The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 16

“You two are staff members of District Z, so you’re more familiar with this area than I am.”

Xie Zhitian lowered her voice, “I hope you’ll pay more attention to your surroundings over the next two days. Report anything unusual to me, no matter how minor. As long as it’s a valuable lead, I’ll pay you a corresponding reward. Is that okay?”

“Yes, that’s fine,” Tian Shanshan said, momentarily stunned, hesitating. “But, Miss, why do you want us to do this? Did something happen?”

Xie Zhitian replied, “Nothing has happened yet. But after what happened with Mo Li, it will more or less affect the relationship between modified humans and ordinary people in our district. I’m just afraid that someone with ill intentions will use Mo Li’s case to sow discord and cause more trouble. Modified humans and ordinary people shouldn’t be at odds. If things become tense, won’t that just give the aliens an opportunity?”

Tian Shanshan thought it made a lot of sense. “No problem, we’ll do our best.”

Ding Yu also promised, “Don’t worry, Miss, leave it to us. If needed, I can go follow that guy, Xiao Wen.”

Tian Shanshan immediately objected, “Are you stupid? There are few buildings in our District Z, the roads are terribly wide and empty, and there’s no cover. You’d be discovered immediately, let alone if you were following a person, even if you were following a dog.”

Ding Yu was stunned for a moment. “That’s true, but can a dog really discover me…”

The corner of Tian Shanshan’s mouth twitched. “That’s not the point!”

Xie Zhitian found their conversation amusing and smiled. “Just be careful. Don’t tell anyone about this, and don’t do anything too obvious or deliberate. Just pay attention as usual, so you don’t spook the snake.”

If you put aside the cheat system, Xiao Wen was just an ordinary human male.

Even without the ravages of the apocalypse, which reduced physical strength and lifespan, Xiao Wen’s physical fitness was only slightly better than that of males in the current world, but he was absolutely no match for an alien.

Why was Xiao Wen asking the staff about aliens?

Even if he was incredibly bold, he wouldn’t dare to directly confront an alien.

Or was Xiao Wen inquiring about these things just to protect himself and avoid danger…

This matter bothered Xie Zhitian for most of the day, and she still couldn’t figure it out by the evening.

However, if Xiao Wen wanted to play tricks, he would surely leave traces. With Ding Yu and Tian Shanshan as her eyes, she could feel more at ease.

Xie Zhitian was lost in thought, leaning against the window. The setting sun’s afterglow streamed over the windowsill, casting a warm, yellow halo over her delicate face.

On the small bed not far away, Luo Yang was sleeping soundly, a half-read novel lying next to her hand.

Her fingers were lightly resting on the cover, as if she hadn’t finished yet.

After dinner, Luo Yang had been engrossed in her book on the bed, occasionally breaking into a smile. Perhaps her body hadn’t fully recovered, as she couldn’t fight off her drowsiness and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Xie Zhitian was very pleased. It was good that she could eat and sleep well. At this rate, Luo Yang would soon recover her health.

Thinking of this, she looked at the tranquil and serene sleeping face on the bed and gently raised the corners of her mouth.

As if she sensed Xie Zhitian’s gaze, Luo Yang’s expression shifted, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Her gaze was momentarily lost, as if she was trying to figure out her surroundings, and then it refocused, falling on Xie Zhitian.

Xie Zhitian smiled at her. “Awake?”

“I’m sorry, Miss.”

Luo Yang sat up, her soft hair sliding over her shoulders.

Her voice was slightly hoarse. “I accidentally fell asleep.”

Xie Zhitian waved her hand. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. There’s no urgent matter right now. You should rest as much as possible and get your health back; that’s the most important thing.”

She remembered something and pointed to the spot by the bed. “Oh, I prepared a gift for you. Take a look and see if you like it.”

Luo Yang turned her head to look. There stood a narrow, black wooden box, half a person’s height and one foot wide. It was exquisitely crafted, with ornate and elegant dark patterns on the outside. One look was enough to tell that it was very expensive.

She reached for it, and the unexpectedly heavy weight caused her arm to drop. She then placed the wooden box on her lap.

With a flick of her long fingers, the lid was opened.

A beautiful longsword lay quietly inside the box.

The longsword was sleek and slender, with a heavy blade. The hilt was a light gold, with a sparkling pearl inlaid in the center. The guard had smooth lines and spread out to both sides. Ancient and mysterious totem patterns coiled around it, extending all the way to the scabbard.

A top-tier weapon was a rare find, enough to make any warrior’s heart pound.

Luo Yang’s breathing hitched, and she couldn’t help but pull out a section of the longsword. The blade was as thin as autumn frost, gleaming with a faint, cold light that was reflected in her clear eyes.

She murmured, “Where did this… come from?”

“I acquired this sword a long time ago and it has been kept in District Z for safekeeping. While you were sleeping, I had someone retrieve it for me,” Xie Zhitian had long prepared her lines and responded smoothly. “I don’t need it anyway, and it would be a shame to just let it sit there, so I’ll give it to you.”

Most of what she said was true. This sword was a rare treasure she had obtained by chance in a previous world, but since she was more accustomed to using a repeating crossbow, she had put it away in her personal space.

Even if Luo Yang was a top-tier modified human, she couldn’t be without a weapon to defend herself. Moreover, Xiao Wen’s inquiry about aliens made Xie Zhitian uneasy, as she worried something dangerous might happen.

So, while Luo Yang was sleeping, she took the longsword out of her space, planning to give it to her as soon as she woke up.

Luo Yang obviously liked the sword very much. She lowered her head and examined it carefully for a while before looking up at Xie Zhitian. “Miss, how much did this sword cost?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t buy it.”

Xie Zhitian had guessed she would ask this and said with a smile, “Just take it. It’s too close to the district border here, and it’s dangerous. With a weapon, you can protect me. Consider this sword as payment for hiring you.”

She walked to the bedside and lightly ran her fingertips over the blade. “Look, if you don’t take such a good weapon, it’ll just gather dust.”

Luo Yang was successfully convinced. Seeing that Xie Zhitian was so insistent, she decided to accept it for now. At most, if Xie Zhitian needed to hire her again in the future, she just wouldn’t charge her.

But a weapon this valuable… how many times would she have to be hired to pay it back?

A thought suddenly popped into Luo Yang’s mind.

Perhaps she should just agree to the Miss’s previous request and become her personal bodyguard.

But she quickly dismissed the idea.

No, that won’t work. Xie Zhitian had a long history of bad behavior. Although she had been very kind to her recently and even said she wanted to be friends, who knew how long it would last? To be safe, she needed to observe her for a while longer.

“Put the sword away. Let’s go eat.”

Seeing Luo Yang in deep thought, Xie Zhitian deliberately changed the subject. “If we’re any later, the cafeteria will run out of food.”

She understood Luo Yang’s inner struggle. It was strange for someone who had always been harsh to others to suddenly change. Building trust took time, and she could wait.

Luo Yang glanced at the time. It was almost six in the evening.

She had slept for so long. It had been a long time since she had such a leisurely and peaceful life, and she was a little unaccustomed to it.

She nodded, put away the longsword, and got off the bed, ready to leave with Xie Zhitian.

Just then, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Xie Zhitian thought it might be Xiao Wen, who was still up to no good, and immediately said in a displeased tone, “Who is it?”

A clear female voice came from outside the door. “Miss, it’s me.”

That voice was… Tian Shanshan?

Did something happen?

Xie Zhitian immediately went and opened the door, letting her in.

She closed the door before asking in a low voice, “What’s wrong? Is there a situation?”

“Miss, there’s something I heard that I don’t know if it counts.”

Tian Shanshan’s expression was excited, just like a child in kindergarten waiting for a teacher to give them a star. “Just now, I was eating in the cafeteria and I heard several people talking about a rumor. They said there’s a study that shows that mutated modified humans might attract aliens.”

Xie Zhitian’s eyes flickered. “Did you ask where the news came from?”

“Yes, I did.” Tian Shanshan was very quick-witted. “I asked around and finally got to Xiao Wu, the one in charge of procurement. He went out to buy things at noon and heard someone talking to a vendor at the stall, mentioning this. Two other people who went to the market also heard about it.”

A sudden sense of foreboding rose in Xie Zhitian’s heart. Before she could think it through, she heard Luo Yang next to her speak coldly. “Miss, that’s nonsense.”

There had always been many rumors about modified humans, and Luo Yang was used to them. But she couldn’t stand a rumor as absurd as this.

Modified humans were born to fight aliens, but now people were blaming the appearance of aliens on modified humans. It was full of malice.

“You’re right. This rumor has no basis whatsoever. It’s simply a pack of lies.”

Xie Zhitian, of course, understood Luo Yang’s feelings and immediately spoke to comfort her. “Even if a mutated modified human did have some kind of attraction to aliens, the aliens would be the ones in the wrong, not the modified humans.”

She gently placed a hand on Luo Yang’s shoulder and said seriously to Tian Shanshan, “I need you and Ding Yu to pass on a message. You must tell every staff member in this building face to face.”

Tian Shanshan’s expression also became serious. “Tell me, Miss.”

“No one is to mention this rumor again, or they’ll have me to deal with.”

Xie Zhitian’s mind was racing, and in an instant, she had figured out the implications.

She narrowed her eyes and put more emphasis on her words. “Even if someone asks about it, they must say they’ve never heard of it. Do you understand?”

Tian Shanshan answered solemnly, “Understood.”

Looking at Luo Yang’s pale face, she gradually realized what kind of impact this rumor could have on modified humans if it were to spread. She was annoyed with herself for being slow and wished she could run out right now and lecture her colleagues on not spreading such nonsense.

“Miss, I’ll go right now…”

“Wait a minute.”

The corners of Xie Zhitian’s mouth curled up slightly, and a cunning glint flashed in her narrow eyes. “I also heard a very interesting piece of gossip. You might as well tell it to the others while you’re at it.”

With that, she leaned closer to Tian Shanshan’s ear and whispered a few words.

Tian Shanshan’s eyes widened in surprise. “Is that really true?”

Xie Zhitian said with certainty, “One hundred percent true.”

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