Chapter 936: Paying a Little Reward First

"Ahem..."

Seeing Cai Xiaotang half-speechless, Li Xiao thought she was stunned by his cheesiness and couldn't help but cough lightly.

Cai Xiaotang snapped back to reality, hurriedly breaking free from his embrace, her face full of hesitation.

Should she... say it now?

Or...

Just as she was thinking, she heard the person before her suddenly change the subject and ask, "By the way, is there any New Year's gift you want? I'll have someone prepare it."

"A gift?"

Cai Xiaotang was stunned for a moment and hurriedly shook her head: "No."

Li Xiao nodded accordingly: "Understood, that means you want me to prepare a surprise."

Cai Xiaotang: "..."

That wasn't what she meant either.

It was just...

She was already prepared to leave.

And she didn't intend to stay and step into the new year with him.

"Li Xiao..."

She spoke softly, calling Li Xiao's name.

"Hmm?"

Li Xiao responded, turned his head, looked at Cai Xiaotang earnestly, and waited for her to continue.

"I..."

Cai Xiaotang opened her mouth, but after saying only one word, she couldn't make another sound.

She didn't know how to bring it up.

Making this decision had already exhausted all her strength.

How could she possibly say she wanted to leave while right in front of him?

He wouldn't agree.

And she wasn't that firm either.

As long as he asked her to stay, she would definitely soften.

But softening might push them both into an bottomless abyss.

No one knew what kind of danger they would encounter next time.

Cai Xiaotang took a deep breath, but in the end, she still couldn't say it. After a long pause, she had to follow his previous words and ask: "Do you... have any New Year's gift you want?"

"Me?"

Li Xiao paused upon hearing this. He found it a bit strange that she had been stammering for so long just to ask this, but he didn't think too much about it. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and asked in return:

"Guess... what I want?"

He looked at the person before him with burning eyes, his heart already having the answer without needing to think.

The gift he wanted, he had already given to her himself.

One half of that pair of rings—he wondered... if he would be able to see it?

Li Xiao couldn't help but imagine in his heart the scene of Cai Xiaotang taking the ring out on her own initiative.

Cai Xiaotang's mind was also racing.

But...

What she was thinking was completely different.

Since Li Xiao said that... he must have something he wanted.

What did he want?

She hadn't noticed him having any special hobbies before...

Could it be that he liked cold weapons or high-tech weaponry?

She couldn't get her hands on those!

Or perhaps... something easier for her to get?

Like...

Jewelry such as cufflinks or a tie clip?

That wasn't right either... he rarely used those.

As Cai Xiaotang thought this, she couldn't help but slowly meet the smiling gaze of the man.

That gaze was clearly filled with "deep affection," but because Cai Xiaotang's thoughts were running too wild, she wasn't careful and interpreted that gaze in another way.

Li Xiao looking at her like this...

Could the gift he wanted be...

Ten thousand "indescribable" images flashed through her mind in an instant, and Cai Xiaotang's cheeks flushed red in a split second!

He wouldn't be trying to say something like "the gift he wants most is her,"

would he?

"That... I... you..."

Cai Xiaotang stammered, wanting to warn the person not to go too far, but since the other party hadn't actually said anything, she found herself unable to speak.

Seeing this, Li Xiao couldn't help but show an amused expression. Watching Cai Xiaotang unable to finish a sentence while her face grew redder and redder, a sudden flash of inspiration hit him, and he realized something.

"Why are you blushing again? What kind of gift did you think of?"

He leaned in suddenly, deliberately squinting his eyes, and carefully examined her earlobes, which had turned pink the instant he spoke.

Cai Xiaotang immediately denied: "No! I... haven't decided yet!"

"

She could feel how hot her face was without even touching it; as she spoke, she hurriedly backed away.

Li Xiao, however, had an expression of sudden realization and nodded repeatedly: "Oh~ I know what you're thinking..."

"What am I thinking?"

Cai Xiaotang asked back, stiffening her neck, unafraid of death.

Immediately after, she heard someone say with a smile: "Are you sure... you want me to say it out loud?"

If he hadn't guessed wrong, could it be that she wanted to treat herself as a gift... and give it to him?

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat ambiguous, making it hard for one to breathe.

It was as if a single spark would be enough to instantly ignite all the surrounding air.

Cai Xiaotang didn't know where to look; she took a deep breath, suddenly turned around abruptly, and pulled the door open.

Better to just leave!

She couldn't stay in this hospital room for even another second!

"Where do you want to go?"

Li Xiao took the opportunity to pinch her wrist.

Cai Xiaotang: "..."

"I..."

Her brain spun rapidly, wanting to find the most suitable excuse in the shortest amount of time.

Then, her eyes suddenly lit up.

"I'm going home! To make you some soup!"

Cai Xiaotang said this with full confidence; she couldn't help but want to applaud herself.

"Make soup?"

Li Xiao raised an eyebrow, looking at her with some amusement.

"I said I wanted to drink the soup you made before, but now that my injuries are almost healed, you finally remember?"

Not expecting him to be so "vengeful," Cai Xiaotang was instantly choked into silence.

After a pause of a few seconds, she said arrogantly: "You... just tell me whether you'll drink it or not!"

"I will."

Li Xiao agreed readily; as he spoke, he suddenly turned and pinned Cai Xiaotang against the wall.

"What are you doing?"

Cai Xiaotang looked at him vigilantly and reached out to push his chest, but fearing she might pull at his wounds, she didn't dare use too much force.

Immediately after, she heard—"Third Madam Li is making soup for me with her own hands, so of course I have to show some gratitude. How about... paying a little reward in advance?"

Li Xiao's voice was low and deep, sounding inexplicably "dangerous."

Cai Xiaotang felt flustered the moment she met his gaze, and she hurriedly refused: "No need, I... I don't leave my name after doing a good deed! No reward needed..."

Before she could finish her sentence, a familiar warmth suddenly pressed against her lips.

Cai Xiaotang's whole body stiffened abruptly.

Li Xiao, however, made no extra movements; he just pressed against her lips and whispered softly: "What if I insist on giving it? I don't like owing others favors..."

The tiny friction while speaking sparked a current that spread from her soft lips all the way to the tip of her heart.

Cai Xiaotang clenched her palms tightly; thinking of the kiss that had been interrupted earlier, she felt a bit itchy in her heart.

The next second—she took the initiative to stand on her tiptoes and pressed her lips heavily onto his.

Li Xiao was somewhat surprised; he froze for a moment, then his eyes darkened abruptly, and he pulled Cai Xiaotang directly into his arms.

His movements were no longer restrained as he wantonly conquered the territory he had coveted for so long.

He had thought about this kiss for too long.

Cai Xiaotang closed her eyes obediently; unlike her usual self, she didn't let the person before her "plunder" at will, but instead actively wrapped her arms around Li Xiao's shoulders, pushing herself forward a little.

Li Xiao's hand had already wrapped around her waist at some point, as if to lock her into his embrace.

The air had also completely ignited.

It seemed no extra words were needed; this one kiss alone could represent all the emotions of the two.

It was a mutual longing.

The two's "battlefield" gradually moved from the wall toward the bed.

A thought also flashed abruptly through Cai Xiaotang's mind.

Since she was going to leave anyway, why not just really...

"Li Baoshen, I have been married to you for three years, yet you have never touched me once... I will fulfill you and your white moonlight, I will give up this marriage...

After tonight, you can go find her! Now, just treat it as compensation for my feelings for you over these many years, okay..."

After Jiang Ruanruan finished saying this, she leaned in and kissed the man before her, filled with a madness like a moth to a flame and... despair.

She knew her methods were despicable.

But she had loved for too long, and it was too painful!

Right now, she only begged for this little bit of solace.

"Jiang Ruanruan, how dare you!"

Li Baoshen gritted his teeth; his exquisite, handsome, and devilishly beautiful face was full of fury.

He wanted to push the woman on top of him away, but the agitation within his body was rampaging, almost shattering his reason.

This audacious woman actually dared to set a trap for him!

"There is nothing I dare not do..."

A tear welled up in the corner of Jiang Ruanruan's eye, and she kissed him with increasing urgency, her inexperienced little hands fumbling wildly over the man's body.

She just wanted to possess him completely, just once!

Li Baoshen was furious.

Yet, the current situation was already beyond his control.

Before long, his body's instinctive reactions were stirred, and with his rising body temperature, the last shred of his reason also completely vanished with the wind.

The next day, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Jiang Ruanruan woke up.

Enduring her discomfort, she got out of bed to get dressed, then took the Divorce Agreement she had prepared long ago from the drawer, placed it on the nightstand, and finally, took one last deep look at the man on the bed...

"Li Baoshen, I set you free. From now on, we shall go our separate ways, and have nothing more to do with each other!"

Jiang Ruanruan murmured these words, then withdrew her gaze, turned, and left.

As she walked out of the Li Family home, her heart was filled with bitterness and sorrow.

She had loved Li Baoshen for seven years!

From her girlhood through university, she had never been able to forget him.

Her greatest wish was to be able to marry him!

However, Li Baoshen hated her...

The specific time was the very day she married into the family!

At that time, the old master of the Bo family was critically ill, and her money-grubbing father and stepmother had packed her up and sent her over without a second thought.

Back then, she had been crazy with joy, looking forward to the arrival of their wedding night.

But after Li Baoshen appeared, he said with a look of disgust, "Jiang Ruanruan, you should know that the person I want to marry is Fu Weining, not you! Only she is qualified to be my wife; you are not worthy!"

Jiang Ruanruan knew that Li Baoshen had no obligation to like her or love her.

Yet she still naively held onto hope, thinking that one day she could warm this man's heart.

Over these three years of marriage, she had been diligent and conscientious, striving to be a good wife.

Every night, she cooked in person, just so that when he returned, he could eat a hot meal.

No matter how late it was, she had to wait for him to come home before she could feel at ease.

When he was drunk from socializing, she would take meticulous care of him, never letting anyone else do it for her.

If he was sick or suffered a minor injury, she would be more worried than anyone else.

Every winter, she would turn on the heat for him in advance, prepare hot water, and get up early in the morning to warm his clothes, just hoping he wouldn't catch a chill...

However, not loving someone simply means not loving them.

It wasn't until the day before yesterday, her birthday, when Li Baoshen was at the Hospital accompanying Fu Weining, that she finally understood.

All of this was nothing more than her own wishful thinking!

That man's heart was something she could never warm, no matter how hard she tried for a lifetime.

He belonged to another woman!

Jiang Ruanruan had completely given up!

When Li Baoshen woke up, it was already ten o'clock in the morning.

After getting out of bed, his first thought was to strangle Jiang Ruanruan!

As the president of the Li Group, he had always been known for his shrewdness and was invincible in the business world; no one had ever been able to scheme against him or make him suffer a loss.

He never expected that the first time would be falling into that woman's hands!

He was filled with towering rage and scanned the room, but did not see the woman's figure; however, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a document on the nightstand.

"What is this?"

Li Baoshen frowned and picked it up to take a look.

The five large characters "Divorce Agreement" instantly leaped into his view.

His pupils constricted, and his expression suddenly turned gloomy.

First using that kind of tactic to have relations with him, and now proposing a divorce... her tricks were truly becoming more and more numerous!

Li Baoshen did not believe for a second that Jiang Ruanruan would divorce him.

He stood up abruptly, put on his clothes, went downstairs with an aura of murderous intent, and questioned the butler, "Have you seen Jiang Ruanruan?"

The butler, Li Shu, was taken aback and immediately replied, "Replying to the young master, the young mistress left the house before dawn, and she was dragging her luggage."

Li Baoshen was completely stunned...

Six years later.

Y Country, VR Medical Research Institute.

As soon as Jiang Ruanruan came out of the laboratory, she heard her assistant Linda say, "Doctor Jiang, Professor Lu has something to discuss with you; he wants you to go to his office."

Jiang Ruanruan had just pulled an all-nighter and was originally feeling a bit sleepy, but upon hearing this, she gave a start and instantly became much more alert.

"Did he say what it was about? It wouldn't be... that the research results were destroyed by those two little demons at my house again, would it?"

"Apparently so."

Linda responded, her eyes showing a hint of sympathy.

Her boss was always efficient and highly capable; at a young age, she had become the protégé of the ceiling of the medical world—Lu Qinghong—and was quite famous in the medical field, never having been scolded for her professional work.

Except for every time she had to take the blame for those two troublemaking cute kids at home!

Linda subconsciously comforted her, "You haven't left the laboratory for three days in a row this time; Chaochao and Mumu were worried about your health and were making a fuss in Professor Lu's office every day... I noticed Professor Lu's hair has turned a few more shades of white."

After hearing this, Jiang Ruanruan felt a bit of a headache, but also found it somewhat amusing.

Six years ago, after Jiang Ruanruan left the Li Family, she went abroad!

She had originally intended to focus on her studies, but unexpectedly, she became pregnant.

At the time, she had struggled with whether or not to terminate the pregnancy, but when she arrived at the Hospital, she backed out, unable to bring herself to do it.

In the end, she chose to keep the children!

They were triplets, two boys and one girl.

During the birth, the girl passed away due to a lack of oxygen, leaving behind only two precious sons, nicknamed Chaochao and Mumu.

Thinking of those two little ones with heaven-defying intelligence, Jiang Ruanruan felt happy inside.

But then, thinking of having to take the blame for them, she instantly wilted...