Band-Aid, Old Butler

The simplest and most direct way to trigger the Lord of Kin ability would be a kiss, right?

It fulfills the prerequisite of intimate contact while also providing a medium for fluid exchange.

With a thought of giving it a try, Xi Nian looked at Gwen, who was sleeping peacefully. He gently braced his hands on the bed and leaned his body closer.

He moved in to a certain distance.

Facing the doll-like delicate face so close, Xi Nian could feel the girl's warm breath brushing against his cheek, carrying an enticingly sweet scent.

At that moment.

Our Gwen was pretending to be asleep.

When she had returned home late last night from the warzone near the Abomination, she happened to run into her mother knocking on the door outside. Still wearing her female Spider Suit, Gwen nearly got caught. Luckily, she quickly came up with an excuse about feeling unwell and didn't open the door. This morning, she used that same excuse to stay home and rest.

Although she had been injured in yesterday's battle, with her constitution, any wound that wasn't life-threatening would heal quickly.

But what Gwen never expected was...

Xi Nian would skip class to visit her, and her mother even pushed him into her room. With no other choice, Gwen, betrayed by her own mom, could only pretend to be asleep. As for why her forehead felt feverish—it was because, from the moment Xi Nian entered her room alone, her body had been steadily heating up.

Right now.

Even though she couldn't open her eyes while pretending to sleep, without even using her Spider-Sense, Gwen could clearly feel—Xi Nian, sitting by her bedside, had suddenly leaned closer, his gaze fixed on her face, no, on her lips!

Hey, hey, hey???

What's going on?

The girl was a bit stunned. She kept quiet on the surface, but her hands, hidden under the down comforter, were clenched tightly.

At the same time, a flicker of hesitation passed through Xi Nian's eyes. He paused for a moment, then fully lowered his body.

Gwen's body stiffened slightly.

A faint, warm sensation touched her forehead, then parted just as quickly.

Xi Nian quickly straightened up, guiltily glancing at the closed door. He touched his own lips with his fingers, where a lingering, undeniable heat remained.

"What am I even doing?"

Xi Nian gave a bitter smile. Though she was a childhood friend, even a good buddy, she was still a girl. Kissing her on the lips was definitely not something he should do!

But from the burning heat on Gwen's forehead, which had risen a bit more, there was no doubt—she really had a fever.

Feeling a pang of guilt, Xi Nian reached out to pull the blanket up for her.

Just then, his gaze was caught by something.

Band-aids.

Three band-aids had been hidden under the blanket. Because he had tugged at it, they fell out from the covers.

"What are these?" Xi Nian picked up the band-aids and noticed they had been used, but the adhesive parts were very clean, without any trace of blood or dust.

He suddenly remembered when they were kids.

Gwen loved sticking band-aids on herself, especially on her nose bridge, pretending to have a wound. She would even pat her flat chest and say she'd be the big boss protecting him.

"Band-aids don't work for colds, you little fool." Xi Nian chuckled, slipped the three band-aids into his pocket, and walked out of the girl's room with slow steps.

"Oh, that fast?"

Outside the door, Mary, who seemed to have been standing guard and eavesdropping, looked very surprised.

Xi Nian's forehead was covered in thick black lines. He emphasized, "Auntie, I really just came to visit a patient."

"Is that so?" Mary sighed, her face clearly showing disappointment.

Ma'am, what exactly were you expecting?!

Xi Nian was too drained to complain. He exchanged a few more pleasantries with Mary Jane, turned down her repeated attempts to keep him, and fled Gwen's house in a flustered panic.

Neither Xi Nian nor Mary knew that inside the closed room...

Almost the moment Xi Nian left and shut the door, the beautiful girl who had been pretending to sleep shot upright. Her face was bright red, and she panted heavily, gasping for air. She covered her burning hot cheeks with both hands, and the spot on her forehead that Xi Nian had touched actually started emitting visible steam.

Her mind went blank for a few seconds, like a computer crashing. Then she frantically threw off the blanket to search.

"Gone, the band-aids are gone..." Gwen was so embarrassed she was almost in tears.

Those three band-aids were naturally ones she had peeled off her body last night when changing out of her Spider Suit—when wearing the tight suit outside, her body would sweat. If she wore regular bras or similar undergarments, they would feel stuffy and uncomfortable.

But going commando wasn't great either.

So, every time she wore the Spider Suit, Gwen would use three band-aids on her body.

Last night, in her hurry to change out of the suit, she hadn't had time to dispose of the band-aids, so they ended up left on her bed.

"Please don't tell me Xi Nian really took them?!"

The moment Gwen thought about those three band-aids falling into Xi Nian's hands, she buried her head under the pillow like an ostrich, steam hissing out from the back of her head.

No, no way she could face anyone now!

Heading back home.

Xi Nian had just stepped out of the residential elevator when he saw many workers in uniform, without any specific company logo, coming and going from his home.

Inside the living room, which was being redecorated with terrifying efficiency, an elderly gentleman with graying temples stood in a suit, calmly directing the workers as they renovated and replaced furniture.

Seeing Xi Nian enter from the doorway, the old gentleman immediately removed his hat, gave a slight bow, and greeted him politely and warmly: "You must be the young master of the Prince family, correct?"

"Young Master?"

Xi Nian was momentarily taken aback. For the first time in his life, someone had addressed him this way.

He wasn't sure whether to nod or shake his head: "I'm Xi Nian Prince."

"Then there's no mistake." The old gentleman's eyes were deep, and he smiled gently: "My name is Alfred Pennyworth—a bit hard to remember. From now on, you can just call me 'Butler Alfred.'"

"Here is my business card." As he introduced himself, he reached into his suit pocket and politely handed over his black card with both hands.

Xi Nian took the card, feeling that the man's etiquette was impeccably refined. Though he was merely a butler, he exuded a noble aura that seemed ingrained in his bones, and his composed, neither servile nor arrogant demeanor instinctively inspired goodwill.

This was not something that could be faked easily. It took over a decade, even decades, cultivated only by a major family.

The information on the card in his hand precisely confirmed this.

On the card, clearly printed, were the words: "Wayne Industries"!