The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 77

It was another beautiful day. The sky was a clear blue, the sun was warm, and a cool autumn breeze swept through, making the world feel fresh and bright.

Xie Zhitian sat on the edge of the windowsill, one hand lightly propping up her chin, her eyes lost in thought.

It had been three days since they arrived in District 33. It had become their routine to rest during the day and clear out the xenomorphs outside the walls at night. Just like the first night, the number of xenomorphs stopped increasing every morning, and they were quickly cleared out.

It was as if an invisible hand had flipped a switch.

But this was highly illogical. How could xenomorphs, like some pre-programmed routine, only appear at night and then suddenly vanish during the day?

“Tian Tian, aren’t you going to sleep?”

Luo Yang’s voice pulled Xie Zhitian from her thoughts.

Xie Zhitian smiled at her. “I just finished eating. I’ll sleep a little later.”

Luo Yang nodded, then climbed onto the bed, wrapping her arms around Xie Zhitian’s and resting her head on her shoulder. “Then I’ll sleep later, too.”

Xie Zhitian turned her head and gently kissed Luo Yang’s forehead. “Don’t force yourself if you’re sleepy. We have an important mission tonight.”

The regularity of the xenomorphs’ appearance had puzzled them for a long time, but they hadn’t found any answers.

After discussing it, the four of them decided that tonight, she and Luo Yang would secretly sneak into the district to follow Li Changhui and see if they could find any clues.

They had already informed the other soldiers that they weren’t feeling well and wanted to rest for the night. Since Xie Zhitian often gave things away and was always willing to help whoever was short on supplies, she was well-liked. So, the others didn’t have any objections, only reminding them to be careful about what they ate and to rest well.

Luo Yang looked at her, her expression stubborn. “I’m not sleepy.”

It was clear from her posture that if Xie Zhitian didn’t sleep, she would stay awake, too.

Whenever Luo Yang was clingy like a child, Xie Zhitian felt her heart melt. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Luo Yang’s slender waist, cooing softly, “Alright, then let’s sleep together.”

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

The sudden interruption to the peaceful atmosphere annoyed Xie Zhitian. Reluctantly, she let go of the person in her arms and walked to the door. “Who is it?”

A sweet female voice replied from outside, “Hello, I’m here to deliver supplies.”

Deliver supplies? And to their door?

Xie Zhitian was confused. Through the peephole, she could see a young, pretty woman standing at the door. She was wearing a beige chiffon dress with a light brown trench coat over it, and she was carrying a bulging bag.

Hearing this, Luo Yang also got up and walked to Xie Zhitian’s side.

They exchanged a look, then opened the door.

“You must be the reformed people who came from other districts to help out. Thank you so much.”

The woman was very enthusiastic. With a smile, she carried the large bag of items inside, but she was careful not to enter the room herself, only standing at the doorway. “I’ve brought some things for everyone. I heard two of you weren’t feeling well and were resting in your room, so I thought I’d bring them over and ask if you needed any medicine.”

“We’re fine. We just ate something bad and don’t have much energy. We’ll be fine after a day’s rest,” Xie Zhitian said. She looked down at the bag, which was full of various foods and other daily necessities. She asked the woman, “May I ask who you are?”

The woman was momentarily stunned, then quickly recovered. “My apologies, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Li Changhui’s wife, Kong Qian.”

Xie Zhitian was surprised, and a flicker of unexpected emotion passed through her eyes. To hide it, she smiled and shook Kong Qian’s outstretched hand. “Hello, we are guards from District 26.”

Kong Qian looked to be in her 20s, but Li Changhui was already 40. The two certainly looked like a mismatched pair. But men’s tastes had always been consistent; no matter how old they were, they only liked young, beautiful girls. The title of district commander was probably quite tempting.

Thinking this, Xie Zhitian introduced herself and Luo Yang with fake names and thanked Kong Qian. “Ms. Kong, we are very grateful that you’ve gone out of your way to bring so many things, but we just arrived and still have plenty of supplies. We can make do with what we have. Why don’t you take these to the people in the other apartments?”

She could provide anything the people in this apartment building needed from her personal storage space. Their car had a large capacity and could hold a lot of things, so no one suspected anything. But the soldiers in the other apartments weren’t so lucky.

Kong Qian waved her hand. “Don’t worry, I’ve also arranged for reliable people to secretly deliver supplies to the other apartments. My husband has been busy with work these days and doesn’t come home at night. With him not here, I have much less housework to do, and I have time to come and check on everyone. If there’s anything I can help with, just let me know.”

She said this, pulling a small notebook from her pocket and flipping it open to show them. “See, I’ve written down all the things they asked me to help them buy.”

“Ms. Kong, that’s very thoughtful of you. We don’t need anything, so you can just buy things for the other soldiers,” Luo Yang said, looking at the dense, elegant handwriting in the notebook. She felt a little touched. “But why do you have to deliver the supplies secretly?”

“I used my own dowry to buy these. My husband is very good to me. He let me quit my job to stay home and never spends my money.” Kong Qian was a little embarrassed, a blush on her face. “If he knew I traded these trinkets for supplies, he would be heartbroken.”

After hearing what Kong Qian said, Xie Zhitian’s heart dropped slightly.

Li Changhui was the commander’s man. In that faction, women were resources, consumables, and tools for procreation, but they were not independent people. If Li Changhui didn’t let Kong Qian touch her dowry, it was probably because he already considered it his own. And in Li Changhui’s eyes, Kong Qian and her dowry were likely no different in essence.

But judging by Kong Qian’s demeanor, she seemed to be completely under Li Changhui’s thumb. If someone who had just met her tried to warn her, Kong Qian would likely think they were trying to sow discord between her and her husband.

However, the fact that Kong Qian would use her dowry to get supplies for the soldiers showed that she was a good person. Xie Zhitian wouldn’t completely ignore her, but she needed to wait for the right moment.

So, Xie Zhitian simply smiled and said, “We understand. We’ll keep it a secret. Thank you, Ms. Kong.”

Kong Qian also smiled. “You’re welcome. If you need anything, let me know.”

This rundown apartment building ran on a schedule opposite to the rest of the district. The inhabitants woke up at dusk and went to sleep at dawn.

At 6 p.m., the sounds of footsteps filled the hallway as the soldiers poured out, ready to head to the outskirts of the district to exterminate xenomorphs.

Xie Zhitian listened to the commotion outside the door and checked the disguise on her face in the mirror, making a few adjustments to make it look more natural.

“Here, Tian Tian,” said Luo Yang, who had already changed her clothes and was now handing over a loose black jacket.

Xie Zhitian took it and put it on, covering her white dress completely. In the past few days, they had used their free time to secretly investigate and figure out Li Changhui’s recent schedule. He had a gathering tonight with several high-ranking district officials at a villa inside the district.

Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang bribed one of the staff members who was responsible for the food and drinks, successfully securing jobs as servers for the party. After all, because of Li Changhui’s status, many people wanted to get close to him for various reasons. The bribed staff member didn’t suspect anything, thinking the two of them just wanted to make a little extra money.

Luo Yang was wearing a light gray dress today, a simple, plain style just like Xie Zhitian’s. They were both unflattering and a bit rustic. Their disguised faces were also unremarkable, so they shouldn’t attract Li Changhui’s attention.

After the noise in the hallway completely disappeared, Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang quietly left the apartment. Xie Zhitian took an ordinary-looking car from her personal space. They drove near the villa, found a secluded corner to store the car, and then walked to the party location.

As agreed, they arrived at the party an hour early. The staff member they had bribed was already waiting at the door. He looked them up and down and frowned. “Tonight, we have all the important figures of the district. You two, why didn’t you dress up a bit?”

Xie Zhitian acted humbly, unzipping her jacket to show the rustic dress underneath. “We specially bought new dresses. Is this not good enough?”

The staff member glanced at them, realizing that although the dresses were very plain, the two girls had good figures. The dresses weren’t flattering but were decent enough. They were just servers, so who would really care?

“Fine, fine. The party is about to start. Get inside and get to work. Find a tall, round-faced man. He’ll give you your assignments,” he said, waving them inside. He added a warning, “The gentlemen here tonight only like pretty women. You two, be mindful and don’t try to get too close.”

Xie Zhitian sneered inwardly but obediently nodded on the outside. “Understood. Thank you, brother.”

Although the villa was in a somewhat secluded location, it was very spacious. Outside, it was surrounded by trees, and the interior was luxuriously decorated. The golden staircase handrails and sparkling crystal chandeliers were dazzling, and the soft, thick carpet underfoot had intricate, elaborate patterns.

Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang, as requested by the staff member, joined two other servers and placed the already prepared tableware on the long table in the main hall. Then, they stood by the side of the room, waiting for instructions.

About half an hour later, footsteps echoed from outside the door. Several middle-aged men walked in lively, surrounded by staff members.

Li Changhui stood in the center, his face beaming as he chatted with the others before they all went to the long table. The servers immediately stepped forward, pulling out chairs and pouring water.

Xie Zhitian felt Li Changhui’s gaze flash over her without lingering.

She and Luo Yang had made some changes to their disguises before coming, making them even more ordinary—the kind of faces that wouldn’t leave an impression.

As she was pouring tea for Li Changhui, Xie Zhitian heard someone across from them joke, “Commander Li, you’ve only been married for half a year, and you already don’t want to go home to your wife?”

“You know the answer to that,” Li Changhui laughed, a happy smile on his face. “Once you’ve got them home, why bother putting in so much effort?”

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