Quick Transmigration and Childbirth: The Target is Not Human

The news that Lu Xize took his distant cousin on a trip down south was neither particularly low-key nor high-key; anyone with a keen eye could easily find out their route with a little investigation.

At that time, the Zhang family in the south had just suffered humiliation and lost several generals. Seeing him so brazenly heading south, they were furious.

However, fearing that there might be a trap, they dared not act rashly.

The two traveled to the train station in a small, Western-made armored car with steel plates, accompanied by a team of elite guards.

Even the train was a fully luxurious private compartment, with more than eighty guards protecting the front and rear carriages. There was also a vanguard train at the front of the main train for reconnaissance.

Such a grand display of force amazed the enemy spies.

What kind of cousin is she that could stop this devil from entering this beauty trap?

A black armored vehicle with steel plates pulled into the reserved area next to the platform.

The train door was opened by a servant who had been waiting outside the platform for a long time.

The first thing to emerge was a pair of off-white suede high heels, with slender ankles, stepping onto the platform floor. Then, a pure white skirt briefly trailed on the ground.

The person in the back seat leaned out.

The spy's eyes slowly widened.

The woman wore a pearl-white satin cheongsam, which shone with a soft glow and stood out starkly against the gray surroundings.

The high collar rested against her chin, and the silver fox fur accentuated her jade-like profile.

The lace veil beneath the wide-brimmed hat concealed most of her face, leaving only her striking red lips visible, yet it could not hide her noble bearing and unparalleled beauty.

Damn!

Oh dear, oh dear!

How could such a temperament belong to an ordinary woman?

Cousin? Pshaw!

Lu Xize, that son of a bitch, isn't an orphan. What kind of cousin does he have? He's probably hooked up with some rich young lady and is planning something big.

Lu Xize was already standing outside the car door.

He wasn't wearing military uniform today, but instead a long dark gray woolen coat, which made his figure appear even more upright and imposing.

Extend your hand naturally when the other person leans forward.

His large hands, through his soft sheepskin gloves, steadily supported her outstretched hand and guided her onto the train.

The appearance of this "cousin" was fleeting, yet it convinced everyone hiding in the shadows.

A beautiful woman alone is not enough to make this killing god take such good care of her, even temporarily leaving his post to go south and have fun with her... There must be an unfathomable and powerful family behind this woman!

There are only a handful of prestigious families that Lu Xize can curry favor with, maybe four or five in total.

No, we need to send a message to our superiors to investigate carefully.

If anything were to happen to this woman while she was traveling south, wouldn't that be framing the Zhang family?

Ha! What a clever scheme to kill someone with a borrowed knife! If he hadn't seen the woman's true face today, he would have fallen for his wicked plot!

The spy's gaze grew even more ruthless as he thought this.

*

The carriage was luxurious and had almost everything imaginable, including a phonograph, records by famous singers, imported chess sets, playing cards, and ivory mahjong sets. No matter how long the journey, it was enough to keep you entertained.

The fact that she was his cousin gave the two a reason to live in separate carriages.

This creates an opportunity for others to take advantage, and it is especially dangerous when one is sound asleep at night.

Night fell.

There was a knock on the door of Xia Yangyang's carriage three times.

"……who?"

"Me." Lu Xize lowered his eyes, standing outside the door. His voice was not loud, but afraid that she wouldn't hear him, he added, "Cousin."

A rustling sound of fabric came from inside, followed by a muffled reply from behind the door: "...Wait a minute!"

About a minute later, the door was opened a crack from the inside.

A rich, moist scent, a blend of the freshness of soap and a woman's unique warm sweetness, wafts towards you with the rising steam.

Lu Xize subconsciously narrowed his eyes.

Xia Yangyang stood behind the door.

The pure white bathrobe was a conservative style, with a stand-up collar, long sleeves, and a loosely tied belt at the waist.

She had clearly just come out of the bath; her long, wet hair was draped over her shoulders and back, with tiny water droplets still dripping from the ends.

Her face, after being steamed by the heat, had a faint pinkish glow.

Those usually bright and lively eyes now held a look of contentment and bliss.

"Cousin? What brings you here?"

Lu Xize's gaze passed over her and fell on the table, where there were more than a dozen fancy bottles and jars of various sizes that were hard to categorize.

It seems she had a busy day, enjoying all the best services on the train.

Ah, she's really had a tough time these past few days at the Lu residence.

"Going south is dangerous, what kind of random stuff did you bring? In a life-or-death situation, can those fancy toiletries really save your life?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Yangyang was displeased: "This isn't mine; it was a gift from one of the other ladies in the car."

"The other ladies?" Lu Xize's gaze immediately sharpened. "You weren't in the carriage? You went out?"

"Oh! I don't have any of that either." Xia Yangyang immediately raised one hand to stop his anger from rising. "It was those ladies who came to visit me on their own initiative."

Explain yourself!

"Tsk, how dare you... talk to whoever you're talking to? You're so disrespectful. I'm not a prisoner you're interrogating."

Before she could say anything more, Lu Xize took a long stride and squeezed into her private room, pressing himself against the door, and began rummaging through her belongings.

Xia Yangyang pouted, walked to the water bottle, poured herself some hot fruit tea, and sipped it. "Stop investigating. We've already investigated. I'm not stupid. Would I let someone blatantly insert a listening device?"

Lu Xize's expression was solemn, but he continued to move.

"They are suspicious of us and deliberately found an excuse to meet with me. They want to see which phoenix you have attached yourself to. If I don't meet with them, it will only arouse suspicion."

"What did you say?"

"I mean, I'm just your cousin."

But whether she says it is one thing, whether others believe it or not is their business.

She said with a touch of pride, "Although my Xia family is now in decline, if my etiquette ranks second in Jiangnan, no one dares to claim first. When I was young, I accompanied my father to palace banquets and even served as a companion to a princess for a while. Who could find fault with me?"

Lu Xize recalled her fierce appearance when she smashed up his yard: "Was I just blind?"

"Don't feel inferior, it's not your fault."

"..."

Xia Yangyang was in a good mood and didn't bother arguing with him. She sat down on the leather sofa opposite Lu Xize and her eyes lit up when she saw the golden nanmu box next to her: "Huh? Which lady gave this to me? I didn't even notice!"

Lu Xize watched as she happily picked up the box, his gaze deepening in the dim light.

This will teach her a lesson so she won't dare to accept things from others in the future.

He sat down on the sofa opposite her: "Cousin, why don't you open it and take a look?"

Xia Yangyang's fingers found the small brass clasp on the edge of the box lid and gently flicked it.

With a soft "click," the lid popped open a crack.

She was caught off guard and completely opened the box.

The lining was dark green velvet, and in the center of the velvet was a small snake about the thickness of a coin.

Xia Yangyang froze instantly, about to throw the box away: "Lu Xize!"

Startled, she called out her full name in a low voice.

Lu Xize's expression shifted slightly.

I should have punished her more, but I couldn't bring myself to.

He stretched out his finger and placed it on the edge of the box. The little snake seemed to recognize his scent, rubbed its head against his fingertip, and then climbed up his finger, coiling itself on his palm and wrist.

"It's called 'Black Bean,' a strange snake that lives in tombs, and it's quite docile."

The snake's entire body was a glossy black, like the night sky, with fine and neat scales.

At this moment, it raised its triangular head, its forked tongue quickly protruding, and its amber snake eyes staring intently at her.

"This is...you raised it?" Xia Yangyang asked, trembling.

Lu Xize stroked the snake's cool, smooth back, then glanced sideways and said, "Luckily, what you released wasn't a grenade."

This is the default setting.

Lu Xize was just about to start lecturing when, without warning, a down pillow came crashing down on his head.

"You...?!" His breath hitched, his vision went black, and one after another, he was thrown aside before he could even speak. He scrambled to his feet from the sofa and grabbed her wrist.

"stop!!"

"..."

"Are you crazy?"

Lu Xize's hair was completely disheveled. He held a snake in one hand and gripped her hand with the other, his eyes filled with anger.

Looking down, he saw that the person before him was ten times angrier, her eyebrows practically raised, her normally delicate features now unusually vivid and lively: "Are you crazy, Lu Xize! Who would send their own wife to deliver a grenade to me?!"

"I just want to put you on your guard!" he tried to explain, but his tone was unconsciously harsh.

"Don't underestimate me! My father served as an official for decades, and I've been taught the lesson of 'serving the emperor is like serving a tiger' since I was a child! He taught me to judge people and things, to be outwardly relaxed but inwardly vigilant. Isn't that more valuable than any of those crooked tricks? I trusted you so much, and you dare to try and scare me with a live snake? What are you really up to?!"

"..."

Her barrage of questions was rapid and urgent, carrying the sharp edge unique to pampered daughters of officials.

Lu Xize was speechless for a moment, and unconsciously loosened his grip on her hand.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xia Yangyang broke free, grabbed the last cushion on the sofa, and smashed it against him several times.

Lu Xize turned his head away, letting the harmless cushion fall on his shoulders and arms.

When she finally tired herself out of smashing things, she pointed to the door and told him to leave. Only then did Lu Xize raise his hand to tidy his slightly disheveled hair and clothes, his face still cold and stiff, as if to explain:

I didn't mean to scare you.

"..."

His gaze fell heavily on her still angry face, and he slowed his tone: "On this trip south, it's easy to dodge open attacks, but hard to guard against hidden ones. Your identity is special and too conspicuous, so I can't be by your side every moment."

"..."

"Black beans have a keen sense of perception, far surpassing that of humans. They are especially alert to the approach of malice and strangers. If you have one by your pillow or on your wrist, anyone with ill intentions will disturb it first."

"..."

"No need." Xia Yangyang's tone was still firm, but her momentum had weakened somewhat. "I have a gun; I can protect myself."

"Gunshots are loud and more likely to be detected, so they shouldn't be used unless absolutely necessary." Seeing her expression soften, he added a touch of pleading to his otherwise firm tone, "Sister-in-law, you really have to listen to me this time. I've already lost my brother... I can't lose you too."

Xia Yangyang's heart skipped a beat, and her eyelashes fluttered rapidly.

He never said that he acknowledged her as his elder sister-in-law.

But now, this tone of voice is so touching.

Xia Yangyang's gaze drifted to the quiet little black snake in his palm: "Does it...does it bite?"

"If it feels mortally threatened, or..." Lu Xize looked at her intently, "if I command it to attack."

This statement, half true and half false, made one's heart clench.

"However, as long as you don't hurt it and get used to its presence, it'll be even quieter than a cat." He gestured, "Try it? It's not heavy."

Xia Yangyang was struggling internally.

She made a show of catching a snake last time, so is she going to accept a real, live snake so soon?

She slowly reached out her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly, mimicking Lu Xize's earlier gesture, and approached that shiny black head with extreme slowness.

The cold, smooth, and hard sensation sent chills down her spine.

The frequency of the tongue protruding seemed to have increased slightly.

"It...it...it's not poisonous, is it?"

"Not poisonous."

Highly poisonous.

Otherwise, how can one defend oneself?

But his sister-in-law trusted him even more than he had imagined.

When she tried to stroke it very lightly, the black bean suddenly raised half of its body and slowly climbed up her wrist.

The snake's body coiled three times around her fair, slender wrist, like three strings of black jade bracelets.

The snake's head rested comfortably in her palm, its posture even exuding a touch of languor.

Lu Xize watched quietly without offering any guidance.

"It... recognizes me already?" Xia Yangyang raised her head, her eyes still filled with fear, but a strange light had already ignited within them.

"Um."

Lu Xize's gaze swept over the box's dark green velvet lining, and he added, "Actually, it has known you for a long time."

But Xia Yangyang was completely absorbed in the cool touch of her palms and didn't listen much.

She tickled the snake's chin like she would a puppy's, and it shook its head, raising its chin in enjoyment.

"It seems like..." Xia Yangyang's tense lips couldn't help but curve up little by little, finally blossoming into a completely relaxed smile. This smile came from the bottom of her heart, clear and bright. "It's quite cute."

This scene gave Lu Xize a strange warmth in his heart, as if he were leading her into his snake pit without her even realizing it.

This was the first time someone had voluntarily stepped into his domain, and the response he received was not disgust or rejection.

System: [This snake and its target were born together in the imperial tomb, and have long since become one. When you scratch its chin, Lu Xize can feel a similar comfort.]

Xia Yangyang: [Is this what they call synesthesia?]

The system, slurping fingers covered in potato chip seasoning powder, replied: [Pretty much, but the perception isn't as sharp.]