"Kung Pao Chicken~"
"Sweet and Sour Pork~"
"Mapo Tofu~"
Jessica was busy in the kitchen, holding down a fresh fish in her hand, "And fish balls for Felicia, since she loves them~"
"Meow~ Did you prepare something for me too?"
Felicia peeked out from behind Jessica, her pair of white cat ears standing out conspicuously, "Jessica, you're so sweet~"
"Huh? Felicia?"
Jessica skillfully wielded her knife while asking, "Aren't you outside playing with Matilda?"
Felicia grabbed a fish and scraped its scales, "She's watching TV with Li, totally engrossed. I didn't want to disturb them~"
"Smells so good~"
A slender figure with golden hair hung upside down from the kitchen window, her eyes shining.
"Wow~ The feast looks amazing today~"
"Hey, Gwen."
Jessica knocked on the window, "Use the front door. Come in and help me."
Dinner Time.
"Mmm~"
Matilda ate her meal while staring intently at the animated show on TV, her expression serious.
Gwen, who had come over for dinner, found it amusing and smiled warmly, "She's so cute~"
"You're even cuter~ Gwen."
Li held a bowl of soup with one hand while subtly making small movements under the table, "You're not allowed to run away after eating~"
"Don't rush~"
Gwen's face reddened slightly but she didn't show much reaction. She picked up a piece of lamb for her best friend and chuckled, "The night is still long... Jessica, you should eat more~"
"Hmph~"
Jessica refused to back down, picking up a piece for Gwen instead, "You're the one who needs to eat more, Gwen. Have some extra."
…..
Night Falls.
Under the moonlight, on Jessica's large bed…
Matilda's pale arms and slender legs occasionally stretched to the left, then to the right.
She kept tossing and turning, unable to sleep…
Just a moment ago…
After using the bathroom, she passed by her brother's room on the way back.
Inside, she heard the sounds of her brother and sister fighting… and it wasn't quiet…
[…Could it be that this family… isn't as harmonious as it seems on the surface? Do brother and sister have conflicts too…?]
Hearing the faint fighting sounds…
Matilda felt troubled.
She grabbed one of Jessica's life-size pillows, hugging it like an octopus, rubbing against it occasionally, before finally feeling a strange sense of comfort and drifting to sleep…
…..
S.H.I.E.L.D. Training Base.
"Haah!"
Bang!
A silver baton sliced through the air, striking against a black one with a dull thud.
With a flick of Natasha's wrist, the black baton countered at an unexpected angle, grazing past the silver one for a swift retaliation!
Clang!
Barbara quickly crossed both silver batons into an "X" to block the strike, then said in surprise, "Natasha, you've improved again."
Natasha smirked, "I picked up a couple of moves from your Li~"
She said it in a playful tone, clearly teasing Barbara.
"Hey! You and him…?"
Barbara clicked her two batons together, forming a longer silver staff, and swung it horizontally with greater force— whoosh—!
Clang!
"Oh my~"
Natasha combined her black batons into one, blocking the sweeping strike of Barbara's silver staff. She chuckled, "Barbara, are you getting jealous?"
"Of course not!"
Barbara's eyes were serious as she circled around Natasha, repositioning herself. The silver staff twirled skillfully around her waist before she suddenly swung it forward with force!
"And you say you're not."
Natasha knew that this swing carried inertia, making it too risky to block directly—her hands would go numb from the impact.
She planted the tip of her black staff into the ground, using it as leverage to push herself back. With a powerful motion from her hands and waist, she leaped backward, landing safely.
Whoosh—!
Barbara's silver staff missed its target. She quickly turned it around and thrust it forward like a spear toward Natasha—the staff tip even extended slightly!
"Alright, Barbara, I was just teasing."
Natasha deflected the silver staff tip and explained, "I just learned a few moves from him at Stark's place. Didn't you train with him in Monaco? His combat skills are truly impressive~"
"I… didn't know that…."
Barbara disassembled her silver staff back into two batons, looking slightly embarrassed. "I thought he was just an amateur…"
She had been around Li longer than Natasha, yet she never realized how skilled he actually was. It was a bit embarrassing…
"Don't tell me you got so caught up flirting with him that you forgot your actual job?"
Natasha hugged her baton and bent slightly, looking at Barbara with an exasperated tone, "We're spies, Barbara. Elite spies. The way you're acting is just… Does Hill even know what you and he have been up to?"
Barbara glanced at the training ground's surveillance cameras, then cautiously asked, "You didn't tell, right?"
"Of course not."
Natasha disassembled her staff as well. She lifted her short baton slightly toward Barbara, gesturing for her to continue.
"I wasn't assigned to monitor you, after all~"
"Hmph~"
Barbara twirled her batons in her hands. "The famous Black Widow… Who knows if what she says is true or false."
Natasha smirked and teased back, "'Mockingbird'—a bird capable of mimicking over 30 species. I used to think that nickname didn't suit you, but now… I realize you're pretty good at vocal tricks too~"
"Hey!"
Barbara's face turned bright red, her eyes full of frustration. She knew exactly what Natasha was hinting at. "Don't talk nonsense!"
Clang! Clang!
Bang! Bang!
The two top-tier spies sparred for a while longer. In the end, neither had a decisive victory, so they sat on a bench to rest.
Barbara handed Natasha an energy drink. "Natasha, we're friends, right?"
Natasha smiled as she took it. "Of course~ Barbara."
"Then help me with a mission?"
Barbara clasped Natasha's hand, her gaze sincere. "It's simple. Just inviting someone."
Natasha took a sip of her drink. "Nick's hiring consultants, right? I heard about it. He wants to invite Tony Stark and Li."
"Yes! Yes!"
Barbara nodded enthusiastically, flattering her. "As expected from Natasha! You're so smart!"
"But you don't want to reveal your identity just yet."
Natasha continued, "So you discussed it with Hill and asked for another agent to extend the invitation instead?"
"Yes, yes!"
Barbara nodded even more vigorously, "Exactly!"
"Exactly what?"
Natasha stuffed the energy drink back into Barbara's hand, her expression turning serious. "Barbara, you need to reflect on yourself. Do you still want to be a spy?"
"Huh?"
Barbara thought for a moment.
She realized… her days at the club… were actually much more enjoyable.
She discovered that life at the club… seemed happier.
"Maybe… I don't want to be one that much anymore..."
Natasha: "(⊙x⊙)?..."
…..
In the Bathroom.
The sound of dripping water echoed continuously.
Droplets slid along the elegant curves of the body, tracing down the slender legs, blending with the milky white foam, before finally reaching the delicate jade-like feet.
The showerhead sprayed a gentle mist, soaking the silky black hair until it clung to the fair, tender skin.
Strands of hair draped over her cheeks and fragrant shoulders, creating a sharp contrast of black and white… One playful strand even curled against the corner of her pink lips, making her look especially alluring…
Jessica was enjoying this comfortable moment with her eyes closed when suddenly, the doorbell rang from the living room.
"Gwen… go open the door…"
"Mm?..." Gwen lazily murmured in response but made no further movement…
"Fine..."
Jessica had no choice but to call out to Felicia outside the bathroom, "Kitten… we have a guest… go open the door…"
"One sec~"
On the couch, Felicia's cheeks were still slightly flushed. She was wrapped in a towel, rubbing her fluffy tail dry. "Let me dry my tail first…"
"I'll go then."
The newest member of the household, Matilda, enthusiastically volunteered. She dragged her slippers across the floor and ran to open the door.
A woman with wavy red hair appeared in front of her.
"And you are…?"
Matilda looked up at Natasha and curiously asked, "Hello, ma'am. Who are you looking for?"
Natasha's sharp eyes quickly took in Matilda's rebellious yet cool appearance. A slight smile appeared on her lips, though she was secretly wondering: Who is this girl? She wasn't mentioned in any of the files…
"I'm Natasha. I'm looking for Mr. Li Ye~"
Matilda quickly ran back inside and shouted towards the bathroom, "Brother, there's someone looking for you. It's Miss Natasha."
"Let her in and have a seat."
Li Ye's calm voice came from inside the bathroom.
…..
Inside the Living Room.
The moment Natasha stepped into the living room, her brows lifted slightly.
Sitting on the couch were Li Ye, Jessica, Gwen, and Felicia.
The problem?
They were all wrapped only in towels, with water droplets still glistening on their skin—clearly just out of the shower. Gwen, in particular, looked half-asleep…
"Natasha, what brings you here?"
Ye Li remained calm, holding the cup of hot milk Matilda had prepared for him, and asked knowingly, "Do you want to learn a few more fighting techniques?"
"That's not a problem."
"Anyway, Tony said he would reimburse your tuition fees."
Natasha sat on the opposite sofa, crossed her legs, and asked, "Can we talk after getting dressed?"
As she spoke.
She glanced at Jessica and Gwen, "Just the two of us~"
"Who is she?"
Seeing Natasha in this stunning agent outfit wanting to talk to her brother alone, Jessica felt a bit uneasy.
In her impression.
Those beautiful agents always liked to do this and that… and that and this… to men.
Her brother hadn't even eaten enough yet… wasn't this a dessert delivered right to his doorstep?
Black Widow had no idea she had already been regarded as a "food delivery worker" by the female knight. She handed Ye Li an invitation document, "How about we talk in your room?"
"My room?"
Ye Li took it and said, "Alright."
Although his room was always a mess every morning, tidying it up was just a thought away.
…..
Ye Li's Room.
"So, it's little Nick 'Boiled Egg' looking for me."
Ye Li opened the document and said, "He even invited Tony? Who else?"
Natasha subtly scanned the room for any clues while responding, "For now, just the two of you."
"Hmm, what an honor. What does 'Boiled Egg' want us as consultants for? What's his plan?"
"Lu… 'Boiled Egg'?"
Natasha, hearing Ye Li keep saying this term, asked curiously, "Are you referring to Fury?"
"What else?"
Ye Li pulled the curtain slightly, "Don't you think his head looks just like one?"
"..."
"Wait, what's this?"
After a moment of silence, Natasha noticed something on the window frame.
She lifted her hand, holding a strand of synthetic spider silk between her fingers... It was left by Gwen, probably drifted there.
[Careless... I can't let her discover Gwen's Ghost-Spider identity...]
Ye Li coughed twice and lied, "Ahem… It must be Felicia's hair that fell while she was cleaning my room. You know her hair is this color… very pretty, very unique..."
"Hmm?"
Natasha rolled her eyes, pulling the webbing slightly with her fingers, "Really? Hair this elastic?"
Ye Li shamelessly said, "Uh… okay… actually, Cindy 757 came over and cleaned for me."
Since Cindy's superhero identity as a web-shooter was already exposed, she might as well take the blame for Gwen.
"Is that so…"
Natasha, half-believing, wiped her hands with a tissue...
...
"So, you arranged for us to meet in an abandoned warehouse?"
Stark leaned back in his chair and looked at Nick Fury, "S.H.I.E.L.D.? If it weren't for the information you provided, I wouldn't even bother with you. Besides, that originally belonged to my father."
"Your father was one of the founders."
Nick Fury didn't look too happy.
"Tony, we're on the same side."
Nick Fury, as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., originally intended to win over Iron Man in his time of crisis by providing information about the new element.
But Tony Stark somehow found out about the new element and proactively requested the information from S.H.I.E.L.D., significantly weakening the leverage.
This forced Nick Fury to restrain himself, to the point where he didn't even bring out Natasha's negative report on Stark—otherwise, Iron Man might walk away immediately, and that wouldn't be fun.
And if 'Boiled Egg' couldn't act dominant, he was definitely frustrated.
[How exactly did Tony find out about the new element…]
'Boiled Egg' was puzzled.
Click—
Step step.
The warehouse door was opened by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on guard, and Ye Li walked in with Barbara.
"Li, why do you always arrive later than me?"
Tony was much more enthusiastic towards Ye Li, patting the seat beside him, "Come, sit here. Let's talk with Director Nick Fury."
Nick Fury: "..."
"Hello, Fury."
Ye Li pulled out a chair and sat down, smiling as he introduced Barbara to Nick Fury—
"This is Barbara, my personal bodyguard."
"I think whatever we're discussing, she should be able to hear, right? Hmm?"
Nick Fury: "..."
'This kid sure plays games, introducing one of my own agents to me…'
Seeing the meaningful yet slightly pained expression on Fury's face.
Barbara forced a smile, "Uh-haha..."
Her inner thoughts: 'God knows why Ye Li dragged me here to meet the director! (つД)!!'
"Hello, Vice President Ye."
Nick Fury pretended not to notice Barbara.
As someone of a higher rank than Barbara, he naturally wouldn't believe that Ye Li was completely unaware of the agent S.H.I.E.L.D. had planted.
However, Nick Fury couldn't be bothered to play these childish mind games with Ye Li.
He figured letting Barbara stay in the Ghost-Spider Club for the time being wasn't a problem—maybe she could even be developed into a liaison between both sides.
"Now that everyone is here."
"We can begin our discussion."
Nick Fury slid two documents across the table toward Ye Li and Stark, "Take a look at this first."
Ye Li and Stark took them and began flipping through them simultaneously.
Hmm... Other than the names, the documents were nearly identical—they wanted to recruit both of them as consultants for S.H.I.E.L.D.