The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 37

The old residential building was pitch black, its outline blurred in the night.

There were no lights on in the stairwell, only the faint, pale moonlight. Tang Zhuoran, familiar with the way, walked up the stairs and stopped in front of the door at the end of the top floor.

Tang Zhuoran took out her key and opened the door, then lit the lamp in the living room. Soft light immediately filled the entire cramped space.

She didn’t have many things, but because the apartment was so small, it felt crowded. The apartment didn’t even have a dining room; the kitchen opened directly into the living room, which contained a sofa and a coffee table, leaving very little space. The bedroom, after accommodating a wardrobe and a desk, could only fit a single bed.

But Tang Zhuoran had never been a demanding person. Her material desires were very low, and she preferred a simple life. After experiencing the apocalypse, she felt even more that many things were just external possessions that you couldn’t bring with you in life or death, so there was no need to be so particular.

She poured herself a glass of water and then took a small bottle out of her pocket.

With a gentle twist of her slender fingers, the bottle cap came off, revealing a bottle full of white pills.

Tang Zhuoran took two pills and swallowed them with the water.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door, the sound very light.

Then a low voice called her, “Captain Tang, it’s me.”

Tang Zhuoran put the small bottle away, then walked over to open the door.

At the door was a young woman, dressed in black and looking weary from travel. She had a neat bob cut and a steady demeanor, holding a brown paper bag in her hand.

She came in and immediately closed the door again before speaking. “Captain Tang, you’re back very late today. I came by at around nine and couldn’t find you.”

“Something came up,” Tang Zhuoran said.

She had originally wanted to return earlier, but every time she was with Xia Fufeng, she would unknowingly lose track of time. By the time she came to her senses, several hours had already passed.

Tang Zhuoran didn’t plan on explaining what she had been doing to her subordinate. Instead, she asked, “Did you find out what I asked you to investigate?”

The young woman opened the paper bag, took out a stack of papers, and handed two of them to her. “I’ve found out. Please take a look.”

Tang Zhuoran took the papers and quickly scanned their contents, frowning slightly.

She pointed to the bag in the young woman’s hand. “What’s the rest of it?”

The young woman hesitated for a moment but answered directly.

“Captain Tang, they’re application forms.”

Her eyes held a hint of worry. “Today, more than ten modified people submitted applications to be transferred out of the 14th District.”

Xia Fufeng had heard countless versions of the rumors about herself and Tang Zhuoran.

The most absurd one was that Tang Zhuoran was very resourceful, deliberately seduced her, and then used technical means to get pregnant with her child. She hadn’t wanted to take responsibility, but because she was threatened by the child, she had no choice but to give Tang Zhuoran the position of captain of the general team.

The rumors were buzzing and sensational. Many people, openly and secretly, tried to ask her for the inside scoop. Those curious glances made her uncomfortable, so she simply shut them all out and responded with silence.

Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang were the first ones who, without asking for details or gossiping, simply gave her advice based on the existing information.

—Have a frank and honest talk with her.

Xia Fufeng felt it was a gamble she could take.

Her throat moved slightly, and her voice was a little nervous. “But how am I supposed to talk to her?”

Xie Zhitian thought for a moment and suggested, “You and Captain Tang have known each other for a long time, right? Do you have any anniversaries or anything like that? You could ask her out on that day and then take the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart.”

“Actually, Zhuoran’s birthday is coming up soon. It’s the day after tomorrow.”

Xia Fufeng pursed her lips, hesitating. “We used to celebrate it together, but recently she’s been so busy. I’m not sure if she’ll have time to celebrate.”

Xie Zhitian smiled. “Even if you’re not sure, you were going to ask her out eventually, weren’t you?”

“That’s true…” Xia Fufeng said thoughtfully.

Ultimately, she was just afraid of being rejected, so she had been putting it off.

“I think Captain Tang will come,” Luo Yang said.

Hearing this, Xia Fufeng looked up at her abruptly. “Why?”

“It’s probably a modified person’s intuition,” Luo Yang said.

She had seen the eyes of many modified people when they faced ordinary people. Even if they appeared calm, that sense of awkward separation was something that couldn’t be erased. Although it was a faint feeling, it was like an invisible barrier that clearly distinguished modified people from ordinary people.

It would probably take a long time to completely eliminate this separation.

But when Tang Zhuoran looked at Xia Fufeng, her eyes were soft. Although that softness was hidden deep in her eyes, it was fleeting, as if she was afraid of being discovered.

Despite having no substantial evidence, Xia Fufeng was still very encouraged.

She looked at the two people in front of her and pleaded pitifully, “You two should come too the day after tomorrow. Let’s celebrate Zhuoran’s birthday together.”

Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang exchanged glances and said in unison, “That might not be appropriate.”

If Xia Fufeng’s goal was to have a heart-to-heart, having others present would only disturb them.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. You can come first to liven up the atmosphere. Otherwise, I’ll be too nervous.”

Xia Fufeng thought it over seriously. “I’ll ask Wang Er to make a big meal, and we can all eat together and make it lively. After we finish the cake, you two can find an excuse to leave, and then I’ll talk to her alone.”

Xie Zhitian felt that was fine, as long as Xia Fufeng thought it was a good idea.

“Don’t forget to prepare a gift,” she said.

Although it was common sense, she was concerned and reminded her in case Xia Fufeng had forgotten.

Xia Fufeng nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ve already prepared it.”

She let out a soft sigh, feeling a little lost. “I just don’t know if she’ll like it.”

“Don’t worry,” Xie Zhitian comforted her. “I’m sure Captain Tang will feel your sincerity.”

After saying goodbye to Xia Fufeng, the two of them returned to the guest room upstairs.

The room still had the romantic style from yesterday, but the rose petals scattered on the floor had been tidied up. However, since Xie Zhitian had noticed that Luo Yang liked flowers, she had specifically bought fresh ones that afternoon and put them in a vase. Although it wasn’t as dreamlike as before, it was a bit cozier.

Xie Zhitian sat alone on the soft sofa, slowly going over the events of the past two days in her mind.

The 14th District was like a deep pool, its surface calm without a ripple, but underneath lurked treacherous and turbulent undercurrents.

Xia Wan said it was too dangerous for her and Luo Yang to get involved. But now that she knew about it, she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. As a person with an innate sense of justice, Xie Zhitian wasn’t afraid of danger; she was only afraid that she would intervene too late and miss her chance.

After a lot of thought, Xie Zhitian suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

That’s right, she was a transmigrator, so why not ask Xiao Yi?

Xiao Yi’s previous rule was that she could ask one question at a time, but not all questions could be answered. If she asked Xiao Yi what exactly was happening in the 14th District, it couldn’t possibly be a question for which there was no clue at all, right? Expensive questions might be off-limits, but a cheap hint would still be helpful. What if it helped?

The sound of water in the bathroom hadn’t stopped. Luo Yang was taking a shower and probably wouldn’t be out for a while.

Xie Zhitian thought to herself, took the book out of her portable space, and used her finger to trace the four numbers “1551” on the flyleaf.

She waited patiently for a while, and as expected, there was no movement.

Of course. Xiao Yi had said that she would only respond during business hours and that she had too many hosts to deal with, so it would probably not be her turn for a while.

Forget it, whether she gets a reply or not, she might as well get in line.

Xie Zhitian propped her chin on one hand and flipped through the pages with the other. Although she had already memorized the content, revisiting it might reveal different details.

Just then, with a soft “click,” the bathroom door opened.

Xie Zhitian was startled and quickly closed the book, shoving it into the backpack beside her.

She tapped her finger, putting the book back into her portable space through the backpack’s fabric, and then looked up.

Luo Yang was wearing a loose bathrobe. The skin at her collar was fair and soft, and her collarbones were delicate and beautiful. Her wet hair was loose, and beads of water trickled down her neck and into her chest.

She walked over. “Tian Tian, what book were you reading?”

Xie Zhitian remained in her previous position, with the backpack’s fabric covering her wrist.

She hadn’t had time to look closely, so she quickly took another book from her space and handed it to Luo Yang. “Oh, just this one.”

On the cover, it read: How to Make a Great Jianbing.

Luo Yang’s expression froze for a moment. “Why are you reading a book like this?”

Xie Zhitian was very calm as she handed the book to Luo Yang. “Nothing, I just suddenly felt like having some jianbing, so I’m trying to learn. When we get home, I’ll make some for you.”

Luo Yang looked down and flipped through the book, pushing the turbulent thoughts in her mind to the back. She had a feeling that Xie Zhitian had been reading the book How a Cold and Glamorous Belle Can Cultivate Herself, which she immediately recognized because of its pretty sky-blue book cover.

Thinking about the content of the book, a hint of pink quietly appeared on her earlobes. Could it be that what Xia Fufeng said was true, and that Xie Zhitian was being nice to her because she wanted to pursue her?

No, no, whenever she thought about this, her mind would get very jumbled. It was better not to bring it up for now.

Xie Zhitian also felt a little guilty and took a towel to help Luo Yang dry her hair.

She changed the subject. “Luo Yang, Captain Tang’s birthday is the day after tomorrow. What do you think we should get her?”

Luo Yang was stunned for two seconds and answered subconsciously, “For a modified person, something practical might be more suitable.”

War was the most brutal executioner, watching indifferently as the soldiers struggled back and forth between collapse and rebuilding. Over time, love and hope were gradually worn away, leaving only empty shells. The modified people who had been fighting aliens for a long time didn’t seem to have anything to do with romance.

Xie Zhitian’s hands paused slightly. She asked, “Why do you have to consider it from the perspective of a modified person?”

Luo Yang looked up. Through her loose hair, she saw Xie Zhitian’s serious face.

“When Tang Zhuoran holds a sword, she’s a soldier, but when she puts down the sword, she’s just a young and beautiful girl who deserves the most wonderful and romantic gifts.”

Xie Zhitian helped her smooth the strands of hair that were clinging to her cheeks one by one. “Of course, it’s the same for you, Luo Yang. There’s no need to separate yourself from ordinary people.”

Before she could finish her sentence, the light in front of her flickered, and she was pulled into a soft embrace.

It happened so suddenly that Xie Zhitian was a little at a loss. “Luo Yang, you…”

After only a moment of hesitation, she reached out and hugged Luo Yang back.

Luo Yang held her, resting her chin lightly on her shoulder, with a warm breath puffing against her ear.

“Tian Tian,” she said, “thank you for being willing to treat me like an ordinary person.”

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