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.