An Unwanted Rescue and an Ugly Spat

Upon seeing that face, the two workers suddenly found the meals in their hands utterly unappetizing.

“To be so afflicted, death truly is a release…” one of the more outspoken workers lamented.

[‘There’s no need to be so harsh, is there…?’] Liuxia’s expression fell, a hint of dejection crossing her features.

[‘Am I truly that hideous? I even had a girlfriend once…’]

[‘Ah, that’s right. Even Mu Shengling never wanted to hold my hand back then…’]

[‘Mmh, Chunsheng, when I kissed him—no, when I sought his blessing—what exactly was he feeling? Was he utterly repulsed?’]

At that moment, the girl’s deep-seated insecurities resurfaced, weighing heavily on her heart.

The other worker, witnessing the beautiful young woman’s crestfallen expression, felt a surge of irritation at his colleague’s loose tongue. He couldn’t help but smack the man sharply on the back of his head.

“What in the world are you spouting? Saying such things right in front of her sister!”

“My apologies, truly! Oh, my mouth just runs away with me sometimes.”

It had to be said, the tears of a beautiful person possessed a remarkably potent effect.

Witnessing Liuxia’s tear-filled eyes, poised to spill, the two workers were instantly overcome with profound guilt, as though they had committed an unforgivable offense.

“Alright, little one, please don’t cry anymore. We’ll let you go see your brother one last time, alright?”

“Mm…” Still enveloped by a cloud of sadness, Liuxia nodded faintly, then dejectedly settled back into the car.

“Driver, let’s go. The road ahead is clear now.”

“Understood!”

In this manner, Liuxia, by sacrificing her own dignity, managed to overcome the obstacles she encountered on her journey. She finally arrived at the park where Li Chunsheng was scheduled to meet his date.

[‘I have a strange feeling I’ve been to this place before?’]

As if guided by a premonition, the young woman soon found Li Chunsheng within the park.

At that moment, Li Chunsheng and Liao Xinyi had only just met. The trio had converged nearly half an hour earlier than they had in the previous world line.

Without preamble, Liuxia immediately cut to the chase.

“Chunsheng, you need to come with me, now! I don’t know how to explain it, but something incredibly dangerous is about to happen!” The young woman seized Li Chunsheng’s arm, intent on pulling him away.

Naturally, Liao Xinyi was not about to stand by and allow this. She quickly grabbed Li Chunsheng as well, her voice sharp with barely suppressed anger. “Miss Liuxia, Young Master Li invited *me* out today. What are you meddling for?!”

Liao Xinyi, at this moment, resembled a lioness fiercely guarding her territory. Liuxia’s striking beauty only intensified her feelings of inadequacy, further fueling her animosity.

“Miss Liao, I am not trying to steal a man from you!” Liuxia exclaimed, growing frantic when she realized Li Chunsheng wasn’t budging.

“There is genuinely something incredibly important happening right now!”

“Then pray tell, what exactly is this ‘important matter’ that has you trying to drag my boyfriend away?” Liao Xinyi’s voice was frigid.

“I… I…” Liuxia stammered, utterly at a loss for how to explain.

An Investigator Liao had come to her home? She certainly couldn’t reveal that to Miss Liao.

What other reason could she possibly offer? It was merely Liuxia’s observation of fluctuations in “gold content” and some vague, unsettling premonitions. Such a thing could hardly serve as a valid explanation.

“If you can’t provide a reason, then I’ll simply assume you’re intentionally trying to ruin our date~” With that, Liao Xinyi wrapped her arms tightly around Li Chunsheng’s arm.

“Chunsheng~ let’s go. We shouldn’t bother with her anymore~”

“Absolutely not!” Under no circumstances could Liuxia allow Li Chunsheng to leave.

The young woman merely pursed her lips, clinging desperately to Li Chunsheng. She tilted her head back, her eyes glistening as she gazed at her junior, as if silently pleading, ‘Please, trust me.’

Now, Li Chunsheng found himself in a rather awkward predicament.

What was he to do? On one side stood his beloved Senior Sister, and on the other, his intended ‘prey’ for this outing.

Observing the two young women locked in their fierce standoff, Li Chunsheng couldn’t help but sigh profoundly. ‘Could this truly be the legendary love ‘shuraba’?’ he wondered.

[‘Could it be that Senior Sister is actually jealous?’]

[‘So she’s fabricating an excuse, trying to drag me away.’]

[‘Oh dear, being so popular can truly be a bother~ just kidding, of course…’]

At this juncture, the lingering sense of déjà vu from the previous world line was not potent enough to fundamentally alter Li Chunsheng’s current thoughts.

[‘After all, I’ve already promised the junior security guard at the company that I’d help him retrieve his money. And that money is crucial for Senior Sister to get her certification…’]

With these thoughts in mind, Li Chunsheng’s voice softened considerably as he tried to coax Liuxia. “Senior… Liuxia, please stop this. Be a good girl, and I promise to spend time with you later, alright?”

“Chunsheng… just come with me, please…” Liuxia pleaded, a hint of distress in her voice.

Amidst the incessant back-and-forth tugging, the young woman’s patience finally began to wear thin.

She was, after all, still a man inside. Engaging in this ridiculous game of ‘snatching a man’ had already thoroughly exasperated her.

All she wanted was to ensure her junior’s safety, yet because of this woman, even her junior was refusing to listen to her!

Liuxia, who typically found it difficult to lose her temper with women, finally snapped.

[‘This woman truly refuses a toast only to drink a forfeit!’]

“Ugh, this is infuriating! Yes, Miss Liao, I *am* taking this man with me!”

“Who do you think you are, to even dare try to snatch Chunsheng from me?”

“He is such a wonderful young man. Do you know what he likes to eat? Do you know his habits?”

“I know all of it, you know? Far more than you ever could!”

“You know absolutely nothing about him, so how dare you compare yourself to me?”

“I painstakingly nurtured Chunsheng into the man he is today. And you, who have contributed nothing, think you’re worthy of snatching him from me?”

Liao Xinyi was utterly dumbfounded. The previously gentle and demure Liuxia had suddenly erupted, leaving her momentarily shell-shocked.

“You… you’re finally showing your true colors, aren’t you?”

“Chunsheng, just look at this woman, with her ugly, possessive demeanor! She’s utterly unworthy of you~” Liao Xinyi clung to Li Chunsheng, her voice laced with feigned grievance and a touch of coquetry.

“Huh? *I’m* ugly?” Liuxia scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips.

“Why don’t you pull out a mirror and take a good look at your own face? Who’s truly ugly right now?”

“I was being polite before, which is why I didn’t say anything. Chunsheng and I are a perfect match, a talented man and a beautiful woman, destined for each other. Does a goblin like you even have the right to object?”

Having been called ugly repeatedly since morning, Liuxia had accumulated a significant amount of pent-up frustration. Uttering these words now carried a distinct sense of cathartic release.

[‘Phew… that felt good. I never thought there’d be a day when I, Liuxia, could call someone else ugly.’]

However, once her outburst subsided, Liuxia’s innate empathy began to resurface.

[‘Sigh, saying that to a girl… wasn’t that a bit too much? I’m clearly the ugly goblin here…’]

[‘I… how could I have gotten so angry? This really isn’t like me at all…’]

Yet, Liuxia was experiencing life as a girl for the first time, and had grown accustomed to being deemed ‘ugly’.

Even if she felt her words had been excessive, she couldn’t truly grasp the explosive mental state a girl entered when called hideous.

“Aaaargh! You’re the ugly monster! *You’re* the goblin! I’m going to fight you!”

Liao Xinyi utterly snapped. Releasing Li Chunsheng, she lunged forward, ready to brawl.