After My Death, Everyone Repented (Transmigration) - Chapter 52

Visiting hours in the intensive care isolation ward were only half an hour each day.

Xie Qingcheng adjusted the blanket for Xie Shaojun and left the room under the nurse’s urging.

Half an hour after her departure, a nurse entered, removed the IV, adjusted the cardiac monitor by the bedside, jotted down some notes, and then left.

The door clicked shut. In the dimly lit ward, Xie Shaojun struggled to open her eyes, catching only a glimpse of the nurse’s white uniform disappearing down the hallway.

Too weak to speak or move, Xie Shaojun lay flat on the bed, staring at the metal IV pole overhead until exhaustion pulled her back into sleep.

Her soul was unstable, especially after re-entering her body. Fatigue and pain followed relentlessly. Her moments of wakefulness were brief sometimes just a minute, other times she couldn’t even open her eyes.

Four days later, during the family’s visiting hours, Xie Zangxing was wiping Xie Shaojun’s face when a drop of water fell into her eye. Her lashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes.

Startled, Xie Zangxing immediately called for a doctor.

Though slightly more alert, Xie Shaojun was still too exhausted to handle noise. After cooperating with the doctor’s preliminary examination, she closed her eyes and fell asleep again.

When she woke next, Xie Zangxing was still by her side.

While Xie Shaojun slept, she had been moved to a single VIP room, a noticeable improvement from the sterile isolation ward.

Xie Zangxing explained, “Mom and Dad just left. Big Sister has a meeting this afternoon but will come later. I have something to do tonight, so I’ve arranged for a caregiver to look after you. Is that okay?”

Xie Shaojun blinked. Even a simple “Mm” was difficult, so she settled for blinking. Xie Zangxing held a cup of water with a straw to her lips and chided gently, “You just woke up. Don’t strain yourself to speak.”

After taking a few sips, Xie Shaojun watched as Xie Zangxing took the empty cup away to wash it.

The lights flicked on, brightening the room.

With a bit more strength now, Xie Shaojun was propped up slightly as Xie Zangxing adjusted the bed. Sitting by her side, Xie Zangxing recounted events that had happened during her coma, mainly updates on her health and the two-month art exhibition she had been preparing.

“You were in a deep coma for a month. On the day of the exhibition, the artist herself wasn’t present, which caused some stir in the media. But Lin Dan really came through for you, she invited many business elites to support the event. The reception was decent, and two pieces sold.”

Xie Shaojun had been unconscious for so long that it took her a while to process the words before nodding slowly.

Xie Zangxing added, “This hospital was also arranged by Lin Dan.”

“Initially, after you collapsed in Nan City, you were admitted to Central Hospital. But the security there wasn’t great several people kept lurking outside.”

“That woman we met in Sri Lanka, I ran into her once with Mom at the hospital. Jian Qing, the fiancée of the Sui family’s heir, also came by multiple times, probably mistaking you for someone else. She wouldn’t leave. Worried these people would disturb your rest, Lin Dan helped transfer you to this private hospital. The director here is a friend of hers.”

“Remember this favor. Once you recover, take Lin Dan out for a meal. I never realized you two were so close.”

Xie Shaojun looked at Xie Zangxing but ultimately decided not to mention that Lin Dan’s favor was essentially Chi Yi’s favor in disguise.

“Did Chi Yi call you?” Xie Shaoyun’s voice was hoarse, her words slow and halting, taking a long time to string together a complete sentence.

“Why are you asking that?”

Xie Zangxing found Xie Shaoyun’s behavior odd. The first thing she mentioned upon waking up was Chi Yi their relationship was far from the point where she should be bringing her up.

Xie Shaoyun looked back at her, unable to speak. She opened her mouth, but only a raspy sound came out, followed by another bout of coughing so violent it nearly made her retch.

Xie Zangxing refilled a cup with warm water and handed it over, frowning as she watched Xie Shaoyun drink.

She didn’t dare let Xie Shaoyun speak again.

“You want to know if she’s asked about you recently?” Under Xie Zangxing’s probing gaze, Xie Shaoyun nodded frankly.

Xie Zangxing’s expression darkened. She could guess Xie Shaoyun’s thoughts, even back in Sri Lanka, she’d noticed Xie Shaoyun paying unusual attention to Chi Yi.

But liking Chi Yi was inappropriate. Chi Yi already had someone in her heart. The living could never compete with the dead. As Chi Yi’s psychologist, Xie Zangxing had some idea of the depth of that sentiment.

Chi Yi was the last person her little sister should fall for.

Xie Zangxing really didn’t want to answer Xie Shaoyun’s question, but when she saw her sister’s gaunt profile and those pale eyes lifting to wait for a response, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

“Haimi has been discussing loans with Xie Qingcheng. She’s been in contact with our eldest sister more often,” Xie Zangxing said. “But she did call me just now, in fact to ask if you’d woken up.”

“What did you say?”

“I told you not to speak.” Xie Zangxing was annoyed. Expressionlessly, she poured Xie Shaoyun another cup of warm water and told her to sip it slowly to soothe her throat.

Then, enunciating each word, she repeated, “I said you were awake. She said, ‘I wish her a speedy recovery.’”

“That’s all.” Xie Zangxing added, “You care about Chi Yi so much that she’s the first thing you mention when you wake up. But Chi Yi definitely doesn’t care about you. You’ve been hospitalized for so long, and aside from bringing you to the central hospital on the first day, she hasn’t shown up since. She never asked how you were doing. Even now that you’re awake, she only made a polite phone call tonight with a perfunctory well wish.”

Xie Shaoyun let out a soft “Mm,” slowly finishing the water in her cup.

Xie Zangxing emphasized, “Don’t like Chi Yi. Chi Yi could never like you.”

Their eyes met. Xie Shaoyun looked at her second sister but didn’t respond with an “Mm.”

Still exhausted, she didn’t last long enough to see Xie Qingcheng arrive before falling asleep again.

When she woke in the evening, the hospital room felt empty.

The caregiver was on the phone by the window. Xie Shaoyun, feeling slightly better, waited for her to come in.

“What’s the date today?” Xie Shaoyun asked.

The caregiver told her the date before going to heat up some congee for her.

Plain rice congee utterly bland. Xie Shaoyun took two bites before signaling for the caregiver to take it away.

A short while later, the caregiver returned with the same congee, now topped with finely chopped, thoroughly cooked greens and a drop of sesame oil.

Xie Shaoyun silently stared at the caregiver. After a few minutes, she asked, “Where’s Chi Yi?”

The caregiver trembled as she set down the congee, staring at her toes without answering.

But she wasn’t much of an actress. Under Xie Shaoyun’s persistent questioning, she nervously rubbed her pants and admitted the congee had been brought by Chi Yi.

However, it had been delivered four hours ago while Xie Shaoyun was still asleep. Chi Yi had only glanced at her from afar before leaving without a sound.

“There were two servings of congee,” the caregiver explained. “Miss Chi said if you couldn’t stomach the plain one, only then could I heat the vegetable congee for you. But you shouldn’t have too much of it the doctor’s orders, since you just woke up.”

Xie Shaoyun didn’t know what to say. She realized that more than a month had passed since that night at the banquet when Chi Yi had asked her to teach her about love.

Chi Yi was a strong-willed businesswoman, so it was natural for her to assert herself in both words and actions. She would unconsciously use a self-assured, stubborn tone to demand Xie Shaoyun agree to be with her, not even giving her time to reconsider.

Xie Shaoyun had thought Chi Yi would never change her domineering, headstrong determination to be with her. But now, Chi Yi was no longer making decisions unilaterally.

On the night the ragdoll was dissolved by acid, Chi Yi had knelt helplessly on the ground, promising her: “I won’t interfere with your mission, I won’t force us to reconcile. Just stay alive, okay?”

From that day until Xie Shaoyun woke up, Chi Yi had likely kept her word, quietly tucking away her intense, overwhelming love, yielding to the reality of Xie Shaoyun’s life and death.

Just like when she was six years old, Chi Yi had set aside her innate sense of righteousness for a single fever-reducing pill, surrendering to theft.

Something hot welled up in Xie Shaoyun’s eyes, threatening to spill over.

She asked the nurse for her phone and dialed Chi Yi’s number.

Chi Yi answered quickly, but unlike usual, she didn’t immediately launch into a long speech about how wronged she felt. Instead, ragged breaths traveled through the phone line, warm against Xie Shaoyun’s ear.

Neither spoke right away. The silence stretched on for a long time.

Finally, Xie Shaoyun asked, “Where are you?”

“Tokyo,” Chi Yi replied after a pause, suppressing emotions she shouldn’t have been feeling, trying to sound as indifferent and unaffected as possible. “There’s a minor issue at the company. I’ve been busy lately.”

“I see,” Xie Shaoyun said. “Do you” have time?

“Xie Shaoyun!”

Chi Yi didn’t let her finish. Perhaps she didn’t want to hear Xie Shaoyun say something accommodating and polite like, You focus on your work. Because the last time they’d had a conversation like this was the day Xie Shaoyun was diagnosed with cancer.

Chi Yi thought to herself,she could bear not seeing Xie Shaoyun, but she couldn’t bear hearing that kind of exchange again. After that day, she had spent two years trapped in a meaningless existence.

It wasn’t that Xie Shaoyun couldn’t live without Chi Yi. From the very beginning, it had always been Chi Yi who couldn’t live without Xie Shaoyun.

“Xie Shaoyun,” Chi Yi repeated her name.

Xie Shaoyun responded softly, “Hmm?”

Chi Yi asked, “Can you not hang up? I want to keep the call connected.”

When she didn’t get an answer, she asked again, “Is that okay?”

The heat in Xie Shaoyun’s eyes spilled over. She pressed the phone into the blankets.

She thought to herself, maybe she had never truly imagined what it would be like to be with Chi Yi again.

She worried they might still have to endure those bitter, aching waits, that she’d still have to tolerate Chi Yi’s emotionally tone-deaf declarations of love.

But after all those bitter, aching waits, Chi Yi could be so easily delighted and Xie Shaoyun loved seeing Chi Yi happy.

All those times she had softened, all those moments of reluctance, it wasn’t because she was weak-willed or kind-hearted. It was because without Chi Yi, Xie Shaoyun would feel lonely.

Xie Shaoyun wasn’t sure why she had come to this conclusion. She just thought perhaps she had never given Chi Yi enough trust, enough patience, enough unconditional love.

That was why Chi Yi had to struggle so hard to change herself, to bow before the reality of Xie Shaoyun’s life and death.

Xie Shaoyun wanted to say something, but her throat felt dry. On the other end of the line, Chi Yi waited a moment longer before speaking again.

“I have a meeting to attend now,” Chi Yi told her, but made no mention of hanging up the phone.

Xie Shaojun agreed: “Go ahead, don’t hang up.”

Chi Yi’s breath hitched for half a beat. The click of her heels against the floor was deliberately light, as if afraid of disturbing something.

After a long pause, she finally grumbled to Xie Shaojun in a muffled voice, “Honestly, whose heart are you supposed to win this time? Can’t it just always be me?”

Haimi’s independently developed 6nm chip technology had been completed two months prior. At the time, Chi Yi had been planning to go see the ocean.

Feeling that nothing held meaning anymore, she had decided to sell her shares in Haimi. Yet, unwilling to let the Germans acquire the research first, she had kept the 6nm chip development under wraps, hidden within the research team.

But trouble still arose.

Part of Haimi’s early-stage chip data had been stolen once before, and the police recently discovered that another portion remained unaccounted for.

The best solution would have been to publicly announce the success of the 6nm chip research. However, after learning that the missing data had fallen into Jian Qing’s hands, Chi Yi blocked all countermeasures from the team.

As a result, the situation escalated, and Haimi’s stock price plummeted.

The Sui family produced research data from two years ago, somehow manipulating the development timeline.

They sued Haimi, claiming they had collaborated with Haimi’s research team on the lithography chip project, only for CEO Chi to monopolize all credit. They even submitted evidence of Chi Yi’s alleged mistreatment of subordinates over the years.

Chi Yi herself became entangled in the scandal, facing lawsuits as the company’s stock continued to nosedive. Over the past month, clients had defected, with several former partners switching to the Sui family’s new chip ventures.

The trip to Tokyo was crucial, a high-stakes meeting to salvage Haimi’s export market in Japan.

Yet she refused to use the 6nm chip technology as a bargaining chip.

Instead, during the meeting, she outlined the company’s structure, product quality, market positioning, and digitalized operational model to demonstrate Haimi’s growth prospects and mutual benefits for potential partners.

The three-hour-long meeting yielded mixed results. On the positive side, the overseas market was temporarily stabilized. On the downside, Chi Yi couldn’t return home immediately, she still had to fly to France for further negotiations.

The partners remained cautious, withholding commitments for next year’s chip orders until they saw whether Chi Yi could clear her name.

As Chi Yi stepped out of the office, Chief Engineer Jiang followed, hesitating before speaking.

“CEO Chi, why haven’t you disclosed the new technology?”

“To uproot the problem entirely,” Chi Yi replied cryptically. She pulled out her phone and noticed the call with Xie Shaojun had automatically disconnected after sixty minutes. Two new messages from Xie Shaojun appeared.

Chi Yi had expected Xie Shaojun to ask, “How did you find out I was a Tasker?”

But Xie Shaojun didn’t.

Instead, the messages read:

“My task was to make you hate and despise me.”

“I died because I once loved you so, so much.”

The phone clattered to the floor. Chi Yi slowly crouched down to pick it up. The designer beside her asked if she was alright.

She didn’t answer, staring blankly at the shattered screen, the blurred words holding her gaze for a long, long time.

Column Pre-order, Check it Out, Lovelies: “After Playing Dead, I Got Exposed (Quick Transmigration)”

The so-called stand-in for the white moonlight must adhere to the following two professional ethics:

1.Even if blessed with breathtaking beauty and unparalleled talent, one must not outshine the protagonist. Instead, dim your brilliance and willingly play the role of a dim-witted background character to highlight the female lead’s purity, kindness, and beauty.

2.Abandon the noble, righteous values of a task-taker, accept handouts, and stoop to playing a gold-digging, scheming freeloader in front of the female lead.

After receiving her quick-transmigration mission from the system, Sheng Zhiying’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she cheerfully accepted: “No problem at all. I can totally play this role in my natural state.”

Later, not only did Sheng Zhiying flawlessly complete the system’s tasks, but she also voluntarily took her exit in the most dramatic ways possible embracing the female lead in a tragic death scene via car accidents, terminal illness, heart attacks, and more.

System: Damn, she’s ruthless.

But no one could have predicted that her over the top performances would backfire.

Sheng Zhiying became the unforgettable obsession of every female lead across the dimensions, driving them to forsake love entirely.

After ten consecutive worlds collapsed due to her antics, the main system’s data went haywire. Left with no choice, it urgently recalled Sheng Zhiying, who had been thriving in her missions back to her original world to “fix” the emotionally scarred female lead.

Returning to her original world, Sheng Zhiying found that the white moonlight stand-in was long dead in the female lead’s heart. Now a high-ranking, psychologically twisted figure, the female lead was nearly impossible to approach.

Stuck with a terrible starting hand, unable to reveal her identity as a reformed offender, Sheng Zhiying had no choice but to grind relentlessly. She shed her laziness, showcased her talents, climbed the social ladder, and infiltrated the female lead’s inner circle.

On the day her identity was exposed, the pure and kind hearted female lead gripped Sheng Zhiying’s sleeve, eyes red-rimmed: “Tell me, what do I lack compared to her?”

Just as Sheng Zhiying was about to say, You’re broke.

The door swung open. The accomplished, coldly elegant female lead leaned against the frame, her long hair cascading to her waist. With half-lidded eyes, she cast a disdainful glance, looking every bit like she’d caught them in the act, and scoffed:

“ Everything. ”

World 1: After the freeloading, academically hopeless stand-in died in the arms of the aloof top student, the high-achieving genius swore off love forever.

World 2: After the lazy, gold digging phoenix girl died in the arms of the bipolar rich heiress, the latter reclaimed her family fortune and renounced romance.

World 3: After the spiritually crippled immortal noble died in the arms of the righteous paragon, the fallen immortal master turned to demonic cultivation, forsaking love.

World 4: Entertainment industry.

Remaining worlds to be determined.