After My Death, Everyone Repented (Transmigration) - Chapter 59

Xie Qingcheng had just returned from a business trip out of town.

She didn’t quite understand why the old lady had scheduled her birthday banquet for today of all days, so she had avoided coming home for nearly a month.

In the afternoon, her flight landed, and she received a call from Xie Zangxing.

Xie Zangxing told Xie Qingcheng two things: first, her younger sister had started dating someone, and second, tonight she would be driving to pick up her friend to attend the family banquet together.

Xie Qingcheng retrieved her suitcase from the baggage carousel and looked up at the scrolling text on the airport display, flight numbers, dates, and times cycling endlessly.

As if reminding her that today was December 26, 2025.

Frowning, Xie Qingcheng dropped her suitcase beside her and called her sister.

Xie Shaojun answered the phone and admitted she was indeed picking someone up that evening.

Xie Qingcheng asked who it was.

Her sister replied that she’d find out when they met.

From this, Xie Qingcheng guessed it must be someone familiar someone she knew.

Whoever it was, Xie Shaojun having a girlfriend was good news. At the very least, the old lady wouldn’t use her birthday banquet next year to ward off bad luck for her sister.

It was absurd, Xie Qingcheng thought.

But whether she believed in it or not, on December 26, she didn’t have the courage to leave Xie Shaojun unattended.

So she told her sister she would come pick her up.

Yet, in an uncharacteristic move, Xie Shaojun refused, giving the excuse that she was afraid Xie Qingcheng might abandon her friend on the road.

Xie Qingcheng was a little angry and wanted to demand why her sister couldn’t just listen for once.

“Do you even know that for the past three years, every December 26, you’ve walked through the gates of hell?”

But she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Back then, she had joked with Xie Shaojun that the fortune-teller’s predictions shouldn’t be taken seriously, superstition was just for fun, nothing to dwell on.

Though being cautious afterward wouldn’t hurt.

In truth, that fortune-teller wasn’t inaccurate at all. Every year, the fate he had predicted for her sister had come to pass.

To let Xie Shaojun live the rest of her life without unnecessary burden, Xie Qingcheng had told her that and she had comforted herself with the same thought.

December 26, 2021.

Xie Shaojun was driving to an art exhibition when a truck loaded with raw timber lost control of its brakes. A violent collision ensued. The truck driver died on the spot, and Xie Shaojun was rushed to Third Hospital for emergency treatment. When she was wheeled out, she was unconscious, slipping into a coma.

December 26, 2022.

On this day, after lying unresponsive in the ICU for a year, Xie Shaojun’s condition suddenly deteriorated. A frantic emergency rescue effort lasted from morning till night, and she was declared brain-dead, placed on a gurney.

By the time Xie Qingcheng arrived, the oxygen mask was being removed from her sister’s face. The monitor’s vital signs displayed flat, unbroken lines stretching endlessly.

But just as the mask was taken off, those flat lines stubbornly curved again, and her stopped heartbeat reignited.

That day, after her heart briefly stopped, Xie Shaojun miraculously came back to life though she still showed no signs of waking.

December 26, 2023.

The cardiac arrest from the previous year repeated itself, but this time, Xie Shaojun woke up and didn’t fall back into a coma.

Everything seemed normal.

That year brought many good things, Xie Qingcheng got a promotion, the family business opened a new factory elsewhere, and during a business trip to Nan City, she ran into an old friend she hadn’t seen in a long time: Chi Yi.

There were also unfortunate events, my sister’s illness didn’t improve. Her soul would leave her body, causing her to fall into unconsciousness at any moment.

Our family had never been one to believe in ghosts or spirits, but after Xie Shaojun’s soul-separation incidents, everyone became superstitious.

They invited the most renowned metaphysical masters in the country to examine her.

The first master took one look at her, turned around, and left, saying there was no hope left her fate was sealed.

Xie Qingcheng angrily cursed him out and drove him away.

The second master did the same. After that, the Xie family managed to offend every famous metaphysical expert in the industry. In the end, they had to pull strings and ask the old matriarch to step in.

The previously expelled master returned, took out copper coins, and arranged them in a pattern Xie Qingcheng couldn’t comprehend at Xie Shaojun’s bedside.

The coins fell neither heads nor tails, but standing upright.

The master shook his head. He didn’t reveal the result immediately but waited until Xie Shaojun went for rehabilitation.

Then he told them that her soul was critically weak, already in a state of death. Yet, for some reason, Xie Shaojun was still alive. How long she would last was up to fate. This time, the fortune-teller refused to revise his prediction, insisting that Xie Shaojun’s death date was December 26.

Which year’s December 26th, he didn’t know. How long she could survive, he didn’t know. How she would live, he didn’t know either.

One day, Xie Qingcheng stood outside the rehabilitation building and watched as Xie Shaojun, guided by the therapist, gripped the railing and stood up. She slowly made her way along the circular wall.

The weather was hot, and with every step, fine beads of sweat formed on her forehead. But she didn’t stop to rest.

Xie Qingcheng thought, She doesn’t know anything. Maybe she believes that after waking up from the car accident, she’s one of the lucky ones who survived.

So she worked hard to regain her health.

On December 26, 2024, her life seemed to return to normal. During that time, she became obsessed with abstract art and visited renowned domestic masters. That day, she brushed hands with the granddaughter of one such painter.

That night, her soul separated again, and her heart stopped. Though only for a few seconds, it was enough to confirm the master’s prophecy of death.

Every year afterward, on December 26th, Xie Shaojun would fall into a life-threatening coma. She never knew that each time, she was racing against death.

This year, her crisis came early. Two months ago, her soul detached and possessed a doll. When the doll dissolved, she fell into a deep coma ahead of schedule.

For an entire month, the old matriarch fasted and prayed. When she emerged, she said, Let’s arrange a wedding to ward off the bad luck.

Xie Qingcheng didn’t know what Xie Cheng was thinking when she agreed to schedule the matriarch’s birthday banquet for December 26th.

But no matter what she thought, it was useless.

Anxious, Xie Qingcheng took her car and sped toward Xie Shaojun’s office building. She lost count of how many times she exceeded the speed limit, the navigation system blaring warnings in a cacophony of noise.

Xie Qingcheng ignored it all. Her emotions were a tangled mess anxiety, worry, even resentment. Her sister had grown up stubborn, never considering the family’s feelings, frequently landing in the hospital, forcing everyone to revolve around her.

She might keep doing this every year, keeping them all on edge.

But if she really died, no one would think to buy Xie Qingcheng a new car, or hair growth tonic, or bicker with her. No one would scold her for living like a lonely old woman while still making plans to take her hiking every now and then.

Xie Shaoyun knew nothing of it. Her family doted on her, yet she never learned to take their affection for granted.

On the surface, she appeared lazy and indifferent to most things, but she remembered every kindness shown to her and always repaid it tenfold. Such a good sister, yet her death had been foretold, and no one in the family had the heart to tell her.

But if Shaoyun really were to die on this day in some future year, Xie Qingcheng would blame herself for failing to protect her.

Speeding through the streets, breaking every traffic rule, she arrived at her destination in record time. Seeing Shaoyun standing there unharmed, Xie Qingcheng’s composure nearly cracked, thank goodness she made it.

She said nothing, silently driving Shaoyun’s parked car into the garage.

Returning to the jewelry store entrance, she noticed her sister waiting for someone, her ears red from the cold.

Xie Qingcheng strode over to pull her into the car, but Shaoyun lifted a finger and pointed across the street.

That was when Xie Qingcheng saw Chi Yi.

She frowned. Chi Yi was an extraordinarily busy woman. Even though Xie Cheng sent her an invitation every year for the old matriarch’s birthday banquet, Chi Yi always delegated her secretary to attend in her stead.

Why is she here?

Shaoyun said, “I asked her to come.”

“Let’s wait for her.”

Xie Qingcheng fell silent for a long moment. She didn’t ask about their relationship in truth, the pieces were falling into place, and she could already guess. But she didn’t want to accept it.

It wasn’t a bad thing for her sister to have someone she liked. But Chi Yi was the least suitable candidate.

In Xie Qingcheng’s eyes, Chi Yi was exceptional in every way except for one thing. She had been married before, bound by a deep yet ultimately failed relationship. The remnants of that love could fill mountains and seas.

Perhaps Chi Yi had agreed to be with Shaoyun because she resembled her ex-wife. Or worse, because she saw her as a replacement.

Shaoyun wasn’t like ordinary people. Her lifespan was a ticking time bomb, ready to detonate at any moment. Every single day, she had to live happily, that was the only way Xie Qingcheng could bear it. She couldn’t let her suffer heartbreak at Chi Yi’s hands.

Every second in the car was torture. Xie Qingcheng watched as the two of them sat closer and closer, her expression hardening as she shot Chi Yi a warning glare. But then Chi Yi wrapped an arm around Shaoyun’s shoulders, their heads leaning together, Chi Yi’s breath brushing against her sister’s cheek.

Xie Qingcheng’s chest tightened. She remembered Chi Yi’s promise, that she would never confuse Shaoyun with her ex-wife.

“No one could ever replace her.”

She had foolishly believed those words. Now, fists clenched, she couldn’t forgive herself for that mistake.

Halfway through the drive, their heads drew close again. Unable to take it any longer, Xie Qingcheng yanked the handbrake and called Shaoyun to the front seat.

This time, her sister didn’t argue. She slid into the passenger seat, tilting her head with a roguish grin as she unwrapped a candy for Xie Qingcheng. Then, with puppy-dog eyes full of apology, she looked at her.

Xie Qingcheng avoided her gaze, but still took the candy between her teeth.

Her mood improved slightly.

Soon, Shaoyun fell asleep. The mountain road twisted sharply, and with each turn, her head lolled forward. Xie Qingcheng focused on driving, unable to spare her any attention.

Just as her head was about to drop, Chi Yi’s hand caught her cheek in time.

Her touch was featherlight, lifting Shaoyun’s head just enough to keep her comfortable so practiced, it was as if she had done this countless times before.

Through the rearview mirror, Xie Qingcheng met Chi Yi’s eyes.

Chi Yi was a strong-willed woman with little regard for conventional morality, aloof and indifferent. She didn’t need others to validate her feelings, nor did she owe anyone an explanation for the sincerity of her heart.

So even when Xie Qingcheng saw through her, it came as no surprise that she showed no trace of awkwardness, panic, or attempts to conceal herself.

Only in the split second before Xie Shaojun’s head drooped did her expression soften, her swift movements betraying a brief moment of flustered chaos.

The car interior was dim. After a few seconds of silent eye contact, Xie Qingcheng asked expressionlessly, “Why my sister?”

“I’ve liked her for a long time.” Chi Yi glanced at the sleeping Xie Shaojun, lowering her gaze. Perhaps afraid of disturbing her, she kept her voice low and steady. “Don’t blame her.”

Xie Qingcheng’s face darkened as she lost her temper. “What’s the use of liking her? You know she could lose her soul at any moment.”

“I know,” Chi Yi replied.

“What if she dies one day? You couldn’t even handle the death of your ex-wife. How will you handle this? Xie Shaojun, how will you get through this?”

Xie Qingcheng lit a cigarette and rolled down the window. Chi Yi frowned and told her to put it out.

Silently, Xie Qingcheng stubbed it out.

Chi Yi watched her quietly for a few seconds before suddenly smiling.

“Do you want the truth or a lie?”

“The truth.” Xie Qingcheng slowed the car. “I’m listening.”

“How else? I’ll accept my fate and go through it with her,” Chi Yi answered.

“About two months ago, the doll Xie Shaojun possessed was corroded.” Chi Yi told Xie Qingcheng, “At the time, I thought she might already be dead, that she wouldn’t wake up again.”

“Because that night, I had a vague, suffocating nightmare. A truck crashed head-on into Xie Shaojun’s car. I was sitting in the passenger seat beside her. We had been discussing travel and shopping plans. I saw the truck coming, turned, and shielded her. But shards of glass still flew through the air, and one piece pierced her heart. She never woke up again.”

As she spoke, it was impossible to tell if Chi Yi was in pain. She seemed to be merely describing a nightmare to Xie Qingcheng. Yet she added that when she woke from that nightmare, she thought she would never dream again only for her sweetest dream to come true.

Whether Xie Shaojun disappeared or not, Chi Yi said, was beyond her control.

“Accidents happen every day. No one can predict them. Those are all irrelevant hypotheticals meaningless.”

“For the past two years, I’ve mostly held a pessimistic view of my own feelings. Only when Xie Shaojun is around do I see hope. Because she allows me into her life, accepts my affection, and agrees to be with me. So the compromise I’ve come to is this: I can’t decide her fate, but I can decide my own. I’ll follow her through life and death that way, we can still be together.”

Xie Qingcheng was left speechless. Silently, she drove faster, arriving at the mountain estate.

Ahead, the lights were bright. Her sister woke up, checking her phone messages. When they got out of the car, Xie Shaojun called Chi Yi aside.

Xie Qingcheng asked, “Are you leaving with Chi Yi?”

Her sister gave her an apologetic look and nodded, then pulled Chi Yi outside to talk.

At first, Xie Qingcheng didn’t intend to interrupt them. But a minute passed, and they still hadn’t returned. The banquet was about to begin yet they remained absent.

Xie Qingcheng called out their names Xie Shaojun, Chi Yi.

Receiving no response, she took a deep breath and detoured to the rear of the car, walking slowly and deliberately making loud footsteps, yet she still reached the end.

In front of the trunk.

Chi Yi’s trench coat was smudged with dust from the car’s surface, her hand resting on her younger sister’s shoulder. The sister leaned in, their bodies pressed close together.

Their lips met, Chi Yi’s were a lighter shade, while her sister’s were naturally a fiery red, the colors blending together.

It was impossible to distinguish whose kiss it was. Xie Qingcheng thought perhaps her sister, having never been in a relationship before, was easily swayed by hormones, seduced by Chi Yi, and now recklessly kissing in such a place.

But as she approached, ready to ruthlessly interrupt them,

Her sister suddenly turned her face to the side, her hand sliding down Chi Yi’s waist.

Whether intentional or not, her profile was now facing Xie Qingcheng’s direction. Her eyelids lifted, revealing an emotion in her eyes that Xie Qingcheng had never seen before.

Xie Qingcheng stood silently for a long moment before walking away. She lit a cigarette, the harsh nicotine stinging her nostrils. Only after she could breathe freely again did she silently leave.