The Creator's Grace - Chapter 10

The 18th floor of the U.P. Tower was where Ran Jin’s office was located.

Chi Yu’s sudden appearance caught the entire group off guard. Some middle-to-senior management and veteran employees recognized her immediately, setting aside their work to receive her. The newcomers were a bit confused, wondering who this person was to merit such a grand reception.

Manager Xu of the Planning Department invited Chi Yu into the guest lounge, saying, “President Ran stepped out on business just now. I’ll contact her right away.”

Chi Yu gave Manager Xu a faint smile. “I’ll wait for her in Sister Ran’s office.”

As the Second Miss of the Chi family, let alone the former Chairperson, even the current Ran Jin held her in the palm of her hand. The entire U.P. Tower was still closely tied to the “Chi” surname. If the Second Miss said she wanted to go somewhere, Manager Xu couldn’t possibly refuse.

Manager Xu led her into Ran Jin’s office and personally served her a cup of hot tea. As soon as she stepped out, she was pulled aside by Xiao Yang from the same department.

“Manager Xu, Manager Xu! Who is that? Why did you let her into President Ran’s office?”

Manager Xu used the folder she had just picked up to lightly tap Xiao Yang’s forehead, then pulled her to an empty corner and whispered, “That is President Chi’s younger sister, the one who’s been studying overseas.”

“Ah? That’s her?”

Even for new employees of the Chi Group who hadn’t seen Chi Yu in person, everyone had heard that the Chairperson had a younger sister she cherished like the apple of her eye. They had always heard of her but never seen her. Now that something had happened to President Chi and rumors were flying, the sister had arrived in person. Xiao Yang’s mind was already imagining a storm of drama and conflict.

Chi Yu walked into Ran Jin’s office. It faced south; standing before the bright, quiet floor-to-ceiling windows, one could overlook the city’s entire highway network.

On Ran Jin’s desk, aside from work documents and a computer, stood a picture frame. Inside was a photo of a snow-capped mountain. The peaks overlapped, their ridges extending outward to form a deep embrace, within which lay a lake as blue as a gemstone.

Chi Yu held the frame, feeling the scenery was somewhat familiar, though she couldn’t recall where she had seen it—perhaps in a documentary.

She set the frame down, sat in the chair, and opened Ran Jin’s private computer. Unsurprisingly, it required a password.

Chi Yu quickly typed in her sister’s birthday. Incorrect.

She tried Ran Jin’s birthday. Also wrong.

Her fingertips hovered over the keyboard. After thinking for a moment, she entered the date Ran Jin first arrived at the Chi house, followed by every significant date she could think of regarding Ran Jin and her sister.

All were incorrect.

She had come specifically to see what she could dig out of Ran Jin’s computer. Qi Tong was right—her sister’s final call, made with her last breath, hadn’t been to her, but to Ran Jin. It was possible her sister truly had a deep attachment to her; Chi Yu had seen this over the years and wasn’t surprised.

But what about Ran Jin?

When Chi Yu thought of Ran Jin, she thought of that face that never smiled and eyes as silent as a desolate mountain. Chi Yu had always felt that while Ran Jin was gentle to the family and never refused them anything, it was always difficult to read her true inner heart.

This incident with her sister had made Ran Jin’s attitude even more mysterious. Perhaps a private computer would leave behind some emotional traces. Chi Yu had hoped to capitalize on Ran Jin’s absence, but she couldn’t unlock the machine.

Chi Yu leaned back heavily into the chair, feeling frustrated. Passwords usually have symbolic meaning for people—dates they can remember by instinct without thinking. If the password were her sister’s birthday, it would mean Ran Jin still had some feelings for her. But she had tried every date related to her sister and couldn’t get in.

So, Ran Jin’s password likely had nothing to do with her sister.

Thinking of that police officer surnamed Lu, Chi Yu’s expression soured further.

Without waiting for Ran Jin to return, Chi Yu left the office. Manager Xu came up and said, “President Ran said she’ll be back in a while. She asked you to wait a bit longer.”

Chi Yu: “I have something to do, I’m leaving.”

“Oh, oh, then you…” Before the words “Safe travels” could be uttered, Chi Yu had already pushed open the door and left the office area.

Chi Yu felt a bit dizzy as she headed downstairs, unsure if it was because her fever hadn’t broken or if her hypoglycemia was acting up. The bottom three floors of the tower were a shopping mall; she planned to go to a convenience store to buy some chocolate.

On her way to the convenience store, she passed a café. After walking past, she backed up and looked through the glass window. She was certain the person sitting inside was Ran Jin.

Ran Jin was wearing her stiff black work suit, her face carrying its usual coldness. Her long, straight black hair draped over her shoulders, making her look unapproachable.

And the person sitting opposite her, Chi Yu recognized—it was Ran Jin’s mother, He Zhi.

Chi Yu had only seen He Zhi twice in total: once at the U.P. Tower and once at the Chi house. Both times, He Zhi had taken the initiative to find Ran Jin, and both times Ran Jin had ignored her, leaving her waiting for over an hour. Only when it was clear she wouldn’t see her daughter did she leave.

Actually, Chi Yu wasn’t someone very sensitive to other people’s appearances, and she had only caught a few glimpses of He Zhi during those two encounters. But He Zhi had left a deep impression on her. Aside from being the biological mother Ran Jin never welcomed, there was her strange manner of dress.

He Zhi liked to apply very thick, white foundation, making her face look as pale as the dead. Sunglasses were standard; she was never seen without them, indoors or out. No matter how hot it was, she would wrap herself in layers upon layers and wear a wide-brimmed sun hat. The soft brim often drooped by her face, obscuring most of it. The sheer width of the hat always reminded Chi Yu of those restaurants that use massive plates to serve two bites of salad.

Chi Yu was curious about He Zhi and had once asked her sister why Ran Jin’s mother dressed that way. She remembered her sister smiling and saying, “Maybe there’s something she needs to hide from people.” At the time, Chi Yu hadn’t caught the mockery in her sister’s words; thinking back now, she realized her past self had been blissfully oblivious to the world around her.

Even though it was winter, the heating in the mall was turned up high. It was stifling enough to make Chi Yu, who rarely sweated, feel a bit restless. Yet He Zhi was still wearing a down jacket, wrapped up like a vampire.

So Ran Jin was here to see her mother. Given Ran Jin’s past attitude of avoiding He Zhi, this meeting made Chi Yu very curious. She quietly entered the café and sat wordlessly in the booth behind Ran Jin.

Their conversation was already halfway through. Without knowing the context, He Zhi suddenly grabbed Ran Jin’s hand, her voice urgent and low. “That was so many years ago… we were helpless back then. Do you still hate us?”

Chi Yu thought to herself: Ran Jin and her biological family really do have problems. Her parents must have done something to wrong her back then.

Ran Jin pulled her hand away. Using a voice as emotionless as a news anchor, she said, “Ms. He, I think you’ve mistaken things.”

Ms. He? Chi Yu couldn’t help but ponder this strange form of address. As far as she knew, Ran Jin didn’t like talking to her mother; she usually drove her away with cold violence without saying a word. This was the first time Chi Yu had seen them communicating face-to-face. It seemed the grudge between Ran Jin and the Ran family was deep-seated; she wouldn’t even call her “Mom,” replacing it with the very distant “Ms. He.”

Chi Yu listened intently, waiting for their next words, but Ran Jin didn’t speak to He Zhi again.

“Xiao Yu?”

Ran Jin’s voice sounded from behind Chi Yu.

Chi Yu turned around to see Ran Jin’s head peeking over the back of the sofa, looking at her curiously. Ran Jin, who had spotted Chi Yu in the glass reflection, asked, “What are you doing here?”

Caught eavesdropping, Chi Yu had no choice but to put on a polite smile and pretend to be surprised. “Oh? Sister Ran, I went to your office and waited for ages but you didn’t come back. I was thirsty, so I came down to get a drink.”

Chi Yu’s gaze met He Zhi’s through her sunglasses in mid-air. Even though Chi Yu felt an immense internal resistance upon seeing Ran Jin again, she stood up and sat beside her to avoid revealing any flaws, politely greeting He Zhi: “Hello, Auntie.”

“Hello…” He Zhi’s voice was a bit hesitant. She quickly added, “I’ll leave you two to chat then. Xiao Jin, your birthday is coming up. If you’re free, remember to come home for a meal. Your father and I… both miss you very much.”

This parental display of affection received no response. Ran Jin acted as if she hadn’t heard, not even bothering to refuse; she simply treated He Zhi as if she were air.

He Zhi gave Chi Yu an awkward smile and quickly got up to leave. She left so fast it almost seemed like she was escaping.

While Chi Yu was still mulling over He Zhi’s words, Ran Jin changed her tone and asked Chi Yu softly, “Has your fever broken yet? Why are you running around outside?”

“I’m fine now.” Chi Yu thought of the Ran Jin in the surveillance footage, and her voice uncontrollably turned cold.

Ran Jin didn’t believe her immediately. Instead, she carefully observed her face. “Your face is still flushed; the fever probably hasn’t broken yet.” She raised her hand and asked, “Can I feel your forehead?”

In the past when Chi Yu was sick, Ran Jin—acting as an elder—would naturally check her temperature with her palm without asking. But now, perhaps because she had broken up with Chi Li and was no longer Chi Yu’s “sister-in-law,” or for some other reason, she began asking for permission before touching her.

Chi Yu didn’t want Ran Jin to touch her. These hands were stained with her sister’s blood. Even though they looked white and slender now, Chi Yu—perhaps due to a psychological effect—could always smell an uncomfortable scent of blood.

“No need,” Chi Yu said, controlling her emotions as best she could. “I’m fine.”

Ran Jin withdrew her hand a bit awkwardly. “That’s good, then.”

Chi Yu knew Ran Jin wasn’t a simple person after years of fighting in the business world with her sister. If her disgust were too obvious, it might make Ran Jin more guarded, which wouldn’t help what she planned to do next.

Unlike her frostiness toward He Zhi, Ran Jin proactively looked for a topic even after being rejected: “Even if the fever just went down, it’s not good to be running around outside. It’s too cold. Let me drive you back.”

Chi Yu said, “Don’t you still have a lot to do at the company? I can head back myself.”

“It’s fine. I’ll drive you home and then go back to the office.”

Chi Yu didn’t have a car in the country; she had been driving her sister’s car since her return. However, having this busy person volunteer as her driver and continue to care for her like an elder provided a perfect opportunity for them to be alone. Chi Yu planned to use this chance to probe Ran Jin for information.

But the journey home wouldn’t provide much time. After adjusting her mindset, Chi Yu hooked her arm through Ran Jin’s and said in a coy voice, just like she used to:

“Sister Ran, I really don’t have a fever anymore. Auntie Su made a huge table of food when I was heading out, but I didn’t have an appetite then and only ate a little. I’m a bit hungry now. Will you take me to eat?”

“Hmm? What do you want to eat?” Ran Jin’s voice had a slight tremor due to Chi Yu’s sudden closeness, but Chi Yu didn’t notice.

“Let’s eat at that Chinese restaurant upstairs—the one you and Sister used to take me to. My stomach has been ruined by the food overseas these years; I just want a bite of authentic Kung Pao Chicken.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

Chi Yu and Ran Jin went upstairs together. Chi Yu kept her arm hooked through Ran Jin’s the whole way to show there was no rift between them, trying to make Ran Jin lower her guard. She planned to use the mealtime to draw Ran Jin out.

Clung to by Chi Yu, Ran Jin constantly caught the scent of her perfume and the freshness of her shampoo. She kept her back as straight as a soldier guarding the national flag. The only difference was that several times, she nearly tripped over her own feet.