Quick Transmigration and Childbirth: The Target is Not Human

The lotus flower pastry tastes very good.

Xia Yangyang lay on the bed, playing with black beans.

Black Bean and Lu Xize were in sync. Since she couldn't "torture" the big one, she tormented the small one, specifically targeting the weakest spot on the little black bean and tickling it until it was so itchy that it ran away from all directions before she would stop.

Xia Yangyang: [What exactly happened to Lu Xize?]

System: [I don't know?]

Xia Yangyang: [Did Beiping send him a telegram, suggesting some kind of insurmountable predicament, and he was afraid to speak up because it would make him seem incompetent, so he couldn't bring himself to say it?]

The system can quickly check any information related to data, even if it only glances at the show while watching it. No information can escape its search.

System: [Hey, you know what, there really was a telegram from Beiping this morning, and Lu Xize replied this afternoon.]

After skimming through it, it exclaimed "Holy crap!" three times in a row.

System: [No wonder your target was trying so hard to stop you; it turns out there's some big gossip going on!]

Xia Yangyang's interest was piqued: [What kind of melon? Is it guaranteed to be ripe?]

The system gasped: [They're not just ripe, they're overripe, they've even formed small watermelons.]

With a turn of the screen, Xia Yangyang was able to see the full contents of the two telegrams.

She paid close attention to the email Lu Xize sent:

[Telephone received.]

There are two separate matters; get on with them immediately.

The Chen family, mother and son, must be kept under strict guard, preventing them from communicating with the outside world and from causing any disturbance within the household. Anyone who speaks of them privately, especially if it is reported in the newspapers, will be severely punished according to family rules. The reputation of the Lu family must not be tarnished.

Outside the mansion, have your trusted confidants thoroughly investigate all of Chen's movements and contacts over the past seven years, paying particular attention to any recent interactions with important figures in Beijing and Tianjin or military figures.

The newspaper offices in Beiping are well-managed, and I don't want to hear any rumors.

I have my own plans regarding my elder sister-in-law. Before this matter is clarified, do not let even a whisper of it spread south. Keeping your mouth shut is of utmost importance.

I have not yet finished with my affairs here, and I will inform you of my return date later.

Lu Xize]

Xia Yangyang raised an eyebrow: [I... am going to be a mom again?]

System: [Why is there an "again"?]

Xia Yangyang's eyes lit up: [That's not important. Being a stepmother is a first for me! Wow, the husband cheated on her with another woman, the wife cheated on her with her brother-in-law, and the brother-in-law is half-human and half-snake—no wonder this is a big family; they could write a melodramatic novel like this! This is a perfect opportunity to win over a woman!]

The system was confused: [What strategy opportunity?]

Xia Yangyang gave the system a flick on the forehead: [No wonder you've always been so slow and clueless! As a poor, destitute woman who has given everything for her husband, only to be heartbroken by his infidelity… What's most important to me right now?]

System: [Uh... divorce?]

Xia Yangyang gave the system another flick on the forehead: [It's a support! A new support!]

The system rubbed its head: [Oh...]

Xia Yangyang shook her head: [Just take the word "reliance" for granted, there are many nuances to it. The bronze level is to endure humiliation while supporting your family; the gold level is to divorce and then find someone new; the diamond level... hmph, it's not that I'm looking for someone to rely on, but rather that I'm making that person come to me willingly, even... unable to live without me.]

*

For the next few days, Xia Yangyang pretended not to know anything, thus lowering Lu Xize's guard.

She had the system scan and archive the contents of the list, as if she had memorized it herself, and watched helplessly as Lu Xize brought the list close to the candlelight.

Xia Yangyang grabbed his arm, a look of reluctance in her eyes: "Maybe we shouldn't burn it. What if something happens to me and I die? Wouldn't all of Father and the others' years of hard work have been for nothing?"

The candlelight flickered in Lu Xize's dark eyes. He held the list in his hand and placed it on the paper without hesitation. The flame, upon touching the paper, began to lick it wantonly from bottom to top.

"Yes, that's why Beiping will protect you at all costs. No one will be able to lay a finger on you, let alone shake your unique position in Beiping."

As he said this, a look of innocent confusion appeared in Xia Yangyang's eyes. She bit her lip as she looked at the ashes of the burnt paper.

The two lingered in the south for another five days, and Lu Xize could no longer find a reason to delay, so he had no choice but to set off north.

He came and went with the same person, but Lu Xize's state of mind had changed completely.

When he came, he only wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to catch the mole, but on the way back, he only wanted to make the girl beside him as happy as possible. Knowing that the journey was boring, he stopped at several transit stations and took her sightseeing to relax.

His lax attitude led the little girls to scold him.

She stood on a rock atop the mountain, poked his chest with a small twig, and said condescendingly, "Uncle, as Sun Tzu said, 'Service should not be registered twice, and provisions should not be collected for three years.' If we keep stopping and starting like this, sightseeing and enjoying the scenery, what about our brothers on the battlefield? You are a man destined for great things. In these turbulent times, how many eyes are on you? If you neglect your duties, you will be held accountable even if you die a thousand deaths."

She looked incredibly cute with her stern face, so serious, like a schoolteacher.

Lu Xize stretched out his arms and lifted her down from the viewing rock, supporting her under her armpits. Just as the little girl was startled and started hitting him with a small twig, he stepped forward and hugged her tightly in his arms.

He always prided himself on being ruthless and cold-blooded, but he never expected that there would be times when his actions preceded his thoughts.

But he did not regret his reckless act.

The top of her hair rested just against his chin, carrying a faint scent of soapberry mixed with a hint of her own sweet fragrance.

He could feel the shape of her thin shoulder blades and even sense her very stiff back.

The small wooden stick in her hand rested on his back as she whispered, "What's wrong? Did I really hurt you?"

Lu Xize shook his head, his arm suddenly tightening, then he restrained himself and slowly, completely released it: "Eldest sister-in-law, no matter what happens in the future, I will always respect you as an elder in my heart."

"..."

Xia Yangyang felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

How could a mouth with a 37-degree angle utter such terrifying words, as if from the depths of hell?

She immediately pushed him away: "Your tone sounds unlucky. Don't say that again."

After saying that, he left in the direction of the mountain, without waiting for his reaction.

On the train back, the two of them discussed it for a long time but still couldn't figure out which link had gone wrong.

She pays great attention to style when acting. Even when she is doing mundane tasks, her every move exudes the youthful energy of an eighteen-year-old girl.

She's incredibly clever and cute.

How could she really be treated like a "mom"?

But one thing is certain: the plan has to be moved up. The next time she gets off the train, she will expose Lu Shaohuai's infidelity.

*

The closer Lu Xize got to Beiping, the more anxious he became.

He had to tell his elder sister-in-law the news before returning to the Lu residence. If she found out on her own, she would only blame him for not telling her sooner, for keeping her in the dark, and might even doubt his stance.

But whenever the words reached his throat, his mouth felt as if it had been sewn shut with needle and thread.

We were almost at the next stop, a place with a famous scenic spot. I heard there was a temple for prayers, with a thousand-year-old sycamore tree inside, its branches covered with red ribbons for blessings.

He glanced at the little girl who was resting her chin on her hand, seemingly lost in thought.

Why not just go there and talk? No matter how bad your mood is, seeing the vast expanse of sky and earth will make you feel better.

Xiangshan Temple is located on a mountaintop, and every year many people from all over the country come here to burn incense, worship Buddha, and pray for blessings.

The two asked the monk for red silk and wrote down their wishes with a pen.

Lu Xize had never believed in gods or Buddhas before, but the little girl beside him held a calligraphy brush and wrote with great seriousness, each word deliberate and deliberate. It didn't seem like a prayer, but rather like a solemn promise.

She pursed her lips, her eyelashes lowered, casting a small shadow on her porcelain-white cheeks.

He looked away and returned his gaze to the empty red silk in his hand.

If these trees adorned with red silk, these wisps of incense smoke, these ancient trees, could truly hear the wishes of mortals…

Finally, he put pen to paper.

His brushstrokes are fluid and powerful, penetrating the fabric—this is his consistent style.

The river is clear and the sea is calm.

May all your wishes be fulfilled.

After he finished writing and put the pen back, he noticed that the little girl beside him had been watching what he had written.

"What did my elder sister-in-law write?" he asked her.

She pursed her lips and smiled somewhat lonely: "I don't have any grand ambitions, I just hope that Shao Huai can wake up soon."

Lu Xize felt a pang of sadness again and reached out his hand to her: "I'll hang it high up for you."

"No need." She shook her head, looking at the magnificent thousand-year-old sycamore tree with its surging red canopy. "Your wish is for all people in the world, so it should be hung high up so that the gods can see it at a glance."

Her gaze fell from the high branches and leaves to the lower, more easily touched, entwined branches.

"And mine... is just a personal obsession. Hanging so high up, how could the gods possibly see it all?"

As she spoke, she smiled contentedly, stood on tiptoe, and carefully tied the red silk to a low, sprawling branch.

Lu Xize's gaze swept over the area, and his heart suddenly tightened.

She wrote: "I wish to be a cypress in the courtyard, ever green even in the cold of winter. When the east wind arrives, we will listen together to the swallows returning home."

The "cypress in the courtyard" symbolizes oneself, "the cold of winter" represents a difficult time, and "the east wind arrives" and "the swallows return" express both the longing for spring and the longing for people to return.

This is hardly the wishful thinking of a young girl; it is clearly a solitary yet stubborn confession.

Lu Xize felt a mix of emotions and silently hung his red silk high up.

If there truly are gods in this world, he only hopes that they will show him mercy.

First, see the most persistent desire at the bottom.

After hanging the red silk, the little girl seemed to be in a good mood. Lu Xize figured it was the perfect time to speak, so he called out to her, "Elder sister-in-law."

"Um?"

There's something I need to know—

"Xize?!" A surprised and high-pitched male voice rang out from behind.

Lu Xize's words were cut off. He turned around and saw a tall, handsome man waving excitedly at him. The only pity was that he had no left arm and was blind in one eye.

This man is named Zhang Wang. The two were classmates for four years at the military academy. Later, they served Lu Shaohuai together, risking their lives on the battlefield. They had a life-or-death bond.

It wasn't until Zhang Wang was wounded in the war that he was discharged from the army and went home to recuperate. He never expected to run into him at Xiangshan Temple.

"Looking around?!" Lu Xize turned around and went to meet them. The two hugged each other tightly and firmly.

"Damn it! It really is you!" Zhang Wang slapped Lu Xize's shoulder hard, making a dull thud. "I saw your back from afar and didn't even recognize you! You jinx, what are you doing here worshipping Buddha? Aren't you afraid of disturbing the Bodhisattva's peace?"

Lu Xize glanced at his friend's empty sleeve and the eye that was covered, a thousand words stuck in his chest, and he finally asked, "...Is the injury all healed?"

Zhang Wang grinned, forcing a nonchalant smile: "As long as you don't die! But you, looking all respectable, how come your complexion is worse than mine, this cripple?"

As he spoke, he looked over Lu Xize's shoulder and noticed Xia Yangyang, who was standing under the sycamore tree watching them: "Hey, who is this...?"

Lu Xize regained his composure, stepped aside, and raised his hand to introduce the two.

"Eldest sister-in-law, this is Zhang Wang, my old comrade-in-arms." He paused, looking at Zhang Wang, "This is Xia Yangyang, Shao Huai's wife, my eldest sister-in-law."

Upon hearing this clearly, Zhang Wang immediately composed himself. He instinctively wanted to curtsy, but stopped himself due to the surroundings. He straightened his back and respectfully said in a deep voice:

"So it's you, my sister-in-law! I'm usually quite easygoing, I was really rude just now!!"

He really didn't expect that Lu Shaohuai's wife looked so young; she looked more like a younger sister.

"Mr. Zhang, you flatter me." The young girl smiled slightly, her voice gentle and clear, sounding particularly warm and melodious in the temple. "It is a rare and joyous occasion for you old friends to reunite. The friendship forged through life and death on the battlefield is more precious than anything else. Now that you have met, you should catch up properly."

Once that demeanor and speech were revealed, Zhang Wang's last trace of surprise vanished.

Lu Shaohuai was kind and considerate to his subordinates, and his wife was exactly the same as him.

The three exchanged pleasantries, and Zhang Wang wanted to invite the two of them to a small gathering, but Xia Yangyang declined and asked Lu Xize to go with him for drinks instead.

She went to great lengths to get him away.

The two stayed overnight at the temple and promised not to leave, only then did Lu Xize agree to let her stay alone for the time being.

Xia Yangyang returned to the meditation room.

The system smugly replied: [How's my random gift pack? Pretty good, right?]

Xia Yangyang really deserves a thumbs up this time: [Thanks to you.]

Actually, Lu Xize's honesty didn't have much impact; it just affected the performance, making it difficult for her to portray the heart-wrenching emotions.

The system rubbed its hands together: [Master, what's next?]

Xia Yangyang: [I remember the Chen family had a younger brother who was addicted to gambling?]

System: [Yes, her younger brother is named Chen Xiao. Otherwise, how could Lu Shaohuai have squandered all the assets he left for Chen Shi to raise her son so quickly, leaving Chen Shi with no other option but to cause a scene at the Lu residence?]

Xia Yangyang stroked her chin: [Go send an anonymous telegram to Chen Xiao, saying... Young Master Lu's legal wife is at Xiangshan Temple.]