The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 79

Following the location Yu Ningning had marked on the map, Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang drove all the way toward the sanatorium.

Compared to their home in District 16, District 33 was clearly a bit less developed economically. There were few tall buildings; most were low-lying, shabby-looking bungalows.

It was a little after nine in the morning, and most residents were already up, with people coming and going on the streets.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Xie Zhitian was pondering the last words Li Changhui had said the night before.

He had said, “The plan is proceeding smoothly.”

Although she didn’t know what the plan was, it was surely related to the frequent alien invasions.

“Tian Tian, what are you thinking about?”

Luo Yang turned her head and called out, interrupting her thoughts.

Xie Zhitian snapped out of it. “Nothing. I was just wondering what kind of plan Li Changhui was talking about yesterday.”

They had been here for a few days, resting during the day and working at night, following a strict routine. This kind of regularity felt unnatural. With more than a week left until the start of the next month, they needed to act quickly.

“I’ve been thinking about that ever since we got back, too,” Luo Yang replied, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. “District 33 is recruiting Reborns to fight the aliens, so the plan must have something to do with these newly recruited Reborns. We should start our investigation with what’s around us and see if there are any abnormalities.”

Xie Zhitian asked, “Starting with what’s around us, what do you mean specifically?”

Luo Yang nodded. “I’ve checked the food and water deliveries, and there are no issues. We can pay more attention to the main areas where the fighters usually operate, like the places where the aliens frequently appear. Don’t you think it’s a little strange?”

Xie Zhitian agreed. “It is strange. The locations where the aliens appear seem a little too fixed—always that forest across from the district.”

They were busy fighting aliens at night. During the day, although they weren’t restricted by the district’s curfew, they were required to return to the district immediately after clearing the aliens, which left them with little time to investigate.

The forest was also full of pine trees, and even in autumn, the dense foliage blocked their view, making any investigation difficult.

Luo Yang said, “Next time we go out, we can handle the clearing, and you can let Captain Tang take the opportunity to check the surroundings.”

Xie Zhitian agreed, “No problem.”

As the two of them chatted, they quickly approached their destination. But the closer they got, the more Xie Zhitian felt that something was wrong.

She had noticed that the scenery on both sides of the road had become increasingly bustling. The foot traffic had visibly increased, and even the number of cars was denser than in other places.

Xie Zhitian even suspected she had taken a wrong turn and checked the map twice to confirm the route.

If it was a sanatorium, shouldn’t it be in a quieter location?

Luo Yang also noticed something was off and frowned. “Tian Tian, it looks like there’s a commercial street up ahead.”

Xie Zhitian followed her gaze. Ahead was a wide cobblestone street with dense stalls on both sides. The street was crowded with pedestrians, and the sounds of hawking, haggling, and laughter blended together, creating a lively din.

It was no longer suitable to drive in a place like this. Sure enough, there was a sign at the entrance of the commercial street: “Motorized vehicles prohibited.”

Xie Zhitian looked at the map and realized they needed to go through this bustling commercial street to get to the sanatorium. So, the two of them parked the car on the side of the road and started walking toward the sanatorium.

The sanatorium was at the end of the commercial street, only ten-plus meters from the last stall. The metal gate faced the street directly. Because there were high walls on both sides of the street, the only way to leave the sanatorium was to pass through the commercial street.

Xie Zhitian couldn’t figure out the purpose of this design. A sanatorium and a commercial street together seemed so odd.

She and Luo Yang walked to the gate and pressed the doorbell.

Footsteps were heard from inside, and a staff member came, asked about their purpose, and opened the door for them.

Wang Qiong had already packed her few belongings and was waiting in the lobby on the first floor. When she saw someone approaching, her eyes lit up and she stood up, but when she saw their faces, she paused, a look of confusion on her face.

Xie Zhitian explained, “You’re Wang Qiong, right? We’re Reborns from District 26 who came to help. Yang Le was injured last night, so she asked us to come and pick you up. Where do you live? We brought a car and can drive you home.”

Hearing that her friend was injured, Wang Qiong became a little anxious. “How is Yang Le now? Is it serious?”

“Don’t worry, it’s just a minor injury. She’ll be fine after resting for a couple of days,” Xie Zhitian reassured her. “And you? You’re not feeling unwell anymore, are you?”

Wang Qiong replied, “No, I’m fine. Thank you for coming to get me. Let’s go.”

Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang each took one of her bags. As they bent down, a sudden flash of scarlet entered their field of vision.

Xie Zhitian froze and stared for a moment. On the back of Wang Qiong’s right hand, there was a blood-red tattoo-like pattern, like bloody thorns, that extended from the back of her hand all the way to her forearm. It was very striking.

Wang Qiong noticed her gaze and unnaturally pulled her arm back, then, as if in resignation, she slowly let it drop.

Luo Yang couldn’t help but ask, “Is that a tattoo?”

Wang Qiong was silent for a moment, then sighed. “Yang Le didn’t tell you… I guess she wouldn’t know how to bring it up either.”

She raised her arm and showed them the pattern. “In our district, any Reborn who has undergone a mutation is branded with this mark.”

Luo Yang’s heart tightened. She asked, “Why?”

A terrible answer surfaced in her mind, but she was hesitant to believe it.

However, in the next second, Wang Qiong said exactly what she was thinking. “The commander’s explanation is that it’s for the public’s safety. When they see the mark, they can avoid us dangerous Reborns.”

“That’s outrageous!” Xie Zhitian was instantly furious. “Even criminals don’t get treated like this. It’s not her fault that the Reborn mutated.”

Wang Qiong gave a small laugh. “It’s true, a lot of people understand the logic. But when they see this mark, they still can’t help but be cautious and avoid us.”

Luo Yang asked, “Can’t you cover it up?”

Wang Qiong said, “No. According to the rules, we can’t cover it with anything. If someone with bad intentions finds out and reports it, it just gets more complicated.”

Xie Zhitian looked at the glaring red mark and then thought of the bustling crowd on the commercial street earlier. A chill ran up her spine.

She murmured, “So the location of this sanatorium… was intentional?”

Wang Qiong replied, “Even though they gave a bunch of excuses, it’s hard not to think so.”

Xie Zhitian gasped. This design was truly malicious. To brand mutated Reborns with a visible, humiliating mark and make them walk through a busy downtown area—the consequences were obvious. A Reborn with weak psychological fortitude would probably not be able to handle such a walk.

Wang Qiong saw her concern and, in turn, tried to comfort her. “It’s okay. I’ve already come to terms with it. No matter what, I’ll live a good life from now on. Even if other people reject me, I still have many Reborn companions. We can support each other.”

Xie Zhitian said to Luo Yang, “Wait here for me. I’m going to go get the car.”

Even though the commercial street was full of people, it wasn’t impossible to drive slowly to the entrance of the sanatorium. If Wang Qiong could get in the car as soon as she stepped out the door, she wouldn’t have to face all those judgmental stares today.

Luo Yang nodded. “Okay, go ahead.”

Wang Qiong’s eyes welled up, and she tried to stop them. “You don’t have to go to all that trouble. Cars aren’t allowed on this street; the guard at the entrance will stop you.”

Xie Zhitian smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out.”

She quickly made her way through the crowd, returned to where she had parked, and started the car.

As she entered the commercial street, she was indeed stopped by the security guard at the entrance. “Hey, hey! Motorized vehicles aren’t allowed on this street. Drive any further and you’ll get a fine!”

Xie Zhitian turned her head and looked at him calmly through the rolled-down window. “How much is the fine?”

The guard was taken aback by her imposing manner, and his words stuttered. “Five… five hundred.”

Xie Zhitian took a thousand tokens from her pocket and handed them over. “That’s for a round trip.”

Without another word, she slowly drove past the stunned guard.

Xie Zhitian didn’t roll up the window. She drove unhurriedly through the crowd, occasionally honking the horn. The surrounding crowd was confused and started complaining. Some even bent down to see who was deliberately breaking the rules and inconveniencing pedestrians.

“What’s going on? Cars aren’t allowed on this street. It’s so dangerous.”

“Exactly. So thoughtless. Can’t they see the big ‘Motorized Vehicles Prohibited’ sign?”

“The young lady is pretty, but why is she doing something so rude?”

“Probably a female driver, no surprise there. Heh.”

…

Xie Zhitian was deaf to the various comments around her and even felt a little relieved that she had done the right thing. As they say, words can be sharp. The malice she was facing now was not even a thousandth of what a branded Reborn had to endure.

Finally, the car stopped steadily at the entrance of the sanatorium. Luo Yang was waiting there with Wang Qiong. The two of them loaded the luggage into the car and then got in themselves.

As Wang Qiong got into the car, Xie Zhitian heard her softly say, “Thank you.”

She smiled. “Don’t mention it.”

Wang Qiong’s home was more than ten kilometers from the sanatorium. As Xie Zhitian drove, she occasionally glanced at Wang Qiong’s expression in the rearview mirror. She noticed that after leaving the crowd, Wang Qiong looked much more relaxed and wasn’t so tense anymore.

Luo Yang asked, “Are you going back to work right away? If you’re not feeling well, you should rest for a few more days.”

Wang Qiong replied, “I’m okay. It was just a minor mutation that healed itself without much treatment. Getting back to work and being with my fellow fighters will make things easier.”

Luo Yang looked thoughtful. “That makes sense.”

Within the Reborn community, even if she was branded, most people would understand and not reject her.

Just before they reached their destination, Wang Qiong suddenly said something that seemed to come out of nowhere. “You two girls should be careful.”

Luo Yang blinked. “Why do you say that?”

“Actually, our district is very misogynistic. It’s not a suitable place for women to live.”

A trace of bitterness passed through Wang Qiong’s eyes. “There was a male Reborn who also mutated, but they insisted he was just allergic to the dye, so they didn’t brand him. Isn’t that ridiculous?”

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