Chapter 882: Li Xiao Has Disappeared

"There's something here!"

She shouted as she ran directly to the spot where she had seen the object, excitedly picking up an inconspicuous black item from the snow.

Laoqi and the others also hurriedly crowded over, their expressions all somewhat agitated.

"This looks like... a piece of clothing?"

Cai Xiaotang stared at the object in her hand for a few seconds and spoke with some hesitation.

"That's right, it definitely fell off some clothing; it must have been torn by the mountain wall..."

Lao Wu said, looking up at the ski slope ahead. His expression was hesitant, and he subconsciously exchanged glances with the others, only to find the same confusion and bewilderment in everyone's eyes.

Judging from the location where they had fallen, Li Xiao and Luo Wanwan should have been further ahead.

There was no way a piece of clothing could appear here... but this black fabric really did look like the one Li Xiao had been wearing...

"Let's keep moving forward first."

Lao San took two steps forward, pointed to the lowest point of the cliff ahead, and continued walking.

That was the only place where they could have landed.

After putting away the piece of clothing, the group remained silent and continued to trudge forward.

Cai Xiaotang also didn't say a word, following closely beside them, her eyes subconsciously darting around.

Not long after, the group quickly arrived near the cliff where the two had fallen.

"It's right ahead!"

Seeing that they had reached the spot where the two had fallen, Laoqi hurriedly ran over without a second word.

Cai Xiaotang followed immediately, her heart hanging high in her chest!

Although she tried her best to keep herself from letting her imagination run wild, terrible images still couldn't help but surface in her mind.

She was so scared...

Scared of seeing the person who had been safe and sound just yesterday lying quietly in the snow, motionless.

Her heart suddenly gave a violent jolt, sending a sharp, stabbing pain through it.

Cai Xiaotang stopped abruptly and closed her eyes, not daring to look.

Just as she was thinking this, she immediately heard—"There's no one here!!!"

Laoqi's voice suddenly rang out, pulling her thoughts back with a jolt.

Cai Xiaotang came to her senses instantly, widened her eyes, and ran over in two strides.

She then saw a large snow pit that had been smashed into the ground ahead.

It looked somewhat messy, but beyond that, there were countless chaotic footprints leading in various directions; it was simply a mess.

"Footprints..."

Cai Xiaotang stared at the marks on the ground that were clearly made by people, her eyes lighting up suddenly.

"There are footprints here! Does this mean they're okay? Li Xiao must still be alive, right?"

She grabbed Laoqi's arm excitedly, a glimmer of hope in her eyes as she looked at him.

Laoqi pursed his lips and exchanged a quick glance with the others, saying nothing.

No one knew who these chaotic footprints belonged to...

If Linke had also deployed people at the foot of the mountain, then Li Xiao and Luo Wanwan were currently...

Everyone knew it in their hearts, but no one spoke up, not daring to be blunt with Cai Xiaotang.

Moreover, there was no way to draw a conclusion until a thorough search of this place was completed.

"Should we keep looking?"

Seeing that no one was speaking, Cai Xiaotang felt inexplicably flustered.

Yet she still forced herself to maintain a normal expression and said, "I know, they might be injured and found a place to rest for now, waiting for us to find them!"

As she spoke, Cai Xiaotang held up her flashlight and carefully followed one of the sets of footprints, continuing to walk forward.

Laoqi hurriedly followed from behind her: "Ma'am, let us take you back first; it's too cold here..."

"I'm not cold."

Cai Xiaotang refused without a second thought, not even lifting her head, just continuing to stare at the tracks under her feet.

Seeing this, the group had no choice but to say nothing more and continued to walk forward, following the chaotic footprints.

The area of this mountain was not small.

The group walked for a full two or three hours, but did not find anything else useful.

Accompanied by the pitch-black night, the visibility of the flashlights in their hands was getting lower and lower.

In the end, except for the faint outline of the mountain peak above and the snow nearby, they could barely see anything else around them.

Cai Xiaotang's hand holding the flashlight was already frozen stiff, yet every two steps she took, she would carefully shine the light into every corner, terrified of missing a trace of Li Xiao.

"Must search carefully... they must be waiting for us somewhere..."

Cai Xiaotang muttered to herself in a low voice, constantly comforting herself in her heart.

It's okay, everything will be okay...

Just two more steps forward, and Li Xiao will appear!

The temperature in the mountains was getting lower and lower.

Cai Xiaotang's pace was also getting slower and slower.

Yet she never showed any sign of stopping, searching carefully, inch by inch, around the area where the two had fallen.

Until suddenly, everything before her eyes turned white, followed immediately by a sudden darkness!

"Ma'am!!!"

A worried voice came from behind, catching Cai Xiaotang just as she was about to tumble headfirst into the snow.

"I'm fine..."

Cai Xiaotang waved her hand, then, as if suddenly remembering something, asked hurriedly: "What... what time is it now?"

"It is already the middle of the night..."

Laoqi replied.

"Mm."

Cai Xiaotang acknowledged, forcing herself to stand straight, her eyes looking around in a daze.

Where could they be...

Where... could they have gone...

Only this one question remained in her mind, refusing to fade away.

After a long while, she raised the flashlight in her hand and prepared to continue walking forward.

"Madam, please go back first."

Laoqi spoke up to dissuade her again, his tone helpless: "We are here, and there are others searching as well; if there is any news of Li Xiao, we will inform you the moment we find out..."

"No need to persuade me anymore, I am not going back."

Cai Xiaotang's legs were already so stiff they were nearly numb, yet her tone was exceptionally stubborn.

She would not go back.

Li Xiao, she would see him alive, or if he were dead...

No, he would not die!

She did not believe that annoying guy would die so easily!

Her eye sockets couldn't help but sting again, as if tears were about to fall.

Cai Xiaotang pressed her lips together tightly, forcibly holding back the tears.

"Let's go, continue."

She dropped these few words and prepared to keep walking forward.

But just as she moved, she suddenly felt an indescribable coldness climbing up her legs, and her nerves sent a sensation as if they had been paralyzed!

Her heart, however, felt like it was being roasted on a fire, thumping and thumping, as if it were about to jump out of her chest.

Cai Xiaotang instinctively reached out to cover her chest, wanting to ease this unbearable feeling.

But immediately after, she suddenly felt her vision go black.

The icy snow hit her face.

Yet she no longer had the strength to get up.

The last thought before losing consciousness was the shadow of the person she was most worried about.

It's so cold...

Falling from such a great height, Li Xiao must be even colder and in more pain than she is...