The Creator's Grace - Chapter 19

Having obtained Ran Jin’s iris, and fearing that delays would bring trouble, Chi Yu went to Qi Tong’s studio that very night. Together, they locked down every single trans-lunar orbit purchased by the Chi Group.

By the time they finished, it was already 3:00 AM.

Qi Tong was practically drained dry by the all-nighter; give her a pillow now and she could fall asleep even while hugging a roof beam. However, seeing that Chi Yu wasn’t sleeping, she couldn’t bring herself to leave her friend alone—especially since this was the moment her friend needed companionship the most.

Chi Yu recounted everything that had happened that night to Qi Tong in full detail. She needed Qi Tong to work for her and uncover the truth, so she couldn’t hide anything—even the awkward emotional entanglements. Hiding a single detail could lead to a blurred focus during the investigation and cause them to miss the most critical clues.

After hearing these unbelievable events, the usually quick-witted Qi Tong couldn’t find a single word to comfort her; her jaw practically forgot to close.

Her closest sister had died a tragic, mysterious death, and the person likely responsible was the sister’s intimate ex-lover. Chi Yu used to have a fairly good relationship with this former sister-in-law…

If that wasn’t enough, another jaw-dropping truth had exploded: it turned out the former sister-in-law had harbored special feelings for Chi Yu all along. This added a thorn-filled crossroad to a case already shrouded in dense fog.

The series of calamities Chi Yu had faced in a single month would be more than most people could process in a lifetime, yet here she was, initiating a plan to reclaim the Chi Group. Qi Tong admired her deeply; Sister Yu is still the same legend she’s always been.

Qi Tong personally cooked a midnight snack and brought it back. Sitting on the sofa, Chi Yu blinked her dry eyes and said, “You eat it, I’m not hungry.”

“How can you not be hungry? You’ve been busy all day without a single bite; I’ve been watching. ‘Man is iron, rice is steel’—you have big things to do tomorrow. If you don’t eat, you won’t have the strength to clear your sister’s name.”

Following her words, Chi Yu sat up straight after a moment of silence, took the noodles, and ate a few bites.

“Is the ham tasty?” Qi Tong held another bowl of hot noodles like a pika clutching winter food, hoping for a compliment.

Chi Yu looked directly at her and asked, “Does Ran Jin’s attack on my sister have anything to do with me?”

Qi Tong’s smile froze on her face. “…”

This question was extremely difficult to answer; even the tastiest ham couldn’t save the conversation. Especially as an outsider, she really didn’t know what to say.

Chi Yu spoke for herself: “In my impression, they were always very much in love. From the moment Ran Jin arrived at our home, Sister treated her with meticulous care. Not only did she help heal her injuries, but she also sent her to school, taught her the business, and handed over the Chi Group—which she had worked so hard to save—into her hands. Ran Jin also seemed very good to Sister and was very obedient. On the surface, she never had a second word about anything Sister asked her to do. No matter how far the place or how complex the task, she just did it. I used to think they were two gears personally fashioned by the Heavens, destined to fit perfectly only with each other…”

At this point, Chi Yu gave a self-mocking laugh.

In high school, Chi Yu had many pursuers. She had gone on dates and held hands, but throughout the entire process, her mind would wander. She felt that sitting there watching the night sky with a stranger and chatting about trivialities was a pure waste of time. From then on, she lost interest in “dating” and focused solely on her research.

If there was anyone whose romance gave her a sense of expectation and security, it was certainly her sister and Ran Jin. Their meeting was dramatic, her sister’s protection was absolute, and Ran Jin’s obedience was total, giving their love a romantic tint usually found only in plays. Their subsequent life together was a model of mutual devotion.

Who would have thought that everything seen by the eyes was merely an illusion? Within that brilliant soap bubble hid a crisis that would shatter with a single prick.

When did the feelings between Sister and Ran Jin start to change? Did it have to do with me? And when did Ran Jin’s feelings for me begin?

Seeing the usually stone-hearted Ran Jin break down in tears for her, Chi Yu had to ask herself these questions.

Or was it that I never truly saw through their relationship? Was everything fake? The password used was my birthday, and she was so panicked because I had an accident… Ran Jin’s feelings are already very obvious. But if she has feelings for me, why is she so close to that Officer Lu? Is it just a simple physical transaction?

Fairly speaking, based on her understanding of Ran Jin, Ran Jin shouldn’t be that kind of person. But when it came to “understanding,” Chi Yu no longer knew how much “truth” remained in the facts she was accustomed to.

Pandora’s box had been opened, and Chi Yu’s mind was flooded with countless questions.

Qi Tong stayed by her side. Seeing her lost in thought, she didn’t interrupt but took away the noodles that had gone soggy and went to the kitchen to cook a fresh bowl.

“Thank you…” Chi Yu’s weary voice came from behind her.

“Hey, we’ve been best friends for so many years, what’s with the ‘thank you’?” Qi Tong said. “I just hope you can eat your fill and get some sleep. No worries after a good night’s rest.”

The fragrance drifting from the bright kitchen gave Chi Yu a long-lost sense of home and warmth. Although her appetite was still poor and she didn’t want to eat anything, she didn’t want to waste Qi Tong’s kindness. After finishing the snack, she took a shower and forced herself to fall asleep quickly.

She needed to sleep. Tomorrow, Ran Jin would hold the press conference for the lunar mining rights. She was going to declare war on Ran Jin at that conference and take back the Chi Group her sister had spent her life building. She needed sleep; she needed a dreamless night to reclaim a clear, rational mind.

Perhaps it was due to the bowl of noodles Qi Tong cooked, but the physically and mentally exhausted Chi Yu did indeed fall asleep quickly.

However, she did not escape a dream that was almost identical to her real memories.

When watching the surveillance footage, Chi Yu had told Qi Tong that Ran Jin was a very calm person and that she had almost never seen Ran Jin lose control of her emotions. Except for that one time.

In her first year studying abroad, Chi Yu fell seriously ill in a foreign land. Initially, she thought it was just a common cold and didn’t pay it much mind. Unexpectedly, due to her negligence, it rapidly developed into a critical condition.

Upon hearing the news, her sister and Ran Jin rushed over immediately. Chi Yu didn’t know how long she had been unconscious, but when she woke up, Ran Jin had just taken over for Chi Li, who hadn’t slept all night, and was about to help her turn over.

“Sister-in-law…” Chi Yu called her in a weak voice.

Ran Jin realized she was awake and, energized, stepped forward to hold her hand. “Xiao Yu, you’re awake. Are you in pain?”

Chi Yu felt pain all over and her memory was hazy. She looked at her dazed, seeing that Ran Jin’s already red and swollen eyes were full of tears. She was both happy and pained, her staring eyes unwilling to blink.

She had never seen Ran Jin like this.

Chi Yu gave a weak smile. “Why did you come? And you’re crying… When my sister broke her leg skiing… you were so steady, Sister-in-law. Why… are you crying like this now? I’m still alive.”

Hearing this, Ran Jin realized her loss of composure. She immediately let go of Chi Yu’s hand and wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand.

The doctor arrived to check on Chi Yu. Ran Jin, who had completely reined in her emotions, stood aside to call Chi Li and tell her Xiao Yu was awake.

In her grogginess, Chi Yu’s gaze was fixed on Ran Jin. She saw Ran Jin trying her best to suppress her surging emotions, but the exhaustion and worry on her face could not be hidden. At the time, seeing Ran Jin’s state, Chi Yu thought she had a terminal illness, which explained such grief and anxiety.

She hadn’t expected to be discharged two after weeks and recover quickly to dive back into her studies. Later, she sent Ran Jin a WeChat saying that seeing her cry when she woke up had scared her to death, making her think she wouldn’t make it.

Ran Jin replied quickly: [You are out there alone where your sister and I can’t look after you, so of course we were worried. You must pay attention to your body; if you feel any discomfort, go to the hospital immediately, okay?]

Busy studies and life prevented Chi Yu from thinking deeply about Ran Jin’s sudden exposure of emotion that day, and it was soon forgotten. But on this night, where Chi Yu had personally explored the truth, her thoughts seemed to return to that hospital room once more, remembering Ran Jin on the verge of an emotional collapse.

Things that had seemed natural over the years, or sentiments she occasionally couldn’t figure out, now had a place to belong. In her dream, by a cliff where the wild wind howled, Chi Yu questioned Ran Jin:

“What did you take my sister for?”

But the person opposite seemed unable to feel the wind or the accusation. She remained silent, her figure like mist or smoke, easily dispersed and easily broken. Ran Jin did not answer her question. As usual, she shed tears silently and willingly, each drop scalding Chi Yu’s heart.

When she woke up the next morning, Chi Yu had a splitting headache and asked Qi Tong for two painkillers.

Qi Tong had everything ready for her and asked, “Are you really going to do this?”

Chi Yu raised her eyebrows slightly.

“Aren’t you afraid she’ll take you down with her and truly destroy the Chi Group?”

“She won’t,” Chi Yu replied quickly. “If the knife in your hand falls, you can pick it up and use it again. But if it breaks, you can’t kill anyone and your goal won’t be achieved. She won’t be willing to destroy the Chi Group.”

Qi Tong was curious: “Then what is her goal? Just for the group? For money?”

Chi Yu dressed herself. “I don’t know yet.”

Qi Tong: “…”

“But it doesn’t matter.” Chi Yu opened her phone and entered Ran Jin’s apartment address. “What I need to do is make her spit out everything that doesn’t belong to her and send her to the police station. Once the dust settles, I can listen to her story.”

At this moment, Chi Yu was even more confident, because she knew she held a lethal weapon that could “kill” Ran Jin.

That night, after Ran Jin’s press conference, Chi Yu danced with Ran Jin in front of countless media members, “intimate” and “cheek to cheek.” Even if others sensed the undercurrents and the confrontation between them, it could all have been part of Chi Yu’s scheme.

But that final, earth-shattering kiss undoubtedly carried an extremely certain meaning. Combined with the recording that labeled Ran Jin as a suspect, it completely shattered her good public image.

Chi Yu was not afraid of being in the mire. Being covered in mud was nothing compared to her sister, who had been deceived for years and ended her life in such a tragic way.

She had given Ran Jin a final chance. She gave her the opportunity to say everything, but Ran Jin remained silent. This was a life-and-death game destined to happen.

After that passionate kiss ended, Chi Yu released Ran Jin from her embrace; her goal had been achieved. She noticed Ran Jin quickly clutching her right wrist, checking if the cufflink had been unfastened.

Determining the cufflink was still securely fastened, Ran Jin visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Even in a state of great anger, her instinctive first move was this. Chi Yu seemingly carelessly noted this abnormal behavior in her heart.

Ran Jin wanted to say nothing and leave. Chi Yu didn’t try to stop her. She knew that even if Ran Jin ran to the ends of the earth, as long as the trans-lunar orbit was in Chi Yu’s hands, she held absolute dominance.

With a hook of her finger, Ran Jin would have to come to her side.

Chi Yu whispered with a light laugh in Ran Jin’s ear, “See you tomorrow.”

Only then did Ran Jin realize that her earlobes had turned blood-red at some point. It might have been while dancing with Chi Yu, or perhaps while kissing her. And now, they were scorched hot by these words spoken so close.

Ran Jin quickened her pace to leave. Manager Xu immediately notified security to clear the area and requested all media members to leave, but not before asking them to hand over their recording equipment. Upon hearing this, how could the media hand over such a sensational scoop? They immediately fled through another emergency exit, swearing to protect their KPIs at all costs.

Butler Chen ran up, dripping with sweat. He looked at Chi Yu awkwardly, not knowing how to persuade her to leave. Chi Yu didn’t make it difficult for her; she smiled politely at him. Seeing a small wave of “escaping” media members leaning over to try and take two more photos of her, she stood generously in place, putting on a smile and letting them take their fill.

When Chi Yu left the ILLI Hotel and returned to her car, she found someone chasing after her in a rage. Chi Yu caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye—it was Lu Siqiong.

“Get out of the car!” Lu Siqiong kicked the door of Chi Yu’s car.

Chi Yu smiled at her through the half-open window. “Officer Lu, may I ask what law I’ve broken?”

Lu Siqiong’s outfit tonight made it impossible to associate her with being a “police officer”; she looked more like a socialite attending a function. But her temper hadn’t changed a bit.

“You already know Xiao Jin’s feelings for you, don’t you? Yet you still did this.” Lu Siqiong leaned one hand on the car window like a raging bull. “Do you have a conscience at all?!”

“Conscience?” Chi Yu repeated the words, asking in a curious tone. “To mention the word ‘conscience’ regarding a former sister-in-law who cheated on my sister and is the prime suspect in her murder—isn’t that a bit too ridiculous?”

Lu Siqiong took a deep breath. Chi Yu leaned closer to the window, her eyes filled with aggressive coldness.

“Speaking of which, this is our first formal meeting, Officer Lu. I know you and Ran Jin are very close—unusually close. It seems you understand her well. That being the case, I understand even less why you’re still standing on her side and speaking for her. You’re just one of the thousands of people she’s utilized, yet you’re so willing. Truly admirable.”

Lu Siqiong clenched her teeth, staring at Chi Yu with eyes that could practically spit fire. “You think you know everything, but you know nothing at all.”

Chi Yu nodded and smiled. “I indeed have many things I don’t understand. Then I must trouble Miss Lu to tell me how she could appear in your car and, at the same time, appear in the surveillance footage of the back door of my sister’s lounge.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Siqiong’s angry expression underwent a subtle shift.

“It seems Officer Lu has been kept in the dark as well. It doesn’t feel good to be treated like a fool, does it? I can understand that. If Officer Lu happens to remember one day that she is an officer of the people and feels a pang of guilt, you can come and talk to me.”

After saying that, Chi Yu gave her an innocent smile and then quickly drove away.

Lu Siqiong stood in the parking lot. Hearing the hushed but excitedly uncontainable discussions of the media behind her, she left quickly.

Back in the hotel room for rest, Ran Jin was already gone. Lu Siqiong asked Manager Xu where Ran Jin had gone; Manager Xu didn’t know and was searching for her everywhere too.

Lu Siqiong called Ran Jin, but she didn’t answer. After a while, she replied via WeChat.

[I want to be alone for a while.]

Lu Siqiong looked at the phone screen, helpless. A breath was caught in her chest, so blocked that her internal organs felt like they were about to smoke.