Chapter 374: Li Xiao, what kind of person are you exactly?

The atmosphere suddenly froze for a moment.

Li Xiao had exposed the escape just like that, making Cai Xiaotang's face suddenly feel a bit hot.

She was stunned for a moment, then stammered, "I... I was just too bored, so I wanted to go back to my house to take a look. And you... you knew I snuck out, so why did you come all the way here to scare me! Tell me! Was the power outage your doing too!"

A flash of dark light crossed the depths of Li Xiao's eyes, and he then deliberately pretended to be somewhat surprised as he retorted.

"The power went out here? I thought you were resting, so you hadn't turned on the lights, which is why I didn't dare make a sound. As it turns out... someone here wanted to murder her own husband..."

When Li Xiao said the last four words, his tone carried a hint of playfulness.

Cai Xiaotang, however, rolled her eyes at him speechlessly, suddenly realizing that the two of them were still lying on the bed in a very ambiguous position.

"Tsk... get up quickly! You're heavy as death!"

Cai Xiaotang pushed his shoulders and sat up from the bed in a huff, tears still hanging at the corners of her eyes.

Immediately after, she heard Li Xiao ask in that same smiling tone: "Since you were scared to tears, then... I guess you won't be running around randomly again after going back this time, hmm?"

"Who was crying!" Cai Xiaotang wiped away her tears in a disheveled manner and stubbornly pursed her lips, feeling inexplicably annoyed.

Was the power outage really just a coincidence?

Why did she feel like someone had deliberately set a trap for her, wanting to scare her so much that she would never dare to run away again?

Cai Xiaotang stared at Li Xiao thoughtfully, feeling certain that her intuition must be right.

But then she suddenly thought of something and asked loudly: "Right! How did you get in?"

"Me?" Li Xiao raised an eyebrow, then unhurriedly pulled a shiny key out of his pocket.

"A key? Where did you get that?" Cai Xiaotang stood up abruptly, then suddenly realized: "Oh! You secretly had a copy of my house key made! Tell me! What is your motive!"

Li Xiao was amused by her words; he suddenly looked at her deeply and took a sharp step forward.

The distance between the two was instantly closed.

"Do you remember that we are already a legal married couple now, so is it strange that I have a key to your home?"

As Li Xiao spoke, he deliberately dangled the key in his hand in front of Cai Xiaotang.

Cai Xiaotang subconsciously reached out to grab it, but before she could touch it, the other party pulled the key back into his pocket in a very annoying way.

"Don't you have your own key? This one is mine."

Li Xiao blinked at Cai Xiaotang, then immediately grabbed her wrist and turned to walk outside.

"Where are you taking me?" Cai Xiaotang asked subconsciously.

Li Xiao didn't look back: "Home, of course. Where else? Do you think this room of yours compares to the villa I prepared for you?"

"Pfft... is being rich so amazing? Don't show off your wealth in front of me in the future!" Cai Xiaotang gritted her teeth and glared at his back, retorting in a huff.

The two of them went downstairs together.

Li Xiao's car was already waiting downstairs, and standing on both sides were the two bodyguards responsible for looking after Cai Xiaotang at the villa.

"Third Young Master, Young Madam."

As soon as the two saw Li Xiao and Cai Xiaotang, they greeted them respectfully.

Thinking of her escape this morning, Cai Xiaotang nodded with a guilty conscience.

Just as she was about to speak, she heard Li Xiao, who was standing to the side, suddenly say: "It's fortunate that Madam is fine today, but it was indeed a dereliction of duty on both your parts. You are fined three months' salary. If this happens again..."

Li Xiao deliberately left the sentence unfinished.

The two bodyguards subconsciously exchanged a glance, a trace of confusion flashing in their eyes.

What is Shura playing at?

Since when did they have a salary?

Wasn't there a fixed dividend every month?

Just as the two were thinking this, they suddenly heard Cai Xiaotang's annoyed voice ring out.

"Why are you fining them their wages? Sneaking out was my own business; what does it have to do with them! And three months at once? How are you even more inhumane than those capitalists at big companies!"

Hearing about the three months' salary, Cai Xiaotang felt absolutely heartbroken.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao turned his head to look at her with an amused expression: "So... your meaning is that I shouldn't fine them?"

"Of course you shouldn't!" Cai Xiaotang answered without hesitation. After saying this, she stammered a promise: "At most... I... I won't... run away... in the future..."

"What did you say?"

Li Xiao held back his laughter, deliberately pretending he hadn't heard clearly.

"I said I won't run away in the future! Did you hear me!"

Cai Xiaotang was instantly furious; she shouted into his ear in a huff, then quickly turned and got into the car, slamming the door with a deafening bang.

"Ahem..."

At this, even Li Xiao's two subordinates couldn't help but want to laugh.

Li Xiao swept an amused glance at the closed car window, but his expression quickly turned serious.

He turned and walked a few steps into the distance, and the two subordinates behind him immediately followed.

"Shura, we have already checked the outside. Someone tampered with things, which caused the power outage at Miss Cai's home."

"Was the person caught?" Li Xiao asked in a low voice.

"Caught," one of them nodded, though their expression was not relaxed.

"However... it wasn't one of their people, just an electrician who took money to do the job. This time, it might just be a probe from them, but the fact that they could immediately grasp Miss Cai's itinerary for returning home is enough to show that they have been monitoring her in the dark all along."

Li Xiao nodded upon hearing this: "Mm, keep a closer eye on her for now..."

Before he could finish, he was suddenly interrupted by one of them: "Are we not letting Miss Cai come back anymore? Wasn't the previous plan to let her come back freely a few more times at our discretion?"

Li Xiao's gaze flickered for a moment, and he did not speak.

He had indeed planned that before.

But...

The image of her stubbornly wiping away her tears just now flashed suddenly through Li Xiao's mind, and his mood became somewhat subtle.

"The plan has changed. Just let her stay obediently at my place for now; wait for my notice for anything else."

Li Xiao tossed out these words and turned to get into the car, a complex expression in his eyes that he himself had not noticed.

After all, it was his momentary lapse in judgment that had dragged this woman into it.

Even if she is to be bait... she should still stay by his side from now on...

The car door closed, and Li Xiao sat directly beside Cai Xiaotang.

Cai Xiaotang, however, had no reaction, merely staring fixedly out the window.

"Scared silly?" Li Xiao suddenly asked with a teasing tone.

Cai Xiaotang was stunned upon hearing this, and immediately rolled her eyes at him in annoyance: "You're the one who's silly! I just suddenly felt... were you intentionally saying you were going to punish them right in front of me just now?"

"Ahem..." Li Xiao gave a noncommittal light cough, his expression becoming somewhat subtle for a moment.

She was indeed not silly...

Cai Xiaotang let out a cold snort in her heart, and just as she intended to continue her "interrogation," her nose keenly caught a strange scent.

She couldn't help but take a few more looks at Li Xiao beside her.

This smell, like a faint scent of rust, why did it seem to be coming from him?