Chapter 36: Chapter 14.2 - Good question, ah! How long? Of course until I am satisfied!
The two guilty men looked at each other helplessly as Li XinWen's tone did not show even the slightest hint that he was joking. As if accepting their fate, both men finally knelt down on the floor before Li XinWen. From the moment their knees touched the floor, one can make out a smile tracing Li XinWen's lips. He nodded his head in satisfaction before speaking. "Now then, who would like to begin?"
"He called my grandfather a fraud! You also practice martial arts! You should be able to tell if my practice is fraud or not, right?" Min XiaoYu began, his face anxious. After his mistake earlier, this time, he decided to speak up first so that he won't be scolded again. He thought that since Li XinWen's level was higher than his, then he must know that he was telling the truth.
"Well, I have yet to see your grandfather, so I cannot say," Li XinWen replied.
"Then you can just come to my place tomorrow and see grandfather!"
When Xue Rui heard this, his face contorted in jealousy as he turned to glare at Min XIaoYu to show his displeasure. "XinWen is busy tomorrow. He doesn't have time to see your grandfather," he said, his tone full of confidence.
Li XinWen raised an eyebrow, amused with Xue Rui's reaction. 'This person... is he seriously drinking vinegar right now?' he wondered. At the same time, Li XinWen also felt that he really should put Xue Rui back in his place. 'Or else, this lovesick fool will get ahead of himself again.'
"Rui-ge, do remind me what I will be busy with tomorrow? Because I cannot seem to recall anything. Last I checked, I am free from work for a year," Li XinWen said as he looked over at Xue Rui. He put on a smiling face, but his eyes were glinting dangerously as if daring Xue Rui to lie again in front of his face. The silent threat that existed within those eyes were enough to make the hair on Xue Rui's body stand on end.
"That..." just as Xue Rui was about to answer, Li JingHua came out of the kitchen as if saving Xue Rui from saying anything else that might end up with him losing favor with his beloved. On her hand was a tray with four different cups. She walked over to the living room and just as she arrived, the scene before her caused her to pause midway.
She had a complicated look on her face as she saw the two men kneeling on the floor. Though it filled her with satisfaction to see Xue Rui looking miserable, Min XiaoYu was different. Since she wanted to befriend him before the apocalypse, she really didn't want Min XiaoYu to feel antagonized.
"Ah'Wen, what happened here? Why are they kneeling on the floor?" Li JingHua asked. Her voice was slightly unstable as she tried to hide her anxiousness. She continued to walk over to them then placed the tray on the coffee table.
"They scared mom. So of course they have to apologize properly. Now, since sister is also here, let us get right to the point," Li XinWen leaned over to the coffee table to get his chocolate milk drink and took a sip. He felt his whole body relax from the warmth of the sweet drink. "Hua-jie, you seem to know Mr. Min very well. In fact, I can sense that you wanted to get into his good graces but, Mr. Min doesn't seem to know you well. Do you have anything to tell this younger brother of yours?"
Li XinWen's statement sent shivers down Li JingHua's spine. Her instincts told her that if she lied, Li XinWen would know about it. By now, Li JingHua understood the nervousness that Xue Rui and Min XiaoYu felt. She took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh to calm her nervous heart. "Ah'Wen, Mr. Min..." Li JingHua hesitated as she tried to formulate something in her mind on how to approach this topic. After all, she would sound crazy if she could not prove that the apocalypse was coming. In fact, she would understand if her brother thought so too. "In a few years, Mr. Min's name will be very well known."
"Oh? Even more well known than Rui-ge?" Li XinWen voiced out his surprise. Based on his experience today, he knew Xue Rui's social class was very high. If Min XiaoYu would beat Xue Rui in the future, he wondered what the reason would be. On the other hand, Xue Rui's face became even more ugly. Being compared to another man right before the person he loved, what kind of man would be able to handle such a thing.
"En. Rui will also be well known, but compared to Mr. Min... his fame will be on a much smaller scale," Li JingHua added. It was not a lie. Especially since in that future she experienced, Xue Rui's main priority was to keep Li XinWen on his side at all times. The Xue Rui then didn't even think of anyone else other than Li XinWen, Sun Xiao and herself. He was ruthless to others, so his reputation was not as good as Min XiaoYu who was seen as benevolent for saving anyone he could save.
"Smaller, huh?" Li XinWen's eyes moved from Li JingHua to Xue Rui. He didn't even bother to hide the mischief in his eyes. "Rui-ge, what do you think about your fiance talking about you like that?" the smirk that adorned Li XinWen's face made him look even more enchanting in Xue Rui's eyes but Xue Rui didn't feel good at all.
"JingHua is just trying to discredit me for acting childish earlier. I'm sure she didn't actually mean it! XinWen, until when do I need to kneel? I admit, I was in the wrong," Xue Rui said while giving Li XinWen a puppy look.
"Good question, ah! How long? Of course until I am satisfied!" though Li XinWen said that, he turned his head slightly to avoid looking at Xue Rui. 'Using that look again. Seriously, that's cheating.'
"Ah'Wen, I think that's enough already. I can see they're already regretting their actions so, how about letting them go now?" Li JingHua tried to appease her brother.
Chapter 37: Chapter 14.3 - Second chances, anyone?
Li XinWen eyed Li JingHua for a while, his eyes calculating, as he tried to figure out whether his sister was hiding anything else. "Hua-jie, since you think they've already had enough, then XinWen will let them go," Li XinWen waved his hand at the two kneeling men.
Xue Rui and Min XiaoYu looked at each other before they stood up and went to take a seat on the sofa. "Alright, now I think Hua-jie needs to continue what she was saying earlier. You're still hiding something. How can Mr. Min beat Rui-ge's status?"
"About that..." Li JingHua still hesitated, but after looking at Li XinWen who had a serious look on his face, knew she couldn't avoid it any longer. "At first, I wanted to wait until you were fully recovered to disclose this. After all, I didn't want your health to turn for the worse after hearing what's about to happen in five years. But before I begin... We should call Ah'Xiao too. He also needs to know," Li JingHua said and Li XinWen immediately stood up.
"Wait here. I'll call Ah'Xiao," Li XinWen then walked over to the stairs and disappeared from the gaze of the three people in the living room.
The moment Li XinWen was out of earshot, Li JingHua's expression changed. Her eyes narrowed at Xue Rui and she crossed her arms over her chest. "What were you thinking, Xue Rui? Don't you know the state of my mother's health? Why are you acting so childish!?" she hissed, showing her displeasure.
"Me? The one who lashed out was this guy!" Xue Rui pointed at Min XiaoYu.
"Do you think I'd lash out for no reason?! You slandered my grandfather in case you forgot. Did you think I'd sit quietly while you badmouthed a person in my family?" Min XiaoYu retorted as he tried to defend himself.
While the three continued to argue, Li XinWen who was currently upstairs could hear them clearly. "Heavens! I'm tired already. Those two grown men are acting like children, how embarrassing!" Li XinWen shook his head as he went to get Sun Xiao.
Sun Xiao was doing his revision in his room. Although his personality and mind had regressed to a ten-year old child, he knew that this was something that he should be learning. He was struggling with his studies just a few years ago but managed to cope with the help of Li XinWen, and since then, Sun Xiao continued to work hard to show his appreciation.
He had just finished making notes on what they had learned today in school when he heard a knock on his door, followed by Li XinWen's soft voice. "Ah'Xiao, are you still busy? Hua-jie has something to share with us. She said that you need to be present too."
Sun Xiao looked up from his notebook and walked over to the door. Turning the handle, he pulled the door open to reveal Li XinWen standing at the entrance. "I just finished. I can go down now," Sun Xiao said with a smile before hugging Li XinWen.
Li XinWen already knew this action was normal for Sun Xiao so he just let out a small chuckle. "Alright, let's go downstairs, hmm?" Li XinWen gently pat his head and leaned down to land a kiss on top of Sun Xiao's head in an affectionate manner before he pulled away. "Come on," he pulled Sun Xiao's hand and led the boy downstairs to the living room.
When they arrived, the three people who were still bickering suddenly stopped. Li JingHua cleared her throat and waited for Li XinWen and Sun Xiao to take their seat. Once seated, Li XinWen eyed the three people before him. Xue Rui had a few of his top buttons undone, probably to cool himself from being angered to death. After all, he had to defend himself against two people. His eyebrows were scrunched up as he massaged his head in an attempt to soothe his headache. Seeing Xue Rui like this made Li XinWen feel delighted, especially after what he experienced earlier that day. 'Serves you right!' Li XinWen laughed in his mind.
"Now that everyone is here," Li JingHua's voice brought Li XinWen back to reality. "But, I request that until I am done, no one cut me off. I know you probably won't believe an ounce of what I am about to say, but this is what I have truly experienced. Before that... Does anyone of you believe in second chances?"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Lin_XiaoLong
Lin_XiaoLong
Few chapters after this will be an info dump as well as a little flashback. Please bear with this author... XD
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
3 Power
stone 
Paragraph comment