The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 9

Xiao Wen’s face turned green. He wanted to say something more, but in the end, he couldn’t.

Although he was arrogant and conceited, he wasn’t completely brainless. As a man, he was already at a disadvantage in this place. Being a newcomer, he had gone to great lengths, working like a dog, just to get close to Ren Meng.

Ren Meng was always a woman of her word; her tacit approval for him to get involved was already a rarity. He absolutely dared not openly defy her.

So, Xiao Wen had no choice but to say, “Then I’ll leave it to you, Miss.”

Xie Zhitian smiled with a hidden dagger, “It’s no trouble at all. I’m more than happy to serve the district.”

Ren Meng noticed the subtle friction between the two but was too lazy to delve into any personal grievances they might have.

She looked at Luo Yang, “The Miss and Xiang Nan can stay, but Miss Luo Yang’s identity is special. It’s best that she leaves.”

“Also, some people within the district are quite agitated and have proposed a lockdown on all modified humans. It’s probably better for Miss Luo Yang not to get involved in this matter.”

Xie Zhitian’s eyes changed slightly, and she instinctively looked behind her.

Luo Yang was standing just a step away, her eyes lowered and shrouded in the shadow of her bangs. Her lips were a little pale, but her tone remained calm, “Alright, Miss Ren.”

She had long been mentally prepared for this and wasn’t surprised.

But being treated as an outcast wasn’t new to her, so why did she still feel sad?

Luo Yang turned to leave but was grabbed by a warm hand.

“Wait!”

She looked up and saw that Xie Zhitian was holding her wrist tightly, not letting her go.

Luo Yang said in surprise, “Miss, you…”

Xie Zhitian didn’t look at her, but she didn’t let go of Luo Yang’s hand.

“Miss Ren, I don’t think we should discriminate against modified humans because of an isolated incident. The act of placing all of them under a lockdown is even more unwise.”

Xie Zhitian shielded Luo Yang behind her, the sunlight outlining her tall, unwavering back. She looked at Ren Meng with a fiery gaze, not backing down.

“Modified humans are not monsters. They are our comrades on the same front. Without their sacrifices, humanity wouldn’t be where it is today.”

Luo Yang stood there stunned, only coming back to her senses after a while.

The Miss is speaking up for me?

She was used to cold remarks and thought her heart had long become an impenetrable fortress, a wall of steel that nothing could break, but when someone stood up to defend her, her eyes couldn’t help but well up.

Ren Meng looked at Xie Zhitian, her expression complex.

Although she had her reservations about modified humans, she had always enforced the law fairly, otherwise, she wouldn’t be in her current position. Regarding the modified human lockdown, most people were still rational, and the proposal was unlikely to be implemented. From a fairness perspective, she also didn’t support punishing all of them for the actions of one.

She had asked Luo Yang to leave only because she felt that if modified humans were involved, any negative remarks might be detrimental to Luo Yang. If the other party insisted on staying, she wouldn’t stop her.

Ren Meng understood the reasoning, but hearing these words from Xie Zhitian was bewildering.

Xiao Wen’s face soured as he saw Ren Meng’s thoughtful expression.

He thought for a moment and said gently, “The Miss makes a good point. Lately, I’ve also heard a lot of rumors, saying things like modified humans didn’t undergo gene modification for the sake of humanity at all, but only because they were at a dead end, and some were just greedy for the generous benefits… I really don’t know how they can say such things. It’s truly disheartening.”

Xie Zhitian looked at Xiao Wen’s sanctimonious appearance and couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

His words seemed to be an injustice on behalf of modified humans, but in reality, every word was a reminder to Ren Meng that their motives were impure and they weren’t worthy of sympathy.

She retorted, neither servile nor overbearing, “Regardless of their motives, all volunteers who underwent gene modification have made a contribution to humanity. Whether they died on the operating table, on the battlefield, or are among the survivors today, their contributions are indelible. Those who can say such things have malicious intentions.”

“Furthermore, arrogance is humanity’s greatest enemy. Forgetting the painful past because of temporary peace and becoming complacent is not a good sign. If all modified humans are placed under a lockdown, and the aliens reappear, who will protect the district’s peace?”

Xie Zhitian stared intently at Xiao Wen, her tone cold and laced with a hint of threat, “Xiao Wen, what do you say?”

Xiao Wen secretly gritted his teeth.

Xie Zhitian’s words were so compelling that he was at a loss for a comeback. And if he said too much, it would inevitably raise suspicion and ruin his gentle persona, so he had to give up and agree, “The Miss is absolutely right. My thoughts align perfectly with yours. Since the Miss isn’t afraid of the hard work and is willing to search together, I’d be more than happy to.”

Ren Meng nodded, “Then I’ll leave this place to you.”

She couldn’t help but take another look at Xie Zhitian, who was whispering something to Luo Yang, seemingly comforting her.

She became curious. She didn’t have much interaction with Xie Zhitian before, but this slightly deeper encounter made her change her impression of the Miss.

After Ren Meng left, only the five of them remained in the room.

Having been focused on arguing with Xiao Wen, Xie Zhitian only now noticed that her anti-strategy system panel had popped up with a few lines of notifications.

[Successfully prevented male protagonist Xiao Wen’s PUA behavior, freezing 4 of his points.]

[Successfully prevented male protagonist Xiao Wen’s PUA behavior, freezing 4 of his points.]

[Male protagonist Xiao Wen’s current available points: 838.]

Xie Zhitian was a bit confused. The system notification was time-stamped down to the second. Her biological clock was very accurate, and if she wasn’t mistaken, she had been arguing about the rights of modified humans during that time. How did it become a matter of stopping Xiao Wen’s PUA behavior?

As Xie Zhitian was thinking, she noticed from the corner of her eye that Xiao Wen seemed to be about to approach and talk to Luo Yang again. She temporarily pushed her confusion aside and naturally stood between them, creating a barrier.

Xiao Wen was not giving up. He tentatively suggested, “Miss, your stamina is a bit weaker, and Luo Yang’s injury hasn’t fully recovered. Why don’t we split up? You can be with me and Luo Yang can be with Bai Yang, respectively.”

For him, being with either Xie Zhitian or Luo Yang was an opportunity to gain favor.

He was now unsure of Xie Zhitian’s temper, but if her recent actions were all because she was jealous, she would definitely choose to be in his group.

No… not necessarily. It was also possible that she would deliberately not be with him out of spite.

Xie Zhitian immediately refused, “No. I’ll be with Luo Yang. You guys can be with whomever you want.”

Of course, she knew what Xiao Wen was up to and would absolutely not give him a chance to be alone with Luo Yang.

Xiao Wen looked at Luo Yang behind Xie Zhitian, wanting to speak to her. However, since he was about the same height as Xie Zhitian, his view was blocked, so he had to crane his neck, looking quite ridiculous.

“Shouldn’t we ask for Luo Yang’s opinion first? Luo Yang, I think it would be easier for you if you and the Miss split up. What do you think?”

He didn’t know what the Miss was thinking, but given how Xie Zhitian had targeted Luo Yang before, he was confident that Luo Yang would be unwilling to be with her.

Xie Zhitian’s eyes turned cold. She immediately turned around, wanting to persuade Luo Yang not to be fooled by the scumbag.

But before she could even speak, a clear voice came from behind her.

“I’ll be with the Miss.”

Luo Yang looked over, her eyes clear and untainted.

Seeing the surprised expressions of everyone in the room, she repeated, “I’m willing to be with the Miss.”

After saying it, Luo Yang herself was a little stunned. When she heard Xie Zhitian say she wanted to be in a group with her, she subconsciously agreed in her heart, and when Xiao Wen asked her, she just blurted it out.

The Miss had just helped her out, so this could be… a repayment.

Xie Zhitian curved her lips. As if declaring her dominance, she deliberately took Luo Yang’s hand in front of Xiao Wen.

She said, “You see what Luo Yang wants, so it’s a done deal.”

The anti-strategy system notified her again:

[Successfully prevented male protagonist Xiao Wen’s PUA behavior, freezing 3 of his points.]

[Male protagonist Xiao Wen’s current available points: 835.]

Xiao Wen was furious. He felt like he had been jinxed lately, and nothing was going right for him.

He looked at Xie Zhitian’s beautiful, arrogant face and couldn’t bear to let go of her beauty, so he could only comfort himself that the Miss was just throwing a tantrum and would be fine in a few days.

Xiao Wen controlled his expression and smiled, “That’s good too. Girls can be more meticulous and might discover some clues.”

He surveyed the layout of the room and said, “So, I’ll check the bedroom, Bai Yang and Xiang Nan can clear the living room, and the Miss and Luo Yang can go to the remaining areas. How does that sound?”

Xie Zhitian found it amusing. Jasmine and Zhao Jie’s home was a one-bedroom apartment, only about 40 to 50 square meters. Besides the living room and bedroom, there was only the kitchen, balcony, and bathroom left.

A little common sense would tell you that there wouldn’t be anything valuable in those three places.

Seeing that Xiao Wen was already walking toward the bedroom, Xie Zhitian immediately snapped, “Stop right there!”

Her tone was sharp, and Xiao Wen flinched, stopping instantly.

He turned around and asked, “Miss, what can I do for you?”

Xie Zhitian looked at him with a half-smile, “Do you still remember that I’m the Miss?”

The incident was too sudden, and Xiao Wen really didn’t understand how he had offended her again. “Miss, did I do something wrong?”

“Your mistake is that you always forget your place.”

Xie Zhitian’s tone was calm, but it sent a chill down Xiao Wen’s spine, as if a thin blade had brushed against his internal organs.

“How we group up and how we divide the areas should be decided by me, not you. A man who came here from the outside and wants to rely on our district should just behave himself.”

Xiao Wen naturally understood what Xie Zhitian was saying. His previous presumptuous actions were just because he was counting on Xie Zhitian’s affection for him. Now that he had messed up and angered her, he had to behave.

He didn’t expect the Miss to have such a temper. He regretted not being more restrained and not getting so close to Luo Yang in the open.

Xiao Wen thought bitterly but still complied on the surface, “I’m sorry, Miss. I was just eager to get things done, so I was a bit hasty. Please, just give me your orders, and I’ll do my best.”

“Alright, then you can go and guard the door.”

Xie Zhitian gave a slight smile and said unhurriedly, “I was in a rush today and didn’t bring a dog.”

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