The Creator's Grace - Chapter 22

When it comes to kissing, everyone has a certain expectation in their mind before they actually do it, and Chi Yu was no exception.

That kiss with Ran Jin at the press conference, in front of countless people, had been a long-planned tactic. It was also her first kiss.

She didn’t actually care about whether it was a “first” or not; she had no obsession with so-called “first times.” What she cared about was whether she could achieve her goal.

Her kiss with Ran Jin had been a collection of everything she had seen and imagined during her growth, combined with a rigorous scientific spirit.

But it was still completely different from Ran Jin’s kiss.

“Do you want your Sister-in-law to teach you how adults are supposed to kiss?”

As it turned out, intimacy could be so aggressive and the entanglement so dense. Like a sudden downpour, it left Chi Yu’s lips aching from being repeatedly crushed, as if her very soul was being swallowed by Ran Jin.

That extremely adult-style kiss awakened a very hidden, primitive impulse within Chi Yu’s internal world.

Just as an electric current began to stir in her blood, Ran Jin’s fingers sank deep into her hair, gripping her head—which was trying to create distance—and pressing it back.

Chi Yu: “…”

The moment Chi Yu snapped back to her senses, a sharp pain shot through Ran Jin’s lip, and Ran Jin let her go.

As their lips separated, Chi Yu frowned and retreated two steps. Ran Jin pursed her aching lips, the taste of blood quickly invading her mouth. There was a bit of Ran Jin’s blood on Chi Yu’s lips as well.

Ran Jin licked the wound and smiled. “What’s wrong? Did I scare you?”

Chi Yu’s lips were red from Ran Jin’s friction, her lipstick smudged and covered in a layer of shimmer. Her gaze, as she glared at Ran Jin, looked capable of murder.

“Sorry, Xiao Yu. Who told you to ruin my good time? The atmosphere between Miss Gong and me was perfect, but you had to butt in and ruin it. Consider this kiss compensation.”

The Ran Jin wearing unfamiliar heavy makeup and sexy clothes was a stranger. The Ran Jin speaking with a strange smile and acting so licentiously was even more of a stranger.

“You’re being pathetic,” Chi Yu said, her jaw clenched tight.

“Mhm… pathetic.” Ran Jin savored Chi Yu’s words, picked up the wine glass Chi Yu had left on the windowsill earlier, and drained it in one gulp.

Ran Jin didn’t mind at all that her own lips overlapped with the lipstick mark Chi Yu had left on the rim of the glass.

“Perhaps these years spent with your sister were too hard, and I suppressed myself too much. Now, I want to take it all back with a vengeance. I used to do things quite discreetly, but I still couldn’t escape the rumors. Remember that recording you played at the press conference? The fact that I can hold my current position and control the Chi Group with one hand is indeed inseparable from my superior social skills. You just experienced it yourself, didn’t you? That was just a small appetizer. Do you want to keep tasting?”

Ran Jin had a very low tolerance for alcohol; they both knew that. After one glass, a faint flush soon rose to her cheeks.

The frantic kiss hadn’t just messed up Chi Yu’s hair; it had disheveled Ran Jin’s as well. Coupled with her smile, which grew more reckless as the alcohol took hold, she stood against the light holding the empty glass. Her laughing face was veiled by the shadows, making her features blurry and indistinct.

Ran Jin tossed the glass aside and, using the intoxication as an excuse, stepped forward to lean into Chi Yu’s embrace.

“You asked me if I’ve had those kinds of thoughts about you before. I was telling the truth—I watched you grow up, and in my eyes, you were always a sister. However…” She tilted her head up, Chi Yu’s face reflected in her hazy, intoxicated eyes.

She chuckled softly, her fingers moving slowly up Chi Yu’s neck, tracing her silhouette.

“You’ve grown up so much without me noticing. You’re so beautiful, it’s heart-stirring. Since your sister is dead anyway, I don’t mind starting from this moment, with you…”

Chi Yu shoved her away violently.

Ran Jin stumbled back, barely managing to keep her balance. Chi Yu felt her eyelids twitching; along with her heartbeat, the rhythm was becoming clearer and clearer.

“A completely pathetic performance.”

Every word squeezed through Chi Yu’s teeth possessed a ruthlessness that pierced the silence. Then, as if thinking of something, her tone sank further.

“Are you happy acting like this?” she added.

Ran Jin had been leaning comfortably against the window, indulging herself in the drunkenness. Hearing this sentence, her smile turned unnatural for a moment.

After being toyed with, Chi Yu actually saw through some things. After carefully observing Ran Jin’s expression in the light, she became even more certain.

“I will never let go of the Chi Group,” Chi Yu set aside her internal doubts for the moment. “I am determined to win over the shareholders. Just wait to be swept out the door by me!”

Chi Yu left, and Ran Jin remained standing where she was. The second-floor gallery quickly became completely silent following Chi Yu’s departure.

It also turned cold.

Ran Jin stood there like a statue that had been in place for a thousand years, neither speaking nor moving.

What she had set out to do tonight was actually very simple. It didn’t matter whether Chi Yu believed her behavior or not, as long as she made Chi Yu hate her—the more hate, the better. Of course, it would be even better if she could make Chi Yu retreat in the face of difficulties.

Unfortunately, looking at the result, Chi Yu was not an easy person to repel. She had even sharply exposed some things on the spot.

Ran Jin knew that Chi Yu had already investigated many things, including Chi Li’s final phone call and the real autopsy report; she likely knew it all. But Chi Yu was not an impulsive fool. When even the police couldn’t confirm the real killer, she wouldn’t show all her cards. She was continuing to look for opportunities and had even gradually gained the advantage.

As for Chi Yu’s hatred toward Ran Jin—the former sister-in-law who was definitely involved in her sister’s death—Ran Jin could understand it. As long as Chi Yu hated her, then even if the things that were almost coming to light were one day truly exposed, there wouldn’t be any “unfortunate” consequences.

She wanted to cut off all possibilities of any delusions regarding Chi Yu.

She could have originally avoided revealing any flaws, but that sudden accident ruined everything. The goddess she thought she could only ever admire from afar, placed in the sacred land of her heart where no one could touch her, had been defiled by her own hands today.

The wound on her lip hurt a little. She didn’t like pain, nor did she like happiness; she didn’t like any real feelings. But this wound was left to her by Chi Yu. Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but feel a sliver of morbid joy in her heart.

Chi Yu went downstairs, but she didn’t leave immediately. She quickly stabilized her emotions, adjusted her mood, and temporarily forgot the confrontation with Ran Jin on the second floor. She spoke for a while with several major shareholders of the Chi Group who had just arrived.

These major shareholders had spent years fighting in the business world; they kept all pros and cons in their hearts and never showed them on their faces. They were masters of saying the right things to the right people. Until Chi Yu left, none of them gave her any guarantees.

Actually, Chi Yu didn’t need them to say anything verbally. Currently, the trans-lunar orbit was in her hands, which was a very high-quality bargaining chip. As for what reinforcements Ran Jin might call… she already had an idea.

Chi Yu took another glass of wine, drained it, and forced herself to leave.

“Miss Ran?”

Miss Gong held up her skirt and walked to the second floor, seeing Ran Jin with her back to her, looking out the window.

“Why are you here alone? Everyone is waiting for you; they sent me to check on you.” Miss Gong walked up behind her, caught the scent of her perfume, and her gaze involuntarily drifted to Ran Jin’s lower back.

Miss Gong was the daughter of an aviation materials supplier. She had been queer since she was young and had fallen in love at first sight with Ran Jin the moment they met. Unfortunately, at that time, Ran Jin and Chi Li were a pair of perfection that everyone envied. Since this Ran family daughter began dating the founder of the Chi Group, she had quickly integrated into the social circle centered around Chi Li, leaving no opportunity for anyone to cut in.

Who would have thought? Chi Li actually died, and Ran Jin had been drained of her energy by her former sister-in-law who came back to cause trouble, leaving her in urgent need of support from various capital sources. This was the best opportunity to win Ran Jin over.

Miss Gong had asked around and learned that Ran Jin was hosting a banquet at Mulan Club tonight. She put in all her effort to obtain an invitation, intending to get close to her under the guise of discussing business. She hadn’t expected to be interrupted by that Chi family Second Miss.

She had thought those two had actually gotten together, but the Second Miss came down from the second floor so quickly, and her expression didn’t look very good. It seemed they hadn’t had a pleasant encounter. There was still a chance.

Thinking of their interaction before the Second Miss interrupted, and looking at Ran Jin’s thin and beautiful shoulders, Miss Gong couldn’t help but step forward to embrace her, leaning in and saying in a flirtatious tone:

“Does Miss Ran have something on her mind? Tell me? I have many ways to make you forget your troubles.”

Just as Miss Gong’s heart was racing, the hand resting “obediently” on Ran Jin’s waist was squeezed hard.

Miss Gong: “?”

“Miss Gong, I recall that I did not send you an invitation.” Ran Jin pushed her hand away, the previous ambiguity completely gone. One look from her felt like ice water being poured over the head. “If there is nothing else, please leave on your own. Otherwise, I will have someone escort you out.”

The club had designated drivers. When Chi Yu left Mulan Club and headed toward the city center, Qi Tong called her, asking where she was and if she wanted to have dinner together because she had something to tell her.

Chi Yu, with a stomach full of wine and a heart full of anger, had no appetite. She licked her lips, which were aching and still slightly swollen from Ran Jin’s kiss, and told Qi Tong she’d see her in a bit.

An hour later, Chi Yu arrived at the restaurant where she was meeting Qi Tong.

“Where have you been? I’ve been messaging you all night and you didn’t reply. I wanted to invite you to dinner, but well, it’s a midnight snack now. I’m starving; I’ve been running around all day again. Let me tell you…”

Qi Tong ate hungrily, talking about a class reunion while she ate. Chi Yu sat there just sipping sparkling water. After talking for a long time without Chi Yu responding, Qi Tong asked suspiciously, “What’s wrong? You’re so serious. Did something else happen?”

Chi Yu didn’t answer her question. Propping her chin on her hand, she blocked her mouth with four fingers and asked instead, “You’ve had several boyfriends, haven’t you?”

Qi Tong blinked, quickly swallowed the noodles in her mouth, and became even more confused. “Yeah, don’t you already know that?”

Chi Yu asked seemingly casually, “You must be an expert at kissing.”

“…” Qi Tong even put down her chopsticks. “Sister Yu, you flatter me, but I wouldn’t call myself an expert. Why? Do you need me to give you a lesson on kissing?”

Chi Yu had been smart since she was a child; as a top student, there was almost nothing she didn’t understand. Usually, it was Qi Tong asking her for advice, rarely the other way around. But kissing was something she hadn’t actually practiced with anyone. Trying to imagine it out of thin air had a certain level of difficulty when it came to real details.

Like that time Chi Yu forcefully kissed Ran Jin; even after staying up late to do her homework and making ample preparations, she still revealed flaws. However, after coming out of Mulan Club, Chi Yu had been thinking about one question the whole way.

Ran Jin kept talking about “teaching,” yet she taught until her lips hurt…

Does Ran Jin really know how to kiss?

Qi Tong asked a question but got no answer. Seeing that Chi Yu’s gaze was a bit distant and her lipstick was smudged—and not just smudged, but slightly swollen—her heart skipped a beat.

“You didn’t… kiss your Sister-in-law again, did you?”

“Former Sister-in-law,” Chi Yu corrected.

Qi Tong grumbled internally: If you keep messing around like this, your former Sister-in-law is going to become your current girlfriend.