The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 78

“Honestly, Kong Qian is just a pretty face. Besides being beautiful and obedient, she has no other notable qualities.”

“Couldn’t agree more. Plus, she’s only young for a few years. She’ll turn into a haggard old woman sooner or later. Unlike us men, we get more refined with age.”

“What did Kong Qian do before she quit her job? I remember she was a chef, right?”

…

Hearing the group discuss his wife in this way, Li Changhui’s face remained relaxed, showing no signs of being offended. He replied, “Yes, she was a cook. I married her for three reasons: first, she had a valuable dowry; second, she was beautiful and obedient; and third, she was a good cook. Don’t laugh, but after a long day’s work, what man doesn’t want a hot meal waiting for him at home…”

Someone chimed in, “Exactly. I think your wife is not as good as Kong Qian; she can’t even cook well.”

Another man laughed, “Kong Qian is indeed a virtuous woman. However, Commander, some women pretend to be obedient but have many ideas of their own. You need to keep a close eye on them. Anything not in your hands is not secure, so it’s best to put that dowry away yourself. Be careful she doesn’t spend it all.”

Li Changhui was unconcerned. “She wouldn’t. What could she do?”

…

One exquisite dish after another was served. The wine swirled, reflecting the bright lights. The men drank and clinked glasses, the clear sound echoing endlessly. Soon, their faces were flushed.

Xie Zhitian stood in the corner of the hall, quietly listening to the unpleasant conversations. The tranquil, lovely face from that morning suddenly appeared in her mind.

At that time, she had said, “My husband is very good to me.”

The morning light streamed in through the corridor window, illuminating a small patch of her white skin near her ear, like the soft wings of a butterfly.

Xie Zhitian’s eyes dimmed slightly. She wondered how Kong Qian would feel if she heard her husband and others discussing her like this behind her back.

The dinner party was like a bragging competition, with men telling lies and compliments they didn’t even believe themselves, secretly hoping others would.

The leftovers on the table were cleared away and replaced with small dishes for drinking. The cups were filled and emptied, emptied and filled again. As it neared ten o’clock, Li Changhui said with a smile, “Actually, I’ve prepared a little surprise for everyone tonight.”

Immediately, someone flattered him, “What good stuff has the Commander prepared for us this time?”

Li Changhui waved his hand, and several men came in, each holding a black box.

The boxes were wooden, meticulously crafted, with a golden coiled dragon relief—a style beloved by middle-aged men.

The lids were opened, revealing a neat row of beautifully packaged black pills inside.

“You all know that our district is very good at pharmaceuticals.”

Li Changhui picked up a pill, showing it to the others. “This is a new type of tonic that I had specially developed. It can strengthen the body and prolong life.”

The man sitting next to him also picked up a pill, looking amazed. “It’s that magical?”

Li Changhui laughed. “When have I ever lied to you? Didn’t the tonics I gave you before work well? If they work, help me promote them.”

The man nodded repeatedly. “Commander, the tonic you gave me last time made me feel much more energetic. I no longer feel tired after a little movement. I’ve bought several more times since.”

Another person chimed in, “Me too. Every time I take it, I feel especially energetic, as if I have endless strength. I’ve already recommended it to several friends. Next time I buy, you have to give me a discount, Commander.”

“A discount, you’ll definitely get a discount. If you bring in many friends, I’ll even give you a commission.”

Li Changhui smiled and took a pill, swallowing it first. “This tonic is best for long-term use. Everyone, you must persevere. We men are at a disadvantage when it comes to physical strength, right? A healthy body is the foundation of revolution. Only with a good body can you achieve great things.”

Someone sighed with regret. “Who says it’s not? If our bodies weren’t failing, would we let women ride on our heads and boss us around?”

“Exactly. What do women know about state affairs? What are they getting involved in? They should just figure out their own household matters.”

…

Xie Zhitian listened to the men’s grand pronouncements, her gaze sweeping over the pills in the box.

When she first heard Li Changhui brag about the tonic’s magical properties, her first thought was that the pills must be problematic. But after hearing that the others had previously taken other tonics provided by Li Changhui, she dismissed the idea.

During their information gathering over the past two days, she and Luo Yang learned that the attendees tonight were all old-guard figures who had followed Li Changhui for a long time. The conversations at the dinner table also showed that they were all very familiar with each other. Harming them would not benefit Li Changhui in any way and could backfire.

Moreover, Li Changhui also took the tonic himself, so she felt that the tonic itself should be harmless, just an ordinary nutritional supplement. There were no miracle drugs in the world. The effects were just exaggerated to flatter Li Changhui.

And Li Changhui repeatedly emphasized that others should promote this tonic, so his purpose was clear: to make money.

Sure enough, after the men took the pills, they tacitly took out the valuable gifts they had prepared, making Li Changhui overjoyed.

Xie Zhitian looked at the wrinkles on Li Changhui’s smiling face and inwardly sighed that he was a very greedy person. No wonder he put “that dowry” first when talking about his reasons for marrying Kong Qian.

But if that was the case, things would probably turn out very badly once Li Changhui found out that Kong Qian had privately used her dowry to exchange for supplies.

Xie Zhitian pondered, a hint of worry appearing in her eyes.

Li Changhui drank a few more rounds with the crowd, then drunkenly said, “Everyone, don’t worry. Our plan is going smoothly. Next month, we’ll give those women who don’t know their place a big surprise.”

His gaze fell on the waiters standing in the corner, and he suddenly lost interest. “Forget it, forget it. This is a leisure party today. Don’t mention these things. Come, let’s keep drinking.”

The party continued until the early hours of the morning before it finally broke up. The male officials were all dead drunk and were picked up by their subordinates in cars.

Before leaving, Xie Zhitian secretly took a pill that had rolled onto the floor. To complete their cover, she and Luo Yang, along with the other waiters, cleaned up the mess in the room before secretly returning to their apartment.

Back in their room, Luo Yang lit a lamp, carefully broke open the pill, and held it up to the light for a closer look. Then she leaned in to sniff it, her expression relaxing. “It’s just some ordinary nourishing herbs. There’s no problem. However, it probably won’t have much of an effect.”

Xie Zhitian nodded. “It seems Li Changhui is really promoting this just for money.”

However, most of the men who took this tonic probably knew that it had little effect. They just took it to build a relationship with Li Changhui; it was a form of disguised bribery. It was a mutual arrangement.

After examining the pill, a glimmer of light appeared in the sky outside the window. The sound of footsteps started echoing in the hallway, signaling the return of the cyborg warriors who had finished their work.

Soon, there was a knock on the door, and Tang Zhuoran and Xia Fufeng appeared.

Both of them looked fine and had no injuries. Xia Fufeng was even holding a fluffy little fox in her arms.

Xie Zhitian let them in, put a pot of water on to boil, and took out some nori and eggs, planning to make some wontons for breakfast.

Luo Yang poked the little fox and asked in surprise, “It went with you again?”

Xia Fufeng looked helpless. “Yes, I don’t know why it’s so clingy. It’s so scared, but it insists on following us.”

She paused. “Let’s not talk about that. Did you get anything last night?”

Xie Zhitian recounted what happened the previous night in detail, which made Xia Fufeng furious, cursing Li Changhui for being a scumbag who didn’t cherish such a good wife. She said that if there was a chance, she should remind Kong Qian. As for the plan Li Changhui mentioned, the group had no leads yet and needed to investigate further.

Luo Yang asked, “Any progress on domesticating the Xenomorphs?”

At the mention of this, Xia Fufeng became a little dejected. “No, it’s still the same.”

Tang Zhuoran explained for her, “I think whether a Xenomorph is obedient or not is related not only to Xiao Xia’s state but also to the Xenomorph’s own personality. Xenomorphs are not ordinary animals; their nature is much more violent and they are not so easy to control. It might also be that the frequency of Xenomorph appearances was high last night, so my attention was not as focused.”

Luo Yang comforted her, “It’s okay. We’ll find a way. Besides, having a 50% chance is already amazing.”

Xia Fufeng cheered up. “You guys are so good at making me happy. I’ll keep working hard!”

The wontons in the pot floated to the surface, looking round and plump.

Xie Zhitian took out bowls and chopsticks and served a big bowl to everyone. The steaming vapor dispersed, driving away some of the morning chill.

As they were eating breakfast and chatting, there was another knock on the door.

This time, it was Yu Ningning, followed by two other warriors. All three looked a little tired and were injured, with faint bloodstains on their clothes.

Xie Zhitian was startled. “Are you guys okay?”

Seeing this, Luo Yang quickly got up to find a first-aid kit, planning to help them with some simple treatment.

Yu Ningning smiled. “Don’t be nervous. It’s just some minor injuries.”

She glanced at the wonton bowls on the table and asked, “Are you two feeling better? Be careful what you eat.”

Luo Yang was not used to lying and felt a little guilty. She handed over the first-aid kit. “We have fully recovered. If you need any help, just ask.”

Yu Ningning was relieved. “That’s good. That’s what we came for. There were more Xenomorphs last night, and everyone is more or less injured. We need to rest during the day.”

She pointed to the girl next to her. “If you’re feeling better, go inside the district to pick someone up for Yang Le.”

Xie Zhitian agreed immediately. “No problem. Where should we go?”

Yang Le replied, “Go to our district’s sanatorium. I’ll mark it on the map for you.”

She took out a prepared map from her pocket, held a pen, and marked the route while explaining, “I’m a native of District 33. I have a friend named Wang Qiong who had a minor mutation a while ago and was sent to the sanatorium. She has recovered now, so I’d appreciate it if you could pick her up and take her home.”

Luo Yang took the map and nodded. “Don’t worry. We’ll make sure to get her home safely.”

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