After Wang left, Peter and Ned huddled in a corner, excitedly whispering to each other. One was talking about "magic, portals, the Ancient One," while the other was already searching for information on just how cold winters in the Himalayas are. Lin Xiao winked at them, signaling them to go about their business. Ned wanted to ask something more, but Peter grabbed him and whispered, "Don't ask. Didn't you see Uncle Lin's expression was off?" The two of them slipped upstairs one after the other.
The living room fell silent again.
Lin Xiao put the teacup Wang had used into the kitchen, and then casually threw the empty Coke can on the table into the trash can, moving quietly like a mischievous child trying to sneak back to his room when the adults weren't looking. He had just reached the top of the stairs, and before his hand could even touch the handrail, he heard Gwen Stacy's crisp voice behind him.
" Lin Xiao, where are you going?"
Lin Xiao stiffened slightly. He slowly turned around, a standard smile on his face, "I'm a little tired and want to go upstairs to take a shower. I'm a clean person, and I usually take eight or nine hours to shower. You're all tired, so go and rest."
Gwen Stacy came out of the kitchen carrying a white porcelain plate with several pieces of washed fruit neatly arranged on it. She placed the plate on the dining table, then pulled a washboard from the low cabinet next to her, slapped it down at Lin Xiao's feet, and looked up at him with a smile. The smile was clean and harmless, but in Lin Xiao's eyes, she looked like a little devil.
"Sister Mei said you have to explain yourself clearly today, or you'll have to kneel on this. We even looked at the Dragon Country guides online and chose this from durian shells, keyboards, and washboards."
Lin Xiao looked down at the washboard. It was brand new, made of solid wood, with straight edges and grooves that had been polished smooth. He swallowed hard, his gaze shifting from the washboard to Gwen Stacy's face, and then following Gwen Stacy direction behind her.
Mei came out of the kitchen. She was still wearing her floral apron, her hands were wet, and she slowly wiped them on the apron. Her eyes were so red that Lin Xiao's heart clenched. Betty followed behind her, holding a glass of water, but she didn't drink a drop; her knuckles were white from gripping it so tightly.
Lin Xiao noticed a detail: when Betty came out, Mei slightly turned to the side, letting Betty stand next to her. The movement was small, seemingly unintentional, but Lin Xiao knew that the two women had developed a tacit understanding that he didn't fully grasp during the days he was away.
His smile froze on his face.
"We had some guests at home just now," Mei said, her voice low but each word landing firmly in Lin Xiao's ears. "We're giving you face. You're a secret agent, a hero, and a major shareholder of Vought Company. Even if you're a scoundrel, you can't be humiliated in front of your own people. Lin Xiao, we understand that."
She walked up to Lin Xiao and looked up. Her eyes were terribly red, but her lips were pressed down, as if she was desperately trying to hold back something.
"But the guests are gone, and now it's just us. You have to tell us what really happened with Jane and Sif. You only gave us a rough outline on the phone, and you could tell us more when you got back. Now that we're here, you can tell us."
Lin Xiao opened his mouth, but all the witty remarks that usually slipped out got stuck in his throat. He turned to look at Betty.
Betty didn't look at him, her eyes fixed on the gently swirling water in her glass. Lin Xiao saw her fingers unconsciously tracing the same spot on the glass, over and over again, as if trying to suppress some emotion. After a few seconds, she spoke, her voice softer than Mei's, but every word seemed to be wrapped in ice. " Lin Xiao, do you think we're angry because you like someone so much? You called beforehand, saying that you met someone you wanted to bring back this time. I didn't argue or make a scene on the phone then, do you know why? Because I thought that if I made a scene on the phone before you even came back, it would be embarrassing for you. But what did you do? After you came back, you talked to Mr. Wang all night, without telling us a single detail about Jian. We don't even know what she looks like, how old she is, or what she does, and you're already going to give her a room in our house."
As she finished speaking, she finally raised her head, her eyes frighteningly red, and her voice trembling. "This house belongs to you and Sister Mei. Gwen Stacy is young, and I moved in halfway through, so I shouldn't have said anything. But since you said we're family, why should we always be the last to know about family matters?"
Lin Xiao felt a lump in his throat, like a wet cotton ball was blocking his chest. He looked at Betty, then at May, and then at Gwen Stacy, who was squatting on the floor fiddling with the washboard. Gwen Stacy had her head down, her fingers tracing patterns in the grooves of the washboard, her blue eyes seemingly unfocused. She didn't look up, but Lin Xiao could see her lowered eyelashes trembling slightly. Usually the most talkative, she was completely silent at this moment, as if afraid that if she opened her mouth, she would reveal something she couldn't hold back.
Lin Xiao slowly walked to the washboard, bent down, took off his suit jacket, draped it over the back of the chair, unbuttoned his shirt cuffs, rolled them up twice, and was about to squat down when Gwen Stacy objected and hurriedly put the washboard away. "You're actually kneeling down to tell the truth! You can squat down and say it."
Lin Xiao glanced gratefully at Gwen Stacy, then calmed himself down and spoke.
"It was Jane's matter that I didn't handle well." His voice dropped an octave, hoarse and tinged with weariness. "I met her in New Mexico. She's an astrophysicist, studying atmospheric phenomena, and she and her team were doing observations in Puente Antiguo. When Thor first arrived in Midgard, Jane and her colleagues bumped into him and took him back to care for him. At first, I just thought this girl cared about Thor and was a decent person, so I just watched from the sidelines. Later, when Thor wanted to leave, he entrusted her to my care. I helped her retrieve the research data that S.H.I.E.L.D.. had taken from her, and then she stayed in Puente Antiguo to recover for a few days. Those few days were..."
He paused, as if choosing his words carefully, or perhaps trying to encourage himself. "They just developed feelings for each other."
The living room was so quiet that you could hear the ticking of the second hand on the wall clock.
Lin Xiao straightened his back again.
Mel pulled up a chair and sat down opposite him. She didn't speak, but just looked at him, waiting for him to finish speaking.
"Jane, like you, is stubborn," Lin Xiao continued, his speech slowing down as if recalling the winds of those days in the desert. "She was doing research alone in the desert, the conditions were poor, the research vehicle kept breaking down, and the data was constantly being S.H.I.E.L.D.., but she gritted her teeth and endured it. Being with her wasn't anything dramatic; we just ate together every day, looked at the stars at night, and I told her about all the messy things in New York. She was quite happy those days, and so was I."
Mei sniffed softly and turned her face to the side. Betty placed the water glass on the table and wiped the water droplets off the glass with her fingertips.
" Sif," Lin Xiao continued, "You all know, the day Thor returned to Asgard, Sif and I... we didn't expect things to turn out like that. She'll have to deal with Asgard's troubles with Thor from now on, and there's no telling when she'll be able to come back to Midgard. I'm sorry to you all, and I'm sorry to her too. I can't control myself when I see someone I like. But my feelings for you have always been genuine. You can hit me or scold me, I'll take it. Just don't stay silent. If you don't speak, it's more painful for me than kneeling on a washboard."
Mei finally couldn't hold back her tears, which fell onto the back of her hand. She turned her head away, dabbing her eyes with the corner of her apron, her voice nasal. " Lin Xiao, how could you be so incompetent? If you have the guts to leave, then you should have the guts to come back and explain yourself to us. You called beforehand, and we didn't make a fuss, but do you know how we spent those days? Betty checked your flight every day, Gwen Stacy couldn't even concentrate on her exams, and I cut my finger twice while cooking. It's not that we didn't want you to leave, it's that we were afraid that if something happened to you out there, we wouldn't even be the last people to know."
Lin Xiao listened, opened his mouth as if to say something, but was interrupted by Betty.
"We're not trying to make things difficult for you." Betty crouched down to meet his gaze, her eyes red but clear as a lake after the rain. "We just want to know who this person you brought back is. Whether we can get along. How should we arrange things after she arrives? The rooms need to be tidied beforehand, and we need to adapt to each other's lifestyles—these are not trivial matters. Lin Xiao, you always say we're your women, but your women also need to live their lives."
Lin Xiao looked at her, his Adam's apple bobbing, and said in a low voice, " Betty, you're right. I was too presumptuous."
Gwen Stacy shrank to the side, chin resting on her knees, her blue eyes darting around, looking at May, then Betty, and finally at Lin Xiao, before suddenly interjecting, "Is she pretty?"
Lin Xiao paused for a moment, then answered truthfully, "Beautiful."
Gwen Stacy gave an "Oh," without getting annoyed, but buried her face back behind her knees and mumbled, "I knew it. Lin Xiao's tastes are never bad."
She spoke softly, as if talking to herself. Lin Xiao saw her fingers unconsciously drawing circles on her knee, pausing for a moment before resuming. He felt a pang in his heart, wanting to say something, but Gwen Stacy had already looked up and made a face at him.
Betty sighed and gently patted Gwen on the back of Gwen Stacy head. May finally turned her face back; her eyes were still red, but her gaze towards Lin Xiao was no longer as cold as before.
Lin Xiao didn't move. He looked up at Mei, then at Betty, and finally at Gwen Stacy.
"I won't do that again," Lin Xiao said earnestly.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he sighed inwardly. He knew his words were worthless, like a fart. He said "I won't do it again" this time, but he would do it again next time. It wasn't that he didn't want to change; it was just his nature. But he still said it, because at least for that moment, it was true, even if only for a second.
"You said the same thing last time," Gwen Stacy whispered, trying to expose him.
Lin Xiao smiled wryly and reached out to ruffle her hair. Gwen Stacy didn't dodge; instead, she rubbed her head against his palm, like a kitten that had finally calmed down.
Mei stood up, walked to his other side, and unrolled his rolled-up sleeves, buttoning them up one by one. Her movements were so gentle that Lin Xiao was reminded of how she bandaged his wound when they first met. Betty remained squatting there for a while before standing up, taking Lin Xiao's coat off the back of the chair, shaking it, and handing it to him.
Lin Xiao took the coat and put it on. As he watched the three women bustling around, the feeling of tightness in his heart slowly dissipated, turning into something indescribable, both bittersweet and warm.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Lin Xiao glanced up at the wall clock. It's so late, who else could be here?
Gwen Stacy's eyes lit up instantly. She ran towards the door, took a couple of steps, then turned back and smiled at Lin Xiao. Her smile was sweet and innocent, as if she had been waiting for this moment.
"It seems that Sister Natasha has arrived."
Lin Xiao's heart skipped a beat.
The door was already open. Natasha leaned against the doorframe, her short red hair tucked behind her ears, and her burgundy leather jacket looked like a flame flickering in the night. She didn't rush in; she first glanced around the room, her gaze sweeping over May, Betty, and Gwen Stacy's faces before finally settling on Lin Xiao.
Natasha's lips slowly curled up into a smile.
"Oh, did I come at an inopportune time?" She walked in, closing the door behind her, her steps unhurried, as if she were touring a meticulously arranged scene. "What, did you just finish a family meeting? Or did someone come home today and just give a profound self-criticism?"
Lin Xiao opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Gwen Stacy quickly interjected, "We're just getting to the point. Sister Natasha, why are you so late today?"
"Is it late?" Natasha glanced at the extremely thin watch on her wrist and smiled nonchalantly. "I originally came to talk to Lin Xiao about some serious business. But judging from the situation, we can put that aside for now. You don't mind if I sit for a while, do you?"
May didn't speak, but simply gestured with her chin towards the sofa. Betty picked up her water glass again, took a small sip, and her face was as pale as a bowl of soup that had gone cold. Natasha didn't stand on ceremony either, walking straight to the sofa and sitting down, crossing her legs and placing her hands on her knees, as if she were on her own turf.
After Lin Xiao saw Natasha sit down, he casually picked up the bag of sunflower seeds on the coffee table, cracked open a seed, and threw the shell into the trash can. The action was so natural, as if he had done it a hundred times. It seemed that everything in this house had been presumed to have a place for her from a certain day onwards.
"Since we're on the topic, I'll offer some information," Natasha said, looking up at Lin Xiao with a half-smile, "To make today's meeting more fruitful."
Lin Xiao felt a chill run down his spine.
" Deputy Director Hill has been looking at the calendar a lot lately," Natasha began slowly, emphasizing each word. "She says S.H.I.E.L.D. employees should receive more specialized treatment, especially certain Level 7 Agent who spend long periods in the field." As she spoke, her pen twirled in her hand, her eyes fixed on the window, lost in thought. I asked her if she was picking a date, but she didn't answer. Tell me, why would someone as meticulous as Deputy Director Hill specifically choose a date for something?
Lin Xiao's lips twitched. "How would I know?"
"You didn't know?" Natasha chuckled, turning to May and Betty. " Storm even contacted S.H.I.E.L.D.. She called Coulson's office, not specifying whether it was business or personal, just asking if Lin Xiao was around. Coulson said no, and she asked when he'd be back. Coulson asked her to leave a message, and she hesitated for a long time before finally saying, 'No need, I'll tell him when he gets back.' Listen to that tone, doesn't it sound like she's asking about someone who owes her money?"
May and Betty both looked at Lin Xiao. Their gazes went beyond scrutiny; they seemed to ask, "Just how much more are you hiding?"
Lin Xiao forced a smile, "We're... just ordinary friends."
"Yes, just friends." Natasha's lips curled into a smile.
"Um..." Lin Xiao cleared his throat, his voice dry and cracked, " Natasha, what exactly are you doing here tonight? I haven't offended you recently, have I?"
Natasha's eyes crinkled with laughter. "Of course I'm here to help you. To help you explain everything that needs to be explained, so you won't make the same mistake again."
Lin Xiao closed his eyes, thinking to himself, "I probably won't be able to get through this door tonight."
Just then, Mei suddenly spoke. Her voice had returned to its usual warmth, even carrying a slight chuckle, "Alright, stop teasing him. He just got back today. We can continue tomorrow. Natasha, would you like to stay and have something to eat? I'm making some milk and mushroom soup."
Natasha looked at Mei with some surprise, then at Lin Xiao, and stood up with a smile, "Okay. I'm thirsty anyway."
After she finished speaking, she glanced at Lin Xiao, who was still standing there, and lowered her voice, saying, "What are you standing there for? Go heat up the soup. I just bought you half a minute."
Lin Xiao's lips twitched, and he strode towards the kitchen. Behind him, Gwen Stacy shouted, "I want a fried egg!" Betty added softly, "Don't let the soup get too dry, add more water." Natasha had already taken off her coat, rolled up her sleeves, and went to the sink to help get the dishes.
The kitchen lights cast a warm yellow glow. Some people were sitting, some were standing; some were serving soup, some were taking bowls, and some were leaning against the Fridge looking at their phones. Gwen Stacy was waiting anxiously for her poached eggs by the stove.
Lin Xiao stood in front of the stove, a ladle in his hand, stirring the soup in the pot. He suddenly remembered something—the last time he stood in the kitchen like this was the day he brought Peter back from San Francisco. Back then, only Mei was there, standing in the same spot, heating up a bowl of noodles for him. Now the kitchen was getting more and more crowded, but for some reason, he felt that this pot of soup smelled even better than it did that night.
"What are you thinking about? The soup's going to burn." Natasha walked past him and tapped his arm with her chopsticks.
Lin Xiao snapped out of his daze, turned down the heat, and ladled out the soup.
That night, no one mentioned Jane and Sif again. The steam from the soup softened everyone's features. The clatter of bowls and chopsticks, Gwen Stacy's gasp as she burned her mouth with a fried egg, Betty's quiet scolding of her for "blowing on it before eating," and May and Natasha's simultaneous laughter—all these sounds mingled together, filling the kitchen to the brim.
Lin Xiao stood in the center, watching all of this, and suddenly felt something slowly expanding in his chest. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, only knowing that he would probably never be able to live without the warmth of this pot of soup for the rest of his life.
The door to the empty bedroom upstairs was still ajar. May and Betty carried a new comforter, two new pillows, and a small blue flower bouquet that Gwen Stacy had hung up, placing them quietly against the wall. The night breeze gently blew in from the window, stirring a small section of colorful string on the door, as if to say: The room is ready, just waiting for someone to come.