After My Death, Everyone Repented (Transmigration) - Chapter 57

The car merged into the lane, and in the rearview mirror, Chi Yi could still be seen standing in place, holding an umbrella in her left hand while answering a phone call with her right, her gaze unwavering in this direction.

“Don’t stand out in the cold for too long, go inside.” Xie Shaojun typed out the text and hit send. Just then, a call came in from Qin Lü, the legal counsel for Bulgari.

Xie Shaojun answered the phone.

“It’s cold out. How about I treat you to some tea, at your convenience?” Xie Shaojun suggested a nearby location, and the other party agreed.

“Traffic might be slow because of the rain, so take your time and stay safe. See you soon.”

After hanging up, she gave the address of a nearby teahouse to her assistant and instructed them to take a shortcut.

Watching this series of actions from Xie Shaojun, the assistant couldn’t help but mutter to themselves. Secretary Wang’s description of Xie as a “bodhisattva” didn’t quite fit, Xie was more like a fox spirit.

Once everything was settled, Xie Shaojun rubbed her face with her hands.

She had originally promised to return to the family home for lunch with her grandmother, just a casual family meal, with the formal dinner scheduled for the evening. But because Chi Yi had shown up, Xie Shaojun had canceled.

She called Feng Qianqian to explain the situation.

“Alright, Grandma knows you’ve been busy this month. Just make sure you arrive early tonight and apologize to her in person,” Feng Qianqian said, lowering her voice as she moved to a corner.

She continued in a slightly louder tone, “Those people are here. Grandma doesn’t know the full story, and out of respect for old friendships, she’s been polite to them. But that Professor Xie has been hinting at ancient adoption customs. You can listen, but don’t take it seriously. What era is this? Mom and Dad have no intention of selling their daughter. You need to understand that.”

Xie Shaojun replied, “Got it,” adding, “It’s pretty ridiculous.”

With that matter settled, Feng Qianqian didn’t want to dwell on it and quickly changed the subject. She mentioned that Xie Zangxing would be arriving in the afternoon to bring her second sister-in-law home.

She then asked Xie Shaojun if she wanted to invite the blind date introduced during the Lancy show to join them.

“The more, the merrier. Grandma would be happy.”

“Don’t bother,” Xie Shaojun tapped her phone case. “I’m about to get back together with my ex. I’ll bring her tonight.”

“Ex?” Feng Qianqian asked over the phone, “What ex?”

Xie Shaojun didn’t elaborate, only saying they’d find out soon enough.

The car sped along, and after hanging up, Xie Shaojun looked up to see her assistant staring at her in shock.

“What’s wrong?”

“Xiao Xie,” the assistant stammered, “I just met Assistant Chi earlier, and she”

Xie Shaojun: “What about her?”

“You didn’t tell me Assistant Chi is actually CEO Chi of Haimi Tech, the only woman from our country to have given a speech at the White House.” The assistant looked utterly starstruck, as if she’d just met a legend. Xie Shaojun found it amusing.

“So she’s your idol? She is impressive. What exactly did she teach you when she told you to learn from her secretary?” Xie Shaojun leaned back, watching the raindrops slide down the window. She had to admit, Chi Yi really was something.

Despite the scandals surrounding her, Chi Yi was a legend in her own field.

The assistant, still driving, said, “When I went downstairs earlier, CEO Chi’s secretary had to rush to the police station for something, so I didn’t get to learn anything. We’re here.”

The car pulled up in front of the teahouse. Xie Shaojun checked the time and, without waiting for her assistant, stepped out with an umbrella and walked in first.

She was familiar with Bulgari’s legal counsel. In the small circle of the capital’s legal industry, most of the well-known lawyers and consultants had crossed paths with Xie Shaojun at some point.

“Uncle Qin.” Xie Shaojun took a seat opposite Qin Lü with practiced ease, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then got straight to the point.

The Bulgari deal had been signed by Qin Wan on her own initiative while Xie Shaojun was still unconscious. Upon waking, Xie had immediately pushed to terminate the contract. If the client had promptly re-tendered the project to another party, the losses for both sides would have been minimized. By all accounts, it shouldn’t have escalated to the point of involving legal teams.

Yet Jian Qing was clearly doing this on purpose. As the organizer of Bulgari’s show, she deliberately made things difficult, dragging the matter out. Caught in the middle, Qin Lü had no choice but to grit his teeth and keep negotiating with Xie Shaojun on behalf of the brand. It wasn’t until today that the higher-ups finally relented. Qin Lü set aside his other tasks and rushed to settle the matter before the weekend.

“After two months of back-and-forth, I didn’t want to risk further delays with formal procedures. So I brought the contract directly and handled the handover with you personally,” he explained.

Xie Shaojun slid a cup of tea toward him and thanked the lawyer. “I didn’t expect this to be resolved so quickly. It’s all thanks to your help. I’ll have to bring out some of my dad’s good wine and treat you to a meal at Bicui Manor sometime.”

Qin Lü chuckled. “No need for formalities. I’ve watched you grow up since you were a girl, and your mother and I were college classmates. This was the least I could do.”

Given their close relationship, Xie didn’t bother with further niceties and asked bluntly, “Uncle Qin, weren’t you just stressing over court summons not long ago? How did things turn around so quickly? Can I ask why the organizer suddenly changed their mind?”

Qin Lü laughed. “I knew you’d ask. If even your dad couldn’t settle this lawsuit, there aren’t many in the industry who could. You must have some idea.”

Xie Shaojun played dumb. “If you don’t tell me, I really wouldn’t know.”

But deep down, she understood perfectly. Xie Cheng had reached out to Bulgari’s management two months ago, but with Jian Qing applying pressure from above, they hadn’t dared to act rashly. Stuck in a stalemate, the organizer’s representative had no choice but to keep sending Qin Lü to negotiate with Xie Shaojun. Neither side was easy to offend, and Bulgari’s management was at a loss.

It wasn’t that the Xie family couldn’t compete with an upstart like Jian Qing, it was just that Jian had been the talk of the business world for the past two months. Financial news outlets had been running daily features on her, branding her with titles like “Crossover Supermodel,” “Heiress to a Tycoon,” and “Jian Qing, the New Star of the Chip Industry Set to Replace Chi Yi.” Even Xie Shaojun, who usually had no interest in financial news, had caught wind of Jian Qing’s exploits at social gatherings.

She’d heard how Jian had leveraged capital from the European LE Group to force her way into the Sui family’s business, swiftly taking control of their semiconductor and new energy sectors before partnering with foreign investor Lawrence. Beyond self-promotion, her professional team had also accused Haimi Tech of intellectual property theft in chip development. Though the case hadn’t gone to trial yet, the scandal had spread like wildfire, blurring the lines between truth and fiction, and frequently making headlines.

Xie had skimmed a few reports the Sui family was suing Chi Yi, claiming that years ago, the development of lithography machines and 8nm chips had actually been a joint effort between Sui Corp and Haimi Tech. But Chi Yi, as Haimi’s CEO, had allegedly used underhanded tactics to sideline her partners and claim sole credit for the breakthroughs.

Sui Corporation thus filed a lawsuit against Chi Yi.

In the ensuing scandal, a series of interviews with laid-off veteran employees of Haimi surfaced, along with various negative reports exposing Chi Yi’s ruthless, exploitative capitalist persona.

These scandals caused Haimi’s stock price to plummet. Moreover, after the incident, Chi Yi herself made no response. Instead, she fled abroad to seek help, which only confirmed the allegations. With Chi Yi out of the country, Jian Qing seized the opportunity to devour most of Haimi’s domestic market.

Meanwhile, Sui Corporation’s semiconductor industry saw its stock prices soar over the past two months. Rumors spread that Haimi had already been largely eroded. Some even claimed that at Haimi’s shareholder meeting the following Wednesday, Chi Yi would step down on the spot.

Amid these rumors, Jian Qing’s status in the industry was elevated by comparison. The business world was full of opportunists, those who had once flattered Chi Yi now turned their praise toward Jian Qing in her absence.

Reviewing the paper contracts would take some time. The assistant kept his head down, busy with verification. Qin Lv took a sip of tea. Representing the interests of Party A, he couldn’t explicitly name names, so he casually brought up a matter in passing.

“A month ago, Director Jian attended a business conference in Paris and had her leg broken. She’s been recuperating since.”

“France?” Xie Shaojun froze, raising her eyes to meet Qin Lv’s gaze. “Who would dare do that?”

Qin Lv pondered for a moment before replying meaningfully, “Overseas investigations are difficult.”

“But the prime suspect is connected to you. I assisted in compiling the investigation materials. The day before Jian Qing was attacked, she had an unpleasant encounter with you at a café.”

Xie Shaojun thought back. On the day she was discharged from the hospital in Nan City, she had met Jian Qing, called her an idiot twice, and knocked over a mug. The next day, Jian Qing was beaten up in France, no less.

A smirk tugged at Xie Shaojun’s lips as she pulled out her phone and checked WeChat. Tapping on Chi Yi’s profile, she noticed the “typing” indicator. She deleted the words she had typed and set the phone face-up beside her.

Qin Lv sipped his tea, pretending not to notice Xie Shaojun’s distraction, and continued, “Jian Qing has been handling Sui Corporation’s electronics business with investors. She’s been hobbling around on crutches, swamped with work. Out of sympathy, Old Master Sui assigned the second young lady of the Sui family to take over the Bulgari show. That’s why your termination process was approved so quickly.”

As Xie Shaojun chatted with Qin Lv, she kept glancing at her phone. Minutes passed the “typing” indicator disappeared, but no new message arrived. Unable to resist, she sent a text.

“Half a day and still nothing? Even writing a thesis would be faster than you.”

Chi Yi replied honestly, “This is harder than writing a thesis.”

“Hmm?”

“Answering your earlier question,” Chi Yi added after a pause. “It’s hard to explain over text.”

Xie Shaojun thought back and remembered she had indeed asked Chi Yi a question when getting into the car, though she hadn’t expected an answer.

“Now I have another question.”

Xie Shaojun: “Answer this one first.”

Chi Yi: “…”

Xie Shaojun: “Did you beat someone up?”

Chi Yi: “.”

Xie Shaojun typed faster: “Yes or no? A period doesn’t mean anything.”

Chi Yi had just hung up on Jian Qing when she saw this message. A faint smile curved her lips the Xie Shaojun who used to speak recklessly, jump between questions, and demand answers was back.

Xie Qingcheng and Xie Zangxing often claimed that Xie Shaoyun was the family’s beloved, but in reality, Xie Shaoyun kept everyone at arm’s length.

Whenever someone gave her something, she would always find a way to reciprocate, never leaving anyone with a sense of obligation.

Even in conversation, she would grit her teeth through social situations she disliked, outwardly complaining but inwardly clear-headed, helping where she could, forgiving when possible.

Only when something was truly unforgivable would she turn away.

So the moment Xie Shaoyun decided to treat Chi Yi as family, Chi Yi had to hold onto her tightly, ensuring no accidents would ever happen again.

Xie Shaoyun was waiting for a reply when Chi Yi’s call came through.

Picking up her phone, Xie Shaoyun glanced at Qin Lü.

With a teasing smile, Qin Lü said, “What, is your boyfriend checking in? Should I step away?”

“Don’t laugh at me. She’s a bit clingy, but not a boyfriend, she’s my girlfriend.” Xie Shaoyun chuckled, apologizing before stepping out to the tearoom to take the call.

“I’m discussing business with a client. Isn’t interrupting work a bit much? You used to be so particular about professionalism,” Xie Shaoyun chided naturally.

Chi Yi thought for a moment. “Is it too late to hang up now?”

Her voice was laced with amusement, and Xie Shaoyun could easily sense her relaxed tone, probably because she was about to become family.

“The mistake’s already made. Hanging up won’t fix it. Might as well go with it.”

Chi Yi laughed.

Xie Shaoyun joined in. “Just now, my client mentioned that Jian Qing’s leg was broken a month ago. Did you do that?”

Chi Yi: “I’m not much of a fighter.”

“Oh.” Xie Shaoyun: “So you hired someone. But why did the watch shatter?”

This was the third time Xie Shaoyun had asked, so Chi Yi didn’t plan to hide it. She had meant to tell her earlier but kept getting interrupted.

“Because there was a little accident on the way from the airport.”

Before Xie Shaoyun could ask what happened

“Xiao Xie?”

Qin Lü stepped out, saying there was an urgent case to handle.

The conversation ended there. Xie Shaoyun could only tell Chi Yi, “See you at the family dinner tonight.”

It felt like the entire day wasn’t enough. After so long apart, there was so much to say, but the moment they were together, the atmosphere took over, and romantic distractions left her questions unanswered.

This time, though, it was Xie Shaoyun who was too busy.

Frowning, she hung up on Chi Yi.

Returning to the tearoom, she confirmed the contract, signed and stamped it, then escorted Qin Lü out.

“That little art studio of yours is it really worth keeping you so busy you don’t even have time to see your second sister?”

Xie Shaoyun’s afternoon was packed. After meeting Qin Lü, she rushed back to her studio, phone wedged between her shoulder and ear, a pen clenched between her teeth.

She mumbled a vague response into the receiver.

“The airport is closer to you,” Xie Zangxing lied shamelessly. “Besides, I’ve brought your sister-in-law all the way home. As a sister, isn’t it only right for you to come greet us?”

Xie Shaoyun thought to herself, at least Damei had Xie Zangxing by her side. When Chi Yi landed, she didn’t even catch a glimpse of her wife.

“Perfectly fine. Whether we meet or not, the bond remains.” Xie Shaoyun balanced the phone as she walked to the desk, booting up her computer to scan drafts.

Her quick, light steps betrayed her hurry.

“You heartless brat. Big Sis said you were short on money, I didn’t believe it at first. Since when have you ever been this busy with work?”

“Circumstances forced my hand.” Xie Shaojun couldn’t be bothered to explain. While money was tight, the main reason was that before leaving the studio last night, she had signed off on several logo design drafts, and the clients refused to settle amicably.

If each contract was counted as a breach, Xie Shaojun would likely owe around ten million in compensation.

She hadn’t forgotten that she needed to raise funds for Chi Yi’s investment stake, and she couldn’t afford to burn through her savings on penalty fees. So, for now, she was handling normal orders as usual. Once she got through this month, she’d take on design work only when it suited her.

Xie Zangxing fell silent for a few seconds before relenting. “Alright, we’ll wait for you. My wife said ”

“Tell my sister-in-law I’m not avoiding her,” Xie Shaojun cut in. “I already promised someone else I’d bring them home today. There’s no time to spare.”

Xie Zangxing made a surprised noise. “Who? That match Mom set you up with last time?”

“Not her. You’ll find out when we get there. I’ve got another call coming in bye.”

There was still some finishing work left to do. Xie Shaojun rushed to wrap things up, not bothering to check the caller ID before answering. She’d been fielding a lot of work calls lately, and with the end of her shift approaching, she dreaded the possibility of yet another forgotten design draft she’d signed off on.

Fortunately, it wasn’t work-related, but it wasn’t good news either, because the caller was Jian Qing.

“Do you need something?” Xie Shaojun’s tone was flat, already ready to hang up, but Jian Qing stopped her.

“Don’t hang up. I have something to say.” Jian Qing told her she was currently with Xie Guangqi and Feng Cinian at the old lady’s place.

“I heard you’re bringing a girlfriend home. Is it Chi Yi?” Jian Qing asked. “Did you two make up?”

“So Chi Yi took a red-eye flight back, deliberately missing her driver and secretary, just to see you?”

“Got it. Thanks for the update.” Xie Shaojun replied dryly, “Chi Yi must really be head over heels for me.”

A loud crash sounded as a cup shattered on the floor. Xie Shaojun winced at the thought of losing a several-hundred-yuan piece of tableware.

She raised her hand to hang up.

Jian Qing was furious. “You always said you hated deceit, couldn’t stand emotional instability, and despised people who weren’t genuine. So what does that make Chi Yi? Did she tell you she was in a car accident this morning?”

Xie Shaojun set down her pen. A sharp pain suddenly lanced through her skull, tilting her head to the side. Fragments of memory vehicles colliding, flesh tearing flashed like shards of glass in her mind.

A real, yet indistinct pain spread through her body, rooting her in place as she struggled to steady herself.

At that moment, Xie Shaojun didn’t yet grasp what these fragments meant, because Jian Qing was still talking.

She tossed her phone aside, the suffocating sensation easing slightly. Feeling marginally better, Xie Shaojun hit record and stepped outside, distractedly handing the freshly scanned drafts to her assistant with instructions to print them.

Jian Qing remained silent the entire time, until Xie Shaojun returned to her office.

Then, Jian Qing called her name.

“You labeled me a murderer, but Chi Yi was one in your past life too. Why can you forgive her but not me? Because she hid it better? Because you didn’t know? She’s even crazier than I am.”

Xie Shaojun remained unmoved, and Jian Qing’s laughter grew increasingly unsettling. “I told her that unless she killed me, she’d never be with you in this lifetime. And you know what? She lost it. She nearly had someone beat me to death, just a few more minutes, and she would’ve committed a crime! She’s a complete lunatic.”

Xie Shaojun sat in the swivel chair, listening to Jian Qing’s insane laughter.

To be honest, reasoning with a madwoman was exhausting. Xie Shaojun’s head throbbed faintly, so she replied without much emotion, “Got it. Anything else?”

She yawned, and Jian Qing’s laughter died abruptly. A few seconds of silence followed.

“You were right last time, I’m not worthy of discussing love with you,” Jian Qing said. “But we.”

She chuckled. “We can talk about sex.”

“When you were six, Grandma Xie had a cat,” Jian Qing continued. “Later, it clung to you then it died. Zhu Maomao modeled for you, and you tattooed him. After that, you stopped walking home with me.”

When Jian Qing lost it, she had a knack for spewing disgusting words to provoke Xie Shaojun. But this time, Xie Shaojun didn’t hang up. Instead, she pressed the long-record button.

“I’ve fought Chi Yi for years and never won once.”

“My methods aren’t as sharp as hers, but she met you. You’re her weakness.”

“Do you know why she got into the car I arranged today? Because I told her you were in it. Even knowing it was a trap, she still got in.”

“This time, I didn’t touch her, she just returned to the country. But in five days, the Haimi board will strip her of her position as CEO.”

“Chi Yi will be ruined, and she’ll kill herself. How’s that for a plan?”

Xie Shaojun smirked without warmth. “Sounds great.”

“Would be even better if it were you.”

“But you’re wrong about one thing. It’s not just Chi Yi coming for you—I am too.”

After hanging up on Jian Qing, Xie Shaojun dialed Xie Cheng’s secretary.

“Uncle Wang, hey, it’s Xie Shaojun.”

“Last time, when you helped gather evidence on Jian Qing’s crimes, I mentioned a few more leads. The day before Lu Xi’s suicide, she argued with Jian Qing at the fashion show.”

“I was sitting in the back garden at the time. They had a fight, and there’s a recording. You can release it now.”

“About nine years ago, a kid named Zhu Maomao dated Jian Qing but killed himself soon after. His brother found an audio file after his death, but it was corrupted, couldn’t be played. Today, I recorded some new related audio.”

“Could you compile it all? Next Wednesday, right after Haimi’s shareholder meeting ends.”

“Yeah, release everything. Even if it doesn’t prove she killed anyone outright, the court of public opinion will do the rest. Handle the media for me.”