Although he said so, Spider-Man couldn't sense the slightest hint of joy from the handsome old man.
The man didn't look at the uneasy Spider-Man. Instead, he turned toward Gwen and said,
"Dinner is ready. I hope you like European sea bass."
Spider-Man smiled.
"Who wouldn't like that?"
The man nodded, gave him a long, thoughtful glance, then closed the door and left.
Spider-Man turned to Gwen. The two exchanged a smile before he asked,
"Did I just make a fool of myself?"
Gwen patted him on the back.
"It's fine. Everyone's first time is like this. You'll get used to it."
With that, Gwen walked out first, leaving Spider-Man alone in the room, bewildered. First time? Later?
Carrying his nervous heart downstairs, Spider-Man saw a graceful woman arranging plates. She wore an elegant yet casual black dress that reached her knees, perfectly balanced between refined and relaxed. Her fair legs were striking, and from her hairstyle and figure, it was clear she carried herself with natural charm.
Hearing footsteps, the middle-aged woman turned her head. She froze for a moment when she saw Peter, then quickly realized who he was. Her husband had already mentioned there was a boy in their daughter's room. This must be tonight's guest - Peter.
She smiled warmly.
"You must be Gwen's classmate from university. Go wash your hands. Dinner's about to start."
Spider-Man quickly agreed and slipped into the bathroom.
Though she looked to be in her forties, Gwen's mother had clearly been a great beauty in her youth. Gwen had inherited the best from both her parents: golden hair, blue eyes, bright and lovely features. And to think her mother was this stunning as well.
When everyone sat down, besides Gwen's parents, there were also two young boys, her younger brothers, one about five or six, the other around eight or nine.
Spider-Man found it hard to believe that this elegant woman already had three children. Her figure hadn't lost its shape at all. Instead, she radiated the graceful charm of a mature woman.
In front of him was a plate of European sea bass. He struggled with it for quite a while using knife and fork, but the fish skin was unexpectedly tough and refused to cut through.
The woman paused her own meal, smiled, and said,
"Difficult, isn't it? Simon, help Gwen's friend with the fish."
The boy named Simon obediently walked over and neatly cut the stubborn fish for him. Clearly, this family ate fish often.
Feeling embarrassed, Spider-Man rubbed his nose.
"I really had no idea what to do."
Simon looked up and reassured him,
"Don't worry. Everyone's first time is like that."
The atmosphere at the table was warm and pleasant, but the conversation eventually drifted toward Spider-Man mostly because Gwen's younger brothers were very curious about him.
The older boy asked,
"Dad, did you catch Spider-Man yet?"
Spider-Man, who had been about to taste the fish Simon cut for him, immediately set down his knife and fork. He wanted to hear what Gwen's family thought about Spider-Man.
It mattered, after all they were Gwen's family.
The handsome old man leisurely forked a tender piece of bass into his mouth. It was fragrant and soft, and the flavor stirred memories of his wife's youthful beauty.
Hearing his son's question, he casually replied,
"No, we haven't caught him yet. But we will. He doesn't have much experience. He likes to ambush ordinary citizens in the middle of the night. He's clumsy and leaves plenty of clues. But he's still dangerous."
An unidentified masked man roaming the streets of New York every night had become a true headache for the police. Regardless of who he was or what he did, he was exercising public authority in a private capacity. That was the greatest provocation against the authorities, against the law, and against the New York police.
Hearing the old man's assessment, Spider-Man instantly grew unhappy. He lifted his head, looked at the man seriously, and said,
"He attacked ordinary citizens? I don't think so. I saw a video of him catching a car thief, and I'd say most people would believe he was trying to help society."
From the start, the old man hadn't liked this boy who had suddenly appeared in his daughter's room. Now, hearing him defend Spider-Man, his heart filled with disgust. His expression grew stern as he said,
"Then most people are wrong. If I had wanted to arrest that car thief, he would already be in jail."
Spider-Man pressed,
"Then why is he still stealing cars?"
Gwen, seeing the boy she liked now in an argument with the father she most admired, bit her lip nervously. Her eyes flickered between them, unsure how she could help.
As the chief inspector of the Bronx, the old man was skilled with words. He said,
"Let me explain it. First of all, we already had our eyes on that car thief. As for why we didn't arrest him immediately, it's because he could lead us to the mastermind behind him. This operation has been in preparation for six months. It's called 'casting a long line to catch a big fish.' I trust a university student like you can understand that."
Spider-Man finally understood, though he gave only a half-hearted response. Young people always wanted to save face, to prove themselves in debates with adults. Only then could they show their views were right, that they had matured, even surpassed the older generation.
Seeing her boyfriend falter in the exchange, Gwen felt uneasy. But she couldn't contradict her father openly, it would only hurt him.
She glanced at her mother for help, and the elegant woman gave her a knowing look.
Spider-Man stabbed a large piece of fish with his fork and shoved it into his mouth. He had to admit, the flavor was exquisite—smooth, rich, and clean, with only one main bone.
After swallowing, he said,
"All right, clearly Spider-Man didn't know about your plan. That's why he rashly went after the car thief."
The old man stopped eating when he heard this. He put down his fork, fixed Spider-Man with a solemn gaze, and said,
"From what you're saying, you sound like you know this so-called Spider-Man. Do you know something we don't? Which side are you really on, the police or the masked man?"
Spider-Man waved his hands quickly.
"I don't support either side. I just saw a video online"
"Oh, you saw a video online, and now the case is solved?"
Before he could finish, the old man cut him off sharply.
"No, what I mean is, if you watched that video, maybe your opinion would change. If you'd like, I can send you the link. It really looks like he was trying to help."
Gripping his fork tightly with both hands, Spider-Man spoke with a trace of excitement.
(End of chapter)
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