After My Death, Everyone Repented (Transmigration) - Chapter 55.2

After several rounds of drinks, Xie Shaojun asked Zhu Sicheng why he hadn’t handed the voice recorder to the police or exposed it to the media back then.

A complicated expression flickered across Zhu Sicheng’s face. He downed his glass in one gulp and told her,

“I did report it. But aside from my family, no one could hear the recording’s contents.”

“It was as if Jian Qing’s malicious intentions had been erased by something.”

Only Zhu Sicheng and his family, as the involved parties, had heard the recording.

Later, Chi Yi sought him out. With nothing left to lose, Zhu Sicheng played the recording for her, not expecting her to hear anything, but she did.

“She asked me for the recorder. I refused many times. Then, during our last meeting, she brought a notebook to show me. I couldn’t see what was written inside. Her expression turned strange, and she asked me, ‘Why did Xie Shaojun want to die? Was it her choice, or was she forced toward death?'”

“What did you say?”

“I said, of course she was forced. Little Xie would never take her own life.”

The conversation lapsed into silence at this point. After a long pause, Xie Shaojun asked Zhu Sicheng when he had handed the voice recorder to Chi Yi.

Zhu Sicheng provided the date June of this year, one month before Chi Yi made her decision to go see the ocean.

This plunged Xie Shaojun into silence once more. She pressed Zhu Sicheng for details about the notebook Chi Yi had produced.

“It was locked with a six-digit passcode: 111111.

The cover bore the name of the notebook’s owner: No. 1. Miss Chi said it contained the fleeting glimpses of someone’s life, but no one else could see it.”

That night, Xie Shaojun stayed in a hotel, scouring her memory for any recollection of the notebook’s contents. Yet, there was a segment of her memory that remained inaccessible, she had no idea what she had written in that notebook.

Chi Yi was convinced that Xie Shaojun was a “task-taker,” and it was related to the notebook.

Recalling how Chi Yi had repeatedly asked her, “Who are you trying to win over this time?” Xie Shaojun suspected Chi Yi must have seen something.

They had reconciled for two months now, but Chi Yi had never brought up the subject. Xie Shaojun could tell she was deeply resistant to it, so she didn’t push her.

Early the next morning, Xie Shaojun returned to Sijiu City.

Xie Zangxing mentioned that Damei wanted to see her, but Xie Shaojun was already at the airport and suggested meeting at their grandmother’s birthday banquet instead.

Then, Chi Yi’s video call came through.

She accused Xie Shaojun of not answering her calls the previous night.

Xie Shaojun quickly apologized and deftly changed the subject, asking Chi Yi, “Are you back in France?”

Chi Yi hummed in affirmation, saying she was at the Barton Winery and would be hosting British guests that evening.

“Would you like to see my estate?”

“Sure.”

The estate spanned five to six hundred acres, vast in scale.

The expansive vineyard was tended by professionals, but the ground was muddy from the previous night’s rain, making it difficult to venture far.

Chi Yi simply walked around the perimeter of the estate and asked Xie Shaojun, “Would you like some wine?”

“The grapes used were from the vines I planted myself,” Chi Yi added, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear for emphasis.

Xie Shaojun was taken aback and momentarily fell silent, as she hadn’t imagined Chi Yi would have the time to plant grapes.

They continued the video call, the screen shaking several times as Chi Yi presumably walked deeper into the estate.

A few minutes later, she conversed with a vineyard worker in French, and the screen stabilized.

Xie Shaojun’s view now included rows of grapevines. Chi Yi pointed to the most flourishing ones, plucking a large, deep-purple grape and explaining, “These are the ones I planted. But when I’m not in France for work, the vineyard workers take care of them.”

Xie Shaojun examined them closely and remarked, “They seem to be thriving.”

“I’ve never heard you mention this estate before,” she casually asked. “It feels like it’s been around for a while, did you buy it in the last couple of years?”

Chi Yi said no, her gaze lingering on Xie Shaojun. After a pause,

“Then when?” Xie Shaojun asked, puzzled.

“The year we fell in love,” Chi Yi replied, her eyes fixed on Xie Shaojun’s face, studying her reaction to ensure she wouldn’t be upset.

Only then did she continue slowly, “On your twenty-first birthday, we were watching a global documentary. You saw a fleeting shot of an estate on TV and said you were too poor then, but you’d work hard to earn enough money to buy one in France someday. so we could retire there together.”

“At the time, Haimi happened to have a contract manufacturing plant in France. I would spend two months a year there on business trips. The estate was just a thirty-minute drive from the factory. Once, a business partner brought me here, and I found the environment quite pleasant. Plus, you’ve always enjoyed drinking, and alcohol out there isn’t always safe. A little red wine is good for a woman’s beauty and complexion. So I bought it, thinking I’d tell you once the grapevines grew lush, I knew you’d love it.”

“On your twenty-fourth birthday, the grapes were thriving, clusters of deep purple fruit hanging heavy and ready to be picked. The steward said it was time to bring the other owner home, but, ” Chi Yi paused, lowering her gaze to avoid Xie Shaojun’s eyes, her voice softening. “I lost you before I could say anything.”

Xie Shaojun stayed silent for a long moment, her breathing light.

Her quietness made Chi Yi uneasy.

So she explained in a measured tone, “You’re giving me all your savings, so technically, this estate is yours. Does that work?”

Xie Shaojun used to think Chi Yi gave too little emotional feedback in their relationship, that what she offered never matched what Xie Shaojun gave.

It had exhausted her.

Even if they got back together, Chi Yi would still assert herself, sometimes with the calculated demeanor of a business negotiator making demands of Xie Shaojun.

Like a weight dragging at her feet, pulling her down.

But now Xie Shaojun realized she had pinned too many absolute labels on Chi Yi.

Even if Chi Yi truly didn’t have an abundance of effortless, romantic emotions to sustain a love story, she had still mapped out their past, present, and distant future in this relationship.

She remembered every offhand remark Xie Shaojun made, then meticulously calculated their path forward exactly as Xie Shaojun would have wanted.

Because Chi Yi rarely spoke of it, Xie Shaojun had never known this love existed.

Her eyes stung. After a while, when the ache eased, she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

Chi Yi parted her lips but said nothing.

“Were you worried I’d feel like I was mooching off you because I was poor?” Xie Shaojun enunciated each word, watching Chi Yi’s face. Chi Yi’s lashes lowered slightly, as if unsure how to respond, hesitating before meeting her gaze in silence.

Xie Shaojun held her stare. “You weren’t wrong to worry. That’s exactly how I would’ve felt back then.”

Chi Yi looked at her, conflicted, ready to explain.

Xie Shaojun cut her off. “But from now on, I’ve decided to humble myself a little and mooch off you.”

Chi Yi stared at her, suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to call her “wife,” “baby,” “darling” all those saccharine endearments. But her lips moved soundlessly, the words stuck in her throat.

She lamented her own clumsiness in love, how awkwardly she handled things, but at the same time, she was grateful Xie Shaojun hadn’t given up on her.

And since their reconciliation, Xie Shaojun had only grown more patient with her.

Chi Yi felt her heart swell with even more love for Xie Shaojun, her pulse racing, warmth brimming in her eyes.

It took her a long moment to keep that surge of emotion from spilling over.

All she could manage was a quiet whisper of Xie Shaojun’s name.

Xie Shaojun asked, “Do you want me to come see you now?”

Chi Yi thought for a moment and unexpectedly rejected Xie Shaojun, saying, “I don’t want to. Going back and forth is exhausting. Xie Qingcheng mentioned that there have been some issues at your studio, and after being discharged, you’ll have a busy period ahead. Don’t come over. Wait for me to return.”

Chi Yi gazed at Xie Shaojun with a rare tenderness, using a declarative tone as if stating a simple fact. There wasn’t much emotion in her voice, which made her words come across as blunt and forceful.

In the past, Xie Shaojun would have felt disappointed and weary. But now, with just a little more patience, she realized she could easily detect the reluctance hidden in Chi Yi’s eyes

“Then ” Xie Shaojun said, “Wait until I finish handling the matters at hand, and I’ll come see you.”

Chi Yi didn’t say much, but she told Xie Shaojun that she would wrap up her own tasks early to come back and meet her.

December turned out to be far busier than Xie Shaojun had anticipated.

After returning to Sijiu City, Qin Wan resigned, taking most of the studio’s core team with her.

The trivialities of work all fell onto Xie Shaojun’s shoulders.

One day, when her assistant knocked on the door to ask what she wanted for lunch, Xie Shaojun couldn’t even muster the energy to lift a finger.

“Coffee, thanks,” she said.

Then the office fell silent, with no response.

Only belatedly did Xie Shaojun sense something odd. She looked up, Chi Yi was standing at the door.

The weather in Sijiu City was bitterly cold in early December, yet Chi Yi wore only a thin white suit, her long hair loose. The face of the ladies’ watch in her hand was pointed directly at Xie Shaojun, and upon closer inspection, the glass was cracked.

Xie Shaojun felt a flicker of surprise. Propping her chin on her hand, she kept her gaze fixed and asked bluntly, “Here for business?”

“No,” Chi Yi answered quickly, then paused to think.

She told Xie Shaojun, “Don’t laugh at me, but I might be coming here quite often from now on.”

Xie Shaojun was amused and deliberately asked, “Does Haimi have a lot of business in Sijiu City?”

“I’ve made it so obvious can’t you tell?” Chi Yi chided, then seemed to consider that Xie Shaojun might genuinely be a fool. So she closed the office door and stood firmly in front of Xie Shaojun’s desk.

One stood, the other sat. Chi Yi looked down at Xie Shaojun and said, “Puppy, you’ve gotten dumber. Sijiu City doesn’t have as many opportunities as Nan City. The factory conditions aren’t great, and purchasing power falls short of first-tier cities like Nan City or Bei City. So there’s no need to expand business here. Besides, I don’t handle operations.”

Xie Shaojun rose from her swivel chair and walked over to Chi Yi. Before Chi Yi could react to what she was doing, Xie Shaojun braced her hands on the red-lacquered desk, trapping Chi Yi between it and herself. Leaning close to her ear, she blinked and admitted she really was dumb.

“So you still haven’t told me why you’ll be coming to Sijiu City often from now on?”

Chi Yi tilted her head back. Xie Shaojun’s hand slipped to the small of Chi Yi’s waist as she leaned in, her breath skimming the delicate line of Chi Yi’s neck. Then Chi Yi’s gaze turned strange as she looked at Xie Shaojun.

Her lips were soft, red.

Her breathing quickened. Maybe she felt a little warm, her glasses fogged up entirely. Chi Yi took them off, her eyes unwavering as she stared at Xie Shaojun and said, “I’ve already answered this many times.”

“If you want to hear it again, then I ”

“I missed you, Chi Yi.” Xie Shaojun cut her off, eyes locked on Chi Yi’s impossibly soft lips. She clasped Chi Yi’s hand where it rested on the desk and kissed her.

Chi Yi responded, parting her lips without resistance, so Xie Shaojun slid her hand further around Chi Yi’s waist. A sheen of moisture gathered in Chi Yi’s eyes, and Xie Shaojun kissed her even more gently.

A blue file folder at the edge of the desk was knocked to the floor. Xie Shaojun glanced down, but Chi Yi gripped her hand, refusing to let her get distracted, her expression unbearably tender. So Xie Shaojun had no choice but to give Chi Yi her undivided attention.

By the time the assistant knocked again, Xie Shaojun told her to wait outside for a long while.

Only then did she call her in, though her voice was noticeably hoarse.

The weather was cold, and Xie Shaojun draped her dark green denim jacket over Chi Yi.

The assistant found it strange, staring blankly at the many crumpled tissues filling the trash can.

Wrote a bit more, so it’s late.

Pushing my friend Hu 33’s novel: Transmigrating as the Cannon Fodder Young Lady’s Maid

Synopsis:

Ah Zhi woke up one day to find the entire world had changed.

The young mistress she served was a cannon fodder character in the novel The Male Lead’s Rise to Power obsessed with the male lead in the early stages, just one of the many female side characters scrambling to offer wealth and power to the phoenix man.

Later, when the male lead rose to prominence and found his true heroine, these side characters were all discarded as cannon fodder.

Among them, Ah Zhi’s young mistress suffered the worst fate targeted by the male lead’s revenge, her family was ruined, and all the servants in the manor met tragic ends.

Ah Zhi: This is too much.

In her past life, Ah Zhi was the top enforcer under Empress Dowager Dou, the champion of palace intrigue. Now, awakened to her memories, she couldn’t stand this humiliation and prepared to pack up and flee.

But just as she regained consciousness, her young mistress hugged her, eyes red from crying, and asked softly, “Ah Zhi, where does it still hurt? Let me blow on it for you.”

Ah Zhi: How am I supposed to run away now?