Valentine's Day

Xia Yu didn't listen to Tony. He was the quietly flirtatious type who neither made the first move nor turned anyone down, so he chose a very Huaxia way to celebrate moving into his new home: eating hot pot while watching TV. He also went out to buy a few things to fill his fridge. Tony had built Xia Yu a small liquor cabinet in the kitchen and stocked it with all kinds of fine liquor, but the fridge was completely empty.

"Master, it's Valentine's Day today," the system's voice suddenly chimed in.

Xia Yu asked curiously, "Yeah. Did you get me a present?"

"Dream on, Master. You're not my boyfriend." Somehow, Tmall's synthesized voice, which spoke one word at a time, managed to sound mocking.

"Then why the hell did you bring it up?" Xia Yu shouted.

"I was kindly reminding you that you have a girlfriend, Master. Shouldn't you get her a present?" Tmall said.

"Why the hell should I? She isn't even here, so what would I get her a present for?" Xia Yu said.

"Whether she comes or not is her business. Whether you get her a present is yours. Men are all big pig trotters, pig trotters, trotters," Tmall said. (As mentioned earlier, Tmall sounds like Siri. Imagine it for yourselves.)

"Damn you. Then what should I get her? Got any good suggestions?" Xia Yu said.

"The Lover's Space Ring. It contains two cubic meters of space and can be bound to your Space Ring, Master. When the ring's owner faces mortal danger, you can teleport to her. This skill can only be used once. Price: ten thousand points," Tmall said.

"Damn you. So there's no item shop, but you pop up to sell me things every now and then? I've only got a little over ten thousand points," Xia Yu said.

"You don't have to buy it, Master, but please don't swear at me. It hurts our relationship." Tmall still spoke one word at a time.

Xia Yu didn't have the energy to get angry. The ring was definitely worth the price. Fine, he'd buy it and give it to Natasha the next time he saw her.

Xia Yu clicked purchase, and Tmall spoke again. "Binding successful. Each ring will display the other owner's name, but only the two of you can see them. The system knows how to be romantic too."

Xia Yu looked down at his Space Ring, a ring of pure black jade. The name Natasha Romanoff appeared faintly on it in English, while the ring meant for Natasha displayed the two Chinese characters for Xia Yu. He was quite satisfied.

He put the ring away and went downstairs, where he spotted the silver-gray Audi R8 Tony Stark had left at the building's main entrance. He drove it to the supermarket for a major shopping trip. When he returned, carrying bags large and small, Xia Yu froze as soon as he walked through the door.

Natasha sat on the windowsill, smiling at him. Her red hair was cut short, and she was wearing nothing but a bikini. Her skin was snow-white, and the tiny scraps of fabric could barely contain her full breasts. She had a slender waist he could have circled with one hand and a pair of perfect, long legs. Her two dainty feet rested together, swinging now and then.

Xia Yu felt his blood surge. He tossed the bags onto the floor, and Natasha stepped down and walked toward him, each step full of endless temptation.

"Well? Do I look good in a bikini, my big boy? How do I compare to those hot girls on Tony Stark's yacht?" Natasha came up beside Xia Yu and whispered in his ear.

Her voice was gentle, but her words instantly doused Xia Yu's fire. He opened his mouth to explain, but Natasha laid a slender finger against his lips. Her red lips parted in deadly temptation. "Don't explain. Kiss me!"

He soared straight back up from rock bottom. As the saying went, even if Xia Yu could hold back, his little Xia Yu couldn't. They kissed passionately, making their way from the elevator to the sofa, then battled all the way from the sofa to the bedroom. They kept at it from the afternoon until dark. Finally, a thoroughly refreshed Xia Yu and an exhausted Natasha collapsed into the bathtub, his arms around her.

"How did you find this place?" As soon as Xia Yu asked, he realized it was a stupid question. She even knew what he'd done on the yacht, so finding this place was nothing. She was a senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

Sure enough, Natasha didn't answer his question. Instead, she smiled and said, "That song you sang on the yacht was lovely. Did you write it recently?"

Xia Yu's face nearly went white. He blurted out the most shameless words of his life: "When I was sleeping with them, you were the only one on my mind."

Natasha smiled, kissed him on the chest, and slowly sat up. "I don't believe you, but it's nice to hear. I can't stay by your side, so as long as I'm in your heart, that's enough."

Xia Yu suddenly remembered the ring and hurriedly said, "I called you this afternoon, but I couldn't get through. I got you a special Valentine's Day present. See if you like it. I spent a long time preparing it." He quickly took out the ring and held up the one on his own hand for Natasha to see. Inwardly, he knelt and thanked Tmall.

Natasha looked at Xia Yu's ring, then at her own. This time, she smiled with genuine happiness. "I love it. I'll always wear it."

Xia Yu knew Natasha was proficient in several languages and scripts, so she would surely understand the writing. He explained, "Only you and I can see the names on the rings, so you can wear yours without worrying. It also has storage space. Try thinking about the ring."

Natasha put on the ring and tried it. Her expression changed dramatically. "Is this spatial technology? How did you get it? And it was custom-made? Do you have spatial technology?"

Xia Yu reached out and pulled her into his arms. He didn't tell her about the emergency teleportation, but explained, "I don't have spatial technology. You can think of it as a kind of magic. These are the only two in the world, and there's no way to make any more. Trust me. There are some things I'll explain to you later."

Natasha nodded and dropped the subject. Instead, she said to Xia Yu with a pitiful look, "Baby, I'm hungry."

Xia Yu hurriedly got dressed and went to the living room, telling Natasha to sit on the sofa and watch TV while she waited. He turned and saw a box on the coffee table. Looking back, he saw Natasha watching him with a smile. Delighted, he eagerly opened the box. Inside was an ordinary-looking men's wristwatch with a black strap and a round face. What made it unusual was the sketch of Xia Yu's face printed in the center, with an image of Natasha's face on the back. Xia Yu hurriedly put it on, then turned and gave Natasha a deep kiss to show how much he liked it.

Natasha said, "This watch can monitor your vital signs. If you're badly hurt, I'll get to you as fast as I can, no matter where you are." Xia Yu was moved beyond words. If he hadn't been in a hurry to cook, he would have loved to offer himself to her again right then.

At the same time, Xia Yu had a vague feeling that the system might have known all along, but no matter how he asked, Tmall denied it, so he could only put it aside for now.

With Natasha there, Xia Yu gave up on the hot pot. Fortunately, he had bought everything he needed that day. He fried two steaks and made a fruit and vegetable salad, then thought for a moment and made some cream of mushroom soup as well. The candlesticks and candles were already on hand: a candlelit dinner.

"Are you leaving again today?" Xia Yu asked, seemingly offhandedly.

"A few days ago was Chinese New Year, and I really couldn't get away. So I don't plan on letting you spend Valentine's Day or the Chinese Lantern Festival alone. I hear the Lantern Festival in Huaxia is a time for being together, so I'll go back to New York with you to celebrate."

Xia Yu was delighted. "Baby, that's the best Valentine's Day present."