The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 64

At five in the afternoon, the car arrived at District 16.

As the scenery outside the car window became increasingly familiar, Xie Zhitian felt an inexplicable sense of security. This feeling grew even stronger when she pushed open the door to her house and saw a fluffy, white ball of fur rushing toward her.

After half a month apart, Xiaoxiao had grown a bit bigger. She was heavy in her arms, with soft, fluffy fur. It was clear that Xiang Nan had taken excellent care of her; she hadn’t suffered at all.

Xiaoxiao seemed to miss her owner very much. Her fluffy little head rubbed against Xie Zhitian’s arm, meowing nonstop in a continuous stream of affection.

Xie Zhitian smiled, and after a moment of cuddling with Xiaoxiao, she handed the cat to Luo Yang. “Here, you play with her for a bit. I need to unpack.”

When they left District 7, Xia Fufeng was very reluctant to see them go. She had packed dozens of boxes of various local specialties for them and said that once Tang Zhuoran’s arm recovered in a couple of days, they should all come over to visit. Tang Zhuoran had a half-month vacation, and Xia Fufeng was going to take advantage of it and rest for a few days herself.

Luo Yang lowered her head and rubbed Xiaoxiao’s forehead, then took a cat treat stick from the cabinet and gave it to her as a special snack.

After feeding the cat, she turned and left the house, intending to help Xie Zhitian unload the special products from the car.

The truck was too large to be driven into the yard, so it was parked by the back gate. Before she even reached it, Luo Yang heard Xie Zhitian and Xiao Wen talking. The truck’s body completely blocked their view, but their voices were clear.

Xiao Wen said, “Miss, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be heading back.”

Then came Xie Zhitian’s slightly playful voice, “What, you’re not going to stay and help me unload the cargo?”

Luo Yang thought she might be mistaken, but Xiao Wen’s tone seemed to have changed from his usual subservience; he sounded very confident. “Miss, I haven’t been feeling well lately. I really can’t help.”

Xie Zhitian didn’t press him. She just said, “Alright, then you go back and rest.”

Luo Yang couldn’t help but frown, feeling a bit displeased.

Before, Xiao Wen was extremely attentive to Xie Zhitian, often making sincere-sounding promises of loyalty. But in just a few days, he had suddenly changed, making excuses to avoid helping with the unloading.

Could it be that he felt resentful because he had been reprimanded by the miss several times?

But Xiao Wen was clearly the one who had made the mistakes; wasn’t it right to scold him a couple of times?

Luo Yang’s initial impression of Xiao Wen was actually quite good. He seemed gentle and refined and would occasionally bring small gifts to show his goodwill.

But during her time with Xie Zhitian, she truly came to understand the difference between the two.

Xiao Wen was someone who talked a big game but delivered very little. Sometimes, even a small task would be described in a grand, exaggerated way, as if he had put in a great deal of effort to complete it.

Xie Zhitian, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. She would quietly do things for her but never made a big deal about it. Sometimes, a long time would pass before Luo Yang would find out that something was done by Xie Zhitian for her.

Moreover, Xiao Wen liked to subtly hint that the situation for modified people was miserable and that it was a good thing he was there to help her, as if he was the only one who would be good to her and she couldn’t survive without him.

But Xie Zhitian told her she was free.

Luo Yang had grown up in an environment lacking affection. Without Xie Zhitian, she probably would have genuinely thought Xiao Wen was a good person. But now, in comparison, Xiao Wen’s “goodness” was nothing.

Every day now was full of happiness for her; Xie Zhitian had given her hope for the future. Even though she was free, she wanted to stay by Xie Zhitian’s side and continue this joy.

Footsteps sounded, and Xiao Wen left.

Luo Yang walked around the car to Xie Zhitian’s side. “Tian Tian, don’t be angry with someone like Xiao Wen. I’ll help you unload the cargo.”

Xie Zhitian heard what she said and knew she had overheard her conversation with Xiao Wen.

She smiled. “Why would I be angry with him? He’s an insignificant person.”

Seeing Xiao Wen’s smug, self-satisfied face, Xie Zhitian felt nothing inside, and even a little amusement. Xiao Wen really couldn’t contain himself. He had just connected with Zhuo Wu’s side and hadn’t received any benefits yet, but he was already so confident that his attitude toward her had begun to change.

But this was good. The more arrogant and overconfident Xiao Wen became, the more he would underestimate her, making it easier for him to fall into her trap and be led by the nose.

Luo Yang said, “Since Xiao Wen isn’t willing to work, why not send him somewhere else? Why keep him here?”

Xie Zhitian paused, and then the smile in her eyes deepened. “I was thinking the same thing, but… it might take a little more time.”

Luo Yang didn’t understand. “Huh? How much time?”

Just then, a figure walked toward them from a distance, interrupting their conversation. “Miss, Miss Luo Yang, you’re back.”

Xie Zhitian turned and saw Xiang Nan jogging toward them, carrying a bag that seemed to contain meat.

Xiang Nan stopped in front of them and began his report in a serious manner. “Miss, everything was fine in the district while you were away. But your parents went on another business trip two days ago. They said they have some things to take care of and aren’t sure when they’ll be back.”

Xie Zhitian nodded. “Yes, I know.”

A couple of days ago, her mother had contacted her to tell her about the business trip and told her to take good care of herself and get along well with Luo Yang when she returned to the district.

Xie Zhitian glanced at the bag in Xiang Nan’s hand. “Why are you here at this hour? It’s almost dark.”

When she first arrived, Xie Zhitian had an agreement with Xiang Nan that he would come around nine in the morning every day to clean and would replenish any missing daily necessities every few days.

Xiang Nan looked a bit embarrassed, and he held up the bag. “Chicken was on sale at the market today, so I bought a big piece. I was thinking of saving some to make some cat food for Xiaoxiao.”

He quickly explained, “Miss, I bought it with my own money. If I eat a little less meat, Xiaoxiao can have two meals. I’ve made cat food for Xiaoxiao a few times before and never secretly used any of the meat you have in the freezer.”

Xie Zhitian felt a little emotional after hearing this. No wonder Xiaoxiao was so well-fed; it turned out that Xiang Nan was also a cat person. She didn’t know if he was born that way or if he had been domesticated by Xiaoxiao later on.

She said, “My cat eating is a given, and you should be using my ingredients. From now on, if you make cat food, just take the ingredients directly from the fridge.”

Xiang Nan was stunned for two seconds and tried to decline. “No need, Miss, I’m happy to…”

“Alright, don’t be so polite. It’s decided.”

Xie Zhitian interrupted him and pointed at the dozens of boxes on the truck. “Come and help us unload the cargo and put it in the warehouse. These are all local specialties from District 14. Take a lot for yourself later and share it with your family.”

Xiang Nan was on the verge of tears. “Thank you, Miss. I’ll work even harder in the future! Whatever you need, I’ll do it.”

Xie Zhitian laughed. “Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. You’re already doing great.”

So the three of them worked together for over half an hour, putting all the local specialties from the car into the warehouse. When Luo Yang saw that Xiang Nan was a bit shy about taking things, she took the initiative to pick out some cured meat, ham, honey, and some pastries for him.

She put these items into a large suitcase so that Xiang Nan could drag it home.

“That’s enough, that’s enough, Miss Luo Yang. This is too much.”

Xiang Nan kept thanking them and said, “The corn we planted will be ready in a couple of days. I’ll bring some over for you. It’s delicious.”

He suddenly remembered something. “Miss Luo Yang, you haven’t eaten yet, right? It was a long journey back. I can just make you both some dinner.”

Xie Zhitian thought for a moment. “Okay, then just cook a bowl of noodles. Add some vegetables and an egg. I remember there’s still some luncheon meat in the fridge.”

Xiang Nan looked troubled. “Miss, before you left, you said you didn’t know how long you’d be gone, so you gave me all the eggs, vegetables, and fruit in the fridge, fearing they would spoil. So there are no eggs or vegetables at home right now. Wait for me, and I’ll go to the market to buy some.”

Luo Yang spoke up. “No need. I’ll go. You can make the cat food first. I’ll be back soon, which will save time.”

Xiang Nan hesitated, then heard Xie Zhitian say, “That works. Then I’ll tidy up our bedroom and make the bed.”

Luo Yang nodded. “Okay, there are clean blankets and pillows in the cabinet.”

Listening to their conversation, Xiang Nan suddenly felt very much in the way, as if he had stumbled into a couple’s daily routine. He didn’t quite understand why, and he just wanted to finish cooking quickly so he wouldn’t disturb them.

Xie Zhitian’s place was in a great location, just a ten-minute walk from the market.

Luo Yang had been there several times before, so she was very familiar with the way. She walked to the egg vendor’s stall, weighed two pounds of eggs, bought some fresh vegetables, and then bought some oranges and grapes, which she and Xie Zhitian both liked.

Just as she was about to leave, Luo Yang’s attention was caught by a small stall in the corner.

The stall was small, with a dozen or so books on display. Their covers were colorful, but most were a bit faded and looked old.

A white piece of paper next to them read: “Old books for sale.”

Luo Yang loved reading, and she had recently read many interesting novels with Xie Zhitian, so her interest was immediately piqued. She walked over, wanting to see if there was anything she liked.

The stall owner was a simple, honest middle-aged man who enthusiastically greeted her. “Little girl, feel free to browse. These are all the best of the best. Selling them cheap!”

Luo Yang said something in response and scanned the row of covers. When she saw one particular book, her breathing hitched, and an expression of disbelief appeared in her eyes.

Her heart pounded instantly. Without a moment’s hesitation, she knelt down and picked up the book.

The cover of the book had a line of text on it: The Self-Cultivation of a Cold and Glamorous Beauty.

The pages of the book were clear, and the paper showed no signs of yellowing; it looked quite new. But for some reason, the second half of the book was missing, leaving only the first fifty-odd pages.

Luo Yang flipped through it and found that the beginning content was the same as what she had seen before. She felt a little regretful. She remembered that Xie Zhitian’s complete version had almost 100 pages, and this one was missing half the content.

But half a loaf was better than none, she thought. She had wanted to read this book for a long time, so she was going to buy it and read it. Once Captain Tang finished reading the book and returned it, she could read the second half. She and Captain Tang were comrades who had been through life and death together, so since the other person was in a hurry to read it, she wouldn’t rush him.

Luo Yang thought about this and handed the book to the stall owner. “How much for this one?”

“What kind of book is this? It’s only half a book.”

The stall owner glanced at it, frowned, and said, “It’s broken. Give me two dollars, and you can take it.”

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