Chapter 402: Leave with me

Li Lei comforted her gently. "Xiao Ling, be a good girl, don't cry... don't cry... I don't know what to do when you cry..."

"Stop talking!" Xia Ling lifted her head, her eyes still brimming with tears. "Li Lei, did you have a death wish?! How could you fly up to the cliff in that thunderstorm to save me?! Do you know how dangerous that was?! I told you not to come! Why didn't you listen?! Why?!" She recalled the happenings from that day, and her body started to tremble. She shouted out furiously. "Li Lei, you lunatic! You're crazy, do you know that?! I don't want you to be some righteous hero! I would rather die than to see you... to see you..."

Her voice caught and could not continue.

If anything untoward had happened to him, what was she to do?

Li Lei hugged her tightly. "I'm not a righteous hero... I went up there only because the damsel in distress was you. You have to be fine, Xiao Ling. If anything were to happen to you, what would I do?" His voice was trembling like her body was. "So, let's stop talking about dying. I can't bear to lose you."

Xia Ling cried in his chest until she grew fatigued. All her pent up longing and fear seemed to have exploded, and she could not stop crying.

Li Lei said, "Xiao Ling, it's alright... I'm alright... I'm back, let me take you away."

His words were caring, but it was like a basin of icy water was poured over her. Xia Ling recalled the death vow that Pei Ziheng had forced her to swear to and backed away from Li Lei slowly.

He looked at her confused. "Xiao Ling?"

Xia Ling looked at him nervously. "Did you get the amulet that I asked Sister Mai Na to pass to you?"

"I did." Li Lei took out the wooden amulet from his pocket, which looked mysterious under the dim washroom lights. "Were you asking me to bring it to The Preceptor? I found him, and he said that he knows what you want, but he can't help you."

She wanted her brother to break the death curse for her, and he could not do it?

Xia Ling's face turned white and she stumbled backward.

"Xia Ling, what did you ask from Preceptor Xia?" Li Lei asked.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out to explain everything that ran through her mind. She could not bear to continue looking into Li Lei's hopeful eyes and turned to run out of the washroom.

Li Lei chased her down and grabbed her wrist.

"Xiao Ling, what's going on?" He asked. "Did you ask him to save you from this place? Don't worry, I'm here now, come with me. I'll take you away." When he was recuperating, he had heard about her predicament. Like Sister Mai Na, he guessed that she had stayed by Pei Ziheng to save him.

Li Lei felt for her and was angry at himself. How could he let his beloved girl suffer for him?

His injuries were terrible, and the doctors had saved him from the jaws of hell. It took him forever to recuperate from his injuries. If not for the fact that he had a healthy and robust disposition to start with, he would still be lying in the ward right now. He had cooperated with the treatment enthusiastically, hoping that he would recover expediently. The moment he had become better, he had used his businesses as an excuse to insist on coming back.

Old Master Li could not argue with him and could only let him come back.

He had sent many to watch over Li Lei, but Li Lei still managed to find a loophole and sneak out to look for Xia Ling.

He looked into Xia Ling's eyes and gently said, "Let's go. When we get to my territory, he won't be able to touch you." He thought that it was Pei Ziheng's surveillance that prevented her from escaping.

However, Xia Ling shook her head with her expression distraught.

"Xiao Ling?" Li Lei's voice became uncertain as he could not fathom what she was thinking.

"I can't leave." Xia Ling struggled to control her emotions. "Li Lei, thank you for coming to see me. It's almost morning, and you should hurry and leave. Don't get found out by Pei Ziheng."

"What's wrong?!" Li Lei asked anxiously. "Why aren't you leaving with me? What problem have you met with? Tell me! I'll help you find a solution!"

Xia Ling closed her eyes.

"There's no problem." She said. "Li Lei, I've chosen to stay by Pei Ziheng's side." She did not know how to face him. She only knew that if even her Preceptor brother could not break that curse, then she definitely could not go. She could not leave any chance for that death vow to come true. She hardened her heart and pulled herself free from his grip.

Li Lei caught her hand again. This time, he held her forcefully such that it hurt.

"Let go!" She said.

He pulled onto her and hugged her tightly to his chest.

"Leave with me! I'll take you home!" He said with even greater resolve than before. He half pulled, half carried her towards the elevators. Xia Ling's strength was no match for his, and before long she was right in front of the elevators.

"Li Lei, let me go!" She shouted and struggled in his arms. "I won't leave, I won't leave!"

He continued to pull her into the elevator.

"I already belong to Pei Ziheng!" She shouted out in despair.

At that moment, the whole world turned silent.

Li Lei's body stiffened. "What did... what did you say?"

She pushed him away as he stood stunned, and stood with her back to the wall. She did not know what to say to him. However, there was nothing that she could do to take back what she said, and letting him misunderstand might be for the better. He would stop missing her, and they would have nothing to do with each other anymore... forever.

She felt heartbroken and could barely breathe.

Her face was white, and she did not dare lift her head to look at him. Her gaze stayed riveted on his bare chest. His tan skin was smooth, but there were tons of scars all over his body. Some were deep, and others were not; Some were old and others newer. He was like a warrior that had gone through a hundred wars.

Did he feel pain when he was injured?

Her tears started to fall again.

"Xiao Ling, he forced himself on you, didn't he? If not, why would you sleep with him?" Li Lei understood her statement "I already belong to Pei Ziheng" as she thought he would. However, he stubbornly said, "It's alright! I won't give up on you for something like this. Leave with me, we can be together again."

Xia Ling shook her head. She did not say anything for fear that she would agree to go with him.

Her heart felt like it was in pieces, and she was extremely upset. Li Lei... he was such a good person. He could tolerate the fact that Pei Ziheng had claimed her for himself. If only their problems were as simple as that. However, they were in a predicament that was so much more serious.

"Leave with me!" He raised his voice, suddenly getting anxious.

She jumped in shock, and her body shook as she looked up at him. Li Lei realized that he had acted out, and said in a gentler voice, "Sorry, Xiao Ling, I did not mean to scare you..."

"I won't leave." She said in a hoarse voice.

"Why?" He started to get agitated again, but seeing her white and broken expression, he controlled his temper. "Xiao Ling, you love me! Not him! You were so concerned about my injuries earlier! Why do you want to stay by his side all of a sudden? I don't care if you have slept with him! You slept with me too! We've slept together so many times! You should stay by my side!"

He gripped her shoulder and forced her to look at him.

However, Xia Ling only responded with, "Sorry."

That word was like a lonely, chiming bell in the middle of the cold night.