The Forgotten Companion and the Gluttonous Goblin

While Investigator Liao fretted over his daughter, Liao Xinyi, quite predictably, found herself captivated. She was drawn to the striking man and woman who had appeared in the party hall.

Holding a glass of red wine, the young woman gracefully approached. Her gaze, filled with curiosity, lingered on Li Chunsheng and Liuxia.

“Miss He… this gentleman… and this young lady?” Liao Xinyi inquired, her tone unwavering in its respect.

“Xinyi, allow me to introduce you. This is none other than Young Master Li Chunsheng, the exceptional young talent Miss Mu Shengling has so highly praised! At such a tender age, he has already ascended to Bronze-tier; a future brimming with limitless potential awaits him.”

“It is an honor to meet Young Master Li; Xinyi has admired you for a long time.” Liao Xinyi offered a polite curtsy to Li Chunsheng, then shifted her gaze to Liuxia standing beside him. “And this lady…?”

She had been forewarned by Miss He that a young master of high standing would grace the party, yet there had been no mention of such a stunning young lady also attending.

Liuxia’s beauty, it had to be said, made Liao Xinyi feel a pang of inferiority.

Coupled with her seemingly intimate demeanor with Li Chunsheng, all these factors made Liuxia appear as someone not to be underestimated in Liao Xinyi’s eyes.

“Ah, Miss Liuxia…” Miss He deliberately drew out her words, then, with a meaningful phrase, shattered Liao Xinyi’s burgeoning thoughts: “She is Young Master Chunsheng’s highly favored personal companion.”

This statement, a veiled insult disguised as praise, implied that beyond her beauty and Young Master Chunsheng’s favor, Liuxia possessed no status worthy of mention.

A flicker of understanding crossed Liao Xinyi’s eyes; she had clearly grasped the underlying meaning of Miss He’s words.

Nevertheless, she still offered a friendly greeting: “Hello, Miss Liuxia.” Even if Liuxia lacked a powerful background, she was, after all, Young Master Li’s exclusive companion, and thus deserved a measure of respect.

“Y-you… hello!” Liuxia quickly returned the greeting, though she appeared overly reserved.

A fleeting glint of disdain flashed in Liao Xinyi’s eyes, but she swiftly concealed it. She then turned to engage Li Chunsheng in conversation.

Perhaps Li Chunsheng truly possessed the natural charm of a dashing young master, or perhaps Liao Xinyi was merely playing along deliberately.

Regardless, after only a few exchanges, the atmosphere between them began to warm considerably.

“Heh heh, I’ve heard of Miss Liao from Shengling herself; she spoke quite highly of you. And seeing you today, you certainly possess a captivating beauty,” Li Chunsheng remarked, his tone overtly flirtatious.

On Earth, such a remark would likely have alienated any girl, causing them to secretly curse Li Chunsheng as someone who only valued superficial appearances.

However, in this world, a woman’s attractiveness was intrinsically linked to her blessing power. Therefore, such a comment was naturally not considered an offense.

On the contrary, for a middle-tier daughter like Liao Xinyi, to receive such a compliment from an ‘upper-tier young master’ of considerable strength like Li Chunsheng was an extraordinary honor!

“Th-this… this! Xinyi is so delighted…” Liao Xinyi’s face flushed crimson, her words laced with palpable excitement.

Even mere verbal affirmation from someone of the upper echelon served as an excellent validation of her worth.

Their conversation grew increasingly intimate. Miss He, meanwhile, acted like a wingman, occasionally interjecting a few words, subtly assisting Liao Xinyi by speaking favorably of her.

Liuxia, however, seemed to have been utterly forgotten by everyone. She stood forlornly to the side, and even when she occasionally spoke, no one paid her any mind.

‘Huh? It seems I’ve been excluded, haven’t I?’

Liuxia had volunteered to accompany Li Chunsheng as his wingman, yet so far, she felt as though she hadn’t played any role whatsoever.

From the preceding conversation, it became evident that her presence, or lack thereof, would have made no discernible difference.

Her sole purpose, it appeared, was to be a mere attractive accessory beside her junior.

A bitter pang of sadness settled in Liuxia’s heart.

‘Well, if this is how it is, then an accessory I shall be. Perhaps I can still raise his standing a little, right?’

****

‘My apologies, Senior Sister, but this time, Liao Xinyi is the target. To reel her in, I simply must cast the bait aggressively. You’ll understand, won’t you?’ Li Chunsheng, observing the girl’s somewhat forlorn expression from the corner of his eye, felt a profound sense of apology.

“Then… Young Master Li! Xinyi would love to introduce you to some of her other friends; would you be so kind as to grace us with your presence?” Liao Xinyi requested, her voice dripping with delicate coyishness.

If he agreed, she knew her standing within the upper-class social circles would surely receive a significant boost.

Li Chunsheng, however, could clearly not agree to her request. He was merely a fake young master, and the more people he interacted with, the greater the risk of exposure.

Thus, he gently leaned closer to Liao Xinyi, his hand settling on her waist. With a hint of a smile, he murmured into her ear, “Is that truly what you desire?”

“However, rather than meeting all your friends, this young master would much prefer to find a secluded spot and have a private chat with you, wouldn’t he?”

His words, light as feathers, tickled the girl’s ear, imbued with a distinct air of intimacy.

Liao Xinyi’s face flushed. She nodded slightly, then turned to Miss He. “Miss He… please explain to my friends that Xinyi will be excusing herself with Young Master Li for a little while.”

Miss He smiled and nodded, watching the pair depart from the hotel lobby. Then, her gaze shifted, landing meaningfully on Liuxia.

Liuxia stood still, almost dumbfounded, watching the retreating backs of the two, looking for all the world like a defeated dog.

“Heh~” Miss He let out a scoff upon seeing this, then turned and walked towards the crowd, leaving Liuxia utterly alone and bewildered.

She knew no one in the vast hall, nor did she know whom to approach. More importantly, no one paid her any attention.

For the intimacy she had displayed while by Li Chunsheng’s side had already marked Liuxia as belonging to someone. Naturally, no man would be so tactless as to approach her.

‘Ugh… what am I supposed to do now?’

She could do nothing at all.

Liuxia slowly lowered her head. In that moment, the stark reality of her own uselessness suddenly dawned on her.

‘In the end, I didn’t actually help at all, did I? Oh, me…’

Life was hard, Liuxia sighed, then cast her gaze towards the buffet area in the hall.

The young woman’s stomach had already begun to rumble.

‘I just ate a little before coming out to maintain my image. How am I hungry again so quickly…?’

‘Since things are like this, I might as well eat first…’

‘I hope things go smoothly for Chunsheng!’

Liuxia made her way to the buffet, picked up a plate, and began to help herself to the food. It had to be said that Liao Xinyi’s birthday party was indeed a grand affair.

Even the buffet dishes were, without exception, more delicious than any food the young woman had ever tasted before.

Yet, why did she feel a faint sourness lingering?

‘Hmm… did they add too much vinegar? Perhaps this is what high-society tastes like? …It’s still quite delicious, though.’

Liuxia ate bite after bite of the food she had chosen, yet she felt an insatiable emptiness within her body.

No matter how much she ate, she couldn’t sate herself. The young woman’s body felt like a gaping void, devouring everything that entered her mouth.

‘I’m eating too much, aren’t I? Perhaps it’s because I’m a Goblin?’

Yes, she was just a useless Goblin after all…

And now, with an added flaw, she had upgraded to a gluttonous Goblin.

Everything before her eyes gradually blurred…

Before she realized it, the entire spread of food before her was nearly devoured by Liuxia, an utterly exaggerated sight.

‘Ah… I’ve almost eaten it all…’

Liuxia suddenly paused, a thought striking her.

‘Chunsheng hasn’t had such delicious food, has he? He’s with Miss Liao, he won’t have time to eat. I must save some for him…’

So the young woman took some fresh plates and began collecting the remaining dishes.

Gradually, however, she could no longer clearly discern the food before her, merely performing the motions of picking up dishes in a daze.

Just then…

“Woah~ Miss Liuxia, are you trying to make me eat pickled vegetables?” An exaggerated voice pierced Liuxia’s ears. She snapped her head up, her gaze falling upon the familiar, blurry figure before her.

It was Li Chunsheng.

He reached out, gently caressing Liuxia’s cheek, and spoke with a helpless expression, “Don’t tell me? Is this some kind of soul-crushing meal? You’re actually crying.”

“You’re speaking nonsense again,” the young woman grumbled, moving Li Chunsheng’s hand away from her face. Only then did she realize his hand was completely wet.

It was then that Liuxia suddenly realized, without her knowing, that her face was streaked with tears.

‘Why am I… crying?’ This realization filled the young woman with embarrassment and shame, so she quickly changed the subject.

“Didn’t you go off for a private meeting with Miss Liao? How did it go?”