The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 39

Xia Fufeng put a lot of thought into planning a birthday party for Tang Zhuoran. She started buying ingredients early and even took the day off to prepare for the evening’s celebration.

Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang also came to help. The three of them chatted happily as they first meticulously decorated the living room, then processed and washed all the ingredients they had bought.

Once everything was tidied up, Xia Fufeng mysteriously took out a small box. “Look, this is the birthday gift I prepared.”

The box was exquisitely crafted, with a creamy white velvet exterior and a pink ribbon tied in a beautiful bow. While it might not have been particularly stunning in normal times, it was quite rare given their current circumstances.

“Don’t tell me it’s a ring,” Xie Zhitian said, sizing up the box and teasing her. “What, are you planning to propose?”

Xia Fufeng’s face turned red. “Propose? Don’t talk nonsense.”

Her fingertips gently stroked the surface of the box, and the soft ribbon shook slightly. “It’s a bracelet with a ping’an kou on it.”

Xie Zhitian was a little surprised. “Just for peace and safety?”

She could sense the subtle atmosphere between Xia Fufeng and Tang Zhuoran, as well as Xia Fufeng’s affection for her, and she had expected her to give something with a more romantic hint.

“What else would it be?” Xia Fufeng said, putting on a stern face to hide her shyness. “By the way, what gifts did you two prepare for Zhuoran?”

Xie Zhitian pointed to a beautifully wrapped gift box nearby. “Guess what’s inside?”

Xia Fufeng leaned closer and carefully lifted the box to feel its weight. “It’s pretty heavy. Could it be some kind of weapon?”

Xie Zhitian replied, “It’s not a weapon. Can you be more creative?”

Seeing that she was being coy, Xia Fufeng turned to plead with Luo Yang. “Luo Yang, Luo Yang, she’s deliberately not telling me. You tell me, I know you’re the best.”

Xie Zhitian chuckled. While Xia Fufeng was innocent, she certainly knew how to work a person.

Luo Yang’s heart softened, and she immediately revealed, “It’s a set of European-style tea ware for afternoon tea. It’s very beautiful.”

She and Xie Zhitian had gone to the market the day before after cleaning up the mutated creatures. It didn’t take them long to find this tea set, which stood out from the rest.

Xie Zhitian also liked it a lot and bought it without much haggling. The tea set was expensive, so it was the perfect gift for the two of them to give together.

Luo Yang wanted to pay for half, but Xie Zhitian immediately refused, saying that friends didn’t need to worry about such things. Luo Yang felt helpless, thinking she was becoming more and more indebted to Xie Zhitian.

Xia Fufeng looked at the box on the table in surprise. “This is a tea set? But Zhuoran is so busy, when would she have time for afternoon tea?”

“Why wouldn’t she have time?”

Xie Zhitian smiled faintly. “Captain Tang always has time to rest, no matter how busy she is. When that time comes, you can find a pretty dress for her, and everyone can gather to have tea and snacks. Wouldn’t that be lovely?”

As Xia Fufeng listened, the scene Xie Zhitian described appeared in her mind.

She murmured, “Yeah, lace would be perfect…”

A knock on the door broke her reverie, and two figures entered.

The one in front was Wang Er, followed by Xiao Wen. They placed the large bags they were carrying in the living room and politely greeted the girls.

Wang Er said, “Miss Xia, we’ve already bought the cake and fruits. You all rest in the living room. I’ll wash some fruit now and then start preparing dinner.”

He gave Xiao Wen a look of disdain. “Xiao Wen said he can’t cook, so I’ll have him clean the rooms.”

Xiao Wen appeared very obedient. “Okay, I’ll do whatever Brother Wang says.”

He had gone to great lengths to convince Xie Zhitian to let him come and help, so a little cold shoulder was nothing. With three targets for his “strategy” right there, his heart was full of excitement, and he planned to earn a good amount of points tonight no matter what.

Xie Zhitian found his calculating look amusing. The reason she agreed to let him come was so she could deduct his points and send him on his way faster.

She said calmly, “Clean every corner, leaving no blind spots for dirt.”

An available laborer was an opportunity not to be wasted.

Xiao Wen nodded and bowed. “Don’t you worry, my lady. That goes without saying.”

Xia Fufeng, on the other hand, was puzzled. “Xiao Wen, you’re a man, and you don’t know how to cook?”

Without waiting for his answer, she turned to ask Xie Zhitian, “Why would you want a servant like that? To keep him around and treat him like an ancestor?”

Xie Zhitian glanced at Xiao Wen’s ashen face, a playful smile on her lips. “That’s a good point. I’ve been too lenient with him. If I find another suitable servant, I’ll…”

“My lady, I can learn! I can learn anything!”

In his original world, Xiao Wen often manipulated women into being his personal maids, always picking and choosing others. He had never been on the receiving end of such a situation.

But as soon as he heard Xie Zhitian might replace him, he didn’t care about being angry anymore and quickly showed his loyalty. “My lady, just tell me what you like to eat, and give me some time to learn.”

Xie Zhitian’s tone was flat. “As for cooking, we have Xiang Nan. If you’re bored, you can go help clean the public toilets in the district after you’re done here.”

Xiao Wen was so furious he almost fainted, but he couldn’t show it. He gritted his teeth and agreed.

The girls no longer paid him any mind, chatting and laughing on the sofa, waiting for the arrival of the night’s main character, Tang Zhuoran.

Xiao Wen, while scrubbing a rag in the sink, listened to their conversation, hoping to find a good time to speak and earn some points.

He wanted to get closer to listen, but Wang Er told him there were stains in the sink and on the kitchen floor, and to clean them first before tidying the living room. He had no choice but to obey.

From a distance, the girls’ conversation was hard to hear, coming in bits and pieces.

Xiao Wen heard Xia Fufeng’s voice. “…doesn’t tell me a lot of things. It gives me a headache.”

Then it was Xie Zhitian’s turn. “You could try to seriously suggest to Captain Tang that you want to help…”

Xia Fufeng said, “No way, she won’t agree…”

Xiao Wen had an epiphany. He understood the conflict between Xia Fufeng and Tang Zhuoran now.

As the daughter of the district leader, Xia Fufeng must also want to be involved in district affairs and gain real power. But Tang Zhuoran wouldn’t allow her to interfere and obstructed her in every way.

Xia Fufeng wanted to change this, but Tang Zhuoran was capable and had been promoted to the captain of the district’s guard army, giving her authority. Xia Fufeng, on the other hand, was just an ordinary girl, useless except for being young and beautiful, and powerless to fight against Tang Zhuoran.

This was why the birthday party was happening today. Even though Xia Fufeng was unwilling, she had to use this opportunity to mend her relationship with Tang Zhuoran.

Xiao Wen wanted to listen more closely, but Wang Er “whooshed” the faucet on, and the sudden sound of running water drowned out the girls’ faint conversation.

His nerves were on high alert, and he flinched, which earned him a complaint from Wang Er.

“Can’t you do your work properly? Your hands are shaking while wiping the table. You got Parkinson’s?”

Xiao Wen quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, I just had a muscle cramp.”

He picked up a mop, planning to clean the kitchen floor and then naturally move on to the living room, where he could hopefully glean more information from their conversation.

Wang Er gave him a look. “A servant should be capable and hardworking, not clumsy.”

He finished arranging the washed fruit on a platter and took it out to the coffee table. He then came back to make fried chicken nuggets and fries as a pre-dinner snack.

The hot, fried food was a big hit as soon as it was served.

Junk food, which many people would have disdained in the past, had become a rare treat in the post-apocalyptic world. Xie Zhitian had not eaten any since she transmigrated. The chicken nuggets were crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Paired with sweet and sour ketchup, they were incredibly appetizing.

She sincerely praised Wang Er. “This is so delicious.”

As she spoke, she took a clean small plate and put some chicken nuggets and fries on it. “You have some too. You’ve been working hard.”

“Then I won’t be shy.” Wang Er took the plate, overjoyed. “Miss Xie, you flatter me. It’s what I’m supposed to do.”

Xia Fufeng was very proud. “See? I told you my servant is good. Wang Er can make anything. He’s better than most chefs in restaurants.”

Luo Yang also hadn’t had fried chicken in a long time. She couldn’t help but eat several pieces in a row. When she realized what she was doing, a corner of the plate was empty. Feeling a little embarrassed, she stopped eating.

Xie Zhitian noticed her reticence and immediately put a few more pieces of chicken on her plate. “Eat more. Fried chicken is best when it’s hot. If you like it, I’ll have Xiang Nan learn how to make it for you when we get back.”

After all this time, the young lady’s thoughtfulness always made her feel warm.

Luo Yang nodded, a smile unconsciously forming on her lips.

At that moment, Xiao Wen finally finished mopping the kitchen floor and walked into the living room with the mop.

He slowly mopped the floor near the sofa, looking for an opportunity to chime in.

After hearing Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang’s conversation about the fried chicken, a light bulb went on in his head. Girls care about their figures, right? This could be a breakthrough point for his “strategy.”

So Xiao Wen, as if by accident, walked up to Luo Yang. “It’s best not to be too greedy for food. Girls who gain too much weight get disliked, haha.”

He thought his tone was perfectly balanced, half-joking and half-serious. And the content was meaningful, surely it would make the two girls have an “aha” moment and learn something.

To his surprise, as soon as he finished speaking, the whole room fell silent for three seconds, and everyone’s expression changed.

Xie Zhitian sneered. “You’re light enough to fit in a box and weigh three catties.”

While Xiao Wen was still trying to figure out what “box” she was talking about, he heard Xia Fufeng say unhappily, “How dare you point fingers at your owners? Do you remember who you are?”

He was terrified. Xia Fufeng had a gentle face, but why was she so temperamental?

In his original world, he often said things like, “Why are your legs so thick?”, “You’ll never get married if you keep this up,” or “No man will want you if you keep this up.” Weren’t these normal jokes? Why did they offend Xia Fufeng?

It must be because Xia Fufeng was about to see Tang Zhuoran and was in a bad mood.

Before Xiao Wen could defend himself, Wang Er pushed him out of the living room.

Xie Zhitian glanced at the frozen points notification that popped up on her screen and looked at Xiao Wen’s bewildered face. She was almost amused by his stupidity.

In her former world, there were many men with such an inexplicable mindset as Xiao Wen. They believed that “not being wanted by a man” was a woman’s greatest failure, and the highest praise and recognition for a woman was “I want to marry her.” Despite their own uselessness, they always felt they had the right to pick and choose women, and they liked to look down on them and give them unsolicited advice.

Xia Fufeng had been spoiled by those around her since she was a child and had long since adapted to a female-dominant society. She naturally found Xiao Wen to be incomprehensible and wouldn’t be affected by him at all.

So Xie Zhitian wasn’t worried about Xia Fufeng. She was only worried about Luo Yang, who had a childhood without much affection.

She held Luo Yang’s hand and said earnestly, “Luo Yang, you’re not fat at all. You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, and you’re excellent in every way. Your worth isn’t defined by your weight or any other rigid standards.”

Luo Yang had been briefly thinking about the “am I fat?” question based on Xiao Wen’s words, but her attention immediately shifted. Her cheeks were a little red. “But, I’m not as good as you say.”

Xie Zhitian looked at her and smiled. “It’s true. In my eyes, you’re the best.”

Luo Yang was momentarily stunned, and a flicker of emotion passed through her beautiful eyes.

She was silent for a moment before speaking softly, “You’re the best, too, Tiantian.”

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