie Shaojun ended up kissing Chi Yi for a long time. She pressed Chi Yi’s hand against the glass window, their breaths mingling it was hard to tell whose was hotter.

After what felt like an eternity, Chi Yi began breathing strangely, her gaze burning as she looked at Xie Shaojun. Her lips were swollen from the kiss, yet she still sought more.

Xie Shaojun briefly wondered if she was being too cruel.

So she steadied her breathing, letting reason take over, and gently pushed Chi Yi away, breaking the kiss.

Neither spoke immediately. Chi Yi rested her head on Xie Shaojun’s shoulder, the two of them sitting in an embrace. Softly panting near Xie Shaojun’s ear, she murmured, “You can’t say you don’t like me now, can you? Does this mean you’ll take responsibility for me?”

Chi Yi was scavenging for any scrap of evidence that Xie Shaojun still cared for her, as if only that could ease her heart. Her intentions were blatant, her gaze scorching, yet it carried the purity and sincerity that Xie Shaojun had always loved.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” Chi Yi said after a while. “Teach me, won’t you?”

Xie Shaojun shook her head.

The wise do not fall into love’s river.

Xie Shaojun was no sage. Her last failed relationship proved she wasn’t particularly skilled at love herself. She hadn’t even figured things out for herself, how could she teach Chi Yi?

Still, unlike last time, when she had turned and walked away after being entangled in a heated kiss, this time she kept her eyes on Chi Yi, leaving the other woman puzzled.

After a moment, Chi Yi averted her gaze and asked softly, “Not even a little consideration?”

“I am considering it,” Xie Shaojun replied, not wanting to hide the truth from her.

From their current circumstances, adult relationships didn’t leave much room for overthinking certain factors family, environment, wealth, or systems.

It was more about personal willingness stay together if they liked each other, part ways if they didn’t.

Before meeting Chi Yi, Xie Shaojun hadn’t been the type to dwell on things. But afterward, she became entangled in hesitation.

All sorts of unfamiliar emotions surfaced good and bad making her feel more stifled than happy, more conflicted than carefree.

She had thought that giving up on Chi Yi would return her to her old, whole self. But the truth was, from the moment she made that decision whether half a month ago or two years prior, she had never been happy.

Once she realized that, none of the messy complications could outweigh the reluctance to let go of what she still felt.

By the time Xie Shaojun returned to the fashion show to find Chi Yi, most of her hesitation had already faded. There was just one last thing to confirm.

“Have you eaten yet?” Xie Shaojun asked.

The question made Chi Yi turn her gaze back, a flicker of emotion in her eyes. Her mood lifted slightly.

She shook her head quickly. “No.”

Xie Shaojun smiled. Through the rearview mirror, she saw the driver returning with medicine, standing under the streetlamp where moths fluttered in the dim, hazy light.

Staring for a while, her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

She made to move away from Chi Yi.

It had been so long since Chi Yi had been this close to her, she wasn’t ready to part so soon.

So she whispered into Xie Shaojun’s ear, “I wear the necklace because I was afraid you might appear inside the skull.”

Xie Shaojun replied, “I know.”

Their eyes met, and Chi Yi held Xie Shaojun tightly, her breath brushing against Xie Shaojun’s ear and nose.

The shampoo carried a faint freesia scent, light and subtly feminine.

Xie Shaojun loved the fragrance, so she didn’t push her away.

“That birthday, if you hadn’t gotten angry, you could have had the cake I ordered for you in Beicheng. Ever since we met, we spent every birthday together, except after that year. I never celebrated with you again.”

“When Dami called, I said I was busy, but I regretted it immediately after.”

Chi Yi told Xie Shaojun, “I called you back, but Jian Qing answered. She said you’d left your phone at home, so I went to get it for you. Then she told me the necklace was hers. I didn’t believe her and investigated the whole thing.”

Xie Shaojun said, “I see,” then added, “Alright, no need to explain further.”

But Chi Yi stubbornly held onto Xie Shaojun’s hand, determined to finish the story.

“Jian Qing tracked my movements, arrived in Shanmian County right after me, and staged a ‘coincidental’ meeting. I saw through her act immediately. Her performance was clumsy, she wore a mask the whole time. Because she was your foster sister, I didn’t do anything to her. Even when the investigation confirmed she was No. 1, I only planned to help her as a friend.”

“The last time we met before you died, I wasn’t there to confirm whether you were No. 1. I just wanted to hear you say you regretted it, that you didn’t want a divorce. But instead, you pushed me toward Jian Qing.”

“You shouldn’t always believe what I say.” Chi Yi spoke in an eerily calm tone. “I never mistook you for someone else. I never wanted to separate from you even if you didn’t love me much back then, even if you only saw me as a mission target”

“What?” Xie Shaojun abruptly looked up, but before she could read Chi Yi’s expression, her soul was violently torn away. Dizziness overwhelmed her in an instant.

It felt like being tossed inside a washing machine. After what felt like an eternity, she heard the crisp shatter of a glass hitting the floor.

“Xie Shaojun left with Chi Yi in her car.”

“Yeah, seems like we won’t be able to invite Xiao Xie out tonight.”

“What’s wrong, Jian Qing?”

Jian Qing propped herself up, looking slightly dizzy.

“Then why did you drink so much?”

“This show is the first major event the Sui family entrusted to me it’s both a transfer of authority and a test. I couldn’t take it lightly.”

“I don’t get why you’re taking on so much.”

Jian Qing didn’t respond immediately, pausing to steady herself before saying, “Chi Yi is loyal and principled. She doesn’t fall for just anyone. So why did she leave early to take Xie Shaojun home?”

“Hard to say.”

“Chi Yi treats Xiao Xie differently. Last time, outside the company, she invited Xiao Xie for hotpot. When I suggested we all go to Kunqu opera instead, Chi Yi looked at me with hostility.”

Pushing a friend’s novel: The Delicate Villainess is Too Clingy by He Weifeng

Li Shuyu transmigrated into a novel, becoming the malicious cannon fodder with the same name a character who drove the female antagonist to darkness before meeting an early demise.

The original host was of royal bloodline, her mother a fallen princess who, fearing her daughter would face calamity, forced the emperor to send her out of the palace by threatening suicide. Thus, she became the legitimate daughter of a high-ranking official surnamed Li.

Knowing the truth, the Li family the official, his wife, and mother doted on the original host excessively, fueling her arrogance and tyranny. Not only did she go out daily to cause trouble, but she also frequently bullied the family’s illegitimate daughter, subjecting her to beatings, insults, and humiliation. The lowly status of the illegitimate daughter left her with no protection, and the household turned a blind eye to her suffering. After years of torment, she finally snapped, stabbing the royal-blooded original host to death and framing the novel’s female lead, thus becoming the villainess who added obstacles to the protagonists’ love story. In the end, her crime of killing her legitimate sister was exposed, and the emperor, heartbroken, secretly sentenced her to a gruesome execution.

When Li Shuyu transmigrated into this world, she arrived just in time to witness the original host pushing the villainess into the water. She watched as the girl struggled to survive, barely rescued, wrapped in a thin robe, her lips trembling and eyes brimming with tears, gazing at her with a mix of fear and grievance.

Li Shuyu was stunned, what kind of hellish scenario was this?!

The next second, the villainess spoke in a fragile, trembling voice, like a delicate white flower, “Third Miss, I didn’t mean to dirty your clothes. Please don’t be angry. From now on, I won’t touch you again.”

Li Shuyu: I’m the worst.

Villainess? What villainess? There wasn’t a trace of a villainess in her, she was clearly Li Shuyu’s delicate, helpless sweetheart!

(The two female leads are not related by blood.)