Chapter 1005: Everything Is Fine With Him There

The two of them tidied up a bit, headed straight out the door, and soon arrived outside the Mu Family home.

After getting out of the car, Cai Xiaotang swept a quick glance around, and seeing only the few cars usually seen there, she let out a slight sigh of relief.

It seems there are no relatives or outsiders here today.

"Let's go."

Li Xiao parked the car and, holding Cai Xiaotang's hand, walked straight toward the direction of the main gate.

Before they even reached the entrance, the gate was pushed open from the inside, and a servant greeted them with a beaming smile.

"Eldest Miss! You've finally returned! The master was just mentioning you! Hurry and come in!"

Cai Xiaotang nodded, said nothing more, and walked straight inside.

In the living room, Father Mu was chatting with Madam Mu; hearing movement at the door, he immediately looked up, followed by a look of pleasant surprise.

"Xiao Tang! You really came back?"

Cai Xiaotang did not speak, only exchanged a glance with him, which counted as a greeting.

She had come back to see her mother, not to see this old man.

Li Xiao's manners were quite thorough; seeing Cai Xiaotang remain silent, he smiled and greeted, "Father, Happy New Year."

"Ah, Happy New Year. Have you two eaten? Stay for lunch; I'll have the housekeeper add a few more dishes right away..."

Father Mu started to call for the housekeeper as he spoke.

Cai Xiaotang spoke up directly: "No need. I'll be leaving after a while. You two chat; I'm going upstairs first."

She was in no mood to talk more with Father Mu, and after leaving those words, she turned and walked straight toward the stairs.

Li Xiao hurriedly smiled at Father Mu and turned to follow.

After turning a corner, he pulled Cai Xiaotang into his arms and coaxed in a low voice, "In a bad mood?"

"Not really... I've already gotten used to it."

Cai Xiaotang muttered in a low voice.

She had long since learned how to regulate her own mood here; for people she didn't like, she just had to ignore them—why make herself unhappy?

Just as Cai Xiaotang was thinking this, she saw Li Xiao suddenly reveal a look of regret.

"Not unhappy? I was thinking if you were in a bad mood, I could comfort you a little..."

"How would you comfort me?"

Cai Xiaotang asked back amusedly.

Immediately after, she felt the familiar scent beside her suddenly draw close, almost instantly brushing against her lips.

"Guess?"

Li Xiao deliberately paused, spitting out the two words within an extremely ambiguous distance.

The atmosphere suddenly became ambiguous.

Both of them simultaneously thought of the matter that had been interrupted back at home earlier.

In their intersecting gazes, it seemed they could see nothing of the surroundings, only each other.

The nearly zero distance was still shrinking bit by bit...

The next second—"Cough!!"

A heavy cough suddenly sounded from upstairs!

The air suddenly went quiet for a moment.

All the pink bubbles were shattered in an instant.

For the second time today, Cai Xiaotang jumped out of Li Xiao's arms, wishing she could simply vanish on the spot!

Li Xiao was even more speechless as he looked up at Mu Liusu standing on the stairs.

"If your throat is uncomfortable, take some medicine."

He looked at the other person with displeasure and reminded him coldly.

Mu Liusu, however, raised an eyebrow dismissively, even curling his lips in a good mood.

"Why didn't you tell me when you got back?"

He ignored Li Xiao and asked Cai Xiaotang directly.

"Just... just suddenly wanted to come back. Happy New Year, Brother. I'm going back to my room first!"

Cai Xiaotang's face was still red; as she spoke, she hurriedly turned and went straight to the room at the end of the hallway, slamming the door shut with a bang.

Li Xiao, who had been left behind: "..."

She just ran off?

That little heartless thing didn't even take him along!

Li Xiao sighed helplessly in his heart and swept a glance at the giant "lightbulb" standing nearby who had no sense of the situation.

It's Valentine's Day, why is it so hard for him to kiss his wife?

He had actually been interrupted twice!

"I'm going to keep Xiao Tang company."

Li Xiao dropped the words and prepared to leave.

But he was stopped by Mu Liusu reaching out.

"Go to my study. I happen to have something to tell you."

Li Xiao's footsteps paused.

The two of them quickly exchanged a look that only they understood, then turned around without another word.

As soon as they entered the room, Li Xiao asked directly: "What is it? Speak."

"

Mu Liusu frowned slightly and did not speak immediately.

After a two-second pause, she said with some hesitation, "My people have found some clues; it seems the higher-ups have been training a large number of newcomers recently, seemingly conducting secret special military training."

"Newcomers?"

Li Xiao raised an eyebrow.

A place like the Dark Gate is not somewhere just anyone can enter.

Moreover, the people under him and Mu Liusu are basically fixed, and there haven't been any major changes in recent years, so how could they suddenly be training a large number of newcomers?

"Only found this much? What about the rest?"

Li Xiao continued to press.

Mu Liusu, however, shook her head.

"It was already not easy to find this much; I can't find anything more for now. Anyway, be careful. This kind of thing being hidden from us..."

She did not continue speaking.

Li Xiao already understood what she meant.

After chatting for a few more sentences, the two of them left the study.

Li Xiao went directly to find Cai Xiaotang.

After staying with her in the room for a while, Cai Xiaotang took the initiative to suggest that she wanted to leave.

Arriving downstairs, Father Mu was indeed still staying in the living room.

As soon as he saw the two of them, he immediately tried to persuade them to stay, saying, "Xiao Tang, it's not easy to come back once, don't leave yet..."

"I have things to do."

Cai Xiaotang coldly tossed out these four words.

The expression on Father Mu's face stiffened for a moment, his look somewhat awkward, yet he was still unwilling to give up and wanted to say something.

Seeing this, Li Xiao hurriedly smoothed things over, saying, "Dad, today is Valentine's Day. I've already booked a restaurant and plan to go on a date with Xiao Tang."

Upon hearing this, Father Mu immediately realized, hurriedly saying with a smile, "Oh! Right! Today is Valentine's Day! Look at me, I forgot! Since that's the case, I won't keep you, I won't disturb your time as a couple!"

"Let's go."

Hearing him say this, Cai Xiaotang immediately turned and walked away.

Leaving the Mu Family and returning to the car, Cai Xiaotang finally let out a heavy sigh of relief.

She had thought she would be pestered for a while, which would have made her feel annoyed and restless again...

That guy Li Xiao is certainly good at finding excuses.

Thinking of what Li Xiao said before they left about not worrying, a warmth spread through Cai Xiaotang's heart.

Immediately after, she heard Li Xiao ask, "Where do you want to go next? Home? Or should I go book a restaurant now?"

"We..."

Cai Xiaotang didn't know where to go for a moment, but there was a subtle feeling in her heart.

For so many years, she had heard plenty of people familiar with Father Mu trying to mediate, and what they said was nothing more than some fence-sitting nonsense.

But Li Xiao had never said a word, even on a day like today, when he was directly caught in the middle as someone completely unrelated.

"What are you thinking about?"

Seeing her suddenly start to daze, Li Xiao pinched her cheek with some amusement.

Cai Xiaotang hesitated and said, "I was thinking..."