BAM!
Li Xinwen had been flipping through the channels for a good five minutes when he suddenly heard a loud bang coming from the dining room, as if someone slammed the table. He turned around with a frown to see Xue Rui giving Min Xiaoyu a death glare, while Min Xiaoyu came fully to his feet, one hand on the table. Li Jinghua had a worried look and was trying to calm Madam Li who appeared shocked by the sudden turn of events.
Li Xinwen stood up and walked towards the dining table. “Hua-jie, go take mom to her room. I’ll settle things here,” he said as he helped Mother Li stand and let Li Jinghua support her out of the room. But their mother clutched Li Xinwen’s shirt, gazing at him worriedly.
“Ah‘Wen, you–“
“Don’t worry, mom. I know what I’m doing,” Li Xinwen smiled at her before giving the two men a menacing glare. “Hua-jie, please take mom to her room,” he repeated as he motioned for Li Jinghua to lead Madam Li away.
“Alright. I’ll leave it to you. But,” Li Jinghua’s eyes darted to Min Xiaoyu as she hesitated.
“Ah‘Wen, try not to antagonize Mr. Min. I will explain everything later, just trust me for now.”
“Very well. I will expect a full explanation later,” Li Xinwen nodded at her and then watched Li Jinghua lead Madam Li to her room. “Now then,” Li Xinwen turned his attention to the two men who were clearly not trying to hide their hostility. “Give me one good reason why I should not kick both of you out of my home,” Li Xinwen’s voice was low, and full of unspoken threat.
When the two men heard Li Xinwen’s tone, they suddenly felt that the room’s temperature had gone down by several degrees and each could feel his own scalp go numb. Xue Rui was reminded of that short moment he felt back when they were in the auction house. His eyes went to Li Xinwen, whose expression was that of indifference.
Min Xiaoyu on the other hand, felt an inexplicable fear as he stared at Li Xinwen in disbelief. Suddenly, he felt the pressure of a 4th stage Houtian from Li Xinwen. At first he had thought that Li Xinwen was only a casual martial arts practitioner who opened one of his 12 meridians by luck. But now he was finding out that Li Xinwen’s rank was actually higher than his. After much thought, a sense of admiration replaced his fears. ‘I really need to bring this person to meet grandfather!’
“Well?” Li Xinwen’s voice made the two men snap out of their thoughts. “Not answering? Rui-ge, how about you explain to me what happened earlier? And don’t you dare try to conceal anything from me. I’ll know…” he let his words trail off, but he knew Xue Rui was aware that he was being serious.
“Xinwen…” Xue Rui hesitated to answer. In fact, he knew that he was in the wrong.
“You called my grandfather a fraud!” Min Xiaoyu hissed at Xue Rui. “What is so hard to say? Didn’t you say it quite easily earlier?!” Min Xiaoyu wasn’t afraid now that he knew Li Xinwen was at a higher rank than himself. After all, his grandfather had said that once you reached 2nd stage, all five senses would be heightened considerably. So he was confident that Li Xinwen had heard their conversation earlier and therefore knew that it was Xue Rui who was in the wrong.
“Did I tell you to speak?” Li Xinwen raised an eyebrow at Min Xiaoyu. “Earlier, I gave you an opportunity, yet you did not speak. Now that I’m asking someone else, you suddenly decide to talk?” he asked. Min Xiaoyu lowered his gaze after being scolded like a child.
“Ah‘Wen? How is it going?” Li Jinghua asked as she approached, after assuring their mother that everything was all right and leaving her in her room.
“Ah, Hua-jie, good timing! Can you help your little brother prepare some tea for our two ‘guests’? As for me, I’ll have my chocolate milk,” Li Xinwen said with a gentle smile on his face as he addressed his sister. “As for you two,” he turned to Xue Rui and Min Xiaoyu. “Follow me.”
***
Li Xinwen brought them over to the living room, sat down on one of the sofas, and crossed his legs. At that moment, Li Xinwen looked like one of those important business owners; the aura around him full of authority.
This scene made Xue Rui swallow hard. He had to admit, although Li Xinwen looked scary at the moment he also felt excited at Li Xinwen’s display of authority. ‘How I wish I could just take him in my arms and smother him with kisses to ease his temper.’
Both Min Xiaoyu and Xue Rui were just about to take their seats when Li Xinwen spoke: “Did I say you two can sit? After scaring my mother with your outburst, you’re still not giving me your knees?”
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. Accepting their fate, both men reluctantly knelt down on the floor before Li Xinwen. From the moment their knees touched the floor, one could 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, he decided that this time he’d better speak up first so he wouldn’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 and he turned to glare at Min XiaoyuXiaoyu 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 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 will I 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 right in front of him. The silent threat that existed within those eyes were enough to make the hair on Xue Rui’s body stand on end.
“That..,” he started, but before Xue Rui was able to answer, Li Jinghua came out of the kitchen. She approached 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 into the living room and just as she arrived, the scene caused her to pause midway.
She wore 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 unsteady 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 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.
She ventured, “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’s status would overtake Xue Rui’s in the future, he wondered what the reason would be.
Hearing Li Jinghua’s words, 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 the future that she had already experienced, Xue Rui’s main priority was to keep Li Xinwen on his side at all times. He hadn’t been concerned for 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’s, 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!” And even 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.
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, she 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 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 had 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 patted his head and leaned down to land a kiss on that same spot in an affectionate manner before he pulled away. “Come on,” he said, and pulled Sun Xiao’s hand to lead 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 seats.
Once seated, Li Xinwen eyed the three people before him. Xue Rui had a few of his top buttons undone, probably to cool his anger. After all, he had to defend himself against two people. His eyebrows were scrunched up and 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 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?”
