The confrontation escalated. Rain poured down, soaking their clothes, mixing with the tension that hung thick between Kai and Li Wei. Every brush of skin, every accidental touch, was electric.
Kai moved with precision, deflecting Tang Lei's attacks while keeping Li Wei close. "Stay behind me!" he barked, yet his eyes flickered to Li Wei's repeatedly, betraying worry, desire, and something he refused to name.
Li Wei's heart raced, not just from fear but from the intensity of Kai's presence. He realized something dangerous: he was falling deeper than he should, drawn to Kai's icy control and the vulnerability that flashed through it.
"You're too reckless," Kai muttered during a brief pause, voice rough with emotion. "I can't lose you. Not now. Not ever."
Li Wei swallowed hard. "I don't want to be lost. Not from you."
Kai's expression softened, a rare moment of tenderness amid chaos. Their faces were inches apart, breaths mingling. Yet the threat of Tang Lei loomed.
A sudden explosion rocked the street below. Debris flew. Li Wei's world tilted—and when he opened his eyes, Kai had vanished.