The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 21

She lowered her gaze to the ground. The box was in pieces, and a short dagger, broken in two, had slid out.

“Is that a… a weapon?” Xie Zhitian asked hesitantly. “Why did it suddenly fly over and break?”

“Don’t worry, it’s good that you weren’t hurt, Miss.” Luo Yang used the tip of her sword to poke at the wreckage on the ground and quickly made a judgment. “This kind of weapon is worthless. It’s only good for cutting pig feed.”

The serious tone in Luo Yang’s voice was so endearing that Xie Zhitian couldn’t help but laugh. “What, do you guys raise pigs?”

Luo Yang blinked. “When we’re short-handed, we’ll assign some of the modified humans to help with farm work, like cutting grass and chopping firewood. People don’t want to use their own good weapons for that, so they use the ones that have been phased out. I was actually thinking of getting a phased-out weapon to make do once I recovered.”

In reality, for Luo Yang, even this unremarkable dagger would have been enough to eliminate the invading xenomorph, though it would have taken more effort. If Xie Zhitian hadn’t just given her a fine weapon, she probably would have kept it and used it.

Xie Zhitian glanced in the direction the weapon had come from and saw a familiar figure walking toward them. Xiao Wen’s expression was a mix of complex emotions, looking both disheveled and awkward, with hesitant steps.

The sudden turn of events meant that the 50 points he had just spent had gone down the drain, causing him immense heartache.

In an instant, Xie Zhitian understood Xiao Wen’s plan and couldn’t help but silently mock his stupidity. Did Xiao Wen think he was some kind of hero from a shonen anime, throwing a weapon during the heat of battle so the heroine could catch it and suddenly become invincible?

But his appearance was utterly superfluous. Not only had the battle already ended, but the quality of the dagger was also terribly average. Who was he trying to fool?

Luo Yang frowned slightly and immediately questioned him. “Why did you attack us?” The surroundings had been too chaotic, and her attention had been focused on Xie Zhitian, so she hadn’t noticed someone calling her name. Seeing Xiao Wen approaching from the direction the weapon had been thrown from, she immediately jumped to that conclusion.

With his plan completely ruined, Xiao Wen was already feeling down. Hearing Luo Yang’s accusation only made him more upset. But he forced himself to control his emotions and explained, “Luo Yang, you’ve misunderstood. I wasn’t attacking. I called your name before throwing the weapon, but you didn’t hear me.”

Xiao Wen stared at the two broken pieces of the dagger on the ground, his voice filled with unconcealed heartache. “I bought this specifically to give to you, thinking it might help. I didn’t expect…”

Seeing the slight change in Luo Yang’s expression, as if she felt a little bad, Xie Zhitian quickly interjected, “It’s alright. Daggers of this quality are a dime a dozen. We’ll find you another one.”

Luo Yang thought that was a good idea and comforted Xiao Wen. “There should be plenty around the pigpens. Everyone just grabs one to use. You can go pick one out.”

Xiao Wen felt that if the conversation continued, he would die of anger. He really wanted to curse them, but since these two were his only sources of points, he had to play his cards right. So, he bit his tongue, forced a smile, and repeatedly agreed with them, even thanking them.

He listened to the people around him praise Xie Zhitian’s bravery and looked at the beautiful repeating crossbow in her hand, feeling disdainful. He knew exactly what Xie Zhitian was capable of—she couldn’t lift a shoulder or carry anything. How much skill could a pampered woman have? These people should have a limit to their flattery.

Despite the unexpected turn, he didn’t consider his plan a complete failure. After all, he had still managed to lure the xenomorph. All he needed to do now was find the right time to add some extra fuel to the fire.

In truth, Xiao Wen’s targeting of Jasmine wasn’t just about suppressing the modified humans. At his core, he harbored malice towards (outstanding women). Women, he believed, should be submissive and obedient, dependent on men and without any other aspirations. The ability to destroy someone like Jasmine gave him a great sense of satisfaction.

Xiao Wen sneered inwardly, a dark look flashing in his eyes, but he inadvertently met Xie Zhitian’s gaze. The cold, deep eyes looking back at him seemed to see right through his thoughts. A chill ran down Xiao Wen’s spine, and he instinctively looked away.

Forget it, forget it. I’m just scaring myself. Everything will become clear tomorrow.

Unraveling the Truth

The next day at noon, Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang returned to where Jasmine was being held. Ren Meng waited at the entrance, her tone as placid as ever. “The review results just came out. Jasmine has indeed undergone a certain degree of mutation. It’s dangerous to get close to her. Are you sure you want to go in and question her, Miss?”

“Yes,” Xie Zhitian nodded. “How severe is Jasmine’s mutation? Can it be reversed?”

“It’s hard to say. There are treatments, but they’re only effective if she can stabilize her emotions and cooperate.” Ren Meng seemed to have anticipated Xie Zhitian’s persistence and didn’t show any surprise. “Please be careful with your words later, Miss. Don’t say anything that might upset her, or her condition will worsen.”

The heavy iron door slowly opened, revealing a solid metal barrier. Behind the barrier sat a slender young woman in a chair, her head bowed. Her messy long hair obscured half her face. Her ankles were chained with wrist-thick iron links, restricting her movement to within the metal barrier.

Hearing the sound, the woman raised her head, revealing a pair of somewhat hazy eyes.

Ren Meng spoke calmly. “Jasmine, can you hear me?”

Jasmine hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Ren Meng said, “Good. We have a few questions for you about Zhao Jie.”

Hearing Zhao Jie’s name, Jasmine’s eyes visibly flickered with emotion.

She murmured, “Is Zhao Jie… dead?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Ren Meng answered. “And you are the prime suspect.”

Xie Zhitian’s heart sank. For a moment, she thought she heard a sense of helplessness and struggle in Jasmine’s voice, which made her very uncomfortable.

“Jasmine, why would you kill your own husband?” she asked.

A hint of anxiety appeared in Jasmine’s eyes. She didn’t answer and instead asked another question. “Did anyone else… get affected by what happened to me?”

Xie Zhitian was slightly taken aback, then realized that “anyone else” referred to the modified human community. Just like Luo Yang, Jasmine, as a modified human, also lived under the critical scrutiny of the world.

“Not yet,” Ren Meng said, “but a modified human attacking a human is a serious matter. We need a proper explanation for your actions.”

Jasmine was silent for a long time before replying, “I killed him. That’s all there is to it.”

Luo Yang couldn’t hold back anymore. “Jasmine, think again.” If she was convicted, even if the court took into account her mutated and possibly deranged state, she wouldn’t be executed, but she would face endless imprisonment.

Luo Yang had heard some things about Jasmine while in the military. She believed that Jasmine wasn’t the kind of person who would hurt someone without reason.

Seeing the anxiety on Luo Yang’s face, Xie Zhitian patted her shoulder reassuringly. She looked at Jasmine. “Are you still not clear-headed?”

Jasmine avoided her gaze. “I’m very clear-headed.”

Xie Zhitian’s tone was calm. “Let me guess what you’re thinking. You believe that by being executed, you can appease the public and prevent your companions from being implicated?”

“You’re wrong. If you simply confess and accept the blame, they will throw all sorts of mud at you. It will only widen the conflict between humans and modified humans. And when that happens, who will you be able to protect?”

“The public only believes what they want to believe. Will they listen to my explanation?” Jasmine’s lips curled into a bitter smile, but there was a struggle in her eyes. “Ren Meng, and you, can you guarantee that you aren’t biased against modified humans?”

Ren Meng’s gaze hardened. “Are you saying that I would intentionally target you?”

“If Miss Ren wanted to convict you, she’d have countless ways to do it. She wouldn’t need to go to all this trouble to question you,” Xie Zhitian cut in before Jasmine could speak. “But just because Miss Ren is forthright doesn’t mean everyone else is.”

“If you stay silent, countless people with ulterior motives will speak for you. Do you still want to remain silent?”

The Tables Are Turned

“Why can’t I go in?” Xiao Wen’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“The Miss has ordered us to stand guard here and not let anyone get close,” Bai Yang replied righteously at the entrance to the corridor. He was flanked by Tian Shanshan and Ding Yu, all looking alert and ready.

Xiao Wen had planned to go with Ren Meng to see Jasmine and stir up some trouble. He had intended to casually bring up the rumor he had created, forcefully linking Jasmine’s mutation to the xenomorph invasion. But his plan was thwarted before it even began, as Bai Yang and the others blocked his path.

It’s Xie Zhitian’s doing again. There’s no end to a woman’s drama.

Xiao Wen gritted his teeth, trying to get on Bai Yang’s good side. “What’s with that? I’m not an outsider. Besides, why do you have to listen to the Miss so much…”

“If I don’t listen to the Miss, should I listen to you?” Bai Yang asked with a strange look. He then turned around and advised Xiao Wen. “Don’t be unreasonable. As a man, you should be content with your place. Let the women handle this kind of big stuff.”

Xiao Wen felt that Bai Yang was a lost cause. He knew he wouldn’t be able to get past him today, so he came up with another crooked idea. Bai Yang was one of Ren Meng’s people. If he told Bai Yang the rumor he had fabricated, there was a good chance it would reach Ren Meng’s ears. It would be the same result.

So, Xiao Wen pretended to be convinced, nodding. “You’re right. Fine, I won’t go in.” He sat down on the empty spot next to Bai Yang and spoke as if it were a casual thought. “Hey, I recently heard something. They say that mutated modified humans can attract xenomorphs. Have you heard about that?”

Xiao Wen had worked hard to secretly spread the rumor the day before and was very confident that as long as Bai Yang had some contact with others, he would have definitely heard it.

To his surprise, Bai Yang said, “Huh? No, I haven’t heard that.”

Xiao Wen was also stunned. Had the rumor died out or changed? He continued to probe. “Haven’t you heard any rumors at all these past two days?”

Tian Shanshan, who was standing nearby, spoke up. “The Miss did tell everyone some gossip.”

Xiao Wen suddenly had a bad feeling. “What kind of gossip?”

“She said there was a man who fell in love with a modified human but couldn’t have her, so his love turned to hate,” Tian Shanshan said. “He then started a bunch of malicious rumors to slander the modified human. Because the situation was so serious and had such a terrible impact, he’s been… castrated.”

“I heard that too. Men’s hearts can be the most poisonous, huh?” Bai Yang said. He paused, then looked at Xiao Wen with suspicion. “Xiao Wen, you aren’t that guy, are you?”

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