The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 40

At 7 p.m., Tang Zhuoran arrived promptly.

She must have rushed over right after finishing work. The night wind had ruffled her long hair, a few strands of dark hair clinging to her fair cheeks.

Tang Zhuoran casually took off her coat and draped it over the standing coat rack by the door. Her movements were fluid and natural, as if she had done it countless times.

Then she looked up at the people who had come out to greet her, a faint smile on her lips. “I’m sorry, have I kept you waiting?”

“What’s there to be sorry about? We know you’re busy. It’s tough, Team Leader Tang, having to work overtime on your birthday.”

Xia Fufeng stepped forward with a grin, linking arms with her and pulling her inside. “Happy birthday, heehee!”

Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang followed close behind, offering their own well wishes. “Happy birthday, Team Leader Tang.”

“Thank you. It really makes me happy to celebrate my birthday with all of you.”

Tang Zhuoran’s smile was beautiful, but it held a subtle hint of detachment. This coldness wasn’t directed at others; it was an internal indifference, a complete disregard for herself.

Xie Zhitian had no doubt that if they hadn’t suggested celebrating her birthday, Tang Zhuoran wouldn’t have given the day a second thought. For her, a birthday was just another ordinary day, nothing special about it at all.

As Tang Zhuoran walked further in, her eyes softened upon seeing the living room that Xia Fufeng had meticulously decorated.

She reached out and lightly touched one of the balloons on the wall, a ribbon brushing against her fingertips. “Thank you for going to all this trouble. I love it.”

“As long as you like it.”

Xia Fufeng pulled her to the table and told Wang Er to bring out the dishes one by one.

She took out a small jewelry box she had prepared earlier and held it out to Tang Zhuoran. “Here, happy birthday.”

Tang Zhuoran leaned back in her chair, a relaxed and lazy posture, as the small jewelry box rested quietly in her palm.

She thanked her, then asked, “Do you want me to open it now, or later?”

Xia Fufeng thought for a moment, her voice filled with anticipation. “Open it now.”

She really wanted to see the expression on Tang Zhuoran’s face the moment she saw the gift.

Tang Zhuoran did as she was asked, her slender fingers slowly beginning to unwrap the present. The moment the jewelry box was opened, a faint look of surprise appeared on her face. “It’s so beautiful.”

The pale green jade thread was woven into a delicate pattern, with a flawless, translucent white jade “peace buckle” at its center. Its luster was warm and gentle, a clear sign of its high quality.

Tang Zhuoran carefully fastened the bracelet and then held out her wrist to Xia Fufeng. “How does it look? Does it suit me?”

Her arm was slender, the wrist bones clearly defined, and the faint blue veins visible beneath her skin. The bracelet fit snugly against her fair, delicate skin, complementing it perfectly.

Xia Fufeng’s heart felt sweet. She praised her, “It looks great, it looks great. You look good in anything.”

She had kept a little secret; she had a matching peace buckle for herself, but she didn’t want to be too obvious, so she’d made it into a pendant and worn it tucked inside her collar. It was her own little romantic gesture.

Xie Zhitian pushed a gift box toward the person sitting across from her. “Team Leader Tang, this is the birthday gift Luo Yang and I prepared for you. It’s just a small token of our appreciation, we hope you’ll accept it.”

She watched Tang Zhuoran slowly unwrap the package, a thoughtful expression on her face.

What Qi Le had said yesterday about Sector 7 recruiting more modified humans was on her mind. Recalling Zhang Di’s words and actions, this matter had likely already spread among the modified humans.

While it wasn’t uncommon for modified humans to apply for job transfers between sectors, the number of people leaving and entering was usually about the same. But if Sector 7 were to offer higher pay than other sectors, it would disrupt that delicate balance.

Besides, the current situation was stabilizing. Why would so many modified humans be needed? No matter how she looked at it, the whole thing felt strange.

Earlier in the day, Xie Zhitian had contacted Xia Wan again, relaying her mother’s message and successfully persuading her to let her and Luo Yang get involved in sector affairs. Seeing their persistence, Xia Wan had finally relented, telling them to assist Tang Zhuoran and see if there was anything they could help with.

So, one of the reasons Xie Zhitian had come today, besides celebrating Tang Zhuoran’s birthday with Xia Fufeng, was to talk to Tang Zhuoran about this serious matter and quickly resolve the sector’s problems.

Tang Zhuoran looked down at the tea set in the gift box, her eyes wavering for a moment.

A moment later, she looked up and smiled at the two people across from her. “This is a truly unexpected gift, but I love it. Thank you.”

Tang Zhuoran closed the lid of the box and carefully set it aside. “I also have something else to thank you for. I heard that when the alien invasion happened yesterday, you two went to help and quickly put an end to the chaos.”

Luo Yang replied earnestly, “You’re too kind, Team Leader Tang. It was nothing, just a minor thing.”

Tang Zhuoran’s gaze swept over the two of them. Her tone was light. “I’ve heard many times about Miss Luo Yang’s strength, but I never expected Miss Xie to perform so well on the battlefield, completely on par with a modified human. That is truly rare.”

She might have had doubts about Xie Zhitian’s abilities at first, but after hearing the reports from the modified humans who were on site yesterday, her doubts were completely gone, replaced by surprise and admiration.

Xie Zhitian had been told this multiple times recently and had a practiced response. “When I was little, I was foolish and didn’t appreciate my abilities. After I became a sector administrator, I slowly realized that was wrong, so I started spending a lot of time strengthening my physical abilities every day. Maybe it’s because I have a talent for it, but the results have been pretty good.”

Xia Fufeng chimed in from the side, “Oh, that’s right. I remember when you were a kid, you were stronger than other people and could make boys who were a whole size bigger than you cry. That must be a gift.”

Xie Zhitian: …You really don’t have to be so specific.

Hearing this, Tang Zhuoran didn’t pursue the topic. She changed the subject instead. “Commander Xia has already contacted me. When you two are free, I will tell you everything that has happened in the sector recently. Whether you want to get involved can be decided after you’ve heard me out.”

Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang exchanged glances. “Team Leader, we’re available anytime. To be honest, that was one of the reasons we came to see you today.”

Tang Zhuoran’s eyes paused for a moment. Just as she was about to speak, her peripheral vision caught sight of Wang Er and Xiao Wen working in the kitchen. She stopped the topic abruptly. Although the kitchen was some distance from the living room and their conversation was quiet and almost inaudible, she felt it was better to be cautious.

She said, “Okay. You must be tired after a long day. Let’s eat first.”

“That’s right, let’s not talk about all that serious stuff. We’ll get to it after the birthday celebration.”

Xia Fufeng pointed to the dazzling array of dishes on the table, cutting off the conversation. “Let’s eat first. After we eat, we still have to cut the cake and make a wish.”

Tang Zhuoran nodded. “I’ll follow your lead.”

Every dish was prepared with care, and the aroma of the food filled the entire room. The wine in the glass cups was clear, shimmering beautifully under the light.

Luo Yang was lost in thought for a moment as she looked at the scene before her.

When she was a child, she had poor health and was always seen as a burden to her family and was not well-liked. Later, she joined the military, where she lived on the brink of death, with no free time. She realized that in her entire life, she had never once celebrated her birthday properly.

She watched as Xia Fufeng placed a golden birthday crown on Tang Zhuoran’s head. Although it was just a simple prop made of cardboard, it filled her with a sense of quiet envy.

How nice.

Luo Yang thought to herself quietly.

“Luo Yang, what’s wrong?”

Xie Zhitian’s voice came from next to her. “Doesn’t it suit your taste?”

“No.” Luo Yang snapped out of her daze and, as if to cover up, picked up a dish with her chopsticks. “It’s delicious.”

Xie Zhitian glanced at where Luo Yang’s gaze had been a moment ago and understood immediately.

She asked in a low voice, “When is your birthday?”

Luo Yang said, “In August.”

As she said it, she noticed a hint of regret in her own voice.

It was already October. If she had become familiar with Xie Zhitian a little earlier, then maybe…

“I’ll celebrate with you next year.”

Xie Zhitian saw the disappointment on her face and felt a pang of sorrow. She leaned in and gently held Luo Yang’s hand under the table. “I’ll celebrate with you every year from now on. Even when we’re seventy or eighty, we’ll still eat cake and drink milk tea together.”

Luo Yang was amused by her words. “When we’re old ladies, we’ll still eat cake and drink milk tea?”

Her thoughts drifted uncontrollably. Since the apocalypse, cakes and milk tea had become luxuries, something you hardly saw once a year. But hearing Xie Zhitian say this, she was willing to believe that such a future could really exist.

Xie Zhitian also smiled. “What’s wrong with being old ladies? Even when you’re old, you’ll still be the most beautiful old lady.”

Luo Yang asked, “What about you?”

“Me?” Xie Zhitian thought for a moment. “I’ll be… the happiest old lady.”

“What are you two whispering about?”

Xia Fufeng’s cheerful voice came from across the table, interrupting their private conversation.

She tapped the table, her tone meaningful. “The food’s getting cold. If you want to have a private chat, you can do it when you get back to your rooms tonight.”

She turned to Wang Er and asked, “Are the longevity noodles ready?”

Wang Er said, “Almost.”

Then he whispered to Xiao Wen, who was next to him, “Are you done yet? You’re too slow.”

Xiao Wen gave a forced smile. “Almost, almost.”

He was meticulously using a small knife to carve the four characters for “Happy Birthday” out of a carrot, planning to place them on top of the noodles. He wasn’t doing this to genuinely wish Tang Zhuoran a happy birthday. A moment ago, he had heard Wang Er say that Tang Zhuoran was 27. In his worldview, a woman over 25 couldn’t get married. No matter how pretty she was, it was useless. What was there to celebrate?

And Tang Zhuoran was already at that age. Instead of rushing to get married and have kids, why was she a Guardian Army Team Leader? She clearly didn’t know what was important. Men where he was from wouldn’t like such an unconventional woman.

Xiao Wen thought disdainfully as he carved the characters. He couldn’t stand this type of woman. He was only staying in the kitchen to help so he could tamper with Tang Zhuoran’s longevity noodles.

After deciding to target Tang Zhuoran yesterday, he had used his points to buy a high-priced medicine from his “strategy system.” It was a strong animal-grade antibiotic that was very effective, but if a person accidentally ingested it, it would cause severe side effects, including intense dizziness and abdominal pain, followed by full-body convulsions. For the next two weeks or so, they would also suffer from an inability to focus, headaches, and a fever. It would take at least half a month to fully recover.

Wang Er hadn’t wanted him in the kitchen, but after he begged for a while, Wang Er had reluctantly agreed to let him carve the carrots. When Wang Er wasn’t looking, he poured the medicine into the bowl of longevity noodles.

If Tang Zhuoran had a public meltdown, Xia Fufeng would probably just watch the spectacle gleefully and wouldn’t even bother to investigate what was wrong with the food.

Besides, Xiao Wen hated career-oriented women the most. Seeing a successful, excellent woman made him want to foam at the mouth. He felt uncomfortable until he had smeared their reputation a little.

How could a woman possibly be successful in her career? She must have used some unsavory methods. So, not only was Xiao Wen trying to gain favor with Xia Fufeng, he also had a dark desire to see the high-and-mighty Team Leader Tang make a fool of herself.

Xiao Wen listened to the occasional laughter coming from the living room and sneered to himself.

Xia Fufeng and Tang Zhuoran seemed to have a good relationship on the surface. Women were so fake, unlike men, who were loyal and honest and never played such manipulative games.

After carving the last character, Xiao Wen carried the bowl of longevity noodles into the living room.

He politely placed the bowl in front of Tang Zhuoran. “Team Leader Tang, happy birthday.”

Tang Zhuoran said, “Thank you.”

She looked down. The four carrot characters, crooked and a little ugly, floated on the steaming broth.

Maybe it was just a psychological effect, but she felt like the noodles had a strange smell that made her lose her appetite.

Xia Fufeng urged her from the side. “Zhuoran, hurry and try them. You always eat so little. Longevity noodles can’t be taken lightly.”

Tang Zhuoran’s hand, holding the chopsticks, hesitated. She asked Xiao Wen, “Did you carve the characters?”

Xiao Wen nodded, his voice gentle. “Yes, I prepared them specially for you, Team Leader Tang. I hope you don’t mind.”

He stared at Tang Zhuoran’s hand, waiting for her to pick up the noodles and bring them to her mouth.

However, a crisp female voice broke his fantasy. “Wait.”

Xie Zhitian, who was sitting across from her, suddenly spoke up, stopping her. “Team Leader Tang, you can’t eat those noodles.”

Xiao Wen, who had been ready to watch the show, felt his heart sink.

What was going on? He had smelled the medicine beforehand, and its scent was almost nonexistent. How could Xie Zhitian tell something was wrong from so far away?

Tang Zhuoran immediately put down her chopsticks and asked, “What’s wrong with the noodles?”

“My apologies, my subordinate isn’t very useful.”

Xie Zhitian said sincerely, looking at the frozen Xiao Wen. “I just saw that when Xiao Wen was carrying the noodles, his finger dipped into the broth.”

She had felt that something was off when she saw Xiao Wen sneak into the kitchen, but she hadn’t said anything, waiting to see what kind of trouble he was going to cause. Xiao Wen was a man who wouldn’t do anything without a motive. Since he had gone to all that trouble to carve the characters, there had to be something wrong with the noodles. So she made up a random excuse to stop Tang Zhuoran from eating them.

Regardless of whether Xiao Wen admitted it, what she said made the noodles inedible. She just didn’t understand yet what Xiao Wen had to gain by targeting Tang Zhuoran.

As expected, Xia Fufeng immediately frowned. “How could you be so careless? Wang Er, make another bowl of noodles for Zhuoran. Don’t let this Xiao Wen get involved.”

Wang Er glared fiercely at Xiao Wen and turned to boil more noodles.

Xiao Wen looked at Xia Fufeng’s face, which had instantly turned sullen, and felt that something wasn’t right. He instinctively wanted to run. “Miss, I’ll take this bowl of noodles and throw it away.”

“Food is precious. You shouldn’t waste it.”

Xie Zhitian’s voice was calm. She looked at Xiao Wen’s face, which had gone pale with tension, and gave a slow, deliberate command. “You finish it.”

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