The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 7

The last time I received chocolate was many years ago.

At that time, Luo Yang was only nine years old. One day on the way home from school, she happened to walk into a pedestrian street. It wasn’t far from the orphanage where she lived, and it wasn’t a bustling area, so the shops on both sides were small, and the variety of goods wasn’t extensive.

But for the young Luo Yang, it was already an unattainable beauty.

She pressed her fingertips against the display window and looked inside with wide eyes. She stood so close that a small puff of white mist condensed on the glass, then quickly dissipated in the biting wind.

Luo Yang could still clearly recall the scene: brightly colored metal boxes were placed on a transparent display stand, with a chocolate pattern printed on the surface. One piece was cut open, revealing its tempting, flowing center.

She stood there for a long time, watching. The shop owner, a kind-faced auntie, couldn’t bear to see her like that and insisted on giving her a small piece.

The rest of the memory was a bit fuzzy, but she remembered that the dreams she had that night were all sweet.

Later, the apocalypse broke out. When she passed by that commercial street again, it had already become a ruin.

Under the setting sun, broken walls and remnants stood silently, like desolate monuments, wordlessly recounting the blood and tears that had once soaked the land. The candy wrapper she had treasured was lost in a battle, leaving no memento behind.

“I’ve cooked some scrambled egg and shrimp congee. It’ll be ready in about fifteen minutes.”

Xie Zhitian’s voice pulled Luo Yang out of her memories.

Luo Yang glanced towards the stove. A milky-white clay pot was bubbling with steam, and she could faintly smell the aroma of food.

The young lady can cook?

Luo Yang lowered her eyes, looking at the beautifully packaged box in her hand. Her fingers moved, pushing the chocolate back towards Xie Zhitian.

She said, “Miss, I can’t accept this.”

In the current society, production was slowly recovering, and supplies were very scarce. Luo Yang was well aware of the value of this entire box of chocolates. Receiving such an expensive item made her uneasy.

Xie Zhitian didn’t touch the chocolate, she just asked, “Why can’t you accept it?”

She had thought seriously about it last night. She couldn’t keep an eye on Luo Yang all the time. To ensure that Luo Yang would never be subjected to emotional manipulation, she had to help her build a healthy personality and emotions.

Luo Yang’s emotional experience was almost a blank slate. No one had ever given her emotional support, whether it was from family, friendship, or love.

Such a girl was a very good target for emotional manipulators. As long as she was given a little bit of kindness, a taste of unprecedented warmth, she would be very touched.

Therefore, Xie Zhitian decided to start by being good to Luo Yang, raising her psychological threshold. A simple example: if she often gave Luo Yang chocolate, making it a common occurrence, then Luo Yang wouldn’t be moved by a scumbag’s single piece of candy.

The only difficulty was that Luo Yang’s impression of the original owner was so bad, making it hard to implement her plan.

Luo Yang was silent for a moment and didn’t answer Xie Zhitian’s question. Instead, she asked, “Miss, why are you giving this to me?”

Xie Zhitian had long anticipated this question and answered smoothly, “It’s an apology.”

She explained earnestly, “Luo Yang, I was wrong for how I treated you before. I’ve realized my mistakes now and want to get along well with you. Let’s be good friends.”

“I know you don’t trust me yet, and giving you this gift isn’t a demand for you to forgive me immediately. It’s just a small token of my sincerity, nothing more. Please don’t feel burdened.”

Xie Zhitian’s words were sincere, her eyes were gentle, and a warm smile played on her lips. Luo Yang stared at her, sizing her up, but couldn’t find any flaws.

First asking her to be a personal bodyguard, now wanting to be good friends… is the young lady just playing a trick on her?

But if it was an act, then her acting was too good.

Luo Yang thought for a while but couldn’t figure it out, so she decided to give up for now. Since Xie Zhitian had already said so much, she no longer refused. With a flick of her finger, she untied the ribbon, lifted the lid, and took out one of the chocolates wrapped in golden foil.

She slowly unwrapped it, brought it to her nose to smell, and then put the whole piece into her mouth.

The rich aroma of chocolate instantly filled her mouth. The intense, mellow sweetness perfectly blended with the bitterness of the cocoa, complementing each other in a heavenly match.

“It’s so sweet,” she couldn’t help but sigh softly.

Xie Zhitian’s lips curved upward. “Glad you like it.”

Luo Yang savored the chocolate carefully, her gaze falling on the inside of the lid, where it paused for a moment.

There was a line of transparent text printed on the inner wall:

Life is like a box of chocolates. The bitterness you experience is a prelude to the sweetness that is to come.

As Luo Yang read the words, a hint of sadness flickered in her eyes.

She had endured so much bitterness that she had almost forgotten what sweetness tasted like.

Xie Zhitian saw the pensive look on Luo Yang’s face and knew she must have recalled something unpleasant. With such a “beautiful, strong, and tragic” backstory, she probably hadn’t experienced many good things.

She thought for a moment and said, “Luo Yang, I’ve heard a saying.”

Luo Yang asked, “What is it?”

There was little emotion in her voice, but having a back-and-forth conversation like this was already progress.

Xie Zhitian felt that after this day, Luo Yang’s attitude towards her had softened slightly. She was no longer like a little hedgehog, ready to prick at the slightest touch.

She replied, “They say that in a person’s life, there is a fixed amount of bitterness and sweetness. If someone lives a bitter life in the early stages, then their future life will definitely become sweeter and sweeter.”

Saying this, she pointed her slender finger at the line of text on the lid. “This line is very fitting for you. Maybe it’s a hint from above. Although the past wasn’t great, everything will get better from now on.”

Is the young lady comforting me?

Luo Yang looked up at her, feeling even more unfamiliar with her.

“Alright, don’t eat too many snacks before a meal. Your injury isn’t fully healed yet, so you need to eat properly.”

Xie Zhitian estimated that the congee was ready. She closed the chocolate box, turned, and went into the kitchen.

Soon, two steaming bowls of congee were placed on the table.

The scrambled egg and shrimp congee was generously portioned and smelled delicious, with a sprinkle of green scallions on top, making it look very appetizing.

Xie Zhitian handed a spoon over, accidentally bumping the edge of the bowl with a crisp sound.

She said, “It’s very hot, eat slowly. There’s more in the pot if you’re still hungry.”

Luo Yang stirred the congee in the bowl with her spoon. There were a large number of shrimp, almost filling half the bowl.

She held the warm bowl and ate the congee spoon by spoon. A warmth spread from her stomach to her internal organs, and then to her limbs, making her squint with satisfaction.

Xie Zhitian watched Luo Yang eat and found her manner of eating to be somewhat similar to how Xiao Xiao ate cat treats. The little cat had retracted its claws and fangs, revealing its soft side.

She felt a strange sense of comfort. Just as she saw Luo Yang’s bowl becoming empty and was about to get her another serving, a knock on the door suddenly sounded.

The knocks were very urgent.

Xie Zhitian frowned and called out, “Who is it?”

At this time, could it be Xiao Wen causing some trouble again?

But the voice from outside was Xiang Nan’s. “Miss, it’s me, Xiang Nan!”

Xie Zhitian’s heart skipped a beat.

Xiang Nan was very obedient. She had just told him not to disturb her unless it was important, and now he had rushed over in such a hurry. It must be something very serious.

She got up and walked quickly towards the door.

Luo Yang hesitated for a second, then put down her bowl and followed her.

Xie Zhitian opened the door to see Xiang Nan’s breathless face.

She asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xiang Nan bent over, his hands on his knees, barely able to catch his breath.

“Miss, something’s happened.”

He looked up, his tone urgent. “A modified person suddenly went berserk and killed someone.”

Xie Zhitian’s heart sank.

Modified humans were in an awkward position right now. There weren’t many aliens to kill, and their safety was being questioned by humans. Once something went wrong and caused panic, not only would they suffer, but their companions could also be implicated, branding all modified humans with the label of “attacking ordinary people.”

She looked at Luo Yang, who, as expected, had a solemn expression and cold eyes. Her lips were tightly pursed, as if she was recalling some unpleasant memory.

Xie Zhitian asked Xiang Nan, “So now, what’s the plan?”

“They’re still discussing it. I heard someone suggested locking up all the modified humans first before making a decision…”

Xiang Nan’s voice got lower as he spoke. He glanced at Luo Yang and then urgently urged, “Mr. Xiao has already gone to help, Miss. You should go and take a look too.”

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