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Chapter 26.1 - One cannot fight with an empty Stomach

Li Xinwen arrived at Sun Xiao's school by taxi and because he remembered Sun Xiao was feeling nervous earlier, he didn't wait at the front entrance. Instead, he asked the driver to go over to the back entrance to wait before he sends a message to Sun Xiao to inform the younger boy. Li Xinwen didn't have to wait long before Sun Xiao appeared and Li Xinwen helped open the door from the inside.

"Xin-gege," Sun Xiao greeted him with a shy smile. "Did you wait long?"

"Not at all! Just arrived myself," Li Xinwen said before he turned to the taxi driver again. "Sir, please go to Oceanzone shopping mall," Li Xinwen told the driver who then drove off without asking any question. This time, Li Xinwen didn't put on his disguise so the driver didn't get the suspicious feeling, unlike the other taxi driver from before. But, the driver would still occasionally glanced at his rear mirror to look at Li Xinwen.

"Sir, please forgive me if this question would... offend you but, are you the actor that got into an accident not too long ago?" the driver asked.

Upon hearing this question, Sun Xiao frowned but Li Xinwen just smiled at the driver. "Yes, I've just recently got discharged from the hospital. I'm currently on vacation in order to recuperate," Li Xinwen answered calmly.

"I knew it! My daughter kept on talking about you and her room is full of your poster. She even has a shrine in the corner of her room dedicated to you!" the driver replied, sounding a bit excited. "Mr. Li, is it alright if I ask for your signature later? When my daughter heard of your accident, she was depressed and even cried for the whole night. Then, the news of your successful surgery made her happy but it didn't last long because not long after, the news says you were in a coma," the driver told Li Xinwen, his tone was slightly somber.

"Mr. Li, you see, my daughter is not that bright. Her marks are always under average and she was already in her last year of high school. As a father, I am always worried... then suddenly, she said she wanted to be a surgeon! A neurosurgeon to boot! I was truly surprised!" the driver continued to speak. "At first, I thought she was just saying it for... you know, for the sake of it. I mean, when I asked why she wanted to be a neurosurgeon, she said it was because of you. But she really worked hard and her mark is now in the top 100 within the whole nation!" at this, Li Xinwen could sense how proud the driver is for his daughter. "So, Mr. Li, can you please grant my wish and give me an autograph addressed to my daughter?" the driver asked with a pleading expression.

"Alright. I'll give her an autograph," Li Xinwen said with a small chuckle. Working hard for someone you look up to is normal even in Long Xing. Back then, Li Xinwen also has few disciples of Soaring Heaven sect that idolizes him and Li Xinwen would also sometimes reward them by either giving them advice or pills to help them with their cultivation as a form of encouragement. Plus, Li Xinwen felt indebted to his sect so the stronger their disciple is, the better it is for his sect.

The rest of the drive was filled with small chatter between Li Xinwen and the driver and it made Sun Xiao felt neglected. He lowered his head and started to play with his phone when suddenly he felt a warm hand on top of his head. Looking up, he saw Li Xinwen gazing at him with a warm smile on his face.

"Ah'Xiao, what's wrong?" Li Xinwen asked.

In Sun Xiao's eyes, Li Xinwen's smile was very dazzling and he felt his heart race once again. He doesn't understand why he was feeling nervous faced with his adopted brother's smile recently. He had never felt this way before this.

"Ah'Xiao?" Li Xinwen called out again, this time his tone was laced with worry.

"Xin-gege, you won't leave Ah'Xiao?" Sun Xiao asked in a low voice.

Hearing this, Li Xinwen showed a helpless expression. His hand moved down to caress Sun Xiao's cheek before he lightly pinched the soft meat. "What are you thinking, hmm? Didn't ge already promised you? Sun Xiao, even if the world wants to abandon you, ge will always be by your side," Li Xinwen told the young boy. "Why do you always think ge will leave you?" he asked. Sun Xiao's insecurity has always been there even when Li Xinwen looked at the original's memories before. He believed that this was the reason why Sun Xiao is the way he is now.

Sun Xiao didn't reply but he just went closer and wrapped his arm around Li Xinwen's waist to hug him. Li Xinwen also didn't ask any further and just comforted the young boy. 'Sun Xiao's gloominess... how do I change this?' Li Xinwen thought to himself before he remembered how the boy looked excited whenever martial arts were mentioned.

"Ah'Xiao, how about we go browse some martial arts book later?" Li Xinwen asked as he looked down to gauge the younger boy's reaction. Sure enough, at the mention of martial arts, Sun Xiao's previous gloominess disappeared and his eyes shone with excitement.

"We will buy martial arts books?" Sun Xiao asked and Li Xinwen nods his head.

"Will ge also learn martial arts with me?" he asked again, getting another nod from Li Xinwen. "Let's go now?"

At this, Li Xinwen let out a small chuckle and pats Sun Xiao on the head. "Not now. Later. First, we must go eat and fill our belly," Li Xinwen told Sun Xiao. "Remember, one cannot fight with an empty stomach. That's your first lesson!"

"Okay!" Sun Xiao nods his head as he committed the first lesson Li Xinwen told him into his memories. "Ge, if that is the first... Then, what's the second?"

"Second? Hmm... practicing martial arts require confidence and discipline. So you will have to work on your confidence, Ah'Xiao, or else, it will be hard for you to learn," Li Xinwen said.

"Confidence...?" Sun Xiao looked at Li Xinwen, his eyes seemingly show a hint of lost. "Xin-gege, how do I work on my confidence?"

Another update because I need to make another announcement >.<

I noticed that the comic doesn't appear in webtoon search. So here is the link:

https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/to-rise-again-in-the-apocalypse/list?title_no=364112

If you guys are too lazy to type that in, just join the discord server and I'll give you the link there! Or, just reach me out in discord. Here is my discord tag: LittleDragon#5678

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