The Creator's Grace - Chapter 1

This was Ran Jin’s bedroom. The moment one pushed open the door, they could smell a fragrance identical to the one on her body.

The bedroom was tidy—one could even say meticulous.

Standing in the bedroom, Chi Yu looked to her left. There was an ordinary walk-in closet. To the right, a hallway adorned with oil paintings and fossil rubbings led to a spacious study.

In the study, the warm yellow reading lamp was still on. A few books with bookmarks tucked inside lay on the desk.

It was easy to imagine that after Ran Jin had fled from Chi Yu’s car in a state of distress last night, she likely hadn’t been able to sleep. Perhaps she had spent the entire night reading.

The closet didn’t hold much; black work suits and long gowns for social functions were lined up neatly. There were also watches, cufflinks, and rings—all categorized and displayed.

Chi Yu picked up a necklace with her fingertip, studied it for a moment, and then set it down carelessly. The style was as monotonous as Ran Jin herself—unchanging over the years.

Aside from a 1.5-meter bed, the bedroom lacked any entertainment equipment—not even a television. Instead, a large office desk and two computers were particularly striking.

Several stacks of folders were arranged neatly on the desk. Chi Yu flipped through them; they were all project documents and blueprints handled by Ran Jin, covered in her handwritten annotations.

Light gray bedding and a desk placed inside the bedroom—all of this fit Ran Jin’s style, but it didn’t quite suit her sister.

Moreover, the size of the bed was somewhat unexpected. Chi Yu couldn’t imagine how her sister and Ran Jin used to sleep on a bed that offered so little room to stretch out. She had always thought her sister, at the very least, was someone who enjoyed her comforts.

As far as Chi Yu knew, her sister had bought this apartment five years ago. Because it was close to the office, she would stay here if she worked too late, making it convenient to get to work early the next morning. Now, it seemed that every trace of her sister had vanished from this temporary palace.

Chi Yu leaned back in the chair and spun around slowly, looking out the bright window. In the azure sky, the U.P. Tower stood close at hand.

The U.P. Tower, as majestic as an extraterrestrial structure, was the commercial empire built from the ground up by her sister, Chi Li. The building resembled an alien organism crouching over an intersection of highways, serving as one of the most prominent landmarks of this megacity.

The Chi Empire was a hungry beast, greedily swallowing the energy industry. Now, the fruits of her sister’s years of hard work had fallen into the hands of her former lover, Ran Jin—the woman she had raised herself. Instead of slowing down, the beast had grown fiercer, more terrifying.

Six years ago, this woman named Ran Jin had been brought home by Chi Li. When she first arrived, no one knew who this woman—with barely half a life left in her—was, where she came from, or how she knew Chi Li.

Everyone simply watched as the eldest Miss Chi meticulously nurtured this woman of unknown origin, gradually letting her take over most of the Chi family’s businesses.

Ran Jin, who was only twenty-three at the time, took root in the Chi Empire. Not only did she hold half of the Chi family’s power, but her beautiful face began to appear on commercial magazines and large screens, becoming the most eye-catching face on business, tech, and entertainment headlines.

Beautiful, intelligent, and seemingly flawless, Ran Jin gradually rose to the peak of public attention through constant exposure. Adored by millions, her perfection earned her the title “The Creator’s Grace.”

In the eyes of her followers, Ran Jin was perfect—without a single blemish, a Venus meticulously carved by the heavens.

At that time, Chi Yu was a high school student buried in her studies, paying little attention to the family business. Their parents had passed away early, and her sister, Chi Li—sixteen years her senior—took care of her. To Chi Yu, her sister was like a mother; the two of them had relied on each other and shared a profound bond.

Chi Li never forced her to do things she disliked, giving her the freedom to plan her own life. The words her sister said most often were: “You don’t need to walk the path thousands of others have walked. You only need to do what you love and become the person you want to be.”

Her parents’ early deaths hadn’t left Chi Yu with a taste of hardship; she knew her sister had held up a worry-free space for her to grow.

While buried in her studies, Chi Yu hadn’t objected to her sister gradually handing the group over to Ran Jin. She knew her sister was a clear-headed person who always knew what she was doing. Furthermore, this “outsider,” upon entering the Chi family, soon shed that label and transformed into the mistress of the house.

The intimacy between her sister and Ran Jin was beyond doubt. No matter how much the gossip media covered the business tycoon and her girlfriend—no matter how they sensationalized the “scandal” from a voyeuristic angle—it didn’t stop the two of them from appearing everywhere together.

Ran Jin had long ago rightfully become a member of the Chi family. Chi Yu would address her respectfully as “Sister-in-law,” and subordinates called her President Ran. Even so, Ran Jin would only offer a faint smile whenever she was addressed that way.

Chi Yu knew that while her “sister-in-law” was somewhat shy in private, she was her sister’s capable right hand—resolute and iron-fisted in business. With her sister’s full support, Ran Jin’s position in the Chi Group had long since become unshakable.

Ran Jin’s ascent was so rapid that it stunned the entire Chi Empire and the energy industry. Rumors inevitably began to swirl. Regardless of the outside talk, Ran Jin acted as though she hadn’t heard a word, focusing solely on working for Chi Li.

Ran Jin possessed a sharp business mind and a keen sense for the market. During the time Chi Yu was studying abroad, Ran Jin had already helped her sister eliminate their strongest competitor and secured the mining rights for lunar basalt and Helium-3.

When Chi Yu left the country, she had said a tearful goodbye to her sister. Back then, her sister had comforted her gently, saying that once she finished her studies and returned home, the two sisters would never be apart again.

Who could have imagined that would be the last time she saw her sister?

When she returned, it was to attend her sister’s funeral…

They said that her sister—always optimistic, full of ideals and ambition—had committed suicide.

Chi Yu could not believe it. The feeling of her heart breaking at the funeral remained etched in her soul to this day. Her sister, who had raised her with such care, was her final refuge in this world. Now, the sister who loved her most was gone, dead under mysterious circumstances.

Losing her sister had already left her heart in pieces, but the police’s hasty closing of the case left her infuriated. The strangeness surrounding that flawed conclusion forced Chi Yu to suspect foul play. Her sister would not commit suicide; she had no reason to. Especially not without a word—leaving without a single message to her closest relative.

Chi Yu had begun investigating the details on her way home for the funeral. Every piece of evidence hidden in the gray corners, unearthed by Chi Yu’s relentless digging, pointed toward that woman—

Ran Jin.

Four years ago, when Chi Yu went abroad, she had heard rumors about Ran Jin’s background. The Ran Jin described in those whispers was not sincere toward the girlfriend who loved and protected her; she had ulterior motives, coming to swallow the Chi family’s assets to exact revenge on the family. At the time, Chi Yu thought these were just baseless, petty rumors. Having lived under the same roof for years, she had a favorable impression of this beautiful and intelligent sister-in-law.

Before going abroad, she had even sent the loudest of the rumor-mongers to prison to stand up for her sister and sister-in-law. She never expected that things would develop in the most terrifying direction, exactly like the rumors.

Thinking of her sister—now sleeping forever beneath the earth for no clear reason—Chi Yu’s heart was torn by grief and rage. With a violent whoosh, she yanked down Ran Jin’s bedroom curtains, her strength nearly pulling the curtain rod down with them.

Perhaps they weren’t rumors.

Every word of the investigation results proved that, without her sister’s knowledge, Ran Jin had long been secretly expanding her influence within the Chi Group. She was an outsider who had truly calculated every step.

Before her sister died, the two of them had broken up—a breakup that came without warning. Chi Yu had always felt that the breakup was the fuse that led Ran Jin to kill her sister. Perhaps her sister had discovered the secrets she had hidden for so long, so Ran Jin killed her and moved to swallow her life’s work.

A beautiful dream she has, Chi Yu thought. The Chi family wasn’t extinct yet.

Chi Yu had never hated anyone so much. Recalling how she had once treated Ran Jin with sincerity, as a close family member, she felt utterly disgusted.

Her phone rang; it was her assistant.

Chi Yu said, “I’m heading over now. Where is she?”

The assistant replied, “President Ran left with Miss Lu an hour ago.”

Lu Siqiong. That police officer again.

No wonder the police could ignore the evidence that even Chi Yu could find; the suspect was still at large.

Chi Yu hung up and walked into Ran Jin’s closet to inspect it again. Indeed, there wasn’t a single piece of her sister’s clothing. Chi Yu sneered. Are you that impatient to kick my sister out of your world?

But that’s fine, Chi Yu thought. I will make you remember her. Remember the person who saved you and loved you so much. Guilt will follow you like a shadow.

Tonight there was a banquet, which was actually a press conference for the Chi Group. Ran Jin was set to announce the lunar energy mining rights she had just seized. How could Chi Yu miss such a high-profile night?

Chi Yu would make Ran Jin regret it. She would make her suffer, ruin her reputation, and then bring her to justice along with that police officer surnamed Lu who was in league with her.

Before attending the banquet, Chi Yu met with her sister’s former assistant.

“Second Miss, I’ve brought what you asked for. Shall you change now?”

Chi Yu took the garment. It was a silk dress in pecan gray—exquisite and highlighting her waist perfectly. A makeup artist employed by the Chi Group had long been waiting to style her.

With her thick, dark-red curls draped over her delicate collarbones, Chi Yu opened her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror, wearing her sister’s clothes. A smile curled on her crimson lips.

“Use my sister’s perfume as well.”

“Yes, Miss.”

The top notes of fir, black truffle, and jasmine seeped into Chi Yu’s senses. This was the fragrance her sister used habitually. No doubt, Ran Jin would “love” it too.

Inside the car, it was as silent as outer space. Ran Jin sat in the passenger seat, arms crossed over her chest, eyes closed, having just entered a light sleep.

Lu Siqiong’s phone suddenly rang. Ran Jin opened her eyes.

“Sorry, did I wake you?” Lu Siqiong held the steering wheel with one hand and put on her Bluetooth headset with a frown, speaking in a very low voice. “…I’m out, I’m with Xiao Jin. Yeah, talk later. Bye.”

Lu Siqiong hung up quickly and looked at Ran Jin. Ran Jin struggled to open her swollen eyes; they were bloodshot, and she looked haggard. She glanced at the scenery outside, confirming they were still some distance from their destination.

“Didn’t sleep well last night?”

“It was okay.”

“Didn’t sleep well, or didn’t sleep at all?”

“…”

Lu Siqiong got her answer from the silence. She knew her old friend far too well. She couldn’t help but feel a bit angry. “I thought you’d be free once she died. Instead, you’ve ended up like this.”

Ran Jin’s elegant brow furrowed, and she closed her eyes tighter.

Lu Siqiong glanced at Ran Jin’s neatly fastened cufflinks. Her slender wrists were hidden in her sleeves; no matter how hot the weather, she had never seen Ran Jin wear short sleeves. Even though the cuffs were sealed tight, one could still faintly see faint red marks on her wrists.

Lu Siqiong asked in a low voice, “Is it Chi Yu?”

At the mention of that name, Ran Jin slowly opened her eyes. Before her was her reflection in the car window—her long, straight black hair draped over her shoulders, her eyes filled with an impenetrable silence. There were more bloodshot streaks in the whites of her eyes than she had expected, yet they happened to form a portrait of intense color.

Ran Jin’s tone held no emotion: “What about her?”

Lu Siqiong was a bit fired up. “Don’t tell me the person tormenting you lately isn’t her!”

Lu Siqiong drove irritably, but feeling it was inhumane to take out her anger on a victim, she suppressed her temper and asked, “Are you really going tonight?”

“It’s such an important conference. Naturally, I must attend.”

Lu Siqiong gave a grunt of affirmation. “Then I’ll go with you.”

Ran Jin turned and gave her a faint smile. “No need. I can handle it myself.”

“You can handle Chi Yu? Handle that little brat? Do you even believe that yourself? Yes, you’re very powerful—the competitors you’ve played to death over the years fill the mountains and valleys; the people kneeling at your door kowtowing to you could wake the ghosts in hell. Take this lunar energy battle—Yidai Tech, who fought you for it, has already filed for bankruptcy protection, and that founder, Wang Yan, has already gone to meet the King of Hell. I know you have your methods, President Ran, but in this world, there’s always one thing that subdues another—there’s always that one person who can hold you down. That person is back now and is targeting you everywhere. What do you plan to do? Give up everything you’ve worked for?”

As Lu Siqiong spoke, she grew more anxious. “Are you really willing to let everything go down the drain? Just for Chi Yu?”

Lu Siqiong’s voice echoed loudly in the cabin. Ran Jin remained seated steadily. She took a peppermint from the glove compartment, peeled it, and handed it to her with a smile.

Lu Siqiong: “…”

Before closing her eyes again, Ran Jin smiled at Lu Siqiong indifferently and said:

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle my own business.”