Chapter 1010: Feeling Good Just Seeing Her

Li Xiao stayed in the study alone until evening.

His thoughts were becoming increasingly chaotic, so he simply stopped overthinking and planned to return to the bedroom to find Cai Xiaotang to change his mood.

He didn't expect that as soon as he pushed the door open—"Whoosh!"

A playing card suddenly flew straight toward his face!

He stepped back, caught it almost instinctively, and then saw that the room was already littered with playing cards, while in the center of a table not far away, a lit candle was placed.

"Working so hard?"

Li Xiao walked in with a chuckle, flicked his fingertips casually, and the playing card he had just caught flew straight out, *swish*, extinguishing the burning candle.

Cai Xiaotang, who had been practicing bitterly for many days: "..."

"Are you here to discourage me?"

She speechlessly picked up the playing cards scattered on the floor, quickly relit the candle, and then, imitating Li Xiao's posture from just a moment ago, threw it out.

And then...

She saw the playing card spin and land on the floor.

"Pfft..."

Li Xiao laughed out loud, showing her no mercy.

"You're still laughing!"

Cai Xiaotang was indeed bristling with anger, pouting at him unhappily, and then looked down at the playing card in her hand in a huff.

What was going on?

She had been practicing for several days!

There was no progress at all!

They were both just pieces of paper, so why did they fly straight out with a *whoosh* in Li Xiao's hands!

Cai Xiaotang grumbled unhappily in her heart.

Then she saw Li Xiao walk toward her and stand behind her.

"Your point of force is wrong."

Li Xiao circled Cai Xiaotang in his arms, grabbed her hand, adjusted the direction of the card in her hand, and then bent her wrist.

"Like this, use your wrist to exert force..."

Li Xiao whispered in her ear; he had only said a few words when he saw her earlobe turn a sensitive shade of red.

He paused slightly, a flash of amusement quickly crossing his eyes.

Then he deliberately lowered his head and leaned in closer.

His scorching breath sprayed against her ear, causing the ticklish Cai Xiaotang to dodge subconsciously, her earlobe turning even redder than before.

Her heartbeat also became a bit fast.

"Are you going to teach me or not!"

Cai Xiaotang could bear it no longer and made a move to break free from him.

Li Xiao hurriedly stopped while he was ahead, grabbed her wrist, and exerted a little force!

"Whoosh!"

The card in Cai Xiaotang's hand flew out instinctively, hitting the candle wick perfectly and extinguishing it.

"Wow!!!"

Her eyes widened instantly, she immediately forgot what had just happened, and turned to look at the person behind her with a face full of admiration.

It wasn't a big deal, yet Li Xiao felt a stir in his heart and suddenly felt incredibly satisfied.

His gaze darkened, and he lowered his head to kiss the lips that had just been expressing amazement.

The gloom in his heart also dissipated quite a bit in an instant.

Sure enough...

Coming to find her was the right choice.

As long as he saw her able to be happy for a long time over the simplest things, he couldn't help but feel happy along with her.

"Mmm..."

Cai Xiaotang "resisted" a little, and with some dissatisfaction, lightly punched his chest.

Li Xiao took the opportunity to grab her wrists, straightened up slightly, picked her up horizontally, and placed her on the bed.

Yet he didn't "bully" her again, but instead held her quietly in his arms, seemingly pondering something.

The air suddenly became quiet.

Cai Xiaotang blinked, suddenly feeling a bit unaccustomed to it.

When the two of them were together, it was mostly noisy and boisterous; rarely were they this quiet, holding each other.

Li Xiao... did he have something on his mind?

Cai Xiaotang blinked, feeling that the person in front of her seemed a bit different from usual.

After thinking for two seconds, she scooted upward, met Li Xiao's eyes, reached out to poke his cheek, and said thoughtfully: "Are you...

... troubled by something?"

"Hmm?"

Li Xiao pulled himself out of his thoughts and did not answer.

Cai Xiaotang waited for two seconds, then had to ask again: "I said, are you troubled by something? You seem a bit absent-minded..."

Li Xiao still didn't answer, only raised an eyebrow noncommittally.

His behavior was truly too abnormal.

Cai Xiaotang hadn't been very curious at first, but seeing him like this, she couldn't help but have her curiosity successfully piqued.

"Speak! What are you hiding from me!"

She narrowed her eyes and looked at him with a scrutinizing expression.

Li Xiao paused upon hearing this, a flash of hesitation quickly crossing his eyes.

Telling her about the affairs of the Dark Gate would only add to her troubles.

It would be better to just let her be happy.

"It's nothing, just some... internal affairs of the Dark Gate. Do you want to hear about them?"

"Internal affairs?"

Cai Xiaotang shook her head rapidly the moment she heard this: "I won't join in the fun with internal affairs. What if I hear something I shouldn't..."

As she spoke, she exaggeratedly placed her hand on her neck and made a "beheading" gesture.

Li Xiao couldn't help but be amused instantly.

Cai Xiaotang suddenly thought of something else, however, and asked with some curiosity:

"By the way, I haven't asked you yet, why did you want to join the Dark Gate?"

Her face was full of confusion, though in reality, she had been dying of curiosity about this question for a long time.

Given Li Xiao's status, he could live a life of luxury without doing such dangerous things, so why did he have to take the risk?

Li Xiao was also taken aback by Cai Xiaotang's question, his expression suddenly becoming somewhat nostalgic.

The reason for entering the Dark Gate, huh...

He hadn't thought about it for a very long time.

Yet he had never forgotten it either.

Cai Xiaotang waited for a while, and seeing that Li Xiao didn't speak, she suddenly realized something.

"Sorry... did I ask something I shouldn't have?"

She spoke in a low voice, her expression showing some guilt.

"Hm? No."

Li Xiao returned to his senses instantly and hurriedly planted a light kiss on her forehead as if to comfort her.

"It's just that I haven't thought about these things for too long, and I don't know where to start."

He smiled, and as if recalling something, he slowly began: "This reason... to tell the truth... is very simple."

He said this, then fell silent for two seconds before continuing.

"Back when I was... ignorant, I was probably the kind of playboy you see, hanging out with a bunch of fair-weather friends every day, but... it was all just for show. There was only one person who had a particularly good relationship with me, and it was a friendship everyone knew about."

"Who was it?"

Cai Xiaotang was even more curious after hearing him say that.

Li Xiao, however, shook his head.

"He was an ordinary person, someone with no status and no background, an ordinary person who couldn't be more ordinary to those with powerful family backgrounds."

He did not mention the other person's name, but his expression became somewhat guilty.

Cai Xiaotang noticed it too; this matter seemed... somewhat heavy for Li Xiao.

She did not urge him to speak, waiting quietly instead.

After another moment, Li Xiao continued: "He was the only person who didn't fawn over me because of my status. I once even wanted to introduce him to work at the Li Corporation to give him a better future, but he refused, and later..."