At this moment, in Li Chunsheng’s home, Liu Xia looked at the silver tower-shaped pendant found under Li Chunsheng’s bedding and couldn’t help but feel dazed.
“Chunsheng…why?”
She had seen this pendant, shaped like a man, at her ex-girlfriend Mu Shenglin’s place when she was still a man.
Liu Xia had also asked curiously what this was.
The Wood Saint Spirit said: “This is a token of the Temple of Life lineage, and only candidates for Saintess and conferred Gold Saints can possess it.”
“Liu Xia, if you can become a man worthy of me in the future…”
“Then sooner or later, you’ll have this too—work hard!”
Liu Xia was inspired by this memory and continued to work hard.
At this moment, the same memory reminds Liu Xia of the dark emotions she had always wanted to forget.
That was when she and Mu Shengling were still dating. Liu Xia had introduced Mu Shengling to her beloved junior, Li Chunsheng.
But on that very day, Liu Xia noticed that his girlfriend, Mu Shenglin, seemed to be looking at Li Chunsheng with a strange expression.
At first, he didn’t pay much attention to it.
After all, Li Chunsheng was a famously handsome boy at the Little Sun Orphanage, so handsome that it was hard to understand why he would be abandoned at the orphanage’s gate.
Li Chunsheng, from a young age, was never short of attention from girls his age—unfortunately, his talent was too inferior.
“It seems the Holy Spirit has a good impression of Chunsheng. I hope the Holy Spirit can help Chunsheng along with me in the future…”
However, in the days that followed, Liu Xia discovered that it was more than just a “good impression.” He found that his girlfriend, Mu Shenglin, seemed to care about Li Chunsheng excessively…
Mu Shenglin always found various reasons to approach Li Chunsheng.
“The Holy Spirit is with Chunsheng…” At that time, he couldn’t believe his guess.
Fortunately, his junior colleague seemed quite annoyed with his girlfriend and always took the initiative to avoid her.
This gave Liu Xia some comfort, but also made him feel guilty for having harbored dark thoughts about the younger generation.
This happened a long time ago…
Liu Xia had kept all these things to herself until today, when she had a nightmare involving the three of them and accidentally discovered this silver tower-shaped pendant…
Why does Chunsheng possess this?
“Could it be that he and the Holy Spirit really…” Thinking of this, Liu Xia felt as if her heart was being torn apart and did not want to continue thinking about it.
On one side is a trusted junior colleague, and on the other is a girlfriend he once loved.
Even though the Holy Spirit ultimately turned away from her…
The girl also refused to believe that the person had long since lost all feelings for her.
But…
Liu Xia couldn’t help but recall the cold and ruthless expression on Mu Shengling’s face when he was on the verge of bankruptcy and went to her to ask for some gold coins to support him.
“Is that so? Then let’s break up… Liu Xia, when you become a man who asks women for money…”
“You’ve lost the right to be a man, and you’re no longer worthy of me…”
After saying this, the Wood Spirit turned and left without any hesitation.
Only a powerless Liu Xia remained, standing alone in the rain, hating her own incompetence.
“Yes, making money is a man’s duty… How can I ask a woman for money?”
In the end… I still couldn’t become anyone’s “essential person”…
Liu Xia ultimately couldn’t escape bankruptcy; by then, he believed no one was willing to help him anymore.
Shortly after that, Inspector Liao from District 13 began to target him, forcing the defeated man to flee in disgrace.
Then, Liu Xia degenerated into a goblin and severely injured Li Chunsheng, leaving him on the verge of death.
She thought she was unforgivable, but Li Chunsheng, who miraculously revived, easily forgave her.
It was as if she had never blamed Ruka.
After that, the girl discovered that she had a magical healing effect on her juniors.
Chunsheng forgave me, and I became useful to Chunsheng.
These two things alone gave Ryuka, this “useless person,” a reason to live.
Perhaps, she could just live like this. Liu Xia hoped anxiously.
However, the pendant I found today shattered that fragile hope.
Whether Li Chunsheng is related to the Wood Saint Spirit or to the Holy Knight… whatever the possibility, it means that Liu Xia’s position is extremely dangerous.
Compared to those people, what am I to the younger generation? Just a loser, a despicable goblin. Is my current little use worth Li Chunsheng turning his back on those people, or even fighting against them?
“What should I do then?”
Liu Xia instinctively refused to think about the question; her gaze wandered around, as if searching for something to replace thinking.
Suddenly, the wall clock in the room started chiming…
“Ah…it’s already four o’clock, time to cook for Chunsheng…” Liu Xia muttered to herself, her eyes dim, like a walking corpse.
When I woke up it was only afternoon, did I realize that I had been thinking about this for so long?
“He should be back by now, right? After all, Chunsheng said his job doesn’t require overtime…”
Liu Xia went to the kitchen in a daze, took out ingredients from the refrigerator and started cooking.
She wanted to use busyness to bury the thoughts she didn’t want to think about.
As time passed, the aroma of the food began to fill the entire room, waiting for the owner to enjoy its deliciousness.
Liu Xia sat quietly, like a newlywed wife, eagerly awaiting her husband’s return.
Time slips away like sand through the palm of your hand, and Liu Xia’s heart grows increasingly wavering.
It had been a long time since the junior colleague had agreed to leave work, and even if you include the time spent commuting, it shouldn’t have taken this long.
“Chunsheng, why hasn’t he come back yet?”
The speculation that had been forcibly suppressed gradually resurfaced in Liu Xia’s heart.
“Could it be that Chunsheng went to find the paladin?”
Yes, that’s the kind of man I am: not only can’t I drop any gold coins, but I’m also a monster that has a appetite for me.
Keeping someone like that around is just asking for trouble…
Liu Xia staggered to the kitchen, picked up a kitchen knife, and saw a reflection on the blade of a face completely different from her past self.
“Should I take the initiative and let Chunsheng offer me up now?”
“Would I be more valuable to Chunsheng if I were like this?”
The commoners cleverly devised a plan that allowed the temple to capture an incredibly cunning goblin capable of transforming into a woman.
This must be a great achievement, right?
“Or perhaps, he will personally bring a paladin to my door to deliver the final judgment?”
Unconsciously, Liu Xia walked towards the apartment door next to the kitchen, her lifeless eyes staring intently at it—as if her fate lay just outside the door.
“Can I accept the ending he brought me?” the girl thought quietly, when she suddenly noticed the knife she had brought from the kitchen.
Ah, why did I bring a knife?
Did I intend to hurt Chunsheng?
“No…!” Liu Xia shook her head vigorously. Even though she had become a monster, she had never really thought of harming her juniors.
Actually, it’s…
Don’t you want to live a life of abandonment anymore?
Looking at the tightly closed door, Liu Xia felt an inexplicable urge to cry.
But if a person is extremely sad, perhaps they can’t shed tears?
Liu Xia just stared blankly at the door.
“I’m sorry, senior, I don’t have the courage to give myself away alive… I…”
As Liu Xia held the knife in her hand with trembling hands, reaching towards her own neck, she heard footsteps coming from the corridor outside the door.
There was only one person… Li Chunsheng.
Why did you have to come back at this time of year?
Liu Xia panicked. She had thought about dying, but she never thought about dying in front of her juniors.
The thought of his juniors seeing him on the verge of death, struggling instinctively, and how that miserable state might traumatize him, caused Liu Xia a pang of pain in his heart.
“Since I’m already useless, I shouldn’t hurt the people around me any further, right?”
Liu Xia put the knife back in the kitchen and quietly waited at the door for it to open. Having temporarily abandoned her suicide attempt, she discovered more details.
“Chunsheng’s steps were unusually strong today, is he… at the Bronze level?”
“Having received an elevation from the Temple? Then… perhaps a paladin is secretly lurking behind you?”
“Then…it might not be just one person…”
These speculations made Liu Xia bite her lip, feeling uneasy. The footsteps outside the door were getting closer and closer, and she subconsciously gripped a long-handled soup spoon tightly.
“They’re here!”
The door opened instantly, revealing that familiar face.
“Senior, I’m back!” came a joyful voice from him.