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17.6% To Rise Again in the Apocalypse [BL] / Chapter 18: Chapter 8.1 - Date (Part 1)

Chapter 18: Chapter 8.1 - Date (Part 1)

When they arrived home, Li XinWen made his way to the kitchen in a hurry. He placed the bags of groceries on top of the kitchen counter and came out with a glass of water, which he offered madam Li.

"Ah… thank you Ah'Wen," as madam Li took the glass from her son. Li XinWen slowly ushered madam Li towards the living room and advised her to rest while he takes care of the groceries. He sat her on one of the accent chairs near the living room entrance then disappeared into the kitchen.

By the time he finished organizing the groceries, the digital clock placed in the kitchen read 11:30 A.M.

He knew that Xue Rui would be arriving in the afternoon to pick him up so he decided to start getting ready. He passed madam Li asleep on the accent chair by the living room entrance. 'She must have been tired after our walk back from the supermarket,' he thought, as he approached her and planted an affectionate kiss on her forehead. He propped her legs on the matching footstool and placed the flannel blanket resting on the chair's armrest to cover her.

"Rest well mom," he gently whispered, then made his way upstairs.

Li XinWen carried his bag of chocolates to his room. Excitement and curiosity welled up inside him as the original's memories of eating chocolates filled his mind. In the memories, he saw how much the original enjoyed and savored the different types of chocolates during his lifetime. "I'll sample these later," and placed the bag on the Recamier divan at the foot of his bed. He made his way in front of the full-length mirror in his walk in closet to inspect himself. The sun had already been high up when they walked back from the supermarket. It was extremely hot, and Li XinWen was sweating as they made their way home. He sniffed himself and grimaced.

"Shower it is…" he mumbled to himself as he started stripping off his clothes, leaving a trail of discarded clothing on his way to the bath.

Li XinWen was lean. He wasn't too muscular but had the muscles in all the right places. His body was toned overall and complemented his height at around 183 cm. Xue Rui was a little taller at 194 cm and when they stood side by side they looked like a couple of really handsome men.

Li XinWen entered the bathroom and removed the bandages, which used to cover his wound and wondered whether it was still necessary to wear them. "Let's not create any further suspicion and just put them on for show," he decided. Li XinWen turned the shower tap and let the water wash over his body.

While Li XinWen was in the shower, Xue Rui arrived at the Li residence at 12:00 P.M on the dot. Madam Li greeted Xue Rui at the door and invited him in. Ever the gentleman, he shared with madam Li his plan to take Li XinWen to acquire the jian he wanted.

"So kind of you Rui. It's a good thing for Ah'Wen to go out and get his mind off of the accident even for just a while. But a jian? My my, that boy has been acting out of sorts since he got back from the hospital. So please take care of him Rui," she said as he patted Xue Rui's arm and told him that Li XinWen was probably upstairs in his room.

"Then excuse me for a bit Li mother while I go and check on him," and Xue Rui made his way upstairs to Li XInWen's room.

He stood in front of Li XinWen's room and straightened his tie. He unbuttoned his suit and ran his hand through his hair, inhaling deeply. He was bracing himself for a locked door but was hoping that it was not. He turned the knob and found that it wasn't locked. "The heavens must be on my side today," he said excitedly as he made his way in.

Li XinWen was still in the shower, judging from the sound coming from the bath. Xue Rui walked around the room, brushing his hand on Li XinWen's pillow, as if by doing so he was also brushing Li XinWen's hair. He went to the Recamier divan at the foot of the bed and saw the bag of chocolates.

"Pffft... How adorable, I see that he still has a sweet tooth," he remarked and continued to pace towards the walk-in closet. He ran his hand at the shirts hanging on the closet. He took one from the row of shirts and held it up against his nose, inhaling deeply. He was able to make out faint traces of Li XinWen's scent mixed with detergent and fabric conditioner.

Xue Rui was nearly intoxicated before he caught himself. "Oh XinWen… why am I so crazy about you?" he sighed to himself as he replaced the shirt in the closet. Just as he was about to head out, he saw Li XinWen's discarded clothing leading to the bath. He let out a chuckle and picked up the clothes one by one. "Such a child," he said smiling while shaking his head. He placed Li XinWen's clothes in the hamper and walked towards Li XinWen's bookshelf. He picked out a poetry book and walked back to the Recamier divan, sat down, and started to read quietly, waiting for Li XinWen.

Li XinWen finished his shower and toweled himself as best he could. He replaced the bandage on the spot where his wound was supposed to be and stepped out of the shower. He wrapped a towel around his waist and placed one on top of his head. He started humming an old song he remembered from his days in Long Xing. As he was walking towards the bathroom door, he suddenly sensed a presence in his room.

Instinctively, he reached for a bathrobe and wore it as if it would protect him from whoever was trespassing in his room. Li XinWen sent out a bit of his spiritual energy to probe out the identity of this person. 'Why is Xue Rui in my room?!' he thought as he furrowed his brows and gritted his teeth in annoyance.

Li XinWen knew he was partly to blame since he didn't lock his door. He should have predicted this move from Xue Rui. Left with no other choice, he squeezed his eyes as if to squeeze out all of his irritation as well. He took a deep breath before fixing his facial expression then opened the bathroom door.

Upon hearing the bathroom door open, Xue Rui lifted his head from the book and turned his eyes towards the sound, waiting for Li XinWen to step out.

Li XinWen's eyes met Xue Rui's when he stepped out of the bathroom. Feigning surprise, Li XinWen asked "Rui-ge! What are you doing in my room?!"

For someone who said he had no passion for acting, Li XinWen sure was able to act convincingly. "Anyway, just give me a few minutes and I'll be right back," he added as he rushed to the closet, dropping the towel on his head as he made his way. This time, he made sure to slide the doors to the walk-in closet closed and locked it. There was no way he was going to spend another second in front of Xue Rui in his current state of undress. "Oh god, what was that. Why did Xue Rui look like he was about to pounce at me?" Li XinWen whispered frantically to himself shaking his head.

He put on a white cotton dress shirt from his closet and paired this with a dark blue Giorgio Armani slim-fit half-canvas twill blend Soho suit. He wore a brushed calfskin leather belt, and finished his look with a pair of white leather sneakers and sprayed just a little cologne. "Woah, that smells nice," Li XinWen said surprising even himself. The way he dressed was probably all due to the original Li XinWen's sense of style. He examined himself in front of the full-length mirror and looked extremely pleased.

Outside, Xue Rui's heart was beating hard within his chest. His eyes lingered at the door to the walk-in closet, then he noticed the towel, which fell off of Li XinWen's head as he hurried to the closet. He placed the book he was reading on the divan and walked over to where the towel was. He picked it up and took a whiff of the alluring fragrance that came from the article. He could smell Li XinWen's fragrance as he lifted the towel to his nose. His mind went back to the image of Li XinWen as he stepped out after his bath. He wore a loosely fitted robe, which exposed his chest and his toned abs.

"Ugh… you are driving me crazy XinWen!" he whispered to himself as he clutched the towel in his hand. He imagined stripping the robe off from Li XinWen and the towel underneath to reveal the seductive body that he has been craving so much. Whenever he imagined Li XinWen's naked figure, he would feel his desires overflow and he couldn't help but want to ravish Li XinWen.


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Lin_XiaoLong Lin_XiaoLong

Xue Rui is getting more and more... disturbing...

Chapter 19: Chapter 8.2 - Date (Part 2)

Li XinWen slid the closet door open and stepped out. What he saw was hardly a surprise. Xue Rui, who didn't notice that he had opened the door, stood as if in a trance. It looked like he was smelling the towel Li XinWen had dropped earlier. Li XinWen shook his head and rolled his eyes. He did not even want to know what this man was thinking. "Rui-ge, what are you doing?" he asked.

Xue Rui was rudely awakened from his fantasy but he wasn't mad at all. Compared to the Li XInWen in his fantasy, he'd much prefer the real one. "Hmmm…nothing. I just picked up the towel, so it won't leave any stains on the carpet," Xue Rui lied maintaining a straight face.

'What a lie…' Li XinWen hissed in his heart.

Li XinWen stood by the closet door as Xue Rui turned to face him. Xue Rui was amazed at what he saw. So much so, that he was rendered speechless at the image of Li XinWen in front of him. He stood open-mouthed and dumbfounded unable to find the words to say.

Li XinWen looked like the celebrity that he was. Exuding a radiance that only he could pull off. It was a simple ensemble - a blue suit, white dress shirt with the first three buttons unbuttoned, a leather belt and a pair of white leather sneakers. Just the right touch of formality and relaxed chic. His hair still a little wet and disheveled amplified his sex appeal tenfold. Xue Rui's mind went blank and his heart beat even faster.

'Oh god, this is too much for me. How can you be so sexy, XinWen. You are simply a walking hormones! Please deities in heaven give me the strength to restrain myself from ripping off his clothes and making a mess out of this lothario before me right at this moment,' Xue Rui thought to himself as he clenched the towel in his hand.

He blinked his eyes and shook his head abruptly as if to wake himself from a momentary lapse. He took a deep breath, smiled, and slowly approached Li XinWen.

Upon seeing Xue Rui approach, Li XinWen clenched his hands into fists, ready to fight if it came down to that. But Xue Rui didn't exhibit any form of hostility or indecent behavior, which prompted Li XinWen to lower down his defenses, unclenching his fists. Xue Rui placed the towel he was holding on Li XinWen's head and started to rub his wet hair.

"Your hair is still a little wet, let me help dry it off," he said affectionately, letting out a small chuckle. Li XinWen felt like a child being spoiled, and he couldn't help chuckling with Xue Rui. No one could have predicted what happened next. During that moment of carefree laughter between the two men, a surge of innocent desire bubbled to the surface. Their eyes met and in that fleeting moment, Li XinWen saw a multitude of unspoken words in Xue Rui's eyes and it was his turn to be stunned. In that fleeting moment, he felt his heart beat to a different rhythm.

Xue Rui stopped rubbing the towel on Li XinWen's hair and suddenly used it to cover Li XinWen's eyes. Slowly he lowered his lips to Li XinWen's. The kiss was light yet full of desire, it spoke of so much longing and hope without overstepping the boundaries of lust. It was passionate yet it wasn't. Xue Rui was about to hold Li XinWen but stopped himself and instead pulled his lips away.

Li XinWen was left breathless and a little dizzy from what just happened. It was his turn to be speechless. Xue Rui lowered the towel from Li XinWen's eyes, which somehow brought him back to his senses. Realizing what had just happened, Li XinWen's hand went up and he pushed Xue Rui, just enough to keep a distance between them. 'Too close… too close,' Li XinWen whispered to himself in a panic.

"Rui-ge... enough with the stolen kisses. Please control yourself. Ah… damn it!" Li XinWen said, flustered and blushing, as he admonished Xue Rui.

"Hahahaha," Xue Rui laughed and for a moment, Li XinWen saw a different side to Xue Rui. He was obviously enjoying himself. "It was just a kiss XinWen. There's no harm in a kiss," Xue Rui said continuing to tease him.

'No harm your sister!' Li XinWen was about to protest but stopped himself, he no longer wanted to argue with the foolish man in front of him.

"Anyway, if you're ready, let's go now. I have already made reservations at a restaurant for lunch."

"We're not eating at home?" Li XinWen asked, surprised that Xue Rui already made plans to have lunch out without discussing with him.

"No."

"I can't eat solid foods..."

"It's alright. I've taken that into consideration when I made the reservation."

"There's no way of escaping this now, is there?" Li XinWen asked, even though he already knew the answer. Even as he looked through the original's memories, Xue Rui would always have his way in the end, no matter how much the original tried to escape.

"I'm glad you understand, XinWen. I will be waiting in my car. Fix your hair. You don't have to put on a disguise," Xue Rui said before he left Li XinWen alone.

After Xue Rui closed the door to Li XinWen's room, he was finally able to breathe. His heart was beating excessively fast as if it was about to burst out of his chest. He felt his knees buckle and all the strength he had drained away. He placed his hand on the wall just to keep himself upright.

"What was that?! I've kissed him so many times in the past but why did this kiss feel different? Why am I so nervous? What is happening to me?" he kept asking himself, his hand covering his mouth as if he was about to hyperventilate.

"Snap out of it Xue Rui," he reprimanded himself. He stood up straight and fixed his tie. He brushed any kinks off his trousers, took an extra breath of air to calm himself and proceeded downstairs.

Li XinWen let out a scoff when Xue Rui left and he quickly went to the mirror to fix his messy hair. As he stared at his reflection, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes. "Geez... Your life is a mess, you know that? How is it that your own sister's fiance had taken a fancy to you? And rather than telling your sister, you'd rather suffer in silence just so you can see her smile with the man she loves. Where is your dignity?" Li XinWen seemed to scold the original. Of course, he didn't receive any reply. The original was dead and his soul has probably entered the reincarnation cycle. Otherwise, Li XinWen wouldn't be here at all.

Since being hospitalized, Li XinWen's hair had grown to medium length. His hair had volume and it was obvious that it was taken care of properly. He let the original's memories guide him in styling his hair. He applied a light to moderate hold wax throughout his hair and used his hands and fingers to pull them back. The styling he ended up doing was the quiff hairstyle, it looked scruffy and a little disheveled, but it suited his face very well and accentuated his facial assets.

Once he was finished, he went downstairs and looked for madam Li.

"Oh my! What a handsome young man you are!" madam Li exclaimed when she saw Li XinWen approach.

"You flatter me too much mom," Li XinWen responded shyly. "I'll just be out for a bit. I'll be back by dinner time," he said and gave madam Li a hug. He put on his Ray-ban sunglasses and stepped out of the house. He saw the car parked on the driveway and immediately knew that it was Xue Rui's. The silver Maserati was actually Xue Rui's favorite among all of his collection. Li XinWen had to admit; the car looked impressive.

As Li XinWen was walking towards the car, Xue Rui happened to glance out the window on the passenger side. He was taken aback as he saw Li XinWen striding toward the car and nearly dropped his mobile phone. Li XinWen looked like a sexy fashion model on the runway. "Why does he look so good?!" Xue Rui thought as he continued to speak to his phone.

Li XinWen double-checked with the original's memories to make sure he wouldn't make a mistake or forget to do something necessary. He opened the passenger door, sat on the passenger seat and buckled his seat belt. He saw that Xue Rui was on the phone and judging from his tone it seemed to be very important; probably something to do with work. The seat was extremely comfortable, and Li XinWen noticed how luxurious the leather interior was as he ran his hands on the high-grade leather panel of the passenger door. He glanced at Xue Rui then averted his gaze to the front and waited patiently for him to finish.

After a while, Xue Rui finally ended the call and looked over at Li XinWen apologetically. "Sorry, about that Ah'Wen, I forgot to tell my secretary about today so he panicked while trying to look for me. Don't worry though, I've already finished everything for today, so he won't bother us on our date," Xue Rui informed him with a grin on his face. After making sure that Li XinWen was wearing his safety belt, he started the engine and drove.


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