Chapter 3.2 - Home is where the family is

A week passed and Li XinWen was well enough to be discharged from the hospital. As was planned, Manager Su picked him up and they went directly to where they were holding the press conference. Upon arriving, they were met briefly by the CEO of Oracle Entertainment company to welcome Li XinWen back and they proceeded to the hall where the reporters had been waiting. In all honesty, Li XinWen could care less about the press conference and decided to let Manager Su handle everything.

The press conference proceeded accordingly. Several reporters asked their questions directly at Li XinWen and as a foreigner in this world and the profession, he tried his best to answer them politely and as best he could, drawing from the original's memory. This went on for a good 2 hours and the flashing cameras made Li XinWen dizzy and before long he felt sick. It was a good thing that Manager Su was quick on her toes and noticed his demeanor. She signaled for the company's head of production to take over. She made a brief statement to the reports and assisted Li XinWen over to the exit.

"Are you okay?" Manager Su asked and without waiting for Li XinWen's response ushered him towards the car parked in the back entrance of the building. "Take care and rest," and with that, the driver left for Li XinWen's address.

It was a considerable drive from the company building to his address. As he was not familiar with the world he was in, he looked out of the car window with astonishment. Skyscrapers lined the road and there were numerous vehicles weaving in and out. 'So, this is the mortal world of the lower realm!' his astonishment trumped any discomfort he was feeling from the press conference.

The car finally stopped in front of a two-storey house with a well-maintained lawn. The driver alighted and opened the car door for him. He said his thank you to the driver and walked slowly towards the front door, one hand placed just below his right rib taking care not to exacerbate his injury. It felt familiar and yet foreign to Li XinWen. The original's memories in this home came rushing into view and tears started running down his cheeks. "So, this was how it felt to have a family," sniffing he managed to laugh a little and continued walking until he reached the front door. It seemed that no one was home as the lights were out.

He reached for the handle and turned the knob. It wasn't locked. Li XinWen was suddenly filled with anticipation and excitement as he stepped into a dimly lit living room when the lights suddenly switched on and confetti poppers were released. It was a delightful surprise to have his entire family throw him a welcome home party. He was overwhelmed with happiness and he couldn't help but feel touched.

"Welcome home, Ah'Wen!" both women of the Li family said warmly.

"This is a congratulatory party for your safe discharge! Mom cooked all of your favorites. Come and eat!" Li JingHua said as she led Li XinWen to the dining table. On top of the dining table, there were a variety of foods, all of which were the original's favorite.

"Xin-gege, congratulations! And welcome home," Sun Xiao said with a smile on his face.

Li XinWen grinned and patted Sun Xiao's head. "Thank you, Ah'Xiao. Thank you, mom. And thank you also, Hua-jie."

"Don't be polite. Hurry up and eat before the food becomes cold," mother Li said urging Li XinWen to start eating.

It wasn't until they were finished eating and mother Li went to wash the dishes did Li XinWen realize that someone was missing. "Hua-jie, where's Rui-ge?"

"He's busy with work so he couldn't come," she lied. Li Jing Hua had not yet told her family about the matter regarding their engagement. "Why? Are you worried?"

"Oh, no... Not at all. It just... It feels weird not seeing you together," Li XinWen replied. Knowing how infatuated Xue Rui is with the original, he was certain that that man wouldn't miss this party for Li XinWen.

"Why is it weird? He isn't family," Li JingHua grumbled unhappily.

"But he will become Hua-jie's husband in the future, so he is already family," Li XinWen said. Even though he's a scum, the original was willing to go through lengths to make sure his sister was happy. So he, as the replacement, should try his best too. Of course he wasn't going to be sleeping with that scum any longer. He already planned to use his injury to his advantage, and by the time he's fully recovered, he'll be able to use spiritual energy to knock him out.

"He won't be," Li JingHua said in a very low voice. But since Li XinWen had already reached the 3rd stage of Houtian, he could easily hear it.

"Hua-jie, did you have a fight with Rui-ge??" Li XinWen asked worriedly. "I... I'll go talk to Rui-ge so you two can make up!"

"No! No need!" Li JingHua quickly stopped Li XinWen. "It's fine. For now, your health is the top priority. You should go and rest and let Jie talk to him, alright?" Li JingHua said before asking Sun Xiao to help Li XinWen to his room.

After Li XinWen and Sun Xiao disappeared upstairs, Li JingHua finally let out a sigh of relief. She thought about her plan once more. Somehow she felt it'll be hard to tell Li XinWen and Sun Xiao. "I guess I'll wait until Ah'Wen is fully recovered..." she said as she took out her phone and sent a message to Xue Rui. With how Li XinWen acted earlier, it seems that she needs to revise her plan a little bit.

Xue Rui was working in his office when he received the text message from his former fiance. After reading the text message, Xue Rui couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. 'How precious,' he thought. He decided to call instead of replying back with a text. JingHua answered on the second ring.

"JingHua, what a pleasant surprise. Didn't you say that I should stay away from your family?" Xue Rui asked in a mocking tone. "It's only been a week and it seems that you already miss me."

"You haven't changed Xue Rui. This is for Ah'Wen. He's worried about our 'relationship' and I'm afraid that it might affect his recovery. So, work with me here."

"Ah~ of course. For Xiao Wen, I am willing to agree with this," he said, a smile forming on his lips. "Then, I will see you at dinner."

After that exchange, he ended the call and looked forward to dinner. "But before that..." Xue Rui stared at his computer. "I should finish this quickly," he sighed as he continued his work. It was probably because he was too focused on his work that he didn't realize how late it was. If his secretary had not reminded him, he may have worked until late into the night.

After leaving his office, Xue Rui made a quick stop to buy a gift for Li XinWen. When he told Li JingHua that he was going to pursue Li XinWen, he actually meant it. The moment he laid his eyes on Li XinWen, he knew he had to have him.

He went to a high end antique shop and with his status; he was immediately led to the VIP room. "Young Master Xue, is there something you need from our humble shop?" the store manager asked.

"En. I'm looking for a gift for my future wife. Do you have anything that might be fitting? The price won't be an issue," Xue Rui answered.

"Well, you're in luck Young Master Xue! We just recently acquired a very rare jadeite stone."

"Oh?" this news suddenly piqued Xue Rui's interest. "How big is the stone?"

"Although it is not that big, it would still be enough to make a jade pendant," the manager answered.

"Alright. Please make it into my family crest. How long will it take? I plan to give the gift tonight."

"No problem, Young Master Xue. It will be done in an hour. In the meantime, how about Young Master Xue look over the rest of our items? Maybe there is something else that might strike your fancy?" handing Xue Rui a booklet to browse through before heading to the back of the shop to prepare the pendant Xue Rui wanted.

Though Xue Rui knew that it was only a marketing strategy, he indulgently browsed the booklet. After all, it was better than doing nothing. By the time he reached the last page, he had unconsciously added three more items to his purchase. He reasoned that since he bought one for Li XinWen, it would look suspicious if he didn't get gifts for the rest of the family.