Chapter 970: Unconscious Proximity

The "ghost" was in hot pursuit behind them.

Li Xiao, however, did not even look back as he pulled Cai Xiaotang and ran toward the front.

But they never expected to run to the end of the corridor.

Ahead was a dead end.

Yet, there was a door on both the left and right sides.

"Ahhh!!!"

The "ghost" behind them was getting closer and closer.

Li Xiao swept a quick glance at the locks on the two doors and, without a moment's hesitation, pulled Cai Xiaotang straight toward the room on the left.

Sure enough, with a light touch, the door was pushed open immediately.

This room was somewhat more spacious compared to the previous few.

It was not as eerie as the rooms before; instead, it looked more like a bedroom with a somewhat archaic design.

Aside from a bed that looked a bit dilapidated, there were only some tables and chairs.

But on the table in the very center, there was a very conspicuous glowing button.

With no time to hesitate, Li Xiao walked straight over and pressed the button!

Immediately after, a mechanical click sounded from the bed!

With a clack-clack, it actually revealed a hidden compartment just large enough to hide two people!

"Wuu... ah!"

The sound of the "ghost" seemed to have reached the doorway.

"Go!!!"

Li Xiao pulled Cai Xiaotang and dove straight in without a second thought!

Cai Xiaotang was acting almost entirely on instinct as she followed Li Xiao.

By the time she came to her senses, she was already crouching inside the hidden compartment.

Then, the next second, she saw Li Xiao crouching beside her, and the sound of mechanical rotation came from above their heads once more.

The hidden compartment slowly closed, perfectly concealing the two of them.

In the pitch darkness, Cai Xiaotang heard the "ghost" chasing them outside seem to have walked in.

She focused intently, listening to the other's movements.

Suddenly, her fingertips felt a slight warmth.

The sudden temperature made her freeze for a moment, and her gaze subconsciously turned toward Li Xiao.

Only then did she suddenly realize that the distance between them... seemed to be too close.

Their knees were pressed tightly together, and Li Xiao's arm was half-wrapped around Cai Xiaotang's shoulders, protecting her from start to finish.

Cai Xiaotang's heart stirred slightly; suddenly, she couldn't hear anything else, only the sound of her own heart beating unexpectedly loud, and her eyes subconsciously collided with Li Xiao's deep gaze.

Even though everything around them was pitch black.

For some reason, she seemed to be able to see the tiny glint of light in his eyes.

And...

The light, shallow breathing that seemed to be gradually drawing closer.

"Don't be afraid..."

Li Xiao seemed to want to comfort her, but not daring to be too loud, he leaned in closer and spoke in a whisper.

"I'm not afraid..."

Cai Xiaotang subconsciously mimicked his voice to reply.

The breath released as they spoke brushed lightly against each other's skin, bringing a subtle sensation.

The next second—Li Xiao's arm around Cai Xiaotang's shoulder suddenly moved slightly, pulling her closer into his embrace, as if testing something.

Cai Xiaotang had originally been in a half-crouching position; being pulled like this, she lost her balance and leaned directly against Li Xiao's chest!

"You..."

She was startled and nearly failed to control the volume of her voice.

Just then—"Awoo!!!"

The ghost's howling sounded again outside.

The "ghost" seemed to be getting "frustrated" because it couldn't find them.

Cai Xiaotang shut her mouth almost instantly, and then she heard—"Heh..."

Li Xiao seemed to be amused by her reaction and suddenly let out a soft chuckle.

Cai Xiaotang's eyes widened instantly; that laugh, which was practically right against her ear, made her heart skip a beat.

Then, she suddenly felt a bit annoyed.

What are you laughing at!

She glared at Li Xiao crossly and pinched his arm with a bit of force as "retaliation."

But to her surprise, the next second, she felt her own arm being lightly pinched in return!

He actually dared to fight back!

Cai Xiaotang's "fighting spirit" was instantly ignited, and just as she intended to pinch him back, she felt the arm around her shoulder suddenly press her straight into his chest!

"Be good, don't make trouble."

Li Xiao seemed to be very "seriously" immersed in the game, reminding her with feigned sternness.

But the tail end of his voice exposed his current mood completely, as if it were soaring to the heavens.

Finally—the "ghost" wandered around the room for a long time and seemed to have finally resigned itself to fate.

It let out a few final, unwilling cries, then slowly turned and left.

It also sounded as if something had been dropped on the floor, making a "ding" sound.

A few minutes later—confirming that the "ghost" had finally gone far away, Cai Xiaotang suddenly let out a sigh of relief.

"Can we go out now?"

She asked while tentatively feeling the cover above her head.

Sure enough, she immediately felt a small button, and the mechanism started up again.

Cai Xiaotang had been cooped up inside for a long time and stood up immediately, unable to wait any longer.

But she didn't expect that as soon as she stood up, her left leg suddenly went numb!

"Ah..."

She lost her balance and immediately fell to the side, looking like she was about to hit the edge of the mechanism!

Immediately after—a hand reached out just in time, wrapped around her waist, and held her steady.

Cai Xiaotang crashed right into Li Xiao's arms.

His amused, teasing voice rang out above her head.

"Why are you always so reckless?"

Listening to his tone, which seemed to carry a hint of doting, Cai Xiaotang's heart began to pound uncontrollably again, and she hurriedly whispered an explanation: "I...

My leg is numb..."

As she spoke, she pushed Li Xiao away, wanting to steady herself.

But she didn't expect that as soon as she moved, she felt an indescribable tingling numbness in her leg and swayed violently again.

"Hey..."

This time, without needing Li Xiao to support her, Cai Xiaotang took the initiative to grab his arm herself!

She finally learned to be obedient and stopped moving around until the feeling in her leg returned.

The atmosphere suddenly went quiet for a moment.

Even the eerie music had stopped at some point.

In the dim environment, Cai Xiaotang could only sense the pleasant scent of the person in front of her, which seemed to occupy all her senses, causing her heartbeat to grow faster and faster; the thumping sound seemed audible to the entire room.

Afraid of being discovered by Li Xiao, she hurriedly and guiltily changed the subject: "How much longer do we..."

Before she could finish, she met Li Xiao's gaze and suddenly froze.

The two of them had already maintained this posture for a long time.

Only when she turned her head to look at Li Xiao did she realize that the distance between them was actually so close.

So close that—if Li Xiao lowered his head slightly, or if she took the initiative to stand on her tiptoes, they could touch each other.

And in Li Xiao's eyes at this moment, such a thought seemed to be written as well; the depths of his eyes were almost entirely filled with undisguised, ardent desire, like rolling waves, devouring Cai Xiaotang's reason bit by bit.

The next second—it was unclear who moved closer to whom first.

The distance between the two of them seemed to have shortened a little.