The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 31

As soon as Cheng Yiyi said this, a thin layer of dread crept up Xia Fufeng’s back.

She huddled behind Xie Zhitian. “Slow down,” she whispered, “I’m scared.”

Xie Zhitian: …

She was amused by Xia Fufeng. Just a moment ago, she had agreed so readily, and now she was frightened.

She patted Xia Fufeng’s arm reassuringly. “It’s okay,” she said. “No matter how abnormal they are, they’re just animals. We can fight xenomorphs; what do we have to fear from animals?”

Xia Fufeng found the logic sound, and her expression eased considerably.

Luo Yang asked Cheng Yiyi, “Besides observing you, have the animals done anything else?”

Cheng Yiyi shook her head. “No. And it’s not all the animals. I think our chickens are very normal, but the cat and the dog… well, they look at me in a strange way.”

Luo Yang then asked, “When did the cat and dog start observing you?”

Cheng Yiyi thought for a moment. “I can’t remember exactly. Maybe about ten days ago. Before that, they were always normal.”

She paused, then added, “Sister, I’m thinking clearly. It’s not a fantasy because my parents aren’t home, and I’m not trying to get attention this way.”

Her tone was tinged with helplessness, suggesting her claims had been dismissed by many people before.

Luo Yang looked at her and smiled. “We believe you.”

She understood why others might not. In this day and age, everyone was struggling to make a living, so who would take a few strange words from a child seriously? But something in her gut told her that Cheng Yiyi wasn’t lying.

Xia Fufeng suggested, “How about this? We’ll go back with you and take a look at the animals ourselves.”

But Cheng Yiyi still didn’t move. She said, “Sister, others have come to see them before, but it’s like they know people are here to observe them, and they act like ordinary animals.”

Xia Fufeng patiently asked, “Then what do you think we should do?”

Cheng Yiyi replied, “Sisters, could you pretend to be my friends and stay with me for a couple of days? I want to figure out what’s going on.”

Xie Zhitian’s expression wavered slightly. She asked Cheng Yiyi, “Pretend to be friends? Do you mean, put on a show for the animals?”

Cheng Yiyi nodded earnestly. “Yes.”

Xie Zhitian fell into thought. In this post-apocalyptic world, supplies were precious. No one would do anything to these animals just because of a girl’s words. At most, they’d temporarily lock them up and then return them when her parents came back. And when Cheng Yiyi’s parents left again, everything would return to square one.

Cheng Yiyi’s serious demeanor didn’t seem like a lie or a childish tantrum. If what she said was true and the animals didn’t show any odd behavior when they were being watched, then this might be a viable solution. By staying as guests in her home, the animals might eventually let their guard down and give themselves away.

“You two go back and rest. You’ve had a long day.”

Xia Fufeng said to the other two. “I have a lot of experience with animals. I’ll go home and stay with Yiyi and see what’s really going on.”

Luo Yang shook her head. “Xia, we’re coming with you.”

She glanced at Xia Fufeng’s slender wrist and thought that if there was a conflict with the animals, she might not be able to handle it. If she was there, she could protect Xia Fufeng.

But wait, why did she say “we”? It sounded like she could make a decision for Xie Zhitian. Or perhaps, she just trusted that if she went, Xie Zhitian would go with her.

Before Luo Yang could figure it out, she heard Xie Zhitian’s voice. “That’s right, we’ll all go together.”

Her smile was cheerful. “Let’s take Yiyi and buy some ingredients first. When we get home, we can cook some good food. I’m starving.”

Anyway, they didn’t have any pressing matters to attend to, and Cheng Yiyi was on her own, so they might as well help her out.

Xia Fufeng couldn’t argue with them. With an embarrassed expression, she said, “Okay, then. What do you want to eat? It’s my treat.”

So the three of them took Cheng Yiyi to the small market in their district, where they bought a lot of fresh vegetables and meat, and returned with their haul.

Cheng Yiyi, acting like a little adult, said the items were too expensive and wanted to pay for some, but they immediately refused. The reason was that she was still young and didn’t eat much anyway.

By the time they finished shopping, it was already completely dark. Cheng Yiyi’s home was a bit remote, located in a corner of a small village within the district. So after they bought the supplies, Xia Fufeng simply drove her car over so they wouldn’t have to walk, and it would be convenient for her to get to work the next day.

The village was quiet at night. The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, and the fields stretched out vast and open. Intersecting dirt roads cut through the fields, still bearing the footprints of the people who worked the land.

Cheng Yiyi pointed to a building not far ahead. “Sisters, we’re here.”

The small courtyard was enclosed by a rickety fence, inside of which stood two small, low bungalows with red pitched roofs and several missing tiles.

Xia Fufeng couldn’t help but exclaim, “Yiyi, you live pretty far from our office. How did you get there during the day?”

“I walked. It took about three or four hours.”

Cheng Yiyi didn’t mind. “This is the closest office to me. I walk there every time. It’s not a big deal. It’s easier than working in the fields.”

Xie Zhitian felt a pang of sympathy but seeing that Xia Fufeng and Luo Yang looked completely normal, she realized that in this world, this was a very common occurrence. Times were tough, and everyone had their own hardships.

Cheng Yiyi stood with the group in front of the gate, whispering, “I’m going to open the door now.”

Luo Yang noticed her nervousness and gently patted her shoulder. “Don’t be scared. Just act normal.”

Cheng Yiyi nodded and reached out to push the gate open.

Although the outside of her home looked a bit shabby, the small courtyard was very clean and all the items were neatly arranged. Several strips of dried salted fish hung from the eaves, and a pile of vegetables and fruits sat nearby.

In the center of the courtyard was a well, with two large wooden buckets next to it. A row of small, colorful flowers had been planted in front of the door, swaying gently in the evening breeze under the moonlight.

Xie Zhitian took the initiative to praise her. “Yiyi, your house is so pretty, and you even planted flowers.”

Cheng Yiyi said, “They’re just wildflowers from the roadside. I thought they were pretty, so I moved a few over.”

Xie Zhitian felt a little emotional. In this world, many people would pick wildflowers, but it was rare to find someone willing to give them a place to grow and care for them.

A kind and gentle girl like this wouldn’t make up lies to deceive others just to get attention or benefits, would she?

Just then, a sound came from behind the house, and a dark shadow slowly emerged.

It was a large black dog.

A common village dog, its body was quite big—standing on its hind legs, it would probably be taller than Cheng Yiyi. The dog raised its head, barked twice in their direction, and then ran over to circle Cheng Yiyi’s feet.

Cheng Yiyi’s body tensed, but remembering she had company, she relaxed a little.

She tried to speak naturally to the others. “That’s Da Hei. He’s five years old and we’ve had him since he was a puppy.”

Xie Zhitian looked down at the dog and suddenly understood the strangeness Cheng Yiyi was talking about.

Normally, a guard dog would quickly run out when it heard a noise. If it found a stranger, it would bark continuously to intimidate them. If it was its owner, it would greet them with enthusiastic affection.

But that dog, upon hearing the noise, had walked out slowly. It was as if it were the owner of the house, calmly coming to the door to see who had arrived.

When it saw outsiders, the dog simply ran over in a friendly manner, greeting them with affection.

But what if they weren’t here?

Xie Zhitian recalled Cheng Yiyi’s words, “They’re observing me,” and a picture involuntarily formed in her mind. A girl returning home alone at night, and the family dog slowly emerging from the shadows behind the house, silently meeting her gaze. It might stare at her blankly, getting closer and closer, or it might just look for a moment and then quietly walk away.

Either way, the thought sent a shiver down her spine.

Xia Fufeng reached out and stroked Da Hei’s head, cautiously saying, “Hey, what a good dog.”

Da Hei rubbed his head against her palm, his tail wagging. He looked as gentle as any domesticated dog.

The group went inside. Cheng Yiyi lit an oil lamp, looking around as if searching for something. Finding nothing unusual, she let out a small sigh of relief.

She closed the front door and said, “Sisters, let’s cook first. After we eat, I’ll tell you more about the animals.”

Xia Fufeng eagerly agreed. “Yes, yes, I’m starving.”

Xie Zhitian asked, “What were you looking for?”

Cheng Yiyi said, “I was checking to see if the cat was here. Sometimes it comes into the house.”

Xie Zhitian understood. Cheng Yiyi had said that their cat and dog were both acting strangely. If the cat was in the room, they would have to be careful about what they said and did.

All of them knew how to cook, so they were very efficient, and soon the aroma of food filled the kitchen.

In a break from their work, Luo Yang moved closer to Xie Zhitian. She whispered, “Zhitian, that dog really doesn’t seem like a normal animal.”

Xie Zhitian asked, “In what way?”

Luo Yang said, “A regular dog that hasn’t seen its owner all day would show a pure, simple joy, but that dog was too calm. It feels very off.”

Xie Zhitian shared her thoughts about the dog with Luo Yang, concluding, “For now, it’s all just speculation. We’ll observe and test it more. An animal is an animal, it’s bound to give itself away sooner or later.”

She put the washed vegetables on the cutting board, preparing to make some blanched greens, when she noticed the oil can next to her was almost empty.

Xie Zhitian turned to ask Cheng Yiyi, “Yiyi, the oil can is empty. Do you have any more oil at home?”

Cheng Yiyi, who was starting a fire, looked up. “There’s another can in the side room. I’ll go get it for you.”

Xie Zhitian waved her hand. “No, I’ll go. You stay busy.”

The courtyard had two bungalows. The larger one was a two-bedroom, one-living room layout where people lived. The smaller side room was used as a storage space for food and other supplies.

Xie Zhitian walked to the door of the side room alone.

The old wooden door was slightly ajar. Its paint, having endured wind and sun, had peeled away, leaving behind mottled marks.

Xie Zhitian held the oil lamp in one hand and was about to push the door with the other when she heard a voice coming from inside.

“Dea…d.”

Someone was in there?

Xie Zhitian’s hand froze.

“Dead… dead.”

Two more sounds.

The voice was muffled and slurred, sounding as if it was straining to form the words. It was like a child just learning to speak, unable to get the pronunciation right.

“Dead… all dead.”

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