Peter glanced at Shiller, who was leaning against the side of the fridge and smiling at his phone, and shuddered. He bent down to Pikachu's ear and said, "What's up with the doctor? Why is he smiling so wickedly?"
"When is he not wicked?" Pikachu flicked his ears and said, "He's definitely causing trouble again. I just wonder who's the unlucky one this time..."
Suddenly, the two exchanged a glance. After a curse, Pikachu said, "Damn! I haven't offended him recently!"
"But you woke him up this morning, and you've been wanting to drive that flying car. Maybe he thinks if he gives you something to do, you'll quiet down."
"No way." Pikachu wailed, "I was just thinking about it. I didn't actually do it... You're in danger too. Shiller once said he wanted to get rid of everyone in the world who could tolerate bland food, and that definitely includes you."
Peter swallowed, and the two huddled together whispering for a long time, feeling more uncertain as they talked. Peter cautiously leaned over, glanced at Shiller's phone screen, but couldn't see anything. He had to ask indirectly, "Doctor, who are you chatting with?"
"Group chat." Shiller replied without turning his head, "I'm helping a friend solve a problem."
It would have been better if he hadn't said anything; now Peter felt even more uneasy, nervously asking, "This friend isn't me, right?"
"You? You're married, what trouble could you have?"
"Ah, right. So this friend is single?"
"Yes, why?"
Just as Peter breathed a sigh of relief, he heard something drop behind him. He turned to see Pikachu making gestures with his small hands.
"Um, is this friend... are they human?" Peter asked, clinging to the fridge door.
"What?"
"Are they a human?"
"Should be."
"Should be?"
"Genetically modified people count as human too," Shiller said.
"So they're human and not a rat?"
Shiller looked at Peter in surprise, and seeing his and Pikachu's expressions, he finally understood what they were worried about. He put down his phone and walked over, saying, "Don't you guys know about Natasha?"
"What? Natasha? What's up with her?"
Shiller briefly recapped what had happened over the past few days, then shook the phone in his hand and said, "I gave Natasha a brilliant idea. I told her..."
Shiller briefly explained his plan. In short, he suggested Natasha overturn the narrative of a peaceful breakup with Bucky and pretend to have a grudge. This way, considering Bucky's safety, Steve might not let them date smoothly.
"You're really doing her a big favor," Peter said.
"No, no, no, that's just the surface," Shiller flashed a big smile and continued, "I gave Natasha advice in the group chat, but I specifically pulled Coulson into the rescue group chat. He'll definitely tell Steve about this."
Peter's mouth dropped open, "So if Steve finds out, he won't stop them anymore, right? Natasha will still face an awkward situation. Doctor, who are you really helping?"
"Peter, an excellent psychiatrist should remain neutral on personal emotional issues."
"So you're not helping anyone?"
"I'm helping both of them."
Peter sighed, "Isn't this just stirring the pot?"
Shiller was about to say something when his phone buzzed—Steve had messaged him.
"Oh my. Doctor, so the part where Natasha said she had a grudge against Bucky, that was your idea?"
Shiller didn't feel surprised at all. Faced with something like this, Steve was more inclined to ask directly. This couldn't be considered a betrayal of Coulson since there were more people in the group chat. Nick and Steve have been old friends for years too, so leaking information was also possible.
"How do you know???" Shiller feigned surprise and sent a string of question marks, then added, "We just want to help Natasha. She came to me for help, and I can't just ignore her."
"Alright. I didn't know it was causing Natasha such distress. But I must say, it wasn't my suggestion to Bucky, it was his own idea. I advised him against it, but you know he can be a bit stubborn."
"So it wasn't you?" Shiller feigned surprise again, saying, "I thought you were projecting, wanting Bucky to also have a happy old age."
"I don't know if spending his twilight years with the Black Widow can be considered happiness," Steve replied, "I know Bucky very well. Once he sets his mind on something, he won't give it up easily. So back then, it wasn't likely their superiors who split them apart; it was just a solution they both accepted. There must have been issues in their relationship. Problems that couldn't be solved then might not be solvable now. In the end, it might lead to mutual destruction."
"Maybe what Natasha says is true," Shiller said, "I only suggested she make up an excuse, but the reason she gave seems quite plausible. You know, I'm from that side too, and it feels like there's a good chance it's true."
"Oh, my God," Steve said, "If that's true, Bucky would feel terribly guilty. He'd think he pushed Natasha into that pit of fire. He'd feel responsible for all the misfortunes she faced afterwards, especially..."
"Especially that Natasha was forced to kill all those girls. But was she really forced?"
"No one knows," Steve said, "Maybe she was just preserving herself. Maybe she just felt it didn't matter anymore. But the misfortune they encountered is equal. Bucky just broke free from one deadlock, only to fall into another. It's hard to see a way out."
"The key issue is how Natasha really feels about it. I don't think she would feel that Bucky was related to her past misfortune. But that might become the very reason she rejects Bucky. Isn't it?"
"I think so. If she still hates Bucky, there's still a chance for them. But if she has moved on, then there's really no hope for them."
"So, in order to ease Bucky's guilt and give him a bit of hope, I suggested Natasha pretend to still hate him."
Steve sent a string of question marks, but after a pause, he sent an exclamation mark. He quickly replied:
"But fake is still fake. Natasha's display of resentment is just to stop the date. If she has truly let go in her heart, there won't be any outcome for them. At that point, Bucky might be even more in pain."
"I don't quite understand either," Shiller replied, "Humans aren't computers; deleting a program doesn't mean it's completely gone. If a past relationship is let go, can't it be picked up again?"
"It's hard," Steve said, "Unless she hasn't truly let go."
"If Peggy were revived, would you still love her?"
Steve took a long time to respond, then he said, "I wouldn't, Doctor."
"If you died and met her in Hell?"
Steve was silent for even longer, but he chose to skip this topic and instead said, "What are you planning to do?"
"We can't assume Natasha has completely let go. Even I dare not say she's entirely devoid of feelings for Bucky. Even she might not dare to say that. So we must first determine what she truly thinks, and help her figure it out as well."
Shiller paused before replying, "To figure it out, neither side can act too rationally. If you don't talk about feelings, how can you determine them? Natasha isn't someone who's emotionally driven, but she can pretend she is. That way, Bucky can naturally talk to her about feelings. Communication is always beneficial, isn't it?"
"I understand," Steve said, "Although Bucky can be forceful at times, he's not someone who would act rashly. If Natasha acts aloof, no matter how much pain he's in, he won't speak up. But if Natasha seems to still hold a grudge, Bucky will definitely try to explain."
"Exactly. Once Bucky speaks up, we can see Natasha's attitude. If she truly doesn't care about the past, he might not even register anything, and there wouldn't be any reaction. But if he cares even a little, they are bound to argue."
"You might not believe this, Doctor, but I think arguing is a good thing," Steve sighed and said, "I think several times my relationship with Carter heated up after an argument. It does help to vent emotions and enables both sides to reconcile."
"Then it's settled," Shiller said, "Natasha has already done as I said. Even before she faces Bucky, before you intervene, she has to act out this role. Considering her great acting skills, Bucky probably won't see it's just an act."
"Should we still go ahead and sabotage the date?"
"Let's see how it goes. If Natasha still cares, you won't need to sabotage it; they would end things unpleasantly themselves. If Natasha truly no longer cares, then you can step in to prevent Bucky from ending up in an awkward situation."
"Okay, we'll start preparing now," Steve resolved, starting to send messages in the rescue plan group.
Meanwhile, Natasha was ready to set off. She made one last adjustment to her appearance, waving at Pepper and Wanda standing by the door. Pepper and Wanda, standing on either side, smiled and waved back, then as soon as her silhouette disappeared from sight, rushed into the room to grab their phones and start reporting the situation.
Natasha drove Pepper's car toward the seafood restaurant. She knew Pepper might be watching her through the car's camera, so she deliberately put on a somewhat restless demeanor, honking the horn aggressively during slight traffic jams.
Finally arriving at the restaurant entrance, she took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and walked out, stating her reservation number as the server led her upstairs.
Upstairs, beyond the broad floor-to-ceiling windows was a stretch of deep blue sea and sky meeting. It was precisely the blue hour, where the cool colors outside and the warm lighting inside intertwined. The low hum of a violin played, enveloping the restaurant in an indescribable atmosphere.
She first passed the counter, then walked past a screen. Natasha felt a gaze following her. Turning her head around the screen, she saw that familiar yet unfamiliar face. Those eyes that were once hidden in the billowing fog of the Minsk winter red chimney, eyes that had once shed tears and blood for her, looked at her with the same amazed yet puzzled gaze as when they first met.