Chapter 982: Honestly, I Am Very Reluctant to Let You Go

"Click."

The carriage door closed firmly.

The air instantly fell silent, with only the faint mechanical sound of the Ferris wheel slowly ascending.

Cai Xiaotang had not yet reacted; she froze for two seconds before hurriedly pretending to be nonchalant and sitting down to the side, though in reality, her heart was already racing wildly with nervousness.

Then, fearing that it would be too awkward if neither of them spoke, she hurriedly searched for something to say: "Looking down from here, the scenery is quite nice..."

As she spoke, she hurriedly leaned toward the window, pretending to admire the scenery outside, while in truth, her peripheral vision never left Li Xiao for a single moment.

Immediately after, she saw him nod gently.

"It is indeed quite nice."

Responding to her previous words, Li Xiao spoke as he suddenly moved on his own from the other side of the carriage to Cai Xiaotang's side, then sat down.

Cai Xiaotang's heart skipped a beat instantly.

"You..."

She instinctively wanted to put some distance between them, but she had only managed to say one word before she unexpectedly met Li Xiao's eyes, and then she couldn't say anything at all.

Those eyes seemed to hide too many emotions.

There was amusement, doting, confusion, and it seemed there was also a little... reluctance to part.

The alarm bells in her mind began to buzz.

Such an extremely quiet environment was truly not suitable for two people who were about to separate.

Over the past few days.

The two of them had almost endless things to do every day.

As long as they were together, there wasn't a single moment of silence.

Because as soon as it became quiet, those deliberately hidden and suppressed emotions would instantly come surging back.

Just like now.

Cai Xiaotang blinked, struggling to search for a topic in her mind, wanting to break the current silence.

But she hadn't expected that Li Xiao would be the first to speak.

"Ahem..."

He coughed lightly, as if he had something to say.

Following that, he was silent for another two seconds before he suddenly said again: "The old man called me today, asking when I'm going back..."

As Li Xiao spoke, he instinctively observed Cai Xiaotang's expression.

Over these past days.

He had confirmed enough that Cai Xiaotang liked him.

It was not to the extent of being so afraid that she wanted to run away, as she had claimed.

He had also been wanting to find a time to talk to her properly again.

But unfortunately, he had no opportunity.

All the unease was hidden beneath the seemingly peaceful and happy facade the two of them maintained every day.

But after parting at the bedroom door every night, only the person involved knew how they tossed and turned.

He wondered if she was the same as him...

Li Xiao waited in silence for Cai Xiaotang's response.

He also noticed her expression, which had become somewhat tense in an instant.

After a long while—

"Oh... the New Year is coming soon, so it's only right for him to look for you. The old man must miss you, so when are you planning to go back?"

Cai Xiaotang finally found her voice and asked back, pretending to be nonchalant, though her gaze unconsciously looked out the window, somewhat evasive.

The next second—

"Cai Xiaotang."

Li Xiao suddenly turned her shoulders with one hand, grabbed her hand, forced her to look at him, and went straight to the point: "What if I said I'm reluctant to let you go?"

His tone was uncharacteristically urgent, even carrying a hint of aggression.

"You..."

Cai Xiaotang hadn't expected him to be so direct; she froze in place instantly, and a trace of emotion she hadn't hidden well slipped out from her eyes.

Immediately after—

Her wrist was gripped even tighter by Li Xiao.

"Cai Xiaotang."

He called her name earnestly once more.

"Do you know how fast your heart is beating right now? Do you really... want to leave me that much?"

Li Xiao stared into Cai Xiaotang's eyes, his fingertips pressing right against her pulse.

He knew every single one of her heartbeats clearly.

"I... haven't we already made things clear?"

Cai Xiaotang instinctively wanted to pull her hand away, but unfortunately, in front of Li Xiao, that little bit of strength she had was completely useless.

"If I hadn't made things clear the way you wanted, wouldn't we not even have had the time we spent together these past few days?"

Li Xiao chuckled, his tone somewhat helpless.

Cai Xiaotang, however, instantly realized something.

"So the divorce trip you mentioned before was... a lie?"

She looked at the person before her, her heart filled with a complex mix of emotions; she didn't know whether she should be happy or sad.

Li Xiao did not answer.

The Ferris wheel was slowly rising, already nearing its highest point.

After another moment, he finally said in a low voice, "I'm not lying to you, I just felt unwilling to give up, wanting to fight for one last chance for myself; I never once said that I didn't like you."

A "thump" sound.

Cai Xiaotang heard the sound of her own heartbeat thundering in her ears.

She knew full well that the person holding her wrist could feel it too, but the more she tried to control it, the harder it was to restrain.

Li Xiao took in all of her reactions, and the corners of his lips could not help but curl into a smile.

As if reminiscing about something, he said softly.

"Do you know, before I met you, I never believed that I would ever like anyone, because whether for me or for the person I like, it truly represents danger, but..."

"I still couldn't help but be attracted to you; every time I see you, I can't help but want to smile. As long as I'm with you, it's as if I have no worries at all. In this world, you are the only one who can give me this feeling."

He gently pried open Cai Xiaotang's fingertips, interlaced his fingers with hers, and his gaze toward her was filled with tenderness.

"I once rejected you before; do you remember what you said to me back then? You said... you weren't afraid of anything, so this time, I also don't believe you will back down. If you knew how to write the word 'fear,' you wouldn't be the Cai Xiaotang I know."

Cai Xiaotang pressed her lips together tightly.

Every word Li Xiao spoke went straight into her heart.

Yes.

She had also once believed that she feared nothing in heaven or on earth.

But now, she had things she was afraid of.

The person she liked was her weakness.

Li Xiao should return to the free version of himself from before, unbound by anyone.

Especially her.

She, who would only bring him trouble.

"I..."

Cai Xiaotang opened her mouth, but had only managed to say one word—

Li Xiao spoke again, cutting her off.

"You say you're afraid to stay by my side; I admit, I didn't do well enough. So, at the very least, can you give me a chance to make up for it? Now that many things have been resolved, it's no longer as troublesome as before. If I promise you that such things will truly never happen again in the future, and I won't let you live in fear anymore..."

"What if I want you to quit the Dark Gate?"

Cai Xiaotang suddenly interrupted him.

Li Xiao was stunned upon hearing this, a rare look of blankness appearing on his face.

It seemed he had never considered this possibility.

Quit... the Dark Gate?