Lin Xiao parked the car downstairs, turned off the engine, and didn't get out of the car in a hurry.
Jane sat in the passenger seat, looking down at her fingers, tugging at the loose thread at the hem of her trench coat, pulling at it several times without breaking it.
"How about... I come another day?"
They're all downstairs.
"I mean, I'm not ready yet. Look at me, I didn't change after getting off the plane, my hair is a mess, and my face still smells like the plane..."
"You can rest assured, Mei and Betty aren't picky about this, baby."
Are you sure?
Lin Xiao turned his head to look at her. Jian raised her eyes slightly, then lowered them again. Lin Xiao kissed her forehead with a solemn expression.
"I'm sure, Jane, don't worry, I'm here."
"They're gone."
The door creaked open, and Mei came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of sliced apples. When she saw a strange woman following Lin Xiao, she paused, her expression slightly taken aback. Then, as if she had thought of something, she gave him a warm smile.
"You've arrived?"
Although it was only two words, the intimacy in the tone was impossible to hide.
Jane stood in the doorway, her feet still outside the entryway, unsure where to put them. Betty stood up from the sofa, placed the tablet on the armrest, and glanced at her. The look was quick, so quick that Jane didn't even have time to tense up.
"Come in, the slippers are in the cabinet on the left, Sister Mei has prepared them for you," Betty said.
Jane changed her shoes and went into the living room. Mei pushed the apple plate toward her. "Eat some apples first, it'll upset your stomach if you talk on an empty stomach." Betty poured her a glass of warm water and placed it beside her.
Jane sat on the sofa, holding the glass of water. The glass was hot, and her palms warmed up as well. She looked down at the few lemon slices floating on the surface and suddenly realized she didn't know what to say. She was used to being alone her whole life; she could chat with colleagues all day in the lab and talk to strangers all the way on a plane. But sitting in this living room, being entertained by two women in the most ordinary way, she suddenly felt awkward.
Mei sat back on the sofa, picked up the remote, and turned the volume of the variety show down two notches. Betty leaned back against the armrest, picked up the tablet again, and swiped her finger across the screen twice. Then she smiled slightly at Jane and took a box of pastries from the cabinet, placing it on the table.
"Try it! Mei's cookies are better than anything you can buy outside."
Jane took a sip of water, hesitated for a moment, then picked up a piece and took a small bite. It was quite sweet.
She suddenly felt a little happy. She couldn't explain why...
Just as Mei took a break to chat with Jane, Lin Xiao slipped into Betty's room.
Betty, with her back to him, was hanging the shirt she had worn during the day in the closet. Lin Xiao leaned against the doorframe, his hands in his pockets.
"What are you looking at?" Betty said without turning her head.
"I didn't see anything special, I just thought Mei and you did a really good job today."
Betty rolled her eyes, closed the closet door, turned around, and leaned against it, looking at him. Her expression was indifferent, but there was something in her eyes that he couldn't decipher.
"I've discussed it with Mei."
"We know about Jane's situation. She's been living alone in New Mexico for so many years, has little family, is doing well in her research, is straightforward, and most importantly, has no scandals." Betty paused, took a deep breath, and said, "So this time we agreed."
Lin Xiao opened his mouth, but Betty raised her hand to interrupt him.
"Although Mei and I agreed to this, I will have to make the decision next time any sisters come in."
She took a step forward, her blue eyes fixed on him, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly, but the curve didn't look like a smile at all.
"But if there's a next time, I'll break your third leg. I'm not Mei."
Lin Xiao blurted out without thinking, "What about Natasha, Hill, Carol, Gwen Stacy, Sif, and Blink?"
He stopped mid-sentence, then gave an awkward smile.
Betty's eyes widened in a fraction of a second. She stared at him for two seconds, then smiled. That smile sent a chill down Lin Xiao's spine.
"Well, Lin Xiao, you dare to call out all those names so clearly?"
"I just said it offhand."
"Just kidding?" Betty lunged forward, clinging to him and biting his ear. The bite wasn't hard, but her teeth were stuck there; there was no escaping it.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch-- Gently, gently, gently--"
"And who is Flash?" Betty's voice came from beside his ear, muffled and indistinct.
"A colleague! Just a colleague! From the S.P.E.A.R., they helped me out before."
What help have I given you?
"Teleportation! It's teleportation! I was able to return to New York thanks to that girl, don't overthink it."
Betty loosened her grip, but still clung to him, staring into his eyes for several seconds. Lin Xiao grimaced and rubbed his ear, revealing two rows of shallow teeth marks on the tip.
At the other end of the corridor, Jane peeked half her head out of the guest room. She was about to ask where the towel was when she saw Betty clinging to Lin Xiao, nibbling his ear, while Lin Xiao begged for mercy.
Jane stood there, stunned.
Mei whispered something in her ear with a helpless expression.
You'll get used to it.
As soon as she finished speaking, she stood up and walked towards the kitchen, but the smile on her lips just wouldn't go away.
Meanwhile, the S.H.I.E.L.D.. engineering department.
Something unbelievable happened today.
Reed Richards was checking the thrust parameters of the Helicarrier's rotor base at Assembly Stand No. 3, with Susan standing beside him, recording data on a tablet. Sparks flew from welding torches throughout the engineering department, and the crane arm moved slowly in mid-air. Everything was normal.
Suddenly all the lights went out.
The lights all went out at the same time. Then all the screens started flickering, the data jumped wildly, the welding torches started igniting automatically, and the crane boom swung violently to one side, crashing into a row of scaffolding. Everyone panicked. Some shouted, "Turn off the power!" Others shouted, "Call security!" In the chaos, a dark figure swept past assembly station number three.
Just then, Susan saw a person in a dark green Cloak standing behind Reed, a gloved hand pressed against the back of Reed's head. She rushed over, but after only two steps, an invisible force exploded from Reed's direction, sending her flying. Her back slammed into a pile of alloy plates behind her, her head hit something, and everything went black as she lost consciousness...
After the shadowy figure disappeared, Reed was also gone.
The entire process took less than ten seconds.
In the monitoring room, Fury stared at the fleeting shadow on the screen, rewinding the video three times. Each time, he could only see a blurry, dark green blur; he couldn't make out the face or the figure.
Shortly after, Jonathan Human Torch, the Human Torch, was the first to burst into Fury's office, followed by Ben Thing, the Thing. Ben's hands gripped the doorframe, leaving several finger marks on the metal. Jonathan slammed a report on Fury's desk, his voice low but each word burning.
"My sister is still in the hospital. Reed is missing. What kind of security does S.H.I.E.L.D.. provide? Someone got into the engineering department and they didn't even utter a sound?"
He didn't say anything, but simply stood behind Jonathan, his two-meter-tall frame completely blocking the doorway.
Fury picked up the report from the table, turned a page, then turned back. He didn't say a word. Every word Jonathan said was true; he couldn't refute it.
After the two left, Fury leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. Natasha stood by the window, Hill leaned against the door. Neither of them spoke, but Fury knew they were waiting for him to speak.
Who should be sent to handle this matter?
When he asked that question while rubbing his eyes, he already knew the answer in his heart. He just didn't want to say it.
Natasha and Hill exchanged a glance.
"I recommend Lin Xiao," Hill said.
"I recommend Lin Xiao," Natasha said.
The two voices fell simultaneously. Fury's lips twitched, then twitched again. He removed his hand from his eyes, looked at Hill, then at Natasha.
When did you two become so in sync?
Hill didn't reply, but simply looked out the window. Natasha smiled, a smile that made Fury's temples throb even more.
He closed his eyes and rubbed them again.
"Okay. Call him over."