A Brilliant Deception

The moment Liuxia uttered a sound, Li Chunsheng immediately realized the impropriety of his actions.

“Damn it! What an idiot I am! Why did I listen to intuition and instinct? He’s a senior, a man! He must absolutely detest what I just did!” Li Chunsheng was instantly filled with remorse, mentally putting himself in his senior’s shoes: ‘What would I think if I were him?’

Just as he was about to release his hold, easing his grip slightly, he heard Liuxia, her ears flushed crimson, stammer, “Don’t let go… keep going!”

“???” Li Chunsheng’s mind was on the verge of exploding; what in the hell was going on?

Why did his senior suddenly want them to pretend to be a couple? And why, after he had just committed such an impropriety, was he being asked to continue?

‘Had I truly transmigrated into a normal world? Or was this some bizarre story, perhaps even one of those body-swap narratives?’

Unable to process anything further, Li Chunsheng could only comply with his senior’s request, resuming his previous actions.

For a moment, silence descended, broken only by Liuxia’s increasingly unsteady breaths.

Despite his mind acknowledging that his senior Liuxia was a man, the sensation beneath his hands was undeniably exquisite.

Meanwhile, Liuxia, though finding the physical sensation quite peculiar, gritted her teeth and endured it.

This was because she could hear Investigator Liao’s footsteps drawing closer, and soon after, even Li Chunsheng detected the approaching sound of someone’s steps.

A flicker of understanding crossed Li Chunsheng’s face, and he instinctively tightened Liuxia’s clothes, covering all her exposed skin except for her face.

Before long, Investigator Liao appeared in Li Chunsheng’s line of sight, and upon seeing the two embracing, his expression, originally intent on uncovering the truth, was immediately replaced by one he struggled to maintain.

With his sharp gaze, the lingering blush on their faces clearly indicated that this young couple was still deeply engrossed in a tender, inseparable embrace.

‘Can’t you two find a better place to play? Shouldn’t you close the door if you’re going to be so affectionate? Just leaving it open like this…’ Investigator Liao grumbled internally. ‘Then again… a man who lets his girlfriend go out dressed like that probably isn’t very proper himself.’

Swallowing hard, he said with a wry smile, “Uh, uh, uh… I apologize, perhaps I’ve come at an inconvenient time.”

Li Chunsheng, his face dark, retorted, “Oh, Investigator, so you *do* realize you’re intruding…” He naturally had no pleasantries for someone hunting his senior.

What’s more, it was precisely because of this investigator that he had just committed such an impropriety towards his senior! Even if his senior claimed not to mind, Li Chunsheng found it difficult to forgive himself.

In that moment, Li Chunsheng surprisingly overcame the typical civilian fear of Temple personnel, appearing remarkably resolute.

Liuxia was Li Chunsheng’s senior at the orphanage, but their true acquaintance began after Li Chunsheng started primary school, which is why Li Chunsheng habitually called him ‘senior’.

For Li Chunsheng, Senior Liuxia, who had always looked after him, was arguably one of the most respected figures in his life.

Meanwhile, Investigator Liao was secretly taken aback, observing Li Chunsheng’s arrogant expression, which seemed to dismiss everyone else, and his unruly left hand, which continued its actions even in front of an outsider.

It had been a long time since he had encountered such an audacious civilian who dared to confront him in this manner.

After all, apart from high-ranking officials and upper-echelon Holy Knights, ordinary civilians typically either bowed obsequiously or trembled nervously upon seeing an investigator, resembling mice cowering before a cat.

For most people, a Temple investigator was the closest thing to a Holy Knight, usually backed by the support of one.

Holy Knights, in turn, symbolized wealth and power, making them untouchable by common folk.

‘Could it be…’ A faint suspicion began to form in Investigator Liao’s mind.

He directed his gaze towards Li Chunsheng’s face, noting that his features were far from ordinary, indeed, quite handsome.

This suggested that Li Chunsheng’s parents must also have possessed striking good looks, and in this world, appearance often dictated one’s social standing.

After all, among women, higher beauty often correlated with a higher blessing level, meaning children born from marriage to such women would also inherit superior looks.

At this moment, countless clues began to converge in Investigator Liao’s mind.

Li Chunsheng’s handsome face, his fearless demeanor in the face of authority, his female companion Liuxia’s heaven-defying beauty, and their rather unconventional public display of affection…

All these factors pointed to one conclusion: the Li Chunsheng before him had an extraordinarily powerful background! There was a strong possibility he was a high-ranking male with immense ‘golden value’.

Thus, all his previous suspicions now had a plausible explanation: perhaps these were merely two high-society lovers, slumming it in a cheap apartment to experience the so-called ‘life of the poor’.

In that instant, Investigator Liao completely dismissed his suspicions about Liuxia.

‘Damn it, the rich are truly detestable! Such a beautiful girlfriend, such a vibrant life—it’s utterly unimaginable for an ordinary person like me!’ he grumbled to himself.

“Hehehe, my apologies! I saw nothing! Please, carry on, carry on!”

With that, Investigator Liao offered a benevolent smile, waved his hand, and departed.

He didn’t even bother with the interrogation he had initially intended to conduct.

It was a joke; though he might be someone in the eyes of common folk, he was nothing before true magnates! It wasn’t worth risking his career for some procedural justice.

Li Chunsheng watched Investigator Liao disappear completely from his sight before letting out a soft sigh of relief, ushering Liuxia into the room, and firmly closing and locking the door.

“Senior, the investigator has left…” Li Chunsheng leaned down and whispered beside Liuxia’s crimson ears, “You don’t have to cling so tightly anymore…”

“Ah! Ahhh! Right!” Liuxia finally seemed to awaken completely, leaping out of Li Chunsheng’s embrace.

Judging by her appearance, she seemed to have been in a daze for quite some time.

Only then could Li Chunsheng clearly make out Liuxia’s current state: the maiden-like senior’s exposed skin was flushed rosy, resembling a steamed lobster.

After leaving Li Chunsheng’s embrace, Liuxia took deep, labored breaths, seemingly trying to calm both her body and the tumultuous stirrings within her heart.

Witnessing her state, Li Chunsheng was immediately filled with guilt.

It seemed he had gotten a little carried away earlier, as he hadn’t even stopped his actions while speaking to the investigator.

“I’m so…” Li Chunsheng bowed his head deeply, about to utter an apology, when a robust voice rang out.

“Well embraced!”

“Huh?” Li Chunsheng, bewildered, looked up to find Liuxia’s bright, beautiful eyes sparkling at him, one hand giving a thumbs-up, an expression of profound approval on her face.

“Chunsheng, you truly are something!”

“Huh?” Li Chunsheng tilted his head, making a sound like a confused cat.

“Chunsheng, you truly are the brother Liuxia picked! Not only do we have impeccable chemistry…” Liuxia’s expression turned forthright, a stark contrast to her previous timid demeanor, “…but you’re also incredibly clever!”

She explained as she praised, “The move you came up with just now, even someone as close to you as I am couldn’t have predicted you’d do it!”

Liuxia’s face flushed slightly as she added, “Even knowing that he was a man right in front of you, to still make such… such a perverted move…”

‘Stop, stop, Senior, are you really praising me?’ Li Chunsheng covered his face, feeling utterly mortified.

“Then consider, how could the investigator have possibly imagined it? Could he have conceived that someone would do *that* to a person who was both formerly a man and a goblin?”

‘Why? Why does it feel so awful to hear, even though it’s supposed to be praise?’ Li Chunsheng’s gaze was blank.

“Therefore, that action perfectly cleared my suspicions, greatly increasing the likelihood that I am a woman.”

Liuxia then shifted her tone, praising, “And your subsequent performance was nothing short of brilliant!”

“Facing the investigator, your demeanor was neither servile nor overbearing, even carrying a hint of arrogance. This prevented him from discerning your true identity and deterred any interrogation he might have originally planned.”

“Under such circumstances, the more questions he asked, the higher the chance of us being exposed.”

The corners of Liuxia’s mouth curved slightly upwards as she looked at Li Chunsheng with a triumphant gleam, saying, “I’m right, aren’t I, Chunsheng? This was all your plan!”

Li Chunsheng hesitated, then started to speak, then hesitated again. Seeing Liuxia’s small, triumphant expression, he, as her junior, couldn’t bear to burst the maiden’s bubble…

‘It seems Senior didn’t think that far ahead at all~ I, on the other hand, was overthinking things…’

In this atmosphere, he also felt too awkward to apologize for what had just happened.

Thus, Li Chunsheng could only offer a hearty laugh, giving a thumbs-up as he chuckled, “As expected, Senior truly understands me!”

“Exactly!”

“Hahahahaha—!” Within the cramped rental room, the two ‘brothers’ clapped each other on the shoulders, their laughter echoing loudly.

“What’s all that racket late at night?” A resident from the adjacent apartment angrily pounded on the wall.

The ‘brothers’ instantly fell silent, then exchanged a knowing smile.

“Oh, right—” Li Chunsheng suddenly recalled something, opening his mouth with a smile…

However, Liuxia’s expression suddenly changed, and she sprang far away from him.

“Wh-what?” The maiden’s voice was tinged with trepidation.

“?”