The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 22.1

Ten years ago, Jasmine was just an ordinary 22-year-old girl. She lived a typical life, enjoying small pleasures like lipstick and pretty dresses. At a party, a boy named Zhao Jie, who was her age, fell for her at first sight and pursued her passionately.

Zhao Jie was polite, friendly, and had a clean, scholarly look that many girls found appealing. Jasmine was no exception. After a month of his intense pursuit, she agreed to be his girlfriend. He was incredibly kind and attentive, always picking her up from work and buying her whatever she liked. He remembered her every word and whim, celebrating every holiday and anniversary with romantic gestures that made her friends envious.

The only person who didn’t approve was her sister, who was five years older. She said Zhao Jie’s kindness was too extreme. For instance, if Jasmine was even slightly jealous, he’d delete every female contact from his phone to prove his loyalty. If she said she was hungry late at night, he’d drive ten kilometers to get her favorite late-night snack. If they fought, he’d stand in the rain outside her building all night until she forgave him.

“This kind of extreme show of affection might be okay once or twice, but do you think he can keep it up? Zhao Jie feels like a gambler wildly throwing away his money. Once you’re fully committed to him, he’ll have nothing left, and with all he’s invested in you, how do you expect to get away?”

“And him standing in the rain waiting for you? It’s terrifying. It’s not a sign of love, it’s a way of holding his body hostage to force you to compromise. Someone who doesn’t care for themselves won’t care for you. I suggest you observe him more.”

But Jasmine, consumed by the sweetness of her new relationship, ignored her sister’s warnings. Her parents divorced early, and she had been neglected, so she craved the warmth of a family more than anything. She made an impulsive decision: she married Zhao Jie less than six months after they met.

She thought she was heading for a happy life, but everything changed after they got married. Zhao Jie seemed like a completely different person. He became impatient and would often yell at her. The man who used to do all the housework became lazy, leaving Jasmine to handle everything herself. The grind of daily life and household chores was overwhelming. He started drinking, staying out all night, and his shirts carried not only the pungent smell of alcohol but also the stain of unfamiliar lipstick.

Even more frightening was how Zhao Jie maintained his image as a good husband to outsiders, treating her gently and politely in public. But when they were alone, he would show his true colors. So when Jasmine tried to confide in others, they were skeptical and didn’t believe her.

Heartbroken, Jasmine thought she would be the exception, but the same thing happened to her. After multiple failed attempts to communicate, she proposed a divorce. He not only refused but also hit her. This was her wake-up call; Zhao Jie was not a good man, and she had to leave.

She knew how complicated a divorce could be without her husband’s cooperation and that the process could drag on. In the meantime, she had to protect herself. Zhao Jie kept a close watch on her, so she feigned obedience, enduring his occasional physical abuse, and waited for her chance to escape.

Her opportunity came sooner than she expected. After the apocalypse broke out, everyone was too preoccupied to watch over others, including Zhao Jie. She secretly signed up as a volunteer when the government began recruiting. In a world without order, she knew she couldn’t survive with Zhao Jie for long. She had to fight for her freedom.

This is how Jasmine became a modified warrior. Her time in the military gave her many things: great strength, a resilient will, and most importantly, a sense of self-worth. For the first time, Jasmine felt genuinely happy and fulfilled. She no longer had to rely on anyone; she could survive on her own.

Later, as the situation stabilized, a large number of soldiers retired. Jasmine chose to return to her original district, not for old times’ sake, but to find closure. Legally, she was still Zhao Jie’s wife, and she wanted to end their relationship for good and seek legal justice for his past actions.

The first night back in the district, she went to see Zhao Jie. He was overjoyed to see her, pouring her tea and acting as attentive as he had when they first met. But Jasmine wasn’t moved; she was disgusted. She firmly proposed a divorce again. Zhao Jie, however, begged her to forgive him, saying he had been wrong. Frustrated, and with it getting late, Jasmine stormed out.

The next morning, she went back to his place, thinking he would have calmed down. But as soon as she entered, she was hit with the familiar smell of alcohol, which lingered even with the windows open. The alcohol made Zhao Jie’s true self come out, and his attitude was completely different from the night before. He mocked Jasmine, saying she was nothing but a monster who could only fight and that she was now useless. He demanded that she serve him well and know her place.

Jasmine was infuriated. Her rage surged, and she struggled to contain the sudden rush of power within her. Zhao Jie, misinterpreting her struggle as submission, grabbed her by the throat, ready to hit her just as he had in the past. He hadn’t changed, but she was no longer the weak girl he once knew.

When she came to her senses, the man who had promised her a dream and then shattered it lay dead. Jasmine recounted the story in a calm voice, as if it had happened to someone else. But for Xie Zhitian, who was listening, it felt like a heavy stone had settled in her heart.

She took a moment to compose herself, then went straight to the heart of the matter. “So, Zhao Jie attacked you first, and you fought back and killed him, right?”

Jasmine replied, “Yes, but I have no proof.” Only she and Zhao Jie were present. He was still drunk and no match for her. He had tried to assault her as before but couldn’t even scratch her, and in the process, lost his own life.

Jasmine’s head throbbed at the thought, and she nearly fell off her chair. She grabbed the bars in front of her and managed to sit upright.

Xie Zhitian reminded her, “Jasmine, think again. Is there anything else that could prove Zhao Jie’s abuse? We found a small box in your bedroom; it was your personal belongings, right? Do you remember it?”

“The box! Yes, that’s my box!” Jasmine’s eyes lit up as if she had suddenly remembered something important. Fighting through the pain in her head, she explained, “A small, black military box with a password… If I have the box, I have proof!”

“It’s here.” Ren Meng, who had been silent all this time, opened her bag, pulled out the coded box, and passed it through the bars. “Here, now it’s back to you.”

She had already used technical means to confirm the contents were not dangerous. Now, seeing Jasmine’s reaction, she could guess what was inside.

Jasmine took the box. “Thank you, Ms. Ren.” Her eyes held a mix of emotions: surprise, gratitude, and above all, guilt. She had judged Ren Meng unfairly, thinking she would use her personal grudge to hide evidence that could help her.

Luo Yang stared at the box and quietly urged her, “Jasmine, open it.”

Jasmine looked down and slowly turned the dials on the keypad, entering six numbers. The black lid opened, revealing a thick stack of documents. The papers were old, their edges worn and yellow, folded neatly and stacked together.

Jasmine carefully took them out and laid them one by one on the floor. Xie Zhitian knelt down. The first document was a medical record from “Huayang Hospital.” Her eyes widened. “Are these medical reports?”

Jasmine nodded. “Yes, and case files, photos, treatment records, injury reports, police reports…” She unfolded the last piece of paper. “And, a letter of guarantee written by Zhao Jie himself.”

The guarantee was written in black and white, with his fingerprint at the bottom. After all these years, the red ink was still shockingly bright, a sarcastic symbol of their past.

Years ago, Jasmine had desperately collected this evidence to escape her husband and regain her freedom. Each thin sheet of paper held the scars of her youth. When she felt like giving up in the difficult and monotonous military life, she would open the box and look at the papers, telling herself, “Jasmine, the hardest part is over.” The photos showed a young Jasmine with a bruised and bloodied face.

“Jasmine, this isn’t your fault. You were just protecting yourself.” Xie Zhitian’s eyes were red with anger. She forced herself to calm down and asked, “Ms. Ren, in this situation, shouldn’t it be ruled as self-defense?”

“When the commander gets back, I’ll report this to her, and we’ll start the process.” Ren Meng’s voice was flat, showing no emotion. “Give me the box for now. It will be important evidence.”

Luo Yang looked anxious, wanting to say something to help Jasmine. But remembering her own status as a modified human, she bit her lip and stayed silent. From Ren Meng’s perspective, letting her participate in this case was already very generous. It would be presumptuous to make demands or ask for information ahead of time.

Jasmine’s face fell for a moment but quickly returned to normal. “Okay, Ms. Ren.” Her hands trembled as she put the papers back in the box and handed it to Ren Meng. “Thank you for your help.”

Ren Meng took the box and, without another word, turned to leave. But Jasmine stopped her. “Ms. Ren!”

She paused and turned around. Through the cold metal bars, she saw Jasmine sitting up straight with great effort. “Ms. Ren, I was wrong to think badly of you. I apologize.”

Jasmine’s eyes were red, but she kept her voice steady. “I’m not saying this to plead for myself. I killed someone, and I’m willing to accept whatever punishment the district gives me. But please, don’t let this affect other modified humans. If a harsh punishment for me can calm things down and minimize the negative impact, then it’s fine even if I have to die.”

Living as a modified human for all these years had taught her a lot. Even though Zhao Jie was the one who had been abusive, if her case were handled lightly, malicious people would spread rumors and create public panic about modified humans. But if she were punished harshly, people would pity her and it would benefit the status of the modified humans as a group.

Xie Zhitian knew what Jasmine was thinking. She immediately said, “Jasmine, you don’t have to make any sacrifice that goes against justice for the greater good. I believe the district will give this case a fair outcome. What you need to do now is rest and recover.”

Jasmine gave a bitter smile. “Modified humans have been walking on a razor’s edge for years, and our situation has been even harder lately. I can’t be selfish and drag the whole group down. You don’t understand, Miss. But thank you, truly.”

“You’re right, I can’t fully understand what it’s like to be a modified human.” Xie Zhitian looked at her. “But you just said you don’t want to affect the whole group. Can you guarantee that you’re the only one who has ever hurt someone after an anomaly? If you’re punished severely, what if another one of your companions experiences an anomaly and hurts someone? Should they all be punished severely too?”

Jasmine froze. “I…” She had never thought about that and didn’t know how to answer.

Then, Ren Meng spoke. “Jasmine, what was the goal of the modified human project?”

Jasmine was surprised by the sudden question and paused before answering, “It was… to save the world.” In peacetime, this would sound ridiculous, but in the apocalypse, it was a bloody reality.

“Yes, to save the world. Not just you; all of us have worked, bled, and sacrificed for all these years to save this world.” Ren Meng’s voice was calm. “But in our world, if the guilty are treated leniently and the victims with scars are criticized, and their companions agree and accept her sacrifice… then such a world and such companions are not worth saving.”

She looked at Jasmine’s tear-streaked face and said solemnly, “Jasmine, the Guardian Army welcomes you back.”

As soon as the three of them exited the hallway, a crowd of people gathered around them. Xie Zhitian saw the people she had arranged: Bai Yang, Tian Shanshan, and Ding Yu, as well as seven or eight others in Guardian Army uniforms, who were likely modified humans who had come to visit Jasmine.

Xiao Wen, who had been sitting in a corner of the lobby, also got up and walked over.

With Ren Meng there, everyone was a little reserved. One modified human bravely spoke up. “Ms. Ren, how is Jasmine’s situation?”

Ren Meng replied, “I can’t go into detail right now, but the result will be out soon.” Seeing the worried looks on their faces, she added, “You don’t need to worry about a thing.”

With Ren Meng’s words, the modified humans immediately relaxed.

“Okay, okay, that’s a relief. Thank you for your hard work, Ms. Ren.”

“That’s great. How is Jasmine? How long until she recovers?”

“Luo Yang, if you see Jasmine again, could you tell her for us to rest well? We’re all waiting for her to come back…”

Luo Yang took the message seriously. “Don’t worry, Jasmine is fine. I’ll pass on the message.”

When there’s good news, someone is always unhappy. Xie Zhitian watched as Xiao Wen’s face fell. She found it ridiculous. Men who are overconfident always think the world revolves around them and when things don’t go their way, they start to complain and feel misunderstood. She wondered how their brains were wired.

Xie Zhitian didn’t even have to think to guess why Xiao Wen was there. He must have wanted to get to Ren Meng to stir up trouble but was stopped by Bai Yang and the others. Even after being blocked, he wouldn’t give up and likely used the opportunity to spread his belief that “modified humans who undergo an anomaly can attract aliens,” hoping to influence Ren Meng’s judgment through Bai Yang.

Xie Zhitian scoffed. Even if killing Xiao Wen was not an option, she had to teach him a lesson.

“Ms. Ren, there’s something else I need to report to you.” Xie Zhitian glanced at Xiao Wen and said to Ren Meng.

Ren Meng replied, “Go ahead, Miss.” The young Miss had been acting so well lately, so her tone was much more polite.

Xie Zhitian said, “I heard someone has been spreading rumors these past few days that ‘modified humans who have an anomaly attract aliens.’ They must be trying to use Jasmine’s case to suppress and slander modified humans.”

As she said this, the faces of the modified humans around them changed. Ren Meng’s eyes also grew dark. “Is that true?”

Xie Zhitian nodded. “It is. Ms. Ren, I think this rumor is malicious. Modified humans have always protected our district. Just last night, Guardian Army soldiers were called out in the middle of the night to clear out invading aliens. It’s heartbreaking that people would spread such rumors when they’re the ones being protected.”

Ren Meng asked the others present, “Have any of you heard about this? Has anyone deliberately spread this to you or others?”

Xiao Wen’s face turned pale. He never expected that Ren Meng, whose family had been hurt by a modified human who had an anomaly, would handle this so objectively. He tried to shrink back into the crowd, hoping to be less noticeable.

Tian Shanshan was sharp. She had seen how the young Miss disliked Xiao Wen, and this was her chance to shine. “Ms. Ren, Xiao Wen just told me about it!”

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