Chapter 962

Li Xiao carried Cai Xiaotang upstairs the whole way.

Instead of going to her own room, he took her directly through the door opposite.

"You booked a room too?"

Cai Xiaotang hadn't expected him to have even arranged a place to stay; her mind went blank for a moment.

When exactly did Li Xiao arrive?

If he already had a room, it must have been at least since last night, right?

That means... he had actually been tracking her whereabouts even earlier?

Her mind was in a chaotic mess, and she couldn't collect her thoughts for a moment.

Until she was set down and pinned against the wall!

"Now that it's just the two of us, are you willing to talk?"

There was a bottomless darkness in Li Xiao's eyes, almost as if he were about to swallow the person before him whole.

Cai Xiaotang hadn't regained her strength yet, and being trapped between his arms and the wall with such intense pressure, her heartbeat was already impossible to keep calm.

Only at this moment did she realize how much she had wanted to see the person in front of her.

Even though it had only been a few days since they parted...

As Cai Xiaotang thought this, she suddenly realized she was staring blankly at him, so she hurriedly looked away and stubbornly insisted, "We have nothing to talk about; I've already said everything I needed to..."

"Then why are you blushing?"

Li Xiao suddenly interrupted Cai Xiaotang in a deep voice, and without waiting for her to speak, he forcibly lifted her chin with his fingertips, making her look directly into his eyes, and asked again in a low voice: "Since you say you don't like me anymore, then why are you blushing right now?"

"I..."

Cai Xiaotang instinctively wanted to retort, but after saying only one word, she realized belatedly that her cheeks were indeed burning uncontrollably.

It had started from the moment he carried her upstairs...

"Cai Xiaotang."

Li Xiao's voice sounded again.

Cai Xiaotang snapped back to reality and heard him say, word by word: "Look into my eyes and say it again: you. don't. like. me. anymore."

His tone was inexplicably fierce, carrying a trace of unwillingness.

Cai Xiaotang instinctively met his gaze, and her heart suddenly felt empty, as if it had been gripped by an invisible hand.

She couldn't read Li Xiao's eyes, but she seemed to understand his emotions at that moment.

There was anger, unwillingness, confusion, and stubbornness.

Cai Xiaotang looked straight into his eyes and took a deep breath; her resolve had almost been shaken, but she pulled herself back.

Fine, he wants to hear it, right?

Then she would play along!

Thinking this, Cai Xiaotang stopped avoiding him, met his gaze, and said word by word: "How many times do you want me to say it? I also... don't... like... you..."

"Liar."

Before she could finish her sentence, the next second—

Her lips were suddenly blocked by a familiar warmth!

Li Xiao had actually kissed her just like that!

Cai Xiaotang's eyes widened in shock, and she instinctively tried to break free.

But Li Xiao seemed to have anticipated this; he used one hand to grab both of her wrists and pinned them above her head.

His body also leaned in closer!

The two of them were pressed almost tightly together.

The sudden kiss wasn't as gentle as usual; instead, it carried a sense of urgency and the pent-up emotions of the moment.

Cai Xiaotang's body went limp almost instantly, and a classic "line" suddenly flashed through her mind.

No matter how stubborn one's mouth is, the body's reaction is always the most honest.

She couldn't help but freeze for a moment.

Then, she felt a slight sting on her lower lip, as if she had been bitten.

"Heh... you can still space out at a time like this?"

Li Xiao let out a soft hum, whispering almost against her lips.

"You..."

Cai Xiaotang immediately wanted him to let her go.

But after saying only one word, her lips were blocked once again.

The kiss was hot and urgent, carrying an irresistible force that completely scrambled her thoughts.

At some point, the pressure on her wrists disappeared bit by bit.

But Cai Xiaotang no longer had the strength to struggle; her body went soft, and she nearly collapsed into Li Xiao's arms.

Noticing her reaction, Li Xiao finally felt better, and a hint of a smile flashed quickly across his eyes.

He then took the opportunity to wrap his arm around her waist and turned, bringing her to the edge of the bed.

The bed was naturally much softer than the wall.

Realizing that things seemed to be heading in the wrong direction, Cai Xiaotang immediately panicked and braced herself, trying to sit up.

But Li Xiao pulled her down onto him, turned, and pinned her beneath him.

He then saw that her cheeks were already flushed, and her eyes were filled with an unconscious mist, just like that night—making her look so tempting that one couldn't help but want to "bully" her.

Li Xiao's self-control was already stretched thin, but he pressed on, step by step: "With this kind of reaction, you still say you don't like me? Do you know how red your face is right now? Do you want me to carry you... to the mirror to take a look?"

As he spoke, as if bewitched, he couldn't help but lower his head to lean close to her lips and peck them lightly.

His gaze was already stirred with emotion, and the tone of his voice was much softer than before.

Cai Xiaotang had not yet recovered from the kiss just now, and her whole body felt numb.

Immediately after, she heard Li Xiao suddenly change the subject, whispering in a low voice: "Do you know how much I missed you during the two days you were gone?"

He rarely showed such a vulnerable posture.

But his tone at this moment sounded exactly like someone who had been abandoned by Cai Xiaotang and felt aggrieved.

The tip of Cai Xiaotang's heart was poked hard once again.

If her hands weren't gripping the bedsheets tightly, she probably wouldn't have been able to resist reaching out to wrap her arms around his waist.

She admitted that Li Xiao held a huge attraction for her.

Whether it was physical or mental.

How could there be a man in this world who was better at seducing people than a woman?

No...

She had already made her choice.

So she absolutely must not be "seduced" by him!

Cai Xiaotang slammed her eyes shut, trying to regain her crumbling reason.

Immediately after, she felt that familiar scent draw even closer!

"Li Xiao!"

Cai Xiaotang dared not continue, and not knowing where the strength came from, she shoved the person in front of her away and sat straight up!

A flash of determination also suddenly crossed her eyes.

"You want to know the reason, right? Fine! I'll tell you!"

Cai Xiaotang looked at him; her eyes were still watery, but her expression was vastly different from before.

The atmosphere was quiet for a moment.

The next second—

"The real reason I left you is that I'm afraid. Can you accept this reason?"

Cai Xiaotang spoke slowly, every word articulated with extreme clarity.

Li Xiao's expression changed slightly.

Cai Xiaotang did not give him a chance to speak and continued.

"The days spent by your side are simply too dangerous. I am an ordinary person and only want to live a quiet life. I was too naive before, thinking that as long as two people are together, there wouldn't be any problems. But ever since last time, I've been afraid, so I don't want to continue anymore. I just want to return to my previous life. Please, have some mercy and just let me go, can you?"

As she spoke, the scene she had once seen in the basement couldn't help but surface before her eyes again.

She would never be able to forget it in this lifetime.

Even recently, she would occasionally dream about it.

It was just that as the frequency increased, it seemed as if she had gotten used to it.

But the exhaustion and fear upon waking up every time had never disappeared.

She was afraid.

Afraid that the person in her dreams would one day become Li Xiao.

She had no right to persuade Li Xiao to give up the Dark Gate.

She also knew that getting hurt was unavoidable.

But she did not want the reason that ultimately harmed him to be herself.